After listening to Saitoâs explanation, Guicheâs group concluded that first they were to comply with the judgment of Henrietta. This was a matter of course since the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit were Imperial Guards directly subordinate to Henrietta.
Henrietta originally opposed going to war with the Elves - presumably, she wouldnât support this new "Holy War". However, that wasnât only for Tristain, but it was an event related to the future of Halkeginia. Considering the political situation, there was no way to predict what decision Henrietta would make at that time.
After everyone had left the room, Saito started to care for Derflingerâs blade as he laid alone on the bed.
But there still seemed to be no sign of Saitoâs noisy partner regaining consciousness.
"Derf, I have so many things I want to ask you...."
During Saitoâs lonely soliloquy....
Suddenly there was a tap on the door.
"Saito, dinnerâs ready. Is it a good time to eat?"
Entering the room was Siesta, carrying a tray with tableware on it.
What was brought was freshly-made toasted bread, and the fragrant smell of stew wafting around.
"Thank you, Siesta. looks delicious."
The smell made Saitoâs stomach grumble. It seemed that his appetite had recovered after a little rest.
"This is stewed venison, and oven-toasted bread. This ship is really amazing. After Mr. Colbert remodeled the kitchen, even a commoner like me can easily use the fire."
Siesta placed the tray on the table besides the bed. There wasnât only bread and stew on the tray. There was also cheese, boiled eggs with their shells peeled, and sliced apples.
"Thanks for the food."[1]
Saito brought his hands together and was about to get up from bed.
But Siesta reached out and stopped him.
"Ah, itâs alright to not get out of bed. Let me feed you."
"What?"
Siesta squeezed Saito back into bed with a laugh and smile.
"The-thereâs no need, Iâm fine."
"No, what if you faint again?"
Saying that, Siesta shook her finger and gently pressed it against Saitoâs mouth. Saito went "Ah...", than obediently closed his mouth. Heâd known for a long time that Siesta could be particularly stubborn at these sorts of times, and that resistance was futile.
Siesta tore the bread with her fingers and scooped up some hot stew. Nobles like Louise would hardly ever eat such low-class meals, but Saito often enjoyed this type of bread made by old man Marteau.
Then Siesta brought a piece of bread with stew on it to Saitoâs lips.
"Come on, Saito, open your mouth."
Then she blushed a little.
"This... itâs more embarrassing than I thought."
"Yeah...."
Saito, with his pulse racing, opened his mouth and ate the bread.
"Hey! Thatâs my finger, Saito!"
"So-sorry!"
"Ah, itâs alright, Saito. I was just a little startled."
He watched Siesta happily interlace her fingers.
"How... does it taste?"
"Mm, very delicious!"
Saito frankly said his thoughts. Although he didnât know much about cooking, the soupâs stock was made well, and tasted absolutely delicious.
"This stew was made with Ms. Vallièreâs wine."
"Oh, without asking her permission? Wonât she be angry...?"
"Donât worry. Iâve already watered down the wine in the bottle."
"That will get exposed...."
Saito spoke, astonished, to Siestaâs nonchalant face.
"Do you want some warm wine? It will warm your body up."
"Well, if itâs only a little...."
To be honest, he was worried about the Earth and not really in the mood to drink wine. But he also felt bad wasting Siestaâs good intentions.
After pouring the wine into a glass, Siesta handed it to Saito. As the glass was given to him, Saito suddenly felt dizzy and caused some of the wine to spill.
"Oops... Sorry."
"Oh, youâre fine Saito!. Iâll clean it up right away."
Siesta promptly grabbed a cloth and started to wipe up the wine that spilled on Saitoâs chest.
"Si, Siesta?"
This caused Saito to shout. Siesta pressed her chest against Saitoâs arm as she leaned her upper body forward.
"Wo-woah...!"
Unlike Louiseâs dumplings, there was a heavy "squish-like" feeling. Although not as good as Tiffaniaâs big melons, Siestaâs chest was also quite destructive.
Tiffaniaâs magic-like breasts were amazing too. However, for a Japanese like Saito, it was the truth that they could be said to enter the territory of fantasy - being too godly, perhaps even a little unrealistic.
In contrast, Siesta had black hair, and was of about one-eighth Japanese descent. She kind-of felt like a classmate, an irresistible feeling... what was to be said, was that the sense of reality was much stronger.
And what is even worse is that, as a commoner, Siesta actually didnât wear underwear.
None of the girls of that world wore underwear.
Seeing this, blood suddenly spurted from his nose.[2]
"Oh, thatâs not okay. Saito, please take off your clothes."
"Fo, for this much, itâs not a problem."
"Thatâs not okay. What will you do if you catch a cold, come on!"
With a squish-squish, Siestaâs chest squeezed against his, with a squish.
"Oh, woah...."
Saito mobilized all his willpower, and withstood Siestaâs round of attack.
Louise was trying to persuade the Pope for him. With that in mind, Saito felt sorry for Louise. Trying to calm down, Saito meditated "calm state of mind, calm state of mind", in his mind.... Oh, did his state of mind grow calm?[3]
"Oh, Siesta?"
"Wh-what is it?"
Squish.
"This, I feel is a little inconvenient...."
Hearing Saito say this, Siesta said, "Ahhhhhh", sighing for a long time.
"I understand. After all, Saito already has Louise."
"...Mm."
"Uhh, so itâs a no-go? Even though I tried to appeal to you this much?"
"Sorry."
"Itâs alright. After all, I like this sort of Saito."
The seemingly frustrated Siesta pouted, and sat next to Saito.
Then she put her head on Saitoâs shoulder.
"...Siesta?"
"Really, Iâm also really upset."
Siesta said.
"At this rate, war will break out with the world that you, Saito...... and my great-grandfather came from, wonât it? Do they want to repeat what happened one year ago?"
Siesta, with a quivering voice, stared uneasily at Saito.
This scared Saito. During the invasion of the Albion Army a year ago, Siestaâs hometown of Tarbes was destroyed in a fire.
"Relax, I wonât let that happen. Louise and I will find a way."
"Saito...."
Siesta nodded her head.
Not only to stop the Popeâs ambitions, but also to save the Earth and Halkeginia at the same time... Saito held Siestaâs shivering shoulders, trying to reassure her while strengthening his determination.
Things went like that for a while... Saito didnât know whether Siesta drank the wine, but she smoothly slipped off to sleep with her head on his chest. Siesta was an expert when it came to sleep. Once she falls asleep it would take at least an hour for her to wake up.
Thereâs nothing he could do... With a wry smile, Saito let Siesta lay in his bed.
If he were to let Louise see that, it could cause a misunderstanding....
"How come Louise hasnât come back...."
All of a sudden, a slight anxiety appeared in Saitoâs heart.
At this time, Louise should be boarding the Romalian vessel and persuading the Pope.
Maybe she had lost her head, attacked the Pope with "Explosion", and was arrested on the spot. After all, although she usually was a model noble, she had a lot of opinions about everything. However, once her emotions erupted, it wouldnât matter if the opponent is a princess or the Pope, she treated everyone as equals.
"Did it really not matter to let her go by herself?"
The fearful Saito looked through the cabinâs porthole towards the place the Romalian fleet was gathered.
At that time, Saito frowned.
A huge lumpy black object appeared on the pitch-black sea. A magic light like a searchlight was projected from the surrounding ships to illuminate the object.
"... Whatâs that?"
With a bad premonition emerging from his heart, Saito approached the porthole.
At a glance, four Romalian ships floating in the air tried to lift the huge lumpy object with a large number of devices that were similar to chains.
The entire body was a circular arc, with a cylindrical profile that was a total length of 100 meters.
"Oh, it-it canât be...!"
Discovering what the lumpy object truly was, Saitoâs face turned blue.
It was the "Nuclear Submarine" that shouldâve been sleeping in the "Holy Land".
"... What are those bastards thinking!"
Saito grabbed Derflinger from the edge of the bed and immediately rushed out of the room. Although he didnât have the physical strength to stand up, he was barely able to move his body, relying on the strength of the "Gandálfr".
Arriving on the deck of the "Ostland", Saitoâs body emerged from the side of the ship. He saw the huge cylindrical lump being slowly pulled from the sea by the numerous chains tied to it.
"They want to pull the nuclear submarine up to the surface of the sea."
This made Saito break out in a cold sweat. Why was the Romalian Army trying to salvage the "Nuclear Submarine" that had sunk in the "Holy Land"?
At that time, the submarine, salvaged from the bottom of the sea, was constantly surrounded by small explosions as it hung in midair. Saito saw Romaliaâs Knights Templar neatly lined up on the deck of their ships, launching magic arrows towards the submarine together.
"Please, what do they think theyâre doing...!"
The blue-faced Saito couldnât help but shout. Although it was not easy to damage a nuclear submarine, it was only a matter of time if they were to continue.
"They basically donât know what a terrible thing that is!"
According to Derflinger, the "Nuclear Submarine" had completely ceased to function, and apparently there was no danger of radiation leakage. But in the end that was the power aspect of it. As for the things inside the ship... the "Weapons" he was too scared to name were still usable.
"I have to stop them...."
Saito, with an expression full of anxiety, grabbed the guardrail. The "Ostland" was a long way from the Romalian fleet, and the slung-up "Nuclear Submarine" was flying high in the sky.
"Whatâs wrong?"
At that time, a voice came from behind Saito.
Looking back, it was Tabitha with a book under her arm.
"Tabitha!"
Saito grabbed Tabithaâs shoulder, like she was a lifesaver. Tabitha suddenly opened her eyes in surprise, and blushed.
"...Whatâs wrong?"
"Can you use magic to send me to that Romalian ship?"
"What?"
"That is a bomb of my world, if I donât stop them, things will get serious."
Tabitha looked at the Romalian fleet, and thought for a bit... then she shook her head.
"No. If you board a Romalian ship without permission, it will lead to a diplomatic issue. You and I will be arrested."
"Oh, youâre right... No, right now isnât the time to worry about that!"
Saito shouted desperately. Although he didnât know the structure of nuclear weapons, they shouldnât easily explode if their exterior is destroyed. However, the surroundings could be accidentally exposed to radiation.
"...I know."
Possibly sensing Saitoâs urgency... Tabitha nodded her head, and whistled towards the sea. Not long after came the sound of buzzing. Sylphid, with her wings spread, landed on the deck of the ship.
"Big Sis, whatâs wrong? Chirp."
"Mount up."
Tabitha quickly sat on Syphidâs back, and Saito hugged her waist.
"Chirp, chirp. A late-night date! Big Sis is doing it!"
Not knowing she was misunderstanding, Sylphid happily cried.
"Ah, Sylphid is deeply moved. Big Sis is finally planning to lay eggs, so she wonât have to worry about the horny maid and the peach-haired washboard girl, chirp."
"...."
Tabitha knocked Sylphid on the head with her wand.
"What are you doing! Itâd be better if Big Sis was honest with herself sooner."
Thump! The red-faced Tabitha continued to hit Sylphid with a thump. However, the rhyme dragonâs head was protected by hard scales, and Sylphid didnât feel wounded at all.
"Hurry up, close on that ship."
Then Tabitha pointed her wand at the ship floating in the air.
"Piece of cake, chirp!"
Sylphid took off from the deck and rushed 200 feet up in the air in a flash. Even the magic "Fly" wasnât as fast. After cutting through the wind as they continued to ascend, they arrived above the Romalian ship floating in the air.
"Itâs a wind dragon!"
"What are you doing here!"
All the Romalian Knights Templar lined up nicely on the deck faced the wind dragon that suddenly appeared overhead, and a disturbance broke out.
At that time, a Templar Knight stepped out of the chaotic formation. He was a tall, slender man with his black hair parted down the middle, and he could be called a bishounen[4], based on his looks.
"That guy...."
Saito remembered that pompous-like mug. He was, surely.... though Saito had forgotten his name, he was the guy who had raised a dispute with Saito and the others before, in that Romalian city.
"I am the captain of the Knights Templar of the order of Alieste, Carlo Christiano Trompontino. Iâm warning you two, ultimately who allowed you to fly free over the Holy Romalian Fleet!"
Carlo pointed his holy wand at Saito and Tabitha above, raging loudly.
"Wait, I am Saito... Knight of the Queen of Tristain, Hiraga Saito."
"What? Youâre the apprentice knight Hiraga... That commoner hero!"
Hearing Saitoâs name, Carlo scornfully laughed.
"Trivial commoner of Tristain, what are you doing here!"
"You need to stop using magic to attack that lump of scrap metal right now! Otherwise some serious consequences will occur!"
"What did you say?"
Carlo, shrugging his shoulders, turned to look at the subordinate knights behind him.
"What did that page just say, did you hear him?"
"The sound of the wind is too strong, I canât hear clearly."
The knightâs response made Carlo grin, and he lifted his holy wand like a baton, giving orders to his subordinates.
"All devout believers of God and the Founder Brimir, shoot them down!"
"What...."
The Knights Templar began to chant spells together.
"Sylphid, circle to the right, dodge."
Tabitha anxiously said, it rarely being heard in her voice.
"Please, donât be hard on the dragon, okay, chirp!"
From the tips of the orderly row of holy wands, numerous arrows of light were launched.
"Woah!"
Sylphid quickly banked hard, and almost threw Saito off.
"Hold on tight."
Hearing Tabithaâs warning, Saito reached out and hugged Tabithaâs waist, and pulled his body close.
At that moment, Tabitha gradually flushed to her ears.
"Big Sis is really energetic, chirp!
Thump, thump.
"Big Sis is blushing, chirp, itâs really cute."
The orderly row of Knights Templar fired countless "Magic Arrows" at Saito and Tabitha. However Tabitha, as calm as ever, lifted her huge staff, that was a big as she was, and quickly chanted a spell, completing the magic.
"Windy Icicle."
That was the wind and water composite spell that Tabitha excelled at. The power was comparable to the the square class spell Frostbolt, and knocked down the Templarsâ "Magic Arrows" one after the other.
"Wh, what!"
"Donât underestimate her, that magician is very powerful!"
"The wind dragon, aiming for the wind dragon will work!"
Seeing Tabithaâs powerful magic, the Knights Templar began to panic.
"Persuasion is pointless, thereâs no other way...."
With a sigh, Saito gripped Derflingerâs hilt, and the rune on his left hand glowed.
"Tabitha, launch me in the middle of them."
"Roger.", Tabitha nodded shortly.
Sylphid circled over the heads of the Knights Templar, then dived towards the deck of the ship. At the same time, Saito dexterously jumped into the air with Derflinger in his hand.
Carlo roared with his face flushed in anger.
"Capture him! This is an invasion of Romalia, it doesnât matter if you kill him!"
The holy wand in Carloâs hand produced a blade of flames that was about two feet long. This was the fire systemâs "Blade" magic, and a burning flame slipped past the tip of Saitoâs nose.
"Enough is enough, listen to what Iâm saying!"
Saito, moving to avoid the "Blade", jabbed the hilt of Derflinger into the startled Carloâs gut.
"Captain!"
Seeing their commander captured, the Knights Templar fell into chaos. Saito quickly charged into their formation, and knocked down the dumbfounded knights one after another.
"Surround him! Surround him and kill him!"
Someone shouted at that point. Numerous "Magic Arrows" launched from the tips of the wands in the Knights Templarâ hands. Saito blocked the arrows with Derflinger. Even if Derflinger was asleep, he was still responsible for absorbing magic.
"What!"
The Knights Templar who witnessed the power of "Gandálfr" couldnât help but feel terrified.
"...He really is a stubborn guy."
The panting Saito looked around at the surrounding Knights Templar. If this was the normal Saito, he wouldnât be panting to this degree. As expected, under the influence of the "LÃfþrasir" runes, the consumption of physical strength was excessive.
"Hey, listen to me. That is something that you absolutely can not touch!"
"Be quiet, intruder!"
Even though Saito shouted, the Knights Templar still turned a deaf ear. Aiming at the stopped Saito, the tips of the lined up wands emitted red and blue lights.
"Oh...."
Saito could only re-grasp Derflinger in both of his hands.
At this moment... the sound of buzzing came. Looking up, Saito discovered a large wind dragon which flew over his head, which wasnât Sylphid.
"Okay, okay, everybody wait a moment and listen to what heâs saying."
The young priest riding on the back of Azuro said in a cheerful voice.
"Milord, Caesar...."
Somebody said that. With that, the Knights Templar immediately raised their wands, and saluted the priest.
"Julio, you...."
Saito glared at Julio as he landed on the deck.
In any case, even if he was a detestable opponent, he would listen to what a person would say. At least a little better than this group of Knights Templar.
"Saito, why are you causing a ruckus on our ship?"
"So in the end, what do you think youâre doing dragging up this kind of thing?"
"You need to ask, isnât the answer clear? That âWeaponâ is a gift given to us by the Founder Brimir, and we were just grateful to use it."
Julio lightly spoke.
"You said use?"
"Of course. If we want to fight the "Varyag", we require powerful weapons. We arenât willingly wanting to use the enemyâs âWeaponsâ... but ultimately weâre realists, and can never let go of something we can use."
"Do you know what that thing actually is? Thatâs...."
An extremely terrifying bomb... speaking to here, Saito stalled. It would be bad if he let the Romalians know what this is.
"Oh, donât worry. It wonât explode if you just destroy the outer shell with magic. You need more power to use this thing, right?"
"What...."
Hearing the words Julio spoke, Saito couldnât help but gasp in shock
Donât tell me he knows what "That thing" inside is...?
"Of course I know."
Saying, Julio pointed at his forehead.
"âMjöðvitnirâ is âThe Mind of Godâ. Although I canât freely use the weapons of the "Holy Land" like you, I can understand the theoretical structure. This is what the knowledge of the âMjöðvitnirâ told me. Incredibly, the power of the void actually sleeps inside this cylindrical object... at least close to the the nature of the void. The destructive power may be even more terrible than the King of Gauliaâs âJewel of Fireâ."
"Donât tell me the Pope is going to use that thing against the Earth!"
Saito couldnât help but shout. Since he knew their true colors, and they also recovered this from the bottom of the sea... didnât that confirm that?
But Julio shook his head with regret.
"No, I just said that the structure of this terrible âWeaponâ is very complex. Unfortunately, the knowledge we possess is insufficient to detonate it
Then Julio said in a semi-joking tone.
"However, Saito... maybe you could use it easily with the power of âGandálfrâ."
"That bastard...."
This startled Saito. Previously, when he was at the "Dragonâs Nest" and touched the submarine, the runes on his left hand glowed. Then, how to manipulate that "Weapon" flowed into his mind. Although it was not enough to launch the ballistic missile, by solving the safety equipment issue, it was not impossible to make it detonate.
"Can you do it, Gandálfr?"
Julioâs crescent eyes stared sharply
"How is it, Saito? If itâs convenient, can you teach us how to use it?"
"Donât joke around! Once that weapon is used, weâre doomed! Itâs that dreadful! You saw the destructive power of the âJewel of Fireâ, right? There wonât be anything left."
"Well, thatâs right. However, thereâs no point if we donât do this. This "Holy War" isnât a game, but a war on which weâre gambling our existence."
Julio said with a serious expression. His normal carefree expression had disappeared without a trace, his expression could even be called anxious.
Tightly holding Derflingerâs hilt, Saito thought that Julio was truly desperate. After all, that could relate to the survival of the world... but he couldnât relax either. Even though they didnât know now, wouldnât mean that they wouldnât figure it out one day, and he absolutely couldnât let them use that thing against the Earth.
"Julio, I donât say stupid things. Let that thing sink back to the ocean floor."
"And if I refuse?"
"Well... even if itâs tough, Iâm going to stop you."
Saito pointed the blade tip of Derflinger at Julio.
"It seems like persuasion is ineffective, âBrotherâ."
Reluctantly shaking his head, Julio pulled out the slender saber sheathed at his waist. At the same time, the Knights Templar behind Julio raised their holy wands one after another.
"Donât interfere you guys, this is a contest between men."
"Tabitha, itâs okay, you donât need to help me."
Saito was also reminded of Tabitha overhead. A fierce ice storm hung at Tabithaâs side, and was ready to cast a powerful square rank spell on Julio and the Knights Templar. Saito didnât want to involve Tabitha in this.
"Mount Azuro, Julio. You canât beat âGandálfrâ when heâs holding a sword."
"What are you saying? Arenât you pretty weak right now?"
Saito was silenced by Julioâs words. The present Saitoâs vision was definitely blurry, and the muscles of his entire body were protesting. If Derflinger fell from his hand, and he lost the power of âGandálfrâ, he would definitely collapse on the spot.
"But I will still beat you."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Saito immediately swung his sword like a gale. Julio reacted quickly, with a speed totally unlike a priest, blocking Saitoâs sword. However, his judgment was mistaken. Under the full power swing of âGandálfrâ the slender saber was easily cut in two. After all, although the sword in Saitoâs hand was not engraved with its makerâs name, it was a true "Sword" given by Brimir, that also had "Harden" and "Stabilize" magic cast on it.
An instant victory.
Saito held Derflingerâs blade against Julioâs throat.
"That was too much, âGandálfrâ."
"Drop that back in the ocean right now."
"Sorry, I canât do that."
Suddenly a "Bang!" sound was heard. Instantly, Saito felt a burning pain in his knee.
"...Wh, at...."
This couldnât help but make Saito let go of Derflinger. All the strength in his body was suddenly exhausted, and Saito fell to the ground on the spot.
"Youâre too careless, Saito. Donât think that the âGandálfrâ is the only one who knows how to use the âWeaponsâ of the âVaryagâ."
Something in Julioâs palm flashed. It was an automatic pistol.
"Bastard, using a gun is dirty...."
Saito, who had fallen to the ground, looked fiercely up at Julio.
"Under these circumstances, youâre still saying that. Even we donât know how many time weâve soiled our hands, and how many things have been sacrificed. In order to recover the "Holy Land", we even formed an alliance with the Elves and used the weapons of the "Enemy". This has nothing to do with being dirty, this is a fight for survival."
"Oh...."
When Saito reached out for Derflinger that had landed on the ground, Julio immediately kicked Derflinger to the side of the deck.
At this moment, an "Ice Javalin" aimed straight at Julio.
Tabitha, burning with anger, launched "Windy Icicle".
"Oops!"
Julio quickly jumped to escape.
"Tabitha!"
Saito shouted.
Tabitha chanted the "Blade" spell, and jumped to the deck from Sylphidâs back.
Seeing that Saito was injured, the usually-calm Tabitha lost her reason to anger.
Suddenly, the tip of a wand pressed against Tabithaâs back, who was about to charge Julio.
"...!"
"Donât move, I donât want to hurt you, Big Sister."
This stopped Tabitha. When did she get there... the one who appeared behind Tabitha was her identical twin Josette.
Tabitha couldnât help but shudder. It shouldnât be possible, no matter how strong a magician they were, to slip behind she who was once a Knight of Parterre without her notice. Not to mention that Josette didnât have any training, and just was an ordinary nun...."
At this point, Tabitha suddenly remembered what Castel Mall, who had served her father, had said.
He said that her uncle, King Joseph, the holder of the "Void", could use the wonderful magic of instantaneous movement.
"Please, put away your wand. If you hurt Julio, I wonât forgive you, Big Sister."
Josette spoke with an oppressive feeling. If Tabitha made any rash moves, Josette wouldnât hesitate to cast a Void spell.
"...."
Tabitha dropped the wand in her hand. The calm part of her mind judged that reckless action now wouldnât lead to Saitoâs rescue.
"You saved me, Josette."
Julio smiled, and looked down at Saito who fell to the deck.
"Saito, to be honest, I originally expected you to cooperate with us."
"You wish, bastard!"
The angry Saito gnashed his teeth.
"But you are already a person of this world, arenât you? Youâre not only the hero of Tristain, but you also have many friends. Besides, the lover you adore... Even though this Halkeginia is facing the verge of destruction, you still think that your native home is more important?
"...."
Indeed, saving the Earth would mean leaving Halkeginia to fend for itself. In the event of a huge uprising of Wind Stone, the living space would be reduced by half.
That could cause many people to be sacrificed.
There could even be people he knew.
"However, even so... Iâm still a person of Earth...."
His Mom and Dad took care of him as he grew up... He was the ordinary high school student, Hiraga Saito.
It was impossible for him to conquer Earth, for Halkeginiaâs sake.
Saito silently glared at Julio.
"I see... then thereâs nothing we can do. After all, thatâs your choice."
With a sad face, Julio shook his head. Though it could be in his imagination.... Saito thought that it wasnât Julioâs usual, unfathomable, pose. He thought that he felt sad for Saito, in earnest.
"Saito, you are under arrest. The crime is invading a Romalian vessel... well, and so on. Itâs fortunate for you that you will be not be put before the Inquisition for defying the Knights Templar.
"Donât... joke around...."
Saito desperately struggled, trying to stand up.
However, his body was already not listening to him... At most he could only move a finger.
"Dammit, itâs going like this again...."
"Julio, leave Saito alone!"
At this time, a familiar sound arrived at the deck of the ship.
"Oh...?"
That caused Saito to abruptly lift his head.
She was at the other end of his line of sight.
A cloak with the mark of a lily fluttered in the wind, and pink-blonde hair glittered as it was bathed in the glow of the twin moons. Her deep-brown eyes emitted an intense rage, and the tip of her wand was pointed at Julio.
The figure of a majestic goddess....
"Loui...se...?"
Saito, still laying on the ground, called the name of his beloved master.
How did you get here... that question was no longer important. Power flowed through his body just by seeing her.
After Julio raised his hand and withdrew, Louise rushed to Saitoâs side.
"Whatâs wrong with you, Saito! Look at the grave wounds that you have suffered!"
Seeing the Saito, who was bloodied, huge tears overflowed from Louiseâs eyes.
"Louise, how did you...?"
"Because I saw you fly here on Sylphid. And then a fight broke out on the ship... so I hurriedly used "Teleport" to fly here.
Holding Saitoâs cool hand, Louise yelled at Julio.
"Quickly, treat Saito!"
"Relax, that injury isnât life-threatening. We really canât kill him either."
"I donât care, hurry up!"
Julio nodded his head, then called for a magician who could use healing magic.
"Saito, cheer up a little... I beg you, donât die...."
Tightly holding Saitoâs hand, Louise whispered a prayer.
However, Louiseâs attitude made Saito feel subtly wrong. No, he was very grateful for her concern, but something felt odd....
Saito rolled over and asked.
"Say, Louise...."
"What?"
"What happened with the Pope?"
Suddenly Louiseâs expression stiffened
"...Louise?"
"Ah, Saito... this, I...."
Large teardrops fell from Louiseâs dark brown eyes, and moistened Saitoâs cheek.
"Wha? Wha? What?"
This puzzled Saito.
"Louise, hey, what happened, Louise...?"
"Iâm sorry... Iâm sorry, Saito...."
"Whatâs wrong, Louise... why exactly do you want to apologize...?"
Louise gently released Saitoâs hand... then said something unbelievable.
"I want to conquer Saitoâs homeland, and save Halkeginia."
"What...!"
Hearing this, Saito was speechless. The blow was too great, he couldnât even make a sound.
"But, before you... didnât say...."
"Louise... This, whatâs going on? Answer me, Louise...!"
As she turned around, Saito desperately reached out toward Louiseâs back as she was about to leave.
However, the magicians whoâd been found to heal Saito, immediately surrounded him, blocking his view of Louise.
"Louise... Louise...oh...."
The magicians cast "Sleep" magic on the resisting Saito.
The sandman struck immediately, and Saitoâs consciousness gradually fell into darkness.
"...Iâm sorry."
At the end it seemed like he heard that be said.
This is a textbook example of "itadakimasu", which can be translated in a myriad of different ways. I have chosen to localise it here."What is spurted is not mentioned in the raw material, but the context makes it clear that it is blood.This is a Daoist mantra for warding off evil- "æé¡æ¢æ°´"Beautiful boy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bish%C5%8Dnen