80 - Episode 6: The Three Girls and the Little Princess
The Kingdom of Albestein is a country rich in nature... or so one could describe it, if viewing it favorably.
The reality is slightly different, as it is basically dominated by mountainous terrain. Because of this, the excavation of magic stones is flourishing, but conversely, it can be said to be a country where flat land is scarce and the places where people can live are limited. Since the places where people can live are limited, agriculture is not even worth mentioning, and thus, a national policy of selling off seemingly infinite mineral veins became the basis.
Returning to the topic, because it is a country with many mountains, there are also many rivers, most of which flow into the Great Carton River. On the bank of one of its tributaries, there was a girl washing clothes.
A girl with blue hair tied in two tails... Lilitia.
(Big Sister... where on earth are you?)
While washing the clothes for three people in her hands, her mind was filled with thoughts of her beloved Big Sister, Marianne.
After that... just as she thought a mysterious light had enveloped the Serious Breakers party, Lilitia, Latia, and Kazuha were thrown into an unknown land.
The cause was unknown. However, whether by good luck or bad, they seemed to be near a main road, and they reached a human settlement immediately. By gathering information in that village, they learned that this country was the Kingdom of Albestein and that it would take about a week to return to the Empire.
Fortunately, since Latia and Kazuha had prepared their equipment at the moment Marianne kidnapped Geoglyph and Later, thinking that something would absolutely happen, Lilitia, who had been half-asleep, had also shifted into a combat-ready state by wild instinct. Therefore, they had brought their guild cards, and they had no trouble with immediate funds or earning money in an emergency. This level of thoroughness was a far cry from the Three Idiots.
Anyway, the three girls, inferring that the Three Idiots had also been caught up in the teleportation in the same way, set out on the road back to the Empire while gathering information.
On this day as well, they cut their daytime travel short, and each took on a role such as preparing the camp, procuring food, or doing laundry. Since Lilitia's role was laundry, she was washing the clothes for three people together in the river.
"Hm?"
Something floating toward the shore entered her vision, and Lilitia stopped washing. At first, she thought it was driftwood or some piece of trash. But for that, it was a bit too colorful.
A humanoid with a head, arms, and legs. However, its size was at most that of a river fish. At a generous estimate, it was about thirty centimeters.
"...A fairy doll?"
Curious, she picked it up, and the humanoid had wings. It wore a pink dress that was somewhat too flashy for a fairy. It was limp and powerless, and there were bruises and abrasions here and there, as if it had hit a rock face. Furthermore, its expression was too vivid for a doll, and it looked pained. Moreover.
"...cough... hack..."
"It's... alive!? Then it really is a fairy!"
Because it suddenly choked and spat out river water that must have entered its body, she came to be convinced that this thing in her hand was not a doll but a real fairy.
"Sigh, it can't be helped. You're in luck, you."
There were many things she was curious about, but Lilitia, deciding to help first, began the incantation for a recovery spell.
●
"I'm back, Kazuha."
Kazuha had finished setting up the camping tent and the preparations for cooking, and was sharpening a kitchen knife because she was concerned about its edge, when she was called from behind. Turning around, Latia was there.
"Welcome back, Latia-sama. The harvest... I don't even need to ask, do I?"
"Well, yes. I have this Magic Gun, and an elf won't lose to mere wild animals in the forest."
Latia had volunteered for the procurement of wild plants and hunting, and the results were obvious from the three birds she held. They were wild birds commonly seen in northern countries called Sortle birds. They aren't as meaty as chickens raised by humans and are a bit bony, but they have no smell and taste good. The volume was more than enough for one meal.
Originally, as an elf, her hunting skills were quite good, but after being entrusted with the Magic Gun Vajra by Geoglyph on the way back from the Triad, that brilliance had been accelerated.
It allowed for faster rapid fire than a bow, exceeded the projectile speed of arrows, and the power could be adjusted freely. Furthermore, when adding the corrections from an elf's eyes and spirit arts, she boasted a range and accuracy that was truly like giving a club to a demon.
"Where is Lilitia?"
"At the river doing laundry."
"I see. ...I think we'll reach the next town tomorrow. Let's pray we can reunite there."
Sitting down nearby and beginning to pluck the feathers of the Sortle birds, Latia said so while reviewing the travel schedule.
"Yes... Honestly, I'm glad Latia-sama and Lilitia-sama are here. If I were alone, I would have been at a loss."
"The same goes for us. I can't handle frugal meals like the inland elves anymore."
In order to catch up with the Three Idiots, who are currently Copper rank as adventurers, the three girls are also in the middle of completing requests to raise their rank. Therefore, they are coordinated and understand each other's roles, so there is no hindrance to acting together. The reason the three girls did not panic at the sudden teleportation and were able to act after properly setting goals and a route map was also due to these circumstances.
If it had been a solo teleportation, it probably would not have gone so smoothly.
"I'm back."
Then, Lilitia returned with a rag bag containing the laundry in one hand.
"Ah, welcome back, Lilitia-sama."
"Sorry, Kazuha. Add one more portion to the meal. Latia, I have something to discuss."
"What is it?"
Latia tilted her head at her, who spoke such things as soon as she returned.
"Are you knowledgeable about fairies?"
"Well, I am an elf, so I'm more knowledgeable than most people."
While asking such a question, Lilitia reached into the rag bag and showed...
"No way... what happened to this child?"
"I picked her up in the river."
"Just like a dog or a cat..."
It was the fairy she had picked up by the river earlier. She was carefully wrapped in clothing and was sleeping with a calmer expression than when she was found.
"Fortunately, her life is not in danger. I healed the minor scratches and bruises, so it wouldn't be strange if she woke up at any moment, but..."
"True. I think she'd be surprised if a strange human was suddenly there. An elf would probably be more reassuring."
There is a folk legend that fairies do not like humans.
The reasons and circumstances are not left in the legend, but it is a fact that fairies rarely show themselves before humans. They do show themselves occasionally, so their existence is not doubted, but in some regions, they are so rare that they are worshipped as messengers of god.
On the other hand, demi-humans... especially elves, are said to be encountered more closely. This is because, according to folk speculation, they seem to be closely related species, and the fact that both fairies and elves have deep connections with spirits is related. Whether that is the truth or not is unknown, but in reality, Latia was the most suitable person to handle this.
"I'm counting on you."
"Yes. ...Still,"
"What is it?"
At the unexpectedly honest Lilitia, both Latia and Kazuha relaxed their cheeks as if they had seen something heartwarming. Certainly, if it were when they first met, they would have been appalled, thinking she'd say something like, "It has nothing to do with Big Sister, so ignore it!" but after spending some time with her, the two had realized Lilitia's true nature.
While she is a slightly off saint who constantly runs wild without discrimination regarding Marianne, because she comes from a commoner background, she is surprisingly sensible in her daily life.
Moreover, she surprisingly knows how to adapt to the time, place, and occasion, and handles people of high status accordingly. At the very least, she has enough common sense to seal away her blunt tone and behave formally, as she does now.
And then, there's this.
"Fairies are cute, after all."
"True. Like a little doll."
"I-It's not like that. I just thought Big Sister would be happy to see this thing...!"
With this, she surprisingly likes cute things appropriate for her age. Latia and Kazuha knew that her room at the base was overflowing with dolls and stuffed animals.
Perhaps for that reason, the fairy, whom she couldn't abandon, moved her body in response to the three girls' voices.
"Ugh..."
The fairy, slowly opening her eyelids, looked up at the three girls with emerald eyes.
"Where is this..."
"Are you awake?"
When Latia spoke to her, the fairy recognized the situation.
Three girls, an elf, a beastman, and a human. In the beastman Kazuha's hand was a kitchen knife, which she was sharpening carefully with a shako-shako sound, and in the elf Latia's hand was a Sortle bird in the middle of being plucked. There were other ingredients around. No matter how you looked at it, it was the preparation for dinner. Those three were all looking this way. There was no doubt it was a gaze of curiosity, but in this situation...
"...kyuu..."
No one could blame the fairy for mistakenly thinking she was being looked at as an ingredient and losing consciousness again.
●
"I-I'm sorry... I-I thought I was edible..."
"Do I look that ferocious?"
"Ahaha..."
"Well, the timing was bad..."
After a while, the fairy, who woke up again, almost lost consciousness once more, but managed to explain that she had no hostility. Because the doll-sized girl was trembling and shrinking back with a pale, shaking expression, the three girls felt a terrible sense of guilt.
By the time she had managed to explain herself and conversation became possible, the sun had completely set.
"I'll introduce myself again. I'm Latia Fa Swin. This is..."
"I'm Kazuha."
"Lilitia Harvard."
To the three girls introducing themselves again, the fairy nodded, then suddenly stopped moving as if she had realized something.
"Lilitia Harvard...? ...The Saint of the Refill Church!?"
"Yes. This girl picked you up in the river. If you're grateful, be grateful to her."
"T-Thank you very much."
"Whatever. It just happened, it just happened. More importantly..."
It seemed she knew about Lilitia, and she bowed her head as if timidly. In response, Lilitia waved her hand dismissively and spoke again.
"Why does a fairy know about me, the Saint?"
"Ah!"
"Now that you mention it, that's true. A fairy knowledgeable about the secular world is rare... I wonder why the crest of Great Fairy Cathedral is floating there?"
"...!"
At Latia's following question, the fairy twisted her body as if to hide the crest floating on the chest of her dress.
"Um, well... this is..."
At the fairy, who looked as if she had been careless, both Latia and Lilitia frowned.
As mentioned before, fairies rarely show themselves before humans. Paradoxically, they have no way of knowing the affairs of the human world. Since the existence of a Saint has existed since ancient times, even if she knew the word, it was somewhat unnatural to know the name of the current Saint.
Moreover, Latia knew the composite inverted triangle-like crest floating on the skin of the open-chested dress the fairy wore.
The progenitor of all fairies, Great Fairy Cathedral, who is said to have fought on the side of the gods during the Great War of Gods and Demons that occurred thousands of years ago. Even for elves, who live long lives with an average lifespan of three hundred years, she is a myth-level existence, but her existence is not doubted. After all, some of the elves who protect the World Tree have the qualification to have an audience with Great Fairy Cathedral and still maintain contact occasionally.
Feldina, Latia's hometown, is what is called an enlightened faction of outer-land elves, but even so, they do not neglect traditions and legends. Moreover, since they are relatives of fairies, they are more knowledgeable than any other race.
That was why she noticed the fairy's crest, but tilted her head. Because she had never heard of a fairy possessing the crest of Great Fairy Cathedral in any legend.
"Here. Please."
Amidst the strange tension, Kazuha offered a cup of tea to the fairy as if to break it.
"There are things I want to ask, and there are questions, but... probably, it's different from our objective. So you don't have to say it if you don't want to."
"Well, that's true."
"Kazuha is always so calm. ...Huh? Isn't that the role of the leader, me...? Then, what is my reason for existing...?"
"D-Decisions are the leader's role! Latia-sama!"
But that was not their main point. Therefore, the three girls decided to leave it alone. It seemed these three had been influenced by the rule of not helping people thoughtlessly while being with the Three Idiots.
"Objective...?"
"We were based in the Leonesta Empire, but without noticing, we were sent to the Kingdom of Albestein."
"I think it was some kind of accident. I think Marie is probably involved."
When Latia and Kazuha glanced at Lilitia, her expression clouded slightly.
"Marianne-sama was also surprised, so I don't think it was her own will, Lilitia-sama."
"Hmm..."
The interaction of Lilitia chasing and being chased by Marianne was a common occurrence. But Lilitia had been thinking of trivial things lately, such as whether she was so hated that she was teleported away.
Although their acquaintance was short, Latia and Kazuha, who often worked together in adventurer activities, sensed her inner feelings.
Normally she would have brushed it off, but since she accepted the encouragement honestly, she either trusted them... or her heart was weakened.
"Well, anyway, our general policy is to return to the Empire, and we're also searching for three other companions who were probably sent here with us. Do you know anything? A human boy named Geoglyph Triad, another human boy named Later, and then a human girl named Marianne Romanet."
"No..."
"I see. Then it can't be helped."
"Um... aren't you worried?"
When the fairy shook her head, Latia shrugged very simply. At that strangely dry reaction, the fairy voiced her doubt. However, the three girls looked at each other.
"We are worried, but..."
"Well, it's those three."
"I'm worried about my fragile Big Sister, though?"
A strange sense of trust in those Three Idiots outweighed the worry.
"You are... trusted, aren't you..."
"Of course. It's Later-sama."
"Hmph. There's no way the Demon King of the Night Sky would fall so easily. ...Wait, that word 'fall' just now, it's cool, isn't it...!?"
"I love him, though?"
Certainly, this lack of cohesion was undoubtedly derived from those Three Idiots.
"U-Um...!"
"What is it?"
It's unknown what the fairy thought seeing that, but she looked at the three girls as if she had made up her mind.
"My name is Lumilia El Albestein."
And she revealed it.
"...I am the princess of this country."
Her origin and circumstances.
●
It was a long time ago, before the country called Albestein was formed.
In this land, an existence called a Spirit Dragon ran rampant. That dragon, which governed spirits, commanded those with souls, devoured them, and made them its power. It was naturally the natural enemy and sworn enemy of humans, demi-humans, demons, fairies, and spirits... all those with will. Some say it was a force from the demonic race of myth, but it is not certain.
Anyway, the leader of the time requested help from Great Fairy Cathedral to appease the Spirit Dragon. And the clan that received that protection and sealed the Spirit Dragon Albestein in this land together with Great Fairy Cathedral... that became the Albestein Royal Family.
"I see... so that's why you have the crest of Cathedral... excuse me, why your Highness has the crest?"
"You may speak as usual. Currently, I am in a position where I do not even have a single attendant. I ask the other two to do the same."
Being told that by Lumilia, the three girls looked at each other.
For starters, they are citizens of the Leonesta Empire. Their positions are different, but each has a considerable status, and Latia and Kazuha, having roles as diplomatic representatives for Feldina, an autonomous region of Leonesta, and the beastman village, have received a fair amount of etiquette education.
That said, royalty of another country is still an opponent that makes one hesitate, and the only one who can stand strong in terms of position is Lilitia, the Saint of the continent's largest religion.
Therefore, they thought they had to be careful with their language, but Lumilia didn't seem to care that much. No, looking at her tattered state, it should be said that she doesn't even have the luxury to care.
"The Great Fairy Cathedral-sama, who appeased the Spirit Dragon Albestein that once raged in this land. The direct descendants who received that protection... that is the Albestein Royal Family. I am a descendant of that line."
At her words, the three girls nodded, thinking it made sense that she was knowledgeable about the world and possessed the Great Fairy's crest.
At that time... Lumilia, who was being chased by the Knight Commander, Marquis Richter Centaur, jumped into a valley to escape, and in doing so, she exercised one of the secret arts passed down in the royal family.
That secret art, said to increase affinity with fairies, is simply a magic that transforms one into a fairy. However, that was not the goal. Lumilia, who originally had almost no combat ability, exercised it to reduce the burden on Shannon, who was leading her, by becoming a fairy and getting smaller. It's true that she became lighter and the burden decreased, but the fact that she became too light and was swept away by the torrent, becoming separated from Shannon, is a story that is not funny at all.
That said, they had coordinated their destination. Lumilia judged that if she could somehow reach the Radock Territory, her original goal, she would be able to reunite, but she also understood that collaborators were essential to reach it.
Therefore, she bowed her head to the three girls.
"I must go to Count Radock, reunite with my knight, Shannon, and overthrow the Prime Minister, Gardel. I humbly request your strength."
In response, the three girls.
"This is a bit..."
"This is truly beyond our hands..."
"True. It's absolutely impossible to go until the end."
They were hesitating with grim faces. On the way here, they had also obtained information about this country. That's why, facing Lumilia, who was becoming a princess of a fallen nation, they could not make a light judgment.
"The current situation, to put it simply, is on the verge of a civil war, right? For us, this is a foreign country. If we participate and our origins are revealed, it will be suspected as intervention by the Empire. That fact will eventually become a shackle for our home country. Sorry, but we can't accompany you that far."
"Hey, Kazuha... Latia actually understands politics."
"I-I am in a position that could be called a diplomat for the elf village, Feldina, and lately I've been spending a lot of time with Geoglyph-sama..."
"So she didn't just learn those weird behaviors..."
"You two? I'm talking about something important right now."
Latia directed a beaming smile at them, but the two girls only averted their eyes.
"I see..."
"However, we can accompany you as far as the Radock Frontier Territory. Beyond that, we won't interfere."
"No... that is fine. Indeed, this was not a story to involve guests of another country. As for the reward, I will do whatever I can."
Lumilia was slightly discouraged, but considering the future, she regained her composure, thinking it would indeed be so.
The current Empire is focusing on internal affairs, but originally... no, even now, it is the hegemon of this continent.
Diplomacy... especially when taking action with invasion in view, it is obvious that if citizens of one's own country helped the restoration of another country's royal family, it would be used as a bargaining chip. The same can be said for the Empire's side, but for Latia and the others, who would be the ones turned into a bargaining chip, it was understandable that it would be unbearable.
Therefore, a relationship where they just accompanied her for a bit without knowing each other's true identities... would be the safest compromise.
"True. We brought money and equipment, so we'll manage... I want information."
"Information?"
"Yes, the three people I mentioned earlier. I want you to look for Geoglyph Triad, Later, and Marianne Romanet. We have absolutely no connections in Albestein."
"Understood. Once we reach the destination, we'll ask Count Radock to search for them."
"I'm counting on you. They're flashy enough to be called the Three Idiots together, so I think you'll recognize them immediately."
And Latia, the elf, held out her right hand.
"Well then, nice to meet you, Lumilia."
"Yes!"
Lumilia, the fairy princess, also took that hand.
Next time, next week.