Again, Airi was dreaming.

This time, it was about her and Liam.

It was nighttime, they were walking hand in hand through the streets of the capital.

She smiled at him in a way that could catch your heart, as this was the original course of the world.

As they turned a corner, they met Alisa and her entourage.

She sent a look just like an aggressive dog at the poor Airi who was hiding behind Liam.

Liam glared angrily at Alisa.

She left along with her entourage.

Liam asked Airi.

"Are you all right?"

She shyly answered him.

"Y-Yes. It's just that I'm still not taking it in, I don't like Alicelotte-san looking at me like that."

"Don't worry. As long as I'm by your side, I won't let Alicelotte or anyone else hurt you."

Airi smiled.

"Thank you, Prince Liam."

"No problem, Airi."

Then, Airi woke up.

◇◇◇

Opening her eyes, Airi noticed that she was sleeping in Erselica's mansion.

Yesterday, they and Rudel stayed until Lucy and the others returned.

Of course, Lucy greeted them, Airi was still the same so she didn't notice that Lucy became attached to Rudel after arriving.

Bram stayed at Rudel's house as just the thought of sharing the same roof with Ada gave him a stomach ache.

Airi teared up as that dream felt too real to be one.

◇

Going downstairs for breakfast, I found Airi looking a little glum in the dining room.

Alisa was trying to cheer her up.

Lucy came up to me and said Airi had a nightmare.

"This is troubling."

Yesterday she was doing better and today she is also bad.

Lucy whispered to me.

"I know a good place where we can buy medicine for nightmares, we should hurry so we can go to class."

I should ask about the fact that there is medicine for nightmares, but Airi's condition is paramount.

"Okay. I'll tell Alisa and then we'll head out."

"Okay."

Lucy agreed and went to change.

Everyone was eating breakfast except Ada.

I asked Allen who was with a scary look on his face.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. My sister went on her date with your brother a little while ago."

"Don't tell date. It's a last ditch attempt so Bram can give up if it doesn't work out."

"It's better to have tried to love than to always be rejected."

"That's the worst thing you can say."

"..."

I pulled back after seeing him very upset, I told Alisa about the medicine and she agreed.

Lucy came downstairs in her uniform and after collecting my wallet we went out to buy the medicine.

◇◇◇

Already in class, Diana was walking next to Lugh.

Her expression was very grim, but Lugh's expression was worse.

He was talking to her.

"Diana, answer me, why didn't you go yesterday?"

"Do you know that my parents are really angry with you? Right now all my relatives and siblings are talking about our engagement being just a lie."

Diana replied to Lugh after sighing.

"I said sorry to you, didn't I?"

"Besides, an anniversary is no big deal when you can celebrate it every day."

"I'll make it up to you soon. Just let me get out of some unfinished business."

"I don't want to!"

For the first time for her, Lugh raised his voice to her.

"Diana, you've been purposely avoiding me these past few days."

"You know what I've heard about you recently?"

"Well, there's a lot of talk about how much I criticize the Acting Chairman."

"No. It's not that or even close to that."

Lugh glared angrily at Diana.

"A vassal of my house informed me that he saw you and Zack several times going in and out of the docks late at night."

Diana's eyes widened at that.

"Lugh...you..."

"Have you been stalking me?"

"Of course not. I would never do that, but tell me if what the vassal said is true."

"Yes it is."

Lugh was shocked after hearing his fiancée tell him that she has been seeing another man.

"I've been seeing Zack, but it's not what you think. We're doing something important."

Diana looked at her right hand which was bandaged unlike Rudel's.

"It's something very important which involves him. I can't ask you because you can't help me on this."

"But Diana, I'm your fiancé!"

"If you can't trust me, you'd rather trust a stranger like Zack?"

Diana showed her anger at hearing how Lugh was treating him. Deep down, maybe it was because of what happened last night.

"It's for that reason that I can't ask you for help. If you don't support me blindly, how do you want me to trust you?"

"Diana."

"If you don't understand me, how do you expect me to marry you!"

Diana wasn't yelling at Lugh even though it sounds like it, she was yelling at her boyfriend from her previous life.

The situation was the same, only the culprit was him.

They were days away from getting married.

Diana was so upset that she walked away ignoring him.

"If you want to talk. Do it by letter, I'll talk to you again when this is all over."

(That's right. After today, everything will change for the better.)

(That's why, Lugh, trust me, even if I did that yesterday.)

◇

After going to the place where Lucy worked, the place was closed.

It wasn't the only place we could get the medicine, but it was the quickest.

The weird part came there.

The commercial establishments were closed.

At this hour they should be opening everything, but it seemed that the bosses were drinking with their employees and no one was opening.

What's more, some were even avoiding contact with us.

Did we do something?

Well, in my case I know, but not in Lucy's case.

There wasn't a single store open, Lucy said we could get it somewhere else but we would miss first and second period.

I told her that was fine and we walked straight to where she said.

Because it was just the two of us, Lucy took advantage and held my hand.

Her beautiful smile gave me a lot of energy.

We chatted about various things as we walked, but there was something that caught my attention.

"Aptitude to be the priestess. How do you find out?"

"Granny said Diana has no talent. That's all. Since the priestess is an existence that can talk to the sacred tree, isn't it the judgment of the sacred tree? That's why the servants who were trying to turn Diana into one were disappointed... but that was not right."

All over the place it's dirty that.

If Diana didn't have the aptitude to be one, why did she later reveal that her parents told her otherwise?

It was during Jude's case, there we talked about all the information of the game, in it, Diana told us that her parents told her that she could become the priestess.

Isn't there a misinformation here?

"Diana doesn't know why they didn't tell her? There is no need to give false hope to a child who does not have the capacity to know if she is being told lies or not."

"That wasn't right. Even if we both had the aptitude to be one, what did it mean to us at that moment...?"

"That moment?"

"... The day when our family died. Father took us to mother and said some strange words to us."

"After that... I don't remember well, but I woke up and watched everything burning while Diana held my hand."

"What I do remember well, is a silhouette of a man crying."

"A silhouette..."

(That person... could it be Randolf?)

(Why would he be crying?)

(The mystery of why he did it is still weird.)

"Master. Please get ready."

"Huh?"

Ixion suddenly spoke to me.

I could hear footsteps approaching like small aircraft approaching.

Before long, Lucy and I were surrounded by Aster military, they had armed units in their ranks.

What the hell is going on?

◇◇◇

At the same time, at Erselica's mansion.

Alisa was waiting for Rudel to arrive soon.

Erselica and the others were waiting for him, so they were not leaving yet.

"What is taking so long?"

"Master must use that time to have a cheeky date with Lucy-chan. He's become a useless, womanizing master, the kind of master this Bell-chan can be proud of."

Bell made a comment that irritated Alisa.

"Even if it's a joke, it's a very bad one."

Alisa escorted Airi upstairs to lie down.

"H-Here you have it."

Erselica shyly approached Alisa and handed her a cup of tea.

"Thank you."

Weeks ago both she and Airi stopped hating her for what she did to them in the past. The hatred and distrust of Erselica was erased after seeing what she suffered with those five.

Deep down, they believed this was punishment enough.

After drinking the tea, Alisa commented.

"This tea tastes horrible."

"Hih! I'll change it right away!"

Alisa saw Erselica running to the kitchen, she didn't understand why she did that.

If the tea was bad despite Rudel living here, it meant that Rudel didn't buy the tea leaves.

She didn't care about that since she could tell Bell to make her one or Felicia even.

But Erselica served it to her and it would be a rude act not to drink it.

As she was reading a book on Aster politics, Felicia came shouting.

"Alisa oujo-sama!"

"What's going on?"

"Armed soldiers are surrounding the mansion!"

"What did you say?"

Alisa quickly gets up and goes with Felicia to the window.

Erselica who was arriving with a new tea was quizzical.

"Hey, what? What's happening!?"

The idiots who were lounging around become alert as well after hearing Erselica's shout.

Alisa muttered as she saw a horrifying scene in the garden.

"Why is this happening, did the Acting Chairman label Rudel as a threat?"

◇◇◇

Meanwhile in Randolf's office.

"You say a fleet has been mobilized in the city!"

A vassal informed him of what happened.

"Yes. According to the report, the combined army has joined and is mobilizing."

"Who the hell authorized that?"

"It was..."

Randolf heard a name that made his cigar fall from his mouth.

◇

"It's been a while, Lucy. I'm here to pick you up."

A voice sounded from above us.

An armed unit was slowly descending.

As we watched it descend, the soldiers began to cry out victoriously.

"It's finally here."

"It's about time."

"It's time for him to do his thing."

A large suit of armor stood in front of us.

Its color was white with dark blue lines on the arms and legs.

On the chest and head it was painted with bright red spots.

On his back he had a huge spear similar to a pointed drill.

It was familiar just by looking at it.

I instantly remembered it as I saw a man coming out of the front.

"Zack!"

Zack was descending via a cable coming out of the armor.

His pilot suit matched his eyes.

Zack looked at me with a face that indicated he was superior to me, he turned to Lucy ignoring me.

"Lucy, I've come to pick you up. Let's go together."

Zack held out his hand to Lucy, looking like a movie hunk.

Lucy looked at him strangely and stepped back.

"Where do you want me to go with you?"

"Oh, I didn't say, sorry. We'll go with Diana, so you don't have to be afraid anymore."

"Come on."

Zack reached over and grabbed Lucy's arm by force.

"No!"

But she resisted by breaking free from him.

Zack didn't understand what was happening, but he took her hand again.

"Lucy, don't be foolish. It's for your own good."

"No, let go I tell you!"

I grabbed Zack's hand to get him to let go.

"Lucy said no."

Now he turned his gaze to me, he was looking at me just like someone looking at their worst enemy.

"I know what you've done, that's why I won't let you take advantage of Lucy."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend you're a fool, I know about the commonwealth and the Kingsfort."

My eyes widened in surprise at what this kid said.

Zero stepped out of the armor and backed Zack up.

"We've found out a lot about you guys."

"It's very impressive what you did in the war. So much so that it seems inhuman to me."

I clenched my fist at Zero's sarcastic tone.

I replied as I was irritated to hear it.

"You have no idea what happened there. You don't have the right to speak."

"Sure we do."

This time it was Zack who backed Zero up.

"We've talked to people who fled because of what you did in the capital. I find it unbelievable that your country would support you after selling the Kingdom to the Kingsfort."

"What? What the hell are you talking about!"

"You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about!"

"The people who gave us information about you say otherwise. Even about how you killed an innocent marquis who tried to stop you."

"Zack, you really better shut up, or else─"

"Or else what, you'll kill me?"

I froze when I heard him say that.

I'm not a murderer, I killed a lot during the war because I had no choice.

"I didn't have a choice, it was them or the people I care about."

"There is always a choice, for that reason we were granted a second life."

"... Huh."

Did I even hear him say what I think he said?

"Why so surprised? Oh, that's right, my bad."

"Like you, I'm a reincarnate. But unlike you, I haven't killed anyone, monsters are not taken into account."

"Who told you that, Diana?"

"... What does she have to do with this? Wait!"

"It was me."

Zero covered for Zack who looked perplexed.

"So she's also..."

"Based on the information gathered, I told him about you."

"Zero... you're picking on the wrong enemy."

Ixion was getting angry, Zero ignored him, which made him angrier.

"For that reason, Rudel-sama, you are important to us. We want to return the lost glory of this country to you."

"There is only one solution to that."

Suddenly the sky darkened, Ixion reported in astonishment.

"Master, above you!"

Looking up into the sky, I found an airship similar to Ixion's main body.

Its color was dark blue and unlike Ixion, the body had two huge containers on its sides.

"It must fight to solve the problem."

Zero said that, Ixion answered him instead of me.

"Don't talk nonsense. Master doesn't need to fight you guys, you're no match besides."

"It's true. Despite what they say, I'm a peaceful man, I'll always opt for talk before war."

"Are you talking about the dialogue you used against Derrick? Or maybe against Jude?"

"Oh. Should I mention the attack on the sacred tree?"

"Honestly count, you and your dialogue are hardly credible indeed."

"Enough unnecessary talk, Rudel fights me."

Zack started to tease me, I replied angrily.

"I don't want to. There's no reason to either."

"Sure there is."

He said coming closer.

"If you win, I'll grant you two wishes, one of them having to do with Romeo's location."

I was taken aback.

"Do you know where Romeo is?"

"Of course I know, I also know the secret he's hiding and why he left his house."

"I'll tell you if you beat me. Also if you win we will apologize to you in such a way that it would be humiliating for us."

I heard the military mutter when Zack said that.

I asked him instead.

"What if I lose?"

He smiled in a sinister way.

"That you will only know if you lose. Likewise, if I win you'll know it when it happens."

I looked at Ixion and he said.

"I resent that overconfidence that is classic you. But still, what I've been analyzing Zero's armor, I don't see him as much of a big deal compared to Battler."

"I can win then."

"As long as I'm by your side. You are invincible."

I watched Ixion say surprising things.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... it's fine."

I said that and looked at them both.

"Prepare the ground. I'll kick your ass so hard you'll never meddle in my private life again."

(Worst of all, this idiot believes the corrupt and traitorous people who escaped the Kingdom. What a big jerk you are Zack.)

◇

After a few minutes of waiting, a large armed unit came flying in.

Nearly fifteen meters, sturdy unlike the other armor.

Its color was jet black and its eyes red, it had a large backpack with rockets on its back.

It was Battler, my armored unit.

Stepping on the ground, I climbed up and changed inside into my pilot suit.

It was the same color as my hair.

After doing so, we went to the place where it all started, the coliseum where I fought Derrick.

The stands were full of people, all were apparently Zack's allies.

Be it military, knights and nobles both foreigners and citizens, they all supported Zack.

Only Lucy was the only one sitting supporting me.

After Zack arrived, we discussed the terms and conditions of the duel.

We cannot use weapons other than the one is in our hands.

If one can no longer get up again it is victory for the other.

I had to put Battler's backpack aside, take out the blunt swords to fight.

By using these swords, I can't kill him, but it's just like a steel plate, so it will hurt a lot when hit.

Zack said that his armored unit is called Grappler MK II, an upgraded version of his original Grappler.

When he mentioned it, he emphasized that I destroyed it, but this idiot didn't understand that I did it to save his life and it wasn't on purpose either, I just hit him in the head.

Lucy walked over to the railing and called out to me.

"Rudel."

I answered her call.

"What's wrong?"

"Finish this quickly to go home."

She said it with a smile as she gave me a flying kiss.

That made my heart beat like crazy.

I answered her with all my sincerity.

"I'll win, don't worry."

With that said, I turned around and looked at Zack, Ixion was resting in his usual spot which was a board where some joysticks were to move Battler.

I said to him as I walked to my position.

"I'll go all out, but I'll use little power. Regulate the power to only leave him more of an idiot than he is."

"Understood."

With that said, a referee stood nearby and then raised a flag.

"The duel begins!"

And with that, a duel again begins.

I quickly approached him with my swords.

Zack used his large spear to block my attack.

It didn't do much good as he was quickly rammed aside.

I forgot that this guy had no experience fighting armed units, so I set out to defeat him in less than a minute.

As he got to his feet, I kicked him in the face and then landed several blows.

Ixion reported.

"Despite all that abuse, his armor isn't taking damage. The materials he used must be pretty tough."

"I recommend using force more aggressively to defeat it faster."

"Understood."

I used more force and punished Zack.

With almost a minute to go, suddenly Zack spoke to me.

"Hey, remember what I said in the beginning?"

"What thing?"

I replied uninterested.

"We said we would only use what we had in our hands."

"And you're using your feet and weapons."

"Hah? Obviously I'm using weapons I said I would use."

"That was before I did that."

"Do what?"

When I said that, an alarm went off.

"Master, step back!"

"...?"

I thought it was strange what Ixion said.

But then I understood him.

From the ground manifested a red magic circle which was very familiar.

From it came out roots which were trapping Battler.

"Don't fuck with me! This is impossible!"

I flew off into the sky to avoid being caught... or so I thought, as I remembered that I put the backpack aside.

"Damn!"

I exclaimed in denial as the roots clung to me.

Zack used his spear and stuck it into the outside of the cabin.

The damage was minimal, so it wouldn't even be a scratch.

Zack was talking to me as the roots tried to pierce the armor.

"Checkmate."

"I can't believe you actually fell into such an obvious trap."

"Trap you say!"

"That's right. The moment you said you accepted the duel in your armor, I used my emblem to swear an oath of the sacred tree."

"The conditions were that if I moved, I lost. But if you attacked me with anything other than your bare hands, it would be your defeat. Even trying to escape was a defeat."

"You miserable son of a bitch! That's cheating!"

Zack came out of his armor grinning at me.

"Are you seriously saying that, just you?"

"The person who manipulated Derrick into losing and going insane, the one who taunted Jude and the other nobles. The one who ridiculed his fellow academy members and crown prince. Are you seriously such a hypocrite to call someone else a liar?"

Zack's bastard expression was similar to mine, but the difference was that I was doing it because these guys were asking for it. I wasn't looking for a fight on purpose, they're the ones who started it.

I fell into their game.

The hatch was opened and roots pulled me to the outside throwing me against the ground.

Zack came down and approached me.

The bastard kicked me.

I couldn't do anything as I felt my strength go the moment the roots touched me.

No, they were intertwining with my hand.

The same thing that happened to Derrick and Jude was happening to me.

The punishment of losing the emblem.

A burning as if an insect was biting me I could feel in my hand.

Zack mocked me.

"You see? This is karma for being a scumbag."

"How does it feel to get your own medicine? Hey. Hero of the Kingdom-san?"

My body could finally move due to the roots moving away from my hand.

I took off my glove when Zack stopped stepping on me and saw that the emblem that was on my right hand for so long was gone.

I wanted to remove this, but remembered that in doing so, I was losing more than I expected.

I looked indignantly at the floor.

As I was about to say something, Ixion was the one who said it.

"Zeeeeroooooooooooooooo!"

"You're responsible for this aren't you!"

"I felt a surge of magic element energy around that armored unit, but I couldn't believe that you had done something as vile and despicable as that."

"Ixion, please don't be a sore loser."

"Rudel!"

Lucy came running up to me and hugged me.

I could feel her warmth and concern as she hugged me.

Damn, I feel so pathetic now.

She reassured me.

"It's okay, you did your best. You should feel proud of that."

"Rudel, it's time to make good on the bet."

Zack called out to me, I looked at him with a face of pure hatred.

"Say it."

It pained me to say this, but if I didn't accept this. The magic circle would probably appear again and place the curse necklace on me like Erselica.

Zack looked at me proudly in his victory, he snapped his fingers and various people came down, after that he said.

"The first condition of my victory is this. Piss off─ Go away you all, all of you from the Kingdom to your home."

"The fuck you say!?"

That proposal was unexpected to me.

"Just as you hear. I understand that packing takes time, so I'll give you until this time tomorrow to get you and all your compatriots on your airships ready to disembark."

The moment Zack said that, some military men, knights and nobles began to vandalize Battler.

They spat at it, threw trash, and were even sending it a golden shower.

"After all, a knight of the Kingdom isn't much of a threat."

"With Zack-sama here, Aster is the strongest, did you see that, piece of trash?"

"I can't believe we were terrified of this giant scrap, we're pathetic. But now the roles are reversed."

"Hey, let's paint graffiti on it. Let's make a proper decoration for the junk, hahaha."

I grabbed Ixion so he wouldn't go kill them, I looked at Zack angrily.

"Okay, I'll go tell everyone so we can prepare."

"Sure, also tell the embassy to forget about selling magic stones. Due to your behavior, they have been banned from our business, I'm sure your country will now treat you as you deserve."

"Now let's move on to my second wish for victory. As a gift I will tell you that Romeo is our partner, so don't try to contact Rosenberg Household."

"Good. My second wish is..."

*Snap*

As he snapped his fingers, some soldiers approached and grabbed Lucy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Zack!"

"Easy. This is my second wish, return the priestess and the sapling."

"They belong to Aster, a foreigner and villain like you doesn't need them."

"Lucy will go home with us as she always should have."

"By what right do you say so?"

"With this one."

He took off his glove and I observed the guardian's emblem on his right hand, on his left hand he had the emblem of a great noble corresponding to his house.

"... That, can't be..."

"Of course it can. I am the guardian of the sacred tree, therefore also the guardian of the sapling."

"With my authority I demand them back. As a bonus, Diana also has one and it's the priestess."

"..."

I was speechless at these unexpected developments.

"Boys, get Lucy on the airship."

"Don't you dare!"

"Rudel."

Lucy called after me, she looked at me with a calm expression as sad.

"All right."

"I'll go talk to Diana and we'll work something out."

"Tell Erselica-chan and the others that I'll come tomorrow with good news, just be patient."

"Okay?"

Lucy looked at me with an expression that screamed. "Trust me."

Since she was my girlfriend, I couldn't doubt her.

But of this dirty bastard Zack was different.

I looked at him angrily and said to Lucy.

"Alright. I'll wait for you Lucy, that's a promise."

"Yes. It's a promise."

After saying that, Lucy left with the military to a small aircraft that descended.

Before she went up the ramp, she caught sight of me.

Her expression for some reason made me feel a pain in my chest. Like it was something really bad that was going to happen.

Come to think of it, I think something like that happened when I died.

No... I shouldn't think about that nonsense.

Better to focus on the now.

I said to Zack as I wiped the dust off my suit.

"I'll comply for now that. But Lucy is mine, so I won't let this get out of hand."

"Hmph. Think what you want, this is my─ our victory."

"You heard it everyone! This victory is not mine, it's not yours, it's our victory!"

"I won for all of you!"

Everyone present shouted and praised him.

"Zack-sama is the best and the strongest in the world!"

"Even Tom-sama who is the best pilot couldn't beat him. Zack-sama is undoubtedly a blessing for Aster."

"Long live the Hero of Aster!"

"Aster's Hero is born! And his name is Zack of Wayne Household!"

The morons rejoiced as they left and only I and Ixion with Battler were left alone.

There was an awkward silence which Ixion broke.

"Master, we should inform Alisa about this."

"She will be angry no doubt."

"I don't think so. At least, not by you."

"But, if something comforts you. Zero cheated."

"You don't mean Zack?"

"No. Zero did, that guy... he dared to make fun of me."

I looked at Ixion very quizzical, his behavior was really weird when it came to Zero.

Now I must return like a beaten dog with my tail between my legs home.

Lucy, please hold on. Be safe.

◇◇◇

Erselica's mansion surrounded by Aster soldiers and airships again.

The first time they knew its meaning and were prepared, but this time it was different because it didn't make sense.

Erselica, who was shaking violently....

"Why do these problems always happen!"

She was crying.

"Help me onii-chan!"

Alisa thought at that moment.

(Onii-chan?)

(Who is that?)

After thinking about what Erselica said she recomposed her composure.

"Most of the people in the mansion aren't fighters. I can fight a little, but I have no chance of winning. If Rudel comes, it'll be fine, but I wonder if I can survive until then."

"No, no. Those guys have rifles, airships and armed units aiming at us!"

"No matter how strong you are, you'll lose by a single shot!"

"... It was a rhetorical comment, there's no way I can fight. No one here either."

"More important than that, what are the other side's demands?"

Bell brought a letter left under the door.

It's a piece of paper with demands thrown in by the soldiers.

"It's a request to hand over the sapling. If you hand it over, you will guarantee your lives. That's all it says."

Alisa squints her eyes.

"They must be either very crazy or very optimistic to say that knowing who owns that sapling."

"What do we do?"

"Before I hand them something that belongs to Rudel or the Kingdom, I'd rather throw it in the trash."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

After hearing Bell propose that, Erselica let out a panicked voice.

"Bell, you idiot! Don't even say that as a joke."

"I know, but in our current situation it's better to threaten them."

Erselica secretly looked through the window at her surroundings and gulped at the numbers.

"There are hundreds of people!"

There is a fence around the mansion. Even if there is a wall, it's not safe to have soldiers surrounding it.

It's an impulse that seems to come from them by their haughty faces.

Suddenly, Bell picked up a transmission.

"Hold on. I'm picking up a conversation."

"They're communicating with someone."

"Is it the Acting Chairman?"

"No, it's... impossible!"

"Bell? What's going on?"

Alisa asked intrigued seeing Bell shaking.

"The Master... he's lost."

"What are you talking about!"

A sound of a megaphone turning on they heard.

"People of the Kingdom, we received word from our comrades and they reported that the Fiendish Knight was defeated by none other than the newly appointed Hero of Aster, Zack-sama of Wayne Household."

"In the terms of victory and defeat was that the loser would fulfill a promise and Count Bradford's promise was to deliver the sapling."

"Therefore, we order you at this time to leave and deliver the sapling to us."

The official holding the megaphone smiled, as did the military men around him.

"Or else we will shoot to kill to get it back. Don't worry, we'll only shoot at the first floor, you have less than thirty seconds to come out with your hands up and deliver the sprout."

"Countdown begins!"

"Thirty!"

Alisa showed an expression of anger at what she heard.

"Rudel... lost?"

"No. That can't be, as long as Rudel has Ixion on his side he's invincible."

"Alisa-chan, right now we don't have to worry about that, these guys said they would open fire shortly, you must hand over the sapling to them."

"... But it's Rudel's."

"Then we'll get it back, you must give it to them now."

Alisa approached the sapling, which was in a case, seeing it she thought.

(Without this case, would the sapling have died?)

(What if I give it to them with another plant?)

"It looks like you are thinking of replacing the case or just not giving the sapling. The Master will retrieve it, but if they open fire, their lives can't be retrieved."

Reluctantly, Alisa agreed.

This was a defeat for them, both for Rudel and the Kingdom.

"Alisa-sama, I will come out. Alisa-sama must not come out."

"You want me to hide behind you? Don't joke."

Alisa, who ignored Felicia's opinion and came out, looked at the sapling and thought for a moment.

(We'll get you back, you are Rudel's property after all.)

◇◇◇

As they left the mansion, the armed and military units pointed their guns at Alisa, Felicia and Bell who were standing at the door.

Terrified Erselica watched from the window.

The same officer approached them muttering.

"It was just a little short of opening fire, whatever."

Alisa handed him the case where the sprout was.

"This is the desired sapling. Leave this property quickly."

The official who was of high rank, sent a lustful glance at Alisa's voluminous body, especially at her big breasts.

"The women of the Kingdom are vulgar. I heard that they hold men as slaves and abuse them as if they were objects, I can well understand it by seeing you. How repulsive it is."

Alisa glared like an aggressive dog at the official who was briefly startled.

The official took the sapling gently and then lifted it up while showing a bow.

"The sapling has been recovered from the hands of the Demon of the Kingdom! Today is a great day for Aster!"

The soldiers clapped their hands and in haughty tones spoke.

"Aster's glory has been regained!"

"I'll get really drunk today!"

"It's all thanks to Zack-sama. The young hope to restore glory to our homeland."

It was because their anxiety had been removed and they were more relieved than usual.

Alisa told the retreating official.

"Don't think Rudel will stand idly by with this."

The official burst out laughing after sending Alisa a flatulence.

"Pff, I doubt it. hahahahahaha!"

Hearing those words, Alisa's fists shook with shuddering.

The soldier notices it and smiles because he can afford it.

"The Aristocratic Kingdom and the Kingdom are different. Compared to the Hero of Aster, Zack-sama, you, the visitors of the Kingdom, are inferior. Now you understand that you can't even be his opponents, right? Hahahaha."

Aster is strong.

The soldiers regained their self-esteem with Zack's appearance. They became more pedantic and arrogant than before.

"Don't think this will stay like this."

When Alisa squeezes her hand in anger, Felicia grabs it with both hands.

"Alisa-sama, please come in."

Bell communicated to Alisa.

"Master and Ixion are coming, let's wait for them inside."

The soldiers carefully carry the sapling and leave the mansion.

"Let's show this to the Acting Chairman!"

The laughing soldiers commented taunting the Kingdom and Rudel, while others threw trash at him and painted the outer walls of the mansion.

Alisa bites her lower lip.

(Randolf. You are the representative of the Six Great Nobles. I will definitely make you pay for this humiliation. I definitely will.)