139

Volume 5 Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Bride Robber

.

Part 1

Noelle was looking at herself inside the mirror.

A beautiful wedding dress──but, a collar was attached on her neck.

The servants were decorating the collar so it wasn’t seen, then Lelia entered the room.

「B-big sis」

Noelle smiled at the anxious looking Lelia.

「What’s wrong?」

「A-are you alright?」

What do you mean alright? She thought, but she replied gently.

「I’m nervous but, that’s all I think. You too, be happier. With this we can return to be noble again.」

Lelia looked down, but there were only the servants of Barriere House around them.

She couldn’t spek her true feeling.

But, Noelle had a feeling of guilt toward Lelia.

「──Sorry. You won’t get dragged like this if only I didn’t get discovered.」

She felt guilty for dragging Lelia into this.

Lelia shook her head.

「I, I’m fine. But, big sis you──」

The servants interrupted their talk.

「Noelle-sama, it’s time. Lelia-sama too, please leave.」

Noelle immediately turned expressionless after Lelia was driven out.

Noelle was also a girl.

She had a longing toward the image of a bride.

However, even when she was dressed like this──she felt so sad it felt like tears would spill out.

(Really, how did it become like this)

A single crest was throwing her life into chaos like this.

She really hated it.

.

Part 2

The venue was really wide.

There were pillars that were made to look like the sacred tree. They supported the high ceiling. The stained glass had the picture of the sacred tree.

The light that shined in from there was really pretty. Light was also shining in from the ceiling.

Noelle was walking through a path that was illuminated by light. She looked at the guests around her.

All of them were people who possessed crest.

They were the chosen people of the sacred tree.

They were nobles. They were celebrating the new priestess──and the guardian that would be born after this.

There were few people who were seeing Noelle as herself.

(──Even though they aren’t even interested at me myself.)

What was important was the crest and the priestess position.

The bridge that connected the sacred tree and the people──the existence that was lost and sought after by the commonwealth.

None of them was wishing for the personal happiness of Noelle.

Most of them were thinking that she would surely be happy if she was married with Loic.

(I didn’t wish for something like this. What I wished for was──)

Even though she was thinking that, there was no replacement for the priestess position.

Noelle had no freedom.

(I was really stupid to be happy like that when the crest appeared. That’s right, this is the destiny of the person who possess the priestess’s crest. I’ll be bound to the sacred tree for my whole life.)

The future she wished for wouldn’t come true.

(What do you mean the priestess will be tied together with the person she loves. It’s just a lie in the end.)

She didn’t run even then because the collar wouldn’t let go of Noelle.

Also, this was for Alzer’s sake.

Noelle hated the nobles.

Although extreme people like Pierre were few among the nobles who were in the possession of crest, all of them were still arrogant.

It was always the commoners that were suffering.

The nobles were conceited because they couldn’t lose and continued doing defensive battles, but it was the commoners that received the damage.

Those who died in the war were the people who didn’t possess the crest.

It was rare for noble to die in war because they had the power of the crest.

She loved Alzer.

But, she hated the nobles that ruled this country.

She became a priestess was also for the sake of the people.

(But──allow me to choose who the guardian is at the very least. Why it has to be Loic)

When she arrived in front of a stone statue of the sacred tree at the back of the venue, Bellange was waiting there.

The sacred tree was considered as a divinity at Alzer. The six great nobles who had a position close to it sometimes would also act like a substitute priest.

Behind Bellange──on his back, the crest that Bellange had was floating.

In this kind of ceremony, there was a custom for the priest substitute to show their crest to the surrounding to indicate that they were the witness of the ceremony.

For an important event like today, a lot of the time it would be one of the head of the six great nobles who served as the priest substitute.

Bellange talked to the two with a small voice.

「You two look great. Now then, let’s have priestess-sama grant the guardian’s crest to Loic here. You understand how to do it right?」

She had been taught how to do it beforehand.

The priestess just needed to talk to the sacred tree inside her heart 「This is the person who is worthy to be the guardian」.

Noelle looked toward Loic and joined her hands together in a praying posture.

Although she was hesitating whether it would really be alright to grant the guardian’s crest to Loic, she had no other choice.

(Sacred tree──this person is my guardian. Please, grant him the crest of the guardian.)

When Noelle offered her prayer, the priestess’s crest on the back of her right hand manifested a meter behind Noelle. Its size was around three meter.

The guests who saw that were excited to see the priestess’s crest.

「Oo, finally!」

「Alzer’s future is bright with this.」

「And then the guardian’s crest──the crest?」

But, even though Noelle’s priestess’s crest had appeared, nothing happened after that.

After this the guardian’s crest should be appearing behind Loic just like the priestess’s crest.

With that the marriage between the priestess and the guardian would be sealed in stone but──nothing appeared even after they waited for a while.

Loic was gritting his teeth.

「Noelle, are you planning to betray me in this place?」

「I-I’m doing it. I’m properly──」

She strongly prayed one more time.

(Sacred tree-sama, please listen to my voice. The man before me is your guardian. He is the one who will protect you.)

Even though she was praying desperately, the guardian’s crest wouldn’t appear on Loic.

Not only that──she could hear a voice.

The sapling’s voice that only Noelle could hear sounded like the voice of a little girl.

But, the sapling wouldn’t accept Noelle’s request.

The voice’s way of speaking sounded clumsy, but Noelle could feel the strong rejection in it.

Noelle opened her eyes.

「──Eh?」

Noelle let go of her praying posture in surprise. Bellange was losing his composure seeing that and spoke to her with a small voice.

「Priestess-sama, can you hurry it up? Or perhaps, you’re planning to shame us in this place?」

Noelle shook her head.

She had no such intention.

But the sacred tree was rejecting her prayer.

「N-no. I have prayed properly. But, but──it was rejected.」

The word ‘rejected’ echoed through the place that had fallen silent.

The venue became noisy.

The center of Loic’s face crumpled and he grabbed Noelle’s neck.

「Noelle, you’re just saying that to…!」

Noelle grabbed Loic’s hand with both her hands, but she was unable to shake him off.

Loic grabbed Noelle’s neck with both his hands.

The surrounding got into an uproar. Bellange tried to stop Loic, but the crest of a great noble appeared behind him.

Loic’s crest produced flame so that no one could approach.

Even Bellange couldn’t get near.

「Loic stop! Don’t kill the priestess!」

Loic’s fingers were sinking into Noelle’s throat.

「tsu!」

Loic was laughing seeing Noelle unable to make any voice.

「I should have done this from the start if you won’t become mine!」

Just when Noelle prepared herself to die like this, she heard a voice.

A lisping young voice was talking inside her head.

The guardian is coming──it said. He is coming to protect the priestess, it said.

(Guardian? I, I haven’t chosen anyone. And yet, how can the guardian──)

Her neck was being choked painfully. Loic’s flame was also burning her wedding dress.

Then, the ceiling’s glass was smashed and a black armor descended.

It was Arroganz(アロガンツ).

Leon’s voice resounded inside the venue.

『I came to take back the bride!』

His voice sounded really delighted.

With the intrusion of Arroganz wind drowned out the raging flame inside the venue.

Loic was also sent flying. Noelle also tumbled down and looked at Leon who came out from Arroganz.

He was wearing a white tuxedo.

(That look really suited him.)

It was strange that she was thinking like that. She was embarrassed to feel happy at Leon’s appearance.

Loic looked at Leon who was looking down on him and yelled angrily.

「What are you doing here! Don’t tell me, you are planning to kidnap the bride? How dare you coming here wearing white tuxedo like that──we will lodge a protest to the kingdom about this.」

Other armors were also coming from the surrounding and jeers were thrown at Leon.

But Leon didn’t panic.

He raised the submachine gun he brought and pulled the trigger, spraying the bullets around. The guests screamed.

And then──he spoke out words that shocked everyone.

「This must be what they mean by the guilty is shouting the loudest. Is stealing other person’s bride and forcing her into marriage is the so called elegant way of Alzer? You are calling other people barbarian but, you guys are the real barbarian here. It’ll be better for you guys to reflect on yourself for a bit.」

What was this guy saying?

Bellange was also protesting.

「What are you saying after smashing your way into here with armor while an important ceremony is in progress! In the first place, how did you enter here? The military around the sacred tree temple──」

Leon was laughing flippantly.

「Haha~, it was really difficult you know. After all I had entered this place since yesterday. A certain someone ordered to have my mansion watched, so it was really time consuming to set up some tricks.」

Loic clicked his tongue and ordered the soldiers who rushed inside to fire.

「Kill him!」

It was stupid of him to come out from his armor.

He was exposing his flesh body.

Noelle yelled at Leon.

「Leon run!」

Then Loic who was irritated by that──pulled his left hand toward himself.

A chain appeared from Noelle’s collar and she was pulled toward Loic.

Loic’s arm constricted around Noelle’s neck.

「Shut up!」

Seeing that, Leon tossed his submachine gun into the cockpit.

The soldiers around him were firing their guns at him, but an invisible wall was blocking the bullets from hitting him.

Leon threw off his white glove and pointed his right hand at Loic and others.

「──Don’t keep getting cocky. Kneel.」

Right after that, behind Leon──behind Arroganz, a large magic circle formed.

It was a large magic circle that was almost six meter in isze──the crest of the guardian.

Loic and others turned speechless in front of the guardian’s crest that was shining faint green.

Noelle was also the same.

(Why is the crest on Leon──even though, I still haven’t chose)

Noelle only learned now that the sapling had given the guardian’s crest to Leon.

.

Part 3

Leon possessed the guardian’s crest.

Louise was rooted on the spot at that sight. She ignored the clamor Hughes was making beside her.

「Why is that guy in the possession of the guardian’s crest!? Louise, do you know about this by any chance!?」

The night of that day.

Louise didn’t return home and went back to Druille House in order to cooperate with Leon and others.

She helped with their preparation from there.

But right now what was more important was Leon’s appearance.

(──Leon)

Louise recalled her little brother──Leon Sara Rault.

It was something that happened before Leon died.

His engagement with Noelle was decided and he was getting into high spirits because he would be able to become the guardian.

She remembered Albergue making a troubled face at that itme.

But, he also looked happy to hear that his son would be able to become the guardian.

She recalled her conversation with her excited little brother at that time.

(Yes, if I’m not mistaken──Leon said to me──)

The young Leon said to Louise.

『Onee-chan, I’m the next guardian you know! Amazing right!』

『It’s amazing but, I wonder if Leon can really become the guardian. Because, the guardian is a splendid person you know?』

『I can! When I become the guardian, I’ll become a guardian that protect everyone.』

『Everyone?』

『Yep! The sacred tree and the priestess, and then the nobles and the commoners too──I’ll protect all the people in the commonwealth!』

『Ee~, I wonder if Leon can really protect them. Even though you can’t even win against me.』

『I-I’ll win against Onee-chan soon! And then I’ll also protect Onee-chan!』

『Yes yes. I’ll be waiting without expecting too much.』

『You said it! I’ll protect Onee-chan for sure so remember it!』

Her little brother who said something like that was too adorable that she hugged him.

But──a few months after that Leon died.

He was buried under a cold tombstone with rain falling in drops at the day of the burial.

She recalled the words that the young Louise who was wearing a black dress muttered in front of the tombstone.

『You liar──even though you said that you will protect Onee-chan. ──You won’t be able to protect me if you die.』

Her little brother couldn’t become the guardian, and he also couldn’t save the people.

He couldn’t even save himself.

But──in front of Louise, Leon appeared with the guardian’s crest in him.

(──Leon)

That overseas student Leon who came from Hohlfahrt Kingdom though, he gave an order in front of the soldiers of the commonwealth.

「Are you guys deaf? Your heads are too high you small fries. Prostrate before the guardian’s crest!」

──That figure was far removed from the guardian who would protect everyone.

.

Part 4

I could see clearly the people of Alzer in confusion before me.

They must have no idea of what to do when I appeared with the guardian’s crest.

Even the head of Barriere House Bellange was blinking in confusion.

After all no matter how many times he looked, the crest floating behind me belonged to the guardian.

「Now then, how about you return the bride now, you bunch of thieves. Do you know? The priestess and the guardian are one set. In other words, it’s you guys who stole Noelle from me. No matter how you think about it, this is barbaric isn’t it?」

From the convention of Alzer, it was Loic who was cutting in line.

Well, the truth was I was the one who stole Noelle from Loic though.

「Even so you guys are really shameless huh. You even hold a marriage ceremony this grand. Could it be, you guys are seriously thinking that Loic can be chosen as the guardian? No way. Just no way. Absolutely no way.」

I said everything I wanted to say in front of the commonwealth bunch.

There were a lot of annoying things that had happened, so I’d spill out everything at this chance.

From here Lambert’s vexed face was also clearly visible.

「This guardian thing, simply put a strong human who can protect the sacred tree will be the one chosen for the position right? Even though originally the possibility of the six great nobles being chosen is high, the sapling chose me──about this, aren’t you guys not chosen because you guys are just unreliable? In other words, the sapling is recognizing that I’m stronger than even the six great nobles, isn’t that right?」

After I said that, I could hear the surrounding saying things like 「Don’t screw around!」「You insolent!」「How dare you!」 and the like. But it only sounded like the howl of losers for me.

In fact, there was nothing but losers here.

「It’s the truth right? In the first place, what could be the reason for the sacred tree to not choose any priestess and guardian until now?」

The surrounding instantly fell silent when I touched the sensitive problem for Alzer.

It felt really good.

I’d stirred them up real good to vent my stress.

U~n, provoking people and preaching at them made me feels like I’ve become a big shot myself, it feels real good!

It would feel really unpleasant if someone did something like that to me though! But I’ll do it!

「The sacred tree would choose the existence that should protect it, isn’t that right? In other words──it’s saying that there isn’t anyone worthy from among you guys isn’t it? It’s not only the sapling, aren’t you guys abandoned even by the sacred tree itself?」

The guests’ anger was directed at me when I laughed.

「But, I guess it can’t be helped. It’s you guys who lost against foreigner like me. Even the sacred tree will give up you all as hopeless.」

Oh, had they been bothered by it? the guests were getting red faced.

Then I’d poke more at where it hurt!

「Don’t be angry just because I hit the bull’s eye. I’m only coming here to take Noelle back. Even though I tried to take her back peacefully, I was shocked that you guys are getting strangely heated up.」

The traitor Fernand was looking up at me in frustration.

And then he addressed me.

「──My apologies. This is also unexpected for us. If possible, I hope you can get down here. Let’s talk.」

It was my principle to not trust a traitor.

「There isn’t any need for talk. Hand over my priestess. Plain and simple right? After all it looks like I’ve the duty to protect the sapling and priestess. Sapling-chan will scold me if I don’t take her back from you thieves.」

Fernand tried to keep persisting but, it seemed Loic reached the limit of his patience first.

「You’re just keep saying whatever you like since some time ago! I was the first one to love Noelle! Noelle belongs to me! I won’t hand her to anyone. If someone is going to take her away, I’d rather!」

Loic drew out the ceremonial sword hanging on his waist. Screams filled the venue.

I immediately gave the instruction.

「Luxion!」

『There is no problem. ──Do whatever master like.』

A sword flew out from the cockpit.

I caught that and unsheathed it while jumping down.

There was five to six meters until the floor. It was a bit scary but I endured.

Knights and soldiers stepped forward to stop me, so I reversed the single edge sword and struck them with the back of the blade.

A lot of the knights relied completely on their crest. They were shoddy when it came to pure combat technique.

「You sir knights of Alzer are really weak. It’s falling mark for you guys if this is in the kingdom!」

I could hear Luxion’s voice.

『The boys in the kingdom are training in order to finance the girls after all. They faced monster in dungeon risking their life to earn money and support the female students financially. Their strength are obtained at the end of such tearjerking effort.』

Stop! I’m crying.

But, there was no choice but to become strong in such place.

Became strong, survive through the dungeons that were crawling with monsters, and obtained money.

The strength that I obtained for that was being useful right now.

I defeated the knights and soldiers and drew near to Loic, then I pointed my right hand.

A crest was floating behind Loic. Flame came out from there and gathered onto Loic’s right hand, creating a huge fireball.

「Do you think that you can win against me without armor!」

「If it’s the power of crest then I also have it! ──But, I’m not going to use it against you.」

When Loic fired the fireball, I split the fireball with my sword.

The bisected fireball burst apart, leaving me unharmed.

I watched Loic looking shocked and reversed my hold on my sowrd.

I crouched and closed the distance with Loic. Without stopping──I cut off his right arm.

Perhaps from Loic’s point of view it looked like I closed the distance in an instant.

With his right arm severed, he became unable to receive energy from the sacred tree and the crest on his back vanished.

I kicked Loic away, stepped on him, and then thrust my blade into his left arm.

Loic was screaming.

「M-my arm! MY ARMMMMM!」

「Shut up. It’s you who made me need to go this far.」

I took away the bracelet from Loic’s left arm.

The surrounding couldn’t make any movement in front of us.

Loic who tried to kill the priestess.

And then, I who possessed the guardian’s crest.

They must be unable to think what they should do here.

But, there should also be some people who would take action soon.

I wore the bracelet that was splattered with blood on my left arm, then offered my hand to Noelle who was sitting on the floor.

「Noelle, come.」

──But, Noelle was crying and rejected me.

She shook her head and strongly rejected me.

「Stop it. Why are you doing something like this! Even though I tried to forget you. You’re really the worst, doing something like this! Do you know how much I──how much I!」

ph_otome5_ill007

I could understand Noelle’s feeling, but there was no time so I forcefully carried her on my shoulder.

When I shouldered the struggling Noelle, the people around surrounded us.

When I looked at Loic, people who could use healing magic gathered around him and connected the arm that I severed.

「Oh, you guys are going to oppose me who has the guardian’s crest?」

Fernand came in front of me.

He had a weapon in hand. He was also preparing to use the crest’s power.

「Even if you are the guardian, there is no way we can hand over the priestess to you!」

It seemed the surrounding also felt the same.

They surrounded us and pointed their weapons and crests this way.

「It’s good that you have some guts to fight. But have you forgotten?」

Fernand yelled even when I looked up at Arroganz.

「We also have armors at our side!」

Armors broke through windows and attacked Arroganz that had become unmanned.

The surrounding thought that they would be able to focus on me after seeing the armors breaking through the windows.

But──naïve.

「Don’t think that Arroganz can be stopped with just this much.」

Without any pilot inside, Arroganz turned toward the armors that were moving to grab at it──and crushed their heads with its grips.

Fernand was shocked.

「It’s moving even though it’s empty? No, is there someone inside!?」

The correct answer was that it could move even without pilot. But there wasn’t any need to teach him so I stayed quiet.

「Look, open a path quickly. The guardian-sama is passing through! Wait, Noelle, don’t struggle. I’m begging you.」

「Let go! Just let go!」

Noelle was crying while struggling on my shoulder, so it was hard for me to carry her.

Fernand yelled when he saw that.

「Protect the priestess! Leon-dono, the priestess is refusing you. We can’t let you pass through!」

Albergue-san came at that timing.

「Everyone lower your weapon!」

Louise-san was also beside him.

Albergue-san glared at Bellange who was sitting on the floor.

「Bellange, I’ll question you in detail later. Also, I won’t permit any rudeness to the guardian!」

The knights and soldiers lowered their weapon at the acting chairman’s order.

Fernand protested at Albergue-san.

「Acting chairman, are you saying we should just overlook this!」

「Calm down. How can we bring out the weapons if we are going to talk. Also Fernand, I know that you are also involved in this.」

Fernand also looked down, and then he lowered his weapon.

Bellange sat down on the floor and held his head in his hands.

「You idiot son」

And how was that idiot son Loic doing?

Everyone’s gaze gathered on him. The doctors were looking stumped.

Albergue-san asked as everyone’s representation.

「How is Loic doing?」

The doctor answered.

「T-that, after we connected his arm, he forced himself and went outside──」

Right after that, an explosion occurred somewhere in the sacred tree temple and the building started to shake.

Louise-san looked at me.

「Wait a second Leon-kun, things are over already.」

Please wait. Could you not make everything to be my fault?

I certainly set up some bombs, but I still hadn’t pushed the switch.

「──I still haven’t pushed the switch though?」

There were a lot of people who made a face that asked You really set up some?. There were also some people who looked at each other wondering from where the explosion came from.

Amidst them, Bellange stood up and started to get flustered.

「That idiot son, don’t tell me he want to pile up even more shame on top of this!?」

.

Part 5

An armor smashed through the sacred tree temple’s wall and went outside.

It was an armor that Barriere House owned, a custom made one.

The weapons of Alzer had the mechanism to receive energy from the sacred tree.

It had the requirement that its pilot needed to have a crest, but its performance was several level above armor of similar specs.

The commonwealth was undefeated in defensive battle because they were relying in the capability of this kind of weapon.

And then, among the armors that Barriere House owned, there was armor that could only be used by the six great nobles.

Originally it was given the role to stand out as a commander’s ride. It was designed with the premise that it would be a member of the six great nobles riding it with their capability to receive abundant energy from the sacred tree.

Its frame was large and its crimson armor had sharp design.

It was created to stand out. It looked like it had wings on its back.

Its creation was putting emphasis on appearance, but its performance was also extremely high.

Loic went into the cockpit and grabbed the control stick with his arms wrapped in bloody bandages.

Red light was dwelling inside Loic’s eyes.

「Sacred tree! Lend me strength to burn everything to ash! Everything. Give everything to me!」

He forgot himself in his rage and moved the machine to do nothing but destroying everything.

Crest formed behind the armor, increasing its power output.

The output was increasing so much until it was burdening every part of the armor, then Loic drew out the armor’s sword.

Flame coiled around it. A slash flew out when he swung the sword.

The flame flew in the shape of crescent moon and destroyed the wall of the temple.

The temple exploded and burned.

「Burn! Burn everything! Noelle──and that man too! BURN EVERYONE WHO DOESN’T RECOGNIZE MEEEEE!!」

Loic felt that even more energy than usual was flowing into him from the sacred tree.

His arms that were cut by Leon throbbed.

His hatred was increasing with each throbbing.

「Come out Leon. I’ll kill you in front of Noelle’s eyes. I’ll make her regret for not choosing me──」

The guests were running out from the temple.

An airship and armors that were guarding the temple noticed the commotion and approached.

The airship and armors had the crest of Druille House. It seemed Hughes who ran away from the temple was boarding the ship.

That Hughes called out to Loic.

『Loic, stop it already! Don’t destroy the temple. There was a communication from Nii-san that the plan is already cancelled!』

Loic’s mouth took a crescent shape at Hughes who conveyed the instruction from Fernand.

「You Fernand’s flunky, don’t order me around!」

Loic’s armor pointed its left hand. Flame burst out from there and burned the airship that Hughes boarded.

The airship was falling. The armors of Druille House aimed their weapons.

『Hughes-sama!』

『Loic-dono, what have you done!』

『Stop it right away!』

Loic cut down the airship and armors that were converging toward him with his sword.

The slashed armors exploded.

「Stop? I don’t give a damn anymore to the plan! I──I just need Noelle alone, and yet!」

Bloodshot red light was dwelling inside the eyes of Loic who was laughing while crying.

Then Arroganz that was boarded by the hateful Leon flew out from the temple.

『Aa~aa, now you’re rampaging. Even though I planned to finish it more peacefully.』

When Leon came out, the crest shining on the armor’s back brightened.

Loic yelled at Leon.

「So you show up──fiendish knight!」

The red armor flew toward Arroganz to stab it with its sword.

Arroganz dodged that and swung the battle axe that it took out from the backpack just as the armor passed through. The shoulder armor was cut off.

『Too shallow huh.』

Loic felt like his head was boiling from rage, even so he observed Leon’s movement.

(Shit-! You damn barbarian from the kingdom! It looks like he is used to pilot armor. But, he dodged my attack, that means he want to avoid a contest of power──I have the advantage in size. I’ll overcome this battle with the difference in specs!)

The red armor was bigger than Arroganz.

From the appearance, it felt like the red armor was stronger in mass and power.

「It looks like you’re confident in your armor’s specs, but my armor is custom made by Barriere House! It also has no worry of running out of mana with the energy supply from the sacred tree. But, how about you? Even if you can receive energy from the sapling, it won’t even be a fight against the sacred tree!!」

Even if both sides were receiving backup from sacred tree, the sacred tree that had supported the commonwealth for many years and the sapling were far too different in power level no matter how one looked at it.

Armor specs.

Sacred tree’s divine protection.

Taking all of those into consideration, it was a difference that couldn’t be overcame no matter what with just the pilot’s skill──that was what Loic thought.

The red armor swung around its sword and started to push back Arroganz.

The knights and soldiers of the commonwealth who were watching that──the airships and the armors were watching without taking any action.

In their heart they wished for Leon to lose.

When the red armor swung down its sword, Arroganz blocked it with its battle axe.

The flame that was coiling around the sword vanished and the blade shined brighter.

ph_otome5_ill008

The heat increased further, melting the battle axe while cutting through it.

「I’ll bisect you just like this!」

Then──there was a voice other than Leon.

『How long are you planning to play around, master?』

Leon answered that voice with a tone of enjoyment.

『No, it looks like he is getting heated up, so I thought of making it more dramatic.』

Leon didn’t show any sign of panicking.

Loic thought he was bluffing.

「You impudent!」

Leon’s voice deepened as though to tell him that he was getting serious.

『I’ll teach you the correct way to take mount position, greenhorn.』

.

Part 6

Loic was planning to win against Arroganz by relying on the armor’s spec.

Luxion was irritated by that.

『I can’t go along with master’s game.』

「Don’t say that. The spectators are also getting excited aren’t they?」

The voices of Alzer’s people that Luxion intercepted could be heard.

『Destroy that kingdom’s armor!』

『I-is it alright for us to not help? The acting chairman order us to stop Loic-sama──』

『We couldn’t get near. We just need to say that. It’s a judgment made based on the on-site situation!』

What a horrible bunch.

Well, the military in this area was from Barriere House and Druille House.

I never expected them to proactively help me.

Loic’s armor turned its sword’s blade red like a heat sword.

It was a weapon to melt the enemy armor while cutting through with its high heat.

『Master』

It seemed Luxion was irritated with me who was pretending to be in a disadvantage.

It must be vexing for him that Arroganz was losing.

「What an impatient guy. ──The fun is only starting from now.」

Arroganz was backing away from the push of the larger armor, but then I gradually increased the engine’s power while the armors were in sword-locking contest.

Arroganz that had been pushed back until now stopped moving──and slowly started to push Loic’s armor back.

I could hear Loic’s panicked voice.

『Is the power output decreasing!? Dammit, this piece of junk!』

Loic was blaming the armor. He couldn’t see the reality.

「Loic, don’t you blame the armor. That armor is excellent. The disappointing one──is you.」

Blue flame burst form Arroganz’s engine nozzle and started to push back the red armor.

And then I also took out a sword from the backpack.

Arroganz took it with its left hand and cut Loic’s sword with it.

『──Wha-!』

The severed blade twirled in the air. When it stabbed into the ground, white smoke burst out with sizzling sound from how hot it was.

「Slow reaction. Not the armor, but the pilot.」

When Arroganz kicked, the red armor bent backward and got sent flying.

The pilot’s skill was shoddy and couldn’t fix the armor’s posture midair.

Arroganz threw its battle axe and cut off the left arm of the red armor that was slowly trying to get up.

Screams came from the onlookers, but it sounded like cheers for me.

「That armor is wasted on you~. You can only use it to this degree even though its specs are that high. The black knight old man was far scarier than this. If that person ride that armor, it would be completely out of hand.」

It gave me a chill recalling that time.

The memory of me screwing around and gotten beaten up viciously is coming back.

I didn’t want to go through something like that anymore but──it was necessary today so I’d screw around.

「Haha~, I’m really glad that you’re my opponent. Because──even with the sacred tree’s divine protection, you’re still small fry at the inside. Besides, the sacred tree’s divine protection is also not a big deal at all!」

When I laughed, I could hear the onlookers sending their anger at me.

Their conversations that Luxion picked up were only repeating things like 『Please allow us to shoot that guy!』 or 『That bastard, how dare he make fun of us!』 or 『Please give the permission to attack that guy!』.

The weak point of Alzer’s people was speech that called them small fries who could only rely on their crest huh!

I’d remember it firmly in mind.

The red armor was standing up.

I watched it standing up while provoking Loic.

「Come on, get serious. Or perhaps this is already your best? Try defeating me with the divine protection you’re so proud of. Cause I’ll take you on! Give it your all──cause I’ll crush you like the small fry you are no matter what you do!」

I would face the opponent who challenged me with their full power, defended against everything using the difference in armor specs, and won on top of that.

That was the correct way of taking mount position.

The red armor’s crest on its back enlarged even more and even blazed up.

Several fireballs were fired from there, but Arroganz easily dodged them.

The fireballs themselves were huge, but they had no speed.

Also they had no density.

They only swelled up bigly.

Although he was receiving a lot of energy, he was unable to control it.

It was just like a shower’s nozzle.

Even if the shower had a lot of water supply, the nozzle clogged the flow and only a bit of the water could spray out.

It was really a waste.

「Oi oi, is that the best you can do? There is a limit in how disappointing you can be. Don’t you have any other hidden ace? The armor’s appearance is really deceptive! Are you perhaps running out of trick alreadyyy!」

When I laughed, the red armor charged at Arroganz.

I put away the weapon and made Arroganz stopped the approaching red armor──with one hand.

Even though the armors collided midair, Arroganz almost wasn’t moved at all. The red armor that got its momentum killed was the one that got bounced back by the impact. Its armor was dented from the collision.

Loic must be getting shaken intensely inside there.

I kicked the armor flying so that there was a distance created between us, then I made Arroganz held a rifle.

I aimed the rifle’s muzzle and told Loic where I was going to shoot.

「I’m aiming at your right leg, so let’s see how you block or dodge it.」

『Kuh!』

Loic let out a pained voice and tried to escape by materializing the crest in front of the armor to be used as shield.

Luxion spoke when he saw that.

『That shield pattern has already been analyzed.』

When I pulled the trigger, the bullet pierced through the right leg of the red armor that was darting around and destroyed it.

Naturally the shield was also pierced through.

Loic was losing his composure seeing that.

『Th-the sacred tree’s divine protection is pierced──』

「Don’t think that other country won’t take any countermeasure forever. Just piercing through your prided divine protection is already possible.」

Well, it was a lie.

But saying that would instigate their sense of danger more.

「Yosh, next is your right arm.」

It looked like Loic couldn’t accept what just happened. He used the power of his crest to layer even more shields.

He layered three shields and even thickened them further.

『──It’s pointless.』

It was just as Luxion said.

When I pulled the trigger, the bullet pierced all those shields and blew away the red armor’s right arm.

「Let’s speed it up! Next is your left leg!」

I was showing the commonwealth the sight of the crest getting easily pierced and the newest armor of Barriere House getting beaten up.

「What, is that thing just a target? I heard that Alzer’s armor is powerful, but it’s not as scary as the rumor made it out to be huh. If it’s like this then it looks like we can just attack right away. Perhaps I’ll advise his majesty to invade Alzer. I’ll tell him, if we don’t hurry then other country is going to snatch it from us, something like that! The commonwealth is going to be a nice hunting ground!」

When I said that while destroying Loic’s armor, the military of the commonwealth around us were starting to get scared.

I approached the red armor that had lost its limbs and lifted it up by grabbing its head.

I pressed the rifle’s muzzle on the cockpit and talked to Loic.

「You’re really just a small fry. It’s disappointing that the sacred tree’s divine protection is only this much.」

『D-dammit』

I could hear Loic’s frustrated voice.

I was the one frustrated here.

If only you were more decent──if only you interacted with Noelle normally, it wouldn’t become like this.

The development of Noelle falling in love with me wouldn’t be possible.

There was a limit in how jealous you could be.

「Perhaps Noelle hated you because you’re this weak. You put on airs even though you’re a weakling, then you caused trouble by dragging your surrounding too──you’re the worst. I can understand how Noelle can hate you.」

『You bastard understand nothing! Just what do you know──I like Noelle! I love her!』

「Too bad! Noelle doesn’t like you, much less loving you. Rather she hate your guts!」

She never said anything like that, but with her current state there was no way she would be able to accept him anymore.

If a girl I liked told me 「I hate your guts」──it made me wanted to cry just imagining it. I didn’t feel like I would be able to get back on my feet anymore if Ange and Livia said something like that to me.

It seemed Loic was also the same.

『If only. If only you never appeared in front of us!』

「It would still be the same. Even then Noelle wouldn’t choose you.」

『YOUUUUUUU!!』

He still tried resisting even with a gun muzzle pointed at him. He didn’t try begging for his life or anything.

This guy was really troublesome.

Loic’s heart didn’t show any sign of breaking at all.

But the military that was watching this battle was about to get their heart broken instead.

An owner of great noble crest couldn’t win against Arroganz even after piloting the best armor of the commonwealth.

Far from winning, he even got toyed around. In front of such reality, they were shown just how weak they were.

Luxion warned me.

『Master, the enemy armor is running out of control. It’s going to explode due to excessive supply of energy. Please withdraw immediately.』

「Eh? Oi, can Loic escape from there!?」

『Perhaps he himself has noticed but──it looks like he has no intention of escaping.』

「Shit!」

I stored away the rifle and made Arroganz forcefully opened the cockpit’s hatch. I saw Loic inside.

His face that was glaring at me was oozing out madness.

「Get out from there already you stupid bastard!」

Loic was laughing.

『I’ll take you to hell with me. I’ll self-explode just like this. I’ll blow you to smithereens!』

Wooden roots grew out from Loic’s crest and entangled Arroganz.

「What!?」

Luxion reproached me.

『This is because master keep playing around.』

Luxion wrestled the control from me and Arroganz forcefully started to tear off the roots and ivies.

After that it immediately grabbed Loic and tore him away from the cockpit.

The red armor was going out of control and let out smokes. Arroganz kicked it away and it exploded grandly in the air.

Arroganz covered Loic with both hands while taking distance from the explosion──Luxion was puzzled by the power of the explosion.

『──The explosion’s power is bigger than expected.』

「That was dangerous.」

『The power of the crest also had bigger output than expected. It’s concerning.』

「Either way, everything is over with this.」

Loic had fainted when we landed slowly on the ground.

.

Part 7

Loic was surrounded by soldiers when he opened his eyes.

「──This place」

His arms and legs were receiving treatment, but the doctors looked at his right hand and shook their head.

「My lord, it’s unfortunate but young master’s divine protection is vanishing.」

Bellange looked down on Loic with cold eyes, but he immediately didn’t even look at him anymore.

「Protectionless huh──well, this guy cannot be used anymore anyway. Proceed with the disinheritance procedure. There are other important things right now. Dealing with the aftermath is going to be troublesome.」

Arroganz was there ahead of Bellange’s gaze.

He was looking really frustrated.

They lost not only in airship, but also armor technology.

No, it seemed his frustration stemmed from the defeat of the six great nobles.

When Loic lifted up his upper body while receiving treatment, Noelle came with Leon in tow.

Around her there were also the noble youths from the kingdom other than Leon following along like guards.

Noelle crouched when she arrived at Loic’s side and put her gaze at the same level of his.

Loic looked at Noelle and laughed flippantly.

「Are you here to laugh at me? Are you here to laugh at me who lost pathetically and even lost my divine protection? But, I still won’t give up. Noelle, you are mi──」

Noelle slapped him.

Loic immediately glared at Noelle, but his expression changed into bewilderment.

「W-why are you crying?」

Noelle was crying.

Tears were dripping down in large drops from her eyes.

Noelle looked down to not show her face and spoke loudly.

「I! I grew to hate you not because you are weak! Loic, you, one day you started treating me like an object. No matter what I did you would say that I wasn’t appropriate for you, that you would buy me more expensive things!」

It was the story before Loic got hated.

When he became close with Noelle, there was one time when they accidentally met in the city and had good time together.

At that time, Loic wanted Noelle to become a woman who was appropriate for him and complained at Noelle’s conducts. From Loic’s perspective he was just giving her advice.

「T-that was for your sake!」

「I! ──I would be fine with just normal things. Having fun together, eating, shopping──I wanted to enjoy them more. And yet, you rejected everything of me.」

Loic recalled what Noelle said to him.

When Noelle said that she wanted to ride a boat, he refused her by saying that he would prepare an airship.

When they were going to have meal, Noelle wanted to enter a restaurant that was just slightly expensive, but he said that such restaurant was unpleasant and headed to a high class restaurant.

When shopping too, the accessory that Noelle wanted was cheap thing, so he rejected it and gave her a present of something that was to his liking.

Noelle said.

「I’m not a good match for you. I realized that and stop going out with you. and yet, you chased me around. You even put a collar that couldn’t be taken off for life on me!」

The cursed collar that was around Noelle’s neck.

Leon was wearing the bracelet for the master.

Noelle stared at Loic sadly.

「Loic──are you, really looking at me? You wouldn’t recognize me. I didn’t want that, that was why I came to hate you.」

Loic couldn’t say anything back. It was then Albergue and Louise came with some people in tow.

Among them there was also Lelia with Emile escorting her.

Noelle asked Loic.

「Loic, do you know what my favorite thing is?」

Loic hung his head down.

──He was shocked to realize that he didn’t know even one thing that Noelle liked.

Volume 5 Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Bride Robber

.

Part 1

Noelle was looking at herself inside the mirror.

A beautiful wedding dress──but, a collar was attached on her neck.

The servants were decorating the collar so it wasn’t seen, then Lelia entered the room.

「B-big sis」

Noelle smiled at the anxious looking Lelia.

「What’s wrong?」

「A-are you alright?」

What do you mean alright? She thought, but she replied gently.

「I’m nervous but, that’s all I think. You too, be happier. With this we can return to be noble again.」

Lelia looked down, but there were only the servants of Barriere House around them.

She couldn’t spek her true feeling.

But, Noelle had a feeling of guilt toward Lelia.

「──Sorry. You won’t get dragged like this if only I didn’t get discovered.」

She felt guilty for dragging Lelia into this.

Lelia shook her head.

「I, I’m fine. But, big sis you──」

The servants interrupted their talk.

「Noelle-sama, it’s time. Lelia-sama too, please leave.」

Noelle immediately turned expressionless after Lelia was driven out.

Noelle was also a girl.

She had a longing toward the image of a bride.

However, even when she was dressed like this──she felt so sad it felt like tears would spill out.

(Really, how did it become like this)

A single crest was throwing her life into chaos like this.

She really hated it.

.

Part 2

The venue was really wide.

There were pillars that were made to look like the sacred tree. They supported the high ceiling. The stained glass had the picture of the sacred tree.

The light that shined in from there was really pretty. Light was also shining in from the ceiling.

Noelle was walking through a path that was illuminated by light. She looked at the guests around her.

All of them were people who possessed crest.

They were the chosen people of the sacred tree.

They were nobles. They were celebrating the new priestess──and the guardian that would be born after this.

There were few people who were seeing Noelle as herself.

(──Even though they aren’t even interested at me myself.)

What was important was the crest and the priestess position.

The bridge that connected the sacred tree and the people──the existence that was lost and sought after by the commonwealth.

None of them was wishing for the personal happiness of Noelle.

Most of them were thinking that she would surely be happy if she was married with Loic.

(I didn’t wish for something like this. What I wished for was──)

Even though she was thinking that, there was no replacement for the priestess position.

Noelle had no freedom.

(I was really stupid to be happy like that when the crest appeared. That’s right, this is the destiny of the person who possess the priestess’s crest. I’ll be bound to the sacred tree for my whole life.)

The future she wished for wouldn’t come true.

(What do you mean the priestess will be tied together with the person she loves. It’s just a lie in the end.)

She didn’t run even then because the collar wouldn’t let go of Noelle.

Also, this was for Alzer’s sake.

Noelle hated the nobles.

Although extreme people like Pierre were few among the nobles who were in the possession of crest, all of them were still arrogant.

It was always the commoners that were suffering.

The nobles were conceited because they couldn’t lose and continued doing defensive battles, but it was the commoners that received the damage.

Those who died in the war were the people who didn’t possess the crest.

It was rare for noble to die in war because they had the power of the crest.

She loved Alzer.

But, she hated the nobles that ruled this country.

She became a priestess was also for the sake of the people.

(But──allow me to choose who the guardian is at the very least. Why it has to be Loic)

When she arrived in front of a stone statue of the sacred tree at the back of the venue, Bellange was waiting there.

The sacred tree was considered as a divinity at Alzer. The six great nobles who had a position close to it sometimes would also act like a substitute priest.

Behind Bellange──on his back, the crest that Bellange had was floating.

In this kind of ceremony, there was a custom for the priest substitute to show their crest to the surrounding to indicate that they were the witness of the ceremony.

For an important event like today, a lot of the time it would be one of the head of the six great nobles who served as the priest substitute.

Bellange talked to the two with a small voice.

「You two look great. Now then, let’s have priestess-sama grant the guardian’s crest to Loic here. You understand how to do it right?」

She had been taught how to do it beforehand.

The priestess just needed to talk to the sacred tree inside her heart 「This is the person who is worthy to be the guardian」.

Noelle looked toward Loic and joined her hands together in a praying posture.

Although she was hesitating whether it would really be alright to grant the guardian’s crest to Loic, she had no other choice.

(Sacred tree──this person is my guardian. Please, grant him the crest of the guardian.)

When Noelle offered her prayer, the priestess’s crest on the back of her right hand manifested a meter behind Noelle. Its size was around three meter.

The guests who saw that were excited to see the priestess’s crest.

「Oo, finally!」

「Alzer’s future is bright with this.」

「And then the guardian’s crest──the crest?」

But, even though Noelle’s priestess’s crest had appeared, nothing happened after that.

After this the guardian’s crest should be appearing behind Loic just like the priestess’s crest.

With that the marriage between the priestess and the guardian would be sealed in stone but──nothing appeared even after they waited for a while.

Loic was gritting his teeth.

「Noelle, are you planning to betray me in this place?」

「I-I’m doing it. I’m properly──」

She strongly prayed one more time.

(Sacred tree-sama, please listen to my voice. The man before me is your guardian. He is the one who will protect you.)

Even though she was praying desperately, the guardian’s crest wouldn’t appear on Loic.

Not only that──she could hear a voice.

The sapling’s voice that only Noelle could hear sounded like the voice of a little girl.

But, the sapling wouldn’t accept Noelle’s request.

The voice’s way of speaking sounded clumsy, but Noelle could feel the strong rejection in it.

Noelle opened her eyes.

「──Eh?」

Noelle let go of her praying posture in surprise. Bellange was losing his composure seeing that and spoke to her with a small voice.

「Priestess-sama, can you hurry it up? Or perhaps, you’re planning to shame us in this place?」

Noelle shook her head.

She had no such intention.

But the sacred tree was rejecting her prayer.

「N-no. I have prayed properly. But, but──it was rejected.」

The word ‘rejected’ echoed through the place that had fallen silent.

The venue became noisy.

The center of Loic’s face crumpled and he grabbed Noelle’s neck.

「Noelle, you’re just saying that to…!」

Noelle grabbed Loic’s hand with both her hands, but she was unable to shake him off.

Loic grabbed Noelle’s neck with both his hands.

The surrounding got into an uproar. Bellange tried to stop Loic, but the crest of a great noble appeared behind him.

Loic’s crest produced flame so that no one could approach.

Even Bellange couldn’t get near.

「Loic stop! Don’t kill the priestess!」

Loic’s fingers were sinking into Noelle’s throat.

「tsu!」

Loic was laughing seeing Noelle unable to make any voice.

「I should have done this from the start if you won’t become mine!」

Just when Noelle prepared herself to die like this, she heard a voice.

A lisping young voice was talking inside her head.

The guardian is coming──it said. He is coming to protect the priestess, it said.

(Guardian? I, I haven’t chosen anyone. And yet, how can the guardian──)

Her neck was being choked painfully. Loic’s flame was also burning her wedding dress.

Then, the ceiling’s glass was smashed and a black armor descended.

It was Arroganz(アロガンツ).

Leon’s voice resounded inside the venue.

『I came to take back the bride!』

His voice sounded really delighted.

With the intrusion of Arroganz wind drowned out the raging flame inside the venue.

Loic was also sent flying. Noelle also tumbled down and looked at Leon who came out from Arroganz.

He was wearing a white tuxedo.

(That look really suited him.)

It was strange that she was thinking like that. She was embarrassed to feel happy at Leon’s appearance.

Loic looked at Leon who was looking down on him and yelled angrily.

「What are you doing here! Don’t tell me, you are planning to kidnap the bride? How dare you coming here wearing white tuxedo like that──we will lodge a protest to the kingdom about this.」

Other armors were also coming from the surrounding and jeers were thrown at Leon.

But Leon didn’t panic.

He raised the submachine gun he brought and pulled the trigger, spraying the bullets around. The guests screamed.

And then──he spoke out words that shocked everyone.

「This must be what they mean by the guilty is shouting the loudest. Is stealing other person’s bride and forcing her into marriage is the so called elegant way of Alzer? You are calling other people barbarian but, you guys are the real barbarian here. It’ll be better for you guys to reflect on yourself for a bit.」

What was this guy saying?

Bellange was also protesting.

「What are you saying after smashing your way into here with armor while an important ceremony is in progress! In the first place, how did you enter here? The military around the sacred tree temple──」

Leon was laughing flippantly.

「Haha~, it was really difficult you know. After all I had entered this place since yesterday. A certain someone ordered to have my mansion watched, so it was really time consuming to set up some tricks.」

Loic clicked his tongue and ordered the soldiers who rushed inside to fire.

「Kill him!」

It was stupid of him to come out from his armor.

He was exposing his flesh body.

Noelle yelled at Leon.

「Leon run!」

Then Loic who was irritated by that──pulled his left hand toward himself.

A chain appeared from Noelle’s collar and she was pulled toward Loic.

Loic’s arm constricted around Noelle’s neck.

「Shut up!」

Seeing that, Leon tossed his submachine gun into the cockpit.

The soldiers around him were firing their guns at him, but an invisible wall was blocking the bullets from hitting him.

Leon threw off his white glove and pointed his right hand at Loic and others.

「──Don’t keep getting cocky. Kneel.」

Right after that, behind Leon──behind Arroganz, a large magic circle formed.

It was a large magic circle that was almost six meter in isze──the crest of the guardian.

Loic and others turned speechless in front of the guardian’s crest that was shining faint green.

Noelle was also the same.

(Why is the crest on Leon──even though, I still haven’t chose)

Noelle only learned now that the sapling had given the guardian’s crest to Leon.

.

Part 3

Leon possessed the guardian’s crest.

Louise was rooted on the spot at that sight. She ignored the clamor Hughes was making beside her.

「Why is that guy in the possession of the guardian’s crest!? Louise, do you know about this by any chance!?」

The night of that day.

Louise didn’t return home and went back to Druille House in order to cooperate with Leon and others.

She helped with their preparation from there.

But right now what was more important was Leon’s appearance.

(──Leon)

Louise recalled her little brother──Leon Sara Rault.

It was something that happened before Leon died.

His engagement with Noelle was decided and he was getting into high spirits because he would be able to become the guardian.

She remembered Albergue making a troubled face at that itme.

But, he also looked happy to hear that his son would be able to become the guardian.

She recalled her conversation with her excited little brother at that time.

(Yes, if I’m not mistaken──Leon said to me──)

The young Leon said to Louise.

『Onee-chan, I’m the next guardian you know! Amazing right!』

『It’s amazing but, I wonder if Leon can really become the guardian. Because, the guardian is a splendid person you know?』

『I can! When I become the guardian, I’ll become a guardian that protect everyone.』

『Everyone?』

『Yep! The sacred tree and the priestess, and then the nobles and the commoners too──I’ll protect all the people in the commonwealth!』

『Ee~, I wonder if Leon can really protect them. Even though you can’t even win against me.』

『I-I’ll win against Onee-chan soon! And then I’ll also protect Onee-chan!』

『Yes yes. I’ll be waiting without expecting too much.』

『You said it! I’ll protect Onee-chan for sure so remember it!』

Her little brother who said something like that was too adorable that she hugged him.

But──a few months after that Leon died.

He was buried under a cold tombstone with rain falling in drops at the day of the burial.

She recalled the words that the young Louise who was wearing a black dress muttered in front of the tombstone.

『You liar──even though you said that you will protect Onee-chan. ──You won’t be able to protect me if you die.』

Her little brother couldn’t become the guardian, and he also couldn’t save the people.

He couldn’t even save himself.

But──in front of Louise, Leon appeared with the guardian’s crest in him.

(──Leon)

That overseas student Leon who came from Hohlfahrt Kingdom though, he gave an order in front of the soldiers of the commonwealth.

「Are you guys deaf? Your heads are too high you small fries. Prostrate before the guardian’s crest!」

──That figure was far removed from the guardian who would protect everyone.

.

Part 4

I could see clearly the people of Alzer in confusion before me.

They must have no idea of what to do when I appeared with the guardian’s crest.

Even the head of Barriere House Bellange was blinking in confusion.

After all no matter how many times he looked, the crest floating behind me belonged to the guardian.

「Now then, how about you return the bride now, you bunch of thieves. Do you know? The priestess and the guardian are one set. In other words, it’s you guys who stole Noelle from me. No matter how you think about it, this is barbaric isn’t it?」

From the convention of Alzer, it was Loic who was cutting in line.

Well, the truth was I was the one who stole Noelle from Loic though.

「Even so you guys are really shameless huh. You even hold a marriage ceremony this grand. Could it be, you guys are seriously thinking that Loic can be chosen as the guardian? No way. Just no way. Absolutely no way.」

I said everything I wanted to say in front of the commonwealth bunch.

There were a lot of annoying things that had happened, so I’d spill out everything at this chance.

From here Lambert’s vexed face was also clearly visible.

「This guardian thing, simply put a strong human who can protect the sacred tree will be the one chosen for the position right? Even though originally the possibility of the six great nobles being chosen is high, the sapling chose me──about this, aren’t you guys not chosen because you guys are just unreliable? In other words, the sapling is recognizing that I’m stronger than even the six great nobles, isn’t that right?」

After I said that, I could hear the surrounding saying things like 「Don’t screw around!」「You insolent!」「How dare you!」 and the like. But it only sounded like the howl of losers for me.

In fact, there was nothing but losers here.

「It’s the truth right? In the first place, what could be the reason for the sacred tree to not choose any priestess and guardian until now?」

The surrounding instantly fell silent when I touched the sensitive problem for Alzer.

It felt really good.

I’d stirred them up real good to vent my stress.

U~n, provoking people and preaching at them made me feels like I’ve become a big shot myself, it feels real good!

It would feel really unpleasant if someone did something like that to me though! But I’ll do it!

「The sacred tree would choose the existence that should protect it, isn’t that right? In other words──it’s saying that there isn’t anyone worthy from among you guys isn’t it? It’s not only the sapling, aren’t you guys abandoned even by the sacred tree itself?」

The guests’ anger was directed at me when I laughed.

「But, I guess it can’t be helped. It’s you guys who lost against foreigner like me. Even the sacred tree will give up you all as hopeless.」

Oh, had they been bothered by it? the guests were getting red faced.

Then I’d poke more at where it hurt!

「Don’t be angry just because I hit the bull’s eye. I’m only coming here to take Noelle back. Even though I tried to take her back peacefully, I was shocked that you guys are getting strangely heated up.」

The traitor Fernand was looking up at me in frustration.

And then he addressed me.

「──My apologies. This is also unexpected for us. If possible, I hope you can get down here. Let’s talk.」

It was my principle to not trust a traitor.

「There isn’t any need for talk. Hand over my priestess. Plain and simple right? After all it looks like I’ve the duty to protect the sapling and priestess. Sapling-chan will scold me if I don’t take her back from you thieves.」

Fernand tried to keep persisting but, it seemed Loic reached the limit of his patience first.

「You’re just keep saying whatever you like since some time ago! I was the first one to love Noelle! Noelle belongs to me! I won’t hand her to anyone. If someone is going to take her away, I’d rather!」

Loic drew out the ceremonial sword hanging on his waist. Screams filled the venue.

I immediately gave the instruction.

「Luxion!」

『There is no problem. ──Do whatever master like.』

A sword flew out from the cockpit.

I caught that and unsheathed it while jumping down.

There was five to six meters until the floor. It was a bit scary but I endured.

Knights and soldiers stepped forward to stop me, so I reversed the single edge sword and struck them with the back of the blade.

A lot of the knights relied completely on their crest. They were shoddy when it came to pure combat technique.

「You sir knights of Alzer are really weak. It’s falling mark for you guys if this is in the kingdom!」

I could hear Luxion’s voice.

『The boys in the kingdom are training in order to finance the girls after all. They faced monster in dungeon risking their life to earn money and support the female students financially. Their strength are obtained at the end of such tearjerking effort.』

Stop! I’m crying.

But, there was no choice but to become strong in such place.

Became strong, survive through the dungeons that were crawling with monsters, and obtained money.

The strength that I obtained for that was being useful right now.

I defeated the knights and soldiers and drew near to Loic, then I pointed my right hand.

A crest was floating behind Loic. Flame came out from there and gathered onto Loic’s right hand, creating a huge fireball.

「Do you think that you can win against me without armor!」

「If it’s the power of crest then I also have it! ──But, I’m not going to use it against you.」

When Loic fired the fireball, I split the fireball with my sword.

The bisected fireball burst apart, leaving me unharmed.

I watched Loic looking shocked and reversed my hold on my sowrd.

I crouched and closed the distance with Loic. Without stopping──I cut off his right arm.

Perhaps from Loic’s point of view it looked like I closed the distance in an instant.

With his right arm severed, he became unable to receive energy from the sacred tree and the crest on his back vanished.

I kicked Loic away, stepped on him, and then thrust my blade into his left arm.

Loic was screaming.

「M-my arm! MY ARMMMMM!」

「Shut up. It’s you who made me need to go this far.」

I took away the bracelet from Loic’s left arm.

The surrounding couldn’t make any movement in front of us.

Loic who tried to kill the priestess.

And then, I who possessed the guardian’s crest.

They must be unable to think what they should do here.

But, there should also be some people who would take action soon.

I wore the bracelet that was splattered with blood on my left arm, then offered my hand to Noelle who was sitting on the floor.

「Noelle, come.」

──But, Noelle was crying and rejected me.

She shook her head and strongly rejected me.

「Stop it. Why are you doing something like this! Even though I tried to forget you. You’re really the worst, doing something like this! Do you know how much I──how much I!」

ph_otome5_ill007

I could understand Noelle’s feeling, but there was no time so I forcefully carried her on my shoulder.

When I shouldered the struggling Noelle, the people around surrounded us.

When I looked at Loic, people who could use healing magic gathered around him and connected the arm that I severed.

「Oh, you guys are going to oppose me who has the guardian’s crest?」

Fernand came in front of me.

He had a weapon in hand. He was also preparing to use the crest’s power.

「Even if you are the guardian, there is no way we can hand over the priestess to you!」

It seemed the surrounding also felt the same.

They surrounded us and pointed their weapons and crests this way.

「It’s good that you have some guts to fight. But have you forgotten?」

Fernand yelled even when I looked up at Arroganz.

「We also have armors at our side!」

Armors broke through windows and attacked Arroganz that had become unmanned.

The surrounding thought that they would be able to focus on me after seeing the armors breaking through the windows.

But──naïve.

「Don’t think that Arroganz can be stopped with just this much.」

Without any pilot inside, Arroganz turned toward the armors that were moving to grab at it──and crushed their heads with its grips.

Fernand was shocked.

「It’s moving even though it’s empty? No, is there someone inside!?」

The correct answer was that it could move even without pilot. But there wasn’t any need to teach him so I stayed quiet.

「Look, open a path quickly. The guardian-sama is passing through! Wait, Noelle, don’t struggle. I’m begging you.」

「Let go! Just let go!」

Noelle was crying while struggling on my shoulder, so it was hard for me to carry her.

Fernand yelled when he saw that.

「Protect the priestess! Leon-dono, the priestess is refusing you. We can’t let you pass through!」

Albergue-san came at that timing.

「Everyone lower your weapon!」

Louise-san was also beside him.

Albergue-san glared at Bellange who was sitting on the floor.

「Bellange, I’ll question you in detail later. Also, I won’t permit any rudeness to the guardian!」

The knights and soldiers lowered their weapon at the acting chairman’s order.

Fernand protested at Albergue-san.

「Acting chairman, are you saying we should just overlook this!」

「Calm down. How can we bring out the weapons if we are going to talk. Also Fernand, I know that you are also involved in this.」

Fernand also looked down, and then he lowered his weapon.

Bellange sat down on the floor and held his head in his hands.

「You idiot son」

And how was that idiot son Loic doing?

Everyone’s gaze gathered on him. The doctors were looking stumped.

Albergue-san asked as everyone’s representation.

「How is Loic doing?」

The doctor answered.

「T-that, after we connected his arm, he forced himself and went outside──」

Right after that, an explosion occurred somewhere in the sacred tree temple and the building started to shake.

Louise-san looked at me.

「Wait a second Leon-kun, things are over already.」

Please wait. Could you not make everything to be my fault?

I certainly set up some bombs, but I still hadn’t pushed the switch.

「──I still haven’t pushed the switch though?」

There were a lot of people who made a face that asked You really set up some?. There were also some people who looked at each other wondering from where the explosion came from.

Amidst them, Bellange stood up and started to get flustered.

「That idiot son, don’t tell me he want to pile up even more shame on top of this!?」

.

Part 5

An armor smashed through the sacred tree temple’s wall and went outside.

It was an armor that Barriere House owned, a custom made one.

The weapons of Alzer had the mechanism to receive energy from the sacred tree.

It had the requirement that its pilot needed to have a crest, but its performance was several level above armor of similar specs.

The commonwealth was undefeated in defensive battle because they were relying in the capability of this kind of weapon.

And then, among the armors that Barriere House owned, there was armor that could only be used by the six great nobles.

Originally it was given the role to stand out as a commander’s ride. It was designed with the premise that it would be a member of the six great nobles riding it with their capability to receive abundant energy from the sacred tree.

Its frame was large and its crimson armor had sharp design.

It was created to stand out. It looked like it had wings on its back.

Its creation was putting emphasis on appearance, but its performance was also extremely high.

Loic went into the cockpit and grabbed the control stick with his arms wrapped in bloody bandages.

Red light was dwelling inside Loic’s eyes.

「Sacred tree! Lend me strength to burn everything to ash! Everything. Give everything to me!」

He forgot himself in his rage and moved the machine to do nothing but destroying everything.

Crest formed behind the armor, increasing its power output.

The output was increasing so much until it was burdening every part of the armor, then Loic drew out the armor’s sword.

Flame coiled around it. A slash flew out when he swung the sword.

The flame flew in the shape of crescent moon and destroyed the wall of the temple.

The temple exploded and burned.

「Burn! Burn everything! Noelle──and that man too! BURN EVERYONE WHO DOESN’T RECOGNIZE MEEEEE!!」

Loic felt that even more energy than usual was flowing into him from the sacred tree.

His arms that were cut by Leon throbbed.

His hatred was increasing with each throbbing.

「Come out Leon. I’ll kill you in front of Noelle’s eyes. I’ll make her regret for not choosing me──」

The guests were running out from the temple.

An airship and armors that were guarding the temple noticed the commotion and approached.

The airship and armors had the crest of Druille House. It seemed Hughes who ran away from the temple was boarding the ship.

That Hughes called out to Loic.

『Loic, stop it already! Don’t destroy the temple. There was a communication from Nii-san that the plan is already cancelled!』

Loic’s mouth took a crescent shape at Hughes who conveyed the instruction from Fernand.

「You Fernand’s flunky, don’t order me around!」

Loic’s armor pointed its left hand. Flame burst out from there and burned the airship that Hughes boarded.

The airship was falling. The armors of Druille House aimed their weapons.

『Hughes-sama!』

『Loic-dono, what have you done!』

『Stop it right away!』

Loic cut down the airship and armors that were converging toward him with his sword.

The slashed armors exploded.

「Stop? I don’t give a damn anymore to the plan! I──I just need Noelle alone, and yet!」

Bloodshot red light was dwelling inside the eyes of Loic who was laughing while crying.

Then Arroganz that was boarded by the hateful Leon flew out from the temple.

『Aa~aa, now you’re rampaging. Even though I planned to finish it more peacefully.』

When Leon came out, the crest shining on the armor’s back brightened.

Loic yelled at Leon.

「So you show up──fiendish knight!」

The red armor flew toward Arroganz to stab it with its sword.

Arroganz dodged that and swung the battle axe that it took out from the backpack just as the armor passed through. The shoulder armor was cut off.

『Too shallow huh.』

Loic felt like his head was boiling from rage, even so he observed Leon’s movement.

(Shit-! You damn barbarian from the kingdom! It looks like he is used to pilot armor. But, he dodged my attack, that means he want to avoid a contest of power──I have the advantage in size. I’ll overcome this battle with the difference in specs!)

The red armor was bigger than Arroganz.

From the appearance, it felt like the red armor was stronger in mass and power.

「It looks like you’re confident in your armor’s specs, but my armor is custom made by Barriere House! It also has no worry of running out of mana with the energy supply from the sacred tree. But, how about you? Even if you can receive energy from the sapling, it won’t even be a fight against the sacred tree!!」

Even if both sides were receiving backup from sacred tree, the sacred tree that had supported the commonwealth for many years and the sapling were far too different in power level no matter how one looked at it.

Armor specs.

Sacred tree’s divine protection.

Taking all of those into consideration, it was a difference that couldn’t be overcame no matter what with just the pilot’s skill──that was what Loic thought.

The red armor swung around its sword and started to push back Arroganz.

The knights and soldiers of the commonwealth who were watching that──the airships and the armors were watching without taking any action.

In their heart they wished for Leon to lose.

When the red armor swung down its sword, Arroganz blocked it with its battle axe.

The flame that was coiling around the sword vanished and the blade shined brighter.

ph_otome5_ill008

The heat increased further, melting the battle axe while cutting through it.

「I’ll bisect you just like this!」

Then──there was a voice other than Leon.

『How long are you planning to play around, master?』

Leon answered that voice with a tone of enjoyment.

『No, it looks like he is getting heated up, so I thought of making it more dramatic.』

Leon didn’t show any sign of panicking.

Loic thought he was bluffing.

「You impudent!」

Leon’s voice deepened as though to tell him that he was getting serious.

『I’ll teach you the correct way to take mount position, greenhorn.』

.

Part 6

Loic was planning to win against Arroganz by relying on the armor’s spec.

Luxion was irritated by that.

『I can’t go along with master’s game.』

「Don’t say that. The spectators are also getting excited aren’t they?」

The voices of Alzer’s people that Luxion intercepted could be heard.

『Destroy that kingdom’s armor!』

『I-is it alright for us to not help? The acting chairman order us to stop Loic-sama──』

『We couldn’t get near. We just need to say that. It’s a judgment made based on the on-site situation!』

What a horrible bunch.

Well, the military in this area was from Barriere House and Druille House.

I never expected them to proactively help me.

Loic’s armor turned its sword’s blade red like a heat sword.

It was a weapon to melt the enemy armor while cutting through with its high heat.

『Master』

It seemed Luxion was irritated with me who was pretending to be in a disadvantage.

It must be vexing for him that Arroganz was losing.

「What an impatient guy. ──The fun is only starting from now.」

Arroganz was backing away from the push of the larger armor, but then I gradually increased the engine’s power while the armors were in sword-locking contest.

Arroganz that had been pushed back until now stopped moving──and slowly started to push Loic’s armor back.

I could hear Loic’s panicked voice.

『Is the power output decreasing!? Dammit, this piece of junk!』

Loic was blaming the armor. He couldn’t see the reality.

「Loic, don’t you blame the armor. That armor is excellent. The disappointing one──is you.」

Blue flame burst form Arroganz’s engine nozzle and started to push back the red armor.

And then I also took out a sword from the backpack.

Arroganz took it with its left hand and cut Loic’s sword with it.

『──Wha-!』

The severed blade twirled in the air. When it stabbed into the ground, white smoke burst out with sizzling sound from how hot it was.

「Slow reaction. Not the armor, but the pilot.」

When Arroganz kicked, the red armor bent backward and got sent flying.

The pilot’s skill was shoddy and couldn’t fix the armor’s posture midair.

Arroganz threw its battle axe and cut off the left arm of the red armor that was slowly trying to get up.

Screams came from the onlookers, but it sounded like cheers for me.

「That armor is wasted on you~. You can only use it to this degree even though its specs are that high. The black knight old man was far scarier than this. If that person ride that armor, it would be completely out of hand.」

It gave me a chill recalling that time.

The memory of me screwing around and gotten beaten up viciously is coming back.

I didn’t want to go through something like that anymore but──it was necessary today so I’d screw around.

「Haha~, I’m really glad that you’re my opponent. Because──even with the sacred tree’s divine protection, you’re still small fry at the inside. Besides, the sacred tree’s divine protection is also not a big deal at all!」

When I laughed, I could hear the onlookers sending their anger at me.

Their conversations that Luxion picked up were only repeating things like 『Please allow us to shoot that guy!』 or 『That bastard, how dare he make fun of us!』 or 『Please give the permission to attack that guy!』.

The weak point of Alzer’s people was speech that called them small fries who could only rely on their crest huh!

I’d remember it firmly in mind.

The red armor was standing up.

I watched it standing up while provoking Loic.

「Come on, get serious. Or perhaps this is already your best? Try defeating me with the divine protection you’re so proud of. Cause I’ll take you on! Give it your all──cause I’ll crush you like the small fry you are no matter what you do!」

I would face the opponent who challenged me with their full power, defended against everything using the difference in armor specs, and won on top of that.

That was the correct way of taking mount position.

The red armor’s crest on its back enlarged even more and even blazed up.

Several fireballs were fired from there, but Arroganz easily dodged them.

The fireballs themselves were huge, but they had no speed.

Also they had no density.

They only swelled up bigly.

Although he was receiving a lot of energy, he was unable to control it.

It was just like a shower’s nozzle.

Even if the shower had a lot of water supply, the nozzle clogged the flow and only a bit of the water could spray out.

It was really a waste.

「Oi oi, is that the best you can do? There is a limit in how disappointing you can be. Don’t you have any other hidden ace? The armor’s appearance is really deceptive! Are you perhaps running out of trick alreadyyy!」

When I laughed, the red armor charged at Arroganz.

I put away the weapon and made Arroganz stopped the approaching red armor──with one hand.

Even though the armors collided midair, Arroganz almost wasn’t moved at all. The red armor that got its momentum killed was the one that got bounced back by the impact. Its armor was dented from the collision.

Loic must be getting shaken intensely inside there.

I kicked the armor flying so that there was a distance created between us, then I made Arroganz held a rifle.

I aimed the rifle’s muzzle and told Loic where I was going to shoot.

「I’m aiming at your right leg, so let’s see how you block or dodge it.」

『Kuh!』

Loic let out a pained voice and tried to escape by materializing the crest in front of the armor to be used as shield.

Luxion spoke when he saw that.

『That shield pattern has already been analyzed.』

When I pulled the trigger, the bullet pierced through the right leg of the red armor that was darting around and destroyed it.

Naturally the shield was also pierced through.

Loic was losing his composure seeing that.

『Th-the sacred tree’s divine protection is pierced──』

「Don’t think that other country won’t take any countermeasure forever. Just piercing through your prided divine protection is already possible.」

Well, it was a lie.

But saying that would instigate their sense of danger more.

「Yosh, next is your right arm.」

It looked like Loic couldn’t accept what just happened. He used the power of his crest to layer even more shields.

He layered three shields and even thickened them further.

『──It’s pointless.』

It was just as Luxion said.

When I pulled the trigger, the bullet pierced all those shields and blew away the red armor’s right arm.

「Let’s speed it up! Next is your left leg!」

I was showing the commonwealth the sight of the crest getting easily pierced and the newest armor of Barriere House getting beaten up.

「What, is that thing just a target? I heard that Alzer’s armor is powerful, but it’s not as scary as the rumor made it out to be huh. If it’s like this then it looks like we can just attack right away. Perhaps I’ll advise his majesty to invade Alzer. I’ll tell him, if we don’t hurry then other country is going to snatch it from us, something like that! The commonwealth is going to be a nice hunting ground!」

When I said that while destroying Loic’s armor, the military of the commonwealth around us were starting to get scared.

I approached the red armor that had lost its limbs and lifted it up by grabbing its head.

I pressed the rifle’s muzzle on the cockpit and talked to Loic.

「You’re really just a small fry. It’s disappointing that the sacred tree’s divine protection is only this much.」

『D-dammit』

I could hear Loic’s frustrated voice.

I was the one frustrated here.

If only you were more decent──if only you interacted with Noelle normally, it wouldn’t become like this.

The development of Noelle falling in love with me wouldn’t be possible.

There was a limit in how jealous you could be.

「Perhaps Noelle hated you because you’re this weak. You put on airs even though you’re a weakling, then you caused trouble by dragging your surrounding too──you’re the worst. I can understand how Noelle can hate you.」

『You bastard understand nothing! Just what do you know──I like Noelle! I love her!』

「Too bad! Noelle doesn’t like you, much less loving you. Rather she hate your guts!」

She never said anything like that, but with her current state there was no way she would be able to accept him anymore.

If a girl I liked told me 「I hate your guts」──it made me wanted to cry just imagining it. I didn’t feel like I would be able to get back on my feet anymore if Ange and Livia said something like that to me.

It seemed Loic was also the same.

『If only. If only you never appeared in front of us!』

「It would still be the same. Even then Noelle wouldn’t choose you.」

『YOUUUUUUU!!』

He still tried resisting even with a gun muzzle pointed at him. He didn’t try begging for his life or anything.

This guy was really troublesome.

Loic’s heart didn’t show any sign of breaking at all.

But the military that was watching this battle was about to get their heart broken instead.

An owner of great noble crest couldn’t win against Arroganz even after piloting the best armor of the commonwealth.

Far from winning, he even got toyed around. In front of such reality, they were shown just how weak they were.

Luxion warned me.

『Master, the enemy armor is running out of control. It’s going to explode due to excessive supply of energy. Please withdraw immediately.』

「Eh? Oi, can Loic escape from there!?」

『Perhaps he himself has noticed but──it looks like he has no intention of escaping.』

「Shit!」

I stored away the rifle and made Arroganz forcefully opened the cockpit’s hatch. I saw Loic inside.

His face that was glaring at me was oozing out madness.

「Get out from there already you stupid bastard!」

Loic was laughing.

『I’ll take you to hell with me. I’ll self-explode just like this. I’ll blow you to smithereens!』

Wooden roots grew out from Loic’s crest and entangled Arroganz.

「What!?」

Luxion reproached me.

『This is because master keep playing around.』

Luxion wrestled the control from me and Arroganz forcefully started to tear off the roots and ivies.

After that it immediately grabbed Loic and tore him away from the cockpit.

The red armor was going out of control and let out smokes. Arroganz kicked it away and it exploded grandly in the air.

Arroganz covered Loic with both hands while taking distance from the explosion──Luxion was puzzled by the power of the explosion.

『──The explosion’s power is bigger than expected.』

「That was dangerous.」

『The power of the crest also had bigger output than expected. It’s concerning.』

「Either way, everything is over with this.」

Loic had fainted when we landed slowly on the ground.

.

Part 7

Loic was surrounded by soldiers when he opened his eyes.

「──This place」

His arms and legs were receiving treatment, but the doctors looked at his right hand and shook their head.

「My lord, it’s unfortunate but young master’s divine protection is vanishing.」

Bellange looked down on Loic with cold eyes, but he immediately didn’t even look at him anymore.

「Protectionless huh──well, this guy cannot be used anymore anyway. Proceed with the disinheritance procedure. There are other important things right now. Dealing with the aftermath is going to be troublesome.」

Arroganz was there ahead of Bellange’s gaze.

He was looking really frustrated.

They lost not only in airship, but also armor technology.

No, it seemed his frustration stemmed from the defeat of the six great nobles.

When Loic lifted up his upper body while receiving treatment, Noelle came with Leon in tow.

Around her there were also the noble youths from the kingdom other than Leon following along like guards.

Noelle crouched when she arrived at Loic’s side and put her gaze at the same level of his.

Loic looked at Noelle and laughed flippantly.

「Are you here to laugh at me? Are you here to laugh at me who lost pathetically and even lost my divine protection? But, I still won’t give up. Noelle, you are mi──」

Noelle slapped him.

Loic immediately glared at Noelle, but his expression changed into bewilderment.

「W-why are you crying?」

Noelle was crying.

Tears were dripping down in large drops from her eyes.

Noelle looked down to not show her face and spoke loudly.

「I! I grew to hate you not because you are weak! Loic, you, one day you started treating me like an object. No matter what I did you would say that I wasn’t appropriate for you, that you would buy me more expensive things!」

It was the story before Loic got hated.

When he became close with Noelle, there was one time when they accidentally met in the city and had good time together.

At that time, Loic wanted Noelle to become a woman who was appropriate for him and complained at Noelle’s conducts. From Loic’s perspective he was just giving her advice.

「T-that was for your sake!」

「I! ──I would be fine with just normal things. Having fun together, eating, shopping──I wanted to enjoy them more. And yet, you rejected everything of me.」

Loic recalled what Noelle said to him.

When Noelle said that she wanted to ride a boat, he refused her by saying that he would prepare an airship.

When they were going to have meal, Noelle wanted to enter a restaurant that was just slightly expensive, but he said that such restaurant was unpleasant and headed to a high class restaurant.

When shopping too, the accessory that Noelle wanted was cheap thing, so he rejected it and gave her a present of something that was to his liking.

Noelle said.

「I’m not a good match for you. I realized that and stop going out with you. and yet, you chased me around. You even put a collar that couldn’t be taken off for life on me!」

The cursed collar that was around Noelle’s neck.

Leon was wearing the bracelet for the master.

Noelle stared at Loic sadly.

「Loic──are you, really looking at me? You wouldn’t recognize me. I didn’t want that, that was why I came to hate you.」

Loic couldn’t say anything back. It was then Albergue and Louise came with some people in tow.

Among them there was also Lelia with Emile escorting her.

Noelle asked Loic.

「Loic, do you know what my favorite thing is?」

Loic hung his head down.

──He was shocked to realize that he didn’t know even one thing that Noelle liked.