Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire ♀ Volume 7 E-Book

Hayaken

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire ♀
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 195

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The squire’s greatsword roars back at the enemy’s greatest champion!
Reincarnated hero-king Inglis is disappointed when Highland seizes the ancient dragon Fufailbane, her sparring partner and source of food. To make matters worse, Venefic is invading and the rimebound Prismer has revived! Meanwhile, Inglis’s friend and cousin Rafinha is torn between finishing up things in Alcard or making sure her brother, a holy knight on the front lines of the war, is safe.
Our graceful squire in training intends to turn the tides of war with a greatsword forged from dragon scales!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Chapter I: Inglis, Age 15—The Eastern Front (1)

Chapter II: Inglis, Age 15—The Eastern Front (2)

Chapter III: Inglis, Age 15—The Eastern Front (3)

Chapter IV: Inglis, Age 15—Squire and Captain (1)

Chapter V: Inglis, Age 15—Squire and Captain (2)

Extra: Rafinha vs. Leon

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Color Images

Chapter I: Inglis, Age 15—The Eastern Front (1)

While Inglis and friends were on the move in Alcard to the north, events were underway in Karelia’s east, near the border with Venefic.

A Flygear squadron led by Rafael Bilford surveyed a nearly infinite swarm of birdlike magicite beasts. Beyond them lay a massive block of ice and inside it, a Prismer—the same Prismer that he and Ripple had transported to the border on their previous mission. It had previously been kept under close observation in Ahlemin, a town farther within Karelia, but an observed increase in the rate in which it brought forth magicite beasts had caused them to place it along the frontier in order to limit the damage those beasts could cause. And during the standoff with Venefic’s forces along the border, it had summoned even more magicite beasts than it had previously.

The Paladins could safely ignore the rimebound Prismer if it was maintaining its coterie. However, if Karelian forces advanced en masse, Venefic no doubt would decide to intercept them. The current situation was a difficult one.

“Knights!” Rafael called out. “With Venefic’s army advancing, we can’t afford to take heavy losses here! Be cautious, and try to keep losses to a minimum!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood!”

“As you order!”

Morale was high as the knights answered Rafael’s call, but doubt was eating away at him. To conserve strength against the magicite beasts in preparation for a clash with Venefic—this may have been the appropriate decision, but the first priority for that strength was supposed to be the protection of everyone from magicite beasts. He could not understand why the people of the surface would fight one another while still faced with the threat of magicite beasts. He was too mature, surely, to refuse the mission on those grounds, but still, he had his doubts.

“Listen up, everyone! I know Rafael just told you this too, but don’t overwork yourselves and get hurt! Staying safe is what matters!” Ripple cheerfully pumped the knights up.

“Ah! Lady Ripple’s smiling face is with us again!”

“I didn’t realize how much I missed it!”

“We needed that!”

She was making her return to the Paladins after her stay at the knights’ academy. The Paladins relied on the hieral menace not only for her power but also as an inspiration on the battlefield.

“See, Eris?” Ripple needled her fellow hieral menace. “They were so sad without me! Haven’t you been giving them smiles as you mingled with them? That part’s important, you know!”

“Well, I have been spending time with them. I think I managed to cover for you,” Eris replied.

“Are you sure?” Ripple glanced askance at the knights.

“Well, we’ve seen a lot more of her around lately...” one knight said.

“But no smiles,” another added.

“She seems like she’s been even more on edge lately.”

“Doesn’t really seem like it,” Ripple summed up.

“Well, excuse me! I’m sorry I’m not as cheerful as you are!” Eris fired back.

“It’s okay. Some have people skills, and some don’t,” Rafael said, easing the tension. “Lady Eris has been doing her best at what she’s good at.”

“Ah. You sure are good at smoothing things over, Raf.” Ripple patted him on the back.

“Ha ha ha, thanks.”

“Anyway, enough of that,” Eris began. “I’m going to do what I do best. Orders to attack, please.” She unsheathed her twin blades and prepared herself for the clump of magicite beasts ahead.

Rafael’s expression hardened as he nodded. “All hands, prepare for combat! After a long-range volley, Lady Eris will lead a close-in assault to wipe out the enemy!”

“Yes, sir!” The knights readied their Artifacts as one. Their shapes varied, but each was equipped with a Gift capable of long-range attacks.

The Paladins were skilled in combat against magicite beasts. Each member of the order possessed multiple Artifacts, suited for both long-range and close combat, and they all used them well. In particular, many lower-class Artifacts had simple Gifts suited to long-range combat, such as launching flames or fireballs, or shooting ice arrows, so at least one such option was available to each member.

“Ready, aim...”

At Rafael’s order, the knights prepared in unison. Their Artifacts surged with flame and ice, lightning and wind. Rafael sensed them behind him as he kept his eye on the incoming enemy. The magicite beasts progressed forward in an undifferentiated clump. Before long, they came close enough for the knights to unleash their attacks.

“They’re in range! Fire!”

At Rafael’s forceful command, countless projectiles of flame and ice, lightning and wind flew by him. The volleys found their marks in less than a second. Magicite beast after magicite beast fell, struck directly.

Among the hail of fire, Ripple’s stood out, a curtain of bullets from her twin golden guns overwhelming her foes.

“Wow! You’ve still got it, Lady Ripple!” the knights cheered.

“Looks like you’re feeling fine, then.” Eris was relieved that Ripple hadn’t missed a beat.

“Of course I am! After all the help Inglis and the others gave me, I’ve gotta do my best as a hieral menace!”

Eris chuckled. “I suppose I should learn from that. Rafael! The enemy has scattered! Let’s close in and finish them off individually.”

Eris was right; the magicite beasts, having been met with long-range fire, were far fewer than before. They had spread out in all directions, under pressure.

“All right—charge! Destroy the scattered magicite beasts one by one! To limit losses, be sure to always outnumber them!” Rafael ordered.

The knights’ war cries echoed, but Eris was already out ahead, her Flygear at full speed. “We’re going on ahead!”

“Ooh, Eris, you’re really getting into it!” Ripple remarked.

“Can’t let you steal the show, can I? Handle the controls, if you don’t mind.” Leaving the piloting to Ripple, Eris leaned over the Flygear’s bow. She struck a gallant figure, her resilience to the sheer wind resistance making it clear that her physical abilities were far beyond a normal person’s. “All right—here goes! First in the fight!”

“Yeah!” Ripple responded, as she brought the Flygear on a trajectory directly between two magicite beasts.

“Take this!” Eris yelled.

Slashhh!

As she passed by, her blades tore through the magicite beasts to either side, the sharp edges cleaving the beasts in two. Their bodies crashed down onto the rocky hills below. “I’m not done yet!”

“Yeah! Get as many as you want!” Ripple swiftly looped the Flygear around in pursuit of the other magicite beasts.

Eris stayed as steady as a statue through the rapid loops and rolls, cutting down magicite beast after magicite beast. Ripple took one hand off the controls to rain down fire with one of her own guns, racking up a kill count for herself. It seemed like the duo could hunt down the entire group themselves.

The knights talked among themselves as they followed. “Wow, put the two of them together and numbers don’t even matter!”

“Let’s back them up!”

“I’m not even sure they need us...”

While it wouldn’t be good to simply become dependent on the hieral menaces, the Paladins’ way of fighting was to join in at their side, inspired to heroism by their presence. With Ripple back, not just the knights but Eris too had regained something that was missing. Each of them was dependable in their own way.

And this, in turn, was thanks to Inglis, Rafinha, and the others at the knights’ academy saving Ripple. As he watched the battle, Rafael thought of them.

Chris, Rani... It’s because of you that Ripple is back safe and sound.Thank you so much.Now it’s our turn to defend our country!So don’t worry about us! Study hard at the academy!

From what Ripple had said, the cafeteria at the academy had been destroyed, so they might be having trouble finding enough to eat, though. It would be a pity if they had to suffer through hunger, so Rafael wondered if after this mission he should stop by home in Ymir on the way back and bring them some food that would keep well. The situation had become stable enough that he had the leeway to consider such things, and the enemy’s numbers were decreasing rapidly without their having inflicted significant damages on his own forces.

“Sir Rafael! We’ve forced the magicite beasts back!” his second-in-command soon reported.

“Excellent work, everyone! Treat the wounded at once! We’ll leave behind a patrol, and return to the carrier!”

“Yes, sir!” the knights replied, and the Paladins began their return to Ambassador Theodore’s ship in high spirits.

“Hey, Rafael! I’m gonna stick around for a little bit and check things out!” Ripple offered.

“Certainly, Lady Ripple. Please don’t push yourself too hard, though.”

“It’ll be fine. I’m just gonna take a quick look.”

“I’ll come along as well, then,” Eris said. “Rafael, you and the others can head back first.”

“Very well. Then, the main force will return first!” Rafael said. The bulk of the soldiers soon left, leaving one patrol as well as Eris and Ripple.

“Lady Eris! Lady Ripple! We’ll continue to guard the area!” a knight said.

“Sure, thanks!” Ripple answered with a kind smile and waved to the dispersing knights.

“So, what’s this about, Ripple?” Eris asked.

“Well...I want to take a closer look at that frozen Prismer. It seems different from when I brought it here.”

“Really? I was on other orders then...”

“When I brought it here, it started bringing forth a few magicite beasts along the way, but nowhere near this many. So...”

“It’s getting stronger, you mean?”

“It might be. I think if I get a closer look, I’ll be able to tell.”

“Got it. Let’s go.”

Eris and Ripple nodded to each other and set the Flygear’s course directly for the Prismer. It was a short flight, and while no new magicite beasts appeared, they both began to shudder.

“Ugh... Eris...” Ripple groaned.

“I could tell immediately without you even saying anything. This is...”

“Yeah... I wouldn’t be surprised if it woke up right now!”

Eris and Ripple were both seasoned hieral menaces. They’d long since stopped counting, or even thinking about, the years that had passed. They’d fought more than their share of Prismers.

And that was why they knew that mighty power was a force strong enough to destroy an entire country.

Each time they faced it, they hoped it would be the last. Yet face it they did, again and again. And now, they could sense that power directly in front of them. It could awaken at any time.

Its quiet shell of ice was no longer anything but its own whim—and who knew when its mood would change? It could be years. It could be decades.

It also could be any secondnow. Eris and Ripple had no way of knowing its thoughts.

“The time has come to fight a Prismer...again...” Eris murmured.

The time when a Prismer awakened was also the time when a hieral menace’s true power had to be harnessed—to become a weapon, to be wielded by a holy knight.

And that holy knight, as the last light of humanity, would burn away facing that Prismer.

Win or lose, the knight would fall.

Eris had seen it happen over and over. No matter how hard they tried to resist, that fate was unavoidable. And this time, it was Rafael’s turn. He’d face his destiny soon.

No matter how many times she experienced it, she couldn’t get used to—couldn’t let herself get used to—the pain in her heart. As Eris’s hand began to tremble, Ripple gently covered it with her own to calm her. Eris had a reputation for brusqueness and detachment, but that couldn’t be further from the truth; she was more sensitive than most.

From a hieral menace’s perspective, this fate was a necessity. To the holy knight or their family, it was no different from a visit from the reaper.

It was because this weighed on her that she kept her distance, unwilling to broach the subject. And it was because this weighed so heavily that, when the time came, she was the most psychologically impacted.

I need to support her, Ripple thought. “Well, if anyone can change things, it’s that girl Inglis! I just know this time she’ll find a way for it to turn out different! Not going to go into her personality here, but just in terms of power alone, she’s unbelievable!”

“Y-Yes...you’re right. She’s the only hope we have left...”

“Anyway, let’s head back. We need to tell them what we saw, so we can keep things at a stalemate and not provoke the Prismer any more than we have to. And in the meantime, maybe we can get Inglis here?”

“Won’t Rafael object? He doesn’t want to expose her to danger...”

“Sounds like the kind of thing he’d say, yeah. But she definitely wants to go to dangerous places, so I think it’s a chance to get to know her better and drop a few hints.”

“Well, that would be between her and us. And that’s assuming she can do something about the Prismer. For now, why don’t we bring the idea up—but with Ambassador Theodore, not with Rafael?” Eris suggested. “The part about the Prismer itself, we need to tell everyone, of course.”

“Yeah, you’re right. That just might work...so long as Venefic cooperates.”

While it was true there was no time to lose regarding the Prismer, the Paladins’ mission was to hold back Venefic’s forces that had advanced to the border. And the Paladins were the ones who had moved the Prismer there to begin with. Their intent had been to limit damage in Ahlemin, its original position, and present an obstacle to Venefic’s planned invasion, but no one knew whether that decision had helped or hindered matters. Only time would tell.

“I certainly hope they do,” Eris said. “If a Prismer’s making its move, it’s no time for people to be fighting amongst themselves.”

Hieral menaces existed to protect humans from magicite beasts. They had no desire to see the people of the surface fighting, and while it might be their duty to participate, it rang discordant with their nature. That said, they certainly couldn’t object to facing off against invaders.

“Anyway, let’s head back.”

“Yeah, off we go.” Ripple turned the rudder, and the Flygear reversed course and headed toward their carrier. After a short distance, though...

“Please... Please...” A voice sounded in Ripple’s head.

“What...? Hey, Eris? Did you say something?”

“Hm? No, I didn’t say anything.” Eris shook her head in confusion.

“Huh? I could’ve sworn I heard someone talking...”

Eris didn’t appear to have heard a thing, though.

“Please...draw back your forces, flee... If you don’t, something terrible will happen...”

“Ah...! There it is again! It’s telling me it wants us to fall back!” Ripple exclaimed.

“What?! Who? Is it the Prismer? I wonder if it wants us to use our forces rather than have just us two...”

“I don’t think so. If it was the Prismer, wouldn’t you be able to hear it?”

Eris was also a hieral menace. If this was a magicite beast that interacted with hieral menaces, there was no reason why Eris wouldn’t be able to hear the voice. Besides, in Ripple’s long experience as a hieral menace, she’d never heard the voice of a Prismer. Prismers were absolute embodiments of destruction with whom it was impossible to communicate.

“Then does that mean...are you not completely healed?! Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?” Eris peppered Ripple with questions in clear concern.

“Well, it’s true nothing changed about what they did to me, so I’m not exactly healed...”

Ripple had been accidentally summoning her kin, the demihumans, who had been made into magicite beasts. She had been taken advantage of with the aim of devastating Karelia through unrelenting magicite beast attacks. Her condition utilized the unique ability of demihumans to telepathically communicate with one another, and thus, the only magicite beasts she was summoning were those who had previously been demihumans.

With her kind nearing extinction, wiping out the demihumans turned magicite beasts would prevent Ripple bringing forth any more of them. Inglis had proposed the most forceful solution possible: summon all of them until there were no more. Thus, while Ripple remained unchanged, the trap which had been implanted in her became ineffective when there was simply nothing left for it to summon.

Ambassador Theodore, aligned with the Triumvirate faction in Highland politics, had said that this was punishment enacted by their rivals, the Papal League, for Karelia’s choice to align with the Triumvirate, who were willing to lend-lease Flygears and Flygear Ports to the surface.

Ripple had been created as a hieral menace by the Papal League, while Eris had been by the Triumvirate. Thus, while Ripple had fallen under its effects, Eris had not. It was likely that there was a similar trap waiting within her as well, but the Triumvirate had no need to punish Karelia.

Traditionally, Karelia had maintained a policy of favoring neither the Triumvirate nor the Papal League. Having both Eris from the Triumvirate and Ripple from the Papal League was clear proof of that. This was thanks to King Carlias’s dealings with Highland. However, Prince Wayne disagreed and actively sought to strengthen Karelia’s military with Flygears and Flygear Ports from the Triumvirate. His goal seemed to be a move toward military parity between Highland and the surface. Ambassador Theodore, his personal friend, not only approved of but supported these moves. Their plan would produce wonderful results if allowed to come to fruition, but it was also risky.

The changes in Ripple...

The invasion from Venefic...

Both, surely, were related to the actions of the two leaders.

“I don’t feel any different, and nothing’s happening with me physically. The voice didn’t seem hostile either...” Ripple then turned her attention to the unseen interlocutor. “Hey, who are you? How can you talk to me? What’s going to happen if we don’t fall back?”

“You are the only one who can hear my voice... If this continues, an unnecessary tragedy will play out...so, please...”

“An unnecessary tragedy? I don’t understand what that means. I’m a pragmatist here. I know that Prismer’s gonna be trouble, but if we fall back too far, we won’t be able to stop Venefic. I need a more concrete reason—”

“Please... Please... Flee...” The voice faded away.

“Heeeeey? Heeey! What’s wrong? I can’t hear you! Are you okay?!”

Eris eyed Ripple with worry. “I didn’t hear any of that.”

“Umm...I don’t really understand what happened. Let’s just head back. There’s the Prismer to deal with—we need to get Inglis here.”

“Got it. But tell me if anything happens, okay?”

“I caused a lot of trouble for the Paladins, and for everyone at the knights’ academy, but there is one bright side,” Ripple said hesitantly.

“Hmm?”

Ripple chuckled. “You’re even kinder than usual.” She shot an impish grin at Eris.

“Ah?! Sheesh, this isn’t the time. I’m just worried that if you’re not feeling well, we’ll be shorthanded—”

“Sure, sure, thanks. Now let’s go!”

“Yes...”

The Flygear bearing the two returned to the mother ship at top speed.

◆◇◆

Several days later aboard Ambassador Theodore’s ship, which served as the Paladins’ command post in their efforts against Venefic, a meeting was held in a space near the bridge. It doubled as an operations room and a conference room.

“Venefic has responded: ‘We cannot accept your proposal. You are the ones who brought the Prismer here to begin with. This is your responsibility,’” the knight who had acted as a messenger reported.

“I see. Thank you.” Prince Wayne’s face was expressionless. “I suppose that’s the response I expected,” he noted calmly.

“From their standpoint, it must seem as though we’re using the Prismer as a shield,” Ambassador Theodore said, disappointed.

Prince Wayne, who had received a report from Ripple and Eris that the Prismer could wake at any moment, had proposed a truce to Venefic, even asking for Venefic’s support if the creature awakened. Karelia would have to manage on its own.

“I can’t deny that was our intent,” Theodore continued. “Limiting Venefic’s options was part of the plan. However, I didn’t expect it to backfire so completely.”

“But even if they say it’s our responsibility...magicite beasts and Prismers don’t particularly care about geopolitics. If that Prismer awakens, it could head for Karelia or for Venefic. We have no way of knowing,” Eris noted.

At its current stage, the Prismer could no longer be moved. Provoking it in any way was best avoided. If it awakened and moved toward Venefic, how would the leaders of that country react?

Would they, only then, call upon Karelia for help? In such a case, aid would be less than forthcoming. Thus, Eris believed that the safest course would have been to take a wait-and-see posture, not immediately rejecting the idea of cooperation, but Eris wasn’t a part of Venefic.

“It’s dangerous. They’re underestimating the Prismer. If anything happens, it’ll be too late,” she said.

“They might have a reason not to back down. They’re backed by the Papal League, and that may come with hard conditions,” Ambassador Theodore suggested, his eyes downcast. “Venefic has long hungered for Karelian land. And now, with some sort of pressure from Highland, it’s come to this...”

Venefic’s lands were primarily barren wilderness, and its peoples’ lives suffered for it. Taking some of Karelia’s fertile fields had been their wish for generations, long before King Carlias or Prince Wayne were in the picture.

“Hey, what if...?” Ripple began.

“What’s wrong? Lady Ripple?” Rafael asked.

“Ah, no, sorry. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Ripple giggled, trying to pass it off. She had been about to ask what the plan was if the Prismer did awaken and headed for Venefic. Borders meant nothing to magicite beasts, nor to people suffering. Ideally, even if it moved toward Venefic, they’d make the both humane and gallant choice to provide the utmost aid, but ideals didn’t always come to fruition.

Fighting a Prismer with all their might meant using a hieral menace as a weapon—meant taking Rafael’s life. Knowing this, she didn’t even want to discuss fighting the Prismer, much less in front of him.

If it came to that, the choice would be Prince Wayne and Rafael’s. She wouldn’t be able to criticize them if they ignored the Prismer should it go toward Venefic, the reasoning being that it was no longer their problem. However, she’d certainly prefer a mission of mutual aid, so long as there was a nonnegotiable condition that neither she nor Eris be used as a weapon.

But more important than any of that to Ripple and Eris was the status of Inglis.

Inglis would fight the Prismer no matter where it was going, and she’d love every second of it.