–

The sounds of fireworks could be heard from early in the morning at the Royal Capital’s castle town.

On the first day of the parade that celebrated the New Year, the royal family showed their faces from a horse carriage along with the soldiers’ march.

Naturally Lux also escorted Lisha. At the schedule they would act together throughout the morning.

By the way, Airi was also with them for some reason.

「Look over here, Dragon Paladin-sama──!」

「This too is thanks to knight-dono! Thank you!」

Confetti danced in the air and red tapestries were hanging from the buildings. Amidst that, Lux was showing a smile to the people from inside the carriage and responded with a hand wave.

When the females cheered, Airi beside him whispered with a smile.

「What’s with your slovenly expression there, Nii-san? It looks like you are having a lot of fun even though this is official business.」

Perhaps she was jealous at the rare cheering from the females. It was scary how there were shadows covering the area around her eyes.

「Wait, I’m not looking slovenly or anything! Besides in reality there is no way I can make a grim face in this kind of event. Also, Airi yourself is really popular out there.」

In fact the cheers from the men of the city towards Airi who was wearing a dress were also loud.

Even if his bias as a big brother was docked, there was no denying that Airi was a lovely girl. Her graceful demeanor that was befitting an imperial princess was also popular.

Even so, for the two of them who were originally criminals of the Old Empire that carried out misgovernment to the extremes, to be received this well by the people showed that right now the tide of society was accepting them.

「I’m already popular with a part of the populace since the past. After all, unlike the clumsy Nii-san, I’m really good at acting friendly.」

「Ah, is that so....」

Lux lost his words seeing Airi who was smiling teasingly.

While he was feeling the ominousness of his little sister’s political ability that likely would grow worse in the future, the carriage approached the main street and they caught sight of the Academy’s students lining up while waving their hands.

The cheers became remarkably louder, and then the sound of a Drag-Ride’s driving force came from the surroundings.

「-....!? This sound!」

Lux and Airi reflexively put up their guard, but they noticed that it was only their needless anxiety seeing the smile of Lisha who was looking back from the seat in front of them.

When he looked closer, it was the Triad who were wearing Drag-Knights out there. Sharis was scattering flower petals from the sky using her Wyvern.

「Thanks for your effort today, Lux-kun. And also princess Lisha.」

「Thank youu! The three of you!」

「Yes. Congratulations, Airi.」

Sharis, Tillfur, and Noct called out to them not because of their professional duty but as a friend from the Academy.

The expressions that Lux and Airi were making before looked somewhat business-like, but the display of the girls brought back a natural smile to their faces.

「The New Kingdom will also be peaceful with you guys here!」

「Keep up the hard work from here on too! Princess-sama and knight-dono!」

People with various appearances, young and old, man and woman.

Cheers where it was irrelevant whether it came from a noble or a commoner were reverberating loudly through the main street of the Royal Capital Lordgalia.

The marching of the horse carriage continued for a while and the cheers that came from everywhere didn’t stop coming.

–

「Haaa, I’m tireeed....」

After finishing the greeting to the people from the horse carriage that took a total of four hours and returning back to the inn, Lux took off his coat and threw his body on the bed.

Inside the room, there were Airi who was also accompanying him in the marching parade and Philuffy who was riding the carriage behind them as a guard. In addition even the Triad came to play.

「That’s really slovenly, Nii-san. It’s really astonishing that the hero who saved the world is acting like this.」

Airi was also showing a slightly worn-out expression, and yet her back was still firmly straight while she was sitting on the sofa together with Noct.

「As expected even Lux-kun looks beaten up. Though the mental fatigue seems to be more serious.」

「Ain’t that riight. It’s rare to see Lux-chi that tired after doing his usual chores.」

After Sharis concluded straightforwardly, Tillfur also poked fun at Lux in amusement.

「Yes. It can’t be helped. After all, this kind of diplomatic exchange is Airi’s field in the first place.」

「It’s a daily trouble for me to settle down the various commotions that Nii-san causes at the Academy you know?」

「It’s my loss, so let me stay like this for a while....」

Lux was drained of strength and raised a white flag toward Airi’s proud smile.

But in reality, there was a reason that it was Lux who got his nerves worn down like this.

A part of it was also because he was doing this parade that he wasn’t used to, but in the end he didn’t see any glimpse of the man called Waybra who was staying in his mind during the parade.

In the first place a heavy security was laid out during the parade, so it could only be said as natural.

「I’m also tired. I was holding back, the sleepiness.」

「I think that Philuffy-san was sleeping during the parade though. Just because nobody can see you inside the carriage at the rear.....」

Airi spontaneously sent a retort at the muttering of the sleepy looking Philuffy.

Well, she might be sleeping for half of the event, but even Philuffy was doing a splendid job guarding Lux and Airi.

Today was over with this, but tomorrow there would be a parade at the castle waiting for them.

There he would be able to reunite with Krulcifer, Celis, Aeril, and the Seven Dragon Paladins who arrived as guests of honor.

Although each of them was wounded from the intense battle the other day, everyone safely survived.

It had been two weeks since they last saw each other, so he was looking forward to meeting them again.

–

「──Everyone is safe you say? You are a heartless man huh, chore boy.」

–

「....-!?」

The ridiculing voice that Lux suddenly heard made him turn around to behind him.

But, there was no one there.

There were only the familiar girls inside the room that he shared with Airi.

「Eh? What’s the matter, Lux-chi?」

Tillfur asked with a pose where she was placing both her hands behind her head.

「No. It’s, nothing....」

「Fuh, it seems that Lux-kun is still tired. We should give him a massage here at least. After that please tell us who made you feel good the most.」

「Wait, what are you planning to start!?」

Even the discomfort just now was blown away by Sharis’s invitation.

「Lux-kun, lie down on your face and wear a blindfold. Now, let’s decide the turn with rock-paper-scissors! The number one will get Lux-kun returning the favor with his massage.」

「Noo objection!」

「Say, do I have any say in this?」

「Yes. The honor of the Leaflet name is at stake, so I cannot lose.」

「I also, want to give Lu-chan a massage.」

For some reason even Noct and Philuffy got motivated. Airi sighed in exasperation.

In the middle of the massages, it was really difficult for him to feign calmness when the girls’ breasts touched his back.

–

──An hour after that.

A party only for the students who came to the capital began in the large bar that Relie reserved for them.

They praised the victory and the peace that they had wrested back and shared the happiness that everyone returned alive safely.

Everyone spent time until late at night while drinking, singing, and conversing a lot.

–

「I’ll go, to feel the night wind for a bit....」

Lux who was plenty drunk because he got poured alcohol by many girls got out of the bar.

Perhaps because it was in the middle of the parade’s period, even though the time was January where the weather was chilly, it felt like the town was brimming with feverish enthusiasm.

There was also no sign of people at the royal capital’s central square perhaps because it was late at night.

It was a place for relaxation that was surrounded by a lawn with short grass and trees that were dropping down their leaves.

The flame of the street lights had also vanished, but the moonlight was faintly illuminating the area.

「....Nothing has happened yet. Yoruka too, it would be better if you participated in the party.」

「That consideration is enough for me, Aruji-sama.」

When Lux mumbled that to himself, Yoruka appeared out of nowhere beside him.

Yoruka had been constantly hiding starting from the parade until the party after that. She was watching out alertly at the surroundings of Lux and Airi.

The opposing noble called Waybra who was colluding with the Old Empire faction.

Lux wouldn’t make Yoruka do something like that if he hadn’t heard about the story of that person.

Of course, the person herself also offered to do such thing by her own initiative, but Lux was regretful that he was unable to make her participate in the party just now.

「Doing this is more comfortable for me. Besides, Airi-san and the others were inviting me while Aruji-sama was resting.」

It seemed that Airi and the Triad were frequently paying attention to Yoruka.

Lux patted down his chest in relieve and said his gratitude to Yoruka once more.

「I’m really thankful. I’ll compensate it to you for sure when this parade is over. No. If it doesn’t look like there will be any problem, then even now you can join the party──」

「Is that so? Then, please allow me to be together alone with Aruji-sama later. I also have something that I wish to tell Aruji-sama after all──」

「Eh....?」

Yoruka’s eyes suddenly brightened bewitchingly. Lux was shaken by her response.

The devilish blue and purple eyes.

Her gaze that was tinged with feverish desire made Lux’s heart skip a beat.

After her battle against Singlen, Yoruka who didn’t possess emotions was harboring a certain special feeling, which she directed only towards her master, Lux.

She said that she might be in love with Lux.

She told him that she wanted him to teach her the way to love to ascertain that feeling.

That flow of events was halted because of the incidents that were happening one after another. And Lux himself was also very busy with the battles before him at that time, but──

「Yoruka....」

Now Lux had accomplished his own mission and objective, and the shackle of criminal status would vanish.

An urge towards her was welling up inside him.

The girl who was feared as the Empire’s Assassin Blade was beautiful as expected when he looked at her once more.

The long and smooth black hair, the asymmetrically colored eyes.

The seductive soft skin that peeked out from the gap of the exotic looking foreign outfit was radiant like fresh snow.

But, it wasn’t just the beauty of her outward appearance.

The way of her heart──its pureness that was like a single katana attracted Lux.

The instant his hand was going to reach out as though he was being pulled, Yoruka smiled with a lonely look.

「A coincidence..... No, it’s fate. If time deviated only for a bit, even I would have a chance where I might become human, and yet..」

「Yoruka....?」

「Surely, that’s also just an excuse. ....The presence of someone is approaching this way. Aruji-sama, please take some rest without worry. No matter who comes, I won’t kill them right away.」

Yoruka only said that and left from that place soundlessly.

She said some dangerous words but, had an enemy appeared?

However, seeing how Yoruka didn’t look that alarmed, most likely it wasn’t a clear threat that was approaching here.

Even so there was also the existence of the man called Waybra, perhaps it would be dangerous to cool off alone at this kind of place.

「Perhaps it will be better if I go back to the bar early. ──....-!?」

The instant he muttered that, a sound suddenly came from the bush behind. Lux closed his mouth with his hand in panic.

Lux watched out at his surroundings and killed his presence, then he hid behind the shadow of a tree nearby.

(It’s not just sound. It’s a human voice. What’s more, it’s a woman’s voice──)

Lux walked carefully so as to not make any sound and progressed towards the direction of the voice.

Then, he saw a lone girl standing under a tree at the center of the square.

「──That’s right. I wanted to speak to you.」

Lux gasped the instant he saw the girl.

Under the moonlight, the girl was facing a large tree and repeatedly spoke something to herself.

The honey colored blond hair, the bulging out voluptuous breasts and tight waist.

The feminine beauty that had balanced proportions looked radiant inside the darkness of the night.

Celistia Ralgris.

She was his senior in Syvalles, and also Lux’s aide in the Seven Dragon Paladins.

She was an older girl with striking dignity while also emitting loveliness at the same time.

Lux’s heart danced at the nostalgic reunion with the existence who he felt respect and affection towards.

He was feeling a sweet throbbing in his heart was surely because he was harboring a remarkably high fondness towards her just like with the other girls.

Lux was about to walk towards her right away, but he hesitated when he guessed that Celis was talking to herself.

(Wait, to talk to herself even at this kind of time, senpai hasn’t changed at all....)

Because she didn’t have anyone who she could consult or complain to, she had the habit of talking to an object or an animal sometimes. It seemed that habit still hadn’t been fixed.

Though he thought that recently the number of her talking partners had increased, like Sharis or the members of Syvalles.

She had a personality that made it easy for others to misunderstand her. She was even thought by the surroundings to be a man-hater, but fortunately she was opening her heart towards Lux.

(But, if she is worried about something, I should see if I can give advice──)

Thinking that Lux approached her. It was at that timing that he could hear her monologue clearly.

–

「──Lux. I love you.」

–

Lux was taken by surprise and his feet──no, even his thoughts became blank and halted completely.

The instant he was doubting that he might have misheard that or perhaps he was dreaming, Celis continued her words further.

「Not as my junior in the Academy, or even as a Drag-Knight. I love you as a man.」

Celis continued with a sweet and easeful smile while her left hand was placed on her large breast.

Celis hadn’t noticed Lux’s existence.

However, Lux finally guessed that Celis wasn’t choosing a large tree simply to make her complaints.

(This is, don’t tell me..... Celis-senpai, towards me is──?)

Celis took a deep breath, held her breath, and exhaled out white breath in the winter air several times.

But, her expression didn’t look like she was feeling the coldness at all.

Flames of passion was emerging out on her face as though she was delirious with fever.

「....As I thought, I cannot get used to it. I think that as the older one I am the one who ought to say it but, I’m really nervous. When I’m thinking what if I get rejected, it feels like my heart is tightened hard.」

Celis slipped out those words along with a wry smile after a pause for a while.

Lux spontaneously turned speechless seeing from the side that beautiful face which was trembling with a heartrending look.

「This is scarier than before any fight. But──I have to summon my courage. After all even I, finally found something that makes me want to speak selfishly.」

「........」

Celis moved away from that place when her training with the large tree finished.

It seemed that by coincidence the inn she was staying at was close to the lodging place of Lux and the others.

Lux unintentionally heard her confession because he slipped out from the party on a whim.

「────」

A deep sigh slipped out from the lungs.

The breathed out sigh was terribly hot.

「Celis-senpai..... I──」

There were several times when he was conscious of her as a woman.

But, until now Lux was a criminal who wasn’t even allowed to marry. With his situation where he was chasing after Fugil, that feeling didn’t grow so far until it took shape.

In addition, Lux himself would naturally create a wall towards an environment where he was considered as special or towards the love from other people.

But, the battle at Avalon was over now and his criminal collar would be taken off at the last day of the parade.

「........」

Lux asked to himself once more about his feelings towards the girls.

After standing still at that place for a while, he returned to the bar.

The night of the parade’s first day was getting late.

He made merry with everyone from the Academy. His consciousness was melting into a tranquility that was like a dream.

Even amidst that, Celis’s words wouldn’t leave from his head.

–

Inside the darkness of night, two men were inside an abandoned building in the Royal Capital.

One of them was wearing a dark blue tailcoat suit. He was a man with handsome features.

The other man was a young blonde haired man with a somewhat shadowed expression.

He was wearing a plain cloak while his eyes glinted sharply.

This place was a part of the residential area that was crushed underfoot by the Fifth Ruin, Gigas in the past.

The collapsed houses were gradually rebuilt from the surroundings, but an untouched block turned half into a slum. This building was abandoned because it was hard to lived in even in such an area.

「Won’t we get misunderstood by talking in this kind of place? I don’t want to get unjustly suspected by the supporters of the New Kingdom you know?」

The man wearing a tailcoat suit smiled wryly under the hat that he was wearing over his eyes.

The man’s name was Waybra Hemt.

A distant relative of the Old Empire’s imperial family──strictly speaking this man was an adopted child of a kin.

He looked like he was in the middle of his thirties, he was tall with a well featured face, but he was enveloped in a dangerous atmosphere that would make other people feel anxious.

「Don’t worry, no one will approach this kind of garbage dump. And the security guards are also lacking in number when the parade is going on like this.」

「The scar of the great war is really deep. Her majesty the Queen got into a large debt not only towards the Four Great Nobles, but even towards all the feudal lords. Of course you too──aren’t satisfied with just that, correct, next family head-dono?」

「Fu──」

The blonde haired man slipped out a smile at the question of the man in a tailcoat suit.

His name wasn’t mentioned, but the young man’s name was Sieg Kreutzer.

He came from one of the Four Great Nobles who were great feudal lords of the New Kingdom, but after the eldest son Balzerite lost his standing, the house of Kreutzer tasted misfortune for a long time.

The second son and the next successor of the house was this man.

「Our house also mobilized all our strength and distinguished ourselves in this war. But, it’s still far away until the debt from my foolish brother is cleared. We won’t be able to face our great ancestors if it ends like this. You are also the same right?」

There was no doubt that the house’s position was restored somewhat due to their cooperation in the decisive battle against the Lords.

But, in the end that was all.

With the house’s position that was looked down at as traitors, the result this time was nothing more than a bit of change for the better.

The ambition of the house of Kreutzer that was chosen as the next term’s general of the New Kingdom.

Their longstanding desire to obtain the technologies and legacies of Avalon and stand at the top in the end closed it’s curtain as an ephemeral dream.

The house of Kreutzer’s standing to interfere with the distribution of Avalon’s legacies was also endlessly little.

Among the Four Great Nobles, it was the house of Ralgris which was the one with the greatest distinguished service, so the house of Kreutzer also couldn’t expect any rewards in the future.

With their inability to obtain the money tree in the form of the right to use the Ruins, it could be expected that it would be a really long road to restore their house in the future.

But, that was before this man called Waybra Hemt showed his figure before the house of Kreutzer.

Sieg thought that this man was like a vulture──no, a poisonous snake.

He lurked in the darkness and polished his poisonous fangs while pretending to be harmless.

Having said that, it wasn’t like this man possessed the ability as a Drag-Knight or the horn flute to control the Abyss.

What the man possessed in his grasp, was a secret.

He was covertly hiding a fiercely poisonous fang that could shake the structure of the New Kingdom.

Although, until now it wasn’t useful because of the difficult problems like Sacred Eclipse or the Lords.

It possessed meaning because it was right now when peace had come after the world scale threat went away like this.

「And, are you able to prepare the private army to pretend as the rebel army?」

「Yeah, only around thirty Drag-Knights, and their skills are also not much to talk about. They will be helpless even against one of the main force of Syvalles where that Lux belongs to.」

In reality, even in the middle of the parade’s progression, Sieg’s subordinates were dressing as security guards and observed the event.

But, they were unable to detect Yoruka’s presence at all using radar, so they didn’t do anything suspicious.

「But, it’s fine like that. It will be worth it to steal them the stronger they are.」

「I see, so your preparation is perfect. As expected.」

Waybra lightly bowed, but Sieg’s expression was unwavering.

「Keep the flattery for later. If you want to curry favor from me, you can do it after the strategy succeeds. Now show me that aforementioned trump card you have.」

「But of course. Then, just as promised I will send the duplicate recording to your EX Drake. Please prepare.」

Waybra pulled out the Sword Device of a special equipment type general purpose Drag-Ride Drake in his sword belt and summoned it.

In response Sieg Kreutzer also wore the strengthened type EX Drake and used its function. The transfer of the recording started.

──Five years ago.

It was a certain scene that happened at the other side of the incident where the Old Empire collapsed due to the revolution.

It wasn’t a scene that happened at the side of the Old Empire, but a truth that occurred at the side of the great man Count Atismata.

The recording was projected at the vacant land of the abandoned building before their eyes and it began playing.

Sieg finished confirming the seven recordings that Waybra recorded.

He had heard about it beforehand, but there was no mistake about it.

If this fact became known by the world──the foundation of the New Kingdom would crumble.

「──Fu, hahahaha! Great! As expected politics has to be like this! This is exactly the field where I can display my true calling! With this the house of Kreutzer can take back our glory! No, trivial things like my foolish brother’s stigma can be erased and I’ll be able to take this country!」

Sieg formed a malicious smile that was filled with conviction and his thin body shook with the joy that was welling up inside him.

Just now the execution of the plan that he was scheming was decided.

「So what do you think, new family head-dono? How will the scheme to take down the New Kingdom go?」

Waybra threw a question at his satisfied employer.

「It’s possible to handle anything. I already obtained the support from the Old Empire faction that wishes to take back the political power from the Queen. In the unlikeliest chance that the negotiation breaks down, I will obtain this country with a legitimate means.」

「Then, let’s carry it out in the middle of the parade. I will also accompany you, poor though my ability may be.」

「──I’ll rely on you, my sword friend, my right hand man who cuts open the way for my path of conquest.」

Thus, a new spark of conflict was born in a corner of the Royal Capital.

No, wrong.

The embers of karma that existed from the day of the revolution five years ago──and even longer before that had blazed up with a momentum that would swallow the New Kingdom.

–

「....Target, found nanodesu.」

A girl covered with white robe that hid even the eyes was looking down on them from a tall abandoned building.

The lifeless robotic eyes and the growing mechanical rabbit ears which were proof of the girl’s inhuman state were observing the men’s actions while staying hidden.

The men would signal a new beginning, the same as history repeating like the wheel of death and rebirth. On the other hand, they didn’t notice the ambush that was lying in wait.

If a crack entering the system was also an inevitability of the era, the example of such thing getting destroyed inside the darkness also existed in a number of ways.

Just like how the Old Empire maintained its glory like that in the past.