Chapter 436: The Princess’ Strength, and the Second Ambassador.

“Owowow..”

My body hurts all over because I slept while resting my upper body on the Mahjong table. I used [Refresh] and [Recovery] to patch myself up.

“And, how was yesterday?”

As I walked down a corridor early in the morning, Kougyoku flew towards me and landed on my shoulder. I’ve asked Kougyoku (to be precise, a few owls under her command) to watch over Princess Pafia’s group the whole of last night.

“There were nothing unusual. They did not take one step out of their rooms, and no signs of any magic being activated could be observed too.”

“I guess we really might’ve been too paranoid..”

I felt a bit let down after heading Kougyoku’s report, but then, after think a bit more about it, I realized that the idea of a princess of a country doing something like sneaking into my room at night is pretty crazy to begin with.

“Today’s her meeting with everyone else.. I hope it doesn’t turn into anything strange.”

While heaving a huge sigh, I continued walking down the corridor.

“It turned into something strange..”

While watching the two girls facing each other in the knight order’s training grounds, I muttered to no one in particular.

Both sides are armed with a wooden sword and shield. On one side, obviously, is Princess Pafia. And on the other is one of my fiancées, Hilda.

The audience consists of everyone else in the fiancée group, as well as Ambassador Yanche and the princess’ personal maidservant, Miss Lycia. Also, Moroha nee-san and Karina nee-san who came here by themselves.

In the center of the training field, Hilda and Princess Pafia stood against each other.

“This is really fine with you, right?”

“Ee. I don’t mind. Please use your full strength against me without reserve. I’ll be serious too.”

Princess Pafia replied to Hilda with a fearless smile on her face. She seems pretty confident.

As for why something like this happened, it’s because Princess Pafia suggested to Yumina and the others to first let her show off her strength when they met.

She’s got quite the confidence but.. That’s gonna break, you know.

I used my eyes to send the message of “don’t over do it” to Hilda, who’s standing opposite of Princess Pafia. She nodded slightly and sent back a message of “I understand”.. I think.

“Alright, take your stances. Begin!”

Moroha nee-san, who jumped into the referee position, swung the hand she raised up downwards.

In an instant, Hilda leaped in and used her sword to knock Princess Pafia’s sword away with an upward sweeping motion.

“Wha!?”

Hilda’s wooden sword stopped right next to the shocked Princess Pafia’s throat.

Wai, my eye contact earlier was completely wasted! She definitely thought I meant “do it with all you have” or “don’t hold back” or something like that!

“Winner, Hilda.”

Moroha nee-san announced the result with a short phrase. After a while, the knocked-away wooden sword landed on the ground with a clang. Just how high did it go..

When I sneaked a look to the side, Ambassador Yanche and Miss Lycia were lost for words. Well, that’s the natural reaction.

Speaking in time, that whole thing happened in about one second, after all. I don’t think they even understand what had happened. I’m quite sure they can’t follow Hilda’s movements just now with their eyes, after all.

“P, please wait a moment! That just now was my hand slipping..! O, one more time, if you would!”

Princess Pafia insisted with an anxious tone.

“Is what she wants. How about it, Hilda?”

“I don’t mind.”

While walking back to the place the match was held, Hilda answered. When Moroha nee-san raised her hand up once more, the two of them readied their swords and shields and took up stances. Princess Pafia no longer had the leisurely smile she had earlier, and her expression was rigid and nervous.

“Begin!”

At the same time Moroha nee-san swung down her arm, Princess Pafia took a defensive stance with her shield firmly raised forward. However, Hilda didn’t lunge in like she did last match.

The two of them slowly shuffled in a clockwise circle while facing each other, staying alert. Hilda gradually closed the distance while holding her sword in a natural stance with its tip pointed at her opponent.

Since she attacked first the last time, does she plan on staying defensive this round, I wonder? While Hilda’s expression hasn’t changed a bit since the start, Princess Pafia’s face is gradually beginning to show signs of impatience. At this rate.. Ah.

“Yaa!”

Probably having run out of patience, Princess Pafia thrusted with her sword. Hilda warded it off without difficulty using her shield.

“Kuh!”

Princess Pafia followed up with a second, and then third strike. Fumu, she does have a substantial level of skill that she can be proud of, but it’s still far from being able to fight Hilda evenly. She might be able to win against Yae back when I first met her.

Responding to the incoming sword strikes, Hilda used her shield to block them, her sword to deflect them, and toyed around with her opponent using the minimum amount of movement. As Princess Pafia was the only person moving around a lot, her running out of stamina first is the obvious conclusion.

Seizing that timing, Hilda once again knocked Princess Pafia’s sword out of her hand.

And, in the exact same fashion as last round, she pointed the tip of her sword at her opponent’s throat.

“.. Do you want to continue?”

“.. No, it is my loss.”

Hilda asked Princess Pafia in a quiet voice, and while she sounds frustrated, the latter accepted her defeat. I’d like to tell her she fought well, but she’s probably going to take that as sarcasm, so I’ll shut up here.

“You’re very strong, Hilda-sama. It’s my first time meeting someone this skilled at the sword.”

“No, compared to Moroha onee-sama, I am but a rat next to a lion. There’s always someone above.”

Princess Pafia’s shocked eyes turned to Moroha nee-san after hearing Hilda’s words.

“Don’t be too humble, Hilda. What rat; you’re at least as strong as a kitty now, definitely.”

“A kitty, is it..”

Hilda smiled wryly. Eh, being likened to a kitty in a comparison with the god of swords is already impressive in my opinion, really. The standards on comparing with my sisters are always really wacky, after all.

“And, what do you want to do now? You said that you’ll compete in magic after swordsmanship earlier but..”

“Ee. Of course I will do it. I’ve fallen behind in the contest of swords, but it won’t be the same when it comes to magic. I’ll show you my real powers.”

“You’ve got some nice guts.”

Moroha nee-san praised Princess Pafia. She sure does rebound quickly. Or is it that she’s more confident in her magic in the first place?

Hilda recovered Princess Pafia’s sword and shield and came back this way.

“Good work. How was it?”

“It’s a style of swordplay I’ve never seen before so it was interesting. She is indeed quite strong, but just a bit lacking.”

Elze and Yae brought over a large wooden doll attached to a flatcar from another training field as the target for the magic contest.

While it is a wooden doll, the material used is the tough and hard-to-burn wood from Mismede. I don’t know what kind of magic she’s planning to use, but it won’t be easy to break that thing. Wait, actually, if it’s a sever-type magic like [Aqua Cutter] then it might easily slice it into pieces.

“Alright, you can start now. It’s fine even if you break that.”

“Yes.”

Moroha nee-san then distanced herself from Princess Pafia. Princess Pafia then pointed her two hands towards the doll, and magic power began gathering in a swirl on both hands.

Both the quantity and quality of her magic power is pretty solid. In game terms, she’d be an excellent magic swordsman, no doubt.

The right hand of Princess Pafia produced a crackling ball of light, while her left hand produced a small whirlpool of wind. Eh!?

She slowly combined those two together with shaking hands, and then released it forcefully.

“[Come forth Thunder and Wind, a crackling monsoon, Plasma Storm]!”

A tornado formed with the wooden doll at the center, before innumerable lightning struck it from all sides.

Well, this is quite the surprise. Although its power isn’t all that much, that’s still a legitimate composite magic. It’s an ancient magical discipline that has fallen into obscurity despite having been used often during the age of the ancient magic civilizations, as magic became more accessible and easier to use.

The charred wooden doll slowly toppled over. The moment it hit the ground, it broke into numerous pieces.

“How is that!”

Princess Pafia spun around with a smug face, but upon seeing our small reactions, her eyebrows scrunched together. No, we actually are surprised, you know. It’s just that our reactions to that will only ever stop at something like “hoh” or “heeh”.

“[Plasma Storm]. A composite magic with light and wind, eh. It felt like the wind portion was a bit too strong, though.”

“That’s, right. The power of the light element was stifled because of that. If you improve on that, it should easily have twice the destructive power as the one just now, I think.”

When Leen and Linze offered their views on the magic just now, it was Princess Pafia who became shocked. She must be wondering how the two of them saw through its traits so easily.

The two of them then began silently playing janken, and Linze, who lost in the end, sighed lightly and walked towards the training field.

As Princess Pafia moved back, Elze and Yae brought in the second wooden doll.

Just like Princess Pafia, Linze raised both her hands towards the doll; one hand produced ice particles while the other produced a ball of light, which were swiftly combined. Her flowing movements cannot even be compared to Princess Pafia’s awkward movements from earlier.

“[Come forth Ice and Light, a chromatic glitter of light, Prisma Rainbow].”

A laser-like attack shining with a rainbow glow was released from Linze’s hands.

The upper body of the wooden doll was disintegrated in an instant. The laser, still going strong, hit the protective barrier around the training field and dissipated. The ice particles flying about reflected the sunlight to create small rainbow bands here and there.

“Wha!?”

“Oo, how pretty-ja no!”

The shocked Princess Pafia and the frolicking Suu who watched the spell. Looking at the contrast between two of them, I felt like laughing a bit.

“Where did you learn that composite, magic?”

“Eh? Ah, from a book on ancient magic that we found in a dungeon in Nokia..”

“Is that so.. I’m a bit interested in Nokia now.”

Linze nodded with a small motion upon hearing Princess Pafia’s answer. Apparently, back during the age of the ancient magic civilizations, magicians with some fame would make their own castles or strongholds to protect their research logs, archives, or things they made from thieves and the like. While things like classic castles or towers were there, the simplest and most prevalent form was that of a dungeon. Since all you really need to do is dig a hole and harden it with earth magic.

In Professor Babylon’s case, hers would be the flying island of Babylon; in such a dungeon, finding a magic tome or two wouldn’t be anything strange.

Yumina called out to Princess Pafia as she returned to the place we were at.

“We know full well your strengths now. There are some things we’d like to ask in more detail, so how about some tea over at the terrace?”

I wonder if she had lost the will to respond verbally; Princess Pafia only responded with a light nod to Yumina’s invitation.

As I was about to follow behind everyone who began walking out of the training grounds, Leen stopped me.

“We’d like to talk with girls only from here on, so please stay out if you would, Darling. We don’t mind Miss Lycia participating, but could Ambassador Yanche stay out as well?”

The ambassador showed an unsatisfied expression, but Miss Lycia managed to pacify him and the girls’ group soon disappeared into the castle.

As we returned to the castle as well and Ambassador Yanche separated from us, Tsubaki appeared soundlessly from the shadow of a nearby pillar.

“Any information?”

“Yes. According to my subordinates who went to Nokia, the current king of Nokia, Loum Rado Nokia, is on his deathbed.”

“Deathbed, huh.. A disease?”

“They weren’t able to uncover the cause. They only know that he is in a critical condition. The king has two children, the eldest daughter Refia and the second daughter Pafia, and the rumour is that the older Princess Refia will succeed the throne if the king does pass away.”

Nn, if there’s no male successor, then I suppose that’s the normal process.

“No, it’s not just because of that; acording to our investigations, Princess Pafia was said to have passed away three months ago in Nokia.”

“Eh!?”

Passed away? She’s supposed to be dead? Then who is the Princess Pafia here right now!?

“.. Could she be a fake?”

“They might’ve used the isolation of the country in their favor and impersonated the second princess to try and win the favor of Your Majesty.. However, it feels sloppy if that’s the case. According to the information received, Princess Pafia was out on an excursion three months ago when she fell into a ravine together with her horse; her body was only found days later.”

Since there’s a body, the one here might really be a fake.. Did she take the name of the princess while not knowing the fact that the real one died?

It’s a bit complicated and I don’t really understand it.

If, assuming I decided to take that girl as my tenth bride. I would obviously head to Nokia for my greetings, right? And then, once the other side failed to realized who she is, the whole gig would be up. What even is the point in all this?

Or, could she be planning to drag out the greeting and aiming to seal the deal with me during that period..? Scary.

“This is only the first report, so afterwards..”

“Your Majesty!”

Cutting off Tsubaki’s words, our knight order commander, Lain-san, ran down the hallway towards us while her rabbit ears swayed with her movement. You’re a commander now, so stop being all hasty like that and show some composure..

Or rather, just call me on the phone. If it’s really that urgent.

“Please hurry to the audience chamber. An ambassador from Nokia has come!”

“Eh? Ambassador Yanche? We just separated from him moments ago, though. Also, why the audience chamber?”

“No, no. It’s not Ambassador Yanche, it’s another ambassador! From Nokia!”

historical

..Eh? What do you mean?

“They’re asking for us to immediately hand over the insolent person who dared to impersonate their second princess, Her Highness Pafia!”

Areh~, so she really is fake? I still don’t really know what’s going on, but in any case, we headed to the audience chamber.

- Pixel