Volume 4 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Episode 2 -Special Mission

Part 1

The dark and deep realm of memory

The continuation of that day, nine years ago when he met Philuffy for the first time

The scene of the live in the imperial capital of the old empire was replayed inside Lux's dream

The head of Aingraloht that their encounter with each other would be only that one time

But, perhaps because Dalt started his business with the imperial capital as his base, he often made his appearance at the residence that could even be called as a palatial residence near the castle

Each tihters──Relie and Philuffy also came, but for some reason Lux couldn't compose himself toward them

Relie was a girl as cheerful and e between her and Lux, or perhaps it was because she had apprehension toward Lux as a royalty, she behaved as a 『nice big sister』 toward him

But, the girl called Philuffy as the sae with him was a silent person where she was mostly expressionless Lux couldn't understand what she was thinking

His father as apathetic toward him

Hoas thought as a worthless existence

Perhaps it was because of those that he was hesitating to call out from his end

But, he could see that the big sister Relie was really pleased and affectionate to her little sister

「Lux-kun too, please get along with her Even though Phi look like this, but she is a really interesting kid you know?」

「Yes」

That was how he answered at that time, but even when the two of them were left alone with each other, they didn't particularly played with each other

Even Lux was onlyidle and inoffensive talk like 「The weather today is nice isn't it?」 or 「What is your father doing?」, while Philuffy too was only eating the sweets she was carrying or returning short reply like 「Nn……」

A silent child without any up and down in her emotion

Lux's first i like that

At the tie of him was practically zero

There was also the fact that the age of his siblings in the iest cause lied elsewhere

The emperor's wives nu the succession right of the throne against each other, and the youngest brother Lux was the target to be looked down by them

It was only the first iil as different, but for Lux who at the tiil was a far away existence

Because he was being taught to study by private tutor and a lot of the ti at the side of the frail and sickly Airi, Lux alo outside

Lux was a 『male』 that possessed the qualification to be the next emperor

However, he was the seventh i all the candidates

Although the maid, butler, and the soldiers of the imperial court would serve him, but that was the extent of his relationshi+p with them

With all those circu, Lux mostly spent his time at the library of the imperial court

He was a figurehead prince By no meant he could come into contact with the center of the empire, his fate was to become the tool of the emperor and someone who someday would succeed the emperor

He was thinking that he didn't mind that

As long as his beloved mother was at his side, and his sickly little sister became healthy

He was also a bit curious about the girl named Philuffy, but that was all

She was a daughter of a conglomerate, but she was different from the imperial family

Philuffy too was staying beside Lux right now because of the circumstance of her father's work, but the more time passed, they would notice that Lux didn't have considerable utility value and they would surely lose interest at him then

Lux was thinking so in his childish heart

But one day, a turning point suddenly arrived

About a week since he encountered Philuffy, a large sized work of art was sent to the imperial court

It was a sculpture of a spirit that orshi+pped at the holy birthday of the empire

A sculpture of the figure of a very young girl wearingthat couldn't be seen anywhere else

It was an epic work that was decked out with gold, silver, and ge a first rate artisan

Several years was needed to make it For Arkadia empire it was considered to be an important treasure The sculpture was scheduled to be stored in the castle's warehouse until the holy birthday ten days later

The sculpture was showed to Lux and Philuffy once when it was delivered, but after that they had never stopped by at the castle warehouse

But at the afternoon of that day, after Lux borrowed a book in the library, when he alking inside the castle, he heard a sound nearby the warehouse

「Oi, what're we going to do? At this rate, we're going to receive some kind of punishment──」

「Aa, it'd be bad if we leave it like this But, it's also i to do is to blame it at someone else」

It was the voice of boys that Lux was familiar with

They were boys ere three years older than Lux

Lux felt a strange atmosphere from their tense voice and he approached

「What are you doing, elder brother?」

「U, uwah……!? Wha, what, it's you, don't startle us」

It was the sixth imperial prince, Lux's brother froreed who cah nobility

According to their explanation, the supervisor forgot to lock the warehouse Then when Abel and Ragreed tried to touch the decoration of the sacred statue for the holy birthday, a part of the statue became chipped

「We have to quickly tell soet it repaired There should be still time until the holy birthday──」

Lux turned around in panic It was at that tiht Lux's shoulder

「Wait there, you are a brat like always huh You see, for so is iht?」

Lux got a bad premonition the moment this brother as older than him said that

「Fortunately, there is nobody else other than us who sahat happened」

「Don't tellto stay quiet? But, at this rate……」

When Lux quietly objected, Abel snorted as thoughfool of him

「You are really an idiot I' to lay the bla that at this ti to our place right?」

「──That daughter of ht for this?」

Hearing what Ragreed spoke, for a moment Lux's mind became blank

His expression craitation

「Such thing──how can that be allowed?」

「That girl isn't even royalty, and she is just a girl anyway」

Abel's words cut down Lux's argule stroke Lux was speechless

「Her family is richer thanWhat's irl, she is mute and absentminded, even when she is called there is alet deceived」

「Yeah, that's right It's perfect, she ca any kind of excuse She must be in the courtyard」

Ragreed nodded at Abel's co

In order to lay the bla

「Such thing, such thing is……」

「What is it, Lux You, even though you are the youngest, you're going to go against me?」

Abel glared and yelled threateningly

「But, such thing……」

「Hah, you don't get it at all Listen In this e like woman is just tool Their role is to devote their all to us ood What's hter of so like this won't be a big deal」

Lux understood how it became like this

The custo absolute male chauvinism

Abel as one of the i that co it

No, even a worade them

He was doing every kind of harassment and insult toward his little sisters ere si feared ould happen when he became adult

A big part of the reason of his attitude was likely because of his position that was far away froht, furthermore he wasn't blessed by any talent at all and he lamented about his situation, and so he vented his resent

Especially in a situation like this ti his previous remarks was the same like nonexistent

「You get it? You stay quiet, Lux…… Oh, here they come」

Abel grabbed Lux's shoulder and hid at the shadow inside the warehouse

And then, Philuffy was brought in It appeared that Ragreed was hinting that the sacred statue looked strange, so she should try touching it, and so on

「Never mind that, I told you just touch it Come on, do it」

Philuffy was expressionless, so it was hard to understand what she was thinking, but ht now Because she was hurried, in the end her hand reached out to the statue

At that rid pushed hard at Philuffy from behind and caused her head to hit the statue

Lux saw that sight and he reflexively held his breath, it was at that time,

「Oi You too match your story with us, you understand?」

When Able said that, at the sa on the floor

kachin! High-pitched metallic sound echoed inside the warehouse, i that──,

「Oi, you! How dare you break this sacred statue!」

「Now you've done it How about apologizing honestly huh?」

Abel who jureed declared that

On the other hand, Philuffy was silently rubbing her forehead that hit the statue while tilting her head in puzzle the boys

And then, she was staring fixedly at the hand of Abel and Ragreed

「It's useless even if you play dunorance After all we are the witness」

Abel so call the head butler of the palace

The best friend Ragreed nodded in respond and started running through the corridor inside the castle

「Kuh……!」

(……What to do!?)

Lux looked at Philuffy and pondered

Surely Abel and Ragreed wouldn't stop anymore now that they had raised this much commotion

Noto push the blame on Philuffy

The current Lux didn't have any way to stop that

(But, there is no way so this to her who doesn't know anything is──)

Lux bit his lips and clenched his shtly, at that time,

「Are you speaking true? That the sacred statue is broken──」

A man in his prime as the head butler arrived in panic

And then, he walked toward Philuffy as standing still in front of the statue and questioned her

「I heard that you seem to be the one who did this, is it correct? In that case──」

「That's right That girl irl slipped and her head hit the statue, breaking that part──」

「………… I am──」

Philuffy was about to say so with her usual expressionless face, it was at that time,

「──I, did it」

Lux's voice echoed inside the cold metallic warehouse

「Wha-……!?」

First it was his big brother's best friend who raised a shocked voice, after that the head butler knitted his eyebrows

「Is that, the truth?」

「Yes…… The warehouse is not locked, so I entered, and then when I touched the statue accidentally, the statue is……」

「What about the testiram house who did it?」

「I was scared to tell soirl came here so……」

「Hmm……」

The head butler aze at everyone there

The head butler as called as relatively afor a while And then he nodded

「Is that so, I see……」

He showed a face that was so, but there was no proof whatsoever

Before long the head butler let out a sh and he turned his face toward Lux

「By all rights, it's only proper to have you receive a scolding from your father his e I will leave the handling of this case to your reeable with you, Lux-sama?」

「Yes…… Forgive me」

The head butler said that he would call the artisan for the repair and left

Perhaps he had noticed the truth fro at the attitude of everyone there, but instead he respected Lux's intention and placed the blame on him

「Hah……! As expected fro seventh imperial prince huh, Lux!」

「……Keh What a killjoy, crushi+ng our plan like that」

Abel sneered at his younger brother in a good raue in annoyance

He understood that Lux's action completely prevented any bad reputation toward Philuffy bythe head butler as the witness, at the same time he noticed that his own scheme was crushed

「Well, doesn't irl for what you did」

Even so, perhaps he thought that Lux would be hated by Philuffy because Ragreed then grinned daringly

The two of them showered Lux with insult before they left that place

Later there were only Lux and Philuffy re there

「……Sorry」

Lux turned around and then said that while looking down

He was scared

It seemed the head butler put the bla on, but Lux didn't think that the truth would be known by anybody else around them

Lux was anxious that his bad reputation would spread a the people of the imperial court, but more than that there was also the risk that even his mother and Airi would also met difficulty because of that

And then, he would also get hated by none other than the girl in front of him

(But, this is the only way……)

If he tattled about the bad deed of the two, the two of them would resent hi not just at Lux, but also to all the people around him

The result that would come from that ill ould be incomparable with the case this time

「I'm really, sorry But──uwah!?」

Suddenly the silent Philuffy grabbed his hand and Lux raised his voice refelexively

The palirl that he touched for the first time was really soft──,

「Slippery」

「Eh……, what's this, it's sticky──!?」

And then, his hand beca like oil

「You covered, for me……didn't you?」

「Eh……!?」

Lux was taken by surprise by the question froirl

Lux also felt shocked that the silent Philuffy was starting conversation from her end, but more than that,

(How, did she──?)

「The surface of that statue, is slippery When I was pushed and touched it, I noticed The hand of those tas also slippery」

It was the oil of painting material The completed sacred statue was most likely varnished with that

The luster and stickiness of the oil wouldn't disappear right away even after washi+ng it ater

Surely Philuffy saw through the truth by confir the hand of the two and Lux's hand

「Thank you You helped me」

The expressionless girl showed a faint smile

Lux who saw that for the first ti his chest

However──,

「I'm, not……」

When Lux recalled that his fellow i to harm her, his mouth said those words

「Sorry, I'm really──wah!?」

Seeing the despondent Lux, Philuffy hit his head with one hand

Rather than calling it hitting, the strength she was using wasup a bit

「Bad-, you know」

「Eh……?」

「Apologizing even though you aren't at fault, is no good」

The girl said such thing dispassionately with serious expression still fixed on her face

「Doing that, is as no good as, not apologizing when you are at fault」

「……No but──」

「I'ry you know?」

When Lux tried to apologize again, Philuffy pushed back with a tone that didn't allow any objection

Her expression didn't change, she didn't look like she was angry at all, even so her firm will could be felt

When Lux was troubled of how to respond, Philuffy suddenly took out a s from her breast pocket

She took out a cookie as big as her pinkie from there and pushed it toward Lux's mouth

「For you」

「Eh……!? Wait」

「It's fine My other hand, isn't dirty」

Philuffy raised her other hand to show at the flustered Lux and she muttered so

Lux was co the sudden occurrence

Because she had never receive food from the hand of other person except his mother, not even once

「The proof of, getting closer」

However, the words and eyes of Philuffy who said that to hihtforward Lux couldn't refuse and put the cookie into his mouth

The confection that had walnut fragrant

「Is it delicious, Lu-chan?」

「Ye, yes It's delicious, thank you……」

He felt soaze

「I'lad」

Philuffy showeda small smile once more toward such Lux

「……Err, by the hat do you mean by Lu-chan?」

「It's you Because, you're Lux-kun」

「Is, is that so!? But it sounds a bit e called like that──」

「Phi」

「Eh……?」

Lux reflexively asked back toward the girl's sudden

「Call me, like that Because, Okaa-san and Onee-chan, call me like that」

「Eh…… Yes, I got it, Phil……err」

「Phi, you know?」

When Lux got eht her face closer and demanded so

This girl was silent and her emotion didn't really come out to the surface, but she had an aspect where she was far sharper and deeply prudent than she looked like

And then, Lux also realized that she was ht

「Then, take care of me Phi-……chan」

That day, Lux e for the first time

Part 2

The second day of the training camp started at Ries Island

「Lux I've a request that I earnestly want to ask from you Is it okay?」

The training was running to train basic sta

After those were finished, it was finally the ti At that time Celis pulled Lux to stand in front of everyone

「Err, what is it?」

Lux was nervous fro made to stand in front of everyone ere lined up in their pilot suit appearance, then,

「Last night, I was talking with heade the way to practice Drag-Ride slightly」

「Changing, the way?」

「Yes At first, I was planning to have everyone do self-assessment, then I'll have the point and overcome their weak point」

「I think that's fine but──what are you going to change?」

When Lux tilted his head in puzzlement toward Celis's words,

「About that strong point and weak point, Lux, we're thinking to have you evaluate it」

「Eeh……!?」

Lux's eyes opened wide the moment he was told that

「That's, what do you──?」

「It's simple」

Relie atching from outside suddenly cut in and she approached Lux's side

「The selectedthe strongest person you directly teaching them will be the fastest way to level up them don't you think?」

An expert in using Drag-Ride giving guidance to other

In this training cath, certainly that ht be a rational method

「But, if that's the case then Celis-senpai can also do……?」

「No, this is so that only you can do」

Relie tapped Lux's shoulder

「Rather than Celis-san who is always defeating her opponent with overwhelh the opponent's ood command of defense know about the weak point of the other students right? At the sa point too, so ant you to give advice based on all those factors, and present theet Everyone also has no objection correct?」

'Yes!', the selected members immediately replied

「……I, I understand」

Relie's proposal was certainlysense

When Lux nodded, Relie's lips grinned

「Besides, even though we finally have the only boy in the acadeht up in various things」

For so

「Also, if there are students who safely cleared the task they are given, I want Lux-kun to give the cao home, you can accept personal request from them──」

「Eh……!?」

Lux and the students raised their voice si words

「By the way, how about we pick three na the students who cleared their achieve that, there will be sense of co you all and the atmosphere will be heated up」

Honestly speaking, Lux didn't uidance, but he questioned this kind of method

(Or rather, nored from the start isn't it……?)

It also felt like it was always like this when it came to Relie

「Eh? Is that really okay!? Headmaster!?」

「That sounds fu── out!」

「I wonder if any kind of request is okay, like this or that or──」

And so on, the girls of Syvalles who usually he wasn't really close with had their eyes sparkled brightly and their s

The air became really lively It was unthinkable that they were actually in the

(Well, it can't be helped……is it?)

Lux let out a sigh inside his heart with a nation, it was then,

「Then, please do ht away」

「Ee──? Could it be, you are telling me to take a look at everyone by myself!?」

「Please do, okay? Because I have various work of the academy after this」

Relie warded off Lux's objection and she left

「Yosh!+ I'm first before everyone else! Lux, quickly prepare!」

Lisha pulled out the Sword Device of <tiah to compete with the other students

「Wait, you're planning to suddenly use Divine Drag-Ride!?」

「What's with that? You don't like it? I think that it's h」

「N, no, that's true but……」

Lux was responding whilewith Lisha

「The, then, it will be three minutes per person……」

Lux couldn't get out of it anymore, so he resolved himself

「I'll be next」

「No I will──」

(I wonder, can my body hold……)

Seeing the girls lining up and raising their hand striving to be the first, Lux's chest whirled with unease

It ithout

However, he sie somehow, it was then,

「Pe, personal request is it…… Then I too by all means──I have to make serious effort here」

A tall girl with long blond hair whispered with a small voice

「No, please wait a second!? Don't tellin!?」

「……Eh? Is, is it no good for me to participate!?」

Celis was full of motivation, but when Lux said that to her, her face looked shocked

「That's not what I ht senpai before, there is really nothing that especially need to be fixed though──?」

「Is, is that so…… So that's it, I who is the leader of Syvalles need to have strength that doesn't need to be taught by someone else isn't it?」

Celis instantly nified expression

「Then, I'll do independent training Or else, when you finished creating task for everyone later, I'll take on the role of assisting theht to do」

Celis puffed out her voluptuous chest that possessed weighty presence before she separated from the line up with brisk footsteps

And then, she headed toward practice ground space where there was no one,

「Haa…… It's independent training again It's painful When I try to teach my junior, for some reason they will say 『That's beyond my station』 and refuse When ent for expedition to the capital too, various things happened and I beaten the male of the army, so the instructor there avoidedfun, it's envious…… How nice……」

Celis wasenveloped in sinking depressing air whileunder her breath without pause

(Wha, what a really unbearable air……!)

The other members watched that with a complicated face Lux felt uneasy before he then hurriedly rushed toward Celis

「Say, Celis-senpai If you are fine with ht bout with me?」

When Lux called out to her stiffly like that,

「Is it all right!?」

「Yes If you are fine with the advice of someone like me then」

For a htly, however, faint color of hesitation surfaced

「N, no Pardon th should be allotted between the ed that it's for the sake of Syvalles and the new kingdom」

Perhaps thinking of her position, Celis said that and restrained herself but,

「It's fine Celis-senpai is really strong even now, but there is still roorow」

「Is, is that true?」

「Yes That's why if it's not a bother for you, can I ask you to have a little bout with me?」

「……I, I understand Then, I'll do as you say」

Celis gave in with faint blush on her cheeks, but there was a s on her lips

「I' from you Lux really is a boy that can be relied on」

Hearing those words that hispered softly, Lux felt glad that he dared to call out to her but,

「Then, I'll use <lindwur! That's fine isn't it, Lux?」

「Err, I' to use my usual <wyvern> so, that's, please don't be too hard on me……」

He was extremely worried whether he would be able to hold on for three minutes

And then one hour later

「Haa, haa……」

Lux carried out uidance and advice, and presented practice menu for everyone

After that he ht and fell down face up in order to take rest

「As, as I thought it was severe……!」

At the practice ground in the distance, everyone was already carrying out each of their own training including cooperating with each other

It seemed that everyone was motivated

(No but, I think that they are h, there is no way)

The international tournament this tidodoreat number there

If one's strength was acknowledged by theht

In a sense, it was a stage that could also be called as the trade fair of Drag-Knight

It wasn't just for acquiring the investigation right for Ruin, but it also included such significance

(It will be great if we can win safely without incident but……)

According to the infor Republic was also participating

Regarding the incident where the acadeovernroup that attacked was a bunch of fellows that weren't publically acknowledged, there was no satisfying response from the republic

Heiburg Republic once had their territory threatened by the old enarok(Divine Beast of Demise) in the past Because of those, they expanded their th in opposition

But, the enlargeht about distortion in their political field at the same time

Skir countries, and acquisition of Ruin investigation right where treasure and technology were sleeping

Their ainst the Abyss(Phantasm Divine Beast) that appeared fro the political power map

The republican syste into a mere shell, and there was ruhest authority was in fact the army commander man

There was no doubt that they were a troublesome opponent

There, even that ist called Hayes also joined in

「Fuu……」