Chapter 446
As time passes, situations change.
With some exceptions, recruitment has progressed, and while it's more of a private school than a full-fledged academy, it has undoubtedly taken shape.
And today, unusually for me, I'm a little nervous.
After all, my favorite character since the days when I dedicated my life to FBO in my previous life is coming to this city. Knowing that, I can feel my tension rising.
To put it in an easy-to-understand analogy, it's like your favorite idol joining your workplace as a temporary staff member. Can you imagine that?
I've met her before and talked to her, but still, having supported her as a favorite for so many years, it's only natural that my nervousness increases.
That kind of feeling doesn't go away after just a few meetings.
"It must be about time."
The one who went to the royal capital to pick up Lady Iris and her party was Esmeralda.
She's the older sister, a duke's daughter, and Freihait's外交负责人—it's convenient in many ways.
I thought about going to meet them myself, but Claudia, Esmeralda, and Ingrid stopped me, saying that if I, as the head of this academy city Freihait, went to greet them, it would cause麻烦 in terms of diplomatic relations with the kingdom.
At that time, I felt a strange mix of frustration at not being able to go meet my favorite and relief at not having to be nervous.
"Yes, it's almost the scheduled time."
From Ingrid's perspective, who was with me, I probably looked fidgety and restless.
Without pointing that out, she calmly tells me the time.
"Well then, shall we go see the reactions of people seeing this city for the first time? I'm also curious about the opinions of those coming from outside."
"Yes, let's."
I felt like she smiled indulgently, thinking "it can't be helped," but Ingrid's expression didn't change.
I only felt her atmosphere soften—it might have been my imagination.
I don't ask her about that and leave the office to board the train connecting to the second wall.
As usual, no one is using the passenger cars, but today, many people will use them!
Thinking that people will finally be delighted and amazed by this convenience, I put extra enthusiasm into driving.
"It makes me happy to see you so pleased."
"Yeah, finally I can prove the usefulness of the railway!"
"...Yes, indeed."
"That's the only reason!? It really is the only reason, you know!?"
Ever since I became aware that several of my female comrades, including Ingrid, hold feelings of affection for me, I've been trying not to look elsewhere as much as possible.
So, thinking that Ingrid might have some thoughts about me having special feelings for Lady Iris, I hurriedly correct myself.
The feelings I have for Lady Iris are purely those of a fan.
As for romantic feelings, that would be too presumptuous, so there are almost none.
I wouldn't say there are none, but not that many, I think.
If anything, I'm more preoccupied with how to respond to the affection from Nell and the others; I don't have the leeway for that.
"Yes, I understand. I can feel through your daily actions how much you value us, Lord Liberta."
"...Yeah."
That's why I also know that showing this kind of fidgety behavior isn't really good.
But it can't be helped! I internally make excuses, and faced with Ingrid's broad-mindedness, who faintly smiles, I can only prostrate myself in apology.
I can't because I'm driving the train, though!
With that, I arrive the train at the station platform in the fortress, the designated teleportation point, and get off.
"My lord! We have been waiting for you!"
A squad of Garden Guards led by Genjirou was standing by on the platform.
"Good work. Any abnormalities?"
"None! No reports from Judeus and the others either!"
"I see. With my luck, something usually happens at times like this. We were on alert, but I'm glad nothing did."
With a duke's daughter and a princess coming, we have no choice but to respond with heightened security.
The Entertainers minimized reconnaissance in the surrounding territories and established a警戒网 inside and outside Freihait.
The Garden Guards are fully armed and deployed throughout the fortress.
Don and the people from the shopping district are also mobilized as temporary security guards.
Equipment issued is at least Class 6 gear.
What usually happens during big events like this are acts of sabotage like kidnapping or assassination of important people.
Those who would do this are organizations hostile to the House of Edelgard or the royal family, or people aiming to improve their own standing through a staged incident.
The primary culprit is the Heretic Church.
Next are spies from other countries, and the eastern and western ducal houses.
The primary culprits among individuals are nobles in mediocre positions or fallen nobles.
Whether it's Lady Iris or the Fifth Princess I'll meet later, there are plenty of uses for them if kidnapped.
That's why, instead of physical travel methods like carriages or wyverns, I proposed using magical transport via the Transfer Pendulum. We're also spreading double false information about an diplomatic delegation traveling by air and land without the princess and duke's daughter.
With the Entertainers on alert throughout this area and the Garden Guards providing protection, we should be able to handle most situations.
Anticipating the worst-case scenarios, Amina is on standby to sing at any moment, guarded by Nell, with golems possessed by Dark-san and the Lightning Triplets by her side.
Furthermore, Claudia is accompanying as a special combat force among the Entertainers, ready to respond on-site.
Esmeralda also兼任s escort duty along the way.
Normally, her status would make her a target for protection, but we made a comprehensive judgment based on her position and combat power.
Ingrid will act as a mobile reserve following my instructions.
In an emergency, she is to lead the Garden Guards, including Genjirou who came to meet us, and respond.
Ingrid, who uses a trick broom (instead of a trick cane), often trains with Genjirou, who also uses a sword.
Genjirou is the instructor, and Ingrid is the learner.
In what could be called a master-student relationship, Genjirou said Ingrid has talent.
Despite the level difference, Genjirou's combat ability is still higher, but Ingrid's overall situational awareness is superior.
She is diligently studying tactical understanding and command ability.
He laughingly said that in the future, she would become a samurai commander equal to or better than him, who has high command ability.
Right after that, he also said he had no intention of losing anytime soon.
In other words, under current circumstances, it's better to entrust command to Ingrid, who is equal or close to Genjirou in command ability, while Genjirou fights on the front lines with the Garden Guards.
"That means you have 'it,' my lord!"
"I'd rather avoid having this kind of luck, though."
"Perhaps you should get a purification?"
What will happen while we're welcoming them with the strongest possible formation?
I don't optimistically think nothing will happen; my thinking has adapted to the misfortune that has befallen me since coming to this world.
"Hahaha! You've gotten good at jokes, Genjirou."
"No, it's not a joke."
"Getting purified feels like something else might possess me, so I'm definitely not doing that."
"Ah, yes."
Genjirou kindly suggests ways to improve this misfortune, but I just laugh it off.
Even if I hypothetically have 'something' attached to me, I intuitively feel it's not something that should be exorcised.
The moment I exorcise it, I feel like something else, something even more dangerous, would attach itself and cause even worse things to happen.
It's intuition, but sensing this 'something' close to certainty, my smile probably made Genjirou unconsciously give a straight answer.
"Anyway, we can't keep the princess and the others waiting. Let's go."
With that, the topic ends.
Without touching on it further, I start walking, and everyone follows.
After a silent walk, we arrive at the place where the inspection team had teleported before.
We go out to the roof of this fortress.
Other Garden Guards were already on security duty there, watching the surroundings.
I hope not, but in FBO, there were plenty of idiots who would snipe from insane distances with magic or arrows, so we're on guard against that.
"It's almost time."
"Yeah, thanks."
Stepping into this high-security area, waiting for Lady Iris and her party to teleport in, Ingrid takes out a pocket watch and announces the scheduled time.
Clocks are not widespread in this world.
To know the time in a town, they ring a large bell to announce sunrise, noon, and sunset.
In a city the size of the royal capital, they use sundials and ring bells more frequently to indicate the time.
Precision clocks like this pocket watch don't even exist as drop items.
Yet, why is it here?
Yeah, the spirits made it.
When Dark-san asked if there was anything challenging to make, I told him about this concept and mechanism of a clock. The moment I did, thunder roared behind him—a memory still fresh in my mind.
At first, he couldn't even make a clock the size of a 'grandfather clock,' but once he understood the mechanism, he became obsessed with making them more detailed, more delicate, and smaller. The first successful miniaturized clock he made is the pocket watch Ingrid is using.
After getting permission from Dark-san, who gave it to me as a gift, I entrusted it to Ingrid, who handles time management and secretarial duties. The subsequent creations are lent to Entertainers and Garden Guards as needed for their activities.
When the Duke saw it, he looked at me with eyes that clearly wanted one, but unfortunately, that's a one-of-a-kind item not yet mass-producible.
I couldn't give it to him, so I promised to give him one once mass production was possible.
Well, I keep to myself that since Dark-san is quite particular, mass production is probably still far off.
As the pocket watch, which indicates the precise time, shows the appointed hour, a teleportation reaction appears before us a few seconds later.
The light gradually forms human shapes, and the moment it scatters away—
"Liberta. Sorry to keep you waiting."
At the forefront is Esmeralda, who went to greet them.
Behind her are two young ladies, and further behind them, two female knights as guards and one man in civil official attire.
"No, you're right on time."
Exchanging glances and nods, Esmeralda, having returned safely, steps aside and turns back, gesturing with her hand to introduce me to those behind her.
"Lady Catia, this is the head of this city, Academy City Freihait, Liberta."
She introduced me to everyone—no, first to the girl with beautiful, platinum-like long hair.
Being of royal status, she stares at me intently, then slowly takes a step forward.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. Liberta-sama, apostle of the Goddess of Wisdom, Kefeli. I am Catia, Fifth Princess of the Rendell Kingdom."
She performs an elegant curtsey.
She seems around fifteen years old, perhaps a bit older than my physical body.
With a dignified bearing, her emerald eyes lock onto me without wavering.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Liberta, head of this academy city, Freihait. Having set foot in this land, you are now a student of this academy and placed under my protection. This land is not your country. Its laws, common sense, and social standings are all different. With that in mind, do you wish to enter this city?"
Diplomatically, she is royalty from a friendly nation, while I am a commoner in the特殊 position of being an apostle of the goddess.
Troubled by these subtly mismatched positions, Esmeralda advised me that here, my position is superior.
That's why I deliberately took a somewhat haughty attitude, not deferring to her.
When I indirectly conveyed that there would be no special treatment, the atmosphere of the two female knights behind her hardened slightly, but the princess gently turned and admonished them with a look.
Whether this was a pre-arranged act or her true nature, I couldn't tell.
"I do. I have come to study in this land. Here and now, I renounce my status as princess. As a single individual, Catia, I wish to enter this academy city."
Princess Catia declared this to me with such confidence that I couldn't discern any acting.
"Acknowledged. We welcome you all."
Responding, I gave a firm nod.