Heroes in the Moonlight

by Yuri Kitayama

  “...Naturally, you told them your name, right?” Rio confirmed with a contemplative look on his face.

  “Yes. I don’t know what kind of exchange happened behind Centostella’s closed walls, but maybe my name was passed on to Takahisa, and he made an exception as a result. It may just be wishful thinking, but I can’t help but hope that’s the case.” Satsuki nodded in satisfaction.

  “Right. All that’s left is whether or not to inform Aki about this.” Rio nodded, looking at Miharu seated beside him.

  “I’m sure Aki would be delighted to hear that. But there’s a chance it may not be the case, and she might request to attend the banquet herself...”

  “Perhaps it would be better to withhold the information until we can be certain that the Centostella hero is Takahisa?”

  “...Okay. Even if we tell her, we’ll hold the details for now,” Miharu agreed with a worried look.

  “Understood.” Rio didn’t have any particular objections to the plan and nodded his head.

  “Hold on. Based on the way you two are talking, it almost sounds like you plan on leaving the castle before the banquet to meet Aki...” Satsuki interrupted, finding it suspicious that they were discussing meeting Aki and Masato, who were meant to be outside the castle, as though it was an easy task.

  “This was what we were saving to discuss last, but it’s possible. To sneak out of the castle tonight and see Aki and Masato, that is.”

  “...Sneak out?” Satsuki blinked, wondering if she had misheard Rio’s words.

  “Yes. As long as you’re OK with it, we can leave the castle temporarily. I’m sure there’s no way for you to leave officially, so of course, you would be going out without notice...”

  “How? This is the top floor of a tower and there are several guards outside my chambers, even at night. Once you get out, there are walls all around the castle, so I assumed it was impossible... It’d be a grave crime if you were caught, yeah?”

  Rio looked around the room. “Yes, it would be extremely risky to move by foot. Which is why we’ll fly instead. From the magic essence search I conducted on the room, there don’t appear to be any essence detection-type artifacts. As long as no one enters the room to check for you in the middle of the night, we shouldn’t be caught.”

  “W-Wait. You just said you could fly as though it was an everyday thing... My head can’t keep up with this.” Satsuki was completely confused, holding her right hand to her face as she held out her left one to signal Rio to stop.

  “It’s possible for Haruto,” Miharu said with confidence.

  “...You have an artifact to make you fly?” Satsuki asked dubiously.

  “No, there’s actually a technique similar to using essence to cast flying magic, though it’s not generally known, so I’d like to ask you to keep it a secret.”

  “So something like that exists...” Satsuki muttered, her eyes widening in wonderment.

  “As you’ve pointed out, being caught would be an extremely serious crime. If you’re afraid of sneaking out, we won’t insist on it. If you’ve considered all the risks and decide that it’s worth it, then we’ll take you to see Aki and Masato.”

  “...What do you think, Miharu?” Satsuki asked.

  “It’s scary to imagine what would happen if we’re caught, and I know it’s not something we should be doing, but I want you to meet Aki and Masato. They’ve really wanted to see you, and all the more so since they can’t come to the castle.” Miharu placed a hand against her chest.

  “I see...” Satsuki closed her eyes in reflection for a while. “Honestly, if I said I didn’t have any objections at all, I’d be lying. ...But I do want to meet those two soon. So the two problems at hand here are how big is the risk of being caught, and when I would be able to see Aki and Masato next if I pass up this chance,” she muttered calmly.

  “The main concern with regard to being caught is whether anyone will visit your chambers in the middle of the night. In the case of the latter, it’s a matter of whether there are any other methods to meet the two of them without being detected by the kingdom. Of course, if it’s safe to have them be detected, then there’s no need to go that far.” Rio defined the two issues Satsuki raised with more precision.

  “No one has ever entered my room without permission until now, and no one’s ever visited at night either. I think the chance of being caught there is close to zero. That is, unless the tower catches fire or an intruder is spotted, at least. It would be difficult to meet the two of them in a way where the kingdom wouldn’t notice. Even if they gave me permission to go out, they’d definitely set a bodyguard on me. At the very least, it would be best to refrain from inviting the two of them to the castle until the banquet is over and they decide on how to deal with Miharu,” Satsuki explained.

  “Honestly speaking, how do you think the kingdom will treat Miharu?” Rio asked.

  “They’ll probably invite her to live in the castle first, I think. If she consents, she’ll probably be treated like me. She’ll be guaranteed an easy life and never lack any of the basics of living, but it’ll feel a little suffocating... Though she will be free to act as she wishes, to an extent.”

  “...Would I be able to refuse?” Miharu asked fearfully.

  “Probably. It seems like the heroes of this world have as much authority as the Pope in Medieval Europe, so they wouldn’t be able to insist in front of me, at least. But they’d probably want to know your whereabouts, at the very least. They may try to secretly monitor you on top of that, or send people to stick to you under the name of security... Also, this one will happen even if you stay in the castle, but your name and face will spread, so you’ll be at a higher risk of getting dragged into trouble. Wait, that’s my fault. I’m sorry! Saying it out loud myself has made me feel really sorry for Miharu...” Satsuki frowned apologetically.

  “N-No, I understood that when I came here. Haruto warned me of the same thing before we came to the castle, too.” Miharu shook her head in a fluster, trying to encourage Satsuki.

  “Actually, we also discussed what could happen to Miharu with Liselotte as well, and she had pretty much the same expectation as you and me. While she doesn’t participate in kingdom politics, she’s still a Galarc citizen, so the fact our predictions all overlap means things will pretty much happen as Satsuki expects. So if we sit and wait until after the banquet is over, I think the answer will naturally show itself,” Rio said. The possibility of their prediction actually coming to fruition was high.

  “...Then, if it really does happen like that, what do you guys want to do once the banquet is over, Miharu? Live in the castle? Or live outside the castle as you have been?” Satsuki asked.

  “That’s... the three of us all have slightly different directions we want...” Miharu said with a sidelong glance at Rio.

  “...Really?” Satsuki’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Yes. Aki really wants to reunite with Takahisa. If we find him, I don’t think she’ll accept any option where she can’t be together with him.”

  “I see... Then, what about Masato?”

  “It’s also one of Masato’s goals to meet with Takahisa again. However, if it comes at the cost of his freedom, I don’t believe he wants to stay in the castle... In that case, he’d probably want to go with Haruto,” Miharu said, making assumptions on Aki and Masato’s intentions.

  “Heh, is that so? Then what about you, Miharu?” Satsuki asked.

  “I... I also want to stay with Haruto, I think. Though I haven’t clearly explained that to Aki and Masato yet.” Miharu explained, highly aware of Rio sitting beside her.

  “...That’s a little unexpected. Were you aware of that, Haruto?” Satsuki asked Rio with widened eyes.

  “No, this is my first time hearing of it too...” Rio directed his gaze at Miharu as though to question her sincerity.

  “Umm, is that okay?” Miharu asked.

  “Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ll still be moving around a lot, but
there’s no problem if we continue to live as we have.” Rio glossed over the question, putting on a smile like putting on a mask.

  “By the way, if Takahisa is the hero of Centostella Kingdom, then Aki may say that she wants to go to Centostella, right? In that case, Miharu and Aki might be separated. What do you plan on doing about Aki, then?” Satsuki asked.

  Miharu thought for a moment, before replying resolutely. “...In that case, Aki would be entrusted to Takahisa, and I’d have to have a proper talk with Aki to make sure she understands.”

  It’s possible that we won’t be able to return to Earth. If that happens, we’ll have to consider who lives with who and where... I’ll have to have a proper conversation with Aki about that too. If Haruto is Haru-kun, then all the more so, Miharu thought.

  For Aki, the topic of her father and Haruto who disappeared after the divorce was taboo. That’s why Miharu had never touched upon the topic of Haruto until now. However, having been like an older sister to Aki for so long, she could hardly run away forever.

  “I see... That’s a little surprising. Miharu and Aki always seemed so close to me — like real sisters. Can I ask why you want to stay with Haruto?” Satsuki could sense Miharu’s strong determination, but wondered why she was willing to go as far as separating from Aki to stay with Rio.

  “That’s...”

  It was because they were like siblings. However, it was too early to delve into the details and explain that.

  “Ever since coming to this world, I’ve made so many close friends. I owe them all so much, and I want to stay with them. I want to start returning those debts. Of course, I believe Aki feels the same way as I do. I don’t want to be separated from her either... But even though I can’t decide which is more important, I have to make a choice, and it’s hard to explain...” Concealing her feelings toward Aki, Miharu tried to verbalize her inner thoughts with frustration. Her explanation wasn’t only meant for Satsuki, but for Rio too. She glanced at him to see his reaction, but Rio put on another smile when they made eye contact.

  “...Yeah. It’s not something you can just explain easily. I’m sorry for asking. I think I get what you’re trying to say, though,” Satsuki said, nodding her head.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I haven’t told anyone else about this yet.”

  Satsuki frowned. “I see. I get how it could’ve led to a few clashes if you had. Aki would probably argue furiously if she heard what you just said.”

  “...Yeah. That’s why I still haven’t been able to tell her yet.” Miharu nodded with a worried expression.

  “But even if they lived apart, it’s not like they’d never see each other again. They may not be able to see each other easily anymore, but it won’t change the fact they have a precious bond with everyone and the unified goal to return back to Earth together someday. So wouldn’t it be better if we involved the kingdoms and got them to form an agreement to make it possible for them to meet whenever they wanted?” Rio asked. Miharu’s expression fell when he mentioned returning to Earth.

  “Oh? You say that like it’s an easy thing to do,” Satsuki replied with some level of delight.

  “You’re going to have to live separately due to the kingdom’s affairs. It shouldn’t be too much to ask for that kind of deal to be arranged. Considering His Majesty King Francois’ actions up until now, it would be difficult to reject it if it’s a request directly from you. Of course, I’ll do whatever I can to help too.”

  “Hmm. Saying that is going to get my hopes up.”

  “I can’t assist much when it comes to matters of political power, but I’ll search for answers as to what can be done about returning everyone back to Earth.” Rio gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

  “I’m grateful for that, but not even the kingdom’s most renowned sorcerers know anything about returning to Earth. Of course, the kingdom could be lying, but do you know something?” Satsuki asked, staring into Rio’s face.

  “Yes. I know that the hero summonings are a type of time-space sorcery. The Kingdom of Galarc must be aware of that too. However, because modern sorcery in the Strahl region can only use time-space sorcery at an elementary level and artifacts with it are so extremely rare, I think even the most well-known sorcerers in the kingdom wouldn’t know much.”

  “I see...” Satsuki sighed heavily.

  “What’s making it difficult to use easily, in my opinion, is the fact that destination coordinates are required to use teleportation sorcery. There’s just no way of finding the coordinates of Earth. I also cannot imagine the amount of magic essence required to move between this world and Earth.”

  “...From the way you’re speaking, I’m guessing that you understand at least the first steps of using time-space sorcery?”

  “I’ve only disclosed it to those close to me, but I do possess several magic artifacts of the sort,” Rio elaborated.

  “...I could be wrong, but you’re some kind of weirdo, aren’t you? I mean, you do have a powerful enchanted sword too,” Satsuki said in half-exasperation.

  “I suppose I am in possession of magic artifacts that would be considered rare in the Strahl region, and I may be carrying more secrets than the average person,” Rio answered with a hint of a wry smile.

  “Umm, Satsuki. Mentioning this to the people of this kingdom would be...” Miharu said rather uneasily.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on speaking about this to anyone without Haruto’s permission. Even if Takahisa appears. I would never betray anyone who you and I are indebted to.” Satsuki nodded her head as she smiled brightly.

  “Thank you so much,” Miharu said with a sigh of relief.

  “Don’t thank me — I’m the one that should be grateful. By the way, I was wondering...” Satsuki tried to smile, but an odd look suddenly came over her. “...Assuming Takahisa is a hero as well, maybe the reason why you guys came to this world was because you were dragged into Takahisa and my summoning...?”

  “Umm...” Miharu hesitated out of consideration for Satsuki, so Rio made the affirmation in her place.

  “Probably.”

  “...Right. I’m sorry.” Satsuki bowed her head.

  “Oh, you don’t need to apologize. You were dragged into this against your will, too. It would have been just as possible that you would have been the one dragged in if Aki, Masato, or I were summoned as the hero instead,” Miharu pointed out in a fluster.

  “You’re the one who was summoned directly, but that in itself is like being dragged into an accident. I don’t think you need to feel responsible for something that couldn’t have been prevented,” Rio noted.

  “You two...” Satsuki bit her lip with a helpless expression.

  “Anyways, what do we do? The original plan was to sneak out of the castle tonight to go meet Aki and Masato, but have you made a decision?” Rio asked Satsuki once more.

  “...I’ll go. Please take me to see Aki and Masato. Please.” Satsuki gulped, making her request with determination.

  “Are you sure?” Rio peered at Satsuki’s face in slight surprise.

  “Yes. Sneaking out of the castle is against the rules, but the chance of being caught sounds fairly low, and I’m willing to take a few risks in order to meet Aki and Masato as soon as possible. Well, I may have hesitated a bit more if Miharu wasn’t here.”

  “Then bringing Miharu here in spite of the risks was the right choice after all.” Rio glanced at her with a small grin.

  While revealing Miharu’s existence to the castle could bring unknown risks in the future, it was thanks to Miharu’s presence that their talk today had progressed so smoothly. If Rio had come to the castle and attempted to approach Satsuki alone, he would’ve struggled quite a bit more.

  “No, Haruto is doing all these unnecessary things just for our sake. I should be the one taking risks, so please use me if my presence can be helpful in any way,” Miharu said, looking pained.

  “...I’ll keep an eye out for any trouble heading Miharu’s way because of me.
That’s why, Miharu, you don’t need to be considerate of me — you can express your thoughts openly to the king, and you can reject anything you don’t like and say what you want to do. Don’t sacrifice yourself just to accommodate others,” Satsuki reminded Miharu apologetically.

  “Umm... Okay. Thank you very much.” Miharu smiled courageously and nodded.

  ...With that decided, Aishia — Can you go to the stone house and inform the others? Come back in two to three hours to help me carry Miharu and Satsuki, Rio communicated to Aishia through telepathy.

  Got it, Aishia replied, before separating from Rio’s body while still in her spirit form.

  “By the way, we’re departing later in the night, after the castle has quieted down, right?”

  “Yes.” Rio nodded in confirmation.

  “Then, the three of us should chat until then. Ah, speaking of which, there’s something I wanted to check...”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s about Liselotte. I know she’s the one who brought you guys here, but how much of your situation have you explained to her?” Satsuki asked.

  “A lot, you could say. We haven’t told her about Aki and Masato, but our conversations have delved pretty deep. In the same vein, how much have you noticed about her and the Ricca Guild?” Rio replied carefully.