“Doesn’t look like it’ll be hard for the enemy to break through, judging by what just happened outside, though.”
“Y-yes, you are correct. Currently, we have no way of defending ourselves against Beel Bub’s flying army.”
“Carlo, won’t the empire itself be in danger if the flies get past the border?”
“Their objective is to lure out the Hero. Therefore, they will not go any farther than this border. In the remote chance they do decide to go to the empire of Roseguard, the imperial mage of lightning, Flashika, will be there. Lightning spells are very effective against flying enemies.”
“Oh, so there’s a powerful mage stationed in the empire itself. In that case, why don’t we call him over here?”
“Flashika is the only person in the empire who can use high-level lightning magic. If he comes to the fortress, then the imperial capital will lose its greatest defense against airborne assault. We cannot afford to have him leave.”
While following Carlo to the meeting room, Seiya argues:
“Even if this mage is as powerful as you say, I’d bet that the Demon Lord’s army could easily crush your empire if they wanted to.”
Ack… He just says whatever’s on his mind, doesn’t he?
But when thinking back about how powerful the two generals Seiya fought were, I can’t help but feel that he’s right. However, Carlo replies with absolute calm:
“The empire will not fall.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because Roseguard has the Warmaster on our side.”
“The ‘Warmaster’?”
Mash suddenly chimes in.
“Oh, I’ve heard about him! He’s Roseguard’s emperor and the strongest warrior in the world! They say his sword can cut through the heavens and slice open the planet!”
“I doubt it. If that were true, then you wouldn’t need me to save the world. They’re baseless rumors. They were probably circulated to give people the illusion that their country is safe.”
Carlo softly shakes his head in response to Seiya’s analysis.
“Not at all. Other than the Hero, the emperor is undoubtedly the strongest warrior in the world. The empire will not waver as long as he rules Roseguard.”
Wh-what confidence…! The Warmaster must be really strong!
“However, just like with Flashika, the emperor has his reasons for not leaving the capital.”
Just when I want to ask Carlo what that reason is, he starts walking into the building in the center of the fortress.
“We’re here. This is the meeting room where we come up with battle strategies. I believe Madam Rosalie is already waiting inside.”
The moment the elderly knight opens the door, I hear the bitter voices of a man and a woman arguing.
“Madam Rosalie! How many times do I have to tell you not to go to the front line of battle! You are the next successor to the throne!”
“That’s exactly why I stand on the front! True warriors do not fear battle! Just like my father, I will stand before the soldiers, fight, and raise the morale of our army!”
“Then at least bring me, your assistant Bhat, with you! How would I ever explain myself to the emperor if something were to happen to you?!”
I finally understand why I felt Rosalie was different when I hear her argue with the muscular warrior Bhat. She is the daughter of Roseguard’s emperor and will become the empress who rules over Roseguard after her father passes away. No wonder her aura is different than the rest. At any rate, she appears to be quite the tomboy, perhaps due to looking up to her father. After Carlo clears his throat by the door, Rosalie and a few dozen others take seats at the round table before looking this way.
“Everyone, the Hero and his allies have arrived.”
Carlo bows deeply to us.
“I will be on my way, then.”
“Thank you, Carlo!”
After Elulu and I thank him, he gently smiles back as he closes the door on his way out. I look ahead once more when…
“Oh…! So this is the Hero and his allies who have come to save us!”
“So that’s the Hero! Simply awe-inspiring!”
Everyone in the room stares at us as if they are overcome with emotion. Seiya’s aura is no less impressive than Rosalie’s. Tall with refined features, anybody could sense there was something special about him.
After being guided to the empty seats around the table, Seiya, Mash, Elulu, and I sit side by side together. I look at each of the people sitting at the round table. Everyone seems to be someone important, which I guess is something you would expect at a meeting to discuss strategy like this. There’s the muscle-bound warrior Bhat with whom Rosalie was just arguing, a mage with a robe decorated with the empire’s emblems, and even an elderly person with a staff. High-ranking officials must have come to Olga Fortress because the successor to the throne is here as well.
Rosalie nudges the slim mage, who then speaks up in a high pitch.
“I would like to begin our meeting with the Hero! Our objective is to defeat the flies!”
But at that very moment, the Hero interjects in a well-projected voice.
“Wait. Before that, I want to ensure my safety.”
“…What?”
“This place is dangerous.”
I can feel the tension among the gathered imperial officials—including Rosalie. Before long, an old man with a beard, who could pass for a sage, asks:
“Hero…what exactly do you mean?”
“One of the Demon Lord’s henchmen is probably in disguise and hiding among us.”
“A-are you sure?!”
Those few words from the Hero cause a commotion at the table.
“Well…it’s a possibility at least.”
“O-oh, you were talking about a hypothetical situation…”
Everyone sighs in relief after hearing Seiya clarify things. I poke Seiya in the arm.
“Hey, Seiya, it’s okay. I don’t sense the presence of any monsters here.”
“Hmm… I see. So the Demon Lord’s army isn’t here. However…,” Seiya continues with a solemn expression. “There’s probably an explosive somewhere in the room.”
“A-are you sure?!”
Their relief is short-lived. The officials start panicking again. However…
“Well…it’s a possibility at least.”
Everyone sighs in relief upon hearing that utterance. But Seiya then looks up at the corner of the room with a piercing gaze.
“Both things I said just now were merely speculation. What I really wanted to discuss…is up there. Someone is secretly listening in on our meeting.”
“A-are you sure?!”
Rosalie’s expression instantly changes as if the third time is the charm.
“Hurry! Go investigate the ceiling!”
A couple dozen soldiers head out under Rosalie’s orders.
…Ten minutes later.
“We have returned from our investigation! All twenty-three soldiers searched every inch of the area over this room, but we didn’t find even one speck of dust!”
After the soldier leaves the room, Rosalie and the other officials stare at Seiya with bated breath.
“Well…it was a possibility.”
BAM! All of a sudden, Rosalie violently slams her hand against the table.
“Enough! We will be here all night if we persistently worry about every possibility!”
Rosalie’s face turns bright red as she tells Seiya off in my place.
…Yep. She kind of sounded like a young girl there. It looks like she normally tries to lower her voice to project a certain image. But, well, judging by her appearance, she actually does appear to be around twenty years old—give or take a year.
As if she noticed me watching her with a hint of joy in my eyes, Rosalie reverts to her previous tone and raises her voice to overcompensate.
“W-we don’t need a meeting to discuss strategy! All the Hero and I need to do is take the lead and infiltr
ate the enemy’s base!”
“Madam Rosalie! That is far too dangerous.”
While the imperial officials try to persuade her to reconsider, Seiya firmly nods in a favorable manner.
“I agree.”
Thereupon, Rosalie sends Seiya a fiery gaze as if having changed her opinion of him.
“The Hero feels the same way I do! Perfect! Then there is no time to waste! We must prepare to attack!”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I was agreeing that we don’t need a meeting to discuss strategy because I’ve already decided what I’m going to do.”
“A-and what is that?”
A deep silence reigns over the meeting room, and everyone waits for the Hero’s next words with apprehension. A few moments go by before Seiya makes his plans clear as can be.
“I’m leaving.”
“““What?”””
“I am going to return to the unified spirit world and train until I learn a skill that rivals the enemy’s. Now if you will excuse me.”
Mash, Elulu, and I are already used to how Seiya does things, but…
“““Whaaaaaat?!”””
Rosalie and the others turn black in the face as they scream.
CHAPTER 31
Slap
The warrior with a masculine build, Bhat, lets out a bitter laugh when he hears Seiya’s response.
“Su-surely, you’re joking!”
“I’m not. I’m leaving.”
The robed female mage yells:
“You can’t! You’re just going to abandon us?!”
“I’m leaving, and that’s final.”
The officials’ expressions in reaction to Seiya’s stubbornness are a mix of astonishment and sorrow.
I—I have to do something! They probably think his training is going to take days!
I speak up in order to clear the air.
“Please settle down, everyone! It’s going to be a very short training session!”
“Exactly. I only need about three days.”
Seiya’s reply causes each of them to scream individually.
“You’re going to be gone for three whole days?!”
“Since when does ‘three days’ count as ‘very short’?!”
“The fortress is going to be in ruins if we wait that long!”
The officials are so taken aback that they yell out in rage one after another. Then, as if realizing they are behaving in an undignified manner, they clear their throats as their faces turn red.
I turn to them and plead:
“P-please listen to me. Three days in the spirit world is barely an hour in your world, so…”
“An hour…? R-really?”
Just as everyone is on the verge of being persuaded, Rosalie, who has been quiet this entire time, makes her voice heard.
“Is training really even necessary? Earlier, I saw white wings on the goddess’s back! The goddess can fly! So we already have a means to attack, do we not?!”
What?! M-me?! What does this girl think she’s saying?!
While I’m taken aback at being suddenly called out, Seiya almost immediately sets forth a counterargument.
“That won’t work. The goddess can only provide backup. She can’t fight.”
S-Seiya…! Thank you so much for standing up for me!
“Besides, she wouldn’t be any help anyway. She can barely float with those wings. She has about as much use as a balloon—or maybe even less than that.”
“…! I can’t believe you! You went too far this time!”
Being told that I am even less useful than a balloon makes me pop with rage, but Seiya simply ignores me as if it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
“By the way, I can fly as well.”
“Oh…! Then…!”
A voice from the round table starts to speak, but…
“But we have no chance of winning like that. Trying to have an aerial battle against the enemy would be the height of stupidity. That’s exactly what they want.”
“Hero, aren’t you being a little too timid? How can you say that without even trying?”
“I carefully observed the enemy before coming here, and its speed is extraordinary.”
Seiya’s casual response causes Rosalie to furrow her eyebrows.
“Wait… Hold on. What did you just say? You were ‘carefully observing’ Beel Bub? Don’t tell me you watched my men get slaughtered from afar and didn’t do anything to stop it.”
Rosalie glares at Seiya fiercely, so I butt in, sensing that things are going south.
“You’ve got the wrong idea! Even if we wanted to save them, it was already too late…!”
Rosalie slams her fist on the table, and I let out a shriek.
“I am not asking whether you saved them or not! I am asking if the Hero saw what happened yet still decided to do nothing!”
Despite Rosalie’s extremely threatening attitude, Seiya manages to maintain his composure.
“You’re saying some pretty strange things. If you can’t save them no matter what you do, then nothing can be done about it.”
“People are dead! They were slaughtered by that monster! What kind of Hero can see that and not feel anything?!”
“How would feeling something change anything exactly? It’s at precisely times like this that you need to remain calm and proceed carefully. You cannot let yourself be influenced by your surroundings, and only when you remain collected can you do what’s truly necessary during crucial moments.”
It is like fire and ice. Two completely opposite personalities like this would never compromise. And eventually, Rosalie’s gaze turns to contempt.
“This man is no good! He is but a fool and only a Hero by name!”
“M-Madam Rosalie! You cannot say such a thing to the Hero!”
“A Hero—by definition—means that you are heroic, but this man is nothing more than a coward!”
Rosalie is exploding with rage, but I find myself becoming slightly annoyed by her.
For some reason, it’s aggravating when someone else says it! Seiya may not look it, but he puts a lot of thought into his actions! I used to think like Rosalie and get mad at him, but now I know that Seiya’s cautiousness is of a completely different nature than cowardice.
“Excuse me, Rosalie! Seiya may be slow to act for a Hero, but we have weathered the storm over and over again thanks to him being so well prepared!”
I look at each member gathered in the meeting room before assuring them:
“I promise you that the moment this Hero has finished training and is completely ready to go is the moment that Beel Bub’s Aerial Assault Flies will be vanquished!”
The room is overcome with silence. I follow up by saying to Rosalie:
“So please…? Just wait an hour for him to train, okay? Rosalie…”
I thought she would just say, Fine. Do what you must. But I was naive.
“…Do you honestly expect me to believe you?”
Rosalie is excessively more stubborn than I even imagined.
“I have lost a little over one hundred men to Beel Bub. Do you understand how I feel?”
“O-of course I do! It’s painful. It’s sad and—”
“A being that transcends humanity can never truly understand the preciousness of human life. According to the legends, goddesses are blessed with eternal life. Am I wrong?”
“W-well, yeah, but…”
“Then stop talking.”
Tch…!
As I grind my teeth, Seiya murmurs:
“You have no right to talk about the preciousness of human life, either.”
“Excuse me…?”
Rosalie speaks in a deep voice as she scowls. However, as if not to be outdone, Seiya glares back at Rosalie like a hawk.
“Your soldiers weren’t killed by the enemy. You killed them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your lack of planning is what created that mountain of dead bodies.”
“You bastard…
! Take that back!”
Rosalie walks all the way over until she is standing right in front of Seiya.
“M-Madam Rosalie?!”
The imperial officials are panicking, but…
“Take that back! Take that back or…!”
Acting on impulse, Rosalie draws her right hand far back without even a moment of hesitation.
Ack! Seiya’s gonna get punched by a girl!
It looks like Rosalie’s right hand connects with Seiya’s cheek, but an instant before she actually hits him, he grabs her arm at a blinding speed. But if anything, what surprises me is what comes next. After fending off her attack, Seiya slowly gets out of his seat, then smacks Rosalie’s cheek with his left hand.
SLAP!
A loud pop echoes throughout the meeting room.
“Ufff?!”
An uncharacteristically strange sound escapes her small mouth. Seiya’s right hand is already in the air, prepared for a counterattack.
“OKAY, THAT’S ENOOOOOOOOOUGH!!”
I slide in between them and start making excuses for Seiya.
“Th-this isn’t what it seems, Rosalie! He thought he was going to get punched, so he naturally countered! It’s basically a conditioned reflex for warriors! Seiya didn’t mean to hurt you!”
I immediately turn around and scold Seiya.
“I don’t care why you did it! You should never hit a girl!”
“But she tried to punch me first. It was self-defense.”
Despite my effort, though, Rosalie’s fury has already reached the point of no return.
“I—I can’t believe you…!”
She pushes me out of the way and throws another right hook at Seiya, but it ends up being a replay of what happened a moment ago.
SLAP!
“Ouch…!”
A high-pitched scream of agony slips between Rosalie’s lips once more. But it’s not over yet.
“Take this…!”
SLAP!
“Ahhhn!”
She lets out an adorable cry…
“Y-you’ll pay for that!”
SLAP!
“Unf!”
She audibly pants…
…I tried sticking up for Seiya by saying it was nothing more than a conditioned reflex and that he meant no harm. Nevertheless, it has come to my attention that nothing about that was reflex, and he definitely did mean to do harm. Seiya is slapping Rosalie as if it were nothing.
The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Vol. 2 Page 2