Invaders of the Rokujouma!? Volume 8.5

by Takehaya

  “Mastir...?”

  Alaia’s expression changed. Part of the name Koutarou uttered stumped her.

  “That’s not... There is no one by the name of Theiamillis in the Mastir family.”

  Currently, there were only two surviving members of the Mastir family: Alaia and Charl. And since this was before the royal families had branched off, Alaia and Charl were the only two of royal blood. A seventh royal princess from the Mastir family shouldn’t exist.

  “But there is. Just two thousand years from now...”

  “Two... thousand years?”

  More unexpected words left Koutarou’s mouth and Alaia was shocked once more. If she accepted that a royal princess named Theiamillis existed two thousand years in the future and that she had given Koutarou his sword, then that could only mean one thing. To Alaia, it seemed unthinkable.

  “That’s right, Princess Alaia. I’m also from two thousand years in the future.”

  However, though it seemed impossible to Alaia, every word Koutarou said was the truth.

  Koutarou then explained everything to Alaia, concealing nothing and sparing no detail. He believed that Alaia, who said earnestly said that she needed him, deserved that sincerity.

  He told her how he met Theia and how, after fighting, they began to live together and cooperate. He told her how his fight with Clan had led to them both accidentally being thrown out of their own universe. He told her how he had gotten in the way of her meeting with the real Blue Knight and how he was merely acting as a replacement while working together with Clan.

  Koutarou tried his hardest to convey his story to Alaia. He himself had a hard time piecing everything together, and Alaia had next to no knowledge of science. Because of all that, by the time he finished explaining everything, night had long since fallen.

  “That’s why... I’m not even a real knight. I’m just a normal student without any special powers. I’m not even a noble. Just a commoner.”

  To wrap up his story, Koutarou revealed his true identity. He was a normal teenage boy who had only borrowed the powers of the remarkable people around him on Earth. That was a harsh reality for him to face in the moment, but he had to confess it to the person he respected most. And with that confession came a sense of relief. Now he no longer had to lie to Alaia.

  “You’re wrong.”

  However, Alaia saw the whole thing differently. With a wry smile on her lips, she shook her head. She had the expression of a sister scolding her poor little brother.

  “You are without a doubt a real knight. Theiamillis’s feelings behind that sword and armor are real too. As a princess myself, I can tell.”

  Alaia was confident. She hadn’t met this Theiamillis, but since they were both princesses, she understood the significance of her gifts. She trusted Koutarou as much as Alaia did, and possibly loved him just as much. Alaia believed that her personal crest on the handle of his sword and the title of “Theiamillis’s Blue Knight” engraved into his breastplate proved that much.

  “Just what kind of princess would lend the sword forged to commemorate her birth to someone that didn’t matter? If you were truly so unimportant, she would have just given you any old sword.”

  “But―”

  “And even if that wasn’t the case...”

  Alaia held her hands to her chest and smiled at Koutarou. It was a smile so beautiful that Koutarou forgot what he was about to say.

  “Charl and I appointed you to serve the royal family,” Alaia said as she pointed to the insignia on Koutarou’s chest. “That makes you Forthorthe’s Blue Knight.”

  The insignia on Koutarou’s chest had been handmade by Charl and Alaia, and though it looked like a toy, it had an important inscription: “Insignia of Forthorthe’s Blue Knight, the Super Important Bodyguard of Charl and Alaia.” As long as that remained on his chest, even if he was born a commoner, Koutarou was a knight of Forthorthe.

  “Please take pride in that. You are a true knight, acknowledged by four of Forthorthe’s princesses.”

  Alaia, Charl, Theia, and Clan. In total, four princesses acknowledged Koutarou as a knight. Even in Forthorthe’s long history, it was an unusual prestige.

  “I wonder about Clan...”

  Koutarou smiled as he gave in. If he was declared a knight by Alaia, a princess of Forthorthe, he had no choice but to accept it. After all, he was wearing an insignia she had helped make. The only princess he was uncertain of was Clan.

  “Clan-sama acknowledges you as well. I can tell.”

  Alaia recalled when Koutarou and Clan were fighting the steel giant. Back then, Clan had issued him a royal command.

  “As a knight of Forthorthe, do what you must!”

  Alaia was far enough away that she’d had trouble hearing most of what they talked about, but she was certain she heard those words and she remembered them quite clearly. It was something Clan never would have said if she didn’t acknowledge Koutarou as a knight.

  “Your Highness...”

  Koutarou truly felt happy that someone of Alaia’s caliber would place such deep trust in him. The only thing that bothered him was that he was still just a substitute for the real Blue Knight, otherwise he might have burst into a little dance.

  “But... it’s true that if you’ve sworn an oath to return to the people of your homeland, then you must return.”

  Alaia was also happy. She felt like Koutarou had revealed everything to her because he acknowledged her as his true lord. She wouldn’t be able to keep Koutarou by her side forever, but that much made her happy.

  “You really believe such an extraordinary story, Your Highness?”

  Koutarou couldn’t help asking. He knew how outrageous it all must sound, and he had his doubts that anyone would truly believe that he had come to Forthorthe through the stars and through time.

  “A princess who doesn’t have faith in the knight she appointed herself is hardly fit to rule a country.”

  However, Alaia had absolute faith in Koutarou. If it wasn’t for him, she might not have gotten this far. She would believe anything that Koutarou, who had been a pillar of support to her, said, even if he claimed the sun would suddenly vanish tomorrow.

  “Your Highness... I truly am not worthy.”

  If she put this much trust in him, there was nothing else he could do. Regardless of whether or not he was the real thing or a stand-in, he resolved himself again to protect Alaia from Maxfern.

  “Please just tell me one last thing, Layous―”

  Alaia was about to ask Koutarou something, but then she remembered that there was something else she wanted to know more. Alaia smiled and decided to pose that question first.

  “Before that, Sir Knight, please do me the kindness of giving me your name.”

  Again, Alaia beseeched him the same way she had when they first met. Koutarou had told Alaia that he wasn’t the real Blue Knight, and she believed him. But that made her realize she didn’t know Koutarou’s real name.

  “This was most rude of me. My name is...”

  In response, Koutarou began to answer her the same way he had that day. Except this time, he gave her the answer he had held back then.

  “My name is Koutarou. Satomi Koutarou. And I swear on this sword that I will protect you.”

  Koutarou swore on his sword to defend Alaia just as he had before, but this time he did so with his real name. He was no longer swearing an oath to Alaia as the Blue Knight’s substitute, but as himself—Satomi Koutarou. It was a far more emotional experience for both of them than it had been the first time.

  “Koutarou-sama... So you are called Koutarou-sama...”

  It was an outlandish name in Forthorthe. Unaccustomed to the sound of it, Alaia repeated it several times.

  “I am truly sorry for using a fake name up until now.”

  “There was a time I called myself Signa, so you could just say we’re even now.”

  “Hahaha, that did happen, didn’t it?”

  Alaia was talking about at
the harvest festival dance. It was just a few months ago, but so much had happened since then that it felt like years. Still, it was a precious memory that neither of them would ever forget.

  “So, Your Highness, what was your last question?”

  Koutarou and Alaia were both smiling. It was similar to the smile they had shared during the dance that night. Ever since then, their feelings had intertwined.

  “That’s...”

  Alaia smiled and held her hands to her chest. She then whispered to Koutarou in a very gentle voice.

  “If I had met you first... If... I had asked you to help me first... what would you have done, Koutarou-sama?”

  Alaia knew that what she was asking hadn’t happened. That it never would. But... what if? What if she had met Koutarou before anyone else? Would Koutarou then be willing to stay with her? She knew that it was a foolish thing to ask, but she couldn’t help herself. That was simply how much she loved him.

  “If that had happened... I probably would have served you my entire life.”

  That was what Koutarou truly believed. He wouldn’t mind devoting himself to Alaia. She was such a splendid princess that he couldn’t help feeling that way. They’d been through so much together that Koutarou felt for Alaia the same way he did the invaders.

  “Koutarou-sama, please come meet me first next time...”

  Alaia was satisfied. She had learned that Koutarou was only leaving her because he had a prior duty to uphold. It wasn’t that he was rejecting her feelings.

  “As you wish, my princess.”

  “Oh, Koutarou-sama...”

  But even though she was happy, it didn’t stop her tears from falling.

  Fire Dragon Emperor Alunaya

  As on Earth, Forthorthe was home to a plethora of wildlife. Unlike Earth, however, the creatures were quite different. While some appeared to be similar at first glance, evolution in a different environment had produced very different beasts. For example, Forthorthian horses had horns and strange manes.

  In addition, Forthorthe was home to several species that were already extinct on Earth. Though their numbers had diminished over the years thanks to changes in climate, several kinds of giant beasts were active under the surface of the planet, some of which occasionally posed a threat to surface-dwelling humans.

  The most fearsome creature of all, even among the giant beasts, was none other than the dragon. Like the dinosaurs of prehistoric Earth, dragons were on the top of the food chain. Dragons were large reptiles that continued to grow for every year they aged. It wasn’t uncommon to see them standing over ten meters tall. There were also dragons known as elder dragons that could exceed thirty meters in height. They were massive creatures, and they used their enormous fangs and claws to kill and devour any enemy.

  However, dragons weren’t feared for just their size. After all, creatures larger than that existed. There were two other reasons the dragons were so feared. The first was that, despite their staggering size, they had the ability to fly. The second was that they possessed a unique breath weapon.

  Dragons had large wings on their backs, shaped similarly to those of a pterosaur, and they could freely fly through the sky. They were very mobile despite their size. Of course, their wings alone weren’t enough to lift their massive bodies, so they used the latent mana in their bodies as well. In other words, though only to a limited extent, dragons were also magicians.

  But flight wasn’t the only way dragons used their magic. They could also concentrate it in a special way, using their breath to attack. Thanks to their colossal stature, they were able to exhale at unbelievable speeds, making it especially dangerous. Dragons used their mana to elementally charge their breath, sometimes even changing its form. Most dragons spewed flames, but there were also dragons that could spew ice, poison gas, or even acid. There were all kinds of variations, and from time to time there were specimens that would spew out something surprising. Largely, however, it was possible to guess what a dragon would spew based on the color of its scales. Red dragons used flame breath, white dragons used ice breath, and so on.

  Between their extraordinary flight ability and their incredible attacks, dragons were feared far and wide. It was next to impossible to run from them because they could fly, and there was no way to defend against their breath attacks. It was true that there were highly intelligent and peaceful dragons, but most of them were brutal predators. When faced with a dragon, people had good reason to say their prayers. So until climate change reduced their numbers even further, they would continue to dominate the food chain.

  The Fire Dragon Emperor Alunaya mentioned in the legend of the Blue Knight was one such dragon. His giant red body was easily twenty meters long. He moved as fast as a jet plane through the sky, but he was also just as dexterous as an eagle or a hawk. On top of that, he could spew flames so hot that they could be considered plasma.

  Accordingly, when he appeared on the horizon flying towards Raustor, the fort got real noisy. And fast. The Reborn Forthorthian Army consisted mostly of volunteers. Lacking any proper training, they were shaking in their boots at such a sight. They all knew just how frightening a dragon was. On top of that, the weaponry of this age wasn’t meant for taking down a creature of such size and power. Like a storm, once a dragon appeared, the best the people could do was take cover until it passed.

  “Veltlion, this is bad!”

  After receiving the report from the soldiers on watch, Flair burst into Koutarou’s quarters in the barracks. The sun had just risen, and Koutarou, who had just woken up, was in the middle of changing.

  “Lady Flairan?!”

  A shirtless Koutarou stared at Flair in stark amazement. The surprisingly bashful Flair would normally have run right back out of the room red-faced after seeing him like that, but now wasn’t the time for that. She was already panicking about something else.

  “It’s a dragon! A dragon is attacking! We’re going to be destroyed before we even reach the coup d’etat army!”

  “A dragon?! That kind of thing― No, of course! With this timing, it must be Alunaya!”

  Koutarou was flabbergasted at Flair’s declaration at first, but he quickly recalled Theia’s play. It was hard to forget Yurika’s performance as the Fire Dragon Emperor Alunaya.

  “What’s the situation?!”

  Koutarou quickly scrambled into his shirt as he asked Flair for the details. He didn’t have any time to waste. He was more worried about getting ready for battle than he was getting dressed properly.

  “The soldiers on watch have spotted a red dragon coming this way! It’s too far out to tell exactly how big it is, but based on how fast it’s moving, it’ll be here any moment!”

  From the lookout tower, the horizon was a dozen or so kilometers away. But based on a dragon’s birdlike speed, it would be at the fort in a matter of minutes.

  “I got it! You go on ahead, Lady Flairan! Prepare the soldiers to intercept it! I’ll be there as soon as I’m ready!”

  “Good! Make sure you hurry!”

  Flair dashed out of his quarters without saying anything else. With a dragon approaching, there was no time to spare.

  “Did you get that, Clan?!”

  After changing his clothes, Koutarou called out to Clan on the other side of the screen as he ran up to the armor standing by the wall. He touched the right arm of the armor, and it opened up as if it to welcome him.

  “Yes! I knew it’d be coming, but this timing is quite a pain!”

  Clan was also hurriedly getting dressed on the other side of a folding screen. If Alunaya was as powerful as the legends claimed, he would be too much for the normal soldiers to handle. The only effective way of intercepting him would be for Koutarou and Clan to take the front line.

  “We just took this fort after all...” Koutarou said with a sigh as he entered the suit of armor.

  The Reborn Forthorthian Army had only captured the Raustor fort the day before yesterday. They were still in the middle of preparing men an
d supplies for their next battle. Because of that, no one had really gotten proper rest since the fort had been seized. It was really the worst possible timing for an attack. And what was worse, their enemy was a monster that the people of Forthorthe feared more than anything. If they wasted even a minute now, they’d pay for it in casualties.

  “Hey, Clan.”

  As Koutarou sealed himself into the armor and locked the various parts in place, he brought the armor’s systems online. And as he ordered the AI to scan for the enemy, he called out to Clan.

  “Do you think this armor will be a match for a dragon?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Clan answered Koutarou as she stepped out from behind the changing screen. She was already holding a large rifle, and she ran up to Koutarou after picking up Saguratin, which was leaning against the screen.

  “The dragon population steadily declined as the climate changed, so there are no modern records of any battles with elder dragons. There are some on battles won against smaller dragons that managed to survive, but―”

  “That won’t be of any help when dealing with this monster, huh?”

  Koutarou’s armor projected a hologram in front of him. Combined with incoming data from Clan’s observation device, it was reporting information on the dragon flying towards them.

  “Target is 26 meters long, flying at 198 kilometers per hour. Warning: High-density energy reaction detected. Be wary of energy weapons. Space distortion detected. Take care when attacking.”

  The report was nothing but bad news. According to the armor’s AI, everything except its speed was on the level of a fighter craft. Things weren’t looking good for the Reborn Forthorthian Army. This wouldn’t be an enemy they could take any chances with.

  “That’s right, sadly.”

  Clan nodded as she handed Saguratin to Koutarou. Both of their expressions were serious.

  “Thanks.”

  Koutarou hung Saguratin from his waist and left the room with Clan right behind him.

  “This is the moment of truth.”