Invaders of the Rokujouma!? Volume 8.5

by Takehaya

  Have I been here before...? Or is it something about this atmosphere...?

  His sense of deja vu grew stronger the further in he went. He felt like he either knew the place or that he’d been somewhere with a similar feel to it.

  “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. This is the place I wanted to take you.”

  “This statue...”

  Although it only started as a feeling, Koutarou was dead sure of it once they reached the large room made out of stone in the center of the temple. Red stained glass windows dotted the ceiling, lighting up the room with the colors of dawn. In the center of it all was a stone statue aglow in the red light. It sat atop of a large stand, so Koutarou had to look up at it to see it.

  It was a statue of the Goddess of Dawn, the deity Forthorthians revered as the goddess of creation. It depicted a girl with her hands clasped in front of her in prayer. According to the legends, the tears she shed out of loneliness turned into the thread that she would use to begin knitting the fabric of the universe. To symbolize that, tears had been carved down the statue’s face in lines.

  Surrounding the statue were several pillars. Transparent globes had been installed on the top of each one, and they all shone red in the light pouring down from above.

  I... I know this statue... But from where? Why can’t I remember?

  Koutarou was puzzled. This scene—the statue of this girl in this room—was familiar to him, but no matter how far back he scanned in his memories, he couldn’t remember where or when he’d seen it. It was like it was part of a memory that had been blacked out. He could tell something was supposed to be there, he just couldn’t tell what. It was a strange, frustrating feeling.

  “Please come over here.”

  Koutarou was lost in thought staring at the statue, but Alaia’s voice snapped him back to reality. She was standing in front of the statue, and she was calling him over.

  “Go to her, Layous-sama.”

  Fauna urged Koutarou on as well. She was still standing by the entrance to the room, watching from afar. She was going to leave Alaia and Koutarou be while she waited outside. Fauna knew what Alaia bringing Koutarou here meant. Not only was she in charge of the temple, she was also Alaia’s good friend.

  “If you’ll excuse me then...”

  “Of course.”

  Fauna politely saw Koutarou off, then retreated outside the inner chamber of the temple. Once she was gone, Koutarou and Alaia were left alone in front of the statue.

  “Thank you very much, Koutarou-sama.”

  And now that they were alone, Alaia used Koutarou’s real name. Ever since Koutarou had told her the truth, she’d used it behind closed doors and in private.

  “Think nothing of it. But... what is this place, Your Highness? And why did we come here?”

  Koutarou was full of questions. Since his own memories were so vague, he wanted to know more about this place.

  “This is a special place to the royal family of Forthorthe. Our national treasure is held here.”

  “Your national treasure?”

  Hearing Koutarou repeat her words, Alaia smiled and turned towards the statue’s stand. She then placed her hand on the silver plate installed on it. It read, “Should the nation ever be faced with great crisis, recite thy true name here.” Koutarou couldn’t read it, but his armor quickly translated it for him. It was the ancient Forthorthian language used by priests and magicians.

  “My name is Alaia. I am the silvery white snow of Mastir and the crown princess of Forthorthe, Alaia Kua Mastir Signaria Tio Forthorthe.”

  The moment Alaia recited her full name, white light began shooting out from the plate. It grew and grew until the whole statue of the goddess was glowing. The plate then slid down and revealed what was behind it.

  “Is that... a sword...?”

  Inside the stand was an old sword. It was stuck in the stand itself and it, along with the stand, began sliding out towards Koutarou and Alaia. When the sword had first been placed in the stand long ago, it had a beautiful polish and sparkle to it, but now the blade and handle were both rusty. It had lost its original splendor, and now only looked like a piece of junk.

  “Yes. It has been passed down in the royal family for generations. It’s said that it was given to the royal family by the Goddess of Dawn herself. The very existence of this sword is proof of the legitimacy of the rulers of Forthorthe. Its power has long protected the country from its enemies.”

  Alaia proudly proclaimed that much, but then her expression turned dark.

  “However... this sword has also been a great source of conflict, so it was sealed away in this place two hundred years ago.”

  The sword was considered proof of kingship, meaning that whoever held it had the right to rule Forthorthe. Men fought over it, spilling blood to try and obtain it for themselves. A wise emperor several generations ago had enough of it and took it upon himself to hide the sword away. The court magicians were then tasked with creating a powerful seal to keep the sword from falling into the wrong hands. Only those of royal blood could undo the seal, and even then they were only permitted to do so in times of national crisis.

  “So that’s what you meant by your national treasure... But if you’ll forgive me for saying so, Your Highness, it doesn’t look like it holds much power now...”

  Koutarou believed Alaia’s story, but what she showed him now was just a rusted stick of metal. It didn’t look like very special at all.

  “Heehee, I’m sure it doesn’t in this state.”

  Alaia giggled and turned towards the sword again. Just like the statue in front of her, she clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and began praying.

  “Past, present, and future, oh mother of all things, Goddess of Dawn.”

  Alaia began speaking the ancient language in a sonorous voice. As she did, a shrill noise like metal hitting metal filled the room and something on Alaia’s forehead began glowing.

  “Your Highness... what is...”

  Before Koutarou knew it, a sword-shaped crest had appeared on Alaia’s forehead. The crest itself was shining, almost as if light was shooting out from the blade of the sword.

  “I, a daughter of Forthorthe and thy faithful servant, beseech thee. Now is the time to break the seal and give us power to overcome the crisis that threatens us.”

  Alaia was reciting an incantation to break the seal placed on the sword. Those words and her royal blood were the keys to removing the seal.

  “Wind of the heavens. Green of the earth. Water of the sea. Fire of the mountains. Using my life as provision, reveal the power to rule all things!”

  The light shining on Alaia slowly shifted to the sword. As it washed over the blade, everything the light hit was restored to its original splendor. The rust vanished like it had been blown away by the wind, and the warped blade regained its true shape. The dirt and scratches disappeared from the blade that now shone a brilliant silver. The sword had such a beautiful sheen to it that it looked like it had just been forged.

  “I am Alaia, the silvery white snow of Mastir! Oh holy sword of the temple, carve my name into your blade and revive!”

  As Alaia loudly declared her name once more, the sword practically exploded with pure white light. But the light was just a portion of the power flowing out of the sword. There was also a rumbling that shook the temple.

  It continued for several dozen seconds, but after that, the sword’s light slowly weakened before receding as if it had been absorbed by the sword itself. And though the light was gone, the sword still retained its glorious appearance. It still had the same beautiful sheen it did the day it was enshrined here, long before Koutarou and Alaia’s time.

  “Koutarou-sama.”

  Alaia grabbed the handle of the sword as if nothing had happened. In its current state, it no longer looked like it was in danger of falling apart. Alaia held the reborn blade in both hands and turned back to Koutarou.

  “It is tradition that this sword takes the name of the one w
ho releases the seal.”

  The sword crest on Alaia’s forehead was still there, and like the sword in her hands, it shone silver. It was proof she was the one that had undone the seal. It was a bond that tied her to the sword.

  “Because of that, this sword is given my name.”

  Alaia then presented the sword to Koutarou as she proudly declared its name.

  “This is Signaltin. It means ‘sword of silvery white.’”

  Koutarou knew it as the name of the most famous sword in all of Forthorthe. The Blue Knight’s sword.

  “This is... Signaltin?”

  Koutarou was surprised. He knew that Signaltin existed, but he didn’t think it would appear in front of him right now or in this manner. Theia’s manuscript had mostly glossed over anything magical, so obtaining the sword in the play wasn’t this much of a spectacle.

  “Please take it, Koutarou-sama.”

  Alaia was planning on giving the sword to Koutarou. As long as he had it, he would never lose. And as long as Koutarou was alive, Alaia could stay strong. She believed that was the best option for both herself and for Forthorthe.

  “N-No, I couldn’t possibly take something so important...”

  But Koutarou couldn’t accept a gift like that. He could tell that the sword held immense power after just seeing the ritual to dispel the seal. Moreover, it was a sacred treasure of the royal family.

  “It’s okay.”

  Koutarou’s reaction, however, was just what Alaia expected. She smiled and gently shook her head.

  As I thought, I should leave this sword to Koutarou-sama.

  Convinced that she had made the right decision, Alaia revealed her intentions to him.

  “In return, promise me one thing.”

  “Huh?”

  “Please promise me that when you return to your own world, you’ll take this sword with you, Koutarou-sama.”

  “I-I can’t do that, Your Highness!”

  Alaia’s request was so unexpected that Koutarou’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. He was even more surprised now than when he saw Signaltin transform.

  “It is best for you to keep it. This sword will become a source of conflict here. We have already learned at great cost exactly what kind of fate awaits a country that relies on something so powerful. That’s why this sword was sealed here in the first place.”

  In contrast to Koutarou, Alaia was calm. She watched over Koutarou with a gentle expression and continued explaining herself.

  “And the safest thing to do for the country is to take it far, far away. Then no one will ever be able to fight over it or its power ever again.”

  While Alaia was trying to protect Koutarou, she was also trying to protect Forthorthe. The sword’s very existence had caused strife and civil war. Because of its overwhelming power, all sorts of men sought it out. It wasn’t much different from the way terrorists in the modern world scrambled for more and more powerful weapons.

  Though the conflict may have stopped once the sword was sealed in the temple, there was no guarantee that it would stay that way now that it had reemerged into the world. The idea was to place the sword somewhere no one could get their hands on it until the time called for it, but that kind of opportunity hadn’t shown itself until now—in the form of Koutarou, the boy who had come through time from the world of the stars to wield it.

  “If you were to take it, Koutarou-sama, the people of this world would no longer have anything to fight over. You would be saving us.”

  That was the reason Alaia was giving the sword to Koutarou. While the sword itself could protect her land and her loved ones from all kinds of danger, letting it go would protect her country in the long run. To Alaia, there was no action more meaningful than that.

  “I see... so that’s why...”

  That was the true reason why the Silver Princess had given the Blue Knight the sword and why he had vanished with it after the war. It wasn’t just to avoid any political difficulties his existence might cause. The sword itself represented a certain danger, especially while Forthorthe was rebuilding itself. That’s why the Blue Knight had taken it away. To remove both himself and such a powerful liability from Forthorthe.

  “I understand, Your Highness. I will humbly accept that duty.”

  Now that he fully understood the situation, Koutarou decided to accept the sword. It was a job he had to do as the Blue Knight’s replacement, and he felt he could do a better a job than the Blue Knight in that regard since he could take it back to Earth.

  “Thank you very much, Koutarou-sama!”

  Alaia felt an immense joy when Koutarou accepted the sword from her. Now everything would fall into place in their favor. That was Alaia’s hope, and that hope drove her forward now.

  “Koutarou-sama, from now on this sword will protect you. From any enemy and any trial.”

  “Then I will use my life and this sword to protect you, Princess Alaia...”

  And so Koutarou obtained Signaltin as the gears of fate continued turning.

  On the night after Koutarou and Alaia returned to Raustor with Signaltin, an intense vertigo befell Alaia as she was working in her office.

  “Hnngh...”

  Having almost lost her balance, Alaia leaned against the wall to keep herself from collapsing completely.

  “Your Highness!”

  Fauna, who was in the room with her, noticed right away and ran over to support her. She’d been staying close to Alaia ever since they visited the temple, worried she’d suffer adverse effects from breaking the seal.

  “Th-Thank you, Fauna... You’re a big help...”

  “Please stay still, Your Highness. I’ll heal you right away.”

  Fauna sat Alaia down on the sofa and attempted to treat her using her spiritual energy. Alaia’s body had grown horribly weak. She now had the constitution of someone who’d been chronically ill their whole life, and though it manifested like an illness, the healing energy that Fauna was pouring into her didn’t seem to have much of an effect.

  “I feel much better now. Thank you, Fauna.”

  After a while, color returned to Alaia’s cheeks. With her symptoms alleviated, Alaia smiled and thanked Fauna. She felt truly lucky to have Fauna as a friend at a time like this.

  “Your Highness... don’t you think that you gave Signaltin too much of your life force?”

  Alaia had grown weak because she’d used half of her life force as payment to undo Signaltin’s seal. In the ritual to break the seal, the reborn sword could hold an amount of power proportionate to the life sacrificed to awaken it. Knowing that, Alaia had poured as much of her life into it as she could. The sword crest on her forehead was a sign of the exchange, and even now, half of her life force resided in Signaltin.

  “It’s fine.”

  Alaia’s health had deteriorated as a result of the life force she’d sacrificed, but not once had she shown any sign of regretting it. If anything, it was quite the opposite. She felt satisfied to have accomplished something so important. She was happy with what she’d done.

  “This way I can always stay by Koutarou-sama’s side.”

  Alaia was fated to never be with Koutarou, but now as long as he carried Signaltin with him, she would be with him in a different way. As a princess, her position prevented her from expressing her love any other way. This was the only thing she could do.

  “Princess Alaia...”

  Faced with Alaia’s resolute love, Fauna couldn’t argue.

  “Even if... he’s to return to the other side of that endless time and immeasurable distance...”

  No matter the time or distance separating Alaia from Koutarou, she would forever be with him. That was enough to satisfy Alaia.

  The Silver Princess and the Blue Knight

  Once Koutarou obtained Signaltin, the Reborn Forthorthian Army’s advance was unstoppable.

  Word of Koutarou repelling Fire Dragon Emperor Alunaya spread throughout Forthorthe like wildfire, and the army quickly gained the support
of more and more people in the form of manpower and supplies. At their current pace, the Reborn Forthorthian Army would doubtless become strong enough to win the war. That was how everyone in Forthorthe felt. As a result, the bands of knights that were still on the fence were slowly won over, and they joined the Reborn Forthorthian Army one after another. With that, the army’s numbers swelled even further, and they now had a strong enough force to take on the coup d’etat army.

  Meanwhile, the coup d’etat’s forces were constantly diminishing. Once word spread that the Reborn Forthorthian Army could take down even dragons and that they were only getting stronger, morale took a turn for the worse in the coup d’etat ranks and soldiers started defecting left and right. If Alunaya, who was currently missing, reappeared, the negative feedback loop that the coup d’etat army was experiencing could probably be reversed, but there was no sign of that happening. Things were looking more and more grim for them by the day.

  Even though there was almost no difference in their numbers now, the difference in morale put the coup d'etat forces at a significant disadvantage. While the Reborn Forthorthian Army was becoming more and more skilled with daily training, the coup d’etat army was practically running amok all over the country. And that just made the situation even worse for them.

  As a result, the Reborn Forthorthian Army was able to advance almost effortlessly without Koutarou even needing to use Signaltin. Because of that, by the time the first snow fell, the Reborn Forthorthian Army was already marching on the capital city of Fornorn.

  Koutarou and Clan were staring at the hologram projected by Clan’s bracelet. In it, they could see a brick cityscape. To their modern sensibilities, it looked old-fashioned, but in this age, it was beautiful and without peer. As expected of the capital of an imperial country, the villages and towns they had seen so far were nothing compared to this. They both felt like farmhands leaving the country and seeing the city for the first time.

  “So this is the capital, huh? It’s pretty big.”

  “It’s the largest city on this continent. It’s equipped with aqueducts and sewers, and I’ve even heard there are streetlights.”