Side: Prim
Yamato had accepted Marquis Frederica, and their evening plans were set.
I need to ask Mother to have Marquis Frederica use Plasgneicing on me, but she wouldn’t barge in, would she?
Mother returned to Marquis Frederica’s mansion after our first night, and that’s precisely why I can’t dismiss the possibility, which scares me.
“By the way, Marquis Frederica, the High Orders participating, there are five of them, right?”
“No, H.R.H. Yuriana’s Escort Order will also be participating, as they felt unable to overlook this situation.”
Oh, the Alliance talk is progressing.
Wait, the Escort Order that was escorting Yuri, wasn’t there one G-rank, three S-ranks, and two B-ranks survivors? Have they already recovered?
And participating in the Alliance, while appreciated, has a different command structure, so won’t that cause confusion in itself?
“The Healer’s Guild provided all the treatment they could. They also can’t forgive themselves for the disgraceful display they put on, so they desperately want to participate.”
“Muse would think that way.”
Muse is the female G-rank Order from the High Ogre who was escorting Yuri, her real name is Muse Couvel.
She’s not a noble, but a commoner with a level of 52. It’s said she’ll become an Order’s Master of some city in the near future.
However, she seems to be stubbornly competitive. Being caught off guard by Saches and his group and incapacitated without being able to retaliate has made her unable to forgive herself. Her participation in this Alliance also serves as a way to retrain her inadequate self.
Incidentally, she is 25 years old and single. She’s not even considering marriage, let alone being a single mother.
“Does that mean they will be under the command of Feel’s Order’s Guild?”
“That’s fine. Rather, if they are to command others, they prefer to wield a sword.”
What kind of muscle-brained thinking is that?
She’s said to be close to an Order’s Master, but isn’t that a problem in itself?
“Of course, as a G-rank Order, she can command. It’s just not suited to her personality.”
Yuri is trying to cover for her, but it doesn’t feel like a cover at all. Is it just me?
Well, fine.
“More combat power is certainly welcome for us. Speaking of which, the Hunter’s leader is Faris, but who is leading the Orders?”
“It will be the Order’s Master. At the same time, he will also serve as the Alliance Leader.”
An Order’s Master participating? Is that really okay?
“The Order’s Guild is also an organization for times like these. That’s why it’s a rule that an Order’s Master or Sub-Order’s Master must participate. Of course, both can’t participate, so Rosemary will remain with Feel.”
That’s right.
It’s a national crisis, so it’s natural for Orders to participate. It was never the case that only Order’s Masters were exempt.
“It’s tough being an Order, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Even an Outside Order like myself would likely be called upon if I were High Class.”
Rather, it’s precisely because I’m an Outside Order that we should cooperate in times of emergency.
As we discussed up to that point, there was a knock on the drawing-room door, and Myun entered.
“Excuse me. Marquis Frederica, have you finished your discussion?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, we have. I will speak with Count Sofia and Viscount Archlight later. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you show them in?”
“Understood. Also, the Order’s Master has arrived together with the High Order, H.R.H. Yuriana’s Escort Order, who will be participating in the Alliance.”
“Please show them in as well.”
I thought it was early, but when I looked at the clock, it was 4:30.
Time had passed more than I thought.
Yuri’s escort is currently dispatched from Feel’s Order’s Guild. The original escort is staying in the dormitories within the Order’s Guild headquarters for medical treatment.
Dispatches of Orders happen quite often, so the Order’s Guild is designed with lodging facilities for such cases, so Orders don’t have to worry about finding accommodations.
It’s quite different from Hunters, but since it’s a national institution, it’s natural for them to have such things.
“Excuse me. I heard from Myun that the Order’s Guild has arrived?”
Immediately after Myun left, Count Sofia and Viscount Archlight returned.
I’m curious where they were, but since they are both Provincial Governors, they will have to explain what happened with Marquis Frederica later.
“Yes. They will be brought here shortly.”
“It’s earlier than expected, but did something happen?”
“Probably, but I suspect Muse hurried them.”
Orders are punctual and never late, but they don’t usually arrive early either.
Of course, being 5 or 10 minutes early is normal, but arriving 30 minutes early makes one suspect something has happened.
Moreover, the moment the Order member named Muse was mentioned, did Count Sofia and Viscount Archlight both show expressions of great understanding?
“It can’t be helped. If Muse hadn’t insisted, my escort likely wouldn’t have joined the Alliance.”
Yuri’s wry smile suggests it’s that much of a problem. Even if they were caught off guard, they couldn’t do anything. I understand feeling inadequate, but Yuri was unharmed and their life was saved.
Since they were able to return to their Order without any sequelae, I think it’s fine to consider it good enough.
“There are probably some Orders who think that way, and I don’t think that’s wrong, but expecting that from Muse is impossible.”
“Right. Besides, if it’s Muse, she’d probably challenge Yamato or Prim to a duel.”
I feel like I just heard something I shouldn’t have from Yuri and Ludia.
Could it be that Muse is a battle junkie or something?
“In the sense of stoically seeking strength, perhaps. Well, she’s a High Ogre, so she’s tall, and because of that, she’s incredibly imposing. Perhaps that’s the reason why men run away, and the result of that.”
At that moment, the door was knocked on again, and the door opened immediately.
“Don’t you worry about me, Lydia.”
“I-I’m sorry!!”
It’s indeed like a demon has appeared.
Lydia is also at fault, but the timing was terrible.
Also, as expected of an Ogre, she’s tall. She’s almost 10cm taller than me.
“It’s fine. In fact, many of the men I apprehend turn pale and shrink away when I appear, and that’s the truth…”
This High Ogre, who seemed taller than Yamato, suddenly appeared small.
Or rather, isn’t she clearly sulking?
“Even though she looks like this, Muse is sensitive. However, she doesn’t really care that much. After all, there’s only one man Muse wants to win over, now and always.”
“Faris!!”
Was she hiding behind Muse? It seemed like Faris and the Holy Grave had also arrived.
And, are Faris and Muse acquaintances?
“I hadn’t heard that the Holy Grave had arrived?”
“I apologize. They arrived while I was guiding the Order’s Guild members, so I decided to guide them together.”
“That’s fine. The sooner the better. Now, where is the Guild Master?”
I thought so, but soon the Guild Masters also arrived.
Now everyone is here.
“Faris, were you acquainted with Muse?”
“Well, we’re based in the Royal Capital. We also interact with the Order’s Guild Headquarters, and Muse is close in age and level, so we get along quite well.”
“While you say that, you got married before me.”
“That’s her own freedom, isn’t it?”
The exchange between Muse, who is nearly 180cm tall, and Faris, who is only about 120cm tall, looks like an adult and a child from the sidelines.
There are several points to retort, but we’re not gathered for small talk, and since everyone has arrived, someone should stop them soon.
“That’s enough, Faris. We’re not here to rekindle old friendships.”
“You too, Muse. If you want to reminisce, please do it after we’re done talking.”
Faris’s husband, Cliff, and Order’s Master Rex intervened to mediate.
He’s her husband and her superior, so it’s natural that they would stop immediately since it’s an important discussion and they aren’t arguing seriously.
“Good point.”
“I apologize, Order’s Master.”
“Then, although we still have some time, since everyone is here, I would like to discuss tomorrow’s Alliance.”
Marquis Frederica acted as the moderator, and the discussion about the Alliance began.
“First, regarding the participants, the Hunters are Faris of the Holy Grave as leader, with Cliff, Burks, Salina, and Clarice. From Wing Crest, it’s Yamato and Primrose. A total of 7 people.”
“From the Order’s Guild, there are Gram, Cardina, Elena, Iris, and myself, Rex, for a total of 5 people, and I will serve as the leader. Sub-Order’s Master Rosemary will be in charge of guarding Feel. Also, H.R.H. Yuriana’s Escort Order, Muse, Riala, and Dart, a total of 3 people, wish to participate.”
That’s 15 people in total.
Yuri’s escort has 3 participants, but the remaining High Class member is either severely injured or staying behind at Feel as a precaution.
I suspect it’s the latter.
“The number of participants in the Alliance is small, but considering there are two Ancient Class individuals, the combat power is sufficient.”
“Indeed. Although, in the past, Ancient Class individuals rarely joined Alliances unless absolutely necessary.”
Viscount Archlight nodded, and Healer’s Master Safia chimed in.
Past Alliances were almost always composed solely of High Class members.
Rarely, Grand Hunter’s Masters participated, but since there was only one Ancient Class, the Grand Hunter’s Master, it was difficult to request their services frequently. Moreover, because of what happened with Solremne, Alegria was hesitant.
However, this time, since both I and Yamato have evolved into Ancient Class, I think we can say that our combat power is superior to an Alliance composed of many High Class members.
I’ve also heard that Retisencia’s High Hunter only caused chaos and wasn’t very helpful.
“That’s true, but it can’t be helped. Even if the Grand Hunter’s Master is an Ancient Ulfy, there’s only one of them.”
“Besides, they are elderly, so we can’t overexert them.”
Crafter’s Master Laberna and Butler Master Orkis also fully understand the reasons why the Grand Hunter’s Master cannot participate in the Alliance.
In fact, at nearly 200 years old, the Grand Hunter’s Master is not participating this time either.
“However, both Yamato and Prim are capable of independently hunting Catastrophe Species, and they recently took down a Catastrophe Species with just the two of them, so we won’t have to rush to evacuate.”
When Trader’s Master Mikasa said that, everyone nodded vigorously.
No, Faris, Rex, and Muse shouldn’t be nodding too.
You’re participants too.
“You look like you have something to say, but you’ve accomplished quite a bit, haven’t you? And you’ve only been in Feel for less than a month, yet you’ve evolved into Ancient Class. It’s unreasonable to expect common sense from such people.”
Hunter’s Master Linus says harsh things, but it’s painful that there’s nothing to deny.
“Give up. Regarding the command structure, this time the Hunters, the Order’s Guild – Feel Branch, and the Headquarters will participate. However, the Order from Headquarters has agreed to be under the command of the Feel Branch. Therefore, according to regulations, the Alliance Leader will be the Order’s Master.”
“Though I am of little talent, I will do my utmost to fulfill this duty.”
If it were just Hunters, Faris would have been the clear leader, but with Orders participating, the Hunter’s Guild regulations stipulate that an Order serves as leader.
Hunters usually have the highest-level person as leader, but in that case, it could be a Hunter from another country.
In such situations, judging the circumstances becomes difficult, and they might retreat with even minor casualties. Therefore, it’s better for the Knights or the military to lead, not just the Order’s Guild.
The Knights, the military, and of course the Order’s Guild are national institutions, so retreating with minor casualties is out of the question.
However, the fact that Faris is the Hunter’s leader doesn’t change.
“Next is the target. The Holy Grave witnessed an Orc King, an Orc Queen, and an Orc Princess. However, the Orc Princess was successfully vanquished, and I heard the corpse was handed over to the Hunter’s Guild. Is this true, Lord Linus?”
“We have confirmed the questing, so there is no mistake. According to the report, the encounter with the Princess was close to an ambush, but fortunately, it was at a distance from the appearance location of the King and Queen, so the corpse was able to be recovered after the vanquishing.”
I’ve heard about this already, but since this meeting was seemingly set up to defeat the King and Queen, confirmation is essential.
There were no other normal Orcs, and there were many high-ranking Grand Orcs, as well as rare Giant Orcs, so the difficulty of vanquishing them is quite high.
“Regarding that matter, the Crafter’s Master also has a report. Laberna, please.”
“Ah. I believe everyone here is aware, but the Crafter’s Guild has recently introduced new technology. Unification will proceed after reporting to the Grand Crafter’s Master, but fortunately, we have the developer and proposer in Feel, and we cannot ignore a situation like this. So, with both their permission, we have forged swords for the High Order using that technology, the Alloy.”
Laberna’s declaration caused a murmur among the Orders.
Especially the five High Orders from Feel must have heard rumors, so their astonishment was far from ordinary.
“I apologize, Crafter’s Master. We have only been in Feel for a short time, so we are not familiar with how capable this Alloy technology is.”
Conversely, Yuriana’s Escort Order had not heard the rumors about the Alloy.
However, once they hear what it is, they will surely be surprised.
“I would like to explain, but since the proposer is present, it would be best to have him explain.”
Saying that, Laberna turned the floor over to Yamato.
Yamato had a look of surprise, as if he hadn’t heard about this, but there’s nothing he can do about it now. Besides, if Yamato hadn’t proposed it, the Alloy wouldn’t exist, so this is unavoidable.
“Uh, Alloy is a technique from my world where different metals are mixed together. Its performance increases significantly, making even iron quite sturdy.”
Muse and the others already know that Yamato is a guest.
So they weren’t surprised by that part, but hearing a rough explanation of the Alloy, they were indeed surprised.
“S-so, the Alloy you proposed has performance that is one step above Magic Silver?”
“It does. I named it Jade Silver. I believe its Magic Strength is 7, Hardness is 7, and Magic Conductivity is 8. And the weight wasn’t that different from Magic Silver, was it?”
“Wh-what!?”
When specific numbers were given, Provincial Governors and Guild Masters were also surprised. But come to think of it, only Laberna knew the specific numbers.
“Y-you mean, you forged swords for us High Orders using this Alloy called Jade Silver?”
“Yes. We’ve requested evaluation from the Holy Grave, and Wing Crest already uses it as the proposer. However, the Orders’ current weapons are still Magic Silver, so we had to judge that there would be a concern for combat power.”
Laberna added an explanation to Rex, who was surprised.
The skills of the Orders are not the problem, but their weapons cannot withstand the strain, so they have to suppress their Magic Power.
However, in such a state, they cannot unleash their full power and conversely become a large opening. Therefore, strengthening their weapons was essential.
If we could be greedy, we would have wanted to update their shields and armor as well, but time was simply insufficient, so we’ll have to ask for forgiveness on that front.
“Since there wasn’t enough time this time, it’s comparable to just shaping them into swords. However, once it’s officially announced, I believe it will be preferentially provided to the Order’s Guild.”
Due to the Retisencia issue, this is unavoidable.
“That… would be a great help. Even just using them for training, they would become unusable within a few months.”
“B-but, while I understand that the Jade Silver Alloy is amazing, what is the actual feeling of using it?”
Rex seems relieved, but Muse seems concerned about the usability.
Is this the difference between an Order’s Master and a battle junkie?
I can understand the feeling, though.
“I’ve heard that even when the two Ancient Class members vanquished a Catastrophe Species, there were no issues. That’s right?”
“There were no issues.”
“I can flow Magic Power normally.”
We use Lapis Laz, but when we defeated the Catastrophe Species Abyss Taurus, we were using prototype weapons made of Jade Silver, so it’s not wrong.
“Faris, what about your group?”
“It’s not just ‘no issues.’ If we didn’t have these weapons, defeating the Orc Princess would have been difficult, not to mention escaping.”
The report said similar things.
They could have escaped, but someone might have been sacrificed. This means that weapons that can be used to their fullest without worrying about Magic Power fatigue or degradation allow users to expend Magic Power that High Class members unconsciously suppressed, thus significantly strengthening their combat power.
High-rank monsters cannot be solo-vanquished even by High Class individuals.
However, Yamato speculates that the reason for this lies in their weapons.
Because they cannot channel Magic Power to their weapons with full force, the enhancement through Mana Ring is also reduced by one Rank, possibly even two or more Ranks, leading to a lack of attack power. For the same reason, defensive power is also reduced.
Although I haven’t actually used the Lapis Laz weapons Scarlet Wing and Azure Silver Sword – Pale Green, I have used the prototype weapons made of Jade Silver many times, so I can somewhat understand what Yamato means.
I have a feeling that his speculation might be correct.
