The unexpected visit from the Grand Crafter’s Master surprised me, but I was able to report on the alloy without issue, and Ed was able to announce his marriage.
Though, the announcement of my marriage felt a bit rushed.
Still, Marina was happy about my marriage to Fiana, so I suppose it turned out for the best.
However, that Grand Crafter’s Master hasn’t returned to the Crafter’s Guild headquarters yet.
I’ve prepared about ten alloys each for presentation to His Majesty, but he’s been eyeing the Lapis Lazuli alloy among them with keen interest.
I have no intention of publicizing it, so its creation method is a top secret. Yet, he claims he wants to use it precisely because it’s secret.
He’s a crafter, and a Dwarf at that, so I can understand his feelings. But we’re offering all our stock of Lapis Lazuli for the presentation, so there’s none left.
Since the Grand Crafter’s Master is His Majesty’s senior disciple, all I can say is, “Do your best to persuade your junior disciple.”
With that, I finished lunch and it was time for my audience with His Majesty.
Normally, I would be led to the Audience Chamber, a grand hall with a throne used for audiences with diplomatic envoys or for awarding honors. However, that’s for tomorrow’s ceremony. This time, I’m being escorted to a reception room.
It’s for the report, and more importantly, for the arrangements for tomorrow’s ceremony. But is it really okay to meet a first-time hunter in a place like this?
The answer to such questions, from the Princes and Princesses, was that it doesn’t matter where we have the audience when there’s someone plotting to assassinate His Majesty.
“I would never do such a thing!?”
Also, High Class individuals can use Storage, so they don’t have to entrust their weapons.
After all, High Class individuals normally store nearly ten weapons, including spares, in their storage, so entrusting them is not practical.
Instead, the Royal Order is said to be providing tight security for His Majesty.
“Thank you for coming. I am Iver Rey Amister, King of the Amister Kingdom. You have my gratitude for preventing the invasion of Feel. As King, I thank you.”
As soon as I entered the reception room, Emperor Iver, who was waiting at the head of the room, spoke.
As expected of a king, he did not bow, but I would have been troubled if he had.
“It has been a while, Ed, Marina. I heard you’ve married the Harpy girl as well. First, allow me to offer my congratulations.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
“Th-thank you vewy much!”
Fiana is meeting His Majesty for the first time, so she’s more stiff than the Princes and Princesses were earlier.
“And, thank you for arriving in Amister safely. We welcome you, Madam Apricot and Primrose.”
“We are honored, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for accepting us.”
We were told they were ready to accept us, but until we actually heard it, we couldn’t be at ease. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to provoke an Ancient Foxy, I presume.
“Then please be seated.”
“We are honored.”
We who were invited to this place are us of Wing Crest, Marquis Frederica, Madam Apricot, and Rex, the Order’s Master of Feel. However, surrounding His Majesty are not only Grand Order’s Masters and Associate Order’s Masters, but also the Royal Order.
“Dianos, you should sit as well.”
“B-but…”
“Your son and daughter are seated there. If their father stands, they will not be at ease, will they?”
“I am honored. Then, I shall take my leave.”
With His Majesty’s permission, Dianos also took a seat next to His Majesty. On the other side, Prime Minister Lailana was already seated. Three Grand Masters were also seated near His Majesty. Is it good preparation or foresight that even the Grand Crafter’s Master, who arrived suddenly, has a seat?
“Before we begin, I will place the Royal Order under a pledge of secrecy. Any discussions held in this room are strictly forbidden to be revealed to anyone. Understand that this report is of the highest importance. If anyone divulges this information, they may, in the worst case, pay with their life. Do not forget this.”
Confidentiality is a given, but to be threatened with one’s life in some cases; isn’t that a bit too severe? No, considering the content, I can understand. However, the Royal Order saluted without changing their expression. What incredible training and loyalty.
Side: Yuriana
“First, Rex Fallheight, Order’s Master of Feel Branch, we received a report of an Alliance formed recently. Report its contents.”
“I report. The previous day, Holy Grave, on the request of H.R.H. Manalease, visited Feel. While conducting a reconnaissance-in-force attack on an Orc settlement in the Mylight Mountains, an An, Orc Princess, appeared. Though we struggled, we defeated it and recovered the corpse. However, immediately after, we confirmed the existence of a P-C Rank Monster, Orc King, and Orc Queen, so we immediately retreated and reported to the Feel Hunter’s Guild.”
When Rex finished his report, even the Royal Order voices their surprise. I can understand their feelings.
“Impossible… King and Queen simultaneously?”
“I heard it was successful… Well done…”
“To continue. Therefore, two Ancient Hunters and five High Hunters were selected from the Hunter’s Guild, and five High Orders, including myself, were selected from the Order’s Guild. At that time, three High Orders from H.R.H. Yuriana’s Escort Order also requested to participate, making it an Alliance of 15 in total. Furthermore, I served as the Alliance Leader according to regulations.”
If it hadn’t been for Muse, Riala, and Dart’s participation, there might have been casualties during the Orc Queen’s subjugation. This is a shared opinion among the participants, the provincial governors, and us.
“Two days after the report, we departed from Feel. The travel time to the location was slightly over 7 hours, so we camped midway before reaching the Orc settlement. Reconnaissance was conducted using the Hippogriff contracted by one of the Ancient Hunters.”
“A Hippogriff?”
“Yes. Those two over there contracted with a Hippogriff in the Mylight Mountains. Although, it was a slightly special situation, and that Hippogriff has evolved into a rare species.”
From what I’ve heard, it was indeed a special situation. They say they saved it from an Evil Drake’s attack, but ultimately, they couldn’t save the others besides the two they made into familiars.
“A rare Hippogriff, you say. No, I apologize. I shall hear more about that later. Please continue.”
“Yes. From aerial reconnaissance, we could not confirm the King or Queen, but we were able to grasp the terrain of the settlement, and based on that, we launched our assault at 11:30. At that time, we used a sword with new technology provided by the Crafter’s Guild, and I would like to add that we achieved unprecedented results.”
“This technology is related to the presence of the Grand Crafter’s Master here, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I will report on it later.”
“I am interested, but for now, let me hear the rest of your report.”
My father is a P-rank crafter, so it’s natural for him to be interested. The moment he heard “new technology,” his eyes shone.
“The inhabitants of the settlement were Grand Orcs and Giant Orcs, and thanks to the Crafter’s Guild, we were able to deal with them without much difficulty. However, about 10 minutes after our assault, an abnormal situation occurred. Two Orc Princes and five Orc Princesses appeared from a fortress in the center.”
“…What?”
“W-wait, Order’s Master. Didn’t you say there were King and Queen in that settlement?”
“Yes, Your Highness Reinhardt, that is correct.”
“And yet, two Princes and five Princesses…”
Reinhardt, who is also a hunter, Manalease, and even the Orders, all have looks of despair. However, I, and Rex and Iris who were at the scene, probably have rather awkward expressions. After all, Marquis Frederica and Wing Crest have very awkward expressions. Lord Yamato and Primrose, on the other hand, have awkward expressions for a different reason.
“This is a desperate situation, but… Rex, why do you and Iris have those expressions?”
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, how do we look?”
“Like a wry smile, or perhaps pity. What happened?”
“I will report that now, but everything I am about to report is the unvarnished truth. If you doubt me, I am willing to undergo interrogation by hearing from Iris here as well.”
Rex and Iris both stated that they would accept hearings anytime, as much as needed. They also said that without such resolve, they couldn’t make such a report that could be considered rude. But the fact that such resolve is necessary suggests a tremendous story.
“Wait, Rex. I don’t understand. While a hearing is not a mild thing, why are you saying this?”
Associate Order’s Master Dianos couldn’t help but interject, but my father also seemed surprised and didn’t try to stop him. It is unthinkable for an Order to declare they are willing to undergo a hearing unless something truly extraordinary happened.
“It is that unbelievable. When I received the report, I doubted my own sanity.”
“Marquis Frederica also says so…”
“I’m starting to get scared to hear it…”
“Indeed, it is that kind of content, brother, sister.”
I also know the entire content of the report, so I’ve given up on everything. I feel like I could achieve enlightenment right now.
“…Understood. Rex, please proceed.”
“Yes. The Orc Princes and Orc Princesses were immediately defeated by the two Ancient Hunters present, who attacked from the sky using fire and wind barrier magic. Furthermore, their Hippogriff familiars were providing support from above us, so they were not riding the Hippogriffs.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Seven abnormal species!? And you defeated them in an instant? Using fire and wind barrier magic? Are you serious?”
“That is correct, Grand Order’s Master.”
At that moment, Lord Yamato and Primrose were pierced by looks of disbelief. They are asking “why,” but this is the normal reaction.
“Seven abnormal species in an instant… And from the sky?”
“Indeed, one cannot be blamed for doubting their sanity…”
“We who were at the scene also couldn’t believe it.”
“At first, I couldn’t comprehend what had happened.”
“I suppose so…”
“I apologize for your surprise, but there is still more to the report.”
As Rex ruthlessly stated this, everyone, including my father, had their faces contorted.
“Th-there’s more?”
“To be blunt, this is just the beginning.”
“I apologize, but those from Feel would not be fazed by this much.”
As Rex says, this is just the beginning, and as Iris says, for the people of Feel, this is nothing new. In fact, once it was revealed that Lord Yamato and Primrose were the ones who did it, they immediately accepted it.
“What on earth were you doing in Feel?”
The sister’s question, along with everyone’s suspicious gaze, was again directed at Lord Yamato and Primrose. It’s natural to want to ask that, isn’t it?
“To think that such a report is just the beginning… I don’t want to hear it, but I suppose I have no choice.”
“Let’s prepare ourselves, Father.”
“Indeed. Please continue.”
“Yes. Afterward, they flew along the perimeter, continuing to defeat the Orcs. We could barely handle the individuals they missed, but even so, we succeeded in clearing the visible area within 30 minutes. However, we couldn’t find the Orc King or Orc Queen, so we moved as one toward the depths of the settlement.”
They reported that they expected one of them to appear if they kept defeating Orcs, and we also anticipated that. That anticipation, however, was proven wrong in the worst possible way.
“Behind the fortress at the deepest part, we discovered a large cave. Judging that they were inside, we threw wood into the cave, set it on fire, and used wind-attribute magic to send smoke in, intending to smoke out the Orcs. About five minutes later, as expected, the Orcs emerged. The breakdown was 8 Grand Orcs, 3 Giant Orcs, 2 Orc Kings, 3 Orc Queens, 1 Orc Emperor, and 1 Orc Empress.”
“…Excuse me, Rex, could you explain the breakdown again?”
My father wonders if his ears have gone bad. Rest assured, your body is perfectly healthy.
“Yes. The breakdown is 8 Grand Orcs, 3 Giant Orcs, 2 Orc Kings, 3 Orc Queens, 1 Orc Emperor, and 1 Orc Empress.”
Suddenly, there was a sound like something collapsing, and Prime Minister Lailana had fallen. Not only that, but Aerlis, one of Grand Crafter’s Master’s wives and Edward’s mother, a Fairy, has also collapsed. I was also on the verge of collapsing, and Marquis Frederica actually did. I understand how you feel.
“Wh-what is that…”
“Why… are they alive?”
The gazes directed at Rex and the others were as my brother’s words implied. When the enemy is a Demise Species, survivors are rare. Some of the Royal Order members present have experience participating in alliances, so they understand all too well how desperate this alliance was.
“To be honest, I didn’t think I would be able to return alive.”
“I feel the same. I mentally apologized to my husband and co-wives for not being able to return to Feel.”
Co-wives refers to wives who share the same husband. In fact, not only Iris but also Elena had done the same thing. Cardina was even considering a final charge while worrying about her daughter left in Feel and her newborn grandchild.
“That… I understand…”
“But you returned safely. What exactly happened?”
“Yes. Realizing we couldn’t escape, and to eliminate the danger to Feel even in the slightest, we decided to fight. However, Lord Yamato then made a proposal, and we were assigned to handle one of the Orc Queens.”
“Just one Queen? Even if those two are Ancient Hunters, isn’t that concentrating the forces too much?”
“Normally, you would be correct, H.R.H. Manalease. However, common sense does not apply to them.”
“You… stated that with certainty…”
Indeed, as Rex says.
“They said they would use a trump card, and to our surprise, Lord Yamato went for the Orc Emperor, and Primrose went for the Orc Empress. The Grand Orcs, Giant Orcs, Orc Kings, and Orc Queens they passed on their way were defeated.”
“Wait. What are you saying?”
“I don’t understand.”
It’s natural to think so. Even those who witnessed it directly at the scene reported not understanding.
“I understand your feelings, but it is as I say. As they ran through the Grand Orcs and Giant Orcs towards the Emperor and Empress, when we realized it, the P-C Rank Monsters, the Kings and Queens, had already died just like the Grand Orcs and Giant Orcs.”
For the umpteenth time, Lord Yamato and Primrose were pierced by looks as if they were something inhuman. Even we don’t fully understand this part yet.
“After that, we entered into combat with the remaining Orc Queens.”
The Orc Queen subjugation battle by the Orders and Holy Grave was a great success at the Feel presentation. The sense of realism and each person understanding their role and coordinating their actions, leading to the subjugation of an Orc Queen by only thirteen people, was bound to be exciting. The injuries and equipment damage also added to the realism.
“I see, so the new technology sword played a major role in the Orders’ and Holy Grave’s subjugation of the Orc Queen?”
“Yes. Frankly, I wished we had shields too, but we couldn’t be that greedy.”
“Your shielding caused magical exhaustion, and you couldn’t withstand the Queen’s attacks, causing it to break. However, in hindsight, it’s fortunate that it was only minor damage.”
“Indeed. It is said that most of them, including Muse, sustained injuries. The most severe was a fractured rib. Considering that, along with the broken shield, the fact they succeeded in subjugating a P-C Rank Monster with such minor damage is close to a miracle.”
Those who actually fought believe that the most. In the end, Iris is said to have run her through the heart, and Rex to have beheaded her. It’s hard to imagine that if even one person were missing, the outcome would have been different.
“It was a very engaging story, but what happened to the Emperor and Empress? Since you were all exhausted, it means you couldn’t contribute to the fight, right?”
As the sister said, the Orders and Holy Grave had exerted all their energy fighting the Queen, making further combat impossible. It was fortunate for the Alliance that it was after all the Orcs had been defeated, as they all mentioned.
“Regarding the Emperor and Empress, we were fighting the Orc Queens, so we did not witness everything. However, we witnessed the end, so our report will begin from there.”
It’s natural that they had no room to spare to worry about anything else while fighting the Orc Queens.
“That cannot be helped. But the end… Could it be that they defeated even the Demise Species?”
“Yes. They each individually defeated the Orc Emperor and the Orc Empress. Lord Yamato weakened the Orc Emperor to the point where he couldn’t even raise his arms, and then beheaded him. The Orc Empress was then pierced through by Primrose, who enveloped herself in flames.”
Everyone is speechless. Demise Species have never been subjugated before, yet here we have a successful subjugation, and by individuals at that. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they should have their sanity questioned, not just called ignorant or unconventional. In fact, Rex, who is giving this report, is prepared for that, including undergoing hearings.
“As a postscript, they judged the Emperor and Empress to be of the ‘W Rank’ alongside the King and Queen. Therefore, they decided they could manage to fight.”
Demise Species are O-A Rank, but even with a ‘W Rank’, they would be P-W Rank or higher. Consequently, there are absolutely zero, none, not even the slightest existence of hunters or orders who would think of defeating them individually. They look like they don’t want to reveal this, but an explanation for why they attacked the Emperor and Empress is necessary, so this is unavoidable. We ourselves never imagined they would attack for such a reason.
“At the Feel presentation, due to instructions from the provincial governor who deemed there to be various issues, the existence of Demise Species and abnormal species was concealed, and only one King and one Queen were mentioned. It was explained that the Queen was defeated by us, and the King by those two.”
Considering their achievements, this is an understatement by a long shot. They rethought the battle for the presentation, even though they defeated the King so easily. Even so, it’s still considered extraordinary for two people to have defeated a P-C Rank Monster. The people of Feel, however, were not surprised at all. Given everything that has happened, this is only natural.
