Side Mana
Rau’s family name was decided, and it was decided that it would be conveyed at Arca tonight, but while we were talking about it, Torencia’s party ascended to Amagi Castle.
Since it was a formal visit and there were many people, we initially decided to meet in the Audience Chamber. We changed into dresses and headed to the Audience Chamber.
Yamato wore the Arc Order’s Coat, and we were all in dresses. However, since we were the ones welcoming them, we were to stand a little distance from the throne.
We had come in Hunter gear, but thanks to Ee-quipping, we could change in an instant, which was a great help as it saved us time on preparations.
Also, naturally, my brother was on the throne, with my sisters-in-law Elis and Maruca, all dolled up, standing on either side.
Furthermore, Sayuri Grandmother is also attending this time.
“Thank you for coming from so far away. Please make yourselves comfortable.”
“Thank you. Emperor Reinhardt, congratulations on your enthronement.”
The first to raise her face and stand up was a woman of Vampire, clad in a gorgeous dress.
This woman, with beautiful silver hair reaching her waist, tinged with a slight purple hue, a refined yet cute face, and skin that was slightly bluish but still translucent, was Queen Hildegard Minato Torencia of Torencia.
To Prim and me, she was a High Vampire who was like a real sister.
“I accept your congratulatory remarks. However, although I have inherited the throne, my formal coronation ceremony has not yet taken place.”
Since my brother inherited the throne, I and Yuri have become Queen’s Younger Sisters. However, as the coronation ceremony has not yet taken place, our father, who is also the acting king, holds the crown.
Therefore, although my brother has been enthroned, he has not yet received the crown, so he is not officially the king.
Thus, it will only be after my brother completes his coronation ceremony that I and Yuri will be called Queen’s Younger Sisters.
It is scheduled, but Yuri will likely join the Wing Crest after the coronation ceremony is over.
I have renounced my Succession Rights; rather, I have significantly lowered my succession ranking, but I have been told that I will regain them once the coronation ceremony is completed.
My brother intends to change the rule that Royalty cannot join the Union.
Of course, it is impossible for kings and queens.
“I have heard. The coronation ceremony is in the spring. I would very much like to attend.”
“You are welcome to attend anytime, of course, but is Solemnne alright?”
“I can only answer with ‘perhaps.’ However, this is a Torencia issue, so Your Majesty does not need to worry about it. I am simply grateful for your concern.”
Queen Hilde of Torencia acts like a vassal when interacting with my brother.
This is not only true for Hilde, but all previous Queens of Torencia have been like this.
Torencia is the most friendly nation with Amister, but the first Queen, Eliel Minato Torencia, was from Amister. She and her husband, Kazushi Minato Torencia, went to the former Aura Island and founded Torencia. Due to this history, the successive Torencia Royal Families treat the Amister Royal Family as their head family.
“Understood. Then, let’s dispense with the stiff greetings. Welcome, Hilde. It must have been difficult, but I welcome you again.”
“Thank you, Brother Rai.”
With my brother’s words, Hilde also shed her queen’s mask.
They are both heirs to the throne, so naturally, they are close with my brother, and also with Yuri. Both of them dislike overly stiff atmospheres, so the initial exchange was just a formality.
The military and civil officials, and the Butler accompanying her, are all accustomed to this.
Since it is a formal visit, over ten people have come.
“My companions, thank you for your hardship in coming from afar. Rooms have been prepared for you. Please rest and recover from your journey.”
There is still time until the banquet, and this is also standard procedure.
It is customary for visitors from Torencia to have baths prepared in addition to rooms, where they can wash away their fatigue before the banquet.
“Associate Order’s Master, please guide them.”
“Yes. This way, please.”
Led by Dianos, Mina’s father and the Associate Order’s Master, we left the Audience Chamber, except for Mirei, the Butler accompanying Hilde.
“Shall we move as well?”
“Yes.”
This is also as usual.
When the Torencia Royal Family visits, we have a brief greeting in the Audience Chamber, and then move to the Royal Salon to continue our conversation, so the real event is about to begin.
We, followed by my brother, and Hilde, accompanied by Mirei, moved to the Salon.
“Brother Rai, congratulations again on your enthronement.”
“Thank you. Well, it was sudden, and with everything that happened, it was unavoidable.”
My brother says so with a wry smile, but it was indeed a forced and unavoidable enthronement.
“Speaking of which, Hilde, this visit is not just to offer me congratulations, is it?”
“As you say, that is secondary. Upon learning of Mana’s marriage, Yuri’s engagement, and Prim’s survival, I intended to come to Amister immediately. However, due to my position and circumstances, it has finally come to this.”
Hilde then turned her gaze towards me, Yuri, and Prim, and smiled.
“And you are the husband of Prim and Mana, and Yuri’s fiancé?”
“Ah, yes. Yamato Hydrangea Mikami.”
“I am Hildegard Minato Torencia. Please to meet you, Lord Yamato.”
Hilde stood up, grasped the hem of her skirt with both hands, and bowed gracefully.
“Ah, h-yes! Likewise!”
Yamato also hurriedly stood up and bowed his head, but it was a greeting utterly lacking in politeness. Perhaps it was due to the suddenness, but it was unusual for the polite Yamato.
“It would be rude to interrupt your reunion, but please tell me this: I heard that Solemnne’s invasion had been prolonged. What happened?”
My brother’s expression carried a hint of apology, but we are also concerned about Solemnne.
It’s not simply that the sea froze later, or earlier than expected, but in this case, it doesn’t apply.
After all, Solemnne had retreated once.
“I understand, I will tell you. You know that the Solemnne Army does not use magic but enhances their physical strength, don’t you?”
“Ah, since Solemnne has abolished the Guilds, they cannot use Inn magic.”
There are no Guilds within Solemnne. There used to be, but the previous emperor expelled them.
The first target was the Priests’ Guild. They unilaterally judged religion as weak, and without even issuing an eviction notice, they massacred the priests within the country and destroyed the Priests’ Guild entirely.
In anger at this unilateral massacre, the various Guilds withdrew all at once, thus Solemnne became devoid of Guilds and simultaneously lost the ability to use Inn magic.
Though it became inconvenient to lose the ability to use Inn magic, they instead promoted it as liberation to enhance national prestige, declared unification of the Philia Continent, and began invading other countries, manipulating public sentiment.
Libertà was the first to declare war, but after Kazushi and Eliel passed away, they also declared war on Torencia.
Even though they were saved from national crisis by an Alliance centered around Kazushi and Eliel while the Guilds were still present, they immediately turned their backs on them upon their deaths and began invading their respective mother countries. They are truly a despicable nation.
“Yes. Therefore, it can be said that the Saber’s Guild has repelled Solemnne. However, this time, while the initial retreat was no different from before, their subsequent invasion resulted in significant damage to the Saber’s Guild. The reason for this is due to a new weapon developed by Solemnne.”
Solemnne developed a new weapon, and the Saber’s Guild suffered heavy damage?
The Saber’s Guild is a knightly order that is no less than the Order’s Guild, and they fought on the front lines during Solemnne’s invasion, and never allowed them to land on Aura Island, have they?
“A new weapon from Solemnne? What kind of weapon is it?”
“I have only received reports, but it seems to be a weapon that fires metal packed into a large tube using magic.”
Metal packed into a tube and fired with magic?
Solemnne can use attribute magic, so I assume “magic” refers to that, but what do tubes and metal mean?
“I thought I wouldn’t see it, but was it not developed in the first place?”
“It seems so. Well, I don’t know the principles or structure, nor was I interested.”
Everyone was puzzled by the new weapon Hilde mentioned, not just me, but Yamato and Sayuri Grandmother seemed to understand.
“Regarding Solemnne’s new weapon, it’s not particularly rare in our world; in fact, it’s quite common. However, unlike the Helios Orb, it doesn’t involve magic or evolution, so it would be difficult to use with the Helios Orb.”
“I-is that so?”
“Although it is said to be a new weapon, if there is magic, there are many ways to counter it. That weapon, called a cannon, I know the principle to some extent.”
I never imagined that something so common in a guest’s world would be here.
“Cannon? What kind of weapon is it?”
For Hilde, who has already suffered damage, she probably didn’t expect to get information here.
However, it will undoubtedly be useful information, and it is not difficult to imagine being able to counter Solemnne, so she has a very serious expression.
“Well, you know what a catapult is, don’t you?”
“Yes. It is essential when dealing with giant monsters.”
“Simply put, it’s a powerful catapult. Instead of stones, it fires lumps of metal. I don’t know the principle, so I can’t explain it in detail, but its power and range are incomparable to a catapult. Am I right, Yamato?”
“That’s generally the understanding. To add, if the metal lump is specially treated, the damage at the point of impact can be greatly increased.”
What is that? I can’t imagine what it is at all!
“You saw something similar in the Instant Labyrinth, didn’t you, Your Majesty and the others?”
“In the Instant Labyrinth? Could it be the mithril colossus’s magic silver bullets?”
“Correct. You can think of it as trying to replicate that with human hands.”
Ah, that.
You mean, trying to replicate that!? Not even the excellent Saber’s Guild could avoid causing significant damage!
Well, there are two exceptions here, but!
“Probably, by firing a large metal lump, they intend to crush even High Class monsters. Adamantine Steel, even if the same size, would be more than twice as heavy. With the force of firing and gravity added, even a High Class monster would be crushed if hit head-on, and even a giant monster would take massive damage. Queen Hildegard, do you know how large that metal is?”
“T-I’m sorry, but not that much…”
“No, no, please don’t worry about it.”
“Indeed. If we go to Torencia, we will likely be able to find that metal lump. Once we find it, it won’t be difficult to devise countermeasures.”
Yamato and Sayuri Grandmother casually reveal the details of Solemnne’s new weapon, but is the guest’s world really that extraordinary?
“Rather than extraordinary, in our world, this weapon is long obsolete.”
“It is still in use, but it has undergone successive modifications, making it a completely different thing.”
“I-is that so… Solemnne’s new weapon is obsolete in the guest’s world…”
Hilde looks dejected, but let’s think of it the other way around.
It’s precisely because the guests are here that the details were easily revealed.
“Sayuri-sama, Yamato-sama, I apologize for the trouble, but could you please explain the same to my companions?”
“Understood.”
“That would be best. Rai, you come too. Countermeasures for the cannon should also be prepared for Amister.”
“That is my intention.”
The fact that Solemnne developed a new weapon similar to the magic silver bullets of the mithril colossus was certainly unexpected.
However, Yamato and Sayuri Grandmother do not look overly concerned, and countermeasures seem to be coming to mind.
“Could you briefly tell us the countermeasures?”
“Certainly. That cannon requires something like a ship to operate. Moreover, a small ship would likely sink due to the recoil, so I believe a ship of at least 30 meters in size would be necessary.”
The possibility of a small ship sinking implies an incredible recoil.
“Perhaps they are loading a considerable number of cannons onto a single ship, but conversely, if that ship sinks, the cannons will be rendered useless all at once. Of course, this is difficult, and it will take a lot of effort, but since the ship is likely made of wood, it may not be entirely unrealistic.”
Sinking the ship, yes, that’s true.
Since Solemnne cannot use Inn magic, they cannot use Supplication Magic storage either.
Even if they could, the cannon would have to be completely fixed to the ship, otherwise, it would move due to recoil, making it difficult to move.
Therefore, it is mounted on the ship, but this is conversely a weakness.
Undines who have deactivated their humanization magic, and water dragons such as Dragonewts and Dragonians, are said to be good swimmers and can breathe underwater. Yamato and Sayuri Grandmother say we should approach from underwater and sink the ship, but that would be difficult unless one is a High Class monster.
“Also, Solemnne’s cannon is likely the very first model, so it has a fatal weakness. However, if you do that, sinking the ship would be easier.”
“Since it is ignited by magic, it may be a fatal weakness for the Helios Orb, but it’s questionable.”
“Is that so?”
“Ah. The cannon fires a cannonball using fire, and it becomes unusable if it gets wet. However, that’s from Earth, and from a very ancient time, so it’s hard to say how it would be with the Helios Orb without seeing the actual thing.”
The idea that a cannon becomes unusable when doused with water leads one to think of dousing it with water. The problem is, how to douse it when the cannon is loaded onto an enemy ship.
If it were raining, it would be another story, but otherwise, one would have to board the enemy ship.
However, to board the enemy ship, one must first deal with the cannon, so sinking the ship is indeed easier.
It was decided that the details should be conveyed quickly, so Hilde’s escorts, the Grand Order’s Master, and the Associate Order’s Master were summoned to the Audience Chamber. However, after hearing the stories of Yamato and Sayuri Grandmother, everyone turned pale.
Of course, an attack equivalent to that of an A-C rank monster is nothing short of a nightmare.
However, after learning from Yamato and Sayuri Grandmother’s explanation that it is not actually that powerful, they visibly showed relief, and gratitude appeared on their faces as the countermeasures were conveyed.
The plan to sink enemy ships by advancing underwater was met with mixed reactions, but the possibility that Knight Magic Shielding or Barrier magic could defend against it was also interesting to me.
Of course, they said they couldn’t be sure if it was possible without seeing the actual projectile, but whether it’s defending with Shielding or Barrier magic, or sinking ships from underwater, it’s not impossible for High Class monsters, so it’s not entirely unrealistic.
It was also conveyed that my companions and I would provide transportation when Hilde and her group returned to Torencia, so we will confirm it then.
