The next morning, as I was sleeping in the futon room of an inn called “Virgin Mary’s Prayer” in Kamyian, the former capital of the Kamiyar Holy Nation, Freya came to wake me.
“Excuse me. Hal-sama, are you awake?”
“Good morning, Freya. You, who are usually weak in the mornings, coming to wake me… I hope nothing bad has happened…”
“That’s harsh, Hal-sama. Besides, I was up all night nursing Liliana.”
“Oh, right. It seems I was still half asleep. So, what happened?”
“Yes, Liliana has woken up, so I came to report.”
“Thank you, Freya.”
I got up, still wearing the yukata, the sleeping attire prepared by the inn, and entered the adjoining women’s room.
It was still early morning, so Elise, Kirika, and Swan Hilda were asleep, but Mai, who was sensitive to her surroundings, was awake and staring intently at Liliana by her pillow.
“Liliana, you seem to have woken up safely. Are you in any pain anywhere?”
“N-Master!? …Why…? Why am I alive??”
Liliana, who had woken from her comatose state due to “Resurrection Magic,” asked me, blinking her deep blue eyes, bluer than the sea.
As far as Liliana was concerned, I was just her first customer as Lilia, the “Rose.” I briefly explained the circumstances.
“I… I was a ‘Killing Doll’ No. 49, a living hidden weapon…”
“It’s alright, Liliana. The curse has been lifted from the hidden weapon and the various ‘Seal Magic’ you were modified with as a ‘Killing Doll.’ And it’s as if I’ve redeemed you from the high-class brothel ‘Drop of Rose’ as well.”
“…And now I’ve become Hal-sama’s ‘Level 2 Slave,’ the slave trader…”
“That’s not quite right. Liliana isn’t a formal ‘Level 2 Slave’; she’s an illegal slave bound by my personal ‘Slave Contract Magic.’ In reality, she’ll just be joining the adventurer party ‘Princess Harem,’ and the other girls around are in the same situation. Do they look like slaves to you?”
“…So, I’ve really been saved?”
“I can guarantee that.”
“…Ugh… Waaaaaa… aa…”
Liliana collapsed and started crying.
Her crying seemed to wake Elise and the others.
“Hal-sama, making a lady cry is unacceptable.”
“I agree with her, wholeheartedly…”
“Well, she just woke up, so it can’t be helped, right?”
Elise scolded me for making Liliana cry, Kirika, as if relating her own experience, agreed with Elise, and Swan Hilda, considering my circumstances, showed understanding.
Meanwhile, Mai, who was sitting by Liliana’s pillow, had a perplexed expression, and Freya, perhaps tired from staying up all night, had already drifted off to dreamland.
As time passed, Liliana seemed to have calmed down and stopped crying.
“Liliana, I am Elise Lisha Umb Portland. I am the vice-captain of ‘Princess Harem’ and a user of offensive and space magic.”
“Could it be… Elise-sama is royalty?”
“Former princess, actually. Many former royalty are in ‘Princess Harem,’ and your acquaintance, former Imperial Princess Lyushenne, is also a member.”
“Lyushenne-sama too… But she’s not in this room?”
“On this trip, Lyushenne became the one to stay behind, so she is at our base mansion on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital Granza of the Espana Imperial Kingdom.”
“Is that so! To meet Lyushenne-sama again… I’m so happy.”
“It seems the conversation has stalled… I am Kirika Turyuka Kamiyar. I am a summoner here.”
“I’m Swan Hilda. A swordswoman, for what it’s worth?”
“…Mai… is my name. …Nice to meet you.”
“This Mai was also formerly a ‘Killing Doll’ and serves as a scout here.”
Elise, as the vice-captain of “Princess Harem,” added the explanation.
“And the one sleeping over there is Freya Diva Banadis, who is in charge of household chores.”
Elise continued, introducing Freya, who had fallen asleep after staying up all night.
“What is going on? You’re suddenly throwing around names of royalty like they’re cheap!”
Liliana’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I told you so. By the way, the ones staying behind are Edele, Dietlinde Tinde Tintaal, Tirnan Lian von Tuser, and Lyushenne Silveria Wahl.”
“I am Liliana Emilia Yangas. Please be acquainted with me from now on.”
As the members of “Princess Harem” introduced themselves, and the astonishing names of former royalty and former imperial royalty continued, Liliana, with a somewhat tense expression, straightened her posture and greeted them.
“Liliana, to officially join ‘Princess Harem,’ there is a difficult ritual called ‘Quality Check’ as an initiation rite. We will perform that when we return to the base mansion. I expect Liliana will pass the ritual safely.”
“Yes, Elise-sama, I, Liliana, will respectfully accept it.”
Finally, Elise, with a smirk, mentioned the “Quality Check.”
As expected of Elise, so true to her desires, I thought, impressed.
After that, we left the inn “Virgin Mary’s Prayer,” while hiding Liliana, who had been staying illegally, and set off with our new companion, Liliana, for the Old Kingdom of Sazania, which belongs to the Southern Nations.
Incidentally, Liliana’s outfit, a hooded robe and a mask modeled after a Valkyrie, were easily obtained.
As expected of a former religious nation, there was a temple of the Asgard Holy Church, which was well-maintained.
The road from the Old Kamiyar Holy Nation to the Old Kingdom of Sazania continued as a gentle plain, a vast grain-producing region where cereals such as wheat, rice, millet, barnyard grass, and foxtail millet were planted. According to Swan Hilda, the Demon Lord Army’s invasion might have been to seize this food.
The land of the Demonkin was located where the Northern Nations used to be, and food shortages were severe throughout the year.
In any case, the Espana Imperial Army patrolled the roads, and the public order was good.
In the Great Forest Zone, we were attacked by low-level demonkin, but after that, we traveled through the Old Kingdom of Sazania without any further problems.
And on the third day after entering the Old Kingdom of Sazania, while waiting in line at a checkpoint to enter the city of Hykalia, a beautiful girl with golden curly hair approached us.
“It’s been a while, Hal Raymond.”
“You are, if I recall correctly…”
“I am Clarina Misha von Hartia.”
“Ah, that’s right. Why are you here?”
“This is a territory granted to my father by the King… Of course I’m here. And I’ve come to see my stepsister Elise.”
“I was wondering what all the commotion was outside. Isn’t that Clarina?”
“Stepsister Elise, thank you for your help the other day. Therefore, I have prepared a modest banquet at the lord’s mansion. My father, the Baron, also wishes to greet you.”
And so, we were captured by a cute captor and taken to the lord’s mansion.
That evening, a grand banquet was held, and it was a lively affair.
Incidentally, Baron’s daughter Clarina was not coincidentally waiting at the checkpoint; she had heard our itinerary in advance from Elise.
We had come quite far. In another two nights, we would reach the Old Kingdom of Portland.
The Old Kingdom of Portland was a small country by the mountains, and the Portland Castle Ruins were said to have been built on a small hill.
Thank you for reading.
The “split posting” of episode 16 “Kirika II” is now complete.
Tomorrow, at 0:00 on May 28th, episode 16 “Kirika II” Mimic Maiden Knows Spring and Defeats the Enemy of Hair in Her Vagina will be “bulk posted.”
Please note that the “split posting” and “bulk posting” contain the same content.
