CH 23

It had a beast-like figure formed of condensed lightning, crackling as it was. It leaped onto Eris who had her back to Inglis, striking her from the side. Just with that, it produced a loud thunderous crackle, reverberating all over the place.

「Kuh!」

From the looks of it, just touching that thing would electrocute you. But not only that, the lightning beast rammed into the villa’s fence whilst still holding onto Eris. After which, the beast then exploded, body and all!

「Kyaaaaah!?」

Eris shrieked. The beast roared. The lightning impact from the beast’s explosion destroyed the fence.

「Ms. Eris!?」

She really took that surprise attack head-on. Was she okay?

「Uh… uuh…」

Eris brought herself to her feet, wobbly as she was.

「Are you okay!?」 「Y-, yeah… somehow.」

it seemed like it wasn’t fatal, however, the damage she suffered wasn’t insignificant either. Inglis tried to run over to her but before she could reach Eris, the lightning beast from before reappeared and blocked her path. It was threatening her, telling her to stay wherever she was.

「That’s a…!?」

Pseudo life form born from sorcery, or a similar technique. Eris seemed to have a clue behind the attack she received; a violent burst of fury made its appearance on her face.

「Do-, doing something like this…! What is he thinking!? Show yourself! Leon!」 「Eeeh!? Mr. Leon did this…!?」 「Yo. Well, I guess it does give it away.」

Said Leon lightheartedly as he walked out from the building’s shadows. He wore the same knight costume Inglis saw at the party, with the exception of a thorny gauntlet that radiated purple on his hand. Was that an Artifact?

「Thanks Lil Inglis, for making Eris lowering her guard, you really saved me some trouble there. Thanks to you, I can settle this with a surprise attack. After all, if I faced her upfront, only one of us would come out alive.」 「I misjudged you! What’s the meaning of this!? You plan to betray us!? You, the joke of a Holy Knight!?」 「Well, things inevitably turned that way, I guess?」 「Mr. Leon… You said you’d even lick the Highlanders’ boot if you have to, so I take that wasn’t a joke from your part?」

Was it Leon’s aim to stop Inglis and Eris from harming a Highlander? If so, did that mean he was working for Rahal?

「Don’t say something stupid, of course it’s just a joke. You hurt me if you truly think that way. Even if I’m just a sorry excuse of a Holy Knight, I’m still a Holy Knight. I have my resolution to throw my life away so long as this country and everyone in it is safe.」 「Then, why did you do this? I thought Ms. Eris is your precious company?」 「…It’s because I was already on my last straw, I guess? I mean, you guys have seen it too. If things stay the same, Midlanders will always be playthings for the Highlanders. Even if I keep my position as a Holy Knight, my oath to keep this country and everyone in it safe will never be accomplished. We can’t fight back those pigheads above. We’re not allowed to. It’s a ɢᴏᴅᴅᴀᴍɴ contradiction. Freaking disgust me to death.」 「…So, you’re seeking a great cause using your own strength. Quite a noble spirit, surprisingly.」 「For a young girl, you have a way with your words. Just what kind of life you lived up till now, really.」

With an astonished look, Leon stared at Inglis.

「But without depending on the Highland, the countries on Midland can’t survive! Without Artifacts, they can’t even ensure their own safety! One cannot stay alive without enduring pain, that is life!」 「So you’re telling us to just cry when things like what happened today and let it go the next day? I won’t accept it. I will let neither the Magic Stone Beasts nor the highlanders to do whatever they want.」 「…Are you perhaps saying that there is a way to achieve it?」

When listening to them, Inglis couldn’t help but think that Eris had a more convincing point than Leon.

「Inglis, girl, have you ever heard of the Ironblood Chain Brigade?」 「No, I don’t believe I have?」

As Ymir was just a rural area, and that Inglis only had thoughts of training in her head. She was quite ignorant of the world’s affairs.

「It’s an anti-Highland guerilla organization. They have been gaining power lately! Thanks to them a lot of Magic Stone Beasts subjugation operations have been hindered, and I even heard that, as revenge for one Highlander they killed, the Highland decided to destroy the whole town. Such a pain in the back! All they do is making a mess everywhere!」 「I bet that’s how the Highlanders see it. The Ironblood Chain Brigade’s ultimate goal is to forge a chain of iron with their blood to drag the Highland down into the ground. You understand what it means, don’t you, Lil’ Inglis?」

「Defeating the Highland and publicizing the technology they’ve been monopolizing to Midland, is that what is it? If Midland had the technology to produce Artifacts of our own, we could survive by ourselves.」 「Oh! How brilliant! Exactly as you said. We could protect ourselves from Magic Stone Beast without needing to kowtow before those entitled Highlanders. Don’t you think it’s ideal? I’ve been scouted by them for a long time, but after today’s incident, I made my decision.」

「You’re underestimating the Highland too much! There will be a war between Midland and Highland if that happens! And you have no chance to win! Have you just thought about the number of casualties this will result in!?」 「That’s precisely why the Ironblood Chain Brigade is garnering strength. For that purpose, I’m thinking of bringing Eris with me as a gift. If they did a research on an Ultimate Artifact like Hyrule Menace, it might be the necessary trigger to produce Midland Born Artifacts.」 「I refuse! I won’t lend my hand on something that will produce a lot of casualties!」

Eris, even when she still couldn’t stand properly, she unsheathed her twin swords to show her resistance.

「Inglis? What about you? If you’d like, you can come with me.」 「…I’ll have to refuse.」 「Why’s that? Are you like Eris, preferring to maintain the status quo?」 「Never. I’m just thinking, if I take Ms. Eris’ side here, I can have a fight with you, so…」 「Say what!? Oioi, you’re a power holder, girl. You should consider the meaning behind your strength more!」 「…J-, just how much of a battle freak—」

Leon was in disarray handling her, Eris had it enough of her.

「I fully understand what you want to say, Mr. Leon. However, I am done with associating strength with a great cause.」1

Inglis had taken that path in her past life. If she poured her strength for a great cause, one day she would be taken from the frontline to guide the people. For Inglis Eux, that was not in her schedule!

「Now then, if you wish to take Ms. Eris from me, you should do it with force. Now, shall we begin?」

With those words, Inglis challenged Leon. 2