Zero no Tsukaima:Volume7 Chapter3 - MTL

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Chapter Three: The Shinto Priest of Romalia

The Tristain and Germania united army landed in the port town Rosais, which is located about 300 leagues to south from the Albion capital Londonium (One league, turned in Saitos' worlds unit, would be almost one kilometer).

Immediately after landing; Allied Forces expected the enemy's counterattack. First of all, land units build a circle around Rosais.

Yet… Albion made no counterattack.

The most supreme commander of the united army De Poitiers, lost the momentum to invade. They were to have set up the strategy, expecting for the enemy to attack after the landing. The ‘decisive battle’ ought to happen near Rosais, which would let them to destroy enemy’s large army in one blow and march to Londonium in a dash.

They planned for the campaign to be over in three weeks, until the Yara’s month begins… In other words, before the advent festival of Founder Brimir which is ‘New Year's Day’ in Londonium comes.

In other words, a short-term decisive battle was planned.

This cannot be helped now. A large amount of food is necessary to maintain the large army of 60,000 people. The specific medicine (Especially, the water element based recovery medicine) to recite strong spells, war materials like bullets, gunpowder and the cannons are needed. And it all had to be carried from their own country, to the army in the front.

Fighting a long war in the enemy's territory, would be nothing but a nightmare. Besides, Tristain’s economy made such long war impossible.

Albion main army successfully retreated from Dartanes, barricaded in the capital Londonium now.

Apparently, the enemy army evaded fighting a decisive battle. In a word, after Albion air force received damage beyond imagination, and lost the sky control, the Albion army might have abandoned the counterattack tactics.

Allied forces were prepared for the Albion’s attack.

But because the expectations went down the drain and concrete damage did not occur, constructing positions and preparing for decisive battle became. Allied forces wasted food for one and a half week.

Allied Forces could not plan anything but a short-term decisive battle, so they only took food supply for six weeks. But now it became necessary to carry food and gunpowder from their own country by ship. For the two countries that organize the expedition army with very limit finances, the situation was worrisome.

It was the eight day after the landing and the tensed atmosphere… surrounded the future plans of the invasion.

Air base in Rosais, Royal Albion Air Headquarters and the sacred Albion republic air force headquarters, and a Tristain Germania united martial army command base now, these walls of red bricks changed masters three times in one year. A great hall within the second floor was where the history was made.　

At the round table, on the central seat, the supreme commander of coalition forces, General de Poitiers, sat. He was listening to two different opinions.

First one came from Germanian general, Marquis Handenburg, who insisted upon a short-term decisive while shaking his fist and white mustache.

“Let’s march! March! March! We have food only for four an a half weeks. Make a detour at a fort on the way and march to the castle! Anyway, lets aim to Londonium. Fortunately, we controll the sky. We have to end the war before the Founder Brimir's advent festival, as the morale will drop after advent festival!

Seems like Germania’s general insisted upon advancing like a flame.

“Ending before the advent festival, but I wonder why there are no such short war endings in Halkeginia’s history?”

Wimpffen, chief of general staff, objecting coldly staring through the pane of his glasses.

“Then, we’ll create a precedent.”

Said Marquis Handenburg giving a piercing glare to Wimpffen.

“By circling Londonium we would expose our back to their castles….We can’t act without strategy. Moreover, if we start marching the supply lines would be left behind. Without supply we would end up in a deadlock. Though it is troublesome we should proceed carefully, step-by-step. We should advance capturing fortresses and castles before marching.”

“Capturing fortresses or castles would inflict too much damage! Supply? We only have to take over Londonium before advent festival!”

“As the marquis said, we control the sky, right. So the damage upon capturing will be suppressed to minimum. Londonium taken over by the advent festival? That’s nonsense!”

Marquis Handenburg said with a face full of contempt.

“…this is ‘wind’ element thinking, wind that cowardly evades obstacles.”

“As if ‘fire’, which hastily out-burns itself , element thinking is any better.”

Two people stared each other.

“Courage is what cowardly Tristainians need to be taught.”

“There’s nothing to learn from barbarians.”

They both pulled out their wands at the same time. Supreme general De Poitiers stepped in between them.

“We argue too much! Marquis! Marquis! Show germanian courage in the battlefield! Wimpffen! Stop disgracing yourself.!”

At last, they both calmed down.

“For now we have to admit that the first plan, beating Albion main forces and then advancing to Londonium, getting Cromwell’s head and rising white lily’s flag in Whitehall, failed. Yet we advance through war according to plan it is still possible.”

After overthrowing the Albion revolution government, they will rule in the name of Henrietta. Of course, part of the territory will be ceded to Germania. Afterwards, Albion royal family's remaining alive survivors will be searched out and placed in the throne of the territory under Tristain’s rule, thus reviving the monarchy. To avoid possible revolutions they decided to look for surviving Albion’s royal family members, once a suitable noble with royal blood is found, the throne will be passed to him.

De Poitiers shook his head, trying to brush of this imagination from the thoughts.

It’s not the time to think about it. Right now they need to think how to annihilate the enemy.

De Poitiers bit his lip. Anyway, my promotion hangs on this.

If he would win this war he would become a field marshal.

Everything could have been easily settled by one decisive battle… De Poitiers felt a grudge against the Albion army. Why did Cromwell barricade himself in Londonium and doesn't go out?

What about the country being infringed by the enemy?

What about facing ministers, nobles and public opinion.

What is he counting on?

While being lost in a thought, he noticed ally general and the chief of the general staff looking worried at him, De Poitiers announced the strategy plan by himself.

“…there is no decisive battle anymore, but the plan must be executed anyway. We have to take over Londonium Emperor‘s palace Havilland and rise Her Majesty‘s flag there. Now, it would be too dangerous to attack Londonium directly. And capturing castle after castle could take decades.“

The marquis and the chief of the general staff nodded frowning. De Poitiers showed the map that has been expanded on the table and pointed at the place between Rosais and Londonium.

“The City of South Gotha. An ancient town, favorite tourist spot. We will take it over and turn it into the foothold for Londonium capture. We will leave 5000 soldiers here in Rosais to secure the supply and the retreat path. The remaining troops will participate in capture with the support from the air forces. If the enemy's main army comes out, we will bring it to the decisive battle, of course.”

The marquis and the chief of the general staff nodded. It was a compromise proposal, though it was a noncommittal strategy plan, it wasn’t bad.

South Gotha is a big town. The crossing of all roads. If it is taken, it becomes possible to be effective against other castles and towns. Even if the war is not settled before the advent festival, it would be easy to hold out longer as it is a big city.

At that time when the strategy was decided someone knocked against the door.

“Who?” asked guard.

“Me. Her Majesty's court lady, La Valliere.”

De Poitiers signaled the guards to let her in. Even though he wasn’t particularly eager to let the girl take part in army business, but he can’t treat her unkindly as she was Her Majesty’s court lady and the user of the legendary ‘Void’. Even though it may be offending and bothersome.

De Poiters saw Louise as nothing more than a ‘tool’.

“Aah, Miss Void. We have prepared a gorgeous tent for you. Leave all the trouble to servicemen and take a rest. I will call you if you are needed.

Louise was nervous about the great surroundings. However, she can‘t do what she decided to if she acts cowardly. So she gathered her courage and spoke out

“W-well…”

“What? Oh, you were not rewarded for your work at Dartagnes. As expected of Void. You did well. Gentlemen! Applause!“

Indifferent applauses echoed in the conference room.

“I will request for the royal family reward.”

“N-no that…”

“What? Are you still here?”

De Poiters tone became diluted with dour.

Is a single reward not enough? What a greedy chit!

That human beings are greedy, it is one of the basic habits of human beings. De Poitiers felt offended that after praising her Louise wanted more.

“It is different. Umm, I did not come here to get a reward. It’s about the dragon knights who returned alive…”

Generals for a moment could not understand what she was talking about… But then they remembered the dragon knight unit that returned alive and nodded.

“Aah, what about it?”

“Well… though it’s great, don’t you think it’s strange? A whole week passes after the crash and they returned safe and sound… Moreover, they don't remember anything in between?”

“Indeed.”

Annoyed generals listened to her. How was it effecting the army? They were about to say it.

“It’s a place near South Gotha. I think it should be investigated.”

When Louise says so general waved his hand.

“Oh, OK. Near the marching route. Search expedition will be organized to investigate the mystery." he said in a dull tone not really believing in such expedition.

“Did they hit their heads and saw some kind of ghost?”

“…they reported it was a fairy.”

“A kind fairy!”

Someone said and the conference room was wrapped up in laughter. It does not matter whom she would ask. The ten surviving knights were just another war miracle and they would not explore it even if the knights minds were clear.

“No way! What if behind it lies an important secret?! Something that might change the flow of war!”

“Miss, though it certainly is a mysterious event, it is not likely to change such grand situation. We do not have time to care about such trivial matter.”

“But…”

Then, as if just having an idea, De Poitiers added.

“Right, I want you to go to investigate it. Can you do that?“

* * *

Louise came out of the red-brick command center as if being driven out. Saito and Rene, who were waiting at the entrance of the building, ran up to her.

“How was it?”

Fuun, Louise looking the other way walked directly past them.

Saito snorted. He hardly talked to Louise since yesterday. After leaving Louise in front of the tent of the dragon knight battalion, the couple has been in a very ugly mood.

Saito walked behind Louise’s back.

“Haah, princess and her servant.” Rene said sarcastically.

Then he lowered his voice and whispered into Saito's ear.

“Just between us… Are you Academy’s researchers?”

“Academy?” Saito looked at Rene in utter amazement. Interested dragon knights gathered around the boy.

“I guess the flight machine was made by Academy.”

“Are there any new magical weapons?”

“Like in the recent mission, where one was used in Dartanes to confuse enemies?”

The boy knights’ eyes were sparkling brilliantly while talking to Saito. Apparently, they thought that Louise and Saito were researchers of the magic laboratory. Indeed, the only ones that knew about Louise's Void were only a few generals.

Though it is easy to convince masses outside the court that it all was a war miracle, the same excuse doesn’t really work with nobles. So the most plausible explanation would be ‘Academy’s new magical weapons’.

Louise, listening to Saito’s conversation attentively, halted.

• Pon!* Saito stopped as well. Everyone stood upright. A tensed atmosphere emanating from Louise, sank into all of them. What else could one expect from the duke’s third daughter?

Louise, not turning around, said in a clear voice.

“Not exactly. I do not belong to Academy researchers. I am Her Majesty's court lady, under her direct control.“

Saito panicked. Hey! Baka Louise! Void should be kept a secret! It might be a big trouble, if the rumors would reach the enemy! They would be targeted! He thought in feverish haste.

“We are the members of ‘Zero organization’ responsible for researching new weapons, under direct royal family command.”

Huh? Saito was speechless. What Zero Organization? Never heard of it.

“I-is that so?! Great!”

“Though I do not really understand, it sounds like a really powerful organization!”

“Really? Secret Organization? Then you can’t tell anyone? Then you research magical weapons, but what does it differ from the academy’s researches? There must be a death punishment for revealing it.

“R-really?”

“Everyone swear by the founder to not disclose it!”

They all, being kind, swore sincerely.

We could pretend to be members of zero organization researching new magical weapons. This way enemies or allies would not be able to even imagine about ‘Void’ existence.

Saito thought then. If someone would start denying the rumors it would cause even more rumors. But one could to make a plausible ‘true’ rumor, to avert curious eyes from the truth.

It was the right thing to do in order to manipulate the information.

He ran up to Louise and whispered.

“…but have you told me about such plan. Not much.”

“…I only said following the order of the princess. Even the allies should not know about the void, thus I said an excuse.”

“You! You are not paying attention to my words. You are not listening to what I say at all!”

“It would be useless, as you cannot act, idiot.”

With a snort, Louise turned her face away and started walking.

“What’s wrong between you and your mistress, you are moody lately.”

Rene muttered.

Saito answered casually.

“Fuh. You are imagining things.” Hearing his words, Louise turned around.

“You were acting uneasy ever since we returned from giving that report, you were acting dejected and angry. That’s unusual.”

“I am not angry” Saito repeated.

Louise gave a cold stare to Saito.

“Wha-what…”

With a snort, Louise turned around and started to walk in silence. Saito, remembering his decision to ignore her, turned his face away as well.

* * *

However, the destination that Louise headed to was not Saito‘s tent.

“Hey, where is she going.”

She passed the port where two iron towers were lined up… passed the arsenal blast-furnace… and the training grounds on the great plaza.

“Not to our corps.”

Rene said. Indeed, there was the tent of the dragon knight battalion headquarters, which they visited yesterday. For some reason she passed all the other tents and walked alone, looking around as if searching for someone.

Around there were 20 wind dragons tied to the stake, roaring and barking. It was dangerous going there so far away from other units.

There was only one person taking care of them.

It was the beautiful and tall Shinto priest of Romalia… Julio.

As if spoiling a lover, Julio patted wind dragons scurf of the neck. He was talking about something with the dragon. Seeing Louise heading straight to Julio, made Saito’s mood drop more.

He ran after Louise. Rene followed Saito.

“Mister Cesar.”

When Louise called, a smile appeared on Julio's face. He approached Louise in a hoity-toity manner, took her hand and kissed it.

“Please inform me with an owl or pigeon next time. I would have escorted you.”

“No, I have a business concerning you and your wind dragon.” Louise said.

“Me and my wind dragon?”

“If you are free now, I would like to fly with you.”

Julio, without asking why, bowed with a smile plastered all over his face.

“Not everyday one gets the chance to help such beautiful people! There cannot be questions about it! Really, this is an unexpected pleasure!”

“What are you doing?! Stop playing around!”

Saito muttered in an unpleasant tone

“That’s what Romalians are” Rene frowned.

“In any case, where should I fly you to?”

When Julio said that, Saito instantly forgot his oath to ignore and grabbed Louise’s shoulder.

“Hey, Louise.”

“What? You are in the way. Move it.”

Saito, after taking a few deep deep breaths, said.

“If you want to fly, why are you not using my zero fighter? Why this foppish… No, why did you ask the Shinto priest -sama of Romalia.”

• Snort* “Because you are unpleasant.” Louise said clearly.

“Huh?”

“He is well mannered, gentle and smart. Moreover he doesn’t have strange thoughts. T-t-those strange thoughts. Anyone would be better.”

“But that does not matter when flying!”

“I will tell you clearly. When riding behind anyone, it is better to ride behind a good-looking boy.”

The moment Louise said so, Saito's body hardened.

“…W-w-wha-what?”

While dripping in cold sweat, only by thinking, Saito said - Louise pointed her finger at Saito.

“What? Jealous? Are you stupid? Whom are you comparing yourself against? Isn’t this handsome, well dressed Shinto priest of Romalia, three, four, five, six times better than a dog-mole, yet it compares itself against him and is jealous? Isn't it funny? Are you stuuupid? Why don’t you drop dead?”

“Y-you…”

Saito as if suffocating, closed and opened his mouth few times. The flame of the jealousy blazes up violently, almost burning up his body.

“Better luck next time. Since I and this handsome Shinto Priest are going for a secret duty, you can clean the tent meanwhile. Since you made it dirty, make sure to make it sparkingly clean. And do the laundry.“

Louise sticked her tongue out at Saito.

Julio, who climbed on the dragon, called Louise out.

“Ready to go, Miss Valliere.”

“Hold it! I'm coming!“ Louise jumped onto the wind dragon

“Please hold me tightly. You are a jewel of Tristain. There would be a great diplomatic problem if you were to fall!”

“You flirt!”

Louise, giving Saito a wide grin, wrapped her arms around Julio's waist. And, smugly fixed her hair.

The wind dragon flapped his wings powerfully. Sand and dust flew off the ground, making Saito and others instinctively shut their eyes.

When they opened them, the wind dragon was already high in the sky, flying vividly. Feeling like a fool, Saito watched the wind dragon disappear.

“What’s with her! What was that! What an attitude!”

Saito pulled out Derflinger from his shoulder and brandished with it in anger. Rene and others jumped away from Saito panicking, watching him with blank surprise.

”Hey. Nooo, partner, I am also having a tough tiiime”

“What was that!”

“Everyone, save me from this guyyy…”

“Take this and that! What malicious words!”

“Snap out of iiit…. Listen to me, partner. Ah, well, don’t pay attention. ”

* * *

Extending over the wind dragon, Louise looked down at the ground. The people at the tent were becoming small fast. Noticing the look of blank surprise all over Saito’s face, put an oversize grin on Louise’s face again. Look! Such stupid expression on his face! Whaat? Feeling jealous?

“Bleeh!” Louise stuck her tongue out towards the ground again.

“Now then, where should I fly to?”

A voice coming from the front, brought Louise back.

“W-well…” she hesitated weather to say it or not.

“Where should we scout?” Julio repeated.

“F-from where do you know that it is a scouting mission?”

“Even a child could guess that! It can’t be anything but duty! But, one thing I cannot understand!

“What?”

“A VIP researcher of the academy like you doing a scout duty! Unimaginable! Don’t familiars usually work as scouts.”

Louise with her left hand tightly grabbed the Founders prayer book. In order not to loose it, she made a bag reaching down her waist, with a leather string over her.

“That’s the test from upper department. To see…how good our researched magical weapons are. Surely all tests will be passed.”

“To check the good and bad sides.”

Louise nodded.

Louise started thinking about her legendary power – she learned that it was nothing more than just a gear in the giant country and army mechanisms. How much can you use it? What for can you use it? Can you use it for your own needs? The great generals also looked at me with those kind of eyes.

Though it is natural, there is no point to lie to myself. I am not Louise Françoise, I am a user of void.

But that might be one and the same. I‘m just fooling myself up with family members and classmates, because I am just user of Void...

While she was lost in such musings, a laughter echoed.

“W-what?“

“Ah, sorry! City of South Gotha!”

“Ancient Town. I heard it is beautiful. We cannot let it be destroyed by a war.”

This made Louise speechless and Julio turned around.

“Well, I understand - there is war now. However, I am a Shinto priest” he laughed while saying.

He gave her a charming smile. This made Louise’s cheeks blaze on their own.

“I, I see”

Julio, still turned around, brought his face close to Louise’s.

“You are truly beautiful, Miss Valliere.”

Slightly pulling away, confused Louise asked 　 “B-but why is Romalia helping? They are not our allies…”

“On our own will! Small help! Today’s Albion may effect all countries in Halkeginia. The monarchy would be overthrown, what would happen with the nobility in republic? If that would happen it would be a serious threat! Republic is all countries nightmare. No exception is Romalia, governed by pope-sama.

“I do not understand the politics well.”

“I am the same. I also do not have much interest in it. I am much more interested talking about other things...“

“Like?”

“How can you be so beautiful, just like a fairy?

He asked with a serious look, Louise looked down slightly.

“Don’t say silly things, look more carefully. You are badly mistaken.”

“Excuses. According to Azuro’s we are on the right way. We are flying to the City of South Gotha right?”

Louise became suspicious. This Shinto priest is not a mage. In other words his abilities are those of a commoner. And even for a mage it would take some time to establish a connection between him and his familiar…

So how can a Shinto priest, who is not even a mage, communicate so well with a beast that is not a familiar? How is this possible?

Julio laughed at vacant Louise’s look.

“The same way that you can use academy’s magic weapons, I can use god's miracle.”

“Stop joking.”

God's miracle? It must be some kind of joke. God is a metaphysical being. Such source of power in a world where magic rules the reason of the world is impossible.

“What! Yes, it's a joke! However, I know about animals more than others! Naa, Azuro!“

The wind dragon barked and started increasing his speed.

Two people were flying through the sky of City of South Gotha for one hour.

The town was encircled by walls, with colorful brick houses behind them. Town’s population was close to 40000 people.

“Fly lower.”

Julio nodded and started to fly lower. They could see town people wave. Probably they mistook them for allies. Then Julio smiled and muttered something to wind dragon. Azuro spread his wings and started to shake in a strange way.

“What are you doing?“

“Mimicking Albion wind dragon’s movement. With this ‘dance’ Albion’s wind dragon looks for the companion. Albion dragon knights use it to identify foe or friend.”

“Your Azuro is from Albion?”

“Are you kidding? I trained him myself!”

“You are great.”

Louise felt admiration. It is not easy even to an average mage to train a dragon.

“It is good to study enemy movements beforehand.”

When Louise nodded and looked at the town scenery below. She could give a report while using ‘illusion’ spell, providing vivid images seen from above. After seeing this, she could restore images from her memory with the illusion spell.

The instructions to use ‘illusion’ came from the staff section. Louise "void" can be applied in military planning. It was the moment when she finally realized that she was just a tool.

In the town’s plaza, they noticed a big monster striding.

“An orc”

“Yeah. Is it my imagination… or are there a lot of soldiers missing?”

Not just imagination. There were just orcs, trolls and demi-humans armed with spear and club. Though they could see a mage commanding them… there were no soldiers in sight.

“Using demi-humans for army replacement is a cheap stuff. However… those brutal orc demons are following the human as well…”

“There must be some kind of trick. However I do not know how that mage can make them obey.“

Louise concentrated her spirit and began imprinting the spectacle to her mind.

When you use the void element for big one-time spells, collecting willpower takes some time. And since it was already used today … the big illusion spell covering wide landscape could not be created now.

“Circle over the town once more.”

“It might be dangerous. This cover will not last forever.”

Julio muttered - he was dancing an Albion wind dragon dance for five minutes.

“Facts and figures are needed. The amount of will for the spell is insufficient, so I can do nothing but write on paper.”

Louise, ignoring the danger, information about the town was written down on the parchment, while shuttling many times over the town. With those notes ‘illusion’ was used in order to take as many facts and figures home as possible. While seeing such Louise, Julio smiled.

“There was no point for jealousy, right?”

“Eh? Eeh? What are you talking about!”

“Without weapons it is dangerous and you were worried. Not for yourself …but for that familiar –kun. Danger cannot be helped. Because of duty. However, I cannot be brave in the rash danger. Do you differ? Why oh why, you are leaving this calm part out in anger. I wonder if it is because you are a girl?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

Louise said with a furious blush on her cheeks.

“That flying machine is out of bullets, right. There was no use of secret weapons. Other than fast flights it is useless.”

“…How do you know this?”

“I was on Varsenda’s board. Being curious, I examined that flight machine attached to the deck . Extremely well done! Amazing!”

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

Julio laughed from those Louise’s threatening words.

“Please relieve! I am your ally! I wasn’t thinking of any ploy to use you, unlike your generals… Now then, our time ran out.”

“Not yet. Wait a little.”

“It is impossible.”

“It is an order!”

“It is an enemy.”

Julio pointed with his chin. Nine wind dragons were flying directly at them.

Louise was stupefied.

“Escape!”

“…nnh, impossible. I've become too addicted to the chat!“

Smiling, Julio muttered. The enemy is faster in the sky. It is not possible to get away even when flying at one's best.

Staring at the closing down wind dragons Louise trembled. Gathering information for the generals, may have been overdone. She bit her lips, thinking about death possibility in terror.

She shook her head, trying to shake off such fears…. Somehow… she needed to counterattack with void. But how many explosions can be shot? Willpower… is low. The scale is small. Would they hit well enough?

While she was thinking that, the instructions came from Julio.

“Louise, are you good at horse riding?”

Though she was suddenly called by her first name, it wasn’t the right time to complain about it. She nodded with a suspicious expression on her face.

“Y-yeah…I am.”

“Hold on tight then! As if you would be jumping over fences with a stud! Azuro!“

The wind dragon let out a small bark and sped up aiming towards the enemy.

“Hey! Hey! Don’t go there! You can’t use magic!”

Julio thrust straight into the enemy's dragon knight formation. Louise screamed.

“Hey! Ah! Magic spell! Nooooo!”

All nine dragon knights shot spells one after another. Shining blades and fireballs flew towards them. When she started to recite magic too, Julio shouted at her.

“Don’t let go!”

When the magic was about to hit… the wind dragon suddenly pulled an unexpected movement. It twisted it’s body and suddenly shot up in the air, avoiding spells one after another.

Unbelievable. A wind dragon was moving at a speed that was unimaginable for such body. It was moving like a small bird, surprising even the enemies. For a moment, their speed decreased. “Breath! Azuro!”

A big fire breath escaped the wind dragons mouth. It hit the dragon knight in the front making him crash down.

Then, passing through the other, it used its nails to tear up another dragons wings. Another one headed down.

Dumbfounded, Louise stared at such spectacle.

How can a wind dragon release such big breath! Unbelievable!

Remaining enemy dragon knights whose number decreased to seven, turned around and headed back at them.

As one would expect from Albion’s Dragon knights.

Though they were surprised by unexpected Julio’s wind dragons movements for a moment, they regained their composure now. Dividing into two lines they flinching moved forwards.

They started spreading and closing a circle around them

Seems like they closed their retreating paths carefully, planning to kill them.

In the movement that could be called casual, Julio's Azuro entered the circle. The enemy in front, tried to run, keeping a considerable distance.

But once Azuro turned a head towards that enemy, another one flew from the back. Seems, like the one in front was just a decoy.

“Behind you! Behind you!”

Though Louise screamed, Julio, with a smile on his lips, kept on running after the decoy.

The enemy from behind, thinking that Julio's attention was surely focused on the decoy, started to closing in steadily.

At the same time when enemy from behind released the spell, Azuro twisted around. Following enemy’s movement’s from behind, dodging the attack with a wild somersault, Azuro spewed another breath.

Wrapped up in the breath, the attacking dragon knight fell down.

Shocked Louise stared at the sudden development of things.

The movements of the dragon were unbelievably vivid, without making any unnecessary movements

“H-how can you make a dragon move like that!”

“Don’t talk, or you’ll bite your tongue.”

Julio’s tone of voice remained perfectly composed.

With three of them gone, the atmosphere around the enemy changed. Louise ducked her head, felling the bursting anger. Encirclement loosened for a moment, and then, all dragon knights at once, plunged at them.

For a moment, Louise‘s rocking up and down, side to side. Her body felt like a ball in the hands of juggler. Forgetting to keep her eyes open she closed them... Louis was clinging to Julio.

Every time Azuro turned, he was doing a severe damage with his fangs and claws to the opponent‘s wind dragons. To avoid enemy‘s attacks, he attacked himself　

In only four seconds, six of them were beaten and fell down.

“The end. Let's return then.

Julio said in a nonchalant voice.

“Wh-what happened?”

The wind dragon together with raider, were a single movement.

No, it was beyond any explanations, the movements of unbelievable Azuro,

“I just brought out a true ability of the dragon. Everyone else’s dragons were making too many useless movements. That’s all.”

Julio said casually. And Louise understood… why him, not being a mage, became the commander of the third unit.