Arc-6 Ch-39

 A mysterious masked knight. Rumors about his existence began several years ago, when the war with the Fanoss Principality broke out. He appeared mostly on battlefields where the Saintess was present, and wearing a flashy outfit and piloting high-performance armor of unknown affiliation, he would exterminate the principality’s army and the monsters they summoned, then vanish. Those who had never seen the masked knight themselves spread rumors that he was merely a hallucination or some kind of auditory illusion. In the extreme conditions of war, fear and tension distort the human senses and make them see things they cannot believe.

A mere cloud can look like a giant monster, a flock of birds can look like an enemy formation. Especially since the monsters summoned by the princess of the Fanoss Principality had shapes the kingdom’s soldiers had never seen before, information became extremely confused. Back then, when everything was in chaos, if someone saw an unidentified enemy craft or a humanoid monster, of course they would mistake it, I used to laugh about it with my comrades when I was in the kingdom’s army. I learned his existence was real when the Fanoss Principality launched its second invasion.

The Bartfort family’s army was deployed near the border. The opponent was a detachment of the Fanoss Principality’s forces, and for the first several months the situation was a back-and-forth stalemate. Growing impatient at being unable to produce results, the principality chose a strategy of deploying the main army’s summoned monsters, and redirecting the freed-up troops to the battlefronts where they were struggling. In front of us, who were gradually being pushed back by the difference in numbers, the masked knight suddenly appeared, clad in a gaudy mask and outfit, charging the principality’s army in white armor.

The masked knight was undeniably strong. Whether it was his own skill, the performance of his armor, or both. The principality’s troops were thrown into confusion by the masked knight’s assault, and they suffered a fair amount of damage and their lines were disrupted. Taking advantage of that opening, the Bartfort domain’s forces managed to drive the principality’s army into retreat with little damage. Right after the battle ended, I ordered some subordinates who had their hands free to capture the masked knight. Don’t call me ungrateful.

When some unknown guy shows up on the battlefield like that, of course you capture him. If some suspicious old man in weird clothes is wandering around and you don’t even know if he’s enemy or ally, any proper soldier or noble would try to capture him. The masked knight hissed out a parting remark and fled as he was. That happened several times before the war ended. Having my life and my subordinates’ lives saved by someone like that is a lifelong shame.

If I ever see him, I’ll definitely capture him and throw him into a cell. And today, the masked knight’s identity was revealed. Of all things, the shocking truth is that the masked knight and the king, who is supposed to be the highest authority in the Holfort Kingdom, are one and the same. The Holfort Kingdom might really be doomed.

“How is it, surprised?”

The old man stares at me, grinning in amusement. This guy probably wants to see me react with a “W-what did you say~~!” in shock.

He may even be expecting me to say something more obsequious like “I never imagined His Majesty was the masked knight…” or “Please forgive my past discourtesy.”

“Yes, I am surprised.”

“I knew it, I knew it.”

“I never imagined His Majesty the King was a complete idiot wandering around the battlefield in such ridiculous get-up.”

“…You bastard.”

“I will propose to the council that from now on Roland Rapha Holfort be written as ‘the shame of the nation’.”

“Pff”

Prince Julius let out a sudden snort at my words. Too bad for you, old man, I have no intention of obediently acting the way some stupid king wants. The masked knight being the king may be shocking, but that doesn’t mean it raises the old man’s evaluation. If anything, my honest impression was “What the hell are you doing when your country is in danger?”

How much money did that outfit and armor cost? Wouldn’t it be acceptable, just once, to strip him naked and throw him into a village of commoners who lost their homes and property to the war?

“Have you forgotten the debt you owe me for saving your life, Bartfort?”

“If a suspicious man jumps into a battlefield on his own, rampages as he pleases, and disappears, he has no right to complain if he gets shot in the back.”

In truth, from the perspective of a mere soldier who doesn’t think deeply, the masked knight may look cool. But for someone responsible for moving an army, he is nothing but a presence that needlessly throws the battle line into chaos. On a battlefield where the kingdom’s army and the principality’s army are fighting, the masked knight, whose allegiance is unknown, suddenly appears. He is so strong that the principality’s army cannot ignore him, so their attention shifts to the masked knight. As a result, the principality’s movements change, and we have to adjust our troop operations accordingly every time. Especially since I lack talent, I have to gather as much information in advance as possible and form strategies. There’s no way I can come up with a strategy that takes into account a masked knight appearing out of nowhere!

“Because of Your Majesty’s heroic exploits, how many times do you think I had to change my plans? I have resentment, not gratitude.”

“Thanks to the masked knight’s efforts, unnecessary deaths were avoided.”

“Do you think I enjoy making plans where my men and soldiers die?!”

Daaan!!

When I slammed the table hard, the dishes of food and the glasses filled with alcohol shook and rattled.

“Casualties are inevitable in war.”

I’ve seen countless officers and staff officers say things like that. Nobles who never go to battlefields where shells fly, sitting in tents with no risk of death, drawing up operations as if enjoying some board game. No matter how reckless their plans were, they were never blamed, and when I advised them they spewed irresponsible lines like “You lack patriotism,” and when cornered they fled first and never took responsibility, those noble-born scum.

That was the nobility I saw on the battlefield. I’m not saying every noble is one of those rotten types. There were plenty of nobles and knights far more earnest than me who fought for the kingdom. Those were the ones who died early, and scum like me survive, which makes no sense no matter how you think about it. The only thing I can do, having survived, is to make plans that minimize deaths as much as possible.

If officers or soldiers die, the Bartfort domain loses manpower and the bereaved families resent me. Because I don’t want to lose out, the enemy soldiers must be the ones to die. Do what the opponent hates most efficiently, break their will to fight, and force them to retreat.

The result of stacking enemy corpses earned me the nickname “Villainous knight.” Being a strategist or staff officer is a monstrous job unfit for anyone with a normal mind.

“The battlefield is not Your Majesty’s playground, nor is it a theater where the masked knight is the protagonist.”

“…Are you saying I’m a nuisance?”

“Frankly speaking, yes. In the first place, the place Your Majesty should be fighting is not the front-line battlefield, but the royal palace where government affairs are handled.”

“Everyone, no matter who opens their mouth, always says ‘Do your job’ to me. What is it with you people, are you all coordinating behind my back?”

“…No one would say anything if you actually did your work.”

I’m starting to lose my patience. This delinquent middle-aged man in front of me apparently hates work. Well, I understand that feeling. It’s not like I wanted to become a noble, and it’s not like I wanted to be a lord. If I could throw away the title and domain the kingdom gave me, I would do it right now.

But I can’t.

“You’re the king, aren’t you? I’ve heard you went through hardships I can’t imagine growing up practically as a commoner. But sneaking out of headquarters during a war just to put on a costume, ride the latest armor, and bully weak enemy soldiers? You’re such a damned joke of a king it’s not even funny.”

“Silence, what do you think you know about me.”

“A youth spent in dissipation, gaining the throne pushed onto you by your uncle and still not changing, leaving all the work to a smart and beautiful wife.”

“Mylene is far more capable than I am. As a matter of fact, as a condition for forming an alliance against the Rachel Holy Kingdom, if she did not marry me she was to be crowned queen of the Lepart United Kingdom.”

“…Don’t give me stupid excuses like that’s the reason your marriage became strained.”

“To you it may seem a trivial reason. But to me it is a grave problem. How do you think it feels when a woman wiser, more beautiful, and more trusted than yourself becomes your wife?”

“That’s stupid. If you’re jealous of your wife, then just work more seriously. Don’t use your wife as an excuse.”

As an individual, I sympathize with him a little. That queen has some harsh sides, and you can tell she thinks in ways that let her use capable subordinates as expendable pawns. There’s no doubt she ranks high on the list of women in the Holfort Kingdom you wouldn’t want as a boss. But if you think of her as a wife and mother, she’s… well, passable. At least when I met her in person, I could sense her genuine intention to do what she could for her husband and children. She sincerely wants reconciliation between the royal family and the ducal house for the sake of the kingdom.

What kind of complaint can you possibly have about getting a capable and beautiful wife? If it were a rotten noblewoman like Zola who doesn’t work and has a bad personality I could understand, but that queen works in your place and values the kingdom enough to cooperate with the dukes.

Even in the Bartfort house, I grew up practically as a commoner and became a viscount, and I married Angie, who used to be a duke’s daughter, but I’m not jealous of my wife. Despite the hardships of living in the unfamiliar frontier, she never complains, and she bore my child. I can feel nothing but gratitude. Why the hell am I defending a queen I’m not good with?

That’s how far gone this old man is!

“And then you’re absurdly indulgent to the children you like, but cold to the others. You seduce women one after another and have children with them, then hardly take care of them. A scumbag so bad you lower the evaluation of every man in the Holfort Kingdom just by existing.”

“Enough, Bartfort… Father, please calm yourself as well.”

The old man has been glaring at me while drinking this whole time. Before coming here, I thought the king was a man unlucky enough to be forced into the throne despite lacking talent. After talking with him a bit, I realized he had enough intelligence and strength to properly be a king. And now, after speaking with him this long, I’ve reached a conclusion. He is a scumbag. At the very least, when it comes to a king’s responsibilities, a husband’s duties, and love for his children, he and I can never see eye to eye. The rift between me and the old man is irreparable.

“Not long ago, I thought you and I were a little similar.”

“You and me? Don’t overestimate yourself.”

“You’re the one overestimating yourself. At the very least, I don’t abandon my work. My family’s and my people’s lives depend on it.”

“I never wanted to be king.”

“Then you should have renounced your right to the throne and quit being a noble.”

“Do you think a royal can just quit that easily? I am the previous king’s child. Whether I wished it or not, I was forced to become king. Most scandals were swept away if I played the fool. The people who gathered around me only wanted to use the king’s authority to enjoy easy benefits. Tell me, what could a lonely man with no one to trust possibly do?”

“Let me ask you the opposite: did you do anything to forfeit your right of succession to the throne?”

“I hung out with those noble brats who never think ahead, got into fights, gambled, and frequented brothels.”

“Arson, robbery, murder, illegal goods or drug trafficking?”

“As if I could do any of that!”

Apparently he has common sense in strange places. Well, considering how terrible his usual behavior is, he doesn’t really deserve sympathy. By the way, according to my older brother who attended the Royal Academy, most of the students from high-ranking noble families in the upper class were awful people. Not only did they bully Lady Olivia for being born a commoner, but there were even young ladies who made deals with sky pirates connected to their own families and tried to have her killed.

I don’t know whether the time when the old man attended was better, or whether the people he associated with were less terrible, or whether the royal family pulled strings behind the scenes. The corruption of the high nobles in the Holfort Kingdom really is terrible. The one saving grace of the war with the Fanoss Duchy is that a large portion of the corrupt nobles were punished. Although, as a trade-off for the lives of the decent people who died in battle, it’s far too high a price.

“Did you ever try running away or entering a temple?”

“What’s the point? They’d send pursuers after me. It’d be a waste of effort.”

“So you never actually tried.”

“You’re persistent.”

“Aaaaaah, yeah yeah yeah. So that’s how it is. Honestly, you’re too old to be such a spoiled brat.”

“You dare call me spoiled?”

Ah, he got angry. Seems he has at least that much spirit. Carrying such an unnecessarily huge amount of pride. Really, being the kind of coward who drowns his worries about the burden of being king in alcohol and runs away into womanizing would actually be better.

“You are spoiled. You want everyone to understand how you feel. You don’t want your life forced on you. But you’re not actually serious about throwing away the throne. Since you’re smart enough, you want to avoid committing atrocities that would send you straight to prison. It’s the same kind of adolescent rebellion noble brats go through in their teens. You want luxury, but you don’t want to work. You want to do only what you like, but you don’t want to do anything you dislike. You should graduate from that in your teenage years. When a man over forty does it, it just looks pathetic from the outside.”

“………… Don’t get carried away.”

“Struck a nerve? Too bad. When I was fifteen, my father’s legal wife tried to sell me off, so I ran away from home. With hardly any money or belongings, I slept outdoors and did odd jobs along the way, taking months to reach a Royal Army garrison. Truly cutting ties with your home and becoming independent means that. Compared to a pampered boy who plays with his parents’ allowance and has them clean up all his messes, the children of commoners working in service have far more guts.”

If I just wanted to join the Royal Army, I could have gone to a garrison in a closer territory, but to avoid Zola’s pursuit, I needed to get as far away as possible. From the old Bartfort territory to nearly the opposite side of the kingdom, I could have made the trip in less than half a month if I’d taken scheduled airship routes and transport ships. But as the third son of the poor Bartfort family, there was no way I had money for that. Whenever I ran out of travel funds, I worked short-term day jobs like a commoner for a few days to earn enough to move on to the next territory, and after repeating that over and over, it took months to reach my destination.

There were a lot of hardships for a fifteen-year-old brat, and after joining the Royal Army, I suffered through plenty more. They’re not all good memories. But thanks to the experiences I had back then, I’ve managed to serve as a feudal lord somehow. It sounds like the words of an old man, but really, unless you build up some tolerance to hardship, life becomes unbearably tough. Royalty and nobles suffer in ways commoners can’t imagine, but if you grow up living exactly the life you want without ever knowing pain or struggle, you’ll definitely end up believing you’re amazing all on your own.

Lutart is like that too, and half the nobles or knights who join the Bartfort domain’s forces quit after a while. The training in the Bartfort domain isn’t even that harsh. It follows the training I received when I was in the Royal Army, and we simply make both commoners and nobles go through it without distinction. The biggest problem is when pampered noble boys who know nothing about the hardships and limits of foot soldiers become generals because of their lineage.

If lineage alone could win wars, every war would be a guaranteed victory simply because royalty commanded the troops. Which is exactly why I really hate the masked knight sitting in front of me, who stuck his head straight into the battlefield.

“This might sound strange, but if you lived honestly, you’d be strong and smart enough, you know. Even if you quit being royalty and became an adventurer, you could earn enough to live. If you were seriously trying to run away, the odds of success would be high. So why don’t you actually do it?”

“…………”

“Prince Julius, the same goes for you. Don’t look like this has nothing to do with you.”

“M-me!?”

“By national law, the king is allowed to take multiple concubines. If you had married Lady Olivia while staying engaged to Angie, people would complain, sure, but I think the possibility of it escalating to a duel would’ve been low.”

“That is…”

“And yet, if you tried to make Lady Olivia a queen just because she used to be a commoner, almost all the nobles in the kingdom would have turned against you. Even if Lady Olivia is an excellent student and a descendant of the First Saint, if you break off the engagement using flimsy excuses, the decent nobles will be the first to lose faith in the royal family. After you broke off the engagement with Angie, you were coaxed by Marquis Frampton into asking the temple to give Lady Olivia prestige by making her a Saint. For the Marquis, who was secretly connected to the Duchy, it was convenient for the soon-to-be-destroyed royal family to keep screwing up.”

“…………”

This time, Prince Julius fell silent. Angie can be jealous, but she’s surprisingly tolerant when it comes to political marriage matters. If he had explained the situation properly and apologized, I think she might have accepted it. Lady Olivia is not a bad person, and she’s considerate and kind to others, so as a concubine or mistress it would have been entirely possible. I understand wanting the woman you love to be happy, but that ignores Lady Olivia’s own feelings far too much.

Lady Olivia is acting as the Saint because it lets her save more people. If she stayed in high society with all its entanglements, I doubt she could help people. And nobles probably wouldn’t obey her anyway.

“It’s still good Angie was a noble lady of the kingdom. If she had been a princess from another country, it wouldn’t have been strange if it led to war. And what if, during the war a few years ago, the Duchy had joined forces with that other country? We only managed to defeat the Duchy’s princess and force a ceasefire thanks to Lady Olivia. If another nation had intervened, the kingdom would have been destroyed for sure.”

“That is true.”

“Hey now, this is getting serious. This is a diner, not a war council.”

“It’s the same with the ducal house. The Marquis’ aim was to divide the Holfort royal family and the Redgrave ducal house. If the duchy had supported him, or if they had stayed neutral during the war, the kingdom would have had an even harder fight. But the duke didn’t oppose the kingdom and helped defend it.”

“Vince just wanted to protect his own territory.”

“And what’s wrong with that? Most feudal nobles only follow the Holfort royal family because it’s strong. Not all the nobles punished after the war were rotten. Many were simply outraged by the royal family’s tyranny and abandoned them. When even court nobles—royal vassals—betrayed them, the nobles’ trust in the royal family hit rock bottom. And most of the reason for that is you people. You should feel at least a little responsible.”

Even a mouse or a small bird will bite a snake or cat when cornered. Especially if the predator is old and its claws and fangs are worn out. The nobles dissatisfied with the royal family aren’t limited to the ducal house. In this case, the royal family and the ducal house managed somehow to reconcile, but who knows what the other nobles think. Another noble house might take the lead in rebellion one day. Besides, the kingdom is still greatly exhausted from the war last year.

There’s no guarantee another ridiculous incident like the Lady’s Forest won’t happen thanks to foreign interference. Restoring the kingdom under these circumstances will require the cooperation of the nobles.

“The royal family can’t do whatever it wants anymore. I destroyed your trump card, the royal warship. From now on, you’ll have to work hard while watching the nobles’ reactions.”

“Don’t pretend you know anything, boy. Do you know what the situation was like when I ascended the throne?”

“I heard it from the duke. But let me ask you back: what have you done so far to earn the duke’s cooperation? I heard the engagement between Angie and the prince was arranged by the queen. The queen chose the duke as a guardian for her son. That means she thinks her husband is unreliable. And why is a former princess from another nation the one running domestic politics in her marital home? Because you don’t do your job. She bowed her head even to her son’s former fiancée to help you and your son, who are being looked down on and isolated by the nobles. Don’t you feel even a little pathetic as a husband?”

“Mylene has grown tired of me. You don’t know the pain of being looked at coldly by an older woman like her.”

“I never felt that she looked down on her husband or son when they failed and were feeling depressed. There isn’t a wife who would praise a husband who shirks his work and flirts with other women. That kind of woman is only after her husband’s wealth or power. Good for you, Your Majesty. The reason the women around you all have that sort of personality is because of your usual behavior.”

“Silence!!”

The enraged king jumped up from his seat and charged at me to punch me. But his movements lacked sharpness. He must have been drinking even before we arrived, and during our conversation he kept eating food and drinking liquor the whole time. With his legs unsteady from the alcohol, there was no way he could land a proper blow. With the talent inherited from the royal bloodline and the training he received, he probably wouldn’t lose against an average opponent.

I also stood up immediately and took a stance. I could tell the useless king’s fist was aiming at my face. But because he was drunk his knees had no strength, his aim was off, and his swing was large and crude. I shifted my head slightly to evade the fist, and immediately afterward I heard the sound of it grazing past my ear. The moment the evasion succeeded, I also threw a punch, slowly entangling along the idiot’s fully-extended arm and aiming at his face from outside his field of awareness.

Bagooh!

At the same moment the hard sensation transmitted through my fist, the sound of the blow echoed through the room. The idiot rolled onto the floor without even taking a proper fall-break. Punching the king is a grave crime, but he was the one who started it. For someone like him, sloppy yet with an oversized sense of pride, this should hurt.

If he keeps whining any further, I’ll submit a direct appeal to Her Majesty the Queen or to the Chancellor. If he still keeps complaining, I’ll take the cancellation of the reconciliation to the duke and side with the ducal faction. I mediated between the royal family and the ducal house because I want to protect the people important to me while the kingdom is in a dangerous situation. I didn’t push myself to the point of nearly being on the brink of divorce with Angie just to help an idiot like this.

“I’ll say it again and again. You two are spoiled. A foolish king who leaves all the work to his wife, who blames others for not being trusted by his subordinates, and who refuses to give up his luxuries. A worthless prince who mistook the royal family’s authority for his own power, fabricated false charges, and neglected his fiancée. You refuse to fulfill the duties of royalty yet cling to your position. Father and son, you really are alike.”

I know His Highness has improved considerably, but I purposely said it harshly. I don’t know how the future struggle for succession will turn out, but for the sake of the kingdom’s future I will say this.

“This is an admonition from a vassal to the two of you. I offer this loyal counsel, prepared to throw away my honor and position for the sake of the country. I sincerely ask that you govern rightly for the sake of the people.”

I said everything I wanted to say and did everything I wanted to do. If I tack on a polite phrase like “out of concern for the country,” I might be able to gloss it over somehow. In reality, I’m the one who has been running around to reconcile the royal family and the ducal house. For now I bowed my head and quickly left the room. His Highness was saying something behind me, but I ignored him, dashed out of the restaurant at full speed, and jumped into a hired carriage.

If things go badly, I might be punished for the crime of striking a member of the royal family. I think His Majesty will stay quiet for the sake of his dignity, but he’s called an idiot because he does things normal people wouldn’t do. Once I get back to my usual inn I’ll pack my things and move to another one, just in case. I also need to restock ammunition. The royal family really is a source of trouble for me and Angie.

Once this matter is over, I absolutely won’t go near the royal capital for several years. Thinking vaguely about such things, I checked out the carriage window to confirm no pursuers were around.bI should make up with Angie as soon as possible and return to the Bartfort territory.

※　※　※　※　※

“Are you alive, Father?”

“...Don’t kill me off on your own.”

My father got up while bleeding from the nose. The court physician Fred hurriedly began treating him. Fortunately, Bartfort’s fist didn’t cause much injury to Father. The nosebleed came from when he rolled and hit his face on the floor. Despite saying all those insults, Bartfort must have been considerate toward Father in his own way. It’s even possible that he behaved so rudely for the sake of admonishing Father. Truly, he is too good a man to leave as a frontier lord.

“Saying whatever he pleases. Who does he think he is?”

“The opponent was Bartfort. Does House Holfort have any right to blame him?”

“...So I got punched for nothing?”

“If Bartfort were a man filled with ambition, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to kill you.”

Even after learning the truth about the royal family, Bartfort’s attitude didn’t change. That man truly has no attachment to status or authority. Or perhaps he learned of the deeds of the founding ancestors and left behind a curse telling the royal family to bear those sins as they lived.

“The last time I got hit was during my martial arts training when I was a prince. No one in this country ever tried to punch me.”

“When Mother met Bartfort she said she would give him any government post he wanted. I now understand how she felt.”

“A boorish fellow who punches the king?”

“There are times when someone must advise the king at the risk of execution. Most of the nobles who once flattered us defected to the Principality of Fanoss during the war. That is how much the royal family was inwardly despised by the nobility. We were too foolish to realize it.”

“That applies to you. I noticed. I noticed and still refused to do what they wanted, so I didn’t work.”

“...What must Mother have felt as she watched us?”

She had the ability to become queen of her homeland, yet she was married off to another country. For thirty years since then, she must have worked desperately, surrounded by a husband who didn’t work, a son who rebelled inwardly, and a selfish daughter. It is no wonder Mother is disappointed and angry. That is how foolish I once was. If I truly loved Olivia, I should have been prepared to abandon my position as prince and become a commoner.

To have desires beyond my capacity without being prepared to lose anything is an act of not knowing my place. Trying to give Olivia a position worthy of her, I instead bound her to the status of Saint. Rather than loving one man, Olivia will dedicate her life to saving people. By giving the woman I loved a position I thought was worthy of her, I lost forever the chance to be the one she loved. If this is punishment, I can only accept it. It is punishment for the foolish person I once was.

“But what shall we do? Bartfort refused to become the king’s foster son and also refused to take a princess as his bride.”

“Leave him be. There is no need to reward an insolent fellow who punches the king.”

“Then please convey that directly to Mother yourself.”

“Hey, why does it end up like that?”

Father made a blatantly displeased face, but I would like to say what I must say while I have this opportunity.

“This is a good opportunity. I also agree with Bartfort’s opinion that you should show appreciation to Mother.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What exactly am I supposed to say?”

“I thought the number of conversations you have with Mother has increased lately.”

“Put yourself in my shoes. She scolds me every time we meet.”

“Like Bartfort said, you brought it on yourself.”

Ignoring Father, who looked displeased while receiving treatment, I began thinking about what comes next. The future of the Holfort Kingdom is far from bright. But there is still a path left for recovery. And the key to that is Bartfort. Right now, his greatest wish is probably to make up with Angelica. I’d like to help him somehow, but if I, her former fiancé, get involved, it will only make things worse. Now then, what should I do?

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Authors Note

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Roland is in shambles, but I judged that this much isn’t unreasonable for him. In the original work Roland practically got away with everything (aside from being stabbed by his mistress), but in this version being bound to the position of royalty for life is probably the harshest fate. Well, with a young and capable queen by his side he should be fine. Next chapter will be from Angie’s perspective. If I don’t write a sweet lovey-dovey chapter every so often, my motivation drops.

Postscript: At the request of the client, Suzuhara Shion-sama and KOTAtubo-sama created illustrations.

Thank you very much.

Suzuhara Shion-sama: Pixiv

KOTAtubo-sama: Pixiv

I would be grateful to receive your thoughts or impressions, as they will be an encouragement for future work.