Rinon-sama is the sister of His Majesty King Leongand.
I'm sure you know that," Faria added, as Setsuna listened blankly.
It was a space dominated by a number of bookshelves filled with books, both old and new. Perhaps I should call it a small library. Anyway, as far as I could see, there were only books, books, books - nothing but books.
Of course, there were desks and chairs. Of course, there were desks and chairs, but in a space dominated by books, their presence was so tenuous that it almost seemed as if they were shrinking away apologetically.
It was a large room, but as I mentioned earlier, it felt quite small due to the many bookcases filled with an overload of books. It gave me a sense of oppression. It could not be helped.
The weather was the reason for the dark interior. The sunlight that should have shone through the open window was behind the layers of leaden clouds that covered the sky above. There was no way it could reach me. The only thing that could brighten up the dimly lit room was the portable magic lamp that Faria had brought with her just in case.
At first glance, it looks like a fist-sized crystal ball, but it has the property of emitting light when a certain kind of power is applied. Setsuna had actually seen the moment when the crystal ball suddenly began to emit light, so there was no doubt about it.
No, there was no need to doubt Faria in the first place. There was not the slightest hint of hostility or malice coming from her.
It was three years ago that Rinon Claire Rave-Lucion was married to His Highness Halberg Reus-Lucion, the prince of Gandia's ally Lucion. Since then, Rinon-sama has been more than a symbol of the bond between Lucion and Gandia.
After hearing so many long-winded names day after day, Setsuna almost had her head in her hands. She looked down at the desk in front of her. The light of the magic lamp in the translucent container was mysterious, but I couldn't help but feel somewhat strange. I can't explain what kind of sensation it is, but I found an eeriness in the glow, and Setsuna immediately averted her gaze from the crystal light.
In front of her was a teacup filled with tea, and next to it was a small plate with what looked like a pancake on it. However, a sheet of paper with a lot of writing on it and a thick book made the table look very tasteless.
There are many things to be said for defeating bandits, exterminating wild thieves, and eradicating imperial demons, but I think the most famous is that he fought off the invasion of the Waral. I don't know. ..., right?
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, ....
Well, that's okay. I don't want to talk about it.
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That's right.
The reason why Setsuna was currently alone with Faria in this library-like room was because of her business.
Initially, she and Leongande had planned to go to the central tower, which was apparently called Mardar Tower, but suddenly Faria said she remembered something important, pulled Setsuna's hand and brought her here.
This is the base of the Gandia branch of the Continental Summoners Association in the Mardar district. From the outside, it was a four-story wooden building with a somewhat old-fashioned impression.
The two of them were in a room on the second floor.
Let me get back to the point. As I said before, I really want Setsuna to sign here.
Faria pointed to a piece of paper on the desk. The countless words written on the paper seemed to be in the language of this world - or this country - and should be incomprehensible to someone summoned from another world. However, Setsuna had an almost complete grasp of the meaning of this complex set of letters.
She did not feel any sense of discomfort with a language she had never seen before in her life, in fact, she felt as if it was a language she was familiar with from birth.
Suddenly, Setsuna thought back.
(Well, that was from the beginning, right? That's ...)
It was from the first time she met Azmaria-Altemax.
Even though she was summoned to a world where everything, including language, was supposed to be different, she had never had any trouble in that aspect. I was able to communicate with Azmaria, and talk and communicate with other people as well.
When Setsuna recognized this fact again, she began to speculate that something had happened to her when she was summoned, but she could not continue her speculation for long.
Faria's gaze was vaguely painful.
"Hey, are you listening?
I'm listening.
Setsuna hurriedly answered. He picked up the paper and ran his eyes over it. The silent reading was instantaneous. It was doubtful that all of the words had entered her mind, but she understood the content. In the first place, Faria had explained the contents of the paper to him earlier.
The reason I showed her the form was to block Faria's gaze.
In short, you want me to join the association, right?
Setsuna put the form back on the desk and looked Faria in the eye. Behind the lenses of her glasses, her emerald green eyes looked earnestly at us. They were beautiful eyes. I could not help but admire them.
I'm not forcing you to join, and you don't have to if you want to. But in my opinion, I really want Setsuna to join the association.
Faria's quiet, yet powerful voice seemed to comfortably penetrate Setsuna's ear.
I ask.
"Why?
There is no harm in joining the association. About ninety percent of the armed summoners currently active on this continent are members of the association. This is one of the reasons why I recommend you to join.
Setuna decided not to ask how the figure of about 90% was calculated. In fact, the Faria in front of her did not seem to be insisting on the truth of the figure, but rather seemed to be taken aback by the exaggeration. However, the change in expression was so slight that it was only a coincidence that Setsuna did not miss it.
The next thing is that armed summoners who join and become members of the association can use the association's facilities in each city free of charge. This is a big deal. You don't have to worry about lodging when your street money runs out. Well, not for days and days at a time, anyway. Also, members can receive various job offers through the association. Whether it's escorting merchant troops, defeating imperial demons, or exterminating bandits - fulfilling requests from the outside will not only enrich your pockets, but will also increase your reputation as an armed summoner.
As she listened to Faria's detailed explanation, Setsuna's mind drifted to a common role-playing game system. The guild receives requests and rewards for fulfilling them - a very common and easy to understand system.
And yet, it was real.
Setsuna was more than a little tickled, but she still couldn't get into it. No, I think that joining the Continental Summoners Association is not a bad option.
This is because it is an organization that Faria belongs to, but it is not a bad decision to join a large organization in this strange continent.
However, something was bothering me.
A feeling of inexplicable discomfort puzzled Setsuna. It wasn't that she doubted Faria. In fact, he had no hesitation in trusting her fully. She was grateful to Faria. Yes, sincerely.
However, this is not as simple as it sounds.
And it will also make it easier for you to achieve your own goals.
Whether or not she knew what I was thinking, Faria said with a smile.
"My purpose ...?
I don't know what your purpose is, and maybe you can't remember it because of your amnesia. But if you didn't have a purpose, you wouldn't have come to this little country, would you?
(Purpose: ...)
Setsuna was stunned as she ruminated on those words. There was no such thing as a purpose. I'm not sure what to make of this. In the beginning, there was a lot of excitement about being a hero or a heroine, but that childish enthusiasm had completely died down.
So, what to do?
Setsuna thought about the situation she was in and felt like sighing. I can't think of anything. It was a good thing that she had come to Mardahl at the behest of Leon Gand. It's good that you've come to Mardahl at Leongando's behest, and it's also good that you're helping him retake Balcer Fortress.
But what are you going to do after that?
Will you continue to stay in Gandia, or...?
I can't remember...
I can't remember." Setsuna scratched her head as she replied appropriately. In any case, now we have to deal with the reality in front of us. I'm not sure what to do. I don't think I can postpone that.
It would be disrespectful to her.
"I see.
Faria. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. I'm not sure what to make of it.
For a while, there was silence between them.
While Setsuna was pondering in silence, Faria was elegantly sipping tea and pancakes with a book from her bookshelf in her hand.
And it was Faria's words that broke the silence in the room.
... By the way, there's one thing that's been bothering me for a while, can I ask you something?
Hmm? Yes, but?
I've been wondering about one thing for a while. It was just getting ridiculous to be worrying about it. I'm not sure why I have to suffer so much over whether or not to join the association. Whether I join or not, it's not like my current situation is going to change any time soon.
So why am I thinking about it so much?
The roundabout speculation was cut short by Faria's words, which Setsuna had not expected.
Does the name Quon-Kamiya sound familiar to you?
It was truly a bolt from the blue.
What?
In the midst of her shock, Setsuna remembered the voice of a boy she had missed.
I'm Moriya Kuon. You are ...?
Rooooooooooooooo!
The deafening and extremely unpleasant roar must have been unique to the Imperial Demon. Regardless of whether or not the roar that stroked the nerves of the humans was worthy of opening the battle, it definitely raised their will to fight.
Plains as far as the eye could see. There was nothing around them that could shield them, and everyone had no choice but to expose themselves under the brilliant sunlight pouring down from above.
Two men and two women - four young men in all.
I'll take care of Lyot.
The first to come forward was a young woman.
She was not a tall woman. She was not tall, but her well-proportioned and supple body seemed to indicate that she was more than just a girl. Wrapped around her body was a black outfit with a pattern of angel wings on the back, and a gray cloak on top of that. He wore a gray cloak over it, no doubt to avoid the traveling dust.
Her black hair swaying in the wind was beautiful, and her gray eyes were as sharp as blades as she looked at her enemy.
The enemy was, of course, the Imperial Demon. The number of imperial demons that surrounded them was probably more than thirty.
A large quadrupedal imperial demon covered in crimson body hair - identified as Lyot. This is the first time that I've ever seen such a thing. Red light leaked from the two eye holes drilled into its hound-like head.
There are ten of them.
I'll leave that to you.
The woman pulled out two swords on her waist at the same time. It's a short sword. One of the swords had ancient sacred script engraved on the blade, making it look like a ceremonial sword. The other was a sword with a corrugated blade.
As soon as she swung the two swords, she kicked the ground.
So I guess I'll be the one to take on Bethlehem.
It was the other woman who began to chant something quickly. She was taller than the woman who jumped out at Lyot, but her body was not particularly well trained. However, her fleshy limbs must have been a drooling target for the man.
Wrapped around her fleshy body was the same black outfit as the woman with the two swords, and the gray cloak also seemed to be of the same design. Her waist-length chestnut hair was tied back in a bun. She had the appearance of a loving mother, with a soft smile on her face.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her companions wielding their swords and overwhelming the crimson monster, while she focused on creating her own techniques. Of course, he had to keep an eye on the imperial demons in front of him and to his left and right.
At first glance, the Imperial Demon named Beslea was nothing more than a black cat. However, the pair of wings sprouting from its back and the red light leaking from its eye sockets clearly indicated that it was not just a cat.
She took one look at them, threatening them with an unpleasant purr, but did not break into a smile.
The technique was complete.
"Armed Summoning!
With a flash of light, a weighty feeling appeared in her palm, causing her consciousness to change in a bewildering way. The weapon she had summoned was a mace, a club with a handle. Numerous stabs radiated out from the spherical hilt. The weight was enough for her slender arms to bear, but even so, its chilling weight was enough to sharpen her slow thoughts.
"--I'm going!
The big man was cowering alone as he looked after the woman who had quickly run off.
You're excited," he said.
He was probably in his late twenties. The man was in his late twenties. He had taken off his cloak and exposed his reddish bronze body to the sun. Black hair, black eyes. His wild appearance, however, gave him the appearance of a lazy person who was coasting through sleep, rather than a bloodthirsty beast.
Although he was wearing the same jet-black outfit as the two women who were rampaging through the crowd of demons, he admitted that he did not look like them. A large man carrying the wings of an angel is nothing short of uncanny.
It's all your fault, though, isn't it?
He took his gaze away from the two maidens who were effortlessly slaying countless imperial demons, and looked right back.
If that's the case, then I'm a sinful creature.
The one who smiled so brightly that the man gasped was a boy.
A boy in his late teens.
He was clearly the only one with an air of being out of place, but he was definitely an essential part of the man and the women.
It was rare to find a person for whom the word "neutral" suited so well. He had lustrous black hair, white skin full of transparency, and an extremely well-rounded, if not perfect, appearance that could be called beautiful.
Those who stared into his deep blue eyes could not help but feel a crush on him, no matter if they were men or women - that was the common perception of those who were fascinated by him.
He was rather slender, but that only served to accentuate his medieval appearance. Like the three others, he was dressed in jet-black, and it was no illusion that of the four, he was the best dressed in it.
He smiled once more at the man and looked around.
The imperial demons that had been roaring so eerily earlier were now lying on the ground as cruel corpses. It had happened so fast. The boy was not surprised by that, though.
It was just a natural result.
"Good work, Iris and Mana.
He then thanked the two swordswomen who hadn't soaked up a single drop of blood and the armed summoner who had gone berserk with a club in hand.
"No, it's not a big deal. ...
Iris sheathed her sword, averting her gaze shyly, and Mana let go of her mace with a smile. The cudgel left her slender hands and disappeared before it reached the ground. She must have returned to her world.
"You too, Waldo.
I didn't do anything.
I didn't do anything." The man cowered lightly as the boy called out to him. In fact, I didn't do anything at all. But when he said that, my back started to itch.
But the boy didn't care.
"You were protecting me.
You didn't have to, though.
I'm glad you cared.
The boy said softly and looked up. It was not a particularly meaningful action. He had no intention of checking the movement of the sun, which was about to reach its apex, nor did he think about the clouds floating in the wind.
I wondered how long it had been since I had done so.
"Shall we go? Quon-sama.
He looked back at his friends with a wry smile, feeling as if Mana's words had prompted him to return to reality.
He looked back at his friends with a wry smile. Let's go.
The boy was called Quon-Kamiya.