Meeting him in person, Castor was both large and looked younger than he had
when I saw him on a screen. While he had red hair, dragon wings, and a tail, he also
had fine features that made him look more like a young man than a general.
I didn't have the luxury of time, but I chose to give my name as a show of respect.
"I am the one serving as the provisional king of the Elfrieden Kingdom, Souma
Kazuya."
"I am General of the Air Force, Castor Vargas." When I gave my name, Castor
responded in kind. Then, Castor cocked his head to the side and asked, "If you
guys're here, does that mean the battleship putting up a big showy firefight over
there is a diversion?"
"Yeah. The plan was to take Red Dragon City while it was lightly guarded, but,
well..."
"Ha ha ha, too bad for you that I stayed behind," Castor laughed jovially.
When I saw Castor acting like that, I grew suspicious. "Sure, you stayed behind,
but it's just the two of you, right? I don't think you ought to be laughing right now."
"Whoa there, I'm the only one who'll fight you," he said. "Leave Tolman here out
of it."
"I am Tolman, steward to the House of Vargas," the middle-aged man behind
Castor turned to me and bowed. "I also served as Duke Vargas' second-in-command
in the Air Force."
"Tolman has nothing to do with all this," Castor went on. "If I lose, you can have
him lead the Air Force. He ought to make a fine General of the Air Force."
As he said that, Castor slapped Tolman on the back vigorously.
He had considered what would happen after his defeat, and he was making
recommendations for his successor, huh?
"...If you're going to be that good a sport about it, why don't we just call this off
entirely?" I asked. "You must realize it by now, right? This battle is pointless."
"It's not pointless. You can become the man who bested me," Castor said and then
grinned. "Besting 'General of the Air Force Castor Vargas' will earn you a lot of
prestige. Duchess Excel already follows you. Now, just try defeating Duke Carmine. If
you do that, I'm sure all of the nobles who are acting like fair-weather allies will be
stumbling over one another to come serve you."
"You..."
"Though, that said, I have no intent of making it easy on you."
When he finished saying that, Castor drew the sword at his hip.
"Sire, stay back!"
Aisha and the others in the infiltration team moved up, putting themselves
between me and Castor. A number of my Little Musashibo (Large) dolls were mixed
in with them, which made for a surreal scene.
Castor turned his blade towards me. "You're a hero, aren't you? Want to take me
one-on-one?"
"Don't be crazy. An ordinary guy who spends all his time doing nothing but
administrative work isn't going to be any match for you."
If he wanted to challenge me to a duel, I was just going to have to shrug.
I had come here as part of the infiltration team, but I hadn't defeated a single one
of the guards. Well, though I wasn't any use here, I was in the middle of fighting
elsewhere right now.
By using my divided consciousness to the fullest, my armored dolls were
manning the Albert's main guns and the anti-air repeating bolt throwers we had
secretly loaded aboard. I was using them to fight against the wyvern cavalry that we
had lured in.
However... the wyvern cavalry were better trained than I had imagined.
It seemed I had caught them by surprise, but even the weapon called the wyvern
killer, the anti-air repeating bolt thrower, might not be able to stall them for long.
While I was thinking about that, Aisha took a swing with her great sword.
"Castor! How long do you intend to point your blade at His Majesty?!"
"Guh! For a little kid, she has incredible idiot strength!" Castor cried.
He said that, but given that he had stopped Aisha's great sword with his own
blade, I figured he had some "idiot strength" himself.
Aisha seemed indignant at being called a little kid. "I'd rather not say this in front
of His Majesty, but I'll have you know I've been alive for decades!"
"Hmph! Well, I've been fighting for this country for over a century!" he declared.
"Mrrrrgh..."
Come on, what were they competing over? Was this a pride thing because they
were both from long-lived races? That was what I was wondering, when....
"If you underestimate a dragonewt, born of dragon blood, you're going to get
more than just hurt!" Castor shouted, spreading his wings wide to intimidate her.
The gust of wind that created was powerful enough on its own to blow a number
of the nearby soldiers up against the wall. Aisha was managing to withstand it by
putting her hands on the ground.
...So, that was the power of a dragonewt. It looked like he'd gotten more than just
a cool look out of belonging to a race descended from dragons.
Then, in the next instant, Castor kicked off from the ground, remaining in the air
as he dove forward. He didn't pay the others any heed, thrusting his sword out
straight forward as he tried to impale me on it.
"Sire!"
Aisha stood between us to protect me, using her great sword to block Castor's
charge. The clang of metal on metal echoed as their blades collided.
"Ha ha ha! You're not half bad, dark elf girl!"
"My name is Aisha! I will not allow you to lay so much as one finger on His
Majesty!" Aisha swung her great sword with all her might, knocking Castor away.
Castor made a graceful landing before hurling some verbal abuse her way. "Damn
your idiot strength!"
"Yes. I'm not very smart. But if he needs a smart person, there's the princess, or
Sir Hakuya, or Madam Juna, or Duchess Walter. If my strength can still be of aid to
His Majesty's rule, if it will let me stay by his side, I don't mind having 'idiot
strength'!"
Aisha adjusted her grip on her great sword. She was slowly closing the gap
between herself and Castor.
Castor laughed jovially. "A fine display of loyalty. Is Souma a good master to
you?"
"I don't know!" she declared.
"Oh, come on..." I muttered.
She didn't have to be that blunt. That hurt my feelings.
"I'm an idiot, so I don't know what a good master is like," Aisha went on.
"However, I wish to be at His Majesty's side! Because he heard my plea. Because his
country's food is delicious. Because he saved my village. I have many reasons, but
the biggest must be because I like him! I want to be with His Majesty and the
princess forever!"
It was a straight response, not calculated at all, which was so very like Aisha.
...It was a bit embarrassing.
I knew it wasn't that kind of scene, but how could I not be happy when a beautiful
dark elf had so many good things to say about me? I could feel myself barely holding
back a grin.
Castor laughed even more jovially. "Ha ha ha! I knew you were like my Carla!
But...!" Castor's expression grew serious and he took up a fighting stance with his
sword. "If you lack the power to back up that loyalty, you won't be able to protect
your master or yourself."
With those words, Castor was about to attack Aisha again, when...
"I won't let you do that."
"?!"
One of the Little Musashibo (Large) dolls that was behind Castor came at him
swinging its naginata. Castor turned suddenly to block it, but the moment he went to
counterattack, the Little Musashibo spun around. When it did, its back split open like
a cocoon, and someone leapt out.
The person who leapt out of the Little Musashibo doll was none other than Liscia,
rapier at the ready.
"Wha?! Princess Liscia?!" Castor cried.
Faced with Liscia's surprise attack, Castor pulled his sword back despite himself.
Liscia was a member of the family that he had sworn loyalty to. Ordinarily, she
wouldn't be someone he could point his sword at.
Had he been aware it was Liscia he was facing from the beginning, with Castor's
martial prowess he could no doubt have incapacitated her without bringing her to
harm.
In order to prevent that, and anticipating this might happen, Liscia had hidden
inside a Little Musashibo doll, waiting for an opportunity.
This hesitation would be Castor's undoing.
"Freeze! Ice Sword Mountain!" she shouted.
"Urkh!"
Not missing her opening, Liscia unleashed an ice magic attack at close range.
Castor narrowly avoided it, but the magic struck the stone wall and floor, creating
spikes of ice. Because of his large wings, Castor got caught in the spikes and was
unable to move.
"Dammit!"
"Aisha!" she called.
"I'm on it, princess!"
While Castor was rendered immobile, Aisha swung the flat side of her great
sword into him at full force. Castor was knocked flying along with the ice. There was
the sound of ice shattering against the wall and then, an instant later, the sound of
Castor slamming against it, too.