If one would ask Yuri, he could say that Murata was right about seeing all four of Shori's friends gathered in that other world as something way too much to be a coincidence. It seemed to be something that was orchestrated beforehand. Much like how Shinou manipulated a lot of things as he watched over Shin Makoku despite being possessed by Soushu for a long time.
But then again, who would even orchestrate something like summoning Mari and her friends from Earth to become the new Beast Knights of Esovia? Yes, even Nobu and Chie were chosen by the Beast Spirits along with Mari and Rina to fulfill the roles of the four previous Beast Knights who died a long time ago, much to their surprise. As to what kind of Beast Knights the four chosen people were, it was still a mystery to them.
At the moment, their priority was to gain support and have the Beast Knights help them in solving their current predicament about the Phantasma. The Maoh could tell that it won't be an easy task, considering the authority that the leaders of the Five Aristocratic Families were exuding.
It didn't take long for all of them to reach the Roseberke Castle where the conference with regards to Shin Makoku's situation would be held. The leaders and the Beast Knights were all present and Lord Reinhardt ordered that it should only be them who were allowed inside at the moment. Of course, it only increased the tension that Yuri and the others were feeling.
But then...
"I don't think we have anything to worry about, Yuri," Conrad uttered all of a sudden which surprisingly dissipated the tension the Maoh was feeling even if it was only for a bit.
Yuri looked at the said soldier as they continued walking towards the castle. "What made you say that so confidently, Conrad?"
"The leaders may all look scary as if they don't know how to smile at all. But I think if it's for Shin Makoku, they would never hesitate to lend a hand to help their fellow Mazoku."
The Maoh was at a loss of words upon hearing that. But for some reason, it gave him quite a boost when it came to confidence with the way Conrad said them. Somehow, he wanted to believe that everything would work out just fine.
Not long after, they finally entered the grand castle and headed straight to the large conference room located on the first floor. The inside of the castle didn't look like it suffered intense damage from the war at all. Then again, the repair was probably done well for them to see something amazing and grand like this at the moment.
And yet, Yuri could sense something melancholic about the place. He couldn't quite place it, though.
The leaders, the Beast Knights, and the guests from Shin Makoku all took their seats as soon as they entered the conference room. The table there was circular, so there was no distinction on who among the aristocratic leaders was ruling the others. They knew, however, that Klaus was the leader of the Beast Knights.
"Before we start, I believe a proper introduction is to be done first for the sake of our important guests today who came from Shin Makoku. Especially since His Majesty, the Maoh, and even His Eminence, the Daikenja have graced us with their presence," Klaus started with such friendly but still a firm tone.
The other leaders and the Beast Knights agreed to it. And so the introduction was done this way.
Lord Klaus Elirch Amrein, the current Light Eagle Knight and also the leader of the House of Amrein, was the first to do so. And it was done without leaving a single important detail. Especially the fact that he was the eldest child of the last queen of Esovia and the older brother of the deceased princess and former Wind Tiger Knight, Lyall.
"Of course, I'm sure you already know these facts about me, courtesy of Lord Weller," Klaus said after the introduction.
"Well, he was the only one among us who encountered an Esovian Mazoku and with a sure knowledge about you. So it's a given that he's the only one we can rely on with regards to information about this topic," Murata replied.
"I only hope you didn't force it out of him, though. Despite having the most knowledge about us, his deep connection to the last royal family was still something that could give him an unimaginable pain because of what happened to Lyall." Hanz was, surprisingly, the one who said those words. Conrad couldn't think of what to say in response to that, though.
The second to do an introduction was the leader of the House of Vluerona and the mother of the former Water Swordfish Knight, Lady Sofia Elia Vluerona. Much to Yuri and Murata's surprise, Lady Sofia was also revealed to be Klaus and Lyall's aunt as she was the older sister of Queen Roheis, the last Esovian queen and a member of the House of Vluerona.
"I think what happened back then was still something painful for you. Isn't it, Lady Vluerona?" Yuri couldn't help commenting.
But the Vluerona House leader smiled gently with hints of amusement in her eyes. "You can call me Lady Sofia, Your Majesty. Indeed, it's still painful, but I know that my daughter, even my sister, and my niece wouldn't want me to dwell any longer in those painful memories whereas I could still do something to stop it from happening again. Right now, that is my goal and I know my daughter would wish for it, as well."
The next one who did an introduction was Lord Heimon Gavin Hagelin, the leader of the House of Hagelin and the father of the former Fire Lion Knight. He was a renowned soldier in his time and the one who was in charge of training the soldiers in the Esovian military.
"So, you're like a counterpart of Lord von Radford of Shin Makoku. But it seems that you still bear the pain of losing your child during the war, Lord Heimon," Murata uttered.
But the tensed atmosphere he was expecting to happen upon mentioning that didn't appear. Everything remained neutral. Of course, this came as a surprise to Murata, but not for long.
"My daughter is quite a dutiful lady and a proud warrior at the same time. But among the six chosen Beast Knights, she was the one who exhibited a certain kind of happiness I never thought possible for being able to fulfill the role of a Beast Knight. I'm sure that even in the afterlife, she was happy that she was able to fulfill the role quite proudly. That means I have to do the same, as well. At least for her successor's sake."
The leader of the House of Reinhardt who soon did an introduction was the old-looking Lord Diethelm Clanus Reinhardt. His only heir who was the father of the former Earth Bear Knight also died during the war, thus leaving him without a successor in his lineage. But it appeared that someone among the members of the House of Reinhardt was already raised and trained to succeed Lord Diethelm in the future, together with the blessings and guidance of the other leaders and the Beast Knights.
"Of course, now that I've met His Majesty and His Eminence, I know this would be too much of me to ask of you but seeking your blessing and guidance for my successor would assure the people of the House of Reinhardt's future."
"After this affair is over, I don't think we have anything to worry about us giving your chosen successor the blessing he needed," Yuri replied rather lightly, making Lord Diethelm laugh. The atmosphere after that soon became lighter for them.
Lastly, Lady Cerys Mairi Kaiser was the leader of the House of Kaiser and she was the older sister of the surviving Beast Knight, the current Sound Wolf Knight Hanz Erehalt Kaiser. The siblings had no parents since the couple died when they were young due to a mountaineering accident and were then raised by Queen Roheis when she was still alive.
"Does that mean you're quite close to the last royal family, Lady Cerys?" Yuri asked.
"You could say that. It seems that you're quite interested in them, Your Majesty."
But Yuri only laughed it off, slightly nervous. And yet it seems that Lady Cerys didn't mind the inquiry, though. Even Klaus was smiling. Could this be their way of lifting off the pressure that the guests were feeling at the moment? If it was like that, then they were thankful.
After the leaders' introductions, it was the Beast Knights' turn to do the same. Surprisingly, Hanz was the first to do it. As mentioned previously by Mari, Rina, and Lady Cerys, he was the currently chosen Sound Wolf Knight and the other surviving Beast Knight from the war. To Conrad's discomfort, however, Hanz was also revealed to be Lyall's childhood friend and self-proclaimed bodyguard. Perhaps because the last queen raised them together.
From what Conrad could see, the description about Hanz being a proud Esovian Mazoku was true, if he were to base it on the way he moved and talked. But the said Beast Knight could be a friendly person, as long as no one would dare get to his bad side. Hanz even said to Conrad that even though Lyall was his childhood friend, there was never a point that he wanted their relationship to become more than that.
"So, there's no need for you to worry about anything with regards to my relationship with Lyall. Besides, I know all this time about what lies in her heart despite everything that happened to her," Hanz said rather gently, which was something quite reassuring to Conrad.
But along with that, a certain melancholic feeling began to flood his heart again. It was something that all of them noticed but chose not to mention anything about it.
The next one to do the introduction was Shori's only male friend among the group, Fuyumine Nobu. Nobu mentioned that he was an architecture student at a local university back on Earth and Esovia, he was fulfilling the role of the current Earth Bear Knight. He also mentioned that he was the one taking care of the animals near the capital, especially the endangered ones like the bear bees and the dragons living in the Forest of Illusions.
"So, you're fulfilling your dream of becoming a veterinarian in this world, aren't you, Nobu?" Shori commented.
Nobu laughed and nodded. "Well, my powers over the earth were also related to every living thing in this world. So it's quite helpful for me."
"Does that mean you're the one watching over the dragons' behavior as of late, Nobu-san?" This time, it was Yuri who asked that.
"That's right. What made you ask that?"
"Mari-san mentioned that the dragons here were acting strange because of the powers that this island had granted to them. Does that mean even from far away, they could sense a Phantasma attack?"
"Yes, they can. The dragons here are just some of the Phantasma's greatest enemies since they act as the Beast Knights and the island's guards. They've grown powerful over time, that's why even if the attack happened in Shin Makoku, they were able to sense it and give us the warning by acting strange. Well, I'd rather describe their strange actions as something worrisome, though."
The next Beast Knight who gave an introduction after that was Natsukawa Chie, a music student at the local university proficient in archery. She became the chosen Fire Lion Knight, given the ability to manipulate the most dangerous element.
"I guess you could put your archery training back on Earth to use here in this world, huh?"
Chie nodded. "Which was something I'm really glad about. But to be able to manipulate flames, that gave me a shock at first."
"Does that mean you'd prefer to manipulate a slightly gentler element, Chie-san?"
"Personally speaking, I'd prefer manipulating the water element. But then I came to realize that each elemental power that exists in this world can be both benevolent and destructive in its ways. So I have no right to complain about this at all. Right now, my priority is to use the powers I was given to help everyone and defeat every enemy that tries to destroy whatever is left of the peace that we were trying to restore. Both for the humans and the Mazoku's welfare."
"Thank you for saying that, Chie-san," Yuri said gratefully.
Soon after that, Harusaki Rina fully introduced herself to their Mazoku guests. She mentioned that she was a medical student at the local university specializing in pediatrics and the currently chosen Water Swordfish Knight. Nevertheless, her skill in healing when it comes to this world wasn't exactly limited to that of the children.
"But isn't that great for you, Rina? You're also fulfilling your dream in this world. Now I won't be surprised if I learned that you're also applying your skills in karate here," Shori commented to which Rina just replied with a laugh.
When it was over, it was obvious who would do an introduction last. Because of that, Conrad instinctively faced the black-haired woman intently listening to every conversation occurring there.
'That only means Knight Mari was...'
Lastly, Akiyama Mari introduced herself fully. She revealed that she was an art student at the local university and was the first among Shori's friends to be summoned to that world to fulfill the role of a Beast Knight. Just as everyone could tell now, Mari was the currently chosen Wind Tiger Knight succeeding Princess Lyall.
In Conrad's perception, it could have been the reason why he was feeling a certain familiarity towards Mari the moment they met. But he could somehow tell that there was more to it than just being chosen to replace Lyall in that position.
"Now I won't wonder why your swordsmanship style suddenly became so strong during the recent tournaments you've joined to. You're able to use it here, and you're not even holding back at all," Shori commented once again as he faced Mari.
"Well, when you're protecting something important to you, I don't think there should be any reason to hold back. Right? Esovia is my second home and the place that made me realize the things I want to do right now. The one thing I needed to do to repay this place for doing that is to protect it whatever happens."
"Mari... Just don't try to overdo it, okay? You do tend to do things to the extreme, you know," Shori said, clearly expressing his worries for her.
The black-haired Knight just smiled. "I know that. But I don't think you have anything to worry about that matter."
When the introduction was over and done with, it was then that the real reason why the Mazoku decided to travel such distance to find the Beast Knights and the Esovian Mazoku was finally brought up to the conference.