Chapter 101
──After the demon beast investigation ended, in 'Noza Town'──
"Excuse me, Sister-sama."
"I have been waiting for you, Liana. I'm glad you returned safely..."
After the demon beast investigation ended, Liana went to see Sofia.
Grand Duke Karon, Unit Commander Isaac, and the Demon Lord's general were still at the eastern fortress. By now, they should have begun interrogating the commander and soldiers.
Once that was over, the Grand Duke would come to 'Noza Town' as well.
"So, I was given permission to stay with you, Sister-sama."
After her brief explanation, Liana smiled at her sister, Sofia.
"I was supposed to be investigating, but in the end I had to subdue a new demon beast... They told me to come to this town to rest afterward. Personally, though, simply being able to see you, Sister-sama, is more than enough."
Liana bowed to her older sister, Sofia, with a satisfied expression.
She was wearing a simple dress. Her armor and Holy Sword had been entrusted to the Grand Duke's adjutant, Nona.
(...I really wanted to come here in disguise again.)
Besides, she felt uncomfortable in a dress.
She would have preferred the clothes she had worn the last time she visited 'Noza Town.' However, Adjutant Nona had gently admonished her. This visit was an official one.
Liana was currently visiting the town as an Imperial princess and showing herself to the residents as well.
It was only natural that she was expected to dress appropriately.
She understood that, but... Liana wanted to be nothing more than a single younger sister in front of Sofia.
The last time she had visited the town, talking freely with Sofia and the others without having to hold back had been far too enjoyable.
"It must have been difficult, Liana. An investigation turning into a demon beast subjugation..."
As she watched Liana, Sofia nodded.
"But as expected of the 'Holy Sword Princess.' You defeated the demon beast, after all."
"You did the same, Sister-sama... You subjugated a new species of demon beast."
"That was only possible thanks to the assistance of everyone from the Demon Lord's territory. Now, let me prepare some tea for you."
With a gentle smile, Sofia began preparing the tea.
"You eliminated the threat to the borderlands. You have grown into a fine woman, Liana."
"I could not have done it by myself. It was only possible thanks to Grand Duke-sama and the 'Police Officer Unit.' And I was able to defeat the demon beast so easily because of the Demon Lord's territory's cooperation. Without it... there might have been deaths and injuries."
"Will you tell me what happened in detail?"
Sofia set a teacup in front of Liana and sat down in the chair beside her.
"Only tell me what you can. Given your position, there must be things you have to keep secret."
"Y-yes, Sister-sama."
A smile escaped her despite herself.
It had been a long time since she had sat beside her sister, Sofia, and drunk tea.
When they were little, they had always eaten sweets and read books shoulder to shoulder.
It felt as if she had returned to those days, and Liana gradually relaxed.
"I understand. Then I will tell you."
Liana took a sip of tea.
After moistening her dry throat, she began speaking slowly.
"Grand Duke-sama and I were heading to a certain place as part of our investigation. Grand Duke-sama had determined that information about the new demon beast could be found there."
"As expected of Grand Duke Karon-sama..."
"Then the Alchemist-sama's 'Robot Vacuum' from the Demon Lord's territory came spinning toward us with a whir."
"...Huh?"
"It was a very adorable golem."
Liana's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"It did not have a single sharp edge, and it was spinning at high speed. You know that golem too, don't you, Sister-sama? It was carrying your handkerchief, after all."
"My handkerchief? Could it have been the one I exchanged with Agnis-sama...?"
"I do not know, but it was so cute that I went out to meet the golem. Then it popped open, and a letter from Alchemist-sama came out. You understand, don't you, Sister-sama?"
"...N-no."
"When it popped open, there was a letter written in Alchemist-sama's own hand inside. It said that the place we were heading for was the headquarters of the demon beast summoning, and that the demon beast that had escaped from there was targeting Grand Duke-sama and me."
"...I see. And what happened to the demon beast?"
"We defeated it."
"I understand that much. Tell me how it came to that."
"Because Alchemist-sama gave us this advice: 'Shwaa! Shoo! Zgyun! Gyurun! Zubababaan!'"
Imperial Princess Liana declared this proudly.
"That was why I was able to defeat the demon beast with confidence."
"...You know, Liana..."
"Can you believe it, Sister-sama? That person realized how to use the Holy Sword better without even touching it. He even used a golem to find our location and warned us. To be capable of such things..."
"..."
"And yet, I could not even thank him. Perhaps it was because I was foolish enough to say that I wanted to 'use him as a tool' before... Or perhaps it is simply that my heart starts beating strangely whenever I see him. If I looked him in the face, I would not know what might come out of my mouth──"
"Calm down, Liana."
Before she knew it, her sister Sofia had placed a finger against Liana's lips.
Realizing that she had been talking too much, Liana's face flushed.
As she watched her little sister, Sofia said,
"Please speak a little more slowly. I am not going anywhere, you know?"
"...I'm sorry, Sister-sama."
Liana lowered her head despite herself.
Her cheeks felt hot.
She realized that she had said far too much to her sister, and her face flushed again.
"When I am with you, Sister-sama, I let my guard down without meaning to..."
Liana dropped her shoulders and sighed.
"As an Imperial princess... I can speak about only the facts in a businesslike manner, but..."
"It is all right. I understand more or less what you are trying to say."
"You do?"
"Grand Duke-sama's investigation revealed the headquarters of whoever was controlling the new demon beast. As you were heading there, Thor Kanan-sama's golem came to you, did it not? Through the golem, he told you that the demon beast was targeting you... No, perhaps the demon beast arrived first..."
After thinking for a moment, Sofia said,
"Then Liana followed Thor Kanan-sama's advice, unleashed the Holy Sword's power, and defeated the demon beast. You could not thank Thor Kanan-sama... Does that mean he was present when Grand Duke-sama and the Demon Lord's territory exchanged information after the subjugation?"
"You are amazing, Sister-sama... It is as though you were there."
"If I could not figure out something like this, I would hardly qualify as your sister, would I?"
Sofia gently stroked Liana's hair.
"You and I are twins. That is why I understand. I know what you felt and what you are thinking... you know."
"Y-yes."
"In any case, I am glad you defeated the demon beast safely."
"Yes. I defeated it with a great big Zubababaan."
"But it is a shame that you could not thank Thor Kanan-sama in person."
Sofia let out a small sigh.
At that, Liana's body gave a start.
Liana had also noticed that her sister cared deeply for Alchemist Thor.
That was why Sofia had been so angry the last time Liana came here.
Sofia would not tolerate anyone being rude to him.
Then, having failed to thank him, Liana would──
"It cannot be helped. I will write a letter to Thor Kanan-sama myself."
"...Huh? Sister-sama?"
"What is it, Liana?"
"You are not angry with me?"
"Of course not. You were tired from the battle, were you not? If you used the Holy Sword to defeat a gigantic demon beast, you must have used up a great deal of mana. No one can do everything perfectly."
"...But, Sister-sama..."
Liana looked at her sister while pressing a hand to her pounding chest.
She took a slow, deep breath, and then said,
"I... have tremendous respect for Alchemist Thor-sama."
Liana looked straight into her twin sister's eyes and declared,
"He possesses the ability to create amazing golems. His power is so great that he can easily find Grand Duke-sama and me even when we are far away..."
"I see. So you respect that person's abilities, Liana."
"...No. That is not it."
Liana instinctively shook her head.
"What I respect is his desire to understand other people."
When Liana looked at her sister after saying that, Sofia gave a small nod.
Reassured, Liana continued.
"That person taught me how to use the Holy Sword in words I could understand... in a way only I could understand. His letter contained nothing but 'Shwaa! Shoo! Zgyun! Gyurun! Zubababaan!' That way of writing it could only be understood by me, Alchemist-sama, and──"
"This Sofia, of course."
"Yes. That letter was meant to tell only me what was necessary and who had written it. He wrote it that way because he believed I would understand. No one has ever tried so hard to understand me... except you, Sister-sama..."
Once she put it into words, it became clear.
Liana had worked to improve her 'Swordsmanship Skill' since she was a child.
Furthermore, before and after the ritual involving the magic sword, she awakened to powerful light magic and became the 'Holy Sword Princess.'
Everyone had praised her.
──They called her a great wielder of the Holy Sword.
──They said she would become a pillar of the Empire supporting Crown Prince Dias.
──They said she would serve as a deterrent to foreign nations, a symbol of the Empire's 'strength.'
Zagran, her tutor, had said the same.
He had told her that Liana was necessary to enhance the authority of the Empire.
That was why, whenever Liana wielded the Holy Sword, he had arranged everything so she was certain to win. The battle to subdue 'Demon Beast Galgarossa' was the only exception. Everything else had gone well.
(...I was intoxicated by it.)
Saying that she had merely been intoxicated by it... would only be an excuse.
If she had wanted to, she could have found countless reasons to doubt Zagran's words.
Yet Liana had accepted what Zagran said without thinking. She had noticed nothing until her sister Sofia went far away.
After Sofia went away, Liana realized that she was empty inside.
It was only after losing her sister that she realized she had wanted neither the title of 'Holy Sword Princess' nor praise, but someone who would try to understand her──
Liana had managed to reunite with Sofia like this, but that was merely good fortune.
"I was separated from you because of my own mistakes, Sister-sama. I will never make the same mistake again. I do not want to lose someone who understands me."
That was not all.
She wanted to become someone who could understand others, too.
That was why she respected Alchemist Thor: even after being sent to the Demon Lord's territory, he was cherished by its people, shared an understanding with them, and lived as one of their own.
Liana took her time explaining all of this.
"That is why I want to meet him face-to-face this time and properly thank him. So that you will not have to scold me again, Sister-sama. But..."
"...You become nervous, don't you?"
"Yes."
At her sister's words, Liana nodded.
"When I think of him, my admiration threatens to run wild. My heart pounds. I feel as uneasy as if I were standing naked on a road... It is strange, is it not? Even though I have only met him once."
"...What do you want to do, Liana?"
"I want to thank him as one person to another. If being an Imperial princess would get in the way, I would even cast off those robes."
Liana continued with a serious expression.
"I also want to apologize properly for calling him a 'tool.' Last time, I had just been scolded by you, Sister-sama, but this time I want to look him straight in the eye... and accept his gaze with my entire body."
"You have grown, Liana."
Sofia stretched out both arms──and embraced Liana.
Though she was Liana's twin sister, Sofia's arms were slimmer than her own.
Liana was happy that those arms were holding her with all their strength, and tears spilled from her eyes.
"...It has been so long since... you praised me, Sister-sama."
"I will grant your wish."
Her sister's large eyes looked at Liana from very close by.
"I will create an opportunity for you and Thor Kanan-sama to speak without being noticed by people from the Empire."
"You will, Sister-sama?"
"I will probably be present as well. Thor Kanan-sama will also have a female guard with him. Is that acceptable?"
"Y-yes! If I can have such an opportunity... I would be very happy."
"Let me confirm this, Liana."
Sofia looked at Liana with the most serious expression imaginable.
It was as though she were testing her little sister's resolve.
"You intend to stake everything you have, cast off the robes of an Imperial princess, thank Thor Kanan-sama, and apologize to him while accepting his gaze with your entire body—is that right?"
"Y-yes! Sister-sama!"
"You have that resolve?"
"I do. I swear it in the name of 'Holy Sword Dulgaria' and the 'Holy Sword Maiden.'"
"Then leave it to me."
Saying this, Sofia clasped Liana's hand tightly.
Her hand was slender and weaker than Liana's, just as expected──but it was very warm.
Liana understood that Sofia was serious.
"Wait for me. I, Sofia Dulgaria, will grant your wish."
Saying that, Sofia went to the desk.
Then she began writing a letter addressed to Thor Kanan.