Chapter 48
When I left the castle, Fiene stayed behind to see me off.
She must have known there was no point in following me any farther.
Instead, Fiene murmured in a voice only I could hear.
"Have a safe journey. I'll be waiting for your return."
"Yeah. I'm off."
After that conversation, I headed for the Imperial Capital Branch with Brother Trau and the Imperial Guard knights acting as our escort.
As soon as we entered the Imperial Capital Branch, Eva's voice suddenly reached my ears.
"It doesn't matter who... Please, save our country... Please accept the request to subjugate the sea dragon...!"
I immediately realized that Eva was sending a message via long-distance communication magic.
Moreover, this was an emergency alert for a crisis on a continental scale. It had probably been activated for some reason. Whether she knew it or not, Eva was asking the adventurers for help.
Hearing this, the adventurers in the guild were gnashing their teeth in frustration, picking fights with one another, drinking, and generally making a scene.
Being asked for help by a girl being attacked by a monster and being unable to help was nothing less than humiliating for those who had chosen the profession of adventurer.
After all, an adventurer's mission was to help those who called out for aid.
They were being tormented by helplessness and the irritation that came with it.
I found that deeply reassuring.
While there was a foolish family fighting among themselves over the throne, there were also people who felt helpless after hearing the plea of a girl whose name they did not even know.
It was a heartening thought.
So, on behalf of those people, I entered the branch's long-distance communication room and said a few words to her.
"I'm coming. Wait for me."
At the same time, I created a teleportation rift in the branch.
It connected to a guild branch on the southern border.
"Let's go, Fourth Prince."
"Of course. I cannot overlook a girl's cry for help."
With that, I stepped into the teleportation rift and arrived at the guild branch in the south.
Everyone looked startled, but I paid them no mind. Instead, I created another teleportation rift connected to the guild branch in the Albatro Duchy and immediately stepped through it.
When we arrived at the ruined guild branch, I met Eva's eyes as she knelt on the ground.
"You are...?"
"I'm Silver, an SS-rank adventurer affiliated with the Imperial Capital Branch. I've come to accept the request."
Eva's eyes widened, but tears soon began to well up in them.
Seeing that, I could tell how anxious she must have been.
"You've done well. Evacuate immediately."
"Y-yes... But my brother..."
"Your brother?"
"He went to the castle, saying he would do whatever he could..."
Just as an ominous feeling began to creep over me, Brother Trau and the others caught up with us a little later.
Judging from their expressions, they seemed quite taken with teleportation.
"Oh-ho. So this is the south. Teleportation magic truly is remarkable, Mr. Silver."
"Stop admiring it and hurry up and authorize the Holy Sword's use, Fourth Prince."
"It isn't that simple. Unless Miss Erna can hear me, there is no point."
"Then let's go somewhere conspicuous."
With that in mind, I left the half-destroyed guild branch for the time being. Outside, complete chaos reigned.
The buildings near the harbor had been badly damaged, and a gigantic dragon loomed in the sea.
"It is enormous. Can you really defeat it?"
"It'd be difficult alone."
As we spoke, a water bullet began forming near the sea dragon's mouth.
But it was enormous. Just how big was it?
"It's even bigger than before!?"
Hearing Eva's words, I began preparing defensive magic.
If something that size fell into the city, it would be more than a catastrophe.
There were still many people who had not managed to escape.
Should I somehow draw its attention?
As I wondered what to do, a voice came from the topmost floor of the castle.
"Over here, Leviatano!!"
The voice belonged to Giulio. He was probably using a magical device that amplified his voice.
In his hand was the magical device that had once sealed Leviatano.
The reason Leviatano had attacked the Albatro Duchy was probably both its fear of being sealed again and its desire for revenge after being forced into a long sleep.
Knowing this, Giulio had deliberately acted conspicuously to draw Leviatano's gaze toward himself. Even knowing he would die, he must have intended to protect the many people in the city.
Leviatano's gaze shifted and found Giulio.
'There you are. The hated tool that put me to sleep. It seems to have lost its power, but I cannot allow myself to be put to sleep again. I will erase it.'
With that, Leviatano remade the already huge water bullet into one even larger.
This was bad.
While preparing defensive magic, I created a teleportation rift.
'Reckless little brat. In consideration of your courage, I shall destroy you without causing you pain.'
With that, Leviatano fired the gigantic water bullet toward the upper levels of the castle.
At the same time, I passed through the teleportation rift and appeared in front of Giulio.
"Please forgive me... Father, Mother, Sister..."
"Save your apology for when you can tell them in person."
As Giulio shut his eyes and prepared himself for death, I called out to him and deployed a massive defensive spell.
It was a shield.
The blue-and-silver shield appeared in front of the castle and faced down Leviatano's water bullet.
≪That shield is the Great Shield of God. Everyone knows its name. It is the byword for protection. It was created for all the weak. Therefore, even a god cannot break it. Therefore, that shield is undefeated and invincible. Its name is—Aegis≫
The instant I chanted the shield's name, it began to shine.
Then it effortlessly obliterated the gigantic water bullet Leviatano had fired.
Giulio was so shocked that his legs gave out beneath him.
Perhaps worried about Giulio, Eva came through the teleportation rift.
"Giulio!"
"Sister..."
"Thank goodness, thank goodness...! I thought it was all over...! It's all right now... Help has come... They've come to save us...!"
"Help...?"
"You must be the twin Highnesses of the Albatro Duchy."
"Y-yes... I am Giulio di Albatro..."
"I've come from the Adventurer's Guild. I'm Silver, an SS-rank adventurer. And..."
"I am Traugott Rakes Adler, the Empire's Fourth Prince."
Brother Trau emerged from the teleportation rift and introduced himself.
His introduction had an air of authority, but his eyes remained fixed on Eva.
Apparently, a beautiful girl with tears in her eyes scored highly with Brother Trau.
I felt like punching him, but I could not do that given our respective positions, so I gave him a verbal warning instead.
"Fourth Prince. Get to work already."
"Well, might I not admire the beautiful girl a little longer? Mr. Silver's shield will last a while, won't it?"
"Shall I throw just you outside the shield?"
"That would be troublesome... Very well. I suppose I should fulfill my duty as a member of the imperial family."
With that, Brother Trau grabbed the voice-amplifying magical device Giulio had been using and pulled it toward himself.
It was then that Brother Trau looked at Giulio for the first time. And then...
"Come to think of it, Lord Giulio, your actions earlier were admirable. The only person I know who could do that much for his people was my late elder brother. Therefore, at this moment, I shall be like you—an imperial family member the people can be proud of."
With that, Brother Trau began broadcasting his voice.
Meanwhile, Leviatano was preparing its next attack.
However, Brother Trau leisurely began a speech.
"Everyone in the Albatro Duchy, hear me. I am Traugott Rakes Adler, the Empire's Fourth Prince. All who can hear this voice, lend me your ears."
I wanted him to hurry, but the summoning of the Holy Sword had to be authorized by Brother Trau, and Erna had to recognize that authorization.
For that to work reliably, Brother Trau and Erna needed to know each other's locations.
That was why Brother Trau would now call out to Erna.
Until then, I had to keep protecting everyone.
"In the midst of this chaos, I have come here as a representative of my father, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. I have not come to save this land. Nor have I come to protect it. That is not my duty. I have merely come to deliver something."
Perhaps deciding that a single powerful attack would not be enough, Leviatano launched a barrage of countless water bullets.
We intercepted them with countless magic circles of our own.
Even as we did so, Brother Trau did not interrupt his speech for a moment.
"Are my knights in this land? Are there any courageous knights? Strong knights? Proud knights? Are there any knights who wish to do something about this situation? Are there any knights who wish to save those suffering unjustly before their eyes? If so, declare yourselves! In my name, I shall grant that knight the honor of saving this land!!"
No one answered.
It was impossible that they had not heard him.
Every knight here must have wanted to shout, 'Let me do it.'
But only one person here was allowed to answer Brother Trau's call.
"I'm here!! Your Highness! The knight who will answer your call is here!!"
Then Erna made a dashing entrance, cutting down one of the water bullets hurtling toward her.
Seeing her, Brother Trau nodded once and made a theatrical sweep with one hand.
"State your name!"
"Erna von Amsberg answers Your Highness's call!"
"Excellent! I, Traugott Rakes Adler, acting as the representative of Emperor Johannes Rakes Adler, command you! Take up the Holy Sword, Hero!"
At that moment, Erna raised an arm toward the sky.
Then an aurora descended from the heavens.
As the radiant object in her hands gradually transformed into a sword, Erna gripped it tightly and murmured:
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"There is no need to thank me, Miss Erna. This is the duty of the imperial family. Now then, I shall remain here and enjoy the spectacle from a high vantage point. Watching the Empire's strongest knight and strongest adventurer fight a dragon should make for excellent material for my report."
With that, Brother Trau wore his usual slightly unsettling smile.
While smiling wryly at Brother Trau, I floated into the air and looked toward Giulio.
"Now then, Lord Giulio. You and your sister are my clients. So let me confirm... You do not mind if I slay that sea dragon, do you?"
"Huh!? Y-yes! Please, go right ahead!"
After hearing Giulio's reply, I turned toward Leviatano with Erna.