Alberk was receiving a report in his office.
«Serge went out with troops?»
His subordinate wore a pale face.
«Yes, sir! He said he’d bring the friend back.»
Alberk slammed his fist down.
A loud bang echoed through the office, announcing Alberk’s irritation.
«Foolish. Rebuilding the Respinus house now is pointless—just bring him back immediately! We can’t keep squabbling with the Kingdom any longer.»
The subordinate rushed out of the office, and Alberk buried his head in his hands.
«Serge, why don’t you understand?»
◇ A light shone from above.
«Master, the main body of
Looking up, the night sky was tinged with a color that seemed to melt into it.
A blue, box‑shaped transport ship—identical to Luxion’s own—floated there, its massive hull unapologetically exposed.
«So you’re not trying to hide it, huh?»
My mutter was answered by Serge.
«I don’t like sneaky, petty stuff like you do. Still, it’s exactly the ship we heard about. Alogantz, right? A seven‑deadly‑sins motif—did you get a little too into chuunibyou?»
Seven deadly sins?
When I looked at Luxion for clarification— «‘Alogantz’ means ‘pride.’ It’s one of the seven sins.»
«You should’ve told me that sooner!»
I hadn’t known it had that meaning. Still, there’s something about it that pulls me.
Alogantz—doesn’t that sound cool?
«Since nobody asked, I’ll just say it.»
While keeping an eye on the surroundings, I shielded Noel on my back when something shot out from Ideal’s main body and landed on the ground.
The blue machine was a high‑mobility slim type, but a size larger than a normal armor.
Wielding a spear, its silhouette shared many points with the supposedly unrelated Alogantz.
Maybe it’s because both were created by the same AI?
«I gave this one a name—‘Ghia.’ Do you get the meaning?»
A quick glance at Luxion revealed, «Greed.»
«Treating people like chuunibyou cases while you’re the same yourself!»
Serge spread his arms wide.
«I prepared this especially for you. To crush your prized machine. Come on, hop in—let me show you the difference in class.»
Noel stepped forward.
«Serge, wait!
«You keep quiet. And you’re being fooled. He’s not the saint you think he is. Right, Count‑Earl of the rising class?»
Noel turned to look at me.
I said nothing.
«It’s a lie. Leon’s kind, and—»
The explanation came from a sub‑unit of Ideal that emerged from Ghia’s cockpit.
«—the ‘Heretic Knight.’ That’s his epithet. A quick search shows a slew of deeds unworthy of that name.»
«It’s a lie! That’s false!»
Luxion stared at Ideal.
«Did you investigate the Kingdom’s intel?»
«Yes. While the Kingdom was in chaos, some fled to the Republic. I gathered what they said.»
Those were the nobles who escaped the Kingdom.
There are plenty who could hold a grudge against me.
Noel’s gaze trembled a bit.
«Leon, answer me. You’re just a bit sharp‑tongued, but you’re really a kind person, right?»
I should just say «yes,» but I hesitated.
—Me, a good person? Laughable.
A good person doesn’t kill.
I killed in war—so I’m definitely a heretic.
Playing the good‑person card might be the safest move, but I didn’t want to lie now.
«I told you. I’m— I don’t tell lies. That blue thing over there says it. I’m a heretic. Not a good person.»
Noel lowered her head as Luxion pointed a red eye at Ideal.
«You’re getting pretty dirty.»
«Dirty? You mean the ones who infiltrated other nations and put their own interests first? From the start you aimed to get close to the Respinus family’s priestess, didn’t you?»
Noel looked sad.
«So… Leon also wanted the priestess’s power.»
I closed my eyes.
Luxion tried to shield me.
«It’s not true, Master—»
Serge scratched his hair violently.
«You’re the one who said talking to Ideal was pointless, right? Let’s see just how strong that heretic is. You claim you beat a famed knight? Show me that skill.»
When Serge climbed into his armor, Luxion offered advice.
«Master, escaping now will be difficult. Buy us time. My main body is on its way to assist. Once it arrives—»
I rejected the suggestion while boarding Alogantz.
«No. If you and Ideal fight, this whole area will blow up.»
«The performance gap between Alogantz and Ghia is clear. Without the Schwert, Alogantz is outclassed.»
Annoyingly, they ignore the world’s tech level.
Luxion and I had tried to temper things because of the tech disparity, but they just brushed it off.
«Cover with brute force.»
«They’ll likely outmatch us.»
«Even if it’s a lie, praise your master.»
«If you expect that function, give up. It’s unnecessary.»
Does this thing really hate me that much?
You could learn a thing or two from Ideal.
When I shot up into the sky, Ghia rose with me.
Serge’s voice rang out.
«Let’s begin!»
I furrowed my brow.
«—You little brat.»
◇ Two armors rose into the air, colliding violently.
Approaching the seated Noel was Relia.
«Relia, why are you here?»
«You see now, right? He’s been lying to us. He’s a monstrous heretic in the Kingdom—just hearing the rumors makes me sick. The data Ideal gave us and the soldiers’ testimonies were so awful I was speechless.»
Noel clutched a paper bag to her chest.
It held some skewers, still warm.
«But now we don’t have to go to the Kingdom. If you get help from Serge, sis, everything will be settled.»
Noel shook her head.
«Do you understand? The Lauter family holds a grudge against us. Relying on them is absurd. After all, the current head of the Lauter family and his mother—»
«Yes, that’s right. Mother and Alberk were engaged. Mother chose another guardian, so they’re angry, right? But Serge will protect us.»
«—Why trust Serge so much? Relia, you have Emil. Why not rely on him?»
Hearing Emil’s name made Relia visibly uncomfortable.
«What? Don’t turn everything into romance. This has nothing to do with Emil. Still not over it? That’s why you’re being fooled.»
Noel shook her head.
«No, that’s not it. Leon is truly kind. Relia’s the odd one out. The family that destroyed us wasn’t Serge’s family!»
Leon had taken care of a stray dog while Jan was hospitalized. If he were truly cruel, he’d have abandoned it. Serge’s family, on the other hand, once tried to kill us.
Noel couldn’t trust Relia’s judgment.
If it were Emil, maybe she’d understand.
«And those people aren’t terrible. You’ve seen it yourself, right?»
Relia raised her right hand and slapped Noel’s cheek. The slap landed cleanly; Noel’s paper bag flew out of her hands.
She pressed her cheek, looking at Relia’s face.
«—Relia»
«You’re so irritating. You know nothing, yet you stir things up! This mess is your fault!»
Noel lowered her gaze.
«Ah, mine?»
«If the sapling and the priestess are here, the Republic has no problem. Those who try to take them can’t be good people!»
«You’re the one talking nonsense. I was chosen by the sapling, but not by the
If the sapling and priestess are there… that means the sapling’s already being retrieved.
Hearing that, the Alogantz above shifted its movement.
◇ «—You, even over Angel and Libya’s places!»
‘What of it? That was ours from the start. You stole it!’ Serge’s words made me clench my teeth.
—I did it again. Let my guard down.
The spear of Ghia pierced the scarred arm of Alogantz.
The cockpit alarm blared nonstop.
‘Performance down another five percent. Continuing decline.’ Luxion’s reports were getting tiresome.
«Is this what you mean by ‘no rules’?»
‘Ideal— it’s not just a supply ship. It’s absorbed several vessels.’ «A hodgepodge? —!»
I gripped the control stick, bracing for Ghia’s kick.
The impact was unlike any armor I’d fought before.
«Since the Black Knight’s old man, I’ve never fought something like this.»
Thinking back, I should’ve had a cheat, yet I was struggling.
Was this the result of my own carelessness?
Alogantz’s left arm was crushed by Ghia.
‘Weak. Too weak! Acting all cool at this level!’ I was kicked, slammed to the ground, and trampled.
Luxion’s red eye stared at me.
‘Master, you have a wound on your forehead.’ «It’s nothing. Just get proper data—»
Ghia kicked me like I were a soccer ball.
The wall of the building Alogantz hit crumbled, and Serge’s voice rang out.
‘What’s the matter, this is all you’ve got? You call people «brats» and you’re just a weak minion. You wasted your caution. Running wild in a kingdom with no enemies makes you just another ape‑king!’ Trampled, my cockpit shaking— ‘Master, request permission to attack.’ «No. Don’t make me repeat myself.»
If I call Luxion, I’ll have to fight Ideal head‑on. I don’t think I’ll lose.
But what about the people around here?
From what I saw, they weren’t evacuating.
«Your preparation is pathetic. Think of a better method, you brat.»
Serge raised his spear, aiming at the cockpit.
«Merciless.»
Rough, yet I envy his lack of doubt.
More than that— «—Why»
As the spear came down, Noel stood with arms spread in front of the fallen Alogantz.
Ghia shouldered the spear.
‘What are you thinking, Noel?’ ‘Don’t do anything more to this person. If I follow you, you won’t complain, right?’ ‘Do you know how heretical this guy is? Ideal checked—he shouldn’t be alive.’ They kept throwing accusations.
Luxion muttered in a low electronic tone.
‘—Well done, Ideal.’ Relia rushed toward Noel, eyes icy toward me.
‘Sis, cut it out! What if you get hurt?’ ‘Serge— if you kill this person here, I’ll die too. That’s a problem for you, isn’t it?’ Noel’s expression was unreadable.
Why would I protect someone called a heretic who never denied it?
Just another gut feeling of the protagonist, I guess.
Honestly—being rescued so many times is pathetic.
‘—Do whatever you want. I don’t care what happens.’ Serge said that and rose back into the sky, returning to Ideal’s main body.
I felt my consciousness slipping, maybe from the head hit.
«Luxion, give me a painkiller or something to keep me conscious. I’m at my limit. If you can’t, use that thing. I don’t want to lose consciousness.»
‘It would strain your body. Just lose consciousness.’ «You’re really infuriating.»
Then the cockpit monitor showed Noel looking back, her face close to Alogantz’s head.
‘Thank you for everything. Take good care of those two.’ Soldiers dragged Noel away while the remaining troops started kicking Alogantz.
‘Turns out Kingdom knights weren’t that great after all.’ ‘With Serge, the Republic is unbeatable. Got it, you trash!’ ‘Hey, there’s garbage over there. Let’s decorate it properly.’ The soldiers ran wild.
For a moment, the scene of beating
Did they feel the same?
«Luxion, protect everyone at the manor no matter what. This is an order—»
Luxion’s reply seemed to come from far away.
‘Over there, Claire is handling things.’ ◇
Marie trembled, sobbing.
«Just when we need men, none show up!»
She’d driven those five out herself, and Leon’s absence made her feel helpless.
Beside her, Erik tried to comfort her.
«Sister, don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll protect you!»
«You were disowned and kicked out. I don’t trust men like you. Prioritize your own safety.»
«—Uh, yeah.»
Erik slumped his shoulders in self‑pity, and Angel glanced at Claire.
«The people in the manor are mostly non‑combatants. Some can fight, but we have no chance of winning. If Leon came, we’d be fine, but can we hold out until then?»
Claire didn’t agree with Angel’s assessment.
‘Nope. At this rate, Master is already on the back foot. By the way, the opponent’s demand is that, right?’ Libya held a letter.
It was the list of demands the soldiers had thrown in.
It asked for the sapling to be handed over.
«If we give it, they promise to spare our lives. No rough treatment. But if we refuse, they’ll deal with us accordingly.»
Angel narrowed his eyes.
«An ambush‑style move. No noble pride here.»
‘It’s just a way to win, right? I don’t get pride anyway.’ «Exactly. It’s just a way to win. Nothing more.»
Claire, looking at the sapling, said, ‘Then let’s just toss it outside the wall right now.’ «What!?»
Marie shouted in surprise.