It was a refreshingly overcast sky.
Amidst perfect weather for war, I sat atop a stack of wooden crates—the second layer—looking down at the Valkyries dancing around me.
Novem, Aria, and May gazed up at me with expressions of exasperation, while Elza-san looked around, bewildered. Everyone’s eyes were on me, but I was accustomed to being the center of attention and wasn’t satisfied by this alone.
The Valkyries, each dancing their own distinct dance, moved in a circle around me, making it look like some strange ritual.
Some danced gracefully, while others spun in handstands, kicking their legs wildly. Each had their own flair, but when they all formed the same circle and moved together, it became eerie.
However, since they said this was my get-well celebration, I couldn’t help but feel happy.
(What a lucky man I am. It’s a bit eerie, but to be so loved… Indeed, I am a man born to be loved.)
As I looked down at the Valkyries like that—
"They lack unity in their attempt to show individuality. Conversely, I can’t feel their individuality at all. But I understand that you’re all happy. This Lyle Walt… is in top form today as well! There’s nothing left to worry about!"
Standing on the second layer of crates, I thrust both fists toward the sky, my face turned upward.
"Hmph, even the heavens are blessing me. This overcast day with no harsh sunlight is perfect."
Whether it was sunny, rainy, or even hailing, it was ultimately good fortune. A man who can love any weather is loved by the heavens.
As these thoughts crossed my mind—
"Oh! I’ve had a great idea!"
But I heard it from below. Looking down at Aria’s earnest face—shouting, and seeming to wish for something—I felt bad, so I jumped off the crates—
"Ta-da! And a beautiful landing!"
I landed right in front of Aria. I crouched deeply upon landing, then stood up. Immediately, Aria struck me on the head with the handle of her spear.
"Ouch! Are you jealous? I still have candy, you know."
As I checked my pocket, Aria—
"You idiot! Stop this weird ritual already! Look, everyone around you looks terrified!"
The Rusworth soldiers were watching the Valkyries dancing from a distance. Whether they found it creepy or not, every single one of them wore a strange expression.
"Weird ritual? How rude. They're just dancing to celebrate my recovery. It seems they still can't produce facial expressions, so they're dancing to express their emotions instead. When you think about it that way, isn't it cute?"
Novem shook her head.
"Lyle Walt, the war is about to begin. I think you should refrain from actions that lower morale. There are no absolutes on the battlefield."
Having been scolded by Novem, I had no choice but to call off the dancing. All the active Valkyries had gathered here out of concern for my poor condition, so I had no idea what was happening with Galleria.
"Fine. If Novem says that much. You all, that's enough dancing. Next time, focus on uniformity."
"You're going to make them do it again?! Are you an idiot or what?!"
At Aria's words, I put on a smile.
"Heh, if nobody understands me, then I don't mind being called an idiot. I'll just stay true to myself."
When I delivered that cool line, sure enough, Elza's cheeks had flushed red. As expected of me — she was already falling for me. I was starting to scare myself with my own charm, but it seemed Septem's power had been taken from me by Ceres. In that case, this was my natural charisma.
Novem gave a wry smile.
"Lyle Walt, please don't try to smooth things over by saying cool-sounding things. What do you intend to do about this situation? We have no means of communicating with the other side. Plus, Galleria's side is also a battlefield, so sneaking in would be difficult... As I was saying, perhaps you should go to their side—"
Novem's suggestion — go to the other side and take control of the battlefield — was never finished. Elza cut her off.
"Ah, no... Could you wait a moment? Well, we've been exchanging letters for a while now, and today, um... How about Lyle Walt stays with our camp?"
Blushing, Elza tried to hold me back and showed me her newly tailored outfit. Whether she was pursuing femininity within a knight's uniform, it featured a skirt, and the boots covered her up to the thighs.
Her white skin flushed crimson at the cheeks, and her eyes glistened.
"Alright, then I'll stay here. Well, today is just about pitting the poorly behaved against each other, so there shouldn't be any problem with me being on this side. Also, Elza—"
"Y-yes?"
I returned a smile to Elza, whose face lit up with a happy grin.
"That outfit looks even better than the last time I saw it. The part that really gets me is the thigh visible between the skirt and the boots."
When I answered honestly, Aria pinched my back. Typical jealous behavior.
"What, you want me to praise you? Relax—Aria has her own unique charm. I absolutely love that bold side of you."
I said it with a grin, and Aria's left palm struck my cheek head-on.
"Why are you out here flirting with women at a time like this! And bold? What do you mean, bold! Bold?!"
I held my right cheek with one hand and turned to Aria.
"...That's a solid slap. But lay off the face. I'm busy today, so I'll deal with you later. Tonight, in bed, is fine too."
At that, Aria's face flushed as red as her hair, and she swung her spear down at me. It'd be dangerous if it connected, but thinking of it as her way of hiding her embarrassment, it was almost cute.
(If it were anyone but me, they'd probably be dead, but that's a trivial matter. Aria wouldn't be any fun without a little edge like that.)
"Great strike! If that had connected, I'd be dead. You're really lucky it was me you're up against."
"Die at least once as a lesson! You keep embarrassing yourself in a situation like this!"
Aria had tears in her eyes, but when I mentioned embarrassment, she tilted her head. And that's when I realized she had the wrong idea.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. It's only embarrassing because you think of it that way. This is my standard, so there's no problem. Anyway, I'm really busy today, so I'll give you my attention later."
At that moment, Novem looked my way, pressed a hand to her cheek, and tilted her head.
"Aren't you just watching today?"
Novem was adorable, but Elza was flustered too, torn between stopping Aria or leaving her be, so I tossed her a lifeline.
"Listen up, everyone. With me here today, there's nothing to worry about. That's all I can say for now. So with that, I'm heading out to make preparations. I'll be back soon."
As they watched me stand tall, Elza blushed and nodded, Aria buried her face in her hands, and Novem gave me a helpless smile and waved.
With the Valkyries seeing me off, I made my way into one of the unused tents.
Once inside, I found Monica humming a tune as she tidied up the tent I'd be using.
When I stepped into the tent, there she was waving with an unbelievably bright smile on her face.
"Look, Chicken! This Monica directed the useless, broken-down Units One through Three to prepare this tent! Everything is perfect!"
I'd only borrowed it because I wanted a space to be alone, but Monica had been running around like crazy trying to get everything ready ahead of time.
I placed my hand on Monica's shoulder.
"Thanks, Monica. You all did great. I need some time alone to think, so head outside and help with the rest. I'll be out there soon too. I'm counting on you."
As I smiled at them, Valkyrie Units One through Three struck poses and spoke in unison.
"Leave it to us! This is the perfect Valkyrie, Unit One!"
"Unit Two, the Special Model, will carry out Master's orders!"
"More than Units One and Two, I, Unit Three, will do it for Master's sake!"
They were striking poses, but their lines were all over the place. Monica watched the three of them and scoffed.
"Automata that can't even synchronize their breathing, just each one emphasizing their own personality... it's painful to watch."
When the Valkyries spread open the binders on their backs and reached for their weapons, I clapped my hands.
"Come on, it's work time. You three go outside and take command of the other Valkyries. Monica, head to where Novem and the others are."
"Understood! I'll show you something these cheap knock-offs can't do!"
Monica darted off, and Valkyrie Units One through Three leaped out of the tent after her.
Then the Third Generation, who was struggling to hold back laughter, spoke to me.
"Is Lyle in top form again today? Feels like he's lacking explosive power though. More importantly, do you have some secret plan? We should send the Valkyries, or have Lyle go directly to Galleria's camp..."
The Third Generation seemed worried, but I didn't see any problem.
"It's fine. This time, I'm going to lay low. Well, this is a good chance to stop this war that's been dragging on through complacency. The ones who've been skimming easy profits — once they realize just how much danger they were in, they'll fall in line. Of course, they'll either have the scare of their lives or actually die."
The Fifth Generation looked at me with a slightly surprised expression.
"Hey, the plan was to pit the traitors against each other to weaken them, right?"
That's what he said. I had thought so too, but given this situation, there's a more optimal method, so I'm just choosing that instead.
Besides, I'd had concerns about this from the beginning.
"There's also the possibility they're coordinating behind the scenes, like Gracia and Elza. It wouldn't be hard for them to make it look like they're fighting desperately. All they have to do is commit their subjects fully while ensuring they themselves survive."
At that, the Seventh Generation seemed to find my opinion impressive.
"You realized that, Lyle? No, Lyle-san. Even so, it doesn't change that we'd suffer major damage. Any further, and even if we reduce the number of lords or officials, we'll be unable to move. Considering the balance, this time we should proceed quietly."
The Seventh Generation was trying to convince me, but unexpectedly, the Third Generation and Mireia-san ended up supporting my view. And the opinions within the Jewel split into two.
(...With an even number, a majority vote is tough.)
I had intended to persuade the Fifth and Seventh Generations, but the Third Generation said:
"Let's let Lyle-san do as he likes. I want to see what kind of result we get. Besides, if the situation worsens, the worst case scenario is we can just extract the two of them, and that would be fine."
Mireia-san shared the same opinion.
"I'm about to fall over, you know. Seriously, if you were this proactive normally, it wouldn't be boring to watch. The gap is important, sure, but you need to fix your usual wishy-washiness just a little bit."
I received those sharp words, but thinking she was worried, it wasn't bad. However, I wasn't actually hoping for the worst-case scenario.
"You're mistaken. I have no intention of extracting the two of them either. They are specialized in leading troops to fight on the battlefield. Therefore, the current situation is appropriate."
The Fifth Generation agreed with that point as well. However, he expressed reservations about changing the plan.
"I agree with that opinion too. I agree, but... if that's the case, we don't need to go out of our way to do something like gambling, right?"
The Seventh Generation added:
"If we interfere clumsily, we might end up in a situation where we can't make the two of them fall. In fact, the fact that we're talking about making them fall normally shows Lyle's growth... in various ways."
As I listened to the opinions of the successive heads, I started laughing. The laughter was unstoppable.
Mireia-san then.
"What's wrong, Lyle?"
I cleared my throat, then boldly declared in the empty tent. I spread both arms wide and looked up at the ceiling, where the wooden beams supporting the tent were visible.
"You're all wrong, everyone! This Lyle Walt doesn't push women down! A man of my caliber—women fall for him on their own!"
After a brief pause, the Third Generation started laughing.
"Confidence is one thing, but this is something else entirely. Still, 'fall on their own' or not—if you fail here, it's fatal, isn't it? Besides, Lyle, you haven't forgotten that you're normally connected to Monica and the others by your lines, have you? They'll figure out where you are right away."
Just as I could find their location, they could find mine. And if I tried to hide, they'd come looking without a word. If I told them to stand down, they'd probably obey—but that wouldn't be any fun.
I had been wanting to run an experiment anyway, so I decided to seize this opportunity.
I pulled out the sword I'd borrowed from Aria. It was a type of Mana Tool—apparently, a capable knight had parted with it during the siege of Selva.
I grinned.
"It's fine. If I use this, I can block the Jewel's interference while also disrupting the lines. I can't use Mana Tools normally, but I can use them as tools. When I want to run, I can run whenever I like. Fuhahahaha!!"
Using a Mana Tool would interfere with the Jewel and prevent it from functioning. That was why I hadn't used one until now. But in situations like this, it was remarkably convenient.
As I let out a booming laugh, the Third Generation suddenly panicked.
"Wait—hold on! If you do that, we won't be able to see Lyle-san in action—"
The Seventh Generation was equally flustered.
"N-No, Lyle! That won't let us enjoy this! Can't you try a slightly different approach..."
Mireia began scolding me.
"Lyle, it would be a terrible shame if no one could enjoy this festival. Very well—I'll cooperate too, so let's put that Mana Tool down and talk it over. Come on, just shift a little of your consciousness to the Jewel and this will be over in no time."
She was almost certainly planning to "persuade" me—really just strong-arm me—into not using the Mana Tool. Mireia was absolutely capable of that, so I laughed and said:
"It's too late! This Lyle Walt is a man who stands by what he's decided! I'm not the kind of man who bows to threats! Well then, see you later."
I drew the sword and channeled my mana into it. The Skill embedded in the Mana Tool activated, interfering with the Jewel. The two interfered with each other, and the voices from the Jewel came through in broken fragments.
Finally, it was the Fifth Generation's turn.
"You... don't know... do you..."
That's what it said. As I channeled mana into the sword and slid it back into its scabbard, I ran a hand through my hair.
"Well, I'll definitely be back for the main event, and I'll undo it then. Just wait a little longer."
I muttered that, knowing full well no one could hear me, and then I—
"You should exercise some restraint once in a while, esteemed Successive Heads."
Grinning, I slipped out of the tent and vanished. This was all so that both sides would fight each other in earnest.
—Gracia had dispatched Miranda as an envoy while both factions stared each other down.
It was a farcical war, of course, but it was still her younger brother Leold's first battle. She wanted Lyle to be by his side.
On the surface, the justification was that someone should be sent since there was no means of communication. But she had quietly explained the real reason to Miranda, and all that remained was for Lyle to show up.
Gracia waited anxiously inside the tent for Miranda's return.
The lords nearby, seeing the restless Gracia, perhaps thought she was irritated—they sat in silence with their heads bowed.
Leold, ever considerate, spoke up.
"Sister, there's no need to intimidate those around you like this... Everyone will fight well enough, I'm sure."
Hearing this, Gracia put on an act for Leold's benefit.
"Hmph, easy for you to say when you've never even seen a battlefield. In a situation where there could still be traitors lurking, there's no telling when someone might slit your throat in your sleep. I did tell everyone I'd trust in their loyalty today, but..."
Feeling a twinge of guilt about saying such things to her adorable brother, Gracia was in the middle of her performance when Miranda returned to the tent. Gracing suppressing her relief, she adopted a dignified posture.
"You're back. What's Rusworth's answer?"
The lords were eager to hear what the envoy had to report, but Miranda dropped to one knee.
"...They refuse."
Miranda, unable to provide detailed explanations in this situation, could only relay the bare results in short.
Gracia rose to her feet and thought to herself.
(What do you mean he can't! It's just popping his face over here for a moment. He could at least spare me some considera— w-wait! Could it be that the person Elza likes is—)
Gracia stood there in silence for a moment, then spoke again.
"...One more time. Have the envoy head toward Rusworth's camp once more. The rest of you, to your positions!"
After sending the lords back to their respective forces, Gracia remained in the tent with only those involved.
"Miranda, what do you mean it's impossible!"
She pressed close to Miranda in desperation, and Miranda scratched her cheek with a finger.
"Well, you see... they say Lyle can't be found."
Gracia reacted immediately.
"Wait, didn't you say that Automaton Monica or someone could normally reach her by contact? And moving everything over there was the plan... Don't tell me..."
The worst-case scenario surfaced in Gracia's mind. It was the delusion that Elza had noticed Gracia's feelings and stolen Lyle away.
"That woman—!!"
Gracia let out a loud cry, and Leord desperately tried to calm her down—.
"Sis, wait! Someone might be listening nearby! Besides, they have their reasons too!"
—Over at Rusworth, the Valkyries were wandering around the camp in a daze, searching everywhere.
Monica, for her part, sat hugging her knees inside Elza's tent. The line had been cut, so no mana was being supplied from Lyle. In situations like this, she was on standby to avoid wasting energy and triggering a total shutdown.
Still, she apparently wanted to go looking right away, and muttered under her breath.
"If only I hadn't left that Chicken back there... Not being by his side during his fever time — that's grounds for disqualification as a maid. A Monica like this is no Monica at all. Damn it... damn it..."
Aria let out a sigh as she watched Monica muttering to herself while staring at a tent pole in the corner.
"I'm sure it's fine — just a bit hard to reach, that's all. Lyle has more than enough strength to handle himself. Right, Novem?"
Aria turned to Novem standing beside her, only to see the girl take a step back, creating distance between them.
"...Huh? What is it? Um, where is Lord Lyle? He hasn't returned yet? I should go look for him too... No, but my orders are to wait here. What should I..."
Expressionless. Voice flat and devoid of inflection. This was not the Novem whose smile never left her face. She swayed slightly, and the hand gripping the staff — House Foxes' precious heirloom — clenched tighter than usual.
Aria looked toward Elza. Seated on a chair inside the tent, Elza was every bit as worried about Lyle.
"Earlier, a messenger came, and they searched, but said it was impossible since he wasn't there... Still, the timing was just too perfect."
Aria noticed that something was off about Elza and was about to try convincing her that Lyle would return shortly, when she recalled their earlier conversation.
(Wait — back then, he said something about only watching today, that he was busy...)
Could this also be part of Lyle's plan? Aria was about to say as much to reassure Elza, but Elza had already risen to her feet.
"That woman did it! Come to think of it, her letter mentioned having someone she's fond of. That's obviously not Lord Lyle! She pretended to send a messenger, but really she just kidnapped him!"
Aria was about to tell the agitated Elza that was impossible. She was about to — but couldn't get the words out.
"That can't be. Miranda is one of us—"
"—The possibility exists, actually. This is Miranda we're talking about."
Novem murmured that in a low voice. Whether it was her usual dissatisfaction or something unconscious, she didn't seem to particularly care what she'd just said. The one thing that clearly mattered to her was the fact that Lyle was missing.
Elza grabbed the nearest staff and stormed out of the tent, raising her voice.
"Summon the commanders immediately! Plans are changing. I'll personally—"
She got that far before the soldier who'd rushed over delivered his report to Elza. His knees rattled together under the force of her terrifying aura.
"L-Lady Elza! Another messenger from Galleria has just arrived..."
And behind the soldier stood Miranda.
"Have you found Lyle? If possible, I'd like to take him back quickly. We have our own situation to deal with over here."
Aria burst out of the tent and saw Miranda's face. But Elza had already turned her staff toward Miranda.
"You dare to do something like kidnap Lyle? Tell that woman — we won't play nice, not ever. I will take Lyle back by force."
At Elza's declaration, Miranda stood there dumbfounded before looking toward Aria. Elza immediately headed for the commanders below, and Novem, still tottering, followed after her.
Miranda turned to Aria.
"What's going on? Lyle is gone — what does that even mean? And why are you talking about it like I kidnapped him?"
Aria anxiously explained the situation. The problem was that Aria was no good at this sort of thing. After all, the explanation she gave left Miranda saying:
"...That woman really does whatever she pleases, doesn't she, as long as people stay out of her way?"
Watching Miranda's shoulders tremble, Aria realized she had made a mistake.
"N-No! Novem was acting strange too because Lyle was gone, and that's surely...!"
But Miranda didn't even listen to Aria's explanation. She turned around and walked toward the horse she had ridden in on.
Then she said to Aria:
"Tell Novem this: 'If that's how you want to play it, we'll fight back.' Also, go find Lyle right this instant. ...Could it be that you're in cahoots with Novem too, Aria?"
Meeting Miranda's gaze, Aria shrank back again and shook her head. Miranda's expression broke into a smile as she spoke to Aria:
"Good. I'm glad to hear that. You're my friend, after all. I believe you won't betray me."
Aria did not take Miranda's words at face value. Miranda could be rough around the edges at the best of times, and a smile laced with killing intent was not something Aria could shrug off.
That was a warning.
Yes, Aria understood that much.
(Wh-What do I do now, Lyle!!)
On the verge of tears, Aria took off running to search for Lyle, who had vanished somewhere without a trace.