Vol.10 Epilogue : The Girls Meet Up in Laphroaig

Epilogue : The Girls Meet Up in Laphroaig

◇ Furiae's Perspective ◇

It had been three months since my knight had left on his journey. "Your Majesty! There are a hundred new citizens in the city!" "Queen Furiae! The palace will soon be decorated!"

"My Queen! We should strengthen our forces to protect the city!"

Voices called my name constantly. I was in the throne room of Laphroaig's palace, which was currently under construction.

People were constantly moving to the new capital. This was because we were gathering the cambions who had been hiding across the continent.

"Lady Furiae, Princess Sophia will be arriving from Roses tomorrow. Will the usual greeting suffice?"

"Oh, it is almost time," I remarked.

Roses had lent us much of the manpower we needed to rebuild the country, though they were by no means blessed in that respect—other nations had many more soldiers to spare than Roses did. Highland was the most prosperous, but we could not borrow their strength. Well, more accurately, years of institutional persecution meant that my citizens all hated Highland.

The animosity had all started because the cambions had been part of Iblis's forces a thousand years ago. However, I truly wished that those values had not survived until now.

Roses—under Eir's guidance—was much kinder to the persecuted than Highland. Even the cambions had found Roses to be the easiest place to live.

"She goes out of her way to take the long journey here, even though her own country is struggling... I honestly cannot find fault in Her Highness."

"Indeed," I remarked. "Prepare a force to meet her. We do not want to go to extremes though, so take care."

"Of course! Leave it to me, Lady Furiae."

 My aide gave an energetic answer before rushing away. The citizens liked the princess as well, so just leaving it to my subordinates would be fine.

"Lady Furiae! There is a troubling report!"

I gave a pained sigh. It's just one problem after another. "What is it?" "There are undead being reported in the city night after night." "Undead?" I asked. "That's strange." I put a hand to my chin in

contemplation.

The undead usually only appeared around old settlements. When people lived in an area for long enough, the dead—perhaps deceased citizens— could rise from their graves. The capital was a new city though, so undead would normally not be a concern.

"A necromancer could be behind it," someone suggested. "Why, though?" I asked. "Have there been any casualties?"

"None! Our citizens are all accomplished mages! The undead are no match!"

"I see...though the safety of our children is a concern."

"Indeed... We wish to solve this issue, but we do not have enough people to spare. Perhaps we could discuss it with Princess Sophia when she arrives?"

That certainly was logical—she was a priestess of the goddess's church and had many clergy that could exorcise the undead. Laphroaig, on the other hand, didn't have enough people capable of that.

"I would rather not bother her with mere undead," I stated. "Perhaps I could head out myself to find the source? I am rather skilled with Necroman —"

"You must not, my queen!" came the simultaneous call from all of my subordinates.

What was all that about? Queens had no freedom...

We ended up deciding to discuss the matter of the undead with the adventurer's guild.

◇ That Night ◇

Heh heh heh...it's been so long since I wandered the streets alone. Now that I think about it, the last time was when I was on the run in Highland.

Currently, I was walking through the capital on my own. It was late, and

 the night was dark. The city had only just been completed, so there were few places open at this hour, so the light level was much lower than in most cities.

Energy was mainly clustered around the few taverns. People spilled out from the inside, making merry on the streets. We also had a good number of patrolling mages to keep public order.

The city still has a long way to go. That was the main reason I wanted to deal with the undead quickly. It was also why I'd decided to sneak out of the palace. This excursion was, of course, a secret from my subordinates.

Thinking back, my knight was constantly doing this sort of thing... He'd bring up his Stealth skill at the drop of a hat to sneak off somewhere.

I couldn't use that skill though, so instead, I was wearing a dark, hooded robe that helped me blend in with the night. Maybe that just makes me seem more suspicious, though...

Just then, one of the patrolling mages called out to me. "You there! It isn't safe for a woman to be walking around at this time of night!"

Well, this is an issue. I didn't reply, and he drew closer.

"Why are you hiding your face?" he demanded. "You belong here, do you not? Show me!"

I pulled my hood back, revealing my face. "This should suffice, no?"

His face twisted in shock. "You... I mean, My Lady!"

"I apologize, but I have business. Could you let me pass?" Charm Eyes.

"O-Of course," he replied after a pause. "As you command."

Charm had handily manipulated him. I felt bad, but I couldn't head back to the palace yet.

I kept walking, and eventually, I arrived at an empty area. I saw no undead lurking around. Well, the reports did mention that they don't appear every night. There was a chance they wouldn't show up.

But...

Fate Magic: Future Sight.

This was a spell I used to struggle with a lot in the past. But now that I was a saint, I found it much easier.

They'll be here...

Future Sight told me that the undead would indeed be present tonight. I

 was skilled at necromancy, so they would be easy to deal with. However, killing them (again) wouldn't solve the source of the problem.

I'll find whoever thinks they can mess with our city.

After all, I had gone on adventures with Lucy and Aya, so I was experienced in matters like this. It should be an easy problem to solve!

I just had to wait until they arrived.

"Hm? Why is a human here?" "Were you followed?"

"No human could ever manage to follow me!"

"No matter. We can kill her. She'll make a good undead."

Two suspicious individuals had arrived. Judging from their conversation, they were the source of the undead plaguing our city. All I had to do now was report it to our court mages—these men could then be captured and tried quickly.

Now, how do I get out of this situation?

"Bad luck, missy. Your fault for wandering around at night."

One of the men was grinning as he approached. With green skin and red eyes, he was clearly neither a human nor a cambion. This was a demon. The other person standing with their arms folded a little ways away was a demon as well. I'd been expecting some of the Snake Sect or Iblis's believers—I hadn't thought we had been infiltrated by actual demons.

Still, I wasn't just going to let them get away with it.

The demon kept on grinning. "Well then...feel free to resist, if you can." "Don't make noise," said the other demon. "You'll reveal our strategy." "Hmph, she's just a mewling woman. It'll be over soon—"

That was when I dropped my hood and activated Charm. "Obey me!"

I had no offensive magic, so to protect myself, I either had to use Charm on my opponents or use necromancy to create allies. I didn't have the time for the latter, so I used the former.

"Guh!"

"Charm... And her face..." "Wha?"

I reeled. It should've worked immediately—I would have known—but this wasn't what I'd expected.

 "Shame..." said the demon with mock pity. "It's pointless. That doesn't work on us."

Normally, Charm allowed me to control people in an instant. These two demons still had their faculties, though.

"My...Charm...isn't working?"

Many demons had strong magic resistance. However, I had only ever encountered one other demon who was this strong against my skill—Sciulli, the demon woman who had attacked us in the Forest of Fiends.

Which means...

"You are demons from a millennium ago..."

"Hmph." The demon scoffed. "We have held audience...with Lady Nevia..."

"You have nothing on that witch... Though you look...awfully similar."

I slowly backed away. If Charm wasn't working, then all I could do was run. But demons were beyond humans in their abilities. Whether I'd be able to run was still to be seen.

"Hmph, think you're getting away?" "You need to die."

"Guh!" I gasped.

This was bad. At this point, I'd have to abandon my shame and try and cause a commotion so someone found me.

"Hiyaaahh!"

Suddenly, there was a massive thumping noise, like a falling boulder. It was followed by a strangled cry. I did a double take and saw that the green demon had been blasted away by a kick from a small girl—a familiar girl with her hair tied up in pigtails.

Then, a magic circle appeared nearby, and someone else stepped out of it. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Fuuri! You good?"

In front of me stood a girl wearing a bright red cloak—her long hair flowed freely in the night air. She must have teleported in.

"Aya...Lucy?"

They were here—the two girls I'd once adventured alongside.

"Fuu! Thank goodness." The girl who had kicked the demon engulfed me in a hug.

"Wh-Why are you here?" I asked. "Sophie told us you were in trouble."

 "Princess Sophia?" How did she know? As far as I knew, she didn't have Future Sight.

Meanwhile, the two demons glared hatefully at Lucy and Aya. After recovering from the sudden attack, they stood unflinching.

"You've done it now," spat one of the demons. "None of you are getting away."

"You might have succeeded at a surprise attack, but the two of you are just female adventurers. You are no match for us."

Lucy barked a laugh. "That's rich coming from two demons who can't even take on a fledgling country properly. You're just sneaking in undead."

"Yeah, lame ain't it, Lu?"

Indeed, they had succeeded in provoking the demons. Actually, is this the best idea?

"Foolish...Humans..."

"You Will Regret Your Hubris..."

Their bodies started to warp and twist. That wasn't all—their voices had grown harsher and crueler. Apparently, they were taking this fight seriously.

"Be careful, both of you!" I shouted. They turned back to smile at me.

"Well, we can't make Fuu worry," Aya remarked. "Superstar!" Her body started to glow in a prismatic rainbow of light.

"You're right. Let's finish this in one shot—Dress of Spirit!" Lucy's body flared with burning red light. Wait, that's the same as

Rosalie...

The two demons backed away slightly, realizing that they weren't ordinary girls. Still, they remained, intending to fight.

"Wh-What...?" sputtered one of the demons. "Empty Threats at Best..." growled the other. The girls didn't waste another second. "Hrah!"

"Go away!"

Aya's body disappeared in a flash—Lucy launched her from a Teleport into a tackle.

It was done in a single hit, just as they'd promised.

◇ The Next Day ◇

"Your Majesty, are you aware of your position?" The question was spoken in an icy voice.

We were in my private room. Despite that, I was the one on my knees. Looking down at me was Roses's princess—Sophia.

"But I was just going for a short walk."

"And you did so outside! Without any escort! What were you thinking?! You are the queen of this country!"

"Right...I'm sorry." I slumped over.

 I really would have been in trouble if Lucy and Aya hadn't shown up. "If something were to happen to you, Laphroaig would fall! You have no

line of succession, so—" "O-Of course I don't!"

A line of succession meant children. I wasn't even married, so of course I didn't have one.

"There are countless nobles that want to marry you."

"N-No way! I won't take anyone but my knight— Oh..." I slapped a hand over my mouth, trying to conceal my slipup.

The man that was my guardian knight—Makoto Takatsuki—was both the State-Authorized Hero of Roses and the water priestess Sophia's fiancé.

She let out a sigh. "Well, I do know how taken you are with him...but Laphroaig will not claim him."

"I know..."

Things felt rather awkward. Damn it! This is all his fault. I'd love to complain to my knight, but he was off gallivanting in the past, so he wasn't here...

"Come on, Sophia. That's enough, don't you think?" "Right, it's been so long since we were all together."

Fortunately, Lucy and Aya cleared the awkward atmosphere. The two of them had been in the room the whole time, but they'd just silently watched the lambasting.

And with smiles on their faces!

"I suppose so..." murmured the princess. "Thank goodness! The lecture is over!" "Let's eat."

"We got things ready."

While I'd been getting reamed out, Aya and Lucy had filled a table with food and drinks. The dishes had been prepared by the palace chefs, while the alcohol was something they'd bought elsewhere.

"Haaah." I stretched my sore muscles. "I'm so tired. And hungry." "Nrow, nrow."

I looked down and noticed that there was now a cat curled up on my lap. This was my knight's familiar, Twi. The beast must have hidden while I was being lectured. I glared, but Twi just answered with a big stretch. Cheeky cat.

 "Just like you," Princess Sophia remarked from my side. Hm...maybe.

"C'mon, c'mon, you two take a glass too." "Cheers!"

Lucy and Aya dragged us all into a party of sorts. After going so long without seeing my friends, the food tasted delicious.

"Honestly! When is he coming back?!"

"I know what you mean...he promised! But he still hasn't returned." "Takatsuki...I'm so lonely..."

The princess, alcohol in hand, sounded much harsher than usual. Lucy was sulking, and Aya was sniffling. None of them were dealing well with the drink, it seemed.

"Nrow, nrow."

Only the cat was still in a good mood—he was chewing through the roast beef I'd put down. I was so jealous of the familiar's relaxed nature.

"Your master's the problem here. Say something," I flicked the cat lightly on the forehead.

Suddenly, I heard a slight metallic ringing. Like a small bell or something. I glanced around briefly but decided I must have been hearing things. Maybe I'm just drunk.

"Hmph. It seems my master has indeed caused some bother."

None of us had spoken. In fact, the voice was one I'd never heard before. It was a man's voice, mysterious and beautiful.

The four of us jolted in confusion. "Who was that?!"

"Where are you?!"

Lucy and Aya were experienced adventurers, and both were instantly ready for a fight. A beat later, the princess and I were warily watching the area to protect ourselves.

But as we scanned the room, we saw no one unfamiliar. It was just the four of us.

"What is so panic-inducing?" said the mysterious voice.

My head snapped down to the source of the voice. Right here... Right next to me!

The one who'd spoken...was the cat with my finger on its head.

 "That's...your voice," I said in awe, starting at Twi. "Indeed so."

"No way!" Lucy yelled. "Twi's talking?!" "Aww, that's not a cute voice!"

Neither of the other two had known about the cat talking. Obviously, I hadn't known either.

Princess Sophia was glancing between the cat and me, looking intrigued. "Did your saint's miracle cause this?"

"Saint's miracle?"

My voice overlapped with Lucy and Aya's as we all asked the same question.

"Why do you not know?" Princess Sophia sighed.

Well, excuse me, Princess. I'd been busy rebuilding a country. And I might be Naya's priestess, but she hadn't told me anything.

"It is said that those recognized as saints by Althena gain a miraculous power. Lady Noelle's is the Ballad of Victory, which temporarily increases the mana and stats of allies several times over."

"Huh, it does?"

"Sophie knows so much."

Lucy and Aya were hearing this for the first time too. See, so it makes sense that I didn't know. Suddenly, I realized something.

Wait...so that means my miracle...

"So Fuuri's power is making cats talk?" Lucy asked. "That's nice!" Aya exclaimed. "Sounds fun!"

"Wh-What's the point in that?!" The miracle I got for becoming a saint was...the ability to make cats talk?! Was such a laughable thing even a miracle?!

"That's not necessarily the—"

Twi cut off Princess Sophia. "Indeed so. Your miracle has granted me speech, Princess. You have my thanks."

It's true! The cat itself said as much...very clearly!

"S-So it is..." Damn it all...was this going to be announced around the country? Queen Furiae of Laphroaig's new miracle was the ability to grant speech to cats. "Th-This is the worst..."

"There, there, do not be so down, Princess," Twi said soothingly. "Quit it with the constant 'Princess'! You're reminding me of him!" I

couldn't help but yell out angrily.

This cat's master was definitely to blame! My knight...hurry back. We're all...so lonely.

I hadn't meant to drink so much, but we all ended up partying the night away. It felt like I'd gone back to my adventuring days, and that soothed my heart.

◇

Incidentally, it transpired that my miracle was not the ability to grant speech to cats, but rather, the incredible possibility of "awakening things to their latent potential." The reason Twi spoke was that all magical beasts gained the ability to use human language as they got stronger.

I was just glad it wasn't a laughable skill.

Thanks to my ability, our personnel shortage would become less of an issue, and the country's development would progress even faster. Even so, it would be slow going.

My knight...when will you return? My clumsy Future Sight didn't tell me anything, so all I could do was pray. I normally didn't, and I wasn't even sure she heard me. Still, I prayed, not expecting a response.

Naya...please, save my knight.

For the barest of instants, I thought I heard giggling.

"Naya?" I said aloud. There was no response. Perhaps I had imagined it. It could have been fatigue. I stretched widely.

There was no one else in my room. Princess Sophia had returned to Roses, and the other two had left to go see the guild. The queen's rooms were some of the biggest in the palace, and it felt lonely with only me to fill them.

Maybe I could put up a portrait of my knight. He wasn't around to sit for one, though.

I tried to think of a solution and then remembered his merchant friend from Roses. Excellent! I'll ask him about acquiring pictures of my knight.

Until he returned, I'd settle for those.