Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 128

――Side: Maria――

West Petra Great Forest national border first division report　24th day of the dragon’s moon.

Your excellency general Houston-dono　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Major Pram

First, all division members have safely formed up for battle at the fort on the national border.

Second, the 5th company main force’s defending regiment succeeded in repulsing the enemy’s advance force on the 22nd day of hostilities. However, when the night turned to dawn during the hostilities, they were met with a large scale attack from the enemy magic troops and the fort was set ablaze at one point. Casualties were near zero but, they promptly retreated to the location of the regiment headquarters, while moving most of their a.s.sets and equipment. They arrived safely. Presently the 5th company defensive line has switched to the 3rd company, and they are currently handling that responsibility.

Third, the enemy’s main force arrived on the 23rd day, exchanging hostilities. It became a fierce battle with the enemy’s main force element that had its appearance sighted at Arakabe mountain and the fort protected by the 4th company. Though encountering bombardment, by fierce magic utilizing the mountain’s incline at long range, the damage inflicted to trenches, defensive barricades and the like was slight. After that, with the enemy a.s.sault unit that had its appearance sighted at the mountain trail and the spread of large scale battles, the merged 1st and 2nd company drove that back together. However, an unknown was confirmed within the enemy regiment at that time. They were presumed to have tamed a peculiar monster. In accordance with that the losses――became ma.s.sive.

Fourth, on the 24th day, small scale skirmishes continue on this day. However the menace from the enemy unknown remains ma.s.sive. The battlefield situation is more urgent than expected. Maintaining the battle line beyond this is difficult. However Pram will fight bravely to the end, without losing presence of mind. Please be rea.s.sured.

◇■◇■◇

It’s this in just 3 days is it.
I lightly ma.s.saged my brow.
Having finished reading the report in the office, I admonished myself for letting out a careless sigh.
Perhaps this is a response to the morning light after a full day’s work.
Pram, the major administering the division, is a reliably excellent commander.
They didn’t think too much or too little of my country’s experience, equipment and human resources, and thus it came to be that they met their opponent with a secret plan that circ.u.mnavigated that.
I suppose the weapon called as unknown, is as such.
I have an idea about what that『peculiar monster』is.
It’s the composite lifeform called a chimera, that was in a report from the guild some time ago.
Just, it’s not an ent.i.ty that we could refine a countermeasure to with just the testimony from the adventurer who found it.
If I’m searching for an excuse of that sort for why we ended up on the backfoot――

「Surely Kran and Alice-dono would be angry with me.」

My cheeks slackened while, thinking back to my cousin princess that I’ve known since childhood and, the adorable silver girl I have come to know recently.
To the people, the country is a home.
There is no family that rejoices in having their home trampled upon.

「Sill, my sword.」

The royal guard captain standing by beside me Sill・Bernstein proffered out my beloved sword.
Holy sword Sacred Tear.
A sword brought forth in the legend of the maiden of the lake.
I stood up, while hanging a familiar weight on my waist.

「Is your excellency going out?」
「I have judged

that the situation on the battlefield will not permit speculation.」
「Then, we as well.」
「No, I will go while bringing only the 1st company of the royal guard with me. Sill, you will stay here with the other divisions of the royal guard, please prepare for a surprise attack from the rear. I will entrust the command to you.」
「……Sacrament, is it?」
「A hypothetical, it is that sort of thing.」

I try raising my index finger mischievously and doing a wink and, Sill made a yare yare sort of face.
The royal guard captain who is also my teacher in the sword is an existence that has been by my side since my early years so, I tend to inadvertently forget to distinguish between public and private.

「Everyone, I believe that the people have fundamental needs to live by but, please send out the evacuation notice. The enemy cannot be underestimated.」
「There should be no error in your excellency’s judgement, the situation is fully understood.」
「I will be relying on you, Sill.」
「Please take care not to make an uproar with overly valorous acts of the sort that do not befit a commander.」
「What are you worrying about?」
「The unfortunate enemy soldiers who end up standing before your excellency, I suppose it would end up being that sort of thing wouldn’t it.」
「Maa? Sill must be kind to do something like show concern for the invading enemy soldiers aren’t you.」
「Since I feel pitying when I imagine it.」

A little after sharing a laugh together, I set out from the castle.
The wind from the lake was strong, it was a morning that was relatively cold for the season.

◇■◇■◇

――Side: Alice――

A normal everyday had been preserved from what I saw upon returning to the princ.i.p.ality capital Myleus, gasping for breath while thinking back to that time when Rinal burned.
Just, I caught sight of families setting out with wagons carrying the entirety of their household goods here and there across the city.
If there’s a countryside, fleeing there would be safer.
It seems an evacuation advisory has already been issued.
However, it’s something that’s difficult for children and the elderly.
I don’t know just what the commonwealth expected as they came to invade here. I’m not interested.
It’s a splendid thing to hold convictions but, what sort of thing is it to push those onto other unrelated people.
The commonwealth’s declaration of war is filled with that level of self righteousness.
According to them, this is a holy war for true equality and freedom.
Something like an eliminationist doctrine that forces its absurd creed through with power is no different than terrorism.

「Even so, I wonder iff, the truth of the world really is that the victor is just……」

I’m twirling a pen at the desk in my room.
The pen reflects the light s.h.i.+ning in from the window as it twirls around and dazzles my eyes.
Even for me I’m fed up, with the disorderly mountain of books and reports that have piled up.
As it’s now obvious that Libra’s backbone is the commonwealth, we won’t avoid finis.h.i.+ng this anymore if that country comes to invade.
I wonder what the gap in military power between us and them is?
Libra is stronger than me.
Something like wishful thinking is meaningless as a form of speculation.
The dragon contract with white dragon Aminas is also a threat.
However, if the entire board is thought of like in chess, it’s not something to be pessimistic about either.
There’s no need for

for me to take on everything.
Because there are reliable comrades for me to trust my back to.
Doing a large stretch, the sound of a knock just happened to come from the door.

「Haai.」
「Pardon me. Ojousama, being overly persistent is also poisonous to your body. I have prepared tea.」

The tactics on the map, the reports that the maid-sans brought back with the conditions in each territory and such have been pounded into my head but, I certainly am tired out.
Ilya came in while pus.h.i.+ng a cart with a timing that seemed calculated.
I wonder just how far this child can see through a person like me?
As steam wafted kindly from the cart, my body relaxed of its own accord when I saw that.

「Nn～～, stretch～～」

I narrowed my eyes and stretched my body again.
It’s a fulfilling stretch like a puppy before a walk.

「Fufu, you’re adorable whatever you do aren’t you.」

……There’s not a trace of a manly element is there.

「Be that as it may, is your body okay Ilya?」
「Hai, while faint the path with ojousama is connected. My body feels much better than before.」

However while her reason is something that exists, the dragon contract itself is yet to come.
There’s no change in the Ilya showing an elegant smile but, her bodily condition shouldn’t have turned 180 degrees to a recovery while saying it’s because of that either.
She is in fact a girl who can’t be read from over here.
In the past, there was a time when she read a book called something like the perfect form for preparing black tea but at this point, her polished movements seem to follow that precisely.
Good smell……
I try closing my eyes and enjoying just the smell.
The water being used is soft water isn’t it, I can tell as much as that sort of thing because the smell is being presented directly before my face.
Mu～～～～?

「Rinal!」
「Kusu, that is correct, ojousama.」
「Right～?」
「Fufu, hai.」

Rinal flavour tea is it, seems tasty.
Somehow I’ve ended up thoroughly loving black tea.

「Thank you.」
「That should be this side. Because the matter of being able to serve at ojousama’s side is, my happiness.」
「U, un……」

There’s something embarra.s.sing, with her upfrontly coming to express something like affection at me like this isn’t there.
Taking the cup she prepared with both of my hands, I tried slowly bringing it to my mouth.
It’s fine even without blowing on it, an exquisite temperature.
A slightly sweet rinal flavour and, a slight bitter flavour that seems to support it.
I try fleetingly looking up at Ilya.
The morning light from the window has become a halo and, causes Ilya’s blond hair to s.h.i.+ne.
Dragon princess, I heard as such.
I suppose that girl originally, wasn’t in the sort of position where she would act as my maid.

「How is it?」

Receiving my gaze, Ilya tilted her head.

「……Is Ilya, a princess-sama?」
「Maa? Who would such a thing?」

This is a bolt from the blue, the Ilya holding her hand to her cheek as if to say that is, unreadable as always.
There was this sort of thing before as well wa.s.sn’t there.

「Since, ancient dragons are……」
「Even given that, whether I am a princess or whatever is a separate problem.」

The earth dragon old man was respectful toward the Ilya who is an ancient dragon though wa.s.sn’t he.

「Furthermore there are plenty of princess-samas around ojousama. Surely

ojousama. Surely I am an insufficient being for someone like me to be chosen.」

She is the Ilya who’s strict with herself and, kind toward others.
No……maybe she’s kind to me.
There are times when I get the sense that the maid-sans are afraid of her so, she might be strict with work.
Maa, I understand that this child isn’t a child who would impose unreasonable strictness though.
Putting my cup down, I tried taking hold of the diamond that had been left on my desk this time.
The magic item taking in light to sparkle like a kaleidescope is beautiful to its limits.

「It will finally be the night of the full moon tonight won’t it.」
「Hai, it will be the night when ojousama is most filled with magic power won’t it.」

It’s a mysterious event that, the world’s strongest magic power is on the night when the twin moons are full.
The full moon is when werewolves～ and such, it causes various things to be said doessn’t it?
And so as this night is itself that time, it’s also the day when I’ll finally go through with my job change.
Emplacing my image upon the diamond, every world’s mana is gathered and sublimated by using that as an intermediary.
Beyond putting a fearsome burden on the body, you won’t become anything if a mistake is made in the image.

「Normally I’d be excited but, I’m scared about whether I’ll really be able to change jobs today……and Ilya’s life hangs in the balance……」

Ilya came to envelop, the hand holding the diamond with both her hands.
Those are slender and beautiful fingers.

「That’s right ojousama, my life hangs in the balance. Please take that to heart and change jobs.」

I unintentionally let out a laugh at, Ilya’s voice like a mischievous child that’s somewhat of a specialty of hers.

「Eh～? I’m kinnda losing my motivation～being told that in such a manner.」
「Maa? You’re a contrarian aren’t you, ojousama. Does my life not matter then? Was my matter, playing around then?」
「Eeーi, you’re being persistent. You mistake my kindness for affection, will you not let goー」
「Aah, could you wait……sob sob sob.」

The shriveled seeming Ilya sat down.
One hand is doing a crying mimicry but, the other hand is grasping my own.

「As expected of ojousama. A person who does not forget humour whenever or wherever.」
「Ilya you, idioot.」
「Fufu, I have no excuse.」
「Since, I absolutely won’t let go……okay.」

Putting in an intent that was just as the words implied, strongly, I strongly held Ilya’s hand.

「……Hai, ojousama.」

She’s always smiling but, the smile of that time’s Ilya was already, something that remained in my memory a little.

◇■◇■◇

The third mark past midnight when even plants sleep.
The two moons that seem to get along well and can be seen in the sky when looking up from the mansion’s wide lawn, express completely round faces.
They revolve as if the large crimson moon is being chased by a blue moon that’s one size smaller.
Purple moonlight from the crimson light and blue light mixing together illuminates the entire body and, give the world of night a phantasmagoric hue.

「Fuu……」

It’s okay, I’m a capable child.
Setting the diamond at my feet, the stone that took in the purple light began releasing a phosph.o.r.escent light――I drew a magic system at the center.
Image, image is important.
What do I want to become?
A great magician who won’t lose to anyone.
An ultimate anyone.
An ultimate magician who protects everything like Till.
What is that?
It’s too vague.
Till’s job is『Sage』.
Sage.
Something like sage doesn’t suit me……
But hiding an extremely mystical power, I would be happy to become a special job suited to the me who managed to come here from another world.

「――tsu」

Gleaming, the phosph.o.r.escent light trapped my body in a burning sensation.
With a pain like static electricity, I felt it was almost like an illusion.
Somehow, the diamond might’ve reacted, to a『I want to become this』sort of image.
The light became increasingly strong.
I knew the air was being saturated in magic power.

――And then, that image was interrupted by a thunderous noise and the approaching sound of a warning bell that could be heard from town.

「What!?」

The western part of town is strangely bright.
It’s not purple moonlight but, an ominous madder red luminance.

「――Ojousama, just now a message came from the person who struck the alarm. The enemy is in the sky――it’s an air raid.」

It’s not the case that the national border has been broken, this is the sort of matter of coming a moment sooner by air is it!
There’s no way I can ignore it……but, if I flee now the job change will……Ilya will……
Without intending it our gazes, clearly met.
She smiled.

「Let’s go. I have no memory of serving a master who would turn her back here and pretend not to have seen what she’s seen.」

I suppose that uncharacteristically, the Ilya who chose strict words is admonis.h.i.+ng me.
Security guards and royal guards, still remain in this princ.i.p.ality capital.
But……to do nothing even though I was able to is……

「Nn……Let’s clean this up quickly master. There was worth in going out of our way to come here from the royal capital.」

Aim looked up to the western sky while carrying her bow and arrows on her shoulder.
Time is time but, the girl who had lived as an a.s.sa.s.sin does not have a softened air.
She’s gazing at the sky with deep attentiveness and eyes that always seem listless irregardless of the time.

「Wyvern, and……something strange is flying.」

That’s right if it’s Aim then……!

「Aim, can you clean up all the enemies in the sky?」
「It’s easy if there’s enough arrows. They’re targets.」

Aim’s weapon is Trick Shooter.
Saira made it, a magic item that can convert magic power into arrows.
If it’s the current me――!

「Aim, go ahead with me!」
「Roger.」

Perhaps she guessed what I want to do, Aim came and held onto my waist.

「Ilya will direct the maids to undertake the evacuation and protection of the citizenry.」
「Yes, my, lady.」

Information kept coming in from the maid-sans during this time.
It seems that forces that were carried in from the sky are being inserted on the surface.

「Oneechan, I leave the surface battle to you.」
「Understood.」

This person always ends up standing on the firing line of the furthest forward line……

「Don’t make such a face Alice, feed me your hand made food for once in a while when I return okay.」
「I’ll go all out for it!」
「Fufu, then I’m heading out.」

Urging her horse on, s.h.i.+on-san went out from the mansion.
The 5 people Ilya chose out went with s.h.i.+on-san as her PT.

「Then, this side is also going Aim.」
「Affirmative.」

We jumped out into a sky with a luminance that wouldn’t be expected in the night――