When the young nobleman opened his eyelids from the chaos, the prostration of his whole body made him moan involuntarily.

He struggled to hollow out his brain and recall information about himself.

- Rutega Crusnier. At the age of twenty-six, he was a county with the title of Celeria, an agricultural town on the northwestern outskirts of the empire.

Then, Lutga set out to sort out the situation in front of him.

Now I am in a guest room, judging from the size and decoration of the room, this should be the mansion of a nobleman, and I should still be in the imperial capital.

As for why he was here, his last memory was that he was overwhelmed by a young knight with crimson hair.

"That's amazing...... I was killed without even using the 'Elven Blessing', and the afterlife is terrifying......"

Unfortunately, Lutga did not escape from the imperial capital in the end, and was detained by a young knight sent by an unknown person.

- Speaking of which, those boys said...... There's an 'adult' who wants to see me, and who the hell could it be......

At this moment, as if seeing the right moment, the door of the guest room was pushed open.

Rutga was weak, he guessed that it was probably some kind of forced drug, or some kind of magic, and he could only barely turn his neck now. However, this is enough for him to see the appearance of the person who came.

It was a woman of noble temperament, probably about the same age as Lutega, well-proportioned with a silver-gray gown, the silky fabric outlined the plump curves, making her look quite sexy, and the round face was dotted with delicate facial features, and the snow-white skin looked even more shiny under the light makeup. Finally, there is a shawl of medium-length hair, thick hair slightly curled, and the hair color is quite familiar to Lutega, a lovely peach blonde.

The woman's name was LaBelle and she was the emperor's sister, the princess of the empire. For Lutega personally, he is an acquaintance he hasn't seen for many years.

"Haaa......"

It's just that meeting acquaintances can't evoke the nostalgic past of the young nobleman, but only makes him sigh helplessly.

"What's the matter, Rutega, aren't you happy to see Hongu?"

"Seeing Her Royal Highness the Princess, of course the courtiers were happy, and they were so happy that they almost wanted to shrink into the corner to show their fear. ”

"Haha...... Try it, I'm afraid that this palace can't help but bully you to your heart's content?"

Princess LaBelle tilted her head and stuck out her little tongue, her playful gesture revealing a cuteness that did not match her age.

"Alright, Your Highness Princess, let's talk about it...... Why did you send four 'Legendary Blades' to bring me back here? ”

"Lutga~~~ Don't be too restrained, His Royal Highness looks very angry, wouldn't it be good to call me LaBelle as before?"

“...... Your Royal Highness, Princess, please make clear what you command. ”

Rutga was respectful, but his words were extremely impatient. And for some reason, from the beginning, his eyes never stayed on Princess LaBel's face, as if he deliberately avoided it.

"It's nothing to order~~ It's just that I think you have only returned to the imperial capital once in many years, and this palace just wants to see you, isn't it okay......?"

When he said this, Label's watery eyes and pretty eyelashes seemed to drip water, mixed with shyness and coquettishness, wafting with the unique atmosphere of a girl in love.

If it was a different object, Lutga might have misunderstood that the other party liked him in the first place. But once the identity of the person who came was considered, this conjecture was immediately dispelled.

"Your Majesty is flattered, so Her Royal Highness the Princess has also seen it, so let Her Majesty leave first?"

"Hmmmm~~~ Lutega, you think this palace is talking casually, right~~?You see, Celeia is a fairly remote town, isn't it?

"Please don't worry about it, Your Royal Highness the Princess, compared to other nobles, maybe life is not too rich. But the governance of the territory is also a fulfilling task for me, and thanks to the blessings of Her Royal Highness the Princess, I am now living very happily with my daughters. ”

"Fuhu~~~ daughter, it seems that you love 'those children' quite much?"

"Deservedly, Alice, Eliez, Sophia...... Every day, I watch them grow and become more and more beautiful, as if even my world is full of color. I am grateful to those children, they are irreplaceable treasures to me. ”

As he spoke, Lutga recalled the three naughty and cute kittens who had stayed at home.

"I gave them a beautiful name~~ Pinch your fingers, they should be eight years old this year......, right? Are your treasures becoming more and more like Hongu?"

At this point, Princess LaBelle narrowed her eyes and smiled tentatively.

To this, Lutega's tone was suddenly filled with a faint anger, and he replied in a low voice-

"Her Royal Highness Princess...... Please don't make such bad jokes!"

"You should know that it's not exactly a joke...... It seems that you still hold a grudge against Hongu for the events of 'that year'. ”

"Don't dare to ......"

"That's it...... Count Lutga, even if you hold a grudge, there is nothing you can do. It's just that Hongu didn't feel that there was a problem with the measures taken at that time, and he didn't regret it. If Bengu is given another chance, I believe that Bengu will still go down the old road without hesitation. ”

As soon as her attitude changed, Princess Label's words revealed the domineering unique to the royal family.

“...... You may have done the right thing, so at the cost of the sacrifice called 'Flora'...... But please don't get me wrong, Your Highness, Your Majesty doesn't hold any grudge against your decision and the sacrifice you caused, but I can't trust a woman who can lie with a smile on her face again. ”

"I didn't lie to you, you're my knight......"

Rutega's answer made Princess LaBelle smile a little sadly and masochistically.

"Unfortunately, Your Highness Princess, I am not loyal to you...... I used to be a knight of Flora, and now, the bereaved dog is no longer a knight, but a poor nobleman in a border town. ”

“......”

“......”

Lutga's cold assertion brought the topic of greetings between the two to an abrupt end.

"Hmph...... Okay, then Lutga, let's talk about what you're interested in, say, towers built around the empire. ”

“......！”

The words that he had heard from someone not long ago suddenly made the young nobleman vigilant, as if his heart had been seen through, and his uneasiness and doubts made him tense his nerves.

"Judging by your reaction, it seems that someone has already heard that?"

"Where did Her Highness get the news from?"

Instead of answering positively, Lutga chose to respond to doubts with questions.

"Don't underestimate the intelligence network of tea parties and dances between aristocratic women, noble ladies, just like they love to show off their outfits, and are also keen to compare the wealth of each other's husbands. And, I believe, I know more than 'His Majesty the Emperor'. ”

LaBelle smiled incomprehensibly, as if everything was under control, and even Rutega had to feel an inexplicable awe of this beautiful and cunning princess.

"I would like to add that the location of those towers, located above the spiritual veins of the Empire, is based on the current distribution and the conjectural use of magic, whether it is to construct some kind of 'seal' or to break the 'seal'. ”

Unlike the Emperor, LaBelle was a disciple of Edward the Sage, and was quite proficient in magical theory.

“...... Your Highness Princess, why did you tell me this?"

"Hehe, if you want to tell me why...... Let's reminisce about the past, Lutega...... For example, the 'bloody crackdown' eight years ago ......"

“......！”

This curse-like word, buried deep in the mire of memory, made Lutga's expression become hideous.

"Eight years ago, my brother, the crown prince, was charged with the trumped-up crime of assassinating my father. It caused fierce disputes between other princes and various factions, and embroiled the empire in a dangerous situation where civil war was on the verge of breaking out. In that year, assassinations, poisonings, and all sorts of intrigues were endless, and nobles and important ministers died every day. In the panic of the people, everyone is suspicious of each other and slanders each other...... In the end, they killed each other. Finally, one day, the knights who supported the 'Idiot Prince' and ordered the 'Legendary Blade' in the name of the Emperor to 'suppress' everyone who gathered in the dance hall of the Imperial Palace......

It was said to be suppressed, but in fact it was a massacre, and not a single person survived from the palace. The ballroom of the palace, which was covered with blood, became the death place of all the senatorial ministers, the powerful nobles, and my brothers and sisters at the time. A fire ensued and devoured the entire ballroom, along with the knights who carried out the 'bloody suppression', along with the corpses of all the dead, and burned all the sins and truths to charcoals......"

“......”

Rutga didn't interject, just quietly listened to LaBelle tell the familiar 'history'.

"It sounds like a tragic epic, but there are too many unreasonable places, and this palace doesn't believe that those old foxes will fall for the tricks of wine bags and rice bags, nor do they think that the 'idiot prince' who is almost at the bottom of the throne has the ability to mobilize the 'Legendary Blade' to slaughter, let alone believe that the 'Legendary Blade' will have a full seventeen knights killed in the flames. Hongu firmly believes that there must be someone who ...... Secretly guided everything to happen, I don't know what to do, and eradicated the most powerful military and political ministers of the empire, nobles, royal families, including knights of the Holy Rank, all together......"

-- There is "who" behind the scenes, not for two or three years, but for a long time, and the dark shadow that has eroded the empire has been in action for a long, long time...... It even took more than ten years to complete the layout of the subverted empire.

His Majesty's words echoed in his ears, causing Lutga to fall into deep thought. Ten years ago, that is to say, the black hand lurking in the empire, as early as the lifetime of the emperor, had already taken action. The death of the former emperor is also likely to be part of the plan.

-- They are really sisters and brothers.

Rutga sighed in his heart that LaBel's reasoning was exactly the same as that of His Majesty the Emperor.

As LaBelle said, in fact, the most unfortunate thing about Lutga is not the death of his fiancée, but the fact that the elder generation of knights, regimental commanders, deputy regimental leaders, and squad leaders of the 'Legendary Blade' at that time had a total of seventeen, and in this suppression, there was no fact that they survived.

In fact, they who died in the sea of fire are the real 'Blades of Legends'. All of them are the strongest warriors in the Empire who have reached the 'Holy Rank'. Among them was Rutega's brother, Julius Crusnier.

Regardless of why they betrayed the royal family they were loyal to at that time, what is even more incredible is why the soldiers of the "Holy Order" died in a mere fire?

But in any case, the facts are in front of you. That fire, in every sense, brought immeasurable damage to the empire, and at the same time plunged the country into various crises.

In order to quell the surging civil strife and the threat of external enemies, the Empire had to find a way to quickly restore the deterrent power of the Legendary Blade. However, how easy was it to cultivate a "Holy Rank Warrior" who was said to be only one out of 100,000 people? So, under the leadership of the sage Edward, a new attempt was made called 'Holy Spirit Blessing'.

It is a kind of research that forcibly stimulates the power to approach the "Holy Order" by summoning the "Holy Throne Spirits" and attaching them to the human body.

At the same time, it was also an extremely bumpy and cruel study, and almost all of the nearly 1,000 members and reservists of the Knights who participated in the experiment died in the elves' attempts to rely on them because they could not withstand the too strong power of the elves, and there were few successful examples. This is a challenge with a survival rate of only 1 in 1,000, and in fact it is no different from execution.

But for Rutega, the real loss doesn't stop there.

If you want to summon the Holy Throne Elve, you must need the heroic bloodline that once signed an ancient contract with the elemental elves as a "medium", that is, you need the descendants of the "Dragon Slayer Saint King", the heir of the imperial royal bloodline, to provide blood full of magical power.

At that time, the only eligible candidates were the Emperor, LaBel, and Flora.

The emperor, of course, was excluded from the beginning. As a result, Flora became a victim, and Lutga was fortunate enough to be a survivor of the "blessing of the Holy Spirit". But he didn't know until the end that his fiancée provided her own blood as a "blood medium" for thousands of knights.

As a member of the royal family of the Empire, Flora volunteered to make a sacrifice...... And Princess LaBel, the woman in front of her, knew that her twin sister was about to die, but she still kept putting on a false smile to deceive herself.

The last dozen or so people left behind created the 'Legendary Blade' led by Chris, and the young ones escaped death and gained overwhelming power, which of course benefited from the "blessing of the Holy Spirit" and the "armor of the Holy Spirit", and under their feet were the corpses of countless compatriots and the sea of blood of Flora.

Today's legendary blades can no longer be called "knights", but are only an important bargaining chip to maintain the stability of the empire.

During that year, Lutga actively completed many tasks and made great achievements, but he did not ask for any reward, but chose to quit the Knights and went to the border towns, where he became a nobleman in the countryside.

As for his daughters...... It is the final 'fruit' of this tragedy.

Lutga was reluctant to remember everything about his daughters, and he made up his mind to protect them for the rest of his life in the place of the dead Flora, which was also the last vow of a half-hung man. Even if you risk your life, you have to do it.

"Rutega, I invite you to come over today, just hoping to hear about the plan of the main palace and stop the attempts of the masterminds behind the scenes. Even if it's to keep Flora's sister's sacrifice in vain, and to protect your cherished daughters...... Okay?"

As if he had seen through the other party's thoughts, Lutega's request to time the time was impossible for Lutga to refuse, and he struggled for a moment to speak, "Okay...... Let's hear ...... for now."

But at this juncture, there was a sudden commotion outside the door.

"Hey, Lutega, you're in there, you're in there, there's something wrong!" -- the young man's voice.

"This, this is the palace of Her Royal Highness the Princess, Senior Stein, please, please inform ...... first" - the young man's voice.

"Get out of the way of Luka! there's no time to spare-!"

Stan, a hot-blooded young man with a golden hedgehog head, was rampage to enter the door, but Luca, a weak young man with short silver hair and a big sword hanging on his back, stood in front of him.

"I already know you kidnapped Lutga here last night!

Stan, a tall, mid-twentieth year, with a bushy but headstrong hedgehog hair, erect blonde hair, and a frizzy personality and attitude, yelled in frustration.

"Yes, I'm sorry! That, that, former, senior...... So are we...... Acting on orders, so ...... That ......"

Luca, a young knight with a slender figure, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with short silver-white hair trimmed and neatly trimmed, and an introverted personality that is even a little cowardly, is overwhelmed by the other party's intimidation.

This is a luxurious palace built on the edge of the imperial city, by a man-made lake in an elegant environment. This was specially built by the emperor for a favorite concubine, and now, it has become the only royal family other than the emperor, that is, the private property of Princess Label.

Lukka already looked pitiful and teary-eyed from being bullied, but even so, he did not leave his post without permission. Although he is young and does not seem to be reliable enough, he is also the elite of the 'Legendary Blade'.

"So--I said I didn't have to wait!Get out of the way-!!"

As soon as Stan drank it, the sword beneath his cloak unsheathed, spewing dazzling flames from its blade, leaving an orange slash in the air. In an instant, the originally peaceful corridor turned into the purgatory of the Red Lotus.

However, the wave of flames was split by a gust of wind, and Lukka swept out the greatsword, drawing an arc around his slender body, and the trajectory of the blade even formed a vacuum, and then the wind turned into an even more violent flame in return to the grumpy senior knight in front of him.

"Pretty capable, boy...... But, I repeat, dodge from there!"

"No, no! Hello senior, follow the rules!"

Personality aside, Lukka's strength is as invulnerable as the rest of the team, and he, like Stein, is favored by the Fire Elves, even above him.

At this moment, two violent flames confronted each other in the narrow corridor, and their armor and sword blades erupted with uncontrollable heat.

The whitewashed walls were baked and browned, and the thick leaves of the potted plants in the corridor had withered and drooped due to the evaporation of the water.

If they are allowed to fight, the momentum will not only burn the entire building to ashes, but even the lake in front of the house will be steamed dry.

"Hey...... Stan, do you want to burn us all inside?"

Just as the fierce battle between the two was about to break out, the door of the room that Lukka was guarding was opened. This dissipated the heat that had ignited between the two knights.

"Princess, Your Royal Highness the Princess, that I ......"

"Luca, no apologies, you're doing a great job. However, Mr. Stein, even if you are a member of the Legendary Blade and a former colleague of Sister Flora, it would be too reckless to trespass on the palace today. ”

"Your Highness Princess, why did you send someone to kidnap Lutga at that juncture yesterday?

"Hey...... Wait, Stein......"

Stein's aggressive questioning caused Rout to sigh deeply, and he stopped LaBelle before he could speak.

- This guy is still the same, simple-minded and anxious, and he can't let him continue to make trouble like this.

"Don't be afraid, I won't leave you alone! No matter what happens, I'll rescue you! Burn, Red Lotus's sword!!"

"Stop, stop, stop, put out that fire! Don't feel like you've robbed your sweetheart, it's disgusting!"

Lutga hurriedly stopped his irascible friend who had once again ignited the long sword, and helplessly told a little lie, "Actually, I was invited here by myself, so don't burn it at every turn!"

"Eh...... is that so? But that kid Kaylu said to me triumphantly that he knocked you unconscious and tied you back......"

Came to the door to save people with great momentum, but learned that it was a misunderstanding, which made Stan look confused, touched his chin and muttered to himself, although he didn't know the unfamiliar name Lutga, but from the context, it was probably one of the four young knights who appeared last night, just like Luca with the silver-haired sword in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness the Princess! I lost my words just now! The matter of trespassing and leaving the palace is at your disposal, but now there is another hundred thousand urgent news that must be told to Lutega!"

"That's it, it's just a misunderstanding...... The shrine does not pursue it. Tell me what's going on?"

"Ah, yes, something is wrong! One of the Eight Demon Dragons, the seal of the 'Abyss Dragon' has been unlocked by someone! Now the most dangerous demonic beast in history has appeared in the Fa Rilabis Mountains...... That is, Lutga's next door to your territory!"

"You say...... What!?"

"How is that possible!?"

"Absolutely! Mira saw the news with her own eyes. Early this morning, Chris, and the Adventurers' Guild formed an alliance to defeat the Demon Dragon, and they are now on their way......"

This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Lutega, the smiling faces of his beloved daughters flashed through his mind, and he didn't wait for Stan to finish speaking, he didn't care about his body, which was still unable to exert his strength, and ran towards the exit of the palace without looking back.

"Ariza ...... Sofia...... Alice!!Don't be fine!!"