"Hah!?wait!...... What did you just say? What do you mean?"

Just now, what Lutga had heard with his own ears was so unexpected that the young Earl couldn't help but show an extremely shocked expression, and repeated the confirmation to the orc girl with beautiful golden hair and tail in front of him.

"As the name suggests, according to the decree of His Royal Highness LaBelle - as soon as the day dawns, you will be free to leave the imperial capital. Of course, Her Royal Highness has arranged for the knights of the Legendary Blade to accompany you, and I hope they can help you with your urgent needs. ”

“......”

It's like a generous content in the snow, which makes Lutga speechless.

Originally, the reason why he came to the imperial capital with Sophia was to borrow the power of the 'Legendary Blade' from His Majesty the Emperor through negotiations, so as to attack the giant warship that fell from the sky and rescue the captured Shirda.

Now, even the negotiation process has been omitted, and a thoughtful big show has come directly, although he was involved in an inexplicable coup d'état as soon as he entered the city, but in the end he was not held accountable for his crimes and responsibilities as a 'murderer'. No matter how you think about it, it's unbelievable.

"Lord Lutga, you seem to have some doubts?"

“...... What kind of wishful thinking is LaBelle playing?"

"As for Her Royal Highness's intentions, I beg your pardon for not being able to answer, but I think it must have been done with pure good intentions. ”

"Good intentions, huh...... I've never been able to stand that guy's kindness. I remember that eight years ago, as a disciple of Mr. Edward, she knew that the materials used to make the 'Holy Spirit Armor' would cost Flora's blood as a medium, but she was 'kind' to hide it from me. Knowing that the emperor would fall into the flames of war, he also made a 'kind' offer to transfer me to the front line. After I lost my fiancée and resigned as a knight, I secretly operated with 'good intentions' and moved me to the western border town......"

In fact, in the days of the academy trainees, through Flora's relationship, Lutga thought that his relationship with LaBelle was not bad, and in his eyes at that time, LaBelle was like a quiet, gentle, and occasionally mischievous, cute and intelligent sister - although she was a year older than himself.

It's just that since the death of the emperor and the turmoil in the imperial capital, LaBelle seems to have changed as a different person, always secretly carrying out some shady conspiracies. Since then, as long as it has anything to do with LaBelle, Rutga can feel incomprehensible malice in it.

To this day, he can't see through the sincerity of this former 'sister', so he can only stay away from her.

"Lord Earl, do you hate His Highness Labelle?"

"Hate is not enough, but to be honest, the transfer of me to the front and my subsequent move to the left [Celia] did not hurt me at all, and I even want to express my gratitude to her for giving me the opportunity to leave the tumultuous center of the empire and spend a peaceful and peaceful life with my daughters. ”

Halfway through speaking, Count Lutga's expression became serious, "But...... I can't let go of the fact that she didn't save her twin sister when she saw death! Yes, even I understand the significance of the refining of the 'Holy Spirit Armor' in that extraordinary period...... But...... But, Flora is pregnant......!"

"So, Lord Count, do you love Princess Flora dearly, and therefore cannot forgive Princess Labelle for hiding something from you?"

"Deeply loved...... God knows. Faced with the question of the girl in front of him, who was only in her teens but seemed unusually mature, Lutga couldn't help but say the truth. Recently, including his own daughter, he has been surrounded by some children who are so smart that he is shocked, and Lutga has gradually become accustomed to treating them as adults, "Actually, my marriage contract with Flora was forced to be helpless at first. I don't know what kind of standard it is, but a little-known boy like me was forced to choose the marriage of the princess, and there was no room for refutation, and there was no right to refuse. ”

"Eh, is that so? When I heard His Royal Highness LaBelle mention the past, I thought that His Royal Highness the Earl and His Royal Highness Flora were in love with each other......

"The royal family is different from the common people, and it is not a drama performed by a troupe, in reality, how can the prince and the princess marry freely?"

"In other words, don't you like Her Highness Flora?"

“...... Flora...... She's strong, stronger than all men, and can knock out several of us with one hand. is both willful and domineering, and thinks of which one is which...... It's like a hot flame, and it doesn't listen to other people's opinions at all. Even for my marriage match, it's the same, recalling that time, I have always been called by her and worked hard for her. ”

With a sad expression, Lutega recalled the days he had spent with Flora in the past, and spat out bitter water helplessly, but halfway through speaking, his expression softened again, soft but with a melancholy smile—

"When I came back to my senses, my vision was filled with Flora's figure, as if I was surrounded by bright fire lotuses, and I had nowhere to escape. That guy often puts unashamed fiery lines like 'I love you' on her lips, but her so-called 'love' should be an obligation.

After all, when we first met, she said to me, 'Since we are destined to be united, instead of struggling in helplessness, it is better to open our minds and fall in love with each other'. That's why she follows her philosophy to the end and uses her style to express her passionate 'love'...... For someone like me, though, it's like being burned. In front of the public, I don't shy away from the eyes around me, and I make intimate gestures like ○○○ and ○○ and ○○○, which bothers me a lot......"

"Wow, wow...... How, how to say it...... Princess Flora is really a passionate and unrestrained character......"

Lutga's description made the little fox's face red-eared, and her broom-like tail swept back and forth unconsciously, only to see her ears jump and jump, she leaned down, cast a twisted and pinched sensational gaze, and softly asked the question that the innocent girl was most interested in, "Then, then, Princess Flora...... How did you do that before marrying the Earl...... Pregnant?"

"Eh, this, this ......" The unexpected sensitive question made Lutga feel his cheeks hot, raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, he was not good at lying, so he was ready to make up a reason to fool the past.

"Please tell me the truth~! Liuli is very, very curious~! No matter what you ask, Her Royal Highness LaBelle will tell me, but this question, no matter how much you ask, Her Royal Highness the princess will avoid mentioning it, she will say something of unknown meaning such as 'tell you, some people will be too shy to make trouble all night'. Also, please don't try to fool me, although Ruri is still young, but ...... But what does it take to conceive a child, these things...... I still understand?"

Seeing Liuli's eyes glowing, shy but expectant, Lutga had no choice but to sigh as if resigned, and carefully chose his words, "Dang, at that time...... I was drugged in the wine and fainted, and when I woke up, I was chained to her bedchamber...... Then, the guy inexplicably declared, 'Let's have a baby~!', and couldn't help but say the forced one...... Haha, hahaha......"

It's terrible in every sense of the word, not only is there no love between lovers at all, but there is even a bit of a terrifying ○○ process, as soon as Lutga said it, he couldn't help but secretly complain - what kind of dirty thing are you saying to a little girl about the same age as her own daughter!

"Wow...... Ahh......hhh Well, so intense...... Wow, ahhhh......h

Even if the golden-tailed fox clan is more precocious because of the characteristics of the race, but Liuli is just an untrained child after all, and the overly hot content makes her ashamed and overwhelmed, covering her face with her hands, her ears are completely folded, her body is constantly twisting, and her tail is sweeping back and forth.

"Anyway, all in all, Flora is a very important woman to me!"

In order to ease the awkward atmosphere, Lutga tried to force a wave of summarization.

"Even though it was a political marriage, I never showed my love to Flora in front of her, or said anything like liking her...... Not only that, but I always interact with her with the mentality of dealing with trouble, posing reluctantly. However, when I rushed back to the imperial capital from the battlefield and learned of her death...... The sense of loss and pain at that time scared even me......

I can't even cry, it's as if my world has lost its 'sun'. Immersed in a dark and desolate world, I killed countless enemies with my own hands just to vent my grievances...... To be honest, until now, I couldn't believe that Flora would lose to the rebellious soldiers, and if she used all her strength, the army of 10,000 people could easily be wiped out......"

"You mean, the reason why Princess Flora died in battle was because she sacrificed a lot of blood to forge the 'Holy Spirit Armor', and because she was weak just after giving birth?"

"Ahhh......h It will lead to such a bad result, and LaBelle will bear at least half of the responsibility...... And the responsibility of the other half lies with me...... I can't forgive LaBelle and, at the same time, I can't forgive myself for going with the flow. If I had sensed the signs of unrest earlier, I would not have left the imperial capital no matter what, even if I disobeyed the order...... Before I became a knight, it was my highest and most natural duty as a husband and father to protect my women and children with my own hands. ”

At the same time, this remark also represents Rutega's determination now. He would never let the same mistake be repeated a second time, so he was here to save Hilda and protect Sophia.

"I see...... Thank you very much, Lord Earl, for telling Ruri your story. Sure enough, Your Highness LaBelle is right, you are a gentle person, and you will be honest and attentive even in the face of a lowly orc like me. ”

“...... Don't say anything like 'lowly', I don't advocate the Goddess Cult doctrine of discriminating against 'orcs', LaBel...... Although I don't know her very well, she should pay a lot of attention to you, which is why she will tell you so much about the past. ”

"Thank you for your comfort, but Ruri, just a slave...... Staying by the side of Her Royal Highness the princess as a slave, Ruri is very satisfied......"

With that, the blonde girl pushed open the wooden window and looked out of the window, only to see the slowly rising morning sun reflected on the surface of the lake, and a pair of tall animal ears trembling gently against the morning breeze.

"Well, Lord Earl, it's time, the knight who has come to meet you has arrived. ”

"Huh?"

At this moment, the wooden door and side walls of the room were blasted through by a violent impact at the same time......

The explosion was not very powerful, but it was just enough to pierce through a beautiful passage, which was a special weapon that only the [Luna Armor] tier card came with - the directional blasting explosives placed when breaking the door.

After the smoke cleared, two 'knights' covered in metal appeared opposite the blasted hole. It was impossible to see their faces, except for the long silver-white hair of one of them, which fluttered gently behind him through the gap in his helmet.

"I didn't expect that I could crack Liuli's 'nightmare trap' so quickly, can you teach me what method was used?"

Ruri grinned, raised the corners of her eyes, and faced the long-haired knight from the main entrance, revealing a provocative and charming smile.

"Hmph...... The golden-tailed fox, that's really ......! In other words, those disgusting hallucinations and nightmares are the work of yours?"

Even if you can't see the expression, you can hear the irrepressible anger in the girl's voice. Sharp silver claws, reflecting the rising sun, shone with a dangerous light.

"Hehehe...... It would be nice to be satisfied, lovely Miss White Cat. ”

Ruri's laughter was also filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder, and she didn't chant a single incantation, but the pale blue magic flames ignited around her body out of thin air.

"Thanks, Miss Shephilia, please avoid unhelpful engagements!"

The knight who invaded from the side wall stopped between Shephelia and Ruri, trying to stop the imminent conflict between the two.

"Get out of the way, Cam, this guy's trick has made me suffer a lot......!"

"Yes, yes~ Brave Mr. Maid, please let go, this is a problem between girls~?"

"Eh, you, you really ...... back then"

Ruri's name touched Cam's memory, and he suddenly remembered what happened to him the night before, before he fell unconscious. There is no doubt that the golden-tailed fox next to him was the culprit who stunned himself at that time, and at this moment, he even recalled the process of 'how he stunned himself'.

"Well, it's me. Thank you for stepping up to save Ruri at that time...... The most rewarding, 'that' can also let you come two more times~?"

As he spoke, Ruri's deep tongue licked her lips and pointed her finger to her lips, emphasizing the moist luster, making a look full of charm.

"What did you do to Cam......!"

"Hehe~ Guess what?"

"Forget it, it doesn't matter, it's the same if you kill you. ”

"That's, that'...... Please don't ......"

"Cam, which side are you on, and you seem to be glad you were 'doing' by her. ”

"No, I don't have ——!"

So, in front of Lutga, a cute war of two kittens and a little fox was staged. It's fun to watch, but because Cam is so pitiful, the young lord remembers his time as a trainee and can't help but lend a hand.

"Ahem...... Okay, don't make any fuss. Shephelia, and Cam, let's go together. Liuli has no hostility, so she doesn't have to be so tense. ”

“......”

Shephilia silently lowered her clawed arms, she seemed a little difficult to let go, but her professional qualities made her follow the principle of 'the employer's orders above all else'.

"You're both here, so what about Sophia?"

Rutga looked around, searching for his daughter. Shephelia opened her fully armed helmet, revealing a beautiful face like proud snow, and just when she wanted to say something, the golden fox girl Liuli took the first step and said-

"The daughter of the Earl, you should now be in the front yard to be entertained by His Highness LaBelle. ”

**

The magic bullets flying in the sky streaked through countless intricate trajectories in space, disappearing from 'one point' and appearing from 'another', and then turned into a poisonous snake and bit the body of the female knight.

These pitch-black projectiles were all fired by Sophia, but at this moment, they had accumulated to an unprecedented astronomical number like stars.

Originally, when the magic projectile was launched into the air, the object that hit it would automatically shatter, but now, the space distorted by the realm of [Instantaneous] can even the bullets shuttle through the gaps of the dimension. No bullet is wasted, and no matter how many times they miss their target, they will cross space and track them endlessly, until they bite the enemy.

Female knights have no wings and are certainly unable to fly, so they rely on their legs to move and jump in a flat space. Of course, it was impossible for her to dodge all the bullets, because once the shadow's projectiles reached a certain number, it would form an overwhelming barrage, leaving no room to dodge at all. What's more, it is not safe on the ground, and whenever the opportunity arises, the enemy will bury dangerous mine traps everywhere.

In other words, the knight who calls himself 'Flora' is forced to endure all kinds of unavoidable trauma while also playing with the ghost-like and fatal 'Grim Reaper'. Not only that, but she was able to gain the upper hand in the fierce battle.

It is such an overwhelmingly powerful, desperate force, if it were someone other than Sophia, I am afraid that it would have succumbed to this force long ago. But having said that, Sophia has also shown all her hole cards, fighting, but has no chance of winning......

"Hahaha——! so strong, so strong, Sophia~~!Mom, I'm super happy~~!"

Flora's breath was so unruly that she could laugh out loud, "But...... It's almost time, it's time to wrap it up in earnest......!"

What an arrogant line, as if to say, 'I haven't done my best', and of course, Sophia is not a character who will pay attention to the opponent's bluff. However, at this moment, the breath on the other party's body changed, but she had the illusion that she was pierced by a shot, and the skin all over her body aroused goosebumps.

However, the momentum and speed of this moment made it impossible for her to immediately restrain her inertia and brake the pace of her advance. And rightfully so...... Sophia's [Instantaneous] realm was functioning normally, and her figure was smoothly lurking in the other dimension, and in the next moment, she was able to appear freely anywhere in the realm-

With a flash of silver, the pitch-black [space] was like a shattered block of ice, and a crack was pierced. Then, the condensed fighting spirit at the tip of the spear turned into a scorching wind blowing to the other side of the 'crack'.

In the end, from the empty place, suddenly, Sophia, whose dress was burned black for most of the time, continued to roll on the ground with a tragic momentum, and lasted for dozens of meters before stopping.

"Now...... My daughter~~!"

Releasing a victory declaration like this, covered in small scars, but not at all embarrassed, but in high spirits, Flora, paced confidently and steadily, and came to the side of her prostrate daughter.