Seirei Gensouki's
Chapter 134: The Decision to Press

After ending their conversation with Christina, Rio and Celia retired to the available room in the basement, facing each other on their beds. Celia had taken off her discolored hair pendant, while Rio left her.

「Hei, Rio. I'M…"

「You want to accompany Princess Christina, right?」

「Eh?」

She looked anxious when talking — and reading it like an open book, Rio did not even let her start.

"Ah no . I'm worried about that, I mean .. 」

「This is your life, Madam. Please, follow your heart so that you can move forward without regret. That's why I brought you out of the castle. 」

「... Rio. 」

Celia chews her lips muttering her name. It had been several months since she had followed him, and her exhausted heart was getting the rest she so desperately needed. Until then, she effectively lives under house arrest, with a forced marriage and little else on the horizon; but once she leaves, her world opens wider than she thought.

Born and raised a noble, to continue living and neglecting his obligations is unthinkable, but.

「If I go with Lady Christina, you won't come with us, right?」

Rio replied in an apologetic tone.

「Unfortunately, I have no intention of working for Beltram. 」

「Do you hate Beltram Kingdom?」

He asked timidly, as if he already knew the answer.

「I don't hate the kingdom. Instead, it's the blue blood that runs it that gives me hate. Miss Celia was excluded, of course. 」

"… I see . Sorry, asking for something really weird. 」

「Don't worry about that. 」

Silence shrouded the room for a few moments.

「Rio. W-Is there anything I can do for you? 」

「It was quite sudden. What's wrong?"

「I mean, all I do is accept; I haven't done anything in return. 」

Celia lowered her head, regretting, until Rio disagreed.

「It's not true at all. You have saved me more than I can count back in the academy. 」

「I didn't really do anything special ..」

「Of course. 」

「Eh?」

「For me, Miss Celia is someone special. You are the only one who showed kindness to worthless orphans like me, and the time I spent with you was the only time I felt comfortable. Can you really say you haven't done anything for me? 」

「Um, ah, no, it ... How ...?」

Unable to form a coherent sentence on Rio's honest confession, Celia looked away as she tried to speak. But her undeniable cheek was enough to make Rio smile.

「You really haven't changed at all. Please never lose that gentle smile. If you can do that, there's nothing more I can ask for. 」

「Ah .. Mm. 」

He nodded, but his voice was weak and weak.

「... Well, I guess that's my selfish little wish. I'd love it if you just keep it in the corner of your mind. Sorry if it seems pushy. 」

Rio looked embarrassed when saying so, and Celia suddenly raised her voice in response.

「T-Not at all! Actually I'm happy! I never knew you were so concerned with me — I would try my best to keep it that way! 」

Celia sat up straight, her hand on Rio's shoulder. Apart from his shorter stature, the expression of determination on his face made him appear taller than himself in his eyes. Celia gulped, then spoke again.

「K-You understand! The rio! 」

"Ah yes?"

「Um, you know. Me either. For me too, Rio is, Rio is .. 」

He stuttered, trembling as Rio waited calmly for what he wanted to say. But before he could get those words out of his mouth …

「Haruto's. 」

An inorganic Aisia voice suddenly resounded in the room. Rio and Celia were running upright when she appeared on Rio's side as if she was there the entire time.

「Aisia?」

「I need to talk. Do you have time? 」

「Mm? Ah yes Of course . 」

Aisia was sitting next to Rio as usual, but for some reason she looked like you couldn't take her off if you tried.

「Hei, Aisia ..」

Rio felt a chill on his back hearing Celia's cold tone, but Aisia just tilted her head gently to one side.

「Mm?」

「Do you happen to hear what we talked about earlier?」

「I listen. 」

「Gh ... (I completely forgot about this girl!)」

There was absolutely no need for him to appear right at that moment. Celia only considered two possibilities: either it was intentional, or Aisia was a fool who could not read the room.

I was wondering, maybe he came out to help me? If I ride my own momentum further I will say some very embarrassing things …

Amidst her complicated feelings, Celia was struck by a feeling of relief, and embarrassment. A little red cheek, he let out his thoughts and returned to the matter at hand.

「A-Aisia, what do you want to say? My father will be here tomorrow morning, so we should go to bed soon. 」

As soon as he finished, they heard the sound of something shifting outside the room. It was similar to when they first entered the basement.

「Do you want to tell me ..」

「Mhm, something's down here. 」

Aisia nodded, justifying Rio's suspicions, and returned to her spirit form; the air in the room was tense as she left. Rio slowly stood up, grabbed his knife and silenced his footsteps as he crawled to the door.

They waited ten seconds, with no indication of difficulty beyond — then they heard a knock.

「... It's Vanessa. Count Claire arrived early. He was waiting for everyone in the dining room right now. 」

Rio died down, being ready for a fight, then turned around and nodded at Celia.

"Thank you . We'll be here soon. 」

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

When Rio and Celia succeed, Vanessa and Christina talk to an unknown man — explains Celia's father, Laurent Claire. He had a rather thin body, but to a middle-aged man he was quite attractive, with a dignified air about him according to his position. It seems that Christina is explaining things.

「... Hm?」

Laurent looked puzzled for a moment as Celia entered the room, then descended into hysterics as the gears in her head started to spin again.

「Ce ... Celly ?! What are you doing here?"

… Celly?

Rio took the time to process what he just heard, and Celia replied with a dry smile.

「Ahaha, please excuse me for my sudden absence, Father. 」

Laurent was already standing, arms wide open and moving to hug his daughter.

「S-Are you okay? A letter arrived with your handwriting after you disappeared, but I can't stop worrying. 」

「I am so sorry. I'll have to withhold a lot of information from my letter .. But as you can see, I'm fine. 」

He loved Celia very much. It was a stark contrast from the noble aura conveyed by his presentation, but overall Rio thought he was not a bad person.

「Mmm .. There is something I should talk about with the princess, but ..」

「I'm sure it won't be long, so please talk to Miss Celia while you can. This reunion has been coming for a long time. 」

Laurent has trouble sorting out his priorities — he has a lot of things he wants to ask his daughter — so Christina who is always responsive gives him a lifeline. He hesitated for a moment, then made a choice.

「... No, what Your Majesty needs to hear is more important at this time. 」

"I understand . It doesn't seem like good news, but please tell me. 」

「True. It seems that an additional search group has been sent from the royal capital; I hope that they will carry a warrant signed by His Majesty. If so, I would have no choice but to show them the entire property, including this basement. 」

A sullen expression flashed across his face as he spoke. A search warrant is tantamount to a death knell for not only Christina, but also her friends and House Claire. Although, no one in the conversation seemed ready to give up so quickly.

「... When will they be here?」

「Although His Majesty might give us time, even that has its limits. At the earliest they should arrive tomorrow morning. 」

「If that's true, we should leave immediately. 」

Christina fought hard to get those words out, knowing how high the order was.

"Agreement . We will stand out if we go during the day. And the number of personnel on the mansion grounds was lower at night. 」

Laurent's reaction was almost the same. Fewer soldiers or not, there was no choice with a great possibility to escape, so Christina turned to Rio as if she was ready to beg.

「... Mr. Amakawa. The magic tool you use to change the color of your hair, may I ask that you are willing to lend it to us? 」

"… It is possible . I have spare parts in the room. Did you give me a moment to take it? 」

"Of course . 」

「I'm sorry, then. 」

Without delay, Rio left the dining room.

「Nona Celia, please tell Count Claire what happened to you until now. And I'm sorry for the rush, but I'd like to hear your answer about what I asked. 」

"… I understand . 」

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

「Hm .. Talk about an outrageous story, but if it comes from Celly, I have no choice but to believe it. 」

Laurent was speechless through everything, only his bitter expression serving as a response during. When Celia finished, her eyes pointed to Rio, who had returned somewhere in the middle. He stood up from his chair, walked over to Rio, placed his right hand on his chest and bowed.

He had to take a few seconds to eliminate his discomfort. Rio was preparing himself to be harassed.

「No, it was, rather, I had done something I could not take back. If anything, I should apologize for causing you trouble. 」

「Well, of course, if my opponent is not Albou's son, I will make him into ashes before all this happens. 」

「Ah, haha ..」

Rio's narrow smile heard a little that the comment was thrown just like that. Laurent Claire is considered to be one of the greatest witches in the Beltram Kingdom. While Rio was going to give him money, Laurent could easily leave most of it as a pile of coals with a flick of his fingers.

Immediately, Laurent returned to his seat, and Celia spoke with a resolute gleam in her eyes.

「... Father, I will follow the princess. 」

「And even if I say you don't have to go, you won't listen, right?」

Laurent resigned to his decision. Things would get worse if, after being away for too long, she suddenly appeared in the basement of her family home with Christina.

"Yes nih . Somewhere deep inside after I left the castle, I was always anxious, wondering if it was okay. And to find the answer, I asked Haruto to bring me here. The situation we are in is unexpected, but I feel the need to do this. 」

"I saw…"

Leaving Laurent to sort through her thoughts, Celia then confronts Christina.

「Nona Christina, you have my answer. 」

"Thank you very much . To be honest, having a mage of your caliber with us is a huge advantage. If we survive this, I will make sure that you are given a worthy gift. 」

As he spoke, the princess bowed deeply to Celia.

「I'm honored ... Your Honor. May I speak to Haruto in person for a moment? 」

"Of course . 」

Receiving permission to do so, Celia and Rio went to a quiet room.

「Nona Celia's. 」

Celia couldn't help but laugh a little at Rio's change in tone, but her expression immediately turned into a gloomy one.

「I'm sorry, Haruto. I'm making a decision without talking to you first. Maybe it looks like I just used you for my convenience .. 」

"Not everything . I'd like to help you, and try to repay the years of kindness you've shown me. 」

Rio shook his head and responded with a smile.

「Thank you .. If you say it yourself, I understand. So, I guess I have no choice but to rely on you forever, right? Even if it seems unfair, you're the only one who's ever been comfortable with this. Far beyond anything I have for you. 」

He smiled warmly, continuing.

「So please run, Haruto. Not too late . You should be able to get out well if you are alone, right? 」

Of course, even with everyone looking for the princess and her entourage, running away would be a simple matter for Rio if he asked Aisia for help. However, he knew he was reluctant to use his spirit arts in public; he also knew it was better to hide them. So, no matter how much he wants her to save him again — he can't force himself to say it.

「I can easily. That said, do you really think I'm just going to leave you alone in this situation? 」

Rio looked really surprised that he would even suggest it.

"But you…"

Hate the Beltram nobility, don't you?

Celia strangled what she was about to say.

"I know . And maybe you're right. 」

Regardless of whether he wanted to help Celia or not, he had no desire for Christina, nor obligation towards her.

「Although that's the case, it's not reason enough for me to just stand up and leave you. 」

Before he knew it, tears were flowing in Celia's eyes. He wiped them quickly, trying to hide how happy he was to hear those words from his mouth.

「That's why I want you to run. More than this and I will never be able to stop depending on you. 」

「Are you out or out of the house safely, can you join Restoration easily?」

After a short pause, Celia nodded.

"It was a lie . It is impossible . 」

「It's not true at all, I can. 」

Celia sneered at him, but she could not honestly deny his evaluation.

「You have never killed anyone. The same goes for Princess Christina. It may be the same for children with black hair as well. Vanessa is the only one with the right training and experience, meaning she's the only one capable of fighting well. And even then, the five of you will stand out. 」

As expected, the analysis was correct.

「To reduce the risk for all of you, you need a redirect, which means break up the group. What are you planning? 」

「I ... I'll be a distraction. 」

"Out of question . If you get caught, you will only bring trouble to your home. Can you explain how you appeared here from all over the place out of nowhere? 」

「Then .. I won't let them catch me. 」

「No, you will definitely get caught. 」

「I will not be arrested. Why are you so confident about this? 」

He became annoyed, and it showed.

「Because your reflexes are slow, and your running speed is slower. 」

「…」

It was embarrassing to even respond, when Rio declared those things as facts with a flat tone and a gentle smile as if he was mocking him.

「J-So what! Thats okay! I'll be fine without you, Haruto! You have to hurry up and go somewhere else! 」

Celia shouted furiously, as if she was trying to make him hate her for it.

「Sure, I'll go. 」

「…」

Suddenly, his face wrinkled in shock at the man's instant approval.

「Of course, I will only leave after I drop you off to Restoration. I'll be in your care until then. 」

「I won't ask you to ..」

"I realized . Even if you refuse, I'll just make my own racket. 」

"… You're a fool…"

Celia's shoulders drooped. Crestfallen and realized that further attempts to persuade him would be futile.

「So that's why, Your Majesty, do you need my strength?」

After the couple rejoined the rest of the party, Rio brought her along with Christina.

「I can't ask for more. But like now, I don't have a matching gift that I can offer. Are you really okay with this? 」

「Gift doesn't matter to me. In addition to the matter of lending you the items you need, I'd like to have you agree to some terms under the Magic Contract. 」

"I understand . Then, after we make a plan, let's make a contract. Judging from what you said, do I assume you can safely take us out of the city? 」

Squinting her eyes, Christina asked him about her idea in a waiting voice.

"Religion . I'd be worried about diverting the army. I will draw their attention to make a gap in their search, so please use that time to leave the house. 」

Everyone other than Celia flinched. Laurent, listen in silence so far, talk.

「To be frank .. This is no different than making yourself sacrifice. I can't let this. There are soldiers and knights trained in battle against other humans, and if they don't kill you, they will torture you to death. Can you really do this? 」

"I can . However, I ask that you acknowledge the possibility of a victim in the commotion, and the city was effectively paralyzed for some time. 」

「... How confident. Fine then . I can ignore some property damage, but if possible, please provide the best possible civilian population. Also, do not hesitate to go wild. 」

Laurent finished with a delighted smile, giving Rio written permission to rampage. Next is to develop their strategy.

"Thank you very much . So, I guess first is .. 」

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

Shortly before the plan was about to begin, after changing her clothes into something black and wearing matching robes, Laurent called out to Rio.

「Sir Amakawa .. No, Haruto. 」

"What's that?"

Rio stood up with concern as soon as he saw Laurent bowing to him.

「I want to ask you this as a man. Please ... Protect Celia. I beg you . 」

「That goes without saying anymore. 」

A light pause made Rio not immediately reply, but he recovered and did so with a smile. Of course, there was no need to ask, but she was rather happy to know Celia's father was relying on her.

"… I see . Then please bring this. 」

Standing up straight again, Laurent handed over the small bag that Rio filled.

"This is?"

"Travel fee . You may need money in any way, right? Please take the rest as your gift as well. I don't know if that's enough, so we'll arrange the rest if fate allows us to meet again. 」

「No, this .. I cannot accept this. 」

"Please do it . At the very least, let me cover the travel expenses. 」

At his insistence, Laurent practically pushed him.

「... I'll give the rest to Lady Celia, I guess. 」

「Hm, you're pretty stubborn. That promises to your age. I'd love a chance to chat with you over a drink, but it's time. Farewell. 」

「True. Sorry, then .. I'm leaving. 」

Leaving his parting words behind, Rio climbed the stairs to the mansion garden. He opened the door on the ceiling to scan the area. Confirming the gap in the army formation, he threw the door open and jumped out; then endlessly beating, he slipped into the search squad, and then, use the trees in the park to clear the tall fences that lead to the rest of the city.

「It seems that his skills are genuine. He's a good-natured man too. But I wouldn't forgive him if he made my Celly cry. 」

Laurent closed the secret entrance, muttering to himself as he returned to the basement. Shortly after, a ball of light violently exploded in the middle of the city. Even a few minutes have passed.