Anoseka Volume 1 Chapter 9

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

.

Chapter 09 "Exterminating Sky Pirates"

.

Part 1

Over the royal capital.

Dudley was impatient in the cockpit as he rode in his armor.

"If it is known that I ran away against those kids, the head will kill me. If this happens, I'll be dead if I don't bring at least one souvenir with me."

Dudley grabbed the rifle he had on his armor and pointed it at the warehouse district.

He pointed the muzzle of his gun to snipe from the sky.

"At least kill those kids."

Although he had just said a throwaway line, Dudley, who cannot even handle a request of this level, has no position in the sky pirates' group.

Whether he is an executive or not, he will be killed as punishment by the top —— or he will be demoted and have to start over from the bottom.

Dudley, wanting to avoid that, was half distracted and about to pull the trigger toward the royal capital.

——If he did so, he lacked the composure to the point of not understanding that it would jeopardize his position even more.

But when Dudley pulls the trigger and the bullet fires, it hits the rising black armor and is bounced off.

When Dudley sees the figure, he breaks out in a cold sweat.

"This raging demon!"

He turns his back and runs away, but the big Arroganz is closing in on him.

It was supposed to be just a big, bulky, useless armor, but the performance of Arroganz was superior in every aspect.

"You're saying that outdated armor is more awesome! This isn't like the armor of the boss!"

As far as Dudley knew, only one machine was strong with large armor.

It was an exception among exceptions, he did not even consider that there were other large machines that were just as strong.

Seeing his speed in the sky, Dudley wrinkles his eyebrows.

"Even your speed is monstrous."

He turned around in mid-air and readied his battle-axe, because if he was caught up, he would be attacked from behind and would die.

And yet, Arroganz is not trying to take up weapon.

It may not have carried it from the beginning, but that irritates Dudley.

It was seen as an act "he is an opponent who didn't need to be armed".

He is outraged that he has been underestimated.

"Don't you dare mock me~!!"

He raises his battle axe, approaches, and swings it down at the best possible time.

Dudley, too, is not an executive just for a show.

He is a man who has participated in many battles and accumulated achievements.

He is confident that he is good enough to win against an ordinary pilot —— or even an ordinary knight for that matter.

But this time, the opponent was different.

When Arroganz points his palm toward the swinging battle-axe, it just takes it.

"Are you an idiot!"

Is his opponent an idiot? The reason he thought so is that the hand of armor —— the manipulator is very delicately made.

It is a highly complex machine with detailed parts used to reproduce the movements of a human hand.

There is no way that such a highly complex machine would normally be able to catch a weapon being swung at it.

However, Arroganz that received it moves its hand and grasps the battle-axe, shattering it into pieces.

Dudley could not believe what he was seeing.

"You're lying, right!?"

A hand of armor is something that is used to handle a variety of weapons.

It was an impossible sight, as the weapon was not designed to be grasped and crushed.

Throwing off the remains of the handle, Dudley quickly runs away, recognizing that his opponent is a monster beyond his reach.

As Dudley flees in disgrace and shame, Arroganz closes in on his armor.

"Please. Help me! I'll talk. I'll tell you anything!!"

But a young man's voice comes from Arroganz.

The owner of that voice seems angry.

"No. I'm going to crush you."

In the next moment, Arroganz's fist was striking Dudley's armor.

As Dudley descends to the ground after being hit, he looks up at the sky and sees black armor.

"What the hell? What the hell are you!?"

Even though he understands that it won't work, he holds his rifle up to the sky and pulls the trigger.

"You don't need to know. The one who will see hell from now on is —— you."

As Arroganz descends to dodge the bullets, he catches up to Dudley's armor —— and kicks it in the face as he stomps it with his massive body.

As it was, Dudley's armor was dropped into a pond on the outskirts of the royal capital.

.

Part 2

Shot down the sky pirate's armor.

However, the pilot is safe.

He is now being held by the kingdom's army, which literally flew in, and is now going to be interrogated.

The sky pirates hiding in the warehouse district were arrested in large numbers, and Marie and the others were safely protected.

The case is now closed! But for some reason, I was put on a military airship and brought to an interrogation room.

The knight in military uniform who interrogates me looks like he's having a headache.

"——So, you fought with the sky pirates to save the girls?"

"Yes. I showed them what boys are made of."

With a twinkle in my eye as if saying, 'I did my best!' I explain, but the knight looks at me with a bitter face.

"You could have informed the royal court or reported to the academy before you made your move, couldn't you? I understand your desire to show off, but please don't overdo it."

What a way to say when you let the sky pirates go unchecked! I'd think, but these people also have jobs.

The royal capital is in an uproar because I moved on my own.

Some say it's a good job, others preach that I should think and act more thoughtfully.

Well, I prioritized solving it, so I didn't think about cleaning up.

Hit and miss is my life.

"I'm sorry."

When I apologize honestly, the knight sighs and stops blaming me.

"I have a lot to say, but I'm also earned the credit for capturing the sky pirates. I'll leave the sermon at this point, in honor of the achievements."

"Thank you very much."

When I smiled, the knight held his face with his right hand.

And then worry about the future.

"Even so, it's troubling that sky pirates have entered the royal capital. It's going to be noisy for a while from now on."

The knight said so and left the room, but I had my concerns too.

I never thought that the sky pirates who appeared in that otome game were involved.

Speaking of the Wing Shark Pirates, they are a troublesome enemy that stands in the way of the protagonists in the middle of the story of that otome game.

Furthermore, I am even more confused to know that Stephanie is behind this whole mess.

I never thought Stephanie and her group would be involved at this point.

I think quietly.

"What should I do? It's easy to pry it out, but——"

The problem was that that Stephanie was the villain needed for the future development.

It would be easy to let her leave at this point, but doing so would destroy an important event in the middle of the game.

My feelings were wavering as I weighed the future of this country against my inability to forgive Stephanie after she messed with Marie.

When I'm alone, Luxion shows up.

[Marie had a minor injury, but she was completely healed by her own recovery magic.]

"Isn't she almost uninjured."

[The girls who carried out the bullying were also treated. I do not understand. I don't see how helping these girls would benefit Marie.]

When I heard that Marie had saved the girls, I was a little —— well, happy.

"That girl is really mentally tough. If it were me, I'd drive the bully to the brink."

[I'm sure you do.]

.

Part 3

Marie and the others who were involved in the sky pirates' commotion were called into the classroom by the teacher to hear what was going on.

The three girls are also with her.

Once they told the teacher what happened, the teacher excused himself.

The story still seems to be going on, and Marie and the others are made to wait in the classroom.

The three girls were sitting at a distance from Marie.

Marie sits by the window, looking out and worrying about Leon, who is not here.

(I wonder if he was interrogated or something?)

When she asked the teacher about Leon, who has not returned, she was told he was being interrogated by the military.

How could he get caught when he had just defeated the sky pirates? Marie can't understand.

Then three girls approached Marie.

"A-Ano."

Marie let out a small sigh as the three of them looked down.

"What?"

"I-I'm sorry."

Seeing the three girls bowing their heads, Marie is no longer inclined to be sarcastic.

This is the party that has been bullying me, but now I can't even blame them.

——When she learned about the circumstances of the three girls, she lost her desire to blame them.

"I don't care. More importantly, are you guys sure you don't want to expose Stephanie?"

At the mention of Stephanie's name, the three girls were visibly shaken.

From their condition, Marie guessed that something had happened to them.

The leader girl apologizes to Marie with trembling lips.

"I'm sorry——I can't. If I make her angry, she'll hurt my family."

"——Well, I don't really care."

Marie also knew about Stephanie of the Offley family.

She has an important role to play in the future concerning the protagonist, Olivia and her friends.

Removing Stephanie from school at this point would be a problem for Marie and Leon.

This is because one important growth event for the protagonist, Olivia, would disappear.

(——If Stephanie is kicked out, that guy is going to be very noisy.)

She is angry about this one incident, but she tells herself that it is better than the destruction of the country ——than the collapse of that otome game scenario.

Three girls look at Marie and look concerned.

"You'd better not go near His Highness and the others again."

"Why?"

"It's because you have a bad reputation. You know that His Highnesses have fiancées, right? Stephanie is dangerous, but it's another person who is most frightening."

Another person. The face of the three who told me that was tense.

Marie mutters the person's name.

"Angelica?"

"If you know, you really should stop. As for Angelica-sama, even Stephanie wouldn't dare to oppose her."

Three of the girls were more afraid of Angelica than Stephanie.

It's not surprising to Marie.

(The real villainess is a more formidable opponent than Stephanie, who plays a bit of a role. Well, I've already lost interest in approaching them.)

Then, a girl returns Marie's notebook.

"And this."

"My notebook!"

Marie takes the notebook in her hand and hugs it happily.

The three, puzzled by the sight of her, ask about the notebook.

"Is that ancient stuff or something? It didn't look like a normal notebook."

"——You guys don't have to worry about it. For me, it's a treasure. No, or was it treasure?"

At Marie's vague reply, the three tilted their heads.

Then the teacher came back, and the conversation ended.

.

Part 4

The next day.

At the school, Leon's extermination of sky pirates was a hot topic.

Many students were excited about the topic, and Olivia, who was walking down the hallway, overheard them.

"Did you hear? I heard that Bartfalt caught some sky pirates hiding in the royal capital."

"He beat those sky pirates with his own armor, didn't he?"

"I thought he was a plain guy, but suddenly he got the glorious achievement."

The girls are talking about it, and the boys who hear them are not amused.

However, they seem to recognize his ability.

"The Bartfalt guy suddenly stood out."

"I bet the May tea party attracts a lot of girls to that guy."

"Like, suddenly playing an active role, give me a break."

What the boys are worried about is the upcoming tea party.

They think that now that Leon played an active role, the girls will focus on him and won't come to their tea parties. They seem to think so.

Hearing such stories, Olivia becomes interested in the person of Leon.

(Even though he is a student, there are people who catch sky pirates. I knew it, nobles are awesome)

While walking, Olivia thinks about Leon.

(Come to think of it, we passed each other yesterday, did he already go after the sky pirates at that time?)

As she was thinking that much, a different group of boys were talking to each other.

"Did you hear? The reason Bartfalt beat the sky pirates was to rescue the girls?"

"How far is that guy going to go to score points with the girls."

"I guess we will be compared to Bartfalt from now on. I don't like it~"

Olivia is even more interested when she hears that Leon defeated sky pirates to save someone else.

(He really looks like a knight sung by a bard)

There are many heroic tales in which knights are active in saving captured princesses and women.

Bards often sang in the taverns, too, and Olivia admired it when she was a child.

(Knight-sama, huh~...... Just once, would a knight appear for me too? )

Olivia has come to admire the presence of a knight who appears dashingly in her predicament and solves everything, even more than when she was a child.

.

Part 5

On the other hand.

Rumors of Leon had reached Angelica's ears.

Angelica, upon hearing the report, holds her hand over her own face and laughs.

"I don't have a good eye for people either. I said he lacks ambition, but he's defeating sky pirates hiding in the royal capital and rescuing the girls from the school? Isn't he a fine knight?"

Seeing Angelica's happy mood, the cronies around her change their opinions.

"He really is a wonderful man."

"I would love to be invited to his tea party in May."

Angelica was slightly disgusted with the cronies who changed their attitude quickly.

(I wish they would honestly admit that they were wrong in their assessment. More importantly, if he is a man who can do so much, I want him to be a vassal of His Highness. There are probably not a lot of extra family connections if he was born in a rural baron's family.)

The person named Leon showed that he was also a competent knight.

If so, Angelica thinks, she would like to invite him to the royal capital to work for Julius.

(Let's invite him to the May tea party, even if somewhat forcefully, to make time to talk with His Highness. For the future, His Highness should gather his personal strength.)

She believes that Leon's power will be beneficial for Julius to govern the country in the future.

Angelica ponders about Leon personally.

(He is competent enough. The only thing that remains, then, is the character of the man himself —— and what kind of man is he? I would like to talk to him personally.)

After nodding a few times, Angelica orders the women around her.

"I want to make time for His Highness at all costs for the May tea party. Don't forget to give a warning to any other invitations."

With such an active Leon, the other girls will not remain silent.

Although not as powerful as Angelica's, there are some daughters whose families have strong power.

In order not to let these girls deprive her of the opportunity to visit him, she decided to play a forceful hand.

One of the girls is puzzled.

"Would you go that far? He is from a country baron's family, and if His Highness invited him, I think he would join."

"Because it's worth it."

(For His Highness' sake, the more competent people, the better.)

When Julius governs the kingdom, the more capable subordinates, the better.

For that reason, Angelica has been working since she was a student at the academy.

However, Angelica has some concerns.

(...... If only he'd stop being so obsessed with that special student and start focusing on something else.)

.

Part 6

Around the time the buzz about Leon spread throughout the school.

Stephanie was running amok in her room.

"Those useless bastards!"

In frustration, she knocked over furniture and threw vases and other objects.

The exclusive servants were trying to calm Stephanie, who was in rough shape.

But Stephanie ignores them.

"That Bartfalt scumbag really did something unnecessary."

Even using a sky pirate to retaliate against Marie, Stephanie was driven into a corner.

She did not think that Leon would intervene, nor did she think that the sky pirates would lose in the first place if he intervened.

Dudley, the leader of the group, was a fierce sky pirate who was no match for an ordinary knight.

And yet, he was defeated easily.

Kara, frightened in the room, was panicking about the future.

"What shall we do, ojou-sama! If the sky pirates open their mouths at this point, we'll——"

If their names are mentioned by the sky pirates, Stephanie and her group will not be able to avoid their downfall.

Stephanie lets out a deep sigh.

"I've already taken care of it. I've made sure that nothing unnecessary can be said, so you don't have to worry."

There are many ways to dispose of these sky pirates.

"Eh? B-But I heard they were all thrown in jail?"

"Right. But there are so many ways to do it."

Kara, not understanding, was startled and gasped in surprise.

Stephanie had already abandoned the captured sky pirates.

"Anyway, now I want you to check out Bartfalt thoroughly. I won't allow that bastard to stand against me or anything."

(I need to make sure those idiots who are caught can't talk in jail. I need to prepare bribes and poisoned wine for the palace officials)