novelraw Chapter 158 : Maintenance (1)
Chapter 158 : Maintenance (1)
Maintenance (1)
The city of Goldenbrück, watched over from above by Sunshine Castle, the home of Ian and Yuria.
On the outskirts of that city, a warp gate of the most advanced modern transport technology stood in majestic grandeur.
Normally, only small merchant guilds or travelers would pass through, and only gentle ripples of magic power would flicker, but today's atmosphere was markedly different.
― Vroooom!!
The needle of the warp gate control room's magic power dashboard shot up to the extreme.
"What, what's going on!? Why is the mana reaction like this!?"
"Check the coordinates! Where is it?"
The duty manager cried out desperately.
"I-it's from the southern great desert of the empire! We're getting a massive transfer signal from over there!"
"The great desert? That's the middle of nowhere! And you're saying a mass of this size is coming through from there...!?"
The manager's face turned pale.
At the very least, this was a signal indicating no fewer than thousands of people were crossing simultaneously.
Having such a large group show up unannounced was absolutely unprecedented.
To make matters worse, these signals were coming from abroad.
A massive, unidentified group was crossing the border.
"E-emergency! Sound the alarm and notify the castle! An unidentified group is coming through!!"
― Riiing! Riiing! Riiing! Riiing!
The clamor of the alarm bells echoed through Goldenbrück.
Soon, a blinding light burst forth from the massive arch of the warp gate.
As the portal spread vast and wide, countless figures began spilling out onto the spot.
― Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Clad in shabby clothing and with pale skin.
In an instant, a flood of people over a thousand strong occupied the area in front of the gate.
Although they appeared like exhausted refugees, the very fact that a massive, unknown group had appeared right before the city was enough to throw Sunshine Castle into chaos.
"Close the castle gates! Seal the city! Highest defense posture!"
"Everyone to battle stations! Archers! Archers, hurry!"
Knights clad in red armor scrambled up atop Sunshine Castle's ramparts in a hurry.
They were the elite knights of the Rubenstein family, dispatched by Lady Marceline for Ian's sake.
And among them, a figure clad in a deeply hooded black robe appeared like the wind.
It was Silence Doomraven, the Sword Fiend and advisor to Ian's Dawn Order.
"... What is that?"
The Sword Fiend's crimson eyes narrowed within her mask.
Below the walls, a massive crowd covered the warp gate plaza.
At first glance they seemed ragtag and disorganized, yet their numbers were significant.
If they were an enemy, the city could be in grave danger.
"Lady Silence! Shall we attack?"
The captain of the guards asked urgently.
The Sword Fiend held up her hand in warning.
"Wait. I don't sense any killing intent. And..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"There's a peculiarity. Look at their foreheads."
"Their foreheads?"
"Jewels. They're Luminari."
"The Luminari... Why are they suddenly... And so many of them?"
"Don't open the gates yet. I'll confirm directly."
Although she did not give a hasty order to attack, the Sword Fiend's grip on her sword handle showed how much strength she was ready to muster.
At the slightest provocation, she seemed poised to cut the crowd down with a single stroke.
At that moment—
"Sir Silence! What's happening?"
From behind the ramparts came Yuria and Sophia, running up.
Startled by the sudden alarm bells, they had rushed out.
Just as they were about to peek over the wall, the Sword Fiend stopped them.
"Young lady Yuria. And Sophia. Please stand back. It's dangerous. An unidentified group has come through the gate."
Despite the Sword Fiend's warning, Yuria even went up on tiptoe, peering down beneath the wall.
"Unidentified? Hey! Let me see, too...!"
Her crimson eyes scanned the throng below, searching intently.
Then, suddenly.
In the midst of all that chaos, Yuria's gaze locked onto a single spot with perfect precision.
At the head of the crowd, standing at the very front, was one man.
Gray hair. Strikingly tall.
Though he was facing away, his silhouette was all too familiar.
"... Huh? Ian! It's Ian!"
Yuria yelled.
"It's Ian!"
"What? Where? There's too many people..."
Sophia, just like Yuria, stood on tiptoe to peer over the wall, then gasped.
"Gasp! It really is! M-master!? Why is he over there!?"
At both girls' cries, the Sword Fiend glanced down again in surprise.
And there, at last, she too caught sight of the man at the head of the group.
In the midst of the Luminari in tattered clothes, calming and guiding them through the chaos.
It was Ian Greysel.
"... Huh. That guy disappeared saying he had personal business to take care of, and now..."
The Sword Fiend muttered in disbelief.
"What is that... Just what has he brought back?"
"Open the gates already! Quickly!"
Yuria shouted to the knights.
"Y-yes, Ma'am! Opening the gates! They're allies! Archers, lower your bowstrings!"
The heavy castle gates creaked open.
Even before they were fully open, Yuria and Sophia darted through the gap and ran across the plain.
"Ian!!"
Seeing the two running toward him from afar, Ian gave a light smile.
He gestured to the Luminari behind him to wait for a moment, and walked toward the two.
"I'm back. Young lady Yuria. And Sophia. Nothing happened while I was gone, right?"
Ian greeted them calmly.
― Thud!
Instead of responding, Yuria leapt forward and hugged Ian's waist tightly.
"Ian! Thank goodness you're back safe!"
Then she looked up at him with a slightly scolding face.
"But seriously, showing up out of nowhere with all these people and no warning! You gave everyone a scare!"
"I'm sorry. The facilities over there were pretty rough, so I didn't have a chance to contact you in advance."
Ian scratched his head awkwardly, smiling.
"Master! Goodness, who are all these people? And why are their clothes a mess... Are you hurt anywhere? Have you eaten?"
Sophia spun around Ian like a top, scrutinizing his body here and there.
"I'm fine, Sophia. More importantly..."
Ian turned around.
Behind him, a thousand Luminari stood, their gazes full of anxiety and hope.
And at the very front of them—
Standing right behind Ian, almost like his shadow, was a woman.
"Let me introduce you. This is Lady Nayuta. She's their leader."
Yuria and Sophia's eyes fixed immediately on Nayuta.
"What."
"Gasp."
Both girls were at a loss for words.
'... She's beautiful.'
Yuria instinctively narrowed her eyes.
Even swathed in ragged rags, her noble grace could not be hidden.
Jet-black hair in stark contrast with her almost painfully translucent skin.
And above all, the jewel embedded right in the center of her forehead, shining like a star in the night sky, further amplified her mystical aura.
High Luminari, Nayuta.
Right now, she was standing close behind Ian.
Like a devoted apostle attending her lord.
"..."
Nayuta's gaze met Yuria's.
A girl with crimson eyes, clinging to Ian without reservation and pouring out her affection.
'So it's her.'
Nayuta sensed it at once.
The one whom the honored envoy, taking human shape and descending to this world, had wanted to stay by at all costs.
'For someone with such immense strength to humble himself and attend her...'
Nayuta's eyes shone with envy and awe.
If the honored envoy concealed his majesty and served as a knight for her, just how incredibly blessed and noble must this girl be?
A being from the heavens forming a fated bond with someone on earth.
A protagonist straight out of legends now stood before her.
'There's only one attitude I can take towards this person.'
Because of her promise to Ian, she could not reveal his true identity.
But as a High Luminari who served the gods, giving the highest respect to the one he cherished did not break that promise.
― Swish.
Nayuta stepped forward with elegant motion.
Then, directly in front of Yuria, she bowed in an exceedingly polite and deep gesture.
"I greet the noble one. The person most treasured by my benefactor."
"... Uh, yes?"
Yuria was more than a little taken aback at receiving the highest greeting of an entire race without warning.
Without raising her head, Nayuta continued, her voice brimming with emotion.
"I heard that the hero who saved our people drew his sword on your behalf. Wherever his will resides, the loyalty of our Silvani tribe shall forever follow."
"Wait, w-what? Loyalty?"
Yuria stammered, looking to Ian.
"I-Ian? What's going on here?"
"Ah..."
Ian sighed, troubled.
'How am I supposed to explain this...'
Before he could utter a word, Nayuta raised her head, her eyes sparkling.
"To have met the only one permitted at the hero's side, my heart overflows with joy!"
"Wha...!"
The only one allowed at the hero's side?
Yuria's lips quivered upward in a faint smile.
Nayuta's attitude felt a bit overwhelming, but... it wasn't bad.
When such an extraordinary beauty was praising her so much upon their first meeting...
'W-well. She doesn't seem like a bad person.'
With a pretend cough, Yuria composed her expression.
"Ahem! W-well... Alright. You may rise."
"It is my honor, noble one."
Nayuta rose gracefully.
Watching, Sophia sidled over beside Ian.
"Master... That big sis's eyes are a little scary. Like a fanatic's. You're not getting involved in weird cults, are you?"
"... It's just her way of showing gratitude. Probably."
Surely that was all. Or so Ian thought.
― Flap.
At that moment, the Sword Fiend, who had been watching the scene unfold from atop the rampart, descended.
"Ian."
There was incredulity in her voice.
"What exactly happened...?"
"Oh, Silence."
Ian greeted her warmly.
"I ended up cleaning up some demonic humans... These people were being held at their base. I'm planning to help them settle here."
"... What? Settle? Here?"
The Sword Fiend gave an incredulous snort.
"Not just one Luminari tribe, but several? And..."
Her gaze lingered on the life jewel embedded in Nayuta's forehead.
She instantly recognized what it was.
"Even a High Luminari? Just what have you been doing..."
"Meeting Lady Nayuta was a coincidence. The situation just... developed strangely."
"A coincidence, huh..."
It's not as if High Luminari are something you can just meet by chance.
'This guy really... always goes beyond common sense.'
Even bringing over a Legendary High Luminari, let alone over a thousand Luminari...
If they could be settled here properly, the knight order's strength would increase dramatically.
"I guess so."
"You worked hard."
"Thanks."
Ian replied with a smile.
But he didn't breathe a word about Archbishop Greenyolf, who was hidden away in subspace.
That was something to be secretly handled later with Aris.
"Alright, let's go in. The Luminari must be very tired. Let's get them food and a wash first."
Ian turned to Yuria and Sophia.
Sophia clapped her hands in alarm.
"Oh, right! Feeding this many people... Uwaaah! The kitchen's in crisis! This is bad! I'll go report to the head chef right away! Master! See you later!"
With a scream, Sophia rushed into the castle.
Yuria, wearing an awkward expression as she looked at Nayuta, soon spoke boldly.
"Yes! First, let's give them a proper welcome! Since Ian brought you all! Lady Nayuta, please come this way. I'll show you around."
Yuria linked arms with Nayuta, who, flustered, quickly tried to refuse.
"G-gasp! How could I dare walk side by side with someone so noble! I shall follow a few steps behind."
"What? Where in the world do guests walk behind their host?"
Yuria, as if it were nonsense, linked their arms even more tightly.
"Ah, B-but! It is against protocol for me to walk beside you..."
"Come on, just walk with me! Relax!"
Yuria pulled Nayuta by the arm.
"Th-that's just..."
Nayuta, seemingly unsure what to do, glanced at Ian anxiously.
When Ian gave her a wry smile and a nod, she finally—hesitantly—stood next to Yuria.
But she still kept half a step back.
"Then... Please excuse me."
With that, Yuria and Nayuta, engaged in their strangely awkward contest, headed for the castle gate.
Ian watched them go, letting out a sigh that mingled relief and fatigue.
'It's going to get pretty crowded from now on.'
But it wasn't an unpleasant commotion.
'Now I should take care of the remaining business.'
Before Greenyolf regained consciousness, he needed to hand him over to Aris's magic power extraction facility.