Nigotta Hitomi no Lilianne

A large shield receives a fluttering sword, and a war hammer swings downwards where it stopped. But, another sword flickers and appears to block the hammer.

I don’t see the reflection of light, but watching the many against many mock battles of the Knights makes it look as if I’m seeing the illusion of the light.

This light is surely the afterglow of magical power clashing against magical power.

It’s fantastic fireworks created by the magical power of interweaving swords and armor.

Each and every person shows a beautiful and gallant figure with a certain skill and polished combination.

A Knight is an individual and a unit.

In spite of having individual skills, Knights show their abilities when in a group.

The thrusts of several swords pouring on one person settles it.

They open a path and breakthrough.

It does not change that a unit is a group of individuals. It’s especially visible in the case of 5 people vs. 5 people like now, it’s basically over when one person gets done in.

It wasn’t like this in the Magic Battle, but a strategy seems to have decided the match splendidly now.

It was settled exactly in a moment.

Refined, refreshing movements to look at.

The match is settled, both the winner and losers make the Knight bow to each other.

Although it’s practice, it’s not like they can just run around with swords in front of their master who came to visit them.

Hence, what they are showing are mock battles and performances.

All of them are wonderful things that I can’t get tired of.

I can’t get enough of it because it’s the Knights Order which was formed for my sake.

Until now, I didn’t have much interest because only a small group of guards and escorts would follow me, but being able to see this, my interest suddenly started boiling.

「Ni~nya, shugoine!」

(Nija, sugoi ne! Nija, this is amazing!)

「...... Yes. But Ojousama, I’m even more amazing」

「Shashuga Ni~nya ne!」

(Sasuga Nija ne! As expected of Nija!)

「...... Fufu」

「Nfufu」

For some reason, recent conversations with Nija end up with us daringly laughing.

She occasionally gets cocky, but it’s also one of the reasons I like her.

Nija was recommended by Obaasama, but keeping up with a Knight would be too difficult for her, wouldn’t it?

Therefore, I thought her previous words were just a joke.

「Then, would you like for Nija to have a mock battle against the Knights?」

「Nyu?」

「...... Come at me」

「Eh? Eh?」

「Vice Commander! Forward!」

「Ha!」

What kind of joke is this, is what I thought, but Nija is totally motivated.

When calling the Vice Commander forward, he too showed for a moment a daring smile, but he immediately remembered who he was in front and make a Knight bow with a serious expression.

Although I felt that the flow of magical power in his right eye became intensely fast the moment he flashed a fearless smile, it was only for a moment, so it must have been just my imagination.

Rather than that...... are you serious......?

Isn’t this too dangerous?

While I worry like that, Nija stepped forward to the battlefield where the knights had been fighting.

「Rauria...... abunyaiyo?」

(Lacria...... abunai yo?/Lacria...... it’s dangerous?)

「It’s all right, Ojousama. Nija is very strong, after all」

Lacria’s full confidence makes me more and more worried.

Five Knights step in front of Nija.

Nija is facing them alone, her height is only about the half of the Knights.

On top of that, the Knights are completely equipped while Nija is wearing a long skirted maid clothes.

They are not difficult to move in maid clothes, but they are definitely not made for intense movement things like fighting.

It’s impossible not to be worried when it’s five on one.

「Ni~nya......」

The preparations ended while gazing in shock, it has arrived at the stage where they wait for the signal to start and can’t be stopped anymore.

The words I muttered were weak and soft.

They were completely erased by the Knight referee who issued the start of the match.

Along with the signal, two of the Knights lunge at Nija with the highest speed movement shown so far and slash their longswords from the top of their body height down.

Two spears limit her escape route from the back.

The last one projects his tightly clenched fist in which I could see a flow of active magical power.

It’s a strategy that rains down a storm of weapon attacks, limiting movements and leaving a magic tool-like sorcery attack in wait.

But, it didn’t happen.

Nija handled the storm-like attack from the front. Of course, bare-handed.

Although the blades got crushed, it’s reckless to be touching the swords and spears at high-speed while bare-handed.

But, the maid with half-closed eyes did such reckless actions expressionlessly as if it was her daily routine.

I also heard several sky-tearing sounds......

Nija was standing behind the four Knights.

How did she get through such storm-like wall? Although I couldn’t see her movements at all, the Knights that Nija slipped through with one step suddenly crumbled down.

The last remaining Knight was also stunned but soon recovered and crumbled down trying to activate the booted up magic tool.

Nija stood behind the last standing Knight.

She should have been standing 10m away from the Knight, but she moved behind, attacked him and ended the fight in a blink of an eye.

The scene which happened in front of my eyes was unbelievable, but a fact is a fact.

I don’t think the Knights went easy on her at all. Rather, they were so fired up as to kill, the way they swung their weapons enough for a fact.

Don’t get so fired up for a mock battle, I can’t say that now. Even that wasn’t enough.

I think the Knights were so serious because they knew Nija’s true ability.

But, as a result, they were instakilled.

They are not dead, but all of them lost consciousness.

It’s not wrong to say that they were instakilled as that would easily happen if Nija had a knife.

「...... Bui」

(V/Victory sign)

The fallen Knights were carried out by other Knights, but Nija comes back with her usual expressionless face with her two fingers raised up.

「Ni~nya, shugoi」

「...... Fufu. That’s not all to my power, Ojousama」

「Oh~」

「...... Fufu」

「Nfufu」

When I give her praise with no impurities, Nija’s indifferent expression slightly turns embarrassed.

As if to hide that...... she lets out the usual, daring laugh, so I get on it.

It was a heartwarming scene, but you will see the suspicious people when looking from the side.

Moreover, it’s after instakilling my own Knights Order.

「Ojousama...... next match is starting」

「Ai」

(Hai/Yes)

「...... It will be boring because they are after me」

「H, hey, Nija」

「Nyu~」

Lacria reprimands the no concern Nija who muttered under her nose.

Because she displayed such battle ability, Nija’s remark is not a complete lie. Rather, if I see even more amazing mock battle than that, just how amazing the people gathered at the Christophe House are?

Well, Obaasama would pull it off, though. Exterminating with a smile......

My expectations were hitting the mark, and as I thought, there was not another violent battle similar to Nija’s, and the mock battle tour was undoubtedly finished.

「Junan machiatta ne. Ni~nya wa shaigo ni shuryubekiratta」

(Junban machigatta ne. Nija wa saigo ni surubekidatta/The order was wrong. Nija should’ve been last)

「...... Affirmative」

「I’m sorry, Ojousama」

「Tanoshiatta karya okke~!」

(Tanoshikatta kara okay~! It was fun, so it’s okay~!)

「...... As expected of Ojousama. I’m falling in love」

「H, hey, Nija」

Nija is falling in love, but it’s fact that I had fun, so I’m glad I came to see the practice.

By the way, Nija was the only one among the personal maids who participated in the mock battle, but Lacria showed me her weapon she usually uses.

That weapon had sorcery sealed in it, but it wasn’t a magic tool, but a special magic tool transformed into a weapon――magic arms.

Magic arms are weapons that change into magic tool after meeting specific conditions.

Although those conditions are various, magic arms are generally made inside the bodies of monsters called Dungeons.

But, there are rare cases where the weapons which were used for a long time become magic arms.

Weapons which change into magic arms have their performance tremendously increased.

For example, a sword will become extremely sharp, allowing it to cut through stones like butter.

If it’s armor, it will receive attacks without leaving a scratch, and even automatically restore in case of getting damaged.

On top of that, since magic arms are magic tools, they can also handle powerful sorceries.

Moreover, since weapons which become magic arms have the function to automatically restore, the sorcery use frequency limit substantially disappears.

Of course, if you drain off the magical power too much, the magic arms will break, so you have to handle it carefully not to dry up the magical power.

It seems that the weapon Lacria uses is not magic arms, but a magic tool that is a weapon.

The difference in performance is clear, but it’s still a magic tool. The number limit is kept intact, however.

There are apparently many things like that and a considerable amount of people who use them.

Because it’s a magic tool, naturally, even I can see it and recognize its shape regardless of who is handling it.

Therefore, because I was very interested, Lacria was elated and boastfully explained about her magic tool.

Lacria who realized she got carried away in excitement got ashamed and repeatedly apologized, but it was funny.

Thus, my first adventure that took the maids along and left Obaasama behind came to an end.