Sometime after Rudel left for the capital, this happened.
Today, Elaine and Lyle had met again to discuss their possible engagement.
Bell was taking Ixion's place to spy on them, but since Ellen wasn't there anymore, the situation was worse than before.
Lyle wanted to talk about the collar, but she got angry upon hearing it.
"Really? Was it a joke on your part?"
"Yes, but yours was too, wasn't it?"
Elaine's expression was one of accumulated anger; with Eleonora no longer by her side, she didn't have to hold back anything.
"You disappoint me greatly. You really aren't a man capable of making me feel any emotion."
Hearing her say that, Lyle also got angry.
"That's why you're a foolish woman! Strong emotions have nothing special about them!"
"I experienced war, and I can tell you that boring emotions like the countryside or horseback riding are better than those where your heart feels like it's going to leap out."
"You're just an ignorant woman who thinks experiencing something intense is good for you!"
Elaine couldn't take it anymore and stood up.
"Really? In that case, we have nothing more to talk about."
"We have different points of view. I'm sorry, but my life is based on that, so I will choose my path according to what I want, even if my father throws me out on the street."
She stared at him fixedly and left, but not before uttering her final words.
"At least you were useful for me to understand that I'll end up alone because there's no one who understands me."
"Thank you for your time, including that of your family. I'll go get my things to leave this instant."
The people in the opposite room were making loud noises; it was evident they were being spied on, but it didn't matter anymore.
Once she had packed her bags, she went to the port; her butler was there begging her not to board.
"Please, Elaine ojou-sama, just take a moment to reconsider!"
"There's nothing to reconsider. I'm prepared to receive a blow or two from my father."
"This won't end with a blow, but with your banishment from the family!"
"That's fine. I won't lie by pretending to be something I'm not just to please a man who doesn't understand me."
Elaine didn't look back and quickly boarded. The butler apologized to everyone and repeatedly bowed his head.
Once the ladder was raised, the ship set sail, and from the shore of the port, everyone watched as it moved further and further away.
Walt was next to Lyle, stroking his head.
"It's okay. We learn from experiences. I'll undoubtedly find you a good wife suited to your personality."
"You're wrong, Dad."
"About what?"
Lyle said, and his father didn't understand what he was wrong about.
"That woman was lying… she truly believes in her words about feeling her heart racing; when I showed her the collar and she showed me hers, I could see her trembling. I don't understand what her problem is, but she's lying to herself."
Walt sighed and then turned to leave.
"Even if that's the case, there's nothing to be done. City girls think differently from country girls, who are simpler."
"I'd like to know how Rudel managed to make a woman with a stubborn personality fall in love with him."
"Who knows. Let's go to your mother; she'll probably have lunch ready soon."
"… Yes."
As the two of them headed off, they saw Felicia running in the distance.
"Baron Bradford!! We have problems!!"
Walt was surprised by her shout; once she arrived, she stopped to catch her breath.
"Did something happen, Felicia? Why are you sweating?"
Then she said the words that made them both break into a cold sweat and also scream.
◇◇◇
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah. I hate this."
Onboard the Count Frazer's ship, the sailors found a stowaway in the hold. It was Ada, who was crying. She was taken to Elaine's room at her request and was now listening to her story.
"So… you're saying that since you finished cleaning the house, you came to clean the ship because you had no more work?"
"Uhhh, that's right."
She replied with a snot hanging from her nose. Elaine, upon seeing her, wanted to laugh; she thought she was an assassin from the Bradford's, but realized it was just a mistake.
She asked the guards to leave them alone and then went to wipe her nose.
"You're a very foolish girl."
"I know. My little brother always tells me that."
"I… I really thought you and young master Lyle would get engaged, and that's why I wanted to help with the cleaning."
Elaine was surprised, but her decision was made.
"That won't happen. That man and I are incompatible, and a marriage where I can't be myself is unimaginable."
"Really?"
"Yes. Would you like some tea?"
"Please."
Elaine served tea to Ada, and they sat down to chat.
"I've already told the captain to turn back to take you home. It will take a couple of hours, but by nightfall, you'll be with your family."
"Thank you very much, Elaine-sama."
"Don't call me 'sama'; I hate it a lot."
Elaine's attitude was different from before; she no longer seemed like an elegant girl, but rather a townswoman.
"Hey, can I tell you a secret?"
"I'm very clumsy at keeping secrets."
"We won't see each other again, so it doesn't matter, right?"
"Well, in that case, it's fine."
"Listen carefully…"
"Actually, it's not that I hate men as everyone believes. The thing is… I want to be an adventurer."
"Eh?"
Ada was speechless.
"An adventurer?"
Elaine stood up and took her by the shoulders; she spoke like an excited child, similar to Alisa.
"Yes! I've always yearned to be an adventurer."
"I loved them when I was a child. People traveling the world, crossing hidden ancient ruins, fighting monsters, and watching the sunset after clearing the dungeon."
She said while spinning around, remembering her childhood reading those books in secret.
"I always wanted to be one."
Ada replied cheerfully.
"Then why can't you be? Surely your father would support you—"
"He won't."
Elaine replied coldly; her smile vanished.
"I will never be an adventurer for one simple reason."
She raised her hand and almost furiously touched her chest.
"Because I'm a woman, and a female adventurer is a joke."
"In ancient times, it was said that only men could be adventurers because it was dangerous for the families of that era. If something happened to them, the woman had to take care of the family."
"My mother was a horrible and strict woman; she always repeated to me: 'Adventures are for men because they are dangerous. A young lady should focus on more important things for her future than something as absurd as that!'."
"My father wouldn't allow me either, even though he was one."
"When I was at the academy, I could never make friends because everyone talked about the same things. Makeup, boys, clothes, a bunch of things that were secondary to me."
"The men boasted about their adventures, and when I asked them if they could take me along, they said the same thing: 'It would be too much for a woman,' and you know the worst part? They were right."
She began to clench her fist so hard that it started to bleed.
"Whenever I tried to enter a dungeon, the guards stopped me. Whenever I tried to go on a ship adventure, the sailors thwarted my plans."
"Will I spend the rest of my life obeying what others tell me just because I'm a woman? Screw them!"
Ada was as frightened by Elaine's shout as by the punch to the wall.
"I don't want to become an old woman and spend every day of my life asking myself, 'Why didn't I do it?' or 'Why didn't I have the courage?' Do you understand?"
"Life is meant to be lived. To feel that your existence is more than just following a line drawn by others!"
"Do you understand how I feel when I feel like my life is that of a doll that can be carried from one place to another?"
"I understand."
Ada replied calmly to an agitated Elaine.
"I understand perfectly what you're saying. That's why I believe without a doubt that the man you're looking for is Lyle-sama."
"That guy again. He's a boring man, and my life with him would be—"
"You are completely mistaken," Ada replied in a serious tone that didn't match her personality. "Lyle-sama is not a boring man. He is a man who has lived a hard life and now appreciates the peace and relaxation he has. Not just him, his family too."
"What you call boring is actually your own ignorance, forgive my words. But you don't want to learn about him; you are closed-minded in believing that if you get married, you will live your life locked away."
"And that's not the case. You can live an adventure from the comfort and safety of your home. I have a younger brother; taking care of him is my responsibility, but I am a foolish and useless older sister, I know that better than anyone."
"But he is growing up surrounded by wonderful people, so I understand that you think your family is a burden; I felt the same when our parents abandoned us. I had to raise my brother; it's been tough, I went hungry, but I will never regret it."
"Because family is not a burden; it is a wonderful gift. And the place you are disparaging is my family. And it offends me greatly that you think they are boring, when in the Bradford house and its members, there is everything but boredom."
"You say you want to feel your heart beat. Let me tell you about the experience of a woman who lived through that in the Supreme Kingdom."
"It was horrible. There were flames, ruins, people screaming, and chaos everywhere; there wasn't a single moment to stop running."
"I was scared, thinking it was the end, when I saw a huge black monster with a wicked smile destroying the place."
"Do you want to live that? Because things like that lie in dungeons. Horrible monsters that can't be easily defeated; who guarantees you'll come out unscathed? Do you think you can do it alone? Do you think you can return home if you get lost somewhere in the sky? Because all of that happens to adventurers; listening to young master Rudel's adventures is as exciting as it is terrifying, especially where he had to fight."
"If they say adventures are for men, it's not to despise women; it's because only a man would have the courage to go to certain death for some reason."
"That's why I ask you not to speak ill anymore of the family that takes such good care of me. You should be thankful to be able to meet a wonderful man and have the possibility of being his wife, the complete opposite of me…"
"Who can only watch him from afar because I'm not a woman who deserves…"
Ada started crying after her speech to Elaine, who was listening without contradicting anything she said.
"How can someone who is an airhead sound so mature and so childish at the same time?"
"Because I'm a clumsy older sister. It's my obligation to play the role of a mother sometimes and that of a reliable friend."
Elaine sighed slowly and said to Ada.
"You defeated me. You are the first person in my life who makes me change my perception of life."
"You are mistaken, Elaine-sama. I haven't won; rather, you have gained something."
"That's a compliment, accept it."
"Thank you, but I'd rather accept that you will give young master Lyle another chance."
"I doubt he wants to give me another chance."
She said, sitting back down in her armchair.
Ada approached her and took her hands, as if wishing she could change things in her favor.
"You are wrong! There is something you don't know, but young master Lyle has always—"
Before she could finish her words, they were interrupted by a strong movement.
Both fell to the floor, their large breasts colliding with each other like a sandwich.
"What's happening? Why are we turning around?"
Through the intercom in the room, the captain said:
"A large fleet is surrounding us! Everyone, take a defensive formation!"
"Repeat! An enemy fleet is surrounding us!"
Elaine helped Ada up, who asked:
"Awawawa. Are they pirates?"
Elaine went to the window and from afar could see the enemy's flag.
"No, it's worse than that. It's the flag of an enemy country!"
"Awawawa! Another enemy country!"
◇◇◇
Meanwhile, at home, Lyle and Bram were lying on the grass, looking at the sky.
"Chiiiiiiiiiii."
They made that sound while inhaling and exhaling every time they ran out of air, with foolish expressions included.
Bored and out for a walk, Bell found them both and approached them.
"You two, what's wrong with you? It's normal for you to have the master's face, but please refrain from making that foolish expression that doesn't suit him."
"Oh, it's that Ixion."
"Didn't you go with Rudel to the capital?"
Bell got angry at being compared to Ixion.
"You're wrong! Stupid onii-san number 1 and number 2!"
"Bell-chan has nothing to do with that bitter Ixion. In fact, Bell-chan is the cute, sensitive, adorable, empathetic, etc., version of that grumpy, grumbling Ixion."
"Really? I'm sorry."
Replied Lyle, who lay back down on the grass.
Seeing them depressed, she could deduce the problem by accessing the information shared by Ixion.
"I see. You're depressed because neither of you can get a partner. Haven't you thought about going to the other extreme? I would be very happy with that."
"We won't do it!"
They both shouted at her, understanding what she meant.
As she stopped joking, she now told them something different.
"The master went through something similar, from what I've been told. At first, his relationship with those two was good, then it worsened, after that it improved but reached a point of no return."
"What do you mean?" asked Bram, who was still looking at the clouds.
"What I mean is that your protagonist moment to turn things in your favor hasn't arrived yet."
"What the hell is that?"
"It means that luck is against you now, but soon you will shine by taking the protagonist role. Just like the master always does."
"I thought the gray sphere was weird, but you're weirder."
"Bell-chan isn't weird! Don't be rude!"
"All the women the master has get to him through unconvincing situations for them, but the master managed to make them fall in love, so you just have to wait for your protagonist moment."
"You've been saying weird things for a while now; let's just leave it here and keep looking at the clouds, Bram."
"You beat me to it."
Bell planned to electrocute both of them for making her angry, but her radar detected something.
"There is an armed unit heading quickly towards here. It's less than 20 meters away."
Both stood up in surprise upon hearing this.
"An armor?"
"Did one of the guys from the port go out or something?"
"It's less than ten meters to the northwest of here."
Both knew that direction was the territory's hangar.
In the distance, a black dot could be seen growing rapidly.
They ran home to call their father in case it was a pirate attack.
Once they told him, the armor crashed into the hangar, and all the sailors took combat positions.
Bell used the Avrora ship to quickly transport the Bradford males to the hangar, and once they got off, they were surprised by who it was.
"You are… Miss Frazer's butler."
Exclaimed Walt upon seeing the injured, chubby man and his armor in pieces.
When they approached to check his condition, he uttered the words:
"Help, please. A fleet of demihumans is attacking us."
"Demihumans, you say!?" Everyone in the hangar was speechless upon hearing that name here.
◇◇◇
To understand what happened, we must go back in time. Exactly about thirty-five minutes ago.
A fleet of fifty ships was surrounding the Frazer house flotilla.
Ada, from Elaine's room, was terrified.
"Eh? They're not pirates? But who are they then?"
Elaine observed the ships in detail.
"A white whale with wings carrying a ship on its lower part."
"A flag with three horns in the shape of swords and that repulsive purple color everywhere."
"No doubt, they are from the Holy Kingdom of Valhanna. The land of the demihumans."
"Holy Kingdom? Demihumans?"
Asked Ada, bewildered; she was ignorant about many things, but she never lied about it.
Elaine explained to her who they were.
"It is one of the oldest countries in the old world. They call themselves the original humans and see us as if we were trash."
"The only country that could put them in their place and prevent them from taking over the world was the Supreme Kingdom."
"I don't think I need to know why they are moving now, but what are they doing here exactly? This country and theirs are at opposite poles."
While she was thinking about what was happening, an enormous whale at least 100 meters long, with magical crystals around it and a metal ship embedded in the center of its head, stopped in front of the others.
A hologram appeared in the sky; a man with elegant white clothes similar to those of a bishop, with precious gems, stood with his arms crossed.
His face was beautiful, he seemed to be around 30 years old, and his long blond hair was tied in a ponytail that reached the lower part of his back.
His sharp green eyes observed the situation, like a king waiting for the moment to speak to ants.
"I introduce myself to you, I am the current king of the Holy Kingdom of Valhanna, Findor Ceret Zel Albalete."
"The reason for our presence is one."
Despite having a beautiful face, his smile was wicked.
"We have come to subjugate you. From now on, humans— the false humans will be our pets; we, the true humans, will take the reins of the world that belongs to us."
"Since our greatest enemy, the Supreme Kingdom, has disappeared, there is no one left to stop us from taking what belongs to us."
"We were on our way to crush the one responsible for defeating our greatest enemy, but you were the first to cross our path; I would say you are lucky, since I am in a good mood."
"Hand over the commander's head to me; I won't kill him, but I need a pet so he can see how lucky he is."
"We will also take the women as hostages, as they are always valuable."
Elaine and Ada ran to the command bridge, where the flotilla captain was.
"Captain, what do you plan to do?"
"They outnumber us. Even if we attacked them, it wouldn't change anything, but we can't hand over my head or yours."
"Let me go."
"What are you saying, miss?"
Elaine offered to go after looking at the frightened sailors.
"It's impossible to do anything with these numbers, right? I'll go to buy time; request help as soon as possible."
"Impossible, it's unimaginable to even think about what they will do to you; those people are not human, they hate humans very much."
"But he said he was in a good mood; therefore, if I can hold him off for some time until reinforcements arrive, we can win."
She now turned to Ada and took her hands.
"I'm very sorry, Ada-san, but I must selfishly ask you to do this for me. We must prevent them from attacking us by any means necessary until we have reinforcements."
"It's alright," said Ada, smiling. "It's not the first time someone puts themselves in danger for me; I will do what I can."
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, and even more so since we are both women."
"We must fulfill our roles, even if it's just to buy time."
Elaine's gaze indicated her decision, and the captain could not contradict what she said.
"Captain, contact for help immediately."
The captain reluctantly accepted: "I am doing it, it will take a while until they pick up the signal; make sure to buy a lot of time without putting yourself in danger."
"I will," said Elaine with determination in her eyes, but with a slight tremble in her fists, which were held by Ada to help her relax.
After speaking with all the maids and them accepting in panic, all the women gathered on the deck, where a small boat received them and they all boarded.
The boat was actually a small craft from the perspective of the demihumans, as their technology was different from that of humans; everything was more sophisticated.
Once on board, Elaine was received by Findor, the elf king, who observed them as if he were evaluating them.
"You are the king of the demihumans, right? Nice to meet you, I am—"
"That's fine, it's not necessary."
"Eh?"
Elaine was disconnected from reality at that moment; Findor turned halfway and raised his hand.
"What are you doing!?"
The soldiers captured all of them and arrested them.
Findor, without turning back and heading to his royal seat, answered Elaine without even looking at her.
"It is natural to have female slaves in war. I simply wanted to avoid an unnecessary death."
"I hate them very much, but our women are not good for war, and since we will be here for a long time, we will need to relieve ourselves; be thankful that we will make you bear our children, even though you are inferior beings."
"No, wait! This wasn't part of what you said!"
Elaine shouted with all her might while struggling to prevent them from dragging her away.
"Are you an idiot? I don't know if it's because you're a woman or because you're human, but who would trust the words of your enemy?"
"Begin the attack."
After giving the order, the attack was beginning; Elaine tried to break free but received a blow to the back of her head, losing consciousness.
Her last thoughts were:
(I'm an idiot, how could I fall into such an obvious trap. And I wanted to be an adventurer…)
◇◇◇
In the Bradford territory, the butler Russell was telling them what had happened: about Elaine's futile sacrifice and how the sailors sent him to ask for help while they fought.
"And that's how I got here."
Everyone was horrified by what they had just heard.
Walt immediately ran towards Avrora and took the intercom to communicate with the kingdom.
"Hello, palace? This is the Bradford barony, we have big problems. An invading fleet has entered the kingdom and is heading towards us."
"Repeat, an invading fleet has entered the kingdom and is heading towards us!"
The message was sent; now it only remained for it to arrive and be heard.
But the possibility of that happening was really low, and Bell explained why as she approached his shoulder.
"Most officials and knights are still in the republic. Even if you send the message, no one will receive it for a couple of hours, and even when they do, it will take time to gather fleets, knights, and armors."
"What if you contact the neighboring territories instead?"
"That's true."
Walt remembered something and proceeded to use the Morse code they used to send and encode messages.
"Years ago, we nobles from the vicinity met because we are far from the capital and from high-ranking nobles."
"Almost everyone living nearby are barons, and some viscounts."
"So we agreed on a code to warn when an enemy pirate fleet entered the territory of any of us."
"I see, it's a mutual cooperation to protect each other."
"Exactly. But we never used it, and I don't know if anyone is nearby."
Walt began to send the message.
"This is the head of the Bradford house, Walt Van Bradford, I request the help of everyone hearing this. An invading fleet has entered the kingdom and is heading to our location, but it intercepted Count Frazer's flotilla and is attacking it; the coordinates are…"
While his father was sending the message, his sons continued questioning the butler.
"Did no one else escape?"
"No one; all the women were taken hostage and the fleet is being attacked."
"Possibly they have already destroyed everyone and are heading here."
"Damn it!"
Shouted Bram while kicking the ground.
"Ada is there, but they are also coming this way."
Lyle was very frightened.
"Aaah. What do we do? We have less than 20 ships in total and the other side has 100 of them."
"Rudel isn't even here; he would know what to do."
"Lyle, Rudel isn't here; we must solve this."
Said Bram, calming his older brother.
"But how? We don't have weapons to confront them."
"We have that over there."
Bram pointed to Ixion's ship floating above their heads.
"That's right! With that thing here, we don't need to be afraid."
"But there's a problem here, onii-san number 1."
Bell came out of the ship along with Walt.
"Bad news. No one is responding; there's too much static; even if they heard it, it would take time."
"But the real problem is that Ixion's ship will not attack unless it receives hostile threats. That is, the territory must be attacked."
"Did you see how the butler wasn't blown to pieces when he entered here? It was because Ixion deactivated the proximity sensor to avoid attacking any ship that approached."
"That idiot tricked me; he left the ship not for our safety, but only to intimidate; he considers it too dangerous for me to use, and if we let them attack us, we will have lost part of the territory and several lives."
"Therefore, we cannot depend on him or the master. But we ourselves must go after them."
"What did you say?!"
Everyone shouted the same thing in unison.
"The problem here is not the invasion; it's the race against time to prevent those guys from doing something to the kidnapped women."
"According to the information I gathered about the Holy Kingdom abroad, after defeating an enemy, they have a party and in the end, they 'try out' the women."
"They must surely be fighting or still celebrating, so if we want to prevent those girls from ending up dead or traumatized, we must act now."
Upon hearing that Elaine and Ada were in danger, Lyle and Bram did not hesitate for a second, despite the fear they felt at the prospect of entering a war again.
"We will go!"
Shouted the brothers.
"We must save Elaine and the flotilla as soon as possible."
"That's right, Ada must surely be crying."
"I'm glad you're motivated, boys, but the final word is his."
Everyone's eyes focused on Walt, who thought about the responsibility that a war entails.
His word is final as the feudal lord, but would that be right?
To lead hundreds of lives to fight against a superior force to save some strangers?
No one would do that for them; he doesn't even trust that help will arrive.
But upon seeing his sons' faces, he no longer saw two children hiding behind him when he discussed adult topics at the port; now they were men waiting for the highest authority to give the green light to their desires to save the people important to them.
And at the same time, the proof that he would protect his youngest son arrived.
That invading fleet comes to kill Rudel, but he is not here.
Now it is he who holds the destiny of his family in his hands; he could flee to save them all.
But remembering the war from a year ago and what his son recounted about the republic, a mysterious desire gave him the strength to say the following words.
"We will go rescue them, but we must prepare. We will take all available weapons and people."
"Hey, magical servant."
"I'm Bell-chan."
"Bell. Could you help us too?"
Bell was happy that they asked for her help, so much so that she started dancing.
"The master lives here and you are his family, therefore, Bell-chan is obliged to fight to defend you."
"But 20 ships can't fight against 100."
"If we add mine, it would be at least 40."
That voice came from Alisa, who was behind them along with Liam and the guys.
"Father-in-law, the Bismarck house will lend you its fleet that is patrolling the kingdom; I will contact them to join us."
"Also, this time I will deliver the message requesting help."
"You will?"
"Yes, I don't think they haven't heard it, but they probably got scared hearing that it was an invasion."
"If I tell them that I will lend them my support, they will gather the courage to join us; besides, it's a great opportunity for the country nobles to achieve feats on the battlefield."
"Thank you, I'm counting on you."
"And you?"
Everyone looked at Liam and the others, who were like puppies waiting for their moment to act.
"We will go too."
"We are Rudel's knights, therefore, protecting the family's territory is part of our job."
Walt was horrified to hear that Liam would join the battlefield.
"Wait a moment, Your Highness! It's already dangerous to go with my sons, but you are a completely different case."
"Father-in-law."
Alisa interrupted him with a look that indicated she had already given up.
"Let him go, there's no point in arguing with him; it will only give you a headache."
"Eh? But I can't let anything happen to the prince; my head and that of my family would be in danger."
"I know that better than anyone. Bell."
"Yes, Alisa-chan, what do you want from me?"
Alisa called Bell, imagining what it would be.
"His Highness will go, whether we want it or not, but Rudel is his official caretaker, so it is your obligation to protect him."
"You really know how to leave an artificial intelligence speechless, don't you? I wanted to use the opportunity to—"
"Don't look at me like that, it's scary."
Alisa was glaring at Bell because she understood what she was plotting.
"Bell, protect His Highness like the others."
"I was going to do it anyway, just like the master's family."
"How will you do it?" everyone asked.
Bell puffed out her imaginary chest with pride and said:
"I will give everyone an armored unit that was made by Ixion and are up there; I will also make quick modifications to the ships to give them more power."
"It will take me at least 30 minutes to do all that."
"Very well, that will be enough time to continue contacting the neighbors."
Exclaimed Walt before turning and addressing the sailors.
"Listen to me well! I know I shouldn't ask you this, but hate me if you want."
"I need everyone—"
"We hear you loud and clear, sir."
The sailors replied all together as they prepared to set sail.
"Our home is not only in danger, but we must also go save those girls who could be the wives of Lyle-sama and Bram-sama, right?"
"We have been preparing for this since the war."
"You've heard enough, we will go defend our home and save some nobles! Get everything ready and don't delay!"
"Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Move out!"
The sailors hurried to prepare everything to go fight; Walt wanted to cry.
"Truly, what good vassals I have."
"Indeed, it is as you say. The people of the Bradford barony are very united; surely it is thanks to Rudel who brought this place forward."
"And everyone wants to prepare to protect their home. Well, I'm heading back."
"Eh? Are you leaving now, Alisa-chan?"
Alisa was heading back and looked at Walt with a smile.
"I have nothing to worry about, this is Rudel's home. Therefore, his family, just like him, will achieve victory very easily."
"When you return, it will be night and you will be hungry; I will tell my mother-in-law that we should prepare a feast for everyone."
Walt saw how a girl of a rank unattainable for him trusted blindly in him.
(Rudel, you have gotten a wonderful wife, and yet you have more women. As a father, I have to teach you that your wife should be the priority, but I think I'll do it another time.)
"Alright, boys, don't stand there like fools; we must prepare."
"In a way, this is good."
Bell whispered to Walt.
"The idiots will now be the master's shield, but they have no real experience. Therefore, this will be the perfect opportunity to test that."
"Ixion will get angry, but the master will defend me when he knows it was to protect these fools."
"You have no mercy, do you?"
"Not at all."
The brothers followed Bell along with the others; they were prepared to fight to save their respective girls.
(Elaine.)
(Ada.)
(Please stay safe.)
The battle of the Bradford family against the Holy Kingdom was about to begin.
_________________
We are already at the climax of this volume, dear readers.
My favorite part was Ada's speech to Elaine; it was better than what I had in the draft, which is why she will get the fanservice today: https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/10349576?q=kasumi_%28doa%29+