Chapter 269: 15-year-old Inglis, the Dragon God and the Elder King (42)

「Okay, might as well double down and prove to us you mean it~! Go for the kiss! Kiss! Kiss!」

Rafinha loudly riled Lahti and Pullum up. That was a bit unbecoming, like a drunken, condescending remark.

「Wha…?! What are you saying, you meathead?! I can’t do that in front of this many people.! We haven’t even had our first…!」

Lahti talked back to Rafinha, his face beet red.

「R-, Rani……you should stop. You’re troubling both Lahti and Pullum!」

「But it’s important to prove it to everyone and commit to it! Right?!」

「That is right!」

「Indeed!」

Leone and Liselotte, who were supposed to be better behaved than Rafinha, also get onto it. Cheers began to fly from all around, pushing an odd sense of anticipation to envelop Lahti and Pullum.

「Good grief.」

Not even Inglis could stop it now. She couldn’t help it, so she’d just watch over it while enjoying some grilled meat skewers she had left.

Then… Pullum moved and pulled Lahti’s face closer to her, as he stood taller of the two, and the two pairs of lips met.

「——!」

Lahti’s eyes widened.

「「「OOOHHHHHHH!!」」」

Cheers roared!

「Wh-, what the hell, Pullum! You lost all sense of modesty or what?!」

「Fufufufu. That’s my reply. I will follow you for the rest of my life, so please take care of me, okay?」

A huge smile now decorated her tear-stained cheeks, Pullum looked so radiant in Inglis’ eyes.

「Y-, yeah……okay, got it.」

Rafinha could hardly contain her excitement at such a couple.

「Didja see didja see didja see?! KYAA~ That’s so bold!!」

「I did. That’s a good reference for the future!」

「How nice! I wonder, if I had someone like that, would it be any different?」

Leone seemed happy too, but she ended up comparing it a bit to her own circumstances. Indeed, Leone didn’t have a literal prince to share her pain and protect her at her lowest. The stigma placed on the Olpha family had been borne solely by Leone.

「Well, you’ll have to put up with us, Leone.」

「That’s right! Glis’s right!」

「We’re no prince, but we have the number to make it up!」

「Fufu… You’re right, thanks everyone……」

As the clearing in front of the lodging was filled with a warm atmosphere that hinted at the future of the land…

「Prince Lahti! PRINCE LAHTI!!」

From overhead, someone called out Lahti’s name loudly. A single flygear came flying in from the distant sky at full speed. It was one of the vessels that Inglis and the gang had brought aboard their carrier and lent out for use as a messenger.

「……?! Y-, yes! I’m here! What happened?!」

「Sir! Bad news!! The troops led by his highness the prince Weinsel are marching towards us from the border!」

「Eh?! Why would big bro bring an army here?!」

「It’s obvious, your highness! He wants to take the credit and fame for his own!」

Knight-Captain Luwin advised Lahti.

「Wha……?!」

「The so-called… succession battle!」

Inglis agreed with Luwin’s assessment.

「But, he was having a standoff across the border with the Charalian army, turning his back to them is just foolish!」

「They might have signed a ceasefire.」

「I see, that’s a possibility! However, they have made a huge mistake if they think they can strike us for our small number……In a way, this can be convenient for us.」

「What do you mean?」

「I mean you, Squire Inglis! Before your strength, a slight difference in force means nothing. At this point, it should do us well if we let them cross the bridge and burn it, so we can acquire their men for our own.」

「I see…You have a point.」

「……We can entrust it to you, right? Make use of your power to the fullest!」

「……Fufufu. I guess I have been entrusted, then?」

As Inglis smiled wryly, Rafinha stopped her from the side.

「H-, hang on, Glis! We can’t possibly directly involve ourselves in a war!」

「It’s okay if there are zero casualties, right? I promise it won’t be lethal! Okay?」

「W-, well, I guess?」

「No, wait, even if it’s not lethal, don’t just strike them out of the blue, okay?! We oughta talk it out first, okay!」

「Prince Lahti! Where is the prince?!! Prince Lahti!!」

Another flygear flew in and called Lahti’s name.

「Again?! I’m here! What happened?!」

「Sir! I was running an order to head to the Charalian Army!」

Said the second Knight. He was sent to inform the Charalian Army, specifically Marquis Wilford, of the situation of his daughter and niece and their platoon and ask them to hold off their march into Alucard’s territory.

「The situation in Charalia is as follows; I have been informed that the Holy Knight Order has been defeated on the eastern front against the Venefian army and is now on the run! The majority of the troops on Alucard’s borders are to return to save and rescue!」

「「「EEEEeehh?!!」」」

Rafinha and the others were flabbergasted.

「N-, no way……Big brother has lost!」

「U-, unbelievable! They’ve had so many talented Knights!」

「Indeed, they are even accompanied by two Hyrule Menaces!」

「Do you know what’s the reason?」

Inglis calmly asked the messenger Knight.

「In the middle of the battle, the frozen Prisma that had been enshrined near the border has resurrected and is advancing towards Chiral Royal Capital! The Holy Knight Order was forced to encircle it to suppress the damage, thus the front line was breached!」

「……! I understand, thank you very much!」

Inglis curtly bowed to the Knight.

「Th-, this is a huge emergency! What do we do?」

「Lekrea will be in trouble if we leave right off the bat! Big brother Rafa, Miss Eris, and Miss Ripple will be fine! We should do what we can here and believe that they will be okay! After that, we can go back to Charalia!」

「I am of the same opinion! I’m sure you’re worried about Sir Raphael. You’re praiseworthy, Miss Rafinha!」

「Fufu. I am still the sister of a Holy Knight, after all! You’re good with that too, right Glis? That way, you can fight both the marching troops and the Prisma.」

「No, that is a bad move! If we don’t get back and defeat the Prisma soon, something bad we can’t undo will happen!」

Inglis, however, answered Rafinha’s question with a shake of her head.

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