The Imperial Capital of the Bestia Empire, where Rei was staying, lay far from the Kingdom of Mireana. In that distant land sat Anesis, the capital of Duke Kerebel's territory.
Inside a room of the Kerebel mansion in Anesis, Elena sank into a sofa while sipping black tea. She was deep in thought, her gaze fixed on the figure sleeping peacefully beside her.
Her eyes rested on a small dragon, barely twenty centimeters long. This was Iero, the familiar Elena had created using Dragon Language Magic. Perhaps because it was still so young, the creature was fast asleep with its face buried in a sofa cushion.
It was only natural. Outside, the world was cloaked in darkness, and the moon had already claimed its place in the night sky. Elena watched the brilliant moonlight through the window before bringing the cup to her lips once more.
"...Moon-viewing tea instead of moon-viewing sake has its own certain charm. I managed to brew this cup quite well, too."
Turning her eyes from the window, Elena looked at the tea-brewing tools arranged on the table. She had originally started practicing to serve tea to Rei, but by now, it had become a genuine hobby.
As she looked at the tools, Rei's face suddenly crossed her mind, casting a shadow of melancholy over her beauty.
Rei was currently in the Bestia Empire. Elena was not particularly worried about him getting injured; rather, knowing him, she was more concerned about whether he was stirring up unnecessary trouble. She had even caught herself hoping the area around the Imperial Capital wouldn't be wiped out by some incident revolving around him.
However, the real source of her distress was the presence of Vihera, who was with him.
Vihera—more accurately, Vihera Esti Bestia. As her name suggested, she was the Second Princess of the Bestia Empire and Elena’s rival in love.
Elena was known as the Princess General and had been pursued by countless men throughout her life. She was well aware of her own beauty. Yet, even from her perspective, Vihera was a woman possessed of an intense, alluring charm. It was enough to make a sharp pang of jealousy strike Elena's ample chest whenever she thought of the two of them together.
"Good grief, I hope he isn't getting into anything strange," she whispered.
She brought the cup to her lips again, giving voice to her inner worries. The tea, which she had thought a masterpiece moments ago, now tasted muddled, as if reflecting her anxiety.
"And Rei is just as bad. He went through the trouble of obtaining the Paired Orbs; he could at least contact me more frequently."
She cast a sidelong glance toward the Paired Orbs sitting on her desk. They were a magic item obtained in the Labyrinth City of Exil. True to their name, they allowed the user to hold long-range conversations with whoever held the matching orb. She had wanted this magic item so badly that she had traveled with Rei to the Labyrinth City just to find them, but...
"When I consider that it led to him meeting Vihera and heading to the Bestia Empire, wasn't it ultimately a net loss?"
She mused that if she hadn't desired such an item, she never would have gained such a formidable romantic rival. To Elena, Vihera was an attractive woman with beauty, a body that men would find irresistible, and a free-spirited personality. Elena had confidence in her own looks, but if she were asked if she could wear the kind of translucent clothing Vihera favored...
"...I-If Rei desired it, then..." she stammered.
Her cheeks turned bright red as she imagined herself in Vihera’s provocative outfit. An instant later, she shook her head vigorously. Her blond vertical rolls swayed and sparkled in the lamplight, a sight that was sadly wasted without an audience.
"It's impossible! For m-me to wear such a lewd costume..."
"Kyu?"
Iero, who had been sleeping, must have felt Elena's movement. The dragon tilted its head slightly, let out a soft cry, and looked at her with round eyes. Snapping back to her senses, Elena gently stroked the creature's black scales.
"Kyuu."
Iero purred contentedly under her touch. At that moment, she felt the Paired Orbs on the desk activate.
"!?"
Still cradling Iero, she hurried to the desk and stood before the magic item. Before long, a familiar face was reflected within the orb. It was the face that had occupied her mind all night—the only person in the world she had ever truly desired from the bottom of her heart. The one man Elena, sought after by so many, had sought out herself.
"Rei."
"It's been a while. Things have finally quieted down over here, so I thought I’d reach out. Is now a good time?" Rei asked.
As he spoke, he gave a long stretch. Elena looked at him curiously, noting his tired appearance.
"Did you just wake up?"
"Yeah. The finals were today. I had to push myself pretty hard in that match, so I was exhausted."
Rei let out a small yawn, looking as though he still needed more sleep. Because he usually carried himself with such confidence, seeing him look vulnerable caused Elena to stare in spite of herself. To her eyes, even his weary state was charming.
"Even so, even if you won, for you to struggle that much... just what kind of opponent were you facing?"
She proceeded on the assumption that he had won, knowing his strength firsthand. She believed that unless it was an extraordinary opponent, Rei could not lose. However...
"Hm? Ah—sorry. Actually, I lost in the finals. And I couldn't even make my opponent get serious."
"...What?"
Elena stared at the Rei reflected in the Paired Orbs with suspicion. But when she realized he was speaking in earnest, her gaze turned sharp. In that moment, her face was no longer that of a maiden in love, but that of the person feared by the Bestia Empire as the Princess General.
"You're telling me there is someone capable of defeating you? And without even getting serious?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. Though, at the risk of sounding like a sore loser, I should mention it was on a stage in an arena, with a rule that I couldn't kill my opponent... and I didn't have Seto with me."
"I see. If you were restricted by rules, it is somewhat more understandable. Still, to think there is someone capable of winning against you even then. Their name?"
"Noise. An S-Rank adventurer, Noise the Immovable."
When that name left Rei's mouth, Elena's eyes widened.
"Noise the Immovable... entered the Fighting Tournament?"
Naturally, Elena knew that name. He was one of only three S-Rank adventurers in the world. Normally, he was not the type of person who would ever participate in a tournament for the sake of a public spectacle.
"...That was unexpected. But certainly, if such a person appeared, it's possible you could lose."
As she replied, Elena worried that things had become troublesome. Noise had a legendary reputation, but he had almost never involved himself in politics. For him to participate in a public fighting tournament was an act that forced a sense of tension upon her.
"Well, it's not like I lost without doing anything. I stole that skill he was using called Overlord's Armor."
"What? What do you mean by that?"
Elena asked, not quite understanding. In response, Rei spoke with a fearless smile.
"Exactly what it sounds like. I've become able to use the skill he was using. Well, I'm still at a stage where I can't say I've mastered it at all, though."
"You stole the skill of an S-Rank adventurer? ...Hehe, you're as absurd as ever."
Her stunned silence lasted only a moment. Elena quickly broke into a smile, accepting the impossibility. If a normal person had told her they stole a skill from an S-Rank, she would have questioned their sanity. But the person in the orb was Rei. She knew his capabilities better than anyone.
"So, what kind of skill is it?"
"Yeah. Well, you can probably guess from the name Overlord's Armor, but it involves coating yourself in magic power. Like creating a powered suit of magic power."
"...Powered suit?"
Elena questioned the unfamiliar term. Rei thought for a moment before trying a different explanation.
"Let's see... think of it like using magic power to manifest a suit of armor that functions as a magic item to augment my physical ability. Does that make sense?"
Elena nodded, forming a rough image in her mind.
"Though even if I say I stole it, my technique is still very immature. I need a lot of practice."
"I suppose so. If one could steal another's skills that easily, no one would have any trouble."
After saying that, Elena's expression shifted back from the Princess General to a maiden in love.
"And so, you weren't injured or anything?"
"No. The arena where the tournament was held has a legacy of the ancient magic civilization. Any injuries are healed once you step off the stage. Did I not mention that before?"
Elena exhaled a sigh of relief. She had heard the story, but she couldn't help but worry until she confirmed it herself.
"Kyuu?"
Iero escaped from Elena's hands and fluttered its wings, landing on the desk in front of the orb. The dragon tilted its head toward the image of Rei.
"Kyuu! Kyukyu!"
The creature cried out as if asking for someone. Rei realized what the dragon wanted.
"Sorry, Iero. This is an inn, so Seto isn't nearby."
"Kyuu..."
Knowing he couldn't see his friend, Iero cried out sadly, his tail drooping.
"Now, now. You can see Seto the next time Rei calls, right?"
As Elena spoke gently while stroking Iero's head, Rei also nodded.
"You're right. I should make sure Seto is around the next time I contact you."
"...That makes it sound as though you don't want to talk to me unless Seto is here," Elena teased, pouting slightly.
Rei smiled. He hadn't intended it that way, but seeing her like this gave him a real sense of being back with her. At the same time, he felt a sense of pride that he was the only one allowed to see this side of her.
Perhaps noticing his gaze, Elena's cheeks flushed a faint red. To hide her embarrassment, she changed the subject.
"So, now that the finals are over, what about the business with Vihera and Theoreme?"
"Yeah. I haven't heard from them directly yet, but according to the rumors, they successfully escaped from the castle and headed out of the Imperial Capital."
"...I see."
Elena breathed a sigh of relief. Even though they were rivals, precisely because they were rivals, she wanted to prove fairly that the position beside Rei belonged to her. She didn't want Vihera captured before that could happen.
"Then your promise has been fulfilled. When will you be returning to the Kingdom of Mireana?"
She expected him to say he would return soon, but Rei shook his head.
"No, I intend to cooperate with Vihera. I want to use this conflict to increase my own strength and master the Overlord's Armor."