“Are you the sisters who claim to have mysterious powers?”

The visit of sisters with mysterious powers caused a great commotion in the castle for a while.

However, as soon as Schleimann heard that the sisters had received a prophecy to save the empire from a crisis, arrangements were made for an audience.

The audience hall was lined with distinguished guests, including ministers and members of the Imperial Guard.

In a chair at the main part of the room sat a stout, mature man dressed in a red cloak.

He had flaming red hair and piercing, deep gray eyes. On his fearless features, a large old scar ran from his right eye to his cheek. He was Schleimann, the emperor of the Romel Empire, the great country of the north.

“I heard that the Sun God had bestowed upon you a prophecy that would determine the fate of the Romel Empire.”

“Hyii…”

Tito’s tail twitched at the sound of the heavy voice and the sense of intimidation.

Schleimann’s eyes pierced through the four of them sharply.

“But I’ve never seen your face before… Hmm?”

His gaze stopped on Noel.

“..That one looks familiar…? Those ice-blue eyes… you don’t mean Noel?”

“Wha!?”

“No-Noel-sama?”

When Schleimann discovered Noel’s true identity, he stood up.

The soldiers were surprised and prepared to capture Noel.

“H-how dare you? Disguised as a sister, you have once again come to spread your schemes!”

“We will catch her at once. Is that alright with you, Your Majesty?”

“U-umu… We have no choice.”

Schleimann nodded hesitantly at the Imperial Guard captain’s question.

As the soldiers were about to jump on her, Lexia stepped forward to protect Noel.

“Wait, Noel is innocent! Please listen to me, Schleimann-sama!”

“! T-that voice is… don’t tell me you’re…!”

Lexia removed the veil of her sister’s dress. Her long, disheveled hair shook from side to side, shimmering dazzlingly like a river of gold sand.

To the astonished Schleimann, Lexia smiled, her jade-green eyes narrowed.

“It’s been a long time, Schleimann-sama. I am Lexia von Arcelia, first princess of the Kingdom of Arcelia.”

“A-as I thought, Lexia-dono!?”

“Wha…? Princess of the Kingdom of Arcelia?”

“A-a princess of a kingdom without her own personal guard…? What is the meaning of this…?”

The sudden appearance of Arcelia’s princess astonished not only Schleimann but also the entire audience hall.

“Why in the world are you, Arcelia’s princess, here…?”

But Lexia, on the other hand, shrugged her shoulders proudly.

“We’re on a journey to save people and countries in need!”

“Wha…! A princess of a country goes on a journey with only such a small number of guards…?”

“Yes. During that journey, Noel asked for my help to save the Romel Empire and her sister, so I came here.”

Lexia looked back at Noel; her voice strained so that the whole room could hear.

“Noel is not a girl who would attempt any kind of scheme. I assure you, we’re here to help. That’s why we pretended to be sisters, and that’s why we came here with her.”

“She may be a little strange, but I bet she thinks more about the people of the Romel Empire than anyone else.”

“She is straightforward, honest, sisterly, and very kind…!”

“Everyone…”

Noel looked at Lexia and the others.

Then Schleimann grunted in a grave voice.

“Mm… I knew it…”

“Schleimann-sama…?”

“Noel. I know that you are more concerned about this country and its people than anyone else, just as Lexia-dono and the others have said. I also know that you would never scheme against me. …It was to protect you that I sent my troops against you.”

“Eh?”

“At that time, amidst the anxiety and chaos caused by the curse of the ice spirit, the voices that this was a scheme of yours were growing stronger by the day, and there was no telling when they would explode. Finally, I received information that hardliners were targeting you. So I had no choice but to send my men to capture you and take you into my custody before the hardliners harmed you.”

“So that’s what happened…”

Noel looked back at Lexia and the others with a look of relief on her face.

“But thanks to that, I have some reassuring help like this.”

“Umu. Where did you meet Lexia-dono’s group?”

“In the desert of the Kingdom of Sahar.”

“Sa-Sahar Kingdom? You came all the way here from the far south…!”

Lexia nodded to the astonished Schleimann.

“Yes. We rode on a monster and flew all the way here.”

“Riding a monster?”

“I can’t understand it anymore…”

“S-she’s too bold… Is she really the princess of the Kingdom of Arcelia…?”

The retainers were appalled.

Schleimann regained his composure.

“…I heard that the Kingdom of Sahar recently experienced an unprecedented crisis when a legendary chimera awoke from its seal, but I am glad to hear that it is safe and sound. I hear that an extraordinary hero appeared and saved the country from a crisis by destroying the four chimeras and also by crushing the Prime Minister’s ambition to overthrow the nation…”

“Ah, that’s us, isn’t it?”

“Were you the extraordinary heroes?”

“Did you accomplish such a remarkable feat?”

“Oh, that reminds me, we never told you.”

Lexia said to Noel, who was astonished, as if nothing had happened.

“Le-Lexia-sama and the others have defeated the chimera…!?”

“The two accompanying girls also look like dainty girls, but how in the world did they…!”

Like the uproarious dignitaries, Schleimann’s eyes are still wide open in disbelief.

“S-so, the two who accompanied Lexia-dono are very powerful people… but even if they are, it is still a dangerous thing to do. Why on earth would they do such a thing…?”

“I told you. We are on a journey to save the world! And we’re standing here right now for the same reason.”

Lexia looked straight at Schleimann with strong eyes.

“If things continue as they are, the Romel Empire will be destroyed by the power of the Ice Spirit’s curse. We’ll do something about it before that happens! That’s why we came here!”

A murmur spreads at her confident declaration.

“He-Her Highness, the Princess of Arcelia, is really here to save our country…!?”

“But the curse of the ice spirit is so powerful, can such slender girls break it…?”

“No, they actually defeated the chimera and saved the Sahar kingdom from crisis! Maybe they can help the Romel Empire, too…!”

Surprise, followed by hope, spread across the faces of Schleimann and the important figures.

The appearance of Lexia and her friends, who had saved a country from a crisis, was the first ray of light in these dark days, as the country was helplessly engulfed in a curse.

Lexia and the others asked Schleimann about the details of the situation.