*Interlude*

"N- no way..."

Inside the flying battleship, a middle-aged man wearing formal brown military clothes looks at the magic screen with shocked expression.

That person is Victorious' advisor, Elbehnna Orarorio.

The screen shows the burning Liasr Town.

"That town should have been reduced to ashes. Just how..."

As Elbehnna says that, the subordinates are too confused to reply. They also don't know what exactly happened.

"Either someone prevented Mriento from completely destroying the town or malfunction happened at Mriento side."

Graize Els Victorious says that in front of his confused subordinates.

"M- malfunction you say..."

Elbehnna says that while looking at Victorious.

"With that said, I'm going out to check things over there."

Victorious stands up after saying that.

"T- then the pegasus squad will-"

"I will go alone."

Before Elbehnna finishes talking, Victorious says that while walking towards the exit behind his seat.

"But sir..."

Elbehnna wanted to raise his voice but he knows that his advice will be ignored.

"It's fine. More importantly, prepare the main cannon and all squads so that they can be deployed at any time. The moment I leave, stay away from that town until I come back. I'll leave you here in charge while I'm away."

After saying that, Victorious leaves the room and head towards the below part of the ship.

He enters a room where there are lots of white horses in wooden cage. Those horses do not move much like normal horses and they are not fazed by the ship's movement.

There are also three knights guarding the room.

"I'm heading out."

"Yes, sir!"

With those words alone, the three knights head towards the big gate at the opposite direction from where Victorious came in.

Then Victorious walks to one cage that has a white horse wearing gold armor unlike the rest.

As he opens the cage, he puts his hand on the horse head and cast a white magic circle. That magic is for establishing connection between a master's and familiar's astral body. Then the armored horse obediently walks out through Victorious control and he rides it.

Not too long after, the big gate of the room itself opens leading towards the sky above the forest surrounding Liasr Town.

"Hangar open! Ready to take off!"

As one of the three knights shouts that, the armored horse sprouts a pair of golden light with shape of a wing near its front legs.

Victorious immediately announces his take off.

"Graize Els Victorious, Gazelott, heading out."

The armored horse named Gazelott soon starts running and take flight from the lower front part of the flying battleship.

Elbehnna looks at Victorious leaving through the magic screen and starts thinking to himself.

(That order... is he expecting us to be targeted?)

From the forest, some beastman observes Victorious through magiscope. They are accompanied by a masked woman wearing red-white clothes and a white eagle standing on top of her shoulder.

Meanwhile, at other part of the forest, Nelsia's confused voice can be heard.

"Cheat...?"

Nelsia says that as she does not really understand what Midora meant by that word.

However, before the conversation continues, a ringing sound can be heard from Firth's pocket.

The blue-haired man wearing glasses reaches out to his pocket and take out a tele-stone. Then he puts the tele-stone near his ear.

"... got it. Continue observing the ship until further orders."

Firth immediately talks to Nelsia and others after closing his tele-stone.

"Graize Els Victorious comes out from Aegandr and is now heading towards Liasr Town."

Firth's statement receives immediate attention from the one-eyed goblin, the woman with short brown hair and the blue-haired muscular man.

"Heh, now that's convenient!"

Right after saying that, Midora casts a green magic circle below his feet and starts flying through wind magic.

He shouts while flying.

"I'll take care of that Royal Knight myself! You guys better don't interfere!"

"Wha!?"

Nelsia is surprised by Midora's sudden action.

(Graize Els Victorious... is there...!)

Right after thinking that, Nelsia talks to Firth hoping that he would give her the order to kill Victorious.

"What should we do?"

"..."

Firth thinks for few seconds before replying.

"We don't know the full situation yet but this is a chance. While Midora is facing off against Graize Els Victorious, we'll destroy that battleship. We can make the Kingdom becoming desperate by preventing those knights from reporting back to the Kingdom..."

"I- I see..."

Nelsia replies with disappointed tone.

"But we still need to know what happened to that town... maybe we should send some scouts over there too..."

"I'll go."

The one-eyed goblin suddenly replies Firth statement.

Nelsia is surprised a little bit but quickly talk to the one-eyed goblin.

"Wait wait... relic users like you and me should be the main firepower needed to fight that battleship."

"With the speed of my relic, I can go for quick scout and come back before attacking the battleship."

The one-eyed goblin replies and then look at Firth for permission.

Firth smiles before replying.

"Then I'm counting on you."

Right after hearing Firth's reply, the one-eyed picks up the mechanical jet-pack equipped with double cannon barrel on the ground.

As the one-eyed goblin is equipping his 'BOOSTER' relic, Firth starts talking again.

"And if possible, support Midora-"

"I refuse. I don't want to risk my life just to babysit that guy. Besides..."

The one-eyed goblin's eye turns pink before he talks again.

"You're the one who turn him into that. We work together but that does not mean that I need to clean up your mess."

"! You don't have to say it that way!"

Nelsia shouts at the one-eyed goblin but she is ignored as the goblin starts flying using the 'BOOSTER' jet-pack relic.

Right after the one-eyed goblin leaves, Firth starts talking again while smiling.

"My mess huh... I don't have any comeback to that..."

"It's not your fault. No one expect that Midora guy turning into someone like that."

Nelsia replies while looking at Firth.

"Thanks. But it is true that my lack of understanding about Otherworlder's memory turns him into that."

Firth replies while looking at Nelsia. Then he looks at the direction where Midora took flight before finishing his sentence.

Meanwhile, the one-eyed goblin who is flying in the night sky starts looking at the burning Liasr Town with serious look.

.....

....

...

"Let me go!!!"

Miika says as he is still flailing around on Stephanie the Orc Guild Master's arm.

"H- hey! You can't go there! It's too dangerous!"

Stephanie can hold Miika no problem but he's more worried that Miika might hurt himself from flailing around too much.

However, a certain hand touches Miika's forehead surprising Miika and Stephanie.

"Embrace the warmth in your dream. Dreamy Lullaby."

The lamia lady receptionist says that as she puts her hand on Miika's forehead. A black magic circle appears on the lamia's hand causing Miika to fall asleep.

"Thanks..."

The orc Guild Master says that as he looks at the lamia receptionist.

"You're welcome. We already gather all people and have adventurers guarding our surroundings."

"I see... where is your daughter?"

"Don't worry. She's with her friend's family."

"That's good to hear..."

Right after saying that, Stephanie looks at the burning Liasr Town.

Thinking that Stephanie is worried for Shion, the lamia receptionist talks again.

"Should we send someone to look for Shion?"

Stephanie responds while look at the burning town.

"I would love to do that. But we're not exactly safe yet-"

"Incoming monster!!"

Stephanie and the lamia receptionist looks at the direction of the shout and discover that some adventurers are fighting a large green eagle.

Stephanie shouts the monster's name as he immediately recognise the monster.

"Bladeleaf Eagle!"

The lamia receptionists frowns while looking at the Bladeleaf Eagle.

"Panthos should have hunted lots of them before... there is already another one...!?"

After hearing that, the Guild Master immediately rushes towards the battelfield to help the adventurers.

.....

....

...

(It's hot...)

Shion thinks that as the heat around her hurts her skin. Beads of sweat also starts running down through her right cheek.

She opens her mini-bag and see that she has 3 potions, 2 Graize Elixirs and 1 bottle of rotten Rorean fruit inside.

For one second, she is tempted to drink the Graize Elixir to recover from her fatigue and pain.

(... no, I should only use the Elixir against lethal wounds.)

Thinking that, she drinks potion instead.

Right after drinking the potion, Shion puts the empty bottle on the ground and look at her surroundings. The potion quickly takes effect and makes her feel better.

(I need to get out of here soon... if I remember correctly, the others went out through south gate...)

Shion stands up looking at direction of south gate while thinking that.

"!?"

However, Shion suddenly senses something and turn around instead.

(Two astral bodies is approaching this town. It's not from the south gate... who...?)

The two astral bodies approaches the town so fast that Shion barely had any time to react.

From above the sky, a golden armored horse descends together with its rider.

Shion is shocked as she recognises that golden armored horse. She immediately look at its rider.

"Fa.... ther....."

Shion involuntarily says that as he looks at Victorious riding the winged-horse.

Everything finally clicks inside Shion's head. From the part of where the Graize battleship to the part where they fire the light-attribute magic Signal Anchor so that the magic ray attack from above can hit its target.

She only realizes this now as she is still confused by that massive magic attack from sky. But now that she sees Victorious, her guess is most likely correct.

(Graize Els Victorious... almost destroys this town...?)

While Shion is still in disbelief, Victorious starts talking.

"I didn't expect to find you here. Where are the others?"

He says that nonchalantly. There is not an ounce of worriness from his tone alone. He asks that as he assumed that Shion went through Emergency Teleportation Gate with other maids.

However Shion replies her father with a question instead.

"That large light magic attack... are you the one who aim that to this town?"

Despite thinking that it's none other than Victorious who attack Liasr Town. Shion can't help but to confirm once again with the person involved.

She no longer mind the heat around her. All she wants is just an honest answer from her father who is still sitting at flying horse while looking at her.

"Yes."

"!?"

That short and emotionless answer irritates Shion. It's the same tone that Shion heard over and over while living together with Victorious as a family.

"Why...?"

Shion asks that question while her anger is building up.

"It's King's order."

Right after Victorious says that, Shion starts shouting at him.

"FOR WHAT KIND OF REASON THE KINGDOM THINK IT'S OKAY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!!!"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH SHION."

"!?"

Shion was surprised when Victorious replies with intimidation. Victorious continues to talk.

"You must know your place as the daughter of Graize family. Also, I have no time to argue with you. Answer my question."

However, Shion replies without answering Victorious' question. She becomes angrier and angrier that she starts saying whatever things inside her mind.

"You're always like that... you never hear anything I say... I guess whatever I say is just a kid's nonsense to you..."

Shion clenches her right fist before shouting.

"But! Those people who attacked our house...! They said that you attacked them before! Say King's Order all you want but the fact that you hurt them won't change! Just like what you are doing right now!"

At the end of her sentence, Shion points out at a burning house on her right side.

"... this is getting us nowhere. Come with me."

After saying that, Victorious controls the flying horse Gazelott so that it lands on the ground and walks slowly towards Shion.

"!?"

Shion immediately dashes backwards to gain distance from Gazelott and Victorious.

(He won't hear anything I say anymore... Then...!)

While thinking that, Shion's right hand touches her Emeraldian in order to prepare her battle stance.

However, her right hand trembles while touching Emeraldian preventing her from properly grabbing her only available weapon.

(Don't hesitate me...! If I hesitate now of all times...!)

Shion remembers the time where her father from the previous world shot her in the bank.

(Nothing will change... from that time...!)

However, even after thinking that, Shion can't seem to grab her weapon because Victorious does not show any attempt to fight her despite approaching with intimidation.

Suddenly, Victorious draws his sword.

*CLANG!!!*

Shion is surprised as she sees Victorious repelling a shockwave attack from his right side using his sword.

"Wha...!?"

As Shion says that, she looks at the direction where the shockwave comes from.

From that direction, she sees Veylene Reverangel with position suggesting that she just slashed something with her sheathed katana-shaped blade but from a far distance.

"Not bad. I'll at least give you that, Insolent Invader."

Veylene says that as she glares at Victorious.

Meanwhile, Midora is watching Shion's confused expression through a magic screen in front of him while he is sitting on a forest tree not too far from Liasr Town. He is wearing a black mantle that seems to be too small for his size.

"That expression of hers... hehehe. This is gonna be fun."

Midora says that as he plans to watch the situation for now through his Hero System's magic screen.

*End of Interlude*