"Are you the one my elder sister hired and assigned to her direct unit?"
Before me stood a woman who bore a resemblance to Cornelia. However, if Cornelia evoked an image of strength, the woman before me embodied gentleness. This was none other than the Third Imperial Princess of Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia, Cornelia's younger sister. …Perhaps for disguise, she was wearing false glasses.
It had been nearly half a month since I was transferred to this world and hired by Cornelia. After the battle in the Saitama Ghetto, Zero had ceased operations and gone underground. He was likely using Geass to gather the necessary materials for the formation of the Black Knights.
And the Black Knights were supposed to be formed today. After all, Euphemia, who was right before me, was attending the Sakuradite-producing nations conference held at the Kawaguchiko Convention Center Hotel. Although, she wasn't actually participating in the conference, merely observing it.
Honestly, I was very conflicted about whether to tell Cornelia about the hotel jacking incident. But since I had no way to explain how I knew such a thing if pressed, I only hinted at it. The result was...
"I heard you'll be my personal guard today. I look forward to working with you."
...this.
Cornelia had told me, "If you think it's so dangerous, then you guard Euphie. You understand, I won't permit a single scratch on her." And so, I ended up guarding Euphemia along with several SPs.
Even so, Cornelia, who initially addressed me as "貴公" (kikō, a formal but somewhat archaic second-person pronoun), now called me "お前" (omae, a more casual and sometimes less polite "you"). I suppose it could be said we've warmed up to each other, but I'm somehow still not entirely convinced.
Well, that aside, Euphemia was the focus now.
"Indeed. Since Cornelia asked, I'll protect you with all my might. Even if terrorists appear, there's no need to worry."
"...That's an inappropriate joke."
It wasn't Euphemia who reacted to my words, but the woman standing next to her. She had a short haircut, and her expensive-looking suit clearly had various modifications for ease of movement.
"And you are?"
"I am Lucy, an SP serving Her Highness Euphemia. I'll be with you only for the duration of this conference, but it's a pleasure."
I grasped the hand she offered and…!?
"Ho, quite skilled."
"...The same to you."
This woman, Lucy, had tried to throw me using the handshake. Sensing it, I instinctively parried the flow of force and deflected her.
It was probably some kind of grappling technique she used. Even with my physical abilities and Infight Lv. 9, it seemed she was skilled enough that I could have been thrown if I had been careless. As expected of an Imperial Family SP. And knowing Cornelia, who doted on her sister, she probably chose the most excellent person for the SP role.
"I don't quite understand, but I'm glad to see you two getting along."
Euphemia smiled cheerfully, looking at us. Seeing that, both Lucy and I offered wry smiles and released our hands.
Perhaps radiating such a gentle atmosphere was Euphemia's quality as royalty.
"Your assignment as guard today was decided suddenly, so to avoid disrupting our existing security, I'd like you to stay by Her Highness Euphemia's side with me, if you would..."
I nodded silently at Lucy's words. From her perspective, I, who was suddenly assigned as a guard on the day of the conference, must have been a hassle to deal with. But given that it was an order from Cornelia, the Viceroy of Area 11, she had no choice but to comply. Guarding Euphemia together, close by, was likely their compromise.
"Understood. Guard duty isn't my specialty, so I'll follow your instructions."
"That helps."
"Well, now that you two have gotten acquainted, shall we head into the hotel? There isn't much time left until the conference."
Euphemia called out, checking her wristwatch. I checked the time on the cellphone Cornelia had given me, and indeed, there were only about 30 minutes left until the conference began.
"Ah, then let's get right to it... Hmm?"
As I was about to enter the hotel, a person suddenly caught my eye. They exuded a certain battlefield aura. If that were all, I wouldn't have paid much attention, but the fact that the person appeared to be an Eleven bothered me. Although I couldn't confirm his face due to sunglasses, that distinctive spiky hair and sturdy physique… Could it be Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe, the mastermind of the hotel jacking?
"Axel-san?"
Euphie, who had already entered the hotel lobby, called out to me, and I turned my face towards her.
"...Is something wrong?"
"No, just a man that caught my attention."
I replied to Lucy, who was next to Euphemia, and when I looked back in the direction where the person I suspected was Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe had been, no one was there.
"...Must have been my imagination. Don't worry about it."
"If you say so."
Following Euphemia and Lucy, I entered the hotel. I told Lucy it was my imagination, but it seemed the hotel jacking incident would definitely happen just like in the original story.
"While Her Highness Euphemia participates in the conference, we guards will wait in the adjacent room."
"Is that how it works?"
I nodded at Lucy's words. Indeed, you rarely see guards accompanying VIPs in conference rooms on TV. For me, who had been active as Shadow Mirror for many years, "conferences" usually meant the three of us – Vindel, Lemon, and myself – so it felt somewhat unfamiliar.
"Axel-san, is something bothering you?"
Euphie's call brought me back to reality.
"No, it's nothing. Euphemia, isn't it almost time for your conference?"
I looked at Lucy, and she also nodded and spoke.
"Leave him to me, Your Highness Euphemia, please proceed to the conference room."
"Really? That's a shame. I wanted to ask Axel-san a little more about my elder sister."
"We can talk anytime after this conference is over. The conference is about to begin."
"Alright. Well then, let's talk later, shall we?"
Euphemia said to me, then left the guard waiting room and headed to the adjacent conference room. There were several other people in this room besides us. Most were dressed in suits, looking very much like VIP bodyguards. They were likely the guards for those participating in the conference.
"So, we just wait here until the conference ends?"
"Yes. Patrols and such are also necessary, but other members will handle that. So Axel and I will wait here until Her Highness Euphemia's conference is over..."
"...Wait."
I felt a tense atmosphere. Was this the air of a battlefield? If so...
"Axel?"
"It seems the joke is no longer a joke."
"What—!?"
For a moment, Lucy didn't understand what I was saying, but the next moment, she must have remembered my words from earlier at the hotel entrance. She took a step towards the conference room. But...
BANG!
She seemed to be a step too late, as a gunshot-like sound echoed from the conference room.
"Euphie—"
"Lucy!"
I instinctively clapped my hand over Lucy's mouth. Euphemia, as in the original story, was only observing this conference. Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe likely didn't even recognize Euphemia, whose name wasn't on the participant list.
"..."
Lucy was looking at me in silence. Judging it was safe now, I removed my hand.
"Sorry, you saved me."
"It's alright. More importantly... they've arrived."
My words and the entry of armed men into the room were almost simultaneous.
"We are from the Japanese Liberation Front. Unfortunately, you conference participants and you all will be our hostages. Those in the conference room have already been captured, so we ask that you do not resist."
With our protectees taken hostage, there was truly nothing we could do. If we didn't care about harming the hostages, wiping out the Japanese Liberation Front would be easy, but that would endanger Euphemia, making our guard duty pointless.
As expected for a Lieutenant Colonel, he was certainly capable.
In the end, the guards, along with the members from the conference room, were confined to a place resembling a warehouse. Of course, all weapons, cellphones, and the like had been confiscated by the Japanese Liberation Front. I, too, had the linear gun borrowed from Guilford, unique to this world, taken from me.
The fortunate thing was that Lucy, Euphemia, and I were all confined in the same room. Thanks to that, I could protect her if push came to shove.
Among the hostages in my room were also original characters Milly Ashford, Shirley Fenette, and Nina Einstein.
Amidst this, several men entered the room. Men armed with guns and katanas. The Japanese Liberation Front. And among them, the one with a particularly imposing physique was likely Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe. ...So, it was him I saw at the hotel entrance.
"I am Kusakabe of the Japanese Liberation Front. We have risen for the independence and liberation of Japan. While you are not military personnel, you are Britannians. You are our oppressors. If you behave, all will be well. Otherwise..."
He cut off his words there and left the room. This deliberate vagueness was probably to instill fear through imagination.
"What do we do?"
"For now, we wait. My sister is in danger. Cornelia will surely make a move..."
"Axel?"
"No, it's nothing. For now, we just wait until something happens. However, be ready to move at any moment."
That faint vibration I just felt... an explosion? An explosion inside the hotel… Perhaps a Sutherland tried to infiltrate via an underground passage and was destroyed by Raikou (Lightning). If so, the next move will be Lancelot breaking through the underground passage at night, and then Zero. It would be best for me to make my move amidst that chaos.
Character Status: Axel Almar
LV: 34
PP: 155
Melee: 242
Ranged: 260
Skill: 252
Defense: 249
Evasion: 277
Accuracy: 299
SP: 414
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Increases Slime performance by consuming SP)
Growth Type: All-Rounder/Special
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 20)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv. 9 & SP Recovery & Concentration)
Psychokinesis Lv. 10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv. 9
Infight Lv. 9
Morale Limit Break
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Kills: 190
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