The Incubus King of Holy Sword Academy (WN): Extra Story

 

Extra Story: Land of the Black Wolves

 White snow is dancing in the cloudy sky.

 The sky is not particularly unusual in Lou, the capital of the Hero Family, but for Melvina, who had not been back in a few weeks, it reminded her of the original landscape of her own heart, and she felt depressed.

“Mel, are you okay?”

 A voice suddenly called out to her.

 Melvina was about to reply reflexively, "I'm fine, sister-in-law Patricia", but stopped herself just before she did and put on a perfect smile.

 After a pause, she turns to her left and replies to Princess Yufimia, who is sitting in an opulent chair, "I'm sorry, I was a little fuzzy".

 As soon as she returns from her somber contemplation, the cheers of the arena in Lou, the capital of the hero family where Melvina is now located, rush to her ears.

 The arena was in the midst of an old-fashioned jousting match.

 The ceremony was held to celebrate the start of Finn Lou, the newly elected head of the family, following the transformation of the previous head, Setanta, into an almost holy tree.

 It is a traditional event in the Hero Family, and was also held when Setanta succeeded his predecessor Leroy as head of the family.

 In the arena, there are many powerful local families and merchants, especially around the seat where Melvina is sitting, including Count and Countess Lowell, Patricia's parents, Chief Wailde, the head of the tribe, Yufimia, a royal family member on a business trip, Setanta's mother Marguerite, Melvina's mother Elizabeth, and others. Marguerite is in mourning, with a white veil covering her face, and Elizabeth is making every effort not to look at Melvina.

 In addition, the Count and Countess Lowell seemed to be furious with Finn Lou and his family after (or even before) the division of the territory over the past few days, and Chief Wailde seemed to be constantly instructing his men to run around the area.

 None of the guests of honor were enjoying the festivities, and the only place in the arena where the atmosphere was tense was around Melvina's position.

"Mel, Finn is calling you."

 Yufimia poked her arm and Melvina stood up.

 Careful not to wrinkle her white dress or let the flower crown fall from her head, Melvina walked from her seat to the arena's railing.

 In the elliptical arena for jousting, a huge knight in black armor was already waiting with his spear.

 The giant knight wore a black helmet in the shape of a wolf, and from his left shoulder hung a golden cloak to his left knee in the shape of shining golden hair, the symbol of Lou the Hero of Light.

"Auu!" "Auuuu!" "Auu! Hahaha, auu!"

 A cheer imitating the cry of a wolf rises from the opposite bank of the arena.

 At the railing on the other side are the strong men who are members of the "Black Hunter Corps", the hero's knight order.

 It is an order of knights that is considered the strongest in the kingdom, commanded by the heroes from generation to generation.

 The total number is 3,000.

 Each one of them is said to be comparable to a guardian knight of the kingdom's regular army, and among them, the top 500 or so are a legion of "heroes" who have all hunted dragons on their own and returned alive.

 They hunt on the battlefield like wild wolves.

 When not mounted, they fight ferociously as beasts like Setanta.

(A flock of black wolves. The hero's black claws and fangs. ――It is said that they originally wore white armor so as not to stand out in the snowy landscape, but at some point, when they were able to easily destroy dragons, they began to wear black armor on their bodies to instill fear and presence in their enemies.)

“Aneue!”

 The huge man in black armor takes off his wolf helmet.

 Out from underneath came golden hair longer than Melvina's and the face of a boy so beautiful that he surpassed that of elven men.

 Finn Lou.

 He is the nobleman who will be the next head now that Setanta has become a holy tree.

 His ears are pointed like a wolf's, and his blue eyes are even brighter than Setanta's. His eyebrows are thin, and his eyes are hollow under his eyes.

 His thin eyebrows and deep hollows under his eyes give him the cruelty and ruthlessness of a beast, even though he is a beautiful boy. As the new commander of the "Black Hunter Corps", the kingdom's most powerful and renowned force, he was even better suited than Setanta.

"I would like to have your flower crown! To win this match!"

"I understand."

 As she dropped the flower crown on Finn's spear, Melvina prayed that Finn would die in an accident.

 Her brother's opponent was Kelbre, who is said to be one of the five best in the "Black Hunter Corps".

 Moreover, Kelbre is a young man who took pity on Patricia, who always cried when she was beaten by Setanta when she was little, and comforted her as if he were her real brother. After Patricia's son, Shifu, was killed, it was rumored that every time he passed Finn, he would look at him with murderous intent.

 The words "honor and justice are to be respected in the game" are enshrined in the kingdom, but unfortunately, this is the realm of the hero's territory. The interpretation of honor and justice is quite different from the outside world.

"Thank you!"

 Finn grins, puts on his wolf's helmet, and rides his horse to the north end of the arena.

 His long blond hair, along with the golden cloak on his shoulders, fluttered brightly in the snowy wind.

 Melvina watched him go, then walked up the stairs and sat down in her seat.

“…………”

 As she sits down in her chair, she receives a piercing look from Count Lowell, as if he were shooting her dead. From his point of view, Finn is the one behind the murder of his lovely grandson.

 He probably thinks it's absurd to give him a crown of blessings.

 If one asks whether Finn is a friend or foe, he is the enemy.

 If that is the case, Count Lowell's thinking is that he should eliminate him thoroughly.

 It is similar to the way the light race eliminates demons.

 She doesn't mean to deny that, but for Melvina, there was no reason not to give her brother a crown of blessings. Finn is her blood brother.

 No wolf would not congratulate a pack, even one of its own blood, for going out to kill each other.

“For some reason, Finn Lou seems to adore you.”

 Yufimia whispers to Melvina, who has returned to her seat.

 Melvina tilted her head with a slight smile on her mouth.

"Is that so."

"That's right. How could that wild and ferocious man ask you for a crown of blessings? Some of the "Black Wolves" were also thanking you. Did something happen to you in the past?"

"No, not really. I have always lived a quiet life in a corner of the castle."

 The jousting match begins below.

 Finn's black horse gallops by, and Kelbre's white horse gallops by on the other side.

 Their shadows cross and Finn's shield is shattered.

 Finn was almost pushed off his horse, but his balance and muscle strength kept him on the horse.

 But he lost momentum.

 Kelbre is a fierce fighter who had also defeated Setanta in a jousting match.

 Next, Finn's belly would be pierced and he would fall off his horse and lose.

 Everyone thought so, but in the next exchange, Finn, surprisingly, aimed his spear at the leg of Kelbre's horse, causing Kelbre's horse to topple over and knock Kelbre to the ground.

"Auu! Hahaha! The idiot just fell over!" "Auuuu!" "Auuuu!"

 Finn takes off his helmet and smiles innocently.

 Following his howling, the wolf knights one after another howled into the cloudy sky.

"You coward! What is this match!"

 Count Lowell slams his goblet and stands up.

 Beside him, Mrs. Lowell grabbed her husband's arm.

"This is terrible......"

 Next to Melvina, Yufimia also covered her mouth.

“Finn, you!”

"I'm sorry, the tip of my spear went off course."

"I'll kill you!"

 The bloodied Kelbre threw down his helmet and drew the longsword from his waist.

 He invoked the holy art [Swear to the Blue Holy Tree] to strengthen his physical abilities.

"Hahaha. You pulled it out first, Kelbre!"

 In contrast, Finn ferociously showed his canine teeth and whipped his horse.

 The first casualty was Finn's horse.

 The black horse's head was cut off by Kelbre's [God's Sword].

 Finn had already leaped overhead and struck Kelbre in the head with the sharp point of his left-hand shield.

 From there, they're trying to kill each other.

 Both men used their holy arts to tear at each other's flesh, moving like wolves with swords in their mouths.

 The last one standing was Finn.

 He had originally intended to kill Kelbre, who had good feelings for Patricia.

 Kelbre, who had been injured during the fall, gradually slowed down, and in contrast, Finn let out a number of moves. Eventually, Finn took advantage of the moment and decapitated Kelbre. No one could stop him until Kelbre's angry head rolled to the ground.

 He who stood until the end was the winner.

 And the winner is justice.

 Kelbre should have seen the danger and run away as soon as possible.

 He had foolishly jumped into the death zone because his wild instincts had been dulled by anger.

"I wouldn't call it cowardly, Kelbre."

 Finn smiled briskly just after he had beheaded him.

"Yeah, you wouldn't say that it is cowardly when you're dead!"

 × × ×

“Aneue, are you leaving already?"

 The day after the jousting match.

 When she came to the airport with Yufimia and others to return to the royal capital on the first flight in the early morning, Finn and the [Black Hunter Corps] caught up with them riding a wyvern.

 Count Lowell and Yufimia didn't even want to see Finn's face and got into the carriage early, so Melvina had to deal with Finn by herself.

"Yes, I've been here for two weeks now."

"It's still two weeks, right? It would be nice if you could rest here a little longer. Many people are on their way back from various places now that the armistice has been signed. They will all want to see Aneue."

"No way. No one would want to go out of their way to greet me when there is nothing to be gained by flattering me."

"It's not a matter of profit or loss. A member of the herd has returned. Everyone wants to rejoice in the reunion."

"Even so, I am leaving now."

"Are you worried about the fiancé you left in the royal capital? Something like Christopher Soderholm."

"How do you know his name?"

 Melvina raises one eyebrow.

 If this man intends to harm even Christo, Finn Lou is Melvina's enemy from this moment on.

 She cleverly hides her murderous intent to find out Finn's true intentions.

 If Finn is an enemy, there will be no mercy.

 She won't show him mercy.

 But Finn just shrugged his shoulders without showing any particular emotion.

"I only heard about it from Her Highness the Princess."

“From Yufimia-sama… I asked her not to talk too much about my situation to Finn.”

“It seems that Her Highness doesn’t like the man named Christopher. She even said that he was not suitable to be Aneue's fiance."

 If that was true, it was unnecessary, but since Yufimia herself was on board the carriage behind her, she should never say anything outrageous. Towards the royal family, she would remain neutral and not show her own color.

"Is that so."

"Didn't Aniue put you in a bet?"

"Yes, well."

“Aniue also does terrible things. He shouldn't bet a member of another pack."

"And you killed Kelbre yesterday."

"He was no longer part of the pack."

 Finn says so lightly. “Wolves who don’t obey orders are no better than stray dogs. If I don't think about the pack, the other wolves will banish me as a spoiled dog."

"He is an exemplary knight."

"I don't know about the outside world, but it's not the same for us in the Lou family. He would have watched us die on the battlefield without using healing magic. His heart was estranged from our pack. From the moment he saw sister-in-law Patricia's beauty, he began to go mad little by little. Indeed, being a beautiful woman is a sin."

“Is that all you have to say? If that's all, I'm going to take a ride in the carriage. It is cold and snowy here."

 Finn spun words to stop Melvina, who said so and turned her back.

"I heard that the star reader said that when mother-in-law Elizabeth-sama got pregnant, a man will be born. That's why Elizabeth-sama gave birth to you without aborting."

"……? So what"

“That star reader, now exiled, is working in [Meteor Canyon] collecting pieces of the holy tree that fall from the sky. I had the opportunity to speak with her last month and asked her about the time she made that mistake. She said that she predicted that a man would be born because the stars showed that [a hero would be born]."

"I'm not a hero. As you can see, your sister is a real woman."

 Melvina opens her fur coat to reveal a white blouse and a knee-length black skirt.

 The blouse has a modest bulge and her waist inside the skirt could conceive a child.

"Yes, the [Hero of Light] is Aniue, and me. You are not a [Hero of Light] as defined by the Kingdom of Yggdrasil. But you have a beast in your heart. The heart of a fierce and brave warrior who fights her enemies. You may be a woman, but you are a brave warrior. ――That is why I and the rest of the pack see you as one of us."

"Excuse me. A few weeks ago, I found my joy as a woman. As a result, I met the man of my dreams through the arrangement of brother. I am no longer bound by the bloody rules of the wild."

"Hah, there's no way a weak man in the city can control you."

"Watch your mouth. I will not tolerate you taunting my future husband, even if it is with you. Christo-san―― Christopher is not a weak man. He is a strong warrior, even stronger than brother."

"I'm not talking about physical strength. It's about the heart."

 Finn put his hands on his hips and lifted the corners of his mouth.

 Perhaps inspired by Melvina, his gaze is laced with murderous intent.

 His left hand was gripping the hilt of his saber.

 He was right-handed, so he could not pull it out immediately.

"Christopher may have won a playful duel with Aniue, but that is not a victory in the true sense of the word. No matter how many times Aniue was killed, he would pull out the blade in his heart and bravely attack his enemy. And in the end, he always won by biting through the enemy's throat. That [Frozen Plains] stretching to the north was won by the hands of the great Setanta. Aneue, you are a wolf born and bred in this northern land, following the back of such a hero. As the head of the family, I would ask you not to be seduced by a city man and come back pregnant with poor genes."

 "――――"

 Melvina's body leaned forward slightly.

 Almost simultaneously, Finn's left-hand pulls out his saber in a reverse-handed position.

 In the next instant, Finn's saber was flying high in the air.

 Melvina, her ash blue eyes lit up with murderous intent, held the dagger she used to parry, which should have been at Finn's waist, to his throat.

 The dagger is held in reverse.

 She slid into Finn's huge body and positioned herself so that she could thrust the dagger under his chin.

 Around them, the [Black Hunter Corps] surrounded Melvina and Finn at the same time they drew their weapons.

"It's good, step back. Old man, put your sword away too."

 Finn ordered the others as he raised his hands above his head.

 Melvina had no intention of taking Finn's life, so she slowly retreated.

 She tossed the dagger back to Finn, and at the same time, she undid the clasp on the bag of rune stones she had in her pocket.

"See?"

 Finn shrugged with a straight face.

 He returns the dagger to his hip as if nothing had happened.

"As expected, you are the same as us."

"Next time you mock Christo-san, I'll rip your noisy throat out."

"There will be no next time. You did a good job, but there will be twenty knights focused on you. If you miss the first attack, you, who cannot use the holy arts, will be no match for me."

"Shall we try it?"

 Melvina tilted her head as she unbuttoned her coat with a relaxed motion.

 She has always been sensitive to the way others look at her, as she has always had a tendency to look at other people's faces.

 After realizing the beauty of her own appearance, she became adept at manipulating the gaze of others.

 At this distance, she can't make it in time to strengthen her physical ability.

 It would be a simple battle of reflexes, and she would certainly be able to cut his head off first.

 But the problem is that once she slit his throat, Finn wouldn't go down.

 To incapacitate him, she needs to make him bleed heavily at least two or three times.

 A second or third time is required.

(In the past, I didn't have a next move. But now I have the "next" that he showed me. The path that Christo-san has illuminated for me gives me infinite courage.)

 She felt the rune stones in her pouch pulsing with the thump of Melvina's heartbeat.

 She hates fighting.

 Despite these thoughts, Melvina's light pink lips were smiling with the smile of a warrior licking it with her tongue in the face of a powerful enemy.

 Without even realizing it, her heart rate and blood pressure rose, and her body went into a state of excitement.

 The black-clad wolf knights, who had once backed down, all put their hands on the hilts of their swords at once.

 But perhaps seeing his sister smiling unintentionally and ferociously, Finn narrowed his blue phosphorescent eyes and slowly shook his head.

"I'll stop."

"...I see. I'm glad."

"Like wild wolves, they don't go against wolves stronger than themselves."

"I've been wondering this for a long time, but are you trying to make fun of me by saying that I'm a strong woman who can't use holy arts? It's unpleasant, so please stop."

"I mean it."

"I see... your eyes are blind."

"No, no. Everyone is deceived by your pretty appearance. Being a beautiful woman is still a sin."

“If you think so, choose your six wives carefully. I pray that you will not be seduced by a city girl, and not let her devour the coffers of the Hero Family.

“Aneue has no right to criticize my taste in women.”

 Finn picked up his saber from the ground and put it on his waist.

“Well then Aneue, will the next time I see you is after Aniue becomes a holy tree?”

"Perhaps."

"Farewell. Next time we meet, I will introduce you to my six wives. I will have women as beautiful and fashionable as those in Aniue's harem."

 "――――"

 No further conversation would be necessary.

 Melvina got into the carriage at the urging of the pilot.

 At that time, several black wolves, including the white-haired old knight standing next to Finn, took off their helmets and bowed to Melvina.

(It's you who longs for the capital.)

 She swallowed those words intended for her brother.

 This hero territory is a kind of prison.

 The hero and their families were prepared as the strongest forces of the light race to fight against the demon race, and this is a place of chains to keep the hero from freely roaming the kingdom of Yggdrasil.

 The home of their ancestors.

 The place where the origin of their blood lay.

 Therefore, the heroes are psychologically unable to leave this place.

 Nor do they have the political and economic power to do so.

 They are doomed to kill each other and sharpen their fangs forever in this land.

 Until the day comes when there is no more conflict and the existence of the hero is no longer needed.

(Is my soul bound to this land?)

 Melvina thinks as she takes out the pouch containing the rune stones that Christo gave her.

 Soul is a vague term.

 To put it more concretely, it would be the longing for this hero territory.

 One thinks of the land.

 One thinks of home.

 One thinks of their ancestors and descendants.

 Or, one thinks of their loved ones who live in this land and the memories one has of them.

 As long as any of these thoughts are in her heart, Melvina will continue to be bound to this place.

(If I had not met Christo-san, I might have fallen apart at some point and would have wanted to return to this land. But now I have him.)

 She is still not sure where Christo is trying to walk toward. He himself tries to talk about only a vague path of "building a country".

 However, she was convinced that even in the fog created by Foglin, she would not be misled by nostalgia if she were with him.

(I want to be with him. I don't want to coexist with him by relying on him, but I want to be a collaborator, walking the path together with him. But I am not sure at this point what abilities are necessary for that.)

 If she doesn't know, then for the time being, it will be financial resources.

 Money is something she doesn't have.

 For that reason, she had packed many alchemical tools in the carriage.

 The means of money-making itself could be transported to the royal capital, although alchemy cannot be performed at the boarding house, so a workshop somewhere would be necessary.

(According to Yufimia-sama, this year's inter-academy martial arts tournament is likely to be the three-race martial arts tournament proposed by Duke Leopoldo Salvatori.)

 With the truce with the dragon, the three nations on this continent are now connected by a peace agreement. The vampires were to come from the south of the capital with the permission of the Kingdom of Yggdrasil, as an extension of the previous exchanges, and the dragons will come for the purpose of breeding. The three countries were to hold a friendly martial arts competition.

 Of course, this is not confirmed information, and there is a possibility that the event may be canceled due to security concerns.

 There may be many obstacles, including diplomatic backstories that Melvina is unaware of.

 However, if the tournament was really going to be held, she has to take advantage of it and ride this big wave.

(When I return to the capital, I'll gather the necessary information, including permission to operate food stalls. Even if the competition was canceled, it would not be a waste to know the laws and ordinances of the royal government.)

“Well then, I will continue my training until I reach the royal capital. ᛊ ”

 ᛊ.

 It is written as ᛊ and read as "Sowilo".

 It means sun, victory.

 Melvina put the meaning of the sun in the rune stone.

 Melvina had learned rune magic from Christo, but even during her stay in the hero territory, Melvina repeatedly invoked the magic whenever she had free time, and repeatedly learned the effects of the magic intuitively.

 Since long ago, she had always had a disposition that did not mind accumulating such small efforts.

 If necessary, she will learn it without worrying about it.

"ᛞ"

 Dagaz means "day, daytime," etc.

 The inside of the carriage suddenly becomes warmer, making the thick coat unnecessary.

 Melvina took off her coat as if it were a chrysalis hatching and opened her arms.

"ᛉ”

 Eolhx means protection.

 In many cases, holy arts cannot be completely blocked, so when dealing with holy arts users, the advanced form "Northern Flaming Wall" is used.

 But for now, it's all about the basics before going to the applications.

 She will work on the basics and repeat them over and over again without getting tired of them until she can activate them even when she is asleep.

(Magic will be my strength)

 And the power to fight, just like the financial power, was a power that would not rot in this harsh world.

 She hates fighting.

 But she has to sharpen her fangs because she needs them.

 Even in the previous battle at Holy Tree Mountain, if Melvina had been as strong as Christo and capable enough to be asked by Setanta to lend a hand before the battle, Setanta and Patricia might not have been defeated.

 From another perspective, Melvina's lack of power meant that she could only stand by and watch her brother die in defeat.

 She would never want to lose Christo in the same way as she did this time.

 She needs strength so that she won't be a bystander when Christo goes to a battle where life is at stake.

 "――――"

 The three rune stones connect with Melvina's senses.

 She continues to slowly move the position of the stones.

 If she can change the position of the stones as freely as Christo, she will finally be able to manipulate the applied rune magic as if it were her own limbs.

 The pilot gives the order to depart.

 The wyvern pulling the carriage vibrates as it moves its wings.

(Today's goal. Keep moving the rune stones until I reach the royal capital.)

 Soon after, the wyvern took off.