GalaxyTL
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‘I’ll kill you all’.
The intruder girl said that, assuming a battle stance, and the next moment… she started emitting an overwhelming 【Intimidation】!
“Ugh…!?”
The air is heavy.
Byun, involuntarily dropping to one knee, feeling like he’s about to offer his neck in submission, sweating as he desperately endures that tremendous release of magical power, lets out a groan!
“…………”
The intruder… Emi, on the other hand, is expressionless.
She looks calm.
Her 【Intimidation】 is certainly powerful, but for some reason, he doesn’t feel any killing intent from it.
In other words, she’s not even serious yet.
“Tch…”
Byun reflexively clicked his tongue, realizing that fact.
(If only I had my armor…!)
And he regretted it.
Their Three Knights of the Royal Guard armor is special, made with ancient techniques.
It’s not just for show… it’s a magic tool that increases the wearer’s abilities tenfold, just by wearing it.
He moved his gaze, and saw Sweatsuit Onee-san, his senior knight, also looking pained.
This is bad…
He’s not even sure if they can put up a fight.
Although he’s deceived by her youthful appearance… if he thinks about it calmly, this opponent is a formidable being, capable of destroying the walls of this labyrinth, which are thought to be indestructible, to get here.
What should he do?
Byun desperately held onto the reins of his thoughts, which were about to sink into despair, and continued to think of a way to break through this situation.
(…Should I ask that intruder… ‘Please let me put on my armor’? Haha…)
But no good ideas come to mind.
He can’t think straight, his mind filled with anxiety.
Ask an enemy who’s entered battle mode, ‘Please let me get ready for battle’?
What kind of enemy would listen to such a request?
It’s so ridiculous, he doesn’t even want to try.
But!
But!
While Byun and Shito-Shitorin, the two younger knights, were exposed to the intense 【Intimidation】, unable to do anything but make pained expressions, ‘Nikkor of the Sun Sword’, the leader of the Three Knights of the Royal Guard… was the only one who could act!
He’s been serving as a knight for a long time, and has experienced countless difficult situations.
That experience… has become his strength!
“Heh… ‘Kill you all’, huh? They’re really underestimating us.”
He took a deep breath, and let it out, chuckled fearlessly… and then, ‘Nikkor of the Sun Sword’ calmly spoke.
(H-He’s not even succumbing to this 【Intimidation】… As expected of the Commander…!)
Byun, breathing heavily…
This situation… how will the captain of the Royal Knights… the strongest man in the Sky Kingdom Royal Knights…
How will he resolve it?
Let’s learn from him.
Thinking that, determined not to miss a single movement, he looked at that reliable, large back with envious eyes!
“We, the Three Knights of the Royal Guard, the proud swords of the Sky King…”
Nikkor, perhaps aware of that gaze, perhaps not, continued to act with dignity… and declared!
“We won’t lose, I swear it on the crest engraved on ‘this armor’!!”
““““…………””””
And once again, silence filled the waiting room.
“…Armor?”
The intruder, Emi, tilted her head, expressionless.
This old man was saying something about ‘this armor’, but… he’s clearly wearing a jersey and a tank top!
Byun held his head in his hands!
(Aaaahーーー! It’s no use, Commander… you’re still panickingーーー!!)
That’s right!
Nikkor’s lines just now… are the lines he prepared beforehand, to say when facing an enemy!
Nikkor is still confused by this unexpected situation, the intruder suddenly barging into the waiting room… and can only say the lines he thought of beforehand!
“Armor… where? I don’t see anything…”
And Emi calmly retorted.
“…………”
Nikkor took a deep breath, and then said.
“There are things that are important, even if they can’t be seen. Like the bond between a husband and wife. The bride and groom will…”
(Commanderーーー!? Those are the words from your speech at your subordinate’s wedding, six months agoーーー!!)
It’s no use!
Nikkor is too shaken up, he’s unreliable!
Byun, judging that, made eye contact with Shito-Shitorin, his senior knight, hoping she could do something!
Shito-Shitorin received his gaze, nodded slightly, and stepped forward, saying!
“You’re strong… Fine, you may pass…”
(She gave upーーー!? She gave up, and said the lines she prepared for after we loseーーー!?)
But Shito-Shitorin was also useless!
“Damn it!”
He has to do something!
Byun made up his mind, pushed Nikkor aside, and stepped forward!
And taking a deep breath… he started talking rapidly to the confused intruder, Emi!
“Ahh… Excuse me? On behalf of these two, I’ll be taking over the conversation from now on! Ah, I apologize for not introducing myself sooner, but I’m ‘Byun of the Wind Bow’, one of the Three Knights of the Royal Guard! Nice to meet you!”
“Ah, n-nice to… meet you too…”
Byun bowed deeply, with intensity!
Overwhelmed by his momentum, Emi reflexively bowed back!
“So, our current job as the Three Knights of the Royal Guard is to wait for intruders in the three Trial Rooms next to this waiting room, and beat the crap out of them!?”
“That sounds like… a tough job…”
“Thank you for your concern! Now, Emi-san, was it? You’re also an intruder, so we were supposed to wait for you in the Trial Rooms, fully equipped! Do you understand so far? Do you have any questions!?”
“N-No…”
Byun’s words wouldn’t stop!
Emi, completely withdrawing her 【Intimidation】, was stunned, listening to Byun’s words flowing like a raging storm!
“Thank you for your understanding! So, as I was saying, we wanted to intercept you with all our might, but there was a slight misunderstanding, and we were on break! This room you entered is the waiting room, you see! Of course, I understand that we should take responsibility for not being prepared! We apologize for that!”
“Haa…”
Byun once again bowed deeply!
Emi also reflexively bowed!
“But think about it? You, you broke through the walls of this labyrinth to advance, right!?”
“There were too many paths, it was troublesome…”
“Troublesome!? You destroyed our labyrinth, a dignified and ancient heritage passed down from our ancestors, leading to the heart of the Sky Kingdom, just because it was ‘troublesome’!? To be honest, that’s incredibly rude! In other words, it’s obvious that you’re to blame for this situation!”
“S-Sorry…”
Emi was surprised to be suddenly blamed for her actions, after being swept away by Byun’s momentum until now!
And she impulsively apologized!
“So, you will follow my instructions! We’re going to get equipped and move to the Trial Rooms! It’s our job to repel intruders! We’ll call you when we’re ready, so wait here, okay!? Understood!?”
“U-Understood…”
“Haa, haa, haa…”
Byun’s rough breathing was the only sound echoing through the waiting room, now silent again, after forcefully pushing his demands.
The intruder, Emi… seems to have accepted Byun’s request.
She walked over and sat down on a chair in the waiting room, and calmly started eating the baked goods placed on the table in front of the chair.
And then.
A hand was placed on Byun’s shoulder.
Turning around to see who it was, he saw Shito-Shitorin, his senior knight.
“Thank you.”
Shito-Shitorin whispered her thanks to Byun, smiling.
And she handed him a towel.
Byun silently bowed his head, took the towel, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Hey.”
Shito-Shitorin then continued, in a whisper…
“Can you ask her… if it’s okay for me to fix my makeup too…?”
“Like I careーーー!!!”
Byun shouted, throwing the towel to the floor!!