Daybreak Rondo

by Yuri Kitayama

  Prologue: An Unexpected Encounter

  On the western side of the Galarc Kingdom, on a road running through the forest to the west of Amande...

  After the battle with the army of monsters that had attacked Liselotte’s party had ended, Princess Flora was left staring at Rio’s face in a daze.

  Oh dear... A troubled expression fell over Rio’s face as he received Flora’s gaze.

  And there was good reason for it: Rio had disappeared before, after he was falsely accused of a crime by the nobility of the Beltrum Kingdom. It wasn’t as though Flora herself had framed Rio for the crime, but he had hoped to never see the royalty and nobility of that kingdom again, including Flora herself.

  It’s been years since I last saw Princess Flora. I’ve gone through my growth period since then. My hair is also a different color thanks to this artifact, so even if she suspects me, I just have to feign ignorance.

  Rio did not lose his cool. He decided to maintain the air of confusion he was putting on in reaction to the staring from a member of royalty, tilting his head in question.

  “...Is something the matter, Princess Flora?” Liselotte asked Flora curiously. Beside her, Duke Huguenot was also watching Flora with a suspicious look on his face.

  When Flora realized everyone’s attention had been focused on her, she shook her head in a fluster. “Huh? Ah, no, it’s nothing!” Despite this, she continued to look inquiringly in Rio’s direction.

  At this point, even Liselotte and Duke Huguenot started to suspect that that her odd behavior must have had something to do with Rio. The two of them looked at him.

  Rio decided to speak up first, placing his right hand over his chest respectfully as he sank to one knee. “...Forgive me for asking, but have I possibly committed something of great offense? If so, please allow me to offer my most humble apologies...”

  “N-No, you haven’t! That’s not it! It’s not like that, no! It’s — It’s nothing of the sort, just...” Flora denied in shock, struggling to find her words as she trailed off.

  Everyone present waited for her to continue her statement. After a pause, Flora opened her mouth fearfully. “Umm, I was just wondering if we’ve met somewhere before.”

  “...Me, Your Highness? I cannot say I recall such a moment, perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else?” Rio made a show of surprise and played dumb, sounding as genuine as possible.

  “Oh, I see...” Flora frowned in frustration.

  “...Hmm. Are you nobility from a kingdom somewhere?” Duke Huguenot suddenly asked, his words directed at Rio. He was curious about Rio’s background, having been informed of nothing but his name. Based on Flora’s statement, he assumed that Rio was nobility from somewhere, and so he tried to discern more with his question. If that were the case, then it wouldn’t be strange for Rio and Flora to have met before.

  “No, I am merely a traveler, wandering through the lands on a pilgrimage to train my sword hand. I am not someone born high enough to ever dream of being in the presence of royalty.” Rio shook his head with a bittersweet smile.

  “Oh? A swordsman of this skill, living secluded without any affiliation to a kingdom...” Duke Huguenot hummed with deep interest. “Ah, excuse me. As Liselotte introduced earlier, I am Gustav Huguenot, just another old and useless noble.”

  “Even my estranged self has heard word of the great Duke Huguenot family before. It is an honor to be in your presence.”

  “Hahaha, I am most humbled to hear that.”

  “And I am too, for your most favorable evaluation of my unworthy skills.” Rio and Duke Huguenot exchanged words in a friendly show of humility.

  So this is that Stewart Huguenot’s father... He sure seems like a typical shrewd noble, Rio analyzed.

  The Huguenot family was the one he had the deepest connection to out of all the high nobility in Beltrum. Several years ago, there was an incident where Flora nearly fell off a cliff during an outdoor drill. Though he hadn’t confirmed this for certain, Rio was fairly sure that Duke Huguenot was the one to place the false accusation on his head. Not to mention the fact he was also the main culprit behind Latifa’s enslavement...

  However, for some strange reason, Rio didn’t feel any hatred toward his near-fated enemy, who now stood right before him. Of course, that didn’t mean he wanted to get involved with him more than necessary — Rio was simply willing to use him if needed, then discard him without a care after. Rio had a different goal elsewhere, after all.

  But Princess Flora and Duke Huguenot don’t matter right now. Liselotte Cretia is what’s important. That’s right — Rio’s true target was Liselotte.

  There were two reasons for it: first, she was the daughter of Duke Cretia, the widely known lord of Galarc. Second, as president, she was the key figure of the Ricca Guild, famous across all the nearby lands.

  It was definitely a wise choice to form a favorable relationship with Liselotte, just in case either of Miharu’s friends — Sendou Takahisa or Sumeragi Satsuki — had been summoned in the royal castle of Galarc as heroes. If things went well, she could be the bridge that connected him to them.

  In that regard, while saving Celia’s old friend Aria during their earlier battle was more of an indirect goal, it had also been a once-in-a-lifetime chance to befriend Liselotte. Although the undesired encounter with certain figures had been a little unexpected...

  In the end, making contact with noble society would have opened the door to possible encounters with people from Beltrum later anyway — it had just happened now instead.

  With the friendly smile still on his face, Rio repeated those words to himself. He had to reset his feelings and believe that this was his first time meeting Flora and Duke Huguenot.

  “Umm, I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Flora Beltrum. Thank you very much for saving us from that dangerous situation earlier.” Flora eyed Rio’s expression carefully as she thanked him with nervous diffidence.

  Rio shook his head gently. “It was nothing. I’m glad to have been of help.”

  At that point, Hiroaki made his belated grand appearance with Roanna in tow. “Ah... Hey. Who is this guy, exactly? Someone you all know?”

  When Rio spotted Hiroaki, his eyes widened faintly. He heard Flora quietly mumble the word “hero” and immediately knew who this boy was.

  ...He’s younger than I expected. I believe they said his name was Hiroaki Sakata? Rio thought, recalling the name he had found out when he snuck into the estate in Rodania.

  “This is Sir Haruto. He is not acquainted with any of us, but he saved us and now we are in the middle of thanking him.” Liselotte said, taking the initiative to introduce Rio to Hiroaki.

  “My honor to make your acquaintance.” Rio introduced himself, placing his right hand over his chest respectfully with a light bow. In the Strahl region, this was a formal pose that showed more respect than a bow to the other person. It wasn’t a gesture that an uneducated person would use naturally.

  When Liselotte and Duke Huguenot observed this conduct coupled with Rio’s courteous manner of speech, they felt even more certain that Rio was no ordinary commoner.

  Meanwhile, Hiroaki was looking Rio up and down as though to evaluate his worth. “Hmm... I see. Oh, I should introduce myself. I’m Hiroaki Sakata. The hero, technically. It’s nice to meet you,” he said with a small shrug.

  “...I had heard rumors that a hero had been summoned, but I never imagined it to be true,” Rio said, feigning surprise.

  “Well, it’s a little hard to believe, yeah. But I’m the real deal.”

  “No, I would never dare deny that. It is quite an honor to be meeting you in person.”

  “Really, now. Well, there’s no need to prostrate yourself in return. You seem to be quite the
swordsman yourself. I saw some of your fight just now,” Hiroaki said cheerfully, apparently satisfied with the self-deprecating attitude Rio was taking on.

  “You are much too kind. However, if the great hero was present, then my assistance may have been unnecessary. I apologize for stepping out of line.” Rio bowed his head solemnly.

  “Hm? Ah... Well, yeah. Honestly, my hero ability is far too powerful for this kind of scuffle. Of course, it’s not that I can’t cross swords face-to-face with anyone...” Hiroaki said vaguely, a somewhat awkward look on his face. Even he was feeling some sense of inferiority at his complete lack of participation in the earlier battle, but it didn’t seem like he was willing to admit that honestly.

  “Forgive my forwardness, but Sir Hiroaki’s power is far too great. On such a small battlefield like earlier, it would have been difficult for him to moderate that power.” Roanna said, immediately supporting Hiroaki’s words.

  Hiroaki nodded along. “Yeah, that’s right. That’s exactly right. One strike with all my might is pretty much the equivalent of a map wipeout. Oh, I should introduce you, too. This is Roanna, the daughter of Duke Fontaine.”

  “I’m Roanna Fontaine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Roanna held the hem of her skirt daintily as she gave a graceful bow. The girl who had been Rio’s former classmate didn’t show any particular signs of suspicion towards him.

  “It is nice to meet you, Lady Roanna. I am Haruto.” Deeming his disguise to be effective, Rio placed his right hand over his chest and greeted Roanna respectfully, then bowed to Liselotte’s party around him with a faint, uncomfortable smile. “With everyone being of such high status, I’m starting to feel a little nervous in all your great presences.”

  “Oh, my. In the earlier battle, you stood against that minotaur with no fear at all, did you not? How could someone so bold before a monster so huge ever be nervous?” Liselotte giggled in amusement.

  “Yes, that is true. The way you handled the earlier fight was splendid,” Roanna agreed with a giggle.

  “Yes, it was like the fight of a hero from legend,” Flora said, nodding along.

  “Hahaha, even I must admit the fight just now had my heart leaping in this old, weary chest of mine.” Even Duke Huguenot echoed the opinions of the girls.

  Hiroaki cleared his throat quietly. “Ah, ahem. Let’s not keep standing around idly any longer. Our horse and carriage was blown away somewhere, should we move to the unharmed carriage instead?” he suggested, cutting the flow of the conversation.

  “In that case, allow me to assist the others. It seems you could do with a helping hand,” Rio offered.

  “Lady Liselotte, do you have a moment to listen to a quick report?” Chloe suddenly said as she approached them timidly.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “What shall we do about the carriage that was blown away by the monster? We were fortunately able to heal the horses that were sent flying alongside it, but the heavy damage to the roof and wheels makes moving the carriage a difficulty. We also lack the craftsmen to make any emergency repairs...” Chloe explained with a troubled look.

  “I see. I wanted to use it for transporting the injured if possible, but...” Liselotte pondered worriedly. If she had been the only noble present right now, she would have immediately decided to give the remaining carriage to transport the wounded. But she couldn’t do that with Hiroaki and Flora here. In terms of status, it was impossible for her to ask them to walk.

  “Repairs may be possible depending on how bad of a condition it’s in. By your leave, I could take a look at it,” Rio offered. He had learned much of his do-it-yourself carpentry skills from the dwarves of the spirit folk village.

  Liselotte’s eyes widened. “Why, that would be a great help. If you don’t mind, Sir Haruto, I would love to take you up on that.”

  Rio nodded readily. “It would be my pleasure. But I cannot guarantee I can fix it.”

  “...Haru...to?” Chloe murmured in surprise, staring at Rio’s face.

  “Hmm?” Rio tilted his head curiously.

  “Chloe, stop. I apologize for my subordinate’s rudeness, Sir Haruto.”

  “P-Please forgive me! You just had the same name as someone else I once met in the past.” Chloe immediately paled and apologized to Rio in a fluster.

  Rio shook his head with a restless look. “No, I do not mind... May I ask where it was that you met that person?”

  The number of people from the Strahl region that knew Rio’s alias of Haruto was extremely limited. On top of that, he recognized Chloe’s name too. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to remember.

  “Answer him immediately,” Liselotte sighed. Chloe peered at Rio’s face as she questioned him fearfully.

  “U-Umm, several years ago, at an inn in Amande... Did you, ah, have you ever stayed anywhere near there before? That inn was my family home, and I used to work there...”

  Rio had only stopped by Amande once, several years ago: it was when he had run away from the kingdom of Beltrum with the false accusation on his head, on his way towards the Yagumo region. And there was only one inn he had stopped in at that time, all those years ago in Amande.

  “...Ah, from that time.” Rio immediately connected his memories and widened his eyes in understanding. At the time, some drunk adventurers had picked a fight with him at the inn, so the memories still remained in his mind. But he had also encountered Latifa the next morning, so it was possible that was the clearer memory that endured...

  “I-I knew it! You remember me!” With the truth confirmed, Chloe drew closer to Rio enthusiastically.

  “Y-Yes, I believe you were calling out to potential customers on the streets?” Rio was slightly taken aback by the sudden difference in enthusiasm. Chloe nodded in excitement.

  “Yes!”

  I’m surprised she remembers. I remember hiding my face with my hood back then... right? That means this girl remembered me by just hearing my name, Rio thought in awe as he looked at Chloe.

  Unless they left a deep impression on you, it should have been a fairly difficult feat to remember the name and face of someone you only met once several years ago. But Chloe’s mind had immediately jumped to Rio when she heard the name Haruto. She must have had quite the memory.

  “Umm, you only stayed for one night back then, leaving right away in the morning...” Chloe spoke hesitantly.

  “Yes, I believe I was in a hurry back then.” Rio replied, looking back on his memories.

  Ah, come to think of it... Suddenly realizing something, he looked at Liselotte. Back then, he had also bought pasta, grains, and other ingredients for his journey from the Ricca Guild. The girl who had welcomed him during that time seemed to bear a resemblance to Liselotte. Their hair color was the same, and their faces were similar.

  Liselotte had been staring at Rio, so when their gazes met, her eyes widened. “Did you two really know each other?”

  “Yes. My apologies... I became too engrossed in the conversation.” Rio apologized immediately to Liselotte and the others. Though the conversation had led him that way, it was definitely not a preferable choice to leave royalty and nobility out.

  “No no, please don’t mind us.”

  “Indeed, we have witnessed a very interesting scene thanks to you.” Liselotte and Duke Huguenot brushed off the apology easily. Having gained an information source in the form of Chloe, they were much more willing to set aside their investigation of Rio’s background for now.

  “You are all too kind,” Rio said, bowing lightly.

  “...Am I really mistaken, then?” Flora muttered to herself as she examined Rio’s face.

  Hiroaki noticed Flora’s muttering and looked towards her. “Ah, did you say something, Flora?”

  “N-No, it’s nothing.” She shook her head in a fluster.

  “...Then I shall go and confirm the state of the broken carriage now.” Rio decided to head towards the carriage before the conversation could drag out any further.

&
nbsp; “I shall accompany you. Hero, you should relax in the carriage with the others,” Liselotte immediately offered.

  “Ah, well, I guess there’s nothing I could do anyway. Let’s go, Flora, Roanna,” Hiroaki responded right away, walking off without waiting for their reply.

  “Yes, Sir Hiroaki.” Roanna immediately followed Hiroaki’s retreating figure.

  “Umm, please let me hear more about you later.” Flora looked like she wanted to continue talking to Rio, but with a glance at Hiroaki walking away, she had no choice but to follow. With a quick bow, she turned on her heel and hurried off.

  “Hmm. Then I shall check on the status of the knights. I shall leave that side to you.” Duke Huguenot left with those words, heading for the knights of Beltrum Kingdom.

  “Then, if you would please, Sir Haruto. Aria, Chloe. We’re going.” Liselotte bowed at Rio before calling to Aria and Chloe beside her. The two of them responded with a respectful “Yes, my lady.”

  Thus, Rio made his way to the broken carriage accompanied by Liselotte and her attendants.

  Chapter 1: The Road to Amande

  After that, the group made their way to the broken horse carriage.

  The carriage had been blown into the forests on the side of the road, completely overturned upon itself. Furthermore, the iron plating on the roof had been completely dented by the stone great sword, while several detached parts — including the wheels — lay around the surrounding area. It made the entire scene look like a wreckage.

  There were two horses that had been sent flying along with the carriage, but the attendants had already used healing magic to treat them and had led them back to the main road.

  Liselotte gazed upon the ruins with an uncomfortable expression. “How... does it look?” she asked Rio. To her amateur eye, it looked damaged beyond repair.

  “...I may be able to do something about this.” Rio replied as he looked around at the scattered parts of the carriage.

  “Right... of course. Wait, what?!” Liselotte was already nodding reflexively when she processed Rio’s answer in complete shock.

  Rio chuckled at Liselotte’s surprise. “While I can’t do anything about how terrible the carriage itself looks, fortunately the wheels and axles haven’t been damaged irreparably. If I make some temporary repairs, it should be able to hold on until you reach Amande.”