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Interlude 1
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Julio Blandelli and Queen Cassandra thought of their comrades
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「

Have Ren-sama arrived at the Fire Country around this time?」
「Most likely. Of course that might not be the case if they get dragged into an unexpected situation but──well, it’s them we are talking about.」
Julio responded to the muttering of Queen Cassandra.
「They will be able to get through anything. But I think the problem will be after they pass through the Fire Country, when they finally visit a city where a Campione live.」
He was still young with his age that was at the middle of his twenty, but he had the position of prime minister of this Capital of Pleasure that was at its height of prosperity.
(By the way the legendary beautiful princess Cassandra was more than a hundred years old. She was a royalty who descended from the bloodline of god, so her lifespan was simply long.)
The two of them were at a balcony of the palace’s terrace.
The palace was built on top of a small hill. It was constructed modestly at the outskirt of that ground.
It was a white palace with stylish construction. It was really befitting for its neat and lovely mistress(Cassandra). They could take an unbroken view of the capital and the sea from this balcony and tasted a very refreshing feel.
However Cassandra was gloomy right now.
「Certainly it’s just as you say

. Fortunately we are in an alliance with the Sea King’s Capital and the Capital of the Dead. Even the Capital of Round Table that attacked us the other day──」
「Yeah. Our relationship with them can be said as lightly hostile. However」
Julio spoke of the question that had been pending for some time.
「Their soldiers’ mobility isn’t that great. It’s the army of that wolf king that weighed heavily in my mind instead.」
「The wolf king──the godslayer who opposed Ren-sama at the sanctuary of Midgard!」
「If the soldiers there get serious, they can appear anywhere in this Claw Archipelago and leave like the wind. Furthermore their custom is divorced from settling down in one place and building a city. It won’t be strange at all even for them to encounter Ren and others in the middle of their travel by chance

」
That Campione had an intellectual look, and yet his character was actually the wildest out of anyone else.
Even Julio had experience of facing him just once. That person seemed to be a power fighter who was the complete opposite of the easygoing Rokuhara Ren.
「But Julio-sama──I also have, another personal worry

」
Cassandra spoke shyly.
「Ren-sama is

that kind of gentleman. Perhaps he will become intimate with Yukino-sama during this journey. Such anxiety has been weighing me down a little

」
「Intimacy, huh. About that, well, this is Ren we are talking about.」
Julio shrugged.
「He is an attentive man with a nice appearance too. He is also skilled in enlivening the place. And there is no denying that he is really skilled in regard to having woman liking him. However, it will be fine this time won’t it?」
Julio had no hobby of saying hollow consolation. He spoke without any concern.
「That kind of frivolous man isn’t my preference ──Mononobe Yukino said that to Riona. In fact, the attitude that she showed to Ren also wasn’t really favorable.」
「There won’t be any problem, if that’s the case then

」
「By the way Cassandra. If you are worrying about that problem, then shouldn’t you worry about his relationship with his fiancĂ©e Riona developing further instead?」
Julio spoke his opinion to the beautiful princess who still looked uneasy even now.
「After all though she act like that, Riona too doesn’t seem to hate Ren.」
「But Julio-sama. Riona-sama is ──a bird right now.」
「Well, she is certainly a bird.」
「Rather if something is going to happen, it will be with Stella-sama instead won’t it?」
「I see, that’s true.」
「To repeat, Riona-sama is a bird right now.」
「It will be troubling for us too if she stay as bird like that forever and reduce our combat strength though

」
Toba Riona who received the curse that turned her into blue jay.
Her form made her unable to display her strength whether in romantic aspect or in combat or other aspect. Julio sighed when he thought of her future.