The only troops guarding the main temple of Alice Abbey were the 100 magicrafts commanded by Count Dalaim. In contrast, the encircling army of Valkyria had a force of over 5,000 machines and 30 battleship-type ride carriers.
I sent a message to the Iron Knights, so instead of escaping, I will be staying here at the main temple for a while. It was inevitable that we would be involved in this siege, but our position was unclear. Perhaps sensing our situation, Mother Maysa began to talk to us like this.
āMaster Yuta. I have a formal request from Alice Abbey for the Iron Knights. Please protect us from the tyrannical Valkyria Empire.ā
Thatās fine with me, but Kiyone and the others are not part of the Iron Knights. When I was at a loss as to how to respond, Kiyone said to Mother Maysa with a cool expression,
āMother Maysa, we accept your request. We will make every effort to help you.ā
āThis is a request to the Iron Knights! Are you sure?!ā
āIāve made up my mind a while ago. The Sword Clan has been disbanded and thereās no way I can do anything other than being a mercenary now. Until father comes back to life Iāll be a part of the Iron Knights.ā
Itās not up to you to decideā¦ā¦.Well, Kiyone would be a force to be reckoned with, and no one would object.
āWhat about Brunnhilde and Tris?ā
āOf course Iām going to follow my master! Yuta-san Iām counting on you!ā
āI have no other choice either. Please take care of me.ā
I had guessed the answer, but both of them followed Kiyone without hesitation.
āMother Maysa. I will also formally accept your request. The Iron Knights will do everything in our power to protect Alice Abbey.ā
When I said that, Mother Maysa bowed deeply.
I heard that the encircling Valkyria Imperial Army had stopped launching large-scale attacks after switching to the strategy of starvation. However, the situation changed when we broke through the siege and entered the main temple.
āThe enemy appears to be resuming its attack.ā
Count Dalaim reported after seeing the enemyās movements.
āHave they changed their tactics now that food has been brought in?ā
āProbably so. If Sister Muzie hadnāt brought us food, we wouldnāt have lasted ten days. It seems that the enemy anticipated this and waited patiently, but they must have grown impatient when the food was brought in.ā
āThen letās hit them so hard that they give up attacking us.ā
āThatās possible if Yuta-dono and Kiyone-dono can help us. Iām counting on you.ā
Weāre mercenaries. It is normal for us to fight on request. But why is Count Dalaim betraying his home country to fight on the side of Alice Abbey? I had a chance to be alone with Count Dalaim before the attack, so I boldly asked him.
āAlice Abbey and my estate have had a close relationship for a long time, due to the close distance between us. Even when my territory was having trouble growing crops due to continuous sunshine, Alice Abbey reached out to us. Over the years, they have helped us again and again. However, there has never been an opportunity for us to help Alice Abbey. This time is the perfect opportunity to return the favor. My vassals are all personal followers of Alice Abbey, so there was no one to oppose me when I said I would betray the Valkyrie Empire and side with Alice Abbey.ā
So thatās why. The people of the estate are all indebted to AliceĀ Abbey.
āAnd I wanted to help here on a personal level.ā
āIām ashamed to admit it, but Iām in love with Mother Maysa.ā
āThatās why I was going to protect this place even if I had to do it alone. Fortunately, they all came with me.ā
I wondered a little if clergymen in this world are okay with romance and such, but I guess that probably doesnāt matter. My impression of Count Dalaim was even better.