Beast Knights 8 - House Leaders And Beast Knights

Chapter 8 - House Leaders And Beast Knights

Right from the start, Yuri and the others could already tell that the island where the Kingdom of Esovia was located was truly mysterious and strange at the same time. However, Conrad had a different perception about the place now that he had seen it again after a long time.

Something was different.

In fact, the first thing he noticed as soon as they got out of the Forest of Illusions was the lake surrounding the capital. There wasn't a lake there 25 years ago. But soon after, someone was able to provide the answer to one of his unspoken questions.

"The Laurisian Valley isn't the only area in the island that changed drastically after the war against the Phantasma 23 years ago," Mari said in a grave tone.

This only made Conrad face the said young woman. "Even the capital suffered intense damage?"

Mari nodded. "Not only did the Phantasma nearly destroyed the Roseberke Castle where the royal family once resided, they also used their leader's elemental powers in an attempt to reduce the capital to cinders and rubbles. Well, they succeeded in sinking a quarter of the capital beneath the lake that they created. But that doesn't mean it became inhabitable after that."

The statement that Mari uttered was indeed confusing. But Rina pointed something on the lake and the rest looked to where she was pointing at - only to be surprised to see something truly fascinating.

"Are you saying that the sunken part of the capital can still be inhabited even if it's underwater?" Shori was the one who managed to ask the question.

"The last queen used the last of her powers to allow this to happen as she was already too weak at the time to raise the sunken area above ground once again. From what Klaus told us, even the previous Water Swordfish Knight used up her powers to make this happen despite the fact that she was already too weak and severely injured while protecting the capital," Rina explained.

"Don't worry. The place we're all heading isn't located underwater. But we'll be using the yatch to get to the other side of this place to where the capital is."

The idea about crossing the waters just to get to the capital was alright to Yuri and the rest. But it didn't appeal too much to Wolfram, in which the two female warriors soon noticed.

"Is there something wrong?"

It was Yuri who decided to explain things to his mentor. "Ah, Mari-san, Wolfram is actually weak to ships and boats since he easily suffers from seasickness."

Of course, because of that, the two females looked at each other with concern in their eyes. Soon after, Rina took something from her pocket and approached Wolfram. The said blond stepped back a bit as soon as he saw that, almost done unconsciously.

But Rina just smiled somewhat amusingly before finally stopping just a few feet away from Wolfram.

"Is there something wrong, Rina-senpai?" Murata couldn't help asking as soon as he noticed the small but definitely amusing smile on his mentor's face.

"Don't act as if I'm going to eat you or anything," Rina said which was meant for Wolfram. After that, she handed out a small pouch to the blond soldier who, in turn, only looked at her quizzically. "You better eat that before we get on board so you won't suffer from seasickness. The lake might look peaceful up here from where we're looking. But it has the tendency to become rough even with our presence here since you people are unfamiliar to it and you are - in more ways than one - still considered outsiders. In a way, you could say that this lake was quite alive," Rina explained.

Wolfram took it only after looking at Murata who only nodded, indicating that it was alright and nothing was going to happen to him even if he ate whatever was in that pouch. To everyone's confusion, though, there were three leaf-shaped candies there.

"It's something I made for one of our trainees here since she also has seasickness," Mari was the one who talked this time. "She still has a hard time fighting it, that's why."

"Even in this world, you still like making sweets, huh, Mari?" Shori commented in which the said woman only replied with a cheeky smile and a peace sign. "But why making it as a leaf design?"

"I only made a candy version of the very leaf with extracts that could minimize the effect of seasickness for a certain period of time. Since that leaf was sweet and edible to begin with, I just decided to create something that'll make them easier to eat."

After that explanation, Wolfram ate just one leaf candy as per Rina's instruction. She said that he could save the other two for the trip back to Shin Makoku. It didn't take long for them to reach the lake where a yatch was docked. But they noticed that only one yatch was there.

"Akiyama-san, you don't normally have visitors coming from outside the capital using this lake, huh?" Murata inquired as soon as they stopped.

"You're right. But that's only because they use the underwater pathways just to get to the capital and they were all located beneath the nearby caves around the lake. Not to mention that a lot of things has happened in the past that even the capital was nearly sealed off from other Esovian Mazoku outside just to protect it. Only Klaus and Hanz decided against the idea of doing so since one of the Beast Knight's duties was to protect the entire island and its inhabitants. It shouldn't be limited to merely protecting those that lived in the capital. Well, if you ask me, they had a point."

"I guess whatever it is that happened in the past was devastating enough for the others to decide something like that," Yozak commented quite nonchalantly.

"Well, losing not only the princess but also the queen and the three other Beast Knights because of the curse and the war against the Phantasma respectively... Don't you think it's enough reason for them to become afraid, if not cautious even from their own kind?" Rina said before coaxing the Mazoku to ride the yatch. As soon as they all boarded the yatch, the said woman faced Mari who was looking at the still standing Roseberke Castle with blank expression.

Rina sighed and shook her head in response that Shori noticed almost immediately. "What's wrong, Rina?"

"I was just wondering if there will come a time that Mari here would stop doing this."

"Doing what, Rina-san?" Yuri soon asked the moment he heard those words from Rina.

But instead of answering Yuri's question, she just gestured to look at the woman who was the subject of their conversation. Indeed, they've seen an unusually blank expression on Mari's face as she was eyeing the Roseberke Castle.

"Does she do this every time?" Conrad asked the question, much to the others' surprise.

"From what Klaus and Hanz told me, there was never a day that she doesn't do this sort of thing. I can't even understand why."

"It's because of the memories that it hold. And Rina, I know you're aware of my ability that causes me to become sentimental over some things related to the previous Beast Knights. Especially those who died and were killed that time," Mari responded, much to the others' surprise.

When they turned, they saw Mari already looking at Rina with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry for suddenly making you pissed about it, Mari-san," Yuri said after a few moments.

It didn't take long for the said woman to heave a sigh in order to calm herself at least for a bit. "I'm not pissed. It's already in Rina's nature to become worried about me when I started acting as if I don't care about my surroundings at all whenever I would look at the castle. So there's no need for you to apologize, Yuri."

"But..."

"By the way, Akiyama-san, this Hanz person you and Rina-senpai were talking about... Could it be that he's...?"

Mari nodded once. "He's the other surviving Beast Knight. The Silver Wolf Knight, Hanz Erehalt Kaiser of the Western Aristocratic Family. He's quite a proud Esovian Mazoku and a really dutiful Beast Knight, if you ask me."

"I can imagine you're having a hard time dealing with him if you've ever interacted with that kind of person, Mari," Shori commented.

"That's not necessary true."

At that, Shori frowned upon hearing Rina said those words. "What do you mean?"

"Hanz is what I could consider Mari's mentor ever since she arrived here. In fact, they're really close."

"Eh? Mari, is that true?"

The said woman nodded. Done quite innocently, at that. "He's not that scary since he looked quite young for his age. And I mean if we were to base it on the way humans would age. If I'm not mistaken, he's around the same age as Lord von Bielefield. But then again, he's quite proud of his race and duty as a Beast Knight. A surviving one, at that. So I guess there's no surprise that he became like that after all this time."

After that, Rina was the one who drove the yatch. Surprisingly, the vehicle was fuelled and controlled using maryoku. But unlike Anissina's mechanisms, only one person was allowed to control the yatch and it doesn't drain that person's maryoku even when used.

"Say, Mari-san..." Yuri started.

Mari faced the young king as soon as she heard that. "What is it?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you. About the ability you have that you and Rina-san brought up."

"Oh, that? Don't worry, Yuri. I'll tell you about it once we reach the capital. I promise. But before that..." Mari stopped talking and turned to face Yuri's retainers, mainly the three brothers and Yozak whom she attacked earlier. "I hope I didn't injure you during that time. I won't be able to ask Rina to heal those wounds if ever I ended up hurting you guys."

Without a doubt, they were surprised to hear that from Mari. But nevertheless, they all couldn't help feeling glad for her concern.

"You don't have to worry about anything. But I must admit that you truly have the skill to defeat us back there." It was Conrad who said those words.

"Well, I do have a duty to protect everyone in this island. So I can't help getting caught up with it."

"It seems to me you have a bigger role in this world than just a mere warrior protecting the island of the Kingdom of Esovia," Gwendal commented.

"You could say that."

Not long after, the yatch was nearing the dock in which they could see some people already waiting for their arrival. But Conrad's attention remained focused on Mari who eyed the castle once more with placid expression. What was it about the castle that made her like this? He couldn't believe that his curiosity about this woman was slowly escalating as time passed by.

But just like what the two young women said earlier, Klaus would be the one to explain things to them. Conrad was hoping, though, that the questions he had ever since the Beast Knights topic was brought up would be answered with no restrictions and hesitation.

He soon eyed the Roseberke Castle, as well. His eyes softened as several thoughts ran in his mind. But one of them had truly stood out.

I've come here again... Lyall...

xxxxxx

Much to Yuri's surprise, the people waiting by the yatch's docking area were all members of the Five Aristrocratic Families. The moment Mari and Rina mentioned it, he couldn't help feeling his sweat turning ice cold at the thought of facing the five leaders of those Aristocratic Families this early. Even when Mari said jokingly that they won't bite, he really couldn't keep still and stop feeling nervous.

Damn it! What was he supposed to do now?

"They might not have seen the Maoh's face at all, but they were all aware of what you have done for the sake of Shin Makoku and this world. If I had known that it was you, I should've left the island before in order for me to meet the new Maoh personally," Mari said with an encouraging smile. "And now that I know it was you, I'm sure I'd be able to do everything to preserve it. So that things like war and such would never happen again just to destroy the world and both races of humans and Mazoku."

"Thank you, Mari-san," Yuri said gratefully. Indeed, the young Maoh couldn't help feeling grateful to have gained a new supporter. And to think it was his mentor back on Earth. He was hoping that he'd be able to gain the support of the Beast Knights and the five houses' leaders to protect his kingdom and end the attacks of the Phantasma somehow.

Soon after, the yatch finally docked by the small lake harbor. Mari and Rina were the first to get off the yatch in order to explain things first to the people waiting. As soon as Rina announced that both the Maoh and the Daikenja were present and now currently on the island together with the two ladies, that was when the two aforementioned important people got off of the yatch and gave respect to the people who had been waiting for their arrival, despite their nervousness.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Your Majesty," a regally looking woman with a purple bobcut hair and green eyes said quite politely and even bowed.

"The same here," Yuri sheepishly replied since he wasn't expecting such greeting from her. When he looked around to see the other regally looking people, he saw how they all eyed the Maoh with such respect even though this was the first time he appeared to anyone among the Esovian Mazoku. He looked at the younger looking woman once again before speaking. "Forgive me for suddenly appearing to all of you like this, though. And to think this was the first time I've known the existence of the Esovian Mazoku... To be honest, I couldn't help feeling ashamed."

"There's no need for you to feel that way, Your Majesty," a middle-aged man with golden yellow hair said as he stepped forward and bowed to Yuri. "There are certain circumstances surrounding the secrecy of our existence, so it's understandable that even you would never know about us."

"Let's head back to the castle for now so we could discuss this urgent matter that you've mentioned to the soldiers by the sea border," another regal woman, though looking older than the first, said gravely that soon changed the welcoming atmosphere to a tensed one in a matter of seconds.

But the rest of them could understand the sudden change, though. Especially Murata who hadn't said a word all this time since they got off the yatch.

"I guess there's no use mentioning the reason for them to be here," Rina uttered before sighing. Soon after, she faced Mari who was talking to Shori. "Mari, did you have a hand with this?"

"No. I haven't even used my powers even during the time I was fighting King Yuri's retainers. And I couldn't possibly send a message to the leaders using my wind powers while we were inside the forest."

"Then... how did the leaders become aware of this urgent matter? If I should judge it with the way Lady Vluerona said those words, it seems that the leaders already knew the topic of the urgent matter that His Majesty and His Eminence wanted to talk about to the five houses' leaders and even the Beast Knights."

"It was Klaus who mentioned the possibility of an attack coming from our ancient enemies and now targeting Shin Makoku for some reason, Knight Rina." This time, a slightly older-looking man with faded mahogany brown hair spoke and faced Rina.

However, the last words that the man said had not only surprised Yuri and his companions, but also answered one important question that had been bugging them all this time ever since encountering Mari and Rina in the forest.

"Knight Rina? Rina-senpai, does this mean...?"

The said woman only sighed and faced their Mazoku companion. "I guess there's no use hiding it anymore, huh?"

"Well, Lord Reinhardt already blurted it out," Mari said rather lightly and with a shrug.

"Mari-san, are you saying that both you and Rina-san...?"

Mari nodded. "That's right. The real reason why Rina and I were brought here to this world was because the Beast Spirits had chosen us to fulfill the roles of being Beast Knights."

Without a doubt, that came as a shock to Yuri and Shori. Though Murata's face doesn't show it, but the revelation became too much for him to internalize. As for Yuri's subjects, they were also surprised with that answer. However, Conrad wanted to know one more thing about Mari and Rina's roles as Beast Knights of Esovia.

Though before he could voice it out, another voice disrupted the flow of his thoughts. And this one was something familiar to him even after more than two decades had passed since they last talked.

"It seems you finally decided to come here again... Lord Weller."

When they all turned to the source of that voice, Conrad's eyes slightly widened at the sight of a familiar person now approaching them. This one was also regally looking, having mint green hair and light blue eyes.

"Klaus..."

Klaus smiled as soon as he stopped just a few steps in front of Conrad. "Welcome back."

Three more people accompanied Klaus at the time. But two of them - a male and a female - seemed to be somebody who were familiar to Yuri, Shori and Murata, as well.

"You got to be kidding me... Even Nobu and Chie are here, as well?" Shori was only able to say because of the surprise he felt upon seeing his friends all gathered in one location.

"Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"

xxxxx

If one would ask Yuri, he could say that Murata was right about seeing all four of Shori's friends gathered in that other world as something way too much to be a coincidence. In fact, it seemed to be something that was orchestrated beforehand. Much like how Shinou manipulated a lot of things as he watched over Shin Makoku despite being possessed by Soushu for a long time.

But then again, who would even orchestrate something like summoning Mari and her friends from Earth to become the new Beast Knights of Esovia? Yes, even Nobu and Chie were chosen by the Beast Spirits along with Mari and Rina in order to fulfill the roles of the four previous Beast Knights who died a long time ago, much to their surprise. As to what kind of Beast Knights the four chosen people were, it was still a mystery to them.

At the moment, their priority was to gain the support and have the Beast Knights help them in solving their current predicament with regards to the Phantasma. The Maoh could tell that it won't be an easy task, considering the authority that the leaders of the Five Aristocratic Families were exuding.

It didn't take long for all of them to reach the Roseberke Castle where the conference with regards to Shin Makoku's situation would be held. The leaders and the Beast Knights were all present and Lord Reinhardt ordered that it should only be them who were allowed inside at the moment. Of course, it only increased the tension that Yuri and the others were feeling.

But then...

"I don't think we have anything to worry about, Yuri," Conrad uttered all of a sudden that surprisingly dissipated the tension the Maoh was feeling even if it was only for a bit.

Yuri looked at the said soldier as they continued walking towards the castle. "What made you say that so confidently, Conrad?"

"The leaders may all looked scary as if they don't know how to smile at all. But I think if it's for Shin Makoku, they would never hesitate to lend a hand to help their fellow Mazoku."

The Maoh was at a loss of words upon hearing that. But for some reason, it gave him quite a boost when it came to confidence with the way Conrad said them. Somehow, he wanted to believe that everything would work out just fine.

Not long after, they finally entered the grand castle and headed straight to the large conference room located on the first floor. The inside of the castle didn't look like it suffered intense damage from the war at all. Then again, the repair was probably done well for them to see something amazing and grand like this at the moment.

And yet, Yuri could sense something melancholic about the place. He couldn't quite place it, though.

The leaders, the Beast Knights, and the guests from Shin Makoku all took their seats as soon as they entered the conference room. The table there was circular, so there was no distinction on who among the aristocratic leaders was ruling the others. They knew, however, that Klaus was the leader of the Beast Knights.

"Before we start, I believe a proper introduction is to be done first for the sake of our important guests today who came all the way from Shin Makoku. Especially since His Majesty, the Maoh and even His Eminence, the Daikenja has graced us with their presence," Klaus started with such friendly but still in a firm tone.

The other leaders and the Beast Knights agreed to it. And so the introduction was done this way.

Lord Klaus Elirch Amrein, the current Light Eagle Knight and also the leader of the House of Amrein, was the first to do so. And it was done without leaving a single important detail. Especially the fact that he was the eldest child of the last queen of Esovia and the older brother of the deceased princess and former Wind Tiger Knight, Lyall.

"Of course, I'm sure you already know these facts about me, courtesy of Lord Weller," Klaus said after the introduction.

"Well, he was the only one among us who encountered an Esovian Mazoku and with a sure knowledge about you. So it's a given that he's the only one we can rely on with regards to information about this topic," Murata replied.

"I only hope you didn't force it out of him, though. Despite having the most knowledge about us, his deep connection to the last royal family was still something that could possibly give him an unimaginable pain because of what happened to Lyall." Hanz was, surprisingly, the one who said those words. Conrad couldn't think of what to say in response to that, though.

The second to do an introduction was the leader of the House of Vluerona and the mother of the former Water Swordfish Knight, Lady Sofia Elia Vluerona. Much to Yuri and Murata's surprise, Lady Sofia was also revealed to be Klaus and Lyall's aunt as she was the older sister of Queen Roheis, the last Esovian queen and a member of the House of Vluerona.

"I think what happened back then was still something painful for you. Isn't it, Lady Vluerona?" Yuri couldn't help commenting.

But the Vluerona House leader smiled gently with hints of amusement in her eyes. "You can call me Lady Sofia, Your Majesty. It's true that it's still painful, but I know that my daughter, even my sister and my niece wouldn't want me to dwell any longer in those painful memories whereas I could still do something to stop it from happening again. Right now, that is my goal and I know my daughter would wish for it, as well."

The next one who did an introduction was Lord Heimon Gavin Hagelin, the leader of the House of Hagelin and the father of the former Fire Lion Knight. He was a renowned soldier in his time and definitely the one who was in charge in training the soldiers in the Esovian military.

"So, you're like a counterpart of Lord von Radford of Shin Makoku. But it seems that you still bear the pain of losing your child during the war, Lord Heimon," Murata uttered.

But the tensed atmosphere he was expecting to happen upon mentioning that didn't appear. In fact, everything remained neutral. Of course, this came as a surprise to Murata, but not for long.

"My daughter is quite a dutiful lady and a proud warrior at the same time. But among the six chosen Beast Knights, she was the one who exhibited a certain kind of happiness I never thought possible for being able to fulfill the role of a Beast Knight. I'm sure that even in the afterlife, she was happy that she was able to fulfill the role quite proudly. That means I have to do the same, as well. At least for her successor's sake."

The leader of the House of Reinhardt who soon did an introduction was the old-looking Lord Diethelm Clanus Reinhardt. Apparently, his only heir who was the father of the former Earth Bear Knight also died during the war, thus leaving him without a successor in his lineage. But it appeared that someone among the members of the House of Reinhardt was already raised and trained to succeed Lord Diethelm in the future, together with the blessings and guidance of the other leaders and of the Beast Knights.

"Of course, now that I've met His Majesty and His Eminence, I know this would be too much of me to ask of you but seeking for your blessing and guidance for my successor would assure the people of the House of Reinhardt's future."

"After this affair is over, I don't think we have anything to worry about us giving your chosen successor the blessing he needed," Yuri replied rather lightly that made Lord Diethelm laugh. The atmosphere after that soon became lighter for them.

Lastly, Lady Cerys Mairi Kaiser was the leader of the House of Kaiser and she was the older sister of the surviving Beast Knight, the current Sound Wolf Knight Hanz Erehalt Kaiser. The siblings had no parents since the couple died when they were young due to a mountaineering accident and were then raised by Queen Roheis when she was still alive.

"Does that mean you're quite close to the last royal family, Lady Cerys?" Yuri asked.

"You could say that. It seems that you're quite interested about them, Your Majesty."

But Yuri only laughed it off, slightly nervous. And yet it seems that Lady Cerys didn't mind the inquiry, though. Even Klaus was smiling. Could this be their way of lifting off the pressure that the guests was feeling at the moment? If it was like that, then they were thankful.

After the leaders' introductions, it was the Beast Knights' turn to do the same. Surprisingly, Hanz was the first to do it. As mentioned previously by Mari, Rina, and Lady Cerys, he was the currently chosen Sound Wolf Knight and the other surviving Beast Knight from the war. To Conrad's discomfort, however, Hanz was also revealed to be Lyall's childhood friend and self-proclaimed bodyguard. Perhaps due to the fact that the last queen raised them together.

From what Conrad could see, the description about Hanz being a proud Esovian Mazoku was apparently true, if he were to base it on the way he moved and talked. But the said Beast Knight could be a friendly person, as long as no one would dare get to his bad side. In fact, Hanz even said to Conrad that even though Lyall was his childhood friend, there was never a point that he wanted their relationship to become more than that.

"So, there's no need for you to worry about anything with regards to my relationship with Lyall. Besides, I know all this time about what really lies in her heart in spite of everything that happened to her," Hanz said rather gently, which was something quite reassuring to Conrad.

But along with that, a certain melancholic feeling began to flood his heart again. It was something that all of them noticed but chose not to mention anything about it.

The next one to do the introduction was Shori's only male friend among the group, Fuyumine Nobu. Nobu mentioned that he was an architecture student at a local university back on Earth and on Esovia, he was fulfilling the role of the current Earth Bear Knight. He also mentioned that he was the one taking care of the animals near the capital, especially the endangered ones like the bear bees and the dragons living in the Forest of Illusions.

"So, you're fulfilling your dream of becoming a veterenarian in this world, aren't you, Nobu?" Shori commented.

Nobu laughed and nodded. "Well, my powers over earth was also related to every living thing in this world. So it's really quite helpful for me."

"Does that mean you're the one watching over the dragons' behaviour as of late, Nobu-san?" This time, it was Yuri who asked that.

"That's right. What made you ask that?"

"Mari-san mentioned that the dragons here were acting strange because of the powers that this island had granted to them. Does that mean even from far away, they could sense a Phantasma attack?"

"Yes, they can. The dragons here are just some of the Phantasma's greatest enemies since they act as the Beast Knights and the island's guards. They've grown powerful over time, that's why even if the attack happened in Shin Makoku, they were able to sense it and give us the warning by acting strange. Well, I'd rather describe their strange actions as something worrisome, though."

The next Beast Knight who gave an introduction after that was Natsukawa Chie, a music student at the local university proficient in archery. She became the chosen Fire Lion Knight, given the ability to manipulate the most dangerous element.

"I guess you could put your archery training back on Earth to use here in this world, huh?"

Chie nodded. "Which was something I'm really glad about. But to be able to manipulate flames, that gave me a shock at first."

"Does that mean you'd prefer to manipulate a slightly gentler element, Chie-san?"

"Personally speaking, I'd prefer manipulating the water element. But then I came to realize that each elemental power that exist in this world can be both benevolent and destructive in their own ways. So I have no right to complain about this at all. Right now, my priority is to use the powers I was given to help everyone and defeat every enemy that tries to destroy whatever left of the peace that we were trying to restore. Both for the humans and the Mazoku's welfare."

"Thank you for saying that, Chie-san," Yuri said gratefully.

Soon after that, Harusaki Rina fully introduced herself to their Mazoku guests. She mentioned that she was a medical student at the local university specializing in pediatrics and the currently chosen Water Swordfish Knight. Nevertheless, her skill in healing when it comes to this world wasn't exactly limited to that of the children.

"But isn't that great for you, Rina? You're also fulfilling your dream in this world. Now I won't be surprised if I learned that you're also applying your skills in karate here," Shori commented in which Rina just replied with a laugh.

When it was over, it was obvious who would do an introduction last. Because of that, Conrad instinctively faced the black-haired woman intently listening with every conversation ocurring there.

That only means Knight Mari was...

Lastly, Akiyama Mari introduced herself fully. She revealed that she was an art student at the local university and was the first among Shori's friends to be summoned to that world in order to fulfill the role of a Beast Knight. Just as everyone could tell now, Mari was the currently chosen Wind Tiger Knight succeeding Princess Lyall.

In Conrad's perception, it could have been the reason why he was feeling a certain familiarity towards Mari the moment they met. But he could somehow tell that there was more to it than just being chosen to replace Lyall in that position.

"Now I won't wonder why your swordsmanship style suddenly became so strong during the recent tournaments you've joined to. You're really able to use it here, and you're not even holding back at all," Shori commented once again as he faced Mari.

"Well, when you're protecting something important to you, I don't think there should be any reason to hold back. Right? Esovia is my second home and the place that made me realize the things I want to do right now. The one thing I needed to do to repay this place for doing that is to protect it whatever happens."

"Mari... Just don't try to overdo it, okay? You do have the tendency to do things to the extreme, you know," Shori said, clearly expressing his worries for her.

The black-haired Knight just smiled. "I know that. But I don't think you have anything to worry about that matter."

When the introduction was over and done with, it was then that the real reason why the Mazoku decided to travel such distance just to find the Beast Knights and the Esovian Mazoku was finally brought up to the conference.