When a king from another nation was willing to commit himself to a fight in order to face a fearsome demon, having a member of one’s own royal family shamelessly beg someone else to take them away from the battlefield was utterly disgraceful.
Just as Neia was pondering this information, the Sorcerer King turned to face her for the first time since she had entered the room.
The red points of light in his empty eye-sockets looked straight at Neia. While they had once frightened her, Neia had grown used to them, and she had come to feel that they were quite attractive.
“This is what I think, Miss Baraja. We have ended up in a confrontation with the enemy forces because of the stupidity of the Liberation Army’s leadership. Such a situation cannot be changed by the efforts of a single squire. How about focusing on your personal safety rather than the big picture? You do understand that my nation will accept your allegiance, if you are willing to give it? Given that you have been trained as a paladin, I am certain you will be able to fully exercise your talents in my country.”
Neia did not know how to answer, and she hesitated.
While she was grateful that the Sorcerer King was concerned about her, she trembled in fear as she considered what she might lose if she accepted the Sorcerer King’s proposal.
The sacrifice which her parents had made.
Her love for her hometown.
She might never be able to return to the nation of her birth.
She remembered several friends she had made.
Many things circled in front of Neia’s eyes, and they disappeared one after the other with a poof, but among them was something that refused to shatter, that remained to the end ― in other words, the most important thing.
She was a member of the paladin corps.
While she did not yet know what was justice, it was the only thing Neia could say with her chest puffed out and her head held high.
“As a citizen of the Holy Kingdom, I feel I am bound to save as many of the people as I am able. That is because saving the helpless ― saving those in suffering is common sense.”
The Sorcerer King suddenly stopped moving, as though he had been frozen in place.
“…Hm.”
The Sorcerer King murmured to himself, and then he stroked his chin.
It would seem Neia’s words had struck a chord with the Sorcerer King, because he studied Neia once more.
It was just a throwaway remark, and Neia found herself fidgeting uncomfortably.
“Am I correct to say that when the demihumans attack, you will be posted to the walls near the western gate, on the left side of the city? It is a very dangerous place, and counting on me to save you will be a mistake, you know?”
“I know that very well.”
Neia was skilled in archery, and given that she had been assigned to the thick of the action, there was no doubt that she would be killed in action. However, she had steeled herself for death, since she would be going onto the battlefield.
She drew her lips thin, and Neia looked the Sorcerer King in the eye.
“Ahh, those are his eyes. I liked those eyes.”
The Sorcerer King’s self-directed mutterings made Neia blush. While the Sorcerer King probably did not mean anything else by his words, hearing someone she respected say that he liked her made quite an impact.
“In that case… I’ll lend you several things, Miss Baraja. Please make good use of them.”
There was a whoosh as something huge suddenly appeared out of thin air. The same thought had crossed her mind when the Sorcerer King had produced the bow in the carriage, but magic truly was a surprising thing.
Neia had seen the magic item ― the suit of armor ― which had sprung forth from nothing. It was a suit of armor which looked like a green carapace, which the late Grand King Buser had worn.
“This, this is―”
“This armor ought to be useful, by which I mean it will ensure your safety.”
The armor was too large for Neia ― and its dimensions would be quite sizable for just about any human being. However, given what Neia knew about enchanted armor, it would not be an issue if she tried it on.
Ordinary armor would need to be altered by a blacksmith in order to suit its wearer’s frame. However, there was a limit to how far such alterations could go. Such a large suit of armor simply could not be resized enough to fit.
However, it was different for magical armor. Anyone could wear it regardless of gender or race, provided there were no special restrictions on its use. While the changes would not be too drastic, the armor would automatically adjust its shape to fit its wearer.
One could even have a giant wear a suit of armor no bigger than his own thumb, but the durability of magic armor varied with the materials it was made with and their quality. A ring-sized suit of armor would be easily damaged if it was subjected to spells, acidic, or equipment-sundering attacks, and that would greatly reduce the potency of the enchantments upon it.
There was no such thing as a free lunch, and so-called shortcuts often did not work out. Even so, Buser’s armor was probably quite tough, given that it was this size even without anyone wearing it.
“In addition, I will lend you three more things.” The Sorcerer King personally handed those items to Neia. “A circlet, gauntlets, and a necklace. Are any of them redundant with your personal gear?”
“No, not at all. I did not have any magic items to begin with.”
“Excellent. Now, I will briefly explain how to use these items.”
As the name implied, the Circlet of Iron Will defended the mind against charm, fear, and other such mental attacks. Still, while the circlet rendered one immune to magical attacks, it could only strengthen the wearer’s resistance against attacks derived from special abilities. Another thing she had to note was that the circlet would also negate positive magical effects.
The gauntlets were Gauntlets of Archery. Out of all the spells in the world, there were some which could only be used if their caster possessed shooting skills, which was why the Sorcerer King had made that item. However, the Sorcerer King had abandoned those spells after making that item, and so the gauntlets were useless to him. They had languished in storage until now.
Finally, the necklace was an item that consumed mana to cast the Third Tier divine spell 「Heavy Recover」. While one could use it indefinitely as long as one possessed sufficient mana, it consumed more magical power than casting it directly. Given Neia’s meager reserves of mana, it was best for her to consider it a one-use item. Therefore, she would have to think carefully about when to best use it. This item had not been made by the Sorcerer King or his peers; he had simply been taken with its appearance and had purchased it from somewhere.
Indeed, a closer look revealed that the necklace was of very fine workmanship. It looked like a goddess holding up an emerald. Indeed, it was a very attractive work of art.
Neia looked at these valuable items, and then shook her head in refusal.
“I, I’m very sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot accept these items.”
The magic items that the Sorcerer King offered were most definitely top notch gear. However, what would happen if Neia died while wearing them? These items would fall into the hands of the demihumans, and they would end up strengthening the demihumans instead. Even if they did not fall into the hands of the demihumans, what would happen if her corpse went missing during the chaos of battle and her equipment vanished with her? More to the point, Neia already had the bow which the Sorcerer King had bestowed upon her, so how could she be discontent with that and borrow more things from him?
Speaking of which, she ought to return that bow to the Sorcerer King before going to battle.