He smiled at Saito.
“Is it so weird that the color of my eyes are different?”
“N-no…” he blushed instinctively. What was that, he is a man, Saito tried persuade himself.
“Then don’t feel so shy looking at it.”
He said not bashfully at all. In fact, he was smiling and grinning, seemingly enjoying Saito's reaction. Foxy guy, Saito thought.
“Speaking of abnormalities. You are the rumored familiar Saiton, right?”
“It's Saito.”
In a hoity-toity gesture waved, he it away and introduced himself. He bowed gracefully.
“Sorry! I was being rude! I am a priest of Romalia, Julio Cesar. I was looking forward to meeting you… Because a human being for a familiar is very rare. I wanted to meet you at least once… Ah, and you…”
Noticing Louise, Julio took off his cool mask, and gave a wide smile. It was an innocent smile, just like a bloomed flower.
“And you are Miss Vallière? As rumored! You are very beautiful!”
Louise’s mouth opened, while he took her hand and placed it at his lips.
Saito trembled.
Just whose hand do you think you're kissing? Get away, she's mine. My master.
Saito tried to calm himself down. Louise, having a mouth pressed to her hand so suddenly, won’t let it slide. A kick will fly, a punch will fly, and a lot of blood will gush out. Saito stared in anticipation… but nothing flew at all.
Instead.
“You shouldn’t.” She cast her eyes down, with a blush on her cheeks, and said shyly.
Saito was in a cold sweat.
What’s with reaction?
He was reminded of Wardes. He remembered that Louise was weak against such charm. Saito felt like throwing up.
“It is inexcusable! To discover such beauty outside Romalia, in the middle of the war! I was born just to meet such beauty! Marvelous!”
He was talking rubbish like Guiche. Saito’s shoulders trembled. He was also angry at Louise for not taking offense at this rascal’s actions.
“Are priests allowed to touch women like that? Is it common between Romalian people…”
Instead of Saito, it was Matthew who said it with a scowl. Seems like Julio wasn’t very popular among the members of the 2nd Dragon Knight Squadron.
“Since I was going into the war, I received a temporary secular life permission from the pope.”
“That’s sophistry.”
“I would call it expedience. A priest's privilege. However, what you said is true. Miss, I am sorry. My body was not contained by my priesthood, and reacted on its own after seeing a charming woman.”
Reverting back to joking tone, he teasingly smiled and bowed to Louise.
“But… though leading our way God is a great being, he sometimes mercifully closes his eyes. I am looking forward to seeing you every day.”
Fruity like a fool.
However… the way he acts. Though Guiche is a lady-killer and fruity, he tries to escape the relationship. However, this fellow didn't have such a gap. Compared to Wardes, who felt cold somehow, this fellow was strangely friendly. Saito understood it by instinct.
This guy was a real flirt.
Without weaknesses either.
Then Julio put on a serious face again. Such a sudden change of mood, only made him feel more hateful towards the man. Saito chewed on his handkerchief in anger.
“The story before. Were you telling the truth about that fairy?”
Fernand nodded.
“Y-yeah.”
“Can you show where you were shot down?”
Julio pointed at the map of the Albion continent spread on the table and asked.
Rene answered.
“Certainly… about one hour of flight from the continent border…”
He pointed at the corner of the map.
Interested, Julio nodded.
“Hmm, near Saxe-Gotha.”
At that time, Ginnumer coughed.
“Maybe it’s time for you to take care of your dragon.” Julio spread his hands out, “I envy those who do not have to take care of a dragon,” and after leaving this sarcastic message, he left. Everyone from the 2nd Dragon Knight Squadron, who lost their dragons in battle, watched Julio’s back in hatred.
“Who is that fruity rascal?”
When Saito, who left the dragon knight battalion headquarters, asked, Rene frowned.
“He is a priest from Romalia. Priests pretending to be dragon knights… disgusting.”
“Romalia?”
Dumbfounded Saito asked.
“You don’t know Romalia?”
Rene asked, surprised. Saito shook his head. Saito who was not from this world, was not aware about the countries and local places. However, because telling that he was from different world would be very troublesome, he came up with an excuse.
“I am from the east… From Rub' al Khali.”
“Hee! So you come from the land that always quarrels with elves!”
“Have you passed the ground where elves live?!” He was surprised. Apparently, in this world, elves are frightening and seemed to be a belligerent race. Moreover, they were on bad terms with humans.
“Romalia is a ‘religious authority’ country, that manages buddhist temples in Halkeginia. It is a country where there are a lot of priests, who are domineering, even more than nobles.”
“Romalia’s priests, because of their status as servants of God, can travel abroad freely.”
Though they were nobles, their attitude was just as haughty.
“Can priests conjure too?”
“Sure!” one noble shouted.
“If he is born in a noble's house, where the magic is practiced, then he still caries the same blood even turning into priest… In case he is a commoner, naturally, he cannot use magic.”
“Julio comes from commoners,” someone said.
Ahh, he was not a mage.
“Then why is a guy like him riding a dragon? And on top of that is a Squadron Commander!”
“Aah, for a commoner he is abnormally good at riding dragons.”
“It’s really mortifying” one muttered.
“It is said that even though he is not a mage, dragons listen to him. I do not know if it’s true though.”
“Because of that he became Earl’s Ginnumer’s favorite, and was made into Commander of the 3rd Squadron. Since the 3rd Squadron is a foreign legion, it is an unprecedented career! Because a priest became Dragon Knight Commander, the dragon knights became a laughing stock of the other troops!”
Saito continued the talk, but was stopped by an officer with a wand who entered the tent.
“Hey, hey! Do not sit around and talk in here! Nuisance! Nuisance!”
Saito and others looked at each other.
“Let’s return to Miss Vallière’s tent. That’s where our place is.”
Then, remembering Louise, Saito turned around.
Louise stood there alone *Haaaah* with a dreamy expression on her face.
Saito became suspicious.
Why is Louise making such a face?
Then he remembered.
Uh! Could it be because of Julio?
By that handsome dragon knight?
No, that priest?
Eeeh, whatever you call him!
Anyway, since awhile ago, that blush hasn't left her face…
Saito began to burn with jealousy.
She is making such face just because her hand was kissed! What a woman. Unfaithful! Unfaithful! Though not being a lover himself, Saito cursed.
This is certainly “wrong”. Just because she was complimented by that beautiful face!