Newbie Hope Arc (4)
“Work never ends.”
Edward Windsor grimaced at the mountain of paperwork before him.
Why did it turn out like this?
As he naturally began searching for the cause, a certain someone's face shamelessly popped into his mind.
—Sisilia, huh?
“……”
Yeah, nine out of ten reasons for his busyness were Sisilia's fault.
Of all people, the vice-captain had to be someone who got scammed everywhere she went, so all the work that should've been hers flowed straight to the captain.
...But I can't hand over any more authority as captain.
Edward was the type who'd rather suffer than lose even a sliver of power.
“In the end, this is all on me.”
With a wry chuckle, he opened the next document.
It was news of monsters surging in the southern regions lately.
Need to dispatch someone.
Without hesitation, Edward pulled out the roster.
One of Lude's inventions—it displayed the Windsor Knights' status in real time.
And most names had white lines struck through them.
Remaining forces: fewer than five.
“How can we be this short on manpower? Wait, now that I think about it…”
Something clicked, and Edward rummaged through his drawer for reports.
He opened one and immediately understood the reason for the mess.
User Rescue Order
“……”
Edward's cold gaze dropped to the bottom.
The name of the issuer: Sisilia Windsor.
She'd used a precious ten Windsor Knights—each one invaluable—for this.
Still no return.
Sisilia had rushed off to Londinium after receiving a black letter.
But the order was already issued, so the Windsors had mobilized en masse for user rescue.
And they still hadn't come back.
Probably slacking off on what was finally a leisurely mission.
“What the hell is wrong with this knight order…!”
Edward ground his teeth.
“Guess I have to drag her back myself. You started this mess, Sisilia.”
Judging it couldn't go on like this, Edward strode off quickly.
He soon reached the vice-captain's office and knocked a bit roughly.
“Sisilia, coming in.”
Opening the door, Edward flinched.
“H-Hello… sir.”
“……What happened to you?”
Beatrice looked one step away from turning into a monster herself.
A gloomy aura filled the air with a musty stench, and her dark circles hung down to her chin.
Worst of all, she was half-buried in paperwork.
Beatrice let out a mad hehe chuckle.
“Haven't slept in days, just processing docs…”
“……”
“W-Where's Lady Sisilia? S-Strange. She just went to the bathroom.”
Beatrice glanced around, then laughed at the empty air.
…Her condition looked serious.
“……I get the gist, but how long has Sisilia been gone?”
“About a week.”
A week AWOL.
Beatrice seemed enlightened by it, but Edward was not.
“Bring her back. Now.”
“Order received.”
The half-dead Beatrice miraculously revived.
She shot to her feet, saluting, her eyes blazing brighter than ever.
**
At that moment.
Terezia's premier stray cat, Sisilia, strolled the shopping district as usual.
“Anyone seen Lady Sisilia?”
Her ears perked up.
Sisilia sighed at Beatrice's voice carried on the wind from afar.
“Wandering during work hours. Not proper knight conduct.”
She shook her head and faced forward.
“How much for this?”
“Th-This…? Ahem, don't sell to minors.”
“I'm an adult.”
“No no. Our Sword Princess hasn't had her birthday yet.”
To Sisilia, whose face was her ID, the magic potion shop owner looked troubled.
Sisilia glanced around, then whispered in his ear.
“Double if you sell.”
“……!”
Irresistible to any merchant.
Apologizing sincerely to Chiron in his heart, the owner switched to salesman mode.
“This makes even ogres go feral in one sip. An aphrodisiac.”
“Ooh…”
“Interested? Just 20 gold.”
Sisilia's eyes sparkled; she paid without hesitation.
Perfect for testing on Betty.
Grinning ear to ear with her purchase, Sisilia—
“Hand it over.”
“Ah, give it back!”
—got caught by passing Leo Ric and lost the potion.
Leo Ric glared murderously at the shop owner, then sternly eyed tiptoeing Sisilia trying to snatch it back.
“Too early for you to be interested in this stuff.”
Sisilia pouted at him.
“What brings you here, Leo Ric?”
“You look like you ran into a buzzkill. Well, same boat as you.”
He refunded the potion and returned her gold.
“Skippin' work, eh?”
“I'm on duty.”
Leo Ric snorted.
“Your adjutant and captain are desperate to find you?”
“I know.”
“……Then shouldn't you go?”
“Still got stuff to do.”
Ruby observation log unfinished, and prepping items for the incoming newbie wave.
Ruby's case revealed more shortages than expected.
“Keep it secret you saw me here.”
“Sure. Same situation. But one favor?”
Sisilia nodded.
“Find the priciest booze around here. That's your specialty.”
“Easy request… but just expensive?”
“Lookin' for Astel Champagne '52. Heard someone saw it recently.”
“That's in Dad's liquor cellar, third shelf.”
“!”
Leo Ric's eyes widened.
He'd hunted that precious bottle for years.
Back in the capital after ages, tough mission done—he craved it now.
“For real?! S-Sisilia. Can you convince Chiron? He'll cave to you. I'll pay top gold!”
Owe Leo Ric one.
Easy favor, and her pockets were light lately.
But Astel Champagne was tricky.
Not because it was the last bottle.
“Can't. Already promised it.”
Sisilia valued prior commitments.
“Promised…? Someone else wants it too?”
“Mission prize.”
“What mission?!”
Rare sight: excited Leo Ric.
Sisilia looked awkward.
“Gave Chiron's priciest booze to whoever finds most users.”
Leo Ric bolted out of the capital like mad.
Sisilia blinked at his afterimage, then kept walking.
Come to think of it, what about my order?
The world's top priority: newbie hunt.
She'd succeeded at her fave task, but the black letter derailed it.
Order probably fizzled too.
Should restart, but—
First, lick Ruby a bit more.
With a fluffy new newbie, she wanted to focus here.
“Huh? Who's this.”
“Hello. Jin.”
“……My name's Dick.”
“Why name like that.”
“Don't know 'rude'?!”
Sisilia looked up at the royal knight she'd bumped into.
“Too busy for duels.”
“Tch, knight order only kills demons—what's busy during truce?”
“Fair point.”
“……Leaves me nothing to say.”
Dick slumped.
Something caught Sisilia's eye; she pointed at his hand.
“Cool gloves.”
“Oh, these?”
“Where'd you get 'em?”
Dick grinned smugly at her interest.
“New royal knight supply drop.”
“Supply?”
Sisilia eyed the gloves curiously.
“What functions?”
“Haha! As the capital's top spendthrift, you spot the value. Watch.”
Dick drew a small dagger, infused sword aura, slashed the glove.
Silk-like material, but metal-scraping screech, sparks flew.
“!”
Whoa, awesome.
Right up her alley!
Sisilia loved those gloves.
“See? Blocks swords, even decent magic. Great gauntlets.”
Gauntlets crucial for knights—grab foe's blade, fight eases.
Sisilia had some, but metal ones—leather can't stop sword aura—unsatisfying.
Silk doing gauntlet work? Plus gorgeous design!
“R-Revolutionary.”
“Told ya. Windsors don't have these?”
Dick smirked.
Sisilia, shocked, bolted to Windsor HQ.
**
“Ed-ppi!”
“……”
Sisilia gestured wildly, explaining the royal knights' cool gloves.
“So, royals issued new gloves you love, and you want Windsors to adopt 'em?”
Nod nod.
Vigorous nodding from Sisilia.
After hunting forever, she shows for gloves—Edward stared incredulously.
“……Easy request. Royals do it, Windsors can too. But.”
His lip twitched.
“Stop playing around and get to work.”
Sisilia straightened instantly.
“Still recovering.”
Edward scanned her.
Sisilia muttered “lolicon,” covering her chest.
“……Looks fully healed to me?”
Sisilia struck tragic heroine pose, leaning on wall.
“Heart still hurt from Severus. Know that? Sisilia's only 17. Baby.”
She covered her mouth, eyes downcast, as if too pained to continue.
Edward gawked, then asked purely curious.
“You can even get hurt like that?”
“Just did.”
Sisilia stared blankly at him.
“Cut the nonsense, do your missions. First, round up your runaway Windsors.”
“……Runaway Windsors?”
“Feared as much—you forgot. Can't take any responsibility?”
“I can.”
Responsibility
Sisilia held up the book titled that.
Trendy romance novel.
“Where'd you even get that? Incredible.”
Edward marveled at Sisilia's bottomless pockets.
Then reality hit; his lip trembled.
“Not joking. Knights you sent out haven't returned in a month. No manpower for missions. No more slack—call 'em back.”
As Edward geared up for a real lecture—
His adjutant burst in urgently.
“A-All Windsor Knights returned. With tons of users.”
“!”
Sisilia's heart dropped.
**
One month since the Queen's summoning ceremony.
“This is… the capital Terezia.”
“W-We survived.”
The 23 summoned users were safely rescued by Windsor Knights and entered the capital.
Not just Windsors' skill, but Sisilia's prize: Chiron's priciest booze.
Legendary treasure—Windsors would risk life for a taste.
Chiron himself oblivious, of course.
“Kahaha! I'm the winner!”
“Damn it!”
“Jerryway! Share a bit!”
“……Who're you?”
Jerryway, rescuing 10 users total, kicked open his favorite tavern's door triumphantly.
“Victory to Sir Jerryway Windsor!”
Heroic swagger.
“Bring booze and women!”
Two Windsors answered his bold call.
“Booze.”
Leo Ric, furious learning Astel Champagne swapped for water by thief named Jerryway—
“Women.”
And Sisilia, feeling NTR'd from her first newbie meeting.
“……”
Jerryway sensed mortal peril from the duo amid the chill wind.