The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War ~And Thus, I Became The Strongest Knight Disciple (♀) in The World~-Novel

「EEEeeehh?!」

「Pullum, that’s your…?」

「Elder brother?!」

Rafinha, Leone, and Liselotte raised voices of astonishment. True enough, the person riding the leading Flygear shared similarities with Pullum like the color of their hair and the features of their faces.

「Y-, yeah, no doubt! That’s Hallim!」

「I-, it’s really him! How come?!」

Of course, Lahti and Ian would know him as well.

「Has he always been a Highlander? I guess that’s impossible, huh?」

「O-, obviously! Big brother is not a Highlander!」

「Which means, the Stigma was bestowed on him and he became a Highlander recently.」

That is to say, he was the same as Rahal and Faris.

「Mr. Ian, was he a Highlander before you left Alucard?」

Ian shook her head when Inglis asked him.

「He wasn’t! Not even close!」

「That means that the Highlanders’ policy indeed has changed considerably ever since Lord Abel’s death…」

Abel didn’t turn people into Highlanders and gave them power, instead they modified people’s bodies and treated them like experimental subjects to give them power equal to a Highlander, like what happened to Ian and General Diego. It wasn’t a matter of which one was right and which one was wrong, Abel or the Highlander, it was more about the obvious change of policy.

「At any rate, it’s better for you to stay hidden, Lahti. Pullum too.」

「Eeh?! But!」

「But that’s my brother!」

「Let’s just follow what she said, Lahti, Pullum. He knows you two…even worse, if he saw your face, Lahti, he might suspect that Inglis’ mission was an order from His Majesty. Your own position would be jeopardized.」

Ian seconded Inglis’ suggestion. He was correct. Perhaps he had the makings of a great strategist.

「What about you, Ian?!」

「He knows you too, Ian.」

「Even if he saw me, he’d just think I’ve turned sides. A traitor acting together with Charalian Knights, His Majesty’s credibility wouldn’t be questioned that way. Not to mention, it’s always better to have a familiar face to squeeze out information, so I’ll stay.」

「Mr. Ian is correct. There will be a time where you can reveal your identity, but for now, it’s still better to stay hidden. Hide in the cargo of the Flygear Carrier. Come on, hurry.」

「G-, gotcha……」

「Yes…」

Lahti and Pullum did as asked and hid in a hurry. And then came the Flygear that Pullum’s brother was riding, so close they could exchange lines. His name was, if Inglis recalled correctly, Hallim.

「Hm……Quite the unexpected face to meet in such a place… It’s been a while, Ian.」

Hallim’s face was mild when he called out to him. Pullum also had a somewhat mild demeanor, so the siblings really did resemble each other.

「Sir Hallim……」

「And these girls you are with…they don’t seem to be people of Alucard, do they. There are only a handful of Knights in this country who have been bestowed High-Grade Artifacts, and I know them by their faces. This means they must be Charalian Knights. You failed your mission and you sold your own Kingdom, Ian?」

「That’s my line! Ask anyone who lives here, they are all victims of the Hyrule Menace who’s been committing atrocities in various places!! And Sir Hallim, you have a part in it, don’t you?! Why would you let such evil take place?!」

「Lady Tiffany asks nothing but compensation. We must be grateful for her presence and offer her our tributes to the best of our abilities. Those who can offer their food shall offer their food, and those who can’t offer their food shall pay for it with their lives. That’s all there is to it, so what?」

「What nonsense are you saying?! We wanted to have a Hyrule Menace amongst us precisely to protect our country, our people, from the threat of Magic Stone Beasts! If all she does is hurt people, then what’s the difference from a Magic Stone Beast?! That is not how we help this Kingdom!」

「However, Lady Tiffany is pleased with it. That is all is needed, and all else matters not.」

「Hah?! You’re not actually saying that, are you, Sir Hallim!」

「Lady Tiffany is good, Ian. She is someone magnificent! Look at me. She gave me this Stigma and transformed me, someone, who only has a Low-Grade Rune, into a Highlander. And not just me, but everyone she finds promising. Unlike that intolerable, stinking brat Abel who turned people into cold machines. You and General Diego sure were pitiful. If only you left after Lady TIffany’s arrival, she would have made you a Highlander too!」

「……But still!」

「And not only that, she loves us dearly! Being wrapped in the soft, sweet warmth of her body is irreplaceable happiness. But then, you cannot feel the beauty of a woman’s skin, do you? Not with your body.」

「……! Sir Hallim…no, you are no longer Sir Halim that I know of!」

「Indeed. You can say that I have been reborn by Lady Tiffany. Both my body and my soul.」

「Sir Hallim! That’s not something a promising future cabinet minister should say!」

「Now, we can’t have a traitor such as you bring in enemy Knights to our land, we will have to confiscate all of those resources too.」

「Please, wait! You have to help us! If the Hyrule Menace is making people suffer, then we have to stop her! For the sake of our Kingdom!」

「I refuse! Making Lady Tiffany happiness is my everything! I have finally found someone to whom I can give my whole being to, and that someone is Lady Tiffany. For the sake of this Kingdom too, don’t you think it would be ideal if we leave it all to Lady Tiffany?」

「Kgh! Everyone, forgive me…I don’t think I can convince him……」

「No, it’s alright, I’ve got some idea of what is going on, you’ve done plenty enough.」

Inglis spoke to Ian then stepped forward.