“If you're going to be staying at the castle,” Lucian said, “then we'll need an appropriate backstory for your presence. It would be beyond strange to have an unknown man suddenly join my entourage.”

“You're right about that. I don't particularly care what history you give me, so feel free to go with whatever is most convenient.”

“Hmm. Only another royal would be afforded the privileges you're asking for. That limits us dramatically. Of course, you can't be from the Almekian Kingdom’s bloodline, as the nobles would sniff out the lie in an instant.”

The young immortal picked up another deviled egg. “So a foreign royal? Sounds good to me. Maybe I'll even act a bit dignified to play the part. Well, probably not, but it's a nice thought, isn't it?”

“A lot of discrepancies in your etiquette can be explained away by your foreign nationality. But at least pretend to be of high status, even if it's just a little.”

“Alright, alright. I'll do my best. I'm just not good with stuff like that, which is why I stay out of center stage on my own world.”

“I have a lot of questions about what you just said, but I already know you won't provide the answers.” Lucian poured a glass of fairy wine. “But at the very least, I'll need your name. I can't exactly tell my citizens that you're an immortal from a different world.”

“True. And I don't mind giving you my real name.” The young immortal reached a hand across the table. “I'm Lutz de Locke, an immortal from another world. And also, a former Earthling like you.”

“What!? You're from Earth!?” Lucian took Lutz's hand despite his surprise, giving it a firm shake.

“Yep. That's why I argued with the gods to be able to come down here. I'm really interested in your story, Thomas George Hamilton.”

“Lutz isn't a name that I can ever recall seeing on Earth. Does that mean you adopted a different identity in your new world, as I have?”

“Yeah. I was once known as John Lawrence Locke. But like you, I'm no longer the same person I was before my summoning, so I've gone all-in on my new identity. I did reuse my last name, though.”

Lucian shook his head. “Just what kind of mess are the other worlds getting into?”

“It was definitely messy, but I'll leave the details for another time. Right now, we've got a few other topics to discuss.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“You.” Lutz looked at the girls gathered at the table. “And your party. All of you are too weak.”

“You already said that!” Teflyn raised her arms to express her dissatisfaction at being called weak multiple times.

“Well it's true, so it bears repeating.”

“So what? I'm going to beat a lot of people up and become kishin! Just you wait!”

“That's great. But until then, you're still too weak.”

“Stop saying it!”

“Then would you rather I tell you how to get stronger?”

Teflyn’s pouting face slowly faded to neutral. “I just need to fight. Then I'll get stronger.”

“Yes, but there are other ways. Each one of you could be growing, even without stepping onto the battlefield. You just need a little guidance on how to go about it.”

“Then how? I want to get a lot stronger.”

“Ask Minerva.” Lutz turned to the fairy princess.

“Why me?”

“Because you have access to ancient magic.”

“You mean my fairy magic? It's true that it's of a whole different class than the spells used by humans and the other races, but I don't see how it will help anyone when only fairies can use it.”

“Sure, they can't use your unique spells, like terrain manipulation. But you're already aware that humans can learn forgotten magic, aren't you?”

Minerva looks thoughtful. “It was strange, but I wasn't entirely sure what she had learned during her travels.”

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“She?” Lucian asked. “Who?”

“Archmage Vera.”

“Her? Are you saying she managed to learn this ancient magic?”

“In some form, I believe so. Her aura is … different. And her appearance doesn't match her age. She must have learned something that gives her access to magic beyond that of normal mages.”

“That's a little concerning, considering she's staying here at the castle.”

“I planned on watching her closely until I could figure out how much she knows. But it seems our new companion here has the answers already.”

Lutz took a sip of his tea. “I do know all about it, but it would be great if you went to the source to get your answers.”

“Hmm.” Lucian rubbed his chin. “Is she an ally or an enemy? To be honest, I have my reservations about meeting with her too often. She strikes me as someone who's dangerously intelligent.”

“So you noticed, huh? Well, even an enemy can be a resource, if you play your hand right.”

“So she is an enemy?”

Lutz shrugged. “Who knows. Unlike the Goddess, I can't read minds. But what makes you think she'd be against you?”

“The timing of her return. She leaves for 7 years, then comes back shortly after the recent upheavals in my kingdom. And her gaze … she knows something.”

“Like what?”

“Like … me. Or rather, the Lucian who existed before I reincarnated into his body. And the prince wasn't exactly a saint, despite his good reputation.”

“So you think when Vera heard that the Prince Lucian she knew had taken the throne, she came back to stop you from descending into madness and ruining what's left of the Almekian Kingdom?”

Lucian nodded. “It's the most likely possibility. And that would make her my enemy. At least, that's how she would see it. My only question is whether or not she knew Lucian’s true personality. But if she really managed to unlock the secrets of ancient magic as you're claiming, then she'd be intelligent enough to see through the prince's noble act.”

“I see.” Lutz took a bite of a muffin. “Sounds like you're going to have a fun time figuring all that out on your own.”

“Didn’t you say you came here to help us with these sorts of problems?”

“Nah, I'm not allowed to hold your hand with every little thing. They're watching, you know.”

“The gods?”

“Like I said, they've become very interested in your battle. If I step out of line, they'll probably drag me back to the Divine Realm so I don't mess with their fun.”

“And part of that fun is watching us struggle through such hardships?”

“Don't try to understand the gods. You won't get anywhere. Trust me, I've tried.” Lutz finished off his muffin, washing it down with his tea. “But even if I can't lead you to victory, I can at least help steer you in the right direction. That's what they want, after all. A showdown between two forces where the winner isn't determined because one of them has such a huge advantage over the other.”

Lucian sighed. “So we're chess pieces on a board to them. It's a little frustrating, to be honest.”

“It may seem that way to you. Actually, some of them do see you as nothing but entertainment, so you're not wrong. But there are those who care, those who want to see you win. Don't forget that.”

Lutz finished his cup of tea and set it down. “And this goes without saying, but everything being discussed here is for you six only. Not that anyone would believe you if you tried to spread this information. But the point is that I've been allowed to tell all of you this because the god's acolyte you're fighting already knows everything I've been saying. So it's just another way to level the playing field.”

“Information is one of the most important forms of power,” Aelia said. “And we've been operating at such a disadvantage this whole time?”

“Yep. But don't think you're equal to the god's acolyte just because you know a little more than you used to. Invaders always get certain advantages over the home world's champion in these conflicts. You'll have to live with the fact that you're the underdogs in this fight.”

“What sense does that make? Why would they stack the deck like that?”

“It's simple. They want to encourage more conflicts. And the simplest way to do that is to give an edge to the attacker.”

“So they can watch,” Lucian said.

“Basically. Though some of this is just my own opinion, as I've only recently been able to learn about the gods myself. But from what I've seen of them, this sort of reasoning is right up their alley.”

Everyone seemed to have their fill of snacks and tea, so Lutz began retrieving all the items, putting them back into his [Inventory].

Though the fairy wine was another matter. Minerva and Lucian both had a glass, but the one who grabbed the bottle when everything else started disappearing was none other than the dark elf, Aelia.

“Just keep it,” Lutz said to her. “I have a lot more.”

“In that case…” Aelia out the cork back in. “I'll save some for later.”

“Quite a thirsty one, huh? I already knew that, though.”

“Stop watching us from the Divine Realm. It's disturbing.”

“No way. If there's one thing I understand about the gods, it's their interest in this battle. It's far too entertaining to stop watching.”

Lucian shook his head. “Not you, too.”

“Heh. That's just how it is.” Lutz stood from his chair. “How about we take care of a few things? You're meeting with Archmage Vera soon, and I don't want to be late because of me.”

Lucian stood, as well. “Are you coming to the meeting?”

“Nah, I'd just get in the way. Plus, I'm not a fan of meetings. I'd rather go do something.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Hmm. A stroll out in the city, perhaps?”

“A … stroll? Don't you have important tasks to complete?”

“Me? Nah, not really. I've got plenty of time to get all of you ready. Ten months, remember? And it's my first time being able to actually enjoy this world, so I want to take advantage of that while I can.”

“I suppose you have a point. But where do you intend to go?”

“Maybe you should be asking your little sister that question, instead?”

Princess Mia showed a rare expression of surprise. “Why me?”

“Because you haven't gone out in a while since you've been burdened with taking care of the whole kingdom during Lucian's absence. So why not take this chance to go there?”

“...”

“Where is ‘there’?” Lucian asked.

“The orphanage.” Mia spilled the answer herself.

“Ah, so that's it. Sorry for making you work so hard that you haven't had time to visit them. By all means, feel free to go any time you wish.”

“I suppose it's fine to go today. But when I get back, I want to know how the meeting went. Every detail.”

“Sure thing. I'll relay everything to you when you return.”

“Alright!” Lutz suddenly got energetic. “Let's go see this new world!”