After finishing their arrangements regarding the part they needed, Koutarou and the others went out to purchase food and water. After thi,s they would return to 'Bertorion's special territory'. They were going to wait on the Cradle until the part they needed could be obtained. This was the past for Koutarou and Clan, so they didn't want to carelessly walk around and accidentally change history.
“Is this the last of it?”
“There's one more box, but I'll carry it, so the box you're carrying is the last.”
“Give that to me too. I'll put it above the one I'm carrying.”
“It's okay, this is nothing.”
“Clan, you can return to being a princess when you're on familiar grounds.”
“That's right Clan-san. Leave this to the married couple.”
“Ah, hey, Elfaria-san?!”
Koutarou and the others were in the parking lot, loading the goods they purchased into their car. They were being quite noisy, having already gotten used to one another, and since a while back, Clan and Elfaria had been having a girl talk.
I'm sure neither of them have someone they can discuss their true feelings with...
Koutarou believed that their meeting had been a positive one. In the hierarchical society of Forthorthe, princesses were normally rivals. But because the two were from different ages, they didn't have any sort of rivalry between them. Because of that, they both understood each other's worries and were able to sympathize with one another. They would eventually get separated by time, so there was little they couldn't discuss with one another. Clan only had to worry about not passing on too much information about the future. In other words, it was the perfect situation to befriend one another. That's why Koutarou left them be, even if they collided a little.
“Clan-san is a princess. I am Reios-sama's wife. My husband's luggage is my luggage. What's wrong with that?”
“Nothing's right with it! I can't have another princess carry my luggage! I especially don't want to become indebted to the Mastir family!”
“It's okay, I'm soon to become part of the Bertorion family or the Satomi family.”
“That's not the problem! My pride won't allow it!”
“Wait up you two. Let's just leave it at that.”
However, Koutarou suddenly broke the two up.
“Okay, Reios-sama.”
“No, I won't wait― what's wrong, Bertorion?”
Unlike Elfaria who obediently stopped, Clan was too excited. However, when she saw Koutarou's serious expression, she understood that something was up and got serious as well. His expression at the time was the kind of expression he would show when an enemy had come.
“People are coming. There’s probably three of them.”
“Are they enemies?”
“I can't tell. There's no murderous intent, but I feel hostility.”
Koutarou could use the spiritual powers Sanae had given him, but since he had been separated from Sanae for so long, those powers were growing weak. He couldn't see auras as clearly as he could in the past. That's why he didn't notice the mysterious people approaching until they were quite close.
“It's them.”
“That's the imperial military uniform. And it seems like all three of them are quite high ranked... What is the meaning of this?”
Three men wearing military uniforms were approaching them, and they were clearly hostile. The part that Clan bought using Elfaria's name was not illegal, so it wasn't something that should attract the military's attention. The only other possibility in Koutarou's mind was that the Cradle had been found. But Elfaria quickly denied that possibility.
“I'm sorry, Reios-sama and Clan-san. Those people are here for me.”
Elfaria was watching the men with a sharp look. Her back was straight and her expression was serious. It was as if the carefreeness from before was just a dream. It was the first time Koutarou and Clan saw Elfaria acting like a princess.