“Feri, have all the enemies retreated?”

I couldn’t see any enemies with the naked eye, but just to be sure, I asked Feri for confirmation.

“There are no Ride Carriers or Magicraft signatures in the vicinity. All threats have been eliminated.”

“Good. Let’s head to Echigo. It’s been a while since I last saw Ranelle.”

Seeing the castle and Echigo up close, both were in ruins. The thought of what could have happened if we’d arrived even a little later sent shivers down my spine. I realized once again that leaving Nagisa behind was the right decision.

Upon entering Echigo, I was immediately escorted to Ranelle. She greeted me with a tearful, overwhelmed expression.

“Yuta-san, thank you so much. If you hadn’t come, by now, my title would have changed to ‘former president of the Amuria Federation.’”

“I’m glad we made it in time. Now I won’t have to face Nagisa’s wrath.”

Ranelle chuckled softly and replied.

“What happened to Nagisa? Maybe I’m being conceited, but I thought she’d be the first to rush to my aid.”

“She tried to be, but she was in the way, so I had to leave her behind.”

Ranelle seemed to think I was joking and laughed even harder.

However, the peaceful atmosphere didn’t last long. When Ranelle received the damage reports, her face turned grim. It seemed that half of the crew aboard Echigo had been lost in the recent battle. On top of that, the power systems had also been damaged, rendering Echigo immobile.

“Yuta-dono, we will remain here. Please take President Ranelle with you at least.”

The captain seemed to believe that they had become a burden. But there was no way Ranelle would accept such a suggestion.

“No, I want those I can trust to stay by my side. If we can’t move, then we’ll use this place as our base and continue to act from here.”

“But the coup forces already know about this location. They might come back with reinforcements. For your safety, it would be better to relocate.”

“We have the Musou Iron Cavalry on our side. We no longer need to fear the enemy’s forces. Besides, if the enemy knows where we are, it’s also possible that allied forces within the Federation know as well. Surely, those with a conscience will come to our aid.”

Ranelle’s argument made sense. If a key figure like her kept moving around, it would only confuse the people who wanted to support us.

Persuaded by Ranelle, Echigo’s captain reluctantly agreed and resolved to continue working. He ordered his subordinates to repair the damaged Ride Carriers and Magicrafts. If the cores weren’t destroyed, repairs were indeed possible, but considering the extent of the damage, it looked like it would be quite difficult.

After reuniting with Ranelle, I returned to Arleo II and used the new communication device to contact Yamato. I informed them that Ranelle had been secured and updated them on our situation. Nagisa, upon hearing the news, sounded on the verge of tears as she thanked me, deeply relieved. I felt a small sense of pride in my childhood friend who cared so much about others.