“W-What do you think human lives are?!”
“Think about that after you survive.”
“What do you mean, ‘that’…”
Nasanitaru seemed taken aback by my blunt response, as if he hadn’t expected me to argue back, and the words he was about to say caught in his throat.
Most of the “enemies” were dead. The few surviving knights, with the death of Rank 4 Ludger, had lowered their weapons, showing no will to continue fighting.
However, their eyes weren’t dead. That’s the troublesome thing about people with conviction. They were only lowering their swords to bet on the possibility of preserving their ideals, not surrendering with broken spirits.
“…………”
When I glanced at Elena for a moment, a look of hesitation flickered across her face.
Normally, she wouldn’t recklessly take lives and would have considered keeping them alive as witnesses. But now that she knew the Crown Prince was targeted by assassins, their presence was an obstacle to immediate action.
But that’s why “I” am here. As I approached the knights with my knife and dagger, the faces of not only the knights but also Elena and Nasanitaru changed. I turned my face towards the direction of faint sounds approaching from afar.
“Is His Highness safe?!”
A few minutes later, a squad of Royal Knights guarding Elena’s mansion arrived on horseback. The squad leader was that knight I first encountered during the dungeon raid. When I spotted Knight Mash’s face and waved, the Royal Knights, realizing that Elena and I were safe, approached with slight relief.
I wondered how they knew this place… and then I saw Viro on horseback at the very end. The butler who received the message must have informed not only the knights but also Viro, as I had hoped. Still, I felt it was due to Viro’s experience that he was able to follow the knife marks I left on the trees so quickly on the way.
Nero, already sensing the situation, had disappeared before they arrived. The Royal Knights, wary of the Second Knight Order who had lowered their weapons, dismounted, and Mash rushed to Elena’s side.
“Your Highness, I’m glad you’re safe…”
“Aria came to help. Please arrest these knights. Also, two female students were taken somewhere…”
“We secured them on the way and left a knight to guard them. They said they were saved by Aria-san as well. But… the traitors are from the Second Knight Order?”
The faces of the Second Knight Order survivors changed at Mash’s words and contemptuous gaze.
It was partly because their beliefs were being called betrayal, but probably they had lowered their weapons with the worst-case scenario of being executed, also meaning they would become a hindrance to us heading to rescue the Crown Prince. If the Royal Knights appeared there, they realized that their resolve might be in vain.
“Not all members of the Second Knight Order are Aristocratic Faction. Let’s leave that matter to Count Dandole, the commander-in-chief. More importantly, His Highness the Crown Prince is in danger. We want to send a message and rescue him urgently, but…”
Elena, who was explaining to Mash, turned her gaze to me.
“Aria and Viro. I request the two of you, the Rainbow Sword, to support His Highness the Crown Prince. I’m not asking you to rescue him. At the very least, secure His Highness’s safety until the Knight Order arrives from the castle.”
“What about the other young masters and students?”
Viro, who had dismounted, asked Elena a difficult question. But it was an important point. Not only the difficulty of the request, but also Elena’s own qualities would be tested by that answer, and I stared at her, waiting for her answer.
“At worst, if I can secure the safety of His Highness the Crown Prince, I will treat the others as necessary sacrifices. I ask you two to do so.”
“…Understood.”
As Viro began preparations to move and moved away from her at Elena’s words, Nasanitaru, who had been listening, rounded his eyes and approached her.
“Princess (Your Highness)! That’s too inhumane!”
“…I have stated my resolve as royalty. Serving the country, including my own life, means that, and His Highness the Crown Prince’s aides should understand that as well.”
Even as Elena explained with her shapely eyebrows slightly furrowed and a sigh, Nasanitaru couldn’t understand and tried to approach further.
“But!”
“Don’t get any closer to Elena-sama.”
I grabbed the arm he was reaching out to Elena and stopped Nasanitaru.
Even if he was a law mage Baron, if he tried to appeal directly to the Princess without permission, I would have to “dispose” of him for safety reasons. For that reason, I stopped his movement with a little Intimidation, and Nasanitaru glared at me as if gnashing his teeth.
“I don’t acknowledge you! The lives in this world are from God–“
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
The moment everyone’s attention was on Nasanitaru, one of the Second Knight Order members, as if repelling the Royal Knight who was trying to capture him, let out a roar and jumped out.
“Stop him!!”
They probably wanted to delay the rescue of the Crown Prince, even if it meant harming Elena. The small knife hidden in the knight’s hand gleamed, and his feet were heading straight for Elena.
But in the way, there was Nasanitaru, who was shocked and stiffened.
“Get out of the way!”
“Hiii!?”
Nasanitaru, who was subjected to bloodshot eyes and Killing Intent, screamed. If he didn’t move, he would be killed. In that instant when the knight’s knife was thrust out, I grabbed Nasanitaru by the collar and pulled him back, replacing his position and dodging the knife while thrusting the Black Dagger from under the knight’s chin all the way through his medulla oblongata.
“Hic…”
The tip of the knife stopped a few centimeters in front of Nasanitaru’s eyes, and the blood that spurted out from the knight, who collapsed after I pulled out the dagger, splattered on his face.
“Do as you please. But they are risking their lives for their actions. Living is a battle. Don’t talk about that life with the words of some ‘outsider’ called ‘God’.”
“…………”
With a pale face, Nasanitaru collapsed as if his legs had given out. I glanced at the knights who had become quiet for some reason, then returned to Elena’s side and called out to Viro, who was about to return to support her.
“Viro, what we should do is guard the Princess (Your Highness). Viro, protect her. I’ll head to rescue His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Whoa, are you planning to go alone?”
Viro made a dumbfounded face at my words. Certainly, if we were going to rescue the Crown Prince, it would be much more advantageous to have Viro, who had experience in many situations.
But, as I said just now, Elena was not completely safe yet. There was no point in saving the Crown Prince if she was harmed.
“If I’m alone, I can shorten the time by using the mountain path instead of using a horse. I’m faster than Viro.”
“Don’t go saying that to your master, you cheeky disciple. Alright, I get it. Take this with you.”
Viro, grinning to reveal his teeth, threw me a Potion that he had brought for preparation.
“Mana Recovery Potion? I have one too, though?”
“Yours is a self-made intermediate one, right? This is a high-grade one that costs eight Silver Coins. You can’t use that technique of yours while using a Potion, but you can somehow use it while moving, right?”
When using a Mana Recovery Potion that provides continuous recovery, it becomes difficult to control [Iron Rose], so it cannot be used during combat.
Viro seemed to be trying to acquire a new [Combat Art] called [Iron Rose], but he couldn’t acquire it because he couldn’t see Mana Particles. Still, he must have been researching its characteristics in his own way.
I gratefully accepted the consideration from Viro, my master of reconnaissance, and then Elena approached and wiped the blood splattered on my cheek with a handkerchief.
“I’m sorry for putting you in danger alone. But I trust Aria the most.”
“Leave it to me.”
As I nodded at Elena’s words, I deeply slit the skirt, which had been riddled with holes from deflecting arrows, vertically around my right leg to make it easier to move.
As I moved my legs wrapped in sheer tights that had become easier to move in, for some reason the knights all averted their eyes.
“I’d like a few spare uniforms.”
“Understood.”
Elena smiled at my request as if looking at a troubled younger sister.
“Then I’ll depart.”
Elena nodded silently at my words, and Viro gave me a thumbs up to see me off.
Having gulped down the Mana Recovery Potion, I first used regular Body Enhancement to dash through the forest while waiting for my depleted mana to recover.
Crown Prince Elvan is supposed to be in the seaside meadow where the Second Knight Order is conducting drills. However, I don’t know who the Assassin is, but they probably wouldn’t attack in a place swarming with knights.
If they were to attack, it would be somewhere along the road to that location. I can calculate a likely spot based on the carriage’s travel distance and route, but the Assassin can do the same. That’s why I decided to head directly to the spot where I think it would be easiest to attack.
But that location is about 100km away as the crow flies. I felt it was a close call whether I’d make it before the Crown Prince passed through.
As I moved through the pathless forest, leaping from tree to tree and rock to rock, I noticed a black beast running alongside me before I knew it.
“Nero…”
“Gaa.”
Nero used his whip-like antennae freely like tentacles, pointing to his back.
“You’ll give me a ride?”
–Affirmative–
I grabbed the extended antennae and jumped on his back, and he dashed through the forest faster than I could move alone. Still, I felt it was slower than using [Iron Rose], so I channeled mana into Nero’s antennae, which I was holding like reins.
“Gaaah!”
“Bear with it.”
It should theoretically be possible. I lightly stroked Nero’s neck to calm him down as he grumbled about the mana being forced into him. While sending mana into Nero like channeling mana into the Pendulum, I matched the flow of mana to Nero’s Body Enhancement, and at that moment, I muttered softly.
“–[Iron Rose]–“
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Nero roared at the surging, runaway mana flowing into him. My hair turned ash-gray as I pulled on his antennae, correcting our posture as we nearly crashed into a tree. As Nero gradually got used to the mana, he seemed to like his doubled physical abilities and further increased his speed through the forest.
“Now, let’s go.”
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Aria and Nero head to rescue Crown Prince Elvan.
Meanwhile, on the Crown Prince’s side, another “Heroine” was making her move.
Next time: The Rampage of the Innocent Heroine.