“……I’m going to assist.”
Rookwell muttered, gripping his sword, causing everyone, including Crown Prince Elvan, to gasp and stare at him in astonishment.
Despite the critical situation with the rebellion of a part of the Second Knight Order and the attack by the Assassin Guild hired by the Aristocratic Faction, the Adventurer girl requested by Princess Elena had appeared to provide support, drawing the attackers’ attention away from the Crown Prince and the others.
As someone from a family that had produced many Grand Knights, he must have had his own thoughts. However, even if Rookwell’s swordsmanship was excellent, it was only “compared to students,” and reckless intervention could draw attention back to them. Even so, Rookwell could not bring himself to “accept” continuing to hide behind a young maiden as a knight and as a man.
“Then I will go too. I may not be as skilled with the sword as you, but I can be of some use with Magic.”
“Mikhail……”
Standing next to his friend who was about to go into battle, Mikhail offered Rookwell a smile, even if it was forced.
Mikhail and Rookwell’s feelings were directed in the same direction, but they were slightly different.
Rookwell, as a high-ranking noble, saw the strength he had longed for as a knight in the Pink-Haired Girl, and like a boy admiring a Hero, he wanted to stand beside her and fight together. It was just admiration now, but the reason he couldn’t allow the girl to fight alone might not only be his pride as a man but also because that admiration was beginning to change into a different “feeling.”
Mikhail had met the Adventurer girl a few years ago, who was completely different from the young ladies who flocked to him. He was intrigued by her, seeing in her the shadow of his aunt, whom he had admired in his childhood, and her way of life, which could even be called solitary. He wanted to save her from the Darkness of loneliness.
Mikhail felt pity for the girl who continued to fight alone. He understood that this was arrogance from his privileged position as a noble. Even so, Mikhail had come to want to support her.
Even if the girl didn’t want it……he didn’t even know if this feeling was a desire to support her like family or something different. But, like Rookwell, he could no longer hide behind her.
“What are you two saying!? What can we do going into such a dangerous battle!? Stop being ridiculous! Remember your roles!”
Crown Prince Elvan stopped the two who were about to go into battle, and Mikhail and Rookwell exchanged glances for a moment.
What he was saying was correct. In a battlefield where a top Adventurer, one of the “Rainbow Swords,” was risking her life, what could they do with their skills, which were only slightly better than student level? If they were careless, they would only get in the way of the girl’s fight.
“……Please forgive us, Your Highness. We can no longer stand idly by.”
“It is the duty of the high-ranking nobles to quell the rebellion. Even if we fall, the girl who came to our aid bears no responsibility.”
“Such……”
Elvan was at a loss for words at Rookwell and Mikhail’s determination.
While he was saying things to dissuade them, Elvan was afraid. The girl, who continued to kill others as if she didn’t know the weight of life, was the most incomprehensible existence to Elvan, who had grown up as royalty without the proper resolve.
His fiancée, Carla, who had appeared at some point, had also begun to fight the black behemoth, and the scene of her killing enemies and allies alike looked like hell on earth.
Elvan felt as if his fear had been seen through by the two, and he felt an “distance” he had never felt before with his two friends who were trying to step forward as nobles and as men. He cast a dark gaze at the Pink-Haired Girl who was fighting far away, the cause of that distance.
“Please wait!”
There was another voice stopping the two. The girl, who still had a touch of childishness, placed her hand on Elvan’s dispirited hand and looked at Mikhail and Rookwell with sad eyes.
“There’s no need for you two to do such dangerous things! “We are human beings.” Please value your lives more than your duties as nobles! “There are more important things, aren’t there?” It’s fine to leave dangerous things to the barbarians.”
“”…………””
Mikhail quietly shook his head at the girl’s—Alicia’s—pleading words, and together with Rookwell, who lightly patted his shoulder, he began to walk towards the battlefield.
“Rookwell……Mikhail……”
Elvan muttered the names of his friends who were leaving him sadly, and Alicia gently hugged his head to her chest. Elvan clung to her slender body as if clinging to the girl’s kindness.
“Licia……”
“Yes, El-sama. I am by your side.”
With a look full of affection, Alicia stroked Elvan’s head as he clung to her chest like a child, and she gazed at the backs of the two boys.
(……What went wrong?)
Even though I used the “Heroine’s” lines I got from that Magic Stone, they didn’t stop.
The information is already slightly different from reality. The existence of the Heroine, who had disappeared from the story at some point. Since the real one isn’t here, I know there will be differences in the situation, but I felt a clear difference in the words and actions of the two capture targets, and I felt the need for further information refinement.
Then, the nameless girl calling herself “Alicia” suddenly distorted her face and cast a rough gaze at the Pink-Haired Girl and the long-haired black-haired girl in the distance.
(Those two……are a nuisance.)
Before I knew it, Carla and Nero had appeared from somewhere and were fighting while destroying the Forest.
That power……is it the power of that 【Divine Protection】? Even my “eyes” can’t see the upper limit of her Mana. But I felt that the radiance of her life was fading at an alarming rate.
The hellfire that burns fiercely by consuming life—is that the power you wanted, Carla?
While flying around with gushing Mana, Carla was fighting Nero, who was ranked high among Rank 5s, on equal or better terms. No, in terms of instantaneous destructive power alone, Carla probably had the power of a Rank 6.
For Kuaal, who have slash and thrust resistance, attack Magic is a weakness. However, Kuaal also have the power to inhibit that Magic itself. Both of them have strong powers, and it wouldn’t be good to leave them alone, but in terms of compatibility, it’s not something that can be easily settled, so neither of them will be in immediate danger.
The area was engulfed in flames by the stray bullets that Carla fired randomly. That’s why I chose this place as the place to settle things with Gilgun.
“You……!”
Gilgun, who was caught in the stray bullets, glared at me with eyes full of anger and raised his Hatchet. As expected of the Guild Master, even though his left arm was burned, his HP had only decreased slightly, and his visible combat power had hardly decreased.
But that’s fine. I’m the one who will defeat you. If you die from stray bullets like this, there’s no point in deliberately calling you to “here.”
“……Tch.”
Gilgun spat on the ground and lowered his waist while holding his Hatchet, facing me, who silently held my Knife and Dagger.
Doooooon!!
Carla’s Magic exploded nearby, and as if on cue, Gilgun and I jumped out at the same time.
Clang!!
The Hatchet and Dagger collided, scattering Embers, and Gilgun blocked the Knife in my left hand, which I had unleashed through the gap, with the short sword in his burned left arm.
There’s no point in me, who is inferior in strength, locking blades. But it seems that Gilgun, who injured his left arm, is the same, and he kicked me from the state of locking blades with both hands.
“Ha!”
“Kuh!”
I also instantly blocked with my knee, but I, who am light, was blown away. But I deliberately took distance by kicking with my knee, and at the same time as landing while doing a cartwheel, I kicked a stone on the ground to stop Gilgun, who was trying to pursue me.
By devising various strategies since coming here, I have finally become able to fight Gilgun of Rank 5 properly.
Even so, the Rank 1 difference between me and Gilgun means that I still lack a decisive factor. How to bridge that gap……that’s why I chose this place as the place to settle things, and from now on, the difference in our concentration and resolve will determine the outcome.
Doooooooon!!!
『Gaaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!』
“Ahaha♪”
The heat of the flames and the sound of explosions, the mad laughter and the roar.
The blast of hot air and scattering rock fragments momentarily distracted Gilgun, and my knife, dodging only the pebbles that would have been fatal, slashed across Gilgun’s shoulder, spraying blood.
“You lunatic!!”
“Of course.”
No sane person would take on the Assassin Guild alone, right? Seeing me continue to swing my blade while blood streamed from my forehead from a stray pebble, a hint of fear flickered in Gilgun’s eyes for the first time.
“『Ash-Covered』!!”
Gilgun unleashed that cry as a desperate 【Stun】.
“Tch!”
That Skill, which momentarily stops movement, should be difficult to resist, unlike 【Intimidation】 or 【Pain】. I braced myself to deflect Gilgun’s blade, which would be unleashed in that instant, and just as Gilgun raised his hatchet and focused on unleashing a 【Combat Art】, a “Wind Magic” spell suddenly flew in from an unexpected direction and tore through his back.
“What!?”
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Thud!
As if gouging out the torn back, the tip of the young knight’s blade plunged deeply into him.
The young men who were close aides to the Crown Prince—they succeeded in inflicting a serious wound on Gilgun, who had lost his concentration and focused all his remaining consciousness on me. But it’s still not enough.
“You brats!!”
Even with his back pierced, Gilgun struck down the young knight with an elbow strike and swung a throwing knife at Mikhail, who had interfered with the battle and cast magic.
“Damn it!”
“Mikhail!”
Is this still not enough? A little more? What do I need? I need speed. I need unmatched swiftness. I can’t use the Iron Rose yet. But I should remember. My body should remember. Remember that swiftness. My body knows that swiftness!
In that instant, my consciousness switched. In the gray vision where the passage of time seemed to slow down, I concentrated the mana flowing through my entire body into my two legs, and in that instant, my body, leaving even sound behind, shot out like a flash of light, and the dagger I barely managed to produce deeply tore through Gilgun’s neck.
“Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Gilgun’s death throes echoed, and I, having passed him, rolled once on the ground to regain my posture using both arms. At that moment, I unleashed 【Intimidation】 as if to wedge myself between the two entities about to collide, and in the dust cloud where the two objects braked sharply, I pressed my knife and dagger against their foreheads.
“It ends here for you too.”
“Gaa…!”
“Aria… you’re covered in blood again.”
Carla, with black thorn patterns wrapped around her white skin, smiled faintly and leaked red blood from her lips.
“…kukuku.”
At that moment, I heard a voice from Gilgun, whom I thought I had killed, and I immediately drew the throwing knife from my thigh.
Perhaps the earlier movements were too much, blood spurted from my skin as if capillaries had burst in both my legs, and I couldn’t move, kneeling on the ground and convulsing slightly. But Gilgun’s wounds were clearly fatal as well. Gilgun, standing still and leaking a large amount of blood from his neck, stared only at me and slightly grinned, as if raising the corner of his mouth.
“I never thought… that my Guild would be destroyed… Ash-Covered Princess. From your perspective, was I the one who wasn’t fighting seriously?”
“…”
Is it the difference between Gilgun, who was fixated on battle, and me, who sought victory?
“It’s your win, Ash-Covered Princess… but don’t let your guard down. That guy… the one-armed man is always targeting you.”
“Where is he?”
I asked in a low voice, holding my knife. Gilgun had said that he was in the castle of an Aristocratic Faction noble. To my question, Gilgun, coughing up blood from his mouth as if choking, turned his eyes, which were losing light, and grinned even more.
“Who knows? Go find him, Ash-Covered Princess…! I’ll be waiting in hell to see which one of you comes… hihi…ha…”
Saying only that, he collapsed to the ground, and the flame of life of Gilgun, the Guild Master of the Assassin Guild’s Southern Frontier Branch, vanished from this world.
“…”
The rescue mission for the Crown Prince’s group that I received from Elena is complete. Those two who interrupted the battle ended up saving me, and they got away without any major injuries. There should still be Aristocratic Faction members within the Second Knight Order involved in this incident, but what happens from there is Elena’s job.
But, as Gilgun said, I can’t let my guard down. As he said before that he would target Elena, who was an acquaintance, in order to prevent me from escaping, if I’m on the defensive, Elena will be exposed to danger as well.
But, now that I have a rough idea of where he is, there’s no need for me to be on the receiving end. Before that, the fact that he leaked even his own information to Gilgun, just as he leaked my information to Gilgun, is because he is “provoking” me.
He’s telling me to find him. That if I can’t find him, I don’t even have the right to fight.
…Next time, I’ll go kill you.
“…”
At that moment, I felt a strong gaze and turned my eyes to see a girl with dark blonde hair smiling gently, whom I had seen at the entrance ceremony, and our eyes met for a moment.
An innocent smile floating in a battlefield scattered with death… In that instant, I caught a glimpse of the dark flames burning deep within her eyes, and I felt a slight sense of déjà vu.
“Who is that girl…?”
【Aria (Alicia)】【Race: Human Female】【Rank 4】
【Mana Capacity: 136/300】【HP: 98/250】
【Strength: 10 (14)】【Endurance: 10 (14)】【Agility: 17 (24)】2 Up【Dexterity: 9】
【Dagger Arts Lv.4】【Martial Arts Lv.4】【Throwing Lv.4】
【Archery Lv.2】【Defense Lv.4】【Thread Manipulation Lv.4】
【Light Magic Lv.3】【Dark Magic Lv.4】【Non-Attribute Magic Lv.4】
【Utility Magic ×6】【Mana Control Lv.4】【Intimidation Lv.4】
【Stealth Lv.4】【Night Vision Lv.2】【Detection Lv.4】
【Poison Resistance Lv.3】【Abnormality Resistance Lv.1】
【Simple Appraisal】
【Overall Combat Strength: 1339 (Body Enhancement in progress: 1576)】43 Up
The relationships of the capture targets have changed little by little. The conspiracy arc ends here, though it feels incomplete.
The false heroine’s path to salvation is steadily disappearing, but she doesn’t stop. Like Aria, she is a native, so the value of life, including her own, is low, and she naturally uses her own life as a stake. This is the difference from the reincarnated heroine.
From next time, I’ll change the tone a bit and include some slice-of-life stories. As requested, it will be an event within the academy.
First, I’d like to do Aria’s daily life as seen by others on New Year’s Day.
Carla’s 【Divine Protection】【Soulthorn】
It is not a constantly activated type, but is activated by a word. It generates almost infinite mana in exchange for lifespan.
It cannot be used until the end of life, but it also puts a strain on the body, so the actual activation time is limited to only a few minutes.
The formula for calculating the instantaneous attack power of a magician is
(Base Value × (Mana ÷ 50)) × ((Dexterity Value × Skill Level ÷ 10) × (1 + (Number of Attributes – 1 × 10%)))
However, the calculation formula for 【Soulthorn】 is greatly enhanced.
(Base Value × (Mana ÷ 50)) × (((Dexterity Value + 1 × Skill Level + 2) ÷ 10) × (1 + (Number of Attributes – 1 × 10%)))
The skill level is added because magic of a level that cannot normally be used is forcibly activated by consuming mana. (This time’s change)
I will also write the calculation formula for the Iron Rose sometime.