November 13: The content of the previous chapter 232 has been revised.
In short, it’s a slight adjustment to the destination, but if you haven’t checked it yet, please read that first.
November 14: Further minor adjustments made.
“Well then, you two. I’ll see you there.”
As Aria was enveloped in the “darkness” of the Real Breaker and disappeared, Carla smiled at Nero and Feld, performed an elegant curtsy, and vanished as if swallowed by the darkness.
“…………”
“Gaa…”
The two left behind stared for a while at the spot where the two girls, probably the strongest on this continent, had disappeared, then exchanged glances.
Both Feld and Nero were acquainted with those girls.
Feld had been with her during the Royal Family’s Dungeon exploration, but they hadn’t spoken much, and he remembered her as a dangerous person who had caused trouble at the end. In Nero’s case, it was even worse; she had tried to kill him the moment they met.
“…She’s coming, huh?”
Feld couldn’t help but mutter about the reinforcements that had been decided on without his knowledge.
As Carla had said, if she came to Dandole as reinforcements, she would be worth an army in terms of fighting power. This might increase the survival rate of themselves and the knights under Dandole’s command, but as Aria feared, unless they understood Carla’s motives, in the worst case, Feld and the others would have to protect Dandole from her as well.
To be honest, he felt inadequate that Aria felt uneasy about their fighting strength, but if Aria and Nero, who had actually fought the Undead, judged so, then it would truly be a dangerous mission.
Feld and Nero couldn’t dismiss Aria’s feelings, as they fully understood her need to coldly calculate their survival rate and rely on a dangerous person (Carla).
“…Anyway, first I’ll inform our comrades from the nearby Guild. I don’t know how much time is left until the attack, but Dolton and Mira should be able to arrive in about a day. …Ah~ well, that’s why we have to hurry… Can you give me a ride?”
“…………”
Since his companion was a beast, it ended up sounding like a soliloquy, but Nero, sensing Feld’s hesitation to bridge the gap, sighed like a human and tapped his back with the whiskers extending from his ears.
–Ride–
“Thanks, that helps!”
A man and a beast raced through the Forest, the girls headed to their respective battlefields, and the war situation began to move again.
I use the Real Breaker to jump from Forest to Forest, from mountain to mountain.
The Real Breaker is different from Spatial Transfer; I can only jump to places I can see, but even so, if I can instantly leap over Forests and mountains, it should be quite fast.
But that’s only as long as my Mana lasts. Using Dragon Blood pills can alleviate it to some extent, but overusing the “Dragon Pills,” which can also be poisonous, is not an option considering the battle at Melrose.
Even so, in about half a day, I could see the walls of the Royal Capital. From here, the Dandole mansion should be nearby, but since it’s already dark, I don’t know if they would trust me if I went alone. Besides, if I get distracted by that, I might not make it in time for the Melrose attack.
Either way, Feld should have contacted them by now. If I can’t find the Second Knight Order here, it’s better to leave the rest to Feld and Carla.
I have no more business here. But… even so, there was one place I wanted to stop by.
–Thump.
My toes touched the stone floor of the terrace at night, making a faint sound.
The Princess’ Palace in the Royal Capital’s castle. I never even looked at it like this when I was here, but even after just a few months, I feel quite nostalgic.
It’s quiet and silent. The sounds I hear in the distance, are the maids still working, or is it the noise of the city reaching me?
Unconsciously, I silenced my footsteps as I walked through the Princess’ Palace.
As someone who is unofficially dead, there’s no point in me being here. It would be a problem even if a soldier saw me.
Still, if Sera or the Shadow Unit members are here, I can directly convey the details and avoid problems caused by communication failures, so coming here is not meaningless.
“…………”
No, that’s not the real reason.
From now on, I’m going to fight against more than a hundred Undead. I don’t intend to fight expecting to lose, but unlike ordinary Undead, the Undead are enemies who retain their skills and can use them.
Undead Knights—without the fear of their bodies being destroyed, without weaknesses like Vampires, a disciplined Undead Knight Order.
I think I can win against ten or so with brute force, but what if there are a hundred of them?
Amor is probably in either Dandole or Melrose, and I think there’s a high probability that he’ll target the Prime Minister rather than attack the Commander of the Knight Order. Who can say that Amor, who obtained that Divine Protection (Gift), isn’t Undead? In that state, how much can I protect?
As I was thinking about such things, I came across a greenhouse that made abundant use of expensive glass panels.
Even on a night in the near-winter season, only this place still retained a faint warmth from the day.
In the greenhouse with many plants, a girl drinking tea at a table illuminated by a faint lamp noticed me and looked up.
“Welcome back, Aria.”
“I’m back…”
My kind, my comrade… my friend. She looked thinner than before, the first time I’d seen her in a while. Elena wouldn’t normally be in a place like this alone; I realized that Elena had been waiting for me.
Elena, who was only wearing a shawl over her nightdress, stood up and slowly approached, neither rejoicing at our reunion nor scolding me for acting on my own, but pressed her forehead against my shoulder, which was slightly taller than hers.
“You’re going to fight again, aren’t you…”
“Yeah.”
“Sera told me… that a message came from the Rainbow Sword.”
“Can you move the Knight Order?”
“I still can’t move the Knight Order. The Commander of the Knight Order, who was still in the castle, divided a hundred knights into two under the guise of an exercise, and took half of them and Rookwell back to the mansion in a hurry. I wanted to stop them if possible, but…”
“…………”
We don’t have the words to stop a knight trying to protect his family.
The Dandole Family should also have a long-distance communication magic tool, but even if we inform them, there’s no guarantee that the place they escape to will be safe.
“The Prime Minister is on his way back to the mansion, and we haven’t been able to contact him yet. We were able to contact the Melrose mansion, so we can send out the Knight Order if the attack starts, but with my authority, I can only move a part of the Royal Guard and the troops that the Commander of the Knight Order left behind…”
In the current state of the Royal Family, whose power is declining, they can’t easily move the Knight Order. The King, who is so lenient with his family, must be conflicted about killing his own brother.
Besides, if they move the Knight Order without any certainty, the Aristocratic Faction will take advantage of it. If that happens, the current movement to make Elena Queen could be in vain.
That would be a political setback for Melrose and Dandole, who have sided with Princess Elena. But—
“For now, that’s good.”
I’m relieved that if Amor’s rebellion is confirmed in Melrose or Dandole, as Feld informed me, it will be possible to send out the Knight Order.
From here, it’s about half a day away… If I only have to stop Amor and the Undead until then, instead of having to defend everything alone, there’s still hope.
“It’s not good!”
Elena, hearing my mutter, pulled her face away from my shoulder and grabbed my collar.
“You might die fighting against more than a hundred Undead! No matter how strong Aria is, you’re still ‘human’!”
“Elena…”
There aren’t many who can fight me one-on-one. But there’s a limit to what a human can do alone.
Especially for me, who is specialized in one-on-one combat, facing a trained army requires me to truly risk my life.
Elena, who had been glaring at me for my careless remark, suddenly released her grip on my collar and lowered her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who acted on my own.”
“That’s not it. You just wanted to live freely… but my selfishness dragged Aria into danger. And again, I’m trying to rely on you.”
“It’s a path I chose.”
Elena’s selfishness was also my Desire.
I want to be by my friend’s side… because I shared the same feelings as Elena, who couldn’t even put such an ordinary wish into words.
But—that’s why.
“Trust me.”
I will protect Elena. I will fulfill her Desire. That is my “vow.”
“That’s not fair…”
Elena muttered, and when she looked up, a slightly wry expression was on her face.
“Aria, you won’t push yourself too hard, will you?”
“I’ll be reckless.”
“That’s fine. That’s who you are.”
Saying that, she smiled faintly.
Elena doesn’t say, “Don’t die.” And I don’t say, “I won’t die.”
Just as I have my battle, Elena has hers. No longer the fourteen-year-old girl, but with the face of a princess, Elena addresses me with the words of royalty as I head to the battlefield.
“If Dandole and Melrose confirm the rebellion of Prince Amor… in the name of the First Princess Elena, I authorize you to end his life. Not even His Majesty the King will object to this. Slay Prince Amor.”
“Understood.”
To my short reply, as always, her eyes flickered slightly.
Elena is protecting me as royalty.
I, too, as her warrior, agree to fulfill the “Imperial Order,” and to head to my own battlefield, we turn our backs to each other and begin to walk.
This time it was an Elena chapter.
It unexpectedly got long, and the scene didn’t reach Melrose…
Next time will start from the Melrose House.