The moment Kirkland was certain of victory—a girl appeared as if tearing through the darkness with a “voice,” and swung down a black blade.
(What!?)
Where did she come from? No, once you realize who she is, you have no choice but to accept any absurdity.
Kirkland knows her too. He’s even seen her from afar. Princess (Your Highness)’s hidden blade. A Rank 5 Adventurer. And… anyone in this country who knows even a little about the Underworld knows about her.
The “Ash-Covered Princess”—.
The Dragon Slayer girl who single-handedly rescued the Princess (Your Highness) from the Evil Race, after turning both the Assassin Guild and the Thieves’ Guild into enemies and destroying several of their branches.
To antagonize her is synonymous with “death,” the strongest Assassin…
It was because she went missing that the Second Knight Order moved. Many thought that the Ash-Covered Princess could not die so easily, but they were intoxicated by the power of “Undead” bestowed upon her, and did not consider it a true threat.
Kirkland was the same. Because she looked like a graceful and beautiful girl, he and many other knights misjudged her, even knowing her reputation. And, with Prince Amor’s confident words, Kirkland himself came to believe it by gaining a part of that power.
With this power, they couldn’t possibly lose. Two hundred was too small a number for a Knight Order going to the battlefield, but it was a good number for a surprise attack.
Especially in urban warfare, unlike large-scale battlefields, thousands of people cannot move at once. Only a few dozen cross blades at a time. In that scale of combat, individual combat power is prioritized over the size of the army, and they, who could continue fighting forever with only a small amount of food and spare weapons without fatigue or attrition, were truly an invincible army.
However, Kirkland was also a knight of this country, and prided himself on loving this country more than anyone else. Generally speaking, he understood that what they were doing was an act of drawing a bow against the state. Even if he felt frustrated with the way the country was, Kirkland was not so childish that he didn’t understand that it was not easy to politically correct it.
However, everything changed when the Second Knight Order became involved with Prince Amor, and they heard the “appearance” and “voice” of the Saint who visited the Second Knight Order’s camp through him.
By seeing her appearance and hearing her voice, Kirkland and the others naturally felt “affection” for her existence.
If they felt affection, they would believe her words. They would not doubt her words. And before they knew it, the hundreds of knights stationed at the Second Knight Order’s garrison, who were involved with Prince Amor, had turned into devotees of Prince Amor and Saint Licia.
The “Holy War” by only two hundred people had begun. If they could subdue Dandole and Melrose, the old regime… the old royal family that controlled this country, this country would change greatly.
If those two houses did not move, the Knight Orders in the Royal Capital other than the Royal Guard would not function properly, and the neutral Aristocratic Faction in the Royal Capital would refrain from active intervention.
There was no way they, who were doing the “right” thing, could lose. Even the slight conflict they had at first, by loving the “Saint,” they came to believe that it was right.
If there was any concern, it was the intervention of the so-called strongest and worst “Thorn Witch” and “Ash-Covered Princess,” but they came to believe without a doubt that they could win as long as Prince Amor, who had gained true power through the Saint, was there.
But, that “Ash-Covered Princess” appeared. How did she notice? How did she get to this place? He heard that the “Ash-Covered Princess” was deeply involved with the Shadow Unit. Even if she could find out the route the Prime Minister was taking this time from the Princess (Your Highness)’s chief lady-in-waiting in the castle, how far did she think it was from there to here?
Kirkland felt a sense of crisis about the “Ash-Covered Princess” again. This woman is dangerous. She will definitely be an obstacle to Prince (Your Highness) and Saint-sama.
“—Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Even while being bisected from the top of his head, Kirkland raised a scream that could not be voiced and swung his sword.
If you die too much, your will disappears. Without knowing that it was a transformation from the living to the dead, Kirkland stood up with his mental strength and unconsciously swung his sword at the “enemy” who could be an obstacle to the “Saint.”
In response, the “Ash-Covered Princess” narrowed her eyes slightly, and while stepping in, she drove a Dagger into his heart and tore his head sideways.
“—Gah…”
Kirkland’s consciousness disappeared, and in that moment, he questioned himself what he was really trying to do with “his own will,” but he did not get an answer, and his consciousness disappeared into the eternal darkness forever.
In a momentary fierce attack, blood mist danced, and as if repelling it, the light like scorched iron disappeared from the hair of the girl who flipped her cloak, and her pinkish-blonde hair sparkled in the moonlight.
The people of Melrose House who were there—especially those who had served the Melrose House for a long time—were fascinated by the radiance like the “Moon Rose (Melrose),” and reminisced about the nostalgic past.
“…Aria!!”
Mikhail’s voice, who was the first to come to his senses, echoed, and the others were brought back to reality by that voice, but that girl—Aria—moved on her own before Mikhail could move.
“Mikhail, not yet.”
There are still two Undead there. The knight had already lost his human will because he had died too much, but he still recognized Aria as their enemy and attacked her.
But, too slow—.
Zan! Before the knight’s attack could reach its fastest speed from the start, Aria’s foot, which stepped out with a blurring speed, gouged the ground, and she slashed his neck off as if piercing the bone joint of his neck.
Even if they can use their original skills and are capable of some independent action, their ability to act will be reduced if the command system, the head, is severed.
Aria, who had also decapitated the last one and neutralized them, said to the knights of Melrose House, who were dumbfounded by her overwhelming combat power, “I’ll leave the rest to you,” and headed towards Margrave Melrose, who was next to Mikhail.
“Prime Minister. Are you aware of the situation?”
“Ah, yes…”
Belt felt a slight pain, not so much from Aria’s dashing appearance and annihilation of the Undead enemies, but from the fact that she spoke to him as an “Adventurer hired by the Royal Family” rather than as his “granddaughter.”
But even so, Belt was a “noble” who protected the people of this country, and he faced Aria without showing that pain on his face.
“I am aware that Prince Amor has started a rebellion. I didn’t expect his actions to be so quick, but Dandole is probably under attack as well as Melrose.”
“The castle has been notified, but…”
Aria, as if not noticing Belt’s expression, began to report as a person involved without changing her expression.
When he learned that Dandole’s General Commander of the Knight Order was heading to the mansion with his forces, and that the Rainbow Sword and Carla were heading there, Belt felt a twinge of anxiety about the “Thorn Witch” heading there, but still showed a look of relief as Prime Minister.
“If there is a long-distance call from the castle, Dandole will have the Rainbow Sword and the local knights to hold them off.”
“I think it would be best for you to return to the castle, Prime Minister, but what will you do?”
“…”
It was not Belt, but Mikhail, who was standing by his side, who gasped slightly at Aria’s words.
Kirkland was the only one who found Belt and the others, but the assault team could not have been just them. If Belt returned to the castle, Aria would inevitably be his escort.
If he acted as Prime Minister, it would be best to return to the castle. It would also thwart the plans of Amor and the Aristocratic Faction who were inciting them. But in that case, he would be cutting off Belt’s wife and those who had served the Melrose House until now, and his name as Margrave would be tarnished. Mikhail also refrained from speaking because he understood that it was not easy to make a decision.
Margrave of Dandole was also forced to make a similar choice, and returned to the mansion to protect his pride and his house. In their case, their position was closer to that of a knight, and the act of allowing an attack itself would be fatal.
Even if it was not the best thing to do as the General Commander of the Knight Order of the country, it was also necessary as a Margrave who controlled many dependents.
“…I’m going to the mansion. It would be closer to notify the castle from there. We will receive His Majesty’s permission and wait for the arrival of the Knight Order. Aria…”
Belt made the same decision as Dandole, and hoped to gain a stronger weakness against Prince Amor, the Saint Faction, and the Aristocratic Faction by directly defeating Amor’s forces, rather than a political settlement. Even if his true intentions were different, his position as Prime Minister required such a “reason.”
But there is something necessary for that.
“As Margrave Melrose, I request something of Aria. I need your help.”
“Of course.”
Belt, acting solely as “Prime Minister,” made the choice to send his granddaughter into a deadly situation, and Aria, acting solely as an “Adventurer,” accepted her grandfather’s request.
“…………”
Mikhail didn’t know their relationship. He didn’t know his relationship with Aria either. He just wanted to be by her side… that’s what he thought.
But even so, he had felt something connecting them since they first met. His grandfather probably knew something. Aria probably noticed it too. But the two of them said nothing, and Mikhail slightly lowered his eyes at their unnatural and clumsy behavior.
Aria used 【High Heal】 on the knight who was receiving Cure magic, instructed everyone to ride their horses, and took the lead on foot.
『『…………』』
Seeing that figure, the older knights who knew “the old days” straightened their posture as if they were facing “the family of the lord.”
“I’ll lead the way. Follow me.”
Aria, running at a speed comparable to the horses despite being on foot, caused the Melrose men to hurriedly spur their horses.
“…………”
Belt overlapped Aria, who had involved his granddaughter in a fate where she might die, and yet rushed to the aid of Melrose in its crisis, with the figure of his daughter in her prime, and continued to watch Aria’s small back and swaying pinkish-blonde hair running through the Darkness from the small window of the carriage with a complex expression.
“Everyone, don’t stop! Break through!!”
Around the time Aria joined up with Melrose, the group led by Grand Knight Commander Dandole, heading towards a mansion in the outskirts of the Royal Capital, unfortunately encountered the Second Knight Order.
The knights of the First Knight Order, led by Margrave of Dandole, numbered just over fifty, and if they were to fight properly, they should have been able to fight even if the enemy had twice their numbers, but because the enemy was “Undead,” the knights of the First Knight Order were gradually defeated and their numbers dwindled.
In response, the Grand Knight Commander, who had already been informed of the enemy’s true nature, chose to retreat immediately in order to join up with the Dandole Knight Order at the mansion, rather than engage in combat.
Even if the enemy was Undead, they would have a chance of winning if they could hold a castle. The main force of the First Knight Order, which had been unable to move due to the eyes of the Aristocratic Faction, had already been prepared for dispatch to Dandole and Melrose by the adjutant.
But even that would be impossible to communicate unless the Grand Knight Commander arrived at the mansion, even if he had grasped the evidence of the rebellion.
It could only be said that they were really unlucky. And what was even more unlucky was—
“Hahaha! The end has finally come, Dandole!”
Among the attackers was a figure who appeared to be Prince Amor.
According to uncertain information, Amor had the power to create Undead. With Amor present, the Undead were further activated, and Dandole was suffering unnecessary losses.
“Why are you doing this!?”
“This is necessary for the rebirth of this country! I can do it now!”
When the Grand Knight Commander shouted at the Second Knight Order, which had caught up, the figure wearing a cloak at the head of the Second Knight Order replied.
Judging from the voice, the Grand Knight Commander was convinced that the cloaked figure was Prince Amor, but why was he hiding his “face” even after coming this far?
“Don’t talk nonsense… Have you lost your mind, Amor!!”
“That’s disrespectful, Dandole! I am the one who will become the Queen’s consort!”
“Queen!? Consort!? Have you really gone mad!?”
Grand Knight Commander Dandole knew Amor’s true intentions. His goal was not to make the Crown Prince the king, but to make him a puppet and become one of the consorts of the de facto “Queen.”
Whether it was due to his delusional madness or the true intentions of the Crown Prince faction was unknown. However, the Grand Knight Commander intuitively understood who the Queen would be.
Probably that suspicious woman—the “Saint.”
“Now, it’s about time to finish this! Perish, Dandole! Relics of the old generation!”
“Guh!”
If Amor was speaking in earnest, this attack would not only be limited to Dandole and Melrose, but would also harm the Royal Family.
An enormous Mana, enough to be felt even by the Grand Knight Commander who was far away, overflowed from Amor, who had fallen into madness, and just as something was about to be released—
Boom!!
Flames rose up in a vortex around Amor.
Several knights were caught in the flames, and the spreading flames scorched the night sky. As the horses on Dandole’s side were frightened, whinnying and stopping, a “girl’s” voice spilled from the night sky.
“Oh, am I the first one?”
A girl with skin like white wax and billowing jet-black hair spoke into the flames, and from those flames, Amor, who had transformed his right half into wriggling Worms, grinned grotesquely with his half face.
Amor’s goal is finally revealed.
What is the meaning of the half of his body infested with Worms?
If this becomes an illustration, I’m sorry, illustrator Yu Hitaki-sensei!
I really appreciate the typo reports.
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