《The Magnificent Battle Records of A Former Noble Lady》 Chapter 1 - Decisive Refusal ¡°I refuse.¡± A dignified voice echoed inside the wide room. Those words shook the atmosphere. It was during an audience in Rideiran Kingdom¡¯s royal castle. Despite bending her knees to the King sitting in the throne, enclosed by Knights and numerous nobles, Syltina spoke words of refusal while staring directly at the King. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°I said ¡®I refuse¡¯.¡± The tone of the King¡¯s voice lowered by a margin, nevertheless, Syltina just calmly repeated the same words from before. Anger dyed the King¡¯s face. It was an expression that all people present at this audience showed. ¡°Are you saying you will not comply to me, the King?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten, King? Because of the command you¨Cthe King¡ªgave, I was banished from this country two years ago.¡± Syltina simply mentioned a fact, with a tone devoid of any deep emotion. ¡°You pinned a false crime on me, forced me to withdraw from the academy, had my household disown me and exiled me from the country. Why must I, whom you called back to this country after merely two years, wield a sword for your sake?¡± Syltina was a noble lady. She was Syltina Balratona, the eldest daughter of the ¡°Balratona Duke family¡± who possesses authority next to the royal family in the Rideiran Kingdom. Such woman lost everything from her hands two years ago, as though it was plotted. Nay, that was certainly plotted. Syltina lost everything to a girl who had come from a different world. ¡°I am not a citizen of this country anymore. Therefore, I have no reason to abide by your commands.¡± ¡°The country where you were born and grew up is in crisis, is it not!?¡± ¡°So what? This country that fell into such a situation¡­is your responsibility as the King. I already told you so. If you get infatuated too much with that woman over there, sooner or later, you will have to pay a compensation that corresponds with it.¡± Syltina shifts her attention to the royals waiting behind the King, at the woman snuggling next to the First Prince. Everything were the consequences of their own deeds. They are not worth saving. Two years ago, when this country had forsaken her, Syltina lived desperately. She went over the neighboring country, grasp a sword she had never grasped until then, sold her long hair, put on clothes with easy mobility in exchange for dresses, practiced magic until her magic power was about to run out, she truly lived through all of that while struggling to death. Is it not ridiculous that the very people who drove her to such circumstances are begging for help now that they are in danger? ¡°The time when monsters started to run rampant in this country also coincides with time she came to this country, so I warned you to not be negligent, but you completely ignored me. You, who not only treated my advice in disdain but also pinned the crime of ¡¯embezzling the national taxes¡¯ on me despite having no knowledge of it at all, what sort of great cause do you have that I must save you?¡± From the ancient times, there are creatures that appear in this world when the government and public order of the country are disturbed. These so-called ¡°monsters¡± are totally incomprehensible beings with uncertain cause and origins, however their strength cannot be compared with an ordinary soldier¡¯s. It is unknown how many countries in the world perished because of them. These beings also appeared in the Rideiran Kingdom. The kingdom will be ruined if they are not defeated, and a lot of lives will be lost along with it. However, it has nothing to do with Syltina anymore. She is not saying that all the people of this country are detestable. Even so, two years ago, Syltina definitely almost lost her life to the citizens led by this country¡¯s royalty. Syltina does not have a tolerant heart to go as far as save that sort of people. ¡°You mean to say you will not comply no matter what?¡± ¡°My mind will not change.¡± ¡°Even if I permit you to have the name of Balratona Duke family once again?¡± ¡°I have no desire for a status at this late hour.¡± ¡°Then I will bestow you lands and money.¡± ¡°I enlisted in the Guild, lands and the likes of them are unnecessary for this body that wanders different places in the world. Excess fortune is a burden.¡± ¡°If that is the case, I will grant you what you wish for.¡± ¡°I will fulfill my own wish by myself. I don¡¯t have any expectations of other people giving me anything.¡± Syltina answered no to all of the King¡¯s proposal. Although the King began to embrace resignation seeing her like that, one girl fired off words at this moment. It was the girl standing next to the First Prince. ¡°Why are you saying that kind of cold-hearted things!? The lives of people are hanging here!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The look Syltina directed towards her is chilling. ¡°Syltina-san will be able to save a lot of lives by receiving this request! And yet, why are you refusing!?¡± Bullshit!! Syltina strongly reigned in the impulse to shout back, and exhaled deeply. ¡°Akari Fuyuhara-sama, please do not cut into matters unrelated to you. This is my problem. A matter I decide on. No matter how much you line up high-sounding statements, if I said no, everything about this matter is nothing to me. ¡± ¡°But your family and friends are in this country, too!!¡± ¡°There is no such thing. What exist in this country are only the people who were my friends but scorned me, and the people who should be my family but betrayed me. I no longer have anyone I want to protect in this country.¡± Haven¡¯t you deprived me of everything? Syltina thought. The woman named Akari Fuyuhara was the person who schemed so that Syltina will lose everything. Recalling the events two years ago, Syltina unconsciously sighed deeply in her mind. Chapter 2 - Two Years Ago, When Everything was Lost Two years ago, Syltina had everything. Parents who were sometimes strict and sometimes kind who gave her unconditional love, an attendant raised with her from childhood whom she could trust from the bottom of her heart, an esteemed older brother who adored her while striving at his studies as the successor of the family, a dear little brother with a charming smile who gave his utmost efforts in sword practice in order to become a Knight, a lot of friends beyond the boundary of academic grades whom she could learn and laugh with, reliable teacher who kindly listened to her consultations and sometimes corrected her mistakes, a beloved fiance whom she wanted to shoulder the country with while supporting each other, King and Queen she held in high esteem who pinned their hopes on her as the Queen of the next King, citizens whom she wanted to protect and listen to without neglecting them because she was a noble¡ª¡ª¡ª- a future where she protect of all those, enrich them, support them, be supported by them, love them and be loved by them. Syltina had everything. Until she came¡­ It was an early afternoon of a certain day when the last snow piled up, that the girl named ¡°Akari Fuyuhara¡± came over from a different world. A Knight came to the academy with hurried footsteps, conveying the orders of the King for Syltina and her fiance, First Prince Fract Rideiran, to come over immediately. They arrived at the castle in the audience room and the both of them could do nothing but be perplexed. The King sat in the throne and to his right was the Queen Consort. One step behind the King and Queen stood Syltina¡¯s father, Duke Balratona, who was the Prime Minister. Standing next to him was the Knight Leader. It was alright until there. Nothing particularly changed, it was the atmosphere ¡°during a royal audience¡± both of them were accustomed to. However, there was only one thing. There was something different from usual. An idle girl standing between the King and Syltina and Fract. It was Akari Fuyuhara. The girl who abruptly appeared in the courtyard of the royal castle said she came from a different world. There were also several documents left behind that mention about visitors from a different world coming to this world once in several hundred years. They can use healing magic that was already lost in this world, therefore the country that receives a visitor who came from another world protects that personage. It was established as a tacit understanding to guarantee their livelihood. Rideiran Kingdom was no exception. The King became the girl¡¯s guardian and admitted her to the same academy Syltina and Fract attended. Syltina and Fract were summoned from the consideration of the King who wanted them to lend a hand to this girl who knew nothing about this world. Thus, the girl who began to attend the academy, enchanted several men. It was unknown how she did it but it was a fact that she attracted people with high popularity within the academy, and to top it all, even a teacher. The girl was a personage who charmed the officers of the Student Council where Syltina belongs to¡ª¨Cher fiance Fract, her older brother Zeld, her younger brother Tedora and her attendant Eugene. They competed and gave her presents, there were also cases they brought her along as a partner to evening parties even though she did not possess court rank. They do not attend classes, always staying by the girl¡¯s side. The female students who openly displayed their disgust at first were also gradually won over by Akari¡¯s bottomless cheerfulness and unadorned cuteness. In this way, Akari became popular in the academy not even half a year later. Nevertheless, she did not only brought good things. Rather, the bad things were more abundant. However, no one acknowledged it. They pretended not to see. And it was Syltina, the only person doing the work in the Student Council, who covered up for everything. After working alone on large quantities of documents until she was worked to death, she chose substitute for the teacher who abandoned his classes, talking with the Minister of Finance to do something about the national taxes that keep on decreasing because of the presents for Akari, introducing employment to the people so they can live by their own power after the haphazardly done distribution of food to the needy citizens due to Akari¡¯s request, going around lowering her head to the nobles who looked disapproving when Akari ¨C a woman with no peerage ¨C attended the ball, inviting noble ladies whose fiances minded only Akari just like herself into a tea party to meet new fiance candidates, and appealing to Akari not do too much unsightly behaviors. And ocassionally dropping remarks to the King. ¡°Monsters are beginning to appear.¡± ¡°Neglect neither vigilance nor caution towards her.¡± ¡°If her selfish words and actions become even more terrible than this, the country will fall into ruin.¡± Although these words were meant to be a candid advice, the King who wanted the country to only profit from Akari¡¯s existence, threw away Syltina¡¯s opinions. Syltina secluded herself in the Student Council room and in her place, Akari went as far as assume Syltina¡¯s position. All too soon, Syltina¡¯s place in the academy had disappeared. At the same time, there were rumors that had begun to spread. There were rumors about how Syltina harassed Akari for stealing her fiance and embezzled the national taxes, indulging in every possible luxury. Both were groundless and far from the truth but there was not anyone who denied it directly. It was because no one knew what Syltina was doing while she shut herself in the Student Council room. And then, evidence that gave reality to those rumors emerged one after another¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Akari¡¯s belongings that were mangled cruelly, a soaking wet Akari who was rushing into the infirmary because Syltina poured water on her, when asked by the men who liked her, a crying Akari with swollen cheeks from being hit answered she received a summon from Syltina, a depressed Akari after Syltina poured wine on her dress in a party hosted by the King. Finally, Akari saying Syltina pushed her off the stairs. In relation to the national taxes, the Minister of Finance firmly kept his mouth shut. As for all of these, Syltina can assert she was innocent. Nevertheless, there were neither situations that proved her innocence nor people who pursued whether or not she really did these. Thus, the fated day approached. Syltina was made to go up the stage for the final agenda during the closing ceremony. In front of all the students, Fract announced the annulment of their engagement and Syltina received a censure for crimes she never did. Men nestled close to Akari in order to protect her as she narrated about Syltina tearfully. It was the King who accused Syltina of embezzling the national taxes she had no knowledge of. The Prime Minister, who was Syltina¡¯s father, did not protect his daughter and merely looked over the course of events calmly. The attendant Syltina trusted, the brothers she loved and her fiance said Syltina had nothing to do with them any longer. The people whom she considered her friends cursed her one by one. Even though she had no remembrance of those crimes, even though she appealed that she did nothing, no one came to believe her. Because only persons of high status (who adored Akari) besieged Syltina, other students (those who still believed in and respected Syltina in particular) were not given the chance to interfere. Even if they had such chance, there was not anyone among them who had high enough status to object. Setting aside what was inside each of their respective hearts, in reality, Syltina had not even a single ally in that place. In that way, Syltina was sentenced to disownment from the Balratona Duke House and exile from the country at the same time as her engagement annulment. Everything she built collapsed, she lost everything. Just before she was dragged away by the Knights, Syltina thought she will never forget how Akari looked¡ª her lips stretched into a smile as she stood there protected at the men¡¯s back. At that time, Syltina realized that the King had no intention to let her live. Though he said ¡°exile¡±, Syltina was left as she is inside the country. The King meant to make her head to another country by herself. Charity from other people are absolutely prohibited, the King wanted her to go on a journey even if it¡¯s reckless. In other words, ¡°a person who betrayed the country should just be abandoned by everyone and go die¡±. Nevertheless, for her to not be beheaded or imprisoned, did ¡°someone¡± put in a word there¡­? Because the King hoped for her death. She did not remember doing anything that would make the King shun her to that extent, but the fact that a mere daughter of a Duke who was still a student got involved (though not in a bad way) with the national tax would not be amusing for the King who was supposed to be the country¡¯s supreme commander. Although the King she held in high esteem until then hoped for her death, even so, Syltina could do nothing but keep on walking forward while she sipping muddy water, eating weeds, spending the night on the hard ground, wearing away her shoe sole, reaching the brink of death several times and collapsing over and over again. She could not die in a place like this. Thus, Syltina groped along the way to the neighboring country beyond the sea and entered the Guild. She wielded a sword, learned magic, cut her hair, changed her garments and build up her strength little by little. And after a year passed, Syltina became strong enough that her name was well-known even to foreign countries. She had no choice but to become strong. It was just the other day that a messenger of Rideiran Kingdom came to the new Syltina, merely two years since she was exiled. Chapter 3 - Request Acceptance The lands where monsters appear are tainted. The taint becomes weak as time passes but it takes several decades for it to completely disappear and during that time, life will not dwell in the tainted lands. Even if it¡¯s possible to defeat the monsters, it¡¯s impossible to remove the taint. However, it is said that only a person who came from a different world and can use healing magic is able to purify those taints. To rely on some few lines in the old documents although it¡¯s unknown whether they are the truth or not, Rideiran Kingdom has already reached the point where they have no other means of salvation. Fortunately, there¡¯s Akari who came from a different world two years ago. However, she can¡¯t even stand a chance against a monster let alone purify the taint if she left alone on a journey. Even the First Prince who hasn¡¯t heard that he will go along and the second son of Balratona Duke family, a Squire, were somewhat anxious to deal with monsters while protecting Akari. Therefore they selected Syltina from among several people. ¡°Join the journey to purify the taint and protect Saintess Akari.¡± It was the royal order the King gave Syltina. ¡°In the first place, even the Knight Leader should be able to protect her if it¡¯s just on the level of monsters. Why must I go?¡± The monsters are certainty strong. But it¡¯s not to the point that humans won¡¯t be able to compete with. Despite this, why was the duty pushed to her? Syltina cannot help but wonder. ¡°The Knight Leader position is vacant right now.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Since the former Knight Leader Famiras Kranzart suddenly resigned a year ago, the successor has yet to be decided.¡± ¡°One year ago, you say¡­Why did something like that even¡­¡± ¡°¡­known.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The political situation declined, public order was disturbed, the citizens were in chaos, most of the nobles did not go out of their territories. It was not only that. The Sub Leader was tentatively appointed as the next Leader but he only sent his refusal. Thereafter, even his whereabouts became unknown.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Utterly astounded, Syltina was indeed experiencing this at the moment. Nothing had changed in this country during the two years she was away. Therefore, something like this happened. Everything she tried to maintain for the person who will take over her position after she was exiled two years ago ended in vain. This is the result of that. The county is falling into ruin, the citizens are grieving, the Knights are wavering, public order is in disorder, the nobles are living in seclusion, monsters are appearing and generating taint. The Knight Leader position, the status for Rideiran Kingdom¡¯s strongest, has been vacant for a year. There is even no Sub Leader, who should be the second strongest person. The capable people left have the position of Squad Leaders, but insecurity remains if it¡¯s just them facing off monsters. So they reached out to Syltina, whose name is widely known even in foreign countries. Didn¡¯t I told you so? Syltina sympathized with the people in front of her for the first time since she came here. However, while it might be true that she sympathized, accepting this request is a different case. Just as Syltina was about to refuse for the nth time, the door to the audience room opened with force so strong it was unbelievable. ¡°Hello, excuse me for interrupting.¡± Ahead the opened door, a silver-haired man listlessly stifling a yawn said a few words and came inside. ¡°Who are you!? What are the Knights doing?!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not someone suspicious. Here, look. A letter from the Guild Master to Sylti. He told me to deliver this immediately so I brought it here.¡± Syltina only sighed, astonished at the man who said so while waving the envelope he is carrying with a flutter. ¡°Al, how did you come here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking ¡®how¡¯? I just walked though?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I defeated all the guys who picked a fight with me on the way here.¡± ¡°By defeated, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t kill them.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Hey! Who is that man!?¡± First Prince Fract shouted, pointing at the man Syltina referred to as ¡°Al¡±. ¡°He is¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°Oops, my introduction was delayed. I belong to the same Guild as Sylti, Alhart Roulans. I am in a party with her.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-Al.¡± Alhart interrupted Syltina and introduced himself. She then said his name in a soft voice. He laughed happily and handed over the letter to her in order to confirm its contents. ¡°This is¡­¡± Syltina¡¯s eyes slightly widened as he read the contents of the letter and looked over Alhart with an astonished expression. ¡°It¡¯s like that.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So it¡¯s like that.¡± They nodded to each other as if coming to some kind of agreement while the surroundings looked puzzled. Unmindful of them, Syltina once again kneeled in front of the King. ¡°I will accept the guard mission for ¡°Saintess¡± Akari.¡± With those words, the atmosphere shook in a different meaning than the first time. ¡°You swiftly changed your mind? What is written in that letter?¡± ¡°It is a directive from the Guild Master to accept because a commission for us to guard the Saintess came to the Guild. I will not decline a commission because of personal feelings.¡± ¡°¡®Us¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes. It is commission for Alhart Roulans and I. Therefore, this man will also join the journey for the purification.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± The same instant Syltina snapped her fingers, the letter Alhart brought burned without leaving any trace. After confirming it¡¯s done, Syltina stood up and drew the sword hanging from her waist. The King reigned in the tension which built up then and there with a hand. Just as it calmed down, Alhart similarly pulled out his sword. ¡°Since it was accepted as the ¡®request of the Guild¡¯, please allow me to pledge to you using the style of the mercenary guild we belong to, ¡°Dipterous Sword¡± which branch is established at Ruran Kingdom.¡± ¡°I as well.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Upon the King¡¯s authorization, both of them thrust their own swords at their feet simultaneously. ¡°¡±In accordance to thy command, I will become the shield that protects thee from henceforth. In the event I accomplish this great cause, this sword will obtain the brilliance of the greatest treasure. Until this body is forgotten in time, this mind will become the sword that protects thee. The moment everything is fulfilled, this name will be honorably handed down from generations to generations. My name, my sword, my life. I vow to stake everything in order to protect thee. This body exists for thy sake.¡± At the same time we finished speaking, a high metallic sound rang from the swords as returned them to their scabbards. ¡°So cool¡­¡± A hush fell over the place and Akari¡¯s words echoed, letting her true feelings spill. ¡°Amazing! Both of you were cool! I was moved!¡± Despite saying ¡°both of you¡±, Akari¡¯s eyes are turned towards Alhart alone. Seeing Akari like that, Syltina smiled wryly and shrugged her shoulders, drawing away from Alhart by a step. As if she was waiting for that moment, Akari, who was tightly snuggling up to Fract until then, ran up to Alhart and took his hand. ¡°Please take care of me, okay, Alhart-san!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am actually really anxious. Just when I got used to this world, they started calling me ¡°Saint¡± and told me to go on a purification journey¡­¡± Akari¡¯s voice shook and she lowered her head, still clasping Alhart¡¯s hand. A drop of liquid that fell to the floor made the surrounding people show pitying eyes in sympathy. ¡°Even a person from another world like me can do well in order to save the people in this country. I can do my best whenever I think of that¡­but, I¡¯m still uneasy¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°But¡ª¨C!¡± When she lifted her face, Akari¡¯s eyes are wet with tears. However, she was smiling despite looking like that. Sighs of admiration leaked from the surroundings at the teary but lovely, courageous smile of a beauty (this is a bit late but Akari is a peerless beauty). ¡°If Alhart-san protects me, I can do my best no matter what happens!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Directly spoken to by Akari with a smile, Alhart replied, ¡°¡­Yeah? You done? Err, sorry but I didn¡¯t hear what you said halfway through. Come again?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ªThis reaction. On top of that, with a yawn. ¡°¡­Huh, uhm, Alhart-san?¡± This reaction is probably unexpected even for Akari. She looked up at Alhart with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°And ¡°Saintess¡±, was it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Akari. Akari Fuyuhara.¡± ¡°Well, whatever. I am protecting you because it¡¯s a request for my party member Syltina. Syltina said ¡°a request for us¡± but it¡¯s just because since we¡¯re in the same party, a request for one person inevitably becomes the ¡°request for the party¡±.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± ¡°In short, I am protecting you because of Syltina. Do not forget that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Akari glared at Syltina. ¡°If there was no formal request from the guild, I will cut you off and quickly abandon this kind of country. You should express your gratitude for Syltina¡¯s kindness.¡± Alhart bent to whisper that close to Akari¡¯s ear. He murmured it with a slight killing intent. At once, Akari¡¯s face turned pale and she quickly returned to Fract¡¯s side. Not even glancing at Akari, Alhart stifled a yawned once more, then stepped in front of Syltina, who was looking at him in amazement. ¡°I¡¯m done with my task so I¡¯ll go back to the inn and sleep. Contact me if something happens.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Should I also reserve a room for you?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s probably alright. I¡¯ll drop by once when this is over.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s the inn called ¡°Blue Bed¡±. Do you know the place?¡± ¡°Sure. See you later.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Alhart patted Syltina¡¯s head once and left the audience room. Syltina saw off Alhart then turned to the King and fixed her posture. ¡°By the way, King. I have a request for accepting this commission.¡± ¡°What is it? State your request.¡± ¡°After this mission ends safely, I ask you not to bother me ever again.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°The departure will be in three days. Gather everything necessary until then. I asked the Balratona Duke House to take care of you until the departure. I will have it arranged so everyone joining the trip will have time to meet together tomorrow. Drop by the castle with the man before in the afternoon.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, excuse me for today.¡± As Syltina bowed deeply and turned on her heels, only Akari was looking at her with eyes full of rage. Chapter 4 - The Name of those Feelings Walking down the hallway after leaving the audience room, Syltina heard footsteps behind her. Syltina had an idea who owned those footsteps. She came to a stop and let out a small sigh. ¡°Syltina-san!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The owner of the footsteps noticed Syltina stopped walking and approached even faster. ¡°Do you need something, Saintess?¡± ¡°Rather than ¡®Saintess¡¯¡­Please call me Akari.¡± ¡°Such graciousness. Since Saintess is a ¡°saintess¡± allow me to call you so hereafter.¡± Syltina responded with a smile at the owner of the footsteps¡¯¡­at Akari¡¯s words. Who would call you by your name? ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Leaving that aside, you came running after me because you need something, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I want to express my gratitude to you.¡± ¡°Gratitude?¡± Akari nodded at the puzzled Syltina and straightened her posture. ¡°Thank you for receiving the guard request for the purification journey.¡± ¡°Oh, about that. Please do not worry about it.¡± ¡°That would be impossible! I am truly thankful. Besides, I didn¡¯t expect Syltina-san would really come here¡­And also, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Why did you think I will not come?¡± The moment Syltina asked, Akari¡¯s pupils glinted. She must have been waiting for Syltina to ask that question. Syltina was aware of it, but she deliberately threw that question. ¡°Because didn¡¯t Syltina-san got banished from this country two years ago for doing bad things? If it was me, I won¡¯t be able to come back to this country with a calm face even if it was by the King¡¯s orders. That¡¯s why, I thought Syltina-san won¡¯t come either, but you came properly and even took up the guard request¡­so, thank you very much.¡± She lowered her head, but it included neither the slightest bit of sincerity nor thanks. ¡°If you are showing your gratitude that much, it also makes me very happy, Saintess.¡± Syltina reciprocated with a laugh at Akari¡¯s words loaded with sarcasm. ¡°However, I¡¯m the one who wants to thank you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Two years ago, you accused me of the crime of harassing you, not to mention I was denounced by people with you and the First Prince at the head, furthermore a crime I have no knowledge of was pinned on me and I was driven out of this country. You allowed that ¡°person who tormented you¡± to be your guard. If it was me, I would cut down that person the moment they appear before my eyes again. I wish to express my gratitude for your tolerant and kind heart.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, no, that is¡­¡± The sound of Akari¡¯s bewildered voice carried to Syltina who was bowing her head very deeply. Serves you right, Syltina sneered under her lowered head. Just like that, Syltina bid her goodbye and turned on her heels. Syltina does not intend to be defeated even in words by a woman who only knows how to be protected comfortably. It would be better for Akari to realize and lament that she placed herself under the custody of the person she scorned herself. Al said he accepted because it was a ¡°commission¡±. Syltina did, too. Akari must not forget that. She must not forget that she is being protected by a ¡°commission¡±. ¡°Elder Sister Syl!!¡± A voice called out to Syltina once more just as she was close to exiting the palace gates. She stopped walking and sighed, unclear how many times she already did that. When she looked back, Tedla Balratona, her little brother until two years ago, was there. ¡°Sir Tedla Balratona, did you need something?¡± ¡°I will accompany you to the house.¡± ¡°I am thankful for the offer but it is not necessary. I remember the location of Duke Balratona¡¯s house, besides I have to stop by somewhere.¡± ¡°Is it that man¡¯s place?¡± ¡°It is none of your concern. Let¡¯s meet again later in Duke Balratona¡¯s house.¡± After bowing, Syltina passed under the palace gates. Tedla lined up next to her. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°I will also go.¡± Syltina her eyebrows, unable to understand his intentions. His grew taller and his features matured a little compared to two years ago. His muscled body showed his dedication to become a Knight. Syltina observed Tedla for some time, then started to walk without saying anything. He was her family. It does not mean she had no feelings of affection. He was someone she brought up for 16 years with profound love. ¡°He might save me,¡± she harbored that hope towards him until the very end. However, both her love and hope, he¡­they easily betrayed her intentions as well. Isn¡¯t it normal to feel like this? That being the case, isn¡¯t it inevitable to consider she has no need of those people? She trusted them so much because she loved them, and the despair and disappointment were unfathomable the moment they betrayed her. So never again would she love and believe the people in this country. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uhm, elder sister Syl¡­¡± After walking in silence for a while, Tedla abruptly began a conversation. ¡°Two years ago, that is¡­¡± ¡°I am¡ª¨C¡± Syltina opened her mouth to reply to Tedla, who looked as if he was clogged up with words that are hard to say. ¡°I am not your elder sister. Please call me Syltina.¡± Syltina herself thought it was an awfully cold voice. Tedla held his breath and stopped walking. Syltina looked at his face warped with sorrow, completely mystified from the bottom of her heart. What was he grieving for so much? He himself said it was a matter of course, that it was a fact. After all, he was the one who abandoned his ¡°older sister¡±. He should be aware Syltina had busily moved about even after returning from school. Nevertheless, two years ago, he assisted and stood beside Akari. At that time, in that moment, he stopped being her ¡°little brother¡± and she also stopped being his ¡°older sister¡±. Even if she was not deprived of her family name, Syltina thought she can never think of him as her ¡°little brother¡± again. Therefore, she cannot comprehend the meaning of his current expression. ¡°Sir Tedla, is something wrong?¡± ¡°You are mad, after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are mad that I did not side with you two years ago¡­ that we did not believe in you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What¡­did he say? Something like ¡°being mad¡±¡­ As if it¡¯s that simple. It is¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not such a simple emotion.¡± That¡¯s right. The emotion nesting in her chest since two years ago is not ¡°being mad¡±. It¡¯s not that sort of adorable thing. This is¡­ ¡°I¡­abhor all of you and this country to the extent that I wish you would just get ruined.¡± She liked them. She wanted to protect them. She loved them. She cherished them. But for those same reasons, being deprived of everything by those very people, the emotions changed into strong, potent abhorrence. They do not understand that. Syltina fixed nothing but an emotionless gaze towards Tedla Balratona, the person who was supposed to be her little brother, as he stared at her with a pallid expression. Chapter 5 - The Repentance of the One who was once a Younger Brother ¡°I¡­¡­abhor all of you and this country to the extent that I wish you would just fall to ruin.¡± At those words, Tedla despaired. She had been his ¡°older sister¡± up until 2 years ago. Her eyes, which didn¡¯t reflect him at all, simply told of her apathy. The kindness and affection from 2 years ago no longer existed in them. That was something that he had done himself. He had lost it himself. At the reality which thrust itself upon him, Tedla deeply, deeply regretted. 2 years ago, both the trust and deep affection that had certainly existed, he had¡­¡­they had betrayed all of it. Just why did he not even try to believe her words when she said she didn¡¯t do it. Even though he knew that she didn¡¯t even have the time to rest after returning from school. It was often said that ¡°love is blind¡±. It was certain that during that time 2 years back, he had become far too blind regarding Akari. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t realize. Just how desperately his own sister had been working to support this country. Whether it was at school or at home, at all times, she had been spending it cleaning up after the things that Akari had distorted. After she disappeared, this country had very quickly deteriorated. The student council ceased to function, and the large number of students who had adored Syltina up until the very end boycotted the academy, causing it to close temporarily. And then the last of the nation¡¯s taxes was used up, causing the nation¡¯s political body to stagnate. Due to the participation of an ill-mannered girl in the evening parties, the nobles finally bared their anger and abandoned their posts. Thus, majority of the country¡¯s leading authorities refused to leave their own territories. With the changes in the people of the upper class, the citizens fell into chaos. And with the rising price of commodities and fall in public order, their distrust of the royalty only grew worse. Damages due to demons increased, and the corrupted land made it so that crops would no longer bear fruit. Those that came to seek refuge from there soon fell into difficulties in obtaining food, and the quarrels between humans began to increase in number. The Knight¡¯s Order that would normally pacify those quarrels lacked both a Captain and Vice-Captain, and hence failed to function. Eventually, deaths emerged from those that had starved to death and victims from the quarrels between people, and since the country had lost the ability to faculties to process those corpses, a plague had begun to spread. At the time when this country¡¯s situation had fallen to the lowest possible point, a single citizen murmured. ¡°If only Syltina-sama were still here¡±, they said. And then, at that time, everyone other than Akari and her followers realized. That, ¡°they were the ones who had been wrong¡±. No doubt, the reason why this country was in this situation was because they had betrayed her. It was their punishment. To the one who had frantically tried all they could for this country¡¯s sake, for their sake, they had pinned a nonexistent crime. It was retribution to they, who had made her feel as though she should die. That¡¯s why¡­¡­that¡¯s precisely why, even though it was a royal order, they were surprised that she had once again come back to this country. Even though it was a ¡°request¡±, they were surprised that she said that for the sake of this country, she would protect the Saintess, Akari. And at the same time, it had been made clear. That she was no longer the same person they had known up until 2 years ago (Elder sister Syl). The golden hair that had been cut short to hit just above the shoulder. The orchid-coloured eyes, within which a strong will dwelled. The healthily tanned skin. The body that was muscular to the point where it wasn¡¯t quite unsightly. All of it was different from the ¡®her¡¯ of his memories. ¡°S-Syltina-sama.¡± Having been about to call her ¡°Elder sister Syl¡±, his words faltered. Even calling her that, was no longer permitted. ¡°I know that it is not something that would be settled simply by apologizing. What you said before is quite right. After all, what we did to you was simply that severe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why this is for my own self-satisfaction. I don¡¯t mind if you ignore it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to trust you that time 2 years ago. To you, who hadn¡¯t made any faults at all¡­¡­for betraying you, who did all you could for this country, and for us, I deeply apologize. I am truly, truly sorry¡­¡­.I am thankful that you are still alive. It truly is great, that we could meet once more¡­¡­¡± He very deeply bowed his head. He was scared of seeing her face. Scared of, once again seeing that cold gaze that denied everything turned towards him. That why he was unable to raise his head, and simply stared at the ground. ¡°¡­¡­you were my younger brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± A quiet voice came down upon him. ¡°I liked the you who worked hard in order to become a knight. You were my cute younger brother that I could boast about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°In 2 years, you managed to become a knight-in-training.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In entering the Knight¡¯s Order, though you are still a trainee, your wish has come true, hasn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°My dream was to become the First Prince¡¯s Queen and support the country together with him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I had planned to work in order to make this an even better country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Though all of that was stolen away from me¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I do not need any apologies. It is all in the past.¡± ¡°-!!¡± Her words made him want to cry. It was ¡°the past¡±. To her, this country was already all ¡°the past¡± (finished). ¡°¡­¡­Syl-tina-sama¡­¡­¡± His cracking voice didn¡¯t reach her, as she had already turned her back to him and begun walking off. ¡°¡­¡­elder sister Syl¡­¡­¡± The one who would look back at him and smile gently was no longer here. ¡°I am very sorry¡­¡­¡± Although his apology would no longer reach her, even so, he still had to convey it. For that was all that he could do for her now. Soon after realizing that they had been the ones who were wrong, they had re-examined everything regarding the ¡°crime¡± that she had been blamed for. And they understood, that she was completely innocent. Syltina¡­¡­his own older sister, had not harassed Akari like she (Akari) had claimed, nor had she urged the king to embezzle the national taxes. It did not take very long to investigate it all. The reason being that, for the several months after Akari began going to the academy, Syltina had spent most of her time in the Student Council room. Setting aside the time during lessons, whether it be during lunch break or afterschool, Syltina did not leave the room. Nobody had ever seen her even making contact with Akari. However, she was often witnessed entering the Student Council room, or carrying a ton of documents while heading to the staff room. That Syltina was in a completely overwhelmed state doing the Student Council¡¯s work, was easily proven by the fact that all the Student Council documents submitted during that period of time had her signature on them. With regards to the national tax, there wasn¡¯t even a need to investigate. To begin with, how could it even be possible for a woman, who wasn¡¯t even royalty, to freely use them. Even if she was a member of a ducal house, taxes weren¡¯t something so easy handled as one pleases. No matter how much trust a large number of nobles and citizens held in her, the one managing the nation¡¯s taxes was the Minister of Finance, and the only ones who could twist his opinion was royalty alone. And in reality, even when the one accused of embezzling the nation¡¯s taxes, Syltina, was chased out of the country, the taxes still continued to decrease. Rather, the public finance that had somehow managed to hold on while she was still around, was currently in a sticky situation. Unfortunately, the one working as the Minister of Finance at that time, soon left his position after Syltina disappeared. No matter how much they searched, they were unable to grasp his whereabouts, so they were unaware of the details, but even so, his last words saying that Syltina had not embezzled the nation¡¯s taxes were more than enough proof. For that kind of thing, if you just thought a bit¡­¡­rather, it was something you¡¯d understand even without thinking. At that time, he hadn¡¯t understood anything. And then, as soon as her innocence was confirmed, that truth passed on to many people. Her father just breathed silently. Her mother just smiled quietly. Her older brother just opened his mouth dumbfoundedly. Her attendant just sadly called her name. The nobles just fell completely silent. Her school friends just repented deeply. The citizens just looked for salvation. The king and prince and Akari, and the noble sons who even now remained as Akari¡¯s followers. They alone, denied everything. With his power alone, he was limited in what he could do for Syltina. The moment when he realized that what she lost could never be regained, he simply cried at his own powerlessness. In that moment 2 years ago, they had snatched away her trust, her affection, her hopes, her dreams, and even her future. They had trampled upon all the positive emotions she gave them, and gave her back nothing but negative emotions. There was no way that something like that could be forgiven. He couldn¡¯t even imagine just how much it had taken for her to establish the ¡°current¡± her. Of course it wasn¡¯t possible for him to be forgiven so easily. Nevertheless, that last thing he could possibly do, was continue to apologize to her. Because even if he knew it wouldn¡¯t reach her, if they didn¡¯t first apologize for their own faults, then they definitely would be unable to advance forward. ¡°I am extremely sorry¡­¡­¡± The words of apology that once again passed his lips, as expected, disappeared with the wind before it could reach her. Chapter 6 - Those who cannot be saved ¡°Syltina-sama! Please, help us!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Clinging to her while shedding tears and calling out to her was a woman. And surrounding her were a ton of people, people, and more people. Seeing that there were so many citizens to the point that she couldn¡¯t even see ahead of her, Syltina cursed at her carelessness in walking around with her face laid bare. ¡°Syltina-sama, have you returned to this country!?¡± ¡°You came to save us, right!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! With this, we¡¯ll be saved!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the citizens who kept raising their voices at Syltina unanimously, Syltina cast her gaze around them once before letting out a small breath. ¡°I am troubled when it rains. It¡¯s fine even if you just lend me the edge of your house¡¯s eaves. Could you please do that for me?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°For 3 days, I haven¡¯t eaten anything. Please show even a little bit of mercy.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Could you give me at least a single cup of water? Please.¡± ¡°Syltina-sama?¡± ¡°2 years ago, did you all not shake off my hands when I said that and lowered my head, seeking salvation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Despite that, at this point, when you all are troubled, you grieve and ask me to save you?¡± ¡°However, that was because of the King and them!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whose orders it was. For me, the reality was that I was abandoned by all of you. That is all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The citizens fell silent. As if to say that she no longer had business with them, Syltina began to advance forward. Though confused, Tedla too followed after her. ¡°A-Are you going to abandon us!? We are just citizens that don¡¯t have any power whatsoever!! Is it not a noble¡¯s duty to protect the citizens!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!! Are you saying that it doesn¡¯t matter cause we¡¯re just commoners!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Syltina-sama?¡± Hearing the criticizing words of the agitated citizens, Syltina¡¯s feet came to a stop. Dwelling within Syltina¡¯s eyes as she turned back to the citizens, was definitely anger. ¡°The ones who abandoned me first and demoted me into a mere girl was you all, was it not!! It¡¯s far too late for all of you to expect me to help you!!! Don¡¯t just show off your powerlessness! Don¡¯t think that it¡¯s only natural to have others protect you! I no longer have the duty to protect you!!¡± The citizens flinched at the words Syltina shouted. ¡°This country should just perish with all these people!!¡± As everyone stood dumbfounded at the heartfelt words that the girl spat out, Syltina had already left the area. ****** ¡°Where is the room of the man, Alhart Roulans?¡± After arriving at the inn which had a signboard with the words ¡°Blue Bed¡± hanging above it, Syltina questioned the reception while wearing a cloak with a hood that deeply hid her face. ¡°Are you his companion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have something that can prove that?¡± ¡°This.¡± Upon being asked for something to prove her companionship, without any hesitation, Syltina showed them a ring worn on her thumb. ¡°I have certainly confirmed it. Alhart Roulans-sama is in the room on the right at the end of the hall on the second floor.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Lightly bowing her head at the receptionist¡¯s guidance, Syltina went up the stairs and headed for the given room. ¡°Syltina-sama, what is that ring?¡± ¡°At the Guild, depending on the contents of a request, there are times when your life will be aimed at. That¡¯s why those who form a party together put matching items on their bodies, and ask for the inn to only tell those who show those items where their room is. At the inns in Luran Kingdom, they won¡¯t even tell you if that person is staying at the inn until you show them the item.¡± Syltina answered the question of Tedla, as he followed behind her, without stopping her steps. ¡°They¡¯ve thought it through.¡± ¡°Because if you don¡¯t think, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± They arrived at the second floor room at the end of the hall on the right. Without even knocking, Syltina opened the room¡¯s door and went in. ¡°Syltina-sama!?¡± ¡°Kuro!!¡± Disregarding Tedla¡¯s startled cry, Syltina rudely entered the room, ignoring Alhart as he slept and called out within the room. ¡°Nya~~¡± As if to answer to Syltina¡¯s call, a single black cat appeared out of nowhere and flew into her arms. ¡°¡­¡­Kuro!!¡± Tightly embracing that black cat, Syltina sat down on the room¡¯s provided sofa. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Syl..tina-sama?¡± After that, Syltina completely stopped moving. Tedla called her out with a bewildered voice, but she didn¡¯t give a single response. ¡°That¡¯s why I said so, Sylti.¡± ¡°¡­¡­you.¡± He didn¡¯t know when he had woken up, but Alhart, who had been sleeping when they had arrived at the room, was sitting cross-legged on top of the bed. ¡°This country can only hurt you. Whether it was 2 years ago, or now. That¡¯s why Kuro and I said that we were against coming to this country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­so? Who are you?¡± Sighing at the sight of the silent Syltina, Alhart turned his gaze towards Tedla. ¡°Ah, um, I¡¯m Tedla Balratona.¡± ¡°Ahh, the second son of the Duke. After getting like this, Sylti won¡¯t revive for a while, so what do you plan on doing?¡± ¡°By what I plan on doing, you mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you stay here until Sylti revives, or it¡¯s fine if you head back to the Ducal house first. In any case, the lodging provided for Sylti is your house, right? We know where it is, so even if you go back beforehand, I can send Sylti over afterwards.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.oi, Sylti. It¡¯s not too late right now. You wanna quit?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At Alhart¡¯s question, Syltina shook her head from side to side, causing Alhart to lightly shrug. ¡°Um, why is Syltina-sama in this sort of state?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you come here together with her? You don¡¯t get it?¡± ¡°?¡± Seeing Tedla tilt his head at his (Alhart¡¯s) words, Alhart gave a fed up sigh as he sat down next to Syltina. ¡°What happened on your way here from the castle?¡± ¡°What you say¡­¡­I apologized, and it was rejected, and then¡­¡­.we were surrounded by the citizens. She was asked to save them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Eh? My apology¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ahh, no. Not that. After that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that being surrounded by the citizens and asked to save them was the cause?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡± Lightly tapping on her back while stroking it as though to soothe her, Alhart nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine to be happy that she came back to this country. It¡¯s also fine to cling to her while apologizing for what happened 2 years ago. However, just asking her to save you is no good. That alone is not permitted.¡± Within Alhart¡¯s eyes as he quietly talked, was a rage that contrasted greatly with his calm tone of voice. ¡°She had always been helping this country¡¯s people. But at the time when she was asking for help, she was completely rejected. Even so, just how thick-faced do you have to be to ask for her help at this point in time?¡± ¡°Nyaa¡± As if it were agreeing with Alhart¡¯s words, the black cat resting within Syltina¡¯s arms gave a single cry. ¡°2 years ago, all of you hurt her and hurt her, and then as though nothing happened, you called her to guard some Saintess. That alone already made me doubt your nerves, but on top that you ask her to save you? I must say, even idiots have to think at times. Until she became the ¡®current¡¯ her, just how much do you think Sylti had to sacrifice, how much effort she had to accumulate, and just how many wounds do you think she had to bear? For those citizens who simply cling to her based on her cuteness, just how much do you think she¡¯s been hurt by their foolish appearances? Don¡¯t think that she¡¯ll lend even a single finger of help to those people who don¡¯t even apologize and just try to use her.¡± From beginning to end, Alhart simply spoke quietly, but Tedla couldn¡¯t help but find that frightening. Under that silver hair were a pair of sharply glinting amber eyes, which looked at even Tedla, who had apologized to Syltina, with a predatory gaze that seemed like he would bite Tedla to death if given the chance. Chapter 7 - The Balratona Duke House The Balratona Duke house was a 20 minute carriage ride from the castle. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you alright, Syltina-sama?¡± Tedla called out to Syltina, who was simply standing expressionlessly while holding the black cat Kuro in front of the mansion. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± On the other side of the door as it opened, was a row of servants lined up. ¡° ¡° ¡°Welcome home, Tedla-sama.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m back.¡± After hearing Tedla¡¯s reply, the servants raised their heads and stopped moving. Because they saw Syltina¡¯s figure standing next to Tedla. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has already heard. This is Syltina-sama, who will be acting as the Saintess¡¯ guard during her purification journey. Until they set off, our house will be looking after her. Make sure not to be careless.¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­¡± Even after receiving Tedla¡¯s explanation, the servants still had bewildered expressions as they looked at the two of them. Of course, they had heard that Syltina would be staying at the Balratona Duke House that they served at as the Saintess¡¯ guard who would be travelling with her. They understood that, up until 2 years ago, she had been the eldest daughter of this Ducal house, and was the rumored ¡°Syltina-sama¡±. However, upon seeing the person herself, they received a shock. Because she had simply changed so much from the Syltina-sama that they had known¡­¡­ She, who used to wear gorgeous dresses, was now clad in simple clothes that emphasized ease of movement, and at her waist was a sword. Her long hair that had a fine texture was now cut short, and it no longer had its former radiance. Those hands that once wove beautiful embroidery, had become rough, and were adorned with sword calluses. The very fact that she was no longer the Syltina-sama of the past (Ojou-sama), was thrust before their eyes. Should they voice words of delight at the return of their master, or should they voice words appropriate for receiving guests? Within their confusion, they had simply lost the ability to voice any words at all. ¡°Starting today for 3 days, I will be under the care of the Balratona Duke House. You may call me Syltina.¡± In place of the servants who ceased to speak, Syltina opened her mouth. Apart from being rather cold, her voice projected well. That was¡­¡­that alone, was something belonging to the Syltina-sama that they knew well. ¡°It has been a while, Syltina-sama.¡± From within the gathering of servants, a middle-aged man walked forward. It was the Head Butler Harginal. ¡°If there are any inconveniences during your stay, please instruct us. I will assign a few maids for your use. If there are any errands you need done, then they may-¡° ¡°No. I do not need maids. I can things by myself. I will also be taking my meals outside, so please, do not mind me.¡± ¡°However, would that not be rather inconvenient?¡± ¡°It is not inconvenient. I must apologize, but I can only leave people that I can trust by my side.¡± It was a definite refusal. She was saying that she could not trust the people of this house. ¡°¡­..is that so. Then, allow me to guide you to your room. This way.¡± At Syltina¡¯s words, the corners of Harginal¡¯s eyes lowered sadly as he began to walk in order to guide her. As Syltina attempted to follow after him, Tedla grabbed her arm. ¡°Syltina-sama, I apologize, but we cannot allow cats into our home. Because mother has an allergy to them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­that¡¯s¡­right. Kuro.¡± Though it was for but a moment, Syltina¡¯s eyes narrowed at Tedla¡¯s words in nostalgia as she called out to the black cat held within her arms. Understanding her meaning, the black cat jumped out from her arms. The instant its front legs touched the ground, the black cat¡¯s figure flashed, changing into a tall young man. His long black hair loosely hung along his back, and within the same golden eyes that he had as a cat dwelled a sharp light. ¡°¡­¡­eh?¡± Unable to understand what had just happened before their eyes, Tedla and the servants made dumbfounded expressions, as their thoughts were unable to catch up with the current situation. Turning around and looking over them, the one who had been a black cat laughed scornfully at their incredibly foolish appearances. ¡°Look, Sylti. Humans can make such idiotic faces.¡± Laughing enjoyably, the young man approached Tedla. ¡°Balratona Duke House¡¯s second son, am I a black cat that cannot be allowed into the residence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­n-no. Just what are you¡­¡­.¡± At the question from the youth locking eyes with him from above, Tedla¡¯s voice shook as he somehow managed to reply. ¡°He is my familiar.¡± ¡°Indeed. I obey her will, and move for her sake alone. Her familiar. I am called ¡®Kuroitsu¡¯.¡± ¡°Fam¡­iliar?¡± ¡°What, does this country not even have familiars?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any magic for summoning familiars. I too, didn¡¯t know of it until I entered the Guild for the first time.¡± ¡°I see. So that means that even amongst the frail humans, they are even frailer existences.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just bad at magic. More importantly, properly explain it to Tedla-sama.¡± ¡°The existence known as a ¡®familiar¡¯ is one who makes a covenant with the one who summons them.¡± ¡°A covenant?¡± ¡°The summoner¡¯s ¡®wish¡¯ and the summoned beings ¡®wish¡¯. In order to fulfill each of their respective ¡®wishes¡¯, they collaborate together. If I were to put it simply.¡± ¡°Syltina-sama also made a wish to him?¡± ¡°To reveal the contents of the covenant exchanged between the familiar and their master to others is a violation of the pact. Our ¡°wishes¡± belong to us alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­is that so. Um, he isn¡¯t human, right?¡± ¡°Yes. He is¡­they are inhabitants of a different world from ours. In Luran Kingdom, they are called ¡®Mazoku¡¯(1).¡± ¡°Mazoku¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now then, may we end the conversation there?¡± As if to say he had lost interest in the subject, Kuroitsu let out a yawn. The servants, who had become absentminded at the many sudden events that had happened all at once, finally began to move. To continue doing their work without becoming perturbed no matter what happens in front of their eyes is the motto of the Balratona Duke House¡¯s servants. That precisely why right now they could not simply remain frozen due to their surprise. As if the disturbance up until now had been a lie, the servants began moving briskly. Tedla, as well as Harginal too, began to move. ¡°I shall guide you to your room.¡± This time, Syltina, Tedla and Kuroitsu too, silently followed as Harginal began to walk once more. ****** ¡°Syltina, she¡­¡­¡± ¡°Again, has become quite¡­¡­¡± ¡°Syl¡­¡­¡± ¡°Syltina-sama¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Because Tedla absolutely insisted, Syltina decided to just have dinner with the members of the Balratona Duke family. When they gathered, Syltina simply thought from the bottom of her heart that each of their respective reactions was a pain in the ass. ¡°Starting from today, I will be in your care for a few days. My name is Syltina. Please take care of me.¡± As the rest of them weren¡¯t moving, as one might expect, Syltina was the first one to talk. ¡°Ah, yeah. Take it easy¡­¡­incidentally..¡± The head of the Balratona Duke House, the one who was Syltina¡¯s father, Gared Balratona, glanced at the sword hanging from Syltina¡¯s waist. ¡°Please forgive me for wearing my sword during a mealtime. However, no matter what sort of place it is, to let this go would be the same as exposing my life to the threat of death. So I would ask that you please, have mercy.¡± Having realized Gared¡¯s thoughts, Syltina spoke thus while lowering her head. ¡°It is fine. I was just a little curious. And, who might that person over there be?¡± After pardoning Syltina with her lowered head, Gared next sent his gaze towards Kuroitsu, who was following behind her. ¡°I was delayed in his introduction. This is Kuroitsu. One who lives together with me.¡± ¡°Is he something like your attendant?¡± ¡°No. We do not have such a weak connection. It is a much more profound, and deep link¡­¡­but, hmm. If it¡¯s in the words of this country, then ¡®attendant¡¯ may be appropriate.¡± ¡°Attendant¡­¡­¡± The one who reacted to the word ¡°attendant¡±, was the one who was once Syltina¡¯s attendant, Eugene. ¡°Can you trust him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­more than you, at the very least.¡± ¡°!!¡± At Eugene¡¯s question, Syltina¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she responded in a simple tone. Eugene wasn¡¯t the only one to inhale sharply at her answer. In contrast to Eugene, who candidly revealed his surprise, this person was quiet, but his expression certainly froze over. He was the eldest son of the Balratona Duke House, and was once Syltina¡¯s elder brother. Zeld Balratona¡¯s body shook in agitation as he took a deep breath in attempt to calm his heart. ¡°Syl, you don¡¯t intend on returning?¡± ¡°Just where am I supposed to return to?¡± ¡°Where, you say¡­¡­¡± ¡°The place that I now return to, is the place where Kuroitsu and Alhart are. I don¡¯t need anywhere else, and I have no intention of returning to the ones who once cast me away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­you won¡¯t even let us atone for it?¡± ¡°I do not want it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­then, why have you come back to this country?¡± ¡°Though I want to answer that it was because of the Royal Order, all of you heard my conversation with the King during the audience with him, didn¡¯t you.¡± Syltina had said that even if it were a Royal order, she had no intention of listening to it. As the next Prime Minister, he had been there and heard those words. It was for this reason that Zeld asked his question. Why was it that she had decided to set foot into this country that had done nothing but cause her to suffer? Just what sort of intentions did she have in doing so? ¡°I simply wanted to show everyone.¡± ¡°Show? Show what?¡± ¡°That the Syltina Balratona (former noble lady) that you all cast away 2 years ago, now holds enough power that she can refuse a Royal Order of her own will. That Syltina has now become one of the strong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re arrogant enough to tout yourself as one of the strong?¡± ¡°It is not arrogance. If Kuro and Al and I were seriously trying to capture this country, we could take down this capital city alone in 3 days. If we only aim at the royalty and important nobles, then it would probably take less time. For example, if Kuro and I wanted to take your heads right now..¡± With a clang, Syltina flipped a coin up into the air. The moment that the attention of everyone other than Syltina and Kuro turned towards that coin, a hurricane blasted through the inside of the room. ¡°See, everything would be over in an instant like this.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°!?¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± Both Tedla and Eugene had their movements sealed by wind magic, as Syltina thrust a knife to the base of Zeld¡¯s neck. Gared and his wife also had blades placed on their throats by Kuroitsu. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Y-Yes..¡± After Zeld nodded, Syltina quickly withdrew, and Kuroitsu returned to her side as if nothing had happened. Before they realized it, the magic cast on Tedla and Eugene had also come undone. ¡°See? I¡¯m different compared to 2 years ago, right?¡± As she said that and laughed, Syltina smiled. However, it certainly was her smile. ****** ¡°Syltina¡± ¡°¡­¡­what business do you have with me, your Grace?¡± After dinner, Syltina was called to a stop as she was trying to return to the room she was given by the one who was once her father, the head of the Balratona Duke House, Gared Balratona. ¡°Do you really intend on going on the Saintess¡¯ journey with her?¡± ¡°Yes. Since I accepted the request, I intend on doing so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry. Everything will advance without delay. Though there may be some slips, whether it be my heart or what I must do, nothing will change.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± Quietly, Gared let out a breath. 2 years ago, this country¡¯s people certainly committed a mistake. However, that was something that started even before 2 years ago. Ever since that girl from another world, who was now called the Saintess, had come, it had already started. Because they were the beginning. They were wrong the moment they positioned themselves on the starting line. That precisely was why, she was¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°What do you plan to do about Zeld and Tedla?¡± ¡°I will leave them to you. To me, they are no longer existence worthy of being called brothers.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t intend on forgiving them, huh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­it has nothing to do with forgiveness. Even if I was able to predict that things would turn out like this, I made a bet. I believed. I hoped that ¡®this wouldn¡¯t happen¡¯. However, the result is as you can see. I lost the bet, and was betrayed by those that I believed in. It has nothing to do with forgiveness. I already cannot believe in the people of this country. Other than those who believed in me 2 years ago and moved for me, I detest this country to the point that I don¡¯t care what happens to it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± ¡°If you wish to forgive them, then I do not plan on raising any objections. Please do as you will. However, I do not plan on doing anything for their sake.¡± At this point in time, there were hardly any people of this country included amongst her ¡®important people¡¯. For her, who had thought about this country more than anybody else, to say this much, showed just how far the people of this country had fallen. Even without the monsters or taint, this country was destined to fall to ruin, is what Gared thought as he saw off the one who was once his daughter, who had already turned her back to him and begun walking off. Translator Notes: ^Mazoku = demon race. Decided to keep it as ¡®Mazoku¡¯ for now in case ¡®demons¡¯ end up showing up later on the story. ^She says ¡®Duke-sama¡¯ here. Changed to ¡®Your Grace¡¯ courtesy of Hartesya! Chapter 8 - The Girl behind the Curtain The next day, Kuro accompanied Syltina, who dragged along Alhart, to the castle. All along the way, Alhart whined, saying that he was tired, sluggish, didn¡¯t want to do such a troublesome thing, didn¡¯t want to go, and wanted to roll around on the bed. ¡°Ahh, what a pain. For the members, just me and Sylti and Kuro ¨C the 3 of us alone are fine. The rest of them will just get in the way.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, this country still at least has to put up some kind of appearance. It can¡¯t be helped if there are one or two extra people accompanying us.¡± ¡°Those one or two people are what will be a pain. It¡¯s gonna be that Prince who spent a pointless amount of time glaring at you, and that willy-nilly second son that stinks of incompetence, right? And that one Saintess that somehow seems like she has the most bothersome personality of them all¡­¡­say, it¡¯s not a problem if we lose one of them during the journey by accident, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°The second son that stinks of incompetence, you say¡­¡­well, the request was to be the ¡®Saintess¡¯ guard¡¯ after all. Isn¡¯t it fine if we just have our fellow travellers work hard with regards to their own self-defense? However, it¡¯s forbidden for us to make a move on them, alright?¡± ¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡± ¡°You can¡¯t, alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡­fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­understood.¡± Seeing Alhart and Kuroitsu reluctantly nod, Syltina made a wry smile as she opened the door to the room they were guided to. Within the room, there were already two people who had arrived before them. ¡°Hmph, you finally came. You have some guts to make me wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­who?¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡± The one who immediately called out to them as the three entered the room, was a beautiful young man with blond hair and attractive blue eyes, sitting in the middle of a two-seater sofa alone. With but a single word from Kuroitsu, the beautiful young man¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. ¡°Kuro¡­¡­pff, Kuroitsu, that¡¯s rude. Haha. He is, at the very least, this country¡¯s, hehe, Prince, you know.¡± ¡°Sylti, saying that while your shoulders are shaking and adding on ¡®at the very least¡¯ as a follow-up is pretty ¡®rude¡¯ in itself, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hehe. But look, Kuro. That face. He was arbitrarily convinced that he was famous. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s never had anyone ask him ¡®who are you¡¯ before. What a stupid face. Hehe.¡± ¡°You bastard!! Are you mocking me!?¡± Seeing him stand up while simultaneously drawing out his sword, Syltina suddenly stopped laughing. ¡°Do excuse me. I didn¡¯t think that a country¡¯s prince would suddenly throw out those kind of words from before without even giving a proper greeting. I was rather confused.¡± ¡°Confused, you say¡­¡­? Shameless!!¡± ¡°Prince Fract!!¡± At Syltina, who spoke without a single hint of hesitation, Fract raised his voice and attempted to draw closer. However, cutting in front of him was the other person who had been in the room, Tedla. ¡°Please restrain yourself, Prince Fract. Without their cooperation, this country will perish.¡± ¡°Tedla¡­¡­are you going to side with this woman? You know what she did 2 years ago, right!? ¡°¡­¡­you do not understand anything.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Prince, please properly look at this country¡¯s present state. The country is in chaos, the citizens are impoverished, the politics have stagnated, and the knights, nobles, and those who would be supporting the country have even abandoned their duties ¨C please, look at the country right now. The country¡¯s current state right now, is due to the mistake we made 2 years ago.¡± ¡°What are you saying? That was because this woman¡­¡­¡± ¡°Prince, there was no proof that Syltina-sama bullied Akari¡­¡­not a single piece of evidence came out, did it not? Don¡¯t you know that Syltina-sama didn¡¯t even participate in the ball in which it was claimed she spilled her drink on Akari? Soon after Syltina-sama left the country, the Minister of Finance that left his post said that majority of the embezzled taxes were ¡®related to Akari¡¯, did he not? Didn¡¯t he say that the reason why we were barely able to get by was because Syltina-sama was there? Why is it that you won¡¯t listen to even a single one of these?¡± ¡°Shut up!! I should be asking you what it was that this woman made you eat(1)!? She made Akari cry, hurt her, but regardless still refused to apologize, you know!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way she would apologize for something that she didn¡¯t do. Prince, please listen. We were wrong.¡± ¡°Shut up!!¡± ¡°-!?¡± The raised sword was sent towards Tedla. The incoming blade came quicker than Tedla could pull out his own sword, but was unexpectedly blown upwards by a sudden gust that blasted it high out of Fract¡¯s hands. ¡°Wha-!?¡± ¡°Please go elsewhere to squabble amongst yourselves. We do not have that much spare time. I would like to quickly finish with the troublesome tasks. If you aren¡¯t going to introduce us to the ones we will be travelling with, then may we go back?¡± ¡°What did you-!?¡± At the words of Syltina, the culprit whose activated wind magic deflected away his blade, Fract gnashed his teeth while raising his voice. Alhart went around behind him without a single sound and mercilessly chopped the back of his neck with his hand. Ignoring Fract as he collapsed with a thud, Alhart directed his gaze towards Tedla. ¡°With this the selfish young master will quiet for a while. So? Are you and this young master the only people that will be travelling with us?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no. There¡¯s one more person.¡± Tedla was unable to keep up with the events happening before his eyes, but even so he managed to honestly answer. ¡°Has that person not come yet?¡± ¡°No, actually, they¡¯ve been in this room from the beginning¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Finally managing to catch up with the current state of things a little, Tedla pointed towards the innermost window within the room. Following his finger, the moment everyone directed their attention towards the window, the curtain laying across it gave a small shake. After observing it for a period of time, a face came peeking out from behind the swaying curtain. ¡°¡­¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­is it that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that.¡± Having realized that everyone was looking at them, the person once again hid back behind the curtain. ¡°She is this country¡¯s greatest magician. Her name is Miliane Fruktor. She is one of the people who will be joining us on the purification journey.¡± Speaking of the Miliane in question, after peeking at them and then hurriedly drawing back several times, she said a single line with a very weak voice. ¡°I am Mi-Miliane. It¡¯s nice to m-meet you¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­you stumbled on your words, didn¡¯t you.¡± At Syltina¡¯s retort, Miliane once again sunk back behind the curtain, causing everyone around her to give a bitter smile. Translator Notes: ^He says ¡°what is it that this woman blew into you¡± ¨C as in, what kind of ¡®brainwashing¡¯ did Syltina do to make Tedla say that. But it doesn¡¯t sound that fitting, so I changed it. Suggestions are welcome though! Chapter 9 - Miliane Fruktor Miliane Fruktor had, simply, gone with the flow of things to come ¡®to watch¡¯. This country¡¯s Prince and a knight apprentice had some visitors (though it seemed a little dangerous). The two of them were being looked at by three people that she had never seen before with extremely cold eyes (though one of them was yawning a lot as he did so). Hiding behind the curtain, she used clairvoyance magic and simply ¡®watched¡¯. In this country, Miliane Fruktor was well aware that her existence was a heresy. That was why, once this purification journey safely ended, she was thinking of receiving permission to return to her native country as a reward. The people of this country had truly taken care of her. Even if that was due to her enormous magic power and her talent in using unique magic being beneficial to this country, they had guaranteed her safety and daily necessities even though she had possessed nothing except herself. That was precisely why she wanted to contribute at least a little bit to solving this country¡¯s crisis before heading back to her hometown. She thought that she should go back. Because though this country¡¯s people had acknowledged Miliane¡¯s power, they hadn¡¯t acknowledged Miliane herself. Because they didn¡¯t accept the existence known as Miliane Fruktor. ¡°No, actually, they¡¯ve been in this room from the beginning¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°!!¡± During the few moments that she had a temporary lapse in focus, she realized that the other people in the room had turned their gazes towards her, causing Miliane to panic. She was in such a fluster that, on top of the presence erasing magic she had already cast, she once again cast another spell with the same effects. After taking a deep breath and popping her face out from behind the curtain she was hiding within, she found that there were 4 pairs of eyes looking at her¡­¡­.she decided not to mind the fact that for some reason, the Prince was stretched out on the floor. From the start, she had a fear of strangers¡­¡­rather, he was well-aware of the fact that she was an extremely shy person, so when she hastily hid back behind the curtain, the knight-in-training introduced her. Taking advantage of that, she decided to make some form of greeting, but she fumbled, and that fact was retorted upon by the pretty woman. After a short while when she had once again hidden behind the curtain due to embarrassment, she noticed the sound of footsteps coming towards her. When she peeked her face out, the woman who had just retorted back was making a face filled with curiosity while looking at her. ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Syltina. May I call you Miliane-sama?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. You don¡¯t need to add the ¡®-sama¡¯¡­¡­¡± Miliane thought that it was a kind voice. And, it was a name she remembered hearing before. ¡°Ah, um, are you ¡®Syltina Balratona-sama¡¯? The daughter of the Balratona Duke¡­House¡­¡­¡± With a sudden chill, she felt as if the surrounding temperature had dropped by one or two degrees. The eyes that had been looking at her with a gentle colour just moments ago, now were simply dyed with a cold frost. ¡°¡­¡­ah, um, I..¡± She didn¡¯t understand what had caused the girl to become angry. Even so, she had certainly touched ¡®something¡¯ of the girl¡¯s that she shouldn¡¯t have. She had to apologize, but her words shook as she attempted to weave them. Ahh, this is why she shouldn¡¯t become involved with people. She would unknowingly hurt them. A useless person that only has this kind of power like herself, should just quietly live on her own. If not, then she¡¯ll once again¡­¡­¡­.. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­eh?¡± At the words that were suddenly said to her, Miliane raised her lowered face, and saw Syltina looking at her with a troubled face. Her eyes were no longer dyed with a cold colour. ¡°Miliane-same doesn¡¯t ¡®know¡¯ about me, right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Even if you know the name of ¡®Syltina Balratona¡¯, it doesn¡¯t mean that you ¡®know¡¯ about me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Miliane-sama, I am Syltina. Unfortunately, the family name by which I could call myself was stolen away 2 years ago, so right now I am simply Syltina.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡­¡­could it be I said something extremely rude¡­¡­¡± Blood quickly drained from her face. That¡¯s right. She had heard about it before. The person known as ¡°Syltina Balratona¡± was someone who had been exiled from this country 2 years ago. Although she had already disappeared from this country by the time she (Miliane) had come to this country, her name was still muttered all over the place. Even so, there were people who still wished she were around, which was why Miliane had thought it was strange that someone wanted was no longer in the country. However, her curiosity had never been strong enough to purposely go ask someone about it. She had figured that if she wasn¡¯t in this country, then she (Syltina) wasn¡¯t someone who she (Miliane) would become involved with. She had only understood from the conversations of other people that ¡°Syltina was the daughter of the Balratona Duke House, and was someone who was exiled from the country 2 years ago¡±. That, however, was precisely why it was a mystery why the person in question was in front of her right now. She wondered why Syltina had been exiled from this country. Was it really alright to ask about something like that? Simply by saying the family name ¡°Balratona¡± had caused her to make eyes that cold. It made Miliane hesitate about asking. ¡°Miliane-sama, you aren¡¯t a person of this country, are you?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°If you were someone of this country, then you wouldn¡¯t face me and ask something like, ¡®Are you Syltina Balratona?¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°May we speak for a bit? About myself, and about you.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Why did you come to this country, and why are you helping out a country like this? I want to know about you as a person.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At her question, Syltina¡¯s eyes narrowed, and then she gave a ferocious laugh. ¡°It is so that I will not hesitate when the time comes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Upon saying those words, for some reason her smile became deeper, convincing Miliane that she had absolutely no intentions of saving this country. And her taking up the job of the Saintess¡¯ guard despite that, was because there was some sort of reason behind it. And, at the same time she thought. That, if it was her¡­ ¡°Ah, um, the truth is I¡­¡­¡± Staying hidden behind the curtain, she removed the hood she had been wearing so that only Syltina could see her figure. ¡°!!¡± ¡°I am an elf¡­¡­¡± Pointed ears longer than that of a humans, and hair mixed with a blend of white and light blue. Golden-coloured eyes and white skin. Those were the special characteristics of the race known as ¡°elves¡±. And they were also the reason why Miliane Fruktor was considered a heresy in this country. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­an elf, is it. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one myself.¡± Syltina muttered in an excited manner. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yes, and then humans (they) will say. That the elves are a race that excels in magic. Please lend us your power. It always went like that. ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s quite beautiful.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Beauti¡­ful¡­¡­.?¡± She couldn¡¯t quite understand what she was saying. Right now, just what did she say? She understood that she (Miliane) was an elf, and her impression was¡­..right, she said it was ¡°beautiful¡±. She spoke not about the power that the race known as ¡°elves¡± possessed, but looked at Miliane herself and said it. That she was beautiful. This was the first time something like this had happened. Ever since she first became involved with humans, Miliane had never received praise directed towards herself. ¡°¡­¡­¡­.u.¡± In order to hide the tears that accumulated in the corner of her eyes, she once again hid within her hood, after which Miliane took deep breaths to calm herself down. ¡°¡­¡­we elves live in several separate tribes on Rizolda Island which is far down south of here¡­¡­.a terrible thing was done to me by a member of my tribe¡­¡­so, so I¡­¡­¡± Ran away. She was afraid of confronting the crime that she had committed, and ran. In the human countries that she ran to, it seemed that there were people who knew of the usefulness of her power, so she was used in all sorts of places, tricked, and then at last the place she arrived at was this country. As she thought, in this country too, in exchange for her safety and daily necessities, she was made to use her powers. Even so, she, who had no redeeming qualities except her magic, had no other means to survive except to obey them. Like that, she had spent a whole year in this country. When she received the Royal Order to face off against the monster threat, she figured that she would head home after it was over. In the end, other than the place that she had been born and raised, there was no place that wouldn¡¯t recognize her as an ¡°elf¡±, but ¡°just Miliane¡±. ¡°¡­¡­but, you praised me.¡± Even if that was merely admiration towards her external appearance, those words were certainly directed towards her, Miliane Fruktor (her non-elf part). ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡­i-if it comes down to it and my existence is a hindrance, please cut me down without hesitating.¡± ¡°¡­¡­understood.¡± At her words, Syltina gave a smile and laughed while responding. Then she turned around, and called out to two of the people amongst those who had been waiting for their conversation to end. ¡°Kuro, Al. I¡¯m done. She¡¯s ¡®okay¡¯.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The two people who nodded at Syltina¡¯s words came closer and gave their greetings. The two named themselves as Alhart and Kuroitsu, and even after finding out that Miliane was an elf, they didn¡¯t particularly say anything. Just, ¡®I see¡¯. Just that. And then Kuroitsu said quite indifferently that he too, was anything but human. ¡°¡­¡­a familiar, is it. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen an elf too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­that appearance isn¡¯t your original one, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hou, you can tell? Indeed. However, I cannot show my true form to you here. I am sure that there will be a chance to do so in the future.¡± After saying that, Kuroitsu was called by Alhart and went to the back. ¡°Miliane-sama.¡± In exchange, Syltina once again came in front of Miliane. ¡°Later, there is something I would like to talk to you about. Once this introductory meeting is over, may I have some of your time?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Seeing Syltina smile as she said that, Miliane naturally also made a smile. ¡°A smile suits you much more.¡± At Syltina¡¯s words, Miliane gave another smile. ¡°If it was her¡­¡±, she thought. If it was her, then she would look at Miliane herself, and be someone who she could believe in. That is what she thought¡­¡­ Chapter 10 - Those Who Start Moving ¡°Was it alright to talk about everything to that elf Miliane?¡± At Alhart¡¯s question, Syltina looked up at him. ¡°Are you trying to say that there¡¯s a danger of her telling the King, Prince and Saintess about it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. When she promised not to tell anyone about our talk, she put her right hand up horizontally across her face, right? That was the elves¡¯ oath pose. It is proof of an oath that, no matter what happens, they will absolutely never break the promises they make. It¡¯s cool, isn¡¯t it? Completely different from us.¡± Seeing Syltina laugh enjoyably, Alhart and Kuroitsu shrugged their shoulders and gave bitter smiles. Right now, they were in the middle of returning from the castle. After that, they completely ignored the existence of Akari who had, for some reason, appeared clad in a party dress, and the introductory meeting of the members for the purification journey was (by Syltina) forcibly terminated. Though Akari appeared dissatisfied and began to cry about something, as if she didn¡¯t consider Akari¡¯s existence at all, Syltina had taken Miliane from that place and left. Alhart and Kuroitsu also followed her lead. And then, Syltina had spoken to Miliane about her ¡°everything¡±. After hearing that, Miliane made an oath to never tell anyone about what Syltina had told her. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve come to like that elf.¡± ¡°Fufu. Don¡¯t you remember hearing the name ¡®Miliane Fruktor¡¯ before? Al?¡± ¡°¡®Miliane Fruktor¡¯, is it¡­¡­¡± He pondered upon it for several seconds. Then, Alhart went ¡®ahh¡¯, as he let out a half-hearted voice. ¡°It¡¯s a name we saw in one of the Guild¡¯s requests.¡± ¡°Right. A ¡®missing persons¡¯ request. Though we didn¡¯t take it because Rizolda Island was a little far.¡± ¡°Meaning that someone is searching for that elf?¡± ¡°Rather than ¡®someone¡¯, it¡¯s her ¡®family¡¯ (friends) that are looking for her. Because she had disappeared from their tribe for a long time, they wanted someone to find her.¡± ¡°Sylti, don¡¯t tell me you¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no disadvantage in making her our ally, considering her magic and magical talent, right? Also, once this time¡¯s request is over, if we take her back to her tribe on Rizolda Island, then we¡¯ll be able to complete the ¡®missing persons¡¯ request. It¡¯s good that it¡¯s possible to accept and get approval for finishing the Guild¡¯s requests after doing them. Otherwise, someone would have to go back at least once.¡± It was true that she had thought that Miliane was ¡°beautiful¡±. Even if there was a slight ulterior motive behind it, in Syltina¡¯s eyes, Miliane was a very beautiful existence. It was also true for her external appearance, but her heart was beautiful. She had been tricked and used by humans many times, but even so, her existence that was still capable of using her powers for humans like this. From Syltina¡¯s point of view, she was a miraculous existence. However, Syltina was no longer capable of unconditionally trusting someone to speak about everything regarding herself based on that alone. ¡°There was ¡®value¡¯ in telling her everything. Just that. It¡¯s not that I trust her, but at least as long as she abides by the ¡®contents of the request¡¯, then I¡¯m willing to live with her.¡± There are likely people who would say that ¡°she was using her¡±. However, to Syltina right now, that was the highest level of respect she could show to someone other than those that she personally trusted. Even if it was the same ¡°request¡±, there were some people who she wouldn¡¯t tell anything, and wouldn¡¯t even direct any of her feelings towards at all, simply making sure that they wouldn¡¯t betray the request¡¯s contents. Amongst them, to tell one everything, and move in order to not betray the trust that had been directed towards her, was, to those who knew the current Syltina well, the most easily understandable proof of trust that she could give. ¡°Right, Sylti. This morning, a letter came from ¡®them¡¯(1).¡± ¡°I see. What did it say?¡± ¡°That everything is going smoothly. They said to finish up things on this end as soon as possible. It seems we¡¯ve got half a year at most.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s half a year, it should be enough time. This country isn¡¯t that big, and it¡¯s just a journey to defeat monsters and purify taint. Right now, the places producing taint due to monsters include 2 villages and 3 towns. Since monsters don¡¯t appear in places where humans live, once we purify those 5 places, then the request will be complete. Well, during that time, we¡¯ll need some countermeasures to make sure that the damages don¡¯t expand to any other places.¡± ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s that, then it seems that ¡°they¡± are taking some measures.¡± ¡°What countermeasures are there?¡± ¡°Seems like they¡¯re sending the ¡®Witch of Foresight¡¯. If it¡¯s her, well, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do something.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s her, then there¡¯s no need to worry. What did the Master say?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯ll leave it to us. Well, since he¡¯s busy gathering up everyone from all the different countries, he probably doesn¡¯t have time to deal with us.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s a free spirit after all.¡± ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll need to purify the taint first or we won¡¯t be able to move forward, so let¡¯s hurry up and finish this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. For that, we¡¯ll need the Saintess to work hard.¡± Just how much had the foolish and wretched people of this country realized? Becoming the ¡°Saintess¡¯ guard¡± for the purification journey, was by no means equivalent to ¡°Saving this country¡±. The Guild¡¯s ¡°requests¡± required a suitable ¡°reward¡±, and what Syltina asked of the King was merely ¡°the request of Syltina personally¡±. She had purposely not talked about the ¡°contents¡± and ¡°reward¡± of the request that she and her party had accepted. Just how many people had realized the significance of that hidden portion? ¡°By the time they realize it, it¡¯ll be too late.¡± Saying that, Syltina laughed as though she were having fun. ****** In the evening of that same day. On a single plot of land in Luran Kingdom¡¯s Capital, there was a building under a signboard upon which the words, ¡°The Dipterous Sword¡± was written. Within that building was a room furnished with a round table, around which 5 men and women sat. ¡°And so? Just how long will you stay here, Witch of Foresight?¡± ¡°That nickname is embarrassing, so could you stop calling me that? I have a proper name, ¡°Clarina Hamillee¡±, so I told you to call me that at least amongst our comrades.¡± ¡°You¡¯re known more by your nickname than your name, so it can¡¯t be helped. There are hardly any people that know you¡¯re referring to the Witch of Foresight when you say Clarina-san.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not one who can talk, ¡°Rain Nanasight¡±. You have that nickname, ¡°the Thunder God¡¯s Spearman¡± that most people only know you by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the case for all of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. For us, everyone¡¯s nickname is known more widely than our actual names, so it might be quite difficult for someone to identify us based on our names.¡± ¡°Yeah, I should¡¯ve been like Sylti and Al-kun and used my name to sell from the start. ¡®Witch of Foresight¡¯ and such is seriously chuuni(2).¡± ¡°Chuu¡­ni¡­¡­? As usual, you sometimes use words that make no sense. More importantly, are Master and ¡°him¡± not here yet?¡± ¡°Master, not coming. Everyone from Guild, gather. Said he was busy.¡± ¡°I do believe that ¡®he¡¯ will be coming soon? There was a report from Syltina-sama that she received a reply.¡± ¡°Ah, a report came from Sylti? That was fast. What did it say?¡± ¡°It seems that the purification journey should finish before half a year is up. Well, that will also depend on Clarina-sama¡¯s work, but she¡¯s not too worried and said she¡¯ll be leaving it to you.¡± ¡°Uwahh, such pressure. Well, if it¡¯s for Sylti, then I¡¯ll do my best. While I¡¯m at it though, I¡¯ll advance our ¡®project¡¯.¡± ¡°If you do that, then Syl-san will get mad at you.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t planned for Sylti to be involved in this time¡¯s ¡®project¡¯ to begin with. Because that stupid Rideiran King was so thick-skinned as to try and borrow Sylti¡¯s power, that Sylti became involved with that country that she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with anymore. It really pisses me off.¡± ¡°The one who made things like this was Sylti-jou(3). When the summoning from the Rideiran King came, even should she could have declined, she ran out of luck when she purposely decided to go laugh at them by rejecting them in person. Using it as an opportunity, ¡®he¡¯ started the preparations for the ¡®project¡¯, and that was reflected in Master¡¯s actions.¡± ¡°Well, since Syl-san accepted the request, then that means she decided to become involved in the ¡®project¡¯, right? That being the case, then we¡¯ve got to properly support Syl-san and co. so that they¡¯ll be able to move around well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite reliable of you, Rain. If that¡¯s the case, then you can go together with Clarina as her support and head for Rideiran Kingdom.¡± Another voice joined in on the conversation of the 5 people. The moment they heard that voice, all 5 people simultaneously stood up and placed their right hands on their chests, deeply bowing to the speaker. After that person, who possessed dark blue hair and similarly coloured eyes, looked around at all of them, he nodded once and sat in a chair. ¡°Everyone is present, it seems. My bad for being late. It¡¯s fine to be at ease.¡± At those words, everyone sat down once more. ¡°Jin-sama, are you serious about me being Clara-san¡¯s support?¡± ¡°I am. I also got permission from Aite.¡± ¡°From the Master¡­¡­then, our roles this time were decided by Jin-sama?¡± ¡°Correct. The ¡®Witch of Foresight¡¯, Clarina Hamillee, as well as the ¡®Thunder God¡¯s Spearman¡¯, Rain Nanasight. Those two will head out for Rideiran Kingdom to obstruct the expanding damage by the monsters.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Understood(4)!¡± A little girl possessing long black hair and black eyes, and a young man possessing short golden hair and sky-blue eyes replied back. ¡°The ¡®Resourceful Commander¡¯, Camina Rulance, as well as the ¡®Smiling Gun Princess¡¯, Elaine Hunar. The two of you will continue preparations to ensure the success of the ¡®project¡¯. I will leave the command of those involved in that to you.¡± ¡°Under¡­stood.¡± ¡°Please leave it to me.¡± A young man with brown cat fur that mostly covered his golden eyes to the point where they could hardly be seen, nodded. At the same time, a woman possessing loose, wavy flaxen hair and chestnut coloured eyes smiled. ¡°The ¡®Dual Blade God of Death¡¯, Ilusa Smarf will assist Aite.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± A young man wearing glasses that possessed rust-coloured hair and similarly coloured eyes bowed respectfully. ¡°We, the ¡®Dipterous Sword¡¯,¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Will wield our swords for your sake, give up our bodies for you sake, and swear to pledge allegiance to you alone. Our lord is one and only that is within our hearts.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Go.¡± At the short order, every person moved all at once. In the blink of an eye, only the man called ¡°Jin¡± was left within the room. ¡°Now then, prepare to regret and grieve and fall to ruin. Oh, Rideiran Kingdom.¡± He, whose name was ¡°Jin Luranbard¡±, was none other than ¡°Luran Kingdom¡¯s¡± second Prince. ¡°No doubt, it is a light punishment for looking down on ¡®my¡¯ Syltina. Much lighter than killing all of you without leaving a single person alive¡­¡­¡± Laughing as though he were having fun, his figure too, disappeared in the next moment. Translator Notes: ^He uses ¡®aitsu¡¯. Referring to a single person, but of unknown gender. ^Chuuni ¨C> Chuunibyou, as in middle-schooler¡¯s syndrome. Look it up if you don¡¯t know what it means. ???? ^¨Cjou = Miss, but I think this way of saying it has more personality, so I¡¯ll keep it as is. ^Rain talks with an extra ¡®-ssu¡¯ at the end of his sentences, but I¡¯ll be leaving them out. Chapter 11 - Grim Prospects Syltina simply sighed deeply after looking at the people that were moving about confusedly in front of her eyes. ¡°To think that they would volunteer members that don¡¯t even know how to camp¡­¡­¡± The phrase ¡°fed up¡± was already insufficient to describe how she felt. Even she hadn¡¯t been this bad 2 years ago ¨C is what Syltina thought to herself as a slight dizziness attacked her upon imagining how things would be in the near future. The departure of those going on the purification journey was unimaginably plain and secretive, considering who the members heading off were. It was only natural. Three of the members (it would be 4 people if you were to include Kuroitsu) weren¡¯t even part of the Rideiran Kingdom; furthermore, one of those three was someone who was previously exiled from the country. As one might expect, with these faces mixed in, they couldn¡¯t be shameless enough to send them off with a grand parade-like event. If Syltina were to give her opinion, if they were mindful enough to feel embarrassment at something like that, then she wanted to ask why they had called her back. To depend on someone that they had once exiled, and entrust her with something so important that it concerned the country¡¯s future; that was not merely something to just be embarrassed about. Well, regardless of what the country wanted to do, having left early in the morning before the sun even rose, Syltina¡¯s group was sent off by the Royalty and a few nobles, as well as the country¡¯s knights. After departing, Syltina and co. decided to head to the closest area of taint for the time being: ¡°Rufhanna Village¡±. Inside the horse carriage that they had been given as a means of transportation sat 3 people ¨C Akari, Tedla and Fract, while Alhart sat in the driver¡¯s seat. Syltina was straddled upon Kuroitsu, who had transformed into a black horse, and Miliane was riding Alhart¡¯s beloved horse: ¡°Karen¡±. Rufhanna Village was situated in the southern part of the continent, at a distance that normally took 5 days by carriage from the capital. They switched horses in the villages along the way and travelled while matching Akari, who was unaccustomed to travelling by carriage. Even so, it was a place that would take a week at most to reach. At this time, Syltina had thought that Akari would be the only one unaccustomed to travelling. She was made aware of her huge misunderstanding not long after leaving the capital. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­just where are all of you going?¡± There were 4 gates that connected the outer wall of the capital to the outside. Amongst them, one faced the south and was called the ¡°South Gate¡±. They had planned to exit from that gate, but seeing a certain group of three advancing towards the east, Syltina had to quickly stop them and correct the route of the carriage they had squeezed into. ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡­you haven¡¯t even memorized a map of your own country¡­¡­?¡± Understanding geography was a basic amongst basics. Seeing Syltina face-palm involuntarily, Kuroitsu neighed as if to comfort her. This was the start of Syltina¡¯s troubles. -Oh, the carriage¡¯s shaking makes my butt hurt. Oh, I¡¯m hungry, can I eat something? Oh, I want to drink some cider, why isn¡¯t there any? Oh, I also want to ride a horse directly instead of riding the carriage. Oh, when will we arrive at our destination? Oh, where is the inn that we will be staying at today? Oh, was there not a better quality carriage?-¡­¡­¡­.etc. Do you guys think you¡¯re going on a picnic!? Syltina wanted someone to acknowledge it was quite admirable of her for not screaming that. Promptly ignoring all of it, Syltina simply continued forward. What eventually delivered the final blow to such a Syltina, was what had happened after they had secured a campsite as the sun began to go down. ¡°Al(1) and I will go around to procure some provisions and water. All of you may make a fire and rest.¡± ¡°Procure some provisions you say; but don¡¯t we have provisions? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡®What are you talking about?¡¯, would be my line, Prince. The prepared provisions contain a lot of dried food which will be necessary in case of an emergency. In places where provisions can be procured, we collect them from there so that we can minimize the daily consumption of our provisions. Well, it¡¯s a different matter if you plan on dying from starvation when it comes down to it.¡± At Alhart¡¯s words which completely showed how fed up he was, Fract¡¯s face became red with anger. ¡°Al, don¡¯t you think you could choose your words better? Geez. Now then, we will be going. Please try not to go too far from Kuro¡¯s side.¡± As she exchanged looks with Kuro, who had taken up his human form, he silently nodded. It was already explained that Kuroitsu was Syltina¡¯s familiar. Akari had come asking how he had transformed and such, but then decided that it wasn¡¯t particularly important and gave up reluctantly. Now then, a fire can easily be created using fire attribute magic, and setting up a campfire is fundamental knowledge amongst the fundamentals of camping. There was no way they didn¡¯t know. All that was left was to make sure they didn¡¯t run out of firewood ¨C is what Syltina thought when she left it to them, but when she finished procuring food and water from the surroundings and came back, the scene before her eyes somehow went past just making her shocked and angry. It went to the point where it couldn¡¯t be helped even if she just laughed. ¡°¡­¡­just what the heck are you all doing?¡± Moving around in confusion in front of the piled up twigs that laid before them were Tedla and Fract. Behind them, in the shadow of the carriage, was Miliane carrying the staff she brought and using magic to light the area as she hesitantly watched the appearance of the two of them. Akari was inside the carriage ever since they had arrived, letting out a light snore. ¡°Um, making a campfire¡­¡­¡± ¡°Making a campfire?¡± ¡°We were trying to light the fire, but-¡° ¡°It wouldn¡¯t light.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Kuro. Why didn¡¯t you at least try to help them?¡± ¡°What we accepted was to be the ¡®Saintess¡¯ guards¡¯, correct? Kindly teaching some incompetent fellows how to make a campfire wasn¡¯t included in the request.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true but¡­¡­but, if they don¡¯t learn how to at least make a campfire, then it¡¯ll be troublesome from now on.¡± If they were useless both in battle and in camping, then all she could do was sigh and wonder why the hell they had come along. There was a need to at least make it so they weren¡¯t a burden when camping. ¡°Listen up, from here on out, I will teach you how to make a campfire. Please remember it in one go.¡± After waking up Akari, who had been carelessly sleeping on her own, Syltina sighed as she said that. ¡°First, you tidy up the area where you will be making the campfire.¡± As Syltina moved her hand a gale blew, tidying up a part of the ground. ¡°There, you dig a cooking stove.¡± Kuroitsu, who had transformed into a big black dog, dug into the ground that had been cleaned up. ¡°Once you finish digging, line the bottom with stones and make a round circle of leaves right in the middle. Then, pile up the branches you picked up in the middle of those leaves. At this time, you need an ignition point, so open up one part of the bundle. Finally, once you finish piling it up to a certain degree, you set it on fire.¡± Syltina exchanged looks with Miliane, who then used magic to light the fire. ¡°All that¡¯s left is to make sure you don¡¯t run out of firewood.¡± Seeing the brilliant blaze that had begun to burn, Tedla and Fract raised their voices in admiration. ¡°Next time this will be your job. Please do it properly.¡± After Syltina processed the deer she had caught, she started to cook it quickly. As she did so, however, Akari raised a disgruntled voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t travelled at all up until now, so I¡¯ll leave those sorts of things to everyone. Rather, is this edible? Is it alright if I eat the things we brought from the castle?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°If Akari wants to do that, then that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll also do that. The ones who want to minimize the loss of provisions are all of you, so as long as you eat that vulgar thing, you will be able to do so. There is no need for me and Akari to join you in that.¡± ¡°Prince¡­¡­¡± In contrast to Syltina and co. who looked at Akari in mute amazement, Fract alone approved of her opinion, which caused Tedla to give a troubled look in response to Fract¡¯s actions. ¡°You are foolish to the point that it is pitiful.¡± ¡°Kuro¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kuroitsu-san.¡± Chuckling from deep within his throat, Kuroitsu stood in front of Akari. Syltina and Akari called his name at the same time, but their tones of voice were completely different: with one that seemed to remonstrate him and another that appeared to have a heat within it, as though anticipating something. ¡°Human girl.¡± His golden eyes reflecting Akari¡¯s figure, Kuroitsu¡¯s face had a ferocious smile plastered upon it. ¡°Powerless little girl, who can only be protected. If you will not listen to my master, Sylti, then from here on out, no matter how much Sylti asks, I will not move for your sake.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Unable to believe Kuroitsu¡¯s words, Akari¡¯s eyes opened wide as Syltina placed her hand on her forehead in a worn-out manner. ¡°You understand? Then don¡¯t forget it. We are here because Sylti accepted the request this time. We do not even have a speck of thought of it being for you. Everything is as Sylti wishes. Therefore, if we lend a hand and you look down on that and try to cause trouble for Sylti, then the story is different. Never forget the fact that the one protecting you is Sylti.¡± ¡°¡­¡­w¡­hy¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± Kuroitsu¡¯s cold eyes filled with rejection reflected Akari¡¯s face as it warped. The words that she had barely managed to speak trembled. ¡°Why does everyone take her side!? Syltina, Syltina, Syltina, Syltina ¨C it¡¯s ridiculous!! She did something bad and was exiled from the country, you know!? She¡¯s the ¡®villainous daughter¡¯!! Even though I¡¯m the ¡®protagonist¡¯, why does everyone become her ally!? Even though it wasn¡¯t like this in the ¡®game¡¯ at all!!¡± ¡°A-Akari? Just what¡¯s wrong¡­¡­?¡± Seeing the disordered Akari threw Fract, Tedla and Miliane into confusion. In any case, they tried to approach her in order to pacify her. Behind them, Syltina and Alhart locked eyes and nodded. ¡°It seems that Clarina¡¯s information was true. Meaning ¡®that story¡¯ is also true.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it true? For now, I¡¯ll send a letter to Kuu-chan and ask how we should move from here on out.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡®Villainous daughter¡¯ ¡®Protagonist¡¯ ¡®Game¡¯ What the meanings of these words were, was something Syltina and co. knew well. That was precisely why they also came to understand that Akari¡¯s statements just now had determined her fate. ¡°The Saintess should remember how to hold one¡¯s tongue a little.¡± There certainly existed things within this world that you should speak of, and those that you should not. Whether you can accurately distinguish between those things was related to whether or not one would be able to reach their desired conclusion. ¡°If she¡¯s moving like Clarina said, thinking that she is the ¡®game¡¯s protagonist¡¯, then she probably isn¡¯t thinking about that sort of thing. After all, to the Saintess, this is the ¡®world of an Otome game¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡­.unfortunately though, to the people of this world, this is ¡®reality¡¯. She hasn¡¯t even realized that. That¡¯s why she hasn¡¯t realized that she¡¯s the one strangling her own neck.¡± The ¡°Witch of Foresight¡± spoke of it. Of a world different from this one. In that world, which was called an ¡°alternate world¡± by the people of this one, this world became the stage of a ¡°game¡±. It was completely created by the imagination of the ¡°alternate world¡¯s¡± inhabitants, and was a simple story. Even so, there was certainly ¡°something¡± that connected it to this world. And when that ¡°something¡± appeared in this world, the ¡°game scenario¡± would move to become this world¡¯s ¡°reality¡±. And so, the ¡°something (heroine)¡±, who had introduced herself as ¡°Fuyuhara Akari¡±, came from the ¡°alternate world¡±, and this world¡¯s ¡°scenario (reality)¡± began. ¡°Now then, things will start getting busy from now on.¡± The foolish Saintess (heroine) who eternally believes that this world is an ¡°Otome game world¡±. Just when will she finally realize it? That what she was currently living in was an unmistakable ¡°reality¡±. That was exactly why it was impossible for things to go according to the plot (scenario). Most of all, she had, by her own hand, distorted the plot (scenario). The very moment that she had introduced herself as ¡°Fuyuhara Akari¡±, everything began to collapse. After her loud wailing stopped; she began to cry softly instead, like the heroine of a tragedy, inciting Fract and Tedla to console her. Looking at those 3 people from a distance away, hidden in the shadows, was Miliane. Syltina glanced at all of them and decided that, for now, it would be better for her to think of the journey ahead instead, which made her let out a deep sigh. Chapter 12 - On the Boat The flapping of wings could be heard from the distance as a single falcon crossed through the morning fog. ¡°Hey, Tiel. Good work.¡± Coming out to greet that falcon was a young girl with black hair and eyes. She was ¡°Clarina Hamillee¡±, who was known as the ¡°Witch of Foresight¡±. After making three revolutions above Clarina, who had come to meet it on the deck of a ship sailing across the ocean, the falcon transformed into a palm-sized girl. ¡°I was entrusted with a message from master.¡± A cute voice reverberated as the girl that landed in front of Clarina presented a single letter. She, whose name was ¡°Tieltinkle¡±, was Alhart¡¯s familiar and a spirit that governed the wind. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll read through it and write a reply immediately, so could you wait for a bit?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Only a few moments after she started looking through the letter she had received from Tieltinkle, Clarina¡¯s shoulders began to shake as she laughed out loud. ¡°Aha..ahahahaha!!! Wow, what a masterpiece. To think that it really was ¡®her¡¯!! Ahahahaha!¡± ¡°What happened for you to laugh in such a loud voice, Clara-san?¡± Rain, who had come out from the cabin, doubtfully asked. ¡°Ahh, Rain-kun. Look. A letter came from Sylti and Al-kun and, you know, it was just as I thought.¡± ¡°Heeh. Then the Saintess knows that this is an ¡®Otome game¡¯ world?¡± ¡°Yup, she just ¡®knows¡¯. By no means does that mean ¡®she¡¯ is the ¡®protagonist (heroine)¡¯. ¡®She¡¯ doesn¡¯t understand that fact. Even though there is no way that everything will go as the game (scenario) did, regardless of the fact that she¡¯s come to a world that is similar to the game¡¯s. To begin with, no matter how hard ¡®she¡¯ tries, she can¡¯t become the ¡®protagonist (heroine)¡¯.¡± As she laughed joyfully, Clarina passed her reply to Tieltinkle. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do?¡± ¡°What we need to do hasn¡¯t changed. Until Sylti and co. have purified the taint, we need to prevent its expansion. It¡¯s only that how things will ¡®end¡¯ has been decided. We have to tell that to everyone else, since we¡¯ll need to arrange things so that they lead to ¡®the ending¡¯.¡± Seeing Clarina smile brightly, Rain gave her a cramped smile. ¡°How scary. I wouldn¡¯t want Clara-san to become my enemy.¡± ¡°Uwah, how rude. I¡¯m still quite preferable as an enemy compared to some other people. Take Sylti, for example. Even though she knew things would turn out ¡®this way¡¯, she still said she wanted to ¡®believe in them¡¯. Despite saying that, she still continued to make arrangements behind the scenes so it would be fine no matter how it turned out. In the end, after being betrayed, she made use of everything she had prepared in order to complete her ¡®revenge¡¯. How very scary. The number one person you don¡¯t want to make your enemy would be a person like Sylti. If it¡¯s for the sake of her important people of ¡®now¡¯, she can even cut off those who were once her important people. She has that kind of strength.¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s true. But I also wouldn¡¯t want to make Jin-sama my enemy either.¡± ¡°Jin-sama is¡­yeah. I wouldn¡¯t want to make him my enemy either. He¡¯s dangerous. To protect the people important to him, let alone choosing his means, he¡¯s the sort of person who would consign the rest of the world to oblivion.¡± ¡°How he became the ¡®Second Prince¡¯ despite being like that is one of the mysteries of the world.¡± ¡°If you say that to Jin-sama, then it¡¯ll become impossible to work for a while, Rain-kun.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say something like that! If I were to say it, it¡¯d be to Syl-san at most!!¡± ¡°No doubt~. But the fact that Sylti was the ¡®former daughter of a ducal house¡¯ despite being like that is truly a world wonder as well.¡± ¡°Yeah, Syl-san is seriously strong after all. I¡¯ve never won in a sparring match against her without using magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, well, truly what you¡¯d call talent. The phrase ¡®perseverance is a gift¡¯ would be most suitable in describing her. When Sylti was a ¡®duke¡¯s daughter¡¯, she was educated in the basics of fighting, to a certain extent. But that was ¡®a duke¡¯s daughter¡¯s experience¡¯ at most. She only started to earnestly practice 2 years ago. Back when she was still just a ¡®duke¡¯s daughter¡¯, if I were to give my impression, she was just ¡®coming along¡¯ on our requests.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, Clara-san and everyone knew Syl-san back when she was still the daughter of the ducal house, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s been with me, Jin-sama, and Al-kun for the longest period of time. Ah, and Master too.¡± ¡°Just why would a person from another country ¨C and a duke¡¯s daughter at that ¨C come to know people from this mercenary guild?¡± ¡°Ahh, about that¡­¡­¡± At Rain¡¯s question, Clarina made a wry smile and narrowed her eyes in nostalgia. ¡°Before Jin-sama became Luran Kingdom¡¯s second Prince; Jin-sama, Al-kun and I went to play in Rideiran Kingdom. Um, I think it was probably around 13 years ago?¡± ¡°Went to play, you say¡­¡­rather, 13 years ago¡­Clara-san and Al-san were still 6 or 7 years old!! Even Jin-sama was still 10¡­¡­I¡¯m surprised you were able to go to Rideiran Kingdom.¡± ¡°About that; if you used my familiar¡¯s, Maira¡¯s, power then it¡¯s literally one flight away.¡± ¡°Ahh, Maira-san was a ¡®phoenix¡¯, right? Rather, if you can ride Maira-san, then wouldn¡¯t it have been faster to travel using that method instead this time!?¡± ¡°Ehh, but Maira is of the fire attribute. Since it¡¯s incompatible with Rain-kun¡¯s lightning and water attributes, she said she didn¡¯t want to. Isn¡¯t travelling by boat fine? Let¡¯s just take our time and travel with leisure!!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be bad if we travel leisurely!!¡± At Rain¡¯s retort, Clarina laughed as if she had found it funny. ¡°Well, going back to the original topic. After going to Rideiran Kingdom like that, we merrily went sightseeing around the capital. And then, we happened to meet with Sylti, who lived there.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how you guys met!¡± ¡°¡­¡­not quite.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Though Rain exclaimed with an ¡®I got it!¡¯ kind of feeling, Clarina refuted his words using a tone one octave lower than his. Hearing her respond like that, Rain looked back at her blankly. ¡°The moment Jin-sama saw Sylti, he murmured ¡®this is a fated meeting¡¯ or something along those lines. He then kicked Sylti¡¯s family and guards towards us while kidnapping her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­kidnapped?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Kidnapped. He¡¯s legitimately a criminal who kidnaps young girls. My goodness. Since we were with him, we (naturally) almost got caught, but we somehow managed to get away. When we found Jin-sama afterwards, and saw that he was honestly trying to win over the heart of a little girl who was more than 5 years younger than him, I seriously thought that pervert should just go die.¡± ¡°Ahahahaha¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the end, the people of the Knight¡¯s Order stationed in the town came after us, so we had to run. But when we made our way back, Jin-sama ordered around the intelligence network to gather information on Sylti. The moment he knew Sylti was the daughter of a ducal house, that stupidly positive bastard said: ¡®I see, what I was lacking in was status. That being the case, if I become a prince, this time I¡¯ll be able to make her my wife¡¯. Then he began gathering information on the royalty of Luran Kingdom¡­¡­¡± ¡°And then he became one!? A ¡®Prince¡¯!?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Haah!? Is it really that easy to become royalty!?¡± Seeing Rain¡¯s bare astonishment, Clarina made a wry smile while shaking her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way he could become one. No matter how distant the relation is, in order to call yourself ¡®royalty¡¯, you need to have a blood relation with the ¡®king¡¯¡­¡­..but you know, Rain-kun¡­..every country, every era, and every king has some sort of ¡®darkness¡¯ that absolutely cannot be brought to light. Amazingly, the information that Jin-sama obtained included such a thing. The reputation of the ¡®Dipterous Sword (our guild)¡¯ was also greatly involved in the matter.¡± ¡°The guild, is it?¡± ¡°Yup. The mercenary guild ¡®Dipterous Sword¡¯ was already famous around that time.Al-kun and I were still newbies that didn¡¯t have nicknames yet, but Jin-sama was different. It¡¯s true that guy was strong in combat, but his head also worked fast. Furthermore, his ability to gather information, as well as his charisma that allowed him to stand above others, distinguished him from the rest around that time.¡± ¡°As expected of Jin-sama¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡®A fine article with a high potential of becoming a future central figure of a stateless guild that possesses the power to take down a country¡¯ ¨C that was what the Luran King saw as Jin-sama¡¯s ¡®worth¡¯. Plus, Jin-sama was someone who knew about the ¡®darkness¡¯ that he didn¡¯t want publicized.¡± ¡°If he erased Jin-sama, then he¡¯d turn the major power, the ¡®Dipterous Sword¡¯, into his enemy; but if he left it alone, there was the possibility of that information being spread around, is it?¡± ¡°Indeed. That person sees death in the line of duty as the result of a lack of ability, but they don¡¯t forgive ¡®murder of their comrades¡¯. No matter who the killer is, that person would chase them to the ends of the earth to kill them. That is the ¡®Dipterous Sword¡¯. That¡¯s why, even though Jin-sama doesn¡¯t have any blood relation with Luran Kingdom¡¯s royalty, he became the ¡®Second Prince¡¯. In addition, when their ¡®darkness¡¯ is exposed, they could ¡®involve¡¯ Jin-sama in it; all while conveniently making it so that we can¡¯t easily point our blades towards them.¡± ¡°Their way of thinking is quite nasty.¡± ¡°Well, the one who actually proposed what I just said to the King was Jin-sama.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°If the King made him a ¡®Prince¡¯, then at the time when their country¡¯s ¡®darkness¡¯ were to be found out, they could involve him. On top of that, the ¡®Dipterous Sword¡¯ that possesses such enormous power can¡¯t turn their blades towards a comrade. Furthermore, if he settled himself down in their country, then talks of the guild making a base there will likely come about. That would, in turn, substantially increase the number of visitors to their country due to the presence of the truly capable, internationally famous guild, the ¡®Dipterous Sword¡¯. With Jin-sama as the middleman, it would also be possible to have them prioritize requests from their country too. He really has a silver tongue. Well, in reality, it was decided to just make a base in ¡® a country that we visited often¡¯, which was why other countries became unable to easily meddle with Luran Kingdom. And since we were already in the country, no matter how cheap the requests were, everyone would proactively take them on. I seriously felt that Jin-sama¡¯s foresight was scary.¡± ¡°Somehow, I hate that just saying ¡®because it¡¯s Jin-sama¡¯ is enough to convince me about everything¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­well, that¡¯s how Jin-sama managed to safely gain the status of ¡®Prince¡¯ and how Luran Kingdom re-established its title of the ¡®Intermediary between Foreign Countries¡¯¡­¡­..All of this while, as one would expect, involving all of us.¡± Rain pat Clarina¡¯s shoulder as she made distant eyes while recalling those times. ¡°And so, at that time, Sylti¡¯s house started caring for us. We spent about a year at the ¡®Balratona Duke House¡¯ together and became good friends with her. After that, Sylti would come over here, or we would go to visit her; and that exchange continued. When Sylti became 10 years old, she also registered in the guild and took on requests every now and then. And then, as I said before, she only seriously started to learn the sword and magic 2 years ago. Since she already had the basics down, she rapidly became stronger; which meant that Sylti didn¡¯t have to suffer through ¡®having to make strenuous efforts¡¯. It was only natural that she would become stronger.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.as expected, Jin-sama is frightening.¡± ¡°After telling you such a long story, that¡¯s what you think!? Aren¡¯t there better things to say!!?¡± ¡°No, but that would be the biggest thing after all!! He said that ¡®he wanted status, so he¡¯ll become a prince¡¯ you know!? Is he an idiot!?¡± ¡°He is an idiot!! An idiot for Sylti!! He¡¯s such an idiot for Sylti that everyone thinks that if she tried to play around with Jin-sama, one or two countries could disappear!!¡± ¡°Uwah, that seriously doesn¡¯t sound like a joke¡­¡­¡­¡­.rather, didn¡¯t Syl-san like the Prince of Rideiran Kingdom?¡± ¡°You should remember, Rain-kun. There are many different kinds of the same ¡®emotion¡¯. What Sylti held towards the Prince of Rideiran Kingdom was the kind of ¡®affection¡¯ that one would direct towards family or friends, but it was definitely not the kind of ¡®affection¡¯ you¡¯d direct towards someone of the opposite sex. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped that Jin-sama lost his temper when Sylti became that Prince¡¯s fiance¨¦. So, even if things hadn¡¯t become like ¡®this¡¯, Jin-sama probably would have stolen Sylti away through some illegal method made to appear legal. It was for that reason that he became a ¡®Prince¡¯ after all.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­rather, huh? In this time¡¯s ¡®operation¡¯¡­¡± Seeing Rain had stopped, seemingly realizing something, Clarina laughed. It was a laugh that was teasing and gave the impression that she was having a lot of fun. ¡°Because it was a status that he obtained for Sylti, who was once ¡®the daughter of a ducal house (in the past)¡¯. For ¡®just (the current)¡¯ Sylti, Jin-sama¡¯s status is, conversely, too heavy. Also, there¡¯s no way an ¡®exiled person¡¯ could become the wife of another country¡¯s ¡®royalty¡¯. Jin-sama is someone who thinks that he doesn¡¯t need the title if it doesn¡¯t benefit Sylti.¡± ¡°Eh? Then, by the time this ¡®operation¡¯ is completed, Jin-sama will already be¡­¡­¡± ¡°If things hadn¡¯t gone ¡®according to the scenario¡¯ and Sylti was still the daughter of the Duke, then this ¡®operation¡¯ would have remained on paper. But, well, it¡¯s about time to knock those arrogant guys, who¡¯ve been strutting around like they own the place, down a peg, right?¡± ¡°Your smile¡¯s scary, Clara-san.¡± ¡°Fufu. The reason why Jin-sama got caught up in becoming a ¡®Prince¡¯ was Sylti. Now that the reason has disappeared, he has no need to be a ¡®Prince¡¯. We are the ones holding onto their weakness. We are the ones that are stronger in battle. A ¡®mercenary guild¡¯ was a gathering of hooligans from the start. Even if it becomes a ¡®stateless guild¡¯, it won¡¯t be dealt with easily. Up until now we¡¯ve been obedient, but only because we were waiting for this time. Rather than picking up the remnants of a fallen country, it¡¯s faster to take a ¡®country that is on the verge of falling¡¯. When everyone said that ¡®it might become like this¡¯, Jin-sama immediately came up with this ¡®operation¡¯. Sooner or later, Jin-sama would have cast away the things he didn¡¯t need. The only difference is whether the ¡®target¡¯ to be disposed of is one or two countries.¡± ¡°Although what we¡¯re taking is different, it¡¯s still a ¡®Battle to take a Country¡¯ regardless.¡± ¡°Fufufu. Though ¡®what¡¯s being taken¡¯ is quite important.¡± ¡°What a scary guild.¡± ¡°Uwah, it¡¯s not convincing at all when you say that with a full-blown smile¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just one of those hooligans after all.¡± A continent came in sight just past the horizon. Those who would sweep away the ¡°problems¡± plaguing the country were, by no means, working to save the people there. The moment the two possessing the smiles of ¡°those who take from others¡± descended upon that land, Rideiran Kingdom¡¯s ¡°future¡± was decided. Chapter 13 - Mountain Bandits ¡°P-Please wait!! Don¡¯t kill me! Please!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Syltina watched expressionlessly as the man crawled upon the ground in an unsightly manner, wearing a desperate expression as he pleaded for his life. ¡°P-Pl-Please!! Just my life!! P-Please, have mercy!!!!¡± ¡°Just what are you saying now that it¡¯s come to this¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re mistaken!! We were originally just villagers!! Y-You know, from Rufhanna Village that¡¯s up ahead!!! Because that village became tainted, people couldn¡¯t live there anymore!! But the other villages and towns wouldn¡¯t take us in!! That¡¯s why!!!! We had to do this!! In order to survive!! See?! You understand!! Right!?¡± With snot and tears soaking his body, the man frantically begged. ¡°Yes. I do understand.¡± Syltina smiled at the man¡¯s words. Why(1), her grin was an extremely strange one. Encircled by trees as tall as a man stood an old mansion that towered over its surroundings. In order to explain why Syltina and co. had to come to such a place, we would need to look back to the events that occurred just a few hours ago. ****** ¡°¡­¡­this is..¡± After coming back from bathing, Syltina quietly muttered as she looked at the scene before her eyes. A campground that had been laid to waste. The figures of the people that were supposed to be there were gone. What was left was only evidence of a fight and smoke from the smouldering campfire. As well as¡­ ¡°Syltina-sama.¡± ¡°Tiel. And Karen too.¡± Together with his beloved horse, Karen, Alhart¡¯s familiar, Tieltinkle, emerged from the trees. ¡°Could you explain what happened here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± While soothing the agitated Karen, Syltina sought out an explanation for the current situation (although she could somewhat predict what had happened). That her voice revealed a tint of exhaustion probably couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°A few minutes after Syltina-sama went to bathe, we were attacked by mountain bandits. Although the Knight and Prince returned fire, they had the tables turned on them splendidly. Then the two of them, the Saintess, Miliane-sama, Master and Kuroitsu-sama in his human form ¨C all 6 of them were abducted.¡± ¡°Kuro and Al didn¡¯t try to resist?¡± ¡°Master¡¯s message to you is: ¡®Ahh, these guys probably won¡¯t do anything to us for the time being, so I¡¯ll just get caught obediently. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you¡¯.¡± ¡°He just thought it was a pain, didn¡¯t he?¡­¡­well, fine. Luckily, they took everything, including the carriage; so if I follow the wheel tracks, I should be able to reach the headquarters of those mountain bandits.¡± ¡°Will we be going in with just us?¡± It was reckless to make an attack without even knowing about the opponent¡¯s numbers. Syltina laughed and stuck up her index finger, indicating the first point of her answer to Tieltinkle¡¯s question. ¡°Even if reinforcements come and try to ambush us, we would definitely notice. And even if Al and I don¡¯t notice, Kuro and Tiel would notice, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± Indicating her second point, Syltina raised her middle finger. ¡°If this was a planned crime, they would have investigated the number of targets in the group. However, right now I¡¯m completely unharmed. It¡¯s possible that they purposely aimed for the time when I wasn¡¯t around, but if they took the 6 of them without killing anyone, then the probability of them selling people off is high. It would be strange that they¡¯d purposely overlook potential ¡®merchandise¡¯.¡± At her third point, Syltina raised her ring finger. ¡°Normally, they¡¯d leave behind a carriage, which could possibly reveal their location through its tracks, and just take away the food and valuable items. That¡¯s because having to move it is a hindrance. This time, however, the mountain bandits left a beautiful set of carriage tracks. Well, there is a possibility of it being a trap, but it¡¯s unimaginable that there was a need to specially make a trap to catch a single person. At worst, there would be a possibility that I¡¯d bring people from the Knight¡¯s Order from a nearby village or town after all.¡± ¡®Based on those points¡¯- said Syltina, as she gazed at the carriage tracks up ahead and continued talking. ¡°The opponent is a complete amateur that hasn¡¯t done this before, and had absolutely no plan. No matter how many small fry group up and come at me, I know I¡¯ll be able to handle them. That being the case, it¡¯s plenty even if we¡¯re the only ones that can fight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Incidentally, there were around 15 attackers. All of them were wearing fairly crude equipment that could be considered mere decorations.¡± ¡°Then, their headquarters¡¯ defense should consist of approximately 30 people. Well, once we find their hideout, we can just sound out their numbers. Anyhow, let¡¯s just get going.¡± Tieltinkle followed after Syltina as she straddled over Karen. They reached their target destination after about one hour. In one section of the densely overgrown trees, within a man-made clearing, stood a towering mansion. It probably hadn¡¯t been repaired for several years. Ivy creeped up its walls, drilling into the cracks that could be seen here and there, while the window glass was shattered. The garden was left in ruins. The door had just barely managed to remain hanging on its hinges. It was unfit for human habitation, but as the ¡°bandit¡¯s¡± headquarters, it fit well. The carriage tracks continued into the mansion grounds. ¡°Tiel, can you figure out how many people are inside?¡± ¡°Yes. According to the wind spirits(2), it seems there is a total of 37 people inside. Amongst them, 12 of them are women and children and 6 of them are Master and co. The remaining 19 people are the men who abducted them. It appears that Master and co. are in the underground dungeon.¡± After receiving Tieltinkle¡¯s report while she hid near the mansion, Syltina gave her a single nod and began doing stretches as she stood up. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll head for the dungeon. Could you guide me there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the wind spirits in the mansion will tell me if I ask. What shall we do with the bandits?¡± ¡°If they are hostile towards me and attack, then they¡¯re ¡®enemies¡¯. We¡¯ll turn the tables on all of them.¡± ¡°Understood. Where shall we enter from?¡± ¡°Well, of course, ¡®from the entrance, fair and square¡¯.¡± Thus, Syltina and co. boldly entered the mansion from the main entrance. What greeted them there were men that were far too shabbily dressed to even be calling themselves ¡°bandits¡±. ¡°W-Who the heck are you!? What business do you have here!?¡± The men¡¯s bodies all tensed up at once. After looking around and surveying them, Syltina glanced at Tieltinkle, who was floating next to her. ¡°Tiel.¡± Although Syltina had only called out her name, Tieltinkle understood what she wanted, shutting her eyes as she began to concentrate her senses. ¡°At the end of the hallway on the right is a stairway to the basement. After that, the structure gets a little complicated, so I shall give you further instructions once we reach it.¡± ¡°At the end of the hallway on the right, huh. Shall we go?¡± Syltina boldly began to walk without even looking at the wary men. Their gazes focussed upon Tieltinkle, who was floating next to her. ¡°What is that thing?¡± ¡°It spoke. Is it human?¡± ¡°Like hell there¡¯d be a human that tiny!¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡­a demon?¡± ¡°Then, that woman is also¡­¡­¡± With that one man¡¯s words, the spreading wave of confusion instantly transformed into animosity. ¡°The situation¡¯s become rather dangerous.¡± ¡°Though it probably can¡¯t be helped for those that don¡¯t know of the existence of ¡®familiars¡¯, as expected, to be mistaken for a demon is a bit¡­¡­¡± In front of the men that began to put strength into the hands holding their weapons, Syltina and Tieltinkle shrugged their shoulders while sighing. ¡°I¡¯ll just say this beforehand: we are not monsters. We just have business in the dungeon of this mansion. If possible, I¡¯d like for you to just stand by quietly.¡± ¡°Sh-Shut up!! Who would listen to the words of a demon!!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!! And we can¡¯t let you go to the basement!!!¡± ¡°Is it because there is ¡®something¡¯ there that you guys don¡¯t want to be seen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your easy-to-understand silence. Unfortunately, we came here for that ¡®something¡¯.¡± ¡°Are you their friend!?¡± ¡°I can only call about 2 of them my ¡®friends¡¯, but¡­¡­well, yes, I suppose so?¡± ¡°¡­¡­which is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.they¡¯re my friends.¡± ¡°Sylti-sama, the displeasure in your heart is showing in your voice.¡± ¡°But, Tiel, just think about it carefully. Amongst the 6 people who were abducted, only 2 of them can be called ¡®friends¡¯, you know? As for the rest of them, well, I don¡¯t mind saving the Saintess who is ¡®the subject of the request¡¯ and Miliane-sama, but the last two are ¡®inconsequential¡¯. They¡¯ll probably just end up being saved on the side as a result of our actions, right? Rather, I feel like Al and Kuro are the only ones who don¡¯t really need us to save them. That being the case, isn¡¯t it fine if we just have them bring the Saintess and Miliane-sama with them as they escape? Since Al left a message saying something like ¡®I¡¯ll leave the rest to you¡¯ I felt a weird sense of duty and came all the way here, but wasn¡¯t it kind of pointless?¡± ¡°¡­¡­that¡¯s true, but since Master said ¡®he¡¯ll leave the rest to you¡¯, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not even thinking of trying to escape using his own power. With Master¡¯s personality, since there¡¯s the possibility of Sylti-sama coming, he will not even think of moving on his own.¡± ¡°I thought it¡¯d be like that.¡± While the two of them were talking, the men slowly began to approach. Seeing the two of them appearing completely unperturbed despite being completely outnumbered, one of the men grew indignant and started to attack on his own. ¡°If they¡¯re friends of those other guys, then that makes things quicker. We¡¯ll catch them too!!¡± Though he raised his blade overhead, it was blocked by an invisible wall just as it was about to reach Syltina and co., causing a large clanging sound to reverberate. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an invisible wall made by solidifying air.¡± A light tap rang out. Syltina spoke as she tapped her finger on a place in the air in front of their eyes where nothing existed. At that moment, the body of the man who attacked was cut by an invisible blade. ¡°Wha-!?¡± ¡°Eh, hah¡­¡­? What just¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now then, will the rest of you become our ¡®enemies¡¯?¡± At Syltina¡¯s question, the men moved forward, despite making expressions of complete bewilderment and fear. ¡°¡­¡­how unfortunate.¡± Those quietly muttered words resounded in an incredibly cold manner. ****** It was no longer something that you could call a ¡°battle¡±. The numbers of the men that headed towards Syltina were decreased to less than half without giving her even a single wound. ¡°Y-You¡­¡­monster(3)!!¡± ¡°After calling me a demon, now you¡¯re calling me a monster?¡± Amongst the men that could still move, more than half had already turned tail and run away. Syltina made a bitter smile at the words that one of the remaining men shouted. Using the first man¡¯s life as an example, she had given a sufficient warning. Even so, the fact that they had still turned their blades towards her meant that they probably had a reason they couldn¡¯t surrender. Their shoddy swordsmanship couldn¡¯t even be called ¡°elementary¡±. That, combined with their magic and their battle sense made her understand that, up until now, they had lived a lifestyle that had nothing to do with combat. However, all Syltina had to say about something like that was: ¡°So what?¡± They were the first to pick up their blades and wield them. That being the case, Syltina had no duty to go easy on them for their sake. ¡°Now then.¡± She gazed at the surroundings. Those that could move had already run away. After confirming that there was nobody else left standing, Syltina continued walking towards the stairs leading to the basement. ¡°Several people have run to the basement. They are probably intending on using Master and the others as hostages.¡± ¡°Even though I wouldn¡¯t be troubled if anybody there became a hostage¡­well, I do need the Saintess and Miliane-sama to be safe so¡­¡­let¡¯s hurry up a little.¡± Speaking of it as though it were troublesome, Syltina increased her walking speed just a little. Chapter 14 - Those who point their blades ¡°Fuaaaahh~~~¡± Within the underground cell, the echo of a loud, unstifled yawn caused numerous sharp gazes to be directed towards its source. ¡°Why are you yawning without a care in the world!? Wasn¡¯t it your job to protect us!? If so, why did you just obediently let yourself get caught without even trying to resist!?¡± As Fract shouted that, Alhart lazily turned his eyes towards him. ¡°Oh please, Prince. The request we accepted was to be guards for the ¡®Saintess¡¯. You guys aren¡¯t part of the deal. To begin with, someone who vigorously jumped into the fray, then quickly had the tables turned on him doesn¡¯t have the right to talk. To lose to those amateurs who haven¡¯t even grown any hair out yet, just how weak are you?¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± Alhart watched the enraged Fract with a big sneer on his face. ¡°What? You wanna go, young master?¡± ¡°How dare you look down on me!!¡± Fract¡¯ss brandished fist cut through the air. His remaining forward momentum caused him to fall as Alhart tripped him. ¡°You-!!¡± Somehow managing to keep his balance, Fract once again raised his fist. This time, however, before he could bring it down, he was stopped by Kuroitsu. ¡°Please do not get carried away with your games too much, Alhart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then a good time-killer just arrived. I, too, have become rather bored of staying quiet. On top of that, Sylti¡¯s presence seems to be approaching, so it¡¯s about time to start fighting back.¡± At the same time Kuroitsu said that, several men came rushing to the front of the cell. ¡°Time to fight back, huh. These guys are Sylti¡¯s leftovers, right?¡± ¡°So it would appear. Perhaps they came to use us as hostages against Sylti. We could obediently become hostages, but if we don¡¯t start our counterattack soon, Sylti will probably tell us off quite sternly later.¡± ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s gonna be a pain either way, but dealing with Sylti after pissing her off is pretty hard¡­¡­¡± Quickly deciding that it couldn¡¯t be helped, Alhart approached the prison cell¡¯s bars. ¡°Hey, kidnappers. It seems like you¡¯ve got some business with us, but it¡¯s best if you stay ju~st a little farther away from there.¡± ¡°W-What the hell is that woman!? Is she one of your allies!? Is she!?¡± ¡°T-That¡­¡­without any hesitation, she¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oii, listen when people are talking to you. It¡¯ll be dangerous unless you move from there¡­¡­oh, ahh, it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The same moment Alhart suddenly dodged to the side, several black fireballs came flying towards the men. Instantly passing through the iron bars standing between Alhart¡¯s group and the men, the black fire mercilessly attacked the kidnappers, causing them to burst up in flames the moment it touched them. ¡°AaaaAAaHHHHH!!!¡± ¡°H-Hot!! Please, put them out!!!!¡± ¡°Gyaaahh!!¡± They let out agonized cries. As the men burned in the black flames, Alhart and Kuroitsu exited the cell, looking down at them expressionlessly. ¡°I told you it¡¯d be best to stay farther away.¡± ¡°Hmph. How noisy.¡± Kuroitsu snapped his fingers. Immediately after he did so, the black flames that had been burning the men went out. Inside of that space in which the smell of burning human flesh lingered, Alhart and Kuroitsu (as well as Miliane) focused on searching for their stolen luggage instead, as though they were accustomed to the odour. ¡°Hiii¡­no¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Gu-¡­¡­.ueee¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­tsk¡­¡± Akari cowered in fear and shivered as she cried. Fract vomited with a pale face. Tedla, like Fract, had a pale face as he furrowed his eyebrows. Without regard for their reactions, Alhart went back into the cell and grabbed Akari¡¯s arm. ¡°Kyaaaaaa!! Nooooo!!¡± Alhart heartlessly dragged a half-crazed Akari out of the cell as she struggled violently. It was at this point that he finally turned his attention towards the men who were still in agony. ¡°Say, where is our carriage?¡± ¡°Aaahhh¡­¡­it hurts¡­¡­..hur¡­ts¡­¡± ¡°No, like I asked, where¡¯s the carriage?¡± ¡°P-Ple¡­please stop! N-No more!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­oi, Kuro. You went too far. At least make it so that they can properly talk.¡± ¡°Even if you tell me that, I did hold back quite a bit¡­¡­There are other people; it¡¯s fine if we just ask them, is it not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Then let¡¯s meet up with Sylti first. Don¡¯t drop the Saintess, Kuro.¡± ¡°I know. Follow behind us properly, Miliane.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes.¡± At Kuroitsu¡¯s words, Miliane hastily hid behind a wooden box. Seeing her appearance, Alhart smiled wryly while shrugging his shoulders. Then, taking the lead, he walked forward. Following him was Kuroitsu (who was still dragging the half-crazed Akari) and at the end of the line was Miliane as she used nearby shields to hide herself. Incidentally, Fract and Tedla, who had been left behind, followed after the four with Tedla, who had returned to his senses first, lending his shoulder to Fract. ¡°Yo, Sylti. We¡¯ve made you spend some effo-¡­¡­uwah!!¡± A little less than 10 minutes after they left the prison. Sylti, who was coming towards them from the opposite side with Tieltinkle, raised her hand and sent a ball of water flying at Alhart. It hit his face and burst, causing Alhart to become soaked. ¡°¡­¡­.Sylti, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you awake now, Al? Could you explain why things turned out like this?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me to¡­didn¡¯t you hear from Tiel? We were abducted by the mountain bandits.¡± ¡°I¡¯m. Asking. You. Why? Fulfill the ¡®request¡¯ properly, geez.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my job properly according to the ¡®contents of the request¡¯. This time¡­¡­well, yeah. It¡¯s cause it was tiresome!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Splash! This time, a large amount of water came pouring down from above, soaking Alhart once again. After seeing him like that, Syltina looked refreshed. ¡°Well then, in any case we¡¯ve managed to safely meet up. All that¡¯s left is to take back the carriage. Shall we hurry up and leave then?¡± ¡°Sylti, do you know where the carriage is?¡± ¡°It seems to be parked behind the mansion. I¡¯m not sure how safe the provisions and other luggage are, but Tiel said that the horses are still tied to it.¡± ¡°Behind the mansion, huh¡­¡­for now let¡¯s head back up.¡± At Alhart¡¯s words, Syltina¡¯s group went up to the first floor together. What they saw there was a group of people lying in wait while holding several weapons. Most of the people holding these weapons were women and children. Seeing that there were some people holding crude ¡°weapons¡± such as kitchen knives and scissors, Alhart made a fed up expression and sighed at the situation. ¡°Oi oi, are you telling us to go up against women and children next?¡± ¡°If you had at least run away, then we could have ignored you; but to think that you would once again point your blades towards the people that you were no match for earlier¡­¡­there¡¯s a limit to how foolish you can be.¡± ¡°Shut up!! Those men you killed were our comrades, and the husbands and fathers of these guys!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How dare you do that to my husband?!! Unforgivable!!¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna avenge father!!!!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡°Ouuu!!!!¡± ¡± ¡± Glaring at Syltina and co. with hatred in their eyes, they raised their angry fists. The men, women and children were all there only to take down their most hated ¡°enemies¡± that now stood before their eyes. ¡°Even though it¡¯s not like we really wanted to go and kill people¡­¡­¡± ¡°But, well, we haven¡¯t given up on our lives to the point where we¡¯d let some openly hostile guys come and kill us without resisting at all.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, whether you¡¯re a man, woman, or child, we won¡¯t have any mercy on those who attack us while armed.¡± As Sylti and co. drew their blades, tension filled the air. After a brief period of silence, when the tension had reached its limit and what remained of the mountain bandits were about to move, a voice called out to stop both parties. ¡°W-Wait!! Please wait!!¡± The voice belonged to Akari, who had been a weeping mess until just a few moments ago. ¡°You must be kidding me¡­¡­¡± Raising her voice, Akari stood between the two groups. Seeing her actions, Syltina muttered tiredly while placing a hand on her forehead. ¡°Kuroitsu-sa~n?¡± Syltina glared at Kuroitsu, who should have been holding onto Akari¡¯s arm, with bitter eyes. In return, Kuroitsu just shrugged his shoulders timidly. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll suddenly cut her down for cutting between us.¡± ¡°That might be true, but letting her move around freely like that is troublesome for various reasons. That¡¯s why, please hold her back a little, would you?¡± ¡°It is fine as long as she doesn¡¯t die, correct?¡± ¡°Even so, she¡¯s the sort that sticks her head into troublesome things if you leave her to her own devices. Despite being completely powerless, she¡¯s a little walking trouble who holds some weird sense of confidence in herself, so there¡¯s a need to restrict her movements to a certain extent.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll handle it more carefully next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­now then-¡± After finishing her conversation with Kuroitsu, she turned back around and found Akari glancing sharply at her. ¡°Were you listening!?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Even though Syltina looked towards Alhart in an attempt to seek an explanation for Akari¡¯s anger, the instant he realized that the battle¡¯s start was going to be postponed, he had begun to fall asleep. Thus, Syltina¡¯s silent complaint failed to reach him. ¡°I was asking, why can you kill people so easily!?¡± Akari questioned her. ¡°Why, you ask¡­¡­isn¡¯t it obviously because I don¡¯t want to die?¡± Just what kind of stupid thing was the Saintess in front of her asking? In the face of a blade bearing clear killing intent, just why would she ask about ¡°something like that¡±? ¡°An important person was killed¡±. That was probably the reason why they had pointed their blades at them. However, that was by no means a reason to obediently let themselves be killed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to talk things out!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­hah?¡± The sound that Syltina reflexively let out exposed her inner thoughts, which were saying ¡°What the hell is this girl talking about?¡±. ¡°People who want to kill others don¡¯t exist! That being the case, isn¡¯t it best to talk things through!? Because we are all human!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In an extremely natural way, as though she couldn¡¯t be wrong at all, Akari said this with remarkable self-confidence. ¡°Talking things through-¡± Things have already gone far past that point ¨C Syltina silently murmured. Chapter 15 - The Lives of Strangers For a short while, a strange silence ruled over the surroundings. ¡°¡­¡­we should just talk things through, you say?¡± The one who broke that silence was a man from the mountain bandits. ¡°After killing our comrades in such a manner, you tell us to talk things through!? Don¡¯t fuck with me!!¡± ¡°Kyaa-!?¡± The man¡¯s hand stretched out, grabbing Akari¡¯s hair and pushing her towards the floor. ¡°It¡¯s already gone way past the point where we could settle things just by talking!!¡± ¡°I completely agree.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Right after Syltina agreed with the yelling man¡¯s words, he released Akari¡¯s hair. As she followed gravity and tumbled to the ground, something began to rain on Akari. ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! My arm!! My ARM!!!!!¡± ¡°Hi¡­iyaaaaa¡­¡­¡± What fell before Akari¡¯s eyes was the thing that had been grabbing her hair until just a few seconds ago. The moment she understood exactly what the red thing pouring down on her was, Akari¡¯s vision began to go dark. ¡°Oi, little girl. You can¡¯t fall yet.¡± Just as Akari was on the verge of falling unconscious, Kuroitsu threw those words at her and mercilessly poured cold water on her. Even though she became soaking wet, Akari still remained dazed at everything that had occurred. Her eyes remained open as she was forcefully made to stand and retreat 3 steps, while Syltina moved forward in exchange. The red colour that clung to Syltina¡¯s thin sword told Akari that it had been Syltina who had cut off the man¡¯s arm earlier. ¡°¡®It¡¯s already gone way past the point where we could settle things just by talking¡¯. I certainly do agree with that. However, please do not misunderstand. The ones who created a reason for your comrades to be killed were none other than yourselves. Even though just abducting our ¡®target of protection¡¯ was enough of a ¡®reason to be killed by us¡¯, I still gave you all the ¡®choice to keep your lives¡¯. The ones who chose to answer by picking up their blades were all of you. I would like for you to refrain from rushing at us while giving stupid reasons like your comrades were killed, or your husbands were killed, or your fathers being killed, despite having done such a thing first.¡± ¡°Stupid, you say!? Just what do you think human lives are!?¡± ¡°I think that they are ¡®the lives of others¡¯. My life and those of my comrades are ¡®lives I want to protect¡¯, and the requester and lives subject to the request are all ¡®lives I must protect¡¯. However, any other than those ones are simply ¡®the lives of strangers¡¯ to me.¡± ¡°Are you realy human¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Are you saying that my way of thinking isn¡¯t that of a human¡¯s? How rude. Then I shall ask, just how many people have all of you sold off?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You would have sold off my companions if I hadn¡¯t come to save them, correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Have you thought about what happens to those that have been sold?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seeing the mountain bandits¡¯ lack of response, Syltina laughed bemusedly. ¡°To you guys, all of the people that you have sold up until now are ¡®strangers¡¯. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t particularly care about what happens to their ¡®lives¡¯, correct? See, there isn¡¯t much of a difference between you and me, is there?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re¡­¡­wrong!! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing this because we want to!! Don¡¯t just say whatever you want even though you don¡¯t know anything!!!!¡± An enraged man headed towards Syltina while swinging his blade. ¡°Are you going to do the same thing again¡­¡­?¡± From behind Syltina, who murmured in a fed up manner, several knives came flying and stabbed into both of the man¡¯s legs. ¡°Gu-!!¡± ¡°What truly foolish humans you are.¡± The fallen man groaned in a low voice. Before that man stood Kuroitsu, who made eyes as though he were looking at something pitiful. ¡°No matter how much you all proclaim that we are your enemy while taking up your blades, you are no match for us. Foolish people incapable of even understanding the difference in power with those they confront cannot choose how they live or die. That is the truth of this world we live in. Now, foolish humans. This is your last chance. Just how many of you possess the resolve to point your blades at us?¡± ¡°U-ua¡­¡­uwahhh!!¡± Starting with a single person turning their back and running away, one by one, the mountain bandits began to run away. In the end, the only one left behind was the first man, whose legs had been injured by knives earlier. ¡°P-Please wait!! Don¡¯t kill me! Please!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Syltina watched expressionlessly as he crawled on the ground in an unsightly manner, all the while begging for his life with a desperate expression. ¡°P-Pl-Please!!! Just leave me my life!! P-Please, have mercy!!!!¡± ¡°Just what are you saying now that it¡¯s come to this¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re mistaken!! We were originally just villagers!! Y-You know, from Rufhanna Village that¡¯s up ahead!!! Because that village became tainted, people couldn¡¯t live there anymore!! But the other villages and towns wouldn¡¯t take us in!! That¡¯s why!!!! We had to do this!! In order to survive!! See?! You understand!! Right!?¡± With snot and tears soaking his body, the man frantically begged. ¡°Yes. I do understand.¡± Syltina smiled at the man¡¯s words. Why, her grin was an extremely strange one. ¡°In order to live, even if the way of doing so can not be called proper at all, one must have a livelihood. I sympathize with all of you, who were driven to this point.¡± ¡°T-Then!!¡± ¡°However, I merely sympathize with you.¡± ¡°Eh-¡± ¡°Whether you became mountain bandits, thieves, or pirates, if it¡¯s in order to live, then you probably cannot choose the means. However, if you are stealing the lives and wealth of others in order to live, then you have to risk the same thing yourselves. The world that you stepped into is that kind of place. If you steal, then have the resolve to be stolen from. If you kill, then have the resolve to be killed. If you deceive, then have the resolve to be deceived.¡± ¡°S-Stop-¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t have that resolve, then you shouldn¡¯t have tread upon this world in the first place.¡± A single flash. The fallen man would never move again. ¡°Why¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Akari, who had been dumbfoundedly watching these events unfold, murmured just one word. ¡°Why did you kill him? Even though this person¡­¡­¡± ¡°Though he originally was a ¡®villager¡¯, right now he is a ¡®mountain bandit¡¯. Because he turned his blade towards us, we did the same thing in turn. As a result, we survived and they were destroyed. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°You know, Saintess. Don¡¯t forget it. The ones that made the first move were them. They abducted us and, in addition to that, were planning on selling us off. Originally, we didn¡¯t have any sympathy for them, but, even so, we gave them a choice this time. A choice in which they¡¯d be able to live. However, they kicked that aside themselves and chose death. We don¡¯t have such big hearts that we would take it easy on guys like that.¡± Though Alhart had been skillfully standing while sleeping just a few seconds ago, before Akari knew it, he was already standing in front of her. The expressionless Alhart¡¯s amber eyes were tinted with a cold colour as he wove words that seemed to thrust her away. ¡°If you still want to take an attitude and denounce killing despite that, then say it after you¡¯ve become strong enough to do so. While still being someone that can only be protected¡­¡­a foolish person who can¡¯t even properly protect their own life has no right to say anything about the actions of others.¡± ¡°Tsk-¡± After spitting that out, Alhart turned to walk outside, as if his business with her was done. ¡°The words that you speak are very beautiful and undoubtedly sound proper.¡± This time, Akari, who speechlessly saw Alhart off was called out to by Syltina. ¡°In reality, that is probably quite reasonable to people who live in a world unrelated to such conflicts.¡± Like how she had once been. However, Syltina was made to understand. That there was a world in which such pretty words couldn¡¯t do a single thing. And that that world was precisely the one that they were living in. In addition- ¡°Your words do not have any heart. They are just empty words that you are reading like the lines in a script. That¡¯s why they do not shake anybody¡¯s heart. Your actions in brandishing such words can not even be called ¡®hypocrisy¡¯, and are simply ¡®folly¡¯. I would ask that you never take such actions in front of us again. This Rideiran Kingdom is no longer a place where such sugary words will pass.¡± In this country, people who were once mere villagers were forced to become mountain bandits. As one of the main culprits in creating such a situation, how dare she say something like ¡®don¡¯t kill¡¯ at this point in time? Taking off her hood, Syltina took once glance at Akari, who was still looking into empty space speechlessly, and exhaled. ¡°In order to protect you, we will have to take the lives of many strangers from here on out. I won¡¯t tell you to ¡®get used to it¡¯, but please ¡®understand¡¯. Like Al said, you, who can¡¯t even sufficiently protect your own body, are not in a position to give us attitude when we are the ones protecting that body in your place.¡± Leaving those words behind, Syltina, like Alhart, headed for the outside, where the sun had begun to rise. Following silently after her were Kuroitsu and Miliane. The remaining three people simply stood there idly. Chapter 16 - The One Who Could Not Become a Hero ¡°The luggage also appears to be safe, for the most part.¡± ¡°It seems like I came before they could rummage through it. Well, even if they had stolen anything, it probably wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem to take it back.¡± After Alhart and Syltina had confirmed the contents of the carriage, they turned their gazes towards Akari, Tedla and Fract, who were trudging towards them dispiritedly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Alhart suddenly asked Syltina. His eyes still remained on the three people. ¡°No matter how I think about it, if we bring them (Tedla and Fract) along, they¡¯ll end up destroying themselves because of the Saintess dragging them into things.¡± ¡°No doubt. As I thought, we don¡¯t need those guys.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be better if they could be even a little bit helpful, but if they can¡¯t hunt a single animal on their own, then it¡¯s pointless to even talk about it. I wonder, just what is the Knight¡¯s Order teaching their apprentices?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised the King allowed such weak guys to tag along.¡± ¡°He probably thought that it¡¯d look bad if not even a single person from their country came along on the journey.¡± ¡°And while he was at it, he had to send someone with a certain degree of status, or else they¡¯d be setting a bad example for the people.¡± ¡°Indeed. No matter how weak they are, since the two of them hold the titles of ¡®the country¡¯s Prince¡¯ and ¡®a Ducal house¡¯s second son¡¯, some of the country¡¯s dignity would be protected by having them go. The King is someone who values the country¡¯s appearance and pride more than people¡¯s lives after all.¡± ¡°And even if the two die on the way, he probably intends on propping them up as heroes or something; saying that ¡®it¡¯s an honourable thing to die protecting the Saintess¡¯. This country¡¯s royalty probably doesn¡¯t even realize that it¡¯s because they¡¯re like this that they ended up in this situation.¡± ¡°They were always fools. The arrival of the Saintess simply spurred things on.¡± ¡°Ahh, but they might be martyred as ¡®heroes¡¯ earlier than expected.¡± ¡°Eh?¡­¡­ahh, it¡¯s true.¡± It was the moment that Syltina showed her agreement with Alhart¡¯s words. ¡°Stop right there!!¡± ¡° ¡° ¡°!?¡± ¡± ¡± Standing in Akari and co.¡¯s way was a young boy holding a dagger with both hands. ¡°How dare you guys do that to my father?!! I¡¯ll never forgive you!!¡± ¡°-!?¡± ¡°Kyaa!!¡± ¡°Ohh, he avoided the woman? How admirable of him.¡± Without even looking at Akari, the young boy charged towards Fract, who was standing next to her. Seeing that, Alhart expressed rather inappropriate words of praise. Though Fract promptly closed his eyes and protected his head with his arms, no matter how long he waited, the expected pain didn¡¯t assail him. ¡°Tedla¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What was reflected upon his eyes after timidly opening them was Tedla¡¯s figure, protecting him against the young boy¡¯s dagger with his sword. With a shrill clang, the young boy¡¯s dagger was deflected out of his hands and sent flying into the air. During the small opening in which the young boy¡¯s eyes followed the dagger, the sharp blade of Tedla¡¯s sword cut the boy down mercilessly. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡± ¡°¡­¡­hou.¡± ¡°He killed him willingly.¡± Unlike Fract and Akari, whose eyes were wide open as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they just saw, Kuroitsu and Alhart let out voices of admiration. ¡°Prince, are you hurt?¡± ¡°Ah, ahh, no. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After turning around and confirming that Fract was uninjured, Tedla once again turned his eyes towards the young boy. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Fallen to the ground as blood unceasingly flowed out from his gaping wound; the young boy, who somehow was still alive, glared at Tedla. Seeing the young boy before his eyes, Tedla opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he wanted to say something. However, as if he had resolved himself, he met the young boy¡¯s eyes directly. ¡°I do not feel bad about cutting you down. I do not regret it. However, I am sure that I am indeed related to the reason why this happened to you. That is why, that alone¡­¡­I feel bad about having driven you all to this point, and regret that. I deeply apologize.¡± He lowered his head very deeply. ¡°Ha¡­haha¡­¡­hahahahaha¡­ahaha¡­AHAHAHA!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!¡± In exchange, the young boy laughed as though he had gone insane. ¡°Haha, at this point¡­¡­to apologize at this point¡­¡­¡­an apology that¡¯s just words¡­I don¡¯t even want it!! Give back everything I lost!! My village, my home, my sister, and my dad!! Give it all back!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Seeing Tedla go silent at his words, the young boy made a scornful expression. ¡°Haha, even though you won¡¯t give anything back, don¡¯t just apologize because you want to be forgiven¡­¡­this kind of country should just disappear¡­¡­¡± Those were his last words. ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the words of the dead young boy, who continued to gaze up at the empty sky, Tedla made a bitter face. Even so, he did not look away until the very end. ¡°¡­¡­that really might be true.¡± Just what was he agreeing to with those lightly murmured words¡­¡­? Leaving the place shortly after, the party was engulfed by a strange silence that had never occurred up until now. Chapter 17 - His Resolve The hands that held the horse¡¯s reins trembled. ¡°¡­¡­tsk.¡± Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat of the carriage, Tedla gripped his hands that wouldn¡¯t stop trembling together in an attempt to suppress the shivers. If he relaxed, his entire body would shake, he¡¯d be tortured by self-loathing and feelings of guilt, and he¡¯d remember that unpleasant sensation that had been transmitted to him through his hands. The face of that young boy as he laughed maniacally clung to his eyelids persistently. A voice called out to Tedla as he shook his head as if to shake off his thoughts. ¡°Is this your first time killing a person, second son?¡± ¡°Kuroitsu-sama¡­¡­¡± Sitting on the back of one of the horses pulling the carriage was Kuroitsu in his black cat form, gazing at Tedla with his golden eyes. ¡°¡­¡­I did not become a knight in order to hurt people.¡± ¡°Fufu. You are saying that you became one in order to protect people, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°However, it does not work that way in reality. You did not understand that in order to protect someone, you must cut down others¡¯ ¡®precious people¡¯.¡± The cruel reality that had just been thrust onto his face was that it was impossible to protect something without hurting anyone else. She (Syltina) cut down the people ¡°others wanted to protect¡± for the sake of those ¡°she wanted to protect¡±. ¡°You did not understand that protecting people and hurting people are similar actions.¡± Kuroitsu¡¯s words stabbed deeply into Tedla. ¡°As such, you were weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are your thoughts on the first person you¡¯ve killed?¡± ¡°My¡­tho¡­ughts?¡± Though Tedla was about to say that he wouldn¡¯t have something like that, he bit back those words. The golden eyes narrowed, as if to peer deeper into his heart. ¡°Never again, do I-¡± After a moment, Tedla opened his mouth. ¡°I thought that I never want to do it again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Like I said earlier, I did not become a knight in order to hurt others. I became a knight in order to protect my important people.¡± Though he had been born as a noble, the heavy ¡°duty¡± of one had never fallen upon him. His superior elder brother would succeed his parents in heading the family. His kind elder sister would handle their connections with other nobles. In order to allow him, the youngest child, to freely do whatever he wanted, his two older siblings took over all of the ¡°duties¡± of nobles of their own accord. That was why he thought to become a knight. ¡°I thought that I wanted to protect my prided elder brother. I thought I wanted to protect my loving elder sister. I thought I wanted to protect my great father. I thought I wanted to protect my stubborn mother. I thought I wanted to protect the populace that they treasured, the king, the queen, the prince, and my friends.¡± His motive was but a simple thing. He just wanted to protect his precious family. And he wanted to protect those that his family thought of as precious as well. ¡°However, 2 years ago, I, to someone that I thought I wanted to protect¡­¡­I was unable to protect my elder sister.¡± On the contrary, he himself had hurt, betrayed, and abandoned her. ¡°Even if I regretted it, it was too late; even if I knew the truth, I was powerless; and even if I apologized, it wouldn¡¯t reach her¡­¡­¡­¡­I could not do anything for her¡­¡­¡± He had regretted it all this time. He had grieved it all this time. He had resented it all this time. He had hated it all this time. All this time¡­¡­indeed, all this time. That foolish, shallow, ignorant and irredeemable him from 2 years ago. He wanted to erase that him so much it couldn¡¯t be helped. That was why when she (Syltina) chose to be the Saintess¡¯ escort, he decided to follow along as well. He was more than aware of the fact that he was weak. He knew that he would become a burden. Even so, he thought that this time, he wanted to protect her. That was why- ¡°I never want to kill another person again. However, in spite of that, if it is for the sake of protecting Syltina-sama, I will wield my sword. I believe that is something that I can do, and that it is something that I must do.¡± ¡°Fuhaha. You are kind, second son. Not matter how bad a crisis you or the Prince get into in the future, Sylti has absolutely no intention of helping you; even if you are right in front of her. Even so, are you saying that you will still protect Sylti despite that?¡± ¡°It is no doubt presumptuous of me to say that I will protect her even though I am weaker than her. That is why I will protect the ¡®things she won¡¯t protect¡¯.¡± The Syltina that he had met after 2 years was not so weak as to need his protection. She had obtained the strength to be able to cast away the ¡°past¡± things that she had treasured for the sake of the ¡°current¡± things that she treasures. That was precisely why he would wield his sword. ¡°I will protect the things that she has cast away. If that includes me and Fract-sama, then I will protect myself and Fract-sama. Until this journey safely ends, I will protect our well-being; even if we are merely luggage to all of you. So that the foolish people of this country have no reason to condemn all of you at the end of this journey¡­¡­¡± The people of this country shamelessly clung to someone whom they had abandoned 2 years ago to take care of a crisis that they had brought upon themselves. At the end of their journey, they would surely use the titles of ¡°Prince¡± and ¡°Duke¡¯s son¡± that they (Fract and Tedla) held in order to create an opportunity to persecute Syltina¡¯s group, if the two of them did not come back healthily and in one piece. And then, giving some selfish reason, they¡¯d either refuse to give them a reward and expel Syltina and her friends from the country, or forcibly keep them in the country as military assets. ¡°I understand that all of you have no desire to travel together with people like us. However, it would be best for any sparks that are created to be as small as possible.¡± Tedla was sure that the reason why the King allowed him, who was but a mere knight-in-training, and the useless Prince, who only had an overinflated ego, to travel with them was only for the sake of that plan. Even if neither of them died, he (the King) probably thought that it¡¯d be fine if either of them lost an arm or so. And he probably thought that the one who had the highest possibility of such a fate befalling him was Tedla, who had offered his body to protect the Prince. ¡°Like I¡¯d move according to his plans!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even give a single one of my arms for the sake of this country¡¯s rotten plans.¡± He¡¯d protect the Prince. He¡¯d protect himself. And then, when this journey ended, he¡¯d laugh in front of the King and everyone else. He¡¯d say, ¡°Everyone is safe¡±. ¡°That is the only way that I can protect Syltina-sama.¡± ¡°Fufu¡­hahahahaha!! Interesting! As expected of someone related to Sylti by blood. I thought that you were all people that weren¡¯t worth saving, but you are quite the person. I do not hate people like you. Until this journey ends, do your best to avoid dying. If you do that, then I may lend you a hand to make your words reach Sylti.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Until then, polish up that sword arm of yours. If you don¡¯t make it so that you¡¯ll at least be able to take down a child in a single hit, the future will look grim for you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­y-yes.¡± After spinning his words in enjoyment, Kuroitsu nodded and jumped off from the horse¡¯s back; as if to declare the conversation was over. Changing back into his black horse form, Kuroitsu headed over to Syltina, who was riding on Karen with Alhart. ¡°I¡¯ll become stronger. I have to. So that I¡¯ll be able to protect her this time.¡± His hand holding the reins gripped tightly. Before he knew it, the trembling had stopped. Chapter 18 - Purification Begins ¡°So that¡¯s Rufhana village, eh?¡± It had been a full two days since the bandits fled the mansion they used as their base. Rufhana village was located in a small, low-lying land surrounded by a forest. ¡°Ooohhh the air is so thick that you can see it even from here.¡± ¡°It seems the taint had been advancing steadily from the center of the village to the surrounding forest. It would be meaningless if we purify the land without purging the evil spirits in the area first.¡± ¡°Say, we purge the place. We don¡¯t even know how many there are, so are we going to kill them one by one? How annoying!¡± ¡°It will take too long if we do that, so Kuro and I will do the major sweep. Al, it¡¯s fine if you just take care of the ones that get past us.¡± ¡°Ahh, so you¡¯re doing that? If that¡¯s the case, then I guess I¡¯ll be on night watch tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®composite magic¡¯, so the drawback is it takes time to invoke. I¡¯m sorry, but, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°U-umm¡­¡± A small voice called out to Syltina and Alhart, who were talking while looking at Rufhana village from afar. ¡°¡­¡­ Milliane-sama, it¡¯s been on my mind for a while now, but, that only makes you more conspicuous instead.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Syltina turned around and told Milliane, who was hiding behind the shield she had taken from the bandits. Milliane seemed quite distressed in turn, as her body, along with the shield, started to shake. ¡°This¡­s-stands out?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± It was unclear where the bandits got it from, but a person cannot possibly go unnoticed if they always carry around a large shield to hide behind even when there is no battle. ¡°You didn¡¯t stand out as much when you used a hood to cover your face before, but if there is a shield¡­¡± A loud THUNK echoed, halting Syltina¡¯s words. ¡°I-I even thought that this was perfect to hide my whole body¡­ but if this makes me stand out, what¡­what should I do?¡± Milliane, who had dropped the shield, said in a confused voice as she pulled the hood deeper over her eyes. ¡°Well, most people won¡¯t notice you if you just cast the presence erasing spell you normally use¡± ¡°Presence erasing magic¡­is¡­is it really okay if I just use that? Strangers wouldn¡¯t suddenly sell me pots or pans while talking to me, or ask me to wear cat ears and a tail!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was said with an extremely desperate expression. ¡°You¡­are prone to meeting weirdos and perverts, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ At any rate, if you hate to stand out, it would be enough to just erase your presence with magic, pull over your hood, and be quiet at the back. It will be safer if you do that. Understood?¡± ¡°Ye-yes¡± ¡°By the way, don¡¯t we have something to do?¡± Upon Alhart¡¯s words, Milliane remembered what she was just about to say earlier. ¡°Uh¡­ummm¡­what did you mean earlier when you talked about ¡®composite magic¡¯?¡± Peeking from under her hood, Milliane¡¯s golden eyes shone brightly like never before. As expected from a race that excels in magic. They will eagerly devour (or absorb, as in learning) anything that has to do with magic. ¡°¡®Composite magic¡¯ is a new type of magic that combines the contracted familiar¡¯s magic and could only be used by its master. By adding, subtracting, multiplying, or splitting the magic attributes each one has, one magic is created by two beings. It is what we, the magic users with familiars, call ¡®composite magic¡¯¡± ¡°Generally, ¡®composite magic¡¯ has a wide range of effects and boasts high power outputs. However, the resulting ¡®composite magic¡¯ is different depending on the master and the familiar, so its characteristics are not usually the same.¡± ¡°A wide range of effects plus high power outputs¡­.that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°But, in exchange, it needs a vast amount of magic power and concentration, so I don¡¯t like using it much. It¡¯s also unsuitable to use in a battlefield where foes and allies are mixed together.¡± ¡°Well, the necessary magic power is also dependent on their ability. The enormous amount of magic power and concentration required means that the ability of the master and the familiar is high.¡± ¡°The ¡®composite magic¡¯ that Kuro and I invoke requires half a day of building up magic power. If done poorly, it can burn the whole area down so it needs a considerable amount of magic power and control.¡± ¡°In exchange, their magical reserve becomes almost empty, so they can¡¯t fight for a while. That¡¯s why it¡¯s usually my role to get rid of the occasional survivors.¡± ¡°Do you get it?¡± After nodding once, Milliane turned to look at Kreutz, who was watching the fire. Noticing Milliane¡¯s line of sight, Syltina smiles. ¡°Fufu. We will be invoking the spell tomorrow. You will also be able to see Kreutz in his true form. Look forward to it, okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing Milliane nod enthusiastically, Syltina and Alhart looked at each other and shared a strained laugh. ©`©`©`©`©` ©`©`©` ©` The next day. At dawn, before sunrise. The party watched Rufhana village from a closer distance than yesterday. ¡°So this is the tainted land¡­¡± ¡°Those are demons¡­.¡° A black haze originating from the soil covered the whole village, withering the plants in and around the village. And then, roaming about were a number of grotesque-looking creatures. It was a being covered in black mist who turned the ground black every time it advanced. It wasn¡¯t a beast. Nor was it a human. It had an unknown form, it cried in an unknown voice. It looked absolutely strange. Abnormal. Foreign. That is what was commonly known as ¡®demons¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re fighting with that¡­.?¡± ¡°Against such a being¡­.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start.¡± Syltina raised her voice nonchalantly, contrasting with the fear-streaked expressions Akari and her companions wore. ¡°Hey Tyr, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± At Syltina¡¯s words, Alhart throws a glance towards Tyrtinkle, who nods her understanding and flies up to the sky. Tyrtinkle clapped twice after she reached a height directly above the village. The sound produced by her hands was very small, but strangely enough, it reached Syltina and the others just fine. The moment the clapping stopped, the wind began to blow around Tyrtinkle, and in a flash, the huge wind mass engulfed Syltina and the others who were in the ground. CLAP! The sound of her hands struck again and the wind mass stopped expanding and remained as it is. ¡°This is¡­¡± Rufhana village, along with Syltina and the others were now completely surrounded by the dome-shaped wind. ¡°It¡¯s a spell called ¡®Prison of the Wind Blade God¡¯.¡± Syltina explained to Milliane, who looked on curiously at the wall made of wind. ¡°Wind blades¡­.¡± ¡°You better not touch those.¡± Milliane immediately withdrew her outstretched hand and clutched it against her chest after Alhart warned her. ¡°As the name suggests, those are blades made of wind. It¡¯s the end once you touch it since it breaks everything to nothingness.¡± ¡°Neither the demons nor us can get out of here until the demon extermination is over. We can¡¯t let even one of these demons get far from the village now, can we?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Seemingly impressed, Millianne nods as she looks at the Prison of the Wind Blade God with great interest. Chuckling at the awestruck girl, Syltina turns to face Kreutz. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Nodding at Syltina¡¯s words, Kreutz instantly changes his form into darkness. ¡±Eh!?¡± ¡°Wh-huh? What¡¯s¡­.¡± That darkness rapidly spreads, covering the entire area occupied by the Wind Blade Prison. It was deep, pitch-black darkness. It was a darkness incomparable to the black haze that oozed from the demons. Compared to the view that was dimmed by the impurity, that darkness completely dyed everything black, to the point that one couldn¡¯t even tell if their eyes were open or not. ¡°Before the many shining lives,..¡± Amidst that darkness, a dignified voice rang out. Chapter 19 - The being called ‘Kreutz’ The voice that echoed was Syltina¡¯s. In the darkness, where one couldn¡¯t identify left nor right, it was the lone voice that rang clearly. ¡°Let the unforgivable karma come to light. I am the one who will hand down your judgment.¡± As soon as Syltina¡¯s words ended, the spreading darkness instantly gathered at the top of Rufhana village, forming a palm-sized orb. ¡°Repent!¡± Syltina brought down her raised right hand. At the same time, the orb of darkness started to descend to Rufhana village and burst just before it arrived at the village. The fragments that popped off from the orb of darkness moved as if they were living beings and made their way into the village. The moment it faced off with the demons who were wandering in the village, it changed from just darkness into black flames and attacked the demons. The demons who touched the black flames burned up in a flash, leaving nary a trace as they burned out. The demons let out otherworldly screams as they burned up one after another. Within a few minutes, the cries coming from all over the village died out. ¡°Wh-what in the world¡­.?¡± Milliane, who watched everything unfold, whispered, wondering where the darkness covering everything moments ago suddenly disappeared to. ¡°That¡¯s Syltina¡¯s and Kuro¡¯s ¡®composite magic¡¯¡­¡­.. Aaand, there you go¡­.¡± Alhart explains while using his magic and sword to finish off the demons who escaped from the black flames. ¡°Darkness, Fire, and Wind attribute¡­¡­¡­..but, Kreutz-sama¡­.that¡¯s¡­what exactly is¡­¡­.¡± The demons inside the village have been wiped out. The black flames once again reverted to darkness, and began to gather directly above Rufhana village. ¡°That¡¯s Kuro¡¯s true form.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡°That very being is darkness, you see. He dwells in people¡¯s hearts, he is the antithesis to everything, he is the instinctive fear that every being harbors. He is the despair that does not shine even a single light and is also the tranquility that wraps up everything. That¡¯s him. Syltina¡¯s familiar, Kreutz.¡± ¡°That very being is darkness¡­¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a true ¡®form¡¯. That¡¯s why he can be anything. A human, a horse, a cat, or even a bird. However, for that very reason, he can¡¯t be anything either. Sad, isn¡¯t it?¡±, Alhart said, gently directing his gaze towards Kreutz, who had reverted back to an orb. ¡±The flame that he produces burns everything. Whether it¡¯s living or not, justice or evil, right or wrong, beautiful or dirty, those trivialities don¡¯t matter. It burns everything it touches into nothing. When Kuro takes on a ¡®form¡¯, his power is suppressed to some extent. You saw it with the bandits from that time, didn¡¯t you? Kuro¡¯s black flames merely burned the bandits and didn¡¯t erase them. That¡¯s why you and I, or Saint-sama and her company didn¡¯t suffer from any injuries. That was how Kuro adjusted his flames. However, if he reverts to his original form, that suppression is lost. He attacks with his black flames indiscriminately, chaotically, and in full power. It¡¯s Syltina who controls that.¡± The orb of darkness continued to repeatedly contract and expand, gradually taking on a form. ¡±Syltina uses the wind to keep the spreading darkness from attacking indiscriminately, and adjusts the direction and power of the black flames so that no damage is done to anything but the demons. In order to control the enormous amount of darkness and adjust the black flames, it is necessary to possess large amounts of magic power, concentration, and control. After that, Sylti decides.¡ª¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Syltina swayed and fell down due to gravity. But, just before she could hit the ground, Kreutz, who had yet to take on a form, acted as a cushion and slipped between her body and the ground. ¡°She always faints.¡± Alhart sighed, as he slashed the last demon in sight before approaching the two. ¡°Kuro, hand over Sylti to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do anything in that form either, can you? Give Sylti to me and quickly take on a form. We¡¯re still not done here after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Kreutz who had yet to take on a ¡®form¡¯ understood the situation and reluctantly handed Syltina over to Alhart. ¡°Well then. Tyr!!¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± ¡°Please confirm whether there are still any survivors around.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Tyrtinkle dissolved the Wind Blade Prison and, as instructed by Arhalt, headed towards Rufhana village alongside the wind. After laying Syltina on the ground, Alhart turns to face Milliane. ¡°Milliane-sama, can you put up a light barrier around the village? ¡°Ah, y-yes.¡± After seeing Milliane nod and activate her magic, Alhart once again turns to face Kreutz. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve more or less taken on human form.¡± ¡°Master, I have confirmed that there are no more survivors around. The extermination has been completed.¡± Tyrtinkle, who headed to Rufhana village, returned and reported to Alhart, who nodded satisfactorily and Kreutz, who was slowly taking on human form. ¡°All right. If that¡¯s the case, then after taking a proper form, wake Sylti up so we can have the Saintess perform the purification for us. Hurry up.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me¡­.¡± In a low, telepathic voice, Kreutz spoke, ¡±It will be just a bit more till I regain my voice¡­¡­.so, Saintess, please prepare for the purification.¡± ¡°Purifi¡­cation¡­¡­.¡± Alhart laughed at the sullen sounding Kreutz and turned around to answer Akari, who was deliriously muttering from behind. ¡°Yes, purification. You have to remove the impurity from this land. That¡¯s your job.¡± ¡°My-my¡­.job¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Saintess?¡± Alhart leans towards Akari, who seemed to be repeating his words in an incoherent manner. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡­¡­¡­.. don¡¯t¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm? What was that?¡± Unable to hear Akari¡¯s words, Alhart approached her and bent forward so he could align his face with hers and pick up what Akari was saying as she looked downward. ¡°¡­¡­.ca¡­¡­n¡¯t¡­¡­¡­I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t do it!! There¡¯s no way I can do it!!¡± ¡°Haaah!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible!! After all, I¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know anything about this, I haven¡¯t even done a purification before! The¡­the only thing closest to magic that I¡¯ve done before is to heal a simple wound. Such a thing¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..This, what the heck¡­?¡± To Akari who was crying and screaming, Alhart¡¯s response was terribly flat and cold. ¡°You are the saintess. Didn¡¯t you go on this trip knowing that you bear the responsibility of that title? Don¡¯t go saying nonsense like it¡¯s impossible, or you haven¡¯t done this before at this point in time!¡± ¡°But, the one who insisted on this journey was the king!! I never wanted anything of the sort!! Moreover, I didn¡¯t even know that it was going to be this dangerous!!¡± ¡°Even if someone showed you the way, it¡¯s still your choice whether you go forward or not. Stop blaming others for it.¡± ¡°Wha¡­what are you¡­¡­¡± ¡±Besides, this ¡®danger¡¯ is an everyday thing in ¡®this world¡¯. Even though demons rarely appear, the bandits, thieves, and pirates like the ones we encountered before are common, and the warring between countries is continuing. It¡¯s been two years since you came to this world, so saying that nonsense at this time¡­.¡± ¡°I¡­I mean, I haven¡¯t even been outside of the Kingdom¡¯s capital before¡­¡­In the first place, I don¡¯t even belong to this world! Why do I have to put my life on the line to help the people of this world!?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then, should I kill you here and now, Saintess?¡± ¡°Hiiiii!!!¡± An excessively cold bloodlust hung in the air. A dangerous glint flashed in Alhart¡¯s amber-colored eyes. ¡±I don¡¯t really care to know what¡¯s going to become of this kind of country. Heck, I even think it¡¯s better if it fell to ruin. But, you mustn¡¯t forget, right? That you are now here in this world¡­¡­thanks to the people of this country.¡± ¡°I¡­I know that!! That¡¯s why I also gladly took it on! But¡­but¡­but¡­¡± ¡°But, however, after all, still¡­¡­¡­.that¡¯s all there is to you, isn¡¯t it, Saintess?¡± ¡°Sylti.¡± Even though her voice sounded exhausted, Syltina stood still on her own feet and approached Akari with the help of Kreutz who had finally taken on a human form. ¡±It seems like I¡¯ve said this a lot of times already, but we were entrusted with the task of escorting the Saintess so we are protecting you. ¡®To escort the Saint as she travels around to purify the land and save the country¡¯ was the content of our mission. In other words, we won¡¯t escort ¡®otherworlders who act spoiled and are useless because they can¡¯t purify the tainted lands¡¯. If you abandon the purification of the tainted lands and escape, then your personal safety is beyond our control. Well, I don¡¯t know how peaceful the other world is, but as far as I can tell, you probably grew up in a place free of conflict, so a bloody, violent, and disorderly place like this doesn¡¯t suit you. So please, go ahead and run away.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°But, however, after all, still, it would be better for you to run away if you are going to keep on complaining. Just like Al, I also want this kind of country to perish, so it doesn¡¯t really concern us. We only took upon the task of ¡®escorting the saint¡¯ and not to pointlessly chase after a fleeing saint or be made to purify the land, so we don¡¯t carry the burden of being blamed by the king. In fact, we¡¯d prefer to immediately leave this fast declining country.¡± Syltina finished speaking with an air of indifference. The expressionless way Syltina continuously drew her words forth seemed terrifying. ¡°Syltina-sama! Aren¡¯t you being too irresponsible!?¡± ¡°Irresponsible? In which way are we being irresponsible, Tedla-sama?¡± ¡°Are you that eager to abandon the mission you accepted!?¡± ¡°Abandonment? Us? You¡¯re wrong about that. Your Saintess is the one who will be running away first. I am merely saying that ¡®if¡¯ she abandons being a saintess.¡± ¡°Akari couldn¡¯t possibly betray us¡­.this country!!¡±, Syltina turned a completely shocked gaze towards the shouting Frackt. Wasn¡¯t he listening to the conversation up until now? Didn¡¯t he hear the exchange that was happening so close by? Or was there something wrong with his brain? Syltina seriously thought that it might be better to somehow introduce him to a good doctor. ¡°Akari! Come now, show us how wonderful your power is!!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ummm..I¡­I¡­.!!!¡± ¡°Akari!?¡± ¡°Uh-oh. Looks like the prince dealt the final blow.¡± With a blank expression, Syltina merely looked on as Akari turned her back from them and escaped to the forest. Chapter 20 - The Special Maiden It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way. That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t want this anymore!¡±, Akari muttered while sitting down. Even though it was sunny at daytime, the inside of the woods was quite dark. She embraced herself and tightly closed her eyes. ¡±This is unbelievable! I¡¯m supposed to be the ¡®heroine¡¯, but, why is that woman acting so high and mighty? In the first place, who is that ¡®Kreutz¡¯ even supposed to be? He never appeared in the game. That woman shouldn¡¯t have come out of exile, but, why is she making an appearance again? It should¡¯ve been ¡®him¡¯ who came along with Alhart! Why did it have to be that woman¡­¡­.!?¡± It was during that time when she was voicing out her complaints, the thick bushes nearby rustled. Akari¡¯s body stiffened, but she braced herself to turn around and face the bushes for a few seconds. It was a person who emerged from the rustling bushes. Both their eyes and hair were a dark brown color. The person looked fairly average, with hair that went past their shoulders, which was haphazardly tied at the back. They seemed to be a traveler, since they were wearing clothes that were easy to move in with a matching short dagger hanging from their waist. They were also carrying a slightly large bag which was slung from their shoulders. The person blinked in puzzlement when they met Akari¡¯s gaze. However, it was hard to guess what their gender was. ¡°Oh¨C, Ummm¡­what are you doing at this kind of place?¡± The voice that called out was neither high nor low, but even so, it was still hard to distinguish their sex with their voice. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡±I am Yuto. Yuto Alzeider. You are?¡± ¡±It¡¯s¡­Akari¡­¡± ¡°What a beautiful name! Akari, why are you in this kind of place?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Yuto smiled and sat beside Akari who refused to answer. ¡±Could it be that you are¡­running away from somewhere¡­¡­or something?¡± ¡°!? H-How did you¡­¡° Yuto laughed at Akari as she unconsciously raised her voice when he undoubtedly hit the bull¡¯s eye. ¡±You see, I¡¯ve traveled around the world and have met a lot of troubled people. That¡¯s why I understand. I see that you are also a troubled person who even ran away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡±Well, isn¡¯t that just fine?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡±There are times when you want to run away and it¡¯s okay, you see. You don¡¯t need to force yourself to do something that you can¡¯t or don¡¯t want to do. Instead, just put everything into the things that you can do¡± ¡±You don¡¯t¡­have to force yourself too much¡­¡± ¡±Correct. You should ignore the high expectations that other people have for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Akari blinked several times as tears started to well in her eyes. ¡±Uh¡­Huh!? What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something to make you cry!?¡± ¡±No, you¡¯re wrong¡­¡­It¡¯s just¡­I¡¯m glad¡­..¡± A lot of views changed since Akari went on this journey. To the king, prince, and the citizens of this country, she was the ¡®Saintess¡¯ which they had placed their hopes on. The escorts who came along refused to protect her as ¡®Akari¡¯. It didn¡¯t matter if she could do it or not. She simply had to. Akari had been confused as she had never experienced such a cruel, relentless, and unforgiving ¡®world¡¯, but she was told to perform her duty even if it was against her will. If you¡¯re saying that you can¡¯t do it and escape, then we will abandon you since we don¡¯t have any use for such a ¡®saint¡¯, they told her. Not even one of them tried to comfort Akari. That¡¯s why she was glad. She was absolutely glad because the kind words were not meant for the Saintess, but for Akari. ¡±I¡­¡± That¡¯s why she thought she could talk if it was Yuto. ©`©`©` ©` ¡±I see. So, Akari was the Saintess.¡± Yuto merely nodded when he learned about Akari¡¯s identity and what had happened so far. ¡±I don¡¯t even have any special powers¡­I¡¯m just a normal human being who came from a different world, but why do I have to risk my life and work hard for people I don¡¯t even know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡±Certainly, the people of this country treated me well, but¡­that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡±Of course¡±, Yuuto simply agreed as she let out her dissatisfaction. Those dark brown eyes of his looked kindly at Akari. ¡±You¡¯re doing the best you could. It¡¯s not like Akari doesn¡¯t have a special power. Your existence is special to this world. That¡¯s why people probably expect a lot from you.¡± ¡±My existence is special?¡± ¡±Yes. However, your companions don¡¯t understand that. That¡¯s why they can say mean things against you.¡± With a thump, his words went straight to her heart. I see. I¡¯m not in the wrong here. It¡¯s not my fault. ¡±But, don¡¯t just settle and let those people think that you¡¯re useless¡± ¡±Is that¡­so?¡± ¡±Of course! You possess a very special power. I wish your companions could understand it. Then, they can see how truly great you are.¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m¡­..¡± As long as Yuto understands me. She couldn¡¯t put it into words. They just met a few minutes ago. However, out of all the people she met from this world, Yuto was the only one who showed concern for Akari. What a mysterious person. Akari had heard the words that she longed to hear, and it went straight to her heart before she even noticed. ¡±Oh, Right! Let¡¯s both go and purify Rufhana village together. Then you could shock those companions who said they didn¡¯t need you.¡± ¡±Yuto and I?¡± ¡±Yes. I don¡¯t have the power to do the purification, but when it comes to using magic, I have more experience than Akari does. That¡¯s why I could certainly be of use.¡± ¡±But if it¡¯s purification, then, I¡­¡­¡± ¡±You can do it. Akari is special after all.¡± If he says it with such a smile, then it seems like I can actually do it. ¡±Then,¡­..I guess I¡¯ll have to try.¡± ¡±That¡¯s the spirit! It¡¯s okay if we fail at first! Let¡¯s do this together!¡± The words ¡®together¡¯ made Akari happy more than anything else. Yuto would act for Akari¡¯s sake while keeping her in his thoughts. Akari thought that she could definitely do anything as long as Yuto makes her happy. ©`©`©` ©` A dazzling light wrapped around and swallowed the whole of Rufhana village. The light envelopes the black mist rising from the tainted land, becoming white, shining particles and disappearing into the sky. ¡±Pretty¡­¡­¡± ¡±That¡¯s right!¡± In front of Rufhana village, where Milliane had erected the dimly growing barrier of light, stood both Akari and Yuto who smiled and looked at each other. ¡±Akari-sama*!¡± ¡°Ah, Tedla!¡± ¡±We were looking all over for you, Akari-sama. Did you do this? You were successful with the purification!?¡­¡­Who¡¯s this¡­..?¡± The person who approached them was the breathless Tedla. After looking at the numerous light particles disappearing into the sky in wonder, Tedla becomes cautious and sizes up Yuto. ¡±Are you Akari¡¯s companion? I am Yuto. Yuto Alzeider. I am a traveler.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I am Tedla Balratona. So, the one who did this was¡­¡­.¡± ¡±It was Akari. I merely lent her a hand. She is extraordinary after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..For the meantime, let¡¯s go back to where Syltina-sama and the others are and talk once we¡¯re there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Akari-sama?¡± Akari brushed off the hand Tedla offered her and wrapped her hands around Yuto¡¯s arm. ¡°Why do I have to go back to those people!? I¡¯m going with Yuto!! I¡¯ll travel with Yuto and purify the land!¡± ¡°Akari-sama!?¡± ¡°Akari, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why£¿Isn¡¯t Yuto a wanderer£¿If that¡¯s the case, then he should be strong, right? If it¡¯s Yuto, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t lose to those demons! Yuto will take care of bringing the demons down, and I will purify the land. See? Isn¡¯t that a great idea?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Akari, I think you should return to your companions for now. I¡¯ll go with you, too.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°It will be fine. I will be with Akari after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Okay¡±, Tedla breathed a sigh of relief when Akari finally agreed to go. Chapter 21 - The Foolish Child Oh, what a foolish child! Yuto Alzeider gazed at Akari as she stuck close to him by clinging onto his arm. It¡¯s absurd how she easily believed the words of a stranger she just met in the forest and got tricked into using her powers. ¡°Akari, I¡¯ll talk to the members of your escort team first. You¡¯re probably tired from the purification, so it would be better if you rest for a while.¡± ¡°But¡­..¡± ¡°It will be fine. Just leave it to me.¡± ¡°Um, okay.¡± Yuto grins. Akari easily agrees whenever he flashes her a smile that had often been dubbed by them as suspicious. How easy. Ah, but certainly, ¡®they¡¯ probably don¡¯t know how to handle this child. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve been getting their fingers burned until now. Well, if you ask ¡®them¡¯, it doesn¡¯t really matter if she¡¯s here or not; if not for the ¡®request¡¯, she¡¯d probably be the type to get cut down first. Apart from that, since the tainted lands and the demons aren¡¯t such a big deal, they probably think that they won¡¯t need the Saintess who won¡¯t do the purification after all. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a lot easier if they just leave the purification of the tainted lands to the Saintess anyway.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Well then, I¡¯ll be looking forward to their reactions when we meet. ©`©`©` ©` ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It took Syltina three full minutes before she was finally able to speak. ¡°We¡¯re glad you¡¯ve returned safely to us, Saintess. We were even surprised that you were able to successfully do the purification.¡± Yuto heard someone quietly say, ¡®if you can do it then you should¡¯ve done so from the start.¡¯ It was probably Alhart or Kreutz who were behind Syltina. ¡°And who is this?¡± Another whispered, ¡®Why are you here anyway?¡¯ Yuto thought it would be bad if he laughed, so he kept himself from doing so. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Yuto Alzeider. I was wondering if we can talk for a bit?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Very well. Tedla-sama, Frackt-sama, please accompany the Saintess outside.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Tyr, look after the Saintess. Call me immediately if something happens.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± As soon as they confirmed that the two had escorted Akari to the carriage, Syltina and Alhart both grabbed Yuto¡¯s arms and led him to a different location. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so rough!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to say that, you know?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, Yuto. Why the hell are you even here?¡± ¡°Do you¡­know each other¡­.?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Milliane-sama, Yuto doesn¡¯t bite, so, can you get closer? It¡¯s hard to talk like this.¡± Syltina called out to Milliane who had been hiding under the shadow of a tree ten steps away from where they were. But, even as Milliane went closer, she was still several steps away from them. ¡°Yuto is one of the members of the guild that we belong to, The Double Winged Sword*.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yuto Alzeider. Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Milliane Frucktor.¡± ¡°Yuto, didn¡¯t you receive an emergency summons from the Master? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, it arrived. It¡¯s this, isn¡¯t it?¡±, Yuto took out a white envelope as he spoke. ¡°If you received it, then hurry up and go back. You guys are always going about as you wish, so, Master is always running about teary-eyed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I already told Master that I was in the country. After all, everyone will be coming to this country, won¡¯t they? Since that was the case, it¡¯s troublesome to go back, so it was settled that I would be helping Kuu-chan and the others, but I never expected to meet you guys first. I was wondering what happened to the Saintess when I found her inside the forest, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, so it was like that. But, you were able to skillfully fool her, so you really helped us back there.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I was just about to say it, but is she really okay? I never thought she¡¯d easily believe me, you know. Well, you and Lady Sylti probably knew what to do with the Saintess when you accepted the escort request, but, you probably never knew how airheaded she was. It was amazing. Even though I never asked her, she glibly told me that she was from another world, and at the end, it all came down to ¡®despite everything, I¡¯m still doing my best for everyone¡¯s sake.¡¯¡± It seemed Akari talked as if she were some tragic heroine in a story. That she was pitiable for suddenly coming to a world she knew nothing about. That she was bullied by a noble young lady, yet she bravely worked hard to finally expose the noble¡¯s crimes. That she suddenly became the Saintess who would save the country, but nevertheless, she continued to stand up for those people who had helped her while being hurt. That she persevered for everyone¡¯s sake even though her life was dangerously threatened and was oppressed by the same noble lady, whom she had once exposed for her wrongdoings, and her companions. ¡°Even though, although, in spite of, that was all she ever talked about. ¡®Even though I¡¯m doing my best,¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m not doing this because I want to,¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m formerly from a different world, but¡­¡¯ or ¡®I don¡¯t even have any offensive powers,¡¯ or ¡®I haven¡¯t even done a purification before,¡¯ or ¡®although I¡¯m just a powerless girl,¡¯¡­¡­¡­¡­Lady Sylti,** you¡¯ve endured it well. If it were me, I¡¯d immediately wish to leave someone like that. No matter how many years I¡¯ve been prepared for the plan, I. Would. Never. Be. Able. To. Put up with that kind of person. I can¡¯t stand it¡±, Yuto said it with a face that was undoubtedly full of disgust. ¡°Fufu. Yuto still hasn¡¯t trained enough. 2 years ago, I was unable to properly communicate with the Saintess, so I felt like I had to understand people who completely thought differently than me.¡± ¡°Ahh, so it won¡¯t work unless you at least have that feeling.¡± ¡°But, you really helped us out this time. After all, Al and I have already given up trying to understand her, so someone else had to take charge. She¡¯s attached to you, and if you¡¯re around, she would do the purification properly.¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, she¡¯s obedient as long as you use kind words towards her. She¡¯s that simple-minded. Rather, wouldn¡¯t that make it easier for you guys to handle her better?¡± ¡°Not really. It doesn¡¯t matter to us if the Saintess is around or not. What only concerns me is if we have time to do something to keep the tainted lands under control until it becomes usable again.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that.¡± In general, it would take a long number of years before plants could grow again on the tainted lands due to the demons. However, that was the ¡®general common sense¡¯, and it was a little off mark as it did not apply to the members of The Double Winged Sword. The rumored guild, The Double Winged Sword, was known around the world as ¡®the guild that has the power to overthrow a country¡¯. But, as a matter of fact, it was a small guild that only had at least a hundred members. However, the rumor about their ability to ¡®overthrow a country¡¯ was indeed possible once they put their minds to it. In other words, they were a small, elite guild. Each individual¡¯s ability was more than equal to a thousand men. Thus, it is with this precise reason that these people would have a countermeasure against the tainted lands that only they could carry out. ¡±If you wipe out the demons and surround the area with a light barrier, then it would gradually weaken the impurities bit by bit so that after a few years, the land could be usable again. That¡¯s why we really don¡¯t need the help of such an incompetent Saintess.¡± ¡±However, nobody but, us know how to do it, and to begin with, most people can¡¯t defeat the demons. Moreover, even a barrier that would stretch over the land requires considerable amounts of magical power, so only the members of The Twin Blade Sword could pull it off. Besides, this is still considered a ¡®country¡¯, so there¡¯s also the problem of taking care of the living conditions of the people who originally lived in the tainted lands. And even for us, it would be difficult to distribute dedicated staff for it, so even if the Saintess is incompetent or whatever, it would still be better to have her perform the purification instead.¡± ¡±I know. That¡¯s why I accepted the request to ¡®escort the Saintess¡¯.¡± ¡±Well, it seems that the Saintess will willingly use her powers ¡®for my sake,¡¯ so I could always rein her in.¡± ¡±If that¡¯s the case, then I will contact the Master. And Milliane-sama, please don¡¯t tell anybody about us being acquainted with Yuto.¡± ¡±Ah, yes. But umm¡­.is it really alright to tell me all this?¡± ¡±If only we went to talk with Yuto, then, the other side would be suspicious of our relationship with him, so taking you along decreases that risk. Well, not that those dimwitted fools would suspect us anyway.¡± Milliane tightly smiled back at Syltina, whose smile dripped with poison. While looking between the two, Yuto pitied Akari¡¯s foolishness from the bottom of his heart. Two years ago¡­¡­.No, even before that. Even before she came to this world, Akari¡¯s surroundings had already consisted of plenty of ingeniously crafted lies. She never even noticed it. Not even a sliver of doubt. ¡°Ahh, she¡¯s such a fool.¡±, as he said so, Yuto seemed terribly delighted. Notes: *Changed the guild name ¡°Ë«Òí¤Î„‡¡± from the previous translator¡¯s ¡°The Dipterous Sword¡±, into ¡°The Double Winged Sword, but should I keep it after all? **The honorific used after Sylti¡¯s name was ¡°¨C‹Ý¡± (¡°¨Cjou¡±) which means a lady from a rich family or nobility, thus the ¡°Lady¡± title. Chapter 23 - The Witch of Foresight ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Clarina stretched out and smiled. It had been a while since she stepped on land. ¡°It¡¯s been 2 years since, but, ya can¡¯t see Manrinia from ¡®ere either.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been 2 years for me, too, but if it were before, you can see how the town stands out from here. It¡¯s the taint that¡¯s causing this black haze to cover everything.¡± A town that could be seen from several kilometers away. However, that same town is now dim and blurry as if there were only shadows there. ¡°So, Rideiran Kingdom¡¯s largest port town, Manrinia, is now a demon¡¯s den, huh?¡± ¡°Well if there¡¯re no people ¡®round, we could quickly suppress ¡®em, right?¡± ¡°On the other hand, we have to do something about the monster extermination and the impurities.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then, it¡¯s troublesome.¡± ¡°Well, at any rate, Manrinia is a place I was put in charge of restoring, so let¡¯s wrap this up quickly. Myra.¡± At Clarina¡¯s call, the space in front of her distorted, and from there, a huge, flaming bird with red and blue flames appeared. This was Clarina¡¯s familiar, Myra, the Phoenix. ¡°What is your command?¡± ¡°I would like to have all the monsters in that town exterminated.¡± ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± In a completely human-like manner, Myra politely bowed to Clarina, and at their master¡¯s behest, made their way to the town with a powerful flap of their wings. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s wait a bit until Myra comes back.¡± ¡°Issit really fine to take it easy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Myra is an excellent familiar, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll even set up a barrier after exterminating the demons. We don¡¯t have anything to do this time.¡± ¡°Myra-san¡¯s amazin¡¯!¡± ¡°They¡¯re my familiar after all.¡± From where Clarina proudly stood, the sound of several explosions echoed from Manrinia¡¯s direction. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s begun.¡± ¡°We could do it faster with composite magic, but it¡¯s tiring.¡± ¡°Ahh, I get ya. I don¡¯t wanna do anything after casting composite magic either.¡± ¡°I wanted my magic to be a bit gentler though.¡± ¡°A magic that has a wide range of influence and low power consumption¡­¡­ that¡¯s asking for the impossible.¡± Just as the two sighed in unison, a huge pillar of fire rose from Manrinia. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t ya pick up Syltina-san from ¡®ere 2 years ago?¡± ¡°Y-you remembered. That¡¯s right. Well, it¡¯s not a regular port, so it¡¯s a place where no berths are allowed, but, the events from 2 years ago and now, there are special circumstances.¡± ¡°Well, nowadays, the port ain¡¯t a place you can anchor to due to th¡¯ taint, an¡¯ 2 years ago was when ya picked ¡®er up after bein¡¯ exiled, right? ¡°Ah, that was terrible! I properly hired some people for the exile ship, and then I even made preparations for Sylti to go up to The Shield¡¯s Perch Headquarter Ship after escorting her from there, but even I didn¡¯t realize that Sylti couldn¡¯t be escorted to the port by the country that exiled her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s troubling, seriously. Me, Kura-san, Jin-san, and the other Two Name Holders were out on missions at that time, so we couldn¡¯t do anything, and the Master was summoned by the King of Rulan Kingdom at that time, right?¡± ¡°Really, if the allies Syltina made from within Rideiran kingdom hadn¡¯t discreetly helped her, then, she would have died¡­¡­¡± ¡°And Jin-sama would¡¯ve killed us¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­ When he saw Sylti covered in wounds, he partially ruined the branch in Rulan Kingdom, that person. But, yeah. They really did such a cruel thing to Sylti that time. I should have read farther ahead. My second name, The Witch of Foresight, is ashamed, really¡­¡­¡±, as she said it, Clarina mussed up her beautiful black hair. Clarina Hamillee was also known as The Witch of Foresight. It was a fact that many from around the world knew, and even those who actually knew her could say that her second name was suitable for her. However, most of the people didn¡¯t know that. Her power wasn¡¯t just about predicting, speculating, or guessing future events and executing numerous measures against them. The girl, Clarina Hamilee¡¯s true power wasn¡¯t prediction, but precognition. She cannot choose which future she sees, but she can see things related to her and the people around her. The future she saw for Syltina was such a miserable thing. ¡°A fiance¨¦ and blood brother from an early age. A king admired and respected by his subjects. The friends she laughed with, and the citizens she cherished. These will all be taken away by a single outsider who came from another world. Everything she had sacrificed and worked hard for as the Duke¡¯s daughter will be lost to a mere Otherworlder, who, without sacrificing anything, will be protected, accepted, and loved. The ultimate humiliation.¡± Nevertheless, she understood that that ending was something she cannot change. For example, if she sees a great defeat in the future of a battle, Clarina can use all her power and brains to turn her end into a great victory. Another example is if she sees the death of a friend with whom she went with in the battlefield in the future, Clarina can turn it into an outcome that saves their life by going through all the connections and strategies that she possesses. However, Syltina¡¯s future was something she could not do anything about. ¡°No matter how much power I have or how much I think, I can only rely on the people themselves since nothing could be done about their feelings. I¡¯ve also told this to Sylti, but in her future, those people¡¯s feelings had a lot to do with it. So I made a suggestion.¡± ¡°A suggestion?¡± ¡°Yes, a suggestion. It¡¯s strange because there were 2 ends in Sylti¡¯s future. The first one was considered risky because she was granted the death penalty for betraying and rebelling against the Royal Family. The second one involved the same crime, but instead, she was sentenced to exile. So, I made a suggestion and devised a plan that would at least steer her into the end we wanted. But, for that to happen, Sylti had to take the path where she loses everything she worked hard for.¡± To keep the worst from happening. To ensure that Syltina¡¯s life would not end. Her survival was given priority. ¡°But, yeah, even while making lots of preparations, she¡­¡­ Syltina wished for it to not happen. She believed in most of the people involved in that future. She believed in the bonds she had built up until then.¡± The future reality she was struck with was too cruel, but Syltina would still not give up hope. ¡°Hey, Rain-kun, can you imagine? That person knew about the betrayal, but they still believed those people from the bottom of their heart even as they made preparations for the time they were going to be betrayed. They continued to believe, trust, and have faith; they made plans, secretly maneuvered, made efforts, but their heart, which eventually became exhausted, was shattered into pieces by the same people they trusted. Can you imagine how that person might have felt when it happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I completely couldn¡¯t imagine it. When I told her about the future, Sylti just sadly closed her eyes. When I made the suggestion, she just resignedly agreed to it. When she was betrayed by the people of this country as I predicted, she just silently sighed heavily. Sylti never said anything, so there was no way to understand her¡­¡­ even if I see the future, I cannot see how people feel. But you know, I knew that Sylti was deeply hurt.¡± Despairing because of the future, hurt because of the end where she was betrayed by the people she believed in. In spite of everything, Syltina made a choice. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sylti already steeled herself long ago. So, when she was actually betrayed, she was deeply hurt, but, at the same time completely resigned to her fate. ¡®The future where she walks together with the King of Rideiran and the people of the country¡¯ is¡­¡­.¡± Once she gave up, the rest was history. Without saying anything, she had placed everything in the past, and started working towards the future. ¡°Love turns into hate. Even if the person who embraced that hate didn¡¯t have the desire to clear their name¡­¡­ no, on the contrary, that¡¯s precisely why we cannot forgive them.¡± We would have preferred if she lashed out at us. If she let her feelings loose and said that she could not forgive them, then we wouldn¡¯t have made them into our enemies. For the people who betrayed her, they surely laughed and stood by even, when she suffered in front of them. However, Syltina did not say anything. She merely accepted it without saying anything. That¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t forgive ourselves. For the people who betrayed and hurt her, they laid their hands on her instead of standing by and letting her end her life as she fell into disgrace. ¡°Well, at first, we never intended to do anything if Syltina didn¡¯t wish for it.¡± If she safely got to the end where she was granted exile, The Double Winged Sword would welcome her after, and she would live as just Syltina from then on. The first time Syltina was told about her future and the suggestion Clarina made, it was already decided that Syltina¡¯s relationship with Rideiran Kingdom would come to an end. ¡°But it was impossible the moment Jin-sama found out, you know?¡± ¡°Ahhh I see. So, y¡¯talked to us after Jin-sama found out, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Jin-sama found out and then he told me to call everyone in the guild because he had an idea he wanted to discuss. And then the rest is as you know it. That Jin didn¡¯t want to just let Sylti¡¯s exile be the end, so he constructed a plan.¡± They never intended to take revenge unless Syltina wished for it. However, it was definitely against their feelings. ¡°I thought it was fine if Sylti didn¡¯t wish for it, but I couldn¡¯t just let Rideiran Kingdom and its people be happy after hurting Sylti. So, with that in mind, I got on board with the plan.¡± As soon as Clarina joined, it was decided that they would completely cause the Kingdom to fall. Even though Syltina made preparations, she stubbornly refused to be involved with carrying out the plan. ¡°In the end, Sylti gave in and also became part of the plan. If it¡¯s like this, then, we only have to make sure that the plan becomes a success.¡± ¡°Is there a possibility of the plan failing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Not even a chance,¡± Clarina plainly declared. ¡°Well it seems Myra is also done, so, Myra and I will be going around the country and putting up barriers in towns and villages. Rain-kun, take care of the people gathering here, okay?¡± ¡°Yer talkin¡¯ ¡¯bout the allies who¡¯re ¡®ere, ayt? Most of the members¡¯ve heard of ¡¯em, but are they gon¡¯ participate in the plan as they are?¡± ¡°Of course. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Despair for despair. Betrayal for betrayal.¡± Myra returned from Manrinia and landed just beside Clarina. Clarina smiled as she patted Myra¡¯s head without getting burned by the flames. ¡°Those people should also experience the feeling of being betrayed, looked down upon while being driven to desperation and terror by the people they trusted.¡± But even that is still not enough. Rain clearly got the message even if Clarina did not mention it. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t ¡®ave angered the people in the guild.¡± Sighing, Rain watched Clarina get on Myra¡¯s back and fly away. Chapter 24 - The Child Who Was Left Behind ¡°Send it back from where you got it.¡± Syltina commanded as she stood imposingly in front of Yuto and Akari, who had hidden behind Yuto to escape Syltina¡¯s severe gaze. On Akari¡¯s right hand was a small hand which she tightly held on to. ¡°I only asked you to fetch some water, so why have you brought a child? We cannot afford to take in children now. Send it back.¡± ¡°N-now, now, Syltina-san. You¡¯re treating the child like a dog or a cat. Calm down a little.¡± ¡°You picked up something lesser than a small animal. Who are you to ask me to calm down, Yuto-san? Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± ¡°No, I was against it at first. But, when she said no matter what¡­¡­¡± ¡°No matter what you were told, I¡¯m surprised that you have a hobby of bringing along lost children. If possible, I would prefer it if your hobby could be more useful to us.¡± Akari, who was hiding behind Yuto, let out a loud breath as she peeked at an angry Syltina. ¡°You don¡¯t have to put it that way. If such a small child sits alone by the riverside, it¡¯s normal to talk to them. I didn¡¯t just bring him because he said he had no parents. It¡¯s too much if we bring him back there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s as Akari says. It¡¯s our role to help the people of this country. Isn¡¯t it strange if the Saintess¡¯ escorts cannot even save a single child?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s strange, Frackt-sama. Please shut up. You¡¯re in the way.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª!! Who do you think I am!?¡± ¡°You want to do this now? You are the First Prince of Rideiran Kingdom. Unfortunately, we are people from the guild, so, who you are doesn¡¯t matter to us. In the first place, haven¡¯t I repeatedly told you that our main role is ¡®to escort the Saintess¡¯? Please remember it properly. Have you become forgetful? Or have you become senile?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Frackt is silenced by Syltina¡¯s plainly wicked tongue. Watching the situation from a distance, Alhart and Kreutz both let out a long sigh. ¡°Ahhh, looks like Sylti¡¯s met her match.¡± ¡°If you think about how we were during the trip up to now, then, it¡¯s no surprise.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Uwah, it¡¯s such a hassle, but they won¡¯t finish talking if we just leave them be¡­¡­ guess I¡¯ll go.¡± Kreutz watched Alhart, who seemed to find it truly troublesome, approach the arguing group. At the same time, Kreutz looked back on their journey after leaving Rufhana village. It had been about 20 days since they departed from Rufhana village. The next destination was a Baron¡¯s territory that ran along the river called Egido, whose main source of income was fishing and grain cultivation. The problems they encountered were brought on by passing through numerous linked villages along the way, and by the slow pace with which they traveled because the Saintess and her company were not used to travelling. The final hurdle was tomorrow, where they would finally arrive at their destination. From the time they left Rufhana village up to now, it was Frackt who was the most dissatisfied with Akari sticking close to Yuto. Rather, he was the only one who had something to say about it. However, whenever Frackt gave Yuto a hard time, Akari would defend him, and Yuto would soothe such an Akari. This caused Frackt¡¯s dissatisfaction to accumulate more. Thus, he frequently lashed out at his other travel companions as a way to release the pent up displeasure. Particularly, the brunt of it was greatly directed at Syltina, who, although expelled from the country 2 years ago, calmly appeared before them. It was also no exaggeration to say that her indifference to him, who was her former fiance¨¦, added fuel to the fire. He would complain about Syltina¡¯s actions one way or another, and if she ignored him, he would lose his temper, and regardless of where they were, cause a commotion. In the end, he pulled out his sword and challenged Syltina, who easily held him down with her bare hands. Immediately after that, whenever he complained about something, Syltina would start to hit him without using offense magic. Tedla would also try to calm Frackt every time he made a commotion, so the anger he directed at Syltina would turn to him instead. Frackt was totally emotionally unstable. Meanwhile, Syltina and the others, who half-seriously thought that Frackt had become strange, began to discuss that it might be better to take him out now as they considered what lay ahead of them. Akari, waiting for her turn to speak, said, ¡°His fatigue only piled up because he¡¯s not used to traveling; don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cruel to abandon him? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get over it!!¡± Or so she said. It was at this time that Syltina unconsciously placed her hand on her sword¡¯s hilt and no one was able to stop her. However, Syltina was able to fully grasp her sense of reasoning in time and let go of her sword. With a sickly sweet smile, Syltina purred, ¡°The Saintess sure has a big heart.¡± As she said it, the other members aside from Akari and Frackt couldn¡¯t keep themselves from suddenly feeling cold and sweaty. After such a while, Syltina and the others continued to endure Frackt¡¯s outrageous attitude. During that time, Syltina and the others had already devised more than 50 ways of ¡®getting rid of Frackt while making it look like an accident¡¯. For Syltina, the fact that Frackt was formerly engaged to her had already become a part of her dark past. And then, they reached their next destination, Egido. Surprisingly, the one who seriously aimed to eliminate Frackt during the demon extermination under the guise of making the first move was the child who Akari had taken in. Meanwhile, Syltina¡¯s response toward Akari and Frackt inevitably became colder than before. ¡°Humans are such complicated beings¡­¡­¡± Milliane silently nodded to Kreutz¡¯s muttering. ©`©`©` ©` ¡°Yo, kid.¡± Alhart, who had arrived at the encampment, called out to the child who sat in a corner while emitting a dangerous aura. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The voice that suddenly called out from behind, startled and froze the child in place, so Alhart went in front of him and crouched to meet his gaze. Then, at that point, the child blinked his eyes and looked at Alhart who had come in front of him. ¡°You don¡¯t have parents because you¡¯re an orphan?¡± The child shook his head at Alhart¡¯s question. ¡°Where¡¯d your mom and dad go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The child shook his head again. Alhart turned his head and made eye contact with Syltina. ¡°Decreasing mouths, huh.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it.¡± The sigh that came out was heavy. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ignoring Akari, who had yet to grasp the situation, the two once again returned their focus on the child. ¡°Kid, how old are you now?¡± ¡°Four.¡± ¡°Do you have a big brother or a big sister?¡± ¡°Yes, a big brother.¡± ¡°How old is your brother?¡± ¡°Six.¡± ¡°Your mom, dad, and big brother disappeared together? ¡°Yeah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kid, do you know where your house is? Is it close by?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s in Egido. You go straight over there.¡± As he said ¡®over there¡¯, the child pointed to the direction where Syltina and the others were headed to. ¡°So, it¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hey, what do you mean?¡± This time, Akari repeated her question a little more strongly at the two who had nodded at each other again. Akari was met with two gazes full of shock. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand after all that information?¡± Alhart, who had stood up, kept the shock from showing in his eyes and behavior and rounded his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the town called Egido from now on. That child¡¯s house is in that town. But, due to the taint, it¡¯s become a place where humans can¡¯t live.¡± ¡°Remember what the kid said. He said so himself. His parents aren¡¯t around. But, it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s an orphan. In other words, his parents left Egido and evacuated somewhere.¡± ¡°Then, was he separated from his parents at that time? ¡°Ahh, no, you¡¯re wrong. What a peaceful way of thinking! He wasn¡¯t separated. He was left there. To decrease the mouths.¡± ¡°Decrease the mouths? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oi, oi, are you serious? Well, if you put it this way, it means, ¡®we¡¯re going to leave someone from our family in order to live¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­¡­¡± ¡°Anything and everything is for the sake of our survival. Didn¡¯t the bandits before say it too? There is no place that accepts people who have fled their lands because of the taint. Whether it¡¯s a village or a town, the people are already busy enough trying to procure food. They couldn¡¯t care for other people. If that¡¯s the case, then they have no choice, but to decrease the number of people even if it¡¯s just a bit. So they could eat more. So the chances of being taken in by another place would increase. In doing so, he was the one they chose to reduce.¡± ¡°Why? I mean, he¡¯s their child¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly because he¡¯s their child. Besides, he¡¯s the youngest of the two. If the other child is bigger and can help around, then it¡¯s usually the younger one who gets cut off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s this kind of world, Saintess. It¡¯s not clean at all. Nor is it beautiful, kind, or merciful. It¡¯s just ugly, cruel, unreasonable, and ruthless. But, it¡¯s this kind of world after all. You¡¯ve lived in a safe and warm castle up until now, so you¡¯ve only been shown the ideal world that you think you know. Look closely. The existence in front of you, the existence you picked up, that¡¯s the current state of the country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s still fortunate that he¡¯s alive. At the very least, the boy¡¯s parents still had some kindness left in them. ¡®If only you could live¡¯, was the only hope they could cling to. Up to the end, the boy was still able to receive the love of his parents.¡± ¡°What should I¡­¡­¡± ¡°Take responsibility since you picked him up. However, you can¡¯t take him with us. You understand what I mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I, I¡¯ll take care of him!!¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll even share my food with him. So, let¡¯s take him with us! That¡¯s fine, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say we won¡¯t take him along¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You know how dangerous our journey is and you¡¯re still saying that?¡± ¡°I know! But, it¡¯s fine!! You people have no right to tell me what to do!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Certainly. Very well. However, he will be treated the same as the Prince and the Knight over there. We will not protect that child, and if we feel that he will be a hindrance in protecting you, then we will cut him off. Are you fine with that?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Akari, whose naivet¨¦ showed in her eyes, looked directly at Syltina, who tiredly sighed. Chapter 25 - Egido Purification (Top) Numerous demons were lined up in front of her. Behind her, was the child whose face crumpled up from crying. This is the worst, Syltina thought again, as she saw no change in her situation any time soon. ¡°Ahhh, this is really the worst¡­¡­¡± The moment she finished grumbling, Syltina kicked the ground. ©`©`©`©`©` ©`©`©` ©` The party was able to see the town of Egido during the time that the sun rose directly above it. The outer walls that surrounded the town, which stretched for several kilometers along the river, had cracks in places and was probably caused by the people trying to collapse the walls as they fled. The outer gate which led to the outside was also destroyed, which made no sense at all. ¡°Uwah, there¡¯s such a big swarm again!¡± They destroyed the demons outside of the town first and stood in front of the former outer gate after they established a barrier around them. Alhart grumbled with a lifeless voice that the number of demons he caught with his eyes alone already surpassed 30. ¡°Neither Sylti or I could use composite magic this time. It¡¯s very troublesome, but, we don¡¯t have any choice, but to steadily exterminate them¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wh¡ªwhy can¡¯t you use it?¡± ¡°The space occupied by a village and a town is almost the same, but the number of structures and the intervals between them are different. Since there are as many buildings as there are towns and the intervals between these buildings are very narrow, even I have to consider some damages if I were to use composite magic.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really mind it too much, but it¡¯s such a pain to be told off by the hysterical Saintess, so I¡¯m really sorry, but it¡¯s going to be troublesome from here on out.¡± Kreutz agrees with Alhart, who laughs, saying that if he escapes to another place, then, he might hit him again this time. ¡°It would be nice if we could say that the demons broke, but the funny thing is, they don¡¯t have any interest in anything, but humans¡­¡­¡± ¡°The¡­then what about Alhart-san¡¯s composite magic?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s even worse for me. I¡¯m not as good as Syltina when it comes to magic control, and I don¡¯t have as much power either, so I¡¯m going to cut down everything that I can see from here and sleep for 5 days after that.¡± ¡°There are a variety of reasons, but I will be going for a straightforward approach this time.¡± ¡°Tyr and I will be doing the extermination from the back of the town, okay?¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Well, then, Syltina released a breath as she saw off Alhart who was headed to the back of the town by passing over the rooftops after equipping wind magic on his feet. ¡°Kuro will be protecting the Saintess. Milliane-sama and I will exterminate the demons together. Saintess, please don¡¯t stray away from Kuro and be obedient.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°U-understood.¡± ¡°Yuto¡¯s here, so I don¡¯t really need you to protect me. Right, Yuto?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Akari. I will protect you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ do whatever you want, but for now, please behave over there. As for Yuto-san, you can do what you want since it¡¯s no problem either if you want to protect the Saintess, but please don¡¯t get in the way.¡± Syltina draws her sword at the lame farce being played out by the demons who noticed Syltina and her companions as they continued to close the distance. A single demon who was cut down as it lunged at them signaled the attack. The monsters who attacked one after the other were met with either magic attacks, or physical attacks that resulted in being punched through and beat up, that by the time they finished, not one demon was left. ¡°Fuu¡­¡­I¡¯m going to look around from inside the town, so Kuro, I¡¯ll be leaving the Saintess to you.¡± ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll patrol the opposite side.¡± ¡°Yes, please. Be very careful.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Syltina and Milliane nodded at each other and headed into opposite directions. At the same time, a tornado, which was believed to be caused by Alhart and Tyrtinkle, appeared from the back of the village. ¡°Good grief, their numbers are uselessly large¡­¡­ I wonder if it has anything to do with the population? Hmmm, there¡¯s not much information about demons after all¡­¡­¡± Syltina complained while cutting down the attacking demons as she ran along the inside of the town. The only thing that is known about ¡®demons¡¯ is that when a country falls into ruin, it will appear in a place where humans dwell, harm humans, and spread miasma. From there, the tainted land turns into a place where no living beings could thrive for decades. Having said that, as long as there are demons ¡®in¡¯ the land, the corruption (of the land) isn¡¯t complete, and living beings could still step foot inside the area with no problem. On the contrary, if there are no demons present in the land, humans who step inside it would immediately die due to the taint. ¡°Even though they¡¯re scattering the miasma, I feel like I¡¯m only suppressing the taint if I hear something like that. Haaah, it would be nice if I could catch even one.¡± Syltina doesn¡¯t forget to cut the demons even as her breathing becomes rough. Syltina shook off the demon¡¯s blood that looked more like black ink from her blade and observed the demon she had recently cut down as it dissolved from the edges, confirming her suspicions. The demons abruptly appear. And, then, disappear just as fast. The living ones seem to appear from thin air. The dead ones seem to disappear from the edges of the body. Even the blood that stained the blade scatters along with the demons. ¡°So, that¡¯s why there are only a few documents.¡± A pillar of light ascended from the direction opposite Syltina. ¡°As expected of Milliane-sama. She¡¯s usually timid, so it surprises me that she¡¯s this aggressive when it comes to combat.¡± Syltina continues to advance while blowing the demons away with her wind blades. ¡°Fuu, so all that¡¯s left is the center of the town no¡ª- ehh!?¡± A small shadow passed Syltina¡¯s peripheral vision as she scouted for a place where she could clearly see the town square. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± If Syltina wasn¡¯t mistaken, that shadow belonged to the boy who Akari took in the previous day. ¡°Why are you here!?¡± When I left Kreuz, he was definitely hiding behind Akari. So why is he here? Or, is he running ahead of us to the back of the town? ¡°Haaa, I don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡­ I¡¯ve already said that I won¡¯t take care of that kid, so in case something happens to him, both of them are just getting what they asked for.¡± Akari who brought the child to such a place even when she claimed that she would protect the child. The child who went alone to such a place even when he knew the danger that awaited him. Both are getting their just desserts. A cry of terror reached Syltina¡¯s ears just as she focused on the demons in front of her as if switching her thoughts. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Ahhhh, geez!! Give me a break!!¡± Syltina annoyedly screamed as she turned towards the direction of the voice. Without forgetting to cut the demons in her way, Syltina confirmed that one of the demons had just peeled off its fangs from the boy who had followed her with all his might. This is the worst, she thought. Each and every single thing. Including the next moves I¡¯m about to make, everything is the worst. ¡°Stop fucking with me!!¡± Expletives unconsciously left Syltina¡¯s lips as she forcibly aimed her strike at the demon who attacked the child and cut it down. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Syltina calmed her irritation by taking deep breaths as she once again thought, Chapter 22 - Ait Blurant? ¡°In this regard, Yuto will be working with us from now on. I have also reached out to Kuu-chan and her party regarding this.¡± Such a letter was sent to Ait as he held a guild member by the scruff of his neck while onboard The Double Winged Sword¡¯s mobile headquarter ship, The Shield¡¯s Perch. ¡°Hmmm¡­ most of our guild members always move as they like after all. Well, Syltina-san diligently does her work, so I¡¯ll just leave Yuto to her.¡± ¡°Master, how long are you planning to keep me like this?¡± the man who Ait had caught by the scruff of the neck complained. ¡°Ah, sorry. I forgot.¡± ¡°So mean. Anyway, if Sylti¡¯s group will still take a while, won¡¯t it be fine to just let us move freely for now?¡± ¡°For someone who had ignored the assembly call that had gone out 2 months ago, what are you trying to tell me, who had even personally come to pick you up?¡± ¡°Uh, no, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°No buts. The Two-Name Holders are heading the operations this time, but, The Double Winged Sword only has a handful of people. This plan is particularly important for the future of our guild, so we also need everyone to help out.¡± ¡°Fiiiiine.¡± Ait chuckled at the carefree reply, since he knew that this guild member would move accordingly for the sake of the guild. ¡®Ait Blurant?¡¯ is the Master of the mercenary guild, The Double Winged Sword, a guild that belonged to no country. That is why the people who comprise it are mostly stateless people who do not belong to any country. However, about 10 years ago, through a rare occurrence, a noble lady who held citizenship came to such a guild. ¡°How do you do? I am Syltina Balratona. I¡¯m pleased to make your acquaintance¡±, the child, who was still very young, said to the rough and savage-looking Ait, who returned the gesture and smiled at the young lady. If he remembered correctly, Syltina was about 6 or 7 years old at the time. Standing beside Syltina as if he naturally belonged there, was Jin. Ait remembered fearing that Jin would be able to easily connect with members of the government if he decided to seriously make a move. But, even so, Ait was still satisfied with the status quo at that time. Since they are stateless, the guild headquarters also served as a ship that went around the world, so, they sometimes stopped by continental states to procure supplies. They receive all kinds of requests from various countries and races. And because of their small number, the guild is tightly-knit. Each individual¡¯s power was perfect, and The Double Winged Sword became famous around the world. It¡¯s not that Ait didn¡¯t desire to set up shop somewhere, but he still thought that they could stay like that for the time being. However, the ones who changed their thoughts after all were the youths, mainly Syltina and Jin, who had grown up to the point that they were called the Two-Name Holders. ¡°Please take me in as one of you!¡± Around 8 years ago, Syltina pleaded to Ait while bowing down. With a slightly trembling voice, her eyes held a firm determination. She absolutely wished to be strong. Of course, until then there was no precedent of a person having a nationality in The Double Winged Sword. Besides, having a ¡®nationality¡¯ was considered to only be a hindrance to the members. Therefore, a lot of things had to be discussed regarding Syltina¡¯s registration. To begin with, Syltina was the daughter of a Duke family that held the most power next to the Royal family. If she registers with the guild, takes on requests, and, if by any chance, something happens to her, then what next? ¡­¡­¡­¡­It was no stretch of the imagination to think of the consequences. No matter how many times opinions were exchanged, this and that were still a different story even if they were to treat her as a valued guild member like the others. Unable to make a decision, Ait tries to convince Syltina to think twice about her choice, but, she in turn, decides to tell Ait everything one day. It was about what was going to unfold¡­¡­. The future¡­ that one of the Two-Name Holders, the Witch of Foresight, Clarina Hamillee, saw at the time. ¡°If you know what will happen from now on, then won¡¯t you be able to avoid it?¡± Why do we have to obediently accept the ¡®future¡¯ that is coming to us and devise countermeasures for what happens ¡®after¡¯? If you know it, then change it. If you don¡¯t want that ¡®future¡¯, then change it. Isn¡¯t it that simple? However, Syltina merely chuckled and shook her head at Ait¡¯s question. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about people¡¯s feelings,¡± she said. ¡°I intend to devote everything to the future that Kuu-chan ¡ª Clarina, had seen. However, as far as I know, it¡¯s not the strategy that matters, but the feelings about someone. I can only believe in the people involved in that future.¡± It seems that she finds no trouble with creating lots of ¡®allies¡¯ by making use of everything available to her. However, she still cannot do anything about the feelings of the individuals themselves. What¡¯s troublesome is, the person¡¯s feelings, which nothing could be done about, played a major role in the future Clarina had seen. That¡¯s why. ¡°I will eventually lose everything that I have now. No matter how many allies I make, or how much I do everything, I still cannot change how other people feel. If the Other Worlder comes to Rideiran kingdom in a few years and manages to capture other people¡¯s feelings, then, I cannot do anything more. Sooner or later, I will be looked down upon and betrayed by the people I loved, believed, and admired. The only thing I can do is to make sure that I do not lose my life in a worst-case scenario. Nevertheless, I cannot give up early on the present me.¡± No matter what kind of future awaits her, the present cannot be abandoned for that reason. After all, those relations aren¡¯t so shallow that they can be easily thrown away or cut off. No matter how high the chances of betrayal are, Syltina loves and trusts the people around her that she wants to bet that it won¡¯t happen. That those people will also return the same trust and love given to them. ¡°How good it would have been if those could be easily discarded¡­¡­¡± The people, country, dreams, ideals, past, future, and even the present. She was unable to throw everything away. But, for Syltina to be thrown away so easily, the people around her loved, were loved, believed, and were believed too unconditionally. ¡°So, why do you want to be a part of The Double Winged Sword after ¡®that¡¯ happens? This guild isn¡¯t that generous, you know?¡± ¡°I understand that.¡± She laughed at the words intentionally thrown at her. Smiling, she continues. ¡°Still.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sad not to have a place to return to. It¡¯s hard not to have anyone to believe in. I don¡¯t want to have no place to belong. Those are the selfish reasons behind my arbitrary conditions. Nevertheless, I do not want to be alone. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s why if my ¡®future¡¯ unfolds as it is¡­¡­ If it is impossible to avoid that fate, then, I will have to move in advance so that I could have a place to belong to, people to believe in, and a place to return to. And so, I would like that place to be this guild.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re very selfish, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you.¡± A smile unconsciously broke from Ait at the smiling girl¡¯s bold words. ¡°You¡¯re selfish.¡± ¡°I would like you to call me an egoist instead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a compliment, you know?¡± ¡°I am aware of that. However, isn¡¯t it fine? I like egoists because it makes people seem more ¡®human¡¯ after all. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s more human-like for people to actually be more honest rather than behave like a hypocrite who claims that they are doing things for other people¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°Well, it surely is.¡± After all, people are selfish creatures. That¡¯s obvious. In order to survive, it¡¯s imperative that one must think of themselves first rather than think of others. But, she declared it without hiding anything. ¡°I am an egoist,¡± she says. How resolute. ¡°Haha. Yes, that¡¯s good. Very well, I like you! Welcome, Syltina Balratona-san. In the instance that you lose a place to return to, The Double Winged Sword will take you in.¡± ¡°Thank you very much¡±, smiling, she deeply bows. And after 6 years, she became just ¡®Syltina¡¯ and formally became one of them. However, it wasn¡¯t the only thing happening around her. After all, when Jin found out about the future where Syltina was going to be deeply hurt, he didn¡¯t expect that the after would occur without a hitch. After Jin found out about the future that awaited Syltina, he lost no time in formulating the plan that was now being carried out. Although Syltina refused to be a part of executing the plan and spared no cooperation, she gradually made preparations from her side as well. The plan would change the structure of the guild if it succeeded, but, it was applicable only to none other than the people who agreed to it. Before that, there were various approaches from people such as Jin, Syltina, Alhart, and Clarina, which, if lumped together in a word, would all boil down to if it¡¯s for the sake of our precious comrade Syltina¡­ The guild who never belonged to any country. The stateless members who didn¡¯t have any place to belong to. That¡¯s why their only home, The Double Winged Sword Guild¡­¡­ the guild¡¯s members, were above all, precious and irreplaceable. If our comrade wishes for it, then we will lend them our power. If our comrade is hurt, then we will return the wounds more than two-fold. That was the guild, The Double Winged Sword, that ¡®Ait Blurant?¡¯ built. ¡°Well, let¡¯s return to the branch for now. You will be helping Karmina and Elaine in the branch, got it?¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Illusa passed the man who nodded at Ait¡¯s command and disappeared inside the ship, and stood beside the Guild Master. ¡°We finally gathered.¡± ¡°Yes, it took longer than expected, so it would be nice if Jin-san isn¡¯t angry.¡± ¡°Originally, the Master was sent to collect the guild members, so I think there¡¯s no problem there.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then isn¡¯t it complicated? I¡¯m a little sad because I was kind of expecting them not to gather. Maybe I should add ¡®punctuality¡¯ as one of the guild¡¯s new rules.¡± ¡°At this late hour?¡± ¡°Yes, at this late hour.¡± Ait roared with laughter and prayed for the success of the plan that started in earnest as his blond hair blew along the wind. Chapter 25 - Egido Purification (Top This is the worst, Syltina thought. Numerous demons were lined up in front of her. Behind her, was the child whose face crumpled up from crying. This is the worst, Syltina thought again, as she saw no change in her situation any time soon. ¡°Ahhh, this is really the worst¡­¡­¡± The moment she finished grumbling, Syltina kicked the ground. ©`©`©`©`©` ©`©`©` ©` The party was able to see the town of Egido during the time that the sun rose directly above it. The outer walls that surrounded the town, which stretched for several kilometers along the river, had cracks in places and was probably caused by the people trying to collapse the walls as they fled. The outer gate which led to the outside was also destroyed, which made no sense at all. ¡°Uwah, there¡¯s such a big swarm again!¡± They destroyed the demons outside of the town first and stood in front of the former outer gate after they established a barrier around them. Alhart grumbled with a lifeless voice that the number of demons he caught with his eyes alone already surpassed 30. ¡°Neither Sylti or I could use composite magic this time. It¡¯s very troublesome, but, we don¡¯t have any choice, but to steadily exterminate them¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wh¡ªwhy can¡¯t you use it?¡± ¡°The space occupied by a village and a town is almost the same, but the number of structures and the intervals between them are different. Since there are as many buildings as there are towns and the intervals between these buildings are very narrow, even I have to consider some damages if I were to use composite magic.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really mind it too much, but it¡¯s such a pain to be told off by the hysterical Saintess, so I¡¯m really sorry, but it¡¯s going to be troublesome from here on out.¡± Kreutz agrees with Alhart, who laughs, saying that if he escapes to another place, then, he might hit him again this time. ¡°It would be nice if we could say that the demons broke, but the funny thing is, they don¡¯t have any interest in anything, but humans¡­¡­¡± ¡°The¡­then what about Alhart-san¡¯s composite magic?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s even worse for me. I¡¯m not as good as Syltina when it comes to magic control, and I don¡¯t have as much power either, so I¡¯m going to cut down everything that I can see from here and sleep for 5 days after that.¡± ¡°There are a variety of reasons, but I will be going for a straightforward approach this time.¡± ¡°Tyr and I will be doing the extermination from the back of the town, okay?¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Well, then, Syltina released a breath as she saw off Alhart who was headed to the back of the town by passing over the rooftops after equipping wind magic on his feet. ¡°Kuro will be protecting the Saintess. Milliane-sama and I will exterminate the demons together. Saintess, please don¡¯t stray away from Kuro and be obedient.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°U-understood.¡± ¡°Yuto¡¯s here, so I don¡¯t really need you to protect me. Right, Yuto?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Akari. I will protect you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ do whatever you want, but for now, please behave over there. As for Yuto-san, you can do what you want since it¡¯s no problem either if you want to protect the Saintess, but please don¡¯t get in the way.¡± Syltina draws her sword at the lame farce being played out by the demons who noticed Syltina and her companions as they continued to close the distance. A single demon who was cut down as it lunged at them signaled the attack. The monsters who attacked one after the other were met with either magic attacks, or physical attacks that resulted in being punched through and beat up, that by the time they finished, not one demon was left. ¡°Fuu¡­¡­I¡¯m going to look around from inside the town, so Kuro, I¡¯ll be leaving the Saintess to you.¡± ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll patrol the opposite side.¡± ¡°Yes, please. Be very careful.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Syltina and Milliane nodded at each other and headed into opposite directions. At the same time, a tornado, which was believed to be caused by Alhart and Tyrtinkle, appeared from the back of the village. ¡°Good grief, their numbers are uselessly large¡­¡­ I wonder if it has anything to do with the population? Hmmm, there¡¯s not much information about demons after all¡­¡­¡± Syltina complained while cutting down the attacking demons as she ran along the inside of the town. The only thing that is known about ¡®demons¡¯ is that when a country falls into ruin, it will appear in a place where humans dwell, harm humans, and spread miasma. From there, the tainted land turns into a place where no living beings could thrive for decades. Having said that, as long as there are demons ¡®in¡¯ the land, the corruption (of the land) isn¡¯t complete, and living beings could still step foot inside the area with no problem. On the contrary, if there are no demons present in the land, humans who step inside it would immediately die due to the taint. ¡°Even though they¡¯re scattering the miasma, I feel like I¡¯m only suppressing the taint if I hear something like that. Haaah, it would be nice if I could catch even one.¡± Syltina doesn¡¯t forget to cut the demons even as her breathing becomes rough. Syltina shook off the demon¡¯s blood that looked more like black ink from her blade and observed the demon she had recently cut down as it dissolved from the edges, confirming her suspicions. The demons abruptly appear. And, then, disappear just as fast. The living ones seem to appear from thin air. The dead ones seem to disappear from the edges of the body. Even the blood that stained the blade scatters along with the demons. ¡°So, that¡¯s why there are only a few documents.¡± A pillar of light ascended from the direction opposite Syltina. ¡°As expected of Milliane-sama. She¡¯s usually timid, so it surprises me that she¡¯s this aggressive when it comes to combat.¡± Syltina continues to advance while blowing the demons away with her wind blades. ¡°Fuu, so all that¡¯s left is the center of the town no¡ª- ehh!?¡± A small shadow passed Syltina¡¯s peripheral vision as she scouted for a place where she could clearly see the town square. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± If Syltina wasn¡¯t mistaken, that shadow belonged to the boy who Akari took in the previous day. ¡°Why are you here!?¡± When I left Kreuz, he was definitely hiding behind Akari. So why is he here? Or, is he running ahead of us to the back of the town? ¡°Haaa, I don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡­ I¡¯ve already said that I won¡¯t take care of that kid, so in case something happens to him, both of them are just getting what they asked for.¡± Akari who brought the child to such a place even when she claimed that she would protect the child. The child who went alone to such a place even when he knew the danger that awaited him. Both are getting their just desserts. A cry of terror reached Syltina¡¯s ears just as she focused on the demons in front of her as if switching her thoughts. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Ahhhh, geez!! Give me a break!!¡± Syltina annoyedly screamed as she turned towards the direction of the voice. Without forgetting to cut the demons in her way, Syltina confirmed that one of the demons had just peeled off its fangs from the boy who had followed her with all his might. This is the worst, she thought. Each and every single thing. Including the next moves I¡¯m about to make, everything is the worst. ¡°Stop fucking with me!!¡± Expletives unconsciously left Syltina¡¯s lips as she forcibly aimed her strike at the demon who attacked the child and cut it down. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Syltina calmed her irritation by taking deep breaths as she once again thought, This is definitely the worst. Chapter 26 - Egido Purification (Middle) Violet-colored eyes gazed directly at Syltina. The child who Akari had picked up the previous day called himself ¡®Mars¡¯ kept looking at Syltina ever since Akari decided to take care of him. ¡°Did I do something?¡± ¡°Well, won¡¯t you have a bad impression if the first words you hear are ¡®put it back¡¯?¡± ¡°Eh!? Could it be that you¡¯re glaring at me? Do you hate me?¡± ¡°Or more precisely, I¡¯m being cautious.¡± ¡°Cautious¡­ Hey¡­ I don¡¯t like it when you stare like that. Cut it out.¡± A violet color that shines brightly under the sun. Absolutely pure, genuine, honest, and lovely eyes that do not know betrayal, deception, or falsehood. Such a pure heart. ¡°I wonder how he sees the world?¡± ¡°Beats me. We were surely like him at that age, but, I couldn¡¯t even remember how I was before.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ¡®dirty¡¯. But, we do ¡®know¡¯ a lot. We simply had no choice but to change accordingly. ©`©`©` ©` Syltina remembered the exchange she had that morning as she cut the demons down while protecting the child behind her. Beautiful, violet eyes that turned toward me. I hate those eyes so much that I couldn¡¯t stand it. It was something I threw a long time ago. When in fact, I didn¡¯t have to throw it at all. A heart that believed anyone unconditionally, the beauty of grasping an extended hand without doubting anything; I truly had everything back then. I should have been able to live with it. ¡°¡­..It¡¯s a practical joke, after all.¡± Syltina, who laughed to herself, cuts down the last demon and breathes. During the time I was betrayed, I became aware of the scheme behind those outstretched hands. I was aware of it, so I could not stay pure. And so, I chose where I am now. I have no regrets with where I am presently, nor do I have any lingering attachments to my innocent, past self. ¡°I had no intention of helping you, you know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eh!?¡± Syltina frowned as she looked down at the sobbing child. ¡°Although you¡¯re powerless, what did you come here for? Did you think someone would help you? You¡¯re just like the Saintess. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but this world isn¡¯t that indulgent. The weak die if there¡¯s nobody to protect them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Teary, violet eyes looked up at Syltina. Syltina met his gaze and glowered further. ¡°I hate those eyes of yours. I hate those pretty, genuine, untainted, absolutely honest eyes that shine in the light. Just looking at them makes me sick. Whenever I catch you looking at me, I keep wanting to gouge them out.¡± Syltina gritted her teeth audibly. The magic flowing from her body shook Syltina¡¯s hair as her emotions rose. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, stand up!!¡± ¡°!!¡± The child was so startled by Syltina¡¯s command that he hurriedly stood up and wiped his tears with his sleeves. ¡°Even if you understand that you have been thrown away by your family and the light still hasn¡¯t gone from your eyes and if you can believe in someone unconditionally¡ª-¡± Syltina talked rapidly as her emotions got the best of her, but stopped abruptly and took huge deep breaths, and continued in a very gentle voice, ¡°Just live as you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡± That¡¯s right. I get it now. The disgust and hate I felt toward this child was due to a flick of envy; although he knew his family had betrayed him, he did not throw away what I had given up on and discarded. This child did what I couldn¡¯t do. I have no regrets about my present. Nor do I have any lingering attachments to my past self. Those are my genuine feelings. But, I wonder. I wondered. If meeting this child was fate. Perhaps even I could have lived beautifully and honestly like this child. Maybe there was such an option. ¡°But, well¡­the present me wouldn¡¯t have chosen that. Either way, I don¡¯t have any regrets or lingering feelings, really. However¡­hey, that¡¯s why you should just live as you are. Undistorted, undamaged, clean, and honest.¡± Whether your family throws you away or betrays you, whether the world oppresses or steals from you, live honestly, hold on to the light. ¡°If you are betrayed, get hurt. if you are oppressed, cry. If you are being used, get angry. If you are helped, be thankful. If you receive protection, express your gratitude, and if you receive laughter, then laugh back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Before you become betrayed, betray. If you are being oppressed, return it two-fold. If you are being used, then use them in return. Doubt if you are saved. Be vigilant if you are protected. Even if you receive laughter, return nothing. Never make the choices I did. ¡°Now, this is your only chance. What in the world did you come here for anyway?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh¡­ well..¡± ¡°Hmm? Is it your house?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The child, who didn¡¯t expect the sudden change of topic, was momentarily confused, but pointed to a single house up ahead. ¡°There were other kids like me who were left, and everyone was talking about what they should do, but I was the only one who went out of the town to go where my dad went, so the other kids were left behind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Is that so?¡± In other words, other children aside from him were also left behind in order to decrease the mouths to feed. While those other children were discussing what to do next, he was the only one who decided to go after his parents and left the town. That¡¯s why he, being unable to stand the state of the transformed town, approached Akari and Yuto. But surely, those remaining children have already¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Syltina pulled the child¡¯s hand and started walking away. The child, who started walking as if he was being partly dragged, sniffled after walking for about 10 steps, and started sobbing after about 15 steps. But despite that, he never stopped and said that he wanted to see the house that he had pointed to earlier. That was the reality thrust before such a young child. ¡°Cope with reality. Accept reality. And then, choose your own path. Don¡¯t regret it. Don¡¯t look back twice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay!!¡± Syltina gently stroked the head of the child who nodded as he cried. Chapter 27 - Egido Purification (Bottom) Editor: Nikky ¡°Syltina-sama!¡± ¡°Tyr.¡± Tyrtinkle approached Syltina who continued to bring down the demons while pulling the child along. ¡°Almost all of the demons from the back to the center of the town have been destroyed. My lord will join Milliane-sama to exterminate the demons in the Baron¡¯s mansion. I was asked to tell you to return to the Saintess¡¯ side once Syltina-sama is finished with exterminating the demons on her side.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯m almost finished over here as well, so tell those two to be careful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let them know.¡± Syltina crouches in front of the child after seeing Tyrtinkle off. ¡°I¡¯m going to use both hands to save time, so I¡¯ll give you a piggyback ride. Get on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Hold on tight, okay? Here I come!¡± Syltina placed the child¡¯s arms around her neck to prevent the child from falling, and after confirming that he was in place, she started to run. By cutting the demons down with the sword on her right hand and blowing the others with wind magic from her left hand, the demons on either side were destroyed in a matter of minutes. ¡°Whew. Was that all of them? Umm, search.¡± SNAP! Syltina used the sound of her snapping fingers as a signal, and, in the blink of an eye, the wind blew through the whole area. ¡°Uwah!?¡± Unmoving from where they were for a while, the wind that ran through the town returned and blew against Syltina. ¡°Ahaha. Sorry, were you startled? I asked the wind to see if there were any demons left in the town. It seems that everything, except the demons in the Baron¡¯s mansion that Al and Milliane-sama are fighting, has been destroyed. Shall we go back?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Syltina brought the child down from her back and held his hand as they returned to the town¡¯s entrance where they were met with what seemed to be fighting. ¡°Kuro, what happened?¡± ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re back, Sylti. The kid that girl took in yesterday ran into the town. Thanks to that, she kept yelling that she was going to find the child. Yuto was able to pacify her, but for how long¡­¡­. You, that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it was. See, the Saintess was worried about you. Go on now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Syltina sighed as she watched the child run off to where Akari was. ¡°You helped him? What kind of wind blew in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude, Kuro. Even I will help one or two people.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do it unconditionally?¡± ¡°Fufu. Hey, Kuro. To that kid, the world¡­¡­ how do you suppose he sees this Kingdom?¡± He was thrown away and betrayed by his parents, and yet there was someone who picked him up and helped him. In the face of danger, someone appeared and helped him. Even though he wept at the ¡®absurdity¡¯ that befell him and the ¡®reality¡¯ that was thrust into him, he still unconditionally believed in others from the bottom of his heart and chose to take that hand. I wonder how he sees us, this country,¡­ this world? ¡°Surely, that child loves this country. That¡¯s why¡­¡­Yes, that¡¯s why I thought I wanted to see it for myself. What we will be doing from now on. The end of this country. And, after all of this ends, I want to know what kind of answer that child will give me. That¡¯s why I helped him. That¡¯s all.¡± I want to know if he¡¯ll make a completely different choice against a friend¡¯s betrayal, or what kind of choice he¡¯ll make at the time when all the things he held dear to him are stolen away by another person. Will he resent them or will he hate them? Or will he forgive them, after all? ¡°I didn¡¯t just help him. I helped him because I wanted to know something. And, depending on his choice, I could have immediately bid him goodbye.¡± If you bear a grudge, let¡¯s cast it away. If you harbor hate, let¡¯s abandon it. If you forgive¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°What a terrifying person.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± Kreutz smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders at the laughing Syltina. ©`©`©` ©` ¡°Well then, Akari, shall we do it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They were a few minutes behind Syltina. Alhart and Milliane, who successfully annihilated the demons in the Baron¡¯s mansion, returned, and from there, asked Tyrtinkle to make a final confirmation of the demons who might have escaped. All that was left was the purification by Akari. When Akari, who went out to the front with Yuto in tow, started the purification, the surrounding area was wrapped in a faint, glittering light. ¡°Pretty!!¡± And from the light-covered town of Egido, numerous light particles drifted into the sky. The child raised his voice as he watched the light particles disappear into the sky. He squealed with laughter as the particles slipped through his outstretched hands and went up to the sky. Syltina looked fondly at such a child. ¡°Syltina-sama¡± ¡°Tyr, how was it?¡± Her eyes not leaving the child, she asked Tyrtinkle, who shook her head from side to side. ¡°I went to the house Syltina-sama told me about, but the result was just as you imagined. It was a nightmare.¡± ¡°Just as I thought. Thank you, Tyr. Thanks for the trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If it¡¯s just this much, you can ask anytime.¡± After exchanging pleasantries, Tyrtinkle returned to Alhart, and replaced Kreutz who stood beside him. Golden eyes glanced at Syltina once, but looked away without saying anything. ¡°It seems there were other children like him who were left behind,¡± Syltina said calmly. ¡°He seemed to be the only one who decided to leave the town, that¡¯s why he ran off to check if the other children were safe even though he knew it was dangerous.¡± ¡°That so.¡± ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t able to do it¡­¡­ I mean, I didn¡¯t let him.¡± Demons attack people. Nothing but people. It was easy to imagine the end of a powerless person in the middle of a swarm of demons. ¡°It would¡¯ve been fine even if you showed him.¡± Even if that reality was shown to the child, it would not have caused any inconvenience to Syltina. ¡°But, won¡¯t it be pointless if he broke?¡± I want to see it after everything ends. ¡®The child¡¯s choice after¡¯ we have ¡®finished¡¯ everything. If he ¡®breaks¡¯ along the way, won¡¯t it take the fun out of it? ¡°He can accept that if he doesn¡¯t see it directly. He¡¯s the type to accept something and move on after all.¡± There¡¯s no value in helping him if he cannot entertain me. Smiling as she said it, Syltina gazed at the child who happily laughed in front of her. ¡°Have your emotions appeared?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s something like sympathy, then, I can give it. But, aside from that, I will never again harbor anything else towards the people of this kingdom.¡± All my ¡®emotions¡¯ had been trampled on, cut up, messed up, and thrown away by them 2 years ago. I will not pick those up now and neatly piece it together. The present me shall trample on, cut up, crumple up, and set them on fire as a result. I have already used up the ¡®feelings¡¯ I once had to fuel the flame of ¡®hate¡¯. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t harbor anything for the child either. If I were here when I was still the ¡®Duke¡¯s Daughter¡¯, then, I would have unconditionally showered him with charity, poured out ¡®love¡¯, and moved ¡®for the sake of this child¡¯. But, that ¡®Syltina Balratona¡¯ is no more. The most I could do presently is to ¡®sympathise¡¯, and to help only when it¡¯s something I ¡®want to enjoy¡¯. ¡°Sorry you have such a master, Kuro.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I made a contract with you, Sylti.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chuckling, Syltina reached her hand out to the light particles. As the particles slipped through without touching her, Syltina whispered with a smile, ¡°3 more to go.¡± She said it as if she were counting down, and those words only reached Kreutz, who was standing beside her, and disappeared. Chapter 28 -Click, Clack- The sound of shoes echoed in the wide corridor. Walking along the corner of the corridor that surrounded the courtyard, was Jin who was clad in fine clothes that were distinguishable from afar. His white attire, which served as a background that highlighted his navy blue hair and eyes, featured an embroidery of Rulan Kingdom¡¯s crest on his chest. His stride was straight and reliable even as he read through the stack of papers in his hand. Freely using the long compass as he walked, Jin abruptly looked up and fixed his gaze up ahead. The front of the corridor. A group occupied the hallway as if they were preventing Jin from advancing to the direction he was headed to. At the head of the group stood a man, who, like Jin, also wore clothes that had Rulan Kingdom¡¯s crest embroidered on his breast. ¡°What do we have here? It¡¯s unusual for you to be in the palace, my dear younger (step*)brother.¡± ¡°Why, it¡¯s been a long time, (foolish**) elder brother!¡± Jin bowed to the approaching man who was accompanied by an entourage. While his head was bowed, Jin smugly smiled at the man who did not understand the meaning behind his passing words. The man in front of him was called Riol Rulanbaldt. The First Prince of Rulan Kingdom. Although he is Jin¡¯s older brother by name, he had no blood connection to them. While the other prince and princesses shared the same father, as far as Jin was concerned, his relation to the Rulanbaldt Royal Family was no doubt of a complete stranger. ¡°It is said that Royals never roam without companions. I cannot say for certain that the inside of the palace is as safe as it claims to be. Even I don¡¯t know when or where my life could be taken.¡± ¡°So, for example¡­¡± Jin, whose smile did not reach his eyes at Riol¡¯s mockery, directs his gaze to the inner courtyard, ¡°On top of that tree or,¡± Moving his gaze behind his back next, ¡°Are you like one of those people who are aiming for me from the shadows? Or,¡± His gaze returned to the front and reflected Riol, whose face had slightly stiffened. ¡°Is it one of your escorts who are likely to draw their swords, or is it the woman whose atmosphere is clearly not that of a female attendant?¡± ¡°Wha¨C!?¡± Jin¡¯s eyes dangerously sparkle at the heavily trembling Prince. Ahh, so stupid. ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny!?¡± ¡°There is no need for worry, (foolish) elder brother.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°My companions are completely reliable.¡± The loud snap of his fingers reverberated throughout the loud hallway. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°? What are you¡­¡­.¡± Echoing, just like that. Or so it seemed. Nothing changed before and after Jin snapped his fingers. At least, nothing happened in the surrounding areas that were visible. However¡­¡­ ¡°At ease, (foolish) elder brother. The scoundrels who are sneakily aiming for our lives have just been erased from existence.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª¡± ¡°Find their employer and return them to that person.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°There is nothing to be worried about. I shall do my best so that the same thing will never happen again. No matter who hired them.¡± Jin laughed quite enjoyably as Riol¡¯s face visibly reddened in an instant. ¡°L-let¡¯s go!!¡± Stuttering, Riol¡¯s departing words were similar to that of a child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Fuhaha. He¡¯s stupid in all respects. If so, then those accompanying him might be somewhat better. Only after I suggested it were they aware of your presence. What do you think?¡± When asked by Jin, who started walking again after a quick glance at the retreating group, a man appeared soundlessly behind him. ¡°Apparently, if one cannot even honestly fake their own mood, then, they still have a long way to go. In the first place, for someone who did not even notice until Jin-sama pointed it out, then they are, without a doubt, a person of that line.¡± The man, whose expression was indiscernible as the black robe deeply covered his eyes, spoke with a quiet voice. ¡°How harsh. There are probably only a handful of people who are aware of your existence.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, our main trade up to the bitter end is still in the mercenary business. But, those who are professionals cannot even notice it¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m amazed. Even if he spoke in a quiet voice, the dismay wasn¡¯t even felt as much. Jin shrugged his shoulders at such a man and returned to the stack of papers he held in his hand. In the mercenary guild, The Double Winged Sword, the members are divided according to their combat styles. The warriors, who attack mainly with weapons, regardless of the distance. The wizards, who mainly use magic to attack. The commanders, who work around with resources, strategies, and schemes in the rear. And then, there are the assassins, who specialize in intelligence, infiltration, and assassination. When dealing with all the guild members, teams and strategies are based on these 4 main groups with balance and efficiency in mind. As for the group divisions, several people, including the man in the black robe, who are on standby and continue to hide their figures and presence, belong to the group of assassins. ¡°What would you like to do with those people? It¡¯s possible to give them back to their employer as you said, but¡­¡± ¡°Just return one part of what they could recognize. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The robed man nodded once and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Along with that, as soon as one presence disappeared, two more presences were left beside Jin. ¡°A report from Kamina***. The preparations are ready. Also, take this with you. In this battle, we, The Double Winged Sword, have been assigned to respective units.¡± With a thud, they casually presented behind Jin who had a stack of papers in his hand. The report was interpreted by one of the men who soundlessly appeared as the first man did. ¡°You did a good job giving these assignments out.¡± ¡°Of course. It is unlikely that my opinion won¡¯t go through in this country. That¡¯s why I worked for this country for more than 10 years. When I told them that I will lend about half of the members of our Double Winged Sword guild, they were so happy, they jumped for joy. Each group is divided into 4 or 5 people. The members were chosen based on their requests. If even the assignments were requested, then the other party would become suspicious, so I let them do as they pleased. I¡¯ll leave the rest to Kamina.¡± ¡°Roger. Where is Jin-sama assigned to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the guard unit of the headquarters, in the central battalion. I was the only one ordered to be by the King¡¯s side as the Second Prince.¡± ¡°The King¡¯s side, huh? He must be very cautious of you.¡± ¡°Even if he trusts me as the Second Prince, he cannot trust me as a member of The Double Winged Sword. If you were to borrow more than half of the forces, then there is also the urge to take a hostage for unexpected situations.¡± This country is trying to have a battle that it cannot win unless they take in ¡®allies¡¯ that might betray them as ¡®enemies¡¯ anytime. The lush lands of the neighboring country, ¡®Rideiran Kingdom¡¯ and the calm seas that bring many blessings. Surrounded by harbors with ocean currents that are easy to dock in, trade ships from all countries come and go. That country has so much wealth, that I am dying to get my hands on it. On the other hand, half of Rulan Kingdom is mostly covered by deserts, while most of the other lands facing the sea are composed of cliffs. However, even though magic has not developed to an extent in such a small country, the sword skills of the soldiers have considerably advanced instead, especially since the knight¡¯s commander changed 5 years ago. It is said that the Knight commander¡¯s unit, the ¡®Special Task Force¡¯, which is mainly composed of elite soldiers, surpasses the battle power of any other unit. Although such a place is also counted as a small country, the difference in troop strength is clear, and it is considered reckless no matter how much Rulan Kingdom wants to challenge them ¡ª but I want what I want. Now then, what should I do with such good news? The King of Rulan Kingdom said that it was a great opportunity to attack since it was reported that ¡®demons have appeared in Rideiran Kingdom, the country¡¯s security was disturbed, and the country was beginning to collapse¡¯. While it may be true that there is a chance of winning, that country is not so weak. However, before the power which they so desired was the mercenary guild, The Double-Winged Sword, to which the Second Prince of this country belonged. In the first place, it was Jin who brought such news concerning Rideiran Kingdom, and that¡¯s why the King asked Jin to lend him power in order to win the battle. The King¡¯s request was easily accepted, and it was said that he was going to be lent more than half of the forces of The Double Winged Sword. The negotiation was completed by declaring that Jin will be the only one who will be claiming the reward as the guild¡¯s representative after they win the battle, so Rulan Kingdom was able to add 40 individuals who had the ability of more than a thousand men each into their own country¡¯s military strength. But, like all good stories, there is also a hidden side to this one. That¡¯s why the King was wary. Even if they say that they will lend their power, it is well understood that they are a stateless guild and not necessarily allies as a whole. Therefore, Jin, who had joined the Royal Family as the Second Prince, was placed on the King¡¯s side during the battle, so they cannot interfere much. ¡°It¡¯s about time Ait returned, isn¡¯t it? Tell Elaine to move and get the preparations done. Those who will be moving with Rulan Kingdom will be picked up at a later date. It¡¯s about those guys ¡ª although I¡¯m sure that there is no oversight, but make a final check just in case.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Now, I hope this entertains me.¡± It was not clear to whom those words were uttered. -Click, Clack¨C By the time the sound of footsteps disappeared from the wide corridor, Jin¡¯s figure was also no more. Chapter 29 - Guild Operations ¡°Now, now, everyone, please quiet down.¡± This is the branch of The Double Winged Sword that is situated in the Royal Capital of Rulan Kingdom. On the first-floor hall of the said guild, most of the available guild members were now gathered. Standing on the improvised stage in front of the hall, was a beautiful woman with flaxen hair and chestnut-colored eyes called Elaine Hughner, who also goes by the second name, The Smiling Gun Princess. In response, not even one voice was raised. Seemingly satisfied that everyone had quieted down, Elaine nodded and went to the back, while a man rose to the stage. Golden eyes peeked from under the fine, brown hair. The name of the slightly hunched man was Kamina Roulans. This person was also one of the Two-Name Holders, The Ingenious General. ¡°Yesterday, there was a notice from Jin-sama. Five infantry, three cavalries, two militia, two magic specialization units, one central security unit, two supply units¡­ A total of fifteen units. Nine units other than the Central Military Guard, Cavalry, and Supply Units are assigned to me.¡± ¡°The member assignments will be the same as before. As for the commanders of each group, please confirm your roles again until Rulan Kingdom comes to meet us.¡± ¡°Aside from that, be prepared to head out with Elaine. Good luck!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s fine, but just to be sure, I will now confirm the flow of the plan. First, those who will be going to help Rulan Kingdom with Jin-sama, and proceed to Rideiran Kingdom, please raise your hands.¡± Half of the people present raised their hands at Elaine¡¯s instruction. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good. As I said earlier, those who have raised their hands now will join Jin-sama and the army of Rulan Kingdom and fight to capture Rideiran Kingdom. Each of the 9 units will be divided into 4 to 5 members each. I will inform you of your assignments later. Member requests will go here, so after you have been divided into each unit, please prepare for the final stage of the operation according to the instructions of your commanders.¡± ¡°By the way, my team, the 2nd Strike Force. If something happens, report it to me, okay?¡± Those who raised their hands earlier nod to Kamina, who raised his small hand and waved. ¡°As for the remaining people, until the time comes, you and I will be on standby with the Master on the Shield¡¯s Perch ship.¡± ¡°Lady Sylti and the others will let the Saintess finish the purification of the tainted lands. By that time, Rulan Kingdom will have already taken control of Rideiran Kingdom.¡± A young man wearing glasses who possessed rust-colored hair and similarly colored eyes announced that he would be going on the stage after briefly bowing. ¡°Illusa-sama. You arrived late yesterday, so I was wondering if you would be resting today.¡± ¡°Master is still resting, but I¡¯m fine if I can sleep for 3 hours.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now then, shall I give you a progress report of the plan?¡± With a thud, the stack of papers in Illusa¡¯s hand made a loud noise. ¡°Lady Sylti and Alhart have joined up with Yuto-dono, and are now heading to the 3rd purification site. The lands requiring purification are down to 3 places, and, if it goes smoothly, the journey to purify the tainted lands will end in less than 4 months. Their last destination is Manrinia as originally planned. From there, they are scheduled to join up with Miss Clarina and make preparations for the last time.¡± Everyone nodded in unison and listened as Illusa read the contents of the report from the stack of papers on his hand. The papers were dropped to the floor after their contents were read aloud, while a type of magic that produced a small, crackling fire on the side burned the dropped documents. ¡°Next are Miss Clarina and Rain who went to Rideiran Kingdom to prevent the spread of damages caused by the demons. As scheduled, they have gone to Manrinia to finish the demon subjugation first. Miss Clarina¡¯s familiar, Myra-sama, had also erected a barrier that would suppress the progression of the taint and the reappearance of demons. Miss Clarina is also going around other towns and villages to put up barriers, so it is safe to assume that demons will rarely appear except for the tainted lands. Rain is on standby near Manrinia, and is waiting for the allies inside Rideiran Kingdom to assemble.¡± After seeing the last piece of paper burn with a crackle, Illusa surveyed the room. ¡°Everything up to this point is going extremely well¡­¡­ but, what¡¯s important right now is what¡¯s going to happen from now on. Has everyone memorized the plan by heart?¡± A variety of answers to Illusa¡¯s question sprung up from the members. Illusa nodded, once again brought a fresh stack of papers out of nowhere, and started reading. ¡°I will confirm just in case. Miss Elaine has mentioned this earlier, but those who will be working with Jin-sama and Kamina in cooperation with Rulan Kingdom¡¯s army, please work properly with Rulan Kingdom as allies until Rideiran Kingdom is captured. Please standby and wait for Jin-sama¡¯s instructions after gaining control of the Kingdom. When instructed, please immediately disable Rulan Kingdom¡¯s soldiers according to your unit commanders. The rest of you who will go with Miss Elaine, Master, and I, will stay on standby in The Shield¡¯s Perch Headquarter Ship for a while. We will also move as soon as Jin-sama¡¯s instructions are received. First, all 4 members assigned to each unit must head for the dismounted cavalry troops and supply units and take control. I think that the members of those units will be communicating in advance, so be vigilant. Jin-sama will keep the Central Guard unit silent for a while, so please complete the subjugation during that time. All unit commanders have been handed magic circles for Magic Vision, so as soon as each unit completes the capture, please report to Jin-sama immediately. This will serve as a signal to Jin-sama and Lady Syltina to make the finishing touches.¡± With a loud rustle, the stack of papers were thrown carelessly, shredded, and fluttered throughout the hall. ¡°For the remaining group on standby, please control the allies who have joined, along with Manrinia. That said, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal since there are no residents in Manrinia as it is a tainted land.¡± With a snap of his fingers, the fluttering pieces of paper suddenly burned up and disappeared. ¡°Some of our allies will still be in Rideiran Kingdom until the final stage, so please be careful not to accidentally attack them.¡± Just as Illusa was about to conclude his report, a small piece of paper suddenly leaps out in front of him. The paper, which contained drawn geometric patterns, faced image side up and ran parallel to the floor as it floated by Illusa¡¯s feet. _______________________________________ (( )) ¡ª> the double parentheses in Syltina¡¯s dialogue depict her talking to Elaine and the others through Magic Vision. __________________________________ ((Ah, great! It connected properly!)) A life-sized Syltina appeared above the shining pattern and sighed with relief. It was as if the person herself appeared out of nowhere, but Syltina¡¯s background was see-through so it was evident that it was not the real thing. This was called Magic Vision, produced by image transmission magic. ¡°Syltina-sama, what happened to you? You used to write letters up until now.¡± ((Elaine! Long time no see. No, Al completely forgot all about the magic circle used for Magic Vision.)) ¡°That person, really¡­¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been writing letters, right? I was wondering why you couldn¡¯t use Magic Vision. Syltina-sama went there shortly after the previous mission, so I was not able to hand the magic circle over in time and handed it to Alhart-sama instead. Looks like I chose the wrong person, huh?¡± ((Yeah. I heard that the periodic reports were going to be done with Magic Vision, and I thought it was strange, but Al said nothing either, so I wondered if it was only us who sent the reports through letters. I¡¯m glad that Yuto taught me. If I had done it poorly, then, we would¡¯ve been stuck with writing letters until the end. Since, neither Al nor I can draw Magic Circles¡­¡­)) ¡°So you were just confirming if you properly activated the Magic Circle?¡± ((Yes. Additionally, please think of this as a report as well. Ummm¡­tomorrow, we will be arriving at the next destination for the purification. If it finishes without a hitch tomorrow, we will have only 2 places left. Manrinia will go last, so we will be heading to another location, but it¡¯s a bit far¡­¡­from our destination tomorrow to the next area, it will take about close to a month, and from there, it will take 2 months to reach Manrinia. Yeah, well, I¡¯ve written it on my letter as well, but I think we will be finished in 4 months.)) ¡°I see.¡± ((It seems Rulan Kingdom hasn¡¯t informed their citizens about raising an army yet. It looks like the Kingdom has laid out a gag order. Well, I think that the people wouldn¡¯t keep silent if they were invaded by demons and by other countries, but now it¡¯s not a problem that can be managed by diplomacy anymore, and sooner or later they will find out¡­¡­ There is a world of difference between being informed beforehand and being informed after the act, but I wonder if you can understand that? Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter. Anyway, if things go public, we¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t reach the Saintess¡¯ ears. If it¡¯s executed poorly, I don¡¯t really want to deal with strange volunteers and weird demonstrations, you know?)) ¡°Please do. Miss Clarina wants to talk to the Saintess, so I will be troubled if she dies in the middle of it.¡± ((Well, if that¡¯s the case, then Yuto is doing a good job of making the Saintess move. Looks like they¡¯re back. Things are going smoothly from this side though, so I¡¯m leaving that side to you.)) ¡°Understood. Be careful.¡± ((You, too!)) The paper with the magic circle dropped to the floor the same time as Syltina¡¯s image vanished. ¡°Now, everyone, please go ahead and make your preparations. This branch will also be destroyed after we leave, so please don¡¯t forget anything. Commanders from each unit, please remain in the hall.¡± The people gathered at the hall started moving at Elaine¡¯s words. ¡°Well then. It¡¯s showtime.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Illusa and Kamina talked next to Elaine, who gave instructions to the commander who remained. ¡°Do you think this plan of taking over two countries will work?¡± ¡°Can. If not, no meaning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Jin-sama made it, it¡¯s fine. If not, we don¡¯t, get on.¡± ¡°Right? We¡¯re not stupid enough to lend our power to things that aren¡¯t guaranteed to work. That Jin-sama is really serious, and we, who are the Two-Name Holders, are fully cooperating. We¡¯ll make the impossible, possible as they say.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± 3 days after that, a messenger from Rulan Kingdom visited the branch with a message that they would be joining with the Royal Army, and 5 days later, the mercenary guild, The Double Winged Sword¡¯s branch in the Royal Capital of Rulan Kingdom, disappeared without a trace. Chapter 30 - Berserkers’ Gathering I remember it was Alhart who first complained that it was a troublesome ¡®plan¡¯. It was certainly troublesome. Rain thinks he wasn¡¯t the only one who agreed with it. ¡°Why¡¯re we goin¡¯ in such a roundabout way?¡± Rain asked the question while the plan was being prepared steadily behind the scenes, during the time when the members of the Two-Name Holders gathered at the guild branch. ¡°Ah, I thought so too.¡± The one who followed up with a response was Alhart, who lazily leaned with his upper body over the table as if he found the situation truly troublesome. ¡°Why are we going out of our way to lend power to 2 countries? If we¡¯re setting up a war, isn¡¯t it better to just lend our resources to Rulan Kingdom and take Rideiran Kingdom after destroying it? Even the Saintess can be captured during the confusion in the battle. Then, we can just as easily have her purify the tainted lands for us. In the first place, even if we don¡¯t set up a war, we can easily capture 1 or 2 countries if we felt like it.¡± It was an extremely honest opinion. It was a fact, not an overestimation. In capturing 2 countries, their usual way of dealing with it was usually through directly challenging their opponents instead of expressly scheming behind the scenes. However, the plan this time was to operate behind the scenes and to revisit the KO-counter just before the end of it all. If this plan succeeds, the damage to both countries will be great. Especially, Rideiran Kingdom, who will be rattled as they suffer attacks from demons on the inside and from the neighboring countries on the outside, and be shown further hell right after their country is lost¡­¡­ particularly for the Royal Family and those who follow them, it is no exaggeration to say that they would be driven to the edge of despair. The same applies to Rulan Kingdom, who has wanted to acquire their neighboring country for a long time, whose allies will turn their fangs on them after working together. And then, they, The Dipterous Sword, will avenge their scorned comrade, and in addition, obtain their own country. However, if it slips, then it will be just that. ¡°Certainly, I don¡¯t like that Syl-san was hurt either. ¡®M so angry, I wanna kill those guys too. ¡®F ya want revenge, then I¡¯ll lend you a hand. However, it¡¯s a plan that takes such a long time to work on, and people who din¡¯t wanna help will help, but isn¡¯t exacting ¡°revenge¡± against Rideiran Kingdom through the guild and obtaining a new guild ¡°headquarters¡± a lil¡¯ too lacking?¡± Clarina laughed loudly at Rain¡¯s dissatisfied comment. ¡°Ahahahaha!! Certainly. But Rain-kun, think deeper. It¡¯s as Al-kun said. Even if we didn¡¯t go through the effort of doing such a troublesome thing, we can easily carry off 1 or 2 Saintesses in the confusion, destroy both countries, force the Saintess to purify the tainted lands, and from there, build our headquarters anywhere we wish. However, Jin-sama¡¯s plan is to lend a hand to both sides, guiding them to a desired end while scheming behind their backs, finally betraying their expectations at the end, and building our headquarters in a strategic location. I¡¯m sure everyone, including me, thinks that this plan takes such a long time. Rather, I think everyone has thought of it at least once, no?¡± Clarina nods, as she teared up from laughing too much. ¡°But¡­ But!!! Won¡¯t it be boring if we just destroy the people who hurt and mocked Sylti?? In that case, then, it¡¯s better to pile despair with more despair, humiliate them, and show them a living hell that would make them think death would be better! Those people hurt Sylti. Even that isn¡¯t enough. That¡¯s why, even after everything ends, each time we look at the new headquarters, we will remember. The humiliation we received. Complete defeat. Fear of the strong. Hopeless despair. For eternity, until death, as many times as we want. It¡¯s easy to destroy. But that¡¯s not enough. Not enough at all. Our comrade was hurt. They can¡¯t just die easily. They have to live and continue suffering.¡± It was definitely insane. Crazy. Broken. Abnormal. However, even if they understood it with an ¡°ahh, I get it now¡±, it was still strange. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Err, suspected.¡± Rain speaks to the man in front of him. Golden hair and lilac-colored eyes. The man, who shares the same coloring as Syltina, was called Zeld Balratona. ¡°Actually, issit us who are strange? Or issit the world that¡¯s strange? ¡­¡­ Hey, what d¡¯ya think? Syl-san¡¯s ex-oniisama*?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ya look like ya dun¡¯ understand why I¡¯m ¡®ere. Y¡¯okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why,¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why is someone from The Dipterous Sword here!? Also, revenge? For such traitors¡­¡­¡± ¡°Heeh, comin¡¯ from ya? That¡¯s funny. Haven¡¯t ya heard from Galdt-san?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Father¡­ knows about this?¡± ¡°He knows, and yet¡­¡­ Y¡¯really haven¡¯t heard, huh. What¡¯s he doin¡¯, that Galdt-san¡­¡± Thinking how truly troublesome it is, Rain exhaled and looked at the man in front of him. Rain started to grow dark emotions towards the man. ¡°You bein¡¯ here must mean Galdt-san¡¯s already forgiven you and yer brother, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t intend to forgive ya.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°2 years ago, ya betrayed someone ya shouldn¡¯t¡¯ve betrayed. Ya hurt someone ya shouldn¡¯t¡¯ve hurt. Just cuz¡¯ yer dad¡¯s our ally doesn¡¯t make us your allies. Fer us, Galdt-san is an ally, that¡¯s why we¡¯re also Galdt-san¡¯s allies, but don¡¯t ever forget that we¡¯re not your ally.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ahhh, I want to strangle him right away. Such are my feelings for someone who¡¯d betrayed my comrade. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s just how it is. ¡°Well, Galdt-san says it¡¯s about time he sent ya here, so from now on it seems we can use you, too. I¡¯m pretty much here ta explain things to ya.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait, are you maybe telling me to carry your palanquin**?¡± ¡°A palanquin? Impossible! There¡¯s no such thing!!¡± Rain fervently shakes his head as the corners of his mouth lift into a smile. ¡°This isn¡¯t a place for palanquins. You¡­¡­ Galdt Balratona and the previous Duke Balratonas, have been working with us, The Dipterous Sword, for some time now.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The only ones who dunno about it are you and yer brother. Din¡¯t ya find it strange? 2 years ago, why was Galdt-san silently watching as his daughter was charged with a crime that was only based on the Prince¡¯s and the Saintess¡¯ accusations and not enough evidence?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°From that time on¡­¡­ I¡¯d say, but things have already started moving under the surface for quite some time now. And, then, it all surfaced 2 years ago. Ev¡¯rythin¡¯ started speedin¡¯ up with Syl-san¡¯s expulsion from the country. I really din¡¯t notice it. The next prime minister¡¯ll be shocked when he hears it. Well, s¡¯not like you¡¯ll become one anyway.¡± At that point in the conversation, horses¡¯ neighs could be heard from several kilometers away. ¡°Oh, looks like the next guy¡¯s arrived. They¡¯ll give you all the details, so just sit tight o¡¯er there.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! So soon¨C¡± ¡°Rain!!¡± Zeld raises his voice over Rain¡¯s to keep him from ending the conversation. A group of about 10 people riding horses arrived in the vicinity without them even noticing it. At the head of the group was a man riding on top of a white horse who called out to Rain once again in a crisp voice. ¡°Heine-san!! S¡¯been a long time!¡± Rain broke into a smile as the man on horseback approached, and, with light movements, nimbly got off the horse and took off the robe he wore. ¡°Heine Milberia¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Hnn?¡± ¡°Why are you here¡­¡­¡± Zeld¡¯s eyes almost popped out in surprise the moment he saw the familiar silver hair and deep red eyes as the man¡¯s face was revealed from under the robe. Heine Milberia. The Vice Commander of the Knights of Rideiran Kingdom, as well as the Vice Commander of the Special Task Force, which is said to be the strongest unit in the country. ¡°Huh? The Balratona House sent the eldest son and not the current head?¡± ¡°Yeah! But, then, Galdt-san din¡¯t tell ¡®im nothin¡¯! ¡°Heeh. My, my¡­¡­ that person sure does funny things sometimes.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s funny¡­¡­huh? Rather, what ¡®appened to Famiras-san?¡± ¡°Ah, the Captain? If it¡¯s him, well it seems he¡¯s in the middle of having a bit of fun, as always. ¡°What is it this time? ¡°It¡¯s mixing-an-ordinary-soldier-into-the-Special Commando-Unit-and-waiting-for-other-people-to-notice kind of game.¡± ¡°He has such bad taste.¡± ¡°Tell me about it. That¡¯s why the Captain will be staying over there and meeting us at the end¡­¡­ anyway, you were trying to say something earlier, what was it? ¡°Oh, umm¡­¡± Heine, who had been light-heartedly chatting with Rain until then, turned his attention to Zeld who was silent and had a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. Zeld was unable to say anything due to the sudden attention, but opened his mouth after a few seconds. ¡°So, does this mean Heine-sama and Famiras-sama are also their allies? Is that why you suddenly disappeared about a year ago?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little different. The Captain and I were originally members of The Dipterous Sword Guild. We became the Knight Commander and Vice-Captain just for the plan.¡± ¡°Plan?¡± ¡°Ahh, so you don¡¯t know. Do you know the Witch of Foresight?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Her name is Clarina Hamillee. She¡¯s a person who can see the future, you know?¡± ¡°The future¡­¡­? You knew it would become like this, so, you made this plan for that purpose?¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a bit off track. What Clarina-san saw was up to Syltina-san¡¯s expulsion from the country only. If I say now, then, it¡¯s until about 2 years ago. She didn¡¯t see the future after that. But, you see, Clarina-san is so good that when she saw the future of 2 years ago, she used her foresight to predict the events after. She predicted, anticipated, guessed, speculated, and from there, the result became the formulated plan we have today. Well, another person made the plan anyway.¡± ¡°Kura-san was confident. About the near future of the country where the demons will appear due to the taint, and that the Saintess¡¯ help will be necessary. And that she would need strong escorts.¡± ¡°So, we snuck into the country 8 years ago and sold ourselves, and 5 years ago became the Knight Commander and the Vice-Captain. Since then, we have remained to be the top talents in the Kingdom of Rideiran, but the people we¡¯ve raised have now become Rideiran Kingdom¡¯s strongest unit. And that is our purpose.¡± ¡°The two strongest men who lead the strongest troops. Those names¡¯ll be the ones who¡¯ll appear first as the Saintess¡¯ escorts. However, those 2 belong to The Dipterous Sword up to the very end. So, before the matter of the Saintess¡¯ escorts were discussed, we had Famiras-san disappear. And after that, Heine-san also disappeared. In doing so, the chances of the news reaching Syltina-san¡¯s ears¡¯ll be high. Then, because it¡¯s Syl-san, she¡¯ll prolly refuse in front of the King and everyone else, so the Master started movin¡¯ the moment Syl-san went to Rideiran Kingdom.¡± ¡°Well, Syltina-san did say that it was for the sake of letting the people of Rideiran Kingdom experience the fear and desperation of being betrayed by the strongest troops in the country and to use it as a force in the negotiations with Rulan Kingdom. Clarina-san and the others were originally eager to get Syltina-san involved with the plan.¡± ¡°Even so, if Syl-san eventually refused, then that would be unavoidable. Well, if ya look at the succession of events, hadn¡¯t Syl-san also figured it out?¡± ¡°What in the world are you people intending to do¡­¡­?¡± Rain and Heine looked at each other and laughed at Zeld, whose face had reddened a lot. ¡°Didn¡¯t we say it from the start? We¡¯re in the middle of carrying out a troublesome plan. For a long time now.¡± ¡°We only want to return more than a hundred-fold of what was done to our comrade. And, then, we¡¯re just wondering if we¡¯ll be provided with a good location to build our new guild headquarters.¡± ¡°Well, there are various events that accompany it though.¡± Zeld lightly backs away from the two happily laughing men in front of him. ¡°For only one person¡¯s sake, this is¡­¡­ even going as far as a war between two countries¡­¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that why I asked ya? Is it us or the world who¡¯s strange?¡± ¡°That kind of thing is¡­¡± It¡¯s definitely you guys who are strange, muttered Zeld in an inaudible voice. ¡°That-is-why the world is a lot stranger than us.¡± Because for us of The Dipterous Sword, ¡®that¡¯ is ¡®normal¡¯. Notes: *oniisama ¨C I could¡¯ve translated this to ¡°honored brother¡± or ¡°big brother¡±, but Rain is being sarcastic here, so I kept it ** palanquin ¨C it¡¯s a dajare or a kind of Japanese wordplay. On the original, Rain said ¡°¼ÄÔ½¤·¡± (¡°yokoshi¡±, which means to pass on or to send), but Zeld probably heard ¡°ÓùÝ›¡± (¡°mikoshi¡±, which is a festival palanquin), so he misinterpreted it and said the phrase ¡°Æ¬°ô¤òµ£¤²¡± (¡°katabou wo katsuge¡±, or to carry a palanquin). Btw, ¡°Æ¬°ô¡± (¡°katabou¡±) also means ¡°partner¡±, or ¡°accomplice¡± Names: I decided to keep and change some names from the previous translator¡¯s version (ch.7). Gared ¨C> Galdt Zeld ¨C same Chapter 31 - Zeld Balratonas Decision ¡°You knew about this?¡± At the corner of the camp, Zeld asked the private soldier of the Duke Balratona Household who had come all the way to Manrinia with them, in an incredulous voice. ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± The Next Family Head was speechless at the awkward affirmation and returned a heavy sigh. ¡°Since when has my father associated with them¡­¡­?¡± ¡°It seems it¡¯s been from about 10 years ago.¡± The one who answered was the hired Private Commander who came along. ¡°10 years ago¡­¡­ It was the year that the Second Prince of Rulan Kingdom and the Daughter and the Son of a Noble Family went on an exchange with other countries, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. It seems that the Second Prince was actually a member of The Dipterous Sword.¡± ¡°Huh? That child was? No, wait. Before that, he was a Prince and Noble¡¯s child, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Apparently, all, but the Second Prince lied about their social status. Also, it seems that some children of the same age belong to the stateless guild, The Dipterous Sword, and that there are no age limits in entering the guild.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­so, the Second Prince is really a Guild Member?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct. Well, we don¡¯t know the circumstances surrounding it either. However, I am certain that our relationship with The Dipterous Sword was established 10 years ago.¡± ¡°Then, from that time on, Syl often went to Rulan Kingdom¡­¡­¡± ¡°It was probably to deepen relations with The Dipterous Sword.¡± ¡°Since when have you known?¡± ¡°8 years ago, since Heine-sama and Famiras-sama came to visit when they entered the country.¡± ¡°So, the only ones who didn¡¯t know were Tedla and I¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think the servants didn¡¯t know either. Some of them have connections with other aristocrats and royal families, and soon after, Rulan Kingdom declared war, all of the servants were fired. Only the Heinhildt family who have served the Balratona Duke Household for generations have been informed.¡± ¡°Heinhildt family¡­¡­so Eugene knew as well?¡± The Heinhildt family has been serving the Balratona Duke Household for generations. The current Head, Galdt¡¯s butler is the head of the Heinhildt Family, while the wife is the head maid, and the oldest son, Eugene, was Syltina¡¯s attendant, but, after she was exiled, he became Zeld¡¯s attendant instead. If the Heinhildt family was informed, then naturally, Eugene would have also been informed, but that Eugene never said anything to me. The man dispels the suspicion that Zeld, who muttered staggeringly, held about his own attendant about keeping secrets from him. ¡°I wonder if Eugene-sama was not informed. We have also been told to not say anything and to keep our mouths shut around Your Grace, Tedla-sama, and Eugene.¡± ¡°Why¡­¡­¡± ¡°I mean, didn¡¯t you betray Syltina-san?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zeld¡¯s breath hitched as that brief comment was uttered naturally. ¡°It¡¯s as the Witch of Foresight said. That Zeld-sama and Tedla-sama, and even Eugene-sama will betray Syltina-sama in the future. That¡¯s why it was better to keep mum about our cooperation with The Dipterous Sword. If I think about it now, it would have been 2 years ago. And, then, you really betrayed Syltina-sama.¡± The voice of the man, who had been softly recounting the events up to that point, suddenly turned cold and dropped the temperature by a couple of degrees. ¡°That person, why in the¡­¡­ since when have you been cooperating with them? This is treason to the country, you know?¡± ¡°The country, huh¡­¡­ we serve the Duke Balratona Household. If our Master is betrayed, then, we will betray even the Royal Family.¡± ¡°Why would you go that far¡­¡­¡± ¡°We owe a debt to Galdt-sama and Syltina-sama. Even if we lay our whole lives for them, we still cannot repay our debt.¡± ¡°Debt?¡± ¡°Each and every one of us was picked up by Galdt-sama and Syltina-sama.¡± ¡°Picked up?¡± ¡°The old people were picked by Galdt-sama. The young men and I were gathered by Syltina-sama. There are various reasons behind it, but I received a life. In the first place, the members of the previous Duke Balratona Household¡¯s private soldiers consisted of men like us who were picked up as well. I think those kinds of people tend to place more faith in their Masters.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of such a thing¡­¡­¡± ¡°I guess. It¡¯s not like Syltina-sama was taught by Galdt-sama either, but, she seemed to have thought of it on her own. That¡¯s why the soldiers who Syltina-sama have originally gathered are Syltina-sama¡¯s private soldiers. But now, we are working as Duke Balratona House¡¯s private soldiers as Syltina-sama ordered us to become Private Soldiers of the Duke Balratona Household prior to her exile 2 years ago.¡± That¡¯s why the nation didn¡¯t matter. Smiling, the man added, if our Master is safe, then that is all we need. ¡°Zeld-sama, your decision, please. We have permission from Galdt-sama and Syltina-sama to act accordingly depending on your choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please give me your firm decision.¡± It was said in a way that was implied. ¡°Will you betray the country, or will you die here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I will yield to Father and Syl.¡± It was at this time that Zeld understood. This country had crossed the people that they definitely should not have made enemies of. ¡°Excellent choice.¡± The mood of the smiling man was very similar to the man who said earlier that he did not intend to forgive them. Chapter 32 - Fiminan Day One ¡°Amazing! It¡¯s very lively, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Uwaaaa¡ª¨Chhhh!!¡± Standing in front of the main street, Mars, whose eyes were shining, and Akari, excitedly cried out at the sight of the lively crowd. The stalls lining up the streets were constantly calling out to customers, while the people passing by were full of smiles. ¡°Following the Royal Capital and Manrinia, Fiminan is the largest city in the Kingdom of Rideiran.¡± ¡°Counting the previous purification, there are only 2 places left of the tainted lands. First, we will go to a village called Fuyune, which is located in the southernmost part of the continent, and after purifying it, we will be heading to the harbor town Manrinia last. Fuyune and Manrinia are separated by a huge distance, and there are only small villages along the way, so we will be doing the final procurement of goods here in Fiminan. We will also change the horses pulling the carriage, so we will be staying here until the day after tomorrow in consideration of the time it takes to procure supplies.¡± ¡°Heeey, Yuto, look!! This is so cute!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It looks good on Akari.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Syltina stared daggers at the free-spirited Akari, who ignored Tedla and Syltina¡¯s explanations. ¡°Ahh, bear with it, Sylti.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°If you know, then, let¡¯s leave the sword alone, hmm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Alhart used a convincing smile as he tried to persuade Syltina, but it took her 5 minutes to let go of the sword. ¡°For the time being, you can act at your own discretion, but please make sure that Al, Kuro, or I must always be by the Saintess¡¯ side before she goes exploring.¡± ¡°Why? Won¡¯t it be fine with just Yuto?¡± ¡°We are your escorts. Even if Yuto-san is around, it doesn¡¯t mean we can just leave your side¡­¡­. Oh, whatever. Don¡¯t mind it, we¡¯ll just follow after you.¡± Syltina, who gave up trying to explain politely, sighed and said, haphazardly. ¡°Then, today I¡¯ll be the one tailing the Saintess, so I¡¯ll count on Sylti to take care of the horses and the lodging.¡± ¡°Okay. Kuro, go along with the Saintess, too.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Quickly deciding everyone¡¯s tasks, Syltina sat on the driver¡¯s seat of the horse-drawn carriage. ¡°Ah, umm, is it alright if I go together with Syltina-sama?¡± ¡°By all means. Then, let¡¯s meet around here at noon.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± By dividing them in such a way, all the members were able to spend the time as they pleased. ©`©`©` ©` ¡°¡­¡­Hey!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey!! You there!! Alhart Roulans!!¡± ¡°Ah, Prince-sama, were you calling me? Did you need anything?¡± ¡°How many times do you think I¡¯ve been calling you!? Are your ears only for show!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean, Prince-sama. My name isn¡¯t ¡®hey¡¯, you know? If you¡¯re going to call me, call my name as you did earlier.¡± ¡°This b¡ª!!!¡± Glancing at Frackt, who angrily held a fist in front of him, Alhart shrugged and started walking again. ¡°Wait!! I¡¯m not done talking yet!!¡± ¡°Ehhh, what a pain! I¡¯ll give you a moment, then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you aiming for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Heeeh?¡± Alhart stopped and turned to look back at Frackt whose voice had dropped menacingly, as he asked. ¡°Why are you asking such a thing, Prince-sama?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I just remembered. When you took on the quest, you didn¡¯t discuss the reward with Father. Why is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Once you start thinking straight, you become quite reliable, after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dodge the question!!¡± Alhart acts unnaturally surprised as Frackt closes the distance between them. ¡°You¡¯re both strange monsters!! What the hell are you planning!?¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡­ monsters, huh.¡± Narrowing his eyes at Frackt¡¯s accusation, Alhart smiles and leans forward. ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡± Their noses almost touching, Alhart looks Frackt straight in the eyes, and smiles as he says, ¡°It¡¯s foolish to try to intimidate this monster with those words, Prince-sama. It¡¯s like you¡¯re asking me to eliminate you right here and now.¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t imagine it? It¡¯s better not to know than foolishly sticking your nose into other people¡¯s business and losing your life over it.¡± ¡°I am this country¡¯s Prince, you know¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also said this before, but that doesn¡¯t matter to me. If you get in the way, then, you¡¯re out.¡± ¡°If¡­ if I disappear, you think Akari would still be able to do the purification!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Yuto-kun there? The Saintess is currently devoted to that guy.¡± ¡°You think Father would¡­¡­ You think the King would stay quiet about this!?!¡± ¡°By the time everything ends, he¡¯d have no choice, but to shut up.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Just kidding!!¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Frackt dumbly raises his voice at Alhart, whose serious tone and expression until now completely changes into a silly one. ¡°I was just kidding, Prince-sama. The request that came to us this time isn¡¯t from anyone in this country. After safely completing the purification journey, we will be receiving a large reward from them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not from this country¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, I really can¡¯t get into details, but we¡¯re supposed to escort the Saintess properly until the purification ends and after that, we won¡¯t even press for being unfairly rewarded. Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, the part about us having no obligation to protect you and the others is true, so make sure you don¡¯t die until then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just think about it, Prince-sama. The Dipterous Sword is just a guild. We don¡¯t have the power to take on a country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Oh look, the Saintess and the others are already getting far from us. Keep walking!¡± Alhart pats Frackt¡¯s back and pushes him to walk. ¡°Was it okay?¡± ¡°Whaaaaaaat is?¡± Tyrtinkle, who took on the form of a hawk, asks as she sits next to Alhart, who watched as Frackt caught up with Akari, Yuto, and Mars, who were walking ahead. ¡°Won¡¯t that person be suspicious with that level of deception?¡± ¡°Well, unless the prince is an idiot, who doesn¡¯t know anything about how the world works, and doesn¡¯t think, then I¡¯ll definitely be suspicious.¡± ¡°Then, why?¡± ¡°What do you suppose the Prince can do if he suspects us of planning something? Loudly condemn us? Or stop us by brute force?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible either way. What proof does he have to accuse us? To begin with, he was the one who confirmed with me that he didn¡¯t have any proof, so, too bad. My performance might¡¯ve been poor, but he was still deceived. Although he was clearly suspicious, the reasons behind those suspicions are vague. I was able to solve it by telling him ¡®the request didn¡¯t come from someone inside the country¡¯. If that¡¯s the case, then blaming us is unnecessary. Then, would he use brute force? He definitely can¡¯t. Didn¡¯t he agree when I said we were ¡®just a guild¡¯? He doesn¡¯t know how much power we have, or how much influence we have in the world. It¡¯s not us who¡¯d be pushed around by that dud.¡± Suddenly narrowing his eyes, Alhart continues. ¡°No matter how many obstacles come our way at this time, the plan has already come to a point where it can¡¯t be stopped. It¡¯s already too late by the time the people of this country realize that we¡¯re planning something. The Prince should have felt something was off when we took on the request.¡± If they weren¡¯t able to do that much, then, from that time on, they would¡¯ve already run out of ways to save this country, Alhart smiled. ¡°Well, no matter how it plays out, this country is far from saving anyway.¡± The Dipterous Sword already set their eyes on them. There is no way to be saved. ¡°The things that have been moving behind the scenes are gradually coming to the surface. By the time it¡¯s out, only then will the people notice. The timing would be too late since we would¡¯ve placed them in the worst possible condition already.¡± ¡°Seems exciting, doesn¡¯t it, master?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s exciting. Look closely, Tyr. It¡¯s in this current country that human desires and aspirations have been gathered together to become fertilizer. It¡¯s a downfall created by their own negligence and error. They are undoubtedly paying for their mistakes and getting their just deserts. It¡¯s so ridiculous that you can only laugh.¡± Alhart laughed, his amber-colored eyes reflecting how much he is enjoying. ¡°For us, humans are ridiculous and funny at all times.¡± ¡°Ah, well, from the Mazoku¡¯s* standpoint, then us humans might actually seem that way to you.¡± From the wryly grinning Alhart¡¯s line of sight was Akari who seemed to be arguing with a man. ¡°Ahh, the Saintess sure didn¡¯t lose time in doing something again¡­¡­¡± Alhart covered his eyes with one hand and looked at the heavens as he heard the angry screaming voices. Dejectedly sighing, he heads to Akari¡¯s location. ¡°Humans are ridiculous and funny, and yet we love them no matter what.¡± Tyrtinkle whispered, her words never reaching anyone as they were carried away by the wind and disappeared into the sky. Notes: *Mazoku ¨C literally ¡°Demon race¡±, but I¡¯m keeping the Japanese name so they won¡¯t be confused with the demons (¡°mamono¡±) that Syltina and the others are killing. Chapter 33 - The Man in Military Shoes Syltina and Milliane, who had split up with Alhart and the others, came to a place that was a bit farther away from the middle of the town to exchange horses. ¡°Good day, we would like to have the horses exchanged.¡± A grumpy-faced man came out of the door Syltina was knocking on. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy now, so do it yourselves.¡± And so, the man showed her to the back of the hut. ¡°The stable is at the back. Head towards the stable at the right and connect the horses you brought. Then, select as many horses from the front like the ones you brought and call me again. Got it? Don¡¯t go near the stable on the left. Don¡¯t even think of just running away with the horses. Because if you do that, those guys will sink their fangs into your beautiful skin.¡± Several dogs resting not far away barked in response to the man¡¯s warning. ¡°Understood.¡± The man withdrew into the hut sooner than the nodding Syltina could turn away. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of customer service too irresponsible?¡± Syltina, who lightly cursed outside the closed-door returned to Milliane who was waiting inside the carriage. ¡°Is¡­Is everything alright?¡± Milliane, who let out a sigh of relief at Syltina¡¯s return, asked worriedly. ¡°He said he was busy so he told us to do it by ourselves.¡± ¡°Is it really okay to do so freely?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because he expressly gave us permission to do so. Apparently he¡¯s busy entertaining his guest who is a Knight.¡± ¡°A Knight was there?¡± ¡°When the man opened the door, I could see feet clad in Military shoes exclusively provided to the Kingdom¡¯s Knights.¡± ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s Knights¡­¡­ I wonder which unit they are from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know up to that point, but¡­¡­ Oh, right!¡± ¡°Eh? Syltina-sama?¡± Syltina notices something and heads to the back of the hut. Milliane followed suit. ¡°They¡¯re here, after all.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ what about our horses?¡± Syltina went to the stable on the left. Looking at the harnesses equipped on the horses, she smiled. ¡°Those horses are military horses. The Knight inside definitely rode it here¡­¡­ This way, we¡¯ll know which unit that Knight belongs to.¡± Syltina pointed at the saddle on the horse¡¯s back. ¡°Did you know that each of the units of the Kingdom¡¯s Knights have their own emblem?¡± ¡°Ye-yes.¡± ¡°A shield decorated with two chamomiles at the front and a sword. That emblem is used by the Special Commando Unit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Famiras-sama¡¯s unit, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re acquainted?¡± ¡°Somewhat. He was very friendly and kind. I wonder why he disappeared?¡± ¡°Why, isn¡¯t it Fara you¡¯re describing?¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I was made to protect such a troublesome brat.¡± A voice not belonging to Milliane responded to the question Syltina posed. A huge man appeared behind Syltina. Unruly hair that seemed like it had not been combed for a long time was carelessly tied in a clump at the back, while two-thirds of his face was covered with a beard. In between the gap of facial hair, peeked brown, drooping eyes. If one word could be used to describe him, it would be a bear. However, the man wore a uniform issued to the Knights of the Kingdom, and on the chest part of his clothes was the same emblem as the coat of arms on the horse¡¯s harness. In other words, the bear-like man was a Knight of the Kingdom under the Special Commando Unit. And, to say at the least, it seemed that Milliane, and of course, Syltina, knew who the man was. ¡°Are you¡­ Famiras-sama?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time, little miss.¡± The man named Famiras Carranzado responded with a smile, probably, towards Milliane¡¯s inquiry. The Special Commando Unit¡¯s Captain was this person. ¡°Lady Syltina, too.¡± ¡°It really has been quite a long time, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Eh, but to call him Fara¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s Famiras¡¯ nickname. By the way, Fara, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re supposed to be joining up with Kuu-chan and the others, so what are you doing at this kind of place?¡± ¡°I had Heine go to Clarina¡¯s side first. I¡¯m in the middle of a little game.¡± ¡°Game¡­¡­It couldn¡¯t be the mixing-a-normal-soldier-and-waiting-for-them-to-notice-when-he-got-in kind of silly game again, is it? That¡¯s why you look like that¡­ or it¡¯s not a surprise anymore, is it?¡± ¡°Ooo, as expected!! Such insight!¡± Laughing heartily, Famiras patted Syltina¡¯s head as she glared at him with reproachful eyes that carried no heat. Milliane, who was observing the interaction for a while, called out to them. ¡°Uh¡­ umm¡­ are the two of you close?¡± ¡°Yes! Lady Sylti, you haven¡¯t told her yet?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I kind of forgot.¡± ¡°¡­..?¡± ¡°Ah, you see, Milliane-sama, he¡¯s also one of us. He was originally a member of The Dipterous Sword, who became a knight of this country to carry out the plan.¡± ¡°So in other words, all the other members of the Special Commando Unit are, too?¡± ¡°Fara and Vice-Captain Heine are the only ones who belong to The Dipterous Sword Guild. Well, the other people don¡¯t belong to us, but they are cooperating with the plan.¡± ¡°Well, it was originally for that purpose that we gathered and trained them anyway.¡± ¡°Those people could be trusted. Fara and Heine trained them, so their skill is guaranteed.¡± ¡°So, you also have allies inside the Kingdom.¡± ¡°There are still others, you know. Whether we can meet them is¡­¡­ So, what did Fara come here for anyway?¡± Swatting away the hand that was still messing with her hair, Syltina asks Famiras who seemed to be looking out for something. Noticing the behavior, Syltina clarifies. ¡°If it¡¯s the Saintess, then, she¡¯s out exploring in a different place. The only ones who came here are Milliane and I. I¡¯ve already talked to Milliane about the plan, so it¡¯s alright to be at ease.¡± ¡°What the¡­you should¡¯ve said so from the start. I was being vigilant for nothing!¡± Famiras, who sighs in relief and relaxes his shoulders, pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°This is the order the King gave the Special Commando Unit.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­ Pffft¡­¡­ Ahaha! Hahahahaha!! His¡­ His Majesty is strictly ordering the Special Commando Unit to procure supplies!! Ahahaha!!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t laugh. Supply procurement is also important in a battle, you know?¡± ¡°I know where you¡¯re coming from. But, asking the Special Commando Unit to procure supplies? Can you seriously answer this without laughing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I could do about it. The nation¡¯s top brass are getting desperate. I told the King that the guys in the Special Commando Unit would only obey mine or Heine¡¯s orders. On the condition that he agrees to that, then the Special Commando Unit will go no matter how dangerous or unfavorable the battlefield is, that¡¯s why I came today. Because now, at this time, it is the worst condition the country has ever been in. The top brass somehow wants us to join in the battle against Rulan Kingdom, but the guy they¡¯re asking doesn¡¯t even have a lick of loyalty to the country despite having enough power as the Captain of the Special Command Forces. So, rather than an order, this is actually a request¡­¡­ the reality is that His Majesty was able to persuade me and put the supply procurement in my hands.¡± ¡°I wish they, along with the King, could realize their own incompetence in not being able to be the ones to raise the strongest troops in the country. I wonder how they intend to win without the help of the Special Command Troops?¡± ¡°Beats me. Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re going to offer up the Saintess as a last resort though?¡± ¡°Fufu. If that happens, then I¡¯m looking forward to the Saintess¡¯ reaction, but unfortunately for them, we will be intervening before that happens.¡± ¡°I suppose. You aren¡¯t in contact with the King, right? Shall I give you some information about their movement?¡± ¡°Yes, but I was told that there will be no contact until the Purification Journey is complete since it¡¯s too troublesome for them to intervene. But, it¡¯s fine. Tyr is around, so collecting information using the wind is a breeze.¡± Up to that point in the conversation, Syltina hears a voice calling her from outside the stables. ¡°Syltina-sama!¡± ¡°Oh my, Tyr, what happened?¡± ¡°Please come at once! The Saintess has¡­!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Is she causing problems again?¡± ¡°Yes. And that extraordinary fellow, too.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Famiras once again pats Syltina on the head as she drops her shoulders, dejectedly. This time, Syltina, who was reluctant to accept it, took a deep breath and fired herself up. ¡°Okay! Well then, I¡¯m sorry Milliane-sama, but please have the horses exchanged as we originally intended. Please change everyone except for Karen. Fara, forgive me, but please choose good horses for Milliane-sama. Also, it would be helpful if you could negotiate with the owner on her behalf. Milliane-sama probably can¡¯t talk directly to him after all.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes!¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Milliane-sama¡­¡­ Right, after you get the horses exchanged, please wait by the public square we passed on the way here. I will pick you up from there. After that, let¡¯s look for the lodgings together, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ah, hey, Lady Sylti!!¡± Famiras calls after and grabs Syltina¡¯s arm as she starts to leave. ¡°How much do you know?¡± Despite the brief moment, Syltina was able to properly understand the meaning behind the question and answered. ¡°The Royal Government does not intend to let anyone know about this battle, and the fact that they are sending in a platoon to keep the citizens from noticing, is information directly from the Rideiran Kingdom. I also heard from The Dipterous Sword Guild that Rulan Kingdom intends to make a large detour around Manrinia, one of the tainted lands, and begin the invasion from Rideiran Kingdom¡¯s second largest port town, Rakayan.¡± ¡°Alright. Well then, this is the latest information. The Kingdom also thinks that the Rulan Kingdom will attack Rakayan first and make their base there. That¡¯s why the country¡¯s soldiers are now moving towards Rakayan. It seems they¡¯re intending to keep this a secret from the citizens for a bit longer, but they¡¯re not stupid. They¡¯re bound to gradually notice it. It¡¯s still fine for now, but by the time they actually find out, the Saintess¡¯ name will surely come up as a refuge when the situation becomes desperate.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why after this, we¡¯ll try to avoid Manrinia as much as possible. Although, the problem is, how could I get the Saintess to believe that the roads leading there are definitely bad!? Well, Yuto¡¯s there anyway, so I¡¯m thinking that maybe I can get him to deceive her again.¡± ¡°I see. If you¡¯re properly thinking about it, then it¡¯s fine. Sorry for keeping you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Well then, Fara, take care. Till we meet again!¡± ¡°Yeah, same to you, Lady Sylti. May luck be on your side, as they say.¡± ¡°Yes, I wish the same to you.¡± Without a hitch, Syltina rushed after Tyrtinkle as soon as Famiras released his hold on her. Author: ¡°The Magnificent Battle Records of a Former Noble Lady¡± will be published in a book!! For details, please see the Activity Report. Notes : ‹Ý¤Á¤ã¤ó* (jouchan) ¨C little miss/ missy Chapter 34 - Hope Theory ¡°And? What has the Saintess done this time?¡± ¡°She declared that she was the Saintess out loud.¡± ¡°Haaaah!?¡± The surrounding people aim strange looks at Syltina as she unconsciously stops, and lets out a surprised cry. ¡°Syltina-sama, please hurry!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, sorry.¡± Syltina, who was urged by Tyrtinkle to hurry, started running again as she shook her head at the slight dizziness she felt because Akari¡¯s antics had caught her off guard once more. ¡°What kind of situation is it?¡± Deciding that it was necessary to grasp the current situation at the moment, Syltina asks Tyrtinkle who then sighs while wearing an embarrassed expression. ¡°We were quite far when it happened so I don¡¯t know the details, but the Saintess was arguing with a man, and when she noticed the master coming over to arbitrate between them, she revealed her identity in a loud voice.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the place where she revealed herself was in the middle of a busy street, so she was immediately surrounded by many people and it was impossible to move.¡± ¡°And, so, Tyr came to get me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°By the way, the townspeople also quite easily believed her. Don¡¯t people normally doubt even for a bit?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s¡­ at first there were definitely a lot of people who looked disbelievingly at her after she revealed that she was the Saintess. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he couldn¡¯t forgive that they were looking at the Saintess with such eyes, but the Prince immediately identified himself as one of the Royal family and raised the sword with the coat of arms¡­¡­¡± ¡°That blockhead prince, I wonder if he could die just once¡­¡­ Really now, I didn¡¯t go through all that trouble trying to hide their identities just for it to come to this. In the first place, wasn¡¯t there somebody with her nearby? What about Kuro and Yuto?¡± ¡°Kreutz took on the form of a raven and was sitting on top of a tree. Yuto was nearby, but pretended to be a bystander¡­¡­¡± ¡°A bystander¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. The master scolded him, but he merely said, ¡®this is fine¡¯.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. So, that¡¯s how it was¡­¡­¡± ¡°Syltina-sama?¡± Syltina realized something about Tyrtinkle¡¯s story and burst into laughter. ¡°Yesss, well, it seems like collecting them will be difficult in this situation, but certainly, it¡¯s just as Yuto said, ¡®this is fine,¡¯ Tyr.¡± ¡°Haa¡­?¡± ¡°Fufu. You¡¯ll understand later. For now, let¡¯s hurry.¡± And so, Syltina hurriedly went by speeding up, but by the time they arrived at the scene, the place was in a state that was overflowing with people, and at the center of it were Akari and Yuto, while Alhart and the others were nowhere in sight. ¡°Whoah¡­¡­¡± ¡°You finally came, huh.¡± Kreutz landed in front of Syltina, who exasperatedly called out as she was swept into the crowd of people. ¡°Kuro. Where are the culprits?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the middle of that.¡± ¡°Just as I thought¡­¡­¡± Changing from crow to human form, Kreutz pointed to the crowd with his eyes. Now then, what shall I do? Shoulders slumped, a disappointed Syltina considers what to do next. ¡°Hmmm¡­ a way to extract those people quickly, huh¡­¡­ ah!¡± ¡°Have you thought of something?¡± ¡°Kuro, Tyr, lend me your ears for a bit.¡± The two approached Syltina who beckoned with her hand to come closer, and the contents of what they heard produced two different emotions in their responses. ¡°As expected, Syltina-sama!¡± Impressed, Tyrtinkle exclaimed. Conversely, Kreutz replied, ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s not like it can¡¯t be done, but¡­¡­¡± Kreutz, for some reason, sighed as if he were truly tired. ¡°If you can do it, then don¡¯t hold back. I¡¯ll be in your care, Kuro.¡± Sighing, Kreutz said, ¡°As you wish, my liege*.¡± Syltina laughed, as Kreutz exaggeratedly bowed and proceeded to disappear into an alley. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tyr. Shout as loud as you can.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± After taking a huge breath, as soon as they were out of Syltina¡¯s sight, Kreutz, who called out to Tyrtinkle, turned into a being completely different from a human in a flash. Confirming that Kreutz had indeed changed form, Tyrtinkle took in a huge gulp of air and simultaneously yelled as she exhaled. ¡°Eeeek!!! Demon!!! ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Demon?¡± After a few beats of silence, all eyes turned to Tyrtinkle, who was the source of the shriek, and behind her was the strange form associated with the black mist. The moment they saw him, panic ensued. ¡°Now, this is how you raise hell.¡± Tyrtinkle watched from above as the humans scrambled to escape while pushing each other. Moving her line of sight to the humans at the center, she murmured, ¡°Oh my, look at how the Saintess and the Prince are like the kid and making stupid faces!¡± Tyrtinkle giggled mischievously at the sight before her, as Akari and Frackt stupidly blinked and gaped like fish just like Mars, who could not grasp the situation. Meanwhile the other three, Tedla, Yuto, and Alhart, reacted to the word demon and held onto their weapons while being vigilant of their surroundings. Immediately after, a deeply hooded figure rushed out of an alley closest to the 6 of them, quickly headed to Akari and Frackt, and ran away once more while pulling them from behind. ¡°Eh, wai¨C Whaaaa!? ¡°Who the hell are you!? Unhand me!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was Alhart who quickly understood who the stranger was and ignored the 2 who had shouted after them. So, that¡¯s how it is, Alhart exclaimed, and, at the next moment, similarly took Mars¡¯ hand and ran, while Yuto, who also made the realization, also took Tedla¡¯s arm, and followed suit. ¡°Mission success, I say.¡± Tyrtinkle, who watched everything unfold from the sky, descended to the roaring monster, flew around it in a circle, and after a few seconds, both figures were gone without a trace. ©`©`©`©`©` ©`©`©` ©` ¡°And¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± After running for a while, they arrived at a small square, a little farther away from the center of the town. The person who was pulling Akari and Frackt¡¯s hands finally stopped, and the two who started to breathe deeply also stopped. And then, the question that was thrown earlier was raised again. ¡°Are you satisfied now that you revealed yourself in such a manner?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wh-what?¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡­ you, who the hell are you!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised. You still don¡¯t know who I am?¡± The hooded figure shrugged nonchalantly at Frackt¡¯s question and removed the cloak, revealing a seemingly displeased Syltina whose eyebrows were drawn together. ¡°The Prince-sama and the Saintess sure are dense. We realized right away, you know?¡±, said Alhart, who carried Mars under his arm. Following him was Yuto, who pulled Tedla by the hand from behind. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Akari, who finally caught her breath, asked while glaring at Syltina, whose answer was accompanied by an exasperated sigh as if she were truly tired. ¡°The 3 of us ¡ª Tyr, Kuro and I, made a plan to save you from the ruckus you caused.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Therefore, the monster that you saw earlier was Kuro who transformed, and the shrieking voice you heard earlier was Tyr¡¯s.¡± ¡°Why did you do such a thing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, you see¡­¡± Syltina became speechless toward Akari¡¯s response for a moment, and proceeded to carefully piece her words with a tight smile. ¡°If you were surrounded as you are, then, it would be inevitable that someone will impose their wishes against you. We don¡¯t have time to listen to individual wishes in this purification journey, so we rescued you before it became any more troublesome. Do you understand?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I understand.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think they might have given us something as thanks for the purification? Like they might give us a place we can stay in this town for free, or they might give us a town treasure or something. Why do you only think bad of people? All the citizens of this country are very considerate and kind-hearted people. They understand that this purification journey is tough, so they won¡¯t let us do anything more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your mouth is hanging open, Sylti.¡± ¡°Oh my, pardon me. The Saintess has such overly optimistic thoughts, so¡­ ¡± ¡°What is overly optimistic about it? Why don¡¯t you try to believe in others!?¡± ¡°I do believe.¡± Syltina smiled sweetly. ¡°Ah, right. If it¡¯s the people of this country, then the right word would be believed.¡± ¡°Believed? Why is it in the past tense?¡± ¡°¡­.. Well, I wonder why? At least for me, the people in this country are not worth believing in anymore. That¡¯s why I always doubt them. ¡°That¡¯s strange! The people of this country are nothing but good people after all!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Even if you tell me something like that¡­¡± Syltina, whose smile had disappeared, took a long breath, and pointed to the direction that they were previously running from. ¡°It¡¯s better if you go back there and try to confirm. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get magnificent results.¡± ¡°Fine, I get it! I¡¯ll see it for myself!! And if everyone is as kind as I just said, then you have to apologize in front of everyone!!¡± ¡°Akari!?¡± ¡°Big sis!!¡± Fighting fire with fire*. Following her sharp comeback, Akari returned the way they came from first, as a flustered Frackt and Mars followed after her. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Umm, is it alright if Yuto-san doesn¡¯t come along?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. He needs to come along after all¡­¡­¡± Quietly seeing the two figures run off, Tedla conservatively voices his concern and nominates Yuto, who sighed and walked after them. ¡°I hope the Saintess understands how reality actually works after this.¡± Syltina merely shrugged at Alhart¡¯s statement. Translator¡¯s Notes : * ¡° As you wish, my liege¡± ¨C the original Japanese text is, ¡°¤¢¤¡¡¢¤´ËæÒâ¤ËÎÒ¤¬Ö÷¤è¡± (Aa, gozuii ni wa ga omo yo), which is extremely polite speech, or keigo. Kuro usually calls his master ¡°Sylti¡±, but he used polite speech sarcastically in response to Sylti¡¯s order. In this case, it is not keigo, but baka-teinei, or polite speech used in a sarcastic way. **Fight fire with fire ¨C the original version, ¡°‰Ó¤êÑÔÈ~¤ËÙI¤¤ÑÔÈ~¡± (uri kotoba ni kai kotoba) is a Japanese idiom which means ¡°to be provoked by the opponent¡¯s quarreling words and reply appropriately¡±. Simply, it is ¡®tit for tat¡¯, or ¡®(fight) fire with fire¡¯ Chapter 35 - And, then, Reality! A desperate chorus of citizens welcomed Akari who returned to the street they were previously in. ¡°Saintess!!¡± ¡°Saintess, where have you gone!?¡± ¡°Please help us!! The demons are¡ª!!¡± ¡°Now is the time for you to use your power for us!!¡± ¡°Wa-wait! Calm down!! The demon is gone already!!¡± The air changed course as soon as the townspeople confirmed that it was Akari and rushed to her, screaming as if they cannot control themselves. ¡°Ooooh!! Just as expected, Saintess! You vanquished the demon for us, didn¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°How reassuring! If it¡¯s with her power, then, we¡¯re saved!!¡± ¡°If the Saintess is here, then, we don¡¯t have to fear the demons!!¡± ¡°Ah, no, I didn¡¯t really exterminate¡­¡­¡± Akari¡¯s voice is drowned out by the crowd who began to cheer excitedly. ¡°Akari!!¡± ¡°Frackt! And Mars, too!!¡± Akari, who was being carried away with the people¡¯s momentum, heard a voice calling out to her. Turning that way, she sees Frackt and Mars trying to get to her in a hurry. ¡°It¡¯s Prince Frackt!! Prince Frackt has also come for us!!¡± ¡°God hasn¡¯t forsaken us!!¡± ¡°Please help us!!¡± ¡°Please have mercy on our pathetic selves!!¡± The people became more excited at the arrival of Frackt, the Prince. ¡°Oi, what the hell is up with you people!? Cut it out! Don¡¯t touch me so easily!!¡± ¡°Saintess! Please help me!! I don¡¯t have anything to eat!! Please have mercy!!¡± ¡°My Prince! Please! Please!! Please have mercy on us!!¡± ¡°Wait, hey!! It hurts!! Stop pulling me!!¡± ¡°Big sis!!¡± ¡°Mars!!¡± Many hands reached out and rushed to cling to them. Mars desperately reached toward Akari, however, the rushing crowd swallowed him up faster than Akari could grasp him, and Mars disappeared to the back of the crowd. ¡°Hey, knock it off, would you!? What mercy are you saying!? We are here for the sake of purifying the tainted lands¡­¡­ we¡¯re going on this journey for your sakes!! What else are you asking me to do!?¡± Unconsciously, Akari screamed angrily at the people who only voiced their own demands. ¡°The crops aren¡¯t growing! Please help me with that miraculous power of yours!!¡± ¡°My father is sick¡­¡­Please, please help him.¡± ¡°Ever since Manrinia had become tainted, the goods from overseas cannot come in and I cannot sell my products! My money has also run out!! If it stays like this, then I will die of hunger!! Hey, do something about it!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I don¡¯t have such power!!¡± Unable to stand it anymore, Akari shouted and confused the crowd. ¡°What do you mean, Saintess?¡± ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t you the Saintess? ¡°I am, but that doesn¡¯t mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then, you are here to save us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯m saving you, aren¡¯t I!? I am on a journey to purify the tainted lands!!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s like that, then that¡¯s no help at all!!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Even if the land returns to normal, I still need to plant my crops from the start! If it¡¯s like that, then until when will I have to wait? We cannot keep on starving!!¡± ¡°Some people cannot even buy their food today! We want money and food instead of the lands left behind because of the taint!!¡± ¡°For you to say such a thing¡­¡­ I mean, if I don¡¯t purify the lands, won¡¯t the demons grow in number? Eventually, the whole country will be tainted because of the demons¡­¡­ that¡¯s why I¡­¡­¡± ¡°We told you so. ¡± Casting her eyes downward, Akari¡¯s voice shook. It was at that time when a voice reached her ears ¡ª not quite loud, but cold and clear. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, lass. Isn¡¯t it just as my master said?¡± Carrying Mars, who had been swept by the crowd, under his arm, Kreutz advanced despite the crowd of people and stood in front of Akari. ¡°Human beings are ugly and selfish creatures. Believe and never doubt that you are the misfortune that has befallen us equally. It is always someone other than yourself that breaks it. It¡¯s fun to watch someone grieve over their misfortune, but not think of doing anything about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Right now, the people of this country are depending on the Saintess title that you bear. These people are hoping for a miracle to happen in response to the misfortunes and unhappiness they are facing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ It¡¯s not like I can make miracles happen!!¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s not how the people of this country think. They believe that the Saintess is the one who will save them and cause miracles to happen. That¡¯s why they¡¯re asking you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with that¡­¡­ I mean, for the sake of this country, I¡­¡­¡± ¡°They value the food and money necessary to survive another day than the purification that will save the country¡¯s future. They want justice that benefits themselves instead and not the justice aimed at the masses.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that really selfish!?¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s what people are, Saintess.¡± Syltina suddenly appeared behind Kreutz, and, with a snap of her fingers, an invisible wall stood between them and the citizens. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I told you? There¡¯s no value in believing the people of this country. They take it for granted that someone will save them, but don¡¯t think about the sacrifices that it might cost them.¡± From under her hood, Syltina glanced at the citizens who became bewildered with the invisible wall that suddenly appeared before them, and seized Akari¡¯s arm. ¡°Have you already understood what would happen if you revealed yourself, Saintess?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Today, we will leave the town as it is and camp nearby. We will also do the shopping from tomorrow onwards. To avoid repeating events like this one, we will be avoiding places with people, so please understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± Murmuring, Akari shakes off Syltina¡¯s arm and rushes to the citizens who are separated from her by the wall. ¡°I¡­¡­I, for your sakes¡­¡­ I went on this dangerous journey for this country¡¯s sake!! Why isn¡¯t anyone thankful!? Be thankful, worship, offer your respects!! I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t have any money! I cannot cure your sickness! You can just starve yourselves to death!! This, this¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°Akari, stop.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yuto¡­¡± Yuto, who was in the vicinity, went and covered the mouth of Akari, who angrily expressed her feelings to the citizens. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. It is already too late for these people. Just like Kreutz-san and Lady Sylti said, these people think that it¡¯s only normal to receive alms. There is no point in telling them about the hardships on our side. For these people, it¡¯s best to just give up and say, ¡®there¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡¯.¡± ¡°Give up¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. But, don¡¯t forget this, okay? These people work for the country¡¯s sake, and in turn, the country gives them prosperity and safety. However, this time, it was the country who took away these people¡¯s safety in the first place. These people have a good reason to beg you. And¡­ hey, Akari? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re cooperating with this purification journey without any rewards either, are you?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°There must be something you¡¯re bound to receive by the end of this journey, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Rather, if you do this for free and the country gains something from it, then you definitely have a reason to implore them. So, with that in mind, the country announced your participation in the purification journey quite grandly, didn¡¯t they? Akari, your Saint title carries a much greater responsibility than you think.¡± ¡°Wha¨C, that¡¯s¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were thinking when you took on the title of Saint, but, as long as you are the Saintess, the people of this country will depend on you and have expectations of you. Keep that in mind. Then, shall we go?¡± Ending the conversation, Yuto leads Akari by the arm, and this time, turns their backs away from the people, and starts walking. Even then, the citizens were still making a fuss for some reason, but none of it reached Akari¡¯s ears. ©`©`©` ©` ¡°With this, I don¡¯t have to pointlessly accompany the Saintess on the shopping trip anymore.¡± Yuto sighs in relief. After meeting up with Milliane in the town, they left and decided to camp out in the nearby forest. That night, Yuto, who was on night watch duty, smiled, wryly, at Alhart who had woken up to take his turn. ¡°You, you purposely let the Saintess reveal her identity, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But, you and Lady Sylti not stopping her from going back there afterward means you agreed with my line of thinking, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I guess. From this time on, if we just stop by towns and villages like we always did until now, then the news about the war between this country and Rulan Kingdom might be found out sooner or later. With this, I thought it would be a good excuse to travel off the main roads. Even Sylti thinks so, too.¡± ¡°Well, if the war breaks into full swing, then they¡¯ll surely find out, but it¡¯s easier if they don¡¯t know until then. By the way, have you heard? Lady Sylti says they met Fara today.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard. That guy¡¯s troops are procuring supplies now, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Looks like it. But, I¡¯m curious when they would notice that Fara, a common soldier, slipped in.¡± ¡°That old man never changes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of his good points, you know? He asked Miss Milliane to tell us that we might still meet him tomorrow, so send him my regards.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re babysitting tomorrow, aren¡¯t you? Good luck.¡± ¡°Yeeeeah, well, the Saintess probably took a lot of damage today so I think she¡¯ll be quiet tomorrow. The Prince is fine if you just ignore him, and Miss Milliane is originally quiet, so¡­¡­yup. I think tomorrow will be fine somehow.¡± Alhart shared a strained laugh with Yuto, who seemed like he was talking loud enough to hear himself, and turned to look at the carriage where Akari and the others were sleeping. ¡°I wonder what Sylti¡¯s intending to do with the Saintess at the end?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Beats me. Either way, I¡¯m sure at the end, she won¡¯t be in front of us anymore.¡± ¡°Right? Ah, the Saintess sure is pitiful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that quite monotonously, though¡­¡­¡± The two looked at each other and shared a laugh, but in the next moment, those smiles disappeared as they simultaneously spoke, ¡°The one who got scolded is in the wrong after all.¡± The words that quietly disappeared into the darkness of the night did not reach anyone, but the two. Chapter 36 - Fiminan, Day 2 ¡°Then, we will be shopping today, so, for the rest of you, please stay quiet here.¡± Aside from Alhart and Tedla, who would be accompanying Syltina, Milliane was the only one who nodded at what she said. ¡°¡­¡­What happened to the others?¡± ¡°Ah, ummm, well, the Saintess would not leave the carriage, and Yuto-sama, Frackt-sama, and Mars-kun are over there¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see. And? Until when will Kuro keep on sulking?¡± Kuro sat on a tree not far away in cat form, wordlessly swinging his tail back and forth with a snap. If Syltina laughed at him for pointing out that his bad mood could be sensed with just the atmosphere around him, then his tail swings with a snap once again. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, can it? We can¡¯t all go together, because one escort has to keep an eye on her at all times, remember?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t the townspeople seen Kuro¡¯s face yesterday? There are enough people to go shopping, and the people have already seen Kuro¡¯s face, so you won¡¯t be able to walk in there in human form. If that¡¯s the case, then, the only thing I can have you do is to watch over the people in here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to come back as early as I can, so I¡¯m entrusting you with watching the Saintess. Also, make sure you make her eat breakfast. It seems she didn¡¯t eat after what happened yesterday. If she collapses, then, I will be troubled.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Syltina smiled again at Kreutz, who didn¡¯t respond to her words no matter what and continued to swing his tail instead, and turned to Milliane who seemed to be uneasy about their exchange. ¡°He¡¯s like that, but he will properly do what I ask him, so, Milliane-sama, I¡¯m sorry, but can I entrust the 2 of you with the Saintess?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes. Ummm, please take care!¡± Responding to Milliane¡¯s parting words with a wave, the three head for the Town of Fiminan. ©`©`©`©`©` ©`©`©` ©` This is such a pain, Yuto thought as he kept a different face while in front of Akari, who was hugging her knees close to her chest and burying her face against it, without even making any slight movements. It had been a little over an hour since Yuto came over to do something about Akari, who said that she did not want to leave the carriage. During that time, Akari stayed silent, showing no reaction to the words of Yuto, Frackt, or Mars. Get a grip, uneasily, the expression Yuto put on that seemed to say that he was indeed worried seemed to be faltering. Well, letting out a small puff of breath as he wondered what to do with Akari, the carriage door opened and Kreutz appeared. ¡±Your breakfast is ready. Hurry up and eat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, are you listening?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I don¡¯t have an appetite¡­¡­¡± Akari¡¯s response causes a wrinkle to form between Kreutz¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you have an appetite or not, but Sylti told me to properly feed you breakfast.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I didn¡¯t need it?!? Get out!!! Don¡¯t mind me!! Get out, all of you!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Akari, calm down¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! A-anyway, Yuto¡¯s only kind to me because I¡¯m the Saintess, right? Everyone only needs my power, so they don¡¯t really care about me!¡± ¡°Akari¡­¡­¡± With a sudden burst of anger, Akari slaps away the outstretched hand intended to appease her. Looking up after a long while, her face is warped in sadness, tears pooling in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not true, Akari. For me, you and you alone are important. Even if Akari isn¡¯t the Saintess or even if you don¡¯t have any power, you are still important to me .¡± ¡°Lies, something like that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Akari. There¡¯s nothing in it for me in accompanying you on this journey, you know?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Unlike Akari and Syltina, I didn¡¯t join because I would be rewarded if this journey ends safely. Neither did I receive a quest from the guild, nor was I asked by the King. Nonetheless, do you understand why I decided to go along with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re important to me. It¡¯s because I want to protect you.¡± ¡°Yuto!!¡± Embracing Yuto as if she were hanging on to him, Akari let out a small laugh. ¡°Akari! You are also precious to me, that¡¯s why I¡¯m with you!!!¡± ¡°I love you too, big sis!¡± ¡°Frackt, Mars¡­¡­ thank you!¡± As they said so, Akari embraced the two next. A single teardrop streamed down her porcelain-colored cheek. Isn¡¯t this such a heartwarming scene? Yuto kept a smile pasted onto his face as he watched the 3 share an embrace. What saved the Saintess, who became suspicious because she was hurt by the selfish behavior of the heartless citizens, was the traveler who first told her that she was ¡®special¡¯, the First Prince who loved her from the bottom of his heart, and the small child she saved. Such a touching, extremely pure, and beautiful, trivial farce. ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, how ridiculous.¡± A small whisper that seemed to be only heard by Kreutz escaped his lips as he kept smiling. From the moment the farce started, Yuto had uninterestedly leaned against the carriage¡¯s door, closed his eyes, and slightly smiled. ¡°Come on, Akari. Let¡¯s go eat. We get really worried when you don¡¯t seem well, you know?¡± ¡°If Yuto says so¡­¡± With Frackt holding her around the waist and Mars leading her by the hand, Akari goes out of the carriage. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Kreutz discreetly opened his mouth when he and Yuto were the only ones left inside the carriage. ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°That girl. Why does she want to be rewarded like that by other people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s human nature to want something in return for what they do.¡± ¡°However, the girl has been prepared and told from the beginning that she will be receiving a suitable reward at the end of the journey. Yet why does she still seek to be rewarded by others?¡± ¡°She probably wants to be loved by someone. She wants to be loved, to be praised, to be revered, to be thanked, and to be needed. And so I think she wants to be the only one for many people.¡± You¡¯re stubborn enough to not give anyone the position of being your ¡®one and only¡¯, but you can¡¯t bear to have others not giving you that position of being their ¡®one and only¡¯. ¡°So, while she depends on Yuto¡¯s existence, she sometimes goes to the Prince to satisfy her expectations of being loved to a fault and being respected.¡± You don¡¯t doubt if you think you are being loved and absolutely valued. That¡¯s why you are afraid of those who oppose you and judge them to be ¡®mistaken¡¯. ¡°She still thinks of this world as a game world. As the heroine, she thinks that she will be naturally loved and unconditionally valued by everyone in this world. It would be nice if she realizes that some groups like our Dipterous Sword Guild won¡¯t take a liking to her. That this world isn¡¯t what she thinks it is.¡± ¡°If it were someone capable, then, they would notice once it was revealed that Sylti would escort her. As Clarina said, the lineup of participants in this journey seems to be far removed from how the game was composed.¡± ¡°Hmmm, if I¡¯m not mistaken, in the flow of the game, she was supposed to meet Jin-sama and Ait-san, and, at a later date, join up with Rain-kun.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a fool, isn¡¯t she? Apart from Rain-kun, it¡¯s highly unlikely for the First Prince and the Guild Master to undertake an escort mission for someone like the Saintess, but she still believes that. So, when she found out that they had called over Lady Sylti to be the escort, she was quite upset. Miss Milliane told me.¡± ¡°Rather, even if she noticed something and she still truly believes that she is the heroine, then it¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s upset and making a ruckus since things did not progress as she pictured it¡­¡­¡± ¡°The citizens will be grateful to her. So, she will be welcomed and receive a token of appreciation or some other reward. This time she truly believed that going forward. However, when she tried opening the lid, the welcome was certain, but the events that followed it were far from what she expected.¡± ¡°That girl still doesn¡¯t understand the country¡¯s status quo. It¡¯s so bad that I can¡¯t even feel any pity anymore.¡± ¡°They¡¯re both asking for the same thing, after all. I think they will be given love if they ask for it, and be saved if they ask for salvation. She will appeal with ¡®because I did this much¡¯, ¡®because I was met with such cruel eyes¡¯, ¡®even if it¡¯s so hard¡¯, ¡®even if I¡¯ve lost so much¡¯, but turn a blind eye to anything else. I wonder, if I said such things, will I receive a reward as well¡­.?¡± If you want to be rewarded for all you¡¯ve done, and for all you¡¯ve saved¡­ If there¡¯s a salvation for every loss and salvation, for every hurt¡­ ¡°If there is such a world overflowing with hope, then we won¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right.¡± We received nothing in return, even when we gave, or helped. No one saved us, even when we were hurt or lost. That is why we are here (in a guild). We despaired in the world where nothing was returned, and was disappointed in the world where no one saved us, so¡­¡­ We created our own world (guild). ¡°They still don¡¯t realize yet. The unhappiness, the despair, and the horror that is pouring on us now is just a gentle nudge. They hurt a part of our world, so, there is no saving them in the truest sense. And, by the time they notice it, their world would have already fallen into despair.¡± Yuto chuckled as if he were looking forward to it when Akari called him and left the carriage. ¡°What do they see at the end of despair? Foolish humans¡­¡­¡± At the end of despair, there are those who created their own world (guild), and the possibility of the hope they wish for. So, what then, will the people of this country who are forced into despair by them, think at the end? ¡°Well, I¡¯m not interested in such things.¡± They are completely uninterested in thinking of, or doing anything beyond inflicting despair. To say it strongly, continue suffering for all of eternity. Just like that. ¡°Oh well, I guess I¡¯ll take a nap until Sylti returns.¡± Let¡¯s just leave it to Yuto to watch over the Saintess, muttered Kreutz as he changed into a black cat and went outside. Only the sound of the closing door could be heard inside the empty carriage. Chapter 37 - Syltina and Tedla - I ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll be off to somewhere for a bit.¡± ¡°Eh!!¡± ¡°Roger. See you later.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tedla raised a confused voice, as he slowly waved to Alhart who had disappeared into the crowd as soon as they entered Fiminan. ¡°Um, where has Alhart-san gone to?¡± ¡°I was told we have an old friend in this town, so he went to meet him for a bit.¡± ¡°An old friend¡­¡­¡± ¡°He will be meeting us later, so until then, let¡¯s get some shopping done.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Tedla looks around and tilts his head as he follows Syltina around as she walks through the crowd while looking at the shopping list. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like there are fewer people compared to yesterday?¡± ¡°Well, if you think about the uproar yesterday, then that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°Yesterday¡­¡­¡± ¡°It was a plan that Kuro, Tyr, and I hatched. I had Kuro transform into a demon.¡± ¡°Ahh, so, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°It was just supposed to bring the Saintess¡¯ fake composure down a notch, but, as soon as the demon appeared, she looked like she wanted to get out of there fast, didn¡¯t she? We¡¯re the only ones who know that yesterday was a fake though.¡± From there, they were silent for a while. Syltina shops according to the shopping list as Tedla follows her around. The ice was broken when they were halfway done with the shopping. ¡°Let¡¯s take a short break.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An alley slightly removed from the main road. Syltina sat on one of the wooden crates as was her habit. In turn, Tedla also sat down on the nearest crate in the same way after setting down their baggage first. ¡°¡­¡­What are you people planning?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tedla, who seemed to be thinking about something while looking down, quietly asked. Oddly enough, it was the same question that Frackt threw at Alhart the previous day. ¡°¡­¡­ Why are you asking such a thing?¡± Syltina asks, even as her body language reflected that she was not even the least interested. However, the sharp glint dwelling in her eyes seemed as if she were ready to eliminate an enemy if need be. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time. The reason why you took on being the Saintess¡¯ escorts.¡± Tedla spoke as he cast his eyes downward once again as if avoiding Syltina¡¯s gaze. ¡°That¡¯s because a request came.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand that¡­¡­ but¡­¡± He remembers the exchange that took place in the castle several months ago. ¡°You have not asked for the King¡¯s life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Heeh.¡± A sword-like glint dwells in her narrowed eyes. ¡°At that time, that place, you swore in front of the King. That¡¯s why I did not become suspicious. However, thinking carefully, you said that ¡®a request from the guild came¡¯ when you accepted it. You never asked for ¡®the King¡¯s life¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it at first since you said it was ¡®to escort the Saintess¡¯, but what you¡¯re carrying out right now is the guild request, isn¡¯t it? Then, who in the world would make such a request? What was the reward? What were the details? That time when you pledged your oath, who was it actually intended for?¡± ¡°Fufu,¡± Syltina abruptly chuckled. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re apparently less objectionable than the Prince and the Saintess, huh!¡± ¡°Less objectionable?¡± ¡°It means there¡¯s still some hope for you. But,¡­¡± Syltina leans over and brings her face closer to Tedla¡¯s. She seemed to be smiling, but that smile never reached her eyes. ¡°By voicing that doubt, have you never considered the impact that it would have on you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Did you actually think I would answer you honestly and not feed you with lies?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we call stupid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­B-but nothing will happen if I don¡¯t ask. No matter how dangerous it might be, even if perhaps you fed me lies, if I didn¡¯t ask in the first place, then it will end just like that.¡± I don¡¯t want that, Tedla thought, clenching his fist. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of pretending not to know anything, pretending not to understand, stopping my thoughts up to a point, and getting swept away just like that¡­¡­ and then regretting it later.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, I ask if I have any doubts. Even if the risk is high, I will still ask if you are the only one who knows the answer. Even if I am lied to and led astray, then I will just accept it as it is. So, with that resolution, I am asking you now.¡± Tedla declared, looking straight at Syltina¡¯s eyes. Maintaining eye contact with Tedla for a few seconds, Syltina deeply exhales and returns to sit back in her original place. ¡°I understand your resolve. Let¡¯s just forget that I called you a fool. But, unfortunately for you, I only have one thing to say about your query.¡± One, Syltina smiles again, raising an index finger close to her face. ¡°You¡¯ll understand eventually.¡± Syltina ends the conversation with that and stands up to take the luggage. ¡°P-please wait! When is ¡®eventually¡¯? What exactly are you intending to do at the time when you said that ¡®I will understand¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said ¡®you¡¯ll understand everything eventually¡¯. But, yeah, let¡¯s just say that it will be by the time this journey ends.¡± ¡°By the time the journey ends¡­¡­..?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And then, you will have to make a choice when that time comes.¡± ¡°Make a choice?¡± ¡°Yes. At. That. Time. You will have to choose.¡± ¡°What kind of choice?¡± ¡°About you.¡± ¡°About me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. And remember how very lucky you are that you can choose.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Some people aren¡¯t even given a choice. ¡­¡­. Well, it¡¯s about time Al meets up with us, so let¡¯s get some more shopping done while we¡¯re at it.¡± Syltina finally ends the conversation by walking again as Tedla follows her in a hurry. ¡°Oh, right. When you entertained that doubt, was it because you talked to the Saintess and the Prince about it?¡± ¡°No. Honestly, even if I talk to them, it¡¯s a little¡­¡­¡± Syltina easily imagined the words following Tedla¡¯s ambiguous comment. And, because she could easily imagine such a thing, she was truly astonished by the people who never realized how foolish they were even now. ¡°A wise decision.¡± ¡°Ahh, umm, just one more thing! What you¡¯re trying to do, is it to save the country? Or¡­¡­¡± Syltina stopped and turned around at Tedla¡¯s question. ¡°Me? Save this country?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tedla¡¯s breath hitched and immediately shook his head from left to right at Syltina¡¯s blunt response. ¡°Until the time comes, don¡¯t unnecessarily stick your nose in our business. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to make a choice again.¡± That was a solid warning. Chapter 38 - Syltina and Tedla - II ¡°Me? Save this country?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The expressionless way in which those words were uttered. Even the voice that accompanied it was void of emotion, extremely inorganic. ¡°Until the time comes, don¡¯t unnecessarily stick your nose in our business. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to make a choice again.¡± That was a solid warning. ¡°¡­¡­¡± For him, it was a precisely drawn borderline. Tedla still didn¡¯t have the preparedness to step forward from there. ¡°¡­¡­¡± While following Syltina who walked ahead, Tedla remembers the conversation they had earlier. Syltina said that I will understand in time. That I will understand everything when the journey ends. Yes. That¡¯s. What. She. Said. ¡°¡­¡­ she didn¡¯t even hide it.¡± She gave me the information without even hiding, dodging, or much less even sealing her mouth. It may be something that cannot even be called ¡®information¡¯, but, it was still enough to understand that they, The Dipterous Sword, were. up. to. something. In other words, that is¡­¡­ ¡°So, I¡¯ve come to a point where I cannot stop, because I know something now¡­¡­¡± Tedla suddenly understood as soon as he mentioned it out loud. ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ so, we were wrong from the beginning¡­¡­¡± Yes, we were surely wrong 2 years ago. We were making irreparable mistakes since 2 years ago. At that time, today¡¯s reality might have been already decided. The fate of the country might have already been decided from the time we blamed the girl called ¡®Syltina Balratona¡¯, and exiled her abroad. She¡­¡­who once loved this country more than anyone else, who made every effort for the country¡¯s sake, now said that it was ¡®hateful¡¯. She said that she loathed it to the point that she could destroy it. Ahh, without a doubt. She never had the intention of helping from the start. Be it the country or the Saintess, she completely did not have the intention of saving either. ¡°A choice, huh?¡± It¡¯s as she said. I have to make a choice. I was lucky enough to even be given a choice. Then, what about the people who weren¡¯t given any? ¡°¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s kind of a foolish question. Tedla shook his head and decided not to think of the names of the people that came to mind. ¡°If you ask me to choose, then I have already made up my mind¡­¡­¡± Ever since then, I have regretted, lamented, and repented for my actions 2 years ago. ¡°I will never betray you ever again.¡± I want you to smile at me once again. That is all. With a jerk, he clenched his fist as if to swear an oath. And, that choice, will greatly change Tedla¡¯s fate, thereafter. Chapter 39 - Alhart and Famiras Ding! Ding! The bell attached to the door rang. Such a sound is naturally drowned by the noise inside the shop, and nobody pays attention to Alhart who had just come in. ¡°Yo, Al! Over here!!¡± A voice called out to Alhart as he stood at the entrance looking around as if searching for someone. ¡°Heey, Fara. Long time no see.¡± Waving at Alhart, and sitting at one of the seats at the back was ¡®Fara¡¯, or Famiras Carranzado. The food arrived at the same time a smiling Alhart took a seat opposite Famiras. ¡°This is?¡± ¡°I ordered it. Eat, eat! We can talk even while eating, can¡¯t we? It¡¯s my treat!¡± ¡°Then, I won¡¯t hesitate. Oh, right. Yuto sends his regards.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that, he¡¯s not coming?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s guarding the Saintess.¡± ¡°Sounds rough.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a bit more, anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ so only 2 more places left, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°If it takes Rulan Kingdom¡¯s troops about a month to reach Rideiran Kingdom, won¡¯t the battle take at least three months to be settled?¡± ¡°Well, considering the difference in battle strength, then that position is reasonable. Is there a possibility of Rideiran Kingdom setting up a naval battle though?¡± ¡°The possibility is zero. This country doesn¡¯t have that kind of military strength right now. The most they can do is to engage the enemy head-on.¡± ¡°Well, in terms of military strength, then, Rulan Kingdom is no big deal either. But, The Dipterous Sword lending them a hand greatly changed their war potential.¡± A new dish is brought in front of the two even as they eat while talking. Alhart, who was about to dig into the dish, suddenly stopped. ¡°Hey, Fara. I¡¯m just curious, but¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You know those guys?¡± ¡°¡­¡­So you noticed, huh. Actually, I had a run-in with some bandits before I came to this town. Those might be the remnants.¡± ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t leave any.¡± Alhart, exasperatedly, whispered as he resumed his meal. ¡°No, I was eager to wipe them all out, but, those guys got away fast.¡± Saying that Famiras shrugged and reached out for the food. After that, several boorish men surrounded the two as they continued eating while holding a conversation. ¡°Hey, look what the wind blew in. You¡¯re talking about us, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Stop saying stupid things. Weren¡¯t you the ones who started it?!?¡± The two complain, but don¡¯t stop their chopsticks from moving even as one of the men approached them. ¡°That¡¯s a good reaction, Sir Knight!!¡± The table was kicked and made a loud noise that caused the lively chatter inside the store to die down. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to completely ignore me and my buddies, and carelessly eat? Haah? Haaaah?!?¡± Famiras sighs and stands up in front of the man threatening them. ¡°You just wasted my food. Don¡¯t you know there are people suffering from food shortages? Besides, aren¡¯t you the ones showing impressive reactions right now? Hey, Al¡­¡­¡­. Oi, Alhart!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± At the same time, the question was asked, Famiras glanced at Alhart, but, unconsciously, groaned out his name as his eyes flew to the spectacle before him. Alhart had churned out a dull reply without stopping his chopsticks from moving to the dish that he had saved when the table was kicked over. ¡°What the hell is with you, you¡¯re still eating¡­.? Do you understand the situation we¡¯re in? Heey, are you in there?¡± ¡°The hell, Fara? Those rascals came here to pick a fight with us, didn¡¯t they? I do understand that much.¡± ¡°Then why are you still eating?!? A battle is starting from now on!! Prepare yourself!!¡± ¡°Haaah? Nah, I¡¯ll pass. Too troublesome.¡± ¡°Troublesome¡­ you¡­ just like always¡­Man, you never change! Hey, you naughty brats, let¡¯s go outside. I¡¯ll deal with you just as you wish. Al just stay here and behave! Get ready for a scolding later!!¡± ¡°Suuure. Don¡¯t lose, m¡¯kay?¡± ¡°You have such nerve to tell me that.¡± With his weapon, the spear, in hand, Famiras gallantly followed the men out of the store. However, in less than a minute, he returned and with an abashed smile, reached his hand out to Alhart. ¡°Sorry, but my spear isn¡¯t suitable for fighting inside the town. Can you lend me your sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Where¡¯s your spare sword?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at the blacksmith¡¯s right now. I won¡¯t handle it roughly, so, I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Make sure you don¡¯t handle it roughly or get any shit on it in the battle, you hear? Take it.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°If the blade gets so much as a scratch, then, I¡¯m gonna strangle you.¡± ¡°I get it, geez.¡± Receiving the sword from Alhart, Famiras once again leaves the store. ¡°Really¡­¡­ he¡¯s such a klutz, that Fara.¡± After seeing off Famiras, Alhart wryly chuckles and resumes his meal. Chapter 40 - - Alhart and... A few seconds after Famiras left, the sounds of battle could be heard from the outside. A man approaches Alhart who continues to eat despite the chaotic scene inside the shop. ¡°Hey, hey, your friend is fighting, but you¡¯re just eating as if nothing happened? That¡¯s pretty cold, man.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Alhart turns and smiles broadly at the man occupying the seat Famiras sat on earlier. However, the attention is short-lived as Alhart loses interest and resumes his meal. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to ignore me¡­¡­¡± The man let out a tsk at Alhart¡¯s behavior, but sneered at the next moment. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll tell you something good.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You went into this town with 2 other people, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There was a guy who happened to see you when you entered the town with those people. So, when you entered this shop and went straight to that guy, well, I thought that information would be pretty handy.¡± Grinning, the man said it in a voice that seemed as if he terribly enjoyed the moment. Alhart just keeps on moving his chopsticks silently without even giving the man a glance. ¡°I sent some guys to tail those two. But, doncha¡¯ worry, we¡¯re just taking them as hostages so they won¡¯t be killed. Probably.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± With a clunk, Alhart places the dish on the floor after eating and stretches to his full height as he stands up. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then, I have something good to tell you, too.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Between the two, if you¡¯re planning to bring down the woman, then, I suggest you send in a hundred men.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, then, your friends will be killed without fail.¡± ¡°Hah!! What¡¯s up with that? Did you completely lose it when you found out that your friends were in a pinch? If it takes a hundred men to beat a single woman, then, she must be a monster.¡± ¡°Yeah. She is a monster.¡± Alhart grinned. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Right, right, it¡¯s been bothering me, but¡­¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°What did you come to talk to me for, anyway? ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± The man narrowed his eyes at the question, and at the next moment, pulled out the sword at his waist and pointed it at Alhart. ¡°I thought I could make you a hostage as well!¡± ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Heh?¡± Alhart brandished his blade, however, it was never swung down. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s hard to use a spear after all¡­¡­moreover, you can¡¯t swing it in such a narrow place like this. Man, I shouldn¡¯t have lent Fara my sword.¡± Sighing, Alhart sends the man¡¯s sword flying using the spear¡¯s handle. ¡°Wha¡­¡­huh? Eh?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Carrying the spear on his shoulder, Alhart smiled, and called out to the man, who was still trying to grasp the situation by looking between Alhart and his hand that held the sword earlier. ¡°This is a restaurant, so, I don¡¯t want to stain it with blood as much as possible.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Besides, the weapon I have now is a spear I¡¯m not familiar with, and it isn¡¯t something I can easily adjust to. In the first place, I don¡¯t know how much damage it can cause my surroundings if I yield it in such a narrow space, so it¡¯d just weigh on my mind if some innocent bystander gets hurt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Alhart sighed when his words failed to produce a reaction from the man. ¡°Heeey, don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m going to overlook this.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wield this weapon properly, so, I¡­¡­I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m willing to turn a blind eye to this for now. So, tuck your tail and run away. And don¡¯t show your sorry mug around me again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The man frustratedly chewed his lip as he glowered at Alhart for a while, but finally left without a word when Alhart struck the floor with the spear as a final warning. ¡°Well, those guys heading for Sylti probably won¡¯t receive the same mercy. I already feel sorry for them ¡­¡± And, they even escaped from Fara, mumbling, Alhart went outside, Famiras¡¯ spear in hand. Chapter 41 - Famiras Shiiiiiin!! A high pitched metal sound echoes as Famiras pushes away the man he just beat up. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m not as good with a sword after all.¡± About a dozen men lay sprawled around Famiras, as he grumbled. ¡°Did I chip the blade?¡­.. Okay, good, I didn¡¯t¡­¡­. Oh?¡± Checking the sword for any damage, Famiras releases a relieved sigh. At the same time, a single man rolls out of the store Famiras was facing away from. ¡°Y-yo¡­.you!!¡± ¡°Who, me?¡± ¡°This is all your fault!!¡± Famiras indifferently turns to look at the man who notices him and returns the look with angry eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your faulllltttt!!!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean it¡¯s my fault?¡± ¡°You!! If only you weren¡¯t around!! ¡°¡­¡­¡± Picking up a sword that was lying nearby, the man attacks Famiras who bends his body to avoid the swinging blade, sending the man tumbling forward. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Hey, you, didn¡¯t you come into contact with Al before you came out of there? Still, he let you get away with just having your sword taken away from you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡± Noticing the empty scabbard by the man¡¯s waist, Famiras leans over and asks in a truly fed up voice. ¡°So, why are you attacking me again? If you just slipped away obediently, then, neither Al nor I would stop you.¡± ¡°Shut uuup!! You think I could run away alone when you¡¯ve done this to my comrades?!?¡± ¡°But, aren¡¯t you running away because Al threatened you? Did you come attacking me after I did your friends in because you couldn¡¯t stand leaving them?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right! Anything wrong with that!?¡± ¡°Nah. It¡¯s not wrong, per se. However,¡­¡± Famiras, who laughed at the man¡¯s answer, trailed off in the middle of his sentence and turned his eyes to the store¡¯s entrance. ¡°Did you honestly think you could point your sword at us again and still be safe?¡± Alhart continues Famiras¡¯ sentence as he exits the store. ¡°Fara, catch.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Both men lightly threw each other¡¯s weapons and caught it with firm hands. The man who was still lying down turned pale and shook as soon as he saw Alhart¡¯s face. Standing in front of the man, Ahart released a huge sigh. ¡°I never expected to see your face again several minutes after I told you to scram.¡± ¡°Sh-shut uuuuup!! Y-you, didn¡¯t you hurt my comrades?!?¡± ¡°Yeah, but wasn¡¯t it you who made the first move?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­!?¡± The man started to get worked up at Famiras¡¯ words. However, upon seeing the expression Famiras wore, the man promptly kept his mouth shut. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you misunderstood. You were the ones who attacked us before, same as now. We¡¯re just retaliating as a form of self-defense.¡± Continuing in an icy tone, Famiras wore an expression that was void of any emotion, as if all other feelings had left him. ¡°We didn¡¯t really intend to go as far as taking your lives¡­¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have the intention of taking our lives? But, you see, the attack spells your buddies fired in desperation hurt my friend. He¡¯s not really dead, but he can¡¯t hold his sword again. After some trial and error, he still failed many times and was frustrated, until he found a way to live, thanks to that one moment you stole from him.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°I get it. It doesn¡¯t necessarily make you the bad guy in our eyes. It was also caused by his carelessness and lack of ability, after all. However, if there were someone we could direct our hatred to, then, that would be you.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­¡± ¡°You see, we never forgive anyone who hurts our friends.¡± ¡°Too bad. If only you had just run away when I gave you the chance¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wa-wait!¡± Fearing he might get killed, the man somehow manages to pull himself up and, with a shaky voice, begged Famiras to stop just as he was about to cut him down. ¡°I did wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡± Famiras frowned at the man¡¯s reaction. ¡°It¡¯s been 3 days since we arrived in Fiminan. I was waiting for you guys to show up. It was later than I thought, so I got tired of waiting.¡± ¡°Then, we were¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shall I explain it to you?¡± With a grin, Famiras lowered his spear and crouched in front of the man. ¡°When the first ones escaped, I let the ones who were left hear where we were headed to next. It¡¯s because the escapees were essential in bringing down the others. They would be coming to us themselves, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I told them where we were headed to next, and let the guys who showed up today, escape. I honestly wondered if they would come or not, but, well, they came after all. At any rate, even if you guys are used to robbing, being robbed is a different thing altogether. You were robbed of your pride as thieves when you lost to us, so in order to take back that pride, your only choice was to win against us. You really helped me when you gathered the other escapees. Thanks to you, I was able to beat up the guys who hurt my comrades without restraint.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ you devil!!¡± ¡°Hah!! Did we look like angels or something? Unfortunately for you, we¡¯re closer to devils, you know?¡± We can choose based on the contents, but as long as it¡¯s a ¡®request¡¯, anything is possible. We are that kind of human. Because we are called a ¡®mercenary guild¡¯, most of the requests are either connected to providing security or, during times of war, additional war forces. But, on rare occasions, some dubious requests also come in. Most of those requests are undertaken by ¡®assassins¡¯, but it doesn¡¯t mean that such requests never come to us. We are never, by any means, justice. Those belonging to The Dipterous Sword know it well. Most people make the wrong impression from the start. But, we don¡¯t care how the public sees us. We do it because it is a ¡®request¡¯. It does not matter whether it is evil or justice. It may be definitely wrong in the public¡¯s eyes, it may earn criticism, appreciation, or it may please them. I don¡¯t know how many people have already judged me. But, the most important thing to me are my friends. People around the world may point fingers behind my back, but it¡¯s fine as long as my friends would laugh and walk next to me. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but you picked a fight with the wrong people. Even if you didn¡¯t come to take revenge for last time, you were set to be annihilated in the end.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? You hurt our comrades after all. There are various ways of taking care of and disposing of you guys, so it¡¯s no use even if you run, actually.¡± ¡°Wh-what the hell is that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s bad for the despairing side, but die while despairing.¡± A flash. The expression of the man who ceased talking was truly that of a human who despaired in the world. ¡°You can die right after despairing, and you¡¯ll still be happy, right? Living while despairing is one form of hell, after all.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that, Fara? Are you talking about yourself?¡± Alhart was met with laughter when he yawned as he asked Famiras, who had been mumbling while looking at the dead man. ¡°It¡¯s about everyone in The Dipterous Sword.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡­of course.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s something that I¡¯ve already overcome. Despair broke us, and it also made us stronger. I will never yield to the despair of other people again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Nodding at Famiras¡¯ words, Alhart turns back to the man. ¡°This happened because you made the wrong choice, o-nii-san.¡± The murmured words merely echoed quietly and disappeared. Chapter 42 - The Kingdoms Status Quo ¡°Good grief, what was that?¡± None of the men lying around respond to Syltina¡¯s words, as she grumbled while dusting off her clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tedla-sama. We stand out a bit too much. Let¡¯s hurry up with the shopping so we can finish and return.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A lone man matches his steps with Syltina and Tedla who walked away and pushed their way out of the gathered onlookers. ¡°Ara, welcome back, Al. Were you able to meet?¡± ¡°Yeah. We were able to meet properly.¡± The man who was tailing them, Alhart, nods in reply, as Syltina smiles his way. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s great, then. And? Who were those?¡± ¡°They were part of the group that lost to Fara. We¡¯ve already finished them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, then.¡± ¡°By the way, Sylti, Fara gave me something interesting.¡± Alhart takes out a piece of paper and presents it to Syltina as he speaks. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a new order given to all the Knights, including Fara and The Special Command Forces.¡± ¡°I see. So, the King has finally begun to move.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, they¡¯re moving within our expectations though. We made the smart choice by deciding to avoid populated villages from now on.¡± ¡°Yeah. It helped that the one we met was Fara.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­. What on earth are you talking about?¡± Tedla asks Syltina and Alhart, who were talking by themselves. ¡°Hmmm? Ahh, that¡¯s right,¡± ¡°The King gave a royal order to all the Kingdom¡¯s Knights. It seems they are to escort us to the Royal Capital as soon as they find us.¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°The people who went on the purification journey with the Saintess. Specifically, Al and me.¡± Unlike Alhart, whose words were ambiguous, Syltina unhesitatingly hands the paper she received from Alhart to Tedla. Towards her action, Alhart blinks in surprise. ¡°Hey, Sylti, is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Even without hearing enough details, Alhart nods at Syltina and collects the paper from Tedla. ¡°Don¡¯t tell the Saintess nor the Prince about it, or else it¡¯s gonna get messy.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­.Umm, will we not be returning to the Royal Capital?¡± ¡°Why would it be necessary to return?¡± ¡°Eh? But, the King¡¯s order is¡­¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t belong to this country, so we don¡¯t have any responsibility in carrying out the King¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°In the first place, this is an order to the Knights, and not necessarily a direct order for us to return to the Royal Capital, so, there is no need for us to act on the knowledge that we have been given such an order.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sylti, did you know? That¡¯s called sophism.¡± ¡°Oh my. But, it¡¯s not wrong, is it?¡± ¡°Beats me. Besides, we both know what they¡¯re going to tell us once we return.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Umm, do you know why the King would want us to return to the Royal Capital?¡± ¡°Of course, we do. Anyone who truly knows about the country¡¯s current status would figure it quite easily.¡± ¡°The country¡¯s current status?¡± ¡°Oi, Sylti, is it really fine to talk to him about this? Won¡¯t he talk to the others?¡± ¡°Right, there is a possibility of him talking. Well, if he does talk, then, it just means that he has no more room to choose.¡± The way Syltina said it with a grin, had Tedla¡¯s face, unintentionally, stiffening. Alhart nodded at her agreement and spoke at once. ¡°Right now, this country, Rideiran Kingdom, is in the midst of a looming battle against the neighboring country, Rulan Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡± ¡°For the Kingdom of Rulan, who has long since coveted this country and its resources, it is the most opportune moment as this country is currently in a state where the demons have caused the stagnation of the government, there is a growing distrust among the people, and the country lacks a major military force.¡± ¡°¡­¡­War? But, that¡¯s¡­.that information is¡­¡­¡± Tedla murmured in a daze. ¡°It seems the Monarch decided not to tell the people about the war with Rulan Kingdom, so it¡¯s natural that they don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Huh? But, why would they keep such a thing¡­¡­¡± ¡°Demons causing lands to be tainted, political stagnation, growing distrust, and dissatisfaction of the people toward the Royal Family. Under such circumstances, the citizens will not stand still if there is aggression from other countries. The country doesn¡¯t have the power to deal with all those issues. That¡¯s why the King has a good reason not to tell the people about the war because he didn¡¯t want to cause undue restlessness amongst the people.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t that put the people in danger!?¡± ¡°The Royal Family doesn¡¯t care about that. They are only thinking about their safety.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, they want us to go back immediately. I¡¯m also quite certain they want to assign us to be their guards.¡± ¡°But, Rulan Kingdom is a small country. No matter how dire the current situation the country is in if we can develop a proper strategy to deal with it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Syltina cuts off Tedla¡¯s suggestion. Sullenly, Tedla asks her. ¡°Why is that? The Rulan Kingdom¡¯s military power shouldn¡¯t be that high. If this country¡¯s strongest unit, the Special Command Force, were to stand in the frontlines and fight, wouldn¡¯t there be a good chance of victory?¡± ¡°The Special Command Force will not be going into battle.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Because they had previously declared that they will only follow the Captain or the Vice-Captain¡­..that is, they will only listen to orders made by Famiras Carranzado or Heine Milberia. Now that they lack those two people, they will not follow anyone else¡¯s orders. That¡¯s why the Special Command Force will not be participating in the war this time.¡± ¡°B-but, the country¡¯s military still won¡¯t lose, would they? The opponent will be attacking from the sea. If that¡¯s the case, then, it is more advantageous for us to deploy our forces on land from the beginning!¡± ¡°Rulan Kingdom employs about half of the members of The Dipterous Sword as its military force.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡± ¡°For us of The Dipterous Sword, it doesn¡¯t matter whether the battlefield is in the sea, land, or air.¡± ¡°The Dipterous Sword¡­¡­ then, you were aware of it right from the start? Even before this journey started, you knew that this country was being targeted by Rulan Kingdom¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± At Syltina¡¯s answer, Tedla grabbed onto her. ¡°If you know, then, why are you keeping quiet about it? If we had known earlier, then, we could have already made several countermeasures!!¡± ¡°Why do we have to say it?¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡± Syltina, who was grabbed by the lapels, calmly responded after brushing away Tedla¡¯s hands. ¡°We are a guild. We live in a world where the success rate of a request and the trust of the client are the key to success. Nevertheless, there is no reason for me to divulge the details of my mission so easily. There¡¯s no reason why we shouldn¡¯t do that in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°We are currently in charge of escorting the Saintess in this country, but that is all I can say. It¡¯s none of our business if other guild members are carrying out different requests within the country. We are only doing our jobs.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­ then, what do we¡­¡­¡± Alhart shrugged at Tedla who had hung his head in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s this, Second Son, you still don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Wait, Al.¡± ¡°What, isn¡¯t it fine? You¡¯re going to make him choose anyway. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no problem if we¡¯re speeding it up a bit, right??¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­.earlier, I said, ¡®you will have to choose when the time comes¡¯ in such a cool manner¡­¡­¡± ¡°Haha!! Too bad, Sylti!¡± ¡°Geez¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well then, Second Son, it¡¯s time to choose.¡± Alhart said, grinning. Chapter 43 - Tedlas Choice ¡°Rulan Kingdom is attacking because it wants this country¡¯s blessed lands. However, this country¡¯s biggest harbor town, Manrinia, is inaccessible to people due to the taint. Apart from that, the last leg of the purification journey will be Manrinia. Do you understand so far?¡± ¡°Ahh, yes, yes. I understand.¡± ¡°Good, now to continue. When we, The Dipterous Sword, accomplish the request from the Kingdom of Rulan, we will be granted a single wish on behalf of the whole guild. That wish is to receive land in an ideal location.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°We want to make a new headquarters, you see. And, that ideal place is Manrinia.¡± ¡°Well, I never¡­¡­¡± Tedla, realizing what Alhart was trying to say, opened his eyes wide in disbelief. Alhart smiles at Tedla¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re very perceptive, Second Son. Yes, we, The Dipterous Sword, have been aiming for Manrinia from the start. The guild accepted Rulan Kingdom¡¯s request in order to obtain Manrinia.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the only reason, though.¡± ¡°But, for it to be that easy¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to obtain Manrinia that easily, whether this country wins or Rulan Kingdom wins. But, do you think we¡¯re just going to easily lend about half our forces to the Rulan Kingdom? Did you think that it was just a coincidence that the last destination of our trip is Manrinia?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­ then, all of this was your¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It was all part of the plan. Well, it¡¯s fine if we just lent a hand to Rulan Kingdom though. But, there were some guys who were eager to get back at the people in this country who treated Sylti poorly while taking Manrinia¡­..no, rather, it¡¯s the opposite. If I¡¯m not mistaken, when we were thinking of ways to get revenge on the people who hurt Sylti, it also occurred to us to make use of Rulan Kingdom. Isn¡¯t that right, Sylti?¡± ¡°Yes. If Jin were to make a new headquarters, then, we would not need a branch. And, if he is going to leave anyway, he was going to involve the Rulan Kingdom in his decision so he could give a blow to the Royal Family of Rulan Kingdom, who have been pushing him around so much until now.¡± ¡°Conquered by a country supposedly weaker than themselves, the largest port town, overtaken by the person they exiled and their comrades. Is there a more ridiculous story than this? This country¡¯s citizens¡­¡­ especially the Royal Family, will remember it every time they see Manrinia. The humiliation they¡¯ve suffered. Utter defeat. Fear of the strong. Despair worse than death. For eternity, until death, and many times over. They will suffer as long as they are alive. Although, that treatment is still lukewarm for someone who has hurt our friend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing all of this for the sake of one person¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly. Now, choose, Second Son.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Will you side with us, or will you die for the country¡¯s sake, of course!?¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s what I have to choose¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± The choice presented to him was such that there was no longer room to choose. Sword held against his throat, it was the same as being asked, do you want to live? Or do you want to die? ¡°I¡­¡± But, strangely enough, Tedla had no qualms about the choice he had to make. Staring right at Alhart, Tedla forcefully clenched his fists. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have any more regrets. I don¡¯t want to make the same mistake I made two years ago. Even if what you¡¯re doing will lead to the downfall of this country, it¡¯s still a lot better than losing the smiles on the faces of those I care about again¡­ so, I will be siding with you.¡± Alhart laughed at Tedla¡¯s statement. ¡°Good choice, Second Son. Don¡¯t you feel a little better now?¡± Responding to Alhart¡¯s words with a wry smile, Syltina clapped once and changed the topic. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve done our shopping, let¡¯s go back to the others. It¡¯s a little earlier than planned, but we are leaving this evening. We stand out too much in this town, and we don¡¯t know when the Knights will come sniffing around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So, from now on, we¡¯re going to have to move while being careful of the Order too? What a pain.¡± ¡°Umm, do you have some kind of general plan?¡± ¡°The general flow has been decided, but there is no detailed plan. In the end, it¡¯s fine if we just go according to plan, but, we¡¯re free to take care of the little details as we please.¡± ¡°Well, if the plan is too detailed, there tends to be a delay in responding when things don¡¯t go as planned, so we¡¯re just playing this by ear.¡± ¡°Playing it by ear¡­¡­¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t forget the final goal, we can do whatever we want. The Dipterous Sword has mostly operated like this until now.¡± ¡°In the first place, we¡¯re not the types who will just move obediently when we know a strategy has been decided. Everyone in The Dipterous Sword Guild is¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°This time our final goal is to accompany the Saintess to Manrinia and have her perform the purification. So, well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s okay, but please be careful not to let the Saintess or the Prince find out. Other than that, it¡¯s not much different from what we¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°I see. Understood.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re almost there. I¡¯ll leave it to Yuto to persuade her, but you, Second Son, tell the Prince that we¡¯re leaving tonight.¡± ¡°Understood¡­¡­eh? By ¡®leaving it to Yuto¡¯, could it be that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yuto is also one of our comrades from The Dipterous Sword.¡± ¡°Well, it was really just a coincidence that he joined us on this trip.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tedla gazed in amazement at those words. Apparently different from what he thought, it seemed that their surroundings were full of people related to The Dipterous Sword. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tedla¡¯s face stiffened as the campsite came into view. Up until now, in a different sense, he had to go through the days without feeling relief. Chapter 44 - The Royal Capital ¡°Is there any news from the people who went to the Duke Balratona¡¯s house!?¡± ¡°Ha! As usual, it seems that we cannot even enter the grounds of the Duke¡¯s house!!¡± Inside the Royal Castle of Rideiran Kingdom, a disturbing air flowed within the audience hall. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t you enter!? Why isn¡¯t that Galdt responding to my summons!?¡± Sitting on the Throne was the King of Rideiran Kingdom who expressed his annoyance. ¡°What is the situation of the approaching decisive battle with Rulan Kingdom?¡± ¡°Ha! Starting with Duke Balratona, there are no responses from Marquis Armoine, Marquis Leroute, Baron Inmania, Baron Haute, and Viscount Liuchina either. According to the reports of those who have been sent to their respective estates, it seems they are experiencing something similar to Duke Balratona where they cannot even enter the grounds as well.¡± ¡°What in the world is even¡­¡­ what about the others?¡± ¡°There have been responses from the other nobles, but very few replied that they would respond to your summons. The remaining nobles will not leave their territories.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Have you found Akari and her entourage yet?¡± ¡°We still have yet to find them. Out of the 5 areas that are to be purified, only 2 remain. We know that Manrinia is the last destination for the purification, so I have told my men to go ahead and stand by in the remaining area.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­ How is the advance of Rulan Kingdom¡¯s army?¡± ¡°They will be reaching the Port city of Rakayan in a month. If we don¡¯t leave this city by now, it will affect the progress of our army.¡± ¡°Understood. Very well, you may go.¡± The King let out an audible sigh as he watched the soldier who had made the report leave the audience chamber and looked around, idly. ¡°Is Keyhart around?¡± ¡°I am here.¡± A bespectacled man with black hair and eyes came forward at the King¡¯s call. ¡°How is the progress of The Special Command Force?¡± ¡°We¡¯re working diligently to get the supplies. We¡¯ll be dispersed in groups of three to each place, with each group procuring horses, food, and weapons.¡± ¡°I see. What about the battle participation¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That is impossible. Even if I say that Captain Famiras has entrusted me with The Special Command Force in the absence of the Captain and Vice-Captain, I am merely there to unite the squad. I cannot hand out orders to the troops, and even if I could, no one would obey me. At most, please be thankful that we are even procuring the supplies.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The bespectacled man possessing black hair and eyes was called Keyhart, an officer of The Special Command Forces. Now that Captain Famiras and Vice-Captain Heine have disappeared, this man is the one uniting the Special Command Force. He did not kneel before the King and simply stated the information in a matter-of-fact manner. The wrinkles forming between his eyebrows indicated that he was not in a good mood. ¡°O King, it is not too late yet. We must inform the citizens of the war with Rulan Kingdom.¡± ¡°There you go again. Even so, my answer will not change. I have no intention of informing them. Look at the state of this country right now. Frightened by the demons and robbed of their homes and wealth by the taint, the people became bandits and started incidents all over the place. The brunt of their anger is directed at us. Go ahead and try to publicize the war with other countries here and now. It is us whom the people will bare their fangs to.¡± ¡°However, there is no way that this kind of thing can be hidden forever. They will find out one way or another. At the very least, it would not be hidden from the people living in Rakayan where the battle with Rulan Kingdom will take place. It is with your order that the information not be leaked to the outside, but once it does, the facts that have been concealed from the people will surely incite their anger.¡± ¡°And when that happens, it will be you Knights who will silence everything with force! If they are against me, then, they are no longer my people!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡± As opposed to the emotionally rough voice of the King, Keyhart nodded as he answered in an eerily quiet voice and, no longer having a purpose to stay, curtly bowed and turned on his heel. Panicking, the King called out to stop him. ¡°Wait!! Where are you going?¡± ¡°I am also a part of The Special Command Forces, so, I am on my way to procure supplies.¡± ¡°You cannot!! You have to stay with me!¡± ¡°O King, have you forgotten?¡± Keyhart let out an exasperated sigh, as he turned around to meet the King. ¡°The Special Command Force will only obey, no one but Captain Famiras¡¯ or Vice-Captain Heine¡¯s orders. Therefore, even if you are the King, we shall not obey your orders.¡± ¡°You are stubbornly selfish!!¡± ¡°But, was it not you who allowed it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!£¿¡± ¡°Well, then, please excuse me.¡± Keyhart slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked at the King¡¯s hate-filled face, and, compared to earlier, politely bowed and exited the audience chamber. ¡°Haaaaah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey hey, you look pretty tired Keyhart!!¡± A voice immediately called out to Keyhart as he let out a heavy sigh after leaving the Royal Castle. With a tap on his shoulder, Keyhart turned to face two men. ¡°Lunard, and Sesshura, too. Sorry I made you wait.¡± ¡°If you say that again, we won¡¯t wait for you anymore. And? How was the King?¡± Between the two, it was the one called Sesshura who asked. ¡°I¡¯m shocked, really. I was already aware of it, but he truly does not have the qualities fit for a King. His foolishness is outstanding¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ohhh, if you¡¯re going as far as to say that, then he must deserve it.¡± ¡°Only valuing his own reputation, he refuses to inform the people and says that those who oppose him are no longer his people. Moreover, he also said that the Knights will be used to silence everything with force.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cruel thing to say, oi¡­¡± ¡°But, if the king affirms that, it means he can¡¯t say anything about what we¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s going to be like that, huh?¡± If you want to silence everything by force, then that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. However, be it fortunate or unfortunate, it is not the people of this country whom the force will be directed to. We don¡¯t really want ¡®power¡¯. What we want to accomplish is ¡®revenge¡¯, what we want is ¡®land¡¯. Neither status nor power is necessary. Of course, if they were to turn their blades on us, we would not condone it, but it is unlikely that their blades would be directed at us. ¡°Well, shall we depart as well? Heine-sama is waiting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Manrinia, huh. It¡¯s pretty far, but will we make it? ¡°We are supposed to join up with someone from The Dipterous Sword along the way. From there, it seems that that person will secure transportation, so let¡¯s ride the horses until we get there for the time being.¡± ¡°Heeeh! It¡¯s my first time meeting someone from The Dipterous Sword guild, who isn¡¯t the Captain or the Vice-Captain. Are they a Two-Name Holder?¡± ¡°Yes. The Witch of Foresight, Clarina Hamillee-sama.¡± ¡°Uwaa. That¡¯s a pretty famous one. Wasn¡¯t there another Two-Name Holder in Manrinia?¡± ¡°Yes. The Thunder God¡¯s Spearman, Rain Nanasight, is there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as Famiras-sama said, the Two-Name Holders are really running the operations. Amazing.¡± ¡°In terms of war strength, they can really take over the country. And if we join in, it¡¯s about two times the strength instead of one. Now, we¡¯re going nowhere talking like this, we should go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Yes, siree.¡± Nodding at Keyhart¡¯s order, the two fetch the horses tied to a nearby tree. As he mounts one of the steeds, Keyhart looks back at the Royal Castle once. ¡°The Armed Forces aren¡¯t there to silence something. It¡¯s there to take and protect something.¡± Keyhart knew full well that the words he whispered would never reach the people inside. Chapter 45 - Periodic Report ¡°Aaaaarrrgh!! Are we there yet?¡± It had been about two weeks since they left Fiminan when Akari spoke up. ¡°Fuyune, the next location for the purification, will still take us a week of traveling. Please bear with it.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t slept properly on a bed for a long time, and my skin has gone rough from traveling at night!! Even the number of villages we stop by has decreased! How much longer will we keep on doing this!?¡± ¡°Until the journey ends.¡± ¡°Haaaa!? Are you serious!? So, you¡¯re going to make me live like this till the journey ends!? I can¡¯t believe you!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°N-now, now, Akari, there¡¯s just a bit until this trip ends, right?¡± ¡°Yuto¡­¡­¡± ¡°When you finish purifying the last 2 sites, you will be the savior of this country. And, then, they will thank you after this time. So, let¡¯s be a little more patient, shall we?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what Yuto says¡­¡­¡± Veins popped up on Syltina¡¯s temples as she smiled at Akari, who said this and became docile after being comforted by Yuto. Syltina clenches her fist at Akari¡¯s behavior. ¡°Don¡¯t hit her. I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t hit her, okay?¡± ¡°Ahaha. You¡¯re no fun, Al. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to hit her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes, that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? In that case, won¡¯t you please lower your fist?¡± While Akari and Yuto had entered a world where only the two of them existed, there was Alhart frantically trying to stop Syltina from raising her fist. ((And, that¡¯s how we are right now.)) ¡°Ahahahaha!! You guys must have it rough!! Thanks for your hard work!¡± Even the sighs seemed to come through in the images projected by the Magic Vision as Clarina laughed and thanked Syltina at the same time. ((Geez, I thought it was a different person¡­¡­)) ¡°Sorry, sorry. But, I¡¯m glad things seem to be going well. If this is the case, then, the purification will finish exactly by the end of the war with Rulan Kingdom.¡± ((Yeah. It looks like the war is finally going to start, so we¡¯ll have to move even more carefully from now on.)) ¡°Oh, and by the way, it seems like the Knights have started to hang around Manrinia, recently. I think they¡¯re probably waiting for you so they can carry out their orders to take you to the King as soon as they find Al-kun and Sylti.¡± ((Heeh. But, we won¡¯t be arriving there until the end of the war.)) ¡°Well, they¡¯re in there just in case you don¡¯t get caught, right? I think their first choice is Fuyune, where Sylti and the others are headed to now.¡± ((Ahh, that¡¯s right. I wonder what I should do¡­¡­)) ¡°Shall I go? I¡¯ll set up an invisibility barrier for you, okay?¡± ((No, it¡¯s fine, but it means you can see from there, right? We¡¯ll be fine, but the Saintess and the Prince are likely to make a fuss¡­¡­)) ¡°Ahh, I see. It¡¯s troublesome, isn¡¯t it?¡± Just as the 2 were thinking of a good way to go around their dilemma, a man calls out to them. ¡°Umm, should we go?¡± Possessing black hair and black eyes, the bespectacled man was one of the men who came back with Clarina to The Dipterous Sword¡¯s encampment near Manrinia 2 weeks ago. ((And you are?)) ¡°Nice to meet you, Syltina-sama. I am Keyhart, an officer serving in The Special Command Force.¡± ((Ahh, from Fara¡¯s unit¡­¡­ Nice to meet you, I am Syltina. So, um, what did you mean about coming here?)) ¡°We, The Special Command Force, are a unit under the Knight¡¯s Commander. And, because of our extraordinary ability, the members of the squad belonging to the Special Forces have the same authority as the Squad Commander. In other words, we can issue orders to them if they are ordinary soldiers.¡± ¡°I see. So you guys will lead those soldiers off before they run into Sylti and the others in Fuyune.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ((That¡¯s a very good suggestion, but if you go to Fuyune from there, won¡¯t we arrive earlier than you?)) ¡°If that¡¯s the problem, then hey, don¡¯t I have Myra?¡± ((Aahh, I see.)) ¡°Then, I and two others will come to meet you.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°For the time being, I¡¯m going to give you a magic circle for Magic Vision, okay? Keyhart will be going in the same way anyway, so why not join Sylti and go back together to Manrinia? That way, you can move immediately if you meet other Knights along the way.¡± ((Certainly. Can I count on you? Keyhart-san.)) ¡°Yes, of course. Then, please contact me when you arrive in Fuyune.¡± ((Understood. I¡¯ll be counting on you.)) ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a bit more, but do your best Sylti.¡± ((You, too.)) With a final wave and a smile, the Magic Vision cuts off. After confirming the disconnection, Clarina turns to face Keyhart who had been standing behind. ¡°So you¡¯re going with Lunard-kun and Sesshura-kun, right?¡± ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s easier for me to work with them. Is that alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I still have to draw the magic circle, so you can¡¯t leave until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll be off to relay it to the two.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be talking to Heine-kun. It¡¯s a pretty important task, so I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Clarina stands up with a stretch and smiles as she sees off Keyhart who firmly nodded and walked away. Standing at the hill overlooking the encampment laid out by The Dipterous Sword, Clarina smiled deeply at the sight. ¡°Everything is going exactly as planned. All that¡¯s left is for the war between the nations to end with Rulan Kingdom¡¯s victory and for Sylti¡¯s party to end the purification journey in Manrinia. Once we¡¯re done with that, we just need to add the finishing touches.¡± When Clarina and Rain landed in Manrinia a few months ago, it was just the two of them and several of their comrades who came along. But now, almost all of the influential allies Syltina made during her time in Rideiran Kingdom and almost half of The Special Command Unit who have been sent to gather supplies from each region have also gathered, causing their numbers to swell into a large group. ¡±How incompetent are the people of this country to not even notice such a large number of moves!?¡± Chuckling, Clarina snaps her fingers. As if in response to the sound, something covered the whole camp and glowed slightly. ¡°Well, I did prepare a lot of things to keep them from noticing, so, as the Witch of Foresight, it¡¯s only natural to get this kind of result!¡± Smiling with satisfaction at the invisible wards that have been activated throughout the entire camp with no problems, Clarina noticed a figure coming up the hill and gave a big wave as he walked toward her. ¡°Ooooi!! Hein-kun, nice timing!¡± ¡°Nice timing¡­¡­ I just had a strange feeling so I went here, but if you don¡¯t need anything from me, can I go back?¡± The person who possessed short, silver hair and deep crimson eyes returned a wry smile at Clarina who waved and smiled. This person was Heine Milberia, the Vice-Captain of the Royal Knight Order and The Special Command Force. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding!! You can¡¯t go back yet. I have something to tell you, so listen to me.¡± Heine laughs out loud at Clarina who hurriedly tries to keep him from leaving and urges her to talk. ¡°I will be sending out Keyhart-kun, Lunard-kun, and Sesshura-kun to work on a different task tomorrow.¡± ¡°Aaah, those 3, huh? Got it. What did you ask them to do?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him, it¡¯s more like he took it upon himself. I am sending them to take care of the Knights who are probably lying in wait at Sylti and her party¡¯s next destination. Then, they¡¯re going to join Sylti and head together to Manrinia.¡± ¡°I see. Those 3 will do their job well, so rest assured.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Are there any other messages from the others?¡± ¡°I received word from Kamina-kun, who is working with the Rulan Kingdom army. He said they¡¯ll be landing in 3 days.¡± Clarina remembers the communications she just received yesterday. The youth known to the public as The Ingenious General, Kamina Roulans reported to her with a joyful look in his golden eyes that peeked from his fine, brown hair. ¡°After 3 days¡­¡­ the war will probably start at the same time. After all, the Kingdom of Rideiran doesn¡¯t want to fight this war. I¡¯m sure they want to finish it before the people find out about it. Well, unfortunately, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they find out.¡± ¡°The second-largest port in the country, Rakayan, is a battlefield, so they can¡¯t hide it. I¡¯m certain the battle won¡¯t take too long to finish. Kamina-kun was very enthusiastic.¡± ¡°Relative to his second name, he really loves to fight, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Fufufu. That¡¯s where Rideiran Kingdom experiences its first despair. They will be defeated by an enemy that is supposed to be weaker than them by an overwhelming difference in power.¡± ¡°What do you think happens after that? Clarina laughs at Heine¡¯s question. Chapter 46 - Anticipating the Future And so, she who possessed the name Witch of Foresight talked about the future that she had in mind. ¡°The King will probably run. However, there is quite a distance if he is going to escape to the Royal Capital. Even so, it is unlikely that they will be able to gather a group capable of the opposing Rulan Kingdom in the cities near Rakayan. On the contrary, it cannot be said whether the people will stand up in arms and rebel against the King who had been silent about the war in the end. The King of Rideiran Kingdom will probably be surrounded by enemies on all sides.¡± He reaps what he sows, Heine nodded to a laughing Clarina. ¡°And? If that happens, what will the King do?¡± ¡°He. Will. Come. Here.¡± ¡°By ¡®here¡¯, you mean here in Manrinia?¡± ¡°Yes, here in Manrinia.¡± ¡°Heeh. And why is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the Saintess will be here. And, Sylti and Al, too. Additionally, so is the Prince and Balratona Duke House¡¯s Second Son. And, there will probably be an order for the Knights to accompany Sylti and the others, and a separate order, among others.¡± ¡°A different order?¡± ¡°After the purification, Manrinia will be placed under the Knight¡¯s control and they will try to secure the Saintess. Or, so I expect. Probably. That¡¯s why the King will come to Manrinia. And, then, he¡¯s going to use the remaining Knights and Sylti as an additional war power to challenge Rulan Kingdom again, I guess. Well, he might also use Sylti as a shield against the other Dipterous Sword allies fighting in Rulan Kingdom¡¯s side, or maybe turn them to his side.¡± Clarina, who spoke as if she enjoyed the moment, finally could not hold it in and burst out laughing. ¡°Fufufufu! Ahahahaha! I feel sorry for the people who don¡¯t know we¡¯re here and are heading to Manrinia!! When they find out, they will experience despair for a second time!! There will be absolutely no hope for them!! They will only be continuously driven to despair!! I¡¯m so, so, soooo excited! I can finally take revenge on those who hurt Sylti!! I wonder how long I¡¯ll have to wait!!¡± Clarina laughs delightedly, as if she were truly enjoying. In turn, Heine smiles widely at Clarina. ¡°Really, my comrades sure have very unique personalities. The closer the end is, the more excitable they get.¡± ¡°That includes Heine-kun, too, of course.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Laughing, the two were unaware that the other fellows at the camp were throwing complicated looks their way. ©`©`©`©`©` ©`©`©` ©` ¡°Uwah, they sure look like they¡¯re havin¡¯ so much fun over there¡­¡­¡± While watching Clarina and Heine, who are laughing happily on the hill, Rain conversely smiles confusedly. And, maintaining the smile, Rain reports to the person whose figure appears in the magic circle. ¡°Everything is in order, and there haven¡¯t been any problems so far, Master.¡± ((Seems like it, huh. I¡¯m relieved.)) Answering to Rain¡¯s report with a smile of his own, was Ait Blurant?, the Guild Master of the Mercenary Guild, The Dipterous Sword. ((We¡¯re also arriving there tomorrow.)) ¡°Izzat so!? Ah, but ya can¡¯t go any slower, right?¡± ((That¡¯s right. Those who are in charge of controlling the soldiers of Rulan Kingdom will leave for Rakayan in 3 days.)) ¡°That¡¯s a pretty tough schedule, innit?¡± ((I am staying on standby in the Shield¡¯s Perch Headquarter Ship, but the people who are going with Elaine-san sure have it hard. It would be nice if we could land from Rakayan though¡­¡­)) ¡°They¡¯re being suspected after all, aren¡¯t they?¡± ((Yes. That¡¯s why, even if it¡¯s a bit hard to do, I decided to dock at Manrinia for a while, and from there, head on to Rakayan. I want Clarina to set up an invisible barrier for those who will be going.)) ¡°If it¡¯s an invisible barrier, can¡¯t Master put it up? I mean, there are also other people who can do it over there, right?¡± ((Well, there is, but Clarina-san¡¯s barriers are more stable, and the structure is better, at any rate. I figured it¡¯s safer to entrust it to people who specialize in it.)) ¡°That said, Clarina-san¡¯s a Commander, too, isn¡¯t she?¡± ((For me, classifying her as a wizard is fine though. I mean, it¡¯s not unusual for members of The Dipterous Sword to be capable with swords, magic, and commanding after all.)) ¡°Nah, Kura-san¡¯s pretty bad with swords.¡± ((Oh, is that so?)) ¡°There was one time when I joined Kura-san¡¯s sword practice, but I was almost killed when the sword slipped from her hands¡­¡­¡± ((My, my¡­¡­)) Ait also felt uneasy as he saw how Rain turned pale and shivered as he recounted the moment. If there are things one is good at, of course, there will also be some areas where one is not. Ait decided to keep Clarina from handling a sword from then on. ¡°Well, see you tomorrow, Master.¡± ((Yes. Well, even if I say that we¡¯ll be immediately returning to the ship anyway¡­¡­but, you too, don¡¯t just easily put your guard down at the end, got it?)) ¡°I know. I mean, it¡¯s our time to shine after all!¡± ((That¡¯s right. It¡¯s showtime from now on. Make sure you succeed, okay?)) ¡°Absolutely!!¡± Ait once again smiled at Rain who answered energetically, before cutting the call off. ¡°Won¡¯t be long now.¡± With a face similarly reflecting the enjoyment of the two on the hill, Rain uttered in a voice that bounded with excitement. Chapter 47 - Linking Up Several days later, Keyhart and the others who arrived at Fuyune were giving orders to the Knights lying in wait there. ¡°But, we received an order from the King.¡± ¡°The King has sent us with further orders. We will take over from here, and you will go to Rakayan to prepare for engaging in battle with Rulan Kingdom. Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°Ha!!¡± After confirming that the Knights who had made a clean bow had left, Keyhart takes out the magic circle he received from Clarina and contacts Syltina. Several days after that, they joined up with Syltina who had arrived in Fuyune. ¡°You must be the Saintess¡¯ party, correct?¡± ¡°Eh? Who are you?¡± Syltina, who had left to scout Fuyune, returned with 3 men in tow. Out of the 3 of them, it was the bespectacled man with black hair and black eyes who talked to Akari. ¡°It seems they are from the Knights¡¯ Order.¡± ¡°Knights Order?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Saintess. I am Keyhart of the Royal Knights. And, these two are,-¡± ¡°Lunard. Nice meeting you.¡± A muscular man with short, dark gray hair and ultramarine eyes gave a small wave of his hand as he introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Sesshura. Let¡¯s get along, okay?¡± Smiling as he introduced himself was a man with light, quirky blond hair and deep green eyes, who could easily be mistaken as a woman due to his features and small build. ¡°It seems they were sent here on orders from the King to accompany us.¡± ¡°If we had known sooner, we could have joined up with you earlier, but¡­¡­I apologize for joining you this late in the journey.¡± ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, on that note, they will be accompanying us on the trip from now on. We will be talking to the three of you later, so we can tell you about the details of the purification of Fuyune tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. Understood.¡± ©`©`©` ©` And, so, that night, Syltina gathered everybody except Akari, Frackt, Mars, and Yuto. ¡°Uh¡­ umm¡­.Where is Yuto-san¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yuto is watching over the Saintess. Well, the Saintess, the Prince, and the Child are sound asleep, so they should be fine, but I had him stay over just in case. The Saintess is docile as long as Yuto is around after all.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s like that¡­¡­¡­But, um¡­¡± Smiling, Syltina explained. Milliane nodded her agreement, but warily glanced at the person behind her at the next moment. ¡°Is it alright for Tedla-sama to be here, too¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tedla unintentionally raises his voice at the sudden mention of his name. ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry!! Umm¡­ Tedla-san didn¡¯t do anything wrong, it¡¯s¡­¡­ just, um¡­.¡± ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s alright. I get what you¡¯re trying to say, so, please calm down.¡± Tedla chuckles and calms Millianne down as she rushes to excuse herself. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If I were in your situation, I would also have the same doubts.¡± ¡°Eh? Then,¡­¡­ ¡° ¡°The both of you are wondering why the other is here, aren¡¯t you?¡± The two of them nod at Syltina¡¯s guess. ¡°The two of you haven¡¯t talked to each other yet, have you? Milliane-sama, despite knowing what we are trying to do, Tedla-sama switched over to our side. Tedla-sama, I have already talked to Milliane-sama about our circumstances since the start of the journey and she has been cooperating with us ever since.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The two were astonished at Syltina¡¯s brief explanation. ¡°By the way, you might have noticed it, but, the 3 people who have joined us today, Keyhart-san, Lunard-san, and Sesshura-san are also on our side.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve somehow noticed it as well, but¡­¡­ what do the Knights have to do with us?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± The one who answered Tedla¡¯s question was Lunard. ¡°We are from the Special Command Forces, but we do not belong to The Dipterous Sword Guild.¡± ¡°But, when this case ends without any incident, it has been decided that we will also be registering with The Dipterous Sword. ¡°Eh, p-please wait!!¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up, Second Son? ¡°Um, if the members of the Special Command Forces¡­¡­ register with the guild once this ends¡­¡­ does this mean that everyone from the Special Command Force is¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, they belong to our side. In the first place, their Captain, Famiras, and their Vice-Captain, Heine, originally belong to the Guild after all.¡± ¡°Captain Famiras and Vice-Captain Heine, too¡­¡­but, the two of them became Captain and Vice-Captain about 5 years ago. Which one came first?¡± ¡°Well, their membership with us came first, of course. Those two entered the Order for the sake of the plan, you see.¡± ¡°Then, this plan has already been created a long time ago? But, wait. I mean, if you don¡¯t know what happens in the future¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you know the Witch of Foresight?¡± ¡°Yes, I know of her, but¡­¡­but doesn¡¯t she make her predictions based on foresight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the general public knows. It¡¯s not exactly wrong, but it¡¯s not exactly right either.¡± ¡°Which means¡­?¡± ¡°She can see the future.¡± ¡°The future¡­¡­? So, that¡¯s what this is all about?¡± ¡°No. What she saw 2 years ago was until the events that transpired around me. The events that followed thereafter, especially the things that are happening now, is a result of the created plan that was based on her foresight that utilized prediction, speculation, guesswork, and anticipation.¡± ¡°Two years ago¡­¡­? Then, you knew about everything that happened 2 years ago? If you knew beforehand, then, why¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as changing your fate just because you know it. At that time I knew what would happen to me in the future and understood that it was inescapable at the same time. But, I believed. I believed in the bonds that I fostered with the people around me for years. But, the people I believed in¡­¡­ it wasn¡¯t the case for the people around me. The people I believed in didn¡¯t believe me. That¡¯s why that incident happened 2 years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aaand, that¡¯s enough of the meaningless chatter. I didn¡¯t ask you all to come here to talk about this. Let¡¯s talk about our next move from here.¡± Only Tedla looked at Syltina with a complicated expression when she changed the topic as if nothing happened.