I quickly ran to the window facing the palace and opened it wide. The view was very different from the morning.
"Oh my god."
“The chaos they caused at dawn was a warning.”
Rudnine hummed softly.
Even though it was daytime, the sky was dark and gloomy, overcast with clouds. The Verbent Palace was engulfed in a swirling blue and crimson flame and black smoke.
Kiiiiit!
And countless monsters, brought by the warlocks at some unknown time, swarmed around the palace, roaring so loudly it hurt the ears.
It was so terrifying that my body was shaking.
Suddenly, a black lightning bolt struck the center of the capital from afar, and people's screams echoed.
A cold sweat ran down my face.
I never thought you'd bring a monster.
It was a pretty good trick to fill the weakness of the lack of knights and soldiers with monsters.
I thought all warlocks were idiots, but they sure have a good strategy.
'It's just the beginning.'
I held Rudnine's hand tightly and smiled brightly on purpose.
“See you again, Rudd!”
“...Be careful.”
So we let go of each other's hands, which we never wanted to let go of.
“Carol, put this on.”
"Yes."
“This one too.”
"Yes."
"Ah! These earrings have been updated to the latest version. Come on, come on."
In the lab, I gave Carol some useful practical magic artifacts in addition to the earring-shaped bomb magic artifacts and defensive artifacts I had prepared in advance.
As I was watching Carol wear it without saying a word, I turned around and asked the woman who was waiting silently with her hands behind her back.
“Don’t we need team leader Triet?”
“I’m fine. And it would be more comfortable if you called me Rosie like last time.”
She shrugged and pointed to the thin spears and several sharp daggers strapped to the thighs of her leather trousers.
I sighed and shrugged.
“Are you sure you want to go with me? I can go alone. And you too, Carol...”
“Please let me protect you only until the palace.”
"My Lady! Team Leader Triet and I will definitely be of help, so please stop refusing."
Rosie and Carol spoke in succession, their faces serious.
'Ugh.'
Carol followed me, saying that it would be better to take me with her than to look at the secret map of the palace provided by the Demirant Guild.
Guild leader Elerry Demirant came and bragged for a long time about how Carol was the brightest and most intelligent person in the guild, with spittle flying from her mouth...
Actually, I needed someone to help me quickly enter the palace.
'Yeah, Carol is like that, though.'
I looked at Rosie with troubled eyes.
Although I reiterated that it would be sufficient to simply go with the familiar, Rudnine begged me to please go with her.
"Yvonne grew up in the capital and probably never really fought against monsters. Please take Team Leader Triet with you."
It was difficult to refuse the request he left behind as he led the soldiers on a hasty march to the palace, so I brought her with me for now...
'Carol knows everything, but this guy doesn't know I use a familiar. It's burdensome.'
I hesitated and thought about it again.
But then, Rosie glanced at Jan, who was flying around us, and said something to him.
"Princess, I've already explained your concerns to the Duke. Trust my loyalty and fully utilize your abilities."
"Ah!"
I opened my eyes wide in surprise.
Rosie smiled softly and lowered her eyes, pretending not to know.
“Don’t be afraid. In fact, I admire you for accomplishing what others can’t.”
My heart was touched.
I remembered the last promise Rudnine had made to me.
Even if I were to become a warlock, he said he would prepare a world where I could live proudly.
'I think that might really happen.'
Rosie's eyes were sincere and clear, without a trace of falsehood. Who else could be as unbiased as Rudnine or Carol?
'Or was it that I was too distrustful of the people of the world?'
As I looked at her red hair and familiar features, I felt the same sense of unease that had come to me when I first saw her.
So I tilted my head and asked cautiously.
"Rosie. Your face looks familiar. Have we seen you before? Were you originally a noble?"
"Huh? No. I grew up as an informant, so that's unlikely. If you're familiar with my face..."
Rosie smiled brightly and pointed to her own face.
"You have a keen eye. Do you remember Madam Floria, the wife of the manager of the Iels Townhouse? I'm their daughter, and I often hear people say I look just like my mother."
“Oh, that’s right! Madame Floria!”
Now that my doubts were resolved, I hit my palm with my fist and smiled brightly.
The woman in the Iels Capital Townhouse who treated me with such warmth and force, saying that she admired my mother, who had the nickname 'Fire Fist'!
"I'm quite physically gifted, just like my mother. So I won't be a burden, Princess."
'She likes that because she takes after her mother.'
Suddenly, Rosie felt very friendly.
After deciding to take both of them, I went out to the living room, where an unexpected person was waiting for me sitting on the sofa.
"Uh?"
Liana slid towards me, startled, and whispered.
“Consort Evelyn has requested to see you, Your Grace.”
“Ah. That, that’s right.”
I approached her in a daze.
Evelyn Rumia Verbent, emperor concubine.
I heard that she became delusional after being poisoned, but that she has recently received treatment and is improving.
I knew he was staying at our mansion, but he was mostly in his room, so today was the first time we met in person.
I stood in front of her and greeted her cautiously.
“I greet you, Your Highness.”
“Yvonne doesn’t look like Camilla.”
Consort Evelyn, who was smiling brightly, suddenly mentioned my mother's name, so I was startled and froze.
'Uh?'
The maid serving her hurriedly made an excuse, perhaps misunderstanding my reaction.
“Please understand, Your Grace. Her Highness is not yet fully recovered...”
“No, it’s okay.”
I cut off the maid's words and approached Consort Evelyn.
“Your Highness, do you know my mother?”
"Yeah. I forgot, but coming here reminded me. It's been a while since I saw Camilla's portrait."
Consort Evelyn nodded, her eyes shining brightly. She was clearly still recovering, lacking the dignity of a royal family member.
But still, her appearance was so innocent and beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off her.
Who would have thought she had a connection with my mother...
Consort Evelyn looked at me closely and smiled faintly.
“But looking at it again, it seems similar. The expression, the atmosphere...”
She suddenly grabbed my hand and lifted it up, her eyes widening.
“Is Yvonne strong too?”
“Oh, yes.”
“That’s right. Camilla did the same.”
Watching her giggle, I felt strangely relaxed.
What a delightful person you are.
"Your Highness. Princess Argenthoz must also go out now."
As the maid whispered in her ear, Consort Evelyn nodded and thrust something in her hand at me.
"This is what Camilla gave me a long time ago. I drank poison and forgot about it. I'm sorry, I remembered now. I'll give it to you."
“What is this?”
“I don’t know because I can’t read.”
The crumpled paper had turned yellow with age, as if it had been carefully stored for a long time.
But I could tell it was an envelope.
'Letter?'
Kwakwakwang―!
Another terrible roar rang out.
"This."
As I turned my head and looked out the window, Consort Evelyn spoke again.
"Take care and have a good trip. I'll work hard to stay alive. I'll get well soon and tell you about Camilla."
Consort Evelyn's earnest words, as she stammered but tried her best, touched my heart.
Before I knew it, my eyes turned red and my nose started to sting.
“...Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.”
"Yes."
“I’ll be back soon.”
I put my mother's old letter in my bosom and greeted her as politely as I could.
Maybe because my mother was a knight, she didn't write much.
He was a person who didn't leave behind even a single diary or letter, yet I received something so precious.
Consort Evelyn came to see me on purpose, even though I was jumping into a dangerous situation.
I was grateful to her for giving me the will to live, and I felt anew that she was amazing.
Even though she is suffering from the aftereffects of drinking poison, how great must she have been originally?
I left the mansion with a complicated mind, sighing softly and muttering.
“I didn’t know that my late mother and Consort Evelyn were so close.”
Even Father doesn't know about the relationship between the two of them. And Mother... she's really good at keeping secrets.
Did Evelyn say that this is how I resemble my mother?
Anyway, there was no time to check the letter right now.
Before I left, I gave Carol and Rosie one last, firm warning.
"I'm leaving now. But at the most crucial moment, I'll be moving alone. At that time, you must follow my orders unconditionally. There's no room for compromise."
"Yes."
"Yes!"
This time, I liked the answers of both people who answered neatly without adding any extra details.
“Oh... I’m surprised to smell hell again here.”
As I started to run quickly, Pembe, who was in my bag, poked his head out and muttered towards the Verbent Palace.
“Is this the smell of hell?”
"Hmm. It looks like the gateway to liberation is opening. It looks like something's leaking out from there."
“Damn it. I'd better hurry.”
I gritted my teeth to gain some more speed.
I glanced behind me, worried that the two people wouldn't be able to keep up, but Rosie and Carol were keeping up pretty well.
Rosie was originally a well-trained agent, and Carol was different this time because I cast a speed spell on her.
"Ah."
But soon after, I stopped when I saw several large monsters causing a ruckus on the road leading to Nasiel District.
Krrrrrr!
I clicked my tongue when I saw who was fighting the monsters.
'These are the knights and soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment.'
The 2nd Regiment is led by Marquis Floss.
If everything goes according to plan, we should have already advanced to the Verbent Palace and done our part, but what if the 3rd Battalion struggles only near the Nasiel District?
Pembe shouted while I was biting my lower lip.
"Yvonne, there's a warlock over there!"
"Ah!"
I quickly looked at where Pembe was pointing and clearly saw two warlocks hiding by the window on the second floor of the building.
They were occasionally attacking with black magic, protecting the monsters, and giving the knights and soldiers a hard time.
'Those guys.'
I called Jan without hesitation.
"Yes, Yvonne!"
"Jan. Sneak up on those warlocks over there and harass them a little. Come back as soon as I call."
"I'll be back, Yvonne!"
“Thank you. Don’t get hurt, Jan.”
As Jan flapped his wings and flew towards the building where the warlocks were hiding, I took off again.
“Ugh!”
Hmm. I think I told Jan to tease them a little bit...
As I was running, I happened to see Jan attacking the warlocks, and it was quite horrifying, so I was startled.
A dull thud, and a scream of pain and blood gushing out...
'I can't look at it anymore.'
I shook my head.
“Jan is as aggressive as he looks, isn’t he?”
When Carol, who was running behind me, exclaimed in a proud voice, I asked in surprise.
"Carol, are you serious? What on earth is it about that cute, fluffy Jan?!"
"Yes, of course. Just looking at him, he looks like a mad bird, blazing with rage! Of all the Princess's familiars, I like Jan the best."
Carol smiled brightly and answered quickly.
"I always thought, but she's not normal either."
Pembe, who was hiding in my bag, muttered in a serious tone. I awkwardly raised the corners of my mouth and quietly agreed with Pembe.
"That's right."
As I continued to run towards the Verbent Palace, the situation in the capital became more apparent, and I couldn't help but groan.
It was difficult to move around as buildings were destroyed and roads were damaged as if they had been bombed.
"Oh my god."
“The chaos they caused at dawn was a warning.”
Rudnine hummed softly.
Even though it was daytime, the sky was dark and gloomy, overcast with clouds. The Verbent Palace was engulfed in a swirling blue and crimson flame and black smoke.
Kiiiiit!
And countless monsters, brought by the warlocks at some unknown time, swarmed around the palace, roaring so loudly it hurt the ears.
It was so terrifying that my body was shaking.
Suddenly, a black lightning bolt struck the center of the capital from afar, and people's screams echoed.
A cold sweat ran down my face.
I never thought you'd bring a monster.
It was a pretty good trick to fill the weakness of the lack of knights and soldiers with monsters.
I thought all warlocks were idiots, but they sure have a good strategy.
'It's just the beginning.'
I held Rudnine's hand tightly and smiled brightly on purpose.
“See you again, Rudd!”
“...Be careful.”
So we let go of each other's hands, which we never wanted to let go of.
***
“Carol, put this on.”
"Yes."
“This one too.”
"Yes."
"Ah! These earrings have been updated to the latest version. Come on, come on."
In the lab, I gave Carol some useful practical magic artifacts in addition to the earring-shaped bomb magic artifacts and defensive artifacts I had prepared in advance.
As I was watching Carol wear it without saying a word, I turned around and asked the woman who was waiting silently with her hands behind her back.
“Don’t we need team leader Triet?”
“I’m fine. And it would be more comfortable if you called me Rosie like last time.”
She shrugged and pointed to the thin spears and several sharp daggers strapped to the thighs of her leather trousers.
I sighed and shrugged.
“Are you sure you want to go with me? I can go alone. And you too, Carol...”
“Please let me protect you only until the palace.”
"My Lady! Team Leader Triet and I will definitely be of help, so please stop refusing."
Rosie and Carol spoke in succession, their faces serious.
'Ugh.'
Carol followed me, saying that it would be better to take me with her than to look at the secret map of the palace provided by the Demirant Guild.
Guild leader Elerry Demirant came and bragged for a long time about how Carol was the brightest and most intelligent person in the guild, with spittle flying from her mouth...
Actually, I needed someone to help me quickly enter the palace.
'Yeah, Carol is like that, though.'
I looked at Rosie with troubled eyes.
Although I reiterated that it would be sufficient to simply go with the familiar, Rudnine begged me to please go with her.
"Yvonne grew up in the capital and probably never really fought against monsters. Please take Team Leader Triet with you."
It was difficult to refuse the request he left behind as he led the soldiers on a hasty march to the palace, so I brought her with me for now...
'Carol knows everything, but this guy doesn't know I use a familiar. It's burdensome.'
I hesitated and thought about it again.
But then, Rosie glanced at Jan, who was flying around us, and said something to him.
"Princess, I've already explained your concerns to the Duke. Trust my loyalty and fully utilize your abilities."
"Ah!"
I opened my eyes wide in surprise.
Rosie smiled softly and lowered her eyes, pretending not to know.
“Don’t be afraid. In fact, I admire you for accomplishing what others can’t.”
My heart was touched.
I remembered the last promise Rudnine had made to me.
Even if I were to become a warlock, he said he would prepare a world where I could live proudly.
'I think that might really happen.'
Rosie's eyes were sincere and clear, without a trace of falsehood. Who else could be as unbiased as Rudnine or Carol?
'Or was it that I was too distrustful of the people of the world?'
As I looked at her red hair and familiar features, I felt the same sense of unease that had come to me when I first saw her.
So I tilted my head and asked cautiously.
"Rosie. Your face looks familiar. Have we seen you before? Were you originally a noble?"
"Huh? No. I grew up as an informant, so that's unlikely. If you're familiar with my face..."
Rosie smiled brightly and pointed to her own face.
"You have a keen eye. Do you remember Madam Floria, the wife of the manager of the Iels Townhouse? I'm their daughter, and I often hear people say I look just like my mother."
“Oh, that’s right! Madame Floria!”
Now that my doubts were resolved, I hit my palm with my fist and smiled brightly.
The woman in the Iels Capital Townhouse who treated me with such warmth and force, saying that she admired my mother, who had the nickname 'Fire Fist'!
"I'm quite physically gifted, just like my mother. So I won't be a burden, Princess."
'She likes that because she takes after her mother.'
Suddenly, Rosie felt very friendly.
After deciding to take both of them, I went out to the living room, where an unexpected person was waiting for me sitting on the sofa.
"Uh?"
Liana slid towards me, startled, and whispered.
“Consort Evelyn has requested to see you, Your Grace.”
“Ah. That, that’s right.”
I approached her in a daze.
Evelyn Rumia Verbent, emperor concubine.
I heard that she became delusional after being poisoned, but that she has recently received treatment and is improving.
I knew he was staying at our mansion, but he was mostly in his room, so today was the first time we met in person.
I stood in front of her and greeted her cautiously.
“I greet you, Your Highness.”
“Yvonne doesn’t look like Camilla.”
Consort Evelyn, who was smiling brightly, suddenly mentioned my mother's name, so I was startled and froze.
'Uh?'
The maid serving her hurriedly made an excuse, perhaps misunderstanding my reaction.
“Please understand, Your Grace. Her Highness is not yet fully recovered...”
“No, it’s okay.”
I cut off the maid's words and approached Consort Evelyn.
“Your Highness, do you know my mother?”
"Yeah. I forgot, but coming here reminded me. It's been a while since I saw Camilla's portrait."
Consort Evelyn nodded, her eyes shining brightly. She was clearly still recovering, lacking the dignity of a royal family member.
But still, her appearance was so innocent and beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off her.
Who would have thought she had a connection with my mother...
Consort Evelyn looked at me closely and smiled faintly.
“But looking at it again, it seems similar. The expression, the atmosphere...”
She suddenly grabbed my hand and lifted it up, her eyes widening.
“Is Yvonne strong too?”
“Oh, yes.”
“That’s right. Camilla did the same.”
Watching her giggle, I felt strangely relaxed.
What a delightful person you are.
"Your Highness. Princess Argenthoz must also go out now."
As the maid whispered in her ear, Consort Evelyn nodded and thrust something in her hand at me.
"This is what Camilla gave me a long time ago. I drank poison and forgot about it. I'm sorry, I remembered now. I'll give it to you."
“What is this?”
“I don’t know because I can’t read.”
The crumpled paper had turned yellow with age, as if it had been carefully stored for a long time.
But I could tell it was an envelope.
'Letter?'
Kwakwakwang―!
Another terrible roar rang out.
"This."
As I turned my head and looked out the window, Consort Evelyn spoke again.
"Take care and have a good trip. I'll work hard to stay alive. I'll get well soon and tell you about Camilla."
Consort Evelyn's earnest words, as she stammered but tried her best, touched my heart.
Before I knew it, my eyes turned red and my nose started to sting.
“...Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.”
"Yes."
“I’ll be back soon.”
I put my mother's old letter in my bosom and greeted her as politely as I could.
Maybe because my mother was a knight, she didn't write much.
He was a person who didn't leave behind even a single diary or letter, yet I received something so precious.
Consort Evelyn came to see me on purpose, even though I was jumping into a dangerous situation.
I was grateful to her for giving me the will to live, and I felt anew that she was amazing.
Even though she is suffering from the aftereffects of drinking poison, how great must she have been originally?
I left the mansion with a complicated mind, sighing softly and muttering.
“I didn’t know that my late mother and Consort Evelyn were so close.”
Even Father doesn't know about the relationship between the two of them. And Mother... she's really good at keeping secrets.
Did Evelyn say that this is how I resemble my mother?
Anyway, there was no time to check the letter right now.
Before I left, I gave Carol and Rosie one last, firm warning.
"I'm leaving now. But at the most crucial moment, I'll be moving alone. At that time, you must follow my orders unconditionally. There's no room for compromise."
"Yes."
"Yes!"
This time, I liked the answers of both people who answered neatly without adding any extra details.
“Oh... I’m surprised to smell hell again here.”
As I started to run quickly, Pembe, who was in my bag, poked his head out and muttered towards the Verbent Palace.
“Is this the smell of hell?”
"Hmm. It looks like the gateway to liberation is opening. It looks like something's leaking out from there."
“Damn it. I'd better hurry.”
I gritted my teeth to gain some more speed.
I glanced behind me, worried that the two people wouldn't be able to keep up, but Rosie and Carol were keeping up pretty well.
Rosie was originally a well-trained agent, and Carol was different this time because I cast a speed spell on her.
"Ah."
But soon after, I stopped when I saw several large monsters causing a ruckus on the road leading to Nasiel District.
Krrrrrr!
I clicked my tongue when I saw who was fighting the monsters.
'These are the knights and soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment.'
The 2nd Regiment is led by Marquis Floss.
If everything goes according to plan, we should have already advanced to the Verbent Palace and done our part, but what if the 3rd Battalion struggles only near the Nasiel District?
Pembe shouted while I was biting my lower lip.
"Yvonne, there's a warlock over there!"
"Ah!"
I quickly looked at where Pembe was pointing and clearly saw two warlocks hiding by the window on the second floor of the building.
They were occasionally attacking with black magic, protecting the monsters, and giving the knights and soldiers a hard time.
'Those guys.'
I called Jan without hesitation.
"Yes, Yvonne!"
"Jan. Sneak up on those warlocks over there and harass them a little. Come back as soon as I call."
"I'll be back, Yvonne!"
“Thank you. Don’t get hurt, Jan.”
As Jan flapped his wings and flew towards the building where the warlocks were hiding, I took off again.
“Ugh!”
Hmm. I think I told Jan to tease them a little bit...
As I was running, I happened to see Jan attacking the warlocks, and it was quite horrifying, so I was startled.
A dull thud, and a scream of pain and blood gushing out...
'I can't look at it anymore.'
I shook my head.
“Jan is as aggressive as he looks, isn’t he?”
When Carol, who was running behind me, exclaimed in a proud voice, I asked in surprise.
"Carol, are you serious? What on earth is it about that cute, fluffy Jan?!"
"Yes, of course. Just looking at him, he looks like a mad bird, blazing with rage! Of all the Princess's familiars, I like Jan the best."
Carol smiled brightly and answered quickly.
"I always thought, but she's not normal either."
Pembe, who was hiding in my bag, muttered in a serious tone. I awkwardly raised the corners of my mouth and quietly agreed with Pembe.
"That's right."
As I continued to run towards the Verbent Palace, the situation in the capital became more apparent, and I couldn't help but groan.
It was difficult to move around as buildings were destroyed and roads were damaged as if they had been bombed.
Comments
Post a Comment