(199) If only I had enjoyed it a little more
Bam.
Ariana stared blankly at Martina, who had lightly jumped down in front of her. Martina, with her scarlet hair and dark skin, had a mischievous look in her eyes, like a child tormenting a small animal.
“I thought you were just a frail Princess, but you ran farther than I expected. You’re a good runner. Oh, what’s with that look? Didn’t you think we might be following you?”
Ariana swallowed a hollow laugh.
She felt pathetic for thinking she could escape by running faster than them.
No matter how much she pestered Geor and Lanster to learn self-defense and physical training, she could not defeat enemies who had spent their entire lives training in just four years.
Ariana sensed a presence behind her as well. She could tell that a few more people were approaching without even turning around.
“To be honest, I don’t hold any personal feelings toward the Princess. I hate those bastards from the East enough to want to chew them to death, but the Princess hasn’t been there long. I have no reason to hate you. But it seems our Princess feels differently.”
Martina gestured to the people behind Ariana. The people rushed in and bound Ariana. They placed a thick sack over Ariana's face.
Ariana did not take her eyes off Martina until the sack blocked her vision. A thick cloth covered Ariana's eyes.
“Our lady is going to torture the Princess terribly and then kill you.”
Martina's voice grew closer.
“But who knows? The Princess is very pretty and lovely, so there might be a way for you to survive. So think carefully on your way. Consider which path is best for you.”
It was a message telling her to take their side.
Ariana did not answer.
Someone hoisted Ariana onto the back of a beast. It didn't look like a horse. Was it a leopard or a tiger?
Ariana thought she would wait for an opportunity to jump, but Martina, as if she had anticipated this, tightly bound Ariana and the vehicle with ropes, ensuring that Ariana could not escape no matter how she moved.
The battle ended only after a full 21 hours had passed since the elephant destroyed the imperial palace.
When Averaster beheaded the last remaining Paganus, the bustling city of Sterion, the capital of the Camellia Empire, was enveloped in silence.
The imperial palace had collapsed, and the buildings in the bustling district where the battle took place had lost their original form. Bodies were scattered among the shattered debris.
Commoners trampled to death or killed in a fight, a few knights, Paganus and the elephant, wild beasts...
The warriors, having fought for a long time without rest, were battered and gasping for breath. Blood flowed from their entire bodies, and not a single part of them was unharmed, but they did not collapse; instead, they looked around to check if any enemies remained.
“An elephant...?”
Theodore muttered mournfully as he wiped the blood flowing from his torn forehead.
“Would a dragon be bigger than this...”
The elephant was huge enough to demolish a building with just a few kicks. It was surprising that such creatures still remained on this continent.
If it weren't for the elephant, the fight wouldn't have been this difficult.
Geor was tending to the wounded. Among the White Knights brought by Theodore, there were several who were so severely injured that they could not move on their own. Isabelle had also suffered a serious leg injury, having her thigh bitten by a wild beast.
“What about Ariana?”
Even while being transferred to the carriage, Isabelle was worried about Ariana.
"I have to go look for her."
“Find her no matter what. Wiona and I will handle this place somehow, so find Ariana first.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Geor looked back at Cyrus.
Cyrus was exhausted from using ice magic incessantly.
He looked precarious as he leaned his sword on the ground and gasped for breath. His already pale face was devoid of color, making him look like he could die at any moment.
“Northern Lord... Cough...”
Geor walked toward Cyrus and vomited blood. His insides were a mess from fighting without rest while suffering internal injuries from being struck by an enemy with the strength of an elephant.
Cyrus approached.
"Are you okay?"
"Ariana..."
"I will definitely bring her back, so you just pray to God."
Cyrus glanced back at Louis.
As soon as the battle ended, Louis was holding Shini, whom she had hidden in a corner, in her arms. Cyrus did not call out to Louis because of her disheveled red hair and her deeply bowed head, which looked sad.
As Cyrus whistled, a black horse galloped from somewhere. Theodore also mounted a white horse.
"Grandfather, you should rest."
“You rest. Your face is so pale, you look like you’re about to die.”
Cyrus rode his horse. Theodore caught up with his speed.
The two of them stared silently at the mountain visible in the distance. They thought that Ariana would be hiding somewhere on that mountain.
Because mountains are better places to hide than flat land.
Louis was quietly holding Shini in her arms.
She knew she had to follow her lord, but she had no intention of leaving this poor woman behind. Even though she knew she shouldn't be doing this, she simply couldn't bring herself to let Shini go.
Louis recalled Ariana, who had a relaxed expression beside Shini.
Ariana, who was always nervous even in front of her family, only relaxed her expression when she was with Shini. She smiled like an ordinary woman.
"I need to become stronger. I will become strong so that you, Master, will not fear anything."
Even while undergoing grueling training, Shini's expression was always bright.
"You are like good weather to me, Master, but your life doesn't seem like good weather. I will give you good weather as a gift. I will live for you until the very end."
That was really the case.
Shini lived only for Ariana until the very end. To give Ariana good weather and to repay the love she had received, she charged forward without hesitation.
Dump-
Someone sat next to Louis.
“Louis.”
A low voice called out to Louis. Louis slowly turned her head and stared at Leinster.
Lanster was also in poor condition. His shoulder was half-torn open, exposing the bone, and his waist had been bitten and torn open, looking as if his intestines were about to spill out.
"Are you going to die too?"
Lanster gave a faint smile at Louis's question.
"I won't die from this. I'm sure it's the same for you, Sir."
One of the reasons Cyrus did not call Louis was Louis's serious injuries. Louis had a deep diagonal cut on her back, and her left forearm was torn off by a wild beast, exposing the bone.
Lanster looked at Louis's forearm with a worried expression and said.
"Shini always said she would protect the Princess. She accomplished what she wanted to do. If it weren't for Shini, it would have been difficult for us to win."
“I know that it was what Shini wanted.”
Louis also knew well what it meant to serve a master.
If she could have protected Cyrus with her own strength, or if she had been of even the slightest help to Cyrus's war, she would have welcomed even death. She would have had no lingering attachments to the world.
Simply because she was glad and happy to have helped her master. Because she was happy to have been a source of strength to her master. She would have been able to die with a smiling face.
But the one remaining won't be able to smile. Just like jer now.
“But Shini... wanted to live a little longer. Just a little longer...”
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks.
"It would have been nice to enjoy the good weather."
Lanster lowered his head. The tears welling up in the corners of his eyes could not bear the weight and fell with a thud.
"I know, right. It would have been really nice if that had happened."
Ariana traveled for a long time without being able to see. Her whole body ached from being tied up uncomfortably, but she was not afraid.
She has often experienced things like this in her past lives as well.
However, the scary thing was the news of the group.
Are they all okay? Is anyone seriously injured? They didn't die, did they? Did everyone manage to escape the empire safely?
She was not afraid of her own death or the torture she was about to endure, but she could not bear the worry about the lives and deaths of others. She supposes this is why they say you become weak when you have someone precious to you.
The Paganus treated Ariana like a piece of luggage.
Even when taking breaks to eat while traveling, Ariana had to remain tied up with her front covered the entire time.
Several days passed without being able to eat a sip of water or a piece of bread.
Just when she thought she was really going to die at this rate, the veil covering her face was suddenly pulled back.
Her eyes stung from the sudden rush of light. Martina's figure appeared in her narrowed vision.
Martina roughly grabbed Ariana's chin and tilted the water bottle.
"Drink up. It would be a big problem if the Princess were to starve to death."
Cold water flowed into her parched lips. Ariana drank it without refusing.
This was not the time to save face. She had to survive somehow.
The water she drank for the first time in a long while tasted sweet. Moisture filled her mouth, which had felt gritty, and she felt like she could finally live.
Martina cut the bread in half and shoved it into Ariana's mouth, taking the place of Ariana, whose hands were tied.
Ariana did not frown even once while eating the dry, moldy bread. Martina watched Ariana quietly for a moment and then spoke.
"They say you had a tough childhood, but you eat even this bread well."
"To survive, you can even eat dirt."
“You're a lovely Princess. I wish you were on our side. Why don’t you change your path now? We’ll treat you with respect.”
"It’s because I’m the type of person who would rather eat dirt than stand getting splashed with sewage."
"Oh my."
Slam-!
Martina slapped Ariana's cheek.
"I was a bit mean this time, Princess."
Her lip split open from the violent beating. Ariana licked the metallic blood with her tongue and smiled coldly.
“No matter how foolish the Emperor is, the Empire still has many allies. What has happened in the Empire will soon spread to many nations, and the blades targeting you will increase. Can Paganus face them all?”
Ariana subtly provoked Martina.
She had to make Martina spit out the current situation.
“Princess. A big pig is bound to cause trouble because it cannot see its surroundings. Did the Empire’s allies really have no complaints? Weren’t they resentful of the Empire, which has grown fat simply because it is safe under the Commander’s protection?”
"So, did they all say they would join hands with you? There are still wild beasts lurking around the huge pig."
“One of the eastern wings was broken by the Emperor’s foolishness, and the northern wing is also in peril. The southern wing hasn’t even shown itself. The last remaining western wing finished preparing to devour the Empire long ago.”
"The western wing has been weak for a while."
“When the weak unite again and again, they are bound to overcome a giant pig.”
“One, just because thousands of rabbits gather doesn’t mean they can defeat a tiger.”
“Well, if a rabbit puts its head together, it could probably fit the back of a tiger's head...”
Martina stopped speaking. A chill ran through her eyes.
“You’re provoking me, Princess. As expected, you are annoyingly clever. But what is it to you to know? Do you think you’ll be able to meet your family safely? By now, your family is probably being digested in the stomachs of beasts. Ah, there comes someone. Let’s hear together what happened to your family.”
Bam.
Ariana stared blankly at Martina, who had lightly jumped down in front of her. Martina, with her scarlet hair and dark skin, had a mischievous look in her eyes, like a child tormenting a small animal.
“I thought you were just a frail Princess, but you ran farther than I expected. You’re a good runner. Oh, what’s with that look? Didn’t you think we might be following you?”
Ariana swallowed a hollow laugh.
She felt pathetic for thinking she could escape by running faster than them.
No matter how much she pestered Geor and Lanster to learn self-defense and physical training, she could not defeat enemies who had spent their entire lives training in just four years.
Ariana sensed a presence behind her as well. She could tell that a few more people were approaching without even turning around.
“To be honest, I don’t hold any personal feelings toward the Princess. I hate those bastards from the East enough to want to chew them to death, but the Princess hasn’t been there long. I have no reason to hate you. But it seems our Princess feels differently.”
Martina gestured to the people behind Ariana. The people rushed in and bound Ariana. They placed a thick sack over Ariana's face.
Ariana did not take her eyes off Martina until the sack blocked her vision. A thick cloth covered Ariana's eyes.
“Our lady is going to torture the Princess terribly and then kill you.”
Martina's voice grew closer.
“But who knows? The Princess is very pretty and lovely, so there might be a way for you to survive. So think carefully on your way. Consider which path is best for you.”
It was a message telling her to take their side.
Ariana did not answer.
Someone hoisted Ariana onto the back of a beast. It didn't look like a horse. Was it a leopard or a tiger?
Ariana thought she would wait for an opportunity to jump, but Martina, as if she had anticipated this, tightly bound Ariana and the vehicle with ropes, ensuring that Ariana could not escape no matter how she moved.
“The road ahead will be rough, but hang in there. Once the war starts, forget about getting special treatment, whether you’re a Princess or something else.”
***
The battle ended only after a full 21 hours had passed since the elephant destroyed the imperial palace.
When Averaster beheaded the last remaining Paganus, the bustling city of Sterion, the capital of the Camellia Empire, was enveloped in silence.
The imperial palace had collapsed, and the buildings in the bustling district where the battle took place had lost their original form. Bodies were scattered among the shattered debris.
Commoners trampled to death or killed in a fight, a few knights, Paganus and the elephant, wild beasts...
The warriors, having fought for a long time without rest, were battered and gasping for breath. Blood flowed from their entire bodies, and not a single part of them was unharmed, but they did not collapse; instead, they looked around to check if any enemies remained.
“An elephant...?”
Theodore muttered mournfully as he wiped the blood flowing from his torn forehead.
“Would a dragon be bigger than this...”
The elephant was huge enough to demolish a building with just a few kicks. It was surprising that such creatures still remained on this continent.
If it weren't for the elephant, the fight wouldn't have been this difficult.
Geor was tending to the wounded. Among the White Knights brought by Theodore, there were several who were so severely injured that they could not move on their own. Isabelle had also suffered a serious leg injury, having her thigh bitten by a wild beast.
“What about Ariana?”
Even while being transferred to the carriage, Isabelle was worried about Ariana.
"I have to go look for her."
“Find her no matter what. Wiona and I will handle this place somehow, so find Ariana first.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Geor looked back at Cyrus.
Cyrus was exhausted from using ice magic incessantly.
He looked precarious as he leaned his sword on the ground and gasped for breath. His already pale face was devoid of color, making him look like he could die at any moment.
“Northern Lord... Cough...”
Geor walked toward Cyrus and vomited blood. His insides were a mess from fighting without rest while suffering internal injuries from being struck by an enemy with the strength of an elephant.
Cyrus approached.
"Are you okay?"
"Ariana..."
"I will definitely bring her back, so you just pray to God."
Cyrus glanced back at Louis.
As soon as the battle ended, Louis was holding Shini, whom she had hidden in a corner, in her arms. Cyrus did not call out to Louis because of her disheveled red hair and her deeply bowed head, which looked sad.
As Cyrus whistled, a black horse galloped from somewhere. Theodore also mounted a white horse.
"Grandfather, you should rest."
“You rest. Your face is so pale, you look like you’re about to die.”
Cyrus rode his horse. Theodore caught up with his speed.
The two of them stared silently at the mountain visible in the distance. They thought that Ariana would be hiding somewhere on that mountain.
Because mountains are better places to hide than flat land.
***
Louis was quietly holding Shini in her arms.
She knew she had to follow her lord, but she had no intention of leaving this poor woman behind. Even though she knew she shouldn't be doing this, she simply couldn't bring herself to let Shini go.
Louis recalled Ariana, who had a relaxed expression beside Shini.
Ariana, who was always nervous even in front of her family, only relaxed her expression when she was with Shini. She smiled like an ordinary woman.
"I need to become stronger. I will become strong so that you, Master, will not fear anything."
Even while undergoing grueling training, Shini's expression was always bright.
"You are like good weather to me, Master, but your life doesn't seem like good weather. I will give you good weather as a gift. I will live for you until the very end."
That was really the case.
Shini lived only for Ariana until the very end. To give Ariana good weather and to repay the love she had received, she charged forward without hesitation.
Dump-
Someone sat next to Louis.
“Louis.”
A low voice called out to Louis. Louis slowly turned her head and stared at Leinster.
Lanster was also in poor condition. His shoulder was half-torn open, exposing the bone, and his waist had been bitten and torn open, looking as if his intestines were about to spill out.
"Are you going to die too?"
Lanster gave a faint smile at Louis's question.
"I won't die from this. I'm sure it's the same for you, Sir."
One of the reasons Cyrus did not call Louis was Louis's serious injuries. Louis had a deep diagonal cut on her back, and her left forearm was torn off by a wild beast, exposing the bone.
Lanster looked at Louis's forearm with a worried expression and said.
"Shini always said she would protect the Princess. She accomplished what she wanted to do. If it weren't for Shini, it would have been difficult for us to win."
“I know that it was what Shini wanted.”
Louis also knew well what it meant to serve a master.
If she could have protected Cyrus with her own strength, or if she had been of even the slightest help to Cyrus's war, she would have welcomed even death. She would have had no lingering attachments to the world.
Simply because she was glad and happy to have helped her master. Because she was happy to have been a source of strength to her master. She would have been able to die with a smiling face.
But the one remaining won't be able to smile. Just like jer now.
“But Shini... wanted to live a little longer. Just a little longer...”
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks.
"It would have been nice to enjoy the good weather."
Lanster lowered his head. The tears welling up in the corners of his eyes could not bear the weight and fell with a thud.
"I know, right. It would have been really nice if that had happened."
***
Ariana traveled for a long time without being able to see. Her whole body ached from being tied up uncomfortably, but she was not afraid.
She has often experienced things like this in her past lives as well.
However, the scary thing was the news of the group.
Are they all okay? Is anyone seriously injured? They didn't die, did they? Did everyone manage to escape the empire safely?
She was not afraid of her own death or the torture she was about to endure, but she could not bear the worry about the lives and deaths of others. She supposes this is why they say you become weak when you have someone precious to you.
The Paganus treated Ariana like a piece of luggage.
Even when taking breaks to eat while traveling, Ariana had to remain tied up with her front covered the entire time.
Several days passed without being able to eat a sip of water or a piece of bread.
Just when she thought she was really going to die at this rate, the veil covering her face was suddenly pulled back.
Her eyes stung from the sudden rush of light. Martina's figure appeared in her narrowed vision.
Martina roughly grabbed Ariana's chin and tilted the water bottle.
"Drink up. It would be a big problem if the Princess were to starve to death."
Cold water flowed into her parched lips. Ariana drank it without refusing.
This was not the time to save face. She had to survive somehow.
The water she drank for the first time in a long while tasted sweet. Moisture filled her mouth, which had felt gritty, and she felt like she could finally live.
Martina cut the bread in half and shoved it into Ariana's mouth, taking the place of Ariana, whose hands were tied.
Ariana did not frown even once while eating the dry, moldy bread. Martina watched Ariana quietly for a moment and then spoke.
"They say you had a tough childhood, but you eat even this bread well."
"To survive, you can even eat dirt."
“You're a lovely Princess. I wish you were on our side. Why don’t you change your path now? We’ll treat you with respect.”
"It’s because I’m the type of person who would rather eat dirt than stand getting splashed with sewage."
"Oh my."
Slam-!
Martina slapped Ariana's cheek.
"I was a bit mean this time, Princess."
Her lip split open from the violent beating. Ariana licked the metallic blood with her tongue and smiled coldly.
“No matter how foolish the Emperor is, the Empire still has many allies. What has happened in the Empire will soon spread to many nations, and the blades targeting you will increase. Can Paganus face them all?”
Ariana subtly provoked Martina.
She had to make Martina spit out the current situation.
“Princess. A big pig is bound to cause trouble because it cannot see its surroundings. Did the Empire’s allies really have no complaints? Weren’t they resentful of the Empire, which has grown fat simply because it is safe under the Commander’s protection?”
"So, did they all say they would join hands with you? There are still wild beasts lurking around the huge pig."
“One of the eastern wings was broken by the Emperor’s foolishness, and the northern wing is also in peril. The southern wing hasn’t even shown itself. The last remaining western wing finished preparing to devour the Empire long ago.”
"The western wing has been weak for a while."
“When the weak unite again and again, they are bound to overcome a giant pig.”
“One, just because thousands of rabbits gather doesn’t mean they can defeat a tiger.”
“Well, if a rabbit puts its head together, it could probably fit the back of a tiger's head...”
Martina stopped speaking. A chill ran through her eyes.
“You’re provoking me, Princess. As expected, you are annoyingly clever. But what is it to you to know? Do you think you’ll be able to meet your family safely? By now, your family is probably being digested in the stomachs of beasts. Ah, there comes someone. Let’s hear together what happened to your family.”
Surprising birthday gift for me :D According to usual schedule update was supposed to be yesterday.
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