(202) Things I hoped for (1)
Ariana thought she had bought herself.
The pain of having her fingernails and toenails pulled out didn't matter at all. She was used to that kind of thing.
'As expected, Victoria doesn't kill her right away.'
Even the Paganus would not object. After all, a Princess of the Eastern Realm without a single knight to escort poses no threat, whether she lives or dies.
It was important to survive.
'Cyrus will find me.'
He will definitely find me. It seemed like Cyrus would do just that.
'Or Shini will find me.'
Ariana had no doubt that Shini was alive.
Martina didn't explain it clearly, but the battle in the Empire ended in our victory. If so, everyone should be safe.
'So I just need to stay alive until then. Everyone might find me a nuisance for having lost both arms and legs, but...'
Shini won't do that. So let's stay alive. Let's survive and hold on somehow.
Ariana steeled herself as she watched the torture tools Martina was bringing. Victoria stood beside her, watching Ariana with expectant eyes.
'Do you think I know how to let out a moan?'
Victoria would want to see Ariana break down and scream. She would want to smile as she watches Ariana begging to be saved.
Ariana was determined not to do what Victoria wanted for even a single moment.
'Do you think I know how to frown?'
Physical pain was nothing.
Compared to that life of dying without being recognized by anyone, Ariana could endure the pain of having jer fingernails and toenails pulled out and her arms and legs severed.
“What shall we do first, Princess?”
Victoria answered Martina's question.
"Start with the fingernails on her right hand. So she can't even eat with her own hands."
"Yes."
At Martina's signal, the Paganus forcibly seated Ariana on the chair they had brought, untied her, and bound her wrists and ankles to the chair.
Martina picked up the hideous tool and showed it to Ariana.
“It’s going to hurt a bit from now on, Princess. Tell me if you feel like you’re going to die.”
The Paganus, who were scattered here and there, also gathered to watch Ariana being tortured.
Martina did not hesitate.
Suuk-
One fingernail was pulled out.
Ariana stared intently at Martina without even frowning. When Paganus let out an exclamation of “Oh,” Victoria’s face contorted violently.
"Oh my. You’re so patient. As expected of a princess, I like. It would be nice if she were on our side."
“Maltina, stop talking nonsense and pick another one!”
“I understand, Princess. What a temper.”
Martina grumbled and pulled out her fingernails again and again.
Each time a fingernail lost its place, excruciating pain struck her entire body, yet Ariana did not flinch. Even though the pain was so severe she felt like she might faint, she did not let out a single groan or show any sign of distress as she surveyed her surroundings.
'There are a lot.'
Ariana didn't know there would be so many Paganus lying low on this continent. Her heart tightened at the sight of hundreds of military tents and the growling of wild beasts from all directions.
Even if the party from the Empire came here, it was doubtful whether they would be able to handle all of them.
'Still, there are no elephants.'
In the Empire, the problem was a creature as massive as several buildings combined. Just the fact that there were no elephants was a relief.
"Oh dear, Princess. Do you perhaps not feel pain? Are you lost in thought?"
Martina pressed the tool firmly into the spot where the fingernail had been pulled out. She intended to see if Ariana would make even a sound, but Ariana merely furrowed her brow slightly and did not let out a moan.
Martina's eyes narrowed.
“It doesn’t seem like she can’t feel pain...”
“What is that...?”
One of the Paganus watching pointed behind Ariana. Martina looked up to check behind Ariana, and her expression hardened.
All of Paganus's gazes turned in that direction. Ariana also turned her head to look there.
Dust was rising from the mountain ridge. It looked as if something powerful was flowing down the mountain.
Something is coming.
The Paganus moved in perfect order. Martina also threw away her torture tools and joined the Paganus.
Ariana turned her head and stared blankly at the object coming down the mountain ridge, kicking up dust.
Then, Victoria grabbed Ariana's shoulder tightly and made her look at her.
"Do you think so?"
"Is that so? But why are you so nervous? You could have just relaxed and watched."
"Don't pretend you're okay!"
Victoria picked up the dropped torture device, but Ariana's eyes were fixed elsewhere.
The Paganus were leading wild beasts, biting hearts, and charging toward the mountain ridge. Both those on horseback and those not on horseback exuded a ferocious aura, just like wild beasts.
Bang!
Victoria struck Ariana's jaw with a torture device.
She endured the pain of pulling out her fingernails, but she could not prevent her brain from shaking from the hard blow to her jaw. Her once clear mind was staggering, and her vision was becoming blurry.
"Even if your side wins."
Victoria lifted the torture device again.
"I’ll kill you, of all people!"
The torture device was thrust down on Ariana's head.
Whoaah-!
At the same time, something flew in quickly.
The screams of the Paganus mingled with that sound.
Wow.
Phew!
An arrow struck Victoria's shoulder.
“Aaaargh!”
Victoria screamed and dropped the torture device she was holding. Ariana blinked her blurry eyes and looked down at the fallen device.
“Aaaargh! Aaaargh!”
Despite having been hit by only one arrow in the shoulder, Victoria was screaming as if she were about to suffocate.
“Ariana!”
There was a voice that sounded like a shout.
Ariana thought it was a hallucination.
Because it is a voice that should not be heard here. Because it is a voice that should not be heard at such a timely moment.
“Ariana!”
The voice got closer.
“W-w-what is this... what is this...!”
Even while terrified, Victoria trembled and stepped back.
A dark figure shot out from behind Ariana and struck Victoria. Ariana stared blankly at Victoria as she flew away like a sheet of paper.
She has imagined that.
So, a very long time ago. Before she started this new life, so long ago, there was one thing she constantly imagined.
An imagination of one day Ariana's father, the monarch of the East, visiting the West, seeing her wretched state, becoming enraged, and taking revenge on the Bronte family.
An imagination of saving her from this hell and taking her to the East, saying, "You are my daughter, the Princess of the East."
An imagination that ends with the story, "And so, Princess Ariana lived happily ever after in the East."
While girls dreamed of a Prince on a white horse, Ariana dreamed of something like that.
It was incredibly sweet, but just as vain an imagination, it was worn down, crumbled, and scattered into pieces by the hell that repeated itself every time she opened her eyes in the morning.
Ariana returned to this life and gathered her scattered imaginations, piecing them together haphazardly, but not for a single moment did it take on a perfect form. She could not escape the thought that it was a vain dream that could be lost at any moment.
But.
“Ariana, what on earth... what on earth....”
The moment she heard the trembling voice.
"What..."
The moment she saw those trembling blue eyes.
Ariana realized that her dream had taken on a perfect form.
And so, shedding tears she had never shed in front of him, she spoke like a child.
"Dad..."
"Dad," the daughter called, and her head dropped sharply.
It is because she fainted, unable to overcome the pain.
Russell looked down at his unconscious daughter as if he were having a nightmare.
The golden butterfly Russell had been chasing vanished at some point, but Russell caught a faint sound coming from beyond the mountain. It sounded like the voices of many people, or the clamor of wild beasts gathered together.
It was certainly not a place where such things could be, so she considered it suspicious and crossed the mountain, ordering the knights to prepare for battle.
He immediately recognized that the first opponents they faced were Paganus. As if possessing the heart of a swift beast, they moved at speeds impossible for humans to achieve and attacked Russell and his party.
However, they could not withstand Russell's sword strike.
After fighting off enemies charging at him several times, he arrived at the military encampments. The moment he spotted blue hair amidst the countless foes, the moment he saw the woman in front of him raising a blunt weapon as if to strike.
Russell picked up his bow and shot an arrow without a second thought.
'Ariana.'
The child sitting with their back to him is his daughter.
Even without seeing the face, Russell was certain.
“Ariana!”
Even if she does not answer his call, she is his daughter. Otherwise, his heart would not ache this much at the sight of her retreating figure.
What Russell witnessed at the place he rushed to was Ariana's appearance, far more horrific than he had imagined.
A cheek with a deep, torn wound, a split lip, and torn fingernails.
The moment he saw that, his heart felt like it was going to explode, and he couldn't move.
Even though Ariana called him Dad, he couldn't move an inch.
Chaaang-!
Swords clashed right behind Russell. Fellowes, having blocked the sword of the enemy attacking from behind, shouted angrily.
“Ah, Brother! What are you doing? I almost died just now... W-what? Brother, surely not...”
Fellowes beheaded the enemy standing in front of him as if it were a bother, then jumped off his horse. Fellowes stood beside Russell, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“Ah, Ari, Ari, Ariana... No, right? No, right, Big Brother?”
Ariana had her head bowed low so her face could not be seen, but she was the only one on the continent with such light sky-blue hair.
Fellowes blinked his eyes.
“B-Brother. Say something. Ariana... no, right...?”
All Fellowes could have done was go and check for himself, but he couldn't. He was afraid that the reality would become that his beloved niece was in such a wretched state, being tortured by having his fingernails pulled out in a place like this.
“Ariana...”
Russell gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and then opened them.
A sinister aura gathered on his broad, bear-like shoulders. Tendons bulged on the back of Russell's hand as he gripped the sword. A powerful energy traveled down the hilt and settled on the blade.
"Right."
The next moment, Russell's sword energy raged like a storm.
The waist of the Paganus, who was approaching from behind, was split in half at once.
"Ariana!"
A roar more violent than that of a beast burst from Russell's mouth.
"That's right!"
Fellowes's face contorted violently. The corners of his eyes instantly turned red, and he exuded a demonic aura.
Even the Paganus who had eaten the hearts of beasts hesitated, pushed back by its ferocious intensity.
The White family brothers raised their swords. A blue aura of the sword shimmered as if to cover the sky.
A growling voice came from Fellowes's mouth.
“You bastards. I’ll kill you all!”
Ariana thought she had bought herself.
The pain of having her fingernails and toenails pulled out didn't matter at all. She was used to that kind of thing.
'As expected, Victoria doesn't kill her right away.'
Even the Paganus would not object. After all, a Princess of the Eastern Realm without a single knight to escort poses no threat, whether she lives or dies.
It was important to survive.
'Cyrus will find me.'
He will definitely find me. It seemed like Cyrus would do just that.
'Or Shini will find me.'
Ariana had no doubt that Shini was alive.
Martina didn't explain it clearly, but the battle in the Empire ended in our victory. If so, everyone should be safe.
'So I just need to stay alive until then. Everyone might find me a nuisance for having lost both arms and legs, but...'
Shini won't do that. So let's stay alive. Let's survive and hold on somehow.
Ariana steeled herself as she watched the torture tools Martina was bringing. Victoria stood beside her, watching Ariana with expectant eyes.
'Do you think I know how to let out a moan?'
Victoria would want to see Ariana break down and scream. She would want to smile as she watches Ariana begging to be saved.
Ariana was determined not to do what Victoria wanted for even a single moment.
'Do you think I know how to frown?'
Physical pain was nothing.
Compared to that life of dying without being recognized by anyone, Ariana could endure the pain of having jer fingernails and toenails pulled out and her arms and legs severed.
“What shall we do first, Princess?”
Victoria answered Martina's question.
"Start with the fingernails on her right hand. So she can't even eat with her own hands."
"Yes."
At Martina's signal, the Paganus forcibly seated Ariana on the chair they had brought, untied her, and bound her wrists and ankles to the chair.
Martina picked up the hideous tool and showed it to Ariana.
“It’s going to hurt a bit from now on, Princess. Tell me if you feel like you’re going to die.”
The Paganus, who were scattered here and there, also gathered to watch Ariana being tortured.
Martina did not hesitate.
Suuk-
One fingernail was pulled out.
Ariana stared intently at Martina without even frowning. When Paganus let out an exclamation of “Oh,” Victoria’s face contorted violently.
"Oh my. You’re so patient. As expected of a princess, I like. It would be nice if she were on our side."
“Maltina, stop talking nonsense and pick another one!”
“I understand, Princess. What a temper.”
Martina grumbled and pulled out her fingernails again and again.
Each time a fingernail lost its place, excruciating pain struck her entire body, yet Ariana did not flinch. Even though the pain was so severe she felt like she might faint, she did not let out a single groan or show any sign of distress as she surveyed her surroundings.
'There are a lot.'
Ariana didn't know there would be so many Paganus lying low on this continent. Her heart tightened at the sight of hundreds of military tents and the growling of wild beasts from all directions.
Even if the party from the Empire came here, it was doubtful whether they would be able to handle all of them.
'Still, there are no elephants.'
In the Empire, the problem was a creature as massive as several buildings combined. Just the fact that there were no elephants was a relief.
"Oh dear, Princess. Do you perhaps not feel pain? Are you lost in thought?"
Martina pressed the tool firmly into the spot where the fingernail had been pulled out. She intended to see if Ariana would make even a sound, but Ariana merely furrowed her brow slightly and did not let out a moan.
Martina's eyes narrowed.
“It doesn’t seem like she can’t feel pain...”
“What is that...?”
One of the Paganus watching pointed behind Ariana. Martina looked up to check behind Ariana, and her expression hardened.
All of Paganus's gazes turned in that direction. Ariana also turned her head to look there.
Dust was rising from the mountain ridge. It looked as if something powerful was flowing down the mountain.
Something is coming.
The Paganus moved in perfect order. Martina also threw away her torture tools and joined the Paganus.
Ariana turned her head and stared blankly at the object coming down the mountain ridge, kicking up dust.
Then, Victoria grabbed Ariana's shoulder tightly and made her look at her.
“It’s nothing, Ariana. I’m sure they’re on our side.”
“Yeah, even if they’re on your side, they can’t beat us.”
"Don't pretend you're okay!"
Victoria picked up the dropped torture device, but Ariana's eyes were fixed elsewhere.
The Paganus were leading wild beasts, biting hearts, and charging toward the mountain ridge. Both those on horseback and those not on horseback exuded a ferocious aura, just like wild beasts.
Bang!
Victoria struck Ariana's jaw with a torture device.
She endured the pain of pulling out her fingernails, but she could not prevent her brain from shaking from the hard blow to her jaw. Her once clear mind was staggering, and her vision was becoming blurry.
"Even if your side wins."
Victoria lifted the torture device again.
"I’ll kill you, of all people!"
The torture device was thrust down on Ariana's head.
Whoaah-!
At the same time, something flew in quickly.
The screams of the Paganus mingled with that sound.
Wow.
Phew!
An arrow struck Victoria's shoulder.
“Aaaargh!”
Victoria screamed and dropped the torture device she was holding. Ariana blinked her blurry eyes and looked down at the fallen device.
“Aaaargh! Aaaargh!”
Despite having been hit by only one arrow in the shoulder, Victoria was screaming as if she were about to suffocate.
“Ariana!”
There was a voice that sounded like a shout.
Ariana thought it was a hallucination.
Because it is a voice that should not be heard here. Because it is a voice that should not be heard at such a timely moment.
“Ariana!”
The voice got closer.
“W-w-what is this... what is this...!”
Even while terrified, Victoria trembled and stepped back.
A dark figure shot out from behind Ariana and struck Victoria. Ariana stared blankly at Victoria as she flew away like a sheet of paper.
She has imagined that.
So, a very long time ago. Before she started this new life, so long ago, there was one thing she constantly imagined.
An imagination of one day Ariana's father, the monarch of the East, visiting the West, seeing her wretched state, becoming enraged, and taking revenge on the Bronte family.
An imagination of saving her from this hell and taking her to the East, saying, "You are my daughter, the Princess of the East."
An imagination that ends with the story, "And so, Princess Ariana lived happily ever after in the East."
While girls dreamed of a Prince on a white horse, Ariana dreamed of something like that.
It was incredibly sweet, but just as vain an imagination, it was worn down, crumbled, and scattered into pieces by the hell that repeated itself every time she opened her eyes in the morning.
Ariana returned to this life and gathered her scattered imaginations, piecing them together haphazardly, but not for a single moment did it take on a perfect form. She could not escape the thought that it was a vain dream that could be lost at any moment.
But.
“Ariana, what on earth... what on earth....”
The moment she heard the trembling voice.
"What..."
The moment she saw those trembling blue eyes.
Ariana realized that her dream had taken on a perfect form.
And so, shedding tears she had never shed in front of him, she spoke like a child.
"Dad..."
***
"Dad," the daughter called, and her head dropped sharply.
It is because she fainted, unable to overcome the pain.
Russell looked down at his unconscious daughter as if he were having a nightmare.
The golden butterfly Russell had been chasing vanished at some point, but Russell caught a faint sound coming from beyond the mountain. It sounded like the voices of many people, or the clamor of wild beasts gathered together.
It was certainly not a place where such things could be, so she considered it suspicious and crossed the mountain, ordering the knights to prepare for battle.
He immediately recognized that the first opponents they faced were Paganus. As if possessing the heart of a swift beast, they moved at speeds impossible for humans to achieve and attacked Russell and his party.
However, they could not withstand Russell's sword strike.
After fighting off enemies charging at him several times, he arrived at the military encampments. The moment he spotted blue hair amidst the countless foes, the moment he saw the woman in front of him raising a blunt weapon as if to strike.
Russell picked up his bow and shot an arrow without a second thought.
'Ariana.'
The child sitting with their back to him is his daughter.
Even without seeing the face, Russell was certain.
“Ariana!”
Even if she does not answer his call, she is his daughter. Otherwise, his heart would not ache this much at the sight of her retreating figure.
What Russell witnessed at the place he rushed to was Ariana's appearance, far more horrific than he had imagined.
A cheek with a deep, torn wound, a split lip, and torn fingernails.
The moment he saw that, his heart felt like it was going to explode, and he couldn't move.
Even though Ariana called him Dad, he couldn't move an inch.
Chaaang-!
Swords clashed right behind Russell. Fellowes, having blocked the sword of the enemy attacking from behind, shouted angrily.
“Ah, Brother! What are you doing? I almost died just now... W-what? Brother, surely not...”
Fellowes beheaded the enemy standing in front of him as if it were a bother, then jumped off his horse. Fellowes stood beside Russell, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“Ah, Ari, Ari, Ariana... No, right? No, right, Big Brother?”
Ariana had her head bowed low so her face could not be seen, but she was the only one on the continent with such light sky-blue hair.
Fellowes blinked his eyes.
“B-Brother. Say something. Ariana... no, right...?”
All Fellowes could have done was go and check for himself, but he couldn't. He was afraid that the reality would become that his beloved niece was in such a wretched state, being tortured by having his fingernails pulled out in a place like this.
“Ariana...”
Russell gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and then opened them.
A sinister aura gathered on his broad, bear-like shoulders. Tendons bulged on the back of Russell's hand as he gripped the sword. A powerful energy traveled down the hilt and settled on the blade.
"Right."
The next moment, Russell's sword energy raged like a storm.
The waist of the Paganus, who was approaching from behind, was split in half at once.
"Ariana!"
A roar more violent than that of a beast burst from Russell's mouth.
"That's right!"
Fellowes's face contorted violently. The corners of his eyes instantly turned red, and he exuded a demonic aura.
Even the Paganus who had eaten the hearts of beasts hesitated, pushed back by its ferocious intensity.
The White family brothers raised their swords. A blue aura of the sword shimmered as if to cover the sky.
A growling voice came from Fellowes's mouth.
“You bastards. I’ll kill you all!”
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