Twisted Event Second Part
「W-what, what is that little girl!? Take the princess back quickly!!」
Viscount Savoie forgot to even add respectful suffix when mentioning a royalty seeing me forcefully taking Elena back. He gave an order to the knights of the company.
The same method wouldn’t work the second time. I had taken Elena back, but it was exceedingly impossible to escape from this place while bringing two non-combatants.
Furthermore, I judged that a bunch that claimed to grieve for the country and yet kidnapped Elena who was trying to settle the conflict within the country for their own need wouldn’t learn their lesson and just repeat what they did even if they were left alive.
I’ll kill them here. Only Elena I’ll keep alive, even if I have to risk my everything.
「Aria……」
「Y-you-」
「Shut up. You’ll bite your tongue.」
I shut up Elena and Nathanital who wanted to say something and faced the knights who came charging to here by the viscount’s order. I used my muscle strength that was strengthened by Iron Rose in full to dash while still carrying Elena and Nathanital.
「HAAAA!」
I jumped over the spear tip that a knight thrust at me and stepped on it. Then without pause I ran over the spear’s handle and kicked the knight flying while he was hesitating to let go of his weapon.
「You bastard-, how dare you!」
「You’ll pay-!」
The knights swarmed me from the surrounding. I used the knight whose face I kicked as stepping stool and jumped. My right leg kicked the flat of an approaching blade and deflected it while my left leg snapped the neck of a knight. The kick that was backed by the weight of three people pushed me for another jump and I crushed the neck of the remaining knight with a kick.
「She’s a rank 4 so don’t underestimate her just because she’s a scout-! She’s using a strange technique-!」
The company commander Ludger gave instruction to his subordinate knights and the flustered knights regained their calm.
「Shield to the front-! Fire arrows at her-! It’s fine even if the arrow hit as long it doesn’t kill-」
They had completely stopped keeping up appearance now, although from the start the premise of their plan was to take away Elena’s free will with drug. No, perhaps that too was because they had resolved themselves to die if they failed. Seeing the knights moving into action from Ludger’s instruction, Elena who originally should be protected by them with their honor and life on the line tightly grabbed my sleeve.
「Aria……I wouldn’t mind even if you abandoned me you know?」
Elena who was under my arm stared closely at me whose hair was dyed with ashen iron color while muttering something like that.
「I wouldn’t be at Elena’s side from the start if I’m going to do something like that.」
Elena was prepared for even death rather than becoming a puppet of the noble faction and be used to cause discord. I too stared back closely at her who was like that.
「Struggle against your fate Elena. Even if it result in your death, keep fighting it until the last moment.」
「……You’re so strict. But, you’re fine like that.」
Vitality returned in Elena’s eyes. As I thought, that kind of face really suited her.
「Shoot!」
Several knights were approaching with shields raised before their body. Arrows were fired from behind them. Most likely they had predicted that I would [protect Elena even if I had to use myself as shield].
「Hiih!」
Nathanital whose collar was in my grasp covered his face with his ahnds and screamed. I “saw” magic particles of wind to the hand of Elena who was under my arm and I stepped forward without putting her down.
「──Air Curtain ──」
Elena’s sorcery activated and the whirling air flow diverted the coming arrows. I already rushed forward at that time and kicked away the shield of the knight right in front of me. The line of the knights crumbled and I leaped inside while breaking a knight’s neck with a spinning kick, and crushed the throat of a fallen knight with a stomp.
My movement speed was slower than usual because I was carrying two people, but it didn’t mean that my reflex speed and kicking speed also lowered.
.
▼ Aria (Alicia) Race : Human♀ – Rank 4
【Magic Power : 234/300】【Stamina : 221/250】
【Overall Combat Strength : 1152 (During Special Body Strengthening : 2182)】
【Battle Skill : Iron Rose/Limit 234 Second】
.
Less than four minutes remaining until the time limit……. Two minutes would be my limit if I fought full strength by also using magic.
「Anyone other than archer is to carry shield! Stop her movement first-!」
Ludger gave another instruction. Even the knights who were carrying spear threw away heir weapon and readied their one-handed sword and the spare round shield that was tied on their back.
I would be in disadvantage if I got surrounded here seeing that I couldn’t move with my original speed.
『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!』
It was at that timing that Nero who should have left leaped from the side of the knight company and easily tore apart the knights who were completely focused toward me.
「Nero!」
「Uaaaaaaaah!」
I called out at Nero while tossing the screaming Nathanital. Nero made an annoyed look, even so it caught him with its whisker before it began trampling over the knights without even putting him on its back.
The pelt of mystical beast Coeurl had resistance against slash and thrust attack. If it was Nero then it should be able to fight against rank 2 and 3 even while protecting Nathanital.
「──Water Ball──!!」
In that moment, Elena fired water ball that washed away the archers who were aiming at Nero along with Nathanital.
The archers who realized that pointed their bows toward us. At this range there was a chance that the arrows would hit us even if we had the wind’s protection. I put more strength into my right arm that was carrying Elena to protect her.
She who was a royalty wouldn’t kill her own people. In exchange I would kill her enemy.
So that Elena would never get hurt again.
「Shoot-!」
The archers fired their arrows simultaneously. I kicked up so the hem of my skirt batted down the arrows that slipped through the wind curtain, while my left hand pulled out the throwing knives on my thing and threw them on the throat or forehead of several archers.
My speed increased after getting rid of one person’s weight. Three archers crumpled down. I rushed to their midst before their bodies could hit the ground and produced cutting type and scythe type pendulums from my left hand’s Storage while I twirled in the middle of the archers. The archers at the surrounding were torn apart while Elena and I looked like we were doing waltz with a ground that was dyed with blood as our stage.
.
▼ Aria (Alicia) Race : Human♀ – Rank 4
【Magic Power : 175/300】【Stamina : 189/250】
【Overall Combat Strength : 1152 (During Special Body Strengthening : 2182)】
【Battle Skill : Iron Rose/Limit 175 Second】
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「W-what the hell-, is that girl-! And that beast-!?」
Someone screamed those words. I glanced to the side and saw Viscount Savoie who had lost most of his bodyguards losing the strength in his waist and fell on his butt. He seemed to notice my gaze and began to yell something with a fearful expression.
「Y-you don’t know what kind of trouble you will get if you kill me-! Skilled asassins are already heading to the crown prince’s location even as we speak-! I’m the only one who can stop──」
*Doshu!*
A one handed sword flew and deeply planted itself into the throat of Viscount Savoie who started to yell something disquieting. The viscount couldn’t grasp what had happened to himself and his mouth kept flapping up and down soundlessly while blood bubbled out from there. Light was fading from his eyes.
「This spineless traitor……」
I turned toward the direction where the sword came from. Ludger who threw that sword looked at Viscount Savoie who he called a traitor and spat.
「Ludger……you」
Elena let out a mutter seeing that. Ludger who had lost most of his subordinates let out a tired smile that looked self-depreciating.
「Your highness. It looks like you have obtained a good bodyguard. We thought that we were thinking of our country and the will to save it but, it looks like not all of us are like that……」
「What’s the meaning of this Ludger!? Are you really sending assassin to kill Onii-sama!?」
「That’s right Ludger-sama! We also never heard about assassinating his highness the crown prince-!」
The surviving knights also responded to Elena’s question by raising their voices. The company commander Joey also said it before, that as knights of the kingdom they had no intention of harming the royal family.
「The kingdom……the royal family won’t change unless they have experienced “pain” once. All of you too would lose resolve if you heard about this plan. There was no way I could speak about this to any of you.」
「How can this be……」
The surviving knights dropped their weapons from their hands when they heard that.
「Surrender yourself, Ludger. Even if you alone fight here……」
「I will never do that, your highness.」
Ludger resolutely refused Elena’s kindness and quietly shook his head while picking a replacement sword from his dead subordinate. Then he pointed that sword not toward Elena but me.
「For the sake of my will, I have no intention of changing. Even if by some chance I manage to avoid the gallows, I shall keep doing the same thing as long as I live. Surely you can understand that right?」
Removing the crown prince Ervan and making Elena to be the next king. We were also aiming for the same thing, but our method and objective were fundamentally different. Ludger could only rely on the noble faction to make his wish came true. If only he had more chances to know Elena, he might become our reliable ally…….
「……Elena. Withdraw until that black beast’s position. Nero is my ally and won’t attack you.」
「Aria……」
My hair color returned from the ashen iron color to pinkish blond hair. I was dispelling Iron Rose while slowly stepping forward.
「Ash covered hair……I see, so you’re the “Ash Crowned Princess”. No wonder the average knight is not your match.」
「Elena fought together with me.」
I survived this battle because Elena had resolved herself for me. Ludger smiled a little at my words.
「I see……. I request a duel with you. But, you are free to accept or to refuse it. I won’t mind even if that beast fight together with you.」
From his expression I felt his will as a knight seeking for his last moment.
「This is a waste of time. Let’s start.」
I spoke shortly and readied my black dagger and black knife in my hands. Seeing that, Ludger raised his lips in a faint smile and held his subordinate’s sword with both hands without carrying a shield.
Even though I had mana recovery potion, using Iron Rose continuously until my mana ran out was dangerous. Besides, I would become unable to fight against a truly strong enemy if I used a finishing move to easily deal with an enemy of the same rank every time.
And more than that……I grasped my weapons with my own strength in order to respond to Ludger’s resolve.
「「…………」」
Ludger and I both readied our weapons as we each changed our position to counter clockwise direction in order to move to the opposite direction of the opponent’s dominant hand.
.
▼ Ludger Race : Human♂ – Assumed Rank 4
【Magic Power : 134/160】【Stamina : 285/320】
【Overall Combat Strength : 747 (During Special Body Strengthening : 921)】
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He was a rank 4 like Viro and Sera. Even though his combat strength was a bit lower than me, his experience in head-on duel against human should be overwhelmingly higher compared to me.
Ludger was excessively vigilant against me more than the gap between our combat strength should deserve because he had seen me using Iron Rose. I had no intention of using it any further but, I could still use it as “feint” without actually using it.
*Gakin!*
The distance was gradually filled and Ludger whose weapon had longer ranger attacked first. Sparks scattered when I blocked his sword with my black dagger.
In that moment, Ludger’s left leg launched a kick from the side. Even though he was lightly armored, I judged that my stance was unsuited to slash his leg with my knife. I used my right leg not to kick back at his kick, but to entangle our legs together. My body got lifted up and I used my left leg to sweep Ludger’s right leg.
「What-!」
You must have never faced an opponent who fought in this way in your training as knight or even in all your duels until now. Both of us fell together. Ludger quickly used his left hand to touch the ground and support his body.
He never let go of his weapon must be because he was a “knight”.
My hands had let go of my dagger and knife and I instantly got on all fours to land like a cat. Then both my legs kicked on the ground while I straddled him, took out a small crossbow from Storage and fired it at Ludger’s face. His eyes opened wide in shock as the arrow entered between his eyes.
You had the advantage in a duel. But, you were too fixated in being a knight.
I became slightly stronger again from this fight against all of you.
.
▼ Aria (Alicia) Race : Human♀ – Rank 4
【Magic Power : 153/300】【Stamina : 171/250】
【Strength : 10 (14)】【Endurance : 10 (14)】【Agility : 15 (22)】【Dexterity : 9】△ 1 UP
《Short Sword Skill Level 4》《Martial Art Level 4》《Throwing Level 4》《Archery Level 2》
《Defense Level 4》《String Control Level 4》
《Light Magic Level 3》《Darkness Magic Level 4》《Non-Elemental Magic Level 4》
《Daily Life Magic×６》《Magic Power Control Level 4》《Pressure Level 4》
《Stealth Level 4》《Night Vision Level 2》《Search Level 4》《Poison Resistance Level 3》《Abnormal Status Resistance Level 1》
《Simple Appraisal》
【Overall Combat Strength : 1296 (With Body Strengthening : 1620)】△ 144 UP
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「Y-you, what do you think human life is-!?」
I stood up after finishing off Ludger. Then Nero released the boy──Nathanital and he raised his voice with a criticizing tone.
「Think about something like that after you manage to survive.」
「You called it something like that……」
My reply that cut down his argument mercilessly shocked Nathanital dumb. The words that he was going to say next got caught in his throat. It seemed that he didn’t expect that he would get argued back.
Most of the enemies were dead. Even the few surviving knights were lowering their weapons after witnessing Ludger’s death and hearing the truth. I couldn’t feel any will to continue fighting from them.
Even so, their eyes weren’t dead. That was what made human who possessed conviction troublesome. Even though they found out that their conviction differed from Ludger, it didn’t mean that their conviction had broken and they would surrender.
「…………」
I turned my gaze toward Elena just for a moment. There was a bit of hesitation on her face.
In any other situation she wouldn’t recklessly take the lives of others and considered letting them lived to use them as witness. But, now that we had found out that the crown prince’s life was being targeted by assassin, these knights couldn’t be allowed to be near Elena in order to go save the crown prince.
But, “I” existed for that. I picked up my dagger and knife and approached the knights. Seeing that, the knights, along with Elena and Nathanital turned pale. But then I heard a sound from afar approaching this way. I turned my gaze to that direction.
「Is her highness safe-!?」
It was the company of royal guards who were in charge of guarding Elena’s mansion who came rushing to here on horse.
The company commander was that knight who I got involved with at the beginning during that dungeon exploration──Mash. I recognized his face and waved my hand. The royal knights who noticed that Elena and I were safe looked slightly relieved and approached.
It’s amazing that they managed to find this location……while I was thinking that, I saw Viro riding on horse at the very back. The butler must have received my message and notified not only the knights but also Viro just as I expected. Even so, it must be thanks to Viro’s experience that they were able to notice the marks that I left behind on the trees along the way here using knife and caught up this quickly.
Nero already read the atmosphere and disappeared from this place before their arrival. The royal guards stayed on guard against the knights of the second knight order who had lowered their weapon while getting down from their horses. Then Mash ran until Elena’s side.
「Your highness, thank god that you are safe……」
「Aria came for me. Please restrain those knights. Also, there are still two female students who got taken away to somewhere……」
「We had secured them on our way here and left behind one knight to protect them. They had also spoken how Lady Aria saved them. But……is the traitor the second knight order?」
Mash asked that question with scorn in his eyes. The complexion of the survivors of the second knight order changed when they heard that. One of them open their mouth to justify themselves.
「Not all of the second knight order members belong to the noble faction-! It’s only us in the company of his excellency Captain Ludger who know about this plan. The others know nothing at all……」
「I understand. Let’s leave the investigation about that matter to the supreme commander Margrave Dandall. More importantly his highness the crown prince is also in danger right now. I wish to quickly send a message and reinforcement but……」
There was no time right now. Elena cut off the knight’s words and started giving order. Then she turned her gaze toward me.
「Aria and Viro. Members of Rainbow Sword, I ask you two to go reinforce his highness the crown prince. I won’t ask you to rescue his highness. But I ask you two to please at least secure his highness and keep him safe until the reinforcement from the palace arrive.」
「There are also other young masters and students with his highness. What about them?」
Viro got down from his horse and threw a difficult question at Elena. But, that was the important part. Depending on the answer, it would decide not only the request’s difficulty but also Elena’s own character. This was a test in its own way. I stared fixedly at Elena while waiting for her to answer.
「If the two of you can at the very least keep his highness safe, I will take responsibility for the loss of anyone else and regard them as a necessary sacrifice. That is my request to the two of you.」
「Roger that.」
Viro moved away and started making preparation to move after Elena gave that answer. Meanwhile Nathanital who heard Elena’s answer widened his eyes in shock and started pressing her.
「Your highness-, something like that is simply not right at all-!」
「……Those words are my resolve as a royalty. That’s what it means to serve the country. Even my own life is not exempted from that. The aides of his highness should also understand that risk.」
Elena’s beautifully shaped eyebrows twisted slightly and she sighed while explaining that. Even so Nathanital couldn’t accept it and pressed her even further.
「Still-!」
「Don’t get any closer to Elena-sama than that.」
I grabbed Nathanital’s hand that was reaching toward Elena.
Even though he was a baron of the robe, if a middle ranked noble like him would keep trying to make a direct appeal to the princess even without any permission, I would have to take Elena’s safety into consideration and restrained him. That was part of the reason why I stopped him and applied a bit of pressure on him. Then Nathanital gritted his teeth and glared at me.
「I won’t accept you! All lives in this world are god’s──」
「UOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」
The moment everyone’s attention was on Nathanital, one of the second knight order’s knight pushed away the royal guard knight who was going to tie him up and ran.
「Stop him-!」
Not all of the survivors were loyal to the royal family. Naturally people who were agreeing with Ludger’s will were mixed in with them. He turned a knife that he was hiding toward Elena, in order to slow down the reinforcement to save the crown prince even if he had to injure the princess for that.
Even if they failed to recruit Elena into the noble faction, it would still be their victory as long as the crown prince was removed.
But, Nathanital who was frozen in shock was on his way.
「Get out of my way you brattt!!」
「Hiiih!?」
Nathanital screamed from the bloodshot eyes and killing intent that were directed at him. He would be killed if he didn’t get out of the way. The moment the knight thrust his knife forward, I grabbed Nathanital’s collar and pulled him back while switching place with him. I turned my body aside to dodge the knife while stabbing my black dagger from below the knight’s jaw until it reached his brain.
「Hih……」
The knife’s tip stopped right in front of Nathanital’s eyes. I pulled out the dagger and blood spurted out from the knight. It poured on Nathanital’s face as his waist lost strength and he sat on the ground. I looked down coldly on him.
「Do as you like. But, they too are taking action by risking their life. To live is to fight. Don’t you speak of that life using the words of “someone else” like god.」
「…………」
Nathanital was trembling while staring at the dead knight with an ashen face.
I glanced at the knights of the second knight order who had gotten quiet for some reason, then I returned to Elena’s side and called out to Viro who was preparing to depart as reinforcement.
「Viro, our task is to protect her highness the prince. You protect her. I’ll go to reinforce his highness the crown prince.」
「Oi oi, you’re planning to go alone?」
Viro looked exasperated from my words. Certainly it would be better to have Viro with his abundant experience coming together as reinforcement for the crown prince.
But, just like I said, Elena’s situation was still far removed from being safe. It would be pointless if we saved the crown prince but she got harmed in the process.
「If I’m alone then I can use the mountain path, which will shorten the distance and time needed compared to riding horse. After all I’m faster than Viro.」
「That’s a big talk to your honorable teacher, you cheeky disciple. Okay got it. Take this with you.」
Viro laughed with his teeth bared. He then tossed the potion that he prepared to bring to me.
「Mana recovery potion? I also have this though?」
「Yours are just medium grade that you made yourself right? This one is high grade quality that cost 8 silver coins. It seems that you can’t use that technique of yours while the potion is in effect but, you can use it somehow during travel right?」
Mana recovery potion recovered the consumer mana’s gradually. Using it made Iron Rose harder to control, so I couldn’t use the potion in the middle of battle.
Viro had tried to test if he was able to learn my new Battle Skill, Iron Rose or not, but he was unable to learn it because he couldn’t see magic particle. Even so he had researched the skill’s trait on his own during his attempt.
I gratefully accepted the considerate gift of my scout teacher. There Elena approached me and wiped the blood on my cheek with her handkerchief.
「I’m sorry for sending you into danger alone. But, I believe in you Aria.」
「Leave it to me.」
I nodded at Elena. Then in order to move easier, I tore my skirt that had become littered with hole from sweeping arrows away. It created a long slit at the right side.
I kicked with my leg that was wrapped with thin and transparent tights to check my ease movement, but the knights averted their gaze for some reason when I did that.
「Please order several more uniforms as spare.」
「Alright.」
Elena smiled at my demand as though she was looking at a troubling little sister.
「Then, I’m going.」
Elena nodded wordlessly at my words. Viro saw me off with a thumb up.
I drank the mana recovery potion in one gulp, then I sprinted into the forest with normal body strengthening for the time being until my decreased mana recovered.
The crown prince’s location was at the grass plain along the sea where the second knight order was carrying out their exercises. But, although I didn’t know the identity of these assassins, I didn’t think that they would attack at a location where there would be a lot of knights.
If they were going to attack then it would be somewhere in the middle on the road heading to that location. I could calculate the location to some degree based on the carriage’s moving distance and the routes along the way, but the assassins should also be able to do the same. That was why I directly headed toward the location where I thought it would be the easiest to attack if it was me.
But, it would take four hours to arrive there even with my legs. It was uncertain whether I would make it in time before the crown prince passed that point with my speed.
I was moving inside the pathless forest by jumping from tree to tree, and from rock to rock. Then before I realized it there was a black beast running in parallel beside me.
「Nero……」
『Gaa』
Nero moved its whip-like whisker freely like a tentacle to point on its back.
「You’ll let me get on your back?」
<──right──>
I grabbed the whisker it stretched at me and jumped on its back. Then Nero sprinted faster than I could if I ran on my own. Even so I felt it was slower than if I used Iron Rose. I poured my mana into Nero’s whisker that I was holding like a rein.
『GAAA!』
「Endure it.」
It should be possible on paper. Nero expressed its dissatisfaction when my mana poured into it, but I lightly stroke its neck to calm it down. I poured mana into Nero like when I poured mana into my pendulum while matching the flow of mana of Nero’s body strengthening. I let out a small mutter the moment it matched.
「──Iron Rose──」
『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!』
Nero roared from the rampaging mana that poured into it. My hair was dyed with ashen iron color. I pulled on its whisker to direct it away from crashing on a tree.
Nero was gradually getting used to the mana while I was doing that. It seemed to be pleased that its physical ability got doubled and sped up even more inside the forest.
「Now, let’s go.」
『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!』
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