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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The members who had been dispatched on requests began returning one by one.
As expected, they had resolved the requests without much difficulty and brought back appropriate compensation.
It was an excellent result.
This would raise the Royal Knights’ reputation and widely announce their resilience to the continent.
Of course, there were still many lacking areas, but that was alright.Because it was the same for the demon race.
Though it was just speculation, considering the demons’ actions described in the setting collection and the original story, their power had indeed been greatly weakened.
If the demons had been at full strength, no living being on the continent could have withstood for 7 years, no, was it 6 years now?
Even with dragons, it wouldn’t have been possible.
In fact, even the dragons, who were called the strongest race on earth, had been annihilated by the demons’ offensive, and the surviving dragons had become slaves.
That was why dragons appeared as enemies.
Among the bosses that appeared in the original work, there were as many as two dragon bosses.
One was a boss that appeared in the original story, and the other was a boss that could only be unlocked through DLC.
Its name was Tyrant Yuren or something like that.
…Wait a minute. Yuren? Surely it couldn’t be the Yuren I knew?
I quickly shook off the ominous possibility.
Just imagining that gave me a headache.
Anyway, the negotiations had ended without much difficulty.
The members had safely completed their requests and returned.
Everything had ended well.
Just then, Bayard spoke with a dark expression.
“C-Commander. Did s-someone from the beastmen come…?”
“The beastmen’s envoy is currently staying here. Do you know someone?”
“I-I smell a familiar scent…”
Looking closely, Bayard was trembling and couldn’t stay still.
It was as if she had encountered something frightening.
Bayard’s behavior had been a bit strange until now.
At first, I thought it was just trauma from the expedition.
But looking closely, it was trauma, but it seemed to be a different kind of trauma that was tormenting her.
What should I do in this situation?
No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with a good solution.
So I raised my hand, and patted her reddish-brown hair.
“Eh, yes?!”
“Good work. Now go back to your room and rest.”
“N-No. There’s still work to do…”
“Clara, Ruby. Please take care of Bayard.”
“Huh? What do you mean…”
“Come on, quickly go to the room together!”
Thanks to the quick-witted Ruby, I could easily entrust Bayard to them.
If what I was thinking was correct, leaving Bayard alone would be very dangerous.
Fortunately, she had reliable comrades she could trust and rely on.
Thinking I should ask Helia for help later too, I turned my head.
Now it was time to find out directly.
Even if I kept pressing Bayard, she would never tell me.
It might even end up touching her wounds.
Rather than that, it was better to ask someone who seemed to know.
And there was only one person in my mind who might know this story.
Yuyoung, the leader of the Rat Clan.
If it were a complete stranger, I wouldn’t know, but Bayard was a member of the Royal Knights.
As the leader who led all 12 tribes, she might be able to give even a small hint about her.
With that thought, I headed to the infirmary where she was lying down, but I was blocked in the corridor in front.
“I’m sorry, but Lady Yuyoung is not in a state to meet anyone yet.”
It was a woman with long blue hair and fox-like soft ears on top of her head.
Her sharp cat-like gaze made me feel slightly intimidated.
“I just need a moment. I have urgent business.”
“May I ask what this urgent business is?”
“I can’t say.”
But I couldn’t back down either.
It was an issue concerning a member, not just anyone.
Especially since Bayard had smelled something and openly showed signs of anxiety.
In other words, someone who had given her trauma was now in Lionheart Fortress.
That was why I couldn’t back down.
The woman twitched her eyebrow and moved her hand to her waist.
A long black chain was tied around her waist.
She wrapped it around both hands like a whip and pulled the middle string with a snap.
Was she using the chain as a weapon?
“I am Yana, a warrior of the Cat Clan. I serve Lady Yuyoung, the leader of the Rat Clan.”
“I’m Hans.”
“Sir Hans, your current behavior is extremely rude. Please show the courtesy befitting your position.”
I couldn’t deny Yana’s words.
Despite knowing she wasn’t feeling well, to come like this suddenly and demand a meeting.
However, I couldn’t back down.
If a member’s condition wasn’t good, it was the commander’s job to resolve it.
But I couldn’t reveal the reason in front of everyone.
It could be a matter of privacy.
“I’m well aware of that point.”
“Then…”
“But I can’t back down. I’m sorry.”
“Well, it seems I have no choice but to teach you manners directly…”
“I wonder which side lacks manners.”
It was just one word, a single phrase.
However, those words weighed down like a vast mountain range.
The end of it wasn’t directed at me.
It was aimed at Yana, who had drawn her weapon in front of me.
Soon, cold sweat began to flow from her forehead, which had shown no emotion before.
Though she was gritting her teeth and enduring somehow, her body trembled slightly, unable to overcome the fear.
She had somehow squeezed herself between Yana and me.
Her black hair blazed like flames.
Just by being there, she overwhelmed everyone.
“Show some manners.”
“Ugh?!”
“You’re in front of the Commander.”
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking echoed out.
Yuren’s light kick shattered Yana’s knee.
As a result, Yana, unable to stand, naturally ended up kneeling before me.
However, her cat-like eyes were still not dead and glared at us.
Then Yuren raised her fist.
Before her fist could reach, I flicked my index and middle fingers.
We were the ones who made the mistake first.
I was not so foolish as to not know that.
So I was going to take the hit.
More precisely, I was going to use time stop to take the hit less painfully.
Of course, there was a cooldown, but using time stop was better than not using it at all to endure.
But I never dreamed that Yuren would intervene directly here.
“Stop it, I won’t allow any more conflict here.”
It was not a lie, when I stopped time and grabbed her wrist, I thought I was grabbing a hand made of steel.
If I hadn’t shaken my arm for a while to drain the strength, I wouldn’t have been able to stop it.
And it was the same now.
If she applied force here, I would fly away bodily.
Please, stop.
Perhaps my desperate prayer was answered.
As I said, Yuren slowly lowered her raised fist.
I was a bit surprised that she listened so readily.
With a slight blush, she looked at me and said,
“Y-You could have spoken more forcefully, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“N-Nothing! I just meant that next time, you could stop me more firmly!”
“You’re not wrong. I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was better to stop fights firmly.
Of course, I didn’t have the confidence to stop them more forcefully here.
Anyway, I needed to quickly resolve this situation and meet Yuyoung.
I had many things to ask.
“You said you had something to ask me?”
“My lady!”
“It’s alright, Yana. We had to meet anyway.”
“That’s right, Yuyoung.”
“Please come inside for now.”
She looked more relaxed than when we met before.
Had she organized her thoughts while meditating alone?
Thanks to that, we might be able to talk a bit more.
It was fortunate for me.
The place I followed her into was the guest room I had given her.
Lionheart Fortress often had visitors, so there were separate guest rooms.
Yuren had told me directly.
At first, I thought it was just lodging, but the members’ quarters were in a different place, and Yuyoung was alone in the guest room.
“Don’t you need guards?”
“It’s fine. There are two reliable Royal Knights here, aren’t there?”
“I’m glad you say so.”
“So, what brings you to see me?”
“I came to ask about Bayard.”
“…Bayard?”
There was a different reaction.
Although I hadn’t been observing her for long, this was the first time I’d seen such a reaction.
Yuyoung looked surprised.
I tilted my head and asked,
“Do you know each other?”
“I know the name.”
“Your initial reaction was more than just that.”
“…She was a friend. My only friend.”
A wistful emotion was felt in her voice.
However, unlike her emotion, her words were in the past tense.
From that, I immediately noticed.
I had to notice.
The fact that something had happened between them.
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