To The Battlefield (10)

Poor bastard. Kaltz sighed inwardly and offered some consolation.

“Her Grace will be fine. I always tell you, but you are the only person who worries that someone like her might be injured by mere monsters, Your Grace.”

“Was that why you told her about my expedition?”

The knight flinched and hunched his shoulders.

“How did you……?”

When he hesitated, the grand duke replied without even looking at him.

“Who else but you would wag his tongue so carelessly?”

“Will you punish me?”

“Forget it. She has already left anyway.”

His yellow eyes sank. The cruel lord’s calm demeanor only made Kaltz more uneasy, and he frowned.

However, the grand duke calmly examined the documents the knight had placed before him. After flipping through several pages of the organized ledgers, he asked as though something had just occurred to him.

“Come to think of it, why did you not tell me that you were acquainted with the Cattaleang heir?”

“What?! Acquainted? We have absolutely nothing to do with each other.”

Watching the knight wave his hands in denial, Victor finally formed something resembling a smile.

“I know perfectly well that you visit her sickroom every day. Quite an interesting rumor is already circulating.”

“Don’t say anything strange! Are you trying to ruin someone’s marriage prospects? I just want her to hurry back to the capital.”

“Is she the ‘annoying girl who only cares about money’ you often talked about when you were young?”

Kaltz rolled his blue eyes.

This was the greatest disadvantage of having a childhood friend as one’s superior. It was difficult to lie.

The knight eventually muttered resentfully.

“……Do not mention that in front of Katarina.”

The grand duke snorted and pulled the papers closer.

Beyond the large window, white rocky mountains rose like a painting beneath the black night sky. And he inevitably thought of a woman just as pale. Of her moonlike eyes filled with disappointment and anger as she looked at him.

‘Are you still angry with me?’

The grand duke closed his aching eyes. The time he had to wait for Amarion’s return felt as distant as eternity.

The next day, I woke earlier than anyone else. Perhaps it had rained through the night, because the world beyond the window was damp and dark. Instead of a flowing indoor dress, I put on my leather armor and loosely tied my hair into a single tail. Since I had decided to behave like a knight from now on, I did not want to concern myself with anything else.

What use were beautiful clothes? Victor was not here to see them.

Suppressing the embarrassing thought that had suddenly surfaced, I rang the bell.

“Tell them to prepare a simple meal in the dining room. We will depart as soon as we finish eating, so inform our hosts as well.”

The servants moved hurriedly with startled expressions.

Before long, the castle awoke and became bustling. Perhaps Leonard had warned them in advance, because the knights had already risen and completed their preparations to depart. We gathered in the dining room and quickly finished our meal.

When I immediately ordered the horses brought out, the viscount and viscountess came rushing out in their indoor clothes and desperately stopped me.

“Please stay a little longer, Your Grace!”

“I know you have far to travel, but please remain until lunchtime. We prepared so many things to offer Your Grace…….”

I smiled according to proper etiquette and shook my head.

“No. Last night’s welcome was more than enough.”

“But Your Grace…….”

“Let us meet again when things are less urgent. The grand duke said I may hold a grand banquet, so you may look forward to it.”

At my words, the viscountess’s face brightened.

Victor had only said it in passing, and I actually knew nothing at all about holding banquets……. But saying this allowed me to avoid more troublesome matters and would briefly enliven high society, so perhaps it was for the best?

I needlessly averted my eyes and mounted my horse.

Leonard looked over the assembled knights.

“As planned, we will divide here into the western and eastern forces. You all know your assigned units.”

“Yes!”

A resounding answer rang out.

Naturally, I belonged to the eastern force. That was because the situation in the east was far worse.

I had heard that there were many monsters even along the road, and that Fidelburg, at the far edge of the eastern region and our final destination, was in particularly dire condition. That was why Kaltz had assigned me, Leonard, and Raul to the eastern force.

Instead, he had placed most of the experienced knights in the western force to maintain balance.

I had never fought under Kaltz’s or Victor’s command, but these were knights who had achieved remarkable military accomplishments, so I trusted their judgment.

I moved aside with Mary and Raul. Before long, the western force departed the castle first. Leonard stiffly drew his sword and offered a farewell.

“We shall be leaving as well. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Norvant.”

“I-I wish you good fortune, Sir Knight, Your Grace.”

The viscount wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed. I lightly dipped my head before turning my horse around.

The true subjugation had begun.

We rode along the road leading north from Norvant. Once we left the castle and village behind, the atmosphere rapidly grew eerie. We pulled the hoods of our cloaks low to keep the mist from wetting our hair.

It was familiar to knights accustomed to expeditions, but I was worried about Mary. I glanced back to check on her.

Surprisingly, however, Mary was chatting casually with Raul as though nothing bothered her. Raul laughed heartily.

“……So in my opinion, my lady simply dislikes social gatherings.”

“But my lady always enjoyed spending time with us!”

“No, I’m telling you. This is a very famous story in the capital. At a salon, my lady crushed Jeffrey of House Welch like pudding…….”

I stared at Raul in disbelief.

Was he telling Mary stories about me? Right in front of me?

But even though we had departed early, Mary had perfectly braided her hair into two plaits and seemed utterly delighted.

“Really? As expected, my lady is amazing! Then did she stop attending social gatherings after that?”

“Exactly. That is why His Grace does not understand a woman’s heart. If he wanted to please my lady, he should have held a swordsmanship tournament instead of a tea party. But he said he would hold a banquet, so it was truly unfortunate…….”

“You seem quite excited now that His Grace is absent.”

Leonard made a remark. Raul merely shrugged.

“So what? His Grace’s glare was so intense that I could never speak of my lady’s heroic exploits before. Now I can spread them far and wide, so it is a good thing.”

“I’m embarrassed too…….”

“Come now, I’m only trying to tell Miss Mary, so please let it go this once.”

Raul gave a playful wink. Since he was a fierce-looking man with scars, the wink was rather terrifying, and I merely shook my head.

Still, I was relieved that Raul’s presence seemed to make Mary less nervous. Though it was admittedly embarrassing to tell the story of how I had defeated such a frail knight…….

Rubbing my reddening cheeks, I turned my head. Then suddenly, I heard a strange sound beyond the mist.

I immediately raised one hand to halt the knights and listened carefully. Footsteps, low growling, breathing…….

─The sounds drew near in an instant.

“Sir Raul, take care of Mary!”

Shing!

My sword slid free with a sharp sound. The moment I leaped from my horse, a horde of monsters with gleaming scales charged forward with shrill cries. Leonard pulled on his reins and shouted.

“Be careful! They’re drakas!”

Drakas were extremely common magical beasts in Mort, monsters with small bodies like goblins and heads resembling crocodiles. They lacked the intelligence to wield weapons, but their sharp teeth made them a grave threat to defenseless travelers.

I had hardly ever seen them in Amari, but……. Protecting the horses, I instinctively swung my sword. When I slashed their vulnerable-looking bellies instead of their hard outer scales, the monsters fell one by one.

At a glance, I saw that Raul had drawn his axe and was thoroughly guarding the deathly pale Mary. In that case…….

“Please move aside!”

I pushed past the knights and stepped farther forward. When I deliberately flashed my blade to attract their attention, the drakas charged me all at once. I spun lightly in a full circle, cutting them all down, then stepped forward and pierced the others. Perhaps because the climate was warmer, their hides were thinner than those of Amari’s monsters and were easier to cut.

After I swung my sword several more times, the shrieks finally died away. I shook the monster blood from my cloak and asked,

“Is anyone injured?”

“We are unharmed, my lady.”

Leonard answered a beat late. Relieved, I returned to where the horses stood.

Most of the knights were staring at me. Several of them were too astonished to close their mouths.

“What in the world was that……?”

“I told you. That is simply the kind of person she is.”

Another knight who had accompanied me from the capital to Mort replied casually.

Why were they so surprised?

I tilted my head, then simply asked Leonard,

“How do we dispose of the corpses? Do we not collect the hides or teeth?”

“Ordinarily, we leave them and inform a nearby village so the residents can collect them. But this place is sparsely traveled, so I believe we will have to leave them to rot.”

“I see…….”

That was all money too.

Suppressing the impoverished thought that instinctively surfaced, I took out a cloth and wiped my sword. I did not know how many more battles awaited us, so I had to maintain the blade properly.

Mary, who for some reason looked extremely excited, tried to speak to me, but Raul politely extended a hand to restrain her. I smiled faintly at them and sheathed my sword.

Before long, everyone mounted their horses again. Leonard counted the personnel and gestured once more.

“Now, let us depart again.”

I lightly pulled on the reins.