To The Battlefield (25)

I closed my mouth and looked down the dark forest path.

It was true that I had realized many things during the subjugation. That I could accomplish quite a lot with my sword. The encouragement of the nobles and people of the territory who expressed gratitude for what I had done had also given me a little confidence.

But I remembered the people of Fidelburg dying helplessly before the pack of chimeras. I also remembered my own land, Amari, where people died every winter. The bitter northern wind was still raging inside my heart.

That was why I could not fully accept those words.

“Someone like me is not a genius.”

A genius was someone who could overturn an entire nation alone. Someone who could change the lives of thousands or tens of thousands in an instant.

The great healer who created medicine for the fever plague, the blacksmith of the Southern Kingdom who first developed the printing press, the bard who gathered the epics of the entire continent and published them in a book, the knight who changed the borders of the Empire, the “Walking Death.”

Those were the people who deserved to be called geniuses. I, who had failed even to protect one small territory properly, had no right to be called that.

The knights remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, Leonard spoke.

“I traveled across the entire continent while fighting wars beside His Highness. I met countless renowned warriors and knights as well.”

“…….”

“But none of them were like His Highness.”

He declared it firmly.

“He was strong even as a child, but after losing his elder brother, his sword became something almost impossible to describe. I could not even read what he was seeing through my own eyes. It was truly a wall high enough to make me want to give up swordsmanship.”

Leonard’s tone was as impassive as ever. But because he took swordsmanship more seriously than anyone, his words sounded somehow painful.

He asked me.

“But that is not the case for you, Madam, is it?”

I could not say anything. Because those words were not false.

When it came to the sword, Victor was as easy for me to read as a book. Victor truly was a great swordsman. His strength, stamina, and even technique were perfect. But he was someone I felt I could reach if I worked hard enough. To me, he was a realistic goal.

Raul grinned when he saw that I could not deny it.

“That is why you are a genius too, Madam. I’m sure the people of Amari praised you just as they do here.”

“……I wonder if they truly did.”

I smiled bitterly.

I was grateful, but I could not agree. In the end, I had not even managed to feed them one hearty meal of meat stew. At best, handing over a pouch of gold coins from my dowry had been the greatest solution an inadequate heir like me could think of.

I simply drew my sword.

“I do not need to be great. I only want to keep all of you safe right now.”

Before I knew it, the eerie forest path we had discovered during the day lay before us.

We lowered our voices and followed the mountain path.

Just as during the day, the monsters did not approach this road. We caught occasional glimpses of the dark wolves’ glowing eyes in the distance, but even they did not bark. It was as though everything on the rocky mountain was holding its breath.

After we had traveled for quite some time, even the horses suddenly stopped. They trembled in terror, leaving us no choice but to unload our supplies and release them. The horses disappeared back along the path at tremendous speed. They would probably return to the castle stables, but the fact that even such well-trained warhorses had fled in fear bothered me.

I desperately wanted to send the two men back, but they would not listen even if I told them now.

At that moment, Raul whispered quickly.

“Madam, look at that.”

I looked where Raul gestured with his chin and bit my lip.

“Why is a serpent in a place like this…….”

What lay there was an enormous serpent.

The serpent was a snake as large as a house, also called a water dragon, and was an enormous monster rarely seen even in the north. They normally lived in large lakes or rivers, but occasionally there were mutations capable of flight.

And this was one of those mutations. Its enormous membranous wings hung limp and lifeless. Which meant.

“……It is already dead.”

I cautiously examined the serpent.

The snake had stiffened, as though it had been dead for quite some time. Its scales were shattered, and there were even marks showing that something had seized it in its jaws, shaken it, and thrown it aside.

There was a monster capable of doing this? Serpents were extremely powerful and aggressive monsters, terrifying enough for a single one to dominate several lakes and mountains.

Raul asked.

“Could a hydra have killed it?”

“A hydra’s teeth are not this sharp. And if its jaw was this large…… this is.”

Did this not look as though it had been attacked by a dragon?

I swallowed my words. There was no need to make the knights more anxious for no reason.

Leonard gestured while holding up his torch.

“There is a trail of blood leading that way.”

The serpent’s dried turquoise blood continued up the mountain. We followed the trail with our swords drawn in our hands.

If our opponent truly was a legendary dragon, we would be nothing more than chunks of meat holding skewers, but if necessary, we would at least have to throw our swords to draw its attention and flee.

Praying that such a situation would not occur, I crossed the mountain path.

The higher we climbed, the more sinister the scenery became. The dark forest smelled damp, and the shadows moved as though they were alive.

Soon, we arrived at a deep cave.

“……There is something inside.”

I cautiously stepped into the cave. The cavern between the enormous rocky cliffs was so dark that its depth could not be measured.

And I felt an incredibly ominous presence. Something enormous, and probably asleep. Judging by the marks where it had clawed its way through the cave entrance, it had to be something extremely ferocious.

I hoped it was only a mutated urg.

I slowly crossed the interior of the cave.

Then suddenly, a chilling presence brushed down my spine.

“─! Stop!”

At my sharp command, the knights halted at once.

Raul tightened his grip on his axe and asked quickly.

“Madam, why?”

“Look ahead. Look ahead.”

Leonard extended the torch slightly.

What had appeared to be nothing more than an enormous mass of black darkness shifted faintly. Amid fear and shock, the knight murmured.

“Surely this is not all…….”

“Yes.”

It is a monster.

I whispered as I looked up at the enormous mass filling the entire cave.

A colossal snake, so vast that it was difficult even to estimate its size, lay coiled and asleep.

A terrifying silence descended. The overwhelming shock left us unable to say anything. I had never seen anything like this in any book or memory. Only now did I understand why my instincts had been sending endless warnings of danger. I forced myself to take a deep breath.

Dragons did not exist. Had I not become certain of that after traveling through the Black Mountains for more than twenty years? This was merely another monster.

I calmed myself and examined the beast, whether it was a snake or something else.

Its glossy black scales, the wings barely visible, and even its forelegs tipped with sharp claws.

And with the instincts I had honed over a lifetime of fighting, I very slowly came to understand.

What this was, and what I had to do.

“……Return to the castle.”

Leonard gritted his teeth at my command.

“This time, I cannot obey, Madam.”

I heard his heavy sword move.

“There is no knight who would leave a comrade in a place like this. At least allow us to guard your back.”

“I agree. Please reconsider once more.”

Raul also raised his enormous axe. But I could not respect their wishes.

Not now. Not when even I could not be certain of victory.

“This is not an opponent for men with families to face.”

I spoke firmly.

“Return. That is an order.”

The knights’ faces twisted. After a long silence, they finally stepped backward.

I did not even look at them. No matter how painful it was, I had to harden my heart.

Even if I died here, I intended to stop this deadly monster alone. If one person’s sacrifice could protect everyone, then that was the right choice. I had left the castle to protect these people. I felt that if our eyes met, even that resolve might waver.

Swallowing the emotion rising in my throat, I gave one final instruction.

“……If I have not returned by tomorrow morning, bring Victor and the soldiers back here.”

The knights exchanged pained looks.

After nodding, they quickly left the cave.

How much time had passed?

I sat with the tip of my sword planted in the ground and counted the seconds. Not even moonlight entered the cave, so there was no way to estimate the passage of time. There was only the heavy silence shared by the sleeping monster and me.

Countless thoughts passed through my mind.

Had the knights reached the castle safely? They were not weak enough for me to worry excessively, so they would probably be fine. The count and Julianna would organize reinforcements as I instructed, and the other knights would obey despite their concern. What if Mary worried too much? I had promised to return safely.

And Victor.

What if he was once again unable to sleep because he was worried about me after I left?

I tried to shake off my guilt and think of brighter things.

Katarina must have nearly recovered by now. Once I returned, we might drink mead together at the castle, and she would probably gladly help prepare for the ball I had no choice but to hold. Perhaps she had even grown fond of Sir Kaltz after arguing with him so much.

Or I could finish reading the third volume of <The Adventures of Doldopin, the Wandering Knight>. From what I had read in spare moments recently, Doldopin had ultimately gone to find Flamberge’s father as she requested. Would Doldopin finally discover the wicked Flamberge’s true nature? Or would he simply cut off her father the Grand Duke’s head?

After considering various possibilities, I raised my head again.

“…….”

Honestly, I was afraid.

I had truly never seen a beast like this before. If my guess was correct, this was a mutation of an extremely rare and powerful monster.

Its only weaknesses were its eyes and the inside of its mouth, and if our eyes met, it would cast magic on me. All the swordsmanship I had honed might prove useless if a single mistake cost me my life.

I did not think it was impossible to kill, but for the first time in a very long while, I lacked certainty. I also did not want to drag Victor or anyone else close to me into this.

This was why I had never wanted to hold a sword again.

I bitterly pulled my cloak tighter. If I forcibly woke the monster, it might go berserk, so I could not fight it immediately. Imagining myself waiting endlessly for it to awaken made the situation even more painful.

Only a few months ago, the greatest hardship in my life had been the contempt of noblewomen. Thinking back on it now, I could not believe how privileged such worries had been.

This was what my life had originally been like. A life always standing one step from death. A cold, lonely life spent alone among the people I had to protect.

“Marion!”

─Yes. Until he appeared in my life.

“Victor?”

I jerked my head up in surprise.