Ann Also Heads To The Imperial Capital

From inside the carriage where I had evacuated to the Divine Domain, I watched the situation in the mortal world reflected in the water mirror together with Milora-sama. Right now, the knights were just leaving the scene.

“You two did well!”

“Yes. The success of the operation was thanks to Luca and Rebecca. I’m truly grateful.”

When I murmured that with deep emotion, Milora-sama also nodded, his cheeks slightly reddening.

What would have happened if those two had not been there… it would have been extremely difficult to fake my death alone. If I had only intended to escape, it might have been possible by myself, but in that case I could not predict what kind of impact it would have had on the Albanell Kingdom.

“Milora-sama, from now on I will have to travel on foot to the Imperial Capital. If monsters, imperial knights, or anything else that could threaten me approach, could you inform me?”

“Of course. I’ll protect Henriette’s safety!”

“Fufu, thank you very much. That is very reassuring.”

Seeing Milora-sama puff out his chest confidently was rather charming, and I unconsciously relaxed the corners of my mouth. Then Milora-sama smiled brightly and peered into my face.

“Henriette, you look cuter when you smile.”

“…Do I?”

“If I say so, there’s no mistake.”

If Milora-sama says so, perhaps I should try to smile more consciously.

“It’s a waste to have to wear the transformation robe.”

“I will take it off in the Divine Domain. It’s only to prevent my identity from being discovered in the Empire.”

Once everything I needed to do in the Empire was finished, I would return to the kingdom and reclaim my freedom as Henriette. I would clear Luca and Rebecca of the disgrace of failing their mission, and I would withdraw from the royal registry.

The possibility of returning to the kingdom had only arisen thanks to Luca and Rebecca. If the Empire continued as it was now, even if I escaped, I would have had no choice but to live quietly in hiding.

I truly wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to the two of them. If I could repay them, that would be wonderful… but at the very least, I must make sure not to cause them any further trouble.

Once I returned to the kingdom, would Father immediately approve my withdrawal from the royal registry? Father could be quite whimsical, so I could not completely dispel my worries. I only hoped it would not end up causing trouble for those two again.

“Henriette, it’ll be fine. I’m here.”

As I worried about what lay ahead, Milora-sama must have seen through my concerns, because he spoke those words in a bright tone.

Milora-sama had truly saved me many times as well. I absolutely wanted to repay him someday too.

“Thank you very much. That is very reassuring.”

Seeing Milora-sama’s beaming smile at my words made my heart feel gently warm.

After that, I changed my appearance with the transformation robe and descended onto the cliff. Being alone in the depths of the mountains made me tense, but hearing Milora-sama’s voice in my mind made me realize I was not alone.

‘For now, there don’t seem to be any people or monsters nearby.’

‘Understood. Thank you very much.’

‘By the way, can I tell Seremees that Henriette has started heading toward the Imperial Capital? It will also be conveyed to Luca and Rebecca.’

‘Of course. Please do.’

‘Got it! Then leave the message to me.’

Once Milora-sama’s voice faded away, I began steadily walking along the path in the mountains, neither rushing nor panicking.

Even though I was called a servant, I had not trained at all, so my physical abilities were ordinary. In fact, they were about the same as the average people living in the city. I also had almost no real combat experience using magic, so it was unreliable to depend on it. That meant I must not let my guard down.

Not only was I completely unaccustomed to facing monsters, but if I saw one up close I would probably freeze. Just like when Luca and the others saved me the first time.

Thinking back on it now, the monster at that time could have been defeated even with my clumsy attack magic, and even if not, I could have checked my surroundings and escaped to the Divine Domain.

But I had suddenly been attacked by many monsters and panicked. To make sure that never happened again, I needed to stay calm no matter what.

If it seemed possible to defeat it with magic, I would calmly cast a spell. If it seemed dangerous for my magic, I would immediately escape to the Divine Domain. I must never break these rules.

“But still, I’d like to be able to defeat strong monsters too…”

At the honest words that slipped out of my own mouth, I gave a wry smile.

After all, I hated being a burden. If I was going to be with Luca and Rebecca, I did not want to be someone who was only protected by them—I wanted to become someone who could protect them as well.

Thanks to Milora-sama, I already had the foundation. All that remained was effort.

‘Henriette, if you’re going to fight monsters, you should avoid fire magic and lightning magic. It would be a disaster if the trees caught fire.’

‘Understood. In that case… I will use wind magic.’

Grateful to Milora-sama for giving such accurate advice, even though he must have heard my words, I decided which magic I would train first. My goal was to be able to defeat monsters alone before reaching the Imperial Capital.