Returning to the mansion earlier than usual, I was greeted at the door by Reika.
"Swen...! Oh, welco back...!"
"Is sothing the matter?"
"No, it's just..."
She fidgeted for a mont before carefully approaching with quick steps and whispered,
"Since you're back early today, I was wondering if you'd like to, perhaps, go for a walk with ."
Her awkward deanor was endearing, and without realizing it, I placed my hand on her head.
"...!!!"
Reika seed montarily flustered but soon didn't resist and leaned into my hand. Both Reika and Airen, they really are cute when it cos to monts like these.
A walk, huh. Thinking about it, it had been quite so ti since we last went out together, besides the library. Maybe I should spend so ti with Reika today.
"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"Uh? No, I an... as long as I'm with you, Swen, anywhere is fine...!"
Sothing about her seed like she had made a big resolution, but it didn't seem necessary to pry.
So, we left the mansion together.
As we stepped out, Reika seed to rember sothing and spoke up,
"Ah, that... Swen! There's sothing I want to show you."
"What is it?"
"It's... I've learned a new magic spell."
She hesitated, her fingers nervously eting,
"I hope there will be a chance to show you soon...!"
"Alright."
It seed she had been spending a lot of ti alone recently and wanted to share various things with . Listening to her was not a difficult task, and I was grateful that she felt motivated to do so. I was also concerned about leaving her alone too often.
"Sure, let's go for that walk then, hehe..."
And so, Reika and I spent so rare leisure ti wandering around the inner parts of Eingart Castle.
*
As we wandered around the castle, it seed as if a small festival was going on, with more stalls than usual. Stopping by each one to buy quality tea leaves or cooking tools was quite enjoyable.
"You bought quite a lot."
"Hehe... sohow, being out with you, Swen... makes it more exciting."
Seeing Reika smile so brightly made it clear how much she had changed since we first t. Her hesitance was still there, but the shadow that had once darkened her face seed completely gone. It was comforting to see her so much brighter and more cheerful than before.
"Should we head back soon?"
"Yes...!"
Just as we were about to return to the mansion.
"...Huh?"
From a distance, I saw a familiar figure rushing toward us. Red hair, a silver circlet, clothes sowhat torn...
'Airen?'
Airen was running towards us with an extrely urgent expression. And that wasn’t all.
She was... carrying soone. That person was...
'Huh?'
***
Recently, Seraphina has been exceptionally active in inspecting her territory. While it’s normal for a ruler to look after her people, the sight of Seraphina, a ruler of such a significant forr empire, personally venturing out was quite extraordinary.
Lately, Seraphina had been exerting herself to the limit. Swen had inford her of her fate: the stark reality that she could not beco the unifying monarch. However, Swen had explained that this prediction was based on the current mont. If effort could change the outco, why not strive for a different future?
Indeed, the public’s opinion of Seraphina had significantly improved. When she first beca a ruler, following the deaths of potentates like Algott and Sidmid, her reign began with purges, which didn’t sit well with the capital’s citizens of the old empire. But having managed to suppress successive rebellions and govern Eingart Castle well, many had opened their hearts to her.
In fact, the re act of a potential emperor inspecting her lands was bound to impress the commoners profoundly. Humans are simpler beings than they seem. The sight of a blonde empress of exceptional # Nоvеlight # beauty naturally evoked thoughts of a divine figure.
At this point, the duties of the knights guarding her remained largely unchanged. They followed her like shadows, ensuring her safety: Leni, the veteran knight, Shura with her exceptional skills, and Airen, who had earned military honors by quelling rebels.
Naturally, today was expected to pass without incident as well.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
However, only Airen remained vigilant, constantly considering the worst-case scenario that sothing might happen to Seraphina. She never took her eyes off her charge, no matter what.
That’s why she was able to notice "that mont" without missing a beat.
"It’s ti to head back."
At that mont, Leni, who had guarded Seraphina the longest, moved closer to her—
"...My lord!!!"
Instinctively, Airen, who had been raised as a loyal knight of the Brans family and never lowered her guard due to Swen's warnings, lunged at Leni.
"!!!!"
In a mont of shock for everyone, Airen swiftly knocked Leni's wrist away.
Clang! A small weapon fell from his hand. Realizing what this ant, Seraphina turned to Leni with wide eyes.
"This, this is...!!"
Ignoring Seraphina’s shock, Airen, without hesitation, drove her sword into Leni's ankle. Taught from childhood never to negotiate with assassins,
"Aaaargh!!!"
Assassination. By soone who had served as her knight for years? It was confusing, but at least she had incapacitated him enough to question his motives later. But... was sothing missed?
Airen’s mind raced faster than ever.
Leni attempting assassination today made sense, but why would he go through with it in such a risky manner with Shura and I present? Even with one down, a 2:1 scenario would surely be tough for him.
Wait. 2:1? "...Huh?"
That mont. A dark shadow enveloped Airen’s back. In a 2:1 situation, perhaps Leni wasn’t the one in danger, but rather...
"Haah!!!" "Damn it!"
Even without direct evidence, Airen’s instincts and reasoning made her act. If one considers the knight’s fall as an opportunity, then naturally... Hearing Shura's scream, Airen quickly turned her head.
She knew. It was too late.
'I should have dealt with Shura first... Damn it...'
She knew. Such foresight and action almost seed divine, not human. Yet, despite being warned by Swen of a possible assassination, having promised not to overextend herself alone, if she were injured here, or worse, died... she couldn’t fulfill Swen's request not to get hurt.
Why hadn’t she suspected the existing knights? Yes. Even if just to save Seraphina. Swen had entrusted her safety too, and owing to the gratitude she felt towards this person, she resolved to resist the looming future and gripped her sword tighter as she turned her head.
"...Huh?"
Instead of Shura, there was soone else standing before her.
Long, golden hair.
The very person she was supposed to protect... was standing in front of the attacker who had just lunged at her.
"What a foolish woman."
Stab.
"Ugh... ah..."
"I will at least pay my respects to the effort you put in, staying by my side all this ti for this very mont, Shura. However, no matter what you thought, you were wrong. In the afterlife, do not chase illusions and rest in peace."
With those words, Serpina pulled out the sword embedded in Shura’s body.
Schlurk!
A spurt of crimson blood sprayed forth, and Airen instinctively knew.
She was dead.
It was a sight she had witnessed countless tis on the battlefield. A person who loses that much blood—dies. The flas of life extinguished without even a final cry.
No, more than that...
"My lord! Are you alright?"
"...Leni?"
Turning her head, Airen checked on Leni. He was groaning in pain, unable to do anything after having his knees swiftly crushed by her earlier.
"He’s still breathing."
"Do not kill him... Keep him alive... This does not... seem like an independent act... We need... to know who is behind this..."
"Understood...."
Airen responded quickly but felt sothing was wrong with Serpina.
Her breathing was ragged... and the light in her eyes was beginning to fade.
Sensing that sothing was amiss, Airen’s gaze flickered down—
Drip.
A drop of blood splattered onto the ground.
"My lord...?"
And then she saw it.
Blood was flowing from Serpina’s side.
Having experienced countless battles, Airen imdiately understood what had happened.
Serpina had taken the blow that had been ant for her.
"...What are you doing, Airen...? Take Leni... to the capital... The one behind this..."
"My lord...! You’re bleeding...!"
"This much... is nothing. If I go to the capital... I can be treated..."
Why?
It wasn’t the knight who had thrown herself in front of the ruler—
The ruler had thrown herself in front of the knight.
'...No!'
There was no ti for pointless regret or self-recrimination.
What mattered now was saving her lord.
The wound on her side was deep, but not fatal.
Airen swiftly lifted her sword and stabbed it into Leni’s remaining thigh.
"Aaaaarghhh!!!"
"You won’t die, but if you try anything foolish, you’ll be in real danger. Be wise about your situation."
Then, she tore a strip from her outer cloak and wrapped it tightly around Serpina’s waist.
"My lord. Do not speak. I will make sure you receive imdiate treatnt."
After roughly finishing the first-aid, she bent down and lifted Serpina onto her back.
"It may be uncomfortable, but please endure it a little longer."
"...I’m sorry, Airen..."
"...."
The mont she heard those words, tears almost welled up in her eyes.
But wasting ti on sentint now could cost them the golden hour.
With that, Airen began running, carrying Serpina toward the nearest place where she could receive treatnt.
And then...
***
From afar, Airen was sprinting toward them, carrying soone on her back.
It was... Serpina.
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