The forest, with fallen leaves piled softly.
A woman in a black robe was walking down the overgrown path.
A massive deer lay panting where she had just passed,
Thick dark energy seeping from the gaping holes all over its body, showing it wasn’t just any wild beast.
“…Ptooey.”
[Leader of the Assassination Squad, Soy] spat out blood-mixed saliva.
These creatures could originally only be found near the mountains, but now, they could easily be seen even in the misty canyons where the people of Silleya lived, beyond the great grasslands.
‘How awful.’
Thud!
Soy struck down another beast that charged at her.
The people of Silleya were born strong, and Soy was the leader of the strongest group, the Assassination Squad. No matter how large or strong a mindless beast was, it could be brought down by striking its vital points a few tis.
“Ptooey!”
However,
There was nothing she could do about the dark energy the beasts emitted. She had never allowed an attack to land, but just breathing in the foul air made her insides feel shriveled.
Rest would help, but there were no squad mbers to step in for her.
Not long ago, many had died in the great grassland.
‘A monster-like mage.’
Soy thought of the elf who appeared like a natural disaster.
-They don’t seem like people of the Empire. Are they nomads from the west?
-Who are you?
-And who are you? You reek of the Demon God, yet by the looks of you, you’re not cultists.
The elf leisurely scanned the warriors. Even though she was surrounded by dozens, hundreds of them, she spoke casually, as if it didn’t concern her at all.
-Would you mind stepping aside so I can pass?
The elf said, extending her staff.
-Are you an imperial mage?
Jero, a warrior of the Southern Federation, asked.
-And what if I am? Will you fight ?
-If that’s the case, there’s no path for you. Prepare for battle, everyone!
At Jero’s command, the knights of the Federation drew their swords.
The Assassination Squad, led by Soy, also raised their blades.
That was a mistake.
The Assassination Squad was only supposed to draw their swords under Soy’s orders, but the overwhelming power of the elf had terrified them, and they revealed their killing intent.
Thus began a massacre that could not even be called a battle.
When the mage swung her staff, lightning swept across the battlefield.
With a few mutterings of her lips, the warriors’ faces were drenched in blood, and they grabbed their hearts and tore them out with their own hands, committing suicide.
It was a sight too unbelievable to comprehend.
It felt like a dream, but it wasn’t. The terror-stricken legs and the heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst forced her back into reality.
When she ca to her senses, she was covering her nose from the stench.
There was no sll of people.
Few had survived the overwhelmingly powerful elf.
And yet, Soy found herself relieved.
Many warriors had died, and both the Federation and Silleya had suffered great losses, but she was relieved that the princess hadn’t been there, that not all of Silleya’s forces had gathered.
It was a weak thought, unworthy of a warrior, but she couldn’t help it.
Silleya hadn’t drawn its sword to face annihilation. It was to find a way to live, to create a better world.
‘…So I must lead the princess out.’
Dragging her bloodied body, Soy arrived at an old shrine.
A place that felt far too out of place in the forest.
Though beasts road across the continent, the shrine was sohow well-maintained, with no signs of decay, and there was no foul air in its vicinity.
It was because of the woman inside.
Soy knelt before the shrine.
“…Princess.”
Inside was Yoru, the daughter of the Grand Elder.
“It’s ti to leave now.”
“You seem to be in great pain.”
Yoru walked out, removing her shawl. She was wearing white mourning clothes instead of her usual red silk, which made her look like a ghost.
“Take a rest before you go. The night is deepening, and more beasts will co.”
“Does that an you’re coming with ?”
“I’ve already told you, I will live out my remaining days here.”
“The Grand Elder is preparing for an all-out war. At this rate, Silleya may face extinction.”
“…What good would it do, no matter what I do?”
As Yoru spoke, Soy’s eyes widened.
Her crouching body on the ground was suddenly on the porch.
“Soy, I don’t know.”
Yoru stroked Soy’s head.
Her body seed unscathed, but how many beasts had she slain to reach here? Soy’s veins were in complete disarray, a reflection of her harsh journey.
“I keep wondering if everything I do is aningless.”
“…That’s not true.”
“Don’t be foolish.”
Yoru lowered her gaze. At so point, she had picked up a broken piece of stone.
It was originally a statue modeled after the Goddess of the Sea.
But now, not only had it cracked, it was shattered into pieces.
It wasn’t Yoru’s doing. The object of their faith had simply lost its power, leading to its current state.
“The goddess who watched over us is gone. Our cause no longer strikes fear in the Empire. No matter how many tis I swing my sword, I gain nothing. The Empire has only grown stronger, and unknown misfortunes continue to plague Silleya.”
“…”
“Now, I even doubt my own strength…”
Once, Yoru feared nothing in the world.
She had won every battle and always survived, even when surrounded by dozens of knights.
She had overco countless crises, and the lives of her subordinates were never wasted in vain.
…Until she t a man in a stinking alley.
The swordsmanship she had prided herself on was easily blocked by what seed like a random, nonsensical strike.
Was it complacency?
It was so unbelievable, it felt like she had let down her guard for no reason.
If the man hadn’t spared her, she could have died on the spot.
‘…Twice already.’
The first defeats of her life.
And the subsequent failures had broken Yoru’s spirit.
This was already the fourth. Had Yoru gone to the great grasslands, it would have been the fifth failure.
“The princess is strong.”
Soy lifted her head and looked up at Yoru.
“That mage, the goddess… if it were the princess, she would have faced them both easily.”
“…Lies.”
“So what if it’s a lie? It’s already been a year. I hate seeing the princess living like this, all alone.”
“… “
“Do you know how often the villagers ask about your well-being? Do you know the Grand Elder has been drinking heavily ever since your seclusion?”
At so point, Soy’s voice had grown hoarse.
“The fate of the clan depends on you, Princess. Even if you don’t pick up a sword, you can stop the elder, can’t you?”
“…You’ve beco weak while I wasn’t looking.”
Yoru let out a long sigh and gently stroked Soy’s cheek.
“If you’re going to cry, you might as well weep for the deaths of your comrades.”
“… “
“Seeing as you’re asking to stop my father, it seems the elders sent you.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“How is it not? The only people who know this place are those old n.”
Was this reclusive life coming to an end? Yoru began to worry that if she sent Soy back, more people would flock here.
Yoru helped Soy to her feet.
In the forest, the days were short and the nights long. The night air was already cold, and though no snow had fallen, it was clear that winter had arrived.
“Let’s get so rest for tonight.”
“…Will you leave tomorrow?”
“If I don’t, will you stay up all night?”
“…I should.”
“I’ll go. I’ll leave, so sleep now. You’ll collapse at this rate.”
“Really?”
“Yes, if anyone gets sick in this place where I can barely feed myself, it’ll be troubleso. And, with the villagers being held hostage, I can’t even sleep peacefully.”
Yoru went inside the shrine and brought out bedding. She hadn’t expected any guests, so there was only one blanket.
“You’ve had a hard journey, so you use the blanket.”
“…Princess?”
“Soy, I don’t want to hear any nonsense about us sharing it.”
“…”
“Disgusting.”
Yoru spat the words roughly, and only after confirming Soy had fallen asleep was she able to close her eyes.
“Why do I have to apply for leave?”
At Hugo’s mansion, Shiron spoke with a mouth full of bread slathered with jam.
“Victor might not grant it. He usually listens to if I ask directly. What if you ask and it gets rejected?”
“…”
“Besides, it’s not even an expedition, just a simple subjugation event, right? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to go either? If it’s just a place to show your face, it’s better not to go at all.”
“Well, that’s true, but so of the squad mbers want to go…”
Siriel scratched the back of her head awkwardly, wondering if she had outright said she didn’t want to go.
“Who’s that?”
“My father said the expedition ended so anticlimactically, and the younger ones need sowhere to vent their energy.”
“Vent their energy? If they need sowhere for that, they should just go to Knight Rail.”
“Knight Rail? Why there?”
“…Auction house, gambling… just blow off steam and spend so money.”
Shiron wiped the crumbs nervously, beads of cold sweat forming. He couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘brothel’ in front of Siriel.
“And I don’t like the idea of the subjugation event. With so many knights leaving the capital, what if a war breaks out in the anti? Ugh.”
Shiron shook his head with a grimace.
“Talking like that makes it sound like war’s about to happen.”
Lucia said, half-joking.
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