“Angie-saba!” (??)
Angie was still walking when soone spoke from her back with a stuffy, hard-to-hear voice.
“Hmm?” (Angelica)
Angie turned around. There was a Knight with a swollen face. It was Yuni.
“You… what’s wrong with your face!!” (Angelica)
He had a large bruise on his eyes and nose.
As she could see, he was beaten. His nose seed to be full of blood, and he was constantly rubbing his nostrils with a bright red handkerchief.
“Could it be…” (Angelica)
Angie said without sounding too surprised.
She wasn’t surprised because the montary consequences of the logic in her mind were so insignificant and foolish.
It was a reasoning that was possible even for a very foolish person, so she was only surprised to find the correct answer to the problem that even a child could understand.
What she thought in her mind when the daze was clearing was a surprise to herself that she hadn’t noticed until now.
When Yuni put a bloody handkerchief on his nose, he blew it and forced it through his nose.
“Please forgive ! Those two were caught by the volunteering chivalric order.” (Yuni)
—
Angie rushed on a horseback, and what she saw was a situation where everything was too late.
There were two corpses.
The corpses were hung while staring at each other on two trees. They were stripped naked, and the whole body was torn to pieces like the at that a beast with claws had slaughtered by playing. The gut spilled out from the cut belly and it ran down the legs to the ground.
It was the sa for both mother and daughter. The corpses, whose skin was still fresh, were still hanging with their eyes opened.
When she saw the corpse of the child that she just talked with, Angie felt nauseous.
“Ugh…” (Angelica)
She endured the nausea and covered her mouth.
“Oh, what’s wrong? Angelica-dono.” (Epitaph)
Epitaph, who was nearby, said. Rather, Epitaphs seed to be resting while watching this brutal scene.
“Why… do you do this…” (Angelica)
“Aah, let apologize for your subordinates. But he was saying sothing I didn’t understand. Sothing like delivering the devil safely…” (Epitaph)
“Yes, I ordered that. It’s my fault.” (Angelica)
She felt pathetic that she couldn’t think of such a simple thing. If she knew that such a thing would happen, she should have told them to wait for it to pass in the forest.
It would have been ten thousand tis safer there. It was simply out of her mind that there was the volunteering chivalric order in their path.
“The deficiency in the orders isn’t good, you know, but it can’t be helped.” (Epitaph)
As expected, Epitaph misunderstood.
“No, that’s not it. I wanted to overlook them safely. My fault is that I have forgotten your existence.” (Angelica)
“Could it be that you intend to keep them alive?” (Epitaph)
“Yes, that’s right. However, you hit my Knight, who was escorting, and killed these two.” (Angelica)
When Angie said that, Epitaph displayed a difficult expression.
“Goodness, Angelica-dono seems to be too inspired by the devils.” (Epitaph)
I’m not sympathetic. I just didn’t want to cause aningless cruelty.” (Angelica)
“aningless…? Even this is an example.” (Epitaph)
“If you think it’s going to be an example, you also acknowledge that they have a heart. And yet, you do this kind of cruelty. I’ve done it as well.” (Angelica)
Angie rembered Epitaph’s aggressiveness she had seen along the way. It was like being hungry after losing a war, chopping up the corpses that had been left behind, and decorating them like it was now.
‘That’s enough.’
After they died, their lives ended there, and they didn’t feel hurt when the corpses were chopped up. However, these two… were probably not in the sa way.
“You’ve been hanging too much on your hobby, and this will affect young enemy soldiers. The reason why we were pursued fiercely is because of this. How many soldiers are you going to lose because of this hobby?” (Angelica)
“Shouldn’t you agree that the enemy will not chase us anymore?” (Epitaph)
“I’m not talking about the status quo. I’m talking about the thod in war.
“thod…? There’s no thod in war.” (Epitaph)
“Once we do this, we can’t complain even if we are chopped like these people when we are in the opposite situation. Even if the enemy approaches our territory and begins to kill innocent people, we aren’t entitled to beg for rcy.” (Angelica)
“Angelica-dono, it’s an Inquisition when the ti is right. In the first place, the Crusade were ford due to the survival struggle between humans and devils. It’s only natural that one of the sides will be eliminated.” (Epitaph)
Angie rembered the feeling of giving up, which she had experienced many tis over the past few days.
‘He couldn’t understand. This man is hopeless. His heart is closed. There’s no point in arguing here.’
“Understood. However, I will bury their bodies. Exposing this to the eyes of the enemy might further worsen the situation. It can’t be overlooked.” (Angelica)
Angie properly gave the reason. She really wanted to mourn the two, whom she spoke to earlier. Even though it was short, she wanted to at least bury them.
“Alright. Do whatever you like.” (Epitaph)
Epitaph said, with a slight discomfort in his eyes.
—
“Angie-sama. There’s a report from the reconnaissance. They said they found a village.” (Gustav)
Angie was sitting in the carriage when Gustav reported that.
“Is that so? We’re going to have a night camp in that village. What’s the number of houses?” (Angelica)
“…Five.” (Gustav)
“I see.” (Angelica)
Angelica was disappointed inwardly.
The land around here wasn’t the main road that people use to escape, so the food wouldn’t be exhausted. However, instead, there was no human habitation.
In early sumr, people didn’t feel that cold, and they didn’t feel that the area was too steep to survive, but winter would be a frozen world here. Was it cold enough that hunting and farming weren’t possible, or was the majority living a nomadic life without a settlent? Angie couldn’t understand the details, but it was a fact that there were few houses.
‘Even though there are almost 150 soldiers, the food of five houses is… moreover, considering the remaining food that is kept through the winter, it’s not supposed to be able to fill the hunger of 150 people.’
‘In such a case, if we let an archer who is a hunter to hunt wild animals, we can add supply, but it’s a disaster that we have gathered elite soldiers that aren’t good with survival techniques. In fact, it’s difficult to hunt wild animals in a completely unknown land. It’s like shooting a fox that had been driven away by a dog.’
“Angie-sama, why are you stopping?” (Gustav)
Gustav asked while looking slightly happy. After all, it would be nice to sit in the carriage obediently rather than walking with painful legs.
“Aah, I quit.” (Angelica)
“May I ask why?” (Gustav)
“I made a mistake today. I couldn’t make a decent decision because I walked stubbornly. The commander must always have a clear mind. I learned that walking isn’t my job, even if I force myself.” (Angelica)
“That’s helpful. I’m glad.” (Gustav)
Gustav bowed his head as he took off his hat.
However, Angie wasn’t impressed at all. She was disappointed in herself.
She believed that she was a brilliant person, but she apparently wasn’t.
Speaking of incompetence, it would be good if she at least wasn’t careless. Here, she had no advantage in confronting the Papal States.
She didn’t even have the self-control to stop herself. She was just stunned.
“You also probably want to see in this way. Once this is done, you may leave.” (Angelica)
“Well.” (Gustav)
“”It seems that I wasn’t so much of a person.” (Angelica)
When Angie said so, Gustav laughed with his nose.
“Hmm, you’re experiencing the failure of young people.” (Gustav)
“…That’s right.” (Angelica)
She didn’t think that she was a failure, but she probably was.
“May I say sothing a bit harsh?” (Gustav)
“Go ahead.” (Angelica)
“We don’t expect much from the judgnt of an eighteen-year-old young lady.” (Gustav)
Gustav’s words were said in a gentle voice contrary to the content.
“…Is that so?” (Angelica)
“Do you think there are people in this world who can be a great commander like God in just eighteen or so?” (Gustav)
‘I wonder about that. I have never heard anyone lead a hundred battles at the age of eighteen, so it’s difficult to say.’
“Angie-sama is young. Therefore, it’s natural to be immature. Everyone knows that. What everyone is expecting is growth. If you co back after learning the lesson, you will surely beco a great commander and a great lord. Everyone is here because they think so. Otherwise, no one will entrust their lives to a younger girl.” (Gustav)
“…” (Angelica)
Angie couldn’t respond. She was deeply moved, but she told herself that she shouldn’t cry.
There were few who served her father, under Angie now, but there were many children of those who served close to her father. They considered Angie to be their lord and followed her.
“Please forgive for saying those. Well then, I have a little work left to do.” (Gustav)
Gustav disappeared to the rear to avoid Angie’s sight.
She wondered how much devotion she had received.
However, Angie didn’t have anything to respond to his devotion.
‘As Gustav had said, could I respond by growing up? To begin with, do I have the qualification to be a lord? I wonder if there is. If I don’t, I have to make an effort to turn the lie into reality.’
Angelica Sacrant wiped the tears on the corner of her eyes with her dirty hands.
—
TLN:
This chapter is the last chapter of volu 10.To be honest, the author still hasn’t describe how the Rube Household’s Galloping Bird unit cross the bridge in order to go after Epitaph. I imagine the bird is like common Chocobo, can’t jump too far or fly.
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