★★61. Conflict★★
Sylvia woke up in the morning, startled by the realization that many things had happened while she was asleep. She casually inspected the second squadron of knights sprawled across wooden planks, quenching her mouth with cool corn tea.
Felix stood by with a displeased expression.
“Is no one seriously injured? Are you really okay?”
He asked while checking on the knights who appeared as lifeless as if they hadn’t breathed. The night-weary Thibault burst into a hearty laugh in response.
“Fortunately, it seems we’re okay. After all, as a knight squadron representing our nation, we cannot easily fall to monsters.”
Sylvia nodded vigorously after a moment’s observation of Thibault, who took it lightly.
“Hmm, the knight squadron of your nation is indeed famous.”
She recalled this not from something she heard in this world but from a novel. In the novel, the fall of the walls meant doom, but the return of the knight squadron from a monster subjugation mission meant the rescue of all survivors.
Especially memorable was the scene where Princess Naomi Moltique Caudatismum was ingeniously rescued by them.
At her words, Thibault responded with a moved expression.
“It’s an honor to receive your recognition.”
Sylvia sweated at the response of Thibault, who was now middle-aged. It felt strange to see someone older express pure joy with honorifics.
“……I’m the one who should be thankful, haha.”
She left the place with a forced laugh, thinking it was time to prepare a variety of foods for breakfast.
To boil porridge and fill up with hearty food.
People once again admired Sylvia’s splendid culinary skills. Felix, not liking the attention she was getting, continued to stand beside her with a sullen face.
***
Only after filling the lunch boxes did they finish preparing to depart. Sylvia sat in front of Felix, holding onto the saddle handle tightly. Despite the fragrance of cypress vine preventing monsters from approaching closely, a swarm of them was barely a distance away.
Looking at the dark monsters, Sylvia said with a disgusted voice,
“There’s just so disgustingly many of them.”
Felix responded in a tender tone, shaking his head,
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
“Of course…….”
Before she could finish saying ‘With you here, I won’t worry,’ Felix grabbed the reins. Looking afar, Felix declared,
“Hold tight. We’ll rush through, annihilating them all.”
Promising to protect her from even the slightest harm with all his might.
“Our direction is northwest. Follow my lead, everyone!”
With Felix’s spirited shout, Hubert, Dennis, and Henry tensed up and lined up. The Nakri mercenaries and the nation’s knights joined by their side, having already agreed to stick together until they passed the Shebusalatus Mountains.
Felix spurred his horse. On the galloping horse, he sliced through the monsters ahead with wind magic. Blue blood spurted, clearing the path.
★★
Karl was rushing towards the direction the third squadron had signaled. The faces of the following knights were somber. They hurried without pause to transfer the unspoiled bodies before it was too late.
However, as soon as they entered the Shebusalatus Mountains, they encountered difficulties. Surprisingly, no monsters were in sight until they entered, when suddenly they burst forth.
It felt as if they were moving to protect someone.
“What’s with these creatures?”
Karl swung his sword in frustration, guessing why the third squadron had been annihilated.
“With this kind of onslaught, a small squadron couldn’t stand a chance!”
He felt a surge of anger at himself for the command. He had been naive. He should have been cautious and suspicious since the monsters tried to break through the walls.
“Your Highness!”
As a monster tried to ambush him from behind, the knights rallied around him.
“We must get out of the mountains.”
“But our only option is to pass through the mountains.”
“Protecting you is our top priority!”
Although it was heartbreaking not to retrieve their comrades’ bodies, they had to protect Karl. After a brief hesitation, Karl commanded,
“The knights of Caudatismum nation cannot succumb to this extent! We must get through the mountains by any means!”
His commanding voice ignited a fierce determination in the knights’ eyes.
“Yes! We will uphold the command of the Caudatismum guardian!”
Centering around Karl, the knights started to make their way through the monsters. Centering their advance around wind magic, they pushed forward.
Driven by the thought of just needing to get through the mountains, they pressed on. Despite the horses being exhausted and drooling, ready to stop, they urged them forward and continued to advance.
Just when Karl and his knights thought they had safely crossed the mountains, they were forced to swallow their relief. The other side of the Shebusalatus Mountains was vastly different from what Karl had anticipated.
It was filled with a number more numerous than the trees of the mountains—monsters packed tightly together.
“Your Highness…”
The captain of his knight squadron called out to Karl with a gulp, as he could only stare dumbfounded at the daunting scene before him. The thought that they might just die here crossed his mind. Karl thought of his younger sister, Naomi.
‘I promised to find and show her the benefactor…’
It seemed unlikely now that he would be able to keep that promise. Monsters, having caught their scent from the edge of the mountain range, were rapidly approaching.
Karl gripped his sword tighter.
“Let us not be forgotten! Let’s prove that we are the glorious knights of Caudatismum!”
Despite the overwhelming number of monsters, the prince shouted honorably, and his knights bowed their heads, responding loudly,
“We will uphold the command of the Caudatismum guardian!”
Ready to face death, they prepared to reduce the number of monsters, drawing upon their last strength to slaughter them with magic. At that moment, others emerged through a different route. An enormous whirlwind pushed the trees aside like waves and swept away the monsters.
The whirlwind, splitting into several paths, crushed the monsters. The monsters in front of Karl and his knights couldn’t escape the attack. Karl quickly turned his gaze towards the overwhelming magical power difference, catching the sight of a man with black hair riding a black horse, and a woman with teal hair seated in a child’s saddle in front of him.
“Teal?”
Karl blinked in astonishment. Rubbing his eyes and looking again, it was indeed a woman with teal hair.
Moreover…
She, like the man with black hair, was performing tremendous magic. The trees moved as if they had a will of their own, aiding her passage.
Then, a group following the two emerged from the mountains. Karl, spotting familiar red armor, exclaimed in a dazed voice,
“Sylvia, Arbor…”
They had been saved once more by the benefactor they had been searching for. Overwhelmed with emotion, Karl turned the reins.
***
Sylvia, scratching her head at the sight of the monsters that filled her vision, really wanted to curse.
“What the! This is crazy!”
Yet, she didn’t forget Felix was behind her. Muttering curses under her breath, Sylvia cleared the trees to make way. Felix was slashing, throwing, cutting, and blowing away the monsters as he saw fit.
It seemed like the king of monsters was on the move, as Aethernum had mentioned. Otherwise, there was no explanation for the current number of monsters.
“Indeed.”
Now se understood why Aethernum had urged them to return quickly. Holding the reins tightly, he turned directions swiftly, using his magic liberally. He didn’t feel the slightest bit tired despite the overflowing magical power.
That was suspicious too.
As the lifespan of the Black Dragon was coming to an end, why was his magical power increasing?
“Captain! There are people over there!”
Hubert shouted, cutting down monsters as he saw Karl approaching.
Felix looked on with an expression of ‘more people?’ He didn’t mind rescuing them, but he had a bad feeling about this.
“Your Highness!”
Thibault exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Karl. Richard also looked astonished.
“As expected!”
Karl smiled warmly, cutting through monsters. Standing before the benefactor he had finally met, Karl smiled gently.
He spoke to Thibault and Richard, who approached him,
“Well done.”
“Your Highness.”
With moved expressions, they started to dismount, but Karl stopped them and addressed Sylvia,
“It’s an honor to meet you like this, Sylvia Arbor, the magician.”
Sylvia blinked rapidly at the sight of the man with silver hair and silver eyes tinged with blue. She had never met someone of such high status other than the Duke of Visconti.
‘Wait, isn’t Feli of no lesser status than this man?’
Suddenly, he seemed all the more remarkable.
‘But really, I don’t get it. Why did he let me speak informally to him?’
It was awkward to ask now, but she became curious. Thibault interrupted Sylvia’s wandering thoughts,
“This is His Highness Karl Moltique Caudatismum, the guardian of Caudatismum.”
With an appropriate introduction, Sylvia, feeling bewildered, bowed and then raised her head,
“Ah… um, nice to meet you. I’m Sylvia Arbor, a plant magician.”
“To have wished to meet the benefactor so much… to meet like this, it must be fate.”
Karl couldn’t take his eyes off Sylvia. To extract such vast magical power from such a small frame was truly admirable. In the short time, Felix easily dispatched the monsters that swarmed in, casting a wary glance at Karl.
“I’m curious about your name.”
Karl asked, looking into Felix’s dark, menacing eyes.
Instead of responding, Felix just stared, so Hubert stepped forward.
“We are the Croban Mercenary Group, Your Highness.”
Then, turning to Thibault, he said,
“It’s fortunate we met your lord. With that, we must continue on our way. We’ve been delayed a bit.”
Hubert was indifferent to whatever they were thinking. However, he was displeased with their excessive interest in Sylvia.
He was also concerned about Felix, who seemed quite downcast.
“Ah… Are you leaving? Then, what about Miss Sylvia…”
Thibault stuttered with a look full of confusion. Karl fell into thought upon hearing Hubert’s words. If his memory served correctly, they couldn’t possibly be just a mercenary group…
His blue-silver eyes, filled with curiosity, lingered on Felix’s dark gaze. After observing his fierce glare, Karl smiled warmly at Sylvia, who was looking over with her teal eyes.
“Then, I wish to accompany you on your journey. I can’t just let the benefactor go like this.”
Though he spoke cheerfully, Karl’s complexion wasn’t great, nor was the condition of his horse.