Chapter 377: No Way Back

I covered my nostrils with a cloth while walking the sewers from the royal capital Arche. Otherwise, the stench of the sewers would make my nose go crazy.

But even through the cloth, a putrid smell still pierced my nose. It was the worst possible smell, but on the other hand, it was also a very nostalgic smell.

In the past, I had walked through the ditch many times over, and was also forced to clean the sewers system. After all, I only got jobs that people didn’t want to do. Ah, only bad memories came to my mind.

Actually, this was not the route I wanted to use, but this was the only way to reach the royal capital without being detected by the magical beasts. It was the worst way, but I had no other choice. I let out a deep sigh.

Then, in the dark sewer, I opened my mouth while walking ahead.

「…Hey, you from Gharast and Ghazalia. Are you okay? We can still turn back.」

I called out to the people from behind. For some reason, I had a feeling that I had professed the same words the Saint had professed to me, but I still had to say it.

When I turned around, I could see several people in the dark. They were selected from each power to invade the royal capital.

Filaret decided to accompany me along with Caria, which showed a natural look on her face. The soldiers of the other powers also showed determined resolves in their expressions, so I didn’t worry about them.

However, it was different for the other two.

Eldith and the old man Richard. At least for now, the two of them were at the top of the Gharast Corps and Ghazalia. They should’ve never been included in this plan where they could lose their lives at any time. The soldiers surrounding them also had that thought in their hearts.

Involuntarily, I followed the two with my own eyes. The old man Richard answered while shrugging his shoulders near the end of the group. An expression that oozed old age was emerging in the darkness.

「You know that I don’t like useless things. Besides, there’s no way I’ll be watching other people’s feet.」

Everyone else felt little nervous, but the old man spoke as he always did. I would definitely like to learn from that brazenness, or rather, the way he seemed to have iron attached to his heart.

According to him, there were still a few Gharast soldiers remaining in the capital, which had been conquered by those magical beasts. They couldn’t fight directly, so they probably hid from the eyes of the magical beasts in order to kill them one by one silently.

If we wanted to succeed, then we had to borrow their hands. After all, all the internal information got cut. I didn’t even know where the magical beasts were encamped.

It would be different if the soldiers who stayed inside and the Gharast soldiers who were outside were to resonate with each other. Of course, they needed a commander. I understood that very well. But was it necessary for the old man to do it in person?

Did it mean that the situation was that urgent? I didn’t know if he had other intentions, but since I was talking about the old man, it may be the latter.

Another problem was Eldith, the Queen of Ghazalia.

A few soldiers from Ghazalia were accompanying us, but it was still unreasonable. The old man Richard was just the leader of the corps, but Eldith was the head of a nation.

If she lost her life here…I didn’t want to think about what would happen and what would begin after that.

I tried to open my mouth while holding back some words. However, a voice echoed in my ears slightly earlier than my reaction.

It was Eldith’s voice. It should’ve been a little farther away, but I could hear her voice whispering in my ears. I wondered if she used the spirited arts.

「What are you talking about? Isn’t this exactly what you described of a splendid Queen? Therefore, I’m going to take the necessary actions as a Queen. Besides…all you need to do is accompany me as I act as the Queen.」

Those were ambiguous words. I didn’t know whether to answer or not. I wondered if she was trying to wrap me with her own words. But I still felt like she was blurring the most important thing. Besides, why was it necessary of me to be with her while she acts as the Queen?

Eldith continued her words, not allowing me to speak.

「Of course, if you want me to wait here like a dog, I will. But let’s do what we’re instructed to do, okay?」

Eldith spoke with harsh words. I blinked my eyelashes reluctantly at those words.

When we crawled out of the fortress, Eldith was behaving as if she didn’t want me to come here, but now that we were here, she was absurdly obedient. It was unusual for her.

I had a bad feeling. A chill went through my nape.

I had only started to sense it quite recently. When Eldith submissively began to twist her words, she usually had one or two other motives. She was the same as Caria and Filaret.

What should I do? I searched for words as I twisted the corners of my lips. I turned my thoughts around, making my brain hurt slightly. Aside from Eldith’s intentions, I pondered once again whether she should be sent back for the time being or not.

The enemy was a magical devilish being. A species that killed all kinds of heroes and brave men. My anxiety never ended, even with an army of 10,000.

To be honest, if possible, I wanted to borrow Eldith’s power. That power reached the border between life and death, and for that reason, maybe we could see the sunrise again.

However, the situation was so dire. I even felt doubts. As expected, it was useless.

Eldith was no longer the individual she once was. She was not in a position to move freely. On her back were the lives of all the elves of Ghazalia.

It wasn’t wise to put her in danger in a place like this. Even if Eldith herself accepted it.

…Ah, sorry, but please go back. I’ll bring the best ale as a souvenir.

I opened my eyes widely the moment I tried to make those words slip out of my lips.

My lungs felt suddenly heavy, and something cold crawled through my spine. My throat got cramps and sweat ran down my neck as if I had a fever. These symptoms were not noticeable in the darkness.

It hurt, but this excruciating feeling was different. I wondered if I should call it fatigue. It felt like the depths of my soul had entwined my fingertips to my brain. My breathing was unbearably heavy.

「…You did something outrageous, didn’t you, Eldith? 」

I muttered a low voice that wasn’t noticed by the surrounding people. I even raised my teeth only slightly.

It was probably no longer a voice. It was nothing more than a sigh that made the air vibrate. I even felt strangely tired.

Eldith scooped up my words and put on a smile. It seemed like she knew what I was going to say.

「You say a lot of terrible things, Lugis. I really don’t like it. Up until now, I had dissipated the demonic nature that clung to you guys, but it seems no one acknowledges it.」

I see. I understood what Eldith wanted to say.

Certainly, to a greater or lesser extent, the miasma released from the enemy eroded the human body. A good example would be the adventurer’s disease, which became a deadly disease when unwanted magical power entered the human’s body.

In particular, if this miasma got close to us, our physical strength would be lost quickly, and our souls would creak. That was something I had never experienced before, but I was prepared to accept it now.

…Was it possible that I avoided that miasma in the past? I wondered if I once tasted the feeling that my soul was tied up.

Or was Eldith the one who dissipated the enemy’s miasma in my previous journey without even knowing it? I slightly distorted my eyes. It was getting harder and harder to lift my legs forward. I didn’t think I had time to think about unnecessary things.

I nodded forcibly with my neck.

「I understand. I truly understand. Please follow me, Your Majesty. But I won’t be able to move if I’m like this. I can’t even breathe.」

As soon as I told her so, dullness and fatigue fell from every joint of my body. On the contrary, I was in better shape than before. Eldith’s satisfied voice echoed in my ears.

Was this her intention from the beginning? If this was her doing, then there was nothing I could do. If Eldith’s spirited protection was necessary to wield a sword against the enemy, then be it. There was no other options from the very beginning.

When I got my strength back, I suddenly thought.

Why did Eldith have that intention? In that case, why didn’t she tell me so from the beginning? If it was necessary to deal with demonic beings, many people would’ve swallowed the fact that Eldith was important for this mission.

Just like earlier, something like a slightly unpleasant premonition was sticking to the back of my thoughts. But I couldn’t put it into words no matter what.

After going through a few turns, the exit of the sewers canal was finally visible in front of my line of sight. Among the multiple entrances, this was the one that led to the back street and was the most inconspicuous.

I carefully shifted the installed stone lid. I put my head out to confirm that there was no one around. The thought of my skull being cracked at that moment crossed my mind, but fortunately nothing happened.

I crawled out and looked around while paying attention to the noise. The streets had not changed that much. The nostalgic backstreets of my hometown. The crumbling stone walls and the dirty roads were still here.

Oh, but there was one noticeable difference. It was the smell.

The stench of blood was so thick that it seemed to swallow even the stench of the sewers. It was engulfing the entire city without mercy.

I remembered. The royal capital wasn’t the focus back then, but as far as I knew, there was only one demonic being who liked this vast smell of blood.

…The Controller Drigman.

That name floated behind my eyelids.

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