Chapter 485: Speculation, Enthusiasm and Concern

The 3,000 soldiers entrusted their lives to Lugis, and were led by him, gathering to follow his will.

One of them asked his companion in the wrecked inn where they were staying. The sunlight streaming through a hole in the ceiling touched the tip of his nose.

「Hey, listen, what do you think about him? Was he just acting? Or has he joined the enemy side? 」

He had short, trimmed hair, and was a man of slight dignity. He was probably the descendant of a nobleman. But he didn’t seem pretentious, and it was clear that he was trying to do his job as a soldier.

On the other hand, the man who responded was a rough man. He didn’t look very refined even though he was in charge of leading the soldiers. He slammed the wooden table and then replied to the other man.

「You idiot. You didn’t participate in the Battle of Sanyo, did you? You’re new here, so you can only speak so bluntly. Listen, there’s no way that he would have sided with those demons. 」

The man they were talking about was none other than the hero Lugis who accompanied them. Soldiers had started calling him by his honorific title rather than by his name directly. They wanted to show more respect.

The rough man had seen Lugis since the fall of Garoua Maria. Soldiers often used the date of service as a way of adding credibility to a person’s military career. From the rough man’s point of view, the other man knew next to nothing about someone whom he had fought along since the Battle of Sanyo and the Battle of the Royal Capital.

「The other city-states, the Gharast Kingdom, even the magical devilish being Drigman. Everyone fears Lugis. And he always won. Why should he bow to those demons now? 」

No matter how outnumbered and struggling Lugis was, he often smiled and said, “Let’s win”, and then used his sword, and defeated the enemy before anyone else did. That was the Lugis that the soldiers spoke of, and the very image of the hero that the soldiers worshiped.

He could have gained riches and status. But he took the hand of the Heraldic Order and fought on the real battle.

How could such a hero betray others out of fear for his life? There was no way.

「But he has a bad habit…I’m sure he’s come up with something this time too. 」

The hero’s bad habit…even the soldiers knew about. In the end, it was his overwhelming strong will that led him to accomplish things on his own. Just like Belfein and the Burial Prison.

He never let anyone know what he was planning. He was the only one who put himself in danger.

It was heart-warming to hear him as a heroic tale, but when it came to the actions of a commander, it had a lot to be desired. As a soldier accompanying him, the rough man wished Lugis had at least given an order.

This time was probably the same, the rough man said. There was no way they would be chatting alive, after all.

…The wrecked inn wasn’t far from the palace where lived the magical devilish beings Rabel and Junelva, along with the many demons who accompanied them.

They were monsters who had easily overrun a human nation.

On the other hand, the humans there were only comprised of 3,000 soldiers. If they had continued to clash, they would’ve been able to put up some resistance, but annihilation would have been inevitable.

In such situation, Lugis said.

…You don’t want to fight, do you? Well then, why don’t you leave now? Find yourself a place to stay.

With just those words, the 3,000 soldiers were able to retreat unscathed. The two magical devilish beings seemed more interested in Lugis than in the human soldiers.

That’s why the only ones who died in that place were the demonic birds Lugis had killed, not humans.

「He could’ve killed us if he wanted to. The fact that he didn’t mean that he has a plan. Our job is to prepare for that plan. 」

The dignified man also nodded at his words. The rough man’s words were rough, but his thoughts seemed sound.

But there was another anomaly. The dignified man quietly placed the container of alcohol on the table and asked.

「I think so too. But then why is Lady Caria like that? 」

The rough man’s expression twisted as if he was frightened for a moment, but he lightly stroked his chin before speaking. He didn’t have an answer either judging from the way his eyes wandered around.

「Well, those two are lovers, aren’t they? I’m sure they have their own conflicts too. 」

The dignified man didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he didn’t say anything more, thinking there was no point in pursuing this topic. He took a sip of his drink and joined the group of soldiers.

The rough man stared at his back and slammed on the table again. The soldiers gathered in the barracks all looked at him.

They were all drinking and dozing off, indulging in a moment of freedom, but that sound woke them up.

The rough man spoke in a clear voice.

「…Well, soldiers. Our hero, His Excellency, has once again chosen his own course. But you all know what we have to do! He said, “let’s win”! 」

The alcohol must have been helping him profess those very words. But all the soldiers responded to the rough man with a fighting spirit in their eyes. Their voices were so passionate that they reverberated throughout the barracks.

The maniacal fighting spirit that Lugis had passed on to them still seemed to dwell in their eyes.

—

…Hurray.

Caria’s eyes shook after hearing the thundering voices from outside. She moved her eyes a few times, felt the touch of the sheets, and finally realized that she was sleeping.

Her sleepy head slowly began to wake up, and her vision became clearer. And then Caria tightly closed her eyes again when her head finally felt awake.

I’m going to sleep. I need to sleep.

With those thoughts, Caria slipped her head into the bed and threw herself into the darkness. It was as if she had no intention of waking up. After all, she would inevitably remember those events if she woke up.

The horrible memory of her beloved denying her very existence.

In that moment, she felt a shock as if a stake had been driven into her heart, and a shortness of breath slowly rose in her throat. Caria felt as if her entire chest had turned into stone.

She just wanted to fall asleep. If she fell asleep, she could escape this unpleasant reality for a while. The cruel blade of reality was waiting to stab her at any moment.

Her mental balance was like a rag. Her attachment to her beloved was probably the one restraint that supported Caria’s spirituality.

Even if she was cut up and driven into a corner, and even if blood splattered, it was because of that restraint that Caria had been able to hold on until now.

But if her existence was denied…what should she do?

Should she be angry or sad? Caria didn’t even know what to do. She gripped the sheets tightly with both hands again.

「…Lady Caria, are you awake? 」

「No, I’m not. I’ve only been moving. 」

The voices of Leu and what was probably Shad hit Caria’s earlobes. Leu’s voice was filled with anxiety and impatience. It was embarrassing, but hearing that voice made Caria lose the desire to get up all the more.

How could she have made such a fool of herself, especially when she usually behaved so confidently?

…If only she had just ended her life back there.

Caria heard a strong knock on the door just as she was beginning to contemplate death. It was a loud sound although it didn’t come from inside the room.

Even from the other side of the door, Caria could hear that someone was out of breath. It was the voice of a female soldier she was close to.

「…Lady Caria. An envoy has arrived from a group of sorcerers who claim to belong to the Mastigius faction. What will you do? 」

Caria slowly fluttered her long eyelashes.

Previous | Next

😉

—————–

Support us on Patreon and get access to early chapters