It was afternoon at Red and Rit's Apothecary.
"I'll be back."
"Take care."
Red left with a bag full of medicine.
He was off to deliver the curatives to a clinic in Southmarsh.
With Lilinrala's ship blockading the city, the inflow of medicine was slowly decreasing.
It was not a critical issue yet, but the effects were starting to show in the price of drugs.
This was a matter of life and death for smaller treatment centers.
Meanwhile, Red and Rit's Apothecary kept stock with a large number of herbs from
the mountains, and its owners were willing to accept deferred payment, so more
clinics were turning to them to maintain their inventories.
Despite growing sales, Rit was sad because it meant Red had to set out for deliveries
far more often.
Crack.
"Eh?"
The sound had issued from Red's teacup. When Rit inspected it, she spied a fracture.
Curious, as the cup hadn't fallen, she picked it up.
"Cracking out of nowhere…"
There was a big fissure running through the cup, wide enough that it wouldn't be able
to hold tea anymore.
"Red."
Rit furrowed her brow as her thoughts turned to his earlier departure. Then she
closed her eyes.
"Wood Repair."
Envisioning the cup's original shape, Rit formed a seal, and the wooden teacup was
restored.
"All better!" Rit cheerfully hummed to herself as she walked into the kitchen to put the
cup away.
It was pretty warm outside. The morning had been cold, but fortunately, the spring
weather had chased off the chill.
I was walking down a rarely used path.
"Oh, a clover flower."
The sight of the small white blossom on the side of the path hit me with a wave of
nostalgia.
When we were young, I had made a wreath out of flowers like that one for Ruti.
Maybe I should try weaving one again… or is she too old to be excited for something like
that?
While I pondered, I diverged from my usual route, cutting through a dense grove.
My hand went to the hilt of the bronze sword at my hip, confirming it was still there.
Although it was only a small copse, the deeper I ventured, the quieter things grew. You
could almost forget it was in the middle of Zoltan. I slipped the box of medicine off my
back and set it down on the ground.
"Hah… Is this good enough for you?" I made no effort to hide my annoyance.
A high elf woman with an eye patch appeared from the shadows. She had beautiful,
glimmering green gauntlets on both hands, and an elven longsword in an elegantly
fashioned white sheath at her waist.
"Why are you following me around? I'm just a simple apothecary."
"Would a simple apothecary really notice me while I was hidden, let alone lead me into
the middle of a forest to settle things?"
"Says the person intentionally leaving an opening so they'd be noticed."
Her sharp gaze drilled into me. "You recognized that much?"
I could feel it on my skin. That special sense of pressure a skilled warrior exerted, that
certain mixture of caution and fighting spirit.
"Are you Lilinrala?"
"Who knows?"
As if there were any other one-eyed high elf warrior capable of making me feel so on
edge. Still, she played dumb. Her lips curled slightly.
To think she would show her face.
It went to show how much faith she put in her strength, and also that she understood
how, at times, bringing your strongest power to bear immediately could limit losses.
"So who are you?"
I just shrugged at her sharp question.
"Red the apothecary. A simple, unimportant, normal guy."
"In what world does a 'normal' person like you exist?"
"There's no qualification for being normal."
Step by step, we slowly moved toward each other while trading sarcastic jabs.
A gentle breeze rustled through the grove, as if the trees were whispering to each
other, guessing who might win.
"What do you want with me?"
"Come along quietly. Obey, and I promise I won't kill you."
"Now why would I trust the word of a pirate?"
"Thing is, I quit the whole pirate life already." Lilinrala stopped in her tracks. "Is there
no way you would be willing to surrender?"
"It'd be pretty lame to go and cause more problems for my little sister."
There was a white gust.
Lilinrala's longsword came free of its sheath without a sound, its silver blade gleaming
as it swung down at me from overhead.
I evaded by slipping past on Lilinrala's right side. Turning to face her, I drew my sword
and slashed in a single motion. However, Lilinrala struck at the same time, knocking
my attack away.
Clang!
I saw a magic crest appear on her blade and reflexively leaped backward.
"You're mine!"
There was a victorious look on Lilinrala's face. The wind surging from her sword
formed a blade of its own, lashing out at me.
A magic weapon that releases a wind cutter to shred anyone who dodges the real sword!
I immediately flung my cloak at it. The wind cutter shredded the mantle, but it
dissipated after losing strength tearing through the sturdy fabric.
"I really liked that one."
The tattered garment fell to the ground, now utterly ruined.
My bronze sword sported a fresh nick and small crack.
I didn't quite parry it perfectly, huh? This could get dangerous if it has to take any more
abuse.
Lilinrala seemed astonished. "That's quite the technique. I don't know what sort of
blessing you have, but you didn't use a martial art or magic, and I didn't sense any
notable skills, either. You're an unreadable one. Disgustingly so. Still… there's a great
difference in our weapons' quality."
The gulf between our swords was obvious, and as befit a legendary pirate, Lilinrala's
swordsmanship was exceptional. It rivaled the knight captain who'd taught me to
fight.
"I could've left this to the two of them and never had to fight. I suppose running off to
the guards might've worked, too…" I raised my sword in my right hand while shifting
my left foot back slightly. "Honestly, I wasn't looking to make a scene. I couldn't care
less about prestige, and I don't particularly hate you for threatening peace in Zoltan."
It would have been a simple task for Ruti or Tisse to defeat Lilinrala. There was no
logical reason for me to engage her since I was just a simple apothecary now. "But… I
can't really bring myself to make my little sister deal with something I could just
handle myself."
"What are you talking about?"
I focused myself back on the fight. Lilinrala's expression tightened after seeing my
disposition change.
I swayed the edge of my sword back and forth, holding for an opportunity.
Not wanting to wait, Lilinrala moved in, but caught her foot on a tree root. Her gaze
shifted down for a split second.
"!!"
Holding my breath, I poured power into my legs, closing the gap between us in one
leap. Her blade came up to defend, but…
"What?!"
Lilinrala's movements were more sluggish than last time. There was a shade of
apprehension on her face as her eyes turned to her gauntlets.
"Impossible! When?!"
There was a big scratch along the armored glove on her left hand.
In our first exchange, I had scratched her gauntlet while leaping backward.
Those armored gloves offered more than mere physical enhancement. They housed
complex and delicate elf magic. And fragile spells were weak to damage.
The gauntlets' power waned with the engraved magic disrupted. And because Lilinrala
was suddenly unable to move as she'd anticipated, she left herself open. She barely
managed to guard in time against my thrust.
There was a metallic creak as the swords crashed against each other.
With our blades locked, I pushed in one step closer.
My bronze sword slipped past Lilinrala's defense like a snake, tearing into her
shoulder.
Enduring the pain, she unleashed a wind slash to create an opening and retreated a
bit.
There was blood flowing from her wound.
"Gh…"
It was a deep cut and would hopefully sap her of strength, too.
"Do you still want to keep going?"
"Zoltan is full of unbelievable surprises. I never suspected there was someone
stronger than me here."
If Lilinrala attempted a recovery magic or skill, or made to drink a cure potion, I'd
strike the moment she tried it. At our current distance, if either of us revealed an
opening, it would be exploited immediately. However, the longer the stalemate
remained, the closer Lilinrala would get to collapsing from blood loss. She had no hope
of winning with her dominant arm crippled, and if she fled, I could chase with
Lightning Speed and land another attack.
I had the upper hand, but…
"That's enough," declared a man.
…Lilinrala looked sure of her victory.
Emerging from the trees was a high elf man with a cutlass in his right hand. A
trembling, crying girl stood beside him. I recognized her as one of the children from
Zoltan.
"A hostage, huh? Awfully pirate-like."
"Soldiers use dirty tricks, too. All that matters is winning, after all. Now drop your
sword."
"And if I said I didn't want to?"
"We kill the girl."
She was a cheerful kid who said hi whenever we passed each other, but that was the
only connection we really had. We weren't even acquaintances.
"Do you go around kidnapping any child you happened to lay eyes on?"
"It's effective on guys like you." Lilinrala clutched at her wounded shoulder.
"I suppose so." I threw my sword high into the air.
"What?! You!"
It traced a wide arc up and descended toward the high elf holding the hostage.
It was just a bronze sword falling under the force of gravity. The man could easily swat
it aside with his cutlass or take a step to avoid it. And if it did hit, it was only a cheap
bronze sword, a weapon unable of dealing a serious wound.
There weren't many people who could bring themselves to ignore a blade plunging for
them, though.
The man's eyes focused on the plummeting weapon.
"Lightning Speed."
The moment his gaze left me, I ran around the tree he was next to, coming up behind
him.
"Eh?"
Before he could react, my punch connected with his clean-cut face.
He went flying to the side, unconscious.
Catching my sword, I dashed for the stunned Lilinrala, striking with an upward slash.
Unlike the kidnapper, she managed to react, taking a defensive stance. However, her
movements were less refined than her reaction speed, perhaps because of her wound.
"Gh?!"
There was a splatter of blood. My sword had been just a little bit faster. Now bearing
a more serious injury, Lilinrala's knees gave out, and she collapsed.
"Hahhh."
After making sure that she couldn't stand, I sheathed my sword. Wiping away the
sweat on my forehead, I slowly exhaled.
After some emergency first aid, I can drop them off with Ruti. The medicine delivery will
have to wait, unfortunately.
"Ugh, wahhh, Mr. Red…"
But she comes first.
I patted the girl's shoulder and smiled to put her at ease.
"It's okay, I took care of all the bad people. You were really brave."
"Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
It must have been terrifying being kidnapped by strangers and held hostage without
understanding what was happening.
She clung to my waist, crying tears of relief.
"Heave ho."
"C-Cap'n?!"
I tied Lilinrala and her subordinate with rope and carried them to the basement of
Ruti's mansion.
The other two high elves who were being held down there had looks of absolute
disbelief on their faces when they saw Lilinrala.
"Gh…"
The high elf groaned, finally coming to.
"Oh, you're awake? I gave you first aid, but if you move around too much, the wounds
will reopen."
"What are you going to do with me?"
"You're the one who attacked me, you know," I reminded with a grimaced. "Anyway,
now that I've handed you over to Ruti, I suppose my job's over."
All I'd done was defend myself.
"Who the hell are you people?"
Lilinrala sounded dumbfounded, as if the venom in her voice had been neutralized by
my indifference.
Evidently, I'd escaped renown in Veronia during my adventuring days because the
nation had been hostile with Avalonia since before the demon lord's invasion.
Once, I had visited a Veronian castle as part of a formal negotiation while I was still a
knight. In any other country, that would probably have been enough to be
remembered.
"Bastard! Heal the cap'n's wounds properly!"
One of the high elves Ruti and Tisse had captured earlier started complaining.
The bandage around Lilinrala was reddening. I guess her injury had reopened a bit
while moving around.
"What gall to demand aid when you're the ones who attacked us," I fired back with a
sharp tone.
Lilinrala and her subordinate had attempted violent abductions, even if they'd failed
both times.
"I gave her proper first aid with medicine. Given high elves' natural vitality and her
substantial level, I'm sure there won't be long-term issues."
"There's a treaty defining how prisoners are supposed to be handled!"
"This isn't the Kingdom of Avalonia; it's the Republic of Zoltan. City-states and
independent countries aren't bound by that accord. And since there's been no formal
declaration of war, don't bother pulling the prisoner-of-war card. You're all criminals
being detained for attempted kidnapping."
"Th-that's…"
Sheesh.
"…Are you an ex-soldier?"
Bitterness showed on my face at Lilinrala's inquiries.
Crap… she is really sharp. I don't think that's enough to reveal my identity, though.
"Perhaps you're a general who caused trouble or lost out in a power struggle or
something? Come to Veronia, and I can arrange for a special appointment to a
generalship if you like."
"Well, that's certainly one theory."
I ended the conversation there and sat on the ground, waiting for my sister.
After a while, Ruti, Tisse, and Rit all came down into the basement.
"Hm? You too, Rit?"
"I don't want to be the only one left out."
"I was planning to go home once I handed things over to Ruti."
"I want you here, if that isn't too much trouble."
"See? Ruti wants you here."
Well, if that's her preference…
"Fine, then I'll wait behind you in case anything happens."
"Thank you."
Ruti sounded happy. And looking at her face, I ended up feeling like there was nothing
wrong with indulging her.
She didn't ask too many questions, probably because she hadn't expected to get much
information to begin with. Recognizing that Lilinrala wouldn't cooperate, my sister
quickly shifted gears.
"So what should we do?"
"What about handing them over to the Zoltan authorities? They won't get anything out
of them, either, but these four might make useful chips for negotiating with Prince
Salius."
As expected of a former princess, Rit proposed a political strategy.
"That might work. We can't be too careful with that galley lurking out beyond the
harbor, after all."
We were dealing with a key Veronian military leader. If we went too far with her, the
entire Veronian navy could mobilize against us.
Just then, there was a loud knock from the mansion's front door.
"I wonder who that is. I'll go check."
I stood and went to the door.
"It's me, Red."
When I opened the door, I saw Yarandrala standing with…
"Mistorm?!"
"Ah, yeah, sorry for the sudden intrusion."
The very person that Lilinrala was after had arrived with an awkward look on her face.
"Let us in, please."
"Can you wait a bit, Yarandrala? It's kind of a bad time for a visit."
"You have Lilinrala here, don't you?"
"How'd you know?"
"Don't think you can keep anything secret from a friend of all plants."
It had to be because Lilinrala and I fought in the woods. Yarandrala sure had some
convenient skills. I understood why Danan grumbled about how troublesome things
got after Yarandrala left.
Hopefully, Danan was taking it easy during this latest mess. Knowing him, he'd likely
burst out of the hospital to go looking for a fight.
I'd have to go remind him not to do anything reckless later.
"Why didn't you tell me, Red?"
"Because if I did, I knew you'd come to kick Lilinrala's ass."
"It's fine. I would've held back."
"That isn't fine at all! No torturing prisoners!"
"Awww."
Yarandrala pouted, and it looked like she wanted to argue, but certain lines had to be
drawn.
"And if you knew, why did you bring Mistorm? Lilinrala's after her," I said.
"Obviously. That's why I brought her along, so they can resolve whatever troublesome,
lingering issue is causing this once and for all."
As usual, Yarandrala was decisive and quick to act.
But that swiftness wasn't always a boon. It had led to some dangerous predicaments
in the past.
"What do you think, Mistorm?"
"Well, if I'm being honest, I'm a bit worried."
Mistorm held out her hands. Her wrinkled fingers were trembling slightly.
"Fifty years ago, I thought it was best that I disappear. To Lilinrala, I'm just a reckless
consort who fled without a word. Had I only rejected her idea when she brought Salius,
it would never have come to this."
"But that's…"
"Lilinrala and I made a bad decision. And though she's after my life now, we used to be
friends. I have to muster some courage and put an end to this."
Mistorm clapped her hands together.
"Please let me in, too, Red. I'm going to see Lilinrala. I don't know whether one of us
will end up apologizing, but I can't let things continue as they are."
"…Okay. If that's what you want, then I'll respect it."
I led the two of them to the others.
Yarandrala was the first to step inside.
"Now, where is she?"
It might have been better to ask Yarandrala to leave.
Before letting Mistorm meet Lilinrala, I thought it prudent to quickly review the
situation.
The incident began with Salius Prince of Veronia and Lilinrala demanding the Zoltan
church registers.
Prince Salius wanted the records to find his mother, Queen Misphia, who'd disappeared
from Veronia and was living in Zoltan under the name Mistorm, so that he could secure
his succession to the throne.
However, Prince Salius was not Mistorm's real son. He'd been switched in when
Mistorm's child was a stillbirth.
Leonor discovered that fact somehow and threatened to reveal it to force Mistorm out
of the palace.
Thus, Mistorm was actually a threat to Prince Salius's succession instead of the key to
his claiming the throne.
It was for that reason that Lilinrala sent hired killers to slay Mistorm before Prince
Salius could find her. Hence, the assassination attempt during the solstice festival.
However, Lilinrala could not have imagined that the ex-Hero was in Zoltan. The
assassins were defeated, and Lilinrala was eventually captured.
A reunion after fifty years… and hopefully it would end peaceably.
"Wh— Y-Yarandrala?! What are you doing here?!" Lilinrala exclaimed when she saw
her old acquaintance standing in the doorway. The two high elves had known each
other for longer than Lilinrala had been a pirate.
"It's been a long time, you tumbleweed elf!"
"What'd you say?! Did you come here to start something?!"
The two of them were glaring at each other after less than a second.
"'Tumbleweed elf'?" Rit broke in suddenly with a look of confusion.
"Ah, that's a high elf insult. They take pride in their homelands, so being called a
rootless tumbleweed is a slight because it implies they are ashamed to say where
they're from."
"…Doesn't really have much oomph to me."
Still, it was clear as day how furious Lilinrala was at Yarandrala's insult.
It didn't really register for Rit or me, but the remark was evidently enough to spark a
fight for high elves.
"Like you're one to talk! There's no high elf stranger than you!"
"But I've never done anything so shameless as to betray a friend!"
"Gh! That's… Wait, what are you suggesting?!"
"You betrayed Geizeric, obviously."
"How do you know that?!" Lilinrala screamed, leaving her bound subordinates
stunned by the sudden outburst. They looked between the two women, struggling to
understand what was happening.
"Because I told her," Mistorm said as she stepped into the room. "It's been a long time,
Lilinrala. Fifty years, but you still look the same."
"…Misphia? You've aged. Humans really… do grow old so fast."
Such a response was to be expected. To Lilinrala, Mistorm was still Queen Misphia
from five decades ago.
"Why, Misphia? Why did you run away?"
"You know why. Leonor beat me."
The pair faced each other as they spoke. Lilinrala was glaring, but there was a powerful
determination in Mistorm's eyes as she met the elf's gaze.
"Everything else is irrelevant… How could you abandon Geizeric? Why didn't you
believe in him? If you were there, he would have recognized Salius."
"I did… You and I were the ones who betrayed him first!"
"No… You've got it wrong."
"Why come to Zoltan now, Lilinrala?"
"For Salius's sake."
There was no trace of doubt in her words.
"You're awfully supportive of Prince Salius." When I mentioned that, Lilinrala cast me
a sharp look.
"Misphia… How could you reveal Salius's secret? You know it puts him in danger!"
"Because the people in this room are all friends I can trust."
Lilinrala's fists clenched so hard her fingers turned white and her hands quivered.
"If any one of them lets it leak, it will be the end of Salius!"
"Worrying about that is a waste of time now. Save it." Mistorm shook her head. "And…
You tried to kill me to keep Salius and I from meeting."
"Hmph. That's right."
"I'm sure it was a member of Leonor's faction who told Salius that I might be in Zoltan."
"…Yeah. I let my guard down. I didn't expect them to try something so devious."
"If nothing else, Leonor is top class when it comes to political schemes."
"I know that nauseatingly well."
Lilinrala and Mistorm broke into wry smiles.
"In that case, can't you just say Mistorm is already dead or else gone permanently
missing?" Lilinrala shook her head at Tisse's naive question.
"An excuse like that will only mean that Leonor's agents will come to capture Misphia
next. She doesn't leave loose ends."
"But regardless of whether I'm alive or dead, isn't Leonor's son Yuzuk going to inherit
the throne? Why waste her time on me? Was it just a bluff to get you and Salius away
from the palace?"
"I considered that possibility… but there is still a chance that Geizeric might name
Salius as successor as his last act. If Geizeric did so any sooner, Leonor would get in
the way, but no one would be able to overturn the declaration if it was the king's last
words."
"Not even the king can change the order of inheritance without going through the
proper steps, though. Leonor would claim his last words were spoken in a feverish
haze, and thus invalid. For now, it's more important to preserve Salius's support after
Yuzuk becomes king. Then he can wait for Yuzuk to lose standing."
Ruti nodded while watching Lilinrala and Mistorm debate.
"It's resolved."
""Huh?""
Both Mistorm and Lilinrala looked confused at my sister's abrupt comment.
I looked at Ruti, not sure what exactly she meant.
"The two of them are talking about the same goal, so things are okay now." There was
a satisfied smile on Ruti's face.
And I was left with the out-of-place thought that it was unfortunate not everyone
present could recognize how adorable she looked.
Lilinrala looked dumbstruck, and Mistorm appeared at a loss for how to respond.
Paying no more heed to the two of them because she thought everything was settled,
Ruti relaxed and sat down in a chair. Tisse and I were likely the only ones who
recognized that she was actually relaxed, however.
"Ah, ummm, right."
For some reason, I wound up having to steer the conversation.
I was a complete outsider when it came to Veronia's internal political dynamics.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much choice but to step in because Lilinrala and Mistorm
had stopped talking.
"So are we agreed in the goals of saving Mistorm and getting Prince Salius to withdraw
his demand to see the church's records?"
"…I never had any intention of letting him get his hands on those logs to begin with.
We can set the matter of Misphia aside for now," Lilinrala replied.
"I appreciate it. Those two points were really all that Zoltan wanted out of this. As for
how to strengthen Prince Salius's influence in the royal court…"
If the succession problem could be resolved, Mistorm would no longer have value to
either faction.
But the fact of the matter was that Prince Salius was in an incredibly difficult situation.
I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about Veronia's court affairs, so I couldn't say for
certain, but the prince's opponents had to rank higher in the line of succession and
surely carried more political influence. Plus, they had the leading queen consort
backing them.
"Considering your personality, there's no way you'll get any support from the old
nobility," Mistorm remarked.
"I have people I can trust to handle negotiations!" Lilinrala snapped, her eyes
narrowed.
Their discussion wouldn't have gone far without some prodding, but fortunately, the
nudging had pushed them into a heated debate. There was no longer any need for me
to say anything.
I could almost envision the two of them getting along back when they were younger.
A bell sounded in the distance.
"What?"
We were in a basement, so the noise was weak enough to not be audible without a
blessing or skill to enhance perception.
But before long, everyone in the room noticed it.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The bells in town were ringing hard enough to reach the basement.
It was Zoltan's emergency alarm.
"I'll go check on things."
Yarandrala pulled out a seed, creating a green vine. After opening the door, she
extended it all the way outside. A few moments later, she cried out in surprise.
"…Ah!"
"What is it?"
"I hadn't anticipated this. There could be a problem." Yarandrala's expression was
grave. "Veronian marines have occupied the harbor district. They've taken several
guards and residents hostage."
"Impossible!" Lilinrala shouted before I had time to be shocked. "Are you sure?! Are
they actually Salius's men?!"
"You know my abilities. There's no mistaking it."
"It can't be! Salius knows that resorting to force isn't an option!"
Prince Salius sent in his troops?
If that was true, the church issue we'd asked Bishop Shien to take care of would rear
its head again. Were Veronia to invade and occupy Zoltan, the church would get
involved no matter what Bishop Shien said. It would become impossible to stop a war
between human nations.
Why did something like this have to happen right as Ruti was finally settling into an easy
life in Zoltan?!
"We should head to the harbor district," Rit suggested.
"Yeah, Rit's right," I agreed. Then I approached Lilinrala.
"…It can't be. What happened to Salius?" She was aghast. Something about the sight of
her gave me an ominous feeling.
"Big Brother." Ruti nodded at me.
I'm confident she sensed what I was thinking thanks to the connection we'd cultivated
on the Hero's journey.
"Will you come with us, Lilinrala?"
"What?"
"R-Red?!"
Lilinrala's had a dubious expression, and Mistorm looked downright shocked.
"We both have the same goal, stopping the Veronian soldiers, right?"
"…Yeah, that's right! I swear on my high elf blood that I won't do anything uncalled for,
so please let me help. I must stop Prince Salius before he does something foolish."
I untied Lilinrala and her subordinates.
"Let's go."
"Got it."
All of us hurried out of the mansion.
Ruti, Rit, Tisse, Mister Crawly Wawly, Yarandrala, Mistorm, Lilinrala and her three
subordinates, and I all raced to the harbor district.
The town was filled with people running in panic, but there didn't seem to be any signs
of casualties. Fortunately, there were no signs of any large-scale fighting.
After running a few minutes, we reached the harbor and were greeted by a fluttering
Veronian flag.
"What is happening?" Lilinrala's shoulders slumped.
"The only foreign force in range of Zoltan is Prince Salius's."
When I pointed that out, Lilinrala muttered, "That's impossible."
"There's no smoke, and it doesn't smell like anything's happened, either," Rit pointed
out. She'd seen her homeland of Loggervia scorched by the flames of war to a horrific
degree, so no one was better equipped to make that call than her.
"It looks the same to me. The Zoltan army should have already been instructed to
prioritize citizen evacuation and a quick retreat in the event of a Veronian invasion.
There's not many people living in the harbor district anyway, so it's possible there's
been no skirmishes or looting."
It was standard practice to begin the defense before the enemy landed, but if a war
broke out in earnest, Zoltan had no chance of winning. The only option was to
withdraw before suffering too many losses while focusing on diplomatic efforts.
Naturally, that was only if Ruti and Tisse didn't join the fight.
"I'm going to check from higher ground."
Tisse ran gracefully up the wall of a nearby storage building and surveyed the
surroundings.
"I can see the Zoltan battle flag over there. There's Lord William's banner as well. His
drake knights are gathered and mounted… There's not much point in assembling the
knights in the middle of town like that, though."
"He's never had to lead in real combat, and I'm sure he's got no urban warfare
experience," I said.
Still, he'd be able to fill us in on what was happening.
Zoltan's harbor district was right in the path of the yearly storms that blew through.
The buildings in that section of town weren't made to last, almost all being dingy and
cheaply constructed. The storage building where Lord William had amassed his forces
was the same: a plain wooden frame instead of bricks, and the walls were dried mud.
Dark clouds hung overhead, threatening to rain.
I looked up at the big, one-armed man dressed like a soldier who was standing in front
of me.
"This is Lord William's camp. State your business."
"…What are you doing, Danan?"
"Ga-ha-ha. Caught me, huh?"
The person standing watch at the entrance to the Zoltan army camp was none other
than Danan the Martial Artist. His face was concealed behind a soldier's helmet, but
there was no hiding that mountain of muscle or his overwhelming aura.
"It looked like something interesting was happening out here, so…"
"So?"
"I didn't want you to have all the fun. I joined as a volunteer, and I'm on lookout."
"You're wasted on scout duty, Danan!"
The words left my mouth before I even realized it. Danan seemed to misunderstand
what a lookout's job was anyway.
Lookouts were supposed to alert their allies when they noticed anything abnormal,
but as far as Danan was concerned, the position was just so he could go fight the
enemies first because he'd spot them prior to anyone else.
"What, are you going to hog all the good stuff to yourselves again? You've been up to
all sorts of fun things without me, right?! Let me join in, too!"
"…Once your wound has healed."
Danan was still recovering. Any normal person would've been struggling just to walk.
I told him to go back to the hospital, and Ruti made him swear on his fist to get well
before he left.
"Sheesh…"
Fortunately, Danan was able to get us to Lord William's command post without any
trouble, so it worked out that he'd been here.
Inside the building, Lord William stood before a map laid out on the ground, staring
at a lot of enemy pieces and looking like he might cry.
Seeing Lilinrala and her subordinates, Lord William shouted, "Oh! Is that Admiral
Lilinrala?!"
"You know Lilinrala, Lord William?"
"How could I not?! The men who occupied the harbor demanded we return her and
her three subordinates. They're offering to pay a ransom of forty-two thousand
payrils, plus they'll guarantee the return of the harbor and all hostages and give an
additional eight thousand payrils for indemnity."
"Th-that's something."
For a group that had occupied the harbor district by force, it was a pretty generous
compromise. It gave off an incoherent impression.
However, if Lilinrala was to be believed, Prince Salius was by no means some
incompetent noble.
"I don't know how Admiral Lilinrala ended up in custody, but you bringing her here is
a tremendous stroke of fortune. I'll dispatch a messenger at once. No, I suppose it
would be better for us to go directly there ourselves."
The relief on Lord William's face was obvious.
It must have been rough having the harbor occupied by a force he had no hope of
defeating, and then being told to return someone he didn't know was in custody.
"Wait, please. We still don't really know what's going on here. Let's start with assessing
the situation…"
I tried to urge a bit of calm, but Lord William wasn't having it.
"I don't know who you are, but you've got no standing to be ordering me! I have
command of this army! Do you understand what will happen if they change their mind
and start moving in?! We must return the prisoners at once and preserve Zoltan's
peace and safety!"
It was a powerful, spittle-flecked bellow, but the contents were fairly weak-willed.
While I was at a loss for how to respond, Rit and Mistorm, who were standing behind
Lilinrala, spoke up.
"Calm down, Lord William. We have Lilinrala, so we're in the better position. We
should get a firm grasp of the events so far, then we can decide on the best path."
"Will, I understand that this is an unprecedented situation for Zoltan, but if you lose
yourself, Zoltan's army will crumble."
"Rit?! And Master Mistorm?!"
Lord William's eyes widened when he saw Mistorm. And then he slumped to his knees,
as if his strength had left him.
"Master Mistorm, I can't… Please take command of the army from me. It's too great a
burden. Save Zoltan like you did once before…"
"Will, you can't keep relying on an old granny like me. It's up to your generation now."
A middle-aged man clinging to a graying woman for support. It certainly wasn't a good
look for Lord William, but none of his subordinates seemed to think less of the man
for it. They watched Mistorm with the same pleading gaze.
I knew this sort of scene well.
It resembled my memories of soldiers who'd fallen into despair in the face of the
demon lord's armies pleading with Ruti for salvation—because the Hero was hope.
Ruti scrunched her face slightly at the sight.
"If you cower, then all the soldiers will do the same. Stand up,Will; it's okay. I know
how hard you've worked. Now, please tell us everything you know about the
predicament."
"…Yes, ma'am."
With eyes downcast, he explained all he could to Mistorm and Rit.
Unfortunately, he'd been so focused on getting residents to safety and gathering forces
that he'd had little time for anything else.
I left the questioning to the two of them and went over to Lilinrala.
Yarandrala rushed over and whispered in my ear, "Red, there's something strange
about Lilinrala."
The proud elf pirate was gone, and now someone else stood where she had.
"Again… It's my fault again…" There was clear regret in Lilinrala's eyes—despair, too.
"I just… I only wanted to support him."
It was a quiet anguish, barely audible, but my powerful Perception skill let me hear it
clearly… Which "him" did she mean, though?
"Lord William seems to be in favor of handing you over. Once they've finished talking,
why don't we go see Prince Salius?" I suggested to Lilinrala.
Her subordinates nodded in relief as they offered their leader support.
The Favorable Winds was a comparatively nicer inn for captains and navigators.
It was the tavern Ruti had used when she'd first arrived in Zoltan. Prince Salius had
commandeered it as his base. A tanned, high elf Veronian soldier led us in. He banged
on the door before announcing us.
"Prince Salius. The messengers from Zoltan are here."
It was rough etiquette for a prince's royal guard. However, he was constantly watching
our movements and was ready to draw steel at any moment, so it was clear he was a
soldier with a wealth of experience. Such a demeanor was quite different from that of
a refined high elf from Kiramin. There was a sharpness and dangerousness to it that
could have only been forged on the waves and in the navy.
"Show them in," commanded a man's voice that came from inside.
I glanced at Ruti and Tisse, who nodded in reply. They had already met Prince Salius,
and thus recognized the voice.
The soldier opened the door. Within was a man sitting before a desk wearing the same
equipment as the soldier, but his was engraved with the crest of the Veronian royal
family and a rune that indicated the armor was enchanted.
Salius was supposed to be nearing fifty years old, but he only looked to be in his
thirties.
"Good. She's safe."
Looking at Lilinrala first, he then turned to us and flashed a white smile, more
menacing than amiable. The sort of grin you would save for someone you were about
to fight.
Hmm… that face…
Right when I sensed something off about it…
Crack!
There was a sharp slap.
"Wh-why?"
Prince Salius was holding his cheek, stunned.
Lilinrala stood before him, breathing heavily and clearly unable to contain her anger.
She had leaped forward and struck the prince.
"I'm the one who should be asking that! Why did you do something so stupid?!"
The subordinates standing beside Lilinrala and the soldiers protecting Prince Salius
all suddenly froze.
Naturally, Ruti had noticed Lilinrala leaping forward; if she felt like it, she could surely
have stopped it. But she just watched quietly.
Yarandrala glanced at me to check what to do. I shook my head slightly, letting her
know I intended just to watch and wait for now.
She nodded but still looked concerned.
"If Leonor finds out about this, it will be the end for you! You can't be foolish enough
to think otherwise!"
Lilinrala's voice was trembling. Anger showed plain in her expression. Prince Salius
gritted his teeth and cast his gaze down. "It was only because you were captured."
"What?! I've taught you that someone fit to be king must have the resolve to leave
behind a subordinate when necessary!"
"If it meant losing you… then I don't need to be king! I wouldn't want to be king! You
should understand that!!!"
It was a thundering proclamation. Those soldiers outside undoubtedly heard it, too. I
could hear whispers from beyond the tavern walls.
The look on Lilinrala's face was beyond description.
Enraged, despairing, tearful… and joyous. Some complex feelings warped her features
and seemed to be tearing her apart.
Silence settled over the room. The Veronian soldiers looked around, nervous and
unsure what to do. And in the middle of it all, I shifted next to Mistorm, who stood at
the back of our group staring dumbstruck at Prince Salius's face.
"Does he resemble him?" I inquired.
Mistorm's shoulder twitched when she heard my question.
"How did you know what I was thinking?"
"I'd been considering the possibility for a while now. Lilinrala is a pirate. She should
be working for Geizeric's sake, not Veronia's. Why would she go so far for Prince
Salius?"
"Resemblance, nothing! He's the spitting image of Geizeric when he was young! But
they shouldn't be related at all!" Mistorm shuddered as she whispered.
Then it was as I'd suspected. Prince Salius really was King Geizeric's son. Which
meant…
"Lilinrala… is Prince Salius yours?"
Mistorm covered her mouth with a trembling hand, quelling the urge to shout.
Who was that love and malice for? And what of the betrayal and sacrifice? Who was
served by everything that had happened?
Prince Salius wasn't trying to look younger, but rather, older.
The light makeup he wore wasn't to keep him appearing youthful. If he removed it, he
would probably look like a handsome young man—barely an adult. He wasn't even
fifty years old yet, a juvenile by high elf standards.
"Red… Prince Salius is…"
I nodded to Rit.
"Yeah, Prince Salius is half high elf and half human… Geizeric is his father, and Lilinrala
is his mother."
Because Divine Blessings dominated the world, people sought a backstop of support
outside of blessings in the form of lineage and political power.
Society did not trust blessings enough to obey a person with a powerful one
unconditionally.
Even King Geizeric, who both possessed the Emperor blessing and had rebuilt Veronia
into a great power was still viewed as a pirate and a scoundrel.
If people acknowledged him, then they'd have to do so for the next bandit, thief, or
arsonist with the Emperor blessing to come along. And there was no telling what such
an individual might do.
If you asked me, royals were the perfect example of the paradox of blessings. Rit,
princess of the Duchy of Loggervia, had undoubtedly considered that a situation like
this could have befallen her.
She squeezed my hand as if to affirm that we were still together.
And I did the same to reassure her