A group of riders raced down the road to the west, heading for Italica.
Above them flew flags emblazoned with red, white and yellow roses. The sound of many galloping hooves thundered beneath them.
Their polished breastplates and helmets reflected gold and silver light, and the waving flags and upraised lances surged forward at great speeds.
The knight at their lead is especially noteworthy.
She was a spectacularly dressed female knight whose golden hair swayed in the wind. She lashed her horse repeatedly. Her mount mutely bore the pain and threw itself forward in response.
The countryside flew past the lady knight's eyes, but it was too slow, far too slow. She gripped the reins tighter and lashed the horse harder.
"Bozes! You're going too fast!"
The woman whose voice was filled with even calmness caught up to the foremost rider.
She was a female knight with chestnut-brown hair. Behind her was a group of mounted warriors, whom she had left behind in her haste to catch up with Bozes.
The lady knight called Bozes replied in a voice like the tinkling of silver bells.
"We're still too slow, Panache!"
"Your horse won't be able to take it, and people in the rear can't keep up with you. If this goes on, we won't be able to fight even if we make it there on time."
"It doesn't matter, our objective is Italica, and the stragglers can catch up later. Time is of the essence now!"
"But-"
"Even if only a few people arrive in the end, there are ways to fight with small groups. The most important thing is to get there is soon as possible, even if it's by just a little."
Bozes had said this much, and Panache could not convince her otherwise. All she could do was follow behind Bozes and convince her to slow down as much as possible.
After Bozes forced herself to loosen the reins and lower her speed, the unit behind her finally managed to catch up a little.
"Panache, will we make it in time?"
"It'll be fine. If it's the Princess, she'll think of a way."
"But-"
It was all Bozes could do to suppress the uneasiness in her heart. Her energies were focused on the road which kept unfolding before her and the tiny point of Italica on the horizon.
Therefore, the first one to notice it was Panache.
"Hm?"
Something was approaching from in front of them.
Although this was supposed to be a major road of the Empire, that meant it had been built long ago and exposed to the elements in the wilderness, and in places, it would become very narrow, certainly not big enough for two wagons to fit side by side. If the riders continued like this, they would collide with the people in front of them.
Speaking of which, the entity approaching from in front of them was drawing near with a speed that surpassed their expectations. It looked like a box, and from a distance, they could not tell exactly what it was, but it seemed to be a wagon of some sort.
"Bozes!"
"I know."
"The hell you know! Look ahead!"
As Panache's scolding brought her around, Bozes straightened up, clicked her tongue and pulled back hard on the reins.
Panache raised her left hand to signal a halt to the rest of the unit behind her, and she pulled on her reins to stop her horse.
The people behind them were slightly relieved because they had a chance to give their exhausted mounts an opportunity to rest. Both man and beast panted heavily, sweating rivers.
"Ahhh, what a pain! Have them make way!"
Just as the knights behind them were about to advance to remove the obstruction, they saw Panache's signal to wait and stayed where they were.
"They came from Italica. I'll check them out and see if they have any useful information."
With that, Bozes slowly urged her horse forward.