Scathlan Kingdom's Royal Palace, Scathlan Kingdom, Northern Continent.
A year had passed since my encounter with that human woman in the Southern Continent. That strange human woman who cried out and ran toward an unfamiliar elf like me in the middle of the desert. That strange woman who held me tightly as I shivered in the cold. That strange woman who gave me warmth… and saved me.
And that strange woman's name was Estella Lightheart.
Only later did I find out that Estella was a princess of the Scathlan Kingdom. Yet despite being a princess, she still wielded her sword with pride. She became a general of the Scathlan Kingdom. The Demon Race would flee in terror at the sound of her voice on the battlefield.
Estella was a Magic-Swordmaster of the light element. The light element was the bloodline trait of the Scathlan royal family. For generations, the members of this royal lineage possessed the light attribute—a natural counter to the darkness of the Demon Race.
The Scathlan Kingdom itself was the archenemy of the Demon Kingdom, Avernum.
But in Estella's generation, the Scathlan bloodline came to an end. The king, Estella's father, could no longer bear children. And Estella was the only one who inherited the warrior's blood of Scathlan—the sole wielder of the light attribute.
That was why Estella took up her sword and became a general.
But that was Estella's own choice. The King and Queen never wished for their only daughter to take up arms and fight against the Demon Race. They vehemently opposed it.
Yet Estella was a stubborn princess. To her, rather than watching her aging father go to war, she would rather step forward herself and battle the Demon Race.
Under her command, the Scathlan Kingdom's army became a force that struck fear into the hearts of the Demon Race. On the battlefield, Estella was known as The Saint of the Light Sword. Her silver hair shimmered beneath the sunlight, her sharp black eyes and beautiful face exuding elegance and grace even in the midst of war.
Her mere presence ignited the fighting spirit of the entire Scathlan army.
And as for me…
Yes… one could say I had now become part of that very army. Because now, I had become the Commander of the Scathlan Kingdom's Mage Corps.
After that incident in the medical tent a year ago, Estella had asked me to lead her mage unit. She asked me to train and guide her corps of battle mages.
"At the very least, I'll give you another reason to keep on living."
That was what Estella said when she asked me to become her mage corps commander.
Of course, at first, I refused her request. But…
Estella was Estella!
She was the most stubborn woman I had ever met. She followed me everywhere I went. Whether I was in my room, in the forest, eating, or even bathing—she was always there. My clothes were never free from her grasp. My days were never free from the sound of her pleading. And her scent became the air I breathed every moment.
In the end… of course, I gave in!
Now, I was the commander of the Scathlan Kingdom's Mage Corps. And at this moment, I was walking toward Estella's office to deliver my report—a report on my unit's preparations for the battle that would take place in a month.
A battle against the Demon Race on the border between the Southern and Northern Continents.
"Wait a moment, Aella-sama!"
A voice called out from behind me. One of my subordinates was shouting my name. When I turned my head, I saw her running toward me, holding several sheets of paper in her hands.
Her name was Liana.
Liana was around fifteen years old. She had long blue hair and wore large round glasses perched on her nose. Rather than a battle mage, she looked more like an extreme bookworm. But she was one of my most trusted subordinates.
Liana was a Rank A water-element mage. Her rank was nearly at S level, almost on par with mine. Her magic specialization included Area Inflict Skills, Healing, and Area Damage—all crucial abilities in large-scale battles.
To put it simply, Area Inflict Skills were large-scale spells that could alter the battlefield, weakening enemy forces while giving advantages to allies.
Healing focused on recovery, but Liana's healing magic was special. Her water-element Healing spell could restore health within a 20-meter radius.
Beyond that, her Area Damage magic was another remarkable asset. She could unleash devastating attacks over a 50-meter radius, striking down enemy forces across a wide area.
Liana was a blessing and a gift to the Scathlan Kingdom's army.
Perhaps… if I weren't here, she would have become the leader of Estella's mage unit. But because of my presence, she ended up as the vice-commander instead.
I wonder… does she resent me?
"Aella-sama, here is the follow-up report you requested from me."
Liana spoke while catching her breath, panting heavily from running after me.
"Ah… thank you, Liana!"
"Are you going to meet Princess Estella now, Aella-sama?"
"Yes… do you want to come with me?"
"Ah! No… no… what are you saying, Aella-sama?! I would only be in the way of your conversation with Princess Estella if I went with you."
"No… of course not! In fact, I'd be happier if you came with me to see Estella. You know…"
I waved my hand, signaling Liana to lean in closer. Then, I whispered to her.
"Honestly, meeting Estella alone is such a hassle! She keeps clinging to me and stopping me from leaving her side. Is Estella really such a spoiled princess? Liana, you have no idea… this is such a pain. It's like I'm taking care of and spoiling a little sister. You get what I mean, right?!"
"Hahahahaha… please be patient, Aella-sama. Besides, Princess Estella does act a little differently when she's with you. Maybe…"
Liana adjusted her large, round glasses slightly before continuing.
"Maybe it's because Princess Estella is an only child. So she probably sees you as an older sister."
"Is that so… hah…"
I let out a long sigh at Liana's explanation.
"Besides… you're the only soldier here who treats Princess Estella without hesitation. As for the rest of us… of course, we wouldn't dare act that way toward our princess… hehehehe…"
Liana grinned playfully at me.
"So… do you think I'm being disrespectful to her?"
"No… of course not! Besides, aren't you yourself a princess from a kingdom in the Western Continent?"
"Yeah… but that was… a long time ago…"
Hearing Liana's words, my mind drifted back to my past. I once again remembered the Kingdom of Nefetari—my father, my mother, and my younger sister.
Maybe because I was a princess myself, I didn't fully understand the feelings of unease and fear that Liana had toward Estella. Perhaps all those people in my palace back then, who smiled at me with politeness and warmth, had felt the same way Liana did now.
"Aella-sama… we've arrived in front of Princess Estella's office!"
"Ah… yeah… Liana, come inside with me!"
Liana hesitated for a moment at my request. But after a brief pause, she lowered her head and nodded in agreement.
I knocked on Estella's door and called out.
"Estella, it's me! I've brought my unit's report for you."
"Ah… yes… come in, Aella!"
Estella's cheerful voice rang out from behind the door, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
As I pushed the door open, I saw Estella already prepared to jump and embrace me. But… she froze in surprise when she noticed Liana standing beside me.
"Liana!"
Flustered and embarrassed, she called out Liana's name. The princess face standing before me was now as red as a tomato.
"Yes, Princess Estella. Is my presence bothering you?"
"Ahem… ahem… What are you saying, Liana? Of course not! And you too, Aella… come in and sit over there!"
Wow… just look at this spoiled princess!
Now, in front of her subordinate, she was pretending to be a dignified and commanding war general.
Honestly, that side of her only made her seem even cuter and more endearing to me. I was currently doing everything I could to hold back my laughter from slipping out.
Truly… Estella reminded me so much of Lucia, my younger sister.
***
"Look at this spoiled girl! This is so ridiculous....
Hah...!
The next episode is about me, Estella, and Liana's discussion on the strategy of the wizard troops against the upcoming war, entitled 'Scathlan's Wizards: Tactics Preparation'.
Don't forget to read the rest..."
Aella Mead