Chapter 184
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: A Promise in the Rain
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It was raining.
The sky was dark, obscured by hazy, black clouds. For weeks now, clear sunlight had vanished from northern Alfrsen.
This abnormal weather, unseen for centuries, had cast a shadow over people's hearts.
“…It’s devastating.”
The wails echoing from the half-submerged village etched a deep sorrow onto the face of Alfion Alfrsen, the Crown Prince of Alfrsen.
“What is the situation in the Hopen Plains?”
“Over eighty percent of it is reported to be underwater.”
The Hopen Plains were situated on slightly lower ground, which only magnified the damage.
“This is a true disaster.”
“The timing, right before the harvest, has made the damage even greater. If only it had come a little later...”
Then, at least, they wouldn't have the added headache of a food crisis.
“The rain is cold. You should get inside the carriage.”
The current rain was merely a drizzle, but the temperature had dropped sharply after weeks of relentless downpour.
“No. I have no desire to play the part of a privileged ruler in front of my people, who have lost their homes and are overcome with grief.”
Alfion swept back his damp hair.
It had been three days since he entered the rain-soaked northern region, and he had passed through several villages.
And the situation grew more severe the farther north he went.
Compared to the first village, which was merely dealing with heavy rain, the one he was passing through now was nearly a third submerged.
“We will stay here for the night. Set up tents for the displaced people on higher ground and give them something to eat.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The crown prince's party numbered only a hundred, but they had emptied the royal family's dimensional pockets, hoping to offer even a sliver of hope to the people suffering from the flood.
The supplies they contained were immense, mostly consisting of food and tents.
The crown prince, who had been directing his soldiers to aid in the village's recovery, only returned to his tent late in the evening.
“You've worked hard.”
“You are the ones who worked hard. All I did was give orders.”
The crown prince chewed on a piece of tough, dried jerky.
“Your Highness, perhaps some other food...”
“It's fine. I've eaten worse than this back at the academy. You may all leave now.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please call if you need anything.”
As difficult as it was to get in, the academy generally treated its students well, but during exams or practical training, they were mercilessly thrown into field exercises.
Dried jerky was nothing; there were times he'd starved for days with nothing to eat at all.
“I cursed it every day back then, but now I see it all had its uses.”
The crown prince let out a soft laugh. Then, someone from the academy suddenly came to mind.
“…She said she finally succeeded in her research. She actually did it.”
It had been years since he last saw her, but her image was still vivid. It was more accurate to say he could never forget.
A wistful look crossed the crown prince's face. His thoughts drifted to a letter he had received not long ago.
He asked his royal guard.
“Is there any news about Pernyan Fallenberg?”
“No, Your Highness, nothing has come in. But what do you mean, he's coming to see you?”
“No, it's nothing. I wish to rest. You may leave as well.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
The guard left, tilting his head in confusion. Left alone, the crown prince took out a pendant.
He opened the antique pendant, fashioned from a mix of gold and platinum, revealing a photograph inside.
It was a magical photograph, one he had carried with him ever since graduating from the academy years ago.
“There's no doubt.”
He never went anywhere without this pendant. He was the only one who knew what photograph it held.
Therefore, the crown prince had reached only one conclusion.
“Rosalia must have told him.”
The only other person who knew of the photograph's existence was the one who had taken it with him.
But a question still remained.
But why?
Rosalia wasn't one to talk much, nor was she the type to gossip.
To tell someone about it meant they shared a special bond.
“…They did say Pernyan Fallenberg had sponsored Rosalia's research.”
Did they grow close because of that? Even if not, they were professor and student. There were plenty of opportunities for them to become close.
The question was why Pernyan had informed him of this fact, and why he wanted to meet using it as a pretext.
“Pernyan and I have no connection.”
What if he intended to create one now?
What if Pernyan asked Rosalia for help to forge a connection with me?
That would explain everything. The photograph was just a pretext. A pretext Rosalia gave Pernyan to meet me.
Having arrived at the answer, the crown prince's expression softened.
“…In that case, what is Pernyan's purpose in wanting to meet me?”
There was a vast difference between understanding someone's intentions before meeting them and not.
The night deepened, but the crown prince's mind only grew clearer.
***
Morning came.
The ground, soaked by the rain that fell all night and continued to fall, was not just damp but thoroughly saturated.
The only consolation was that the downpour had weakened considerably.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
“Thanks to you, we can finally breathe a little easier!”
“Thank you!”
The food and tents distributed to them were by no means a large amount—more like a small bonfire in the freezing cold. But for them, even a bonfire was a desperate need.
“Once the rain stops, a proper relief team will be dispatched. Hold on until then! The kingdom will always be on your side!”
These were people who had put down roots and lived here their entire lives, unable to bring themselves to abandon their homes even in the face of the deluge.
Unless the entire village was submerged, they would never leave.
The crown prince's party set off once more.
“You said this was as good as the situation gets?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The people in the village we just passed are managing to survive somehow. But beyond that, most areas are flooded, and everyone is said to have evacuated.”
The kingdom had already dispatched three legions for flood recovery.
But the continuous rain prevented them from carrying out their duties properly. The best they could do was guide the refugees.
They were guiding them to designated cities to prevent refugees from overwhelming the already struggling villages and creating another disaster.
“It must be chaos.”
“Perhaps it would be best to turn back here, Your Highness. Many areas are flooded, making it too dangerous. They say monsters that have lost their nests are roaming about indiscriminately. It would be safer to head to Pioin or Kaden...”
Pioin and Kaden were the cities designated as shelters for the refugees.
“Then, instead of heading further north, let's first visit more villages like the last one.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The party changed direction, but they were soon forced to a halt.
“The road is blocked.”
“It's a landslide. A section of the mountain collapsed due to the heavy rain.”
The earth and trees that had slid down from the collapsed part of the mountain were tangled together, completely blocking the path.
“We'll have to take another route.”
“Do so.”
The party returned to a fork in the road and took a different path.
“…The ground has collapsed.”
But for some reason, the ground there had completely given way, and in other places, the river had overflowed, submerging everything.
“It seems we can't go any further…”
“We might find a clear path if we search, but there are likely more impassable roads than clear ones.”
“It's too late today. We should head back the way we came for now.”
“Yes, Your Highness. In that case…”
“Monsters! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
The drizzling rain, the sun rapidly fading into darkness. Through it all, enraged monsters, having lost their nests, appeared.
At the sight of a pack of some twenty trolls, the guards drew their weapons.
“Don't let them get close!”
Twenty knights dismounted and charged up the muddy mountain. They remained steady even as the earth shifted beneath their feet.
The trolls shrieked and charged to meet them.
Kieeeeek!
Kiaaak!
As they clashed, blood and screams filled the air. All the blood was the trolls', as were the screams.
In an instant, the heads of the twenty trolls were sent flying.
Alfion was the crown prince of the great kingdom of Alfrsen.
The knights accompanying such a prince were from the Black Whale Knights, hailed as the kingdom's strongest.
Trolls like these were no obstacle at all.
“Good work.”
“We have only done our duty.”
The knights returned to their positions. The pouring rain washed the blood from their swords.
“The sun is setting, Your Highness. We must make camp as quickly as possible.”
“Do as you see fit.”
The nearest village was too far, leaving them no choice, but finding a suitable place to camp was also difficult.
It was because of the incessant rain.
“There's a light over there.”
“A light, deep in these mountains?”
A faint light appeared in their line of sight.
“It's quite large.”
“It appears to be a slash-and-burn village. Being situated on high ground, it seems to have avoided most of the flood damage.”
“The villagers will be wary, but we have no other options right now.”
“That seems best.”
The crown prince's party knocked on the village's wooden palisade.
“Who… knights?”
“W-Who are you!”
The village was thrown into an uproar, but they backed down upon seeing the knights.
Especially since these knights were from the Black Whale Knights, the best in the kingdom, they lost any will to refuse.
“…The… the Crown Prince?”
“My apologies. We lost our way in the mountains. We only need to stay for one night, and we'll be on our way.”
“I-If you stay here…”
“If we were to use your homes, you would have nowhere to stay. An empty plot of land to set up camp is all we need.”
“A-And for meals…”
“We have our own provisions, so we'll be fine.”
The mention of the crown prince caused an even greater stir, but they managed to sort things out.
“If most of the roads are like today's, going any further will be impossible. Let's head for Kaden as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I will pass on the order.”
Alfion soon fell asleep. But he was quickly awakened by a commotion.
“What's happening!”
“Your Highness, something is wrong with the village!”
“What do you mean?”
Alfion rushed out of his tent.
“What is this…!”
An ominous energy pulsed from the ground. The sky, which should have been dark, was stained crimson.
“A magic circle?”
“It's surrounding the entire village!”
A red light etched into the earth enveloped the entire village. The colorful runes were of an unfamiliar design, but it was undoubtedly a magic circle.
“Is this… demonic energy?”
“Your Highness, it's dangerous! You must flee at once…!”
And it was certainly not harmless.
The surging, ominous feeling was the demonic energy he had felt from demonic beasts.
Kuaaaargh!
Guuuh!
H-Help me!
Agonized screams, belonging to the villagers, echoed from all over.
“What in the world is…!”
“It's a trap! Someone is clearly targeting you, Your Highness!”
The campsite erupted into chaos. Everyone awoke and prepared to escape. The knights formed a tight circle around the crown prince.
And they soon realized what the magic circle meant, and what its purpose was.
“M-My mana…! My aura!”
“My strength is fading…!”
“Your Highness, we must get out of here now!”
A magic circle that drains the life force of all living things and converts it into demonic energy.
Everyone was horrified by the terrible grand magic. Luggage and supplies no longer mattered. They had to get out of the village, no matter what.
But at that moment.
Kwooooar!
Krrrrrr-
Monsters, and demonic beasts.
Drawn by the demonic energy, monsters began to appear one by one around the village, where the red light was steadily intensifying.
The demonic beasts mixed in among them made it clear that this situation was a deliberate trap.
“…What in the world.”
Alfion bit his lip.
To be attacked in Alfrsen, of all places, was something he had never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams.
And by Vile Breeds, no less.
“…Your Highness, we will clear a path.”
“We must protect His Highness at all costs!”
“Don't fall behind!”
“We have to go now! The horses are in pain!”
The Black Whale Knights formed a triangular formation with the crown prince at its center. They began to run without a moment's hesitation.
“The village is surrounded by mountains. The flattest path is the one we came from, so we'll break through that way… There are people ahead…!”
“Out of the way!”
Just then, a group of people blocked their path. The knights shouted urgently, thinking they were villagers, but there was no response.
That wasn't the only strange thing. Unlike the villagers, they seemed unaffected by the magic circle.
Their clothes were also far too fine for villagers.
“They must be Vile Breeds. Break through…”
Concluding that they were the masterminds behind this incident, Alfion gave the command. Immediately, the knights' lances pointed forward.
At that moment.
Chiiiiik-
One of the supposed Vile Breeds poured something onto the ground. The magic circle convulsed, and a pungent steam began to rise.
And soon.
“…The magic circle?”
The ominous red light weakened.
The demonic energy thrashed as if screaming.
“H-Halt!”
Anyone who wasn't a fool could see it. They were not Vile Breeds.
The knights' lances stopped just inches from their faces.
Three men and one woman.
They were all holding bottles in their hands.
“…Who are you?”
“We came to keep a promise, Your Highness.”
“A promise?”
“It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Pernyan of Fallenberg.”
Ah, forgive my informal greeting.
“This is a bit more urgent at the moment.”
The man who introduced himself as Pernyan said this as he tossed aside an empty bottle. A pile of several dozen bottles lay next to him.
“…What are you doing right now?”
“We're erasing the Vile Breeds' magic circle.”
He expertly pulled another bottle from a dimensional space and poured it onto the ground.
“……”
“……”
The crown prince's party could only stare blankly, forgetting all about their escape.