Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: 220 Years of Blank (1)
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Arietta opened her eyes.
“Ugh...”
A strange sensation stimulated her senses. That must have been why she had awakened from her deep slumber.
‘Dragon Demon Force?’
A being with Dragon Demon Force was nearby. Had its presence roused her?
‘No, something’s different...’
It felt similar to the Dragon Demon Force she knew, but somehow off. She couldn’t quite explain how it differed, but it gave her a profoundly alien sensation.
Soon, Arietta realized she was lying on a bed that wasn’t particularly soft.
“Where...?”
Frowning, she quickly grasped the situation.
This was the Western Border Fortress.
She remembered what had happened before she lost consciousness.
Arietta had slipped away from that place amid the chaos Azel created with the Dragon Slaying Ritual. But since she had to carry Rick and Enora like baggage, the Dragon Shadows caught up to her in no time.
What followed was a fierce battle. She fought the pursuers while inching ever closer to the Western Border Fortress.
Exhausted after a full day without food and multiple skirmishes, Arietta had to protect Rick and Enora while clashing with Regina and her comrades in grueling combat.
Fortunately, the Western Border Guard mobilized before she hit her limit.
The Earth Dragon’s movements had been so flashy that the fortress spotted it and dispatched an elite scout team with their main forces. The intense battle between Arietta and the Dragon Shadows was equally conspicuous, so they were discovered quickly.
Faced with this turn of events, the Dragon Shadows had no choice but to admit mission failure and retreat.
Utterly spent, Arietta informed the border guards about Azel before passing out. And now, she had opened her eyes.
“Ugh.”
Arietta rang the bell beside the bed. A soldier soon entered, speaking cautiously with a tense expression.
“You’re awake, Princess.”
“Is this the Western Border Fortress?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How long was I out?”
“It’s been about four hours since you arrived.”
“Four hours...”
She had been unconscious longer than expected. Even for her, who had gone to war at fifteen, this was her first time being backed into such a corner.
The soldier added,
“Oh, your companions are safe. They’re being treated in the medical unit.”
“I see. Thank you. Can you guide me there?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Arietta followed the soldier to the medical ward.
The ward buzzed with activity. Healers rushed about tending to the many wounded.
Even Rick pitched in with a haggard look.
“Doctor Rick.”
“Princess!”
Rick’s eyes widened at the sight of her, and he hurried over.
The room stirred. Everyone held their breath, staring at her.
Ignoring the gazes, Arietta asked,
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. Thanks to you.”
He had suffered Flash Step backlash on the way, vomited his guts out from motion sickness while slung over her shoulder, puked again after waking here... He was a mess, but no need to mention that. After all, she had risked her life to bring him here alive.
“While you were out, Princess, survivors from the excavation site have been found by search parties and brought here one after another. We’re swamped with casualties all of a sudden.”
“I see. And Enora?”
“She’s over there.”
Rick led Arietta to Enora’s bed. Bandages wrapped around her here and there, Enora jolted upright upon seeing Arietta.
“Princess... Ow.”
But she soon clutched her head and staggered. Arietta steadied her.
“Lie down. You did well.”
“Sniff... Princess...”
Enora sniffled. The ordeal to get here must have been harrowing for a thirteen-year-old girl. As Arietta gently wiped her tears with a soft smile, Enora wailed as if the world had ended.
“Aaah, no. Princess, no, this is too much...”
“...Huh?”
“You’re wandering around all grubby like this! Aaah, if this gets out, the head maid will murder me!”
“......”
That was why she was crying? Arietta stared at her in stunned bewilderment.
“How can these soldier guys be so oblivious! I knew letting you stay in a place full of men was a bad idea... Sob sob.”
“H-Hey, soldier guys...”
“I’m just a nineteen-year-old with no boyfriend yet...!”
At that, the nearby ‘soldier guys’ all shot hurt looks her way. Arietta awkwardly averted her eyes.
Truth be told, Arietta was a mess. She had fled the excavation site and spent a full day trudging through the forest amid fierce battles—how could she possibly be clean? Her hair was disheveled, her face caked in dirt, and her coat filthy.
‘But it’s a battlefield—what can you do?’
Arietta, who had fought since fifteen, had little interest in staying pristine. She had been raised that way.
With a sigh in her voice, Arietta said,
“Enora, let’s table that for now. Just rest.”
“But Princess.”
“I can handle washing my face and combing my hair. If it bothers you that much, recover quickly and tend to me yourself.”
When Arietta insisted and tucked her in, Enora reluctantly complied.
Then Rick cleared his throat from behind.
“Ahem. Princess, um...”
“Yes. Sorry. I must look a sight.”
“No, it’s not that. There’s something I need to tell you...”
“What is it?”
“It’s about Azel.”
“Oh, what happened to him? Did he make it back safely?”
She had been about to ask. She had left word with the scouts, but had he joined up unharmed?
“Well, that’s...”
Rick hesitated. Arietta’s heart sank.
‘No way—he got eaten by that dragon, right?’
She didn’t know much about the Dragon Slaying Ritual. But it was clear he had challenged the dragon alone.
Could he stand against a dragon solo and win? Or even survive and escape?
As grim imaginings ran wild, Rick spoke.
“Um. Sorry to bother you right after waking, but... could you go vouch for Azel’s identity with the commander?”
“What?”
The totally unexpected request left Arietta’s eyes wide.
2
“Oh, Princess. Glad you made it safely. Happy to see you again.”
Beyond the iron bars, Azel—manacled in heavy iron cuffs—grinned broadly and waved.
“......”
Seeing him, Arietta was at a loss for words for a moment.
His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in filth, like he had slaved away in a labor camp for months. Yet he bore no visible wounds and brimmed with vitality.
Arietta asked,
“What in the world happened?”
“The scouts who secured me—you didn’t hear what they saw?”
“I did, but...”
The scouts had found a forest section ravaged like a typhoon’s path, the Earth Dragon’s corpse drained of massive amounts of blood atop it, and Azel meditating before it. When they asked what happened, Azel claimed he fled the Earth Dragon only for another dragon to appear and slay it.
Arietta asked,
“Did another dragon really show up?”
“Maybe I was so terrified I hallucinated. But who else could have killed that monstrous beast?”
“Hmm.”
Arietta instantly saw through Azel’s lie but didn’t press.
Instead, she told the knight who came with her,
“This is Azel Zestringer, who traveled with me. He helped a great deal on the way, so release him and treat him well.”
“Understood.”
The knight unlocked the cell and removed Azel’s cuffs.
The reason Azel had been imprisoned was simple. With the excavation site attacked by mysterious foes and heavy casualties, they couldn’t easily trust strangers.
They had his person, but confirming he was truly Azel required Arietta’s verification upon waking. Rick had vouched, but since Arietta had requested him originally, it was unavoidable.
Arietta said,
“Sorry for the trouble.”
“No, no. Armies have to run tight like that—I get it. Aside from being locked up, nothing bad happened.”
Azel spoke nonchalantly.
Indeed, the Western Border Guard hadn’t mistreated him. Given the dire circumstances and unclear identity, they had merely detained him.
The restraints might seem excessive, but the scouts’ knights and mages had recognized him as a Spirit Order practitioner. Leaving superhuman strength unchecked risked disaster if he turned hostile...
“I’ll arrange a bath and fresh clothes.”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll talk after. Rick’s worried too—go see him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After parting with Arietta, Azel was led by a lowly soldier summoned by the knight to the bathhouse.
Shhhhh...
The Western Border Fortress had excellent plumbing. They pumped abundant groundwater for drinking and had hot baths. Winter brought issues, but this season allowed lavish washing without scrimping.
“Phew, this hits the spot.”
Azel lounged in the stone tub, sighing languidly. One would expect chills from cold water this time of year, but his face flushed like he was in a hot spring.
Heat indeed roiled around him—Spirit Order at work. Steam rose, color returning to his skin.
After a long soak, Azel emerged refreshed.
“Hmm. Should I shave this beard?”
Ever since Arietta called him a forty-year-old uncle, he had resolved to. Regrettably, no razor.