Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Reunion (4)
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During the day, we moved east without rest.
Then, when night fell, we found a suitable place to rest and unpacked our things.
“I doubt I've ever been this exhausted in my life.”
Once the camp was set up, the Crown Prince collapsed by the fire as if he'd been waiting for the chance and began to complain.
Indeed, his once-healthy complexion had grown haggard in just a few days.
“My rear, my back, my shoulders. There isn't a single part of me that doesn't ache. I feel like my throat's been torn to shreds from breathing in dust all day.”
He seemed utterly displeased about having to travel on horseback instead of in the famously comfortable royal carriage, his complaints endless.
“And why are there so many bugs? It's as if every insect in the world has gathered in the west.”
The Crown Prince slapped the back of his neck with a sharp *smack*.
A mosquito must have landed on him.
Whenever that happened, his attendants would scurry about with apologetic faces, trying to shoo away the insects, but their efforts were largely futile.
*Scratch, scratch.*
The Crown Prince scratched himself irritably.
His eyes were glaring at me.
*Flinch.*
I needlessly poked at the campfire.
After all, the reason the Crown Prince was traveling on horseback instead of in his comfortable carriage was not entirely unrelated to me.
*'Your Highness. If there were an easier and faster way to determine just how dangerous the mages of the Blue Tower are, would you be willing to take it?'*
*'If such a method exists, I see no reason to refuse.'*
The conversation I’d had with the Crown Prince a few days ago came to mind.
*'What would you do if they were to stand in your way, Your Highness?'*
*'Why would they stand in my way?'*
*'I'm saying they might, if you were in possession of something extremely important to them.'*
*'…You're referring to the chimera's corpse.'*
*'If the Blue Tower were to block Your Highness's path just to reclaim a mere corpse, wouldn't that be proof that their ambitions are great enough to challenge the Empire?'*
The Crown Prince had quickly understood my meaning. He had then gone a step further and proposed a wager.
If the Blue Tower didn't block his path, he would win; if they did, he would lose.
*'If I win, you will have to grant me one favor.'*
*'And if I win, Your Highness will have to grant my favor instead.'*
*'Is that it? I'll write you as many recommendation letters as you want. Enough to get you into not just the Cradle, but anywhere.'*
And so, the bet was on.
It was from that point on that the clandestine preparations from both sides began.
The Crown Prince's side mobilized the Guild to send out several decoy convoys to deceive the Blue Tower, and I, too, made a few moves of my own.
Afterward, as per the wager, the Crown Prince left Comrat with the chimera's corpse loaded onto the carriage.
That was precisely why he was now traveling on horseback, leaving a perfectly good carriage behind.
He claimed he couldn't bear the stench of the corpse and found it impossible to stay inside the carriage.
Thanks to the preservation treatment from the Guild, there was no stench, not even a faint smell, but it seemed the nose of a royal was built differently.
“My mistake. To think I'd put myself through such hardship for the likes of that damned Blue Tower.”
The Crown Prince lamented, glaring at me.
And he wasn't the only one giving me such a resentful look.
The Court Knights were staring at me with gazes that were just as, if not more, hostile.
From the perspective of those guarding the Crown Prince, I was no different from a traitor.
Hadn't I exposed their master to danger with a petty provocation?
They looked like they wanted to hang me from the gallows if they could.
If the Crown Prince hadn't stopped them, a few might have actually tried.
Lucas, at the very least, certainly would have.
*'If even a single scratch appears on His Highness's body, I will not let you go.'*
Having served him for a time in my past life, I knew those were not empty words.
It felt strange.
Where had the bond we once shared as Master and Squire gone?
“Where did it go?”
I left it behind in my past life.
Anyway.
Whatever the reason, the Crown Prince was traveling on horseback instead of by carriage.
Thanks to that, the Court Knights were busier than ever.
The Crown Prince's carriage was no ordinary carriage.
I glanced at the carriage parked in the center of the camp.
Naturally, the blessing of 「Pathological Curiosity」 activated.
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【Hildegrim (☆☆☆☆☆)】
*A helmet specially crafted by the giant couple Hilde and Grim, renowned for their strong bond, for their soon-to-be-born child.
*Later, Dietrich, the founder of the Gessenian Empire, acquired this massive helmet and tossed it into a storehouse.
*No human could use a helmet of such immense size, made to protect the head of a child who was large even for a giant.
*After the death of Dietrich the Great, one of his descendants succeeded in modifying this space-hogging helmet into the body of the safest carriage imaginable.
*It won't even be scratched by an attack from a high-ranking knight's well-honed treasured sword.
*Has a chance to break the attacker's sword.
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Although its origins were somewhat bizarre, it was an artifact capable of withstanding attacks from even high-ranking knights, so the level of security naturally couldn't be the same whether the Crown Prince was inside it or not.
The Court Knights were on high alert all day, wary of a potential ambush.
So, from the Court Knights' perspective, I was a traitor who had endangered their master and the cause of their own hardship.
It would have been stranger if they looked at me kindly.
“In another day, we'll be at the foot of the mountain range. Even if, as you say, their ambitions are so great they look down on the authority of the Imperial Family, it won't be easy for them to make a move once we cross the mountains.”
Beyond the mountain range was the Empire's sphere of influence.
The situation was very different from the west, which lacked any notable noble houses or knightly orders.
The 「Gaznae of the Black Moon」 family, who vied for the top spot among the Eight Great Families, was established not far from the mountains, and the fortress of the 「Night Watch」, whose fame and tradition were no less renowned, was just a stone's throw away.
No matter how audacious the master of the Blue Tower was, they wouldn't dare attack the Crown Prince's carriage in the territory of the famously belligerent Gaznae knights and the Night Watch.
“You will remain within my sight until my doubts are resolved.”
The Crown Prince spoke as if he had already won the bet.
But that was only if we crossed the mountains safely and without incident.
The mountain range that divided the western and central parts of the Empire.
“Hello.”
At its entrance, someone was waiting for us.
“We meet again.”
The monster from the Blue Tower I never wanted to see again.
“The Star-Eating Mage…!”
Ingna was waiting for us.
* * *
“Hah… hah…”
The Crown Prince's breathing was so ragged he sounded as if he might keel over at any moment.
He needed to rest.
But we couldn't rest now.
“Your Highness!”
“Hah… I'm already… hah… doing… my best! Hah, hah. So! Stop nagging me!”
When I urged him on, the Crown Prince flared up in anger.
The fact that he still had the energy to shout suggested he could go a little further.
I feigned ignorance and pushed him on.
“Huuuhhh.”
The Crown Prince let out a bizarre groan and staggered forward.
Tuning out the sound, I thought.
How did things end up like this?
Up until we entered the foothills of the mountain range, everything had gone as expected.
The Crown Prince hadn't considered an attack from the Blue Tower likely, but he had sent out three decoy convoys nonetheless.
He probably thought that would be enough.
But I thought differently.
It didn't matter if there were ten or a hundred decoys escorting fake coffins.
If the Blue Tower wanted to retrieve the chimera's corpse, all they had to do was watch the one road that passed through the mountains.
So, that's where it ended.
The part where the situation unfolded as I had predicted.
First, I hadn't expected to meet the notoriously sedentary mage twice in such a short period.
“The Court Knights are being pushed back!”
Second, even though Ingna had been infamous in my past life, I never imagined a single squad of Court Knights would be so utterly overwhelmed.
“Court Knights! Split into two groups!”
“Get His Highness to safety!”
In the end, a few Court Knights drove the carriage with the chimera's corpse away from the scene.
“…?”
But instead of chasing the carriage, Ingna pursued us.
That was the third miscalculation.
After that, things followed a set course.
One by one, the Court Knights fell back to buy time against Ingna.
It was an action that faithfully followed the Court Knights' escort protocol: in the event of an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, the primary objective is to get the protectee away from the scene.
But as a result of that protocol, our party was scattered to the winds.
“You dragged His Highness into this. So protect him. Protect him with your life. No matter what, keep His Highness safe until I get there.”
Lucas and another Court Knight had stayed behind to hold off Ingna last night.
“We need to divert the mage's attention.”
And Gunther and the Forsaken Dogs mercenaries had split off just this morning, noisily leaving a trail.
As a result, I was now wandering the mountains alone with the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness!”
“Hah, hah. I've never climbed a mountain, nor have I ever run! No matter how much you push me, I can't go on!”
“That's not it!”
“Then what is it!”
“I think the mage has stopped her pursuit!”
The instant I finished speaking, the Crown Prince collapsed to the ground with a thud.
“Hah, hah. Why all of a sudden?”
“It seems she's finally realized the chimera's corpse isn't with us.”
“Why did it take her so long to….”
The Crown Prince grumbled.
But it was only for a moment.
*Flop.*
He flopped onto his back and closed his eyes.
“You won the bet.”
A long time passed before the Crown Prince spoke again.
“Once we reach the central region, you'll become a member of the Cradle. Congratulations in advance.”
I didn't answer.
The Cradle wasn't the issue; right now, I was worried about Gunther.
I was also worried about Lucas, for whom I still held some old affection.
And more than anything else.
“For now, let's just focus on getting over these mountains.”
I was worried about us.
I handed the Crown Prince a piece of dried jerky.
“This is tasteless. And so tough, it feels like my teeth are going to break. This is the worst thing I've eaten in my entire life.”
The Crown Prince complained incessantly while chewing on the tough jerky.
Yet, he kept gulping it down, a clear sign that he understood recovering his stamina was the priority.
After sating his hunger with the jerky, the Crown Prince immediately closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Before long, the sound of his rhythmic breathing began to fill the air.
I couldn't decide whether to call him audacious or to pity him for being too exhausted to even complain anymore.
*Snore.*
Watching the lightly snoring Crown Prince, I looked up at the empty sky.
[The Curious Sloth] Well, no one's dead yet~ Though a few of them look like they'll be in danger if they don't get treatment soon~~
There had never been a time when a message from the stars was so welcome.
[The Eternal Squire (2nd Playthrough)] What about my Master…?
[The Elegant Lefty] He put up a bit of a fight, then got smacked good and was knocked out cold.
I let out a sigh of relief and, while I was at it, asked about Lucas's safety.
[The Curious Sloth] He's a little banged up~~~ but he's alive~
That was a relief.
Lucas didn't even remember me anymore, but I still didn't want to see someone I had once served as Master die before his time.
Especially if I was part of the reason.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] Tsk. She's playing with them like a cat with a mouse. Means they're not on her level.
[The Elegant Lefty] That mage is, at most, two stages away from the state of a Fallen Angel. There aren't many knights in the mortal realm who could face her.
Just as I'd suspected, it seemed she hadn't been using her full strength when she faced the others.
It was only natural, given that the Star-Eating Mage had been famous for being an incredibly picky eater even in my past life.
But that wasn't what was important right now.
[The Eternal Squire (2nd Playthrough)] Can you all see the situation across the entire mountain range right now?
[The Curious Sloth] Yep~~ We're watching~
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] It was getting boring, so I was just about to stop watching.
[The Elegant Lefty] Don't make me laugh. Your Majesty, I can clearly see you're itching to descend right now, you're practically bouncing in your seat.
I mostly ignored their chatter.
The important thing was that they could see the entire situation in the mountains.
I tilted my head back and looked at the sky.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] ?
[The Elegant Lefty] ?
[The Curious Sloth] ?
The stars flooded me with question marks.
I wondered why.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] Are you smiling?
It seemed I had been smiling without realizing it.
Just then, a way to overcome this crisis had popped into my head.