Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Ilene (4)
In the silent forest. Cedric, the bandit boss, gasped for breath after running for a long time.
Only after confirming there was no one behind him did he finally stop.
"Damn it all!"
Cedric couldn't help but curse seeing his current state.
What kind of bolt from the blue is this? Just yesterday, he was enjoying alcohol with beauties, so how did it end up like this?
He bit his lips tightly, recalling the culprit.
"War Hero..."
He had heard of him. The only person in this country permitted the title of 'Hero'. His golden helmet was always stained with blood, and the red eyes dwelling within it never missed an opponent. Even bards were reluctant to sing his songs.
Cedric smirked hollowly, recalling his appearance he encountered before fleeing. He expected the Kingdom to take measures someday when he joined hands with demons. But to think they would deploy a War Hero just to sweep up a single bandit group. At most, he thought it would be around the 3rd Knight Order.
"Kukuk, damn. To think I would die in a place like this before even unfolding my great cause."
According to rumors, no one who encountered him on the battlefield could escape alive. Of course, rumors are always exaggerated, but Cedric knew.
The fact that he was glaring at him, who was fleeing, even while swinging his sword at the bandits. Just recalling that moment made his whole body shudder even now. Surely, as long as he is in the Kingdom, he will find him no matter what means he uses. The hideout he is going to now will surely be discovered before long too.
Thinking that, his vision became dizzy, and he leaned his body against a tree.
"...That woman."
It was none other than Ilene's existence that gave him the only hope. A rookie swinging a golden sword with a status looking noble to anyone. At least she wasn't a knight. If there was such a female knight in the 4th Knight Order, there was no way rumors wouldn't have spread.
Above all, other knights were forming a formation to protect her. Thinking up to here, it wasn't that difficult to deduce who she was.
"Hehe, sorry, War Hero. It seems the Goddess is on my side."
What choice will that great War Hero make if the Princess is taken hostage? Cedric, who had heard his reputation countless times, couldn't stand the curiosity.
"A Princess plus the War Hero's neck. The gifts to give to the demons have increased."
This wasn't the time to be doing this.
Now the positions of him fleeing and him [Carmil] were reversed. Convinced of that, Cedric ran to the hideout as fast as possible.
Having conquered the bandits' stronghold, the 4th Knight Order immediately pursued the direction the bandit boss fled.
Then, as the night deepened, they decided to settle down near a stream and camp.
Before everyone went to sleep, Carmil dipped his hands in the flowing water. The blood was washed away with the river water, but the smell still lingered.
Although bandits' flesh and blood splattered all over his body, and he ignored all the screams begging for life, it didn't matter.
The important thing is that he survived today too. And that no one died. So he had no intention of showing mercy in his hands in the future either.
Even if the Princess in front of him glares at him resentfully.
"It seems you didn't hear me say to treat them as prisoners?"
"No."
At that word, she smirked.
Splash. Splash. She entered the stream and washed off the blood on her feet.
"You know what? I was genuinely happy when I heard you say you would sweep up the goblin den first on the first day, even though it wasn't a mission. Because I thought you fight for the people unlike the rumors. I thought you were also the 'Hero' I dreamed of."
But she saw. The moment he trampled the bandits by hiding cowardly instead of a fair duel. And the appearance of Carmil torturing a prisoner terribly.
She looked at the bloody water flowing away with the river water, then turned her gaze to him.
"But it wasn't like that. You ignored my words and even broke the law to kill the bandits. Did you want to raise your achievements that much?"
"Did it look like that?"
"I'm asking because I don't know. Depending on the case, I intend to report to the Royal Palace, so answer carefully."
There were two things Ilene learned while staying with Carmil all day. One was that she couldn't understand every single action he took.
And the other was the fact that he was not like the 'Hero' she admired.
In him, called a hero, she couldn't find chivalry, let alone honor or faith. The appearance he showed today was to the extent that it would be better to see him as a villain.
Carmil let out a small sigh at her cold gaze.
"To answer that statement, first of all, those the Princess captured were not prisoners."
"Why? Are you saying things like bandits are not even worth being prisoners?"
"He was hiding a dagger in his back pocket. The other one had a magic formula engraved on his cornea."
"Ah!"
Come to think of it, she didn't remember doing a body search. She was just excited thinking she raised an achievement and only kept them captured.
Even seeing her face flushing hot, Carmil spoke calmly.
"Besides that, seeing that they hid various things inside their clothes, they probably intended to run away looking for a chance if needed."
"B-But even so, there was no need to kill them. No matter how much of a bandit they are, in the end, they are citizens of this country!"
Saying that, she recalled the bandit she let go during the day.
"And maybe they were threatened by demons? Then instead of swinging a sword, we should rather protect them! That is what a knight is."
"...Ha."
At Carmil's laughter, Ilene got goosebumps for a moment. Even knowing it was ridicule towards the bandits, it was truly eerie.
"Did they say that? That they are unfairly accused. That we are victims, so please overlook it just once."
"...D-Don't tell me you want to say it was all a lie?"
"Well. I don't know either."
"What?"
"I have never swung a sword thinking about such things. Because what is needed when standing on the battlefield is just the opponent to cut in front of my eyes."
How can he say such cruel words so casually? Choked up, she clenched her two fists tight.
"...Would you say that even if it was an innocent person?"
"If it were such a thing, there would be no need to care. Because there are no innocent people on the battlefield anyway."
Just what does that mean. I don't know. Above all, I didn't want to understand. To her, who had chased only honor all her life, his words were hard to accept.
But she didn't want to back down like this either. At the very least, she hoped he would reflect on what happened today and never repeat it again.
"Alright. I understand, so at least stop fighting in that way. Ambushing the enemy's rear using goblin blood. There is a limit even to being cowardly."
"Yes, understood for now."
"Uh, huh?"
She blinked at his words accepting it meekly. She thought of course he would bring up strange words again and refute.
The words 'for now' bothered her, but since he said it like that, she had nothing to say.
"If you have nothing more to say, I will excuse myself first. I heard there is a subordinate who got injured."
"O-Okay. You may go."
Like that, leaving her behind, Carmil returned to the campsite first. Left alone, she felt awkward for no reason and kicked the river water.
Originally, she planned to get very angry, but feeling like she only got lectured instead, her mood wasn't great.
"Haa. Whatever. I should go sleep too."
As she was about to return to the campsite, suddenly a presence was felt from across the stream. When she drew her sword and looked back, a shabby-looking man was looking at her.
"Who is it? Reveal your identity."
"Nice to meet you. Knight. No, should I call you Princess?"
"W-What Princess! Just what nonsense are you talking about now?"
She tried hard to hide it, but everything was already revealed in her reaction. Convinced by this, the man immediately bowed his head to her.
"Good evening. Princess. I am called Geril, a subordinate of Lord Cedric."
"If it's Cedric..."
He was definitely the boss of the bandit group they were chasing. She heard he ran away, but why did he suddenly reveal himself?
Whatever it was, she had to call Carmil first. Just as she was about to call the knights, he hurriedly called out to stop her.
"You don't need to be so wary. We just want to talk with the Princess."
"If it's that, it seems you found the wrong person. Since I am not a Princess. How about talking to the Captain over there instead?"
"I would like to do that too, but I am afraid my head will fly off before that and I won't be able to deliver my boss's message."
"That is..."
She couldn't deny those words. Honestly, it wouldn't be strange at all if Carmil cut off that person's head right away.
Besides, the enemy is one anyway, and the distance was sufficient to capture him. She decided to listen a bit more and then call the knights.
"Actually, our bandit group lost our colleagues and stronghold and lost the will to fight anymore. The boss also said he would surrender in exchange for guaranteed safety."
"Really? Then why didn't he come himself?"
"Using a transaction as an excuse, the boss is currently holding the demons in the hideout. As a gift to the Princess who accepted our surrender."
"...There is no lie in those words, right?"
"Of course. In fact, seeing the Princess's broad generosity of letting my colleagues go during the day and treating them as prisoners, I mustered the courage to come like this. If it weren't for that, we wouldn't have even thought of talking like this."
"I-Is that so?"
At those words, Ilene felt a little better. Anyway, it seems everything she did wasn't all wrong.
"Princess. Please come with us right now. Receive our surrender there and capture all the demons too!"
"Fufut, that's a really good proposal. Then I'll call the knights right now and go togeth..."
"Ah, no. That seems a bit difficult."
"Pardon? Why suddenly?"
"We are also well aware of the War Hero's rumors. Those knights might just receive the surrender and kill us all. So please, Princess, come first alone and capture the demons with us to acknowledge that merit. If that happens, no matter how much of a War Hero he is, he won't be able to treat us carelessly."
"Mmm..."
Certainly, recalling the things that happened during the day, it was a plausible story. However, no matter how much it was her, going alone was uncomfortable.
Noticing that she was still hesitating, Geril prostrated on the ground and pleaded desperately.
"Princess. If my words are lies, you may cut off the heads of me and my family. Even at this moment, the boss is risking his life to tie down the demons' feet! Please trust the words of this humble subject just once."
Saying that, he banged his forehead on the ground until it bled. Even when she told him to stop, he banged it harder instead.
"A-Alright. I got it, so please stop quickly!"
Eventually, only after she crossed the stream and stopped him herself did he smile brightly and stand up.
"Thank you. Princess. Then let's depart right away."
"N-Now right away?"
"Yes. It is fine. Since it's not far from here."
As he said that and took the lead, she, swept up in the atmosphere, had no choice but to follow.
Like that, Ilene looked at the campsite before leaving. Leaving alone arbitrarily like this weighed on her mind, but she wanted to show Carmil somehow with this opportunity.
That killing people on the battlefield isn't the only answer. So surely if she brings the bandits' surrender and captures the demons, he will recognize it too.
Believing that, she followed behind Geril.
Geril, who tailed the 4th Knight Order for half a day, was convinced.
That right now is the timing to take the Princess. Taking advantage of the gap when Carmil returned to the campsite and no one was there, he approached her.
But was it because he was hasty? He was missing something he could have known with just a little thought.
The fact that no knight order in the world would leave a Princess alone.
"..."
Carmil, who had been watching that situation the whole time, couldn't get a sense of whether to cry or laugh seeing Ilene following the bandit. It definitely went according to plan, but to think she would really follow.
"At this point, isn't the fault with the King, not the Princess?"
Anyway, since the enemy took the bait, it would be courtesy for this side to move too.
"Everyone. Pack your gear and move out."
"Yes. Captain. By the way, did you really use Princess Ilene as bait?"
"Yeah. Is there a problem?"
"Wow..."
Leaving behind the admiration-mixed astonishment of his subordinates, Carmil picked up the sword on which the blood had not yet dried.