Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: No Need for Such Consideration
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"Brayden's coming?! Why didn't you tell me earlier! I haven't even done my makeup!"
Caught off guard by the sudden chance to meet Brayden, Ravi's heart swelled with excitement.
She shot her father, Duke Liebv, a mild glare for not giving her a heads-up, then immediately summoned a few maids from the castle to help her get ready.
In the meantime, Brayden, along with Robert—the vice-captain of the Sword of the Goddess Third Unit assigned as his escort—and squad member Celine, arrived at the Carrot Duchy's castle. They bowed their heads to Duke Liebv in greeting.
"Holy Warrior Brayden, at your service, Your Highness Liebv."
"Sword of the Goddess Third Unit Vice-Captain Robert, at your service, Your Highness Liebv."
"Sword of the Goddess Third Unit Member Celine, at your service, Your Highness Liebv."
"You've all made it safely. It's embarrassing—our humble castle hardly befits guests of your stature."
Brayden shook his head at the duke's words.
"Not at all, Your Highness. Unlike the imperial palace, this place feels alive with history. It's refreshing. Oh, by the way, is Ravi here? It's been months since I last saw her face. I'd love to catch up."
"Hahaha, my daughter's off doing her makeup right now—she chewed me out earlier for not warning her about the Holy Warrior's visit."
"Ravi, honestly..."
Celine couldn't help but smirk, wondering if he truly didn't get a woman's feelings.
"It might take her a bit, so let's not stand on ceremony. Head to the drawing room. I'd like to hear the purpose of your visit."
"Yes, thank you, Your Highness."
The conversation began on a warm, friendly note.
But by the time Ravi finished her makeup and headed to the drawing room, a roar erupted from inside—Duke Liebv's voice booming.
"Isn't it all the same in the end?! Changing the wrapping doesn't make the rotten contents disappear!"
"Your Highness, I understand your anger a hundredfold, but please stay calm and hear me out. Isn't the role of a ruler to protect the nation and its people?"
"You had no reason to say such things in the first place! You're the Goddess's Holy Warrior, not some imperial lapdog—why act like this?!"
"That's exactly why I'm here first to warn you ahead of time! Imperial envoys will surely arrive soon, and whoever they send will be far more aggressive than me! If you clash with the empire then, it'll be a real disaster. I'm trying to prevent that, Your Highness!"
"Are you planning to repeat what happened in Libertà here?!"
"Dad? Why's it so noisy in here? What's going on?"
Ravi pushed open the drawing room door and stepped inside.
All eyes turned to her, freshly made up and looking lovely. She flashed a bright smile at Brayden and waved.
"Brayden~♡ Long time no see! Oh, Celine's here too?! So great to see you!"
"Hey, Ravi. Yeah, it's been a while. You doing okay?"
"Ravi! Months since last time! You look even prettier now?"
Celine jumped up, grabbing Ravi's hand in delight, prompting Vice-Captain Robert to clear his throat.
"Ahem, Celine. We're here on official business—calling a foreign princess so casually?"
"S-sorry!"
"No, it's fine—we're friends! Anyway, Brayden, Celine, what's the deal with coming here? I heard raised voices echoing down the hall on my way. Something about Libertà—what's that about?"
"Ah, that..."
"Speaking of which, I've been dying to know! There were these ridiculous rumors going around the kingdom about you and the Sword of the Goddess massacring people in Libertà. No way, right? Who'd spread such malicious lies...?"
Brayden and Celine both dropped their gazes at Ravi's words.
Vice-Captain Robert answered for them.
"It's true, Princess."
Several weeks earlier, in the kingdom's southernmost lawless city of Libertà.
Upon arrival, Brayden immediately set out to secure the missing Lenis.
"Lenis matches the sketch exactly! If you spot her, secure her safely and bring her here! And we must track down whoever kidnapped her!"
Libertà's outlaws, naturally, pushed back with curses.
"First some noble bitch shows up, now what are you clowns?!"
"Fewer numbers than last time! Here for a picnic? Quit wasting time and get lost! Unless you wanna end up as roadside corpses like that bitch's troops!"
Brayden flipped them the bird amid their insults, scanning for Lenis or anyone strong enough to have kidnapped her. Nothing stood out.
"Where's Lenis?! Hand her over willingly, and we'll leave. Make excuses, and I'll force my way in to find her myself!"
At that moment, out of sight from Brayden and the Sword of the Goddess members, Vector Baron nodded toward someone in the Libertà crowd.
Spotting the signal, an Ebony Shadow Mercenary blended in and mocked Brayden.
"Hah, she your girlfriend or something? Got proof she's even here? And where were you when your girl got snatched? Coming late to play catch-up changes nothing, huh?"
"That bitch was the one who marched in here with troops and declared war first!"
"Yeah, self-defense!"
Another mercenary, receiving the cue, chimed in from the crowd.
"Why not pray to the Goddess and ask where your girl is? Oh wait—shouldn't you beg for some holy light first?"
"Puhahaha!"
"Yeah, second-rate Holy Warrior!"
The Ebony Shadow Mercenaries' taunts had Libertà's outlaws jeering and laughing at Brayden.
Rotten eggs and tomatoes splattered at Brayden and the Sword of the Goddess members' feet. Brayden trembled with rage.
"Nothing to tell you scum! Force our way in? Think we'll let that slide? Come at our hideouts, and bring the resolve, you punk!"
"No wonder the Goddess dumped you too! Puhahaha!"
The Sword of the Goddess members gripped their swords tightly at the insults but held back from acting first.
No solid proof Lenis was here, just as the outlaws said.
"Holy Warrior, what now? Their mockery's getting worse..."
"No evidence or justification to push in..."
As all eyes turned to him...
Vector Baron spoke quietly beside Brayden.
"The resistance is fiercer than expected. No proof Lady Lenis of the Valentin family is held here, as they say. Regrettably, best to turn back now, Holy Warrior."
Brayden froze for a moment.
"...Just head back like this?"
"My oversight—not preparing evidence to press them. Apologies, Holy Warrior. Let's withdraw for today. Next time, with solid proof—"
"Next time?"
Steam seemed to rise from Brayden's head.
Already humiliated at the global summit where his holy sword failed to shine—a once-in-a-lifetime disgrace.
Then the Fresia Mountains expedition yielded nothing but an empty golem cave, earning him fool labels behind his back. Now, failing to rescue Lenis in a foreign city and botching the kingdom's Libertà cleanup request too?
Three strikes? No way...! I won't let it happen! I'm the one who rose to Holy Warrior on everyone's expectations! Superior in swordsmanship, scholarship—no one better! Fresh from the academy, failing at everything makes me a frog in a well! Me? The leader who should guide others publicly, failing at things not my fault and getting called an idiot? And now just leave empty-handed again?
Vector Baron's words drove the nail home.
"Ignore the Libertà rabble. Sure, talk behind backs, but that's not what matters."
"More backtalk, and that's not what matters? No—that's the most important thing."
"Holy Warrior?"
"Enduring whispers, waiting for 'next time'... I'm sick of it!"
Brayden drew his sword and slashed fiercely at the ground.
The blade energy shot out, vertically bisecting the lead mocker. He collapsed, blood spilling, frozen in his mocking grin.
"Huuuuh?!"
"That crazy bastard...!"
"Holy Warrior?!"
"Brayden?!"
Ignoring the outlaws' shocked curses and the Sword of the Goddess members' and Celine's gasps, Brayden coldly swung at the air again.
Each swing unleashed crescent blade energies, indiscriminately carving through Libertà's outlaws.
Vector Baron shouted in alarm.
"Holy Warrior, no turning back now! No proof they really have Lady Valentin..."
"Don't need that anymore! We're here on the kingdom's request to cleanse this place anyway! If they won't say where Lenis is hidden, I'll tear the city apart and find her!"
Brayden bellowed, venting his pent-up fury.
"I am the Holy Warrior chosen by the Goddess! Not someone for you crime-ridden scum crawling here to mock and belittle!"
He raised his holy sword high.
"Sword of the Goddess, hear me! We subjugate Libertà by force now! Leave no resisters alive—kill them all! Search every building thoroughly for Lenis and secure the kidnappers!"
The Ebony Shadow Mercenaries had slipped away into the crowd the instant Brayden first swung, but the fired-up Brayden didn't notice.
Vector Baron spoke with subtle satisfaction.
"A tough call, Holy Warrior. A true leader must make ruthless decisions sometimes. I respect such resolve. Since you've decided, as a kingdom subject, I'll lend all aid to the subjugation."
Brayden charged ahead eagerly. Celine and the Sword of the Goddess followed with doubtful expressions.
Bringing up the rear on horseback, Vector Baron smirked and muttered to himself.
"'Leave none alive'—bold words, music to my ears. This Holy Warrior moves so easily with a little nudge. Just like Bastol said. Heh heh heh..."
Ravi hadn't heard every detail of what exactly went down in Libertà, but upon learning Brayden had destroyed the city, her eyes went wide. She alternated stares between him and Celine.
"Brayden, did you really massacre and burn Libertà? Why resort to such extreme measures...?"
"...No other choice."
"......"
Celine averted her eyes at Ravi's question.
Seeing Ravi's stunned face, Brayden hurriedly changed the subject.
"Ravi, forget the past. Let's focus on the important future. Better for you and Carrot Duchy."
"Important matter?"
"Yeah. I'm here to propose a path forward for Carrot Duchy."
"What does that mean? Dad, what were you talking about?"
Duke Liebv replied with a grim face.
"After the Vector Barony incident, the Andras Empire deemed it some evil sorcery sustaining a false form. With the recent kidnapping of a kingdom noblewoman in Libertà, finding dark magic's influence midway through the kingdom made them see it as a ticking bomb."
He glossed over the Vector Barony fight for his daughter's sake, with third parties present.
"But that's got nothing to do with us, right?"
This time, Brayden answered.
"No. The empire plans to eliminate the unstable Pratea Kingdom while they can. They're stationing troops and mages near the Vector Barony under investigation pretext. The kingdom resists fiercely. Empire wants that bomb gone by any means—war's inevitable. When it comes, they'll demand Carrot Duchy's cooperation. Cooperation in name only—forcing our hand."
"......!"
"Carrot Duchy bridges the Fresia Mountains to Libertà, kingdom's southern tip. In war, empire won't leave that bridge intact. Forced unfair terms then? Too late. Better formally join the empire now, gain protection, prepare to open the way—"
"Gain protection?"
Ravi's tone sharpened, unlike before.
"Brayden, what're you saying? Protection from the empire? Abandon Carrot Duchy name, hand our nation over completely?"
"Not that extreme. But empire sees us as a vassal from the start. Better give what we must, take what we can—"
"This is the Bunny Tribe's land. Small duchy or not, we have a king and people. You're saying hand our country to the empire? Because war sparks will fly here?"
"Ravi, I get your feelings, but think realistically. Carrot Duchy is weak. Defy empire, worse comes. Bunny Tribe numbers aren't huge—can't go all-out war. To shield citizens from war's flames, fall back under imperial protection."
"Realistically? What does that even mean?"
"Worried about fallout? I can petition empire separately for Bunny Tribe resettlement on imperial lands, station Sword of the Goddess here for constant watch..."
Ravi's furious shout cut Brayden off.
"Because we're weak minorities, you'll protect us? We're too feeble to defend our land, find homes alone, fight—always leaning on others' charity?! We don't need that pity disguised as care! Bunny Tribe has pride. We can do what others can!"
Ravi's fists shook. Brayden, Celine, and Robert, utterly unprepared for her reaction, stared in flustered silence.
"Pitying inferior races who can't do anything without handouts—I'm sick of that discriminatory 'care'! No policies needed—we can handle ourselves! Brayden, is that how you've seen us Bunny Tribe? As inferiors you must lead?"
Tears welled in Ravi's eyes.
"So that's why you were nice to me at the academy? Thinking we'd grovel in thanks?! Brayden, I misjudged you all this time! You're the worst!"
Accustomed to Alvis treating her as a true equal, Ravi felt intense anger toward Brayden for the first time in her life.