Cold Fury
Before arriving in Hespania, Edgar and his companions stopped at one of the villas the Robeheim family often used during their travels to rest and shake off the fatigue of the road before setting out again. To any outsider, the escort surrounding the carriage carrying the Grand Duke’s sole daughter would have seemed far too sparse. This was because Ariel rarely brought guards whenever she left Hespania. When she was younger and traveled with Helene, she had kept an escort, but once her senses grew sharper and she began to mind the eyes around her, she stopped bringing soldiers altogether. Edgar had voiced his concerns about it once, but Ariel was unyielding on this particular matter, leaving him no choice. As a result, their party had lately consisted of just the three of them—Edgar, Ariel, and Shuri—plus perhaps the coachman.
Edgar had always disliked this arrangement, and today was no exception. He could hardly tear his gaze from the window, so great was his unease.
“One of these days you’ll get burned before you come to your senses.”
“Are you still going on about that? I told you, I don’t need guards.”
“Maybe you don’t, but my opinion—and your parents’—is different. You’re the Grand Duke’s only heir.”
“I’m stronger than a couple of half-baked guards anyway. And what do I need them for when you’re here?”
She wasn’t wrong. Edgar was far more useful than any mediocre escort, and Ariel’s own martial prowess far exceeded imagination. Yet guards existed to lay down their lives for hers should the worst occur. If an opponent appeared that even the two of them could not handle, their role was to buy time and ensure her survival at all costs. Of course, no amount of explanation would sway Ariel. If she had ever been willing to bend, they would never have reached this point.
“Please calm yourselves, both of you.”
“I’m not angry. I understand what Edgar is saying, but nothing has happened so far, so hearing the same thing over and over is…”
At the last part, Edgar nearly toppled backward. Had this reckless noblewoman already wiped the memory of that incident from her mind, dismissing it as something from years ago?
“Nothing happened? Have you already forgotten the time assassins stormed the castle?”
“Th-that was… but still.”
“I know you dislike crowds. Do you really think I’d keep bringing it up if I didn’t understand that?”
Edgar had no desire to keep mentioning something he knew would only annoy her. Yet someone had to say it, and he had simply taken on that burden. They could travel like this now, but once she formally became head of the house, she could not continue this way. It would be better to start assigning guards early and let her grow accustomed to it.
“Young master is right, my lady.”
“You too, Shuri?”
“It’s simply the truth. You will one day become the master of House Robeheim. It wouldn’t do to keep acting as though you’re still alone.”
When even Shuri joined in, Ariel let out a sound like a puppy suffering from a cold. She herself had never believed she could maintain this stubbornness forever. She knew that one day she would have to uphold the dignity befitting her position, and that the day would come when she and the house became one. She simply wished to continue living as she did until then. Why did everyone around her seem so desperate to take that away?
“Fine. I’ll think about the guards. Happy now?”
“If you just say you’ll think about it and then forget, you’ll be in trouble.”
“Am I a child!?”
To Edgar, she still carried traces of that childish side, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud. Doing so might well set the entire carriage ablaze. While the two of them wore wry smiles at the noblewoman’s empty promise, the carriage had already left the village and entered the road leading to Hespania.
This route was rarely used by most people. It connected almost directly from Belucci to Hespania, though it was narrower and considerably rougher than other paths, making it unsuitable for merchants or ordinary travelers. In short, it saved time but required enduring discomfort. Yet it possessed one overwhelming advantage that outweighed all drawbacks: because merchants seldom used it, the chance of encountering bandits was low.
“I never get used to this road, no matter how many times I take it.”
Even knowing its merits, the discomfort remained. Inside the jolting carriage, Ariel frowned deeply and gripped the pole beside her for support.
“It is rather rough. My head feels like it’s spinning.”
“We only need to endure this stretch. Please hold on, both of you.”
The path grew especially violent as they crossed a mountain section. The carriage rocked more violently than before.
“……”
“Feeling sick?”
“…No.”
When Ariel crossed her arms and closed her eyes tightly without another word, Edgar, convinced she was in considerable discomfort, spoke to her. She shook her head firmly, a faint crease forming between her brows—then suddenly thrust her head out the window.
At that moment—
Ting! Ting! Ting!
With the sound of something striking the metal wall, Edgar leapt out of the carriage in an instant.
“Don’t let them get away!”
“Kill the man!”
At the same time, black figures burst from both sides of the mountain path, leaping from the trees and charging straight toward the carriage.
Shhhk!
A throwing knife Edgar had learned from Creed flew and buried itself in one man’s throat. The second twisted his head just in time to avoid it, but lost his balance and crashed to the ground. It was a hidden technique he had learned in case of emergencies like this, though he had never expected to use it so soon. Calming his pounding heart, Edgar shouted to the coachman.
“Don’t panic—drive at full speed!”
“Y-yes! Understood!”
The coachman, though terrified, answered with forced bravado and kept a firm grip on the reins. Ariel emerged from the carriage right behind him, and arrows rained down from all directions once more.
Ting! Ting!
“What!?”
Yet the moment the arrows reached the carriage, they struck an invisible barrier and tumbled harmlessly to the ground. One of the black-clad assailants racing down the slope let out a cry of shock. He had assumed the earlier arrows had simply missed by chance, but it seemed the carriage was protected by a barrier or some special mechanism. If not…
Damn it.
It had to be that young lady in the center. She was clearly the most troublesome opponent. Still, their orders were clear: kill the two men, but keep the lady alive at all costs. If possible, they were to make it look as though they had tried to kill her but failed. That was their secondary objective. If their goal had simply been to slaughter everyone, they could have hired a mage and been done with it. The fact that they could not, because of this one troublesome condition, was their greatest regret.
Close combat it is, then.
Thanks to that barrier, any projectiles thrown from outside would be useless. Their only option was to stop the carriage—by destroying it or killing the horses—and kill the two men. Ideally, they would leave one horse alive so the lady could mount it and escape alone. That would best serve their purpose. He raised his hand, signaling the subordinates behind him, and charged toward the approaching carriage.
Clang!
Meanwhile, Edgar had already blocked a surprise attack from an enemy hiding behind a nearby tree. If things continued like this, he could dispatch them easily, but these people were no fools—they would have left rear guards. The biggest problem was that he could not gauge their numbers while they remained hidden in the undergrowth.
Thud!
He tripped one assailant and sent him tumbling beneath the moving carriage, then drove his sword into the next attacker. The blade sank deep into flesh with a sickening shlick. Edgar grimaced at the sensation, yanked the sword free, and flung the limp corpse aside.
Something feels off.
Ariel, watching from behind, had sensed the same wrongness and was frowning as she scanned their surroundings. All the attacks seemed directed solely at Edgar. It wasn’t just her imagination—none of the arrows or ambushes were aimed at her, even though she stood completely exposed. If their goal had truly been to kill her, there were far cleaner and simpler methods. Even a single magic scroll could have wiped out everyone inside the carriage with far greater efficiency. So why go to such lengths? It almost felt as though their objective lay elsewhere.
Come to think of it, I heard something earlier…
She hadn’t caught it clearly from inside the carriage, but she distinctly remembered hearing “Kill the man.” Could it be that…
“Edgar!”
Just as the thought formed, a figure burst from the dense foliage behind him. Ariel cried his name and thrust out her hand, unleashing magic straight at the attacker’s head.
Thud!
The spell struck without mercy. Brain matter splattered in every direction, and Edgar was drenched in the blood, but neither of them had time to care. That single attack had confirmed Ariel’s suspicion. For whatever reason, these people had come to assassinate her lover. This was no mere revenge plot against House Robeheim, nor the work of passing bandits. If that was the case, there was only one thing left to do.
“Guh! Y-you crazy bitch…!”
“Shut your mouth. Unless you want to die.”
Ariel had left one of the two assailants charging from either side to Edgar and taken the other for herself. The one now in her grasp was the leader of the group that had been waiting in the forest. An invisible force seized him by the nape and hurled him onto the carriage roof. He spat curses, but Ariel remained perfectly calm, her eyes cold as she grabbed him by the throat and spoke.
The carriage had already left the mountain path and emerged onto open plains.
“Who’s behind this?”
“I-I won’t… Aaaagh!”
When he showed no sign of answering, Ariel didn’t bother repeating the question. She channeled crimson energy into her hand and gouged out his eye. An unknown demonic power extended from her thumb like an awl, piercing straight through the eyeball and into the brain beyond. The man could no longer even scream properly, yet Ariel’s gaze remained utterly indifferent.
“I’ll ask again. Was your goal to kill my lover?”
“Hngh… I-I don’t… know…”
“You’re already losing consciousness when there are still so many places left to break?”
Ariel brought her hand to his sealed fingers and once again imbued it with crimson energy. The man, now missing one eye, guessed what would come next and shook his head frantically, unable to even scream. Ariel merely offered a faint, cold smile before mercilessly severing his wrist.
“Ghh…!”
“I wanted to pull out your fingernails one by one for daring to speak of killing him, but we’re short on time. I suppose the rest can wait until we reach Hespania.”
Realizing the meaning behind her words, the man refused to imagine the agony that awaited and promptly lost consciousness. Ariel looked down at him coldly, then called for Shuri inside the carriage to prepare something to bind him. She wiped the cold smile from her face. She could never show him that expression. With a bright, innocent smile that no one would associate with the woman whose life had just been threatened, she walked toward Edgar, who sat exhausted. Blood stained her hands, but she paid it no mind.
“Are you all right, Edgar?”
“Y-yeah… I’m fine. What about you?”
“I’m fine. You protected me with your life.”
Ariel quietly embraced him. The warmth she had feared would vanish was still there, and her heart eased, if only a little. Yet her eyes still burned with quiet, smoldering fury.
Kill him?
If they hadn’t said those words, she might have at least granted them a clean death. The moment she caught the one pulling the strings, she would make them beg for death instead. Even if she pulled out their nails, gouged out their eyes, and castrated them to feed to dogs, this rage would not easily fade. The sin of trying to harm someone precious to her would be repaid upon those they held dear. She would slaughter them all before his eyes, make him lick their blood and chew their flesh, and only then grant them a final mercy. Kindness twice over, vengeance a hundredfold. Recalling the ironclad principle of House Robeheim that her father had taught her in childhood, Ariel forced herself to suppress the fury that had nowhere to go—for now.