Chapter 146
Chapter 146
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Deep Night (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Phew… Finally finished writing it all.”
He wrote a long piece praising how much tastier the walnut pie was and headed to the command tent.
‘No way she’d get sulky over something like this….’
He stepped inside the command center.
There, he encountered the elders and knights searching for a safe route.
Leaders from various nations gathered around a massive round table.
They were so absorbed in studying the map that they hadn’t even noticed his arrival.
Especially Tina and Lea.
As expected of a tactical genius with terrain, Tina gazed down at the map with sharp eyes.
Her focused expression, hand propped under her chin, looked entirely different from when she was drunk.
Like the leader of a nation, perhaps.
“I’ve heard werewolves appear frequently along this path.”
Werewolves.
Powerful monsters said to rival top elite knights on an individual basis.
“We even heard their howls from Brother’s procession that went ahead.”
Werewolves were creatures that inherently avoided contact with humans.
For them to howl nearby was not a good sign.
“That’s why taking the grassland path Brother used is too dangerous.”
Lea, who had been listening, nodded calmly in agreement.
As the overall person in charge of this expedition, she rested one hand on the round table and replied with a serious gaze.
“I agree. Even if it’s a bit inconvenient, sticking to the forest path like now is safer.”
However, not everyone agreed with the two women.
Especially Hummels, the black elder who supported the crown prince.
“Werewolves? Why would intelligent creatures like them attack humans without reason?”
He was a famous alchemist skilled in black magic, who had amassed wealth selling artifacts to nobles.
For a man like that, rough mountain travel was…
Even in the finest carriage, it wasn’t something one got used to easily.
“And against this many elite knights, no less?”
The old man spoke with dignified authority, hands clasped behind his back.
“There are people here over seventy years old. Forcing them through forest paths is unreasonable.”
Vakal’s knights nodded quietly in agreement.
They remembered the elders groaning every time the carriages jolted.
“Besides, there’s no guarantee monsters won’t appear on mountain paths either.”
Hummels pointed to the problematic grassland route with his finger.
The only flat plain between the mountains—perfect for carriages.
“Just because we heard their howls doesn’t mean we should abandon a path that shaves off two days.”
The elders quietly agreed with Hummels.
They too wanted to leave this place quickly and rest comfortably.
Moreover, they had to prepare for a large council immediately upon return.
For elders, rest wasn’t mere laziness.
“This is tricky… opinions aren’t narrowing down.”
The command meeting grew restless.
They split into grassland faction and forest faction, debating heatedly.
“…”
But amid it all, he remained quietly silent.
Because…
‘I know about a werewolf incident that happened on that grassland in my previous life.’
Its target wasn’t a diplomatic delegation like now.
The elders had died at the hot springs before that anyway.
What it attacked was a large merchant caravan migrating from Vakal to Leon.
Of course, the caravan had several outstanding mercenaries.
From former Swordmasters to mages from the Magic Tower.
‘Even retired, they were elite forces.’
Yet even those experts fell helplessly to its assault.
Thinking of that bizarre event made him reluctant to take the grassland path too.
“Why avoid the grassland when there’s no truly safe forest path anyway?”
Hummels skillfully persuaded the elders.
As expected of someone who rose through connections and politics.
But inwardly, he opposed the old man’s view.
‘There is one. A rare pass that avoids monster attacks.’
He quietly approached Lea alone.
Then, he sent a secret transmission to her, who could sense Grand Aura.
「Your Highness, there’s one path we can take to prepare for werewolves.」
The frowning princess looked up.
Their eyes met, and she relaxed her furrowed brows.
「Where?」
Perhaps because it was a conversation only they could have.
Lea switched to a friendly tone with him.
「Some caravans favor the chestnut tree path to avoid monster attacks.」
Lea nodded quietly at the mention of chestnut trees.
「Tell me more.」
「The squirrels living in chestnut trees have keen senses and evacuate first when monsters approach.」
He replied while cautiously watching the meeting room.
「Caravans could predict attacks by observing them.」
In fact, after caravans started using that path, attacks nearly vanished.
「Plus, that path has few ferocious beasts—just full of squirrels, I hear.」
「Good. Where is it? It’s not on the map.」
He hadn’t been there himself either.
But having grown up in forests and back alleys as an orphan, he knew how to find it.
He tucked away the walnut pie praise he’d written for Lea.
Then, grinning, he made a request to the princess.
「By any chance, is there any walnut pie left…?」
「――――――」
After the meeting.
Damian led all the elders outside at Lea’s command.
“What could she want us out for?”
“Who knows. Her Highness said she had something to show us….”
The elders gathered in the courtyard, murmuring among themselves.
And there…
“What’s that smell?”
“It’s nutty, like walnuts.”
Black-robed elder Hummels clicked his tongue in complaint.
He seemed dissatisfied that the meeting hadn’t gone his way.
“Everyone’s here.”
Lea, who had come out first and waited, turned her head.
Standing with hands behind her back, she addressed them.
“One of my subordinates familiar with the area suggested a new path.”
The imperial princess hid his name for him, as he disliked attention.
Thanks to that, he could watch her from afar, arms crossed alone.
“It’s called the chestnut tree path. Quiet road, no ferocious beasts, they say.”
The Empire’s First Imperial Princess slowly stepped back.
Then, Damian’s figure, hidden behind her, came into everyone’s view.
“What are you baking now?”
Hummels asked sharply.
Damian, baking walnut pie over the campfire, replied.
“I’ll lure the squirrels in the chestnut forest with the walnut scent.”
The elders looked baffled upon hearing that.
“What? Lure something with just a smell…?”
The emperor’s retainer snorted.
Lea, overhearing, replied coolly on his behalf with a ruler’s icy gaze.
“Save the mockery for after it fails, Elder Hummels.”
The old man swallowed hard under the 24-year-old woman’s cold stare.
Her intimidating presence at such a young age was overwhelming.
“Fine, let’s see it.”
Smoke from the walnut pie wafted lazily into the air.
The leaders of both nations watched that meager smoke endlessly.
“…”
Ten minutes passed.
Not a squirrel in sight—no sounds from nearby at all.
Only the crackling of the campfire echoed.
“Damn it, how long do we watch this farce…?”
Hummels clicked his tongue at the princess staring fixedly at the trivial pie.
The other elders shared his concern.
“It’s taking a while…”
They thought they’d have reached the grassland by now if they’d set off.
As even the other elders grew troubled, Vakal’s knights wore cold expressions.
“If this ridiculous trick reveals a hidden path, I’ll walk the whole way ahead.”
Emboldened, Hummels declared loudly.
“Well, it’s only been ten minutes.”
But Princess Tina was different.
Arms crossed alone, she gazed seriously at the smoke rising from the walnut pie.
“It takes time for the scent to spread deep into the forest, right, Bale?”
The northern princess smiled maturely at him.
Pierced by her gaze, he pretended ignorance.
“I hope so.”
‘Why ask me?’
Come to think of it, Tina had glimpsed him exchanging transmissions with Lea each time.
Had she eavesdropped on their transmission?
He shook off thoughts of her.
And now, with the smoke sufficiently spread into the forest.
He sent another transmission to Lea.
「Now.」
「Got it.」
Lea received his signal.
She extended her palm toward where the smoke rose.
―――.
Powerful mana gathered in the princess’s hand.
Soon…
――――――!!
The surrounding air condensed into a small vortex above her palm.
‘Impressively powerful yet precise.’
It had been ages since he’d seen such refined wind magic.
If daughter Lea was this strong, how powerful was Rozanna…?
As he pondered.
The vortex above her palm floated into the air.
The moment it did.
“…!”
The condensed air burst outward forcefully.
The walnut scent circling nearby stretched far away.
“Remarkable…”
Vakal’s elders clamped their lips at Lea’s magic, which they’d never seen before.
The diplomatic camp fell deathly silent for a moment.
―――.
The silence broke from the bushes.
A faint rustling came from there.
“Shh.”
As Lea pressed a finger to her lips with a serious gaze, everyone held their breath and watched the bushes.
Then.
“―――?”
A small creature emerged from under the bushes.
A fluffy ball of fur the color of chestnut trees.
“A, a squirrel…!”
The walnut scent, spread widely by Lea’s magic.
The one that raced over in one bound tilted its head.
“See? It actually appeared. What now, Elder Hummels?”
The other elders chuckled at him.
The old man retorted irritably.
“So what? It’s just one.”
He shook his head with a dismissive expression.
“Surely you’re not telling us to follow just that one?”
The other elders agreed.
“True enough.”
“No proof it came from the chestnut forest either.”
As everyone murmured skeptically.
Lea alone kept a calm expression.
“…”
She was clearly on the verge of humiliation.
Yet she didn’t resent him for suggesting the plan.
Instead…
「I trust you, Bale.」
She sent him reassuring words via transmission and smiled faintly.
That moment.
――――――.
Rustling erupted simultaneously from mountainsides everywhere.
So many that it felt like a strong wind blowing through.
“Wh-what’s that sound…?”
Vakal’s elders looked panicked.
Their guard knights gripped sword hilts, moving to protect them.
As if a werewolf had truly appeared.
But their actions soon turned to shame.
What faced the elders weren’t monsters or bandits.
“…!!”
Small furballs swarmed from all directions.
They blinked tiny bean-like eyes and approached the walnut pie.
Now the squirrels surrounded the humans.
Even the first arriver regained its spirited air.
“Unbelievable…”
“How far did that wind magic reach…!”
At the spectacular sight, all elders except Hummels couldn’t help but snort.
“The squirrels are all coming from the west!”
He confirmed their direction from the bushes and reported politely to the knights like a lowly guide.
“This should be confirmation enough.”
Lea picked up the golden-brown pie from the campfire.
She tossed it casually to them.
――――――.
The squirrels clustered, stuffing the pie into their mouths.
Fully loaded, they scurried back en masse.
“Everyone, prepare to move.”
The princess swept her radiant golden hair to the side.
She gazed coldly at the opposing elders.
“We’ve found the forest entrance.”
The elders bowed slowly in response.
Then, they ordered their knights to ready for departure.
“Oh, and…”
Lea fixed a chilling stare on one elder in particular.
Pierced by it, Hummels flinched alone.
“Who was it that said they’d walk all day if we found the entrance?”
The old man furrowed his brow.
He chewed his lip in frustration.
“I’ll let it slide this once. But don’t defy my orders again.”
Lea seized the chance he gave to discipline the elders.
“It’s all for your benefit.”
The princess mounted her white horse again.
In a voice befitting the Conqueror King’s successor, she commanded.
“Let’s go. Into the forest.”
Lea led the vanguard bravely at the front.
Her figure resembled the lead female lion guiding the pride.
He watched her fondly, leaning against a tree.
Then, their eyes met as she rode ahead.
“Bale, come to my side.”
The princess commanded him with an empress-like sensual gaze.
He mounted his horse and rode alongside in response.
“Coming up with schemes suits cunning ones like you more than me.”
“Only a brave sovereign like Your Highness can execute them.”
Tina, mounted behind, silently watched him and Lea.
Realizing the conversation’s meaning, she lifted the corner of her mouth slyly.
“…”
After arriving at the chestnut forest.
They began camping in the serene woods.
Tents pitched in a row.
Exhausted elders entered theirs, while knights lit fires around.
He’d expected night watch duty.
But fortunately, Damian sneaked him out, letting him rest in his tent first.
‘But my tent is isolated…?’
Whether out of consideration, it was notably distant from the others.
No one would notice whatever he did inside.
“In that case…”
He grinned.
And…
He flung himself boldly onto the spacious cot.
“Haa…”
Stretching both arms, he released the fatigue from riding.
‘Tired.’
He’d planned to sleep ten hours mandatory after regression.
Yet as a bodyguard knight, he felt busier.
“…”
Fatigue hit as soon as he closed his eyes.
He stretched his legs out to sleep.
But that moment.
“Stretching like that makes you look just like a fox.”
He snapped his head up at the voice from the window side.
“Y-Your Highness…?”
“Keep your voice down. I snuck out.”
She leaned her chin on her hand at the tent window.
Her fully let-down hair somehow looked pure.
“What brings you here? The tents are far apart…”
Lea hopped lightly over the window in reply.
“You barely ate any meat today. Gave it all to the princess and me.”
In the princess’s hands were jerky and standard-issue wine.
The jerky was half-grilled, grease glistening.
The wine was army-grade—harsh, but famed for deep sleep.
“So I brought some to tide you over.”
Lea sat beside him on the bed with a sensual gaze.
The bed frame shook roughly as she joined.
“And to say thanks for today.”