Chapter 34
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 34: Entangled Stories
When the dust spread on Saloon Central Plains began to settle slowly, the sound of the battlefield was no longer screams of metal and blood.
Receding retreat shouts of Northern Anomalous Tribes, and friendly cheers bursting out following them.
The Anomalous Tribe's formation had collapsed completely, and Anomalous Tribes who couldn't escape the battlefield were just dying screaming under the slashes of Northern troops whose morale filled up to the sky.
Scattered without maintaining battle lines, shadows retreating carrying the wounded were getting farther away to the end of the Central Plains.
In the place where the giant lancer swept past, only crushed shields, torn flags, and deeply hollowed ground remained.
"We won!"
"The bastards are retreating!"
Soldiers hugged each other and laughed everywhere.
Joy spreading over faces stained with blood was pure like children, and some raised shields to the sky shouting as if howling.
Relief that those who charged prepared for death returned alive covered the battlefield.
"Haa... Haa...."
In the middle of it, Iden was catching his breath slowly.
Mana bloomed in his hand fades away instantly.
Afterglow left by the ancient lancer dissipating scatters in the empty air, and Del Finiore's High-Rank Summoning Circle disappeared with a blue flash.
Simultaneously, general summoned beasts filling the Central Plains also scatter into light particles one by one and disappear.
Mana circuits were heated up hot as if burning.
Mana pulled up deep from the dantian was exhausted quickly, and the heart beat roughly.
"...Haa."
Knees shook for a moment.
But he endured.
Until the afterglow of summoned beasts completely disappears, until checking if the battlefield stabilized until the end.
It was then.
Hoofbeat sound approached slowly.
Galliard sitting on a white warhorse stopped covered in dust and blood.
Sweat flowing between short cut white hair shone.
His eyes were clear even with the excitement of the battlefield not gone, and were heading exactly towards Iden.
"Iden, are you okay?"
Iden raised his head with difficulty.
"Yes, just head is dizzy for a moment due to high mana exhaustion."
Galliard got off the horse lightly and walked in front of him.
If not for the appearance tangled with dust and blood, it was a calm and stable walk hard to believe he was a Berserker slaughtering Anomalous Tribes wielding a huge halberd on the battlefield until just now.
"Still, thanks to the Summoning Arts you unfolded, the left wing didn't collapse. It was your summoned beasts that received the Anomalous Tribe's charge from the front and dispersed that shock."
His gaze brushed the deeply hollowed ground in the Central Plains.
Trajectory passed by the giant lancer.
Horse hooves reaching 3 times that of a normal horse, crack in the earth as if an earthquake occurred.
"And that."
Galliard laughed low.
"That High-Rank Summoning was... truly spectacular. Since it split the bastards' breakthrough line at once. And it's the first time in my life seeing such a gigantic lancer. It was at a wondrous level."
Iden bowed his head shortly catching his breath.
"Without Young Lord's charge, complete collapse would have been difficult."
Galliard smirked and shook his head.
"Enough with modesty. Battlefield speaks with numbers and results. Since if we compete at least in the number of Anomalous Tribes killed, you would win."
He approached one step and patted Iden's shoulder strongly.
At the heavy impact transmitted through iron gauntlet, Iden's body sways momentarily.
"Thanks to you, friendly sacrifice was minimized. Casualties are less than half of expectation. That merit is clearly yours largely. Honestly, it was beyond imagination."
For a moment, Galliard looked straight into Iden's eyes.
Iden swallowed breath feeling his heart still beating roughly.
Body was heavy with fatigue, but somewhere in the chest was heavily hot.
In the middle of the battlefield, he clearly showed the meaning of the name Summonfield and was acknowledged.
Soldiers also contained respect and reverence in their pupils.
First expedition to large-scale battle.
He, who reaped quite excellent harvest, bowed his head.
"It is undeserved praise."
"Haha. I want to hear more about your Summoning Arts but, will you drink with me when we return?"
"It is an honor."
"Okay, then see you later."
Galliard mounted the horse again roaming the battlefield checking the situation.
Iden looked at him.
Overwhelming warrior inheriting his father's blood intact, appearance befitting the ruler of the battlefield, and the Berserker slaughtering Anomalous Tribes wielding a halberd was clearly not a figure to extinguish vainly on the battlefield.
Of course, since large-scale battle was the first time, current judgment might be groundless rumor, but at least in the current battle, he was overwhelming enough to bring out jokes that he would have won even if fighting alone adding a little exaggeration.
Especially Northern Anomalous Tribes are a kind without special tactics or strategies.
Since pushing with quantity offensive is everything, they were guys specialized for Galliard.
In the original work, it was said death due to opposing forces' 'scheme', and at least in this battle, he didn't look like a person who would die swept up in a scheme using foreign tribes.
Then possibility is high that it's the deed of someone with him in the all-out war with Alliance Tribes.
Of course, cannot conclude yet.
Just glimpsed possibility due to current battle.
Iden, mounting the horse like that, hurried return to Capital Castle Helon with Erwin.
**
Every time Emiline recalled that evening, she felt like covering herself with a blanket.
Even while walking the mansion corridor, she would stop suddenly and wrap her head with both hands.
"Haa... why did I say such words..."
Gifting the painting drawn dozens of times was good up to there.
That moment explosion arose in the banquet hall, appearance of Iden embracing her, his arms enduring firmly even in dust and red flash, cloak hem wrapping her back, and surprisingly calm pupils.
He admired seeing the painting.
Fortunately, he admired sincerely whether he liked it.
Problem was the heart floated up at that one word.
So.
She poured out words casually that make her face flush even thinking now.
There was no reckless remark like that, and eventually she escaped the mansion as if running away.
Showed too shameful appearance as a maiden who should be modest.
Not an exaggeration to say she smeared mud on the family name.
"Idiot...! Fool...!"
Emiline eventually smacked her forehead strongly with both hands, thwack.
"Pr, Princess Your Highness?!"
Maid following half a step behind was frightened, but it was already late.
Smacked Emiline's forehead swells red.
"Ugh... it's fine."
It hurts.
But since her appearance showing disgrace that day hurt more, calming the maid who didn't know what to do, Emiline decided to postpone self-reproach for a while, and headed to the garden annex.
Under the garden tree there, Vivienne was sitting at the tea table.
Appearance wearing a neat dress with red hair tied long in twin tails.
Blue pupils shone clearly receiving sunlight.
"Princess Your Highness."
Vivienne rose from the seat and expressed courtesy.
"You came?"
Emiline rubbed her still throbbing forehead once and sat down, and Vivienne also sat down.
The one who continued speaking was Vivienne.
"I heard you almost suffered a big accident at the banquet hall. I couldn't attend because there was an important alchemy report... are you okay?"
It was sincere worry.
Emiline recalled the scene of that time momentarily and her face flushed again.
"It's fine. Fortunately there was no big injury."
"That's a relief, really. I heard it was a quite big explosion."
As she said, the scale of explosion was big.
Since the entire library became a wasteland, it cannot be said small, but at that moment, inside one man's arms was too cozy and reliable that honestly the size of the scale didn't feel real.
Broken debris, cracks everywhere, scattered bookshelves, lost one side wall.
Just roughly gauged with visible things.
Emiline spoke recalling that man's appearance.
"...Baronet Iden Summonfield saved me."
Moment the name comes out, Emiline's voice lowered a little.
And became subtly soft, and now conditioned reflexively, flush bloomed on cheeks.
Vivienne blinked eyes stopping lifting the teacup.
"Iden... nim?"
That name was heard again.
Summoner of the Dark Night.
Hamelon's Victory Contributor.
Grand Duke's Man.
And now Princess's Savior.
"He... saved Princess Your Highness."
"Yeah."
Emiline fiddled with the teacup edge with fingertips for no reason.
"Really... amazing. Embracing me just before explosion, he unfolded defensive summoning circle simultaneously. If not for him, it might have been really dangerous."
Emiline talking as if shy, as if proud recalling that day.
Vivienne looked at that appearance quietly.
It was a truly strange thing.
Iden Summonfield.
Feeling like that name heard every other day keeps touching somewhere in the head.
Not particularly unpleasant feeling, but feeling like seized by itchiness unable to scratch out.
Feeling like vague familiarity is approaching slowly too.
Couldn't pinpoint exactly what that feeling wants to say, but one thing was clear.
That achievements he accomplished are really great.
Vivienne thought so putting down the teacup quietly.
Vivienne returned to the research institute finishing tea time.
Inside the research institute was quiet.
Sunlight took on the North's unique cold color and stretched long passing through the window, sprinkling subtle light over the experiment table where glass tubes, beakers, and distillation devices were lined up.
Unique smell mixed with herbs and metallic reagents hovered in the air, and today's key ingredients were organized orderly on the central transmutation table.
Vivienne was standing wearing a brown apron neatly with white shirt sleeves rolled up.
Red hair was braided long in twin tails, and organized firmly tying the ends once more not to hinder experiment.
Every time she moved, red hair shook, and blue pupils were focusing clearly towards the record sheet.
Today's experiment preparation was alchemy application experiment directly connected to military supplies, which would be reported directly to the Northern Grand Duke upon success.
Vivienne dropped reagents carefully recording reaction values of refined mana crystals.
Reaction formula was close to perfection, and calculation also had no error.
But the pen tip stopped on the paper.
Ink spread as if smudging one point leaving a small stain.
"...Hmm."
Short breath flowed out without awareness.
Why.
Why does it bother me this much.
Vivienne put down the pen slowly.
Actually, there was no need to hold this doubt.
It was safe to see there is no possibility he is Edom Rivan, and the head was already concluding so.
Name, status, atmosphere are different, and even though eyes met with her, he showed no sign.
Nevertheless, his name heard all the time scratched nerves like footsteps approaching quietly from somewhere.
Especially to an alchemist who lived solving such unknown itchiness and thirst, it was inevitable to be frustrated as if throat is clogged tight.
Moreover, at the point ahead of an important experiment, such itch-like doubt and curiosity were more annoying.
Better to organize unnecessary thoughts.
Then there was only the method to check.
But method didn't come to mind.
Asking directly without any certainty is close to excessive rudeness.
'Are you perhaps Edom Rivan?'
How to bring up such words as if interrogating.
Then doing background check?
That is needless to say a big rudeness.
Vivienne closed eyes slowly.
Head knows clearly.
Vague familiarity.
That unidentifiable sensation was the problem.
Like afterglow of memory, or feeling like definitely brushed by somewhere though unexplainable.
Vivienne shook her head.
"...Strange indeed."
Eventually only one option remained.
Watching him as if observing experiment reaction, analyzing result, checking if there are traces of Edom Rivan.
But that wasn't appealing either.
"Phew...."
Eventually a sigh spread quietly in the research room.
Suitable research method to derive result doesn't come to mind.
It was then.
Knock, knock.
Sound knocking on the door rang.
Vivienne raised her head erasing thoughts.
"Come in."
Door opened, and an attendant brought in one man.
Man crossing the threshold was wearing a neat black coat.
Decorations were minimized, but luxury revealed in fabric and tailoring couldn't be hidden.
Shoulders were straight, and reddish hair was combed back revealing forehead clearly.
Antique atmosphere.
However, what lay beneath it was deep cool energy.
He offered a greeting with a smile.
"Long time no see. Lady Vivienne."
It was a soft voice with somewhat calculating resonance.
Vivienne spoke with a surprised face.
"Uh? Redric...?"
Final Black Curtain in original work.
It was Redric Ricardo's visit.