Olivia and Pector
I needed Seria’s help if I wanted to meet Pector. I was about to casually try talking her into it when she opened her mouth first.
“She’s actually worse than you.”
Yeah, well, it sounds weird when you say it. “You’re the one reacting like that.”
With that kind of attitude, who the hell are you to lecture me? Anyway, Seria and I continued our conversation through notes.
— Handwritten Note —
“Do we really have to wait for the Sword Saint and Pector to fight?”
“That was just talk.”
“Just talk?”
“Think about it. The one Pector wants to face is me, not the Sword Saint.”
“You’re right. That makes sense.”
“The Sword Saint is skilled, and if he gets lucky he might even land a decisive blow. But since Pector ultimately wants me, if the Sword Saint goes in, there’s no telling what will happen to the prince.”
A fight between the Sword Saint and Pector could only happen on the premise that the prince wasn’t being held hostage. If the prince hadn’t been captured, I would have let the Sword Saint and Pector clash, then decided whether or not to step in afterward.
— Handwritten Note —
“Then what?”
“First, I need to gather some people and trick them a little.”
It would be troublesome if word got out that I had stepped forward myself.
“You’re not seriously planning to go fight alone, are you?”
“Have you ever seen me die?”
“Ah, yes. You already resigned yourself to dying against the Demon King.”
Hey, that was a mistake, okay? I didn’t know the Demon King would actually be that strong. The only reason I even took a hit from him was because of the board I had set up in advance.
— Handwritten Note —
“I told you it was a mistake. Anyway, you get what I mean without me spelling it out, right?”
“Make sure no one finds out that Lady Olivia has disappeared?”
“Exactly. There’s also the option of calling Pector out for a one-on-one duel. But right now there are too many people who would question my strength if I did that.”
There were too many eyes here. The Ashtar knights and mages. Plus the former hero party who knew my magic, and Ribelt too. If I held a public one-on-one duel in the middle of the city, it would be the same as announcing that I was Noah. Whatever else happened, the absolute last thing I wanted was for that hero bastard to find out.
— Handwritten Note —
“Didn’t you say it was good to be treated as a grand mage?”
“Not right now. Logically speaking, what would people think if some random noble lady suddenly started using Sword Magic and Meteor and everything else?”
Setting aside the part where they’d praise me for being strong. They’d definitely look at me strangely right away. That idiot hero would immediately start throwing a fit about putting Olivia in the hero party. I hated that idea with a passion.
“We definitely have to use all the magic, huh?”
“Sword Magic is especially a unique spell of our people.”
“Without Sword Magic, winning is…”
Impossible. That much was certain.
“There isn’t. Even the first time we met, I was only able to prepare my magic while fighting him because I had Sword Magic.”
If I had fought him back then with only ordinary magic or a sword, I would have struggled quite a bit. And that was then. What about now, fighting in Olivia’s body? I had no idea whether this body could endure until the end with completely different movements and experience.
“No choice then. I understand. I’ll turn Teddy into a copy of Lady Olivia and use him to fool them.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.”
It would be annoying if I got caught for no reason.
Karhem Underground Prison
In the underground prison of Karhem, the prince, Laila, and Shariel were locked up under the watch of the demons. But just a short while ago, they had heard a strange noise, so Laila and Shariel were peering through a hole at the end of the cell to check what was happening outside.
Something had happened outside. Maybe this was their chance to escape.
Shariel answered in her place. As expected of a woman who could use spirit power to see a thousand li away.
Aslan’s face turned deathly pale. That was understandable. Olivia was outside. And she had brought the elite forces of Ashtar with her. She had probably come to rescue him. The problem was that he had ignored the earnest warning Olivia had given him only a short while ago and followed the words of his new fiancée Yuria, which was why things had turned out this way.
If he hadn’t been captured, that capable former fiancée of his would have located Pector and immediately marched with the next head of Ashtar and the army to attack him. The prince let out a hollow laugh. He had been greedy for even a little public support during his tour to regain the position of crown prince, and this was the result. They did say greed invites disaster.
Once all of this was over, he would have to endure quite the scolding from Olivia. On top of that, some of the Ashtar knights who had been escorting them had died this time. If a war with Pector broke out, Ashtar would suffer heavy losses as well. They said Pector’s forces that had invaded the kingdom numbered at most tens of thousands. To match that, Ashtar would have to gather every last soldier they had, and they would undoubtedly take massive damage.
In that case, they at least had to come up with a way to minimize the damage on their side.
His life was on the line. Olivia probably wouldn’t be able to move the army easily either.
Besides, the prison itself was crude. If they were lucky, they might be able to escape.
Through Shariel’s far-sight, she could see the demons withdrawing. What on earth was going on?
Elves could use the power of spirits.
Starting with Aslan, then Laila and Shariel, they cut the ropes binding their arms. Laila grabbed the old iron bars with both hands and ripped them apart.
CRRRRRACK!
The small number of demons guarding the prison clashed with the prince’s group. Starting with Laila, Shariel’s arrows provided support from behind, and over a dozen demons were slaughtered at the prince’s hands.
After much struggle, they even managed to open the prison door. All that remained was to escape.
Of all people, Pector was standing right in front of them. Pector was blocking their path. So was everything up until now part of Pector’s scheme?
Pector clicked his tongue and shook his head. This had become a bit annoying. He had called for Noah, but it turned out to be the Sword Saint instead. The Sword Saint was someone he could deal with even if it was a little bothersome. But if the Empire’s Seven Stars gathered, how would Noah respond? He probably wouldn’t come out so easily. Besides, even Pector would find it difficult to face the Seven Stars without bringing his entire army.
At the prince’s group’s reaction, Pector gave a small chuckle. They seemed to be holding onto quite a bit of hope at the Sword Saint’s appearance. But no matter what, what couldn’t be done simply couldn’t be done.
A bombshell declaration. The Sword Saint was a fairly famous figure even within the Empire. There was no one who could match him in swordsmanship, and over half the military were his subordinates. To say he would kill such a man. Even Aslan, who had always admired the Sword Saint, widened his eyes.
He poured his surging emotions into the provocation aimed at Pector. Pector didn’t think the prince’s taunt was all that bad. Of course, that was only if he were like the other Four Heavenly Kings who truly submitted to the Demon King’s authority and offered unconditional loyalty.
He had simply become one of the Four Heavenly Kings one day and moved his army at the Demon King’s command, but he had never gone too far. The Demon King hadn’t wanted that, and he himself hadn’t wanted it either. So such provocations were pointless, but he still needed to crush their spirit a little.
Pector drew his sword. A gloomy aura flowed from the blade. With that sword that carried only despair, he approached the prince’s group.
Honestly, even if he let them live there wouldn’t be much of a problem. After all, unless they were the hero or one of the Seven Stars, humans were all the same. Especially since, according to the rumors he had heard, the imperial saintess couldn’t even defeat this politically ruined prince and noble. The elves were a race that kept to themselves in the Great Forest anyway, so they probably wouldn’t come to save the Empire.
Aslan drew his sword. It was the treasured blade that his mother, the current empress, had once pestered the imperial blacksmiths to bestow upon him.
Laila, and even Shariel, raised their sword and bow. The sight was rather admirable, but to Pector they simply looked like children, so he smiled with satisfaction. Still, that was that and this was this. If they had quietly bowed their heads, he wouldn’t have had to cut them down. Well, Noah would have considered this much at least. He was the kind of person who always stayed one step ahead of the Demon King’s army’s thoughts.
So even if he cut them down here and formally declared war on the Empire, it should be fine. Just swinging his sword would be enough to kill them. He had no intention of going easy. With the Sword Saint here as well, if he didn’t deal with him the Demon King’s army would suffer heavy losses. In that case, there was no reason to hold back.
Thinking that, he swung his sword, but—
CLANG!
Someone blocked the sword that had been about to kill the prince.
At first he thought it was the Sword Saint. The Sword Saint could exchange a few blows with him, after all. But it wasn’t. A blue blade made of pure mana was standing against Pector’s despair.
Yes. There had only ever been one being like this until now.
The voice was clearly different from before, yet strangely familiar.
At last, Pector felt a shiver run through his entire body. And there had only ever been one person who could make him feel this way.
At last, Despair had reunited with the mage.