Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Road Back
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"What I'm saying is... would you believe me if I told you I'm a soul from another world who somehow ended up possessing Roselia's body?"
"Hmm... You're not the real Roselia de Loen... I'm not sure I follow what you're getting at."
As I stared at her with a puzzled expression, Roselia didn't bother explaining bit by bit.
Instead, she took a deep breath, deciding it was better to just lay it all out honestly, and began recounting how she'd come to inhabit Roselia's body.
And so.
"The Republic of Korea... huh."
Ten minutes later, having heard the full story, I stroked my chin and slowly mulled it over.
"So, to sum up what Your Highness is saying: Your homeland is an entirely different world without magic. While reading a novel there about this world, you met with an unfortunate accident and ended up in this body... Is that right?"
"Yes, yes! Exactly! At first, I thought it was all a dream. But when I pinched myself, it hurt, and when I looked in the mirror, there I was—not the pretty girl I knew... er, I mean, Princess Roselia herself. You have no idea how shocked I was."
Roselia poured out her words like she was finally venting long-pent-up frustration.
"This world is from the novel I read called Twilight Reaching You! In the original story, I'm the villain who dies here, so I've been struggling like crazy just to survive. You have no idea, Duke..."
Tension still lingered on her face, uncertainty about what the man before her might do to me.
But at the same time, there was a sense of liberation from finally confiding this massive secret to someone.
I listened silently to her passionate outburst, nodding at appropriate moments.
"Hmm... I see."
Now and then, I'd furrow my brow as if struggling to accept it.
Then, with an expression of sudden realization, I'd clap my palm against my fist.
"Now it all makes sense."
"Huh? Makes sense?"
"The reason Your Highness would mutter to yourself excessively in a language no one could understand whenever you were bored—sometimes right in front of me. It was the language from your other world."
"Eep...!"
Roselia gasped, clamping both hands over her mouth.
Her eyes shook violently.
"D-Did I... really talk to myself that much...?"
"Yes. Quite a lot."
I nodded without hesitation, delivering the finishing blow.
"During meals, while putting on the act of a happy fiancée, even when reviewing Kaltstein's internal affairs as the future Duchess—you'd habitually spout strange words every time."
"Ah... ugh..."
Roselia's face turned as red as a ripe tomato in an instant.
She covered her face with both hands, squirming as if desperate to crawl into a hole.
"Th-That was... I mean, suddenly ending up in another world overnight—it was so absurd and ridiculous, and I was frustrated too, so it just slipped out without me realizing... I'm sorry. I'll be more careful from now on..."
"No need to be so cautious. Thanks to that, I'd already suspected Your Highness wasn't ordinary."
I brushed it off with a light laugh, easing the mood.
Sure enough, once the secret was shared, I could feel her wariness melt away.
'This is plenty to work with.'
With that thought, I smoothly shifted the topic to the next phase.
"Then the information about this dragon lair must come from that original novel as well?"
"Ah, yes... That's right. It was one of the episodes from the mid-to-late part of the story."
"Oh? I see. But now that you've told me this much, one question comes to mind."
"What... question?"
"How is it you didn't know that Dragon Arkaios was still alive in soul form, or about the dragon hatchling spear he was guarding? Wasn't all that in the novel?"
"W-Well, that's..."
Roselia flinched and averted her gaze.
Then, in the most innocent expression and soft voice, she murmured.
"I don't know much about that part either. The story I've read—the original—differs quite a bit from what's happening."
"Differs?"
"Yes. In the original, this dragon lair... it was discovered by the Crown Prince purely by chance after the Kaltstein family fell and the North was laid waste. By then, the dragon's bones and the dragon hatchling spear were gone... just a ruined place with treasure left behind."
Her voice trailed off toward the end.
The fall of Kaltstein.
She seemed hesitant to mention the destruction of my family right in front of me.
'Hmm. So in the original, the Crown Prince was involved in Kaltstein's downfall after all.'
I had no idea why the Grand Duke and Duchess of Kaltstein had no children in the original.
Roselia had only vaguely said they had none.
Of course, now the story had diverged completely, rendering it all moot.
"I see. A future that's changed from the original... intriguing."
I nodded, stroking my chin.
I wanted to dig deeper into some details, but that risked arousing suspicion.
Besides, I'd gotten all the answers I needed anyway.
From her true identity, the source of her knowledge, to her awareness of the discrepancies with the original.
Now I just needed to plan how to make use of her going forward.
"Well then, I look forward to working with you from here on. Princess Roselia—or should I say, guest from another world."
I extended my hand politely, ready to wrap up the conversation.
But then.
"Um... Duke."
Instead of taking my hand, Roselia tilted her head and stared at me intently.
In her eyes gleamed pure curiosity and sharp insight—something I'd never seen since the moment we first met.
"Hm? What's on your mind?"
"Aren't you... surprised?"
"Surprised by what?"
"I just told you that this world you live in—the one you know—is from a novel someone wrote. It could all be fake... Normally, wouldn't people be shocked or deny it?"
"......."
For a moment, it felt like time inside the carriage froze.
My train of thought stalled right along with it.
Ah. Did I gloss over it too naturally...?
Focused solely on her being a possessor, I'd reacted far too calmly to the bombshell that my world was fictional.
A normal person would freak out or dismiss it as madness upon hearing their life was someone's plaything on paper.
But as a reincarnator myself, I'd already pieced it together from her mutterings.
And truthfully, I didn't care much, so I'd overlooked that blind spot.
"...."
"Uh... Duke?"
As I froze without responding, Roselia called out again, puzzled.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
This woman, poking at such a vulnerability with a question like that?
The thought flashed briefly before I hurriedly schooled my expression, racking my brain for a natural excuse to brush it off.
That was when it happened.
-!!!!
The horses' neighs and the knights' shouts erupted from outside the carriage.
"Kyaaak!"
The carriage rocked violently at the same time, sending Roselia tumbling toward me.
I caught her just before her head hit the floor and yelled toward the outside.
"What is it!?"
Kiiiieeek—!
Instead of an answer, another horse's cry rang out, and the carriage screeched to a halt.
Peering out the window, I saw thick black smoke rising ominously from the distant forest.
"Duke! Monsters ahead! A massive horde...!"
A knight's urgent shout came late from outside.
"Dozens of at least Rank 4 monsters charging straight for the carriage!"
"Blue Moon Knights, battle formation!"
"Protect Princess Roselia!"
"...Monsters?"
Impossible.
Though Drakenspitze and Winter Forest overlapped somewhat, this road was firmly within Drakenspitze territory.
No monsters had ever been sighted here for ages—only small animals and a few mid-sized beasts.
And suddenly—at least Rank 4 monsters?
"...."
My shock was brief. I reseated Roselia on the carriage bench and spoke calmly.
"We'll continue the conversation later. Looks like we have guests to greet."
"Ah, got it. So what should I do? I can fight too..."
"Just stay safely inside the carriage."
With that, I kicked open the carriage door and leaped out.
"Everyone, defensive formation! Do not let them through!"
Outside, the knights had already formed a defensive ring around the carriage at their captain's command, holding back the monsters.
A fishy stench of blood assaulted my nose.
Frowning slightly, I scanned the surroundings. Blanketing the white snowfield in black were hordes of Rank 4 monsters—Winter Wolves.
Three times the size of normal wolves, with jaws that could crunch steel, their red eyes gleamed as they clashed with the knights.
White Bears mixed in here and there.
'...Both species are from Winter Forest.'
Before joining the fray in earnest, I checked my condition.
The healing magic had dulled the pain somewhat, but moving properly was still tough, and my stamina was depleted.
Worse, the biggest issue was the sword in my hand.
Shing.
I drew Winter Fang from my waist.
Normally, I'd pour mana into it freely for sword aura, but not now.
With Arkaios slumbering inside, this blade was little more than fragile glasswork.
Any excessive impact or reckless mana infusion would shatter it.
Holding a dragon-infused sword and worrying about it breaking...'
A wry chuckle escaped at the irony, but there was no time for complaints.
"The Duke is here!"
"Guard Her Highness! Clear a path!"
The knights cheered upon spotting me, morale soaring.
Ignoring their shouts, I lightly thrust my sword at a wolf lunging forward.
No aura? No problem.
These weren't elite dragon hatchling beasts—just Rank 4 monsters even ordinary knights could handle.
Not hacking with brute force, but flowing along the blade's edge.
Slice—!
A chillingly quiet sound accompanied the wolf's head flying into the air.
A clean cut, not a drop of blood spilled.
I spun immediately, precisely stabbing the brow of another ambushing from behind.
Puk!
Minimal motion, minimal force.
To compensate for my broken left arm's imbalance, I made my footwork twice as nimble as usual.
Wherever my movements reached, red blood sprayed across the white snowfield.
We handled the sudden Winter Wolves more easily than expected when a thunderous roar erupted from the battlefield's center.
-!!!
A White Bear.
The house-sized beast shoved aside two knights blocking its path and charged straight for my carriage.
"Tch..."
Roselia was inside.
If that bulk hit full-force? She'd likely suffer severe injuries.
So, I had to stop it.
I swiftly cut in front of it.
'Haa, what a pain.'
White Bear, Rank 3 monster.
Its hide tougher than steel, muscles notoriously sinewy.
Normally, I'd bisect it with an aura blade in one stroke, but clashing hard with Winter Fang now risked snapping the sword first.
Dodging meant the carriage behind would be smashed, injuring Roselia.
Only one option left.
I drew a deep breath, summoning frigid chill from deep within my heart's circle.
Coating the blade with freezing mana to sharpen it to the extreme without stressing the sword.
Wuuung.
Frost settled like hoarfrost on Winter Fang's edge, thinly sheathed in white chill.
-Kuaaaah!
As the White Bear raised its massive forepaw to smash down, its huge shadow engulfing me.
Instead of retreating, I dove into its embrace.
My vision locked solely on its nape—the faint vital point hidden between that thick hide.
'Now.'
Puk. Kwajik!
-....
Not a slicing sound, but a mundane crack like shattering ice echoed across the field.
I slipped out behind it like sliding on ice, flicking off the blade.
Moments later.
The White Bear's forepaw halted mid-swing.
Thud—!
Its body collapsed from the lower half downward.
A tiny hole pierced its neck.
"......."
The battlefield fell eerily silent.
With their presumed leader down, the rampant wolf pack panicked, tails tucked as they fled into the forest.
"W-We won...!"
"As expected of the Duke!"
The knights' cheers erupted.
I sighed in relief, inspecting Winter Fang.
Fortunately, no chips or cracks.
'Good. Sleep well for these two weeks, partner.'
I carefully sheathed the sword.
As adrenaline ebbed, pain surged from my broken left arm.
"Kgh."
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead.
Having pushed beyond my limits all day, my body couldn't possibly be fine.
Then, the carriage door flew open, and Roselia rushed out.
"Duke!"
Pale-faced, she ran to me and checked my condition.
"Blood...! Are you okay? Is the wound reopening?"
She pulled out her white handkerchief to wipe my forehead sweat but froze, mindful of the knights' eyes.
Couldn't let them know I was injured.
But she couldn't hide her worried gaze.
I smirked at her.
Quite human, for the woman who'd just rattled my psyche with talk of a novel world moments ago.
"I'm fine. Worry about your own safety instead of my body."
"Is that what matters right now?"
Roselia made a tearful face and supported my right arm.
"Let's hurry back to the territory. Get treated first, please."
"...Understood."
At her urging, I nodded.
My vision was blurring a bit anyway—treatment was needed.
I handed cleanup to the knight captain, then boarded the carriage again with Roselia's support.
To the coachman gripping the reins tensely, I commanded.
"Depart. As fast as possible."
"Yes, sir."