The Journey to Lanchester (1)
At his words, I smiled lightly and nodded. Then I asked, “By the way, whose orders do you follow? Mine, or Princess Irene’s? Since you’re not one of our household and an outsider, I think we should clarify your position for the future. So neither of us feels uncomfortable.”
Ristein’s expression showed he understood exactly what I meant. He lowered his posture toward his superior and bowed deeply with perfect courtesy. The way he immediately tucked his tail between his legs, as if he would hand over his own entrails, made it crystal clear he had no desire to offend me.
“I will remain by Princess Irene’s side in ordinary times, but on the battlefield I will stay at your side, my lord. Protecting you is the same as protecting the princess.”
His answer pleased me. Princess Irene was a hostage; there was no benefit in Ristein trying to assert his pride in front of me. I was treating her with courtesy for now, but if I ever lost my temper, a hostage could be violated without a single word of protest. In any case, I suddenly grew curious about his past.
“What did you do before you became the princess’s escort?”
“Back when His Highness Mikelan was still in his prime, I was the youngest son of an insignificant lord. After His Highness conquered our territory, he demanded one of the four sons as a hostage. My father chose me without a moment’s hesitation.”
“Because you were the youngest?”
“With so many sons, there was no need to agonize over it.”
He continued, “Forty years have passed since then. I served His Highness as a knight until I retired from active duty three years ago. Yet His Highness refuses to let me go. He told me not to idle away my retirement and gave me the task of escorting Princess Irene as something to occupy my time.”
Ristein smiled faintly. “The princess has such a gentle and feminine temperament that it hasn’t been particularly difficult. I’ve served her for nearly a year now, and she has never caused a single incident. I’m quietly relieved to have found a good master.”
“I spoke with her briefly the other day. She seemed calm and quiet.”
“She is reserved and kind. At the same time, that very nature makes her extremely anxious and tense right now.”
“Because of me?”
“Not necessarily because of you, my lord. This is the first time in her life she has left the palace to live among others. She must adapt to an unfamiliar life while not knowing what the future holds, so she is deeply worried.”
Ristein turned his head toward where Princess Irene sat. Wrapped in a blanket, she was quietly warming herself by the fire. One of her maids looked busy swatting away thumb-sized flies buzzing around her.
“One of the maids whispered something to me earlier. She said the princess has not bled for several days now.”
“Bled?”
In this world, when people spoke of a woman bleeding, they meant her monthly courses.
“Is she unwell?”
“They say the bleeding has stopped because of severe mental distress. The maid asked if we could obtain medicine for her.”
“Understood. I’ll have someone procure it. Please wait a little.”
“Thank you.”
On the way, we would stop at a village and have Unia buy medicine to induce menstruation. I changed the subject.
“Do you ever wish to return to your homeland?”
Ristein gave a resigned chuckle. “I’ve grown attached to this land. My parents and siblings have all passed away, and their children now carry on the line. Though blood connects us, we are strangers to one another now. If I returned, they would only suspect I had come to claim the lordship. I hold no particular affection for my homeland. Having spent most of my life here, this place holds far more memories.”
“You’ve become a complete man of the Franz royal family.”
“From a prisoner who resented the world to a well-brainwashed slave.”
Laughter escaped both of us at the same time.
“Bandits are coming!”
At that moment, Mateus—who had risen at dawn to scout the surroundings—came galloping back on horseback, shouting.
“About thirty of them! Roughly ten are mounted!”
People froze in alarm, abandoning their tasks and turning to me as one. Ristein spoke with a grave expression.
“They must have seen the smoke from the campfire.”
I assessed the situation instantly and issued orders.
“Women and children, gather together in one place! Marcus, Epibia, Pasvachio, and Flavio will guard the perimeter! Dana, provide support from the rear! Mateus, Ristein, Unia, and I will engage the enemy!”
Ristein drew his sword and looked at me. “My squires should prove reliable as well.”
Ristein had three squires with him, each from minor noble houses. They were well-equipped and had learned swordsmanship from their master, so they would not be a burden in an emergency. I decided to include them in our fighting strength.
“You three will face the bandits with me at the front!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
“Got it!”
They hurriedly adjusted their armor and donned helmets. I drew my blade as well. Yet I also held the Shai dagger and the Dragon Bone sword. Right hand gripping the Shai dagger, left hand holding the Dragon Bone—I hesitated, staring blankly at them for a moment, unsure which to choose.
Mateus shouted again. “Here they come!”
In the distance, riders kicked up clouds of dust as they charged. They brandished crude weapons—spiked clubs and axes made from animal bones—and let out savage roars, eyes wide like wild beasts.
“Everyone, fall back!”
The women and children hurried behind me and huddled together. Marcus, Epibia, Pasvachio, and Flavio stood guard around them.
“Damn it!”
With no time left, I chose the Dragon Bone. Let’s see just how remarkable this sword truly is. I sheathed the Shai dagger at my waist and sprinted forward. Mateus, Ristein, Unia, and the three squires followed close behind.
“Kobukwe! Kobukwe! Makdangka!”
“Makdangkarsita!”
These were no ordinary bandits—they were barbarians. They bellowed incomprehensible cries as they rushed toward us. Just before the two sides collided, Dana, who had lagged at the rear, chanted a spell and unleashed a thunderbolt of fire into the midst of the enemy cavalry.
“Uwaaah!”
The enemy had no Anti-Magic Field to protect them from spells. They were struck helpless by the lightning from the sky and panicked. Dana’s opening strike threw the mounted barbarians into disarray, and we followed up by cutting down those who had fallen from their horses, one after another. The foot warriors who had been running behind quickly joined the fray, turning the battlefield into a chaotic slaughterhouse drenched in blood.
Unia spun her partisan overhead like a propeller, mercilessly carving through the faces of nearby barbarians. Mateus dispatched his foes with the clean efficiency expected of a knight, sending them to the afterlife without unnecessary flourishes or suffering. Yet amid the frenzied melee, one man shone with particular brilliance—Ristein. Despite his age, he displayed dazzling swordsmanship, fighting like a demon of the battlefield. Though the barbarians were gaunt and equipped with crude bone armor, Ristein’s skill stood unmatched no matter where he was placed.
“To think a man like that spent decades as a hostage in a foreign land……”
I could not afford to simply watch. Channeling mana into the Dragon Bone, I began imitating Ristein’s sword movements. I had learned dagger techniques from Marcus, but one-handed swordsmanship was entirely different. I had no proper training with a one-handed blade. Like a complete beginner learning swordsmanship for the first time, I copied Ristein’s motions exactly. Normally, experts in one field felt pride or resistance when learning another, but I harbored no such stubbornness. Thanks to the magnificent sword Epibia had gifted me, my only desire was to master the one-handed blade as quickly as possible.
Then a problem arose. The destructive and lethal power of the Dragon Bone combined with my mana was terrifying. Each swing inflicted massive damage not only to the target but to everything in the surrounding area. A single strike engulfed everyone within a three-meter radius, searing flesh and melting bone. Against such an overwhelming weapon of mass slaughter, no special technique was needed. Simply swinging it caused anyone within its reach—whether struck directly or not—to scream in agony as their entire body ignited and crumbled into ash that vanished into the air.
“This isn’t a divine sword…… it’s a demonic blade……?”
Startled, I quickly dispersed the mana. The moment the blue aura vanished from the blade, its area-of-effect lethality disappeared as well. Looking around, I found no one nearby. The barbarians stared at me from a distance, faces pale with terror and eyes filled with awe. My companions were equally shocked; they had all stopped fighting and backed far away, fearing they might be caught in the blast.
Unia looked at me with frightened eyes. “W-what the hell is that sword? It’s terrifying.”