Chapter 269: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (62)
Chapter 269: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (62)
Even as the dawn broke in the east, the cold wind remained biting.
A blizzard was already beginning to stir.
The evacuation procession that had set out from the mansion swelled in size in an instant. It was a stroke of immense luck that they had planned the escape route in advance.
Fortunately, many refugees from the territory were joining the ranks.
Of course, their expressions were far from bright.
They were in a position where they had to flee their beloved homes as if they were runaways. From Viscount Percus down to the commoners, there wasn't a single face that wasn't clouded with gloom.
Celine’s voice had risen particularly high when it came time to place restraints on Ria’s hands and feet.
“Even so, to treat her like a criminal...!”
“What else would you suggest we do?”
Arthur merely replied in a cold, level tone.
“The Dark Cult's test subjects still carry the risk of going berserk. If you disagree, would you like to face that monster yourself?”
As he spoke, Arthur gestured with a flick of his eyes.
Beyond them stood the Corpse Giant, its footsteps thundering as it moved.
Terror flickered across the faces of those who overheard their conversation.
How could anyone possibly face a monster like that?
Celine clenched her fists, trembling, but she had no words to refute him.
Perhaps things would have been different if Ian had accepted her suggestion.
However, Ian had made a cold, rational choice, and most people would say that decision was the correct one.
Anyone would, if they laid eyes on that subordinate of the Evil God.
Arthur let out a deep sigh as he looked at the fuming Celine.
“...Unless at least this much safety is guaranteed, I cannot release the restraints.”
And so, the somber march continued.
Naturally, there was someone among them who showed signs of extreme anxiety.
Elsie, the lovely girl wearing a pointed hat, was raising her voice in a shrill protest.
“I’m telling you, Uncle, we have to dispatch the Magic Corps immediately...!”
“Who is supposed to be saving whom?”
Reynold’s voice, as he stood his ground against Elsie, remained icy.
He slowly turned his blue eyes toward her.
“Young Master Ian is stronger than you, and stronger than the Magic Corps of our Lainella family. He was never someone who needed protecting in the first place.”
“What about the villagers?!”
“If Young Master Ian can’t protect them, neither can we... By now, he should already be scouring the outskirts.”
At that, Elsie stamped her feet in frustration.
To a casual observer, she might have looked cute, but the words tumbling out of her mouth were anything but.
“No, seriously, shit... But Master isn't coming back, is he?! Has that old man’s brain finally started rotting away...?”
“Watch your language, Elsie.”
Even at such rude behavior, Reynold did not lose his composure.
His attitude suggested he was already well-accustomed to it.
If anything, the people watching from the side looked more appalled.
Even Reynold’s remark to 'watch her language' was unexpected.
“Calling someone who might become your fiancé ‘Master’—do you still consider yourself a Lainella?”
“Th-that’s... anyway, he’s someone who might become my fiancé!”
“...Please, just endure it a little longer.”
His tone was tinged with genuine annoyance.
Elsie didn't lose the fierce glint in her eyes, but she glared at Reynold as if she would at least listen for now.
Reynold swallowed a dry laugh inwardly as he watched her.
She used to be a brat who would at least be obedient when it came to family orders, but she had grown enough to talk back even to an Archmage like him.
It was a strange feeling, both impressive and bittersweet.
In the end, the life of a high noble was bound to the will of the family.
It was a period of wandering that he, too, had once passed through.
Soon enough, Elsie would have no choice but to realize it as well.
The true meaning of the phrase, 'Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella.'
No one could escape those shackles.
Reynold let out a faint, regretful sigh.
“If you just wait a little longer, everything will go according to your wishes. Starting with the engagement, you’ll continue attending the Academy, and above all, Young Master Ian’s friends have already set out to find him.”
“...Just a little longer.”
Her voice was still defiant.
Reynold snorted as if telling her to do as she pleased.
“I’ll wait just a little longer, and if it really doesn't seem right, I’m going by myself.”
“The evacuation procession is long, and every single escort is precious. Besides, what could possibly put Young Master Ian in danger?”
Reynold gestured with his eyes toward the massive form that made its presence known even from a distance.
Elsie’s face hardened as she stared at the mythical monster.
Though she had already seen abominations like the flesh nests, the Corpse Giant was a hideous and powerful foe that existed in a realm of its own.
“Surely he wouldn't try to oppose that monster...”
Though he muttered the words himself, Reynold shook his head as if the idea was absurd.
Elsie couldn't deny it either.
Even to her, that monster was a formidable enemy she was afraid to even face.
Elsie had always been someone who feared the strong, and because of that, she had entrusted her sense of self to others.
She knew all too well how much courage it would take to face the Corpse Giant.
No matter how strong her Master was, he wouldn't be able to stand against that monster.
Elsie trembled at the mere thought of it.
Reynold seemed quite satisfied that no rebuttal came from her.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Reynold pulled a pouch from his robe.
It was a pouch embroidered with an elegant pattern.
Elsie’s eyes filled with confusion as she took it.
“Since you are also a mage of Lainella, keep at least some Rapid Recovery Potions on you. You never know what kind of enemies we might encounter during the evacuation.”
Rapid Recovery Potions.
Literally, they were drugs that rapidly recharged mana.
Just as swordsmen usually carried a bottle of healing potion, mages often carried Rapid Recovery Potions.
Though Elsie, born with a vast amount of mana, had never actually needed them.
Elsie peeked inside the pouch.
Being a direct descendant of the Lainella family, she had been given quite a large quantity. Despite the amount, the pouch was small, indicating it was a Space Expansion Pouch.
Even as she accepted the potions, Elsie’s expression remained sullen.
The way she kept glancing back toward the town suggested she still had lingering regrets.
Reynold clicked his tongue at the sight.
“Elsie, with that temper of yours, will you be able to get married and raise children properly? That’s why Young Master Ian said those things about you...”
“...Master? What did he say about me?”
Elsie’s ears perked up instantly as she focused her attention.
Reynold looked at her with an incredulous expression before opening his mouth again.
“Young Master Ian visited the inn last time. I asked him then about his intention to get engaged...”
It was then.
Rumble! A sound like thunder erupted, and the ground shook violently.
Some people even shrieked and stumbled.
Everyone’s startled eyes turned toward the source.
It was the Corpse Giant.
The Corpse Giant, which had been moving peacefully until now, was letting out a violent roar as if something had displeased it.
Reynold’s brow furrowed as he sensed the anomaly.
Blue sparks flickered in his eyes as he began to scan the area intently.
Before long, Reynold discovered the cause of the Corpse Giant’s agitation.
A stunned voice escaped his lips.
“...Young Master Ian?”
Upon hearing that name, Elsie’s eyes frantically followed Reynold’s gaze.
There, a man was sprinting through the city streets.
Incredibly.
Overflowing memories synchronize with the surrounding scenery.
It was the middle of a burning forest.
The Great Forest usually had such high humidity that the air felt sticky. There was no way a fire of this magnitude could have started naturally in such a place.
It was an artificial fire.
Several charred corpses were visible nearby.
They were people who had once resided in the Great Forest.
Disciples who couldn't endure the Great Witch's training and had run away.
They had turned their blades against her.
In exchange for helping the vampire escape the Great Forest, they had been promised a reward by the Dark Cult.
It seemed the Dark Cult had indeed paid them their due.
No matter how many of them there were, his junior sister was an Archmage. Even if a bunch of nobodies gathered, she shouldn't have been driven into a corner.
But the result before my eyes was the exact opposite.
Before I could even shudder with the sense of betrayal, I brushed the girl’s cheek with trembling hands.
The woman’s body had slid down, her back leaning against a tree.
A trail of blood bore witness to the path her body had taken as it slumped. My eyes and throat grew heavy with moisture as I took in the scene.
My consciousness felt as if it were floating.
It didn't feel real at all, creating an illusion that I was detached from reality.
I couldn't feel any sensation.
Even if my skin had been sizzling and cooking in the heat, I wouldn't have noticed.
Whether she knew my heart or not, the girl in the pointed hat wore a faint smile.
Blood trickled from between her lips.
It felt as if blood were also pouring from my own chest.
“Why are you... cough! Crying again, you idiot... It breaks my heart.”
It was the man’s first farewell, and their final conversation.