Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Leobrant Brotherhood: Celestia (2)
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Eight Swords Guild.
One of the members of this renowned mercenary group on the continent, the lowly Eighth Sword Priella Atria, was currently crossing through the central region of the Empire.
—Eighth Sword, Priella Atria.
There was only one reason she had left the Kartio Archipelago, where she had been staying, to head to the central continent.
Her superior and the leader of the Eight Swords Guild, Sword Phantom Raparia, had summoned her.
With the other swordmasters dispatched to various regions unable to move due to ongoing commissions, Raparia had ordered Priella to provide direct support at the Great Sorcerous Forest.
Thus, Priella had set off on her journey to the Great Sorcerous Forest in obedience to the command of the Sword Phantom she respected most.
“……Boring.”
Even if it was an order from the Sword Phantom she revered, it was inevitable that dissatisfaction would arise on such a long journey.
Especially now, just after leaving the capital and resuming travel.
Munch, munch—.
Priella gnawed on the skewer in her left hand while gazing at the scenery outside the carriage, voicing her complaints.
The cold, tough meat squished unpleasantly in her mouth.
“…….”
The same scenery had been repeating for hours now.
Forest. Trees. Leaves. Bugs.
Even her impassive eyes were beginning to fill with irritation.
As Priella stared out the window, grumbling away.
Ahem, ahem—.
The coachman, whom she had hired along with the carriage for a hefty sum, began to strike up a conversation.
“Still, it’s better for sleeping than the southern coast where you were before.”
“Well, yeah… I suppose…….”
“And there are plenty of villages around the imperial domain, so if you’d like, we can stop at one along the way.”
Was it because he didn’t want to upset her?
The coachman started chattering about suitable topics, explaining the imperial domain.
Priella listened to the coachman as she finished off the meat and stuck the skewer in her mouth.
“Hmm…….”
She had rented a large carriage, and with her handling security alone,
The interior was endlessly comfortable.
Enjoying the luxury of the carriage all to herself, Priella reached for the pouch in the corner.
Thud—.
A small note ended up in Priella’s hand.
‘Come to think of it, there was something I got from the temporary base.’
The memory of the note flashed through Priella’s mind.
It was an item delivered to her in her name from one of the Eight Swords Guild’s temporary bases in the capital.
Priella’s indifferent gaze lingered on the note for a moment.
Rustle, rustle—.
Soon, she unfolded it fully and held it in her hand.
“…….”
Then, she began slowly reading the contents line by line.
She started checking off the precautions the Eight Swords Guild had sent her one by one.
—To Eighth Sword Priella. Matters to note while en route to the Great Sorcerous Forest.
The note she received had no sender’s name.
However, more importantly, the contents listed there were crucial.
—Isaac Leobrant defeated by the Leader.
News of the Brotherhood leader Isaac’s defeat.
—Immediately after the battle, a portion of the Leobrant Brotherhood’s Execution Squad was spotted moving.
Intelligence on the movement of the Brotherhood’s elite force, the ‘Execution Squad.’
—However, they do not appear to have completely withdrawn from the Great Sorcerous Forest.
Word that the Brotherhood still sought to exert influence there.
—A portion of the Execution Squad has begun returning to the Empire. Beware of ambushes en route.
And finally, the possibility that the Brotherhood’s Execution Squad might target Priella herself.
Every item on the note was of vital importance.
‘The Leader wouldn’t lose to a swordfight, so that’s no surprise.’
Of course, Isaac’s defeat was only natural to Priella.
But the warning about the ‘Execution Squad’ was something to keep in mind.
The Brotherhood’s Execution Squad was infamous for their brutality and skill.
If they came for her, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare for the worst.
“Maybe I should set some traps before bed.”
Priella’s eyes gleamed from behind her black muffler.
Snap—.
The thin skewer broke in half.
Priella tossed the now-useless skewer out the window.
“…….”
Great Sorcerous Forest. Brotherhood. Execution Squad.
As Priella pondered the note’s contents, her gaze grew thoughtful.
It seemed she would have plenty to do upon arriving at the Great Sorcerous Forest.
* * * * * *
The Alperatz Marquisate, located in the western Empire.
Deep in a sparsely populated forest, a plain-looking carriage was currently on the move.
With no escorts to speak of, relying solely on a single coachman to press forward.
Yet the identities of those inside were the most important figures in the entire Alperatz Marquisate.
“……Sister. Is it really okay to travel like this, just the two of us without any guards?”
Philip Alperatz’s voice, laced with worry, quietly echoed inside the carriage.
The one his voice was directed at was, naturally, his only sister sitting across from him.
Feria Alperatz.
The head of the marquisate sat with a pure white dragon perched on her lap, beaming a bright smile.
Traveling in a plain carriage with just the two of them and no guards was something Philip simply couldn’t get used to.
“What if we get ambushed like this?”
“It’s fine, Philip! I’m not the same old me anymore.”
But Philip’s concerns didn’t seem to reach Feria at all.
She continued stroking the baby dragon with a serene expression.
Stroke, stroke—.
Feria petted the white dragon with devoted care, a confident smile on her face.
“Even if something happens, I’ll protect you, so don’t worry, Philip.”
No need to worry even if ambushed—.
At Feria’s bold assurance, Philip could only sigh and turn his head away.
He knew better than to try breaking his sister’s resolve once she’d made up her mind.
Purr—.
The pure white dragon receiving Feria’s touch lay contentedly, bearing boundless trust.
“……Sister really trusts that dragon completely.”
Philip’s gaze shifted to the rugged path outside the carriage.
Honestly, Philip had some idea why Feria chose such a plain carriage.
The person they were about to meet—someone called the ‘Doctor’—wasn’t exactly reputable.
To avoid any hindrances to the marquisate from the meeting, they opted for discretion.
The lack of guards was surely because the snow-white dragon protecting Feria made it safe.
‘But still, isn’t it too much for the marquisate’s heir to go out without even one escort?’
Even so, traveling without any guards at all felt wrong—.
That thought crossed Philip’s mind when—
“Gasp……!”
“Hm……?”
Clunk—.
The carriage suddenly halted, and a startled voice escaped Philip’s lips.
Surprised by the stop, Feria turned her head and called out to the coachman outside.
“Is something wrong?”
“W-Well… you should come out and see for yourselves.”
At her question, the coachman replied in a voice tinged with fear.
Suspicious of the coachman’s answer,
Just as Feria moved to step out—
“……!”
Swoosh—!
A dagger suddenly flew in, embedding itself right next to the coachman.
Crunch—.
Caught off guard by the attack, the coachman ducked in terror, huddling down.
“Gasp, heok……!”
“Jon! Are you okay?”
An ambush from outside—.
Realizing this, Feria’s hand urgently clutched the pendant at her chest.
Someone lying in wait had launched a deliberate assault on the carriage.
And the enemies didn’t stop there.
Thud thud thud—.
Footsteps echoed from all directions as suspicious burly men closed in on the carriage’s location.
“Surround them! Don’t let them escape!”
“Yes—!”
Over ten of them at a glance, encircling the carriage and narrowing the distance.
The ambush by the thugs guarding the carriage.
Understanding this, Feria’s face darkened in an instant.
Grip—.
Clutching her chest pendant, Feria flung open the carriage door and leaped out.
“Sister! It’s dangerous……!”
“Philip! Stay inside and hide!”
Philip’s worried voice rang from within the carriage.
But Feria left him behind, stepping out with the pure white dragon.
Here, the strongest was naturally Feria, bearer of the ‘Dragon Conqueror.’
She had to protect the terrified coachman and Philip.
‘I have to protect Philip.’
Feria’s serious gaze scanned her surroundings warily.
Not mere bandits, but members of some organized force?
The burly men surrounding the carriage all bore suspicious tattoos on their thick arms.
Not only were there many of them, but their auras were anything but ordinary.
“Gasp… heok, heok…….”
Stroke—.
Feria’s eyes now turned to the panting coachman.
‘Good, he doesn’t seem badly hurt.’
Perhaps luckily, the dagger had lodged beside the coachman’s head.
Having spotted the sudden obstacle, the coachman had stopped the carriage and ducked unharmed.
Of course, he lacked the composure to drive now.
‘Did he stop because he saw a body?’
Before the coachman lay a corpse.
Impaled on numerous spears, sprawled gruesomely.
It seemed the coachman had slammed on the brakes upon seeing the dead man.
As Feria’s gaze swept past the obstacle ahead—
“……?”
Her puzzled eyes snapped back to the corpse slumped before the carriage.
The face of the spear-pierced body was eerily familiar.
No, more than familiar.
It was the face she met every night in the library.
“D-Doctor……?”
Feria’s shocked voice echoed through the forest.
Immediately after—
Twitch—.
The Doctor’s body, impaled and lying still, jerked violently and began to rise.
Crack, crack—.
Emitting eerie sounds as it staggered, the Doctor soon straightened his torso fully and twisted his neck back into place.
At the chilling sight, everyone present—including Feria—froze in horror.
It was an unbelievable scene unfolding before their eyes.
“Well, I’ve gone and shown you an unsightly sight. It’s been a while since we’ve met like this, miss.”
“…….”
“On my way home, I fell into a trap. Just checking the status of my third heart.”
Rising as if nothing had happened, the Doctor greeted Feria with a nonchalant face.
Crunch, crunch—.
He even casually yanked out the spears from his body and tossed them to the ground.
Feria stood speechless at the sight for a moment—.
“You’re tougher than you look, still alive.”
Soon, the leader of the watching burly men spoke up.
A massive man with sharp, piercing eyes.
He glared at the Doctor, speaking in a heavy voice.
“Korer Leobrant. Executioner here on the Leader’s orders to take your heads.”
“Ah, so you’re the one who set the trap here.”
Shing—.
The man who called himself Korer drew the sword at his waist.
Step, step—.
Korer’s massive frame radiated killing intent from his eyes.
He alternated glares between the Doctor and Feria, continuing his menacing warning with a savage face.
“The Leobrant Brotherhood does not forget blood debts. We’ll wash away our brother’s grudge with your blood.”
“Oh? Here to avenge a brother, I see.”
“Begging now won’t help. I’ll make it as painful as possible.”
Even as he heard Korer’s warning, the Doctor wore only his usual sinister smile.
An inscrutable reaction.
He even directed an unexpected remark at Korer before him.
“By the way, mind if I ask how many mothers you have?”
“What……?”
“…….”
The moment those words left the Doctor’s mouth.
A heavy silence descended over the tense standoff.
The Brotherhood members’ faces hardened.
Korer’s reaction was no different.
Yet the Doctor, amid the atmosphere, pressed on with his unchanged smile.
“What’s with all the brothers? One mother clearly wasn’t enough.”
Sweep—.
The Doctor’s gaze scanned the Brotherhood members.
Roughly twenty by his estimate.
“You bastard, I’ll kill you—!”
The twenty faces twisted in unison.
Soon, Executioner Korer’s roar thundered through the forest.