Chapter 320: Memory (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 320: Memory (5)
Clunk, clunk.
On top of the ten-person carriage that was shaking as it sped through the streets, there was an out-of-place presence among the solemn-looking adult men—a fourteen-year-old girl who was staring off into space with blank eyes. Her calm expression gave no indication of how nervous Amelia Rainwales felt right now, except to her sister, Laura.
Slide.
Amelia flinched from where she was sitting tensely, her hands on her knees. Her sister's hand was folded on top of them.
"What's wrong? Are you really worried?"
Introverted Amelia nodded. Not only was it meaningless to lie to her older sister who knew her as well as a parent would, but Laura would have noticed just how much she was trembling right now, no matter how shaky the carriage was.
"...It's okay, nothing bad will happen."
When she felt her sister's warm hand on her skin, Amelia felt her tension release little by little even though they were practically being dragged into a battlefield. When she closed her eyes, the conversation between the adult men began to enter Amelia's ears.
"What about Iron Mask and Emily?"
"I heard the castellan is going to send someone to their inn, but I don't know if the message will reach them given what's going on."
"Hah, what a mess. If they were planning something like this the whole time, at least tell us in advance, right? What is this, in the middle of the night?"
"That's just how top secret it was. I never thought the castellan would join hands with the palace to attack Orcules."
The sisters had been working at their adoptive father's tavern like they did any other day when they were summoned by Felic Barker. He looked to be in a rush, did not explain anything, and told them to prepare for a fight. As soon as they picked up their equipment, he put them on a military carriage with the members of their clan who had arrived.
"Wait, attack Orcules? I didn't hear about that. I just heard we were being sent as backup for a riot in the east. And the palace? What kind of nonsense is that? How could the castellan work with the palace?"
"Sounds like the palace made contact with the lord not long ago. I didn't know at the time what was discussed at that meeting... but I think we all have a decent guess now."
"Well, those bastards from Orcules would be a thorn in the palace's side, too. I guess their interests aligned."
"Mhm, if not for that, what reason would knights that were sent here from the palace have to be fighting Orcules?"
"...That must be why the lord didn't tell us until the day of."
"That's right. Because they'll be the core troops anyway. We just have to focus on making it out of here alive."
"Ha, if I knew this would happen, I would have made sure I was sleeping outside the castle like Iron Mask. Staying in the castle only got me dragged into this."
"Durbon, watch your mouth."
"Ah... forget what I said."
"And you guys, stop complaining so much. Once this is over, we'll receive proper compensation." Clan Leader Felic Barker eased the tension. A long while later, the carriage finally stopped at the entrance of Noark's eastern district.
"I guess we have to walk from here."
The eastern district looked like it had already been the site of several battles. Beginning right at the border, the scent of blood was thick, and the remains of collapsed buildings and tattered corpses filled the streets. There were sounds of explosions all around, and human screams more desperate than those of banshees filled the air.
"What are you all doing?! How long are you going to block the road? Get off quickly! Can't you see there are more carriages behind you?"
Amelia followed them out. Her body, which had calmed down during the journey, was trembling again.
Her sister lovingly grabbed her hand. "Don't worry too much. I'll protect you."
Her trustworthy sister never broke a promise. Even still, Amelia wasn't able to calm down all that easily.
Squeeze.
Instead, the stronger her sister gripped her hand, the more Amelia got a strange, ominous feeling.
***
Amelia finished reminiscing and slowly opened her eyes. It was clear where she had to go: the eastern district of Noark that had slowly escaped the influence of the castle and its lord once Orcules made it its home base.
"F-Fire!"
Today, most people simply assumed a fire had broken out in the area, but in reality, a war was going on there.
We're probably traveling east by carriage right now.
Although it was a memory from twenty years ago and the first large-scale battle that she had ever experienced, Amelia remembered even the trip over. It wasn't a memory she could forget even if she wanted to. It was no exaggeration to say that her life over the past twenty years had been one that she had looked back on and regretted this day countless times.
Dash.
Amelia picked up the pace and headed toward her destination. The eastern district, which she had been running over to for a long while, was occupied by hundreds of clueless adventurers who were called up that day. Scanning the area, she soon found the person she was looking for.
"Found you."
"Who... huh, Emily?" When Amelia struck up a conversation, Felic Barker, standing by for battle, went wide-eyed. "How are you here?" Although he was happy to see her, he seemed a little suspicious.
"I went to the castle when I saw the commotion, and they sent me here. I heard about the situation from other people on the way."
"Ah, I see... But where's Iron Mask?"
"He's drunk and asleep, so I just left him."
"Hmm, I mean, still... how could you leave such a valuable military asset behind?"
"What of it? He's so drunk that he can't even wake up."
Felic seemed disappointed, but he didn't argue. He didn't find her excuse strange, thanks to the fact that the barbarian often would say he drank too much the night before whenever he was late. "Well, I'm sure that guy didn't realize something like this would happen today, either. Then I'd better assume he's not coming."
After that, Amelia stood next to her younger self and older sister.
The sisters greeted her awkwardly. "Hello..."
Unlike the barbarian, whom they were both familiar with, Amelia hadn't interacted with these two beyond what was strictly necessary over the past several months. For some reason, whenever she stood in front of them, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
This time, she forced herself to open her mouth. "Stay close to me."
"...Sorry?"
"That way I can protect you."
"Ah, right...!" The sisters weren't all that close to Amelia, but they knew she had outstanding skills, so their faces brightened at her words. Although they also seemed to be wondering why she was suddenly being nice to them.
"What are you all doing?! How long are you going to block the road? Get off quickly! Can't you see there are more carriages behind you?"
Amelia followed them out. Her body, which had calmed down during the journey, was trembling again.
Her sister lovingly grabbed her hand. "Don't worry too much. I'll protect you."
Her trustworthy sister never broke a promise. Even still, Amelia wasn't able to calm down all that easily.
Squeeze.
Instead, the stronger her sister gripped her hand, the more Amelia got a strange, ominous feeling.
***
Amelia finished reminiscing and slowly opened her eyes. It was clear where she had to go: the eastern district of Noark that had slowly escaped the influence of the castle and its lord once Orcules made it its home base.
"F-Fire!"
Today, most people simply assumed a fire had broken out in the area, but in reality, a war was going on there.
We're probably traveling east by carriage right now.
Although it was a memory from twenty years ago and the first large-scale battle that she had ever experienced, Amelia remembered even the trip over. It wasn't a memory she could forget even if she wanted to. It was no exaggeration to say that her life over the past twenty years had been one that she had looked back on and regretted this day countless times.
Dash.
Amelia picked up the pace and headed toward her destination. The eastern district, which she had been running over to for a long while, was occupied by hundreds of clueless adventurers who were called up that day. Scanning the area, she soon found the person she was looking for.
"Found you."
"Who... huh, Emily?" When Amelia struck up a conversation, Felic Barker, standing by for battle, went wide-eyed. "How are you here?" Although he was happy to see her, he seemed a little suspicious.
"I went to the castle when I saw the commotion, and they sent me here. I heard about the situation from other people on the way."
"Ah, I see... But where's Iron Mask?"
"He's drunk and asleep, so I just left him."
"Hmm, I mean, still... how could you leave such a valuable military asset behind?"
"What of it? He's so drunk that he can't even wake up."
Felic seemed disappointed, but he didn't argue. He didn't find her excuse strange, thanks to the fact that the barbarian often would say he drank too much the night before whenever he was late. "Well, I'm sure that guy didn't realize something like this would happen today, either. Then I'd better assume he's not coming."
After that, Amelia stood next to her younger self and older sister.
The sisters greeted her awkwardly. "Hello..."
Unlike the barbarian, whom they were both familiar with, Amelia hadn't interacted with these two beyond what was strictly necessary over the past several months. For some reason, whenever she stood in front of them, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
This time, she forced herself to open her mouth. "Stay close to me."
"...Sorry?"
"That way I can protect you."
"Ah, right...!" The sisters weren't all that close to Amelia, but they knew she had outstanding skills, so their faces brightened at her words. Although they also seemed to be wondering why she was suddenly being nice to them.
"Prepare for battle!"
Once the formation was established, it wasn't long before it was her group's turn to go to the front lines. Divided into dozens of teams, the idea was that they would take turns on the front line and alternate breaks. There was no imminent danger. Sweeps were currently being carried out by the troops from the palace and the castellan's elites, who had been informed of today's plan in advance.
"The bastards are trying to escape! Kill them!"
The goal of the troops gathered in this particular spot was not to sweep but to seize. How strong could the leftovers escaping the burning neighborhood be? A one-sided massacre followed.
"The castellan seems completely resolved."
"Looks like 70 percent of these people are ordinary citizens; is it really okay to kill them all like this?"
"Ugh, you idiot. We can't go through them one by one to check who they are. What if a member of Orcules gets away disguised as a civilian?"
"That's true, but..."
Some expressed skepticism about the one-sided battle, but they were just a minority. Everyone here specialized in killing people.
"Does anyone remember what the commander said earlier? How much was it for two?"
"I can't really remember, but at this rate, I think this is worth more than going on another expedition."
"Hey! Did you hear? Herders! Stop fighting and collect! Ah, and if anything they're wearing looks expensive, strip it!"
Most were delighted by the opportunity to earn a high income for easy work, but as she heard this, Amelia's expression hardened. Although she was born in this city and grew up with these people, not only did this way of thinking make her feel sick, but she knew that this festive atmosphere was only temporary, and hell would soon be unleashed.
"What the—? Someone is walking over here." Even amid all the noise, that muttered comment seemed overwhelmingly loud.
Amelia hurriedly turned her head. "...Is he out of his mind?"
A lone man walking straight toward them caught their attention. Considering the hundreds of escape attempts that had been made so far, it was a very strange sight in comparison.
Step.
As the man got closer, those watching him approach began to feel uneasy.
Step.
He wore a black military uniform drenched in blood. However, while he was wet, there was not a single scratch on his clothes. Judging by the fact that they were dyed red with blood, it seemed he hadn't been lucky enough not to run into trouble on the way here.
Step.
The sword at his waist was also peculiar. This crowd was made up of plunderers who could recognize the value of an item. As such, the closer they got to it, the more everyone realized the sword was no ordinary weapon. The sword itself was very plain, but the name of the man carrying it was very famous in this city.
"...Hey, this isn't what I'm thinking it is, is it? Please tell me there's something wrong with my eyes."
"Does anyone know his face?"
There was a stir among the adventurers on standby. Some fell back on their instincts and backed away, while others were busy dealing with denial.
Step.
The man narrowed the distance to fifty yards.
Whippp!
A fire flung by a fire-type expert sputtered and died before it could even reach the man. Then came silence. This was a very famous ability.
"N-Nullification..."
Nullification was the unique power of the Lord of the Fifth Floor, the Lord of Tranquility. This incomprehensible power nullified special skills and abilities, which were the bedrock of every adventurer. It had been held by fewer than ten people in all of history, and as far as they knew, only one in the current era.
"T-Traitor..."
He was an unrivaled criminal with the nickname Traitor, the man who founded the group called Orcules with his own hands, and an undefeated swordsman: Ricardo Lüchenprague. The appearance of this man caused chaos.
"Why is this man...?"
"Palace! They said the palace's soldiers would be fighting him!"
The man did not answer any of their questions. He simply raised his sword silently, utterly disinterested.
"R-Run!"
From there, the adventurers who were gathered turned their backs and began to run away. However, the moment the sword was swung, there was a flash of light.
Flash! Slice!
The memory Amelia had replayed countless times over the past twenty years began to unfold once again.
"Prepare for battle!"
Once the formation was established, it wasn't long before it was her group's turn to go to the front lines. Divided into dozens of teams, the idea was that they would take turns on the front line and alternate breaks. There was no imminent danger. Sweeps were currently being carried out by the troops from the palace and the castellan's elites, who had been informed of today's plan in advance.
"The bastards are trying to escape! Kill them!"
The goal of the troops gathered in this particular spot was not to sweep but to seize. How strong could the leftovers escaping the burning neighborhood be? A one-sided massacre followed.
"The castellan seems completely resolved."
"Looks like 70 percent of these people are ordinary citizens; is it really okay to kill them all like this?"
"Ugh, you idiot. We can't go through them one by one to check who they are. What if a member of Orcules gets away disguised as a civilian?"
"That's true, but..."
Some expressed skepticism about the one-sided battle, but they were just a minority. Everyone here specialized in killing people.
"Does anyone remember what the commander said earlier? How much was it for two?"
"I can't really remember, but at this rate, I think this is worth more than going on another expedition."
"Hey! Did you hear? Herders! Stop fighting and collect! Ah, and if anything they're wearing looks expensive, strip it!"
Most were delighted by the opportunity to earn a high income for easy work, but as she heard this, Amelia's expression hardened. Although she was born in this city and grew up with these people, not only did this way of thinking make her feel sick, but she knew that this festive atmosphere was only temporary, and hell would soon be unleashed.
"What the—? Someone is walking over here." Even amid all the noise, that muttered comment seemed overwhelmingly loud.
Amelia hurriedly turned her head. "...Is he out of his mind?"
A lone man walking straight toward them caught their attention. Considering the hundreds of escape attempts that had been made so far, it was a very strange sight in comparison.
Step.
As the man got closer, those watching him approach began to feel uneasy.
Step.
He wore a black military uniform drenched in blood. However, while he was wet, there was not a single scratch on his clothes. Judging by the fact that they were dyed red with blood, it seemed he hadn't been lucky enough not to run into trouble on the way here.
Step.
The sword at his waist was also peculiar. This crowd was made up of plunderers who could recognize the value of an item. As such, the closer they got to it, the more everyone realized the sword was no ordinary weapon. The sword itself was very plain, but the name of the man carrying it was very famous in this city.
"...Hey, this isn't what I'm thinking it is, is it? Please tell me there's something wrong with my eyes."
"Does anyone know his face?"
There was a stir among the adventurers on standby. Some fell back on their instincts and backed away, while others were busy dealing with denial.
Step.
The man narrowed the distance to fifty yards.
Whippp!
A fire flung by a fire-type expert sputtered and died before it could even reach the man. Then came silence. This was a very famous ability.
"N-Nullification..."
Nullification was the unique power of the Lord of the Fifth Floor, the Lord of Tranquility. This incomprehensible power nullified special skills and abilities, which were the bedrock of every adventurer. It had been held by fewer than ten people in all of history, and as far as they knew, only one in the current era.
"T-Traitor..."
He was an unrivaled criminal with the nickname Traitor, the man who founded the group called Orcules with his own hands, and an undefeated swordsman: Ricardo Lüchenprague. The appearance of this man caused chaos.
"Why is this man...?"
"Palace! They said the palace's soldiers would be fighting him!"
The man did not answer any of their questions. He simply raised his sword silently, utterly disinterested.
"R-Run!"
From there, the adventurers who were gathered turned their backs and began to run away. However, the moment the sword was swung, there was a flash of light.
Flash! Slice!
The memory Amelia had replayed countless times over the past twenty years began to unfold once again.