58. Succession (3)
58. Succession (3)
Bel stood looking through 1st Princess Brigitte's wardrobe, wearing nothing but pure white underwear.
That was because there wasn't a single piece of clothing in Bel's own quarters suitable for going into the capital.
All her clothes were made for maximum efficiency.
Therefore, they were all unsuitable for a man and woman walking together through the capital on a date.
"The Princess's clothes are all too... bright."
Bel despaired at the sight of a brilliant sky-blue one-piece dress!
"...I can't wear this."
Brigitte stared at Bel's thighs, which moved with elasticity each time she bent her knees.
'Oho, she has a beautiful body.'
The muscles that writhed as if alive were truly wondrous.
Bel weighed a pink cardigan against the sky-blue dress, and in the end, couldn't choose either.
"Wh-what do I do?"
Bel roughly tousled her blue hair.
To Brigitte, Bel's behavior—putting such diligent effort into her date with Yuma—was very adorable.
"Just as you are. Going out the way you normally dress isn't a bad approach either."
"Pardon?"
At Brigitte's words, Bel's eyes went round.
"Couldn't you just ask Yuma to buy you clothes? Clothing stores are all over the capital streets."
"...Ah."
Bel nodded slightly, as if a small realization had dawned.
Brigitte approached Bel and whispered.
"Couldn't you just have him pick something pretty for you? Ask Yuma."
"Oh...!"
Without realizing it, Bel grew a little excited.
"You know quite a lot about this sort of thing. Your Highness!"
'Of course, I've never actually said such things myself.'
Brigitte kept that thought inside.
She didn't want to discourage Bel's courage, as Bel seemed to have resolved to go on the date wearing exactly her usual activewear-style clothes.
***
"Have you been waiting long?"
Yuma wasn't the type to dress up elaborately.
Even so, to Bel's eyes, he looked considerably dressed up.
A dark brown trench coat, slightly thinner than the black coat he had worn continuously since the battlefield, harmonized nicely with Yuma's ash-gray hair.
"Mm, no, my lord. I just came out."
They had gathered again about thirty minutes after lunch.
"Let's go."
"Yeah!"
Yuma stepped forward first. Bel followed behind him with quick, pattering footsteps.
The imperial capital, Barnak.
As befitting a capital, Barnak bustled with vigorous activity.
"There are so many people."
Bel's pink eyes captured the vast scenery of the imperial capital.
Lovers laughing and chatting.
Smells of food wafting from all around.
Summer on this continent was quite short.
Because of that, even though it was August, a cold chill was beginning to creep in. So people were crowded together, standing in line at a place selling bread that looked similar to hotteok.
Yuma and Bel drank coffee with the warm hotteok.
"Hoo— hoo...."
The way she puffed her cheeks out to cool the hotteok's heat was quite adorable.
Yuma slowly sipped his warm black coffee.
The appropriately bitter scent of the Americano welcomed his sense of smell.
"Lately, I've been thinking. That you might be hiding something."
Yuma continued slowly.
"My suspicions seem to be right. It's always been slightly on my mind."
Bel, with her head slightly lowered, nibbled at the hotteok.
Then she opened her mouth just a little and spoke quietly.
"Yeah, there is something I need to say... but can I say it after everything's finished today? On the way back?"
Still, it seemed she had resolved to say something on the way back.
Bel smiled softly.
"Because I want to enjoy this moment a little, Yuma."
"Alright, let's talk on the way back after we're done having fun."
"Mm."
Bel opened her mouth wide and took a big bite of the hotteok.
"Mmm...! It tastes like my tongue is melting!"
The place they headed to after enjoying the hotteok and coffee was a clothing store.
"My lord, pick for me."
Bel, who couldn't quite bring herself to say "Yuma, pick for me," brought out the title "my lord" once more. Yuma slowly nodded.
"Understood."
Yuma deliberated with great seriousness.
Because it was a gift for a precious comrade, one with whom he would walk a rough road together for a very long time.
"Try it on."
The first thing Yuma handed her was a pure white dress.
And the second was a set of a leather jacket and jeans that excelled in both practicality and fashion.
"Y-you're telling me to put this on...?"
Bel gazed at the pure white one-piece dress with wide, startled eyes.
This was the first time she had faced such a billowing, pure white garment right before her eyes. In the Land of White Night, such clothes had neither purpose nor value.
"Customer! You can try it on over there!"
A short female clerk hurried over and very energetically pointed to the fitting room.
Bel put on the comfortable leather jacket and leather pants set first.
The black leather brought out the aura Bel originally possessed.
"Not bad."
It looked fine for wearing casually anytime.
"Yes, it suits you well."
Yuma also nodded.
After swallowing once, Bel looked at the remaining challenge.
Clothes of a kind she had never worn before.
Slide—
Bel went into the fitting room, undressed, and put on the pure white dress.
The female clerk, who spotted Bel before Yuma did, rushed over and said.
"Unni, you look pretty! But the strings in the back need to be tied a little tighter!"
The pink-haired clerk rose up on her heels and whispered toward Bel.
"Let's ask that gentleman to tie the knot! Unni!"
The problem was that Yuma had heard everything.
"Could you... tie the strings a little?"
At Bel's words, Yuma tied the back strings of the dress.
With her upper body firm and lean, the form-fitting dress seemed to make the lines of her body shine even more gracefully.
"It suits you well."
"...Does it?"
At Yuma's words, Bel stared for a while at her reflection in the standing mirror.
She was considerably shocked by the gap between her usual self, who only wore clothes practical for battle, and her current appearance.
"Wear it like that when we go out."
"Sh-should I?"
The one who shortened Bel's deliberation was the short clerk who had been assisting all along.
"Yes! Wearing the white dress as is! I'll help with the payment!"
Pat-pat!
Due to the clerk's swift handling, in the end, Bel stepped out of the clothing store still wearing the white dress.
"Hic..."
Bel walked with a subtly stiffened expression.
It seemed it would take quite a long adjustment period to walk around properly in this white garment.
After leaving the clothing store, Yuma and Bel ate a light early dinner.
Bel then realized she hadn't given Yuma anything. So she dragged him into any clothing shop she saw nearby.
A muffler. She wanted to at least buy him a scarf.
Bel was confident!
Because she had received an allowance from 1st Princess Brigitte!
"Sky blue, pretty. Hehe."
Bel rose on her heels and smiled bashfully as she looked at the deep purple scarf she had personally given Yuma.
"Then let's go with this."
"Yeah!"
So it came to pass that they had each given and received gifts.
Just as Bel had walked out still wearing the dress, Yuma stepped out with the scarf draped on.
The sunset was slowly falling.
"Shall we head back now?"
"Mm."
At Yuma's words, Bel slowly nodded.
Even though there were this many people in the streets, from some point onward, she was aware of nothing but Yuma and herself. They had had so much fun that it felt that way.
Yuma and Bel walked side by side.
Step, step...
It was the moment they left the city streets and entered the path leading to the imperial palace.
Kwoong──
Something began to drop from the sky.
Along with crimson lightning.
They were red knights.
Knights clad in full crimson body armor reminiscent of full plate armor.
Kwoong— Kwogugung—!
The problem was that it wasn't just one red knight suddenly falling from the sky.
Five in total.
Five red knights fell as if plummeting from the sky.
Yuma fixed his <Searching Eye> on one of the red knights that had suddenly appeared.
[Lv.???]
Red Knight
Race: ???
Realm: Sword Master
Caution: An existence created through divine power.
Things that the Searching Eye could not interpret.
He had seen this case before. When he had used <Searching Eye> on the god Inkrinew. There had been blank spaces then too.
And evidence supporting that reasoning was clearly written in the caution field.
'Another Evil God sent them.'
Yuma spoke toward Bel.
"Be careful, they're Master-level strong opponents."
Right after Yuma finished speaking.
Bel's voice covered Yuma's words.
"Don't step in, Yuma."
The voice directed at Yuma was clearly an affectionate voice.
But from her eyes, a murderous glare was shining.
'I cannot make Yuma use his power.'
Bel didn't care what clothes she was wearing right now.
Making sure Yuma didn't have to use any power.
Making sure there was no strain on his body.
That was the most important thing to Bel right now.
Kwajik!
She stomped the ground fiercely.
Her thoughts accelerated. She perceived clearly which swordsmanship to use in this situation.
<Cherten Style>
It was time to use that refined swordsmanship she had inherited from Yuma.
A blue airflow spread across her entire body.
<Iron>
The 1st Form of the Cherten Style. A fierce sword path descending vertically.
The red knight extended his sword toward that sword path.
Kadeudeuk!
The sword of the red knight that had opposed Bel's <Iron> shattered in an instant.
Battle between Sword Masters.
Even that, in the end, was something that concluded in a split second most of the time.
A split-second gap.
Because they had reached the pinnacle of the sword, the realm of Sword Master, that minute difference was all the more critical than in previous realms.
That was why battles between Sword Masters rarely exceeded ten exchanges.
A single blow.
With the single blow of Iron, the body of the red knight at the very front was bisected, armor and all.
And he scattered, dispersing into red airflow.
Four red knights remained.
Kwadeuk!
Three knights simultaneously kicked off the ground and lunged.
Bel's eyes were terribly cold as she stared at them.
"Die."
Bel was furious to the top of her head.
The reason was simple. Because she sensed that those knights were approaching not her, but solely Yuma.
Swaeaeaeaek!
The sword of the red knight directly in front rushed toward Bel.
Jjeo—eong!
The sword was smashed in an instant.
<Breaking Sword>
She shattered both the Sword Aura and the sword itself.
Then Bel's wrists twisted.
To immediately execute the 3rd Form.
<Lightning Flash>
Kwaaaaang!
A thunderbolt-like thrust shot out, splitting the atmosphere.
The second knight dispersed.
'Weak. Their durability is.'
Those red things' sword paths were quite sharp.
But they were the same as people. Cut them, and they die.
If that fundamental principle was the same, there was nothing to fear.
'Not a single one.'
She could stop them from approaching Yuma.
She could end it on her own.
Jjeojeojeojeok──
The battle aura that had spread across Bel's entire body gathered solely into her sword.
She swung.
Once again, the sword path she had fully bloomed yesterday.
Cherten Style, 4th Form.
<Yellow Springs>
Deep blue Sword Aura. Within the texture of that Sword Aura, blue flames flowed infinitely.
Sseogeogeogeogeogong!!
An extreme horizontal slash swept away the space.
The red knights' waists were ruthlessly severed, crimson armor and all.
But Bel's eyes shook violently.
Because only two of them had dispersed.
"...."
Yuma looked with expressionless eyes at the one red knight rushing toward him.
Swaeaeaeaeaeaek!
A thrust shot out, whirling with red Sword Aura like a tempest.
<Hyper-Focus>
He contemplated the incoming attack.
'The tip of the tempest.'
The tip of the blade.
Yuma drew Balmung from his waist and swung at the same time.
Kaaaaaaang!
A clear metallic ring echoed out.
A golden circular impact, signifying a successful parry, spread roundly.
<Absolute Counter>
Kwakwagwagwagwagwang!!!!!
The reversed Sword Aura of the crimson tempest swept over the entire body of the remaining red knight.
A thick sand vortex rose from the ground.
The moment he thought the disturbance was over.
A bizarre voice leaked out from beside him.
"Mortal."
Yuma looked to the side.
A woman stood there.
A woman with orange hair.
She was wearing a very ordinary brown shirt and black skirt.
Drip... drip—
Murky blood was flowing from her mouth. Blood was flowing from both eyes.
Her right arm and left leg were grotesquely twisted.
The woman approached Yuma slowly, like a zombie.
"It's certain that you killed Inkrinew, but...."
Every time she spoke, blood gushed out violently.
Yuma fixed his Searching Eye on the woman.
[Lv.81] Yuriana
Race: Human
Class: Sister
Caution: A sister who serves an unknown god.
Currently, that unknown god has 'divine descent' upon Yuriana's body.
The body is collapsing violently.
"I still cannot grasp the martial principle or logic of your power. I came just to see it once and... khuheok!"
A handful of blood spurted from Yuriana's mouth.
"Are you an Evil God, you bastard."
Yuriana's lips twisted grotesquely.
"Well... let's meet again next time. Human."
Kkwa—ang!!!
Yuriana's head burst.
The headless body sprawled onto the floor. Blood soaked the floor thickly. Even the remaining body began to slowly disappear, shedding red airflow.
It was the complete evaporation of the body.
Even the clothes burned away and vanished.
The only thing that didn't disappear was one thing: a necklace.
A necklace with a silver pendant.
Yuma opened the pendant.
There was a single photograph. Yuriana, who had just died, and beside her, a young boy who looked to be her younger brother.
"...."
Yuma put the pendant necklace containing this photograph, which seemed unlikely to be useful as a clue, into his subspace pouch for now.
What was clear was that yet another Evil God had recognized his existence and had begun to take an interest.
'This one seems to be a fairly cautious type.'
Unlike Inkrinew's case, the god had not descended directly, but had approached him through divine descent.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Yuma stared at Bel beside him.
"Bel."
Bel's pure white dress. No, what had been a pure white dress was now thickly covered in dirt.
"Why were you so reluctant to let me step in?"
Bel's pink eyes shook violently.
"It seems it's time I heard the reason. Lately, you've been unnecessarily careful around me..."
Yuma swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Because Bel had suddenly wrapped both arms around him and embraced him.
Bel buried her head against Yuma's chest.
"Because Yuma is sick... because Yuma is sick...."
And she spoke while choking up. Very slowly. Very quietly.
"Coughing up blood. Saying on the stairs that you don't have much time left... it's all because you pushed your power too hard, isn't it...."
Bel lifted her head.
"Because I'm so useless. Situations where my lord has to step in keep getting created...."
Tears welled in both her eyes.
Yuma made a decision.
He needed to return to the Princess's palace quickly and have a very long talk with Bel.