Player's Entrance (5)
The Holy Empire officially rejected Valua Kingdom's request for military support, stating that "even for an allied nation, we cannot interfere in a civil war." They were doing their utmost to avoid getting entangled in other countries' internal affairs. With its 66 vassal states and vast imperial territories, the empire had no choice but to respond cautiously to foreign civil conflicts.
"Kuh! You hypocrites...!"
Upon learning of the failed negotiations with the Holy Empire, Lu An slammed his desk in a burst of rage.
Damn those imperial bastards. Was this the reward for centuries of loyalty to the empire? Valua Kingdom, representative sovereign of the continent and symbol of the Holy Alliance, had been utterly abandoned.
Now that the Holy Empire had formally refused military aid, it was clear the surrounding nations would hesitate to intervene in Valua's civil war.
"Ahaha! I can hear the abandoned baby spider shivering from here~"
A woman's voice, dripping with sweet coquettishness, began to ring out seductively. The curtains in the office fluttered. The windows had surely been closed, yet a gale suddenly howled through, whipping the purple drapes wildly.
"...Are you here to mock me?"
Lu An's face twisted in fury, his expression laced with blatant contempt and disgust.
Ahahat! Ahahahat!! The woman's laughter deepened at the crown prince's handsome face contorted in anger. At the same time, a dark shadow formed on the flapping curtains, outlining the slender, elegant curves of a woman.
"Of course not? I just find your predicament amusing."
Giggling, the woman stepped toward Lu An. When their eyes met—her red irises gleaming—the crown prince, his earlier bravado vanished, instinctively backed away.
"So, how does our baby spider plan to evade death? That's what I came to ask. After all, you're far too handsome to meet a pathetic end. It'd be a tragedy for such a pretty face to end up bloodied."
The woman who had appeared so suddenly praised the crown prince's looks while extending a pale white hand. Her crimson-painted nails grazed his cheek. Lu An felt chills crawling over his skin with every stroke.
"Insolent wretch!"
The crown prince bellowed and roughly slapped her hand away. She just smirked, then erupted into maniacal laughter that shook the office.
"Heh, hehehe! Ahahat!! Sorry, sorry. I forgot for a moment that humans love to puff up their chests even when death is at their feet."
Her words said sorry, but her face showed no remorse. If anything, she relished the crown prince's venomous glare.
"I told you never to show your face again! I'll summon the knights right now and tear that clownish mug off you!"
"Mm. That wouldn't be a wise choice."
Scraping her head with her sharp nails, the woman got to the point of her visit.
"I've come to ask Valua's crown prince if he'll accept Mother's mercy."
This is an ultimatum, she added.
"What do you demand in return for aiding the kingdom?" Lu An asked.
Was it the dire war situation? Or death breathing down his neck? Or perhaps the betrayal by the Holy Empire he had trusted like blood brothers? Unlike his former self, who had shown strong disgust toward demonkind, he was different now. Cornered like a rat, he clung desperately to the one path to survival. Capture by the citizen army meant a gruesome end, leaving him mentally broken.
I have the noble goal of reviving Valua Kingdom. For Heinkel's recognition... for restoring the kingdom's glory... I must avert destruction and survive at any cost!
I can't die here. I won't let the kingdom fall.
Rejected by the Holy Empire, Lu An wrestled with relying on the Tyranny Demon King while recoiling in revulsion at allying with filthy demons.
"Don't worry. We vampires value business trust above all. Unlike those scam cults babbling about faith and forcing collections."
She pointed a finger at him.
"Accept us vampires."
"Impossible... If we're ever found out...!"
"We're the nobles of the night, the bloodkin hidden in shadows. We won't be discovered. We always lurk in the dark, waiting for the moment to sink our fangs into the enemy's neck."
She flashed a bright smile, her lips parting to reveal terrifyingly sharp fangs.
She approached, her high heels clicking with each step of her long legs. Reaching Lu An, she placed a hand on his chest like one petting a child.
"What are you afraid of? You don't have the luxury to worry about anything but dodging death. Focus on that. Nothing else matters. You don't want to die, right? Then cast aside all scruples and defy it."
Marishka Vampir, eldest daughter of the vampire queen, gazed at the tormented crown prince with delight, beaming brightly.
"Allying with the bloodkin... I, it can't be. But to save the country..."
"Just stay silent. Play the bystander—it's the role that suits you best. Keep your mouth shut, sit on that throne you love so much, and watch the chess pieces move. If it gets dangerous, flip the board yourself. That's all."
You're fine as a bystander. Let the chess pieces move. Just stay silent about vampire involvement in the civil war.
Tempted by Marishka's sweet proposal, Lu An swallowed hard and nodded. The idea of mere silence as a bystander appealed to him. Gray—neither black nor white. The color the crown prince, inheriting his father's indecisiveness and folly, loved most.
After bidding temporary farewells to those around him, Yushin Gilliard set foot into the Akiteon Mountains, the border between Liberia Elf Kingdom and Valua Kingdom.
He would soon cross the border.
Escorted by elf rangers, Yushin headed toward Valua Kingdom. It was quite the irony. Just days ago, he had crossed these mountains as a prisoner of war, captured by elves more fearsome than demons. Now, he was crossing back under their protection.
"Yushin..."
Walking beside him, Ardena Valencia turned her head and called his name. Still undecided, she gazed at him with pitying eyes as he prepared to enter Valua Kingdom beyond the Akiteon Mountains.
Was I always this timid? Ardena inwardly scolded herself for failing to hide her anxiety, yet she couldn't bring herself to let him go, hesitating to the end.
"Take your protective gear."
"Got it."
Yushin and Allen Rocksfield checked their protective gear and armaments, preparing to cross the border. Clink, clank. They donned metal-reinforced guards. Arm guards, a dagger at the waist—standard adventurer leather armor, nothing forgotten. Finally, hoods to conceal their faces.
Ching! Yushin pulled a mechanism on his arm guard, and a sharp blade sprang out near his hand. An elf ranger's concealed weapon. An elf of similar build had allowed them to procure it.
"Yushin."
"Yeah."
Ardena called again. Yushin was seated on a creaky makeshift chair, tightening the straps of his gear.
"...If you want, I'll go with you."
"Huh?"
At the high elf warrior captain's words, Yushin paused mid-strap and looked up. Their eyes met. In his gaze, Ardena wore an expression of anxiety and unease—the polar opposite of her usual dignified poise.
Does my leaving make her this anxious? Acknowledging his momentary neglect, Yushin opened his mouth to ease her worries.
"Two days. Just two days. I'll confirm Lady Rocksfield's safety and come straight back. Alonne and Leticia's graduation exams are in a week... no, six days now. Anyway, I'll return as fast as I can."
"I trust you. It's not that I don't... I do trust you now. I just..."
Ardena trailed off, avoiding his eyes. She knew it was needless worry, mere unfounded anxiety. Yet every time she looked at his face, unease flooded her. She wanted him by her side always. Together forever. Even for this brief parting...
Her anxious heart wouldn't tolerate even that.
"Anxious?" Yushin asked.
Ardena tried to deny it. But for some reason, the words wouldn't come. In the end, she nodded, answering his question.
"Sorry... Thinking of you going far away..."
She hadn't felt this anxious even fighting Sabnack. Yushin had been there. With her loved one guarding her side, she hadn't feared. Love had made her strong. And love made her endlessly weak. That cunning, cruel emotion manipulated joy and sorrow, squeezing the heart in an instant.
"I'll come back for sure. Definitely."
Yushin extended his arms, pulling Ardena's slender waist into an embrace. A sudden hug. But Ardena didn't resist. Instead, she spread her arms and hugged him back.
"I wish I had some collateral to leave as proof of my promise, but alas, nothing."
"No, you do have something to leave."
At Yushin's words, Ardena's eyes sparkled with firm resolve. She rose on tiptoe, tilting her head up for a farewell kiss. Neither too short nor too long, neither shallow nor deep—a kiss mourning their brief parting while promising reunion.
"Hng...!"
As the kiss deepened and Yushin's hands caressed her, a moan escaped Ardena's lips.
And at that moment, Allen returned from receiving backpacks stocked with emergency rations from the elf rangers.
"I'm back. Think we're ready to go now."
Thrilled at starting the journey alone with her brother, the blue-haired swordswoman's eyes widened at the sight of the two locked in a loving kiss upon entering the waiting area. Her strength failed her; the backpack slipped from her arms with a thud. Emergency rations spilled out, rolling across the floor—dried meat, fruit pouches, even the water canteen tumbling away.
"You bastard! You bastard! You bastard!!"
The blue-haired swordswoman roared like a lion's thunder, her voice echoing through the Akiteon Mountains. Yushin made an "oh crap" face at Allen's rabbit-eyed fury.
Patting Ardena's tear-streaked cheek, he said to Allen, "You should knock first."
"I'm gonna kill you, you bastard! I really will!!"
Even caught red-handed in their tryst, Yushin's shamelessness only fueled Allen's rage. She extended her arms, drawing Dragon Pursuer from her subspace.