Chapter 10
The Male Lead Went Crazy for the Troublesome Villainess — Episode 10
And Kael saw all of it.
For the past week, from leaving Rainford until now as they drew closer to Willow.
Rosana had not missed a single day of tormenting Vanessa. No—she had been working to keep Vanessa alive. And now the other young ladies were following along behind her.
It was truly a sight that defied belief. That Rosana, running?
And running that well?
"Ha."
Even after days of watching the same scene, Kael couldn't suppress a disbelieving laugh. The hand he'd been dragging down his face suddenly stopped. The woman he'd thought the biggest mess of all, Rosana, had changed first.
Right now, she could run better than a deer, and she brimmed with more vitality than the rainbow-scaled fish leaping above the water. The sheer energy radiating from her was almost blinding.
Rosana moved without a moment's rest. Whenever she had spare time, she would watch the knights train and mimic their movements.
Surprisingly, Kael had witnessed every single one of those moments.
"My lord."
Kael turned his head and fixed his gaze on Seraphine. He had heard that Seraphine, from House Monteria, had long been trained as the family's successor.
Disciplined movements, and the care she took when gripping a sword.
And her quick feet and decisive motion.
All of it came together to form the person called Seraphine. Despite being her family's successor, Seraphine had volunteered for this expedition.
The short hair she had cut before the expedition departed swayed at the nape of her neck.
"Training is finished. Breakfast is being prepared. Shall we go?"
"......Seraphine, come here."
Seraphine tilted her head, then came to Kael's side. Kael shifted slightly aside and gestured with his chin toward Rosana, Vanessa, and the young ladies. Seraphine narrowed her eyes and studied them.
"What do you think?"
"They have certainly improved compared to a week ago."
"Do you think Lady Vanessa could dodge a monster's fangs and flee?"
"......I would say her odds have risen."
A possibility had emerged where there had been none. Kael's lips tugged up crookedly.
Vanessa, who had seemed most likely to be left behind first, was gradually changing with Rosana's help. Every time she collapsed, she got back up, and now she could keep up with the group fairly well as they ran.
At this rate, she might at least be able to avoid danger on her own two feet.
"Then what about the other young ladies? I heard she even got them new shoes through Register. Clothes too."
Register was in charge of supplies. He had said Rosana had taken supplies from him—apparently this was what she had needed them for.
Seraphine answered carefully.
"At the very least, they should have one chance to survive."
Kael looked at Rosana again. He had regarded those who were of no help in battle as nothing more than burdens to be protected, but now he found himself thinking that perhaps there was another way.
Kael watched Rosana with a heavy gaze as she beamed and gave Vanessa a push from behind.
Rosana was breathing hope into this expedition, and into Kael. That Rosana, of all people.
That was probably why Kael couldn't take his eyes off her.
Kael turned to leave, then stopped short.
"Seraphine."
"Yes, my lord."
The words Rosana had muttered back in Rainford came to mind.
"Could you teach Lady Rosana the sword? Don't give up too much of your time."
"......I'll try."
Seraphine nodded curtly.
Kael shook his head once, then roughly swept his hair back and narrowed his eyes.
'I never thought I'd be thinking like this.'
Kael gave a low command.
"And starting tomorrow, the non-combat personnel will begin training as well. Have the knights organize them into groups and train them, starting with basic physical conditioning."
"Yes, my lord."
If what Rosana had kindled was an ember of hope, Kael intended to do everything he could to fan it into flame and keep it from going out.
* * *
For some reason, things had begun unfolding differently from the original story.
An order had come down that the non-combat personnel would also begin training.
Me? I was all for it. Vanessa was horrified, and a few of the young ladies voiced complaints, but no one could defy the Crown Prince's orders.
Among those who stepped forward to help with the training was Seraphine.
I didn't know why Seraphine had volunteered for such a thing.......
No, wait. Maybe it was precisely because she was Seraphine that she had volunteered.
Seraphine, as the female lead of this novel, was the person who breathed hope into the male lead, Kael. Like...... a shot of pure catharsis after all that suffocating frustration, I guess.
She was also the only person who could make Kael smile.
Whatever Seraphine did was unquestionably right.
Moreover, even in the original story, Seraphine was one of the people who cared for the non-combat personnel to the very end. She mourned their deaths and blamed herself for failing to protect them.
Perhaps this time she had grown a little more than in the original, and had persuaded Kael to start this training.
As expected of the female lead.
She even grows on her own. She's not just any female lead.
I was watching Seraphine with a proud smile when she opened her mouth.
"There was also an order that, among the non-combat personnel, anyone who wishes may join swordsmanship training as well. If there are any volunteers......."
"Me!"
Before I knew it, my hand had shot up. Ahem. Was my voice too loud? The gazes of the people who had been listening to Seraphine with dead-fish eyes all turned toward me.
I heard Vanessa let out a sigh.
What? Why?
Training alone has its limits, you know. Seraphine had the skill to awaken as a Sword Master during the course of the novel—that is, during battle against monsters. Do you know how rare an opportunity it is to learn from someone that skilled?
I let the strength slowly drain from my raised hand and stepped forward.
"I absolutely want to learn."
Seraphine stared at me steadily. Then she turned her head and swept her gaze over the others.
"Are there any other volunteers who wish to learn the sword?"
"......Do we really have to fight monsters? Us too?"
A frail-looking man asked. Judging by the fact that he was still wearing silk clothes, he was one of those who hadn't grasped his own situation.
"Arrange for me to meet His Highness. I will insist that guards be assigned to those of us who cannot fight. That seems more promising than us receiving training. Surely the Crown Prince would not turn his back on us."
Hm. What a load of shit.
I clicked my tongue softly. Did that even make sense? The non-combat personnel made up nearly half the expedition. To protect people who couldn't even run properly, most of the remaining combat personnel would inevitably be tied down. But the top priority of this expedition was not escorting them—it was subjugating monsters.
Recovering the holy relic, and ultimately protecting this empire and the world.
Protecting the empire from monsters.
That was the goal.
I saw several nobles nod in agreement. They wore the same vacant, dead-fish expressions as if they had come along on a leisurely sightseeing trip. Tsk. They'd be the first to become monster food.
I whipped my head away. Better to just pretend I didn't notice.
"Those who wish to be excused from training may do so. His Highness said he would not stop them."
"Did you not hear what I just said? I have something I need to raise with His Highness—!"
Seraphine drew her sword without hesitation.