2
Chapter 2
****
Clang!
Boom!
The Frost Golem collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Ssssss.
At the same time, the Frost Golem's head split open, and a white chill radiated outward.
It was then absorbed into Silvia's Frost Greatsword.
Flash!
"I definitely feel stronger."
"Are you satisfied, Lady Silvia?"
Argo the Mage said, placing his hand on the Frost Golem's corpse.
"Of course! This Frost Greatsword is an amazing weapon!"
"I'm satisfied too. We've finally taken down four golems."
- Whoosh.
Something began to be sucked into Argo's staff. The Frost Golem's eyes shifted from blue to transparent.
"Thanks for letting me hunt the golems."
"Huh?"
"I'll be going now. Don't bother looking for me."
"Wait, hold on... You said we were hunting a dragon?"
"A dragon? I was only after the golems from the start. I have no more use for you."
Argo's betrayal. It was something neither Silvia nor Nerca had expected.
"No, wait..."
"This was the plan all along. Slaying the Demon King? As if that were ever possible."
"You bastard! Then the staff I got you..."
"I'll put it to good use. See ya!"
Swoosh!
A piercing frost wind swept in. Argo rode the gust and zoomed away.
Silvia watched blankly, only able to shout a curse.
"I trusted him so much! I really thought he'd stay until the end!"
****
At the same time. Hoistein Castle.
"Mmm! This is delicious."
Beef really is the best.
Since it was fresh, it was incredibly tender.
With the Hero's party gone, I handed out beef to the residents so they could make some soup.
Since the rye fields were a complete mess, they'd need the strength to restore them.
"Your Highness!"
"What! I'm eating!"
"The Hero has arrived!"
"So it's finally happening. Did you have the archers on standby?"
"Of course!"
"You're actually doing your job for once. Shall we go?"
As I headed toward the wall, I spotted Silvia staring at the tightly shut castle gates with a bewildered expression.
"Why... why won't they open the gates?"
"What do you mean 'why'!"
"Hey, Alec! Open the gates! I don't know what these peasants are plotting, but..."
"I'm the one who ordered it!"
"Eh...?"
Silvia's expression changed instantly. Beside her, Nerca seemed to sense the situation, holding up a cross and dropping to their knees.
Silvia, however, still hadn't come to her senses.
"Hey, Alec! You think the Queen will just let this slide? Stop joking and open the gates!"
"No!"
"You're the Archduke of the North!"
"I'm going on strike!"
"A strike...?"
"If you try to force those gates open, you'll have to deal with the entire Frost Knights and the Hoistein guards! Hero Silvia! You are banned from Hoistein Castle! Do I make myself clear?"
Not quite grasping the situation, Silvia lifted the Frost Greatsword she had taken from me.
"I'll deal with you after the gates are open! Aaaaagh!"
Freeze!
The howling Frost Greatsword fell silent in an instant. Silvia stared at the blade with wide, shocked eyes.
"You haven't forgotten that the true master of the Frost Greatsword is me, Alec Ragnar, have you?"
"Wait, hold on... At least let me use the sword! If it's like this, the Demon King or whatever..."
"Figure it out yourself! And tell your Queen this: we're done sending tributes, so she can deal with that however she wants!"
Silvia finally began to realize where she stood. She looked up at me with a desperate expression and started pleading.
"I'm sorry! I was a bit too much, wasn't I?"
"Glad you realize that!"
"What do I have to promise for you to open the gates?"
"Promise? You're still delusional. Between the rye fields you trashed and the 458 potions you swiped from the chests—among other things—I'm not opening the gates or cooperating until you pay every cent!"
Originally, the Hero's party could use the taverns in my territory for free. Of course, the residents were furious because they caused a scene every time they drank.
But that ends now. If they throw a fit? I'll send the Frost Knights immediately.
Man, that feels refreshing. I should have done this sooner!
"H-how much do I owe?"
"600,000 gold!"
"600,000 gold...? Alec! Be reasonable, there's no way I have that kind of money!"
"Then go ask your precious Queen for it!"
"The Queen won't just sit back and watch! You know that!"
"Who do you think is stronger, the Queen's Army or my Frost Knights?"
How much have I invested in the Frost Knights?
500 knights and 1,500 squires. A total force of 2,000.
This main force alone is more than enough to wipe out the Queen's Army.
That woman trusted me and cut her military spending. Her direct knights are barely half the size of the Frost Knights.
"Now that you've figured that out, get the hell out of here!"
Just then, Saintess Nerika spoke to me in a tearful voice.
"Archduke Alec... we know we've been a nuisance. We truly want to apologize. What can we do to make you open the gates again?"
"I told you I have no intention of opening them."
"600,000 gold. I'll pay it back somehow. So please!"
"Nerika! Don't! Don't fall for Alec's schemes!"
But...
"Damn it! Are you leaving me too?"
"It's cold outside..."
Nerika was the only one who was actually nice to me. This is a dilemma. Should I let her in?
No. A decision is a decision. I need to keep up this pressure for at least a few days.
Still, I couldn't just leave a fragile woman kneeling and apologizing in the middle of a freezing winter field.
"Nerika, wait there. Silvia! You, get lost!":
"Fine! You damn country bumpkin Archduke! I can kill the Demon King just fine without your help! You'll regret this! I'll make sure of it!"
Silvia squeezed out the last of her pride and stomped away, fuming.
Then, I opened the side door and stepped down to stand before Nerika.
"Could you... let me inside the castle?"
"I can't. You've caused me too much trouble. By the way, where did Argo go?"
"He ran off after filling his own pockets."
Wow. The Hero's party has completely fallen apart.
"But if I stay here... I'll freeze to death! You know that!"
Nerika pleaded, tugging at the hem of my trousers.
"Please... Your Highness is such a powerful man. Now that you've fought with Silvia, I can't survive out here alone..."
"Sigh... Go to the Countship of Masburgh. I have a villa there."
"R-really?"
"In exchange, you'll have to work as a healer in Masburgh. That's my condition."
"I-I will!"
"If you slack off, I'll kick you out immediately. Understand?"
Nerika's face blushed slightly. I wonder if she's really that desperate.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you so much...!"
"Chief Attendant! Prepare the carriage. Escort Saintess Nerika to Masburgh."
"Yes, Your Highness."
****
Silvia, now cast out, sat before a campfire, staring blankly at her non-functional Frost Greatsword.
"Damn it. I'm almost out of food..."
Archduke Alec's face drifted into Silvia's mind.
Until now, he had treated her truly well. So well that she had felt almost too comfortable.
Unlike Argo, who always felt like a stranger, Alec was handsome and skilled, making him feel unexpectedly familiar.
And yet, that same Archduke had thrown her away.
Even Saintess Nerika had left. Now, the Hero's party consisted of nothing but the Hero herself.
"Ugh... this can't be happening..."
Regret washed over her. She shouldn't have treated him so poorly just because they were close.
Rumble.
"This skewer is my last meal, then..."
Silvia lamented her truly miserable situation.
But her mission was to survive and defeat the Demon King.
Gathering her strength, she decided to go hunting.
There were many deer in the North; if she could catch one, she could last a few more days.
"I should have brought a bow."
Of course, hunting in the territory was reserved for those with permission. Silvia had been granted it before, but there was no way it remained valid after being kicked out.
Still, it was better than just sitting here and freezing to death.
Silvia stood up carefully and picked up a fallen branch lying nearby.
"If Nerika were here, hunting would be so much easier..."
Nerika, who was both a Saintess and an archer. If only she had stayed by Silvia's side.
Would things have been better?
****
At the same time. Hoistein Castle.
"Chief Attendant, bring me my bow."
"Are you going hunting, Your Highness?"
"Yes. I'm in a foul mood, and I can't keep hunting cattle forever. I need some deer."
I'm going for some deer. Venison is absolutely delicious.
In the past, whenever I caught deer, I practically handed them all over to the Hero's party, barely getting a few bites myself.
Now that the eyesore of a party is gone, I can eat all the venison I want!
Of course, I have to actually catch one.
Then again, catching a deer isn't that difficult. I'll have it sorted out in no time once I head out.
"Sigh. Maybe things will start going my way now."