A Queen's Premature Triumph
Just as Luna had said, the end of the passage held an exit naturally camouflaged by overgrown tree roots. As the knights hacked them away, the rich scent of damp earth and wood wafted over us. Outside, darkness had already fallen.
Descending the foothills, a faint light came into view. An old man sat before a dilapidated stable. He didn't even blink at the sight of dark figures suddenly emerging from the mountain. It was as if he had been stationed there for this exact moment. Without a word, he retreated into the stable and led out ten horses. Every single one of them was sturdy and meticulously groomed.
We mounted William and Tina onto separate horses, and then the nine escort knights and I climbed into our saddles. I was perfectly capable of riding; after all, equestrianism was a mandatory part of a princess's education.
"We will take the main road," Filgret said. "There will undoubtedly be checkpoints, but we have no choice but to break through."
"Do it," I replied. "Speed is our absolute priority."
It was highly unlikely they had managed to establish multiple layers of cordons so quickly. Once we broke through just one checkpoint, it would be nearly impossible for them to catch up to horses running at full gallop. Just then, a steady drizzle began to fall. While the weather was dreary, it was a blessing for us, as we needed to move under the cover of stealth. And so, our sprint through the rain began. Along the highway, toward the royal capital of Lurie.
As we rode, Filgret, who was leading the vanguard, raised his hand in a signal to halt. We gradually slowed our pace and came to a stop.
"What is it?" I asked.
"...Enemy soldiers. They've set up proper barricades. Moreover, their numbers are greater than expected."
Before us lay nothing but darkness and the sound of falling rain. My eyes couldn't discern a thing in the gloom. However, Filgret was not one to make baseless claims.
"Is it impossible to break through?"
"There may be casualties."
"Can we bypass them?"
"If they have secured the fields as well, we will be at an even greater disadvantage. Even if we must suffer some losses, breaking through here seems to be our best course of action."
I fingered the horn flute tucked inside my coat and spoke.
"...Should I call them?"
This flute was also a magic item—the Magic Horn Flute. Crafted from a pair of horns belonging to the exact same ox, those who held them could always pinpoint each other's precise location and direction through its sound, no matter the distance, and no matter how heavily the rain poured.
But the issue was speed. Rika had no idea we were attempting an escape. She was likely lingering around Senain Castle, keeping a close eye on the unusual developments. The subterranean travel speed of the Earth Dragon's Gauntlet was only slightly faster than a human's running pace. If I blew the flute now, it would take a considerable amount of time for them to reach us. Furthermore, the sound of the horn might reach the enemy soldiers ahead of us first, though there was a chance it would be drowned out by the rain.
"It would be wiser to keep them as a last resort," Filgret advised. "Besides, making noise would likely cost us the advantage of a surprise attack."
"Understood. I will trust your judgment, Filgret."
"Yes, Your Highness. Kisk, John, Max. Draw your swords."
Three knights drew their blades and stepped forward. After they formed up, Filgret spoke to the rest.
"If the enemy's defenses are too tight, we will create a breach and hold them off as long as possible. If the front becomes too chaotic or too quiet, ride past us without looking back. Ryuk, if that happens, you will take command."
"Understood," Ryuk replied.
Filgret lowered his visor and charged forward. The remaining knights surrounded me. Hoofbeats kicked up the rain-soaked earth as they galloped away, their sounds quickly swallowed by the darkness and the downpour. Faintly, the echoes of shouting and clashing steel seemed to drift back to us. It was an agonizing wait filled with anxiety. In reality, it must have been an incredibly brief moment, but to me, staring into that pitch-black void, time felt stretched to infinity.
It was at that exact moment.
Screeech—Boom! A flare shot high into the sky. The magical firework exploded in the night sky, temporarily banishing the surrounding darkness.
That's... dangerous...!
It was a signal flare. Directly beneath where it had been launched, I could see our knights locked in combat with the checkpoint soldiers. It looked like we could slip past them now. The wooden barricades blocking the road had already been mostly cleared. But now that the flare had gone off, it was a foregone conclusion that reinforcements numbering several times their current force would soon swarm the area.
"Move, now! Ride at full speed!"
I immediately whipped my horse. The knights spurred theirs forward in unison. We leaped over the shattered barricades, pressing our mounts harder and harder. At the same time, I pulled the horn flute from my breast pocket and blew into it. Its deep, resonant echo was quickly drowned out by the chaos and the pouring rain.
"What is our current status...?" I asked.
"Kisk has fallen," Filgret replied, his voice tight. "The others have sustained various injuries, both major and minor. Even I... My deepest apologies, Your Highness."
I could see a broken arrow shaft protruding from Filgret's thigh, in an area left exposed by his armor. Even his hand movements seemed awkward and strained. It must have been excruciatingly painful to ride a horse in that state, yet he refused to let any of it show on his face.
"Still, we managed to break through. We can breathe a small sigh of relief now. If we just keep riding like this..."
But I couldn't finish my sentence. My horse suddenly reared back, raising its front hooves high in the air as it encountered an obstacle directly ahead.
"Ugh... What is this...!"
I couldn't believe my eyes. A barricade of iron spikes, far sturdier than the one we had just broken through, blocked our path. It was as if they had known exactly where we would try to escape.
"...How...?"
There was no time to panic. Dozens of lights flared to life ahead of us. They were expensive magic lamps, burning bright and steady despite the heavy rain. Illuminated by their glow was an army of soldiers, easily more than double the force of the checkpoint we had just bypassed. And right in the center of them, standing beneath a held umbrella, was a face I knew all too well. It was none other than Carmel.
"Mother...!"
Despite the distance and the harsh backlighting, I could read Carmel's expression as clearly as if she were standing right in front of me. She was smiling. With the most wicked, ecstatic expression in the world, her lips curled upward as she took in my drenched, miserable state.
"It has been a while, Sera. Did you enjoy your trip to Lorencia?"
"Mother... how on earth are you here...?"
"To see you, of course. To witness your wretched figure, covered in rain and mud from head to toe after fleeing so desperately. Could there possibly be a more beautiful sight?"
Every single word that spilled from Carmel's lips was laced with pure, unadulterated ecstasy. I could only bite my lip in silence.
"So you anticipated everything. From the timing of your messenger, to the secret passage of Senain Castle, and even the seemingly loose cordon... all of it was orchestrated for this very moment."
"Just as you know me well, I have come to know you just as thoroughly. But I must say, I am a bit disappointed, Sera. I didn't expect you to be so easily surprised by a mere trick like this. Nor did I expect you to dance so perfectly to my tune."
Before we knew it, soldiers with leveled spears had completely surrounded us. With our primary fighters already wounded, there was no room for resistance.
"It seems the fault is entirely mine. I did not realize you would prepare so meticulously, Mother."
My voice drooped, heavy like the falling rain. Hearing my defeated tone, Carmel burst into a triumphant, mocking laugh.
"Ahaha, ahahahahaha!"
She laughed uproariously, as if she had just witnessed the performance of a lifetime by a master jester. It was a laugh that was simultaneously the most beautiful and the most hideous sound in the world.
"Yes, Sera! I have waited for this moment for so, so long. While you were busy chasing cheap pleasures and squandering your opportunities, I was waiting for this single victory—this one, absolute triumph! Tell me, how does it feel to watch all your past victories vanish in an instant? Ahahahahaha!"
While Carmel was gleefully venting her joy, Filgret leaned in and whispered in a grim, resolute voice.
"Your Highness."
"No, don't," I murmured back. "Right now, it would be nothing short of suicide."
"...But..."
The knights had done their duty, throwing themselves into harm's way without a second thought. The responsibility for this situation lay entirely with me—for having underestimated Carmel, even if only slightly.
I let my shoulders slump, projecting utter defeat, and spoke to Carmel, who was still riding high on her euphoria.
"I surrender, Mother."
"Hmph, of course you do. What other choice do you possibly have left?"
"In exchange for my surrender, please spare their lives."
"No. If I had any intention of doing that, I wouldn't have shown myself in the first place. How tragic, Sera. It seems your intellect has degraded significantly in the short time we've been apart."
I glared at Carmel, my face contorted in a low growl. Even my anger seemed to bring her immense satisfaction.
"What do you plan to do with me?"
"Well... fufu, how about we try what you once suggested? Stripping the noble princess bare right in front of her subordinates and foreign soldiers. What do you think? Surely you won't refuse now that it's your turn to be on the receiving end?"
"...I understand. I will do exactly as you wish, Mother. In return... please, just let those two children go free."
Carmel frowned, looking over at Tina and William who were trembling atop their horses. Soon, her face broke into a smirk once more.
"Very well. I shall consider it. But first, expose your noble flesh right here, Sera Rustier. Let this be a humiliation you can never wash away for the rest of your life."
I nodded solemnly and reached for my collar. But instead of unbuttoning my clothes, I pulled the horn flute from my breast pocket and blew into it with all my might.
It was a prearranged signal. The first blast of the horn was to pinpoint our location. And the second blast, blown with everything I had... meant we needed immediate assistance.
Dozens of mercenaries erupted from the earth. Literally rising from the very ground beneath our feet. The soldiers who had been leveling their spears at us stumbled backward in sheer panic at the sudden appearance of a massive force. Standing tall before me like an unbreakable shield was a red-haired foreign warrior. The moment Carmel saw her face, the smug triumph vanished from her expression instantly.
"Ri...ka...?"