Chapter 137
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: A Farewell and an Ambush
"Why?"
"Because... I have a father and brothers who wouldn't be too thrilled about their daughter having a boyfriend?"
If they found out how close Sage and I are, they'd probably be so shocked they'd clutch the back of their necks and faint.
Kaide, Set, and Arban went without saying, but that included Rosaria, Baon, Durias, Orca, and the others.
A dissatisfied expression crossed Sage's face.
"Well... Hestia and my other escorts seem to have accepted reality to some extent, though."
At first, the atmosphere was a bit sour, like they didn't approve.
But they knew that thanks to Sage, I was able to safely complete my maturation and live on, so they didn't show it outwardly.
"Please understand if I can't contact you often. I'll do my best to persuade them in the meantime."
"...That doesn't sound easy. When do you think that will be?"
"Hmm. I'm not sure about that myself."
But if I keep trying to convince him, don't you think Kaide will come around? He's the biggest mountain to climb, after all.
Considering how he's been wary of you from the start, constantly telling me to be careful and just be friends for life...
I smiled brightly.
"It'll be fine."
Probably.
I swallowed the last word and thumped my chest as if to say, 'Just trust me,' and Sage let out a soft laugh.
When that day comes, won't I be able to officially visit the North in the truest sense of the word?
Though that's probably a long way off...
"I'll work hard so I can be the one to invite you to the South."
At that, Sage's eyes widened. Soon, he laughed aloud and pressed his forehead against mine.
"Alright, I'll be waiting."
The day to return to the South dawned. Everyone was in high spirits.
And today, I was to have breakfast alone with Muhella.
"It's a little sad to see you go, Aileen. The castle was so lively while you were here."
"I'm sad to leave too, Lady Muhella."
"Sad as it may be, returning at this time seems like the right choice."
Muhella must have been concerned about this incident as well.
"It's unlikely to happen, but if you ever need the North, don't hesitate to ask."
"What?!"
I was so startled I almost dropped my knife. She tilted her head as if to ask what the problem was, her gaze tinged with a slight lack of understanding.
"You seem to feel burdened."
"I am incredibly grateful, of course, but if that happens, the damage to the North would be..."
...immense, wouldn't it?
Muhella waved her hand dismissively, as if telling me not to speak nonsense.
"The same goes for us. We have someone here who would lose his mind and rush out if anything happened in the South."
Ah. She was talking about Sage. It seemed Muhella had heard about my relationship with him.
Or perhaps she had noticed Sage's feelings long ago.
Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat and took a sip of water, and Muhella's lips curved into a smile.
"So there's no need to refuse. The North is always ready to help the South."
"Thank you. I will relay your words to my father."
"Please do."
We already had an alliance with the South, so we could request aid in an emergency, but hearing Muhella's firm assurance held a different weight.
I offered my thanks, finished my meal, and left the dining hall.
Sage was waiting for me outside.
He gave a nod to Muhella, who was exiting with me, and then came to my side.
"What did you talk about with Mother?"
"Did you think I would say something bad?"
Hearing his words, Muhella scoffed in disbelief.
"'Raising a son is a waste of time,' they say."
"Then why did you have breakfast without me?"
"Our family's esteemed guest is leaving, so the head of the house must see her off personally. I'll go on ahead and wait. You two will need some time alone."
Muhella gave a wink and disappeared.
As Sage and I were strolling through the castle, Hestia appeared, apparently having finished all the preparations.
Hestia bowed politely to Sage before turning her head to me.
"Lady Aileen."
"Yes, Hestia."
"All preparations for our departure are complete. When should I give the order to leave?"
I glanced at Sage, but his expression was unreadable. After a moment, he spoke as if to help me decide.
"The nights in the North are dangerous. It would be best to depart as soon as you're ready."
"Alright, we'll do that then."
I nodded and gestured for Hestia to proceed. I wanted to spend what little time was left with Sage.
Hestia, sensing the mood, said she would go on ahead and wait, then took her leave.
I looked at Sage.
"Sage, here. It's my pheromone stone."
"...What's this for?"
"A gift, since we won't be seeing each other for a while."
Besides, until now, you've always been the one to give me pheromone stones, and I've never given one to you. I thought exchanging gifts like this would be nice.
I handed him the simply designed bracelet. He took it awkwardly and fastened it around his wrist.
"What do you think? It's not bad, right? Do you like it?"
"......It's not bad."
Sage stared down at the bracelet, fiddling with it.
I was relieved that he seemed to like it.
After walking for a while, we finally exited the castle to see the carriage and our party, all preparations complete and ready to depart.
Since I was already packed, all I had to do was get in the carriage.
My feet felt heavy with reluctance.
"My lady! Hurry up!"
Mesis, who was waiting for me, jumped up and down, waving his hands.
He seemed incredibly excited. Seeing him, I couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Sage gestured for me to go on.
I reached the carriage and turned back to look.
"Well, I'll be going now, Sage."
"Okay. Travel safely."
I turned my gaze to Muhella, who was standing beside him, and bid her farewell. She looked at me with regretful eyes and said.
"Lady Muhella, thank you for everything. Thanks to you, I was able to stay comfortably in the North."
"You're welcome back anytime."
"Yes, well, I'll be on my way."
I climbed into the carriage.
The warden who would guide us through the castle pass and to the midpoint of the North transformed into his true form and let out a low growl. At that signal, the carriage began to move smoothly.
There were no heart-wrenching, tearful goodbyes. After all, the South and the North weren't that far apart.
...And I was even entertaining the thought that, if things got tough, I could just come back to the North—a thought that would probably make my family faint.
I took one last look at the receding Kiraas castle before closing the window.
***
Once Aileen's carriage had completely vanished into the flurry of snow, those who had gathered to see her off began to disperse one by one.
Sage, still wearing the bracelet, stood in place for a long while before turning to head back into the castle.
He was in his office handling his duties as usual when Eve broke the silence.
"By the way, Young Master Sage."
"What is it?"
"I was reviewing the documents from the treaty negotiations and found something a bit strange."
"What is it?"
"It's about Lord Artban. He did head to the East, correct?"
Eve tilted his head. Sage's hand, which had been moving his pen, stopped.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, it's just that... looking at the records, it sounds like he's planning to conquer the South himself."
"Tell me exactly what you're trying to say."
"It's as if he's speaking like he knows a way to defeat the South."
Eve tapped the record as if to say, 'Look at this.' Sage took it from him and slowly read through it.
'Returning might not be a very good choice.'
'For me, the timing is perfect.'
Diel Artban had certainly said that. He had dismissed it as mere bravado.
"If there is a way to conquer the South, what could it be? I'm quite curious myself. There is no Su-in who can overcome the deadly venom of the Black Mambas, is there?"
In that instant, it was as if Sage had been struck over the head.
There is absolutely no Su-in who could take on the South as an enemy and win. Nowhere on the continent is there a Su-in who can withstand their deadly venom.
But Diel Artban knows a way to conquer the South.
And Diel Artban wants to have Aileen Astrofel.
As the puzzle pieces clicked into place one by one, Sage shot to his feet and left the office.
Eve hurried after him.
"Hey, where are you going all of a sudden!"
"Aileen is in danger."
"What? What kind of nonsense is that? You saw the people who came with her."
Sage let out a dry laugh, as if he'd heard the most ridiculous thing.
If he were Diel Artban, he would never miss the opportunity of Aileen's return trip.
If his own power was insufficient, he would find allies. Without fail.
***
The carriage was proceeding smoothly. The warden had finished his guidance to the halfway point and disappeared.
Now, they just had to cross the neutral zone, and soon they would be in the South.
The moment they crossed the Northern border, the sight of green leaves brought a smile to my lips.
The fresh scent of the grasslands made me feel as if I were already home.
Just as I was about to close my eyes for a short nap during the ride.
The carriage came to a jarring halt with a loud noise.
"...What's going on?"
"I'll check, my lady."
Hestia, who had been reading across from me, was about to pull back the curtain to check when a shout pierced my ears.
"We're surrounded! Everyone, protect the carriage!"
"...Surrounded?"
My heart leaped into my throat. Who in their right mind would see the Astrofel family crest and dare to attack?
Muttering in shock, I quickly looked outside and saw dozens of Su-in surrounding the carriage.
The strange thing was, they were all from different clans. Their bodies were transformed into various forms.
Especially when I met the eight eyes of a creature hanging from a web spun in the air, and saw others emerging from the ground, I sensed that something was terribly wrong.
"Hestia, what in the world is going on...?"
"I'm afraid... this doesn't look like a good situation. It seems someone has targeted us deliberately. Lady Aileen, please stay inside and don't come out."
"But!"
"You must not come out. You've never been in a real battle before, my lady! All of them are elder-level or higher!"
"......What?"
"Where on earth did people like that come from...!"
Hestia urged me strongly before getting out of the carriage.
As the carriage door opened, Karma, who was guarding the front, asked sharply.
"Hestia! What about the lady?"
"Let's break through the encirclement first! The longer we drag this out, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us."
"Everyone, look at that arm."
Paymon, his eyes grim, pointed to a figure holding a giant scythe.
Hestia's eyes widened.
"That brand... it's only marked on heinous criminals, isn't it...?"
"They all look like they crawled out of the underground. Let your guard down for a second and your head will fly."
"Could Lord Artban have planned this?"
Mesis narrowed his eyes, scanning the area. There were easily dozens of them. They were experts at concealing their presence.
"It's highly likely."
Paymon got into a stance and began to survey his surroundings.
The sound of a flute came from somewhere, and the Su-in surrounding them began to charge, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Basad swallowed grimly.
"...They have a leader. Someone is commanding them."
"So many different races, this is insane. I can't even guess where they're hiding. I'll try to find the leader first."
Mesis, the most agile among them with the best sensory abilities, spoke, and everyone else nodded in agreement.
Karma, having assessed the situation, gave the orders.
"Mesis, you protect the lady's carriage and find the commander. I'll take care of any small fry that break through the defense. The rest of you, hold the line, protecting the carriage and Mesis."
Karma said, dodging the sticky thread of a spider Su-in that flew at him.
His deep blue eyes, colder than ever, glanced at the ground where the sticky thread had landed. The more they dodged those, the less room they would have to maneuver.
Moreover, as if prepared in advance, transparent spiderwebs glittered in the sunlight, revealing themselves all around.
The situation was dire.