The City of Peach Fire - (12) Seira's Resourcefulness
“No way!! My mom can’t go anywhere~” “U-uhuhut·····！”
Isaac, whose complexion had been as pale as white lead and whose expression had radiated ruthless cruelty, now gazed at me with a look that screamed he was going mad from how adorable I was. He covered his face with one hand and flashed his white teeth in a grin.
“My apologies, but the Archduke has given his orders.”
This was bad. If the Archduke left me here and summoned only Puyor, there could be only one reason. He intended to sweet-talk Puyor into taking me to Corazm’s capital, Koban.
“Oh dear, if the Archduke summons us, we must go at once.”
While Puyor prepared to leave, I clung to Isaac’s wrist and dragged him toward the door. “Uuuung, I like the Archduke~!!”
“H-huh···！ Seira-nim?!” Isaac’s face flushed as I tugged him outside, clearly delighted.
The area in front of our house was still packed with people—the believers of the newly founded Seira Cult in the north. Ever since Niberia, the absolute powerhouse and ruler of Corazm, had appeared, the Seira Cult’s followers had grown terribly gloomy.
“Sob sob, is there really no way to protect Seira-nim…?” “Ever since those Niberia bastards showed up, Seira-nim doesn’t even come to the window to smile at us anymore…!”
Of course not. With that Red Ogre the size of a windmill lurking around, who in their right mind would stick their face out the window?
“Ukuku, it’s Seira!!!” Right on cue, the Red Ogre pointed at me with a thick finger. “Ooh, it’s really her!!!” “Seira-nim has descended!!!”
·····
Merely stepping outside was enough to make the believers use words like “descended.” I might end up doing something that would break their hearts. Because—
“Isaac, I like you sooo much·····♡.”
With a fake smile I didn’t feel at all, I wrapped my arms around the waist of Isaac, whom I had dragged out by the wrist.
“H-huuuuh···！ ♥！！！！” Isaac erupted with twin nosebleeds as if he would die from blood loss if left alone. The excited “Rikuja” charged forward, swinging his massive greatsword like a club.
“Isaac! You bastard! How dare you lay a hand on the Archduke’s woman!!!” “N-no, I didn’t do anything!!!” “Shut up!”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—
A deathly silence shattered as a crimson aura erupted behind Rikuja, shooting dozens of meters into the sky.
“Damn it, then I have no choice.”
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu—
Isaac Wilton answered with his own black aura. After fulfilling my duty, I opened the door again, closed it, and spoke to Puyor, who was still getting ready to go out.
“Mom, stay home tonight, okay~” “Huh? Are you sure, Seira?”
* * *
The next day, more knights arrived under the Archduke’s orders to fetch Puyor. I grabbed their wrists and led them outside. The aftermath of yesterday’s clash between Rikuja and Isaac had left massive meteor-like craters scattered across the yard. An unexpected change had also occurred: worried about the destructive clash, the villagers had erected wooden barricades and watchtowers around the village chief’s house and were now earnestly building a stone wall with materials hauled in by oxen.
“Ah, rest assured, Lady Seira!” “We’re building a proper wall to protect your house!”
·····That really wasn’t necessary. Walls in this world crumbled easily unless reinforced with magic.
“Heeeh···.”
Meanwhile, I held the wrists of the two black knights I had dragged out, alternating between them. Come here. Come closer! I wiggled my fingers at them, signaling them to bring their faces nearer.
“Heeh···？”
Without a shred of suspicion, both knights leaned in. I gently patted their heads with both hands.
“Hehe·····”
After flashing them a bright smile, I simply closed the door and went back inside.
“Kill them!!!” “Uoooooh!! Even after a month of camping out here, I never got to feel Seira-nim’s touch!!!”
Clang, clang, clang—!!!
“Reinforcements! Where are the reinforcements?! The peasant militia has risen up at the village chief’s barracks! Requesting immediate aid!! Aaaagh!”
Thus, yesterday the Black Star Knights’ commander Isaac had been horribly sacrificed, and today two ordinary knights became victims of a peasant uprising. Whew, that bought me two days. When is Dragonai going to get here…?!
That night, I felt dizzy watching Dragonai veer off in a completely different direction instead of coming straight here.
* * *
“······ ··”
Crack!!!
“How dare you… How dare you!!!! Can you still call yourselves proud Black Star Knights after being beaten by peasant soldiers?!” “W-we’re sorry!!”
After discussing the wedding with Seira and deciding on a reward for her hometown of Puran Village, Niberia had originally planned to negotiate the marriage with Puyor, Seira’s adoptive mother and the village chief. He had intended to politely summon them to his tent, so on the first day he sent his trusted aide Isaac. That man had apparently gotten into a fight with Rikuja, who was guarding the chief’s house.
“Both of you—confine yourselves to quarters!”
The next day, to prevent unnecessary rivalry among his subordinates, he removed all knights from the area around the chief’s house and sent only two ordinary black knights. Those two had been thoroughly beaten by the peasant militia, had their full-plate armor stolen, and were found stripped naked and tied to a tree at the village entrance.
“These bastards··· How dare they toy with me?!”
Niberia rose from his command tent. “Fine. This time, I’ll go myself!”
* * *
A vast garden spanning hundreds of meters! While every noble on this continent dreamed of having even one such garden, the Kingdom of Lusa—having received the aid of the divine dragon residing in Yugna Mountain—had risen to become a new superpower. Thanks to the dragon’s might, the kingdom had subjugated all neighboring nations and now declared itself an empire. Within the imperial palace of the Lusa Empire, each of the four corners of the outer castle boasted four such magnificent gardens. In other words, there were a total of sixteen gardens, the very pinnacle of extravagant luxury.
“Wow, is the whole country just one big garden?” “Uhuhu. No, Dragonai-nim. Those are merely the palace gardens.” “They must be making quite a bit of money.”
I looked down from the sky at the palace of the Lusa Kingdom and was genuinely surprised.
“But why can’t I see the city’s boundaries?”
Normally, cities had walls marking their edges. Yet the capital of the Lusa Kingdom, Lukan, spread across a vast plain so immense that even from high above, the residential areas stretched beyond sight. It felt like gazing at Japan’s Kanto Plain, the size of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province combined.
“Hohoho, while you were asleep, the Empire has changed greatly.” “Hey, but isn’t this a bit too prosperous?”
Cube chimed in with agreement. “Indeed. The citizens of the Empire live far more splendid lives than ordinary humans should. All of this is thanks to you, Dragonai-nim.”
“Hmm, so they’re living well because of me?!”
I turned to the Black Star Knights’ vice-commander riding on my back. “Dana, Katasan. Hold on tight!” “Yes—Kyaaaaah!”
* * *
Ding, ding, ding-ding— Ding-ding-ding-ding—!!
Minaret spires, taller than any other structure in the city and reaching into the clouds, began ringing their alarm bells in real time. This was the highest-level alarm, sounded only when the entire empire faced grave danger. Yet the watchmen observing the sky from the minarets couldn’t even identify the cause of the ringing.
* * *
Step, step, step···
At the entrance to the inner palace—white as the gates of heaven—two colossal knight statues, each eighty meters tall, stood solemnly gripping their swords. Beneath the shade cast by these enormous statues, dozens of gatekeeping knights guarded the entrance today as well. Yet approaching them was a strikingly handsome youth radiating an alien presence, accompanied by a bronze-skinned gentleman, a beastkin beauty with pointed ears, and a knight clad in black full-plate armor.
“T-those people··· What are they?!”