Chapter 22: Volume 2 - CH 8

The Slaughter Princess of Ilkas

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Kaepinned

A few days after receiving reports of the destruction of the County of Calcifer, the Raidorl army arrived in the town of Kartolis in Count Calcifer’s territory.

Although Caltrith was a fortified city, the city gates were now open. Minimal soldiers on guard were to be found on the ramparts, where the Counts’ banner was displayed.

The town looked as if it was appealing to the public with no hostile intentions and Raidorl raised his eyebrows slightly and asked Darren next to him.

“What do you think……? Do you think it’s some kind of trap?”

“I don’t know, Your Highness. It seems too obvious to be a trap……”

Darren’s sharp-eyed gaze darted to either side of the ramparts and he tilted his head.

“I don’t sense any hostility but I can’t deny that it may be  a trap to lure His Highness into the city and strike you down……”

“Is this the situation that if we don’t go into the dragon’s hole, we won’t get the dragon’s egg? Well, that’s alright. Let’s see what Brad Calcifer and the others have in mind.”

Raidorl had already received information that Count Calcifer had been murdered by his illegitimate son, Brad Calcifer. According to the information that had reached Raidorl, Brad committed treason and murdered the heads of the three noble families during a party in which they gathered.

He then sent troops to overrun the territories of Baron Kyrgyzand Viscount  Kubertos who had lost their heads, and killed every single person who defied him and every survivor of the noble families.

‘……Brilliant craftsmanship.He must have probably been planning and preparing for this for quite some time. No doubt, Brad Calcifer is quite a crooked one.’

The question was whether Brad was a useful or dangerous figure for Raidorl. The thoughtfulness and audacity with which he would throw a dry sword at the right moment could not be underestimated.

Even if Brad  swore obedience to him, he was a man who could betray even his parents. He might even bare his fangs at Raidorl, who had become his lord.

“I am very pleased that you have come here all the way from the capital, Your Highness Raidorl.”

As soon as Raidorl passed through the castle gates, an unfamiliar man called out to him.

He had golden hair all back and was dressed in a black tuxedo, as if he were about to go to a party. He even had a rose on his chest, which looked strangely out of place.

“… Your Highness, this man is Brad Calcifer.”

“….I see, he’s got a very tricky eye. He is a crook, as rumour has it.”

Raidorl murmured, supplemented by Justy Oigist.

Brad Calcifer’s manner was polite but the depths of his eyes were as dark as murky sludge and bottomless.

“The frontier forests are inhabited by great monkeys who kill each other and eat each other…..and that man’s eyes are the same colour as their stagnant eyeballs.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about…..but on behalf of the Calcifer family, I would like to welcome Your Highness to my home.”

Brad knelt and bowed his head in a theatrical gesture. Raydorl did not get off his horse, but looked down at Brad with a suspicious look.

“…..I would like to quickly confirm that the County of Calcifer is willing to surrender to our forces?”

“Of course. We have no intention of defying the Zain royal family.”

“The Zain royal family, huh…”

Did it simply mean what he said? Or did Brad intend to be sarcastic, knowing that Raidorl was feuding with his brother King Granard?

Although it was impossible for Raidorl, who had never met Brad before, to guess what Brad’s inner thoughts were ……it seemed unlikely that there would be a battle in the meantime.

“Oh, just one correction I would like to make.”

“……What is it?”

“I am not Brad Calcifer. And……this is not the Count Calcifer’s house either.”

Brad stood up and spread his hands wide. Then, all the soldiers on the walls surrounding the town start to move at once.

The sudden movement of the soldiers made Raidorl’s army tense for a few seconds. They immediately looked up at the ramparts in stunned surprise.

“This town is the domain of the Viscounty of Ilkas!　And my name is Brad Ilkas!”

The banners of the Count Calcifer’s family, which had been raised above the city walls, were lowered all at once. In its place, the soldiers held up a falcon or emblem on a blue cloth. It was the crest of the Viscounts of Ilkas, who were supposed to have been destroyed in the war against the Empire.

“I am no longer of the traitorous Count Calcifer’s family! As a man of the loyal Viscounty of Ilkas, I pledge my allegiance to the Kingdom of Zain!”

“………….!!”

Raidorl was speechless.

He had no idea what Brad was talking about. This was definitely the domain of Count Calcifer’s family and the man in front of him was Brad Calcifer.

As Raidorl was at a loss to react, Sven, who had been standing behind him, stepped forward and opened his mouth.

“….. Sir Calcifer, what is the meaning of this?”

“Oya? You are the son of the Count of Arbeil, aren’t you? It’s good to see you in good health.”

“Answer the question. What kind of an idea is it for you to take on the name of the House of Ilkas?　I know that you were engaged to the daughter of the House of Ilkas, but……you are not, by any chance, using the name of your dead fiancée to evade the responsibility of the Count Calcifer’s family, are you?”

Sven’s voice was filled with deep anger.

The Viscounty of Ilkas, like the County of Arbeil, was destroyed after fighting against the Empire instead of submitting to it. It was unacceptable that Brad was using that name.

“Don’t worry. I have her approval.”

“Eh…?”

“Let me explain in detail at my residence. Sven, you will hear it too, won’t you?”

“………….”

Sven glared at Brad as he entered the house and beckoned him to come in……Eventually, as if determined, he went through the front door.

“We are standing by. In case of an emergency, we’ll have our men ready to go at a moment’s notice, so call on us at any time.”

“Yeah, you got it.”

With Justy waiting outside, Raidorl also entered the house. Darren, Saara and several other knights followed as escorts.

There were several servants working in the mansion and when they noticed Raidorl, they bowed to him silently. The servants were all women and old men. 

There were also no soldiers in sight, and once again they were trying to show that they had no hostile intentions.

“Please, have a seat over here.”

“…Aa..”

Raidorl was ushered into the parlour and, although wary, he sat down on the sofa as recommended. Sven sat next to him and Darren and the other guards stood guard behind the sofa.

Brad sat on the opposite sofa with a graceful gesture, but there was not a single escort on his side. The parlour, with its expensive furnishings, was occupied only by a man from the Raidorl camp. Then a maid went to fetch tea.

“Now……then, let me first explain the current situation in the town. As you may have already been informed, the head of the County of Calcifer family who ruled the town, Brutos Calcifer, already died. Baron Kyrgyzstan and Viscount Kubertos, who were nobles under the umbrella, suffered the same fate.”

“….. I have received reports that you killed him. Did you really kill your own father?”

“Yes. In the heat of the moment, or perhaps due to a youthful indiscretion…..I killed him. All three of them.”

“…………….”

Brad shrugged his shoulders in an aloof gesture and picked up the teacup on the table.

“My father wasn’t satisfied with just betraying himself to the empire and was about to show his fangs even to His Highness Raidorl. I decided that further barbarism was unforgivable, so I asked him to take responsibility. Of course, I didn’t let him escape by pretending to have killed him. The body was so damaged that it is difficult to prove…..”

“In other words……[It is my father’s fault for betraying me. I want him to be punished with the justice in my own hands] is that what you’re trying to say? Aren’t you a great scoundrel to kill your own father for your own protection?”

“It’s outrageous, isn’t it? It is true that my father betrayed the Kingdom of Zain and it is the instinct of life to try to save one’s own life, isn’t it? However, if the person I love is willing to put me in their hands, I don’t mind being killed at any time………..Oops, I digress.”

“………….”

“Well, what I mean is that there are problems that have to be taken care of because they are our relatives. What can be forgiven by other people is hard to forgive because they are our parents and siblings…I thought that His Highness would understand?”

“………Who knows. I don’t give a damn.”

Brad asked with a weird, thin smile and Raidorl clicked his tongue loudly.

Brad’s attitude was frivolous throughout, despite the fact that he could be killed at any moment. His attitude was the epitome of condescension and disrespect. One was tempted to suspect that he was enjoying the situation.

‘Indeed, this man is a crook. Should I kill him?’

Even though he surrendered and vacated the town with an open mind, Brad, who Raidorl didn’t know what he was thinking about……gave  him the creeps. He felt it was dangerous to invite him into his camp like Sven and Justy.

‘Although, it’s also true that the death of……head Brutos Calcifer has blurred the lines of responsibility. It is also not fair to cut down an opponent who has surrendered on all fronts because I don’t like him…….’

Raidorl was unsure about Brad’s treatment, but Sven, who was sitting next to him, spoke up instead.

“Sir Brad. I would like to ask you about what you said earlier…..Why do you call yourself Ilkas?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple, Sven. I married a daughter of the Ilkas family and became their son-in-law.”

“Son-in-law?……All the members of the Ilkas family are supposed to be dead, aren’t they?”

“There is only one survivor. You know……my fiancée, Angelica.”

“Angelica…… Angelica Ilkas!?”

Sven’s eyes widened. Brad continued to explain in a casual manner, while looking at the boy’s astonished face with a funny expression.

“The Viscounty of Ilkas was destroyed in the war with the Empire but only Angelica survived. I took her under my protection and sheltered her in my house after she was seriously wounded and nearly killed. As a matter of fact, it was Angelica who murdered the heads of all three houses.”

“Angelica-san…….”

“Sven, who is this Angelica? It seems she is a survivor of the Ilkas family…….”

When Raidorl interrupted the conversation, Sven turned to his lord, his face somewhat pallid.

“Angelica Ilkas……daughter of Viscount Ilkas’ family, she is a magical warrior with exceptional magic skills. Known in the east of the kingdom by the nickname 『Slaughter Princess』, she is feared for her extremely horrifying killings.”

“Horrifying…..?”

“Yes, I was close to Angelica’s brother and she treated me well…..but she has a very caustic and violent personality. People who get her into a bad mood usually end up in trouble. If you mess with her, she’ll shatter you to pieces.”

“Shattered…? Is she using some kind of explosion magic?”

“Something similar….I see, Angelica is alive?”

Sven had a complicated expression on his face.

Play

Unmute

The boy’s expression, which was neither happy nor sad, showed that Sven was not honestly happy about Angelica’s survival. That did not mean that he was blatantly depressed…….The relationship between Sven and Angelica was very interesting.

Seeing that Sven had fallen silent, Brad smiled and tilted his teacup.

“Now you see what I meant? I am no longer a member of the Calcifer family because of me becoming the son-in-law. I am now a member of the Ilkas family, who were loyal to the royal family to the end. This cancels out the blame for the plotting against the Zain royal family, doesn’t it?”

“……That is the objective in the end, isn’t it? You want to say that because you are a member of the House of Ilkas, you are not involved in the treachery of Count Calcifer’s family.”

“Treason is a mortal sin that extends to the whole family, but those who have joined another family by marriage are not punished. That is the law, and that is the way of things.”

“Do you want to survive that badly …..? You would kill your own father and cheat on the name of the woman who would become your wife.”

“I would like to live, yes. I cannot die until I see what happens to Angelica. I am determined to see the whole thing through and die at her hands. I will not be executed by the royal family as a traitor.”

Brad cowered his shoulders and turned the empty teacup in his hand.

His clownish gestures were extremely annoying, but only when he mentioned…..Angelica’s name, there was a light behind his strangely cloudy eyes. Raidorl didn’t know whether it was affection or obsession, but perhaps this man had a single-minded desire in his own way.

“Of course, I will give back the lands of the County of Calcifer. And the lands of Kyrgyzstan and Kubertos, which I destroyed together. However, I would be grateful if you could restore the Ilkas family……and give them new territories?”

“I will advise my brother of that…Given the loyalty of the Ilkas family, he cannot refuse. By the way, can I speak to your wife – Angelica Ilkas?”

“Of course, my wife wanted to see His Highness, so that’s fine. I am only the son-in-law. The head of the Ilkas family is my wife, so we must have a proper exchange of greetings.”

“Nn……? If that’s the case, why didn’t you bring her here??”

The family’s history of the Ilkas family’s demise made it unlikely that Angelica would remain unscathed.

Or maybe she was injured and unable to move. The most important thing to remember was that the best way to get the most out of your car was to make sure that it was in the right place at the right time.

“No, no, my wife said she’s going to greet her old friend first……so I guess it’s about time they met up?”

As Brad was saying this, a roaring noise came from outside the house. The sound of destruction, clearly reminiscent of a battle, made Raidorl stand up as if he had been repelled by a bullet.

“What’s going on!?”

“My wife is a bit of a radical. I hope it’s nothing serious…….”

“You……!”

Brad shook his head with a mysterious look on his face, but his eyes were somewhat amused.

Raidorl clicked his tongue and ran out of the room with his escort.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

Time went back slightly.

The soldiers from the Raidorl’s army had taken up a position close to the house with prior permission. Tents were lined up in the square and with the exception of the soldiers on guard, each man rested himself from the fatigue of the expedition.

The townspeople gathered around these soldiers and served them water, food and alcohol. Seeing these items being brought into the camp, Justy Oigiste, one of the military managers, curled an eyebrow.

“We thank you for the supplies. I will inform His Highness Raidorl of this.”

“Yes, please.”

“You may step back. We’ll take the rest.”

Although he said thanks to the terrified people, Justy put a wait on the soldiers who tried to get their hands on alcohol and food. When he saw that the townsfolk had left, he shouted angrily.

“This is still enemy territory! Don’t take what you have received from an unfriendly party lightly!”

“Ha, ha!　I apologise!”

The soldier hurriedly released his hand from the liquor bottle and saluted. While scolding his subordinates who had entered the town and let their guard down, Justy looked around with a sharp gaze from inside the camp.

‘There is no indication of the enemy soldiers lying low. Does that mean that the surrender was not a scam?　Brad Calcifer is a man that I don’t know what he’s thinking, but……he would never be  a fool. I’m sure he understands that he can’t deceive and trick His Highness, the Holy Sword Holder, but……’

With a quick finger up the bridge of his glasses, Justy made a difficult expression with a crease between his eyebrows.

Justy’s birth families, the Viscounty of Oigist and County of Calcifer, had territories adjacent to each other and had a good deal of interaction with each other. Brad Calcifer, the eldest son, and Justy were the same age and had often seen each other since they were children.

However, despite knowing each other for more than 20 years, Justy was unable to weigh up Brad’s inner life.

‘He is neither a warrior nor a fighter. He’s not a quick thinker nor he’s not a man of letters or a scholar. He is a man who is good at devious tricks…..but he has a 『darkness』 that makes him more than just a schemer or a plotter.’

Brad was like a fox, raccoon dogs or poisonous snakes. He played his tricks on people without a care in the world, and when he saw an opportunity, he poured poison into their opponents’ bodies.

Brad did not value aristocratic pride, nor was he drowned in gold. Justy was not even clear about what he wanted or desired. He was an elusive, hazy man.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter……how much I think about it, there’s nothing I can do. If he is to become an enemy of His Highness Raidorl, then I will only fight him as a warrior and defeat him.’

Justy interrupted his unanswered thoughts and turned to his men.

“…… In the meantime, make sure the food that’s brought in isn’t planted with drugs. You can take turns taking a break, but be ready to move at any moment!”

“「「「「「HAA!!」」」」」”

“I’m off to have a look around the town. I’ll be back soon, but report back to me immediately if there are any problems.”

After saying this to his men, Justy was about to leave the Raidorl military camp.  A look around the town could give him an idea of the character of the lords who ruled here. If he looked around the streets of Caltrith, he might be able to read some of Brad’s intentions.

Justy stepped out with such thoughts in mind but…… soon came to a halt. He was stopped by a woman standing in front of him.

“Mwah, are you……?”

“…… It’s been a long time, Justy. How are you?”

“………….!!”

The woman’s face was familiar. A woman he had assumed to be dead. It was Angelica Ilkas, whom he had heard had been killed in battle against the Empire.

Justy froze for a few seconds at the sight of Angelica standing there like a ghost. He immediately nodded his head in understanding.

“….. I see. So Brad took the Ilkas family name.”

He knew that Brad and Angelica were engaged to be married. Brad had given up the Calcifer name by marrying Angelica and taking the form of being groomed into the Ilkas family.

‘Did he abandon his family name to avoid being held accountable as Count Calcifer’s family?　After all, a fox is a fox. Was he trying to turn himself into smoke and mirrors?’

“….It’s been a long time. Angelica-dono. You look well yourself………. No, it’s nothing. Forgive my gaffe.”

Justy swallowed the words he was about to say and his face contorted in pain.

Angelica had a bandage over her face, covering the left half of her face, and her left leg, which extended through her knee-length skirt, was a metal prosthesis.

Considering how hard she had fought to get here, it was impossible to say anything like 『you look well』lightly. The air she wore was clearly that of a stabbing swordswoman, and Justy could almost feel the light of madness behind her vacant right eye.

“…… I know it may not help to say this, but I am glad that you survived. My sincere condolences to the Ilkas family who lost their lives in the war.”

After thinking about it, Justy directed his complaints of condolence and frustration to Angelica. For Justy, that was true sincerity.

Justy and Angelica were each regarded with awe and fear as warriors representing the eastern border region, and were known as the 『Lioness of the East』 and the 『Slaughter Princess of Ilkas』.

Justy held Angelica in high esteem as a loyal warrior and had never spoken of her…..to anyone else, but he also admired and longed for her as a woman. Although it was not as clear-cut as romantic feelings, he was relieved to see that the woman he had been fond of in no small way survived.

But……at the same time as he felt reassured, he also felt threatened by the change in Angelica’s mood, as if ice had been thrown on his back.

‘A feeling as if it could be cut off if touched. The sharpened air is the same as before……how dangerous.’

A woman he had a faint crush on. Justy quietly clenched his fists at the transformation of the woman he thought he had broken off his feelings for when she became engaged to another man.

Angelica Ilkas used to be a woman who was always on her guard and intimidating to those around her but who also had a deep sense of compassion. Angelica’s gentle, smiling face as she reached out to children and the weak was a far cry from her appearance on the battlefield, where she was known as the 『Slaughter Princess』 and Justy was captivated by her.

But the……current Angelica had retained her sharpness, and her gentleness and calmness had completely fallen away. It was as if the devil had taken her soul and she had lost her sense of humanity.

“…..Yes, thank you for your concern. I am very glad.”

Angelica responded to his concern for her own well being in a curt way.

She fiddled with her hair with her fingertips and repeated her words in a pinched manner.

“But I’m the only one left alive. My parents, my brothers, they’re all dead. Nobody survived. I’m the only one left.”

“………….”

“Ara, you look terrible. There is no shame in being a warrior and dying fighting for your kingdom, so don’t feel sorry for me.”

“Well……no, you’re right. What you said is exactly right.”

Justy nodded bitterly and agreed with Angelica.

“With all my heart, I salute your family for their brave fight.”

“Thank you. I’m sure they’re all delighted to hear your praise.”

Angelica smiled with a bandaged face. It was a gentle, clear smile reminiscent of her former self.

Justy’s cheeks relaxed as Angelica showed a slight smile in the midst of her sadness, but……his face would soon freeze.

“By the way, Justy. Can you do me one favour?”

“A favour ……? I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Good, thank you very much.”

Angelica licked her red lips with a gentle smile. It is a sexy gesture that she would never have shown in the past. Justy gasped in surprise.

“Then please………die for me?”

“Hmm…!?”

“I’ll kill all the traitors.”

Angelica’s skirt fluttered and danced. At the same time, the left leg of her prosthetic leg danced like a young sweetfish leaping from the surface of the water. Justy reflexively activated his magic while covering his eyes to the high kick that was fired with such force that it would crush his skull.

“Muuuu……….【Stone Wall】!”

A stone wall appeared in front of Justy’s eyes.

The metal prosthesis, which was approaching with frightening speed, instead of destroying Justy’s head, smashed the stone wall. Because it was triggered on the spur of the moment, it was unable to knead enough magic and the inadequately hard stone wall crumbled noisily into pieces.

It was not consciously prevented by earth magic. It was simply a reflexive defensive action based on years of actual combat experience. If there had been even the slightest delay in activating the magic, Justy’s skull would have been crushed like an egg dropped on the ground.

“Ara……you manage to prevent it. Shame I couldn’t kill you without you suffering.”

Angelica murmured in a cold tone as she lowered her high-kicking prosthetic leg to the ground.

“I thought you were going to do me a favour.　I would have preferred you to die a quiet, adult death if possible. ……”

“Angelica-dono. Why on earth are you doing this……!?”

“Why? If you’re going to ask me that, I’m going to ask you the same question……Why did the House of Oigist turn to the Empire?”

“……!!”

Justy’s shoulders shuddered at Angelica’s questioning.

Angelica’s right single eye was filled with madness as she looked at the man who shuddered down his spine.

“If House Oigist had not betrayed us and sided with Ilkas, my house might not have perished. If all the 『Eight Eastern Houses』had worked together against the Empire, we might have been able to hold off the enemy forces until reinforcements could be sent from Royal Capital. Hey, tell me. Why did you betray us?”

“I’m……no, but…..”

Justy was unable to squeeze out a single excuse and remained silent.

It was his father who decided to turn to the Empire, and Justy insisted on a thorough fight.

Even if the 『Eight Eastern Families』 had united, they could not have defeated the Imperial Army, which had the Holy Sword holder.

Was it not the royal family and the kingdom’s army that were to blame for the breached borders and not sending reinforcements quickly enough?

You are reading story Excalibur Chronicle of Raidorl (LN) at novel35.com

There were a number of excuses to be insisted on, but it was unlikely that Angelica would be convinced when Justy mentioned……them.

Nor did it erase the sin of the Viscounts of Oigist having been turned over to the enemy.

Hence, Justy spat out different words from his mouth.

“….. Indeed, the Oigist have turned on the Empire. We should be punished for that.  However, I am now loyal to the kingdom under the umbrella of His Highness Raidorl. It is not in your interest or that of House Ilkas to lay a hand on me. I know you cannot forgive me, but we will be judged in due course. Will you not endure it for now?”

“Endure for now, you say?  No, I won’t. I can only do it now.”

Angelica returned a scornful smile at Justy’s attempts to persuade her.

“If Ilkas is reinstated as a royal subject, the opportunity to retaliate against you who is a vassal of the royal family, His Highness Raidorl, will be lost. That’s why it must  be done before its full reinstatement can be fulfilled.”

“Angelica-dono, you are ……”

“Now, I hope I can kill you quickly. After I’ve killed you, I’ll have to go and kill Shirley’s father and her next. Shirley was like a little sister to me, so I feel bad that I have to kill her.”

Angelica spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, as if to confront a natural fact. She mercilessly declared the murder of her former friends – those who were close to her.

Justy realised from her unhesitating tone. The woman in front of him was no longer the female knight Angelica Ilkas that he had once admired. She had moved on to the point of no return. She had transformed into a rakshasa, obsessed with revenge and madness.

“…..I would have been willing to offer up my life alone. But if other people’s lives were at stake, I couldn’t just let you kill me, Angelica-dono. If you continue to run amok, I will stop you with this spear!”

“So……that’s what you end up choosing. Okay, you’re a dear friend and I was going to keep you from getting blasted to pieces, but……I’m not going to go easy on you. With a lot of sincerity, I will smash you to pieces with all my heart.”

“…… Farewell. Farewell to the days of my youth.”

Muttering in a tone of voice that sounded as if he was at a loss, Justy pointed his favourite spear at the woman he once admired.

Angelica also pulled out the dagger she had been hiding under her clothes and thrust the thin tip of her sword at Justy.

The 『Lion of the East』and the 『Slaughter Princess of Ilkas』 – two of the strongest warriors in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Zain. The battle was about to begin.

〇　　　　　　　　　 〇　　　　　　　　　〇

They faced each other with their weapons in hand for a few seconds. Angelica was the first to move.

“【Explosive Sword】”

Angelica stepped into Justy’s space with such sharp footwork that it was hard to believe that one of her legs was prosthetic and she thrust out a dagger with the spirit of a ripping sword. The dagger, as thin as an ice pick, was aimed at Justy’s shoulder. Right at the gap in his armour.

“Muuu!!”

Justy spun his short spear around and struck the dagger.

Justy flicked the magic sword, which was a one-hit kill if taken seriously and tried to cleave Angelica with the hilt of his spear when she was slightly out of her stance.

“That’s sweet!”

But this time, Angelica’s body fluttered away. Flying through the air, she kicked Justy’s spear away with her prosthetic leg then backed up and took her distance.

Justy did not give chase but carefully measured the distance between him and Angelica, who landed at a distance.

While Justy was fully armed with a spear and heavy armour, Angelica was lightly armed with only a dagger. Although her metal prosthetic legs were literally dragging her down, she was still lighter than Justy.

In contrast, Justy’s defence was greatly enhanced thanks to his armour, but Angelica’s 【Explosive Sword】 was a special killing technique where the slightest wound can result in instant death. If a gap in his armour or a limb was pierced, that alone would decide the match, so he had no choice but to be cautious of her attack.

As Justy looked out for her offensive move, Angelica spun the dagger around in her hand, a cold smile on her bandaged face.

“You’re strong as a rock. It’s not going to be like the Head of the Calcifer’s family.”

“…… I am honoured by your praise. Then would you be so kind as to lay down your sword?”

“You must be joking. The women of Ilkas are not so dexterous that they can hold a sword once drawn without getting it soaked in blood. You’re not as good yourself, Justy Oigist, as a fellow warrior.”

“Of course.. Then ……!”

Justy kicked the ground and leapt forward. He rushed straight towards Angelica with a momentum that was hard to believe that he was wearing heavy armour.

Angelica looked right at the man who had launched an attack that seemed like a throwaway but she quickly readied her dagger, dropped to her haunches and took a counter stance.

“Muun! 【Stone Wall】!”

“Eh?”

What was to come was astonishing.

Justy, who had stepped in Angelica’s area, shook his legs strongly on the ground with the momentum of his lunge. A thud sound like a small explosion echoed and at the same time the ground rose up and a stone wall appeared.

What was different from earlier was that the stone wall did not protect Justy but appeared to surround Angelica on all sides.

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to……block my movements!”

Angelica, surrounded by stone walls, opened her eyes and realised Justy’s aim, but it was already too late.

“【Stone Prison!!】”

“Kh…!!”

Angelica tried to escape over the stone wall, but before she could do so, the undulating ground like a living creature rose up in a great heap and swallowed Angelica. She was trapped and completely enclosed by the domed ground.

“Rest assured, I will bring His Highness Raidorl before you run out of air inside. If His Royal Highness commands it, you, a loyal warrior, will not refuse, right?”

Justy exhaled heavily as he turned to Angelica, who was trapped in the stone.

Justy managed to capture the wounded beast. He was only able to do this because his secret move was not known but if they had continued to fight each other, one of them would certainly have lost their lives.

“……Angelica-dono. You still have a future. Please let that life you have kept bear fruit in a different form from revenge.”

Justy murmured with melancholy. The words would not reach Angelica, who was trapped in a thick stone prison cell.

But…..that was fine for Justy. As a member of the Oigist family, who betrayed the kingdom for whatever reason, he was not qualified to tell her about his secret feelings.

‘It would be impossible for me or Brad to put Angelica-dono back on the right track. If I could, I would have someone else to support her…….’

Saddened and heartbroken, Justy turned his back on the stone prison and tried to call for Raidorl, who was in the mansion. Soldiers who had heard the commotion gathered under Justy.

“Captain Oigist! What’s going on!?”

The first to call out was a soldier under Justy. The soldiers rolled their eyes at the dome-shaped stone rising out of the ground and shouted suspiciously.

“Ah, don’t worry about this. The battle is already over. But rather than that, could you please go and call His Highness Raidorl?　I have a matter I need to discuss with him quickly…..mwah!?”

That was as far as Justy could get. Suddenly, a sharp shock hit his back and he fell forward.

“Captain Oigist!!!”

“Gh……Stand back!!”

Justy stood up, using his spear as a staff. A hand patted his back, and he saw that his metal armour had been slashed open and blood was flowing. The wound was not deep, but he had no idea what kind of attack had cut through it.

Justy turned around and the next moment, the domed stone prison collapsed with a violent crash.

“……You almost made me claustrophobic. It’s so refreshing under the sun, after all.”

It was Angelica Ilkas, who appeared, tearing the stone prison to pieces.

Shaking off the sand from her shoulders and head, Angelica held a dagger in her right hand. The dagger, sharp like an ice pick, differed from the previous one in that it had a venomous red blade or flange extending from the tip.

“That sword is….”

“Did you think you were the only one hiding a handful of cards?　【Blood Sword】 – my other magic sword.”

To Justy, whose eyes were peeled back in surprise, Angelica told him in a light tone, as if it was nothing special.

“Unlike you, I was never gifted with magic, so even the water attribute, which is my forte, cannot be handled with the same skill as other wizards. I can manipulate the water that already exists but I cannot create new water with my magic.”

“…………”

“So instead, I focus my ability to manipulate water to the extreme. Thanks to this, I can now manipulate the water in my enemy’s body and blast them to pieces or even turn their blood into a sword like this.”

“A blood sword, you say……?”

Justy turned his attention to Angelica’s shoulder. The blade had been ripped open by a thing and had stained the dress red with its unadorned design. Apparently, she had cut herself and made the sword from the blood that flowed from her own body.

“Don’t think of it as harmless blood. You may not know this, but there is a lot of iron in blood.　If you manipulate it well, you can……..”

Angelica flipped the blood sword. The rest of the stone wall lying on the ground was cut off like a piece of paper.

“This sword vibrates in small increments through magical manipulation. It can easily slice through stone and steel. And because it’s water, it can even change shape like this.”

“…….!!”

Justy jumped wide at the chill he felt down his spine.

The sword in Angelica’s hand undulated like a snake biting and thrust into the place where Justy had been. The ground was gouged wide open by a thin, long, drawn-out blade of blood.

The sword produced by Angelica’s blood could be freely extended and retracted in the form of a mutated, phantasmagoric, self-existent sword. It seemed to be able to extend its blade to attack enemies at a distance.

“Mm……! You cut my back with that sword. So I guess it’s the same for you to save your trump cards…!”

Muttering with a shiver, Justy clutched the spear in his hand.

“Captain Oigist……!”

“Stay back! The others will not be allowed to touch her!”

Justy sharply ordered the assembled soldiers.

Against the current Angelica, a half-hearted rescue would only be a hindrance. It would be much better to deal with her alone than to waste more dead people.

“Angelica-dono, I will no longer be so rude as to take you alive, whole body and soul. With all my strength, I will kill you!”

“I have always intended to do so. You’re the one who’s too late to be serious.”

The mad, murderous light in Angelica’s right eye. Justy kneaded the magic in his body while looking straight back at her.

‘If I’m lucky, His Highness Raidorl may hear the sound of battle and come running……No, I won’t hold my breath. We’ll just kill each other now.’

Justy was seriously prepared to kill Angelica.

“Fu, kukuku…….”

Angelica also read Justy’s seriousness. The edges of her mouth lifted up in a spine-chilling ghostly smile.

一A critical situation. Soldiers around them watched, forgetting to breathe, as the battle to the death was about to begin.

“……………”

“……………..”

They stared at each other for a very short time. Soon they started to move in.

“Wait, please!”

But……the voice of restraint came from an unexpected source.

A boy stepped forward through the soldiers who were watching the battle and intervened between the two people.

“Sven…..”

Justy called the boy’s name.

Sven Arbeil was the one who watered down the fight between them. It was the boy, a military strategist in Raidorl’s army.

“The town of Caltrith has already surrendered to His Highness Raidorl and is under his control! Know that any private struggle in this town is a disgrace to His Highness’ face!”

“Stop it, Sven! Angelica-dono is in no condition to talk right now….!”

“Sven Arbeil……!”

Justy tried to hold Sven but Angelica moved faster than him. She kicked the ground with her right foot and flashed at Sven, who was blocked by Justy’s shield.

“…………!”

Sven’s eyes widened.

In an instant, Angelica moved to the boy’s front and flipped her blood sword with her right hand.

“Sven ……!”

Justy shouted.

A high-frequency blade of blood, which cut through steel, swung down towards the boy.

“Sven……! I’m glad you’re alive!”

――There was no such thing as what he imagined.

Angelica threw the dagger with the blood blade as its hilt and embraced Sven from the front.

She cradled the boy’s head in her arms and hugged him tightly with both hands, as if she was wrapping her arms around his plump chest.

“Is……?”

The spear fell out of Justy’s hand as he stood there stunned and rolled on the ground.

Ignoring the person she had just tried to kill, Angelica hugged Sven even tighter.

“Hee,aa….. Sven!　Thank God, thank God you’re alive!”

“Heh, ah……er, Angelica?”

“I heard that the County of Arbeil was destroyed, but I’m so glad you’re alive! What a wonderful day this is!”

Where had the bloodthirsty fiendishness of a dozen seconds ago gone? Angelica was spilling tears from her right eye.

A face of compassion, like that of a mother who had found her lost child. It was the very woman Justy had once longed for, and he forgot about the situation and fell in love with her again.

“Let’s see……what’s the situation here?”

Belatedly, Raidorl appeared below them. Behind him were Darren and Saara, as well as the soldiers escorting them.

“…..Oi, Justy. What could have happened to get you into this situation? Your back injury…… and what’s our Strategist Boy doing by hugging a woman?”

“So, Your Highness,……this is, what do you call it,……”

Justy was at a loss for words when his lord questioned him.

There were signs of destruction in Raidorl’s camp, where a battle had clearly taken place and Justy was bleeding from a cut on his back.

And for some reason, the boy who was his military strategist was being held by a woman with a bandage on her face and she was crying.

It would take all the wise men on the continent to see this scene and accurately predict the situation.

“’Good grief, isn’t this by any chance the scene of an affair?”

Brad Ilkas, who caught up a little later, murmured.

“Having an affair with a young man as soon as you are newlyweds awakens to a new propensity. Even for me, my strike zone isn’t that wide…”

The voice sounded seriously distressed, which was unusual for the aloof fox.

“Thank God, I’m glad you’re safe ……!　Sven …… thank goodness aaah……!”

Angelica Ilkas continued to cry like a child as the men, who seemed to be at their wits’ end, looked on.

In the woman’s chest, Sven, whose face was compressed by the twin dunes, cried out weakly, [Kyuuuuuu].

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

“I am sorry to have shown you my unsavoury side of things, His Royal Highness Raidorl Zain.”

Justy and Angelica’s duel. Then, an hour after Sven’s intervention and Angelica’s weeping.

Again at the Calcifer’s mansion, Angelica Ilkas uttered an apology.

Angelica, who had once been obsessed with revenge against the Empire and looked like a ghost with a vindictive expression, had now regained her soft expression.

Angelica, with a fresh expression as if she had just been possessed, had transformed into an attractive woman who still attracted people even though the left half of her face was covered with bandages.

She should have been severely punished for instigating a fight on Justy, one of Raidorl’s close associates, in a town now under his control. However, Justy, who was supposed to be the victim, stubbornly insisted, [This is a mock battle, not a private fight!] The punishment had been postponed for the time being.

“That’s fine and dandy, but …… how long are you going to hold on to him?”

Sitting in his chair, Raidorl received her apology and directed his subtle gaze to her chest.

“…………Kyuu.”

Angelica stood in front of Raidorl, with Sven still clutched to her chest. With her arms in front of his chest, she embraced him as if she was a young girl holding a stuffed bear in her arms.

When his eyes met Raidorl’s…… the boy strategist moved his lips with a crunch and asked for relief, [Ta・su・ke・te].

[TL:Tasukete = help me]

“….. I can’t. What do you want me to do?”

Raidorl wrinkled his brow and made a difficult face, but decided to ask anyway.

“Ah……Angelica Ilkas. Why have you been hugging Sven since a moment ago?”

“That’s because, Your Highness. It’s so that Sven doesn’t die.”

“Humans are creatures who die if they are not careful. My parents died, my brothers died. That’s why I have to protect Sven from dying, like this.”

“But…..there are no enemies here and I don’t think there is any danger……”

“No, he will die. He will surely die.”

“…… Am I going to die, me?”

Sven was already in tears.

When  Sven broke up the fight, for some reason the woman he knew hugged him, treated him like a stuffed animal and sentenced him to death. It was natural to want to cry.

The transformation of Angelica Ilkas, who was once supposed to have become a vengeful demon. There were several complicated reasons for this.

Angelica was a female knight who fought with great fierceness on the battlefield, as evidenced by her boisterous nickname,  『Slaughter Princess』. Despite this, Angelica was not ruthless in everyday life. She deeply respected her parents, cherished her friends and was a motherly woman who treated the young children with deep affection.

But – the fall of the Viscount Ilkas family and the deaths of her family members. In particular, the death of her blood brother left a deep scar on Angelica’s heart. Obsessed with revenge and madness, Angelica became a blood-sucking, flesh-eating, evil woman, and began to pursue the empire that destroyed the Ilkas family and the treacherous aristocrats.

Angelica thus embarked on the path of Shura. She had no time to rest and was heading towards ruin when she met a shred of peace – Sven Arbeil.

Sven’s birth family, the House of Arbeil, was a family that fought to the end without succumbing to the Empire and was then driven to destruction. In other words, Sven was in the same position as Angelica and was the only person who shared her feelings.

For Angelica, who had been abandoned by those she believed to be her allies, and who no longer trusted even her fiancé and his family, the house of Calcifer, Sven was the only hope she could trust. He was like a spider thread that had descended to hell.

…..『Originally, Angelica was a kind person who loved children. I and her brother were close, and maybe our faces overlapped to her eyes』- were the words that Sven uttered as if he had given up in the state of being treated as a stuffed animal.

Angelica’s once disintegrated mind was reshaped in a distorted way by her encounter with Sven. Sven’s presence was probably the one thing that had held her back. Like a tranquiliser, only when she held Sven in her arms did she revert back to the harsh but gentle Angelica Ilkas she once was.

Angelica was holding the boy with a look of contentment on her face, as if she had monopolised all the happiness in the world and Raidorl sighed bitterly.

“……Well, okay. Let me just check the important parts first. Angelica Ilkas. Are you willing to surrender yourself to my army?”

“Of course, Your Highness. I surrender all the lands of the Calcifer family that I have taken, and of course everything in Kyrgyzstan and Kubertos as well.”

“…..Good, but you tried to kill my general, Justy, earlier?”

“I have not forgotten my resentment towards the Empire and my hatred of traitors. If I could, I would have blown his bodies to five pieces. Yes, that’s being polite already. So much so that I want to kill them so surely that there is not a single minute to survive…….”

Her eyes, which had become soft, gradually narrowed, and the beautiful face changed into a vicious expression just like that of a rakshasa woman. Sven, who was held in his arms, panicked and shouted, [Angelica-san!] He exclaimed, and his eyelids fluttered up and down as if he had just woken up from a dream.

“But I am willing to put aside my hatred of traitors if …… His Royal Highness commands me to do so. I don’t want to cause Sven any grief. I also understand that Justy is too good a man to kill.”

“………. I see.”

Traitors could be forgiven – on the other hand, that 『hatred for the Empire』could not be abandoned.

Raidorl wanted to make peace with the Empire if possible and concentrate on the battle against his brother King Granard. Could he really have Angelica, who was burning with hatred towards the Empire, as an ally?

‘It’s quite unsettling, considering the state of mind of this woman. However, it’s still a shame to let go of a female heroine who was even called the 『Slaughter Princess of Ilkas』…….Justy and Sven also seem to want to accept her, and I wouldn’t want to get rid of her if I could.’

Raidorl glanced at Sven, who was held in Angelica’s arms.

His shoulders slumped with a troubled expression, but ….. it was more likely that he was just embarrassed by the excessive skinship from the older beauty than him disliking Angelica’s favours. It was not unreasonable to assume that no matter how intelligent he was, he was still a boy of his age.

If Angelica went out of control, Sven would be the only one who could stop her other than by force of arms.

‘…..I’m putting an extra burden on Sven so, I’ll have to throw him under the bus here. She seems like an intelligent woman when we talk like this, and time will tell.’

Raidorl decided to impose the treatment of Angelica on the boy, apologising to him, his military strategist, in his mind. Angelica opened her mouth with a happy expression, holding Sven, who had become an unwitting guardian.

“I am delighted to be loyal to the Zain royal family once again. I look forward to serving you and Sven here for many years to come.”

“So it’s decided that….. you’re set with me…..that’s enough, then.

Sven, who had given up, already had an enlightened look on his face. Angelica ran her hand over the boy’s distant-eyed belly.

Raidorl was not without misgivings about welcoming a mentally distorted woman named Angelica to his camp. This would give him another force that rivalled Justy’s.

“Aa–aa, it’s cheating. This is definitely cheating.”

Incidentally, Angelica’s supposed husband, Brad Ilkas, was gazing lovingly at Angelica with his cheek cane on the table.

“I never thought I’d be newly married and within a week my partner would have an affair…..Rotten fruit is a delicacy after all. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. It seems I’ve opened a new door. It’s bittersweet and tantalising.”

“….. I don’t know what you’re talking about over there. Is there anyone decent in this town?”

“Don’t worry about my husband. I’ll get rid of him when I’m done with him.”

“Getting rid of him!?”

Angelica said matter-of-factly. Brad gazed at his wife with an eerily kind face.

Raidorl shook his head to shake off his anguish, feeling a light headache at the two anxious newcomers.

Thus, all of the Eight Eastern Families with territories on the eastern border of the Kingdom of Zain were now under his control.

This victory was achieved in a short period of time, less than six months after King Granard’s imperial decree.

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