Personally, I do not often have the impression that someone is dangerous based on their strength.

After all the other SS-rank adventurers and Elna are one of the most out of norm people on this continent. I could say that they are monsters that casually took a step beyond the limit of mankind.

Right now I am currently having that impression. Something that I haven’t experienced in a long time.

That is how strong Alida who is protecting the entrance to the throne room is. She seems so invincible that the act of entering the throne room looks like an impossibility.

The enemy unit that is trying to breach the throne room is an elite one.

Their number is over a hundred and most of them have already turned into a cold lifeless body in front of the throne room.

They were all single-handedly cut down by Alida.

“Guh! All men to assault formation! We are going to take her down together!!”

The man who seems to be their commander tried to encourage the soldiers.

However, the commander has already lost one of his arms.

No, I should say that he is lucky to escape her at the cost of only one arm.

There are about ten of them left but not one of them is unharmed.

They were the people who were lucky enough to escape Alida’s blade.

However, right now they are trying to jump back in and getting through with a mass assault.

The door to the throne room is large but it is impossible for ten adults to rush through all at once.

They will eventually have to take turns.

And that is what Alida wants.

A clear sound reverberates.

Fast. That was the word that came to my mind.

Alida cut off the head of all the soldiers that rushed at her.

The only one left is their commander.

“Ridiculous…….my unit has trained so hard…….”

“If a well-trained unit can defeat an Imperial Knight then His Majesty wouldn’t use us so heavily you know.”

“Damn it…….why do you still obey the Emperor even with that kind of power? Don’t you hate him!? That Emperor killed your younger brother you know!!”

A desperate attempt at persuasion.

However, it is also something that accurately pierces the gap in Alida’s heart.

Alida has a reason to resent the Imperial Family.

Since I was directly involved in the incident, that was something I was worried about as well.

However.

“My younger brother took responsibility for his actions by taking his own life. It was not His Majesty’s fault. If someone is responsible……then it is our family’s fault since we failed to teach him the harshness of the world. My only regret is that my family has caused a great deal of trouble to His Majesty.”

“Do you not love your family!?”

“I love them. However, I have spent a lot of time at His Majesty’s side since I became the Knight Commander. How he has been a friend of my father since childhood, how much he thinks about the Empire. I know that all too well. Between His Majesty who has spent his every day meeting with people and dealing with paperwork that came to him from all over the Empire and a self-entitled younger brother who acted out because he was only content with the fame of our house, don’t you think that it is clear who I will favor?”

Alida said so and decapitated the commander.

She then looked at us who were observing the situation around the corner.

“—-I am glad that you are safe. Your Highness Rupert.”

Alida gently smiled at Rupert who peeked out from behind my back.

However, Rupert’s face cramped up.

After all, there are countless corpses piled up around Alida, creating a sea of blood around her.

When Alida noticed that, she apologized and used wind magic to blow the corpses and blood to the other end of the passage.

“With this, it is a little cleaner. Your Highness, this way please.”

“Ah, U, Un…….”

“So it was Earl Simmel who escorted His Highness. You have my gratitude.”

“No, I only acted as I was told. It is all thanks to His Highness Arnold and Grau, his strategist that I managed to bring His Highness here.”

Alois said so and bowed his head.

However, Alois’s expression was like he had said something he shouldn’t have.

He probably thought that it was bad to give out my name.

She did say that she sides with the Emperor to the enemy but she probably didn’t hold any favorable feelings toward me and Leo who was the direct cause of her brother’s death.

However, Alida showed an unexpected reaction.

“I see. So His Highness Arnold started to move. Was it His Highness who brought you to the castle, Grau? The strategist that repelled ten thousand imperial soldiers.”

“Indeed. I do have the intention to help Alois even without his request though.”

“…….With the situation as it is, it would be better if I refrain from asking about your true identity here, correct?”

“That would be helpful.”

“At least, if you don’t use that illusion magic, I might be able to trust you more readily though?”

“You want me to show you my real face? Forgive me but as long as the Imperial Army is hostile toward me, I will have to do this as a safety measure.”

Alida quietly nodded to my words.

It seems that she will not ask any more questions.

After that, Alida escorts Rupert into the throne room.

However, I stop following them.

“Grau? Are you not coming?”

Rupert puzzledly tilted his head to the side when he saw that I didn’t enter the throne room.

I give him a nod.

“Yes, I still have something to do.”

“B, But…..there should be a lot of soldiers below us right…..? Grau said so yourself?”

“Exactly. There are still many enemies left. It would be safer to stay here but there are still many that are in need of help. Prince Arnold is planning to let all the possible hostages escape outside the castle. It is indeed a good plan but that is impossible for him to accomplish alone.”

“Grau……”

Rupert uneasily looked at me.

I can see anxiety in his eyes.

However, Rupert took a deep breath and spoke to me again.

“……Arnold-aniue and Christa-aneue are still out there. Can I……entrust them to you?”

“I understand.”

Rupert brightened up at my words.

In the short while that we were together, Rupert has grown.

He came to be able to think not only about himself but Christa as well.

I don’t think that a child should grow up in a situation like this but I am still happy at my brother’s growth.

“Alois. I will leave Prince Rupert in your care.”

“Yes. Please be careful too, Grau.”

“You too. Now them, sir Knight Commander, I will be excusing myself.”

“Shall I have one of my subordinates accompany you?”

I smiled at Alida’s offer.

Rather than a support, I’m sure that she wanted someone to keep an eye on me.

That’s why I shook my head.

“I shall refrain. I would stand out too much together with your subordinate after all.”

“I think that you are already standing out enough given your appearance though?”

“I have some plans to deal with that. Your worry is unneeded.”

Alida didn’t say anything more.

She probably thinks that it is useless even if she pushes her subordinate on me.

Alida herself shouldn’t have many men to spare as well.

“—–as the Knight Commander of the Imperial Knight Order, I am ashamed to ask you this but please protect the Imperial Family. I can not move from this spot.”

“You don’t need to say that. For a wandering strategist like me, I can’t take a liking to a rebellion like this. After all, this is the most condemned act on the battlefield. As someone who lives on the battlefield, I can’t calm down unless I can teach these people that it is impossible to reach true success with a betrayal. I will have to teach them what miserable end awaits the traitors.”

Saying so, I left the throne room.

Then, I briefly activated my detection magic. The closest group right now is Christa and Trau-niisan.

It seems that they failed to join up with my eldest brother’s aides but apparently Christa is still safe.

The Imperial Army doesn’t seem to be aware of their location yet.

Rather, it seems that they can’t see the room they are currently hiding in.

“It is so ironic that the army betrayed us while the kids who have just met each other only a few days before are still holding each other’s hands huh.”

At Christa’s side is Wendy, the dignitary from the Elf Village.

Christa probably took her out of her room. That must be why the plan was messed up and they failed to meet up with my brother’s aides.

Still, Wendy’s illusion is hiding them from the Imperial Army.

They should be able to hold out somehow before I get there.

There is one concern though.

“Trau-niisan, will it be okay……..your rationality.”

On top of that, Rita is also at Christa’s side.

That would be like a heaven for Trau-niisan.

It would be nice if he doesn’t burst with joy and go crazy before I get there though.

Well, even like that, he is quite capable. He probably wouldn’t do anything stupid in a serious situation like this. Definitely. Probably.

That’s what I want to believe.

“……let’s hurry.”

Muttering so, I deployed a transfer gate.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!

Report chapter

Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter