Chapter 457 - Episode 440: Murderous Intent and Unawareness
Yucie and her escort unit were hiding in the shadow of a small forest near a farming village, watching the battle.
"Why! Why are the Grand Duchy of Arqvist's golem units here in the east!"
"I wouldn't know even if you ask me! The Grand Duchy is in the northwest of the Kingdom of Lordberg, so I only heard from headquarters that they would likely merge with the enemy's western army!"
When Yucie questioned him as if trying to grab him, the captain of the escort unit responded by shouting.
This morning, Yucie and her group, who had begun moving ahead of the main body of the eastern defense force, discovered the enemy's reconnaissance unit again. Thinking that they could find the enemy's main force in the east by following them, she had Koko track them.
Whether to shake off Koko's pursuit or for some other reason, the enemy reconnaissance unit entered a farming village along the way. An enemy unit that seemed to be lying in wait intercepted Koko, who had followed them.
Up to that point, it was fine. For Koko, annihilating a single enemy unit hiding in a village would be a trivial matter. Or so it should have been.
However, the enemy set fire to Yucie's beloved Koko, and furthermore, a swarm of golems attacked. Golem units, which possess high individual combat power and are numerous, are a poor match for Koko, an Earth Dragon who lacks agility. That was precisely why she should have been stationed in the east, where there were no golem units, but this was different from the plan.
"Ah, Koko's going to be beaten! She's going to be killed! Hey, do something!"
"...It's impossible. We are merely your escorts. There is nothing we can do against a golem unit that even an Earth Dragon struggles against."
"No way! Th-then call the main body in the rear! Hurry!"
"The ballista units that can stand up to golem units are slow, and in the first place, the units designed for anti-golem combat are in the western defense force. There's no way they'll make it in time... I'm sorry, but give up on Koko."
The captain spoke to Yucie with an expression as if he had chewed on a bitter bug.
It was a waste to lose a great asset like an Earth Dragon before attacking the enemy's eastern main army, but there was nothing to be done for those who couldn't be saved. Protecting Yucie, who was more precious than an Earth Dragon, was the priority. With Yucie's magical power, she could tame several suitable monsters on-site and return to the front lines.
"No! I won't! Koko is my family! To abandon her—"
"We are on military duty! Be reasonable!"
The captain instinctively slapped Yucie. The impact sent Yucie tumbling, and after a moment of stunned expression, she began to sob.
"Tch, this is why brats who used to be slaves are... Let's retreat for now. We must merge with the main body and inform them that the enemy's golem unit is here."
Following the captain's instructions, the knights pulled their horses close and mounted. Two of them forced the sobbing Yucie, who was sitting on the ground, to stand up, and then forcibly loaded her onto the back of the knight in charge of direct protection, despite her continued resistance.
Just as the captain also mounted his own favorite horse and was about to begin moving—one of the knights suddenly tumbled and fell from his horse. A spear was thrust into the back of the knight who had been slammed into the ground.
"!? Enemy attack—"
Simultaneously with the captain's shout, arrows and spears rained down from within the forest. An arrow struck the captain's horse, and the horse neighed, tossing its front legs up. The captain, who had been thrown off, immediately stood up and drew his sword, but looking around, he found himself surrounded by enemy soldiers who had approached from the forest unnoticed.
There were dozens of enemies. Arrows and spears were aimed not only from the ground but also from the trees. In contrast, their own forces had three killed in the first attack, leaving seven. It was nearly impossible to break through this situation while protecting Yucie.
"Don't move. If you do that, we won't attack any further... That woman over there is the summoning mage who keeps that Earth Dragon, right?"
A man who seemed to be the unit leader stepped forward and spoke in a heavy accent.
...
Yucie and her escort unit were captured by a unit of nobles called the Nordheim Knight-Bachelors. Listening to the conversation between him and his subordinates, this noble did not seem to be a noble of the Kingdom of Lordberg, but rather a noble of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist.
Yucie and the seven survivors of the escort unit, including the captain, were led to the farming village where the battle between Koko and the Grand Duchy's army had unfolded. Yucie, a petite woman, was not physically restrained, but the knights had their hands tied behind their backs with rope.
Inside the village, which had been almost completely devastated by the fierce battle, lay the heavily damaged corpse of Koko.
"Ah... Koko... how could this..."
Koko's scales were burned, her legs were broken, and as is common for dragon species, she already drifted a scent of decay shortly after death, and the magic stone had been removed from inside her body. Seeing this transformed figure, tears welled up in Yucie's eyes.
Koko had become the new family for Yucie, who had lost her only family, her father. Big and strong, always protecting Yucie, always by her side—he had been like a younger brother, and now he was dead.
Just like with her father, it was the Grand Duchy of Arqvist's army that had taken Koko.
Passing by Koko's corpse, Yucie and the others were led to the side of the largest two-story house in the village—though it was half-destroyed—and were let down from the horses.
"Radley, good work."
"Yes, sir."
The one who spoke to the Nordheim Knight-Bachelor who had brought Yucie and the others was a large man with a shaved head. Judging by his tone, he seemed to be in a position even higher than the Nordheim Knight-Bachelor.
"Now... I am a noble of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist, Baronet Yuri Granat. Before I send you back as prisoners, I have a few questions."
The man who identified himself as Baronet Granat looked down at Yucie and the others with an attitude that was not violent, but possessed pressure.
"First, it's correct that the woman over there is the summoning mage who controlled that Earth Dragon, yes?"
"...That is correct."
The one who answered was not Yucie, but the captain of the escort unit. Looking at her appearance and such, it was obvious that Yucie was a mage, so there was no point in denying it here.
"Understood. For the time being, I'll have a cleric confirm that woman's magical talent later... Next topic. You, what is your name?"
"...Yucie."
Yucie answered without meeting Baronet Granat's eyes.
"I see. Yucie, a question for you. Depending on the treatment, such as salary, would you be willing to be employed by the Lordberg Royal Family? When I conveyed the information about a summoning mage who controls Earth Dragons to the Lordberg Royal Family, word came back that they would be willing to employ her with considerably high treatment. Of course, at first, it would involve surveillance, as well as consciousness manipulation and behavioral restrictions via magic, but..."
Unlike nobles or soldiers, mages are often viewed as convenient personnel with special skills, almost as tools. Many among mages accept their position in that way, and they do not necessarily hold loyalty to their employer beyond the employment relationship.
It was not an uncommon story for a mage employed by the losing side of a battle to be welcomed to the winner's side with high treatment.
"..."
However, Yucie did not answer Baronet Granat. Her father and Koko had both died in this land. They were killed by the Grand Duchy of Arqvist. There was no way she would want to be employed by the Kingdom of Lordberg, the suzerain state of the Grand Duchy.
"A refusal, huh. It can't be helped. Then you, like the others, will be treated as a prisoner for now. You'll be sent back to the main body within today, and after that—"
"Yuri. Is she the summoning mage who controlled that Earth Dragon?"
The one who appeared there was a man who looked like a petite boy. Judging by his tone, he was even higher than Baronet Granat, and judging by his attire, he was a person of considerable status.
"Your Excellency, Grand Duke Arqvist. As you say, this woman is the one. I asked if she had the intention to go over to the Kingdom of Lordberg, but for now, it seems she has no such intention."
Hearing Baronet Granat call the man that, Yucie's eyes widened.
Grand Duke Arqvist. She had heard rumors that he was a person who looked younger than his age, but in terms of appearance, he looked almost no different from Yucie. He was short, slender, and frankly, looked weak.
However, this man was a demon. He was a human with demonic ideas, the one who devised the plan that still makes tens of thousands of Betumia Republic army soldiers suffer from poison.
And this man had killed Yucie's father. Furthermore, today, he had taken Koko.
"Ahaha, well, it can't be helped. Whether to persistently recruit her or return her to Betumia as a prisoner is for His Majesty Oscar to decide. We should, as quickly as possible—"
"You!"
Yucie screamed toward Grand Duke Arqvist, who was showing a carefree smile.
"You! Because of you! Because of youuuu!"
Then, she instinctively grabbed a stone she saw and lunged at Grand Duke Arqvist.
"Dieeee—"
However, the stone Yucie held did not strike Grand Duke Arqvist's head. Far before she could reach him, a rabbit-person woman standing beside him leaped forward quickly and kicked Yucie away with a long, supple leg.
"Gah!"
Kicked in the stomach by the front of the shin of a metal combat boot, Yucie was blown backward while coughing. She rolled on the ground, her breath stopping from the impact of the kick.
"Ngaaaaaah!"
Still not letting go of the stone, Yucie swung her arm back and glared at Grand Duke Arqvist. As if to step between the surprised Grand Duke Arqvist and the glaring Yucie, a guard man with thin, sharp eyes stood in the way and drew his sword.
Then, he aimed the sword straight at Yucie and approached.
"Ah—"
She was going to be killed.
The one who leaped out to protect the thinking Yucie was the captain of the escort unit.
The black sword tip unleashed by Grand Duke Arqvist's guard pierced the captain's body and reached all the way to the center of Yucie's chest. The captain and Yucie were pierced through, side by side.
The pain was not that great; rather, Yucie was assaulted by a heat like being burned.
"...Why"
Yucie instinctively muttered. If she thought about it calmly now, it was only natural that she, who had suddenly tried to kill the enemy general, would be killed. However, the captain should have been fine if he hadn't moved. Even if he threw himself to protect Yucie while his arms were tied, it probably wouldn't have had much meaning.
"...This is my job."
The captain answered so, and then his breathing stopped.
Job. For that reason alone, he tried to protect her. Even though there was no way he could have liked her, who had been completely selfish, he died with her.
While thinking that, Yucie's consciousness faded.
"Don't move! All of you, don't move!"
"W-wait! We won't resist!"
"I didn't do anything! Please don't kill me!"
While Yuri, Radley, and the Grand Duchy army soldiers heightened their vigilance, the remaining prisoners were beaten down while desperately pleading their lack of resistance.
Matilda, Pence, and the Guard soldiers surrounded Noein, who was watching this in bewilderment.
It took about thirty seconds for the unexpected commotion to settle. Once it was understood that the remaining prisoners had no intention of resisting, they were led away, and the deaths of the summoning mage who attacked Noein and the knight who protected her were firmly confirmed.
Following that, Matilda, Pence, and the Guard finally relaxed their vigilance.
"Noein-sama, are you injured?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Noein said as Matilda checked on him.
"...I'm sorry. I killed her instinctively. I didn't know what other hidden tricks a mage who controls Earth Dragons might have."
"No, that couldn't be helped. Anyone could see that this child, who suddenly attacked, was in the wrong. His Majesty Oscar wouldn't think of employing such an incomprehensible child either," Noein answered Pence, who had pulled the sword from the two corpses.
Attacking an enemy general after surrendering was out of the question. For a general's guard, killing the opponent was a natural action.
"...Even so, what on earth was that?"
Noein looked down at the summoning mage's corpse with an expression of inability to understand. Noein himself hadn't even spoken to her. He didn't understand the meaning of her suddenly flying into a rage and attacking.
"We should have restrained her just in case. It was our oversight. I am very sorry," Yuri said, bowing his head.
Noein waved his hand, telling him not to worry.
"No, since there was a possibility she might defect to our side, we couldn't treat her too roughly. That's not a problem... I mean, no one could have predicted that she would pick up a stone and suddenly attack."
With a bitter smile, Noein averted his eyes from the corpse. Strange things often happen on the battlefield. Occasionally, there are people who take strange actions. There was no point in thinking about it.
"Now, the Earth Dragon hunt is over. Let's merge with the main body."