Chapter 92

A procession of earth-running dragons pulling carts set off from Midleague. Despite the fact that it had been only a little over four hours since we received the urgent request for extermination from His Majesty the King, the preparations for the expedition were completed in no time. The amount of equipment and supplies was far greater than when we had slain the Yugrosh centipede crab. There were anchors with chains thicker than my legs, steel nets woven with magic, thick shields and great swords, and a full set of heavy armor that covered the entire body—these formidable armaments were all for facing the Lagradragon.

The journey to Parivain Forest Park would take at least three days by land, even if we hurried. The rear support units had already headed to the site, and Lord Aristide and the others were to fly on dragons. And so was I.

"Madam Laforgue, if any messengers come from the castle, please turn them all away. And tell them not to open any letters until I return."

Lord Aristide, who was usually lightly equipped, looked into Madam Laforgue's eyes and emphasized his request.

"Understood."

"Also, please take care of the tailor's matter."

"Hehehe. There's no need to worry; my foolish son has already taken care of it."

"I'm causing you so much trouble."

"Not at all. I'm enjoying it."

Madam Laforgue, who was Lord Chaos's mother and was serving as the temporary head maid in Galbreath without any maids, bowed slowly to Lord Aristide, holding the hem of his white knight's uniform. Lord Aristide nodded and then walked away to where Chaos was waiting with the dragon.

When Lord Aristide stopped in front of me, he looked very apologetic.

"I can't say we're fully prepared, Melfi. I'll finish this quickly and return, so please wait for me."

"Yes, I pray for your safe return. And this time, please use the cloud crystal, won't you?"

At my words, Lord Aristide patted his waist pouch.

"Of course, I'll use it gratefully. According to Odilon's analysis, it boasts the strongest defensive magic, and it will be invaluable in a prolonged battle."

There's not much I can do, but I have inscribed an ancient magic array on this cloud crystal after careful consideration. I've also prepared smaller cloud crystals made with modern magic for the other knights, so I hope they use them without hesitation.

The dragon hunt is clearly different from ordinary missions, as the families of the knights were there to see them off. There were knights exchanging quiet embraces with elderly women, knights being patted on the back by their fathers, and knights talking with the knights who were staying behind. Among them, there were knights receiving kisses on the cheek from young women, who were probably their fiancées, as most of them were wearing the Parushia.

I suddenly remembered that the Galbreath knights had a custom of being kissed by their wives or lovers as they set off.

(Should I do it too?)

I am undoubtedly Lord Aristide's fiancée, and I wish for his safe return more than anything. But I don't know how to do it. Perhaps because I was staring at Lord Aristide so intently, he bent down slightly and looked at me.

"Is there something worrying you? I feel deeply apologetic about my family. The only one who can stop that is Her Majesty the Queen. I feel so helpless—"

"Ah, just a little more."

I reached out and grabbed Lord Aristide's shoulder, stretching as high as I could. His cheek, which was much higher than I thought, was still out of reach.

"Mel, Mel, Mel?!"

"Please bend down a little more."

Lord Aristide, moving awkwardly, knelt on both knees, making himself even lower than me. But this made it easier to kiss him, so I whispered a prayer in ancient magic language, bent down, and placed a magical kiss on Lord Aristide's cheek.

(Please, Lord Aristide, don't get hurt.)

Perhaps because I prayed so earnestly, my red hair faintly glowed with magic. The cold wind of Galbreath made me feel a bit feverish, so I only touched his cheek lightly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I took a step back, and Lord Aristide quickly lowered his face guard.

(Did he not like it?)

Not knowing how to interpret his reaction, I looked at Lord Aristide as he slowly stood up.

"Melfiera"

"Y-Yes..."

"I have received your prayer."

"Yes!"

Madam Laforgue, who was watching, picked up the hem of her white knight's uniform and bowed slowly to Lord Aristide. Lord Aristide nodded and then walked away to where Chaos was waiting with the dragon.

"Come, Lady Melfiera. Shall we go?"

Madam Laforgue, a wind person, could read the wind and skillfully control the fire eagles, just like Chaos. The members of the Blanchet guard, who were assigned to protect me, were not good at flying creatures, so they were to be taken to the capital by the fire eagle squadron.

"The fire eagles may not fly as fast as dragons, but they are beautiful and elegant birds. Please enjoy your flight with peace of mind."

"Yes, thank you."

I had never left the snow-covered March Raid in winter, and this was my first time going to the capital in winter. The capital, like Galbreath, was bustling with shops open even in winter.

(I'd like to visit the magic item shop in the capital...)

I was invited by Lord Aristide's older brother. Yes, I had to meet my new older brother, not His Majesty the King.

(I need to get my health in order before Lord Aristide returns.)

With a bit of anxiety, I set off for the capital.

◆ ◇ ◆

"Hey, Emile. Is it true?"

Theo, who was walking in front, turned to look at me. Theo is a year older than me, bigger, and the strongest in fighting among our group. There was a reason why such a reliable Theo looked more anxious than I did.

"Yesterday morning, Sohan from the laundry shop said he saw a red shadow moving inside the 'Mad Blood Manor' when the back window was open. He was boasting about it in front of Sherry."

"Ah, so the absent master has finally returned."

"Ugh... No, Theo, Emile. Let's not go. We'll be killed if we're caught..."

Theo gripped the handle of his wooden sword, and the timid Martin pulled on the hem of my clothes from behind.

"Sohan, the coward, came back alive, didn't he? So we can't back down."

I nodded in agreement with Theo's words. Sohan is a real coward, even more so than Martin. Besides, it annoys me that Sohan is trying to impress Sherry, my childhood friend, by exaggerating the story.

(Sherry is my childhood friend. There's no way he met the 'Mad Blood Duke.' It must be a lie.)

In the eastern district of our capital, Seradure, there is a large mansion that has been uninhabited since it was built. The only person managing the vast estate is an old man named Gyom. He has been waiting for the owner, who might return at any time. Gyom is unfriendly and chases us away if we get too close to the mansion. No one knows the truth, but everyone knows that the owner is the 'Mad Blood Duke,' Duke Galbreath. Before becoming the Mad Blood Duke, he was a prince. However, he was so cruel and brutal that he destroyed castles, injured people, and could not maintain his sanity without bathing in blood. As punishment, he was confined in a distant forest of monsters.

(There's no way anyone could meet such a person and come back unharmed.)

I felt a bit guilty, but I decided to expose Sohan's lie and urged Theo to verify the truth.

"Hey, look at that."

Theo suddenly stopped and pointed ahead cautiously. There, a banner with the emblem of the Galbreath family and another emblem was fluttering.

"An emblem of a beast...?"

"Emile... Wasn't there something like that before?"

I had never seen a red banner with a black emblem of a wolf-like beast before. I suddenly felt scared and grabbed Martin's hand next to me.

"Is the 'Mad Blood Duke' really here?"

Theo started walking towards the front gate, so I quickly stopped him.

"Theo, let's go around to the back. If it's real, we'll be killed."

"Right, let's check from the back."

"Wait, both of you!"

We cautiously and quietly made our way to the back. There was no sign of Gyom, so we climbed a tree by the wall to get a better view of the mansion. We crossed a few trees and jumped onto a large tree inside the estate. We hid among the branches and leaves and observed.

The usually dark interior of the mansion seemed a bit brighter. Moreover, the iron shutters, which were never opened except for cleaning, were open, and red curtains were hanging down.

"This has never happened before."

Theo leaned out to get a better look, pushing aside the branches.

"Theo, it's dangerous if we're seen. The 'Mad Blood Duke' must have returned."

At my words, Martin gasped and clung to the branch.

"Let's go back, we'll be caught."

"Idiot, Martin. We've come this far, we have to see him or we'll be no different from Sohan the coward."

"But I feel a strange sensation in my stomach and back. It's like being told not to enter, a very strong force."

Martin, who said this, shivered and started to climb down the tree.

"Martin, you can't go alone."

"It's dangerous, Martin, wait."

Martin, who was not good at physical activities, placed his trembling feet on a branch to use as a foothold. But it was slippery, and he was about to lose his footing. Theo and I, trying to help Martin, moved to the same branch in the same direction. This made the branch bend under our weight. It was a worst-case scenario, a result of our panic.

"Ah!"

"Martin!"

"Be careful!"

The branch tilted, and Martin's hand slipped off. Martin's surprised cry and our shouts overlapped.

Martin fell from the tree.

We had climbed quite high, so he could be seriously injured. I closed my eyes tightly, afraid to look down, and turned to look at Theo next to me. Theo was looking at me, his face twisted as if he was about to cry.

(What should I do, what should I do, what should I do?)

My body started shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't hear Martin's voice, so he might be unconscious. If that's the case, I need to call for help. We are on the estate of the Mad Blood Duke, and if we are found, my life is in danger. But I can't abandon Martin. I tried to hold back my tears and turned to the tree trunk.

"Are you okay? I thought it was a large Kina-Kina, but it turned out to be a human child."

An unexpected gentle female voice made me look down. There, Martin was sitting in a daze, and a woman with bright red hair was standing next to him.

"Princess, such a naughty child, a Kina-Kina would be enough."

"Oh, Captain. There are two more Kina-Kina up there. Look, up there."

The person called Captain was tall, shiny, and dressed in white like a prince.

"Hehehe. Don't worry, your friends are safe. Please come down slowly and carefully, so you don't fall."

The red-haired woman, called Princess, smiled at us.