***Arc 5 The One Who Obstructed, Chapter 99 Painting Maiden***
Silver armor engraved with wings and the flicker of the wind.
With her helmet under her arm, the one who wore it was a beautiful girl with graceful golden hair.
She was Selene Argalitte Rinea Chritand
The large man standing next to her was Kolkis Agrand, the corps commander of the Second Corp.
The man with bald head, and thin body as if there’s only bones in it was Eluga Faren, the corps commander of the Fourth Corp.
And with a blue vein showing in anger, Terrius Melchikos, the corps commander of the Third Corps.
His aquiline nose is deeply wrinkled, and he looks at the man in front of him with eyes that were ready to shoot him.
Behind her was a line of 25,000 soldiers, and against them was the former Adjutant of the Third Corps Commander of the Christand army――
"... It's been a while, Selene-sama."
"Yeah, it's been a while. Though it hasn't been that long."
It was Salva Rinea Caldera
His grey-brown hair was combed, and his skinny body was wrapped in rugged, well-worn armor.
Next to him was a beautiful young man with black hair and blue eyes, and behind him was a large army of 35,000.
He stood boldly before Selene's eyes as an enemy general.
"... I got a chance to take my father's revenge with my own hands after all. So, I'm happy you came here."
Selene's eyes narrowed sharply.
Her father's enemy――but she kept her cool, her mind was at peace.
"Your anger is justified. I’ll honestly face it. But... even if it's Selene-sama, now that we're facing each other with sword in hand, I won’t let you easily cut off this head."
“You sure said it.”
“Yes. ――In this battle, I see that the righteousness lies with His Highness the younger brother. That is Her Majesty the Princess――and her older sister who has been wiped from the royal lineage, Krishce-sama. The upheaval and tragedy are caused by the two Cursed Child."
Selene furrowed her brows and Salva closed his eyes.
"The abnormality of the Krische-sama is well known to all of you here. Haven't you ever thought that she was much too skilled? Do you really think that His Highness planned to usurp the throne at that time? …Then why was General Verreich given the position of Eastern General? If this was a well-thought-out plot by His Royal Highness, then such a thing would be impossible.”
Although the king held authority over military personnel, Gildanstein's power was also significant.
It is said that the king's illness worsened, and he was in a state where it was difficult for him to carry out government affairs properly.
Although he appeared at the ceremony conferring decoration, it was Gildanstein who delivered the speech.
The hand that held the sword was trembling slightly, and the King's face was covered with makeup, perhaps to hide his complexion.
Gildanstein, who had a strong connection to the military, could have put someone else for the Eastern General, not Nozan Verrich, who was Bogan's confidant, but someone else who was on his side.
Then, as soon as the East was ready, he could usurp the throne.
――It was much too sloppy.
If Gildanstein had started this civil war, it was all too short-sighted.
The reason why Kreschenta took refuge with Christand, the existence of Krische, and the unexplained illness of the King.
Of course, even Salva knew of Gildanstein's notoriety.
He was not a man to be respected.
But more than that, Salva, who knew Krische, cannot think of Princess Kreschenta as a tragic princess.
He recognizes her as a Cursed Child, like Krische.
"It's not too late even now.... Surrender. I swear on my name, with my life, I assure you that I will not let anything bad happen to you, even if the opponent is His Highness.”
Salva's voice was filled with sincerity.
A moment of silence――it was his former superior, Terrius, the Third Corps Commander, who broke it.
“Kuku, surrender? ...How abominable. I don't even want to remember that I had a shameless man like you as my adjutant. Just when I thought that you’re going to give long drawn-out apologize, You mocked Her Highness, and mocked Krische-sama――what a traitor, I can’t even say I’m shocked.”
"...Corps Commander Melchikos"
"Don't call my name, Salva, my name will be defiled. …Far from repaying kindness to Margrave Christand, who once saved us from a predicament, you took his life away, and is now still breathing peacefully. It can never be forgiven.”
Terrius clenched his fists in anger.
"Don't think you'll die easy, Salva. You did just that much."
"...Of course, I understand."
Selene, who saw Salva who took that anger head on, thought of Krische and Kreshcenta, and then Bogan.
Salva's words——there was a mixture of various emotions in my heart.
Righteousness, justice, anger, hatred, love, pity.
Which one was the correct one?
Such emotions and rationality, as if wishing to be at a lost.
But she shouldn’t be.
After making that decision, Selene picked up the sword again.
If she had to choose one of them——
"The answer is already decided. You don't think those words would end the fight, do you?"
"I was hoping for that... but the answer is no."
"Yes. I will thrust my sword at you for the sake of your Highness the Princess——for Krische who you called Cursed Child. And I will avenge my father. That's all I have to say to you."
‘Negotiations broke down’, Selene said and turned her back.
“I wish you good luck. I don't want to see the person who killed my father——die an unsightly death.”
"...Thank you, Selene-sama. I wish you good luck in battle."
The two then turned their backs, and the surroundings followed suit.
Two people remained.
Kolkis Agrand.
and Gran Agrand.
“Don’t worry Gran, I will definitely kill you.”
The handsome young man flinched at those words for a moment, but returned his gaze as if to challenge him.
“Please don’t underestimate me too much, Father.”
"Haha, as a father, I'd be happy to see my feeble son challenge me head-on like that, but I'm sad to think that this is the end. …I’m begging you, just don’t show me a stupid death. If you, who betrayed the General and left home is like that then..."
Like a rock.
The muscles of his face contorted in anger and hatred, and his eyes, like those of a hungry tiger, turned to the young man.
"... I have to live with this anger for the rest of my life."
Gran flinched but looked back at his eyes.
"... don't underestimate me as a coward forever."
And with that, he turned on his heel.
Kolkis who saw his back figure also turned his back.
20 ri (~8 km) east of Kierzaran.
That's how the Battle of the Dorval Plains began.
"I have a report. Approximately 30,000 to 40,000 troops are heading towards Dorval."
A small tent in the camp.
It was about 100 ri (~40 km) south-southwest of Kielzaran where Krische heard the report.
The enemy split in two——one of them detoured far east.
It avoided them and went to Serene.
"Checking the flag, the crest of the Caldera family――the enemy general is likely to be Salva Caldera."
The presence of Gildanstein has been confirmed on this side.
The contact with the enemy will be tomorrow.
An army of about 50,000——if that's all their number, then the total number of soldiers Gildanstein has amassed was 80,000 or 90,000.
It was a little more than expected, but it was still too early to conclude the conclusion.
Information is ambiguous, and a commander must always think of all possibilities.
"Understood. What about General Verreich?"
"Two koku (~4 hour) later, after finishing the meal, he would like to hold a meeting."
"Thank you. Do you have any other missions?"
"Ah...Yes ma’am. Nothing was given."
The messenger was awe struck, or rather bewildered, by the intelligent Krische’s good looks——or, more precisely, by her posture.
She sat on the servant's lap while her hair was braided.
There was not a shred of dignity in it.
It's a serious report, but somehow there was no tension.
The messenger had visited Krische many times, but when he came to report here, Krische always looked relaxed, as if she was not in the middle of a military action, which made his tension drained every time he came here.
He was a serious man, loyal to his military duties, so he doesn't talk about it, but he was dismayed and about the various rumors around the girl——among which was that she is an eccentric child which was at least true.
A monster, stronger and more ruthless than anyone else——he also knows how she was on the battlefield.
She may indeed be such a being, but if anything, calling her an innocent child seems closer to the reality of the situation.
He feels that her ruthlessness lies in that, like of a child killing an insect by ripping its limbs off.
“Please tell the battalion commanders the same information. They should also attend the meeting. Just use any messenger who is there freely.”
"Yes ma’am. Understood."
"You may go."
The messenger saluted, said goodbye, and left the tent.
As he left, Elvena, who was holding Krische on her lap, exhaled her nervousness.
For Krische, the inside of her tent seems to be a 'relaxing space'.
She seems to be taking care of herself to some extent when outside, but when someone visits her in her tent, she was always like this.
Krische’s favorite was to sit on her lap, and it's not too hard as she was as light as a feather, but that does not it's not hard for her when Krische was listening to a serious report while sitting on her lap.
Krische smiled contentedly as her hair, which hung down to her left fringe, was tied back up.
"Ehehe, Elvena is good at it."
"... Yes, in the past, I used to braid Nee-san’s hair a lot."
Kalua got tired of doing it on her own at some point, so Elvena often played with Kalua's hair.
Krische’s long, silky hair is easy to braid, and when she unties her hair, she loves how it flows smoothly and——
“All done."
While combing Krische’s hair on her knees, her hands moved on its own.
Although it should have been tightly braided, Krische’s braided hair was so soft that she couldn't believe it was braided.
It seemed as if it would come undone at any moment.
She smiled wryly, saying that Krische’s hair was so silky that it has no cohesive (can’t be bundled), which was troubling.
"Nn, Krische is also pretty good at it. Krische’ll do it for Elvena."
"Umm, mine is short so..."
"It's okay, Krische has tied about 30 braids with that length before."
"A-ahaha...at least please make it just two..."
Krische happily remembered Bery's braided hair.
She pulled his face close and moved her finger dexterously.
The other day, the Krische when she stepped into the bedroom――the figure that grabbed Roland's neck.
Her innocent appearance now was so lovely and pure that it was hard to believe she was the same as the girl at that time.
She was the inhabitant of a painting that had been cut out, leaving only beauty.
For example, she was like that, and she had an even more mysterious charm because she’s flesh and blood here.
The purple eyes that seem to suck you in seem to see the world as if it were a flowery paradise as if looking at a desolate, lightless wasteland.
She wondered if this purity too would soon be stained by the mundane world.
"... When I look at Krische-sama, it reminds me of Leine's heaven."
"...?"
“It's a religious painting of the Holy Elsren Empire. It seems that the first emperor, Elsleine, had a hobby of painting……Roland liked to collect them.”
The former Queen Grabaraine, who annexed neighboring countries in an instant and made Alberan's name known to the surrounding world.
Her daughter, Elsleine, the emperor of the first Holy Empire, suddenly rebelled against her.
Elsleine was praised as a beautiful ruler and a great leader, but she rarely appeared in public and apparently did not give speeches.
Instead, she showed countless paintings.
Her exquisite technique was said to be unrivaled whether in the past or future to come.
The paintings were painted to a morbid (obsessive) degree, and the layers and layers of paint created a heavenly paradise.
There was no misery, no warfare.
The fruits that grow on the tree are picked and shared, and everyone holds hands and laughs together.
The people were shown only such a paradise of unsoiled beauty and happiness.
Except for one of her last moments, Elsleine continued to paint just that throughout her life, and it was said that the total number exceeds several thousand.
"It's a very beautiful picture... When I look at Krische-sama, I feel like Krische-sama was a resident who has escaped from the world of that picture."
Innocent children—Among them, Elsleine often painted pure maidens.
Exactly like Krische.
"Hmm...?"
Krische’s face was grim, as if faced with a difficult task.
Elvena chuckled.
"It's an analogy. I want to say that Krische-sama is very beautiful."
“Haa……thank you very much.”
She tilted her head as if she still didn’t understand, and Elvena cast her eyes down as if remembering.
In the beginning paintings, men and women of all ages――at first, there were many adults in paradise, but after a certain time, Elsleine stopped drawing adults.
Only young things were drawn there.
At the same time, her reign was overshadowed, and corruption and injustice were rampant.
After painting her last work, she died.
It is said that the beautiful emperor fell ill or committed suicide.
Her paintings, which was said to be the light in dark night, was white painting that was painted over with rough stroke of black.
‘What do you think? Even though it is a forgery, don't you think this is quite intense? I would love to see the real thing, the last work left by such an accomplished painter.’
From an adult to a child, and finally to a light produced in darkness.
This shows reincarnation, said the Pope when he succeeded to the power.
Even when age of darkness comes, the rightious faith will always lead us to paradise——that's what Elsleine is telling us he said.
She's there ahead of us, waiting for us.
——The history of the Empire.
While she was cleaning, she read Roland's collection in her free time, now Elvena could finally understand the feelings that arose when she saw those paintings.
A beautiful, yet somehow sad, imaginary paradise.
A fantasy world without any substance, where all the impurities have been removed.
She thought that Elsleine was probably the purest and loneliest person.
She could only find happiness in the paradise in the picture, in the longing (yearning).
She turned her eyes away from all kinds of impurities, but she could not escape from them.
So, he turned his eyes only to the innocent——and in the end, she despaired of everything.
She gave up even dreaming of that paradise.
That picture looked like a paradise that was painted over (crushed).
Elvena thought that her final moments must have been suicide.
"Ehehe, it's done."
"Oh... Krische-sama is really good at it."
When Elvena looked at the finished braid and said so, the girl smiled softly and leaned her body against her.
And then her eyes turn somewhat cold and downcast.
"... the meeting is probably going to be late... cliche, can she take a break until dinner?"
"Of course. Would you like to sleep in the bed?"
"Uhh……"
She chuckled and nodded.
"...then let’s rest like this."
"…yes, good night"
She stroked her head as she closed her eyes and silently wished her a good night's sleep.
She hoped this angelic girl could find a certain peace in this world, even if only for this one moment.
The kind of happiness she had given her.
Thinking of that, Elvena ran her fingertips through her silver hair.
