***Arc 6 One Who Pierced Through, Chapter 131 Old Enemies and Putting it Off***
Leaving Kalka, they picked up Mia and Kalua.
If they passed through this forest, they would reach Gargain, and today they would spend the night in this forest
The members of the Black Flag Special Forces took turns walking in the snow, warming their hands against the cold.
In the carriage, as usual, there was a girl wrapped in a blanket and snuggling on the servant's lap,
"Ah, uh... Krische-sama?"
She stared endlessly at the servant's face.
It's not like she's that bad with the stare, but when someone stared at her like this, it made her feel strangely embarrassed, wondering if there was something on her face.
When Bery tilted her head in embarrassment with a blush on her cheeks, Krische happily hugged her.
"Ehehe, Bery so warm."
"...Is that so? …that’s good then."
If Krische had a tail, it would be wagging from side to side.
Three days after leaving the village, she was in a very good mood.
And Bery couldn’t say she had no idea about the cause.
Perhaps it was her acceptance of her relationship with her Gala.
Perhaps it was the fact that she was so pleased with her words.
Regardless of whether she was different from others or not.
Even if she could guess what other people were thinking, in the first place it was impossible to understand everything.
Bery, appropriately convinced her, lightly kissed and hugged Krischeas she raised her head expectantly.
While repeating ‘like, like’, Krische snuggled her body against Bery.
For the most part, it's the same as usual——the problem was her defenselessness, which always tested Bery's reason. How could she be so defenseless? It was frightening.
Remembering the exchange the other day, and although she was not in a position to speak for others, she still found this affection and trust painful.
The distorted affection, mischievousness, and other et cetera in Berry's heart.
As if to contain it all with her reason, Bery groaned and looked out the window.
Outside, the sun was shining through the clouds, and if you catch the shadows on the trees, it was just before noon.
It was about time to take a break and prepare for lunch.
In the village, they refrained from taking the shared precious meat, and all that was left was dried meat.
As expected, it will be soup again today. Fortunately, vegetables were plentiful.
‘It might be better to mix dried meat into small pieces and mix it to make dumplings’――she was thinking that when,
"W-What's the matter?"
Krische suddenly jumped to her feet and looked to the left and right.
Focusing on the ear as if trying to listen to something――Like doggy-like Kreschenta, she had such rude thoughts, but when she looked at Krische, she was very serious.
Her purple eyes were icy and puppet-like.
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she took the sword at her side and looked at Bery.
"Krische can hear the sound of swords clashing and cursing.…It's a little further ahead."
"Bandits, perhaps?"
"Maybe. Maybe some wagons are being attacked. Bery, umm..."
"...Yes. Please be careful."
Krische smiled and nodded, then stepped out of the carriage.
A blanket of snow. Krische’s feet sunk into the snow.
Outside, Kalua and the others seemed to have noticed and had grim expressions on their faces.
"Can you see it?"
"From here, no. Perhaps a carriage somewhere is being attacked by bandits. There were originally many around here..."
"Really? I haven't heard much about that."
Kalua tilted her head and Kilik told her,
"When I was young, there were a lot of bandits in the area. The reason it was so safe was because the previous General Christand regularly held training here to maintain public order. It’s close to Gargain after all."
"Ah, I see... the northern part is just vacant right now."
Kalua nodded in agreement.
Krische thought for a moment as she surveyed the forest to his left and right.
There were no enemy shadows around her. The scale of the enemies was unknown.
If the enemy had noticed their side――thinking of the possibility of the scale being even larger, it would be better for a number of people to remain here.
Bery shouldn't be hurt in any chance, and if that's the case, there's a risk that Krische alone wouldn’t be enough.
Krische assumed the worst case scenario and thought about how to move.
Even if it's just that the caravan was being attacked, if Krische was going alone, she wouldn't get hurt.
"...How troubling. Krische is going to see it, but we don't know how many enemies there are, so you guys need to protect Berry. I won't forgive you if Bery gets even one injury okay."
"Ahaha..understood."
"Yes ma’am!"
After Krische said that, she pulled Mia's cheek, who was groaning alone.
"... Mia, are you listening?"
"Uu, yes. No, um... I was impressed that everyone could hear that kind of sound."
"It's a problem that Mia’s hearing is bad. Should Krische make Mia live blindfolded for a while when we get back?"
"Eh...?"
"Anyway, Krische left it to you."
Krische said and leaped up into the tree.
It was not good to have her feet caught in the snow.
She didn't want the snow to enter her boots.
She looked for a dead tree without leaves and jumped over it, moving through the forest.
The source of the sound was right through the trees,
"!?"
"It's not a bandit. What's going on?"
By the time she arrived, everything was already over.
Three sleigh wagons, three merchants, and three guards.
One of the escorts seemed to have a minor injury and was being treated by the other, but the wound didn't look that deep. He wouldn't die even if left alone.
Four guards.
Of the four, the latter two were a handsome young man with brown hair and an old man with one arm.
Both were clad in sand-colored cloaks and seemed to be magic possessor.
She tilted his head for a moment, wondering if the old man's arm had been cut off, but he did not seem to be in pain.
He must have been one-armed since the start.
Both of them looked at Cliche with a stunned look on their faces, and Cliche pondered for a moment before saying,
"I thought it was a bandit’s attack and came to the rescue from the other side… huh?"
"Watch ou——"
Before the young man could shout, Krische twisted her hip.
The survivor of the bandit who was trying to grab her from behind——Krische, without looking over, kicked him back, sinking his sternum with the heel of her reinforced boot.
There was no scream, only a dull sound, and the bandit's body slammed into the tree behind and collapsed.
His heart ruptured, and he died instantly.
"It looks like it's almost over. Is everything alright?"
A silver-haired girl with a white woolen hat covering her ears——The young man who was about to jump out to save Krische froze in place.
The others who saw it also froze.
Only the old man recovered first and slowly opened his mouth.
"You are…"
"Aah, I hadn’t given my name yet. I’m Krische Alberinea Christand. I'd like to ask about the number of bandits but...?"
The face of the old man who stepped forward was familiar.
‘Who was he?’——Checking the whatever (don’t care) list in her memory, Krische clapped her hands.
"What a coincidence, Grizzlandi-san. I'm glad it seems like you lived properly."
"Oh... did you remember?"
"Yes, I remember. Krische was the one who cut off the arm after all."
The young man next to him looked at Krische with even more surprise, and then looked at the old man――Waltza.
Waltz del Grizzlandi.
He was an assistant general of the Holy Elsren Empire and the old man whose arm Krische had cut off.
The memory of their polite greeting all the way to the battlefield was still fresh, and he was remembered in Krische’s mind as one of the strange old men.
The old man placed his remaining right hand on his chest and saluted.
"Haha, to be able to meet in a place like this... should I say it's a God’s prank? I've always wanted to thank you for that time... Young Master, this girl is."
"...Krische Christand"
The figure that didn’t show any turmoil in a surprise attack from a completely blind spot, and counterattacks without changing even a change in expression.
Ability that does not match the appearance of a little girl.
Surprised and confused, the beautiful young man with brown hair――Aleha nodded and took a deep breath.
"No need to thank you. This person is the Young Master huh. That said..."
Krische tilted her head troubled.
"Why are the Empire’s soldiers in the Kingdom? Depending on the reason, Krische will need to capture you... but this time not as a prisoner of war, so he will be in prison instead of house arrest, alright?"
She put her right hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist and toyed with it.
Military personnel from another country in the Kingdom for no official reason.
It is reasonable to assume that they are there to obtain inside information or plan some kind of sabotage, in such cases, they are usually tortured and disposed of without ever seeing the sun again.
Ostensibly, they are people who should not exist, since there was no law that allows military personnel to cross borders without official reason.
They were not treated as military personnel and were not in violation of the Holy Spirit Covenant and just like bandits, any punishment was permissible as long as it was within the scope of the laws of the Kingdom.
Even if it was for private purposes, if they were using official documents to inform the Kingdom of their visit, they should have some kind of government official on their side, but if they didn’t have one, they were illegal immigrants.
‘A little more troublesome than bandits’, Krische narrowed her eyes.
Whether it was interrogation or torture, she needed to take them in a condition where they still can talk.
She considered severing the tendons in both hands when Waltza dropped his sword to show that they were not hostile.
"I am a human who has already abandoned my status as an Empire noble. Same with the Young Master――we’re no longer the Empire soldiers. Right now, we’re just travelers... the empire should have officially issued a letter of excommunication, so if you check that, I think you'll understand."
"... Excommunication? Do you mean deprivation of peerage?"
"You can think of it as something more serious than a deprivation of peerage. It's not possible to have it reinstated. For the time being, I would like you to believe that statement...but now we are mere travelers. I have already abandoned my family name, but still, I swear by this name that remains, I am not lying."
"Muu... that's even more complicated..."
Krische groaned and turned her gaze to the driver who looked frightened at her.
"Just go straight back down this road a little way and tell Krische’s carriage to come this way. It has the Christand’s banner so you'll know."
"Y-yes! Immediately...!"
A beautiful girl with silver hair――Krische Chrishtand, as the gossip said.
And the bandit who tried to attack her and died instantly.
It was like killing an insect or something.
The appearance of the girl who calmly talked to them as if nothing had happened reminded him of the various rumors about her and made him recognize it as true, and he immediately ran to his feet.
A frightened coachman was running, his feet caught in the snow and rolling.
Krische glanced at it sideways wondering if he was okay.
"Well, that's fine. For the time being, Krische and the others are planning to have lunch, so let's go a little further to prepare and talk after lunch."
"Y-yes...?"
Krische decided to prioritize joining and eating before the long talk.
There was snow on the ground and the ground was frozen to even bury the bodies.
After meeting up with the others, they had no choice but to throw the bodies into a small area of the forest.
It wasn't a good feeling to eat in a dirty place with blood splattered all over it.
Krische, who dislikes dirt, also has general sensibilities in that area, so it was decided to have a meal a little further in the carriage.
She put off the talk with the two of them for later, laid a large wooden board on the snow, stepped on it, and set up a bonfire.
It was too much trouble to dig out the snow every time, so they often used the wooden planks as a floor, except at night.
The flame went up. The wooden planks were only slightly charred, and they were stable enough to be used as a cooking area if you stepped on them with the snow.
If it was just to boil water, they can use a magic crystal stove, but to keep warm due to the temperature, it is better to cook over an open fire like this.
"Um, is this okay...?"
Bery glanced behind her with a troubled look on her face and asked Krische.
In the same way, others were setting up bonfires behind them, and of course, the Black Flag Special Force and the coachmen, even Aleha and Waltza, were joining them without complaining.
The Black Flag Special Forces have been told by Krischeto to keep an eye on the two, so Kalua and Kilik have been keeping an eye on them for the time being, but they don't know what to say about this situation.
Only Mia, who was working hard to build a fire, looked the same as usual.
In case of suspicion, they are naturally allowed to detain them, but they have declared that they have resigned from the Empire military.
Swear by name, were heavy words for nobles.
Krische lightly explained the situation to everyone, including Bery, to see how they would react, but there was nothing suspicious about the two men's attitude as they honestly surrendered their swords and said they would comply with the restraints.
Everyone agreed that there would be no problem, and Krische followed their lead.
If what Waltza said was true, they were simply innocent travelers.
Krische concluded that it would be ‘wrong’ for her to detain innocent people and that she would leave them under surveillance for the time being, taking only their weapons.
The two men were unarmed, and Cliche was on Berry's side――she was confident that she could do anything even if they suddenly attacked her.
As a result, the priority in Krische’s mind was to prepare a meal rather than to have a talk with them.
The other party was a former empire soldier, a former general, and a former assistant general.
It was Areha Sarchenka who easily defeated Kalmeda, the general in the eastern part of the Kingdom in the previous battle.
Even though he was defeated by Bogan, his military fame was well known throughout the Kingdom, and everyone was exasperated that Krische was putting off such an opponent because she was hungry.
"Krische told them we’ll have a talk after preparing and eating lunch, so it's okay."
"I-is that so..."
"yes. Ehehe, more than that, it’s good that they shared the meat."
The merchant just had salted pork, and he gave it to them.
Thanks to that, Krische was in a good mood without worrying about the two of them.
Bery gave a wry smile, wondering what to do, but tried not to worry, thinking that it was better than having a bleak mealtime.
"Well, it looks like it will be much tastier than dried meat."
"Yes. Krische will knead the dumplings, so Berry needs a kitchen knife."
"Are you sure? It's cold, isn't it?"
It was Krische that was especially bad with cold.
‘Uuu’, Krische snuggled up to Bery while groaning.
"Krische always lets Bery deal with the cold so... today Krische will handle it."
"Fufu, Krische-sama doesn't have to worry about it, but...then, can I ask Krische-sama to do it this time?"
While smiling Krische, Bery said that.
Red and silver, the appearance of the two huddled together was indescribable, and the others were looking at them with indescribable expressions.
They are always so close to each other that it is beyond the level of being close, but no one says anything about it now.
Aleha, Waltza, the merchant, and the other guests who were watching the scene were also glancing at the immoral-looking couple, but there was no way they could say anything.
There was no conversation except between the two, and a very awkward atmosphere was drifting between them and those left alone.
The 19th squad leader, Kilik, who was trying to change the atmosphere, opened his mouth.
"B-but... what a coincidence to meet the famous Aleha-dono in a place like this. I feel honored."
Brown hair, brushing off the snow on it, Aleha, who should be called a handsome young man, went along with it.
It was a gentle voice.
"Honor you said... I thought I was hated by the kingdom. And no need to thank me, I am already neither a soldier nor a noble."
"Haha, even so, if you become a former general, you won't be able to speak normally. If Aleha-dono is concerned about the fact that you were originally a soldier of the Empire, please rest assured."
Kilik looked at the other six and said.
"There is no one here who participated in the previous battle. Everyone joined the army during the civil war the other day――there are those who respect you as a warrior, but there is no one who holds a grudge against you as an individual."
"I see, I'll be grateful and accept it obediently. But... from the civil war?"
With a hand on his chin, Aleha looked at the seven.
Seeing that standing figure and the fluctuation of magical power that seemed to cling to their body, his clever eyes frowned.
And as if he realized something, he muttered, ‘I see’.
"An elite unit under the direct control of Krische Christand alongside the Wolf Pack of Granmeld Varkas……I heard rumors about the name of the Black Century…Was it you guys?"
"yes. Right now, we’re escorting Krische-sama."
The black leather armor they wore and the black cloak with the crescent skull emblem painted darkly on their chests.
All seven of them were magic possessors――it was easy to understand that they were no ordinary soldiers who were escorting nobles.
But there was something strange about them.
Usually, nobles were chosen for such missions due to their credibility, ability, and various other points of view, but they didn’t look like nobles.
If this was the case, they were private soldiers, and the answer was easy to find, based on the rumors he had heard.
"... It seems I’m the one who should feel honored."
The Sword Princess, Krische Christand, who was said to have led the civil war to victory.
Along with her was the elite Black Century, said to be elected from among the commoners.
The people were very pleased with the success of this group of commoners. Aleha felt that there was some exaggeration in the greatness of their achievements, but realized that this was a misunderstanding.
The answer to this dubious tale lies in the soldiers in front of him.
The Black Century was probably a unit composed entirely of magic possessors.
By being composed entirely of magic possessors, the Black Century was uniquely specialized to create a high degree of coordination, enable maneuver warfare, and create an overwhelming localized advantage.
More flexible than cavalry, they can traverse any terrain.
They can hide in the lines of battle and in the woods.
And with its unrivaled head-on combat power, it is capable of single-handed headhunting tactics against a corps-sized opponent despite being a small elite unit of a century.
All of them are made up of magic possessors――Aleha immediately understood the terrifying meaning of that.
If they had been there during the battle of the Arzulen River, there was a possibility that they would have fallen into a situation where they would not even be able to withdraw.
"I've heard that the military name of the unit was quite active. I heard many times during the trip that you were the strongest century of the Kingdom."
"Thank you for your kind words. That being said...it's not like we’re being humble, it's not because of our credit, but because of that person's strength. Both in name and reality, Krische-sama has no equal in the world, though it might not seem like it."
Kilik turned his gaze to Krische, happily cooking with Bery.
Her two tails of silver hair sway from side to side, and she wore a lovely woolen white hat up to her ears.
Her back figure was that of a simple, excited child.
As Kilik said that, it wasn’t like he didn’t have thought about being the representative of the Kingdom’s strongest warrior, but if that was the normal her, then it couldn’t be helped.
However, Aleha showed a straightforward understanding of his words, and so did Waltza, the old soldier next to him.
He knew that she was the one who had led him into a trap and lured him into the mud with her army of 30,000 men and brought about his defeat.
She built a vicious fort in front of the river, bypassed the mountains, and attacked the command post. She took the heads of the adjutant and assistant adjutant generals.
In front of Waltza and his elite, who came forward as the rear, she appeared alone, cut off his arm, and took him as a prisoner――he has never forgotten her name.
Defeated on the battlefield.
It was just that she was the strong one and he was the weak one.
He didn't mean to hold a grudge, but it should be said that it was God's arrangement that they were able to meet like this.
He had a strong interest in what kind of person she herself was.
He owed her a debt of gratitude for letting Waltza live.
"The tragedy of the Arzulen River, huh... fufu, I've never forgotten that time. I thought that if possible, I would like to meet and talk with her. It may have been a fortune to have chosen the kingdom as our destination, Waltza."
"...indeed. I should say that it was God's guidance, Young Master."
With a slightly serious face, Kilik timidly asked.
"Travel... but why are you two in the kingdom?"
"We asked to take responsibility for the defeat. I was excommunicated from the Curia――well, what you would call deprivation of peerage. Unable to remain in the empire, I wondered where to go, so I came here… to visit a grave."
"... visiting a grave?"
‘Yes’, Aleha nodded and looked at the thunder and hawk crest on the carriage.
"Yes——a private grave visit."
Minced meat and vegetables wrapped in cabbage leaves are thrown into a tomato-based soup.
It was a simple combination of soup and bread for a lunch meal, but the aroma of herbs and the flavor of the meat and vegetables melting into the soup stimulated the stomach from the olfactory sense.
"It's delicious... Ehehe, Krische’s glad the vegetables were finely chopped, and they melted properly even in a short amount of time."
"Fufu, Krische-sama, you can't test-taste it anymore. It's time to eat."
"Uh...yes"
The soup served on the plate was distributed to everyone.
The soup was quite elaborate considering that it was completed in less than an hour from the start of the installation work. As usual from the familiar Black Flag Special Force, the others take it in amazement.
After confirming that it had reached everyone, Krische couldn't wait and said,
"Shall we eat then?"
She takes a sip of the soup and begins to eat it happily before anyone else.
Aleha also followed suit and sipped the soup, nodded at the taste that didn't seem to be outdoors, and called out to Krische.
"General Christand——or what should I call you?"
"Hmm...whatever you call it...ah, but if it's the family name, it's hard to tell with Selene, so Krische thinks Krische would be better. Krische’s even not sure if Krische could be called General."
"Then, Krische-sana.... About the reason we visited the kingdom earlier."
Aleha cuts in with a serious face.
What would former Holy Empire General Areha Sarchenka say?
Everyone waited with bated breath——but Krische’s reaction was quicker than anyone expected.
"Please wait, that's going to take a long time, and the soup is going to get cold——ah no, later, after we've settled down. It's going to be very troublesome——Ahem, Krische feels like it's a very important and serious topic, so Krische thinks it probably shouldn't be done during meals."
Aleha and those who were listening,
Stiffened at Krische’s words, which were not round-bout at all.
