How did she know?
Lara let out a laugh out of admiration.
As if she had seen it with her own eyes, a scene unfolded in her head. As diligent as a squirrel, Konny put a lot of delicious food on a golden tray and thought about which cloth to wrap it up with for the meals to look the most terrifying.
Should she use a red or blue cloth? Valentine would have contemplated with a serious face next to Konny. Perhaps he recommended red.
Valac noticed what Lara’s laugh meant, and said with his shoulders drooping.
“What a fearless maid. Where does she think this is?”
“Valac.”
“Yes, Master. I will protect this area.”
Valac nodded three times. He would not let demon worshippers and demonic beasts appear on the hill they were at.
Lara ate her fill with the food that Konny brought and even gave up the leftovers to Vassago. He was curious about how delicious the food was, given how highly his Master praised it.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Meanwhile in the Imperial camp, as soon as she got back from delivering the breakfast, Konny filled her head with complicated thoughts about the lunch menu.
“Milady is too skinny, she’s like a skewer. What in the world has she been eating? There’s no way those stupid demons are familiar with milady’s palate.”
Konny ran straight to Isadora’s chef. She ordered a meat dish that was good for digestion and was rich in nutrients. By eating this dish, one could gain weight in moderation, and on top of all that, it would still taste delicious even if the dish had cooled down.
“If this is a meal for Madam Isadora, I will take care of it.”
“It’s not for Madam Isadora.”
“Then whose it is for?”
“That’s a secret!”
Konny’s order was complicated. The salad should be sour rather than sweet and it should contain fruit and cheese. The drink should not be filling and should act as a palate cleanser to eat the next meal.
The chef had no choice but to cook according to Konny’s order. No matter how he looked at it, it looked like Madam Isadora’s meal. But Konny kept denying the chef’s accusations, and so he ended up having to cook another set of the same food.
When Isadora came down to have her lunch, the chef murmured that he was busier than usual because of Konny.
“Konny?”
“Yes, she came to me, and now she keeps tormenting me. I guess there’s someone else who has similar tastes with Lady Lara, I even thought she was here for a moment.”
“No way.”
Isadora murmured.
There could be a number of people with similar tastes. But Konny was not the kind of kid to care for anyone other than Lara. The clever and loyal maid listened only to Lara, thought only of what was good for Lara, and moved only for Lara. She even joked that the reason why she cared so much for Lara was because Lara would be the only person in charge of her life.
“Sebastian, go and get Konny.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Sebastian walked with his long legs. He caught Konny struggling to put food on a suspicious cloth on one side of the kitchen even before Isadora finished her appetizer.
“Madam Isadora is looking for you.”
“Why? I’m busy!”
I thought I was busted.
Konny’s mutterings reached Sebastian’s ears. With a smirk on his face, he took Konny with him and returned to Isadora. After drinking a palate-cleanser cocktail, Isadora asked Konny.
“Did Lara say she was starving?”
“What? No! It’s not like that, Madam… honest.”
“Did she order you to steal food because there’s no one taking care of her meals?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Actually, Madam, I was passing by with Valentine when I saw Oscar…”
Isadora did not even need to pry too much. Konny began to tell everything as if she had been waiting for her to ask.
“It was so suspicious. We all know how much the Barbarians owe milady. Oscar of all people should not be doing that!”
“So?”
“I followed him. If Oscar really betrayed milady, I will take care of him quickly…”
Konny’s definition of ‘take care’ was to eventually tell Isadora about it. But now, it was time to reveal a much more important secret than that.
“Milady ordered him to do it.”
Konny delivered the conversation Oscar and Lara had last night word by word. Lara might not have wanted it, but Konny was always ready to tell Isadora about anything when it came to Lady Lara.
“…That’s what happened. They said there would be an attack at sunset today.”
“So, that’s why Oscar was with the knights of the Emperor.”
Isadora nodded.
Oscar said that, using his experience hunting in the Gorgon mountains range, he had infiltrated and had been scouting the enemy camp. He told the knights that the demon worshippers would initiate an attack tonight, riding a herd of demonic beasts. The Emperor and Imperial troops believed him and prepared for a massive counterattack.
“What do we do?”
Konny asked stealthily. During her stay in Memoria city, Isadora was repeatedly told that her daughter was a demon who betrayed God and had abandoned humans. Few people openly criticized Lara in front of Isadora, but need not listen to them to know what they were whispering behind her back.
Still, Isadora was not angry, nor did she neglect any preparations for war. She said she would bet everything she had and she did as she said. Looking at the size of the military supplies and funds that Isadora donated, the Emperor promised to do whatever Isadora wanted in the name of the Empire after the war ended in victory.
“Madam, are you okay?”
Konny asked again. It was a voice mixed with worry and hesitation.
“Are there any reasons for me not to be okay?”
“Pardon?”
“My daughter said so herself. This war must end in human victory. Then, all I have to do is listen to what she wants.”
“But, Madam… people are cursing at her!”
“When you have something to do or a goal that you really want to achieve, you should also know how to give up some of the more trivial things. Lara knows that.”
Isadora’s faith in Lara was unshakeable, it was stronger than anyone else’s.
“Over time, her reputation can be changed as much as she wants. But now, my daughter is saving the world from destruction.“
“Madam.”
“What I should give her is not advice, nor is it nagging… Even if everyone in the world turns against her, trusting Lara until the end… That’s what a parent should do.”
And if Lara believed in Demian, Isadora would believe in him too.
“I don’t care if he’s God or whatever… If he makes my daughter cry, he won’t get off scot-free.”
Of course, Isadora gritted her teeth and only said the last sentence under her breath.
Konny ended up delivering Lara’s lunch a little late. The chef threw his heart and soul into the food, it was made up of a grilled marinated lamb, a sour-tasting salad, fresh fruit juice with herbs, and a light slice of bread with a spread of fig jam. All of the food was arranged on a golden tray.
But that was not the end. A fancy women’s leather armor and a cloak made with the fur of a demonic beast that came out of nowhere were also prepared.
“Will the demon lord like it?”
Konny asked Valentine. Then, he nodded his head, unable to smile or cry. The captain of the mercenary wolves who followed to protect Konny and Valentine while they carried the food and clothes responded similarly.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The war began on a winter day, with a frosty curtain shrouding the Gorgon Mountain Range. Although sporadic battles had already occurred before, the people remembered the battle on this day as the starting point of the war.
Darkness sank as the sun went down. Numerous torches lit up the city. Extreme tension lingered on the faces of the soldiers who were preparing for the battle. They were already anxious not knowing when the enemy would invade, but not knowing where and how many enemies there were made it even more nerve-wracking for them.
But they were at least glad they had lit a fire in advance. As the day went down, an ominous aura fell on the suddenly darkened mountainous area. A flock of more than 2,000 demonic beasts came out of the darkness.
Dadadadada.
No one said anything, they did not hit their war drum nor did they even ring the war bell. The soldiers licked their dry mouths and strained their eyes. It was a moment when anyone would search for God.
A pack of demonic beasts with fireworks on their huge horns came running at once. Each one of them was as big as a carriage. Their horns were thicker than spears and were covered with a black hide like a buffalo. If they were to run head-on, the horses, people, and even those thick walls would not be able to withstand it.
And just like the demon worshippers, the demonic beasts were also swimming in madness. They ran forward recklessly, destroying whatever was in front of them.
“Now!”
The Emperor shouted from the city wall. It was a loud voice. No one could even think that he was someone who would die of illness soon.
The Emperor wore the same armor he had worn in his heyday and carried a heavy, long sword. By his side, the elderly knights turned over their retirement to fight with the Emperor. Their white hair fluttered, and their bloodthirsty spirits burned.
“Fire!”
The Emperor did not say much. He did not try to encourage the soldiers with words. He only presented himself. He climbed to the highest point of the wall and said with all his body.
‘Your Emperor is as prosperous as he always has been, and he will share the joys and sorrows of life in this battle.’
