kscans

Chapter 66 - The Last Forest and the Little Person

"Hurry. Do not be careless in changing the horses."

A dozen or so carriages and several hundred knights of the Marquis's personal guard burst out of the residence. They advanced at the maximum speed allowed by the carriages, heading straight for the Castrato border. Without a single neigh, the orderly knightly order proceeded with several carriages in its center. About ten more carriages followed behind. Unbeknownst to them, as the group single-mindedly pushed northwest, several bees clung to the undersides of the carriages.

"Prince Romel?!"

The Little Person party was dejected, unable to do anything.

The sun, which had been setting when they arrived, had long since sunk below the horizon, and the area was beginning to be enveloped by twilight.

As they listlessly obeyed the Marquis's order not to move, their ears caught the sound of clamorous hooves and neighing.

Dolphen looked up with a questioning expression. On the horizon, a cloud of dust was rising, and a large group of cavalry illuminated by torches was shaking the earth. The banner raised at their head was that of the Frontier royal family. Even from a distance, the deep crimson with a golden hexagram was vivid. The ring of wild strawberries scattered around it was the symbol of the Forest Masters.

With Romel at the lead, the knights were clad in full battle armor. The sight alone was enough for Dolphen to understand what had happened.

They must have sensed that Kobito-san was in danger. That meant a country had committed an act of hostility against Frontier.

The Little Person Squad stared, unmoving, at the Frontier knights arriving at the Marquis's residence. The various units lined up in perfect order. Their numbers easily exceeded two thousand. It was a full-scale combat force.

Ignoring his guards' attempts to stop him, Romel, who had been riding at the front, hastily dismounted before the dazed Dolphen.

"Where is Chihiro??"

At the voice that called out to him even before he had fully dismounted, Dolphen fell to his knees, his face crumpling. With a look that seemed on the verge of tears, he answered briefly, his back looking incredibly small for his large frame.

"I am deeply sorry."

From Dolphen's bowed head and deep prostration, Romel also grasped the general situation.

"Explain in detail."

Pierced by Romel's sharp, cutting gaze, Dolphen and Sakura explained the course of events.

After hearing their story, Romel could not help but look up at the heavens.

Damn it, so she's already been taken.

But in a way, this was fortunate.

Now they had a legitimate reason to invade Castrato.

It was about a three-day ride to Castrato from here. According to reports from their spies, Castrato had deployed its army along the border. They had to strike Marquis Ansbackh before he could join them. There was no need to capture him, they could cut him down on the spot. Shouting this to the assembled knights, Romel also spurred Dolphen on.

"If you have time to be depressed, then move! Chihiro would definitely say so, wouldn't she? She'd kick you and tell you to get to work!"

At those words, Dolphen's head snapped up.

He was right. Kobito-san would put aside complaints and regrets for later and just act. She would aim for the best possible outcome and charge ahead with all her might.

Strength returned to Dolphen's fingers as he sluggishly donned his battle armor.

"I don't know what kind of drug it was, but if it was more than half a day ago, she's likely been treated already. We're getting her back. If she's not there, everyone in the palace will start bawling."

Dolphen nodded emphatically at Romel's challenging glare and gave a wry smile.

Including you, right?

Though he did not say it aloud, the message must have gotten through. Romel, as if to hide his embarrassment, mounted his horse with a flourish and gave the command.

However, Dolphen called a halt to it.

"My apologies, I have something to report to Your Highness, the King's brother. As time is short, I would like to speak with you in the carriage on the way."

"Report?"

Romel tilted his head at Dolphen's solemn nod.

"What? Two souls in one body?"

Inside the carriage prepared for Kobito-san, Romel listened to Dolphen's explanation with a dumbfounded look on his face.

From Kobito-san's conversation with the master of the Western Forest, he had grasped the general outline.

That Kobito-san was a soul sent from another world called 《Earth》. That she was possessing the body of the princess and was eventually supposed to save the world of Arcadia with the power granted to her by the gods. However, unexpectedly, the soul of the princess herself had died, and Chihiro had awakened to keep the princess's body alive. Of the left hand of regeneration and the right hand of destruction granted by the gods, the soul of Fatimah had taken the power of the right hand with it.

And that Kobito-san herself had not known these facts until she heard them from the master of the Western Forest.

"The rest, I believe Your Highness Romel is likely aware of."

Having heard everything, Romel held his head in his hands. It all made sense.

Why Kobito-san possessed so much knowledge that even adults were impressed by. Yet why she was so surprisingly ignorant of Arcadia's common sense. Why she was not bound by the constraints of nobility, was so free-spirited, and took for granted being who she was.

If the common sense she knew was not of Arcadia, then everything fit together.

This 《Earth》 must be a very advanced civilization. That was why Kobito-san knew of so many things that did not exist in Arcadia. From her attitude, she must have been a person of some standing there. Probably a princess or the daughter of a high-ranking family on 《Earth》, which was why she was not intimidated by the royalty or nobility here.

Above all, Romel remembered that word, 《Earth》. The creator gods had said it.

《As expected of the child recommended by the gods of Earth.》

And Romel also remembered the events of last winter.

‘The palace killed Fatimah, why didn't you help her?’

So that was what it meant.

He had thought it was some kind of metaphor, but it had been the literal truth.

The original princess was Fatimah-sama. That person had already passed away, and the soul of Chihiro that resided in the same body had awakened.

The body was the princess's, but the person inside was someone else.

Ah, so that's why she was so cold toward my brother. She valued the depth of bonds over blood ties. It was only natural that she was completely devoted to Drago, her savior who doted on her. Moreover, the fact that she could act that way meant that her inner age was not what her appearance suggested. Given her knowledge of 《Earth》, she likely had memories of a past life.

Thinking this far, Romel suddenly looked at Dolphen.

"Come to think of it..... the way you call her is different, isn't it? Chihiro."

Dolphen's eyes widened slightly, and with a helpless smile, he gave a small nod.

"That is right. Chihiro-sama's real name is Chihiro-sama. I am told it is written with the Kilfan characters for one thousand and to ask."

Ah, I see. I didn't know anything about you, did I.

A pensive atmosphere settled over the carriage.

Oblivious to the two of them, the Frontier knights used wind magic to increase their speed and healing magic to support the horses' fatigue, steadily closing the distance with the Marquis's knights.

No matter how meticulously the Marquis's knights had prepared fresh horses and proceeded at the fastest possible pace, they were no match for the Frontier knights, who could advance without rest or sleep.

The fact that everyone in the Marquis's house was from Castrato also worked against them. Those not born in Frontier could not use magic. The magical power that filled Frontier only resided in the people of Frontier. The only ones who could use magic were those of Marquis Ansbackh's direct line.

The Marquis himself, as the head of the house, and his two sons.

One of them was administering healing to Kobito-san inside the carriage. He had pale powder-orange hair and light jade-green eyes. Kishaliu, the heir of the Marquis's house. Next to him was his younger brother, Aubashia. The two had similar coloring, but Aubashia's was slightly darker.

"Is this really the same drug we used on Habirush? She's barely conscious, and her heart rate is low. Isn't this bad?"

Remembering his sister, who had been drugged since birth and was like a doll, Kishaliu glared at Cyril with suspicious eyes.

"I thought a weaker effect wouldn't be a convincing bluff, so I used the undiluted solution. It is likely a temporary state of shock due to an overdose."

The Marquis nodded at Cyril's explanation that there was no danger to her life and once again looked at his granddaughter's face.

She really does look just like Habirush. A child this beautiful would surely please everyone in the Castrato royal family. I believe there was a prince who is eleven years old. Their ages are not far apart, and I am certain they will summon her to be the official consort. The Ansbackh family's position in Castrato will be secure.

If they can escape, that is.

Frontier was a magical nation renowned among foreign countries. The Marquis's knights had no way to counter their full strength. At best, they could serve as a human wall. The knights must have been prepared for that. They had placed this carriage at the head of the center column without being told.

In an emergency, the trailing carriages would scatter to buy time, and using them as a wall, the knights would slow Frontier's pursuit even a little.

If the Marquis and his party could slip through that gap and into Castrato, it would be their victory.

If they held up Princess Chihiro, who was under the influence of drugs, as a hostage, Frontier would not dare to start a war.

It was all a race against time.

The Marquis's eyes held a dangerous light as he looked out the carriage window into the pitch-black darkness. The light in his eyes was a strange, fragile gleam, combining a chilling coldness with a ruined exhaustion, a strange, fragile gleam, combining a chilling coldness with a deep, crumbling exhaustion.

In the deep of night, enveloped in darkness.

Only the hoofprints of the pursuers and the pursued, and the ruts of their carriages, quietly shook the earth.