At the same time.
South end of the continent. Monster Frontline. The Fortress City of Crossroad.
Western part of the city. A graveyard.
“...”
In front of one grave among many neatly arranged tombstones, an officer dressed in imperial military uniform stood solemnly.
He was the Commander of the Imperial Magic Brigade, also the leader of the support troops dispatched by the Imperial Family.
It was ‘Windstorm’ Reina.
With a soft breeze blowing, causing her imperial coat to flutter, Reina looked down at the tombstone before her.
The inscription on the tombstone read:
<Thunderbolt Jupiter, rests here>
“...”
Crinkle.
The pack of cigarettes in Reina’s hand crumpled.
The last time she saw Jupiter was 15 years ago.
Her comrade, once close enough to lay down their lives for each other, was now beneath the cold ground.
“I didn’t think you’d die in a place like this.”
Reina raised her head to look around.
“It’s in the southern region, as you wished, but...”
Only a single, barren fortress city stood desolate on the vast plain.
“There’s no swimming pool filled with water, no splendid resorts.”
Reina clicked her tongue.
“You died so tragically, was it because of what happened back then?”
There was no answer to her question.
Reina looked down at Jupiter’s tombstone with a cold gaze.
“I still can’t understand you.”
She tore open a new pack of cigarettes, took out one, put it in her mouth, and placed the rest of the pack on the tombstone.
“I started smoking this disgusting thing to get close to you... but you died and quit, and now I’m stuck smoking alone.”
Memories of the 20 years with Jupiter flashed across Reina’s mind like a panorama.
Those young and brilliant days...
“...”
She didn’t light the cigarette, just gazing blankly at the tombstone.
“Ah.”
A voice came from beside her. Reina turned to look.
A young woman, wearing a voluminous robe with a tall hat, was approaching. Her left face, marred by a faint scar, was covered by her hair, and she held a few flowers in her arms.
Reina noticed the vase of flowers placed in front of Jupiter’s tombstone.
Apparently replaced every day, it must be the young woman’s doing.
“Are you Jupiter’s granddaughter?”
“No.”
The young woman, Junior, replied coldly.
“Her daughter.”
“...”
Narrowing her eyes, Reina soon chuckled.
“Ah, right. The survivor from Camilla Kingdom that Jupiter took in that day.”
“...”
“Remember me?”
Reina made a gun gesture with her fingers and made a ’bang’ noise.
Junior’s face showed displeasure, but her voice remained emotionless as she retorted,
“Whether I remember or forget you, what does it matter?”
“Hm?”
“I’ve already forgiven my mother. I have no particular feelings left for you, her former comrade.”
Junior came to Jupiter’s tombstone, replaced the old flowers with new ones, and watered them.
Reina, who had been silently watching, slowly spoke.
“You’re a mage.”
“...”
“You have quite the talent too.”
Junior tried to ignore her, but the next words made her flinch.
“But you’re dying.”
“...!”
“If you don’t stop using magic right away, your remaining life will burn away.”
Junior finished tending to the vase and looked at Reina, holding the old flowers.
“That’s none of your concern.”
“That’s true. It’s not my concern at all.”
Reina shrugged.
“But won’t your mother be sad if you die?”
“That’s not for you to worry about either.”
“Haha. True. It’s just a pity. You seem quite talented.”
Reina slowly walked away from the graveyard, but glanced back.
“Hey, Jupiter’s daughter.”
“...?”
“How did Jupiter die?”
Junior answered succinctly.
“Like a mage.”
“I see.”
Reina slowly nodded.
“That’ll do.”
Reina walked away, her figure soon disappearing from view.
Junior, who had been glaring at Reina’s retreating figure, sighed softly and continued to clean Jupiter’s tombstone.
***
Downtown Crossroad.
Alchemist’s Workshop.
Standing in front of the tightly closed door of the workshop, Godhand spoke in a soft voice.
“Lady Lilly.”
“...”
Lilly was undoubtedly inside the workshop, but there was no response.
Godhand did not retreat but continued to call.
"Lilly, I know you’re in there."
"..."
"Won’t you please hear me out just once?"
"..."
"Lilly..."
After repeatedly calling the silent Lilly, Godhand heaved a long sigh and rested his forehead on the door.
"Lilly, I’m leaving Crossroad now to carry out the task entrusted to me by Prince Ash."
"..."
"It’s quite dangerous, and maybe... I might not return. This may be my last chance to apologize to you."
"..."
"Please... grant me the opportunity to offer my apologies."
After a brief silence, Lilly’s voice finally came from behind the door.
"Go away, Godhand. I don’t want to talk to you."
"Lilly!"
"You’re a liar."
Lilly’s voice was heavy with reproach.
"You were a spy, and you pretended to lose your arm protecting me. You exploited my guilt for your own purposes."
"..."
"How foolish of me to have trusted you, even for a moment. That’s just how elves are."
From behind the door came a sound like a snort.
"You people always lie... deceive others... betray... That’s your nature."
"..."
Godhand hung his head low.
"I’m sorry for hiding my identity as a spy, Lilly. I’m truly sorry for exaggerating my injury to deceive you. But I swear on my soul, everything we discussed that night was the truth."
"..."
"Lilly, what I feel most sorry about is that you, who were reluctantly opening your heart to our race, have been wounded by me once again."
Godhand cautiously placed his hand on the door.
"I’m not asking you to trust us again, or forgive me. I just... wanted to say I’m sorry."
"..."
"I’m truly sorry, Lilly."
To the silent Lilly, Godhand steadied his breath and spoke again.
"Lilly, my comrades and I are leaving for our mission now. If I can return safely, I want to see you face to face and apologize."
"..."
"Then, I will take my leave."
He bowed toward the firmly shut door, and Godhand turned and shuffled away.
From a distance, Bodybag and Burnout, who had been waiting for him, joined him.
The three elves pulled up their cloak hoods and vanished towards the northern gate of Crossroad.
"..."
Squeak.
Lilly slightly opened the door to glance at Godhand’s retreating figure and grumbled resentfully.
"Liar..."
At that moment, the alchemist guild master who had been watching Lilly from inside the workshop tilted his head and asked.
"You two seemed to be getting along well when I made that prosthetic for him. What happened now?"
"Things happened..."
"Hmm."
The guild master shrugged and returned to his work.
"Well, it’s natural for various things to happen when two young people get together."
"It’s not like that."
"Live without regret and enjoy yourselves."
"It’s not like that, I said..."
Now, Godhand’s figure was no longer visible.
Closing the workshop door, Lilly continued to grumble.
"Humph, as if I would trust an elf again..."
***
Lord’s mansion. Reception room.
"Eeeer~"
Evangeline lay sprawled on the sofa, shaking her legs up and down with her calves rolled up to her knees, emitting a strange moan.
Her bare feet fidgeted restlessly.
Sitting on the opposite sofa, going through documents for the lord’s duties, Lucas frowned at Evangeline.
"What’s with you, girl? Just because the Lord isn’t around, you’re letting loose like this?"
"Leave me alone, sir~ I’m just not motivated."
Having tired of her fidgeting, Evangeline simply collapsed and pouted.
"The senior is away, so the party members are stuck doing their tasks, the regular soldiers are still gloomy, and on top of that, the Twilight Brigade has been officially disbanded."
"..."
"And the support troops from the Imperial Capital, why are they so insufferable? Have you seen? Strutting around the town, stiff as boards, complaining about the lack of theaters and fancy restaurants here in this rural village... Ugh."
Sticking out her tongue, Evangeline bared her fangs and growled.
"It really irks me how the city folks disregard the Margrave. They don’t even realize that it’s because we’re digging in the Margrave that the inland cities are able to develop safely."
Lucas chuckled at the remark.
"Weren’t you the one who disliked this backwater place and wanted to move to the capital?"
"Well, sure, I felt that way then! But it’s my right to complain about my hometown. The right to belittle the countryside should only belong to its residents, don’t you think?"
Lucas listened to Evangeline’s words with a smile, but his thoughts were deeply troubled by the current situation.
Friction had already unknowingly arisen between the reinforcements dispatched from the Imperial Capital and the existing Crossroad troops.
But the commander who could have reined in both sides had gone up to the Imperial Capital.
Reina was rampaging all over the city, and the original party members were irritated by these new reinforcements...
The nerve-wracking situation between the two sides was likely to continue for some time.
"Ugh."
Evangeline heaved a deep sigh.
"With our senior gone, it feels like the whole of Crossroad has come to a standstill."
"..."
"Our senior will come back, right?"
Lucas’s eyes widened at Evangeline’s unexpected words.
"Of course he’ll come back, what are you talking about?"
"But you know, our senior is a prince and has extraordinary abilities."
Evangeline’s voice grew soft and whimsical.
"He has no reason to struggle against monsters in such a Margrave. I don’t even know why His Majesty sent him down here in the first place."
"..."
"What if, on this trip to the Imperial Capital, he never comes back down?"
Lucas couldn’t easily respond. Evangeline’s words were without flaw.
If Ash doesn’t return to Crossroad.
If that were to happen...
’What will become of this city? What about the monster frontline?’
Lucas and Evangeline’s eyes met.
Both of them were slightly pale. They had unwittingly imagined the scenario if Ash didn’t return.
Just then...
Bang-...
A faint gunshot echoed from afar. The sound of a magic gun being fired.
Lucas and Evangeline both sprang to their feet.
"What’s that?"
"It came from the city center?"
Evangeline quickly opened the window and listened, quickly determining the direction of the gunshot.
"It’s coming from the temple."
If the magic gun was fired at the temple...
"Damien?"
Lucas muttered urgently.
"What’s happened to Damien?!"
--TL Notes--
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