Chapter 117

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“What the hell is that?”

The first voice that erupted wasn’t simple surprise, but closer to a scoff.

“It’s a kid.”

“I heard rumors that one child was left, is that the runt?”

“Haha, a little kid should be tucked away in bed at this hour!”

Laughter spread, and jeers poured out from everywhere.

“We could tie her to a horse and drag her around, perfect!”

“No, let’s strip her naked and hang her on the flag! As a spectacle!”

“But you know, she’s so small, there might be nothing to show even if we strip her?”

Some knights clutched their bellies and laughed, while others playfully aimed their drawn bows.

“Surely one arrow into those squishy thighs wouldn’t hurt, right?”

Lucy quietly looked down at them.

Her eyes still held a languid gaze.

At that moment.

The flow of the wind seeping beneath the castle walls twisted slightly.

Lucy whispered softly.

“How amusing.”

That short phrase stopped the wind’s current.

Lucy stepped onto the edge of the castle wall.

Whoosh—

The hem of her thin pajamas fluttered in the wind.

Lucy’s body fell downward.

“Gasp!”

The knights’ eyes widened in an instant.

“What?!”

“She fell?!”

But no sound followed.

The moment Lucy’s feet touched the ground, a shadow spread out.

Like paint, like dark clouds.

Lucy stood perfectly still.

She looked at each of the knights with a detached gaze.

It was then.

Clank, clank.

The sound of cold joints.

Creak.

The castle gate opened, and shining blue eyes emerged one by one.

Blue flames flickered, one point, two points, rising from within the thick fog.

“H-Huh…!”

“What is that?”

“Isn’t that an undead?”

Clank. Clank.

Lifeless, mechanical movements.

Dozens of death knights drew their swords from behind Lucy.

“T-That’s definitely an undead!”

“…Death Knights!”

“That girl… she’s a witch…!”

Startled screams leaked out from among the knights.

Lucy still stood like a small shadow in the center of the death knights.

A command flowed from Lucy’s low voice.

“Kill.”

That short word set the death knights into motion.

Clatter!

They made no sound.

No shouts, no battle cries.

Only the dead began to run across the land where the living had fought with their lives.

Helion shouted with a trembling voice.

“…Shoot! Shoot them!!”

The archers of the Heimbart forces fired their arrows in unison.

Swish, swish swish—

The arrows pierced the helmets and armor of the death knights.

But the death knights did not stop.

With arrows embedded in their necks, they approached relentlessly, blue flames blazing in their eyes.

Slash!

The first spear broke.

The second sword bent.

The third blew an arm away.

The death knights silently began to sweep away the forces.

“What, these bastards… they don’t die! They don’t die!!”

Someone screamed.

The scream grew louder, the breaths more frantic.

“Get a grip!!”

Helion shouted.

“We have far more numbers!!”

The undead do not die.

But they are not unbeatable.

Break their heads and smash their limbs, and that’s it.

Currently, there were only dozens of death knights, but Helion’s army numbered in the hundreds.

The numbers were far superior.

Yet, the screams only grew louder.

“R-Run away!”

“No! We’re surrounded!”

“It’s hell!”

The balance of the forces crumbled.

At the center of that terror.

A young girl in thin pajamas, standing barefoot on the ground.

“It’s that girl’s doing!”

Now that he looked, a black magic circle was glowing around her.

The reason his army was unable to come to their senses due to fear was clearly because of this.

The witch’s dark magic.

Clang!

Helion drew his sword.

“You insolent girl!”

He raised his massive sword and charged towards Lucy.

The knights’ fear.

The undulation of the magic circle.

Helion’s sword cut through the light amidst the twisted shadows.

And just before that sword reached Lucy’s eyes.

Bang—!

An impact like a lightning strike.

Helion’s sword was blocked.

The metallic sound of hard steel clashing echoed, and the wind tore apart.

In that place stood a being holding a massive sword.

Black armor covering his entire body.

Eyes with blue flames blazing.

It was Darcan.

One of his arms was holding Lucy.

“To dare point your sword at our master…”

Darcan’s blue eyes flashed.

Lucy raised her head from his arms.

“…I didn’t need it. I could have handled it myself.”

Instead of answering, Darcan raised his sword and pushed away Helion’s.

“I know. But I thought it was right for me to step in before Master acted.”

A brief silence.

Followed by Lucy’s low voice.

“…Are you touching my butt right now?”

“A-Absolutely not…! I’m just protecting Master…!”

“Put me down. Before I obliterate you.”

“Yes…”

Meanwhile, Helion stared at Darcan with a complicated look.

Darcan was distinctly different from the other death knights.

He was larger, and the aura he exuded was much stronger.

He had easily blocked his attack just now, and even pushed him back.

“…What are you?”

Helion asked, but Darcan didn’t even look at him.

He gently put Lucy down, as if regretting it.

He let out a satisfied chuckle.

When Lucy glared at him, Darcan immediately shut his mouth.

Only then did he trudge towards Helion.

“What are you?!”

Darcan asked.

As if he had only just noticed Helion’s existence.

Helion felt his anger surge.

“I am Helion, the lord of Heimbart! How dare an undead like you!”

Helion gritted his teeth and charged.

He raised his sword and struck down with all his might.

The trajectory was straightforward, and the speed was fast.

Clang!

Darcan didn’t even flinch, easily lifting his greatsword to defend.

Bang!

A momentary collision.

“Die!!”

Helion continuously thrust, slashed, and swung.

His sword collided with Darcan’s armor countless times.

But Darcan didn’t budge at all.

He even only used one hand.

“You’re just a kid. Raising your voice with such pathetic skills?”

“Ugh…!”

Helion’s expression twisted.

“Die, undead!!”

Helion charged again.

Whoosh!

Darcan dodged Helion’s sword as it grazed him, and lightly swung his own sword.

Just a simple movement.

Not even a sound.

“…!”

In that instant, Helion’s body stopped.

Before he could even feel the touch of the sword on his neck, his head fell.

Splat—!

A stream of blood painted the air, and his body collapsed.

“Die, you say. Those are harsh words.”

Thud!!

Darcan’s greatsword pierced Helion’s fallen body on the ground.

“I already died.”

Blood slowly flowed.

◈

The battlefield was silent.

A quiet night breeze passed over the dirt floor, scattered with flesh and blood.

The death knights lowered their swords and stopped moving.

Among them, the survivors were kneeling.

“…Mercy, please forgive us…! Please, spare us…”

One knight at the very front bowed his head.

A desperate voice.

His lips trembled as he bowed repeatedly.

His eyes were raised towards Lucy.

Lucy looked down at him expressionlessly.

And quietly opened her mouth.

“No.”

The knight’s expression crumbled.

“N-No…! I, I… want to live…!”

Lucy’s eyes held no emotion.

She simply said softly.

“If I let you live, rumors will spread. That there’s a witch who controls death knights. Then the Bloodbell family will be embroiled in troublesome things.”

The knight’s mouth trembled.

“I, I will never tell anyone. Please…”

Lucy shook her head.

“I don’t believe you. So just die here.”

The corners of Lucy’s lips lifted slightly.

“You were going to do the same thing anyway, weren’t you? To Charlotte.”

In that instant, black flames rose from Lucy’s hand.

They quietly engulfed the knights.

Whoosh!!

“Kaaaaaah!!”

The knights screamed, but it didn’t last long.

Screams, corpses, flesh, everything disappeared smoothly.

The Heimbart forces, numbering in the hundreds, turned to ashes and scattered in an instant.

Lucy turned her head and looked at the death knights.

She spoke to them in a gentle voice.

“Good work.”

The death knights were silent.

They simply raised their swords slightly and took guard.

“Some of you are hurt.”

Some death knights had their arms or legs torn off.

“I’ll heal you.”

But as Lucy emanated her magic, they were quickly restored to their original state with black smoke.

“It was truly a meaningful battle.”

Darcan said quietly.

“I will never forget that sensation today…”

His gaze was directed at Lucy’s butt.

“So soft and squishy… and smooth…”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed as she fixed a crooked helmet on a death knight.

“Next time, I’m calling Amon.”

“Gasp.”

Darcan knelt.

He immediately slammed his forehead on the ground.

“I-I’m sorry, Master! Please, anything but that!”

“I like Amon more.”

“I’m so sorryyy!”

◈

When they returned to the castle, Charlotte ran over.

“Lucy…!”

She hugged Lucy tightly.

When the warmth touched her, Lucy closed her eyes slightly.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m not hurt. And you don’t have to worry anymore. I killed them all.”

“…All of them? You killed them all?”

“Yeah. Because it felt bad.”

“…”

Charlotte’s face turned pale.

“Feeling bad… is scary.”

“Yeah.”

Next to them, Ramone paid his respects.

“Thank you, Miss Lucy. Really… thank you. Heimbart… is finished.”

Lucy nodded slightly.

As she was led to her room by Charlotte, Camilla and Ellie rushed in this time.

A cozy feeling.

The sweet smell of soap.

“Lucy~ We were waiting~”

“Let’s go to sleep now!”

“I get to sleep next to the princess!”

Camilla, Ellie, and Charlotte aggressively surrounded Lucy on the small, soft bed.

One arm wrapped around her thigh on the left, one arm hugged her on the right, and a head rested on her stomach.

Lucy muttered inwardly.

‘Fighting would be better…’

At that moment,

Lucy, sensing a presence, glanced at the door.

The door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, a pair of eyes flickering like blue flames could be seen.

It was Darcan.

Lucy sighed softly and conveyed her will.

[ I will obliterate you for real. ]

[ I’m so sorryyyyyyyyy!! ]

The door slammed shut.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading~! Have a nice day!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Road travelled less is travelled less for a reason.

-Dumb friend of mine.

Too lazy to think of a note today, so an idiotic message from a close friend of mine shall suffice!