Ch.119119. Festival (6)

After a day of brutal torture and interrogation, they finally opened their mouths.

The information we obtained included several hideouts and fragments of their objectives. That alone was enough to mobilize the knights and soldiers.

Orders came down from the church and the head of the family.

Combat priests and holy knights from the church were deployed in large numbers. A massive purge operation in coordination with them began the very next day.

The festival hadn’t ended. Instead, we concealed ourselves, blended into the crowds, and tracked the Magia, gradually narrowing our search area.

Beyond the central district to the slums where the security forces rarely ventured. It was a sparse street with few people and no signs of human vitality. And further away, an unpleasant smell wafted on the wind.

“Over there. Everyone, move silently and follow me. We’ll attack immediately.”

Siabel Sianella’s eyes gleamed with quiet intensity. It was hatred tempered by dramatic composure.

The knights nodded silently.

They moved stealthily, muffling their footsteps.

“Hmm.”

Demon worshippers. Why they would worship demons was something I could never understand, even if I died trying.

As we drew closer to them, I could sense them more clearly with all five senses than before. Normally, such weak Magia would only cause mild discomfort. Today was different.

As if the unique power said to flow through blood had intensified. The sinister energy emanating subtly from them. That energy made my skin feel disgustingly sticky and filled my nostrils with stale air.

Perhaps it was to resist that wickedness. Today, my Mana pulsed more fiercely yet more refined than ever before, emitting powerful vibrations.

“Wait. The moment they turn their backs, strike immediately.”

Siabel’s command spread quietly.

The knights placed their hands on the worn leather handles of their swords. They adjusted their posture and tensed their legs, ready to spring forward and attack at her command.

“…I heard a group was taken down yesterday. We should be careful.”

“You mean they’ve noticed us? Even though we moved so quietly?”

“I heard a magic circle was destroyed and red-stained soil was left behind. They must have noticed.”

“Damn it…ptui! We’re so close to completing the grand plan, but our luck is just shi—”

The two women who remained behind, muttering their abominable words. The moment they spat and turned around—

Swish!

Siabel drew her sword and lunged forward.

A clear blue aura as bright as her eyes enveloped her blade.

Their backs were completely exposed. Without hesitation, Siabel kicked one woman’s leg from the side.

Thud!

“Ugh…!”

The sudden impact.

The woman lost her balance and fell. Having kissed the cold ground, she clearly had no idea what had just happened to her.

Siabel planted her right foot, which had been suspended in the air, firmly on the ground and twisted her waist.

Her sword drew a clean horizontal arc as she twisted.

Slash—!

The cultist’s head rolled on the ground.

“Huh…huh…!”

Without hesitation, she thrust her sword into the throat of the other woman who was shocked to see her friend’s head suddenly drop before her.

“Eliminate them all without letting a single one escape.”

The scene before my eyes was quite brutal.

The knights were swift. With each efficient step and practiced sword stroke, the enemies’ lives were cut short.

The strong scent of blood filled the passing breeze. With so many of them, the heavy smell of blood was unavoidable.

But I felt no guilt. Mother had told me. That these people were leading an army of monsters to the county. That they were trying to destroy the walls our ancestors had built to cause greater chaos.

They were evil to us, and we were simply cutting down evil to uphold justice. There was no need to feel guilty about cutting down people, and in fact, I felt no particular sentiment about it.

But why?

“……”

Why did my blood-stained sword feel a bit heavier?

“Tsk.”

Siabel clicked her tongue.

I had planned to enjoy this festival with my younger sister and my first disciple.

Perhaps it was because I ended up carrying this long weapon instead of enjoying delicious food for the remainder of the festival.

…It had been a while since I had looked forward to something so much.

Siabel spoke as she took in the completed situation.

“Good work. Let’s move on.”

The fallen bodies would be handled by the soldiers who would follow later.

My knights and I would continue moving as quickly as possible to eliminate the cultists hiding within our territory.

* * *

The festival lasted five days in total.

During that time, Sione and I couldn’t enjoy the festival at all—we were confined to our rooms without being able to go anywhere, and this remained true even on the fifth and final day.

Ainel came directly to Sione’s room with a stern face, saying that the situation in the territory was concerning and we should refrain from going out. We even saw Siabel, who had been happily going around with Aria, leaving the mansion in armor while leading knights.

We had no choice but to quietly follow Ainel’s instructions.

Afterward, Sione went to ask Ainel what had happened to the cultists. But Ainel only said he would tell us when the time was right and that we should wait for his call in the safety of our room. He said nothing more.

We could only guess that the people we had found were involved in something significant by observing the knights who were more disciplined than usual and the high-ranking church officials who were unusually frequent visitors to the count’s mansion.

And today, on the final day of the festival, as the sunset began, Sione suddenly sat up in her bed.

“What’s wrong?”

The formal speech came out before casual speech.

Well, I’ve gotten used to it now, so it can’t be helped.

I decided to mix formal and casual speech depending on the mood.

“It’s the last day of the festival! I have something to prepare, hehe.”

“Something to prepare?”

“Yes, yes, just wait in the room for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Sione, who had been staring at the ceiling like an animal just waking from hibernation, suddenly seemed to realize something and ran out of the room with full energy.

She returned not long after.

“Ta-da!”

Sione came back to the room carrying two wine glasses and what looked like an expensive bottle of wine.

“…What’s that in your hands?”

“Wine!”

Come on, I’m not blind. Did she think I couldn’t see that?

“Why did you bring wine…?”

“Why, you ask? I brought it to drink with you, brother.”

After saying that, Sione cleared the table.

Munch!

She stuffed a cookie that remained on the plate into her cheek.

Her cheeks puffed up like a rodent with sunflower seeds.

Then she organized the teacups and plates, pushing them aside, and set up the wine and wine glasses.

“Done! Now let’s wait just a little longer until sunset.”

“Um… does something happen when the sun sets?”

“Yes, on the last night of the festival every year, they set off fireworks. Since the festival has somehow continued until the final day this year, we’ll be able to see them soon.”

“Ah…”

I wondered if there would be fireworks in this medieval world.

But thinking about it, in a world where magic and Divine Power exist, fireworks would certainly be possible if enough money and manpower were invested.

“Seeing that reaction… you don’t know what fireworks are, do you, brother? It’s okay, I’ll explain everything…!”

It seems Sione misunderstood my thoughts and murmured words.

Well, my status is just that of a slave. How could slaves here possibly know about the concept of fireworks?

She continued chattering about explaining what fireworks were to me, and I just went along with it, passing the time.

“So, can we see the fireworks from this room?”

“Of course. Since we can see the sky through this window, I’ve watched them alone every festival day. We’ll have a good view.”

Sione smiled as she said this.

“I’m glad I have someone to watch with this festival.”

The sun set.

The yellow sunset disappeared, and a black sky adorned with beautiful stars arrived.

“It should start soon.”

Sione uncorked the wine bottle.

The aroma of wine rose sharply.

She didn’t fill the first glass completely. She only poured a little wine so that the taste could be confirmed before properly savoring it.

I looked at her and asked.

“Aren’t you weak with alcohol?”

“What…?”

“Clearly, at the banquet before, you got drunk on wine and that night you—”

“Quiet… I’ll only drink a little, just a little.”

Sione turned her head away quickly.

Not long after, we were finally able to watch the fireworks illuminating the sky.

It was quite a novel experience. I never imagined I would be able to see fireworks in such a backward medieval fantasy world.

“Cheers!”

Sione held out her glass.

I smiled appropriately and clinked glasses as she wished, and for a while, we enjoyed the wine in silence.

By the time I had drunk two glasses and Sione three, I noticed something.

Sione was quietly looking at my face instead of the fireworks.

She had said she would like me to kiss her first on the festival day. I moved to grant her request that I had heard before.

The distance of one small round table was no problem at all.

“Mmph…”

As our lips met, Sione’s youthful voice could be heard.

Her hot breath touched my skin. But not satisfied with just this, I explored her further.

Our tongues intertwined. In the increasingly heated atmosphere, we stayed like that for a long time until our breath became short and we finally parted.

“Haah…”

Sione’s excited breathing and the thread-like evidence connecting us only proved that our relationship had deepened.

Her first kiss tasted of intense wine with a dizzying flavor of love dissolved deeply within it.

* * *

In the end, just as the Ranger had said, we confirmed the presence of hostile forces heading toward the county.

Another reconnaissance team was sent out. A large number of skilled knights, including Diolia, were also deployed, and in the end, there were at least fifty who had witnessed the army. Unless they had all gone mad at once, how could they consistently answer my question?

That thousands… no, tens of thousands of monsters had formed an army and were marching toward the county—

Ainel wrote a letter.

The Margrave of the westernmost part of the kingdom, tasked with monitoring the Demon Realm that the kingdom had failed to purify. The authority she held regarding the Demon Realm in case of emergency was extremely powerful.

She planned to send a letter to the royal court explaining the current situation and use the special authority granted to the head of the County of Sianella by the founding king.

“Diolia.”

“Yes.”

“Is it true that you saw a demon among the monsters?”

“…If my eyes have not lost their sharpness and become clouded, what I saw cannot be wrong. Moreover, even the holy knights confirmed it was a demon… there is no room for doubt.”

“…I plan to send letters to the nobles of the west.”

“Letters, you say.”

“In case of emergency, the county has the duty to gather all the forces of the west to stop the demon’s advance. If they have not forgotten the rights of conscription and mobilization granted to us by the founding king, the nobles of the west should willingly provide us with troops.”

Ainel looked at the map Diolia handed over.

A map showing the Beltrin Mountains and the territory. The approximate positions of the monsters were drawn on the map. The monsters that were said to be disgustingly clustered behind the mountain range had already descended to the foothills.

It was troubling. Although the county’s forces were more numerous and superior to those of other families, they were not strong enough to stop the monsters that were said to be so numerous they formed a sea.

Moreover, these weren’t ordinary monsters but those from the Demon Realm. Monsters born in lands corrupted by Magia are stronger and more ferocious than ordinary specimens.

Even the rough and brave women of the cavalry would not be able to pierce through a sea of tough monsters born in the Demon Realm. The county did not have many war-specialized magicians like those of the Marquisate of Allenar, making it extremely disadvantageous to face such a large army.

No suitable solution came to mind.

Sending forces to reduce their numbers before they reached the territory would be of little use. They say an army of monsters with a demon present becomes more ferocious than ever. It would surely be a waste of lives.

“We must prepare for a siege.”

Trusting in the solid walls and knights, waiting for support from the west and the royal court would be the best option.

The winds of war, with the survival of the territory at stake, were quietly approaching the county.