Ch.133133. Senia, and ■■■ (2)

‘I must go.’

How many had survived?

Though I couldn’t know the exact number, one thing was certain—this message was from the Sirens.

I had to head there by any means necessary.

“…Ah.”

The Great Purge of Schütt had been a devastating defeat for humanity. It was also when all communication with the Sirens was completely severed.

“…nia.”

The kind lady who always took care of me like her own daughter.

The man who, despite being old enough to be my uncle, asked me to call him big brother and cheered me up whenever I felt down.

And Nella, who called me “big sis” and treated me like her own sister.

All these names, and many more that followed, now belonged to people who were no longer of this world.

I had to save whoever was left.

Otherwise, all this time…

“Senia!”

“Ah… did you call me?”

“Five times already. What are you thinking about during a strategy meeting?”

“…Sorry. I must be tired.”

I had been lost in thoughts about the Sirens for longer than I’d realized.

Because of this, Senia had to request another explanation to engrave the current operation in her mind once more.

“Sigh, alright. I’ll explain again. We’re no longer fighting in Levrant. We’re abandoning it completely and relocating.”

“…So you’re talking about a recapture operation? Are we going to Mirpark?”

“No, we’re moving the capital from Levrant to Alferatz. For that, we’ll first regroup in the Los region.”

At this, Aris jumped up from her seat, slamming the table.

“Don’t be ridiculous! What’s even left in Sirah? We still have the Academy facilities in Levrant!”

Following her, Erika also responded negatively to the capital relocation.

“I agree with Aris. There’s absolutely no merit in Sirah. If we were at least preparing for a Mirpark recapture operation, we could target the port there, but this is just a meaningless change of capital.”

“Girls… listen to Junon for a bit…”

“Michelle. You need to be more level-headed too. Do you really think this kind of commander—one who abandoned his comrades and ran away—can make proper decisions?”

“Who knows. Maybe he’s just looking for a place in Sirah where he alone can escape and survive.”

“Erika, that’s too harsh! This is a task assigned by Goden, and the professors trusted Junon. If we as comrades can’t trust him, then what are we supposed to do?!”

The meeting room grew chaotic with conflicting opinions.

Though Michelle was trying to help, Charlotte wasn’t even participating in the meeting as she was resting, and Cain was incapable of normal thought due to the grief of losing Lumia.

This was exactly why Aris and Erika were desperately trying to block Junon’s proposal.

Meanwhile, regardless of all this, Senia’s attention remained fixed on the current operation.

“Why? I think it’s fine.”

“Senia…”

“No way…!”

“Ugh, seriously… why are you like this too?”

This choice was the operation with the optimal conditions for achieving Senia’s objective.

***

Despite two votes against, there were three votes in favor, including Charlotte’s opinion.

Having passed the majority, the temporary base relocation became an approved matter.

“What about the command structure?!”

“There’s no further news…”

“Damn it, are we supposed to maintain Hasirt’s 3-formation indefinitely?! How long are we supposed to trust the orders of that wet-behind-the-ears kid?!”

On the day the temporary relocation site was decided.

Those who survived from the Principality worked together to evacuate the civilians first and gradually pulled back the front line.

It was because one person had not arrived.

“What about Lady Senia? When is she coming?”

“Well… there’s no news from her either…”

“This is maddening. Are we supposed to die in her place?”

“It’s not us who are going mad, it’s the commander who’s lost it. Let’s be honest here.”

“…Perhaps you’re right. Looking at how they’re forcing this absurd operation.”

The battle-hardened man complained, but Senia was hiding in an unseen location without giving any response.

There was no time to spare.

She was desperately looking around, trying to figure out how to create an opening for her escape.

As a member of the Tembris Party, a position that attracted everyone’s attention, it would never be easy to slip away.

She couldn’t afford to be held here as a key force and central figure.

‘Found it.’

After scanning the area repeatedly with her mana vision, she found a weak point to escape from this battlefield.

“Damn it all… of all things, why did that kind of monster have to come this way…!”

If an entity that exhibits exceptionally strong power among the countless normal-grade ones is classified as elite-grade, then an entity that displays anomalous power unique among its own kind is classified as unnormalous-grade.

Such anomalous power always introduces variables that shake up the battlefield, disrupting situations that should maintain consistent power.

For humans who adapt their countermeasures according to the established patterns of magical beasts, the appearance of such variables was an adversity they never wanted to face.

“This is insane! A beast that normally just spews fire is now acting like it’s going to self-destruct…!”

Senia knew from afar that an unnormalous-grade was approaching, but she hadn’t warned anyone in advance.

The original formation collapsed due to the magical beast that was charging with its entire body engulfed in flames rather than just breathing fire.

In that situation, Senia alone drew her sword and rushed forward.

“That, that person. It’s Lady Senia, right?”

“Lady Senia! What are you trying to do?!”

“Please fall back. You mustn’t push yourself!”

“…”

The voices of her allies no longer reached her ears. She had already detected the aftermath clearly with both her mana vision and her mind.

Yet she didn’t step back.

That was her strategy—to charge in aiming for this very moment.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-

Soon, even werewolves began to charge in.

Though anxious gazes were beginning to fix on the back of Senia’s head, she paid no mind and spoke as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Everyone, fall back.”

“What? Fall back? Now that you’re here, Lady Senia…”

“I’m saying I can’t handle all of them, so join up with Aris’s unit. I need to finish this alone.”

“What do you mean… Lady Senia!!”

BANG-!

When she targeted the flame core of the Flame Harp she was facing, an explosion occurred, and the area was instantly engulfed in smoke.

“Cough, cough! What is this…!”

After a gust of dusty wind, the flames covered the direction of the Flame Harp and werewolves, and all that remained in that spot was Senia’s outer garment engulfed in embers.

No matter how one looked at it, the scene could only be interpreted as Senia buying time to hold back the magical beasts.

“Lady Senia…”

The soldiers’ morale crumbled.

The fact that she—a member of the Tembris Party and known as the Sword Dancer—had disappeared was enough to drain the spirit from their bodies.

Though she had bought them some time, the fact that only her burning outer garment remained now dealt a critical blow.

And there was another person who threw himself into the fray.

“Get a hold of yourselves. I told you to maintain Hasirt’s 3-formation!”

“You…!”

“Not ‘you.’ I am the commander of this army, officially appointed by Professor Muniher.”

It was Junon—the one currently being pointed at for having lost his power and criticized for implementing an absurd operation.

“Their numbers are great. I will stand at the vanguard with a shield, so don’t break formation and carry out the orders as before.”

“…Understood.”

“Squad leader!”

“Just do as ordered. It’s the commander’s order, isn’t it?”

The squad leader wanted to question this cold-heartedness that didn’t mention Senia’s absence at all, asking what he thought of his own comrade, but he couldn’t.

Cooperating with someone who was throwing himself into danger with just a shield, despite having lost his power, took priority over losing his own squad members.

“…”

And Senia was watching this process with her own eyes.

Though her objective took precedence, she was held back by concern for those who followed her, worried they might come to harm.

In this fleeting moment.

What entered Senia’s eyes, as she was held back by the soldiers, was Junon’s gaze looking directly at her from within the forest, accurately gauging her position.

She thought about fleeing, but there was no need.

“Go… on… your… way…?”

In that brief moment, he sent a signal with his lips.

Not a search, an inquiry, or a reprimand.

None of that.

He turned a blind eye to her deception and desertion, and gave permission for a request she hadn’t even voiced.

“…I’m sorry.”

It was natural to feel sick to her stomach.

Unlike Junon, who understood everything, she hadn’t been able to make him understand anything.

And Junon would once again have to bear the brunt of the responsibility for this action.

***

“What is this…”

There’s a horse in front of her. Even if she were to turn around and run at full speed for just ten seconds, she would encounter magical beasts in battle—this was extremely unnatural.

This unnaturalness was obviously the work of human hands.

No sane person would place a valuable animal like a horse in this location.

“Could it be…”

But if one hypothesis were to be accepted, the story would change.

If this horse before her eyes had been prepared by someone who seemed to know, that is.

Even so, it didn’t seem likely. However, undeniable evidence appeared.

A note and a scroll tucked into the horse’s saddle were too conspicuous to miss.

[If you enter Sirah, you’ll be noticed. I don’t know where you’re going, but if you pass through Levrant’s Mizar Hall, you’ll be less visible to the magical beasts, so go that way.]

“Hya!”

Clutching tightly the note that came with the map, Senia vowed that this time she would return safely and help lighten Junon’s burden.