Ch.266Mueller Estate’s NPC. (1)

“Gor, can you run?”

[I’ll be fine as long as I’m with Lady Ira. However, if another problem arises and I fall while running…]

“I’ll carry the luggage behind you, and you carry Ira on your back. If you’re about to fall, I’ll protect Ira.”

“…Aren’t we taking a carriage?”

By dawn, when Ira—who had been crying her heart out—collapsed from exhaustion and opened her eyes, I was outside the Naty Gate with the two of them.

“No, the Chancellor probably flew away or teleported. Ragni wouldn’t have leisurely traveled by carriage either. ‘We’ are already much faster running on our own legs than moving by carriage.”

Unfortunately, Ira’s teleportation required preparation. She needed to set up magic circles at both her current location and destination, then travel through those circles. In other words, she couldn’t teleport without setting up the magic in advance. And the maximum distance was only from her house to the street in front. It’s useful for emergency escapes within the house, but long-distance travel is impossible, which is a shame.

“Understand? Our destination is absolutely the Müller territory. Whether Ragni is there or not, we’ll meet Miss Grace, check on her well-being, and then return to Naty. I won’t compromise on this. Understood, Ira?”

“Yes!”

I can’t help but smile bitterly as I watch Ira nod vigorously in response. It’s unfortunate that her friend happens to be an Imperial, forcing us to head toward enemy territory, but I don’t want to deprive her of this opportunity to ‘grow.’ Yes, if her strength falls short, I’ll simply make up for it.

“Well then, Ira. We’ll run without rest until lunch, even if it’s difficult. Can you endure it?”

“Yes! I’ll listen to everything you say, sis!!”

[…If you were going to listen so well, you should have just stayed home.]

“Gor, you idiot!!”

“Hehe. Let’s go.”

With her—no longer just a child to be protected, but someone becoming a proper adult—we headed toward the Empire.

*

“Your Highness. We’re approaching our destination territory. However…”

“Yes, somehow we made it in just a week. So? Is there something you’re curious about?”

“This isn’t an opposition territory, so I wonder why we’ve come here…”

“Hehe, you’ll see soon enough.”

“Urghhhh…”

“Cough! Cough!!”

It’s been a week since we left Naty with Dolph and the two spies we captured that day. They should have had their closing ceremony by now, so the Chancellor and Ray must have made contact and realized I’m gone.

“Hey, cripple. Get up.”

“Urghh… just… kill me…”

“Yes, yes. I’ll kill you after we’re done, so get up now.”

[Effect of Imperial Quality: Turns a defeated enemy into your subordinate. The affected target becomes ‘subjugated’ to you regardless of their will. (You can issue three absolute commands to the subjugated target.)]

[Target: Imperial Spy, 2 commands remaining.]

Bringing these guys here wasn’t difficult. I tied them to a two-wheeled carriage and moved them using wind magic. What I learned while Ira was studying magic with the Chancellor came in handy. However, due to weight limitations, Dolph and I had to run. When you think about it, these guys shouldn’t be acting like they’re dying, right? I helped transport them, so they should be grateful.

“Cough! Cough!! That was the most turbulent carriage ride I’ve ever experienced.”

“Ha! And you call yourself a former knight? It was much more comfortable than running at that speed. You should just be grateful.”

“…Thank you. *cough*”

I don’t know what’s with this one, but he’s strangely compliant. Honestly, I hadn’t planned to bring him along, but he said he wanted to come with me, so I was about to kill him on the spot when—

[You can kill me if you wish. I simply want to observe what you’re doing from beside you.]

I thought he might be attempting some kind of mental attack with a sudden love confession, so I told him I had a man I loved, but he said he wasn’t interested. Anyway.

“Cripple. Can you connect with your informants in that territory over there?”

“Urghh, y-yes I can…”

“How many are there?”

“Thirteen that I can confirm immediately. If they’re not from my unit, I can’t connect with the rest, and I don’t even know if they’re there.”

“Good. Contact those 13. Tell them you captured the princess but she escaped. At this location.”

“…Are you going to kill them all again?”

“Hmm?”

When the man who had insisted on seeing me suddenly asked this, I tilted my head and asked what he meant. He continued:

“…Like me, there are many who didn’t know you before. I think it might be worth asking if they would follow you, at least once.”

“My, for a former knight, you’re not completely thick-skulled, are you?”

“……”

As I pulled up the corners of my mouth in a sneer, he just stared at me steadily, as if he had no particular thoughts. Haa, what is he exactly? Somehow it felt awkward to kill him so I let him live, but something feels off. Of course, it’s not something rational but instinctual. I only have Jack, after all.

“Well, don’t worry. I just cleaned up you guys because you were trash threatening Naty. What I’m doing now is ‘stealing troops.'”

[Skill: Imperial Quality.]

[Skill: One Who Stands Above.]

Jack already knows all about my skills. Using these, I could not just turn the tide of war but potentially bring down the Empire itself. The Empire threatened Ira’s academy life and tried to destroy my happy daily life. I hadn’t planned to go this far, but since they kept interfering, I’m simply returning the favor.

“Now then~! I need to get home before Jack arrives, so let’s finish this quickly~♡”

The princess began to “dismantle the Empire starting with its territories” using the captured spies.

*

Five days had passed since we left Naty.

“Ira, are you not tired?”

“No, I’m fine. What about you? You’ve been running the whole time.”

“Hehe, I’m perfectly fine. How about you, Gor? Do you feel like you might collapse again?”

[Being attached to Lady Ira seems to be the essential condition. I don’t feel like I’m going to collapse. If we need to enter combat, I should place Lady Ira on my shoulders and use [Gigantification].]

After finishing our meal while camping in the forest and before going to sleep, we checked on each other’s condition, and I decided to take the first watch. Originally, Gor could have handled it alone, but if something unusual happened to her again and put her in danger, it would be a disaster.

“…Sis, should I take the middle watch today?”

“No. Ira should only take the last or first watch. Growing children need plenty of sleep.”

“…Okay. Sorry.”

“Hehe. Don’t be sorry. You’re still young, ah, though I don’t intend to treat you just like a child anymore even if you are young…”

-Squeeze.

“Oh my?”

“Ehehe… I know. That’s why you don’t call me ‘Miss’ and just call me ‘Ira,’ right?”

You caught me. Looking at Ira who was lying on my lap and holding my hand, I smiled a bit bitterly. Yes, the reason I add “Miss” is because I think of the person as younger than me and someone I need to protect. I couldn’t use “Miss” or “Sir” for someone I consider an equal.

“I learned at the academy. When you respect someone, you’re supposed to call them ‘Miss So-and-so’ or ‘Mr./Ms. So-and-so.’ Otherwise, you call someone younger than you ‘Young Master So-and-so.'”

“Hehe, so they teach etiquette at the academy too? And yet you threw such a tantrum?”

“Hiccup?!”

When I mentioned the day a few days ago when she threw a tantrum and cried, Ira blushed and pulled the blanket up to cover her face. Hehe, she’s still young and cute after all.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Haha, it’s okay. You’ve been patient enough until now. But from now on, don’t hold back too much. Tell me if something isn’t working. I’ll tell you if it’s possible or not. Of course, we’ll also talk more with you. Promise?”

“…Ehehe. Yes, promise.”

After pinky swearing with the hand I was holding, Ira slowly closed her eyes. I gently patted her chest as she began to fall asleep…

“…Ray sis. I’m sorry. I was lying when I said I didn’t like you… I like you.”

“……”

‘*Cough*!!’

I internally coughed up blood from Ira’s sleep-talking ambush. Huk, huk. F-finally, Ira said she likes me…!!!

Calming my wildly beating heart with just deep breaths thanks to Ira, that night too passed peacefully.

*

[That’s the Müller territory from here on.]

“Gor, you’re amazing. How do you know without even looking at a map?”

[I memorized all the surrounding terrain from the map.]

The Müller territory, which we reached after about two weeks, was surrounded by morning fog. There were no visible walls around. The countryside, which appeared to be mostly vegetable gardens, looked quite peaceful just by itself.

[How should we wake up Lady Ira?]

“No. She took the first watch last night, and it’s still early, so let her sleep a bit more.”

First, we need to check the surroundings. I’ve only heard rumors about the Empire’s internal affairs, and we deliberately avoided Imperial villages and cities on our way here.

There was no reason to leave unnecessary traces of our presence. Above all, Gor is too conspicuous.

As I quietly survey the territory in the foggy early morning, I don’t sense any human presence. Hmm, with so many vegetable gardens, do Imperial farmers start their mornings late?

“Gor, do you sense anything?”

[…No. There seems to be a small village ahead, but there are no people.]

“No people? You mean few people, not none?”

[No. Not a single person.]

Looking at the surrounding gardens, it seems they were properly cultivating crops, but no people? Could this be an abandoned village, and is there a proper town elsewhere? I slowly moved forward with Gor and arrived at the village where there were supposedly no people.

“…This is.”

[They were taken away.]

We didn’t even need to enter the houses. All the doors were open, and in front of them were small bloodstains. And traces of people being dragged away remained, as if no one had tried to hide them.

“…This doesn’t look like it’s going to end with just a visit to Miss Ira’s friend’s house, does it?”

[Ray, someone’s coming. They’re on horseback. Multiple riders.]

At Gor’s detection of approaching individuals, we immediately hid in a nearby empty hut. After a while, the sound of hoofbeats rapidly approached, and a man’s voice began to be heard.

“I am Fortress Velvet, knight of the Müller territory! Is anyone left?!!”

And he was searching for the villagers.