Ch.292Chapter 292 – A Long-Overdue Show of Bravado

Fortunately, there were no problems while standing guard duty.

The surroundings were quiet, and thanks to getting a decent amount of sleep, I woke up in good condition. I noticed Eve was already outside the carriage, having apparently woken up early as well.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Of course. How about you, Kay?”

“I’m always in good health.”

When I answered Eve’s question, her expression darkened slightly.

Soon after, she spoke again.

“Kay, what are you planning to do now?”

“First, I need to find Beatrice again.”

I looked at Eve and spoke quietly.

“Since I need to be able to communicate with Beatrice, I’m planning to use that magical tool here to send her a message. Telling her to come immediately.”

“She’s not the type to come just because you tell her to, is she?”

“Then I’ll have to make her come.”

I said while quietly gazing at the resistance fighters’ tents.

“I’m considering some rough measures at this point.”

“Will that be okay? Using harsh methods after receiving hospitality from the resistance.”

“From what I can tell, the resistance is a group united by a common enemy, not a completely unified organization. There are many ways to negotiate.”

Of course, I was talking about what could be done within certain boundaries.

Still, Eve seemed worried and spoke quietly.

“I’ll say it again, you should avoid getting too entangled with the resistance.”

“I know. Even if we make a deal, we need to keep it clear and finish it in just a few exchanges.”

If I dealt with them too much, I’d essentially be considered a member of the princess faction of the resistance.

By my calculations, maybe one or two precarious deals, and only if they weren’t too difficult, could be passed off as simple business transactions.

“But honestly, I wish Beatrice would just come willingly. I don’t really want to get involved.”

Frankly, I’d prefer to avoid getting caught up in political struggles.

Obviously, the more entangled we become, the higher the probability we’ll face dangerous or troublesome situations.

As our companions have said, we don’t have an abundance of time, and we have places we need to go.

To be honest, my true desire was to extract Beatrice properly and then distance myself from the chaos in Florence and the kingdom.

“…We should pray that Lady Beatrice comes out willingly.”

Eve said that and then fell into thought for a moment.

Then, she spoke again.

“Kay.”

“Yes?”

“…Perhaps, are you not considering leaving as we are?”

It was a quiet question.

I lowered my voice as well and asked quietly.

“Leaving Beatrice behind?”

“We don’t have time to search. We don’t have time to wait either. We need to break Evgenia’s seal and investigate the Philosopher’s Stone again.”

Eve spoke with a slightly pleading tone.

“We don’t have much time to spare for Lady Beatrice, Kay.”

“That’s certainly true.”

“I think the time has come to make a definite choice, Kay. Whichever way you choose, I’ll support you with all my strength…”

Eve swallowed for a moment.

Then, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Please value your body more and act accordingly.”

From Eve’s words, I caught a glimpse of why her face had darkened recently whenever Beatrice was mentioned.

Looking at her face, I still felt she was hiding something, but I could tell she was fundamentally concerned about my well-being.

“…Perhaps Lady Beatrice would want that too.”

Eve squeezed out her reasoning.

She was pleading with me to stop pursuing Beatrice.

‘To retreat, huh.’

I certainly thought that should be considered as an option.

To make this attempt the last one and then head to our next destination, leaving Beatrice behind.

‘Beatrice might not want me to pursue her either.’

In the letter she left, she wrote not to get involved with her or look for her.

And that nothing was more precious than one’s life.

‘Maybe I have no reason to look for her.’

Considering the situation and her own wishes, that might not be wrong.

As I was about to speak to Eve, who still looked worried, I paused.

‘Would it really be okay to leave her alone?’

As I quietly pondered this, memories began to surface.

“Helmet…”

Suddenly, a voice echoed in my mind.

“…help me…”

The weak voice I had heard in Alfheim.

“It hurts, I’m scared, I…”

That voice that sounded like it was about to cry.

“…protect…me…”

I remembered that voice that had begged for help, for protection.

‘Chris mentioned it too.’

Chris had clearly said that Beatrice, though appearing fine on the surface, had unstable aspects, so I should keep an eye on her.

I felt my mind clearing a bit.

“Kay?”

Eve looked at me with a somewhat dark expression.

Without realizing it, I patted her head and said:

“I remembered.”

“What did you remember?”

“Why I wanted to find Beatrice.”

Come to think of it, just this dawn, when I was about to stand guard, Sia had told me to organize my thoughts about Beatrice and make a decision.

I quickly racked my brain for the reason.

“Without Beatrice, it would be difficult to get help from the Magic Tower.”

“But the Magic Tower is already…”

“It’s difficult. We can’t contact the Magic Tower whenever we want from our side.”

I gave one practical reason I had just found.

And as I thought of the Magic Tower, another statement came to mind.

“What that kid needs isn’t Asam the researcher, but someone with the strength to keep her from rushing into danger.”

“…I also had a request before.”

It was Asam’s plea to me.

At that time, I had just had the worst reunion with Beatrice, so I had deliberately pushed this memory away, but I remembered her plea now.

Perhaps it was because I heard that plea that I had unconsciously stayed with Beatrice, I thought briefly.

‘What a troublesome friend, that Asam.’

I couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.

Then I looked at Eve and said:

“…I’m not going to give up on Beatrice yet.”

Looking at Eve, whose expression had darkened and who still gave me a worried look, I spoke firmly.

“She pretends to be strong on the outside, but deep down, she’s waiting for someone to help her. She’s fragile and might eventually break if no one holds onto her.”

“Kay.”

Eve wore a slightly sad expression.

She still believed my life was more important.

Feeling grateful, I quietly said to Eve:

“Besides, there aren’t many magicians as skilled as Beatrice. Perhaps without her help, there might not be a way to save my life.”

“Kay.”

Eve tried to plead again.

I embraced her and quietly said:

“Don’t worry, Eve.”

Looking down at Eve in my arms.

I straightened my back and spoke with bravado:

“I won’t die.”

It was the greatest bluff I’d put on in a long time.

+

After a brief embrace and exchanging glances, Kay quietly turned his back on Eve and entered the carriage.

He said it was to rest for a moment, but it was clear he thought it would be better to be apart for a while.

Watching his retreating back, Eve quietly thought:

‘I failed.’

In the end, she had failed to separate Kay from Beatrice.

Eve quietly bowed her head in thought.

And then someone embraced her from behind.

“Miss Seraphina.”

“You worked hard.”

Eve wondered how long she had been secretly watching.

Then Sera spoke:

“Kay is still determined to find Beatrice.”

“Yes.”

“Even though Eve tried to dissuade him, even at the risk of being disliked, you ultimately failed.”

“Yes.”

Eve was quiet for a moment.

Then she spoke again:

“…Will Kay lose respect for me?”

“No way. Kay is good at distinguishing whether someone is speaking out of concern for him or not, so he’ll never dislike you.”

Sera asserted with confidence.

Then she smiled and said:

“Knowing that, I still can’t speak strongly to Kay. I’m afraid he might lose respect for me or hate me.”

“Is that so?”

“When you think about it, Eve has done something significant.”

Sera added with a smile:

“It takes great courage to try to stop someone you love, prepared to be disliked.”

“I’m not that brave.”

“You seemed brave to me.”

For a moment, no words flowed between the two women.

Soon Sera quietly released the embrace, and Eve spoke softly:

“My quiet persuasion may have backfired; Kay now has a firm resolve to find Beatrice. It seems the option of completely avoiding that future event is already gone.”

“I thought it would be difficult from the beginning, but you couldn’t help trying.”

With that, Sera added:

“All that’s left is for us to do our best to protect Kay.”

“That’s right.”

Eve nodded quietly.

Then, with a determined expression, she looked at Sera and said:

“Seraphina.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

Sera gently smiled and shook her head at the way Eve addressed her.

Then she soon smiled and said:

“This doesn’t just apply to me… but don’t you think we can’t keep addressing each other so formally forever? Although it’s not yet decided who will be right beside him, there’s even less need for distance.”

At Sera’s sudden words, Eve’s eyes widened for a moment.

But seeing Sera’s gentle expression, she quickly understood what she meant.

“You’re right.”

Eve smiled and said:

“We could address each other more intimately than we do now.”

“Would you like to try?”

That much is fine.

Eve smiled and said:

“Sera, will you help me?”

“Of course, Eve.”

The two women smiled at each other.

Then Sera spoke first:

“Let’s do our best, for Kay’s sake.”

“Yes.”

With brighter faces, Eve and Sera began walking toward where Kay had gone.

+

At that time, in a tent within the resistance camp.

It was the place where military meetings were convened every morning, and Archery was moving there with a certain individual.

“There’s no reason for you to attend, Miss Domestica.”

“I feel uncomfortable not knowing enough, so I can’t help it.”

As Domestica said with a smile, Archery simply nodded without trying to dissuade her.

In fact, the times when Domestica couldn’t attend military meetings on time were usually when she was communicating with Gabriella or organizing information sent by the princess faction.

That was the case on the day Beatrice had volunteered for the reconnaissance mission.

“To keep those people here, I need to understand what’s happening here and the movements of the reconnaissance team that includes Beatrice. I need to work hard to form a plan.”

“Is Her Highness’s order still in effect? To use methods to recruit those people?”

“Yes.”

At Domestica’s firm answer, Archery nodded.

Then he gently asked:

“You don’t seem to like it personally, Miss Domestica. Are you okay with that? It seems you’re not properly carrying out Her Highness’s orders, subtly taking their side instead?”

“Does it seem that way?”

“Yes. On the whole, you follow Her Highness’s orders, but I can see you trying to take their side subtly.”

Was I that careless?

Domestica quietly asked:

“Will you keep it a secret?”

“If you tell me the reason.”

At Archery’s words, Domestica nodded, saying she couldn’t resist.

Then she quietly said:

“The affairs of Florence or the kingdom are just that—their affairs. It’s not something travelers like them should be involved in.”

“But Beatrice is from Florence or the kingdom, so she’s not completely unrelated?”

“Then I wish she would quietly take them far away.”

Domestica spoke quietly:

“…I thought it wouldn’t be bad if she lived elsewhere, under a different identity, living peacefully.”

“That would be nice too. I’d be glad to see one less face I dislike.”

At Archery’s words, Domestica quietly asked:

“Do you dislike Beatrice?”

“To be honest, yes.”

Archery said without any hesitation:

“She failed in her mission to protect the princesses, then cut off communication and lived quietly hiding in a foreign country. She didn’t join the resistance right after it was formed. I don’t like it.”

Archery spoke quietly:

“If that’s the case, she should have lived quietly in hiding until she died of old age. I strongly wonder why she’s showing her face now. It just puts her life in danger unnecessarily.”

“So in fact, Sir Archery would prefer Beatrice not to join the resistance and live peacefully far away?”

Seeing him slightly avert his gaze, she must have hit the mark.

What a dishonest person, Domestica thought.

“…I think this way. Throwing oneself into battle to fulfill unfinished loyalty to His Majesty is a very admirable choice. At the same time, staying far away from the fight and living peacefully is an equally admirable choice. As long as one takes responsibility for their decision.”

“I see.”

As far as Domestica knew, Beatrice and Archery had never worked together.

Their units had different characteristics from the beginning.

Still, as soldiers who protected the royal family, perhaps there was a mutual understanding among soldiers that if a comrade chose peace, that was also acceptable, Domestica thought.

“That aside, no matter how special the Shadow unit is, it really bothers me that she doesn’t salute or observe proper etiquette when meeting fellow soldiers. I really dislike that.”

“You’re quite rigid, Sir Archery.”

While teasing Archery, Domestica also found that aspect slightly concerning.

It wasn’t so much that she disliked it, but rather found it a bit strange.

Beatrice didn’t observe military formalities to an excessive degree.

‘…She said she forgot, but…’

Could something so ingrained be forgotten so easily?

Or perhaps she deliberately pretended because she no longer wanted to live as a soldier?

Either way, Domestica found this aspect concerning.

By then, the two resistance members had arrived at the military meeting place.

“Let’s go in now.”

“Yes, let’s.”

After checking their appearance before entering, they opened the door.

Inside, Archery gave a military salute in the style of Florence or the kingdom.

And with it came a loud voice:

“So I’m saying! We need to move immediately!”

“But Count Rizolkobu…”

“We need to move! The Emiris Order people were here! It’s dangerous to just stay here!”

Count Rizolkobu was clearly frightened.

Archery briefly made a displeased expression before putting on an expressionless face and saying:

“What exactly are you arguing about…”

“Ah, you’re here, Sir Archery!”

Rizolkobu looked pleased to see Archery.

Then he immediately shouted:

“Now that you’re here, go and conscript them!”

“Conscript?”

“New recruits have arrived! The ones you guided! The soldiers who kindly brought a carriage!”

By that point, Archery immediately realized who he was talking about.

He dropped his expressionless facade and shouted angrily:

“Do you know who they are?! They are guests designated by Her Highness! You can’t just…!”

“Guests or whatever, it doesn’t matter! We can’t let people with such martial skills slip away! Once they’re here, they’re resistance fighters!”

“But…!”

“Do you know how much I’ve supported the resistance? Do as I say!”

Of course, since the resistance wasn’t a regular army, they couldn’t receive proper support on time.

Because Count Rizolkobu was providing enormous financial support to the resistance, his position was higher than Archery’s.

Still, thinking there should be limits, Archery was about to shout back.

However, Count Rizolkobu ignored Archery and pointed at Domestica, shouting:

“Conscript them immediately! Incorporate them into our unit right now and move to a safe position! A position the Emiris Order doesn’t know about yet!”

“COUNT RIZOLKOBU!!!”

An argument broke out between Count Rizolkobu and Archery.

In the midst of this, Domestica quietly stepped back.

With a bad feeling, she tried to slip out of the tent when she had the chance.

But it seemed too late, as Rizolkobu’s subordinates grabbed her as she tried to slip away.

“Let go of me.”

The soldiers said nothing.

Archery’s expression contorted as he immediately noticed the unusual situation facing Domestica, and he saw the soldiers in the tent drawing their weapons.

‘What is this…?’

Domestica’s expression darkened as she saw soldiers pointing weapons at allies fighting under the same flag.