episode_0033

However, I did not try to open the window. In a dark place, even a small amount of light is clearly visible to the eyes. If the enemy is looking this way, an arrow will fly straight towards the open window.

Since the window is not made of glass, the arrow will go straight through my head or neck.

Although they do not inherit the blood of giants, their attacks are sufficiently threatening. That is why the people of Delkish are on guard.

“What is happening?”

The maid asked as she looked at me getting up from my seat.

Gray and his pack never waste their time. Not only Gray, but northern wolves in general have a cautious personality. Often, packs of inexperienced young wolves come down to the Delky City territory and are hunted, but in other words, they are in the Delky City territory. They said that the only wolf pack now is the gray pack.

I’m not a wolf, so I don’t understand their cries perfectly. But after mixing with a pack of wolves for a few months, I can understand the general nuances.

That’s a warning sound.

I immediately turned around and headed toward the door.

But before I could reach the door, it burst open.

“Elsie.”

The person who opened the door and came in was Brother Harvey. His face was stiff. He was holding a sword in one hand, and the sword was longer than the one carried by the knights guarding Amelia.

“What’s happening outside?”

When I asked, Brother Harvey immediately nodded.

“A barbarian was found inside the castle walls. Although he is already dead, there may be more.”

I turned my head slightly and looked at Amelia. Amelia was still sitting in the chair, so all I could see was her back.

Is it because of his mood that he looks a little nervous from behind?

“How on earth were you able to get inside the castle walls?”

“I don’t know that yet.”

Brother Harvey shook his head.

“I heard a wolf howling a little while ago—”

“I’m checking that too. A few hunters headed toward the direction where they heard the wolf howling. From the distance, it’s inside the castle walls… … .”

My family also knew that I had brought wolves inside the castle walls. Normally, we were not a family that raised animals in that way, but I brought them in on the condition that they would find their own food. But that did not mean I completely ignored them. As long as there was food left, and whenever new food came in from outside, they were generous enough to share the surplus with the wolves.

The Barons knew very well that if I didn’t have a wolf pack, I wouldn’t be able to help my family.

And there was an advantage if the wolf regularly went back and forth between the inside and outside of the castle wall. Even if it was a wolf that didn’t communicate with people, Gray and his pack could understand me and carry out their mission.

“If the barbarians had come down, there is no way Gray wouldn’t have discovered them… … .”

I don’t know if Gray knows the scent of savages, but he can probably recognize the shape and size of the footprints.

Wouldn’t Gray, who goes out regularly to look for food, not even find such traces?

“I don’t know how yet. It’s foolish to jump to conclusions without knowing. Stay in your room. The prince will come here soon.”

“Ah.”

Amelia finally responded to the news that Prince Evan was coming.

Amelia turned in her chair and looked at me, covering her mouth as if she was surprised at the sound she made. Her wide-open eyes and surprised expression seemed a little strange to me.

why?

What are you so surprised about?

“Grand Duchess, you don’t need to worry too much. Your knights are also firmly in step with us, and they are surrounding and protecting the main building itself.”

“Ah, yes… … I just want to thank you for your hard work.”

At her brother’s words, Amelia immediately lowered her hand covering her mouth and seemed to have regained her peace.

“Elsie.”

When I turned my head again at the voice calling me, my brother was holding out a sword to me.

It was a sword that looked noticeably smaller than the sword my brother was holding. In fact, it was smaller than the swords worn by knights on their waists. By my standards, it was a long sword, but by adults’ standards, it was neither a long sword nor a dagger, but a medium-sized sword.

If you ask me, it’s a sword for practical training for a child.

“Hold on just in case. And call your wolf. As Delkisi, never let the enemy touch your guests.”

I nodded lightly and raised my sword.

Even though he can’t fire sword energy, he can still swing it. I don’t know if that will really pose a threat.

“Young Master!”

A shout was heard outside the door, and people came rushing into the room. Knights wearing plate armor came in making clattering noises, and several people from Delkish.

“These people will stay here. I will go to my father.”

I nodded my head at my brother’s words. Although he was still a boy, his swordsmanship was already at the level of a swordsman’s perfection.

They must be planning to stop at the main gate of the main building. If they entered the castle, they would definitely aim for this direction.

My brother, who saw my face, patted my shoulder once, then turned and left without any hesitation.

And not long after, the prince arrived.

*

The room was filled with silence.

It seemed like the knights here didn’t really think they were going to do battle with barbarians.

It’s natural. Knights are also ‘guests’. We can’t say to such guests, ‘You, too, come out and scout with us.’ Moreover, even if there are battles, most of them are sporadic battles, so there is no need to prepare for an all-out war like this. does not exist.

Well, even if it’s an all-out war, it will be small-scale. They say they crossed the castle wall, but seeing as they say ‘they don’t know how’, it can’t be said that a large unit broke through the castle wall. If that were the case, traces would definitely be left, and we can’t not know. .

If so, the reason for the infiltration on such a small scale becomes unclear… … Isn’t it absurd to say that they were simply targeting food? How much food can they take out if a small army comes in?

“… … .”

The prince was holding his sword with a nervous expression. He wasn’t aiming it forward, but looking at the expression on his face, it wasn’t one that made him run away in fear.

Still, I was a little worried because he still had the same childlike face he had when he had a sword fight with me.

The room that was made to fit the body of the Delkish people was quite spacious, but if too many people came in, it became too cramped. Since there had to be a minimum of space to swing and stab a sword, it was not possible to cram all the old and weak in the castle into this room.

I’m sure the other Delkish people are also protecting their own families.

Until I heard the howl of a wolf, I kept quiet about the introduction of the maid, who had been chattering about speculating about the identity of the barbarians.

“… … !”

I heard someone shouting outside the closed window. It wasn’t exactly what I heard, but it was clear that it was a surprised voice.

Has an enemy appeared?

However, there was no need to sound surprised simply because the enemy had appeared. We already knew that the enemy had come in, and we already knew who the enemy was.

And, not long after that, I realized why the people guarding below were making noises of surprise.

“This is… … !”

One of the knights shouted loudly.

The sky was opening up.

A fine gap appeared straight as if it had been cut with a surgical knife, and the sight of it slowly opening from top to bottom like a zipper was more grotesque than mysterious.

A strand of snow is blown in by the wind, and a hand comes in as if to grab the gap and open it—

But before the owner of the hand came in, there was someone who reacted first.

“… … !”

I heard a roar that was difficult to write in letters and difficult to imagine coming from a human being.

Severed fingers poured out onto the floor. The hand that had opened the gap was hastily pushed out.

One of the Delkish people swung his sword and struck the opponent’s hand.

Fingers falling to the floor—

“Hiik… … !”

The maid made that sound.

The fingers that had fallen to the ground were writhing. The Delkish hunter who had actually hit that hand stepped on them and crushed them without even thinking about it.

The finger, which looked like a rat that had been stepped on by a person’s foot, finally stopped moving.

“Ahh… … !”

But that wasn’t the end.

As if he was certain that his hand had been cut off like that, cracks similar to the ones we had seen were opening here and there in the room.

I tightened my grip on the sword.

A hand pops out again from a crack in the room—

“… … !”

Once again, a roar was heard.

This time I wasn’t cut by a sword.

That arm, which protruded up to the forearm, was being shaken by a large wolf with its mouth closed.

I prepared exactly as my brother said.

In addition to the knights and warriors, two large wolves were waiting in the room.

And among them, there was Gray, the largest wolf among the wolf pack that followed me.

… … It was the first time in a long time that the wolves had a chance to feast.