episode_0240

Just like that, how many more soldiers did he have to shake off and keep running?

The throne room door finally came into view, and Emma roughly opened it.

“Ah… … .”

As soon as she arrived, Emma saw her forever companions –

Epinel, Anima, and Yuuri came into view.

The figure of one of the dogs is not visible. The man who always seemed to stand firm and protect us is nowhere to be found.

“… … Yuuri.”

Emma asks with a trembling voice.

“Ern… … Where did you go?”

“… … .”

“No way… … Is it true?”

Emma slowly approaches Yuuri and asks,

“Ern… … Erne is dead… … Well, the story is… … ?”

As soon as I said the word “dead”… … I feel my suppressed emotions shaking.

Beyond her voice shaking, tears began to flow from her eyes.

Epinel, Anima, and Yuuri were unable to properly answer Emma’s question.

“Why is there no answer… … ?”

Jerk, jerk.

Emma wordlessly moved closer to Lord Yuuri.

Before I knew it, I was standing so close that if I fell over, it would be right in front of my nose.

It may have been an unbelievable level of disloyalty for a subject, but at this moment, their relationship was not a simple master-servant relationship.

“… … Answer me, Yuuri! Are you sure Ern is dead!!!!!”

Emma grabbed Yuuri’s collar.

Unbelievable things were happening one after another, but Yuuri did not get angry and just did not say anything and was obediently held by Emma’s hand.

“Eh, Emma! calm down… … !”

Anima and Epinel, who were watching with sad eyes from the side, tried to stop them, but Yuuri, who was caught, stopped them with his hand.

And then, it sends a silent signal… … Let me do it, please.

“Emma.”

Towards Emma, who expresses her anger without suppressing it… … I barely managed to answer in a low voice.

“… … I’m really sorry.”

“Ah… … Ah.”

Slurp.

As soon as she heard Yuuri say he was sorry, Emma lost all her strength and sat down on the floor and began to sob.

“Why on earth… … why… … Why is this happening… … !!!”

The relationships between the five people were very special, but there was one relationship that was especially special.

For example, Yuuri and Anima, who were like biological sisters who had been through hardships together since their academy days, and Emma and Hernandorf.

The two former soldiers who once served Yuuri together were comrades who had come this far, trusting and relying on each other until this moment today.

Even when I served the Acious family, when I belonged to the Acious Army founded by Yuuri, the only survivor of that family, and in the future… … I thought we could be together forever.

The battlefield was an unfair and fair place at the same time. Anyone could become a hero, and anyone could lose their life in an instant.

If you think about Hernándov’s fighting style, which is always at the forefront, the thought that he has survived until now may be a miracle in itself only now crosses his mind.

“Aaaa!!!!!”

Yuuri watched Emma sobbing, closed his eyes in silence, and waited for a while for her to calm down.

Epinel turned her head to look to the side, and Anima hid her tears with her sleeve.

dead. Hernandorf. The man who was like a symbol of that gigantic will was no longer by our side.

Anima took a quick look at Yuuri’s expression.

Looking at the deeply tanned eyes, I am convinced. Probably the hardest thing right now is Yuuri, the monarch.

The decision to appoint Hernandov as the vanguard and Anima as the commander and send the minimum number of troops to quickly capture the castle… … Because it was her.

Even if she didn’t decide, she was a monarch. It meant that he was a person in a position who must take responsibility.

How much time has passed?

When Emma’s cries finally quieted down, Yuuri slowly opened his closed eyes.

“Emma… … Hang in there. Your enemy, and our enemy… … I will definitely pay you back.”

The eyes, containing two different colors, were burning brightly as if they were about to devour someone at any moment.

“Wait a minute.”

At the mention of revenge, Anima, who had been silent and wiping away tears, intervened.

“Perhaps… … Are you thinking about an all-out war with Chell?”

“Is there anything else I can do other than that?”

“… … .”

Anima tries to say something to Yuuri, who appears to be barely maintaining his composure, but quickly swallows the sentence.

okay. I understand how she feels. Because I am angry enough.

However, the most correct thing to do now was not to engage in an all-out war with Chell, but to turn the rudder and engage in battle with the Hesna army as mentioned above.

“Well, do you have something to say, Anima?”

The tone is low and cold. A question that is not like the always friendly Yuuri, and feels like it will cut you if you touch it.

Anima… … I couldn’t say anything.

Actually, I could tell. It wasn’t that I couldn’t speak because I was scared of her. However, his own guilt was desperately preventing him from conveying a message to her.

… … In the first place, it was Yuuri who saved my life despite the enormous loss.

If it weren’t for her, we could never rule out the possibility that this head would have fallen into the hands of the evil woman Serpina. She was a terrible woman, so capricious and mean-spirited that no one could match her, so she would have used my life like a piece on a chessboard to beat Yuuri in the best way possible.

The reason he was able to escape that situation was because Yuuri threw away all his prestige and sold out his subordinate general, and the beneficiary was… … It was none other than himself.

Even though I didn’t want that… … As long as I am breathing safely here and now, how can I ignore that grace?

Therefore, Anima said, ‘Hernandov wouldn’t want this either. Rather than seeking revenge now, let’s act for the long-term benefit of Aishus County. You can’t say things like, ‘If you prepare, the opportunity for revenge will definitely come.’

Yuuri’s actions of shouldering everything to save Anima… … Conversely, it had become a shackle that controlled Anima’s actions.

“… … it’s okay. Because now is not the time to talk slowly.”

Yuuri looked at Anima’s face, unable to speak, then slowly turned his head and held out his hand to Emma, who was kneeling.

“Emma, stand up.”

“… … Black.”

“Let’s take revenge. Hernandov’s enemies. And, Chelbrans… … .”

Yuuri’s eyebrows twitch.

A level of anger I have never felt before.

At least from this moment on, the being called Chell Brans had no choice but to become more hateful to her than Serpina.

“To him, what did he do… … Shouldn’t I tell you clearly?”

“We cut off his head with our own hands and buried him in Balharat Castle… … It is to honor the soul of Hernandov, who passed away. Got it?”

After saying that, Yuuri looked at Epinel and said.

“Epinel. I’ll ask you to prepare to dispatch troops right away.”

“Are you planning to invade right away?”

“Yes.”

Epinel was lost in thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“… … okay. Leave it to me. I also owe that damn bastard a debt.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Anima took one look at Yuuri, who was saying thank you and forcing a smile… … Slowly close your eyes and lower your head.

――There’s nothing I can do.

Even though she knew something was wrong, the cruel reality was that there was nothing she could do in this situation…

It was making the Anima, the surviving humans, suffer more than ever.

* * *

“I see. General Hernandov… … Is he dead?”

When I arrived home, I was relaying the news I heard from Serpina to Iren and Reika.

“That… … Hernandov… … .”

Both of them must be familiar with Hernandorf.

Reika, you have been staying at Balharat Castle for quite a long time, and Irene has also worked under Yuuri along with me.

It is probably safe to say that Irene, a fellow military attaché, is a little closer to Hernandov than I am.

“So, I think the Chell army and the Aethus army will be waging a large-scale war for the time being.”

Irene, who heard me, somehow knew what I was saying and poured tea into my empty cup.

It may not have been intentional, but it was a leaf that I often drank when we lived together in Aceher County.

“Probably so. Lord Yuuri was a person who highly valued founding contributors. Isn’t the proof that you are here, Swen?”

“It seems like there is nothing to be gained by sticking with Chell, but he is not the kind of person who would change his position.”

“I guess that’s true too… … .”

Irene probably knew too. That the best option for them now is not an all-out war with Chell.

In any case, with this decision, there was a possibility that the potential that Acious had built up so far would be wasted pointlessly.

“I… … .”

at that time.

Reika, who had been listening quietly, raised her hand and joined the conversation.

“Reika, do you have something to say?”

” Well, I had a conversation with Serpina… … .”

“?”

“… … .”

Reika watched for a moment, then lowered her head several times and spoke.

“Sorry, sorry! I need to organize something… … After everything is sorted out, I’ll tell you. When I tried to put it out in words, something became difficult… … .”

“No, it’s okay. Please explain it well.”

“Ugh… … I’m sorry about something… … .”

“No, Ms. Reika. Unless it’s urgent, time to think is important.”

“Irene’s name… … .”

Reika said that and leaned her head on Airen’s shoulder who was sitting next to her.

Irene blushes a little with embarrassment, but doesn’t bother to push her away.

Although I was worried about what Reika was trying to say, I now knew that she needed time in times like that.

What caught my eye was something a little different than that.

‘… … ‘You’ve become quite friendly, haven’t you?’

I wondered when they had become so close, but from my perspective, there was nothing wrong with the two people getting along so well.

at that time.

‘… … !’

Why on earth did it happen?

Serpina and Luna are not here… … It suddenly passed before my eyes.

The sight of them hanging out with these two people while sitting in an empty seat.

I blinked a few times… … Hallucination, huh?

“Swen… … ?”

Irene looked at me with a worried expression, as if she had noticed something strange.

“Ah… … no. I feel a little tired today.”

“Really? Well then, it’s okay… … .”

“Well, if you need help with something… … You must tell me… … !”

Reika seemed at a loss, so I put a smile on my face to reassure her.

“I understand.”

Actually, it is not difficult.

I don’t know why it looked like that for a moment… …

In reality, if those two people could look at each other and smile, that would be a very wonderful thing to me.

So, I spent time with the two people who are currently by my side.

… … Still, there was a lot left to do.