The Simple Job of Only Perishing to the Hero

The great noise of the castle town made due to the fight between Narika’s mixed army and the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order had reached even Febris Castle.

「……I am terribly sorry. It was due to my inadequacy.」

To the young girl that stood in front of the throne, the vice-commander of the Staves of Light Chivalric Order, Anna, knelt and hung her head down.

And to that Anna, the young girl gently shook her head sideways.

「No, Anna. You did as much as you possibly could.」

「However, it is clear that my orders were not transmitted to the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order. And if we also take the present situation into account, most likely……」

「Yes, I am sure that there are traitors in every important point of the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order.」

The Maid Knight that stood next to the young girl took over Anna’s words.

The Maid Knight’s name was Reina.

She was the one praised as the legendary Maid Knight, and one who was staying at Febris Castle as a friend of the young girl who stood in front of the throne──as a friend of the Third Princess of the Canal Kingdom, Celis.

「Traitors……That’s right, even Chester, in the end, he chose Narika-nee-sama over me. Ones who had the same thoughts among those of the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order, there is no way there wouldn’t be any……」

「Celis-sama, that is……!」

Hearing the name of the man who was the commander of the Staves of Light Chivalric Order that ran away despite having been on Celis’s side at one point, Anna raised her voice in a panic.

「That man……Chester, I am sure that he had that sort of intention in the first place! Celis-sama, there is nothing for you to worry about with that matter! Isn’t that right, Reina-dono!」

「That’s true. I felt something wicked in that man. Even his running away from here, it was either because he couldn’t achieve his objective with me around……or because something was unfavorable for him.」

「Th, that’s right. It is as she says! That is why, Celis-sama, it is nothing for you to worry about!」

Hearing Anna’s desperate follow-up, Celis made a small giggle.

「……Thank you very much, Anna. However, I am not thinking of trying to run away from my own responsibilities. The one who created the start of this civil war, was unmistakably me after all.」

「I see, it seems that you understand that.」

「Wha!?」

Surprised by the black clothed figure that appeared in the corner of the room, Anna stood up on reflex.

Febris Castle’s defenses should have been perfect, and Reina was in this room as well. 

Did this mean that they passed through those defenses, and lurked here in this room without even Reina noticing them up until now?

Anna thought that, and shuddered at the black clothed man’s capability.

「Celis-sama, if you die, the civil war will end. If you are saying that you are aware of that responsibility, naturally, I am sure that you are resolved for that atonement as well.」

「Yes, I had formed my resolved from the very beginning.」

「Fumu……」

「It is for that reason that I am unable to acknowledge Narika-nee-sama as the king.」

The black clothed man, moved.

Anna drew her wand from her waist……but Celis’s hand stopped her.

「That resolve, it is magnificent. Celis-sama. Please add me as one of your subordinates.」

Kneeling down, the black clothed man took off the veil that hid his face.

The red haired, good-looking face that came out from underneath the veil, was warped in anguish.

「D, did you say subordinate……!? Bastard, how could you lower your face and speak such nonsense!」

「I am well aware that it is a reckless remark. However, it was only with this timing that I could get close without feeling out of place.」

「What do you mean feeling out of place! Having betrayed Eltrinde-sama and Celis-sama, you……!」

「Once this fight is over, I will accept any punishment! However, Narika-sama is already the same as being Mazenda’s puppet……!」

Seeing the red-haired man even shedding tears, Celis gave him a sad looking smile.

「……Is that so. Then, that means that you will swear your loyalty to me from now on, doesn’t it」

「Of course, Celis-sama. So you will believe in me!」

「Yes……If possible, I wanted to believe you.」

No sooner than Celis had finished saying that, the red-haired man readied a black lacquered short sword that he had hidden and thrust it out……And Reina’s sword cut the man up.

At the same time, Anna grabbed the man’s arm and forced him to the ground.

「Ga, ah……」

After glancing at the man who collapsed and fainted in agony, Reina turned her gaze to Anna.

「It shouldn’t have been a fatal wound. Defiling the Throne Room with anymore death, I’m sure that geezer wouldn’t make a good face either……You don’t mind if I leave the rest to you, right?」

While Anna was dumbfounded by the speed of Reina’s handling of the suspicious person, she was also dumbfounded by her boldness to call the God of Light a 「geezer」, but she immediately got ahold of herself.

「Y, you have my thanks……Oi, anyone! There’s a suspicious person! Take him away!」

The Swords of Light knights that hurriedly came rushing in saw the black clothed figure, and raised voices of surprise.

「Th, this is……Celis-sama, are you alright!」

「Celis-sama is safe! Enough of that and tie this guy up!」

「Y, yes ma’am!」

While watching the Swords of Light knights restrain and drag the black clothed man away, Anna turned to Celis and bowed.

「I am terribly sorry, but I must also temporarily excuse myself. We must pull out information from him.」

「Yes, I understand.」

After confirming that Anna and the rest had left the Throne Room, Reina turned back to Celis.

「……Now then, with this, Anna has also piled up achievements to a certain extent.」

「Thank you very much, Reina. Anna has a strong sense of responsibility after all……having not only traitors come out, but by having allowed a suspicious person to infiltrate, at that rate, she would have had no choice but to resign.」

Naturally, Reina had noticed that the black clothed man had crept in, but thinking that it was a good chance to get information out of a traitor, she let him go free.

However, that would have driven Anna, who hadn’t noticed the intruder, into a corner. That is why she decided to leave the apprehension and interrogation to her, and let her build up some achievements.

「After everything has finished, there will be no choice but to bring it up again though.」

Celis made a wry smile at Reina’s words.

However, Celis then immediately tightened her expression, and tightly clenched the staff in her hand.

「……That’s true. Everything, needs to be brought to an end.」

「Can you do it? That, isn’t a magic that is that simple, you know.」

「I need to do it. It is something that Teria-sama had left behind after all, for the sake of now.」

Having destroyed the Demon King Shuklous and the Great Demon King Gramfia together with the Hero Ryuuya in the past, Teria the Sage.

Holding the staff that she was said to have also used, Celis swung it.

When she did, the staff’s figure limply distorted, and making a *pan* sound, it turned into light and popped.

Doing that, the thing that remained within Celis’s hand, was a wand that shone in a gold color.

「Magic meant to protect Elarc……Ratil Rail (aurora massacre formation). As the successor of the Altluwand……I shall definitely, invoke it.」