Vol 2 Chapter 51 – Grentze Fort – Part 5【Exile to the Empire Arc】

I kept swinging my sword desperately because I wanted Father to praise me. When I defeated my classmates at the noble academy and he patted my head saying “well done,” I was so happy.

But that changed around the time I defeated my swordsmanship tutor. He began to fear me, distance himself, and love only my younger sisters.

I realized it a bit too late.

By the time I noticed, I was isolated in the royal palace, spending my days venting stress on Kairo. When someone finally spoke to me after so long, it was suddenly about an engagement… somehow wanting to be needed by Father, I accepted.

I thought I’d been hiding it, but somehow word reached Father’s ears that things weren’t going well with the otherworld hero, and he ordered me to subjugate rebels together with the hero as if on a date.

And in the end, I was trapped. The hero Haruto lay on the ground, and the Black Helm that should have retreated was surrounding both the nearly decimated kingdom knights and the enemy together.

Though I have no place to belong, there’s one thing I can repay this injustice with. For that reason, I decided to begin my greatest rebellion.

☆☆☆

Sophia and Arcange were engaged in a fierce exchange. Swordsmen basically struggle to enter a spear’s range, but once inside, swordsmen have the advantage… or so it should have been, but Sophia rotated her spear using her waist as an axis to shorten her reach and counter, so Arcange couldn’t press the attack.

Roy was fighting Haruto. My role was to not let this swordsman pass—no need to defeat her, just hold out until the enemy commander ordered a retreat and we’d win.

However, since the Black Helm suddenly appeared and surrounded them, Arcange’s offensive began to weaken. The arrows fired to support her were somehow off-target, and Sophia felt they might actually hit Arcange instead.

She struck the sword with her spear’s butt, and as Arcange floated, slashed at her with the spearhead. Arcange twisted her body to avoid it, and just as she tried to counterattack, another arrow came flying.

The Black Helm unit was grinning. This was clearly intentional… Sophia thrust her spear into the ground and spoke to Arcange.

“It seems filthy schemes are interfering with our warriors’ battle—are you fine with that?”

“A new commander will issue a retreat order soon, so just bear with it until then.”

Apparently there were various issues within the kingdom. However, she absolutely couldn’t tolerate actions that insulted the battle of Stark, the Shadow Clan, and the knights—all fighting to protect what they held dear.

“May I ask one thing?”

“What?”

“I’m about to fire a magic spear at you, so please dodge left or right.”

“Huh?”

Arcange’s eyes widened in surprise at Sophia’s attack warning. Pausing in battle to speak, then even warning of an attack—it was unthinkable.

Sophia concentrated magical power into the Holy Lance Longinus using its characteristic Magical Amplification: Overload, then fired.

—Light Spear Hasta Blitzen

Arcange dodged right at the last moment. The light spear pierced through the wall behind her and kept going without losing momentum.

“Nngh!?” She heard that voice, and when Arcange looked back, Haugen happened to be right in the firing line.

Haugen desperately tried to block the light spear with the black hand axe inherited from Kairo, but since he’d been watching from on high atop the fort wall, his footing was poor and he couldn’t hold firm.

His entire unit immediately deployed defensive magic, but though seven magical barriers pushed back for just a moment, they began shattering one after another.

“Even improvised, it can pierce through ritual magic!? Gnnnnnnngh!!!”

Seeing this, the kingdom commander issued a loud retreat order.

“Haugen-sama is buying us time to retreat! Everyone withdraw while you can!”

The knights honestly weren’t stupid—they vaguely understood this was a false charge of rebellion. They’d faced so many “enemies of the state” before where they wondered if it was really true… but as long as their superiors declared it so, they had to obey.

Everyone was sick of it.

The knights retreated, taking those still breathing with them. Seeing this, Haugen shouted.

“Wait! Will you not fight!?—Tch! The barriers won’t hold!”

—Then it exploded.

“Arcange, aren’t you leaving too?”

“Hmm, I’ve got things to do, so can I follow you?”

“That’s not for me to decide.”

“If you make me a comrade, my royal guard comes with me too, you know?”

“Huh? You’re alone right now—!?”

—Clang!

Interrupting Sophia’s conversation, a black object came flying. It was the same thing she’d seen in the deepest part of the Tower of Agni.

☆☆☆

Robbed of Haruto, Roy immediately headed to support Sophia. Just when he thought the knights suddenly began retreating, he heard something explode.

Dust clouds rose and he couldn’t locate Sophia. Just as he thought that, he saw something cutting through the smoke. That distinctive flight sound was unforgettable—the weapon’s sound he’d heard when defeated at the Tower of Agni.

Rushing toward the sound’s direction, he saw silver hair that seemed to be Sophia and blonde hair that seemed to be Arcange.

(Something’s wrong—is the match decided? Neither of them is fighting… rather, they seem to be talking about something.) No, more importantly, I need to knock down that thing first!

Whirrrrr… Clang!

He reacted to the smoke’s slight movement and knocked down the black hand axe. (It felt lighter than when I faced it at the Tower of Agni.) Kairo… are you holding back?

Roy landed beside Sophia and confirmed her safety.

“You okay?”

“Fufu, you came for me, Roy. That helps.”

“No, that’s the face of someone who noticed it coming.”

“Well, yes! The wielder isn’t Kairo, so it’s not that threatening.”

Then the smoke cleared, revealing the situation. The fort wall was half-destroyed, with a tattered group in black robes standing atop it.

“So the holy sword wielder has joined as well… even I’m at a disadvantage here.”

“Fourth Unit Captain Haugen… we Shadow Clan know you well.”

“Indeed, we were in the same business.”

The Shadow Clan handled assassination missions in addition to protecting Artifacts. But that was merely a side job, and when there were too many targets, they couldn’t handle them all—in those cases, the Black Helm’s Fourth Unit took over.

“So, does appearing on the battlefield mean you have to assassinate someone from within?”

“Yes, she’s right beside you, isn’t she?”

Roy was shocked… Sophia was on their side. The only other person present was—Arcange. No matter how mad, the king shouldn’t be that insane—moreover, Arcange was the eldest daughter and the hero’s fiancée… he shouldn’t do anything to destroy the engagement between the kingdom’s two hopes.

However, Arcange herself looked down, biting her lip. As if she knew something.

“You… you’re being targeted? Why?”

She was on bad terms with the king; given Haugen was accompanying the subjugation force, she’d vaguely thought something was off. Arcange concisely explained these points.

“Then! Just return to the kingdom, say you’re safe, and that you were trapped by Kairo!”

“Yeah, for this incident, Father probably had me accompany for educational purposes. But you see, Father is very timid… I think he’d accept my disappearance even if it’s a lie.”

Hearing that, Haugen laughed loudly.

“Kukuku, you know well. By now, your death should be reported to the royal palace.”

“—what?”

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

“I asked if you find it so amusing! Seeing someone abandoned by their living parent—is it that fun!?”

“Eek! S-Shoot him down!!”

Roy sprinted, and Black Helm mages met him with stone bullets.

“I’m sick of it already! Your inability to understand others’ pain!”

He wrapped Shadow Whip around one of the mages and leaped to the wall at Haugen’s height.

“Just protect public order normally, right? That’s what knights for the people do!”

He restrained a mage with Shadow Prison, lifted him up, and charged forward using him as a shield against stone bullets. Even as an assassination unit, they seemed slightly hesitant when a comrade was used as a shield.

“It’s probably for power or something, right? Don’t threaten the lives of people living peacefully for such shitty reasons!”

He swung the enemy comrade like a morning star, knocking enemies off the wall one after another. Glancing at Sophia, she nodded and began preparing Light Spear Hasta Blitzen.

“Look at the princess! She’s only lived half as long as you! If you adults, life seniors, don’t show the right example, what will you do!?”

Roy threw his equipped morning star (enemy) at Haugen. Haugen bisected it with his hand axe. Already understanding this level of scum, Roy remained unfazed and threw three throwing daggers in succession, then hurled the Holy Sword Gram with a time delay.

“You’re the only one left now!”

“Don’t mock me, brat! Deadly Spin!”

The hand axe approaching with ultra-high-speed rotation deflected all the daggers and the holy sword, then kept coming. He immediately summoned the holy sword back to deflect it, but instead of returning to its owner, it began tracking Roy.

Deadly Spin—does it plan to keep spinning until I die…?

Clang! … Clang!

He deflected it twice, but it kept chasing without stopping. (Is there some way to counter it!?) Just then, Arcange from below the wall shouted loudly.

“You shadow guy! That weapon is the dark weapon Tomahawk! While it’s thrown, the user can’t move!”

I see—conversely, if he moves after throwing, he loses control.

“Thanks!”

Once I know the trick, the rest is easy!

Roy confirmed Tomahawk was tracking him from behind and began closing the distance to Haugen. When everything formed a straight line, he picked up a nearby stone and threw it using Shadow Whip like a sling.

“Wh-what—gwahh!”

Roy immediately backflipped to avoid the hand axe, and the Tomahawk that lost control from the stone impact embedded itself in Haugen’s body on the straight line. Blood spray scattered, and Haugen coughed up bloody foam.

Thud! Sophia and Arcange also caught up to Roy.

“How do you feel?”

“Hah… hah… cough! …I lost the battle… but it’s my victory.”

Arcange interrupted.

“Roy, was it? Haugen should have sent reserve knights toward the front gate you’re using to escape. That’s the kind of guy he is.”

“That’s bad! Yukino and the others are waiting at the front gate to immediately escape to the empire!”

“Kukuku… cough! Correct, I sent Black Helm reinforcements… to the front gate… by now, the front gate should be breached…”

“What!? We need to head there too!”

“Fuhahaha… even if you go now, it’s too late…”

“We won’t know unless we try, right!?”

When Roy spoke those words, Arcange put her hand to her mouth in surprise. Then as if remembering something, she began speaking.

“You can relax—I wanted to strike back at least once. Before the battle started, I sent all my royal guards toward the front gate. Sophia, right? I said it—if you make me a comrade, my royal guard comes with me.”

“Arcange… is this okay? After doing this much, you’ll—”

“I’m not royalty anymore. If I return to the capital, I’ll probably be processed as an impostor. Hmm, I know—from now on, call me Ange.”

On this day, Arcange abandoned her status to become Ange, and her subordinates were absorbed into Stark.

Vol 2 Chapter 52 – Grentze Fort – End【Exile to the Empire Arc】

Sophia’s spear was brimming with magical power, and she was troubled about where to direct the excess magic.

“Roy, I never thought you’d defeat him alone. I planned to finish him with Light Spear Hasta Blitzen after you knocked him off the wall, you know?”

“Don’t ask me… anyway, if you can’t diffuse it, just shoot it at the sky.”

Yukino’s world apparently has flying vehicles, but unfortunately here, only some countries employ dragon transport. So it’s completely fine.

However, someone present objected to Roy’s proposal.

“Wait! There’s a better method than that. Um… aim and shoot at that.”

Arcange—no, Ange—was pointing at the rear gate the knights had broken through.

“I see, seal the entrance and prevent enemy intrusion. Got it! Here I go! Light Spear Hasta Blitzen!!”

The light spear collided with the rear gate and collapsed with a rattling sound. It broke so easily because the kingdom knights had partially destroyed it and the fire element saturated the world.

The light spear Sophia fires is an upper attribute of fire, so it’s somewhat affected by the Tower of Agni’s release.

Fire attribute gets a thirty percent boost, light attribute a ten percent boost—something like that. And this is even now, right after the fire element was released. A year from now, a fifty percent boost wouldn’t be strange.

Roy, Sophia, and Ange headed toward the front gate escape route with the support members they’d brought.

☆☆☆

“Roy-san!”

Yukino ran to Roy when he arrived at the front gate.

“Yukino, you had a rough time this round… Really saved us.”

When Roy said that and patted her head, Yukino showed a happy expression.

This time, at the rear gate area that became the main battlefield, Roy, Sophia, and Sarina defended with about ten guards.

The other members divided into those preparing to open the front gate and those carrying the wounded to headquarters around the front gate. They repeatedly went to the front lines, treated while carrying the wounded back.

“If my healing magic had immediate effect, I could’ve been on the front lines too…”

Yukino regretted not being able to fight together.

Healers are broadly divided into “burst recovery type” and “continuous recovery type.”

Yukino is continuous recovery type, but in exchange, she can produce floating shields and use “insertion heals” leveraging continuous recovery’s advantages.

This time was a short decisive battle, so it just happened not to suit her.

Roy stopped patting and asked about the current situation.

“Soldiers in black appeared before the front gate, but for some reason they started fighting with knights who came later… we’re confused too.”

“Ah, that? Actually—”

He explained to Yukino and those present that Ange had intended to betray from the start, and they’d driven the south rear gate to retreat.

“Which means—”

“Right, we’ll open the front gate now and rout the Black Helm!”

Roy immediately explained the situation to the village chief and Dart, arranging to open the gate.

Roy looked for their party’s carriage. But he couldn’t find it… though there was a combat chariot without horses right in front, whoever the idiot who brought it was.

“Hey, Roy-dono! Over here!”

Stopping his escapism, Roy headed to Palco.

“What’s this?”

“Our carriage.”

Yukino and Sarina poked their faces out from inside, calling Roy. This confirmed this was the party’s carriage.

“Where’s the horse?”

“We got magic stones!”

Non-combatant Manabu, who’d exhausted his magical power on traps, gave a thumbs up from the driver’s position.

(He must’ve been bored—I can picture the two of them chatting while modifying it.)

“…Hah. If it moves, whatever.”

Roy quietly entered without asking further.

“Hey, what about Haruto after all?”

“Sorry, we got interrupted and couldn’t.”

“…I see.”

Sarina, who’d withdrawn from the front lines and returned to headquarters first, asked about Haruto. Judging from her words, she’d somewhat expected it and seemed disappointed.

“Yeah, I understand, so don’t worry about it. More importantly, is this princess a new comrade?”

“Yeah, call her Ange from now on.”

“Ange, nice to meet you.”

“Sarina, right? Likewise.”

For some reason, while not hostile, there was a tense atmosphere.

In the midst of that, Palco spoke as if breaking the air.

“Roy-dono! It’s finally opening!”

With Palco’s voice, the front gate opened with a loud sound. Then Dart shouted.

“The enemy is Black Helm! Crush them!”

“Ooooooooooh!!”

Ange’s royal guards retreated, and allies surged into the open space. Looking closely, while not as much as their carriage, they were somewhat modified.

The riding space was expanded to accommodate more people, and magic stone decorations were applied to the wheels and surrounding areas to avoid burdening the horses. Probably the driver consuming magical power made it move more easily.

And the opposing enemy had lost sharpness in magic and sword techniques.

The Black Helm that had deliberately circled the fort to the front gate, then ended up fighting knights they thought were allies, was completely exhausted.

Carriages broke through, and allies poured out from the rear, slaughtering enemies.

“Alright, then we’ll also—!?”

Before Roy’s signal, the combat carriage (provisional) launched, and with the sudden acceleration, sounds of people tumbling and screams rose inside.

“H-Hey Palco!—How’s it moving without horses!?”

“It’s using principles from Manabu’s world.”

When he’d checked before boarding, red and green magic stones were attached to the rear. (So it’s moving with fire and wind or something like that!)

“Alright, we’ve arrived! I wish you well!”

According to Manabu, this was an automobile, an armored car, and a decorated carriage.

—Let’s just call it an automobile.

Roy named it that, and the group got out of the automobile and immediately joined their allies.

No fatigue, high morale—facing that, the enemy numbers kept decreasing, and they began retreating once they’d lost half. Orders from Haugen were cut off, and the Black Helm attacked by allies must have been thoroughly confused.

The final battle was relatively easy, with their casualties only a few lightly wounded.

They accommodated all of Ange’s royal guards and immediately headed for the empire’s border.

“Halt! Show me your pass.”

Sophia got out of the automobile and began responding.

“The Spear of Ignia, Sophia-sama!?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have a pass.”

“If it’s Sophia-sama… we can let you through. You said you were negotiating with the Regzeria Kingdom—was it successful?”

(She must’ve given that cover story when coming to this side.)

“As a result of negotiations—I got this caravan to sell the kingdom’s specialties. Every country is tense now, so they might become unavailable, right? If you understand, will you let us through?”

Incidentally, everyone disarmed and disguised as civilians. If Ange’s royal guards and others came through fully armed, they’d think it was aiding rebellion and definitely wouldn’t be allowed through.

“Ha! My apologies! Please pass through.”

Roy’s group crossed the empire’s border and succeeded in escaping danger, but new fate awaited them ahead.