Chapter 1, Episode 12: The End of the Journey

The northern section of Frieden.

An area in which the princess maiden alone is allowed entrance— The Palace of Baptism.

There, in that area, stood a person staring motionlessly at an orb with a brilliant s.h.i.+ne.

Though she is a beauty known for her constant smile, it was missing from her expression at the moment.

「What are you planning…? Why is it that you summoned the Hero King once more? Our heavenly father, spirit king, please give me an answer.」

An ominous silence falls on her, as if she were at the very edge of the world.

「So you will not answer me, as expected…」

The princess maiden sighs and looks at the two bronze statues on either side of the orb.

The two pillars of the 12 great G.o.ds of Grantz, known to all who reside in this world.

One of the bronze statues was a handsome young man with a sword thrust into the great pond.

He was the founder of the Grantz Grand Empire, the Lionhearted King, Leon Welt Altius von Grantz.

The other bronze statue had a sword in its right hand raised to the heavens.

He was the one who built up the Grantz Grand Empire, the Hero King, Halt Rey Schwarz von Grantz.

「Your Majesty Altius, please watch over his Majesty Schwarz.」

Imperial Year 1023, May 26th.

Hiro and his group were near Baum’s borders.

There were less than 100 infantrymen straddled to the horses provided by the princess maiden.

It was a rather small army, with a wolf accompanying them.

But the sounds of the horses’ hooves ringing through the air was still enough to make one uneasy.

Liz rides at the head of the group. Her beautiful crimson hair flutters behind her.

And clinging to her with his arms wrapped around her waist, was Hiro.

「We’ll continue like this and enter Margrave Grinda’s territory.」

Tris, who was riding parallel to her, made an uncomfortable expression.

「The advance party hasn’t returned. We don’t know the situation there. Let us leave the horses after about another sel (3km) and go by foot.」

「… Do you think my brother’s influence has reached there after all?」

「We can’t say it hasn’t for sure. There is no loss in proceeding with care here.」

「Alright…」

Liz nods in agreement and looks ahead.

The road which connected Baum and Margrave Grinda’s territory was a vast wilderness.

A third of Margrave Grinda’s territory was a desolate land lacking in water, and perhaps because of its influence, Baum’s side of that border was also an arid region which experienced sandstorms.

There were small hills built of sand and sandstones which fell from collapsed cliffs.

It was a desert-like land where neither trees nor gra.s.s grew.

As Liz left her horse and gave a silent signal to her soldiers, they began to walk the wilderness.

At this pace, they would enter Margrave Grinda’s territory in half an hour.

So as not to draw attention, Liz and the others walk carefully in the shadows of the cliffs.

「Princess, seeing as how the advance team hasn’t returned yet, should we a.s.sume something happened to them?」

「Yes… It may be dangerous to continue like this. Let’s take a bit of a detour.」

She puts her hand on a rock and climbs it. She moves to a location where she can have a better view of the border.

Perhaps because Tris came to the same conclusion, he silently follows after her.

Liz smiles, as if to rea.s.sure the seemingly anxious Hiro.

「It’s alright. It’s my uncle’s territory.」

She said this as if to hear those words herself as well.

A vague anxiety spreads through Hiro’s mind.

When they climb to the top of the cliff where than can survey the border, Tris crawls to the edge.

After a while, he gives Liz a signal.

The fact that he called for her rather than returning probably meant he saw something.

Liz approached Tris with a puzzled look on her face.

「—?!」

Liz covered her mouth in a panic as she was about to cry out without thinking.

The sight before her was nothing but despair.

As if she couldn’t believe her own eyes, Liz kept rubbing them.

But the cruel scene remained unchanged.

Tears formed at the corners of Liz’s eyes.

「My G.o.d…」

At the entrance to Margrave Grinda’s territory, were the unsightly corpses of ten of the men from the advance party, exposed for all to see.

Perhaps it was because they were tortured, but all of them were missing a part of their bodies.

Behind them, were 3,000 dark-skinned soldiers.

They had a brown cloth wrapped around their heads, and wore leather armor which covered half their torsos.

They had swords with reverse blades hanging from their waists. There were spears and elliptical s.h.i.+elds thrust into the ground.

A violent wind blew across the wilderness and the soldiers. At the head of the group, a flag with a crest of brown soil and a tiger was planted into the earth and flying in the wind.

「What are Lichtein’s soldiers doing here?!」

The desert princ.i.p.ality of Lichtein.

A nation that could be summed up as inhuman.

The people of any nation that shows them hostility end up with just two options: become slaves, or be killed.

For that reason, it is one of the countries in which slavery still exists.

For a long time, because they were under the influence of the Grand Grantz Empire, there weren’t even the slightest of skirmishes.

The reason for that was slavery.

Because the Grand Grantz Empire had abolished slavery, any officers they took in as prisoners of war from enemy nations, but could not get ransom money for, well sold off to Lichtein. Regular citizen of enemy nations were also sold off.

Also, Lichtein wouldn’t be so foolish as to attack the Grand Grantz Empire, seeing as how Grantz apparently excelled in wars with large fronts, and above all else, because they were so powerful. At least that’s what they thought.

「The fact that they deployed troops here most likely means that their target is you, Princess.」

Tris pointed his sharp gaze at the enemy army.

「But it’s a mystery as to how they knew you would pa.s.s through here. Let us return to Baum for now.」

「No. We can’t get the princess maiden involved in this.」

「I can’t imagine they would invade Baum. If they did, they would incur the wrath of various countries.」

「This is a brazen invasion of territory. And against the Grand Grantz Empire even. I hardly believe a group like that would hesitate to destroy the spirit king’s mausoleum.」

「That’s…」

Liz glances to the side at Tris hesitating, then speaks.

「If need be, we should force our way through to join with Uncle.」

「The fact that they’re here means they broke through Fort Belk.」

To get this far, they had to have pa.s.sed through Fort Belk and For Alt.

Considering that they advanced this far, it was a huge possibility that the forts fell.

「Besides, they can’t stay within the empire’s territory forever. After enough time pa.s.ses, the Fourth Imperial army will rush over as reinforcement.」

「If I don’t show myself, they might attack the villages in the area. They might invade Baum.」

As she pictures villages and towns being burned down and its people trampled, Liz clenches her fist and strikes the ground. She then glares at the enemy army below her.

「I can’t stand the thought of innocent people getting hurt because of me.」

「We can’t possible win. If something were to happen to you, Princess—」

「It’s the role of the Imperial family to fight for its people. No matter the situation.」

「… Will you not yield?」

「Of course not. I am Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz. I am the Sixth Imperial Princess of the Grand Grantz Empire.」

You could see the resignation in Tris’s face as he sighed.

「… So be it. Then I shall accompany you.」

「I’m counting on you.」

The two finish their conversation and regroup with her subordinates hiding in the shadows of the rocks behind them.

Liz stood up and went straight to Hiro, forgetting to even dust herself off.

「We’re going to enter an intense battle now. You return to Baum, Hiro.」

「Huh?」

「It’s going to be too much for you to handle… It’s for your benefit that you not stay with us.」

「No, I’m going to fight with you.」

Hiro’s determination was resolute.

It was true that he had no experience in war, and that his legs were shaking in fear.

But, he couldn’t possible leave her and run away with such a grim air about her.

「No, You go back on the road we took and escape, Hiro.」

You could feel Liz’s strong will in her eyes.

Without thinking, Hiro flinched, but he held fast.

「I was useful with the ogre, wasn’t it? This time, too—」

Hiro implores with a heartrending look on his face.

In an instant, Liz’s expression went from one of joy, to bewilderment, to determination.

Then, she painfully furrowed her brows, and spewed these words.

「… I’ll be frank. When you’re around, I get distracted. That’s why I don’t want you to come with us.」

Wham—

A shock ran through his head as if he were hit by a heavy object.

He couldn’t fix his sight on one point. His thoughts just froze.

Even still, Hiro clenches his fists, and desperately tries to speak.

Even though he had plenty to say, nothing would come out.

If he doesn’t hurry, the more he thinks, the more he’ll be in a panic and his lips won’t move.

Liz’s hand touches the cheek of the confused Hiro.

「Thank you for coming this far with me.」

Liz smiled as her eyes welled with tears.

「Our journey ends here. It was really fun.」