[Matthias]

One day, the travel approached its final stages.

Sitting next to the soldier Alois, we advanced while exchanging conversations every now and then.

I considerably liked Alois.

At first, I frequently saw some strange behavior from him, but when I talked to Alois, I discovered that he has a naive and sincere personality.

It’s a type of personality I hadn’t been around due to living in a society filled with aristocrats. Moreover, he apparently entered the Knight Order due to his admiration towards someone. I was told this while Alois was biting his lips intensively.

What was that for? Although I didn’t understand what he was saying, I thought about that matter. After graduating from the academy before I became First Retainer, I was a member of Knight Order and I had acquaintances who are ordinary people, I wonder who replaced me? There are several eccentric people in the military’s top bra.s.s. Even if it’s difficult to become like the person he admires, I think it’s good that there are types like him in the Knight Order.

Because of that, it’s all the more reason I didn’t want to let him join in a journey like this.

This guy, right now he doesn’t know who the person he’s guarding.

Because he was prohibited to inquire, and an important person never made an appearance, I didn’t think he understands.

This guy, because of how much of a good person he is, my heart sinks heavily as the days pa.s.s by.

Elmer-sama never did laugh or cry after all. Even if it’s was the first time he saw a carriage, he never even showed any surprise.

However, when I carried the meal over, I was bothered he won’t be able to do it without a lady attendant, but Elmer-sama took the tableware and started eating by himself!

Elmer-sama was able to do it by himself perfectly!

My heart danced in both surprise and delight, but then I sobered up when I remembered the current situation.

Elmer-sama’s new side. There might still be ones that I haven’t seen before.

There is no such thing. I tried to reject that idea.

It’s painful to look at his figure, even the coachman found it necessary to stand after a while. Even so, Elmer-sama kept open his eyes that do not reflect anything and without moving an inch, continued to sit still. Still…?

That appearance will soon disappear from my sight.

When I was asked by Fer, I hardened my determination to do this by my own hands. Still, even if it’s just a short time, even if I never gave out my heart to Master, I knew somewhere deep inside me that I didn’t want to end Elmer-sama’s existence.

Even if no one understands this, this is my resolution as a First Retainer. This might be seen as nothing but a warped desire for monopoly. But’s that’s fine. Something like that is inconsequential.

“Matthias-sama! Matthias-sama!”

It appears that I have been lost in my thoughts too much. I didn’t even notice Alois, who was sitting next to me, call out.

“Sorry. What is it?”

“The bridge is falling. What should I do?”

He said so and when I looked ahead, the river is swelling with water, the bridge has lost about 3/4 of its center.

Looking at it, I just realized that it was raining, just how inattentive was I? Because it already began, we can’t get off here either.

“There should be no a village or a town around here. It can’t be helped, we can’t stay here as it is. Let’s alter our course.”

I took out the map, and confirmed there were two roads. After deciding on a road, the horse was made to run once again.

While paying attention for a landslide, we advanced through the mountainside. The rain was rapidly getting worse.

It happened at that time.

“Uwaaaaaaaaa!”

Alois shouted, and the carriage stopped.

Before our eyes… was a monster.

It’s A-Cla.s.s!

I jumped off the coachman stand immediately, and then invoke a magic. I was just opening my mouth to recite an incantation when I noticed it.

—— Aah, today is raining, isn’t it?

Luck isn’t with me. A person from West Ven House uses magic to manipulate fire.

“Alois, what’s your attribute?!”

I asked Alois, who even though he was shaking, had drawn a sword in his hand. For a mere soldier a Cla.s.s A demon would be hard, still, as one would expect from the Knight Order.

Alois, even if you do not yearn to be someone, you’re already a splendid Knight, aren’t you?

“It’s… fire…”

Alois answered apologetically. So it was the same?

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

And then, I cast a spell.

Even though it’s a rainy day, it doesn’t really mean one can’t cast magic. But that would need a lot of magical power. Furthermore, the strength drops.

Still, if it’s just one Cla.s.s A then it will be fine.

I’ll have you experience the power of someone who came from the West Vern House!!

I finished chanting the incantation, and the magic square expanded. Red burning fire wrapped around the monster.

As expected, it takes time to burn up fully, it already lost one half of its body, but despite burning, it still attacked this way.

It pulled out the trees that had been growing in the area, and then threw them. Before even reaching their target, the trees had already burned into cinders. I saw Alois doing his best beside me.

With a shout that made one’s hair stand on ends, the monster fell down.

As expected, I used too much magic. The aching joints of my body tells so.

A Cla.s.s A is at a level which needs a subjugation corps formed by the country. Moreover, this bad situation.

I looked back behind me to confirm the safety of the other two people.

As for what I saw, it was a gigantic stone.

No!! A boulder is flying towards the carriage!

The carriage that took a direct hit, was blown away lightly, similar to a toy, it rolled and turned over sidewards.

I rushed over in panic.

In the middle of it, in the crushed carriage toppling sideways, I saw Elmer-sama come out. Blood was flowing from his white cheeks. As I thought how relieved I was that he was fine, at that time…

My gaze were seized by the sharp claws of a monster.

It was an A-Cla.s.s monster.

Beside it, there were others. There were two more.

It was a big demon who threw the huge boulder, and two small ones who can kill Elmer-sama at any moment.

Even if they’re small, those guys are strong. Those kinds are guys who crushed several villages, aren’t they? Perhaps they went too close to the forest?

Several things came to my mind.

There’s no time to cast a spell anymore.

“Look out—!”

My body moved without my permission, I pushed down Elmer-sama to the ground and covered him.

At that moment, my back became hot and felt like they’re being burned. Even if I can’t see it, I understood that it was torn. It hurts so much that I felt my head cracking with pain.

Somehow, faced down below me, I confirmed Elmer-sama’s safety.

He’s safe.

When I thought about it, even if I saved Elmer-sama, Alois wouldn’t be able to do anything alone against A-Cla.s.s monsters.

If I ignored that, I can stop everything without doing something personally. We’d be able to run with just two people.

However, I wanted to protect him. I won’t regret anything.

“Elmer-sama… you’re safe… what a relief…”

I let out in a severely hoa.r.s.e voice that I didn’t even recognize it was mine.

“Kuhh…”

I can’t speak anymore because of the pain.

Elmer-sama tried to get up, and I slipped down him.

My wound was touched with something.

Elmer-sama’s right hand, what was clinging there was bright red blood. Aah, that is… my blood.

And then I saw Elmer-sama’s expression strained.

It’s your first time seeing blood, first time seeing death. Are you able to feel fear?

For the first time in my life, I saw Elmer-sama’s emotions. I’m glad I was able to see that in my last moments, but as expected I wanted to see your laughing expression.

“Elmer… sama…?”

I felt the temperature in the vicinity fell. Gooseb.u.mps rose in my body, and the air I let out turned white. It wasn’t my imagination. It was… terribly cold.

I understood that Elmer-sama had stood up.

“It’s… im…possible… stop, pl..please… El…”

“It will be fine. Thank you for saving me.”

The voice that interrupted my words spoke quietly that it resounded in my ears.

I looked up at Elmer-sama in blank surprise.

The wound in his cheek from a while ago rapidly disappeared before my eyes.

When he stood up, light reflected Elmer-sama’s eyes, and it became sharp all of a sudden that the blue of his eyes felt like it darkened. The hair that I cut before they grew past his shoulder, lengthened. Meanwhile, the cracking sound of something breaking could be heard and in the center of Elmer-sama, the earth’s surface had been changed into a ground of ice.

What… is the… meaning of this?

My body that exceeded its limit isn’t able to let out my voice anymore…

From then on, my consciousness faded, and everything came to an end–.