Chapter 9 (1/2)

Chapter 1, Episode 9: Ally

Imperial Year 1023, May 12th

Margrave Grinda’s Territory, border town of Links

A unique tohere a grassland and desert coether

The town’s citizens are divided with the upper class living in the grassland area in the northern district, and the lower class living in the desert area in the southern district

In the northern district, is the rave Ruzen Kiolk von Grinda

The walls have a white the rooftop all around

The two story wooden mansion built atop a plateau to look down on the town, had an oppressive feeling to it

Surrounding the mansion was a tall fence, and in the center, there was a ate

The soldiers standing guard on each side of the gate rushed to him, flustered

「H-Hey What’s wrong?」

「Those are some serious wound there!」

The soldiers turned pale after turning the man over, face up

There ounds all over his body There was even a large wound on his face

The rabbed hold of one of the soldiers

「C-Convey this rave Grinda immediately」

「… H-Hey! I don’t knohat happened, but let go of me!」

「You’re wounded! Settle down!」

The strength cohly trained arm was beyond normal

Even though the two soldiers tried to pull hi on

「P-Please! My name is Dios von Michael… I serve Lady Celia Estreya… Please, e!」

「A-Alright, just let go already! I’ll deliver it right now!」

「Please… there’s no time…」

They didn’t have the leisure of confir the validity of his story

Dios’s grip continues to grow stronger, and if they er

But having said that, they weren’t able to har was true, there’d be no telling what sort of punishment they would receive if they caused him harm

「Hey! Notify the garrison captain!」

One of the soldiers nodded and ran towards the mansion

Sensing soarrison captain iate

「Margrave Grinda will be here soon, so can you let hio?」

He gently put his hand on Dios’s shoulder as he tried to persuade him

The two glared at each other This lasted a few seconds

Dios nods, loses his strength, and cruround

「So he lost consciousness, huh Call a doctor immediately If he really is Lady Celia Estreya’s subordinate, Margrave Grinda will reprimand us」

「Yes, sir!」

After the garrison captain watched the soldier run off, he looked down on Dios

「Regardless of whether he’s telling the truth or not, it’s certainly not going to be good news…」

The garrison captain’s sighs became small, dark clouds

Dios awakened two days thereafter

He came to in one of the rooms of the mansion

「There were 150 men… I was the only one who survived」

Dios’s words were steeped in chagrin

After they withdrew from the battlefield, the wounded soldiers died atop their horses, one after another

Next, there were bandits You could hardly expect such fatigued huht well

By the time he escaped death’s doorsteps and his vision started to blur, he was the only one re

Looking down on hirave Ruzen Kiolk von Grinda

「I see That was quite an ordeal I’d like to tell you to take your time and rest, but…」

Margrave Grinda see his head to the side a few tile piece of paper to Dios

「This arrived immediately after you were carried in here」

He took it with a puzzled look on his face and opened the letter

「This is…!」

Dios looked to Margrave Grinda with i eyes

「Be at ease I will not do anything to betray my niece」

「But… with this…」

「I know the alias of 「Mars」 Even if this is a remote area, we hear that naht And even if I wanted to petition the Emperor, he is currently on a military expedition」

「Then, will you hand over the princess?」

「I told you, I will not betray er sister」

「Your opponent is 2,000 strong How many soldiers are you able to assemble here?」

「… It would be a different story if ere in wartimes, but you could say this place knows not of war The Grinda territory keeps 3,000 at the ready But that doesn’t mean we’re able to asse even 1,000 would be questionable」

「Their commander is 「Mars」 That would not suffice…」

Even against a small force, it’s not likely that that feuard down

She’ll co she has to crush us I knew this first hand

「We’ll try to await the Emperor’s return, even if our opponent is the one feared as 「Mars, God of War」」

「When is the E?」

「Word of his victory reached us 5 days ago He should be on his way back with the First Iht about now Maybe 1 week… 3 days at least I’ve already sent a er We will not lose this battle until then」

「Not lose this battle you say…」

「That’s right According to en Village to the Grole Plains」

「So the decisive battle will be on the Grole Plains」