Vol 1 Chapter 21 (1/2)

When the sky was being illuminated by dawn, just when we were so close to reaching Acken, the carriage was blocking the road while leaning towards one side.

“As expected, it was impossible.”

Kail says with a bitter voice, while looking at the broken wheel of the carriage.

It must have been damaged when we were breaking through, rather, it can be said that it did a good job holding up until now.

It was fortunate that there were no grave injuries, but the carriage had completely broken down.

“This is a lost cause, it’s not as if it can’t be repaired, but it would take some time.”

Seran said while looking at the carriage, looking as if he had given up, because they didn’t have that kind of time.

“If it’s like this, then there’s no other choice than to abandon the carriage…… We will have to let Mirena-sama and the maids each ride a Sleipnir, while we go on foot with Urza’s magic

【Windwalker】and get there as soon as possible.

Since we’ve come this far, we should keep going onwards towards Acken, but of course our speed has dropped considerably compared to before.

And the second knight squad in the back is a problem.

With the a.s.sault of magic stones, most of them must have been neutralized, but it wasn’t as if we were aiming to kill them, so most of them shouldn’t have any grave injuries.

Right now the ones that can do battle will probably follow us, with the anger and desperation of a dying person.

And the worst scenario would be that they attacked us from behind, while we’re being ambushed by a group ahead of us.

Since the enemies’ objective is princess Mirena’s life, who has currently lost the protection of the carriage, she’ll be targeted immediately if we were to engage in close quarters combat.

“Everything but that, as long as it doesn’t become a pincer attack…..”

There wasn’t any time to think about it leisurely, Kail immediately made his decision.

“There is a need to stop the enemy that is coming after us. In other words, someone has to stay behind and stall for time. And since the first priority is to protect the princess…… only one of us can stay behind.”

It was said with enough will and determination that n.o.body objected to it.

“Could it be, Kail you will……”

Urza’s face became pale when she looked at Kail’s.

The same scheme as before won’t work on the knights coming after us, so they will come to kill us with all their power.

To stop all of them on his own would mean…

Urza tells him it’s too difficult for him, but Kail just smiled gently while saying ‘don’t worry about it’.

“In other words good luck.”

Kail hit Seran’s shoulder with a ‘pom’ sound.

“……..Eh?”

Seran, whose shoulder was. .h.i.t, let out a sound while being stupefied.

“It’s like that right, it truly is a job that fits Seran greatly.”

Lize agrees with him.

“Eh?’

“Alright, we can’t stand here forever. We should hurry and start moving out.”

When Kail gives out orders while taking care of the braces around the Sleipnirs, the maids and Lize snappily begin to move.

“Listen when someone is talking! What, so you’re telling me to duke it out with eighty Imperial knights on my own!?”

“No. most of the enemy have been neutralized and most of their horses were crushed.”

[Yeah, I just confirmed it, but the followers still consist of thirty of them.]

Sildonia explained.

“Ha, that’s a relief….. rather, aren’t those thirty bloodthirsty, angered, Imperial knights!”

“Sorry, but we don’t have any more time to waste talking like this. Since they’re probably close to us already.”

Kail grabs both of Seran’s shoulders from the front and looks him in the eye.

“Rest a.s.sured, if you were to die I will tell master that you died fighting bravely. Is there anything you want me to pa.s.s on to her?”

“I don’t have any words left for that old hag!”

While we were saying that, the maids had already finished their preparations, together with the princess, they were all on the Sleipnirs.

“Alright let’s move out. Urza please cast【Wind Walker】on everyone.”

“Eh, ah……. no, but…….”

Urza looked at Seran with a face that seemed at a loss for words.

“Quickly! We don’t know when they’ll catch up to us!”

“U-Understood!”

When Urza ordered the spirit of wind Sylphid, Kail and the others had a wind vortex cast around their legs.

“Alright let’s go! Seran I’m leaving this place to you.”

“Good luck!”

In the end Kail and Lize gave a thumbs up toward Seran and left.

Urza and princess Mirena together with the maids looked back at Seran a few times until they could no longer see him.

“…… They really left me behind. What kind of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are they.”

Seran looked at where Kail and the others disappeared and sighed, he couldn’t stay like that, so he moved into action.

Looking around the highway he found a long dexterous branch and cut it down, from his backpack he took out his sleeping bag and cut a square cloth from it and tied it to his branch.

What he had made was the sign of peace in all ages, a white flag.

“And that’s that……. wait, they’ve already come?”

From the highway, that goes to the village of Sanes, neighing horses could be heard.

Just as Kail said, they were just in time to escape.

Seran went up the carriage that lay on its side, and waved the flag in a way he would stand out.

“I surrender! I don’t have any will to fight! I shall answer any questions you have, so at least spare my life!”

He screamed it out as if he were singing.

“Stop!”

Even though he drank some magic medicine that healed him, the vice-captain still had a slight pain over his whole body, but he still gave his order.

After that bombardment of magic stones, they sc.r.a.ped together what horses they could find and resumed the pursuit after treating minor injuries.

“Everyone, dismount and proceed with caution!”

Since they didn’t want to get bombarded by more magic stones, they got off their horses and spread out, or else they wouldn’t be able to continue their pursuit.

Originally, against such an opponent they should proceed with more caution, but they didn’t have time to waste in the first place.

If the fifth platoon were to arrive, then the royal mission by his majesty would have become a failure.

Since he wouldn’t be able to use magic stones in close range, they all proceeded slowly while staying in formation.

“I’m sorry! All the things until now were all because of that idiot Kail, I was only dragged into all of this! Please forgive me!”

Seran who was waving his white flag from above the flipped over carriage, had jumped off and was now welcoming the approaching knights with a prostration.

Including the vice-captain the surrounding knights became slightly confused.

When they found the carriage they expected a fight, but it was outside of their expectations that the enemy would be alone and prostrate himself before them without any will to fight.

According to their orders they were supposed to kill everyone involved in this incident, originally they would just cut him down if he were to attack first, but they couldn’t do that when he possessed Intel about the Princess.

Foremost, the carriage was capsized in front of them, even though the chance is small, they still had to check whether the Princess was there or not.

“Please allow me to explain the current situation! As you can see here, the carriage’s wheel broke down and it flipped over. In order to get the princess and the others away they are now riding the Sleipnirs.”

Seran told everything, before he was even asked.

“Those guys treated me like a disposable p.a.w.n! That evil b.a.s.t.a.r.d Kail, he told me to hold back you sirs of the Imperial knights…… there is no way I would be able to do that! Right! Ah, please rest a.s.sured, we have already used up our magic stones, they also don’t have the carriage anymore, so it’s only natural you’ll be able to win with these numbers! Good luck to you all!”

They didn’t believe his claim, there was no change to the knights sharp gaze filled with killing intent.

Seran was becoming teary eyed.

“Wa-wa-wa….. Uhm well….. Ah, I got it! I have some nice information! They have a mountain of gold, here look at this!”

What Seran took out was a leather bag, it made a jingling sound when he emptied it, what came out were Zars gold coins, jeweled rings, they were all spilled out.

The price of it all could easily surpa.s.s a hundred thousand Gador, as expected, even the Imperial knights had foregone their wits and their expressions had become excited.

“We found these in an ancient ruin. Do you know of it? It’s the legendary labyrinth of the Sangurd mountain range! Because of that we were able to ready that large amount of magic stones!”

Hook, line, and sinker! Was everything Seran could think about.

“I know where it is! I will spill everything about it so please spare my life!”

Seran was prostrating on the ground while in tears.

When the vice-captain saw that he sighed and clicked his tongue.

“That’s enough! Someone confirm the interior of the carriage, after that, resume the hunt. This man….. eliminate him.”

The vice-captain thought that he couldn’t waste any more time and ordered his men, his men moved out exactly as he ordered them to.

The knights that were close to the carriage checked the interior with their swords drawn.

And a knight that was close to Seran had his sword unsheathed and closed in that way.

“Ee~e~ek!?”

Eliminate, together with those words and the knight with the unsheathed sword that closed in, Seran screamed out like a frog that was dying.

While looking around him in a panic, when his eyes crossed with one of the knights he crawled to him still on his knees and clinged onto his leg.

“I don’t wanna die! Please I beg of you! I would do anything, so please help me!”

Having a face covered in tears and snot.

The knight that was clung to by Seran looked at him with eyes of annoyance and a bit of pity.

And he grasped his sheathed sword.