Chapter 139 (1/2)

”What are you talking about, Emilio?”

Cleo sat down in the narrow back alley, looking at the young man before her eyes

Her guard, a young and powerful knight of the Kingdoht hand From its tip, the blood of the maid- Cleo's personal caretaker- he had killed fell drop by drop

Cleo couldn't hear the distant clamor

The maid she had believed in, who she had known for so many years had scorned her all the way

The knight she had believed in presented her hand out to her

”Cleo, this is enough There's no need for you to become a sacrifice anymore Let's run from here The preparations are already in order”

E out his left hand Cleo moved her eyes to look between that hand and his face

”What are you talking about, Eo the ceremony tomorrow, the country will be…”

In her dismay, Cleo couldn't properly process the situation This was largely due to the betrayal of the ht of as a friend, ould tell her all about the castle town and life as a commoner But even more than that, she couldn't believe Emilio when he told her to run from the ceremony

… She had lived her life for tomorrow's ritual…

To Cleo, that was the veryto die, if it was for the sake of the country… she thought No, she was taught

But she did find the extended left hand to be captivating

(If I follow Emilio, will I be saved?)

It was to her, what could be called the devil's temptation No one ever truly wanted to die And up until the attack from the dolls just before, Cleo had been able to spend a happy time That only amplified her desire to live on

(I want to live But…)

Cleo brushed away Eht

Glaring at him as he opened his eyes wide, Cleo spoke

”Stand down This body is one I have pledged to Celestia Following you is so… I cannot do”

She was highly confused, but she barely e, or perhaps irritation, she didn't knohat to expect from Emilio, but the man simply made a sad face and smiled

”I see You've grown strong, Cleo But I have my own obstinacy”

Emilio reached out his left hand to forcefully take her ar a stance with his saber

In the depths of the alleyway, before she had noticed it, there stood three in robes Cleo hadn't sensed the slightest hint of their approach

A robed man who stood just a step ahead of the three let his h the space That soed to a huanic so

But that voice didto

”This is different fro to hand the princess to us? This isn't the delivery point, traitor of Celestia”

The man who declared Emilio a traitor produced a barbed sword from under his robe He took out two Those two thorny blades gave off a purple hue in the dark back alley As with the sword in Elow

”… I lost ht blunder on my part”

Still readying his saber, Es coht, but she could tell his voice was nervous

”J-just what could…”

On the voice Cleo rung out, theto action Quickly, as if they were running across the wall, they leapt out towards Cleo

”You imperial bastards!”

Giving a state with the his blade at the two But one of them stopped his sword And the other cahtest hesitation

”Run, Cleo!”

Eirl in question couldn't even stand from where she was

”Ah…”

From the hood of the robe, she looked into her assailant's face They wore a lealoom of the alley, they looked oh so ominous

The hand reaching out, unlike Emilio's, was clothed as if violently wrapped in rubber That hand that somewhat smelled of oil extended towards Cleo

But…

”That's as far as you go”

… A gust blew through the back-alley

Just in the nick of time

Running down the complex maze-like alleys, Rudel was relieved to find he had h-speed movement in a layout he didn't know took ht, and he wasn't able to pursue Cleo as well as he expected

Placing hi his sword

Cutting through the suspicious ar out towards Cleo, he entered the space between her and the suspicious ure away, but he felt so was off

(Oil? And the sense I got from that kick was bizarre)

He surely lopped off an are, a liquid- presuet the sensation he was cutting through flesh

”Rudel-dono”

Cleo called out but Rudel didn't turn back to her Taking a stance with his sword, he spoke

”Please stay behind erous bunch”

The ht hand, as he thought, not blood but oil sprinkled the ground

The robed one with the barbed swords as probably the leader raised a cloudy, h

”Kukuku, I never thought I would run into such a big shot here It is a pleasure, Dragoon… no, Rudel arses-kun”

Rudel kept on guard as he strained his ears to hear

”Looks like you know about me It's an honor for one of far-off lands… no, the empire to know my name”

In the space of that light conversation, Emilio parted from the enemy, no it felt more like both sides retreated The man before Rudel's eyes also back stepped as he returned to his comrades On his

(The empire's machine soldiers?)

Machine soldiers… soldiers of the empire who compensated for their lost liic, but it was a technology not found in the kingdom By their uncanniness, they were often shunned and left the dirty work of the empire, he had heard at the academy

”I see, so I've got some eyes on me”

To Rudel's words, the leaderish man replied

”You humble yourself Your existence is one much too radiant for us So radiant we ive I especially so, for it was a dragoon who took away s”

So he was a oon There was no doubt whatever was under his robes had been left in a terribly state

”We have taken up an nonaggressive defense policy You are the ones one-sidedly invading”

The kingdom of Courtois lay on rich, fertile land There was noa march on the empire But the empire had been pressed into circuainst dragoons

”How young Your youth is also enviable”

Froht Rudel stood and took a position to protect Cleo froroup before him… and Emilio