Chapter 193 : Side Story 18
Side Story 18
"Have you lost your mind? What kind of hardship is this...?"
Roden grumbled while glancing at Uriel.
Even if she was the disciple of the great mage, there was no way she could deal with those monsters alone.
Of course, thanks to her, the monsters' formation had become disrupted, but that crazy act was nothing he wanted to defend.
"Roden. That's a rude remark."
"But if someone dies here, wouldn't you be responsible, Captain?"
"There must have been a reason. If I hadn't given advice, even a retreat wouldn't have been possible."
"Hoo... So is that why you came all the way here?"
"She saved the lives of our forces; the least I can do is repay that."
"I understand now. If that's the case, I have no choice but to follow."
Only then did Roden agree with Zair and raise his sword's tip.
When Zair gave the retreat order, he had thought it was the wrong decision.
But now, it had turned out to be an extremely wise choice, and thus he had to go along with the subsequent actions.
"Argh... You worthless fools... To me..."
The Frost Witch erased the traces of the sword strike and soon completely regenerated.
It was an attack imbued with mana, but not even that could inflict a light wound on her.
At a minimum, it would take mana of much higher density or a fierce fire attribute to actually hurt her.
"If you approach carelessly, your whole body will freeze. You have to withstand it while dispersing the cold air."
"You can't handle a monster like that with such a method."
"I'll handle it. Just buy me some time."
"... Alright. Roden, are you clear on the plan?"
"Yes. I understand."
Zair showed no sign of even faint fear while facing the Frost Witch.
She was indeed a threatening monster, but to someone seasoned by countless battles, it was just another familiar shape.
If their forces regrouped, even this monster would soon be driven back.
"I'll kill you all."
The Frost Witch glared at Zair and Roden, unleashing blasts of cold air.
Frost spurted from the ground, and countless ice crystals formed in the air.
Even upon witnessing the extremes of cold, Uriel calmly gathered her mana within.
'Now I understand.'
Only belatedly did Uriel realize why she had survived.
Maybe the Frost Witch had noticed it as well, but her mana was interweaving irregularly.
The latent dragon's power within her must have been acting in resistance towards the Frost Witch.
"Ahh... You won't listen to me? Grrr..."
Unable to control the flow of mana, the Frost Witch began to tremble.
The power she had seized was refusing to manifest as magic.
Could it be that this force was trying to stop her in order to protect that woman?
'I can't get it back now, but someday...'
Uriel formed a delicate ice arrow, aiming it at the Frost Witch.
Her fate was now entwined with the Frost Witch.
Of course, all of this was merely a part of her process to reclaim the power of the dragon.
'I am drawing ever closer to the ending.'
Uriel fired the ice arrows, following her destined path.
The Frost Witch tried to dispel them with her mana, but even that was suppressed.
In the end, the ice arrows struck the Frost Witch in succession, forcing out a cruel scream.
"Kyaaa! Ahhh..."
The Frost Witch, riddled with arrows, barely managed to stay upright.
This much wouldn't even leave her seriously wounded, but the tide of battle now turned against her.
She needed to withdraw quickly and plan for the next time.
"This isn't over... Next time... I'll get you..."
The Frost Witch glared at Uriel, reluctantly summoning up a blizzard.
She concealed her form and then vanished completely.
"She sure is fast when it comes to running away."
"Hmph..."
Only then did Zair lower his sword and scan the surroundings.
The monsters were fierce, but none had breached the trench.
In fact, even the larger monsters were now being swept away by the pressing assault of the forces.
"Roden, take command of the right wing. I'll see to the left."
"Understood."
Roden quickly retreated to carry out the command.
Zair looked at Uriel, then slowly slid his sword back into its sheath.
"Come with me. Just in case, we should move with the rest of the forces."
"..."
Uriel nodded and quietly followed Zair.
Even as they walked together, Zair looked back upon what had just happened.
'This great mage's disciple should be visiting the northern territory for the first time... so how did that monster recognize her?'
* * *
Uriel came face-to-face with Zair in the commander's office.
Here, the warmth was palpable, perhaps from an abundance of firewood.
Zair sank into silence for a while, but couldn't hold back speaking up.
"I must ask: did you volunteer to become part of the reinforcements?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a specific purpose for coming here?"
"... I came for that monster. As you saw earlier, it looked rather strong, didn't it?"
"I can't deny that, but how did you know about that monster's existence all the way from the capital?"
"I don't mean disrespect, commander, but are you aware of the principles of magic and astrology?"
"It would be difficult for me to understand, so even if I ask further, would it be of any use?"
Zair could generally grasp what Uriel was trying to say.
She was either really connected to the mechanisms of magic and astrology, or she meant to keep it utterly secret.
Whichever the case, he couldn't hope to pry into every detail.
"... You've accumulated some achievement, so I'll respect your word. Then, was your prediction of the castle's collapse made through similar reasoning?"
"It's similar, but a little different. There were many large monsters, and the castle kept shaking. In such a situation, with that monster showing up on top of everything else, things were bound to get dangerous."
"I can accept that, but you acted excessively. Didn't you face the monsters alone, without leading any forces?"
"I just didn't want the others to get hurt. That way, there's no need to assist the rest, and I can fight by myself."
"But you were isolated among monsters—how did you survive?"
"Then how am I still alive now?"
Zair was momentarily puzzled, but quickly figured out what she meant.
She had relied on her own skill, and had also considered cooperation between the northern army and the reinforcements.
Not only that, after repelling the monsters and reclaiming the First Outer Castle, the outcome was a victory with only physical losses to count.
"You mean you predicted all possible scenarios?"
"I just tried my best to predict. Not everything lined up exactly."
"Then let me ask—when do you think this war will end?"
"I'd say it's pretty much over, isn't it? There are almost no monsters left to be seen."
"But couldn't that monster attack again?"
"... We won't have to worry about that for the foreseeable future."
Now, the Frost Witch would constantly be under the pressure of the dragon's power.
She wouldn't be able to act recklessly, and would have to keep suppressing that force.
But in time, she might adapt and face Uriel again.
'I may have to stay here a bit longer.'
Uriel felt she needed to investigate the Frost Witch further.
In any case, she couldn't reclaim the power of the dragon in her current state.
So she meant to plan more broadly and prepare on every front.
'In this kind of climate, I'll be able to raise my mastery of ice attribute magic.'
Of course, that was just a plausible excuse.
If she followed fate, she'd have to abandon her aspirations of becoming a great mage.
In the end, even her own power was simply a tool to reclaim the dragon's might.
'No need to rush. Someday I'll meet my companion...'
* * *
Vanderas was walking through the First Outer Castle, facing the true aftermath of the war.
He had managed to reduce casualties somehow, but the collapsed walls and ruined homes couldn't be restored overnight.
Because he stayed in the inner castle, his own safety was assured, but those who lived near the First Outer Castle had suffered huge losses.
'Uriel never did set foot in the Second Outer Castle, it seems.'
Vanderas knew her character and so saw no reason to stop her.
If he interfered, he'd only be getting in her way.
What sort of goal had Uriel tried to achieve in this war?
'Still, she is the great mage's disciple. If something serious had happened, I'd have heard about it.'
Belatedly, Vanderas set out to look for Uriel.
If he went around calling for her by name, it would only look as if he were abusing his authority as the Crown Prince.
It seemed better to feign coincidence and meet her that way.
'... She's still there, is she?'
Vanderas spotted Uriel in a familiar location.
Wrapped in a coat, she sat quietly in front of a campfire.
He assumed she was on standby outdoors instead of resting inside because she needed to be ready for sudden battle.
"How long have you been sitting there?"
"I'm not sure. I should be able to go inside soon, right?"
"As the great mage's disciple, you can move about as you wish."
"I was just another combatant in this war. I can't be the only one getting special treatment."
"That sounds like criticism towards me."
"You and the Crown Prince are different. You must ascend the throne, after all."
"What difference does that make? I, too, am only human."
Just as he always did, Vanderas sat opposite Uriel and looked at her.
She looked rather exhausted, but her beauty was unshaken.
If anything, her candid and dignified air seemed only to shine brighter in such a situation.
"Are you not having a hard time?"
"It's tough... but I'm hanging in there."
"Do you regret coming to the northern territory as a volunteer?"
"I can't say that I don't. I never imagined it would be like this."
"You have accomplished much as a member of the reinforcements. Without you, the losses would have been much greater."
Vanderas met Uriel's gaze and spoke in a grave tone.
He had pondered these things in many ways, but ultimately could not ignore his true feelings.
Rather, right now, maybe Uriel could accept his sincerity.
"Uriel Astille. I wish to confirm your feelings. Please answer me honestly."
"Ah, yes..."
Only then did Uriel realize how sober he was and adjust her posture.
She was a bit bedraggled—what could he be implying at such a moment?
"When we return to the capital, would you marry me?"
"... Sorry? Marriage?"
"I want you as my lawful wife. As the great mage's disciple, no one could deny your worth."
Normally, a marriage proposal would start from mutual engagement.
If you were to go broader, it would also require negotiations with the partner's parents and family.
But Uriel, being a fallen noble and the great mage's disciple, could not be approached by such conventional means.
"Our time together has been short, but I believe we've expressed enough of our feelings. All that remains is your decision."
"..."
Uriel was very surprised, but soon calmed her heart.
It was an abrupt confession, an utterly unexpected situation.
But since she had already glimpsed her fate, she could only answer with certainty.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think that would be right. I'm barely different from a fallen noble—how could I be a future emperor's consort? Just because I know magic doesn't mean my status will be elevated."