Chapter 105
Chapter 105
“Hu, huff!”
The moment the badge in my hand and the name Ribera came into view, the mage’s face turned pale.
Immediately after, he bent his upper body so deeply it looked like his waist might snap, and spoke in a trembling voice.
“I greet the Third Imperial Prince, Your Highness. That one of noble blood would come to such a lowly place as this is truly…….”
“Spare me the chatter. So, the teleport?”
“…It is impossible under my authority. I will call the person in charge.”
Before I could even respond, he rushed out in a flurry.
Petra stared at his retreating back with a dumbfounded expression.
“Power really is something, huh?”
“It really is.”
My answer was affirmative, but the light sigh that followed made it seem like she didn’t particularly enjoy it.
Still, she herself would know better than anyone that, with the Count of Leipzig having personally declared a wartime situation, there was no room to be picky.
Soon, the mage returned with someone who looked like his superior.
Introducing himself as the person in charge of this place, he wiped the cold sweat dripping from his forehead and stood before me with a flustered expression.
“If it is Your Highness’s command, we can activate the teleport under any circumstances, but at present there has been no response from the Leipzig side. We can transmit through the gate here, but if there is no reaction on the receiving end, in the worst case you could be trapped somewhere in the high sky or deep underground…….”
“Hmm.”
At those words, I nodded.
It was something I had already experienced on the way to Britain.
I didn’t want to take on that kind of risk again.
“Going by carriage would take too long…….”
Petra muttered with a dark expression.
Naturally, the distance from here, the heart of the Empire, to the border territory of Leipzig was considerable.
No matter how much we hurried, it would take at least half a month.
“Which territory is closest to Leipzig?”
“Freiburg, governed by the Viscount of Erfurt, is two days away.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes, we can go there immediately.”
At that, I looked at Petra.
Just like when we went to South Yorkshire, direct teleportation wasn’t possible, so we had moved to a nearby territory first and then traveled by carriage.
Even if it still took two days, it would at least shorten the time in an emergency.
“…….”
Petra nodded with an effort to keep her face calm.
I immediately asked the bald mage to send us there, and we changed direction, heading to Freiburg, the neighboring territory of Leipzig.
Freiburg had a markedly different atmosphere from the places I had visited so far.
If I had to compare it, it was similar to Britain, but perhaps because it was a border region, it had a rougher feel.
It had its own kind of charm, but unfortunately, there was no time to leisurely look around.
We tried to procure a carriage right away and leave for Leipzig.
However, perhaps the impact of the so-called wartime situation was more severe than expected, because no matter how much extra money we offered, everyone shook their heads.
“You know how to ride a horse, right?”
As a last resort, I bought three horses from two that had been idling around at an inn.
Petra, who had been hopping in place without knowing what to do, brightened as she was handed the reins.
“Who do you think I am?”
With a confident look, she kicked off the ground and leapt up, mounting the saddle in one smooth motion.
Watching her in admiration, I scratched my cheek with an awkward expression.
‘I asked because I wasn’t confident.’
I had practiced while at the palace, but since my status was so high, I always traveled by carriage on long journeys.
So I was a bit worried, but fortunately the horse was gentle and accepted my body without issue.
“Hyah-!”
At her spirited shout, we dashed off toward Leipzig.
Since it would take two days by carriage, riding should be enough in a day and a half.
The fact that we would have to sleep outdoors didn’t change, but we had prepared various tools for that.
At the very least, we wouldn’t have to shiver under the night dew.
“…Ostia.”
I wanted to move as much as possible before the sun set.
But once the road ended and forests appeared on both sides, numerous unpleasant presences began to be felt from within.
She seemed to notice it as well and called to me in a low voice.
“There’s no time to deal with them one by one.
We’ll push straight through.”
I didn’t stop running and urged the horse to go faster.
Responding to my will, it moved its legs powerfully, and we continued forward without pause.
‘…The numbers are more serious than I thought.’
Yet, as if the forest would never end, the presence of monsters didn’t cease either.
Petra might not have felt it, but here and there within the forest I sensed ominous flows.
That meant creatures at least on the level of ogres were moving about everywhere.
Simply comparing it to when I fought a monster legion in Britain, the scale was no less.
Leipzig and Britain.
I calmly compared their forces.
Leipzig had once held the position of a border marquis and boasted tremendous strength.
As it was responsible for the Empire’s border, it would have a far stronger army and order of knights than other count families, and their real combat experience would be exceptional.
But Britain was a land that had endured countless invasions and foreign powers.
Even without its central knights and its grand duke, Arthur, if I hadn’t stepped in, there were situations where the castle could have fallen.
‘If this goes wrong.’
In the worst case, Leipzig might have already fallen.
If that were so, would Petra be able to endure it?
“…The horses seem to be at their limit!”
When I glanced to the side, she slowed her horse and spoke to me.
Perhaps because we had been forcing our way through a forest full of monsters, white foam was beginning to leak from the corners of the horse’s mouth.
Looking up at the sky, the sun had already set, and night was approaching.
We had come a bit farther than our original target, but considering the seriousness of the situation, what I really wanted was to keep running through the night.
“Phew…….”
But I stopped my horse along with hers and let out a deep sigh.
There was no need to show impatience and heighten her anxiety as well.
So I looked at Petra with the same calm demeanor as usual.
“Let’s rest here for now.”
“Yes, if we leave as soon as it gets light, we might arrive before lunch.”
We immediately prepared camp.
I had kept tents and other tools stored in my subspace pouch.
We tied the horses to a nearby giant tree, gave them ample food and water, and let them rest.
Then she and I also sat around the campfire and caught our breath.
“This reminds me of last time.”
“When we went to the temple?”
“…Yes.”
She tried to erase it, but anxiety still lingered on her face.
However, as I focused on her story, she seemed to feel a bit more at ease, and a faint smile bloomed.
It hadn’t been that long ago, but it seemed to remain as a good memory, to the point that a slightly wistful look even surfaced in her eyes.
At that, I spoke with a playful smile.
“Life should be lived enjoyably.
If you want, I can let you feel another intense night.”
“…You really are something.”
Petra looked at me with an expression that said I was hopeless.
Still, it didn’t seem like she was entirely unwilling, because she soon moved from where she was sitting and came closer to my side.
Feeling her warm body heat along with the flames, I wrapped one arm around her waist.
“…….”
Petra turned her head toward me and gently closed her eyes.
I lightly kissed her lips, then stroked her cheek.
“Let’s do the rest after we confirm your father’s safety.”
“…Alright.”
She whispered shyly in response.
Then she said she would sleep first and went into the tent.
I chuckled softly at that and tossed another log into the fire.
Normally, when camping in such an open area, one would need to set up rotating watches to monitor all directions.
But it was nearly impossible for any ordinary opponent to approach while deceiving my senses.
On top of that, I had set up artifacts as insurance, so it would be fine.
However, it seemed that the monsters we had encountered earlier in the forest had dragged their heavy bodies and followed us this far.
Along the path we had come, piercing through the darkness, yellow killing intents began to bloom one by one.
Watching them, I grinned.
“There’s no need for condolences for you bastards who came looking for a place to die.”
The night was still long.
As soon as dawn broke, we mounted our horses and ran again.
Perhaps because they had gotten enough rest and good feed the day before, they moved their legs powerfully.
But the closer we got to the territory, the more urgency filled Petra’s face.
I wasn’t exactly relaxed either.
The number of monsters that had attacked us during the night was not small.
Given the nature of this world, it was natural for monsters to exist where people didn’t live, but having that many between territories was unnatural.
Which meant that something had gone wrong to the point that Leipzig was no longer properly fulfilling its role as a border.
As the presence of monsters increased, Petra seemed to realize the abnormality as well; she grew quieter, and her expression hardened.
After running for quite some time like that, just as she had said the night before, a fortress came into view shortly before noon.
“That is…….”
It seemed several battles had already taken place, as parts of the fortress were destroyed here and there.
From the monster corpses piled around it, blood that hadn’t yet dried oozed and pulsed out.
“I am Petra von Leipzig!”
Approaching the tightly shut fortress, she shouted loudly before the soldier on the wall could say anything.
At once, a commotion arose inside.
Soon, several knights in full plate armor appeared behind the soldiers, all staring at us with wide eyes.
“M-My lady?!”
“Sir Amati, it’s been a while.”
Recognizing a familiar face, she greeted him with a bright expression.
Rather, the knight hurriedly gave the order to open the gate.
Gugugugung.
The tightly closed gate opened, and we slowly guided our horses inside.
Perhaps because she was of the direct bloodline, the knights and soldiers gathered and saluted us.
As I was wondering whether to thank them for what was practically a welcome ceremony, Sir Amati stepped forward to receive us.
“My lady, to come without any notice…….”
“It was impossible to teleport due to the wartime situation, so I moved to Freiburg and then rode here. Is the situation serious?”
“From two days ago until yesterday afternoon, monsters truly attacked without pause. Not only here, but the central territory and other fortresses were attacked simultaneously as well. However, from the evening until now, for some reason it’s been quiet, so we were reorganizing.”
“…A large-scale monster attack like that, it’s almost as if…….”
“It seems like someone is controlling them from behind.”
At my words, Sir Amati looked at me, then spoke with a respectful attitude.
“My apologies, I have been discourteous to my lady’s friend. I am Amati, a knight serving the Leipzig family.”
“I am…….”
I was about to reveal my identity.
There was no real need to hide it, and it would make things easier to act.
But at that moment, Petra cut in first.
“He’s Ostia, a junior from the Academy. We’re close, and the reason we came here is because he stepped up first and offered to help.”
“Ah, I see. Then please take good care of our young lady.”
She continued speaking quickly, looking uncharacteristically flustered.
Sir Amati, with a kindly expression, thanked me and greeted me, and I accepted it with a bewildered face.
…Why was she suddenly acting like this?