Chapter 167: Appropriate Support |
Boom!
Boom!
“…Ptui.”
Shiron spat with disgust over the corpse of the monster he had just slain.
How many monsters had he slain? Although he hadn’t bothered to count, the number of monsters he had slain since Igor left seemed to easily exceed three digits.
It was boring, and frankly, disgusting.
Fortunately, the creature he had just brought down was unlike the previous ones in size, strength, and speed, making it a somewhat worthy opponent.
[Hero, I no longer sense the presence of any monsters nearby. Perhaps it’s time for a rest?]
‘Is that so? I was just thinking the same.’
Having built a quite imposing tower of corpses, Shiron climbed to the top and plopped down.
‘It should be around here, if I remember correctly.’
Shiron took out a map and a telescope from his pocket and compared them with the surroundings. The nest of the [Fervent Dragon Demodras] was located near the steep black cliffs at the end of the Makal mountain range, but the surrounding landscape was hard to see due to the sleet falling.
Swallowing his disappointment, Shiron took out a tin box. The box had safely delivered cookies and letters from his family from Rien to the expedition camp here.
Shiron took out a cookie with chocolate chips and lifted it into the air. With a crunching sound, the cookie gradually disappeared into thin air.
He could have materialized Latera to feed her the snack, but there were many clerics and some bad elements around. Not wanting to attract undue attention to Latera, who possessed strong divine power and looked like a young child, Shiron chose a somewhat special method to feed Latera.
[…Is it a miss today as well?]
Enjoying the sweetness that filled her mouth, Latera cautiously asked Shiron, who wore a sullen expression.
“It’s not exactly a miss… Let’s just say things were going well until the very end when luck didn’t quite follow.”
[Indeed, it has been snowing a lot lately, even though it’s not technically winter.]
“Anyway, it’s really inconvenient to move around on foot.”
Shiron dusted off the cookie crumbs and descended from the pile of corpses. If everything had gone as shown on the screen, following the indicated arrow would have led him there quickly… He hadn’t expected the weather to cause such a struggle.
‘That’s strange. It was supposed to be around here.’
Shiron buttoned up his fluffy fur coat and returned to the construction site. The crew members pretended not to see Shiron and continued laying the railway without distraction.
Any other overseer might have taken their ignoring him as an insult and yelled at them, but Shiron had always emphasized that they should never slack off.
Creak-
Thus, the current halt in the crew’s work was an unexpected situation.
Clank- Clank-
The sound of metal coming through the connected rails soon became a sound that shook the earth, drawing closer to where the crew was. From afar, the shadow of an iron horse spewing black smoke approached.
As always, His Highness, the Crown Prince, had arrived.
Seeing the fluttering blonde hair at the forefront, the crew members put down their tools and prostrated themselves on the ground.
No longer did Shiron kill his crew members. Instead, they felt fear towards Victor, who carried out executions directly.
Shiron watched this scene with a pleased expression.
“How come you are here, Your Highness, the Crown Prince? It hasn’t even been two days since you left for the headquarters.”
“…Ahem. A new official document just arrived from Rien.”
Victor was momentarily puzzled by Shiron’s unusually respectful demeanor, but quickly composed himself upon seeing the crew members prostrated on the cold ground.
“It’s the Emperor’s command. The expansion of the front lines is to cease as of today.”
“…Cease?”
Shiron cocked his head and stared at Victor. Did they intend to halt construction and leave the unexplored territories untouched?
As he pondered this, Victor knocked on the train’s metal door. Soon after, armed knights emerged, carrying a large chest.
Thump- Thump- The knights forcefully set the chest on the ground and stood up straight, facing the crew members.
Shiron wore a troubled expression as he watched the situation unfold rapidly. Despite realizing it was impolite to question the Crown Prince, he quietly approached him and whispered.
“Did His Majesty the Emperor order them all to be killed?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Well, there was suddenly an order from Rien to stop the construction, and then armed knights arrived carrying a coffin, didn’t they?”
“…What?”
“No! It must be His Majesty the Emperor’s economic strategy to dispose of prisoners who are no longer useful after being exploited, right?”
“What, what are you saying?”
Victor looked dumbfounded at Shiron’s subsequent words.
“…No?”
“It’s alcohol and meat bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor. So… don’t be so scared and raise your heads.”
Seeing the trembling shoulders of those bowing, Victor quickly clarified their misunderstanding.
As Victor spoke, the knights opened the chest’s lid. Inside were meats and alcohols, far more luxurious than the usual oat porridge and black wheat bread.
“It’s been tough in such a suffocating place. Though your origins may be dubious, today, having achieved a visible goal, drinking is permitted, so rest comfortably.”
Victor conveyed the commendations from His Majesty the Emperor to those prostrated on the ground, praising their achievements.
Though it had cooled and hardened, soft white bread, well-seasoned ham, and wine were distributed. The faces of the crew receiving the rations bore sheepish smiles.
“It’s not cheap… but it’s not that great of alcohol either.”
Shiron, having also received a ration, critiqued the taste of the alcohol as he wiped his mouth.
The alcohol had a harsh taste. Having savored the fine wine of Dawn Castle, known for its strong yet clean finish and rich aroma, Shiron found himself comparing every alcohol in the world to it.
As a result, Shiron couldn’t enjoy the unexpected feast. Instead, he decided to approach ‘the woman with the scar’ who was quietly sipping alcohol in a corner.
Natalia.
Though not the only woman in the engineering corps, Natalia struggled to mingle with the other prisoners due to her charge. Her crime was so severe that involvement with her could lead to the downfall of three generations, which is why even the male prisoners kept their distance, and the female prisoners also steered clear of her.
“Natalia.”
“…Fairy Lord?”
“Do you remember what you were supposed to say?”
Shiron sat down in front of her. After pondering Shiron’s words a few times, Natalia tilted her head.
“Is now a good time?”
“Fortunately, you do remember.”
“…Even if I look like this, I can read and do calculations.”
Natalia stated, quickly stuffing the remaining meat and alcohol into her mouth. The scars on her face only added to her tough demeanor.
“Heh…”
“You handle your liquor well. Drink mine too.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Perhaps due to the slight buzz, Natalia’s words became lighter, to the point where she couldn’t distinguish between what should and shouldn’t be said among people.
“That damn Emperor provided some good alcohol. Maybe that’s why it goes down better.”
“Is that so? I couldn’t tell.”
“Of course, to the noble Fairy Lord, it might be nothing special. But most of the crew members don’t think so.”
“Is that so? Then give me another.”
Shiron took out the alcohol he had secretly saved and poured it repeatedly into Natalia’s cup. Having built considerable trust in Shiron over time, Natalia drank it without suspicion.
“Heh.”
“So, what did you want to talk about that you asked for such a grand request as a meeting?”
“Ah… Well, you see.”
Natalia looked at Shiron with slightly unfocused eyes, her black hair and eyes mirroring the silhouette of the Silleya people. Despite her inebriation, she remembered what she wanted to tell Shiron.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’ve realized that the Fairy Lord is a better person than I initially thought.”
Initially, Natalia harbored hostility towards Shiron. Recalling Latera’s words, Shiron appeared puzzled.
“What, did you plan to call me out to kill me?”
“…Even if I said no, would you believe me?”
“I won’t kill you. I’ve also come to realize that you people are better than I initially thought.”
“…”
Natalia’s expression softened, signaling a change in her feelings. Was she really planning an assassination? Even if she had, it would have been futile against Shiron, who is protected by divine favor, but the thought was still unsettling.
“You… are a Prient, right?”
Meanwhile, Natalia fiddled with her now-empty glass, surrounded by several bottles of alcohol that had somehow accumulated by her side.
“Yes, but I haven’t formally introduced myself to you all, have I?”
“How could I not know? Who else but a hero would single-handedly dismantle a giant armored monster? In the empire, a Prient is unparalleled.”
[The hostility has almost vanished. Yet, intriguingly, the curiosity remains.]
Shiron, disregarding Latera’s words, skillfully steered the conversation forward.
“The empire, you say? Isn’t it unique on the continent? I was under the impression that no one could match the renown of my uncle, Sir Hugo.”
“I have seen it.”
“…”
“With my own eyes. Someone sweeping away monsters alone, just like the Fairy Lord. Only, that person was not a citizen of the empire.”
Their conversation continued for a while. Though not explicitly stated, Natalia ended up revealing quite a bit of information about herself to Shiron.
However, she wasn’t fully aware or conscious of it. Partly because she was intoxicated, and partly because she felt a sense of relief due to Shiron saving her life on several occasions, viewing him almost as an ally.
Feeling slightly dizzy, Natalia searched for a place to sleep.
Normally, she wouldn’t even consider sleeping comfortably due to the night watch, but tonight, she embraced her blanket with ease, assuming the knights would take over the night watch duties.
Finally, Natalia found a suitable spot.
A place with dry grass and shade, where the light from the bonfires didn’t reach, and no presence of monsters could be felt.
She could sleep here without worry. The alcohol made her want to collapse right away.
“Ooh… Is this the train?”
A familiar voice was heard beyond her eyelids.
It was a voice that shouldn’t be here.
Thus, she couldn’t sleep.
Natalia’s mind snapped to attention, and her vision sharpened.
The attire was unsuitable for the harsh weather. A red dress that made one worry if it was warm enough. A black leather coat. Carrying several swords. Black hair. Black eyes.
Recognizing him, Natalia murmured with a cold sweat running down her spine.
“…Princess?”
“Yes.”
Yoru, the princess of Silleya, did not miss the softly murmured words and lifted the corners of her mouth towards Natalia.
“Natalia, I’ve come to save you.”
