Book 9: Chapter 23

The structure of Elreim Castle was the same as the typical castles for the royal family.

The castle was at the center, gardens surrounded it, and there was a main and back gate.

The surrounding walls were made of stone and not all that sturdy, and only had a height that was at the level of obstructing gazes.

This structure, which obviously didn’t hypothesize that it would be attacked, was caused by the fact that there weren’t any wars between fellow members of mankind for many years.

However, even if there weren’t any armies coming to attack, since there were scoundrels that would occasionally appear, knights were always appointed to both the main and back gates in order to defend against them, and even the gardens were strictly guarded.

Unlike the town wall gates, the ones protecting this place weren’t the Kashnart Defense Chivalric Order, but members of the Shields of Light Chivalric Order.

They, who were a heavily equipped Chivalric Order, held shields befitting of their name, and would immediately eliminate anyone suspicious――that is what was said of them.

「Mu……? Wait, stop right there.」

That day, what two Shields of Light knights who were guarding the castle’s rear gate saw was a single purple young girl.

The young girl wore equipment that made her appear to be an adventurer, however, she possessed an elegance that didn’t belong to an ordinary person.

By some chance, she might be the daughter of some noble.

While thinking of that possibility, the Shields of Light knights, following the regulations, crossed their halberds and obstructed her path.

The *gashari* sound made from making them hit each other was a warning, as well as a threat.

But, that purple young girl show no sign of fear, and gave a sweet smile.

「Excuse me. I am Ys. Today, I had a reason, and came to this place.」

The young girl’s bow was magnificent, and the Shields of Light knights had the possibility that she was the daughter of some noble increase just a bit within their minds.

That being said, nevertheless, they couldn’t allow her through.

The Shields of Light knight informed the young girl who called herself Ys with a tone that was purely coercive.

「This place has forbidden passage. If you have business within the castle, you had best head to the main gate. Listen well, this warning will be given only once. If you try and continue any useless talk any more than this, you will be seen as a suspicious person.」

「Ara, how scary.」

The giggling young girl took a couple of steps backwards――and at the same time, a blond woman wearing silver armor came out from a place hidden from view.

The Shields of Light knights were exasperated thinking “is this the entrance of her guardian”, but seeing that woman’s face, they came to a realization.

「You are……!?」

「Listen, o knight of the Shields of Light Chivalric Order.」

Her dignified voice resounded, and the Shields of Light knights unconsciously straightened their spines.

Why was this person here? The Shields of Light knights couldn’t think of that reason at all.

However, since she wasn’t someone they could recklessly point their weapons at either, they hesitated on sounding the alarm.

「I am the Second Princess Eltrinde. I have come to defeat Mazenda, the ringleader who deceived my elder sister, Narika, and caused this civil war. If you all have hearts as knights of the Canal Kingdom, fall back. If you will not fall back, you will also be seen as companions of Mazenda……as traitors.」

「Ugh……」

Hearing the word “traitor”, one of the Shields of Light knights unconsciously groaned.

Putting aside the Third Princess Celis, the Second Princess Eltrinde was a person praised as the 「Princess Knight of Justice」, and was genuine royalty. There wouldn’t be a knight that could stay composed from being branded as a traitor by someone like that.

But, the Shields of Light knights also knew the fact that Eltrinde was close to Celis. In that case, they really couldn’t allow her to pass through here. That being said, they were still hesitant over aggressively pointing a weapon towards her.

After wavering over the choice, one of the knights was about to sound the alarm……and it was there that he turned to his coworker who had been silent for a while.

「……Oi, what’s wrong?」

「That’s a fake.」

「A fake, oi……」

Feeling puzzled over his coworker who started abruptly saying something unsettling, the Shields of Light knight who grabbed his shield violently brushed it away.

「Guah……!? You, what’re you doing!」

「Attack Fire」

「Gaah!?」

The Shields of Light Knight that had his head blown off from magic fired at point blank range collapsed just like that with a thud.

While looking down at him, the coworker Shields of Light knight that fired the Attack Fire unnaturally displayed an act of seeming sad.

「Ooh, how could this be. My coworker died from an attack from scoundrels using the name of the Second Princess.」

「Y, you, why did you do that to your companion……!」

The Shields of Light knight that curved his mouth into the shape of a smile didn’t reply to Eltrinde’s words, sounded the alarm, and shouted.

「It’s an enemy attack! A suspicious person calling herself the Second Princess used attack magic!」

「You, do you still call yourself a knight being like that!?」

「So it really did come to this. That’s why I said that talking wouldn’t work……Are princesses unable to function unless they have unrealistic dreams?」

In front of Ykslaas, who went “fuu” and breathed a sigh, there was the figure of the Shields of Light knight who readied his halberd and shield and came charging in.

The fact that he thought that he would be able to defeat her if he charged in like that could even be seen from the smile that was displayed on his face.

Drawing her black rose sword, Ykslaas warded off the charging in Shields of Light knight’s halberd.

「Nuaaaah!」

After evading the shield that was swung after the halberd, Ykslaas thrust her sword into his abdomen that was full of openings.

Together with a *gin* sound, the black rose sword was repelled by the armor, and Ykslaas took some distance with a back step together with a tongue click.

「Fuu, this is why I don’t like heavily equipped knights. They have pointlessly high defensive power after all.」

「Ha, so you’re already in a stalemate! In that case, die and……!?」

Gold and silver radiances were reflected in the Shields of Light knight’s eyes.

That was Eltrinde who had forced herself in between Ykslaas and the Shields of Light knight.

However, seeing that there wasn’t the brilliance of magical power on Eltrinde’s unsheathed sword, the Shields of Light knight smiled.

There was no way that a sword that wasn’t a Magic Sword would be able to cut through his armor.

Still being convinced of that, the Shields of Light knight was cut along with his armor――and together with an earth tremor, he collapsed to the ground.