CH 96

The Lion and the Slaughter Princess

AD

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Zil

Rewinding the time slightly.

After watching Raidorl and Darren enter the house, the soldiers set up camp right next to the house with prior permission.

They set up their tents in the square, and with the exception of the soldiers on guard, each of them went to relieve the fatigue of the expedition.

The people of the town came to the soldiers and offered them water, food and wine.

Justy Oigist, one of the army chiefs, waggled his eyebrows as the goods were brought into the camp.

“Thank you for the supplies. I’ll be sure to tell His Highness Prince Raidorl.”

“Ha-ha!”

“You can go now. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Although he told the cowering townsfolk that he would do so, Justy waited for the soldiers to get the wine and food.

When he saw that the townspeople had gone, he shouted angrily.

“This is still enemy territory!　Do not take lightly what you receive from someone who is not on your side!”

“Y-yes! I’m sorry, sir!”

The soldier, who had been shouted at, hurriedly took his hand off the bottle and saluted on the spot.

Scowling at his men as they enter the town, Justy scans the area from his position with a keen eye.

“They don’t seem to be hiding their soldiers. Does this mean that the surrender was not a lie? Brad Calcifer is a clueless man, but he is not a fool. He-h I guess he knew that he can’t trick His Highness, the holder of the Holy Sword”

Raising the middle rim of his glasses with his finger, Justy wrinkles his brow and makes a difficult expression.

Justy’s birth family, the Viscount of Oigist and the Count of Calcifer, are neighbours and have a certain amount of contact with each other.

Brad Calcifer, and Justy are the same age, so they have seen each other since they were children.

However, despite having known each other for over twenty years, Justy is still unsure about Brad’s inner life.

“He is neither a soldier nor a warrior. He is neither a civilian nor a wise man, though he is not slow-witted. He is a man of deceit but he had a darkness about him that made him more than just a schemer and a plotter.”

They are like the demons of foxes, raccoons and vipers.

He is not afraid to deceive people, and when he sees an opportunity, he pours poison into their bodies.

He is not a man of aristocratic pride, nor is he addicted to money or colour.

It is not clear what he wants or needs. He is an elusive, hazy man.

“……there’s nothing to gain for me if I keep thinking about it. If he’s going to be an enemy of His Highness Prince Raidorl, I’ll just kill him.”

Justy interrupted his unanswered thoughts and turned to his men.

“……In the meantime, make sure the food they bring in isn’t laced with drugs. You can take a break in shifts if you want, but be ready to move at any time”

“Ha!”

“I’ll go and have a look around the town. I’ll be back soon, but if there are any problems, ask Sir Raiffeit for instructions.”

Leaving his men to their own devices, Justy turns to leave the ranks of Raidorl’s army.

A look at a town can tell Justy a lot about the character of the nobleman who rules there. If he looks around the town of Caltris, he may be able to read some of Brad’s intentions.

This is what Justy was thinking while he walked around, but he soon stopped.

A woman stood in front of him.

“You’re……”

“Hello, Justy. How are you?”

The other woman’s face was familiar to him.

It was a woman he had thought was dead. She was Angelica Ilkas, who had been told she had been killed in action against the Empire..

Justy froze for a few seconds as Angelica stood there like a ghost. He quickly nodded his head in approval.

“…… Ah, I see. So Brad took the family name of Ilkas.”

Even Justy knew that Brad and Angelica were engaged to be married.

Brad had renounced the Calcifer name by marrying Angelica and adopting him as his son-in-law into the Ilkas family.

“Did he do this to avoid being blamed for the death of Count Calcifer? That fox is still alive and well.”

“It’s been a long time. Angelica. It’s good to see you looking so wel-…………No, it’s nothing. I misspoke.”

Justy swallowed the words he was about to say and twisted his face in pain.

Angelica’s face is bandaged to cover the left half of her face, and her left leg, which extends from her knee-length skirt, has a metal prosthesis.

It is not easy to speak to her when Justy could imagine how the fierce battles were and she survived.

The air she wears is clearly piercing and swallowing, and Justy can feel the light of madness behind her empty right eye.

“…… I know it doesn’t help to say this, but I’m really glad you survived.”

Justy thought about it and directed his words to Angelica. This is what he really felt.

Both Justy and Angelica were regarded with awe as the leading warriors of the Eastern Borderlands, known as the “Lion of the East” and the “Slaughter Princess of Ilkas” respectively.

Justy had a high opinion of Angelica as a loyal warrior and, although he never said so, he also liked her as a woman.

It was still not a (yet) concrete feeling of love, but it was still a relief to see that the woman he had admired so much was still alive.

However, at the same time, the change was like an ice cube in the back of his head.

“The air is still sharp and still intact, but…… how dangerous it is!?”

Justy clenched his fists in silence at the sight of the woman he had once had a soft spot for, and had broken it off when she became engaged to Brad.

The Angelica Ilkas of old was a woman who could be intimidating, but also deeply compassionate.

She was a far cry from the “Slaughter Princess” of the battlefield, smiling and lending a helping hand to children and the weak, and many men had been captivated by her.

But the Angelica of today is sharp, her kindness and serenity have completely disappeared.

It was as if the devil had taken her soul, and she had lost her humanity.

“Well, thank you for your concern.”

Angelica replied to Justy’s concern for her own safety in a curt manner.

She pinched her hair with her fingertips and fiddled with her words in a boring manner.

“I’m the only one who’s still alive. My parents are dead, my brother is dead.”

“…………”

“Oh, you look terrible. There is no shame in fighting and dying for one’s country, so don’t feel sorry for me.”

“Tha-…… no, you’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

Justy nodded profoundly and agreed with Angelica’s words.

“I admire the courage of your family. From the bottom of my heart.”

“Thank you. I’m so glad.”

Angelica smiles at Justy with her bandaged face. It was a gentle, clear smile, reminiscent of her former self.

Angelica showed a slight smile in the midst of the sadness, and Justy’s expression also relaxed.

“By the way, Justy. I’d like to ask you a favour.”

“A favour? Anything I can do to help you, I will do it.”

“Well, thank you.”

With a gentle smile on her face, Angelica licks her red lips.

Justy gasped in surprise at this sexy gesture, which he would never have seen in her before.

But that’s when the real shock begins.

“Then please ………… die for me, will you?”

“Wait, what?”

Angelica’s skirt dances softly. At the same time, the left leg of the prosthesis leaps like a young ayu leaping from the water.

(TL:young ayu-type of fish)

Justy was blindsided by a high kick that would crash into his skull and made him react quickly.