CH 103

I should have killed her. Promise or whatever, the fool who runs wild without even knowing the subject has nothing to say when they die. How dare she try to help? She was nothing but a weakling who would collapse with a single strike of her sword.

Dondon took her own hand to her waist. At the same time, Arianne picked up the firewood at her feet and began to break it. Tuk. Tak. Tak. And Dondon’s eyes looking at this, slowly widened.

“Uh? What are yu? How can yu break it with yur bare hands?”

“Huh? I just do it.”

Dondon stared blankly at Arianne’s face, who replied indifferently. “…”

What is this? She… It was a piece of firewood as thick as a woman’s wrist. Dondon, who was watching Arianne break it with a nonchalant face, suddenly realized something with a surprised expression.

Before grabbing my dagger, it looked like my neck could be broken just like that. Thinking like that, Dondon’s hand moved away from her waist. “Thank yu for helping us.”

What is this, all of a sudden? What’s wrong with her?

“Did you catch a heatstroke?”

I looked puzzled at Dondon’s response as if I had heard her wrong.

“Tsk. Yu, it’s not easy to hear words of gratitud from me.”

When I showed dissatisfaction, Dondon asked. “Okey, fine. Do yu have a bad personality?”

My fine forehead crumpled up. …This little shit. I can’t refute it. 

“What’s your plan? Since we’re together, I should know what you know now.”

To Arianne’s question, Dondon shook her head. Her desire to kill Arianne had long since disappeared. No, it wasn’t because she was scared of her arm strength. Since she decided to take her to the empire, she should treat her as a guest, if not as a colleague. Because she had to keep her promise. Having rationalized herself, Dondon decided to reveal her plan. Well, it wasn’t something to hide.

“Kill dem.”

“Huh?” Arianne asked back.

Dondon faced Arianne with a determined face and said, “Kill. Whoever gets in my wey must be killed.”

That was Dondon’s way and one of the reasons why other siblings were reluctant to her. And Arianne once again pushed her patience.   

“So how?”

I asked about the plan. The plan! But from her answer, I was sure. This brat definitely doesn’t have a plan. As expected.

“We just have to kill dem. What’s more?”

“…You’re really a stupid idiot with nothing but physical strength.”

“What? Yu ignorant strong thing!”

Even though her pronunciation was poor, Dondon, who was top-notch in listening, understood the curse words fully and then jumped around.

“Anyway, you don’t have any plans, don’t you?”

“Plan? I’m going to kill dem all.”

Eventually, I ran out of patience. “It’s not a plan. It’s just a resolution. You fucking idiot!”

Fucking idiot~ Fucking idiot~ Fucking… idiot~

My shout resounded as an echo in the empty field, where not a single common grasshopper sound could be heard.

(W-what is it?)

(Did something happen to Her Highness?)

Dondon’s army gradually gathered around her, to protect their master.

“W-what the? Why is it echoing?”

I had never been to a mountain, but I knew there was an echo that would return when you shouted from the top of a mountain. But why is it here too?

“Arianne! What’s going on?”

Charter and Paku, who looked very surprised, rushed in a single run.

“No, I just shouted a little… This, isn’t it that, right? Echo? This place is not even a mountain, but why in a place like this…”

Paku explained it to me, who couldn’t understand it.

“You didn’t see it because it’s hidden by the hill, but there’s a canyon area beyond that hill. That’s probably why.”

“Ah, canyon.”

I nodded as if I finally understood then, and Dondon looked up at me.

“Wow. How can a woman’s voice be louder than a tiger! Why? Keep screaming. Did you want to declare war on them and let them know we’re here?”

At Dondon’s sarcasm, I curled up my lips inward and bit it.

“Anyone would have heard it. You have declared war very well, Baroness Devit.”

I even had to turn my head at Paku’s joke.

After a while, in Dondon’s tent.

“So, you’re saying you have a plan?”

I nodded confidently at Paku’s question. “Yes. Well, let’s see…”

I, who was looking around, brought a golden jar and put it on the table, and said, “This is the canyon we passed through. And—”

“Take yur hands off. Unless yu want yur hands to fly away.”

It was Dondon who didn’t let me touch her things. I then took my hand away, which was about to hold Dondon’s jewelry box. Geez! With that, I had no choice but to pick up a branch near the brazier and began to break it into small pieces. The branch was as thick as a child’s wrist.

“Why are yu doing that again? Are yu a human? How can yu do that? Don’t be so powerful!” Dondon grumbled with a fed-up look.

No, isn’t it ambiguous to even call that a tree branch? Should you just call it a thin log?

“What are you saying? Can’t you do this? Don’t tell me… you can’t do this?”

Dondon’s pride was properly scratched by Arianne’s eyes that looked like saying, ‘No way, right?’

“Of course! Not even Paku can do dat! I don’t even think that guy can do dat! Yu ignorantly strong fellow!”

She even brought up the innocent Paku and Charter. But then. Tak. Tak. Crack. Crack. Suddenly after, Paku and Charter also brought a small log that was slightly thicker than Arianne’s and broke it. It was like they were trying to appeal to her. With the attitude of saying, ‘I can do this easily! With ease! Anytime! Without exerting much effort!’

What’s wrong with all those beast-like people? Dondon trembled with absurdity and betrayal. And,

“You can’t do that because you’re ignorantly weak?”

Arianne’s comment made her explode.

“Urgh! Get los! Get los!!”

Dondon lifted her small body and kicked Arianne. At the same time, Paku snatched Dondon from the air. Dondon, who had two legs in the air, eventually shouted angrily. “These long legs guys!”

Inside the tent, where a commotion raged, it was hot. Dondon, who had barely calmed down, sat down in a crooked position and said, “Jas try it. If yu talk nonsense, yu will know what it feels to be dead.”

She really meant it. Even if her plan seemed promising, she intended to kill her. Without prolonging it, right away tonight. She would swiftly cut off her neck.

“Simple. Just turn things around.”

Arianne, who didn’t know about it, laughed arrogantly.

“You mean to lure them into the canyon?”

Paku’s face turned red when he noticed Arianne’s plan.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see. Then the troops…”

Charter also understood her plan at once and presented a more detailed plan.

W-what? They understood with just one sentence from her? Am I the only one who doesn’t understand? Only me this time? Dondon tried not to reveal the fact that only she was unaware of their plan. She just nodded her head, pretending to understand and agree.

Damn it. This makes me look like I’m really ignorant! It wasn’t that I was ignorant. I… I’m not ignorant!

* * *

“Please come this way.”

It looked like he was around 40? Contrary to his polite attitude, the man who appeared to be a butler looked at the guest in front of him with wary eyes.

Bein thought as he followed the man. I have to bring him in by any means. He tightly gripped the official document handwritten by the emperor.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

“Yes.”

Bein sat down on the sofa in the parlor and looked around. As he felt from the moment he entered the entrance, the parlor here was also old and worn out, and he could feel the dreary atmosphere.

No way, he’s not dead, right? Considering his age, it was quite possible. Since the people here had already cut off communication with the outside world, his death might not have been announced to the outside world either.

“It would be nice if it wasn’t vain.”

“Fortunately, you didn’t go in vain.”

Surprised by the low, solemn voice behind his back, Bein rose from his seat. At the low voice that seemed to ring the space, Bein gulped and turned back, and at the same time, Bein’s eyes grew bigger behind the foggy glasses.

Where his gaze landed, there was a tall, gray-haired man. Grand Duke Federut! I heard he was apparently in his 70s… He could hardly be seen as an old man who had only a few days left to live. Faced with his firm gaze, resolute posture, and the aura emanating from him, it felt like looking at a towering mountain.

The castle’s owner, Grand Duke Federut, looked at the stunned Bein and asked, “You brought the emperor’s official document?”

“Ah… yes.”

Only then did Bein come to his senses, politely put his hands together, and handed out the official document to him. Grand Duke Federut skipped past him and sat down on the sofa across from him, not paying attention to the official document.

“How could he think of giving me an official document or something like that…! He’s a man without a conscience.”

“?”

For a moment, Bein wondered what he heard. Could it be that he’s cursing the emperor right now? For some reason, he felt like he heard something he shouldn’t have heard. A cold sweat began to ooze down his back.

“When I pleaded desperately, he remained indifferent, but now that trouble has fallen on him, he finally came seeking me.”

Pleaded? What did he mean?  What is there to beg from a person like Grand Duke Federut to the emperor? Are the rumors that he locked the gates because his daughter’s divorce brought shame to him just a false rumor? Was there something else wrong with the emperor?

Grand Duke Federut said to him, who was cold at the unknown situation, not knowing what to do. “Go and tell the emperor. No words will ever move me.”

“Ah… if you read it once…”

Grand Duke Federut’s eyes flashed.

Gasp. Bein couldn’t help but think that the eyes of the grand duke were reminiscent of the legendary ‘monster that turns you to stone when meeting their eyes.’ Thankfully, his glasses blurred his vision; otherwise, if he had directly faced those eyes, his heart might have stopped right there.

“Go back. I’ll never give him any help.”

Grand Duke Federut was determined, and Bein was anxious.

The situation at the border wasn’t good. Marquis Hood replaced Duke Kaien to become the commander-in-chief, but his influence has never reached Duke Kaien’s.  Along with the stronger-than-expected enemy force and the absence of Duke Kaien for a long time, the Harpion Army was becoming anxious. Now, the army needed a strong person they could trust and rely on. For example, someone like Grand Duke Federut, who was called ‘Guardian of Harpion.’

He didn’t know how things would turn out if he returned like this. No, he knew it too well. So Bein visited the emperor directly as Marquis Hood’s messenger. The emperor looked troubled by his proposal, but he also knew there was no better way, so he eventually wrote an official document in his own handwriting. But Bein didn’t expect the grand duke wouldn’t even look at the official document. He didn’t know what happened between the two, but he couldn’t back down like this.

We have to stabilize the border quickly and find the baroness. Ben believed that she was still alive. Even now, she must have been fighting with her life and death to somehow return. In order to find her as soon as possible, they had to cross the border and invade the enemy’s camp.

Bein got his act together. He pinched his thigh hard. Tears came out a little, but thanks to that, he had the courage to open his mouth. His mouth, which had been tightly closed, opened. “Have you ever heard of Baroness Devit?”