CH 40

A flickering scene.

It is a faint memory that comes to mind.

“Hey, hey, mother? Why does father always work so late?”

A young girl’s question.

“That’s the thing, Nina. It’s for everyone’s happiness.”

Her mother replied as she stroked the girl’s head.

“Everyone’s happiness?

The girl’s head is filled with a number of [?] marks come to mind.

“Yeah.”

Her mother continued in a gentle tone of voice.

“Our job as royalty is to build a country where everyone can be happy and have fun.”

“Oh…..”

“Your father is the leader.”

“Leader?”

A new one of [?] mark appeared above the girl’s head.

“Yes … It’s mean the one who has to work the hardest.

“I understand!”

The girl nodded broadly as she understood.

“So, Nina. When you grow up, Nina, like your father, make a country full of smiles where everyone in the country can live happily.”

“Yes! I’l make sure I’ll do my best for sake everyone!!”

When the girl says this with great enthusiasm, the mother smiles and quickly puts out her little finger.

“Then it’s a promise.”

“Yes! I promise!”

Then the girl twined her fingers, one small, around her mother’s.

◇

–Dreams.

The girl slowly raises her slightly heavy body and recalls with a head that has not yet awakened.

“How many times have I done this?”

She just muttered that to no one in particular.

This promise she made to her mother when she was a child.

In the 17 years she has been alive, she has never once forgotten it.

Because she has a belief in this promise she made to her mother.

“All right.”

Nina takes enough time to get herself ready.

She then tightened the ribbon around her chest, and after a quick check to make sure her uniform was in order, she left her room.

◇

“Salute the captain!”

When Nina walked into the magic training ground, the members of the group saluted Nina in accordance with the order of Monica, the second-in-command.

Then Nina nodded lightly and they all released their salute.

“Monica. What’s the status of the war?”

“Yes, ma’am. The invasion of Lisbet’s army is still fierce, and Santa Mysia has already fallen into the hands of the enemy.”

“Alright.”

Nina quickly shadows her expression.

The snow-lit town of Santa Mysia is about a day’s ride by carriage from the royal capital of Snowden.

She can’t hold back the headache of the situation that Lisbet’s hand may extend to the royal capital at any time.

“It’s reminiscent of Logimel that day. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before Yuresh falls. ……”

“How did this happen?”

Monica, like Nina, mutters so, a shadow falling over her expression.

Really, how did it come to this?

It’s as if what I feared a few years ago has come true.

It all started a year ago.

After the invasion of Logimel, Lisbet, who had remained silent until then, suddenly declared war on Yuresh.

I remember that my father, King Julius, had something on his mind and was furious, “Just because of that!” I remember that he was furious.

“No. You can’t help it if you’re gloomy. The mission that we, the Yuresh Magicians, have been given is to protect the royal castle. Now that the knights of Yuresh have been almost completely destroyed on the front lines, there are very few forces left. We’ll be busy from here on out. Let’s get back into the swing of things!”

「「「「「「 Yes! 」」」」」」

Everyone straightens their collars at Nina’s proclamation.

Then, with Nina in the lead, the group made their way to the royal city of Snowden.

◇

“There is no enemy attack.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Nina looks towards Santa Mysia from the top of the hill.

All day today, she has been guarding all of Capital Snowden with her magic division, but in the end, there was no Lisbet invasion.

No, there is nothing better than not having it, but she feels somewhat let down by the fact that she was prepared for it.

“Captain. Could it be that they succeeded in repelling them?”

Monica next to say says so excitedly.

Indeed, with that in mind, no wonder they didn’t reach out to Snowden.

“No, I think it’s too early to conclude. Since the situation is this bad, I think we should be fighting on the front lines too.”

Monica mutters with a gloomy look on her face.

It is true that she also think so. But Nina, who understands that the reason it doesn’t is because of herself, can’t return the words.

The king loves his daughter, Nina, very much. This is why the magic division, of which Nina is the captain, does not go to the front lines, but is sent to protect the capital.

“Hey, captain. Why don’t you make a direct appeal to King Julius?”

“Direct appeal?

“Yes, ma’am. You ask him to let us head to Santa Mysia, the current front line, as reinforcements. They might be pushing back, and now he might give us permission!”

Nina puts her hand to her chin and thinks.

You may indeed be right, Monica.

For the past few years, Nina has been busy honing her magic.

That’s because she wanted to be a force for good in this country.

Shouldn’t this very power that has been sharpened to resist the threat of Lisbet be used now?

“Yes. We’ll have a little talk.”

Nina replied, and Monica nodded broadly with a big smile on her face.

◇

“No way.”

The audience room.

The king, Julius, said this a little angrily with a blue streak on his forehead.

“Why!!”

Nina, who is not convinced, persists.

“If I say no, I mean no. The Magic Division is the last fortress that protects this country. It’s impossible for them to leave the country. Think a little before you say anything!”

The strong words stung Nina’s heart.

However, if she pulls out now, she’ll lose the chance she had.

“Then Monica and I will head out. The rest of the squad will stay here for protection. Then there are no problems.”

“Who’s in command of the squad? I don’t think a squad without a captain and a second-in-command would be able to move with precision in a pinch, would they?”

“It’s …….”

He’s usually so sweet, but today he’s hitting ger right where it hurts.

She wonders if it’s still impossible.

“I’ll stay.”

Nina was about to give up when a voice called out from behind her.

She turned around in a panic and saw Monica there.

“I’ll stay behind and take command of the magic division.”

“Monica…”

“‘……. Nina alone is not safe on the front lines.”

“We’ll need a few men from the division to accompany the captain. It’s not a problem if you lose a few people because the Magic Division consists of more than a hundred people. And Nina-sama is the best magic user in this country. I believe that kicking Lisbet’s army to the curb would be a piece of cake. Does the king not trust Nina-sama’s power?”

In response to the king’s words, Monica rattled off a few words.

King Julius flinches a little in response.

“Not that I don’t believe you, …….”

“‘Then I’ll take that as a no-brainer. Captain, prepare to go into battle!”

Monica grabs Nina’s hand, who is dumbfounded, and walks to the exit.

“Wait, wait, wait. We’re still talking about–”

The king was saying something behind her, but she pretended not to hear him, and Monica forcefully took the bewildered Nina and left the audience hall.

◇

“Monica, um …….”

“Captain is now ready for his big day.”

Nina’s private office.

Nina, who had been silent up to that point, decided to speak to Monica and she smiled at her.

“It’s been several years since I became Nina-sama’s aide and bodyguard. A great deal of time has passed since I was ordered to be the second-in-command of the magic division. I am proud to say that I am the one who knows the most about how much training Nina-sama has gone through during that time.”

“Monica?

Nina waits for her words with a head that she still can’t wrap her head around.

“There is no reason for such a Nina-sama to be muffing in a place like this. That’s why I had to incite Nina-sama a little.”

With hehe, Monica stuck out her tongue.

So Nina gradually begins to understand what is being said.

“It didn’t matter to me. It’s just that I wasn’t satisfied with the situation where Nina-sama, who worked so hard on her own, was put under the protection as a princess just because she was a princess. As I said before, I believe that Nina-sama is the strongest person in this country!”

Monica says, then takes Nina’s hand and looks into her eyes.

“So, Nina-sama, please save this country ……!　I ask this on behalf of my people.”

“Monica… ……

Nina bites down on this voice, this word from Monica.

Her mother’s words she saw in her dream again this morning.

The royal family has to work hard to make everyone in the country happy.

It’s not just my father who is king.

I’m a princess, too.

I promised my mother that when I grew up I would build a happy country like my father.

Isn’t that what we’re doing now?

Nina held that promise to her mother in her heart and squeezed Monica’s hand back.

“Yeah. I got it!”

“Nina-sama…”

“And I’m sorry, I know I’ve put you through a lot. No, I guess I should say thank you here.”

“That’s too good to be true.”.

Monica slowly kneels down to show her loyalty to Nina.

Nina took it, and she made a new vow to herself.

She said she would show Lisbet’s army this power she had been training.

To protect the happiness of this country …