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Chapter 247

「Behind us are non-combatants that have fled the capital . They have no intentions to resist, nor do they have the means to fight . If you―― 」

Something entered Minerva’s vision who was speaking to the Imperial soldiers . Hidden behind the Imperial soldiers, a shimmering haze like on a hot day’s road appeared .

Judging from experience what it would do, Minerva immediately warned her allies .

「Something is coming! 」

「Disperse! 」

As expected of Moore who reacted to Minerva’s words immediately . Of course, Minerva herself can’t stay there as well .

As she controlled the horse with the reigns, a fireball appeared above the Imperial soldiers and flew towards her .

The fireball that came at high speed shattered the ground . The heat radiated in the air reached Minerva, and the shockwave shook her .

「There’re more coming! 」

Moore’s voice told them to pay attention, and now, volleys of arrow came from the Imperial soldiers .

Minerva immediately controlled the horse to run, avoiding the area that was aimed . Moore arrived beside her .

「So they didn’t have the intention of capture from the start huh? 」

It was as Moore said . Leaving aside negotiation, the Imperial soldiers didn’t even have the intention of listening what they are saying .

On top of that, they responded with magic and arrows, it was obvious that they are not going to capture Minerva, but to kill her .

「They even have a magician there! Those Empire bastards, they don’t spare any energy huh! 」

While blocking the incoming arrows with his sword, Moore grumbled . Certainly, the presence of a magician here is unexpected .

The same for the Kingdom, even in the Empire, magicians are important assets in the army . And to use them just for the sake of pursuing refugees, even Moore didn’t expect they would do that .

「Though, if they were aiming for Ojou-sama from the start, then it makes more sense! 」

The arrows that came from the Imperial soldiers weren’t that much . And archers that can accurately snipe someone riding on a horse is even lesser .

However, the problem was the offensive magic by the magician . As long as they are within sight of the magician, the magic attack is more accurate than any arrow .

「Ojou-sama, it’s looking quite bad . 」

「Yes, it seems so . I didn’t think they would have a magician too . 」

「Let’s retreat immediately . 」

「That’s……」

Moore made changes to the plan ad lib, and just as Minerva was showing a difficult face, she was taken by surprise as a part of the ground collapsed . It was the magic of the enemy magician .

「Ah! 」

Unlike Moore who immediately pulled his horse and avoided it, Minerva ran straight into it .

「Ojou-sama! 」

Hearing Moore’s voice, Minerva’s vision flipped . The next moment, a strong hit to her shoulder . With impacts towards her back, waist and then her legs, she couldn’t even breathe for a second .

「Ka, hak! 」

As her realization of falling off her horse finally caught up, she also realized that it’s the worst scenario . She tried to raise her painful body up but, her limbs didn’t listen to her command .

Without wasting time, the Imperial soldiers immediately closed the distance . And then, the sound of gallops .

「Hold on, Ojou-sama! 」

Moore reached out his hands after arriving beside Minerva . However, her breath had only just caught up, and her body rebelled against her own will, and she couldn’t take his hand .

「Captain, what about Ojou-sama !? 」

The other three cavalry who were dealing with the approaching Imperial soldiers came running .

「Pulling the reigns is probably impossible . Riding on someone’s horse and breaking through―― is not possible too, huh . 」

Moore looked around the Imperial soldiers annoyed . There were already five Imperial soldiers surrounding Minerva and the others .

「Tch, we’re surrounded . 」

Moore clicked his tongue as he got down his horse . In a situation where they are forced to stop, there’s no longer any meaning to continue riding a horse .

Centering Minerva, with their back faced towards each other, Moore and the other three glared at the surrounding Imperial soldiers .

「Alright, deal with their horses and magician if there’s a chance . 」

Moore muttered in a soft voice only audible to the other three .

「Got it . 」

「Isn’t the magician impossible? 」

「I mean, if he comes out in front . 」

Hearing the three different kinds of response, Moore asked Minerva .

「Ojou-sama, can you run? 」

「……My legs, it’s not as painful . Probably, I think . 」

Eventually, Minerva who regained her freedom of movement said so without confidence . Although the pain is still terrible in her shoulders, other than that, she was getting better .

It was fortunate that her legs was not in pain .

「Let’s head north if we can break through . Rest yourself until then . 」

「No……, I will fight too . 」

「Please stay still for the time being . If Ojou-sama’s legs stopped in the middle of it, it will be the end, woah there . It’s not like the numbness is gone yet right . 」

Although there’s a need for Minerva and the others to talk in order to convey their intentions, the Imperial soldiers didn’t . The five were totally surrounded by Imperial soldiers, and were attacked by the infantries one after another .

Moore and the other three were fending off with a sword . The difference in number is five against a hundred .

However, even if they are surrounded, it’s not like all hundred of them can come at them at once . Moore and the other three at most only face two or three opponents at a time .

Naturally, fighting several opponents at once requires considerable skills but, Moore and the other three of the guards of the Duke’s residency are elites .

If there’s no need to worry about their back, there’s no way they would get taken out by a common soldier .

「Endory, how many!? 」

One of the three guards smashed an Imperial soldier’s spear down to the ground while asking his colleague .

「The second now! 」

The man named Endory was pressing on his sword, forcing through the shield of the Imperial soldier . Stabbing through the neck of the soldier that fell backwards, the second victim fell .

「Just two!? 」

「Shut up! 」

「You lots are really energetic! 」

While commenting on his subordinates enjoyably, Moore avoided the spear that came his way .

「Then what about Captain!? 」

「This――」

His sword closed in within an instant, and Moore’s sword cut off the arm of a soldier .

「Is my fifth! 」

It was not a long time that Minerva and the others started exchanging sword blows after getting surrounded .

They still hadn’t had any serious injuries, while the number of victims from the Imperial soldiers crossed over two digits .

However, it still doesn’t change the fact that they are severely lacking in numbers compared to the opponents, moreover, their fatigue is piling up .

With the fatigue piling up and slowing down their judgement, a moment’s mistake would suffice to kill .

「Crap! 」

One of the escorts failed to parry an attack, and showed an enormous opening . Aiming that, another Imperial soldier came slashing .

「Look out! 」

It was Minerva who reached out from behind and saved him . The short sword carrying mana deflected the Imperial soldier’s sword .

「Thanks for the save! 」

Cutting down the Imperial soldier after escaping from the danger, the escort thanked Minerva .

「Let me support too! 」

As the pain from falling off her horse subsided, other than the pain residing in her shoulder, there’re not many problems .

It’s not Minerva’s intentions to be protected like this forever . Minerva at the center focused on all directions, and wielded her sword to support the escorts who were getting pushed back .

Matching the movements of the escorts, she would occasionally leave the center, dealing one blow and immediately getting back to the center .

Although not having trained as a team in the first place, their actions were linked together strangely well, thanks to that, no ally had retired yet .

However, no matter how Moore and the other escorts are individually stronger than the Imperial soldiers, it’s obvious to anyone’s eyes that the current situation is not good to persist .

「Captain, it’s about time! 」

「Yeah, I know! 」

From the beginning, it’s impossible to win against that many enemies . What they could do is deal as much damage as they can, break through a gap in their encirclement, and escape like that .

There’s a need to reserve their power for a timing like that to appear . Now that they have abandoned their horses, they have to deal with the pursuing horses as well somehow, if not, they could never outrun the enemies .

「Cain and Endory, open a path! 」

「Yes! 」

「Understood! 」

At Moore’s order, the two escorts made a joint aggressive offense . The two’s roles are to push through forcefully .

Not able to respond to the two that were attacking defensively till now, two Imperial soldiers were down in a moment .

However, Minerva who was about to follow after the two saw another haze at the edge of her vision .

「Incoming magic! 」

A short warning . The next moment, Minerva witnessed a fireball flying towards Cain who started running .

「Guaaa! 」

「Uwak! 」

The fireball impacted right in front of Minerva, consuming Cain and another Imperial soldier .

「They’re even hitting their own people! 」

Moore yelled out complaining . Minerva lost her voice at the unimaginable scene .

With this close quarter combat, it was unthinkable for the enemy to unleash offensive magic . It would’ve been different if it was after they escaped the encirclement .

It’s natural to be on guard against offensive magic or arrows that may come after escaping the encirclement . However, Minerva didn’t ever expect they would ever hurl an offensive magic that might involve one of their own men .

「Cain-san! 」

Minerva ran to Cain .

「Ojou-sama, don’t stop! Run! 」

Moore’s voice reached Minerva as well . However, her legs stopped nonetheless .

「Uuu…… . Run, Ojou-sama……」

Cain’s painful and weak voice conveyed . It seems like he was still conscious . However, his back was burnt, and it was obvious that his life is already fleeting .

He was not in a state capable of running . Even more so that he cannot fight with a sword .

Minerva who stopped running just for a moment was surrounded by Imperial soldiers again .

「Aaah~, welp, this is now awful . 」

Moore’s tone was still light despite in a grave situation . It’s unknown whether it is the leisure that he gained from escaping so many near-death situation, a bluff, or resignation .

Breaking through is now impossible . Arriving there, Minerva finally realized that she had made an irrecoverable mistake .

It’s natural for her to be concerned over an injured ally, and look after them . However, it was not a situation that something natural like that should happen .

Although cold-hearted, they should’ve abandoned Cain who was injured and break through the encirclement .

In as little time as a blink, she had to make the correct decision when Moore shouted . However, it’s already meaningless to mull over it now .

It was a mistake in Minerva’s judgement . No, even if she understood that abandoning Cain there was the right choice, she hesitated when executing, and the lag in her judgement costed her greatly .

「It was……my mistake……」

Minerva regretted over her choice as she squeezed out the few words . The situation had worsened several leagues than before .

It had already been decided during the moment of her mistake in judgement, or even earlier when she hesitated .

In an instant on the battlefield, one must be able to make a cold-hearted decision . Although Minerva learnt the lesson now, it would only prove useful if she can actually survive .

「Nn――, well, Ojou-sama is still sixteen, and it’s the first battlefield after all . I guess I was way worse when I was that age . 」

Moore’s consoling words weren’t capable of soothing Minerva . Because of Minerva’s mistake, everyone’s death is drawing close .

And of course, there is no chance to fix it now . In the end, she had only dragged everyone around under the pretense of her noble pride .

Just as Moore said, selfish behavior will only drive the escorts to death . Those thoughts became her words .

「……I’m, sorry . 」

Moore didn’t hide his surprise and returned his advice .

「Oi oi, a noble lady of the Duke can’t be apologizing now . 」

「At this point, being a noble or not doesn’t matter . 」

Despite it being a death threatening situation, Minerva showed a bitter smile .

「It was myself that involved everyone . If I were to escape the capital from the start, then something like this would’ve never happened . That’s why, not as a noble lady, I wish to apologize as a person and………… thank you for not abandoning me, despite my selfishness . Captain Greystar, and everyone else too . 」

It was already the end of the road . If so, the face of a noble or prestige does not matter .

Following her true self within, at least that should be forgivable now .

「I take the appreciation but, spare me from the apologies . It’s not like we followed Ojou-sama unwillingly―― woah there . 」

With one of the soldier stabbing with his spear as the trigger, several other soldiers rushed at once . While avoiding one of them, Moore continued .

「Although I’ve made a lot of complaints from my standpoint, I don’t think Ojou-sama was wrong . 」

「It’s as Captain said, Ojou-sama . A noble protecting the citizens from the invaders, it’s like the hero of a story, isn’t it cool to be one . 」

While fending off the Imperial soldiers behind, the escorts agreed with Moore .

「Actually, it felt like I became a knight I longed for, it was quite fun . Isn’t it an exciting situation to be swinging a sword alongside my master . Even more so if she’s a noble lady . 」

The escort on the right side was cutting down Imperial soldiers with a fearless smile .

「And you heard it, Ojou-sama . You can stick your chest out in pride . 」

Finally, with Moore’s words, Minerva’s chest burned . The inexplicable feeling flooded her entire body, as she held herself back from yelling out impulsively with reasoning .

「……Once again, thank you . 」

Dismissing her thoughts of self-deprecation, Minerva took up her sword while suppressing the pain in her shoulder .

「It is my utmost pride to have been with everyone . Although I have no means to return the favor, I will at least prove myself worthy to be protected . That’s why―― 」

Dodging the sword that came from the front, she cut down the arm that swung it .

「To not shame the name of Nyrestia, let’s fight till the bitter end . 」

With resolution, her sword drew the 『一』 character .

「Now that’s a pretty expression . 」

Moore said with a grin, in a feeling that was closer than ever before . Not as a servant, without the relationship of the protector and the protected, Minerva who felt like she was acknowledged as a battle comrade for the first time felt light in her heart, disregarding the situation .

With their backs against each other, the four sword were cutting away at the Imperial soldiers . Even with light injuries on them, they slowly but surely shaved away at the enemies .

However, the advantage wouldn’t last forever . Minerva’s both arms felt dull, and the hands that held the familiar sword felt like logs .

As if waiting for them to exhaust themselves, the Imperial soldiers were pushing against them without pause . Unlike the enemies that has substitutes, Minerva and the others had to fight without taking a sliver of rest .

The limit is unavoidable .

「Tch, this sword! 」

Beside Minerva, one of the escorts threw away the sword that snapped in half, and switched to a spare dagger .

「Guhk……! 」

The escort at her back took an attack to his side abdomen from a spear blade, and staggered . However, Minerva didn’t have the room to follow up with them now .

She herself was stuck in a sword lock with another Imperial soldier after all . Even if practiced in swordsmanship, Minerva is still only a sixteen years old girl .

In a sword lock, she of course has the disadvantage in brute strength . Even more so now that her shoulders are still injured .

「Little miss . Don’t glare at me like that, blame your birth country . ――Now, do it! 」

The soldier in front of her signaled the others, and the two soldiers beside him faced Minerva .

Minerva felt hair standing all over herself . If she took an attack from both sides now, there’s no doubt that she would turn into a skewer .

As she resolved that it is the end, Minerva felt intense pressure above her head that she never experienced .

It was only herself that noticed the change in the atmosphere . Minerva unintentionally looked upwards to the sky .

The iris-colored eyes widened . What filled the entire sky was thick layer of haze .

And then, the countless swords that rained down on the ground .