Parallel Story: Female Knight, full of justice

Somewhere in the Supercontinent Centoria

 

Six birds that looked like black crows flew in the sky above the sun that was slowly setting, whose light, in the middle of some meadows, revealed several large shadows of the travelers moving in lines on the ground.

 

The exact number was at least 30 individuals riding through these grasslands and bushes, surrounded by a serious atmosphere. The vast majority were men who projected a strong, powerful, and dignified presence, with armor that covered their bodies almost completely.

 

They were brave knights from a powerful kingdom, sent there to carry out a mission for their great monarch. What looked like a dove of light hovered above them, as if guiding them along the right path.

 

A man, about 30 years old, with skin slightly tanned from sun exposure, short brown hair and blue eyes that were naturally sharp like a sword, had an expression of concentration while faint waves of maryoku emanated from his body.

He was directing the information he was receiving through his spell, sensing it as it approached the anchor point, and then looked at the person behind him, saying in a loud, stiff voice, "Captain, we're approaching the first town on our route."

 

—That's what I'm afraid of, Lieutenant.

 

The ironic, somber voice of a woman with a long turquoise ponytail was heard, holding the reins of her horse tightly. Her pink eyes, slightly covered by her bangs, narrowed as she fell into deep thought.

 

She wore lightweight, silver-colored metal armor, designed not to hinder her movement, which softly reflected the sunlight off her hair. Through its design, her attractive, agile, and flexible figure could be appreciated, seeming out of place among the rugged men in similarly colored armor.

 

But instead of contempt or anything remotely close to lust toward such a beautiful woman, there was only respect in the eyes of the men who watched her.

After all, the woman leading them was their powerful Captain, Grisella Arean; a proud knight in service to the Holy Queen of the Unified Holy Kingdom of Arcaden, the home nation of the most powerful Faith on the Continent.

 

At that moment, however… Grisella was worried because she was inwardly afraid of what she would see when they found the towns and villages that had lost all contact since the supposed news of the appearance of a Wyrven Lord reached the center of the kingdom, where the capital is located.

 

Suppressing her anxiety, Grisella prayed that her "Steed" would keep a steady pace. She had to get there and see what was going on.

 

Although the current speed shouldn't tire out a Level 56 Episcapi-rank magical beast, and the "Blessings" granted by his Grade 18 [Horse Riding] skill should provide him with plenty of energy with its transcendent power, he inevitably had to take into account that they were riding all the way from the capital.

Slowly but surely, fatigue was building up and seeping into her body. Not to mention human knights like Grisella, even a high-ranking destrier would be tired after the long journey, so she couldn't afford to tire her horse out any further.

 

"I hope nothing happened and that Lord Wyrven's story was just nonsense told by drunken idiots who don't understand the subject..." The lieutenant's words were filled with concern as he dispersed the magic dove into the air with a snap. Grisella shared the same thought.

 

Her Majesty, the Holy Queen, who ordered the voyage, begged Grisella to investigate the sightings of the Wyrven Lord and his army near the borders of the Holy Kingdom.

If they really found something like this, it was their duty to fight with their lives at stake to ensure the elimination of that which threatens the citizens of their nation.

 

Initially, since their target was located just outside the center of North Arcaden, sending several orders to the local lords to dispatch troops from there would be faster.

However, contact with the area had been lost from the beginning, so why was it necessary to go contact the lords for such a thing?

 

In that case, it would have been enough to send a crown herald... But, considering that most of the heteromorphs a Wyrven Lord leads are, of course, other Wyrvens, doing so was unreasonable if it turned out to be true.

After all, they were high-level beings within the Episcapi ranks; they would simply be slaughtered en masse, especially if there was a wide variety of monsters with different dangerous abilities in their horde.

 

In the United Holy Kingdom of Arcaden, the only ones who could compete with the Wyrvens without deploying their best, albeit expensive, armaments were the Knights under the command of the kingdom's only knight, Grisella Arean.

Thus, the task of suppressing the invasions of the potential horde led by a Wyrven Lord and annihilating it fell to Grisella, who admitted to being annoyed and frustrated.

 

Not for carrying out the task itself, but for the silly reasons repeatedly given for not moving the heavy weapons of their holy nation in response.

 

Honestly, it would have been faster if the kingdom's air force could have mobilized the massive Custodius te Caelesties to protect the towns and cities without having to mobilize Grisella herself on the ground, and doing so would be enough to destroy the threat, if it were real.

 

But despite the existence of such a simple method to resolve this situation once and for all, nothing had been done... no, it's just that no one wanted to do anything, whether it was real or not.

 

Grisella, knowing exactly why this was happening, felt restless and furious. She tried to calm herself, but her hands tightened on her Destrier's reins again.

Certainly, it was difficult to suppress the burning sensation that tormented her when she thought of those responsible for this.

 

“Captain, it’s simply inconceivable that the Royal Air Force wouldn’t send the Guardians of the Fallen to begin searching for the supposed Wyrven Lord when it’s their duty. What’s more, why didn’t they send other corps of the Knight Order besides us? Or, in any case, they could have hired adventurers as well. They, too, would have been able to easily search and find the trail of the supposed horde. Why wasn’t any of that done?”

 

Grisella sighed with a hint of helplessness in her expression, "...Stop, Lieutenant, if hordes led by a Wyrven Lord really appeared in the territories of our Holy Kingdom in broad daylight, the situation would be much worse for us.

 

"Captain... there's no one around. I hope you can tell me the truth without hesitation..." the Lieutenant said, his blue eyes shining with a cold light, displaying a mocking smile filled with deep contempt as he spoke in a tone that seemed likely to spit out at any moment of disgust.

—Is it because the nobles don't see the need to waste their precious money on worthless towns and villages...?

 

Grisella didn't respond; she closed her eyes and lowered her head. But they both knew it was true. Silence was the answer he needed, and the lieutenant grew even more enraged at the memory of those scoundrels.

 

"Those damned central nobles dare to sacrifice the lives of their own people just to not be part of the center, instead of fulfilling their duty! Furthermore, since this territory has the support of the Holy Queen, they can't miss the opportunity to leave Her Holy Majesty in ruin!"

 

—Not all nobles operate this way, Grais; there are also kind-hearted people among them, those who strive to improve their nation despite the hardships faced by the greedy and evil who plague the kingdom.

 

Saying this almost in a whisper, Grisella remembered the beautiful and elegant lilac-haired woman she was lucky enough to meet in this life, whose holy heart and impressive intelligence instilled hope for a better future in the people of the Kingdom of Arcaden.

By now, he should have already accumulated enormous influence in that academic city that he could use to his advantage to reform his kingdom...

 

Something she sincerely hoped for.

 

—Perhaps the Captain is right, there are nobles who live for the good of the people, and a perfect example is Princess Germinalia, the Holy Reformer and blessed daughter of Her Majesty, with unparalleled overflowing intelligence and infinite kindness for the secular people. However, you know well that these nobles are very rare... If only we could centralize the power of the Crown as they do in the Yamato Empire, then we could oppose those damned greedy nobles, for the good of our nation, don't you think?

 

The captain didn't deny it, but she did have something to say about her lieutenant's obvious burning desire for revolution against the nobles who oppress the defenseless.

 

—But if we act rashly, Grais, it could lead to civil war and our country would be torn in two again as it was centuries ago... or even worse. Besides, that cursed Duke Vortigern assumed regency of the kingdom of Camelot when old King Uther fell ill, and these days our kingdom fears the duke's ambitions to expand his territories... You know that the power of the Church has diminished to the point that this is a real concern... And a calamity like a civil war would be a national problem that would lead us to ruin in such a situation!

 

-I know, but...

 

-Let's leave this for now...

 

Suddenly, Grisella began to lower her voice as she stared straight ahead. A large, ominous column of black smoke rose from behind several trees on a hill in front of them, a faint but unpleasant smell spreading through the air... and they all knew what it meant.

 

By no means...

 

The captain of the Sixth Royal Knights Corps could do nothing but grit her teeth as her face distorted slightly.

As he rode toward the small forest that bordered the land, the scene he would see in person after everyone crossed the trees was, unfortunately, not what he had stupidly expected.

 

The entire city was burned and destroyed by what must have been a vast horde of beasts. Its buildings were razed to the ground, along with the defensive wall designed to protect against the heteromorphs.

The negative energy in the air could be perceived even by a normal person, and Grisella also sensed the residual aura of a powerful, high-ranking magical beast. An unmistakable creature, a high-ranking being, the "Torrius," was there, and with her experience, she was able to identify the monster responsible.

 

So it was true....

 

Realizing this, Grisella said in a firm voice, "...Get ready everyone. We'll have to act quickly."

 

The village was completely destroyed, and the remains of the houses were unrecognizable, with a few wild magical beasts around that were quickly killed as soon as they crossed their path. Walking among the ruins, Grisella smelled the scent of burnt flesh mixed with the scent of blood from the numerous half-eaten corpses along the road.

 

Grisella's face seemed as cold as a stone statue, as if she felt no emotional disturbance in the face of this tragedy. But if one looked closely, one could see her true somber character.

His lieutenant, who was walking beside him, had the same expression.

 

There were over one hundred thousand inhabitants in the village, and only sixteen survived. In truth, every single one of them had been slaughtered mercilessly. The monsters that walked the land did so without distinguishing between women, children, or even newborns—all the same, as always.

 

—Lieutenant Grais, send some soldiers to escort the survivors back to the capital, San Lorenzo.

 

—Wait a minute, doing something like that...

 

—You're right, especially under these circumstances, we must protect them.

 

In fact, San Lorenzo, as the capital of the Kingdom, is the domain of the Holy Queen, and it is a monarch's responsibility to protect his people. It would be a great problem for Her Holy Majesty if the survivors were abandoned here.

 

One might imagine that the aristocratic factions would seize this opportunity to sow chaos and weaken the influence of the Holy Queen, whom they hated for being the monarch. More importantly, Grisella wanted to save them.

 

—Please reconsider, Captain. All of these survivors were eyewitnesses to the horde led by Lord Wyrven. Verifying the truth was His Majesty's priority... I believe... we should take our men and retreat to San Lorenzo with the witnesses to the incident and some samples for you to send...

 

"I won't. I'll save the survivors and kill that monster and his minions along the way, along with those who caused this," Grisella said with cold eyes, causing the lieutenant to widen his eyes in panic, not understanding the last part of her sentence.

 

—Captain Grisella! It should be abundantly clear that this is what the nobles want. If the horde is real, and it is, this would be the perfect opportunity to dispose of you, His Holy Majesty's most powerful vassal! If not at the hands of the heteromorphs... at the hands of your subordinates, who hide like rats, waiting for the opportunity to kill while you strive to save the people!

 

What Lieutenant Grais said seemed like a baseless conspiracy. However, everyone present knew it was true. Grisella took a deep breath as she looked him in the eye and spoke slowly.

 

-All of this... was definitely the work of a Tamer in the service of the nobles.

 

-A tamer!?

 

—No way! And who can tame a Wyrven Lord?

 

The surprise of the Lieutenant and the others who inevitably listened was understandable.

After all, a "Tamer" was the name given to summoners who specialized in making contracts with magical beasts and the like after successfully taming them, being able to summon them whenever and wherever they wanted without having to constantly feed them maryoku to maintain their presence.

 

They were the most efficient summoners, but also the hardest to find, as summoning wizards generally preferred to summon beings from other planes of existence to gain mystical knowledge. In essence, they were the "rare bugs among rare bugs," as knights and adventurers liked to call them.

 

It was also rare to find one that could tame a Wyrven Lord... but it was the only reasonable explanation, as there was a clear limit to the number of monsters they could tame, even those at that legendary and feared rank shouldn't be exempt...

 

"Why would a tamer do this...? No, because she seems certain it's the work of sorcerers?" Grais asked, confused. I didn't understand how he came to that conclusion.

 

Grisella quickly explained her reason in a somber voice that held intense anger.

 

—Many heteromorphs are good at detecting humans through the 'scent' of our aura, Lieutenant. Although it may seem that way, it's obvious to me that these survivors didn't escape the monsters' attacks simply by hiding; I can safely say it was because the enemy deliberately let them live in such small numbers... I fear this was planned because, to protect the survivors, we must divide our troops, weakening ourselves in the process. Surely that's the perfect opportunity for the enemy to finish me off once and for all...

 

-S-something like that...

 

It was hard to believe... No, Grais refused for a moment to believe that there were humans capable of carrying out such a massacre of innocents, people of their own country, just to kill them and weaken the power of the Holy Queen.

…Until he quickly regained his senses—that the aristocracy could be so ruthless and inhuman—which made him grit his teeth in hatred. Then, he realized something.

"Captain... knowing this is a trap... you have no intention of hunting down these conspirators... do you?"

 

-....I will do that.

 

—Really?! Captain, there’s no denying that you, as a Level 70 Torrius, are very strong, and even if you were to face a thousand Wyrvens, you would undoubtedly win. But the aristocratic faction now has a Sorcerer powerful enough to control a Wyrven Lord!

 

Everyone's faces turned gloomy upon hearing the lieutenant's words.

 

If such a sorcerer is among the enemy ranks, it would be dangerous even for you to confront him, for you would literally be facing a one-man army. Even if the Captain were not facing such a powerful sorcerer with unknown abilities, you would still have to face the Magic Knights who serve the aristocracy, and you would most likely lose to their power... Please, I beg you, let us retreat for now. For the sake of the future of the Holy Kingdom of Arcaden, Captain. Not even sacrificing a few villages is comparable to losing your life for our future!

 

Grisella listened calmly as Lieutenant Grais continued speaking hurriedly. "If you still don't want to retreat... How about we abandon the survivors and all of us go with you?"

 

—That might be the best option... but doing so is like letting them die. Do you think these people survived alone with wild magical beasts roaming around, eager to devour human flesh just to evolve?

 

The lieutenant was speechless, knowing that the survivors' chances of survival were practically zero. If they didn't send the knights to protect them and escort them to the safety of a city barrier, they would die within days.

Still, what the lieutenant said wasn't wrong; no, neither right nor wrong had anything to do with the matter.

 

-... Captain, your life is the crown's most valuable asset, you know that. It can't compare to the lives of the villagers...

 

Grisella fully understood the pain Lieutenant Grais's decision caused him, which was why she allowed him to continue saying those things. But even so, she couldn't agree with him. "You and I were born as simple commoners, Grais. You remember that, right?"

 

-Yes...? Why...?

 

Grisella interrupted him. "I remember you were also born in an ordinary town?"

 

-Well, I...

 

—Village life isn't easy, and people die easily. Heteromorph attacks are common and cause many deaths, aren't they?

 

-...Yeah.

 

"Against a mere magical beast, even a normal knight would have a difficult time or be completely overwhelmed. Without the money to hire adventurers specialized in dealing with these beings or a knight order to fight them, the villagers and townspeople could only wait helplessly for death."

 

-.... GOOD...

 

—So, you, finding yourself in a desperate situation and knowing that the nobles wouldn't lift a finger, didn't you wish for someone, somehow, to help you? Who would have the strength to do it?

 

—...The truth is, everyone would be delusional if they thought anyone could help them in times of need, because no one would actually lend a hand. The aristocracy would never give money to help commoners afflicted with magical beasts and other heteromorphs, and adventurers wouldn't lift a finger without a good salary to motivate them. In the end... it's not lucrative for any of them to be a hero... No, most of today's knights would also laugh at the heroism and honor preached by Sir Lorenzo...

 

Grisella nodded. That was the reality they both hated to accept.

 

—That's how many people think... And that's why I want to show them that reality isn't like that. I want to help the helpless commoners the aristocracy despises and ignores, that Sir Lorenzo's chivalry and heroism still live on in the hearts of knights like us, who serve Heavenly Mother and the nation, guided only by the wisdom of the Holy Queen and her heir.

 

Grais was speechless as he heard her speak her mind so gently yet firmly, while the others looked slightly moved at their Captain, whose ponytail fluttered dignifiedly in the wind; the red sun illuminated her delicate but determined features.

 

—My loyal lieutenant, let us show all the commoners of our homeland what it means to face danger even at the risk of our lives as Knights of the Holy Kingdom, let us show that the brave will come to the rescue in the name of justice and that it is true that the strong help the weak in times of need, that even if it seems that the world is so cruel and merciless to those without power, there still speaks someone who can save them... Are you with me in this?

 

Although what he said was absolutely idealistic, his powerful voice conveyed a strong will to accomplish what he said.

Then Grisella and Lieutenant Grais looked at each other and shared a series of emotions with their eyes, while the knights surrounding them looked at them strangely, as if saying: "They are back in their own world..."

 

Neither of them knew it, but the idea that they shared a mutual love between boss and subordinate was deeply ingrained in their body of knights as an established fact.

Something that, for both of them, was complete nonsense.

 

Grisella only respected her lieutenant's abilities and trusted him, nothing more, and Grais already had a girlfriend. However, due to the human kingdoms' tendencies against certain beings, it wasn't something he could say publicly given his identity, or he would be stripped of his knighthood for some absurd reason.

Actually... he already seemed somewhat threatened by serving a woman...

 

Finally... Lieutenant Grais finally gave in upon hearing everything she had to say, seeing his captain's firm determination. Grais lowered his head for a few seconds, his hair fluttering slightly in the wind, and then raised it before speaking, looking at her with a somewhat tired tone, but impassioned by his commander's brief speech:

—...Then let me go take command of the men. There are many who can replace me, but no one who can replace you, Captain Grisella.

 

“Don’t be silly, Grais. It’s well known that my power as a Torrius is superior to normal, giving me a nearly 100% chance of survival,” Grisella said with a slight joking tone, to which Grais responded with a smile. “We’re not going to die, but to save the people of the Unified Holy Kingdom of Arcaden in the name of Her Majesty, the Honorable Queen Elizabeth.”

 

The lieutenant tried to open his mouth several times, but finally decided to remain silent.

 

-Quickly choose some of our knights to protect the villagers and escort them to San Lorenzo.

 

-Understood

 

Grais nodded heavily, determined to carry out his captain's firm order.

 

♦♦♦♦

 

In the skies above the ruins of an ancient village destroyed by magical beasts, invisible to the normal human eye, hovered a single, imposing-looking and elegantly designed flying craft, covered in a cunning form of camouflage created with the power of the most advanced magical technology.

 

This thing remained motionless over this village that had been visited by the Sixth Corps of the Order of the Silver Knights led by Captain Grisella.

 

At that moment, a handsome knight who appeared to be about fifty years old, with gray hair and beautiful but cold dark blue eyes, watched from the elegant and sacred control room of the ship as some knights departed from the winding village towards the capital of his kingdom, using the magical projection screens to spy on them.

 

His body was covered in golden armor that looked quite magnificent, and he exuded a powerful presence that demanded weak-minded mortals submit unopposed to his will.

 

He was the leader of the entire fleet belonging to the Royal Air Force of the Unified Holy Kingdom of Arcaden, and the one who carried out his current operation on the orders of his superiors, which included bringing about the downfall of Grisella Airean, the most loyal knight of Holy Queen Elizabeth.

 

Everything is going according to His Lordship's plan... even if you were to realize the troubled waters currently running through the Unified Kingdom, you can't simply ignore this supposed injustice, right?

 

The man grimaced at his own disdainful thoughts.

 

How stupid you are, Grisella Airean. In this world, justice is decided by the strong like us. If you and that fool who sits shamelessly on a king's throne are unable to understand this, only death awaits you if you don't submit to the natural order of things.

 

The only thing left after killing you and your most loyal knights is to obtain that cute little lamb of the empire and sacrifice her to our true masters... and we will have the power to elevate the Unified Arcaden to one of the most powerful kingdoms, if not the most powerful in the history of Britannia!

 

Such glory will not be granted to us by the gods who only sit on their thrones and expect to be worshipped from the heavens! Only they, who offer us a path to victory in exchange for the eternal loyalty of our souls—a price worth paying!

 

As he stood, a smug smile revealing his few wrinkles as he conducted his mental soliloquy, filled with fanaticism for the future glory of his nation and its powerful masters, one of the operators suddenly spoke to him seriously, interrupting him much to his chagrin. “General Rudilf, Callisto N-1 detects that someone is watching us nearby, perhaps through a high-ranking Clairvoyant whose “Blessings” allow him to evade the ship’s anti-espionage systems. However, despite Callisto N-3’s efforts, she has been unable to locate the enemy who dares to spy on us.”

 

-...It's like this...

 

He nodded, frowning, stroking his jaw thoughtfully. The light in his eyes was cold as he tried to think of who had the power to observe them in their state without being located by them, despite their technology.

The situation, which was flowing in his favor, suddenly began to deviate in his mind, if only slightly.

 

No problem, there will always be unforeseen events... I just have to adapt to the situation and with Calisto N-1 there is no problem!

Thinking of the higher intelligences that controlled much of the ship, Rudilf von Salfaller felt his confidence, which had wavered somewhat in the face of the sudden unknown, once again as firm as a rock.

 

—Let's not worry about that for now. No one among Grisella's men possesses that level of {Clairvoyance}, so it's quite possible that some member of the Order of Secrets is too curious for their own good. Even if they aren't, our prey is willingly letting themselves fall into the trap, so it doesn't really matter.

 

-Understood

 

-Commander, this...

 

-....And now what?

 

-W-our spies just informed us....- The communications officer responded nervously, a little surprised by the suddenly brusque tone of his sullen commander, forcing himself to continue speaking under his fierce gaze -....The “Lamb” is leaving the Academic City to head towards its owner's mansion....

 

Rudilf, who was annoyed at the prospect of another unknown factor appearing out of nowhere after calming himself and acting cool in front of his subordinates, widened his eyes upon hearing those words... and began to laugh like crazy.

 

—Hahaha! This must be the work and grace of our masters! We will certainly be more successful in our plan if we carry out the most important operation there than in a place like Bomenslik! Very soon we will have the best sacrificial lamb Our Lady desires! Hahahahaha...!

 

He laughed for a long time as the operators and some criminal-looking gentlemen looked at each other uncomfortably. After all, this third-rate villain act was a bit...

 

Unconsciously or without caring what others thought, Rudilf crossed his legs in what he considered an elegant manner as he sat in his luxurious silver commander's chair, giving an order with his eyes brimming with joy and authority.

 

“Send the message to the other Guardians of the Celestial Lands! Tell them to go to Loveritia’s capital, not Bomenslik Academy City, for the operation! No matter what price they have to pay, as long as it’s within the acceptable range, we have to convince them to let us fly into their airspace to deliver the package at all costs!” Rudilf raised his hand majestically. “In the meantime, let’s make sure to eliminate this pest when the time comes to act!”

 

-Yeah!

 

The communications officer responded firmly and carried out the order, his face filled with a variety of emotions as he manipulated his control panel. None of the emotions in his eyes were as joyful as his general's...

 

——And from an extremely distant location, on the branches of a tree, an elegant woman dressed as a maid, with beautiful blue eyes and lustrous brown hair, was coldly observing them before saying in a beautiful but unusually monotonous voice: “The protection target has been confirmed to be in danger. Should I capture or eliminate it?”

 

—Eliminate them. Don't waste valuable energy capturing enemies who mess with those Arthur-sama sets his sights on.

 

A woman's tender but indifferent voice echoed in the girl's head, completely uninterested in keeping the other party alive. "Just be sure not to reveal your existence; unless Arthur-sama authorizes it, we don't want witnesses to what you're capable of, Copellia."

 

—Understood, Franx— The girl, the Automaton Copellia, nodded obediently as a cold light shone in her eyes.