“And also, Marquis Melissa Fiona Mallory of Ashtal is in Doishunomuharuto, so please bring her back.”
I can avoid missing anything if I process my fantasies with Manon at Godspeed. Although I disagreed with the final narration, I’ll forgive it because the voice actor was the same one for Snake. What a handsome voice.
“I haven’t seen her, wasn’t she in Klinshberbach?”
“It seems she followed. I have a letter from His Majesty the Emperor of Ashtal, and it says to convey his regards… I also have a letter for the Hero.”
The envelope presented bore the crest of the Ashtal Empire’s Emperor and looked unequivocally luxurious. Inside, the writing on parchment conveyed a skilled hand.
“Hey! You! Mikael! This time…”
This is the first time I’ve ever seen writing that reads, “Hey! You!” Doesn’t one usually start with seasonal greetings? It’s fine to start with “My dearest” too.
“Is this the Emperor’s personal handwriting? If so, it will become a family heirloom.”
Would it be alright to treat a letter starting with “Hey!” as a family heirloom? Future historians would praise the beauty of the script, but not the literary talent.
“Yes… well…”
If I just read it, it seems it was written after Klinshberbach fell. I’ll interpret it as an encouraging letter in the order of: complaint, encouragement, complaint, encouragement, complaint, complaint.
Still, the delivery is fast. Wasn’t there originally a different letter, and it was changed to be delivered to me according to the current situation?
The one thing that bothered me was the part written about Marquis Melissa Mallory. The word “marriage” wasn’t written, but the phrase “Please, I beg you” written in all caps, bold, and with an angry emoji was concerning.
“Wh-what did it say!?”
A letter from His Majesty the Emperor must be a very rare item. It’s not strange for me to receive a letter, being a noble of Ashtal, and even an Earl.
“Well, ‘Do your best!’ is what it says, I guess. Also, it said to marry Manon Guiyu once this war is over.”
“What!”
“Sorry, I lied. He seems to be worried about Marquis Mallory.”
“Ah… is that so… Still…”
She seemed to blush a little, but it was probably my imagination. For Manon, something like that… is it possible?
“I will now go to Doishunomuharuto to bring back Lady Mallory. I’ll leave the resupply of provisions to you.”
Manon, who had been looking down, fastened one of the buttons on her chest, reducing the gap in her previously wide-open neckline. It’s a shame I couldn’t see something nice as we parted.
I spurred my horse toward Doishunomuharuto. No guards this time!
“Welcome. We were having trouble with this matter as well.”
The commander of the Ashtal Expeditionary Force, Marquis Ulysses Fowler, greeted me with unusual warmth. I wonder why I feel suspicion at the word “warmly.”
“I’m glad to see you’re well. I’ve been ordered to escort Marquis Mallory to Klinshberbach…”
“Yes, that’s right. We want Lady Melissa to be taken to the safe Klinshberbach.”
Why does this feel so distant? Have I become a Newtype? It seems more than just moving her to a safe place. Has something happened to Miss Melissa?
“Is Marquis Mallory alright?”
“Alright… she’s in a bit of trouble.”
Alright! Let’s go back! This is going to be a troublesome story. My Newtype intuition whispers. And I can see “time.” If I run, I see the Emperor of Ashtal furiously coming to confront me…
“What seems to be the matter?”
“Actually…”
The words of that damn Emperor… If I don’t receive His Majesty the Emperor’s words, I want to go back right now and have tea with Anne-chan, but this is turning into a troublesome situation.
When mercenaries fight on the battlefield, they generally fall into two main categories. One type is those who view killing and being killed as part of the mercenary’s work, approaching it with a business-like mindset, enjoying their work, their drinks, and women.
The other type is those who start to contemplate life and death. These are troublesome. Those who consider “life” are still manageable. They’re either quitting as mercenaries or showing signs of fleeing, so you can’t count on them, and they die quickly.
Those who consider “death” start to agonize. They begin to ponder “What is life?” and “What is death?” and become lost. I want to tell them to swing their swords and shoot their arrows if they have time to think about such things.
These types also mostly die, but occasionally some survive. These are the most troublesome. It would be fine if they died alone, but when they die, they drag others down with them.
It’s said that Marquis Melissa Mallory, from a place of safety, began to contemplate life and death, survived, and has become the most troublesome type.
“Lady Melissa, although she is a Marquis, is one of the heirs to a Ducal House. Even as a Marquis, she is not of equal standing. We are suppressing her now, but when reinforcements arrive, we won’t be able to hold her back.”
An officer obsessed with “death” sends her subordinates to their deaths. Seeing the “death” of others, she realizes her own “life.” Miss Melissa is like a god of death, not on stage, but feeling as if she has become one.
“Understood. Leave it to me. I will escort Marquis Mallory safely to Klinshberbach.”
“I’m counting on you, Hero Shin!”
Marquis Fowler, perhaps feeling refreshed now that the troublesome matter was off his hands, clapped me on the shoulder and laughed heartily. And the troublesome matter landed on my shoulders.
When I knocked on Miss Melissa’s door, she said, “Enter!” from within, but her clear voice brought me a sense of relief as I stepped inside.
Miss Melissa was clad in a pure white dress. The scent emanating from her hair as she turned tickled my nostrils. It was a mistake to come see her; she had the unique eyes of someone consumed by “death.”
“It’s been a while, Lady Melissa. How are you feeling?”
“Mikael, I feel wonderful. Like I’ve been reborn…”
A person with dead eyes, even if they say they’ve been reborn without a smile, can only mean they’ve been reborn into death. This is serious.
“Doishunomuharuto is still dangerous. The Demon Army is waiting in the next town, and we can’t be sure when this place will be attacked. It would be best for Marquis Mallory to return to Klinshberbach…”
“That won’t do. Although the Duke’s forces have been reduced in number, they are a part of Ashtal. It is not wise to leave the city now.”
“Regarding that, the Harmonia army will participate in your stead. Marquis Mallory should focus on defending Klinshberbach…”
“That’s not it!”
I at least tried to state what I considered common sense. If she had agreed to return to Klinshberbach then, I would have judged that Miss Melissa hadn’t been entirely consumed yet, but her next words revealed that she had gone beyond the point of no return.
“Mikael… Mikael, you must understand, the beauty of that battlefield… blood washing blood, swords clashing against swords, the moments when lives shine… the sweet fragrance of spilling guts and agonizing struggles… the purity of the last death cries when thinking of parents, of lovers… Mikael, you must understand…”
I don’t understand at all. Washing blood with blood only results in more blood. Clashing swords makes me worry if they’ll crack. I don’t want to waste guts by spitting them out. If I were to say something at the end, it would be, “I want to die in Priscilla’s arms!” Truly, I don’t understand.
But now I understand. Miss Melissa has gone to the other side. Even if I am reflected in her eyes, I am likely seen as someone covered in blood, swinging a sword.
“Lady Mallory, war is not like that.”
“Why don’t you understand!”
Because I hate pain. I want to win easily. I want to play with girls. War is just one means. My dream is an income from royalties.
She’s a troubled baby, truly troublesome. What should I do? At this point, it’s severe. There are three or four options.
One is to say, “Well, see ya,” and leave the room.
Another is to contact her parents and have them come pick her up.
One is to… cure her.
One is… I can’t remember.
There’s only one option, isn’t there? I don’t want this. Shin dislikes troublesome things. Even if it works out, that becomes this, and then this, and then so on, perhaps it will work out.
I switched my Zantou to my left hand and, with a single blow, cut Melissa down.
