…
After Astratis met up with Izroth and the two discussed a few things, the Son of Thunder went back to secretly trailing Izroth from a safe distance.
As for Izroth and Ranazera, they continued their journey through the territory of Duke Verkesrie without incident. And, since they were able to maintain an uninterrupted pace, it did not take long for them to reach their first major destination.
〈System Alert: You have entered the «Nightfall Glades».〉
‘We’re finally here. It’s a lot more serene than I imagined.’
The Nightfall Glades was a spacious open area surrounded by a forest with towering black and silver trees. Due to the terrain layout, it was difficult for those outside to see what was going on inside and vice versa.
There were also several hidden dangers spread throughout the Nightfall Glades. So, if one was not careful, their life may slip away before they realized what was going on.
The Nightfall Glades was Izroth’s primary destination because of one reason—the allied forces would have to pass through this place in order to reach the Night Lord’s Crypt.
If the allied forces had kept to their original plans, they should have already made it past this place. However, Izroth’s goal was not to meet up with the main allied forces. Instead, it was to rendezvous with the 9th Division and Commander Aurie’s 2nd Unit.
‘I haven’t been able to contact Niflheim, Menerva, or anyone from the 9th Division, for that matter. There must be a communication block in place. Still, knowing those two, the scrolls I gave them should have already been handed over to Commander Aurie. As long as she does not disregard my adjustments, they should have already engaged with the Pzenium warriors near the south side of the Nightfall Glades.’
By now, Aurie should have called pulled away from the main group of the allied forces and gathered everyone to discuss the Golden Bridge Strategy.
Given Aurie’s personality and the 9th Division’s recent show of success, Izroth knew for certain that Niflheim and Menerva would also be included in that meeting if he was not there to attend himself.
Those two had a keen eye for detail, so there was no way they would overlook the right moment to hand over the scrolls he entrusted them with.
As for the contents of the scroll, it was nothing too extravagant. The overall plan still remained the same. The goal was to ensure that the Pzenium warriors stayed away from the battlefield at the Night Lord’s Crypt. But, their method of doing so would slightly shift to account for the inevitable increase in resistance the 2nd Unit would face.
Though, in truth, Izroth hoped he was merely being overly cautious and was wrong in his assumptions. After all, if it turned out that he was correct, it would be enough to deal a huge blow to the allied forces.
‘I’ve been feeling somewhat uneasy ever since I departed from the Land of Unity. At first, I thought I was overlooking something important, but… Well, it’s fine. Those two guys should have met up with the 9th Division by now. Even if something dangerous happens, they’ll be able to handle it. That being said, we should increase our pace from here on out.’
Izroth halted his steps and turned to face the sixth princess.
“Hm? W-what is it?” Ranazera was a bit taken aback by Izroth’s abrupt stop and the fact that he turned to face her.
Izroth reached out toward Ranazera, which made the sixth princess want to naturally retreat. However, she decided against it and simply resigned herself to fate. Besides, if he truly wanted to harm her, would he not have done so long ago?
Clink! Fsssst!
Ranazera’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked down at her wrist, where the strange band had locked onto her. However, when she lowered her gaze, Ranazera saw the black band snap off her wrist as it started to dissolve.
At the same time, the sixth princess could feel her strength pouring back into her body as though she had been reborn.
“This… What is the meaning of this?” Ranazera asked with furrowed brows as she could not hide her perplexed expression.
Just now, to Ranazera’s shock, Izroth removed the Power Suppressing Band of Doulontas!
However, it was not as if they were in a place that she could no longer escape from, which is why Ranazera was unable to comprehend Izroth’s actions.
Now that her strength was no longer suppressed, should the opportunity present itself, she could escape with the magic treasures hidden on her body.
“You may have been able to keep up until now with it on, but since we’ll be increasing our pace, naturally, it will be much easier with your strength fully restored,” Izroth stated calmly as he resumed his steps onward.
“You- What if I decide to use this chance to escape?!” Ranazera said as she stepped forward.
The sixth princess did not know why she said those words. But, for some reason, Izroth’s actions left her unsettled.
“You won’t try to escape.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“If the kingdom of Tempest is to have a future, one that is not shrouded in death and misery, it will need someone from the royal family who cares not only for itself but also the people of Tempest. If you believe that is something you can accomplish on your own, then feel free to ‘escape’ all you’d like. However, I think- No, rather, I know that one day, you will come to regret your decision. When that time comes, it will not be you who suffers the most, but the people of Tempest.”
Ranazera clenched her fists as her gaze fell to the ground. Even though she did not immediately reply to Izroth, the painful look in her eyes and the troubled expression on her face revealed her conflicted thoughts.
“…Then, are you saying that you can help me change things…? Can a mere Captain of the General Support Unit take responsibility for those words…?”
To most, Izroth’s words would seem more like a joke than anything else. After all, what was a Captain of the General Support Unit, the most worthless war branch, supposed to do to change anything of importance?
However, for some reason, Ranazera wanted… No, she needed to believe that an alternate path existed for Tempest.
The sixth princess was full of doubts. For one, how could she possibly overlook or gain more influence than her own father and eldest brother? It was a fool’s attempt. Yet, even still, the sixth princess wanted nothing more than to take that single step forward.
.comn/ov/elb/in[./]net’
“It’s true that the words of a General Support Unit Captain do not hold much weight, let alone enough influence to change the fate of a kingdom. However, as long as you’re willing to fight for it, I will ensure that there is a path for you to succeed. This is not my word as a General Support Unit Captain, but a personal one.”
Ranazera fell silent as she entered into a state of deep thought after listening to Izroth. In truth, she was impressed by Izroth at every turn of their journey.
Defeating the Prime Eques of the Order of the Eternal Aegis, getting Duke Sorkoza to allow him entry into a city that even her father may not necessarily be welcomed into. And now, he was saying there was a way for her to prevent the downfall of Tempest.
Of course, Ranazera knew that it was too naive to place her hopes in a person she met not long ago. Even more so if that person was supposed to be an enemy of her Tempest kingdom. But, instead of placing hope in Izroth, the sixth princess decided to do something else—place hope in herself to make the correct decision. If it was that much, then even she could do it, is the thought that crossed her mind.
The sixth princess raised her head and looked forward with a renewed look of clarity in her eyes.
“What is it that I have to do?” Ranazera asked firmly.
…
A few hours later…
Outside the Nightfall Glades, a certain battle was currently taking place. However, to call it a battle was not exactly accurate. Rather, it was more like a wild goose chase.
“Stop them! Do not let them escape!” A thundering voice rang throughout the battlefield.
