“2,000, huh? That’s a lot.” Gulland muttered.
The feeble aide nodded. “Princess, I believe the best course of action here is to assume formation and meet the enemy.”
“And our losses should we attack them from in front?” Blanche asked.
“It should not even reach 100.”
“If my beloved mana guard were to be wasted here, it would be a humiliation to grandmother. There would be no elegance to it. Let us bring the army to the woodlands 2 kirol (kilometer) from here and have them lie in wait at both sides.”
Blanche commanded without changing her expression even a little.
“But that would expose you to danger, princess.”
“Gulland is here.”
“What are you counting on me for? You have your mana guard.”
“Because you’re cute and pitiable, of course.”
“…Hah?”
Gulland glared at her seriously, but Blanche did not flinch and merely sent her aide out.
“You people are insane.”
Gulland unhappily told the aide, but he did not appear to care and merely shrugged his shoulders.
“Come, let us think of some elegant words with which to demand their surrender. This is a pleasant and exciting hour.”
The army of Shirad Kingdom were currently chasing after the mana guards to take them by surprise, so when they suddenly saw two people riding horses and found out that one of them was none other than Blanche the War Princess herself, whom they were after, they could not help but halt and doubt their eyes.
“This is impossible. What is she doing here?”
But try as the general might to ask that question, there was no one among his men who could answer it. In the end, the one to break the silence was none other than Blanche herself.
“Foolish, ugly, mud pigs. Why do you dare stand before me? Have you lost your minds after realizing that I am the head of the noble House of Ririnoie!?”
“F-Foolish?”
“Mud pigs!?”
In the face of that storm of abusive words, the followers of the general could only watch on with amazement.
“If you keep your dirty faces looking down and leave right now, I shall make an exception and forgive you for your rudeness. If you feel even the slightest shame for having such ugly pig-like nature, then return from whence you came and let those that instigated you know that there is only one life and it deserves to be treasured!”
Blanche happily said. She was in such a good mood that it seemed she could not only hum but even sing as she opened her mouth.
“Now, pigs! Reveal your cowardly selves and return to your country!”
After unleashing that abuse on the soldiers of Shirad, Blanche bid them farewell with a matter-of-factly ‘well then’, and then urged her steed to gallop away.
“You’re not going to wait for their response?” Gulland asked.
“Such ball-less people who dare not pursue after being told that much have no charm. There’s no need for me to accompany them. But if they did chase after me, they would do so desperately while trying to grasp my noble retreating appearance,” Blanche replied.
She smiled complacently and rode off with her back turned to her enemy.
Gulland sighed and chased after her, but the enemies were all jeering and chasing after them from behind. From time to time, Gulland would deflect the incoming arrows as he protected her back. But Blanche only looked straight and did not bother turning around one bit.
“Hey. They’re going to catch up soon.”
“…Ah yes. In that case, I suppose we might as well just stopped here now.”
“Haah!?”
After riding for 2 kirol (kilometer), she stopped midway through the path in the woodlands.
“She stopped! Kill her!”
One could just imagine how devilish the face the general was currently making to cry that out so loudly and with such fury.
“Hey.”
Gulland called out to her, but she raised her right hand to silence him.
“Was calling them mud pigs so effective?”
The girl complacently smiled as she brought down her right hand.
“But alas, their foolishness must be paid for with death.”
Magic bullets simultaneously fired from both sides of the forest, stopping the approaching army. The army of 2,000 became restless at the sudden enemy attack. The fire bullets blocked their vision, while the water bullets dented their iron armor and sent them flying.
Before anyone knew it, mana guards equipped in heavy armor had surrounded Blanche.
“Princess, the assault unit is ready. We can attack the center of the enemy formation anytime now.” The feeble aide gently bowed.
Blanche thought about it for a while, but in the end, she shook her head. “Your words aren’t elegant.”
“Hah.” Gulland looked suspiciously at Blanche.
Blanche smiled an elegant smile and drew her sword. “At times like these, we have to do it like this lest we forget to keep our grace.”
Blanche took a mouthful of breath, then after glancing teasingly at Gulland, turned to the enemy.
“We ride for the enemy’s center! To me!”
“Ha!”
Although their enemies numbered 2,000, the 300 mana guards around Blanche easily tore through their forces. Magic rained down from both sides while the mana guard broke through with overwhelming penetrative prowess. In the blink of an eye, the enemy forces collapsed, and the mana guards were pursuing after them.
“Don’t run! Damn it!”
But the battle had already been decided.
The enemy general tried to encourage his soldiers, but try as he might, with their formation broken and with the soldiers meant to defend him having all ran away, even he was left with no choice but to run away himself.
“Damn it! I’ll remember this!” The general cried out.
