——Rem, who squinted his eyes and lowered his head in the dazzling morning sun and warm wind, surrendered to the shaking of the dragon carriage driving on the street, slowly raised his head.
The queue in front of them was a group of dragon carriages that were going back to the royal capital. The dragon carriages carried the injured who participated in the White Whale Crusade. There were also many seriously injured people who only received minimal treatment.
However, the atmosphere of the team was not gloomy, but filled with a sense of accomplishment in achieving their long-cherished wish.
For them, returning to the king now is a triumphant return, and the pain of the wound is nothing compared to the satisfaction of fulfilling their long-cherished wish. In fact, if the severed beluga head is transported back to the capital,
, people will praise this hard work and welcome everyone grandly
In contrast to their emotions, Rem was thinking about the boy who was not there
"——You look gloomy, Rem. You must be worried after all."
"...Lord Crusch"
When you heard the sound, you looked next door. The person sitting next to Rem was Crusch Karsten.
She was wrapped in bandages under the light armor, and her behavior made it impossible to feel the impact of the injury, but her majestic face also showed a bit of fatigue.
Instead of riding a love dragon, I took a dragon carriage because I was afraid that the people around me would be worried.
However, Crusch gave up his fatigue in the blink of an eye and nodded to Rem
"Phyllis and Wilhelm, as well as the warriors of the expedition team, are all elites. Ricard and the Iron Fangs will also help...and it's hard not to think that Anastasia Hessing didn't do anything."
In other rounds, although the combat power of the Witch Cult is unknown, our camp cannot be underestimated."
"Even so, I'm still worried. Is it selfish?"
"No matter how hard you put out the fire of uneasiness, if the cause is yourself, then you can handle it with your own awareness and research. But if it's the cause of others, it will be difficult - I'm not good at comforting, sorry."
Rem's sad face made Crusch realize that he had made a mistake and lowered his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt that the woman who had acted aloof before was close to him. Rem couldn't help but smile. Seeing her smile, Crusch nodded.
"That's good. Natsuki Subaru also said that Rem is suitable for smiling faces. Although it sounds like he is talking about love to others, I didn't expect that it is not stupid."
"When Crusch-sama smiles, his temperament will be different, because he is usually very majestic... When he smiles, he will definitely look great."
"...Really, I am a woman who is not good at laughing. I felt insulted about it, and I still feel the same now."
In response to Rem's suggestion, Crusch looked away and said this. Although there was a smile on the corner of her mouth, it was self-deprecating and could not be called a smile.
Crusch's slight display of self-loathing surprised Rem.
Crusch, who is always majestic and respectable, is one of the ideal women for Rem, who has no self-confidence. Of course, the most ideal woman is no one except her sister Ram.
However, before mentioning this matter, Crusch hid his smile and changed the subject.
"Hang Yuexing and the others...because of Emilia's background, they have anticipated the threat of the Witch Cult from the beginning. The Border Commissioner Metzas should also be prepared for this."
"Rem can't guess what Roswaal-sama is thinking, so it's useless to ask."
"It's really strict. Since we are an alliance now, it's okay to slip a little."
To put it jokingly, it’s because he cares for Rem. In fact, thanks to Crusch chatting with her like this, Rem was saved from sinking into uneasiness.
"Yuexing is actually... a person who can make people feel at ease."
Smiling lightly, stroking the shining silver jewelry on her wrist, she murmured to the person she longed for in her mind.
Crusch, who knew from her side face that she was relieved, pushed his long hair back and stared silently at the direction of the dragon carriage - his amber pupils suddenly narrowed.
"——Mom"
Crusch muttered softly, which happened at the same time as Rem noticed the strange sound and raised his head.
Amber pupils stared at the dragon carriage ahead. The strange sound Rem noticed also came from the same direction. The two anomalies were connected to a target.
——The dragon car in front of Crewe's correction suddenly "collapsed"
Just like the literal meaning, the entire dragon cart collapsed. The entire dragon chariot was suddenly swallowed up by the overwhelming impact, and flew out without leaving any prototype. To Rem's ears, the sound of the collapse sounded like the sound of rain, and blood splashed everywhere.
In an instant, the dragon chariot turned into a tragic scene full of blood.
Not one of the earth dragons and dragon cars, including the injured in the cars, was spared. They were all smashed to pieces by merciless destruction.
"——! The enemy is attacking!!"
In an instant, Crusch calmed down his shock at the situation. Crusch shouted a warning to the team. The soldiers of the expedition team immediately noticed something strange and picked up their weapons to prevent the attack. Rem also ignored the physical fatigue and picked up the iron ball again.
——Then, I saw a human figure behind the blood mist
Empty-handed, defenseless, and unwary, yet possessing no mercy, no evil thoughts, no artificiality, no polite malice——
"——Run it over!!"
Crusch shouted towards the driver's seat, and the knight he heard used the whipping sound of the reins instead of nodding, the earth dragon roared to speed up, the dragon chariot screamed to run over the prey, and rushed straight towards the standing figure, preparing to kill no trace of it.
Opponents who had no dodge movements were knocked away——
"Lord Kuchisu——!"
Rem shouted, hugged Crusch's slim waist and jumped out from the dragon carriage. His hands could not touch the knight on the driver's seat. Rem gritted his teeth in regret, and then heard the voice of someone.
"Really, please don't do this. You want to crush me to death when I haven't done anything. It's really too much. It's not like what a serious person would do."
The sound is so smooth that it feels like taking a leisurely walk in the park in the afternoon
In fact, if he had heard these words in the park, Rem wouldn't have been so trembling, but he said these words in a tragic situation where blood was flying and the dragon carriage was broken into pieces.
——At first glance, he is a character without features.
Neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, with natural white hair that is neither long nor short. The white clothes that match his hair are neither luxurious nor shabby. His face has no features. Overall, he is an ordinary-looking man.
But in fact, the earth dragon that met this man was cut in half while maintaining the momentum of shouting and running. Even the knight on the driver's seat was destroyed along with the smashed dragon chariot.
What made Rem tremble the most was not the man's attitude of turning a blind eye to the tragedy, but the fact that he "just stood still" after smashing the dragon chariot.
The man didn't do anything, he just stood and defeated the dragon car that hit him head-on.
"I want to thank you, Rem, for saving me...but the situation is not good."
The hugged Crusch stood up from Rem's stiff arms. She warned the empty-handed man and looked sadly at the pool of blood after the dragon chariot was torn apart.
"You actually did such an extremely cruel thing to my subordinates...Who are you?"
With a sharp fighting spirit in his eyes, Crusch asked the man sternly. Upon hearing this question, the man touched his chin and nodded frequently.
"I see, that's it. You don't know me, but I know you, because now in the capital... No, the whole country is celebrating what you have done. After all, you are the candidate for the next king. It should be said that it is the state of the world.
Favors, or titles or something? Even though I am not interested in those things, I can still imagine how absurd and bizarre realizations you have to bear, it’s very hard, isn’t it?”
"Stop talking nonsense, answer my question, and I will take action next time."
"Is your speech too much? However, you can't carry the country without such arrogance. Although I can't understand this sentiment at all. Alas, the idea of taking on such a heavy responsibility as Wang Wei because I like it, I really
I can’t understand it, ah, but I won’t deny it just because I can’t understand it? I, ah, have nothing to do with that kind of arrogance, I’m different from you..."
The man ignored Crusch's request and kept talking, but————
"————I said there will be no next time."
Crusch said this coldly, and at the same time, she waved the wind blade with her hand.
The sword skill that combines the magic of wind and the "blessing of the wind" - Crusch's "One Hundred Man One Taisword"
The unstoppable slash hits the man, and the person in question may even die without realizing he is being slashed.
Crusch's first expedition——When the monster "Usagi" appeared through the Dukedom of Karlsten, he drove it away before it caused damage to the territory. What made this possible was the sword power known as "Zhan Otome"
It was able to cut through even the thick skin of the beluga whale, and it was a sword strike that contributed greatly to bringing down that giant body.
——Compared with the mass of that monster, it is impossible for the man’s body to bear it.
but----
"...I cut you off when you were talking happily. What kind of tutor did you receive when you grew up?"
The man tilted his head and patted the body that had received the blow.
Suffering a blow that could hurt a white whale, the man remained motionless. His body—no, not to mention his body, even his clothes showed no traces of being slashed.
The slash was blocked. The result was simple, but it was a completely unknown phenomenon.
Crusch took a breath, and Rem stiffened at the result that was beyond common sense. The man in front of them sighed exaggeratedly, and impatiently pushed up his bangs.
"I said, I'm talking, I'm talking? Don't you think it's strange to interrupt this? I don't intend to claim my right to speak, but when people are talking, just listen to it. This
Isn’t it common sense? You are free to listen or not. I won’t complain, but isn’t the judgment of not letting me speak go too far? How egocentric is that?”
The man spoke quickly while tapping his toes on the ground unhappily. Then he pointed directly at the two silent people and smacked his lips even more unhappily.
"I'm not talking now. What are you thinking about? Did you hear it? Did you hear it? I'm asking questions. When someone asks you, you have to answer. That's it. But in the end, I don't speak. I don't want to speak.
Ah, freedom, that’s your freedom, that’s how you use freedom, okay, it’s up to you, but that’s what it means, right?”
The man leaned forward, the crazy light in his eyes intensified, and then————
"Are you showing contempt for my rights - my small private property?"
The second the cold chill ran down Rem's back, the man moved, raised his hand that was hanging down, and stirred up a gust of breeze.
Immediately afterwards, along the straight path with the man's arm - the earth, the atmosphere, and the world were separated.
"————"
Turning and turning, Crusch's severed left arm was flying in the air.
The hand flew out in a posture that could swing an invisible sword strike at any time, spurting blood and falling to the ground. Crusch's body lost balance under the impact, and the severe pain and bleeding caused her to start convulsing.
"Lord Crusch----"
After being stunned for a few seconds, Rem came to his senses and immediately rushed towards Crusch, then put his hand on the bleeding wound, squeezing out the remaining Mana to stop the bleeding and treat it with all his strength.
The severed wounds, bones, flesh and even nerves were all clearly severed, so clean and neat that it was amazing to see. The terrifying sharpness even made people sigh with emotion that was inconsistent with the critical scene.
"Phili, Si... Wu, ah, Wu?"
In Rem's arms, Crusch's eyes were wandering and she was murmuring in a daze. Her right hand grabbed Rem's foot with such force that her leg bones were about to break.
Gritting his teeth and enduring Crusch's struggle, Rem warned the man in front of him.
Unable to understand how the man attacked and defended, Rem had no way of mastering his moves. Thinking about how to protect the injured Crusch and escape from the man, Rem suddenly realized something was wrong.
——Under this situation, the other knights did not come to join the battle.
“Ahhh——No matter how much we eat, it’s never enough! That’s why we can’t give up on living. Eat, drink, bite, gnaw, bite, break, crush, overeat! Overeating! Ah, thank you
entertain!"
Just as I intuitively realized this, a high-pitched young voice came from behind.
Rem was stunned by the chill that had the same nature as the man in front of him. He turned his head at the same time, and then in the center of the group of dragon chariots parked behind him, he saw the blood-stained boy who had kicked the Earth Knight with his feet.
He is a very short boy with dark brown hair that reaches his knees. He is almost as short as Rem and maybe two or three years younger. Under his dirty hair is a short body with tattered clothes. His bare hands and feet are covered in mud and dirt.
Dirt, and lots of blood splatter to contaminate
No one among the knights who fell at the boy's feet reacted. When the white-haired man withstood Crusch's attack, all the knights around him were wiped out by the boy alone.
"You, you are..."
There was no fighting atmosphere at all. Rem was stunned and his lips trembled.
Being flanked by opponents with strange auras, Rem hugged Crusch and retreated. The blood flowing from Crusch's wound dyed the plain red, and the air gradually turned cold as if mocking Rem's fear.
Then as if they had agreed, both of them showed a very friendly yet extremely violent smile, like a devil, and announced their names at the same time.
"Regulus Corneas, Archbishop of Sins of the Witch Cult and in charge of "Desire""
"Lai Badenkaitos, the Archbishop of Sins of the Witch Cult and in charge of "Gluttony""