◈ 451. [Side Story] Disembarkation (2)
Preparations for deployment were steadily progressing.
The road to New Terra was long and the time was urgent, so preparations for the expedition had to be made quickly.
Fortunately, Crossroads was a fortified city, so military supplies were abundant.
Pack plenty of warhorses, armor, and consumables.
Provide equipment to the heroes and soldiers to leave. Decide on the order of the march… … .
So ready.
One day before leaving for the ecliptic. dinner.
“ash.”
Dusk Bringer came to visit me at the manor house. I greeted her warmly.
“grandee. What are you doing?”
“… .”
Dusk Bringer looked around with sharp eyes and confirmed that no one was there.
“Are you okay?”
asked out loud.
“Fernandez’s spy. The guy who calmly came under your command… … .”
“… .”
“Are you not dealing with it? Are you going to take it with you?”
It was.
Fernandez’s spies had already penetrated our camp.
Dusk Bringer noticed the spy’s existence and immediately reported it to me.
As a result of cross-examination of testimony and evidence, it was clear that the other party was Fernandez’s spy.
But I didn’t take action.
I let the spy remain inside my camp.
“Not yet. At a more decisive moment… … You have to use it for sure.”
I smiled.
“I have all my thoughts, so don’t worry too much.”
“… .”
Dusk Bringer looked at me with his eyebrows crossed, and then let out a small sigh.
“I’m worried, but I’m sure you’ll take care of it.”
“Do you trust me completely now?”
“When didn’t you?”
Dusk Bringer smiled and waved his hand as he walked out of my mansion.
“Tomorrow is the departure. It will be a long way, so get some rest.”
“It’s been a long time since you’ve come, but going after a meal… .”
“Tonight, I decided to eat with my people.”
Dusk Bringer had a dignified face befitting a king of a country.
“In this battle, the fate of our Principality of Bringer is also at stake. Both the soldiers of Guain and the citizens of Guain are all trembling with anxiety.”
“… .”
“Wine will reassure them, Ash. You must live up to Gwain’s trust.”
“Do not worry.”
I stretched out my chest and said it with all my might.
“Because I will win.”
“Anyway, you’re always confident… And you have proven it with results.”
Dusk Bringer smiled, baring his sharp teeth, and said,
“I’ll believe you this time too.”
Leaving those words behind, he walked north to the crossroads where his people were waiting.
“… .”
In a way, so many people trust me even though I am only giving away empty checks. I must repay that trust.
Looking at her back, I turned my gaze towards the city.
“Anyway, a spy… .”
This is Fernandez, who has been doing all kinds of sinister things since the beginning of the first year. It must be even more strange that there is no spy right now, with the battle ahead of Gungon.
I naturally assumed that Fernandez had sent a spy – and concocted a ploy to use him against him.
“Did you have some fun writing spies?”
I showed my teeth and smiled.
“I’ll give you a proper counter punch this time.”
***
Temple.
When I visited without notice, the priests came out in a hurry in surprise.
“Your Highness has arrived!”
Among them was the newly appointed priest, Zenith.
Maybe he was taking a break, but he was wearing only a loose sleeveless tee and shorts… … Besides, the shaggy beard on his chin is really the man himself.
“Janice. how is it. Can you survive Crossroads?”
When I asked in a friendly manner, Janice was flustered but answered calmly.
“Yes, Your Highness. Actually, I was worried that it would be uncomfortable to stay because it is a remote area in the south, but it is much more comfortable than I thought. People are all friendly… … .”
“I’m glad you’re not having a bad time. Please do your best for our city in the future.”
I grinned and squeezed his shoulders.
“Because I want to be with you for a long time.”
“… .”
Janice only blinked her eyes in embarrassment. I patted him on the shoulder and passed by.
The purpose of the visit was to encourage the temple to run properly while I was away, but there were other reasons for visiting today.
I knocked on the door to the single room inside the temple and went inside.
“Lily. I’m here.”
“majesty… !”
Lily, who was lying on the bed, looked at me with a surprised face.
Lily is already 9 months pregnant. The pain in my stomach is severe, so I’m just staying at the temple these days.
Sitting on the chair next to the bed, I chinned.
“How are you feeling?”
“I want to say I’m fine, but to be honest, I’ve been having colic all along… It’s troublesome. haha.”
Lily sighed and touched her swollen belly.
“To make my mother suffer like this even before I came into the world. I worry about how mischievous he will be after he comes out.”
“I know. I am also looking forward to it.”
“No, I’m not expecting it, but I want you to worry… !”
We giggled at each other.
I glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall.
“Did the due date come out?”
“no. A normal human child would be 10 months old, but they say mixed races are all different… … well. It may take a month at the earliest and a few more months at the latest.”
“You will suffer for a while.”
“Your Highness and the others are really going through hardships.”
We all leave for our own battlefields.
The expeditionary force, including me, is to recapture New Terra, the ecliptic.
The defense forces remaining on the crossroads are to fend off the monsters.
And Lily is here to give birth to her child.
“… I will definitely come and win. therefore.”
I smiled.
“I hope both you and your child can overcome this fight safely.”
While the expeditionary force leaves for the ecliptic, Lily will give birth to a child.
I can’t stay by Lily’s side at that time. That’s why I wanted to leave with as much support as possible.
“Because I also want to be a good godfather to your child.”
“yes?”
Lily’s eyes widened at my words.
“Godfather? Your Highness?”
I pretended to be sad.
“What are you not going to do?”
“Oh no. Me and my child, of course it’s an honor… … ! But I’m embarrassed… … .”
I grinned at Lily, who hurriedly waved her hand.
“Then leave it to me. Is that a promise?”
It was something I had been thinking about for quite some time.
To officially become guardian of Lily’s child.
If the prince claims to be the godfather of a child of mixed race, there will be a lot of gossip. But isn’t that just an afterthought?
Lily is my colleague and so is God Hand.
This child is the child of two of my colleagues. If there’s anything I can do for you, I’ll be happy to do it.
“I’ll be back, Lily.”
I reached out to Lily.
Lily clenched her hand awkwardly and we shook hands.
“Let’s meet again safely.”
“… your highness Please come safely.”
Lily also smiled.
It was a smile that was much more mature than when we first met.
***
On the way to the temple, I met several other people.
He encouraged other priests who had served since the first year.
Make an offering in front of the statue of the goddess. I also met Damien, who is in the middle of a tearful farewell with the troubled hamster plump.
Plump is terribly fat, almost swollen like a ball… What and how much are you hitting?
“Should you take good care of Podong while I’m gone, priest?”
“kid. don’t worry Even if I am like this, I am as good at fixing animals as I am at fixing people. In the neighborhood where you worked before, you even took on the job of a veterinarian?”
Listening to the conversation between Damian and Janice, I laughed. Start with a plump diet.
I also met Thorkel. Today, I am still cleaning. It’s very natural now.
Even though I gave him a new helmet, Torquell was still wearing his old blunt helmet in non-combat situations.
“I will devote myself to guarding the Crossroads and the Temple. Please go.”
“okay. Don’t go.”
It still seems like it will take more time to resolve Thorkel’s trauma. I just want you to know how to solve it.
“And Thorkel.”
I whispered softly to Thorkell.
“I’m doing ‘well’ with Janice. got it?”
“… !”
Thorkell shook his shoulders, then nodded slowly.
After going around the temple like that, I went outside.
I nodded to Zenith, who followed me off to see me off.
“Janice. While I’m gone, try to take care of the injured. Take good care of Lily and Lily’s child.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Have a good trip.”
After taking another look at the lax uncle, the head priest, who seemed to greet me politely, I turned around.
After leaving the temple, I visited other facilities in the city once in a while and encouraged them to take good care of Crossroads while I was gone.
After that last evening… … .
***
And the next day. morning.
“It’s an outing!”
After shouting, I climbed into the saddle and looked at the soldiers in the rear row and shouted.
“let’s go! To the new tera of the ecliptic!”
“yes-!”
Heroes and soldiers followed me.
We set out through the North Gate of the Cross Road.
At the north gate, Lucas, Evangeline, and other heroes and soldiers left in the city came out to see us off.
And
“My lord! Have a good trip!”
“Show me the spicy taste of the south, Your Highness the Prince!”
“You must return safely!”
Citizens flocked to the left and right of the North Gate like clouds, waving at us.
“… .”
Now, one by one, I put them in my sight, and I rode my horse forward.
Was I a good lord for them?
I can not know.
He was clumsy as an administrator and reckless as a commander. He was not as skilled as the Marquess of the Cross family who had ruled the city for a while.
But the citizens believe in me and follow me.
I also want to be a good person to them.
‘Their lives depend on my future actions.’
And I want to keep everyone alive.
‘Not only here at Crossroads… … .’
More people in more countries.
to save.
To see tomorrow together.
In order to arrive at the world after the ending.
“Hey!”
I rode my horse and rode forward. Heroes and soldiers followed me in an orderly fashion.
Flying a black flag with nothing drawn on it, we headed north.
***
The road was pleasant because the Wintersilver family had finished road construction the other day.
In the past, it took three weeks to go south from the ecliptic via the crossroads overland route, but this time it took less than two weeks thanks to the well-maintained road.
It was this much even though a lot more people were moving.
During the march, Dusk Bringer deployed his forces in all directions to reconnoiter, but there was no enemy attack throughout our march north.
“Fernandez’s army won’t stop us.”
Dusk Bringer muttered puzzledly.
I replied cynically.
“It means that it’s enough to just defend the area around the ecliptic.”
During the battle for the throne, Fernandez’s forces were apparently consumed as well.
Above all, now Fernandez is concentrating on controlling New Terra in the ecliptic.
The city is sealed off, citizens’ movements are restricted, and the ‘last ark’ plan is being implemented step by step.
We won’t be able to afford to send troops to stop us.
“If you spread the line of defense, right in front of the ecliptic… … .”
I narrowed my eyes.
“… They will block us on the plains of the River Iris.”
So, it’s been 2 weeks since I started from Crossroads.
One clear day in the desolate cold of late autumn.
After heading north, we reached the Iris River that flows in front of New Terra, the ecliptic.
They encountered Fernandez’s army encamped behind the river.
