by Takehaya
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“Heehee...”
The smile on Charl’s lips slowly faded as she lost consciousness.
What kind of idiot would just spread poison around indiscriminately?!
Seeing Charl pass out and lose strength, Koutarou boiled with rage towards Maxfern, a man he had never even met. But the truth was that he was also angry at himself for being unable to do anything.
“Damn it!”
Koutarou’s fist slammed into the table. There was nothing else nearby he could take out his anger on.
“I know it’s rough, Veltlion, but calm down a little.”
“Clan?!”
Koutarou had been so lost in his emotions that he didn’t notice Clan had entered the room until she called out to him.
“I can’t calm down in this situation! Everyone’s in pain!”
“I understand how you feel, but everyone’s sleeping now, so quiet down.”
“S-Sorry...”
Trying to calm himself, Koutarou took several deep breaths. Satisfied with that, Clan explained why she’d come.
“Veltlion, I’ve discovered what the poison really is.”
“Really?!”
Koutarou’s eyes opened wide in surprise. He instinctively leaned in towards Clan. He was hoping that this would lead to them being able to come up with a treatment.
“Yes. But to be accurate, it’s not poison.”
“It’s not poison...? What do you mean?”
“It’s an infectious virus with a very short incubation period. I’m sure the people of this period called it poison because they didn’t know any better.”
Clan had left Koutarou to nurse Alaia and the others while she was in the other room, analyzing the poison. She investigated samples gathered from the patients and the drinking water, trying to find out what poison Maxfern had used.
Though it might not be apt to call it fortunate, they already knew that the poison was coming from the drinking water, so it wasn’t too hard to identify the cause. The device that Clan had summoned from the Cradle to analyze the samples easily revealed the poison’s true colors, although even Clan was surprised when she learned that it was actually a protein containing RNA.
“So you’re saying it’s a disease?!”
“Yes. There were large amounts of the virus in the drinking water. Since the incubation period is so short, it essentially appears as if the people have been poisoned.”
The virus had a very high replication speed, and symptoms would begin to manifest only a few hours after it entered the body. Since there were almost no diseases known to spread that quickly in this day and age, the people naturally assumed it was poison.
The people of this time period didn’t even know what a virus was, so they certainly didn’t have a treatment for it. Even when they tried to heal it using magic, there was no effect because they didn’t know exactly what needed to be removed from their bodies. So their only conclusion was that it was an unknown poison, meaning the treatment options were rather limited.
“So can you treat it?!”
To Koutarou, finding a cure was far more important than what the virus was or where it had come from. And with that mentality, he skipped over several important questions about how this had happened and went straight to asking Clan what he really wanted to know most.
“That would be hard. There aren’t enough materials available to synthesize an antiviral drug. It would have been simple even a thousand years from now...”
Since Clan had already been able to identify the structure of the virus, she could synthesize a serum to inhibit its effects. She had the technology to make that happen, but she couldn’t get her hands on the ingredients she would need to do it in this time period. It was possible to gather the base materials one at a time, but that would take too much time to be an effective treatment for the people who were already suffering.
“Realistically speaking, there are only two options.”
Clan held up two fingers in front of Koutarou’s face.
“What are they?!”
“The first is to steal the cure from the enemy like your play says. That would be the fastest option.”
“What’s the other?”
“The other option is extremely risky and there’s no guarantee it’ll work, but—”
While Clan was about to explain the second option to Koutarou, they heard a shrill voice from outside.
“It’s the army! The army has come!”
A group of several soldiers led by a knight could be seen just outside the village.
The Forthorthian army had come. The force belonged to a band of knights known to be very loyal to Maxfern, the Melcemhein family. The commander appeared to be one of their squires. His force consisted of about thirty commoner soldiers and five magicians. It was a relatively small troop for what squires were capable of leading, but it potentially gave them better mobility considering their mission.
They set up camp a distance from the village, put up billboards nearby, and issued a decree from the government. It was a demand for the capture and delivery of Alaia, who was believed to be in the area. The reward for bringing Alaia to them would be the antidote.
Since this region was part of the Mastir territory, the citizens here were known for their loyalty to the royal families. It wouldn’t have been hard to imagine that they would spurn any demands to hunt down Alaia under normal circumstances. That was why they’d gone to the trouble of poisoning the water supply first. Regardless of their allegiance to the throne, the citizens would be eager to hunt down Alaia if it meant saving their sick wife or child.
After Koutarou explained what was going on, Alaia quickly made up her mind.
“Let’s surrender to them...”
She lifted her weak and shaking body ravaged by high fever, and stood up while grabbing on to a nearby pillar.
“Y-You can’t, Your Highness! This is a trap!”
Flair objected right away. Desperate, she too got out of her bed and stood in Alaia’s way. The other girls also voiced their objections from their beds.
“You can’t, Alaia-sama! I think this is a trap too!”
“I’m against it too! These people spread poison just to capture you, Alaia-sama! Who knows what they would do to you?!”
“My uncle is a dangerous man. I’m not sure if they would hand over the antidote even after they get their hands on you, Your Highness...”
However, none of what they said changed Alaia’s mind.
“Without the antidote, we’re all going to die anyway. In that case, surrendering and getting the antidote as quickly as possible is the best option.”
The poison—or more accurately, the virus—had already claimed the lives of several people. They were all elderly folks who were at high risk, but if the situation continued on like it was, even the young and strong would end up succumbing to the same fate. She couldn’t put the village through that just so she could survive for a few more days. That was Alaia’s primary reason for wanting to surrender.
And I have to protect Charl, no matter what...
But more personally, Alaia was worried about Charl. She was all Alaia had left of her family. If she lost Charl, she would lose her reason to live. She would rather surrender to get the antidote and save Charl. By doing that, at least Charl would survive.
I’ll leave the rest to you, Layous-sama...
Alaia stared at Koutarou without saying a word. She believed that Koutarou would protect Charl, even if she wasn’t there. And it was exactly her faith in that that drove her decision to surrender.
“Your Highness...”
Koutarou realized that Alaia put Charl ahead of herself, so he understood how she felt. It hit awfully close to home. Koutarou only had his father left, and he was extremely sympathetic to Alaia in her current position.
“Veltlion, you need to stop Her Highness! Surely you don’t want to see Her Highness in danger either!”
Flair petitioned
Koutarou for his help. By now, even Flair had begun putting her trust in him. After the fight with the mountain bandits the other day, the events at the Mastir checkpoint, seeing his relationship with Charl, and even after watching him dance with Alaia the night before, she had genuinely started to trust Koutarou. She knew Alaia might listen to the Blue Knight even if she didn’t listen to anyone else, and that was exactly why she wanted Koutarou to try and stop her.
“Layous-sama...”
Alaia looked at Koutarou with pleading eyes. She weakly clasped her hands together as if asking for something.
Even if it costs you your life, huh?
Looking at Alaia, Koutarou remembered what they’d talked about at the festival.
“Lady Pardomshiha, I support Princess Alaia’s decision.”
“Layous-sama!”
Alaia’s expression eased up. Despite being stricken with illness, her smile was as beautiful as falling silvery white snow.
“Veltlion, what is the meaning of this?!”
Flair lashed out at Koutarou. She was also suffering from the disease, but her anger gave her the temporary power to overcome her symptoms.
“Calm down, Lady Pardomshiha. I’m not suggesting that we just hand over Princess Alaia.”
“What?!”
“After Her Highness surrenders and we get our hands on the antidote, we raid the enemy base and rescue her. In our current situation, it’s the only way we can save both Princess Alaia and Princess Charl.”
Flair flinched at the mention of Charl’s name. She then turned to look at her as she slept. There was no denying how grim things were looking for them.
“What do you think, Clan?”
“Lord Veltlion, I agree with you. I’ve entertained various possibilities, but I think that plan has the highest odds in our favor.”
Clan agreed with Koutarou. She had been weighing different strategies in her head, but the most feasible plan was the one that Koutarou had suggested.
“B-But how do you know if we’ll succeed?! If things take a turn for the worse, we’ll be in trouble!”
“I don’t know, Lady Pardomshiha. But I can swear to you on this sword that I will rescue Her Highness.”
Koutarou lightly patted Saguratin hanging at his waist. Seeing that, Alaia also recalled their discussion during the dance. She flashed a small smile.
“Even so, I will believe in you, Layous-sama.”
“Please wait, Your Highness! They have more than thirty men! Even if we get the antidote, it will be next to impossible to save you on our own!”
“I’m sorry, Flair, but my knight has sworn on his sword. With an oath like that, I’m obligated to put my faith in him.”
Alaia knew just how much Koutarou valued Saguratin, and now he had sworn on it that he would rescue her. That meant he would come for her no matter what.
That’s right. Even though his sword may break...
Truthfully, Alaia didn’t mind if Koutarou failed to rescue her. Whether he succeeded or not wouldn’t affect how she felt. She was just happy he’d been willing to swear on his sword that he would come for her. But really, as long as he protected Charl, she was prepared to accept whatever fate may hold in store for her. She believed that she could die in peace as long as Koutarou kept Charl safe.
“Let’s go, Layous-sama.”
“As you wish, my princess.”
And so Alaia left the room with a smile on her face, feeling neither fear nor despair.
The commander of the army troops that had been sent to the village, a squire from Melcemhein named Dextro, was a cruel man. As the third son of a poor farmer family, he’d relied on any means necessary to move up in the ranks. And it was exactly because of his reputation that he’d been appointed commander of the operation to poison the water supply and flush out Alaia. A normal knight might have hesitated at such an order, but not Dextro. He saw this mission as a chance to be promoted, and that was all that mattered to him.
“Heh, what an easy job...”
He had been given a bottle full of black liquid from Maxfern, and poured it into the wells and nearby rivers just yesterday. There were plenty of people out and about to celebrate the harvest festival, so no one had thought the presence of Dextro and his men was suspicious. As the night carried on, the poison began to take effect. Contaminating the water supply made it all too easy to target the entire village since everyone there depended on that water to sustain themselves. All the while, Dextro was simply resting in his tent. Even now he was lounging there and drinking alcohol.
“Dextro-sama.”
The soldier serving as his adjutant approached and called to him from the entrance of his tent.
“What?”
Dextro tossed his cup aside and growled at the man, upset at the interruption.
“We’ve found Alaia-sama. She is currently on her way here.”
However, after hearing what his adjutant had come to tell him, a smile appeared on Dextro’s lips. It was a cruel smile, reminiscent of a cat enjoying playing with its prey.
“Stupid. You don’t need to call her ‘Alaia-sama.’”
“But...”
“She’s an evil woman who killed the emperor and empress after they found out that she had been embezzling public funds. There’s no need to address her as ‘-sama.’”
“I-I see...”
Dextro cackled as he looked at his hesitant subordinate. He knew that Maxfern and Grevanas were behind everything. But he was complicit in their doings and pointed his finger at Alaia too. The reason for that was simple. He was more likely to get promoted that way.
“Well then, let’s go greet the former princess.”
Dextro exited the tent while laughing. In contrast to just a moment ago, he was rather cheerful. Since he was normally in a bad mood, however, it was something of an unsettling sight to his adjutant.
As Alaia walked down the main street of the village, the people flocked there made way for her. Despite being ravaged by disease, Alaia walked down the street in a dignified manner. She appeared almost like a certain prophet who parted the sea.
Koutarou and Clan followed right behind her. Since they were the only two who could properly move, they were the only ones accompanying Alaia now. Flair, Fauna, and Lidith were all worried enough that they tagged along too, but they had blended in with the crowd.
“Princess Alaia, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Thank you, Layous-sama, but I don’t want them to think I’ve gotten feeble because I’m walking too slowly. I can’t show weakness at a time like this.”
Koutarou was worried for Alaia’s health as she walked along at her normal pace despite her condition, but she courageously shook her head at his worry. It was a cardinal rule not to show any weakness during negotiations. Until she got her hands on the medicine, Alaia was planning on fighting back her illness through sheer willpower.
“Besides, if I stagger, the citizens will worry.”
“Your Highness...”
Koutarou was in awe at Alaia’s gallant determination.
So this is what royalty is like...
People continued to crowd the street. Most were people seeking medicine for their collapsed family members, but there were also citizens who were loyal to the royal families and had come out to show their support for Alaia. For their sake, Alaia was especially determined to show them her strength.
“They’ve come, Lord Veltlion.”
Clan pointed ahead of them. Not far down the road were soldiers approaching from the entrance of the village. At their head was a lone knight wearing heavy, metal armor. In his entourage were thirty armed soldiers and five magicians in black robes holding wooden staffs. In total, their troop was 36 strong. It was more than enough of a force to meet Koutarou, Clan, and Alaia.
“So you’re Alaia?”
Despite standing before a princess, the knight didn’t bow his head out of respect. Instead he proudly puffed up his chest and looked down on her as he spat out uncouth wor
ds.
“And who might you be?”
Despite his rude behavior, Alaia didn’t so much as flinch. Her voice and expression were stern. Her demeanor was completely different from when she interacted with Koutarou or Charl. She looked like a princess ready to face her enemy.
“Copper Knight Dextro, and I belong to Melcemhein’s band of knights. I’m currently a squire, but I plan on becoming an established knight soon enough.”
“At this rate, you’ll be a squire forever.”
“Well said. As expected from a former princess. But I’ll become an established knight once I take you back with me.”
Alaia was still calm, but Koutarou was angered by the way he was speaking to Alaia.
Former princess?!
“Calm down, Veltlion,” Clan whispered scoldingly.
If she hadn’t grabbed Koutarou and stopped him, he might have taken a swing at Dextro.
“Heh, don’t get so angry, Blue Knight.”
Dextro laughed and sneered at Koutarou. Perhaps despite his intentions, turning his attention to Koutarou actually helped calm him down. He didn’t really care if he was looked down on; he had only gotten angry because Dextro was being disrespectful to Alaia.
“Sorry, Clan.”
“Please try not to do anything reckless.”
Sensing that Koutarou had calmed down, Clan let go of him.
“Oh, so you’re completely reliant on women?”
“Yeah, almost the same way you’re totally dependent on Maxfern.”
Koutarou was something of a rowdy boy and had been in his fair share of fights. He was used to this kind of taunting back and forth. In a strange way, he was in his comfort zone now. Really, he felt like he’d stepped into the ring and was only just starting to flex his muscles.
“What was that, you bastard?!”
Dextro was now the one incensed as he glared at Koutarou. He’d grown up believing that power was everything, and he’d used that power to fight for his position. Hearing Koutarou suggest he’d gotten his title by relying on Maxfern was infuriating.
“Calm down, Dextro. If you’re planning on becoming an established knight, you can’t lose your cool over a petty insult.”