Liese Ruindheim.
The girl who introduced herself was looking at me with blue eyes filled with a strong resolve.
She seemed to be around the same age as Arnella.
Her hair, appearing gray, gleamed silver under the light. Though slightly soiled, her figure dressed in an adorned gown was strikingly beautiful.
And then, there was the Ashen Kingdom. I hadn’t heard of it either.
Could it be a fictional country created by angels? Or perhaps a country that perished long ago?
“For now, we need to move. Staying here offers no escape.”
“Understood.”
Liese nodded obediently at my words.
Staying here was dangerous. This was likely known as the princess’s quarters, and it was only a matter of time before more soldiers arrived.
“I’ll be taking a weapon.”
With that, I picked up the sword of a fallen knight. It was leagues beyond any cheap sword.
In honor of the knight who sacrificed his life in loyalty, I’ll ensure the princess escapes properly. I swear it on my name.
If I were alone, I’d take his armor too, but out of respect for the knight’s loyalty shown in front of the princess, I held back.
“Liese, can you fight?”
“I know some self-defense… but I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.”
“That’s fine. I was just confirming.”
I gently opened the door to check the surroundings. I saw two soldiers, the pair from earlier, walking toward us with twisted smiles.
No one else was in sight.
I motioned Liese to step back, then raised my sword and took position on the left side of the door.
The two soldiers opened the door and entered the room.
“What happened, did the others get taken out?”
“A double kill, huh? No big deal. We still got a pretty princess here.”
As the soldiers advanced a few steps, I moved in from behind.
When entering a room in enemy territory, it’s basic duty to first check the sides.
Otherwise, this happens.
I swung the sword down, cutting across his shoulder, and as he died, he vanished.
One down.
While pulling out my sword, I delivered a kick to the other soldier’s groin. Screaming, he collapsed, clutching his wounded area.
From there, it was simple. Finishing him off, he too disappeared.
“You’re quite skilled.”
“Fighting humans isn’t my main line of work.”
“What do you usually do?”
“I’m an adventurer.”
Liese seemed impressed with my efficiency. I thought of introducing myself as a mage, but in my current state, I couldn’t use magic.
After taking care of the two soldiers, I stepped into the corridor.
The noise had died down significantly. Liese, seemingly still uneasy, scanned the surroundings.
“Where should we go?”
“There’s a passage only the royal family knows about on the first floor. We should be able to get out through there.”
“I see.”
It was a common story. There’s probably something similar in the Imperial Castle too.
I led Liese onward.
Most soldiers seemed to be gathered in the treasury or elsewhere, as we didn’t encounter as many as I’d expected.
Any soldier we came across, I took care of immediately.
When I killed them, their bodies disappeared, which reminded me that this world wasn’t reality. However, Liese didn’t seem to notice anything unusual about this.
Perhaps the angels adjusted things to suit her perceptions.
We descended to the first floor and ran according to Liese’ directions. She was keeping up well, though slightly out of breath.
“It’s just a bit further. Turn right at the end of this corridor, and…!”
Following her instructions, I turned right.
The corridor ended in a dead end. There was likely a hidden passage beyond.
The problem was, there was a man there.
Dressed as a soldier, but something was off.
“I smell it. Yes, I smell it.”
I had Liese step back as I gripped my sword.
“There’s a beastly stench. It’s unbearable. Don’t you think so too?”
The man turned around but didn’t seem to be looking directly at us, staring off somewhere as if gazing into the void.
Yet, he was definitely aware of us.
“This place is full of beasts. You and the woman beside you are likely beasts too, aren’t you?”
“We’re human, not beasts.”
“Human?”
The man slammed his jagged machete against the wall, leaving a deep dent. His face twisted with rage.
“Ah, yes. Humans are the real beasts. They need salvation. Everyone deserves to be saved. I’ll save them. Even beasts can return to humanity through death.”
It seemed he had lost his sanity. I couldn’t get Liese out of here without defeating him.
So this was the trial event.
“Liese, stay back.”
“Understood. May fortune favor you.”
Liese stepped back, and I faced the man with the machete.
Unlike the other soldiers, he was much larger in build. His eyes were bloodshot, but he still had enough calmness not to be reckless in his rage.
He was undoubtedly a formidable warrior.
The machete in his hand was stained and dripping with blood.
“Praise my god. Let us live eternally together.”
“Let me tell you one thing. Everyone who promises eternity is a liar.”
“Too difficult for a beast to understand. You’ll see once you’re a corpse.”
“What’s the point of living forever after you’re dead?”
His logic was absurd.
But the man didn’t seem to care.
He was mad. His thoughts, beliefs, everything was unhinged. Or perhaps he had been driven mad.
The god he spoke of was no god worth following.
The man with the machete advanced toward me slowly.
His stance, his build – all of it indicated his skill.
It was clear. He was a powerful opponent. Winning unscathed would be tough, but I didn’t intend to lose.
A knight defending a princess, huh?
I thought it was just a story.
As the man with the machete charged, I gripped my sword and ran to meet him.
Sparks flew as our weapons clashed.
