107 – Ethiopia – 1
After taking four days to return to Arcana, Charlotte immediately summoned me to the dean’s office.
And.
“Are you really going with this number?”
“Yes.”
At Charlotte’s assertion, cold sweat ran down my back.
Compared to the original work, the decisive battle with Avatar took about half a year earlier.
I don’t think that’s wrong.
In a situation where the chaos in the empire is getting worse, they are an evil that must disappear as soon as possible.
But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to fight recklessly.
“Hey, Miss Charlotte.”
First, I approached Charlotte, who was sitting in the chair in the dean’s office, and whispered.
Because I don’t want anyone else to hear it, just in case.
“Did I misrepresent something?”
“What are you talking about?”
“… Avatar’s main force consists of 8 people in total.”
“And all of them are at least as good as a high-ranking knight?”
You know that.
“Who knows why?”
I asked Charlotte and quietly looked around.
Raina, Helen, Atal, me, and Charlotte.
A total of 5 people.
Not only were the numbers lacking, but above all, Sophia and Leon were missing.
“But I couldn’t help it. The imperial family decided that it was ultimately impossible for the knights to move in the current state of affairs, and the manpower of the magic tower was unreasonable because the elder grandfathers opposed it. Right now, Atal-nim is at the level of forcibly bringing in what the Martires Church was against.”
“Well, I wanted the church to come forward directly.”
Unlike me, who had a throbbing headache, Charlotte and Atal seemed unconcerned.
No, it’s Atal. You don’t know exactly what Avatar is, so even if you assume it can, you shouldn’t.
“Then what happened to Your Highness and Miss Sophia?”
When asked about the two most important things, Charlotte clicked her tongue and continued.
“I lost contact.”
“Yes?”
“Really. The Huangga and the Martires Church do not know where they are.”
I thought it was possible without the support of the Empire, the Mage Tower, and the Church.
In the current state of the empire, where various interests are intertwined, it is impossible for everything to go well.
But the two most important things in this fight are missing.
“Then can’t we wait until we can get in touch with you two?”
“I don’t care. But what if I contact you in the first place?”
“Yes? Of course fighting….”
At my answer, Charlotte sighed.
“Ike. Huang Gana and the Church of Martires have already determined that it is impossible to provide support for Avatar. But just because Her Highness Leon and Sofia are contacted, will they really be able to join us?”
“That….”
Charlotte was right.
Didn’t it be said that Atal was almost forced to bring it?
It would be almost impossible to fight together under such circumstances.
But.
“So it’s impossible for us to bring them together in public.”
“However, with this number of people….”
“Ike.”
When I turned around, Reina’s purple eyes were looking at me.
“It’s okay. Trust us.”
“… It’s not that I don’t believe it. But now you have to rationalize the situation.”
“So you are saying that other people are idiots who try to judge the situation emotionally and screw everything up?”
“It’s not like that, Mr. Atal.”
Looking away, Atal smiled smirkingly, and Helen shrugged his shoulders as if it were okay.
What kind of confidence is everyone doing this with?
“Ike, if you think it’s too much for us, go back. Originally, I was going to move alone. There’s nothing wrong with missing one of you.”
The eyes of Charlotte, who asserted that there was no problem, did not waver at all.
From nob le mt l dot com
Perhaps no matter what I say here, they’re headed for Ethiopia.
“… All right.”
In the end, I had no choice but to nod my head.
Ethiopia.
An area that can be considered the only wasteland in the empire.
Basically, the atmospheric magic is extremely low, and even the nature is barren, so it is difficult even for demon beasts to survive.
In terms of location, it was the northern frontline, and that was the base of Avatar.
“It is definitely the hardest place to find when hidden in Ethiopia.”
“Yes. According to our investigation, they are an organization that has existed behind the Empire for over hundreds of years. However, if there is a reason why it has not been caught so far, there must have been a geographical advantage.”
And since Reinen is located in the southern part of the empire, it takes about 10 days to get to Ethiopia.
It’s hard to ride a carriage for four days, but ten days.
I was already sighing, but everyone else seemed fine.
“And as I explained earlier, all of Avatar’s officers are transplanted with demonic blood and magical pathways, so-called MEN…. Well, I don’t even need to explain this. Because you are all parties.”
At Charlotte’s words, everyone raised their eyes and shut their mouths.
In a way, those words were meant to open wounds.
“… This time, no one will lose.”
No one looked frustrated.
“Of course it should. Everyone know We are going to destroy Avatar this time. But nobody should die. This is our most important goal.”
A simple and sure goal: no one dies.
But that was the best ending we all wanted.
“Everyone, without exception, will return alive.”
No one hesitated to nod.
After explaining the tactics to be used when fighting Avatar, we got on a carriage heading to Ethiopia.
As soon as Charlotte and Helen got on the carriage, they immediately closed their eyes and went to sleep, and Atal quietly went to the corner of the carriage and began to pray.
“… Are you really okay?”
There was no anxiety like the first time that I could never win.
Because Charlotte’s methods of dealing with Avatar were reasonable enough to nod, and had grounds.
However, the fact that Sophia and Leon, the main characters of the original, were not present, made me nervous over and over again, albeit a little.
Reina, who was sitting next to her, quietly held her hand in lamentation filled with such emotion.
A hand that was much smaller than mine, slender, and soft, cooled my hands that were feverish with tension.
“I’m sure it will be fine. Because I worked really hard.”
And just the fact that you believed in me made my nervousness melt and start to disappear.
“… Thanks as always, Reina.”
“Don’t say anything.”
Raina looked at me and smiled kindly.
I felt like I would be stunned by that smile.
“… I’m worried about how to hold on for ten days.”
“Wouldn’t there be no choice but to endure somehow?”
I turned my head and changed the subject of conversation.
But even so, Reina didn’t show it at all.
“I traveled all over the empire for three months and researched information related to Avatar.”
“Did you learn a lot as a disciple?”
“Well, maybe you’ll be surprised when you see it?”
We did not let go of each other until the end.
★
The bonfire burns crackling.
It takes at least 10 days to arrive in Ethiopia.
Of course, it was not a distance that could be traveled without resting.
“….”
Only the sound of quiet breathing echoes through the night sky.
Everyone except me was already asleep.
“Hmm.”
When I looked down, you were still with your eyes closed.
I tried to stroke your cheek slowly with my finger, but you were only slightly out of breath.
“Ike.”
I quietly call your name.
Of course, the sharp eyes didn’t even move, and the answer didn’t come back either.
Only her auburn hair swaying quietly in the night breeze.
Ike Access.
The person I like.
My wonderful knight who cares for me and is always by my side.
He’s blunt and taciturn, but he’s actually kinder than anyone else, and just looking at him like this makes me happy.
I believe that with you we can overcome anything.
“But why….”
Sometimes I feel like you’re going to go far away all of a sudden.
I’m sure it’s within reach if I stretch out my hand right now, but I think it’s too far away.
Do you know how much my heart breaks every time I imagine that?
“Ike. I love you.”
No matter what happens, that fact won’t change.
You saved me. You changed my world.
Now I can smile like this because you reached out to me.
Thanks to you guiding me, now I can move forward without giving up even when it’s hard.
Of course, I still haven’t heard that I like it.
No, it’s very unfortunate, but it’s okay because I enjoy seeing you embarrassed now.
Even if you say you hate me later, I will never hate you.
No matter what secrets you may be hiding, I’ll be sure to accept them with a smile.
“Whoa whoop….”
What are you dreaming about right now, what are you thinking?