Chapter 49
Translator: FusionX
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The sun disappeared as a gloomy darkness blanketed the sky, and only the crescent moon obscured by clouds pitifully emitted its light.
A curtain of darkness without a single star covered the light, and only the light of hazy eyes wandered around like fireflies.
I looked at the sky where twilight was spreading like that.
Awooo-
The sound of a wolf’s howl rang out.The land resounding in this silence, this wind rushing forward without even letting one breathe, revived a memory in me.
That day was the same.
The night Miragen died, the night when only the crescent moon emitted an eerie light without a single star in sight.
On the night of my 35th regression, Temuzin ambushed us in the northwest.
Was this really a coincidence, I ran while erasing the thoughts that came to mind.
I had already moved far ahead from Adele, and I could no longer hear the voices of the others.
They would probably tell me to join the ranks, but this time, I planned to move alone.
Otherwise, I would be late like that time.
A piece of regret I held in my heart fluttered.
The words I had heard on the last day of my thirty-fifth run echoed in my ears, and my emotions from that time were trying to resurface.
But I endured.
There was nothing good about recalling those emotions.
I thought nothing would happen.
Muttering that to myself, a slightly dry expression appeared on my face.
Nothing would change even if I immersed myself in these thoughts, so I turned my head slightly, feeling Adele’s presence following me from behind.
Adele’s expression was no different from before.
It was an indifferent face, neither angry nor serious.
“We’ll be in the northwest soon. You… plan to move separately, right?”
“I suppose so. Securing Her Highness the Princess’s safety is the top priority.”
“… Other than that, is there another reason?”
For a very brief moment, I saw Adele’s eyes wavering.
There was nothing particularly special about me trying to save Miragen first.
It was just the thought that if I didn’t save her, I would regret it again like in my previous life.
She didn’t know about my previous lives, so I couldn’t say I would regret it.
After pondering how to answer for a moment, I quietly replied.
“There isn’t.”
“Is that so.”
Adele smiled slightly.
Perhaps my answer was quite satisfactory, as Adele, who had been staring into the void for a moment, untied the sword she had and held it out to me.
As I blankly looked at it for a moment, she plopped the sword on my waist and continued.
“Take it. There’s nothing more dangerous than your sword breaking during a fight.”
Adele, who said that, smiled slightly and tapped the back of my wolf to urge it to go faster.
Surprised by the suddenly increased speed and the widening distance, Adele said to me as I grew distant.
“I’m lending it to you. Don’t get hurt, and don’t die.”
That gaze was still directed at me.
Perhaps she was looking at the gradually rising twilight.
But with a slightly disappointed expression, she slightly furrowed her brows and added.
“So go ahead and… save Her Highness the Princess. I have to lead my soldiers.”
Her lips that had been moving closed like that.
The distance between us widened due to the increased speed, and soon the distance between Adele and me became quite far.
A distance where her face was no longer visible, but Adele’s last appearance I saw… somehow looked extremely lonely.
She had told me to come back safely.
Recalling those words, it felt like the suffocating feeling in my chest was slightly relieved.
I rode on the wind and moved forward.
The place where Miragen had died before was the imperial palace, this time it was the northwest.
Because the location was different, I believed the outcome would be different.
Moreover, the timing was different too, right?
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again and beheld the moonlight in my eyes.
It was different from the night of the thirty-fifth run.
It would definitely, certainly be different.
This time, the one going to save Miragen was the 100th Robert.
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“What’s our current situation?”
“We have completely surrounded them. We have annihilated all of the imperial soldiers, so if we deal with the soldiers hiding inside, we can secure the princess’s safety.”
“Hmm, that cunning woman must still be in the west. Well, she probably didn’t expect me to ambush this place.”
Temuzin, who thought of Adele Igrit, showed a faint smile.
It was a despicable smile, but the situation was already smiling upon him.
If it were his usual self, he would have confronted them in the west or retreated a bit further to respond.
It was just a coincidence that he found out the princess was in the northwest.
No, perhaps it was proof that God was wishing for his victory.
“Come to think of it, that woman… did she leave right away?”
“She only provided us with information about the princess and disappeared. She said if we wanted to find her again, we should come to the south.”
“What was her name? Tere… something like that.”
“She called herself Theresa. We didn’t hear her surname.”
Theresa, Temuzin, who pondered that name, nodded his head.
He wouldn’t forget a favor.
Since providing information about the princess in this situation had played a significant role, he thought he would be able to achieve results against Adele with this opportunity.
The reason the princess had come to the northwest was because of the Terra Knight mine.
He didn’t know what she would do with it, but it was certain that it was quite important to the princess.
So he targeted that.
No matter how much Adele Igrit wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to ignore the princess’s safety and move towards the west.
“What will you do if you capture the princess?”
To that question, Temuzin answered as if it were natural.
“Kill her, of course.”
So that Adele Igrit would disappear from the North, he planned to capture the princess and kill her in front of Adele’s eyes.
What would that woman’s face of despair look like?
Temuzin, who had been laughing for a moment, then began to lead the tribal warriors.
Since the soldiers remaining in the northwest were all stationed by Adele, it wouldn’t take long to break through.
As Temuzin reached out his hand, the tribal warriors charged forward.
Squawk-
And there was a bird watching this.
Miragen, who heard Temuzin’s voice, swallowed slightly.
Although she had brought a few artifacts in case of unexpected situations, she didn’t expect to hear such words.
Kill?
Her?
Knowing that the tribes had invaded the northwest, she had concealed herself, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before she was caught.
She thought while pressing her temple.
A way to overcome this situation, and furthermore, a way to get out of here safely.
“If it was going to be like this, I shouldn’t have come. I should have listened to what Adriana said.”
Miragen’s eyes narrowed as she cut off her mind connection to the bird.
What was the reason Robert’s words came to mind in this situation?
The words that were selfish but clearly showed concern for her, saying to think only of her own safety in any situation.
Could it be that he had anticipated this would happen?
Miragen, who let out a small sigh, stared into the void.
There were only two artifacts left.
Excluding the one to contact Robert, there was only one artifact left to protect herself.
Even that could only conceal her body for a moment, so she could probably use it only when escaping from here.
The soldiers stationed by Adele still remained, so the commotion had not spread to where Miragen was staying yet.
It should be fine for now.
Wasn’t there enough time to contact someone?
So she carefully fiddled with the artifact, and then a buzzing vibration and a ringing sound followed.
– Your Highness the Princess, are you alright?
Miragen’s body trembled at the voice that immediately came through.
She didn’t expect him to answer right away like this.
She was about to smile, feeling glad, but realizing the current situation, she moved her lips again.
“I’m fine. But didn’t you say you were also in the north Lord Taylor? How is it there?”
– I’m heading your way. Is anyone with you right now?
“… Oh, wait a moment. This way?”
Surprised by the unexpected answer for a moment, Miragen barely managed to speak after coming to her senses.
He said he was coming this way, did he know how dangerous this place was right now?
“No! You’re not coming alone, are you? You have to inform Lady Adele and come together-”
– I know how dangerous it is. And I know what situation Your Highness is in.
“… Lord Taylor.”
– That’s why I’m going. Her Grace is gathering her soldiers and heading this way, so she’ll probably be able to join me and come.
In the end, those words meant he was coming alone.
Miragen, who barely suppressed her mind turning blank for a moment, slightly parted her lips.
With what confidence, before that, what was she to him… Although she was a princess, she wasn’t someone important enough for a person to risk their life and rush over.
If it were Adele Igrit, it would be understandable.
However, there was no need for Robert Taylor to come alone.
“There’s no need for you to come. It wouldn’t be too late to come with others, but the tribes are all over the place here. Are you saying you’ll break through here alone?”
– That’s right.
“What kind of nonsense is that-!”
Even the imperial soldiers had all fallen and died.
The leader leading the tribes seemed far from ordinary no matter how you looked at it, so how could Robert Taylor, who had never held a sword, reach them?
She was grateful for his intention, but Miragen judged it as a futile act of courage.
She couldn’t let another person lose their life, so she spoke in a low voice.
“Lord Taylor, I’m speaking as a princess right now. I appreciate your willingness to come, but it’s impossible to break through here alone. Her Grace probably didn’t give you permission either…”
– I’ve already received permission. That’s why I’m moving independently.
“You received permission, it sounds like you’re saying the Grand Duchess allowed that.”
As she said that, Robert’s slightly laughing voice was heard. But why did that laughter make her feel at ease?
After briefly grasping her chest, she carefully moved her lips.
– Even if you tell me not to come, I’ll go. I’m almost there, so I can’t turn back now.
“… Even if it’s an order from the princess, will you still do that?”
– That won’t be the order you’ll give me.
Robert’s voice was gentle.
For a moment, enough to forget about this situation, she blankly stared into the void at the voice that gently enveloped her body.
When the tribes invaded, she thought for a moment that she might die.
Didn’t she just hear that if they caught her, they would kill her?
Feeling strangely relaxed, Miragen, who grasped her staggering legs, opened her mouth.
“Then what order should I give you?”
– Just ask for help. Just ask me to save you, tell me where you are, that’s enough.
“… I can’t give that order. How can you say that in this situation? Do I seem like such a bad person, I would like to say that I’m not.”
She thought he was an amazing person.
Even in such a dangerous situation, he warned her as if he knew she would be in danger.
Wasn’t he rushing over here alone like this?
She didn’t know what he felt towards her.
She knew that the reason he approached her in the first place was to meet the Crown Prince.
They had hardly spent any time together.
They had met by chance with Adriana’s help and continued contact only because of her insistence.
As heat rushed to her face, Miragen slowly covered her cheek.
This wasn’t the time to feel such an emotion… Blinking her eyes, she let out a faint sigh at the sensation that didn’t disappear nevertheless.
“There’s a hidden entrance. I’ll tell you where it is, so can you come from there?”
Since it was made so that she, as a princess, could come, there were several secret passages.
Apart from other things, there would be many passages that could be moved in underground.
Miragen, who thought about the location of the passage for a moment, continued.
“If you go east from the front of the building I’m in, it should be there. If I say it’s a place with rough terrain, you’ll know, right?”
– … Ah, I think I know where it is.
“If you’re really coming this way, don’t fight with others and come towards that direction. Probably no one else knows about that place.”
Around the time Miragen was puzzled by the voice that didn’t continue for a moment, Robert quietly opened his mouth.
– Can you hold out until I get there?
“Of course. Don’t worry about me, worry about how you’ll arrive safely.”
– If you’re alive, I’ll save you.
While smiling at those words, she couldn’t understand what followed.
A cold voice continued.
But rather than being truly chilling, it felt like he was crying.
– This time, for sure.
Robert muttered.
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