Translated by: Garcar
※This story contains spoilers for Ex5 “Tale of the Scarlet Princess”. Please read after finishing the main volume.
1
???: [Heyy, Miles-bro. Really, why’d we hafta come out to a place like this.]
While nonchalantly rubbing his chin, the young man―― Balleroy Temeglyph inquired such.
Carrying a longspear upon his shoulder, was a handsome young man with a cool expression. Fully equipped in black and red armor, he could easily be identified as a soldier of the Vollachian Empire, and from his insignia, that he was of private rank.
However, his tension-free behavior did not stem from recklessness, but rather from firm basis of his remarkable ability as a spear user. With the skills he had with beloved spear, which he seemed to be carrying defenselessly, light would flash in the presence of those who harbored hostility.
Knowing that better than anybody else, Miles was willing to overlook that careless attitude. Most of all, nothing would ever change no matter how many times he warned him, so he just gave up, is how one could put it.
Balleroy: [Hey, Miles-bro, are ya listening to me? Such a remote location…]
Miles: [Ahh, Shut yer damn mouth! If you’re talkin’ bout having conclusive evidence, ya really think I got any of that! I only came here off a damn rumor! So shut it and follow behind!]
Balleroy: [Ya really ain’t gotta yell at me like that…]
Whenever Miles was spoken to so restlessly and irritably, the feelings he ought to have given up on would surge with anger. Still, in response to Balleroy, who was unable to reflect upon himself, Miles heaved a deep sigh as he lead the way.
For the sake of finding something rather difficult, the pair were deep in the middle of a dense forest. Originally, the sky was the main domain for this pair of flying dragon riders, but they’d had no choice but to become land walkers for this objective.
The pair searching for something they could not find, were the sworn younger brother, who lacked in seriousness, and Miles, whose fatigue was causing him to feel heavy in the head.
――Miles had already known this foolish sworn younger brother for a long time.
They had known each other since the time when Balleroy was just a rootless orphan. Since long ago, Balleroy had always been a guy whose wisdom was lacking compared to his skills, but Miles had become a member of the Vollachian Army a step before him, and since then he had chosen the same path, as if chasing after him.
Was he simply following in the footsteps of someone he knew, or was it more simply that he was blind to see? The possibility of the latter seems higher, but they had always been together after that.
This time, their responsibility of searching for something, was assigned to them by another link in the chain.
Miles: [The High Countess sure enjoys puttin’ us to use, doesn’t she…]
With wavy red hair, and a white scar carved into her prominent beautiful face, the pair’s lord was one who gave an unforgettable impression―― Serena Dracroy was a shrewd lady of character.
A competent and beautiful woman, somebody who now owed him a favor for taking this job up. Nevertheless, he disliked getting used by a woman. It was a dynamic he eagerly wished to flip one day.
Balleroy: [Bro, Brooo.]
Miles: [What is it, ya goddamn idiot. Are ya still complaining?]
Balleroy: [No no, it ain’t that at all. The thing we’re looking for, would it happen to be that over there?]
Balleroy, shrugging his shoulders, gestured to a direction with the head of his spear. Focusing his eyes there, Miles cautiously observed the tree-obstructed path.
In order to be a flying dragon rider, there were two essential qualities. The first of which is obviously to have compatibility with a flying dragon, and the other is to be in possession of excellent eyesight.
Because of that excellent eyesight, Miles and Balleroy found the location of their objective. That was――,
Miles: [――Well done. Ain’t no mistaking it. That’s the rumored bandit fortress.]
Balleroy: [That’s splendid. Then, what’ll we do next?]
Miles closed a single eye at his sworn younger brother’s inquiry, who was adjusting his grip on his spear.
He had decided on their course of action.
Miles: [We’ll slaughter all the bandits in the fortress. Even if it’s a corpse, the High Countess wants us to bring it back after all.]
2
???: [――ka.]
The spear pierced straight through the center of his neck, and the large bandit collapsed with eyes opened wide in fear. Trembling, his limbs spasmed, and in place of his breath, a large quantity of blood frothed out of his mouth.
Unable to grasp the large sword leaning against the wall in his hand, it could be said that he miserably died in vain.
Balleroy: [Miles-bro, I’m all done here.]
Miles: [Oh, hard work. Well done.]
Having skillfully wielded the spear in the low-ceiling room, Balleroy wiped the blood off the tip. Stepping over the corpse of the man collapsed at his feet, Miles frowned at the unorganized objects scattered around the room.
It was a bandit’s base. He had not been expecting them to have neatly kept things tidy and in order, but he was at his wit’s end at how much of a far cry this was from his general idea of unity and tidiness.
Miles: [Good grief… from the structure of this fortress, I thought this guy would’ve been the leader.]
Balleroy: [If we came here, did ya expect her to be in the leader’s room?]
Miles: [Yeah, she’s obviously a princess with her nobility on full display. If a gang of bandits saw her, it’s logical that the topmost guy would be the one to rape her.]
However, if she was not in this room, then his expectations had been defied. It was possible the leader tried to rape her, but overdid the violence and had ended up breaking her.
If that was the case, it would be exceedingly troublesome to find and dig up the whereabouts of the corpse but――,
Miles: [Anyhow, if she ain’t in the room it can’t be helped. Maybe at least one of ’em was able to survive, so…]
???: [――What, so it was just you lot?]
Miles: [――hk!?]
While searching for a reasonable person to talk to, a voice called out from behind the two.
Miles reflexively jumped, and Balleroy looked back at his brother as if to protect him. However, both of their alertness rapidly came loose upon seeing the figure in front of them.
The reason was, the person standing there was the thing that Miles and Balleroy were searching for―― No, it was the person they were searching for.
Balleroy: [M’Lady… Priscilla-sama, are ya unhurt?]
His facial expression loosening from surprise to relief, Balleroy lowered his spear and called that out. At those words the young girl―― Priscilla snorted her well shaped nose, and let out a “Naturally” and puffed her chest up with pride.
While still a small girl in the first half of her teens, she had an unchanging arrogant attitude unbecoming of a normal young girl. All of her well defined facial features would lead anyone to believe that in the near future, she would be an unrivaled beauty.
That was precisely the reason he wanted to make her cry, but regardless of Miles’ sadistic inner thoughts,
Miles: [Priscilla-sama, your safety was of utmost importance. After I heard you had escaped from Count Pendleton’s mansion, and that your whereabouts were unknown, I was scared to death.]
Balleroy: [Around this area, some bandits had taken a child that resembled ya, M’lady, Miles-bro heard a rumor along those lines. Why, ya sure’ve done it bro!”
Beside Miles, who was silently giving a deep bow, Balleroy proudly spoke of his brother’s achievement. Honestly, he wanted to slap him into bowing his head as well, but held back from doing so in front of Priscilla.
Hearing the pair’s report, Priscilla shrugged her slim shoulders.
Priscilla: [I see. Not only are you an ugly man, but you have rather sharp ears as well, do you not?]
MIles: […As for you Priscilla-sama, I’m relieved you haven’t changed. This is a bandit’s fortress. I was worried about whether or not they were on the verge of raping you.]
Priscilla: [Hmph. I suppose it is only natural that after witnessing mine beauty, one would indulge in obscene delusions.]
When Miles was about to fire back at Priscilla’s sarcasm, the young crimson beauty gave a cold smile, and patched on a “However” to her words while glancing towards the collapsed bandit’s corpse in the room.
Priscilla: [In the end, it exists not within the realm of possibility. The reason I was among these fools is because the leader of this place is mineself.]
Balleroy: [Hahaha, that’s quite the amusing joke now… It’s a joke, right?]
Balleroy laughed at the sudden confession, but Priscilla had no intentions of telling that as a joke. Naturally, the pair’s gazes faced towards the collapsed man, and the reason for Priscilla’s safety became coherent.
These bandits too, were hit by Priscilla’s transcendental aura, and were unable to deal with her violently, so she was welcomed in as a member of the fortress. But, that peacefulness was ripped apart by the uninvited guests of Miles and Balleroy――,
Priscilla: [Well then, shall we go? It seems you lot came to pick mineself up.]
After taking a glance at the dead body, she left no words in regards to the death. With no feelings or emotional attachment whatsoever, to the extent that even Miles felt somewhat sorrowful for the bandits.
Therefore, there was reassurance that he could safely protect Priscilla.
Miles: [Eh, Understood. The High Countess will surely be happy as well. ――Mid Count Pendleton was executed for the crime of treason, so she’s been terribly exhausted.]
Priscilla: [――――]
As he said something he did not need to say, he could feel Priscilla’s gaze sharpen.
But, Miles did not utter any apology, nor append on any disagreeable remarks. The ability to discern when to quit, was the number one reason why Miles had been able to survive until now.
Balleroy: [Miles-bro, I think that was a lil’ nasty.]
Miles: [Shut up.]
With that, he ended up needing to click his tongue at his longtime sworn younger brother, because he had seen right through his intentions.
3
Serena: [First of all, it’s excellent that you are safe, Milady. Especially since I haven’t been able to repay my debt to you.]
Speaking those words, to give reception to the girl who had changed into a dress, High Countess Serena Dracroy was once again happy for Priscilla’s safety, and their reunion.
In the reception room, sitting on the sofa opposing Serena was Priscilla, who had just finished her bath, the polish of her beautiful hair and skin reinvigorated her alluring figure. In spite of spending time in the crude and unhygienic bandit fortress for a while, Miles couldn’t help but be impressed at the immediate restoration of her beauty.
Serena: [Miles, Balleroy, you two did well to accomplish your duty.]
Balleroy: [Your words are wasted on me. But, even to just find the lady here, I didn’t do anything to help find her. All of it, was Miles-bro’s achievement.]
Miles: [Ah, that’s exactly right… is what I’d like to say, but the one who did away with all the bandits in the fortress was Balleroy. My achievement was probably closer to around seventy percent.]
As Balleroy easily handed over his portion of the achievement, Miles supplemented that with a bitter face.
His sworn younger brother, with no fixation on achievements or need for approval, had a danger that if left unchecked, could lead to other people taking the credit for all of his achievements. For Miles too, if he carelessly accepted the achievements and had an increase in his evaluation, he would be assigned duties unfit for himself, leading to only having painful thoughts.
He would receive achievements properly, with just a little bit of something extra added, and that would be just right.
In response to the pair’s report, Serena responded “Is that so?” with a haughty voice. With dignified looks, preventing her intentions from being read, the lady once again turned to face Priscilla.
Serena: [I’ll say it once more, but it’s excellent that you are safe. Since the Mid Count… Since Count Pendleton did that and you went missing, my heart hasn’t been able to be at peace.]
Priscilla: [To fret over the matters of another house, is a charitable mentality unbecoming of Vollachian Nobility. Certainly you, of all people, have not fallen illicitly in love with mine husband?]
Serena: [Even supposing that were the case, would you truly criticize me for having no eye for beauty? …In his final moments, Jorah Pendleton honorably lived up to his title of Imperial Nobility.]
Casting down her eyes, framed by long lashes as they were, Serena clearly declared that.
Accused of treason, Jorah Pendleton lost his life engaging in one on one combat against a member of the Nine Divine Generals who carried out the besiegement of his mansion, Goz Ralfon.
At first, upon hearing of that heroic manner of death, Miles thought it had been some sort of joke.
Honestly, Miles didn’t really have a high evaluation of the person known as Jorah. Primarily since Vollachia looked down upon those with virtuous personalities, and in truth, being exploited on many occasions, the one who seemed to always end up with the short end of the stick was Jorah.
That Jorah had been accused of treason against the empire, and instead of pleading, he gripped his sword, to face a member of the Nine Divine Generals directly and cross swords with him, so――,
Balleroy: [――His love was outstanding, it’s gotta be something like that.]
While considering the same circumstances, Miles elbowed Balleroy at his side as he spilled out his carefree thoughts.
Such a cheap and picturesque tale couldn’t happen in reality. Unfortunately, the relationship between Jorah and Priscilla was impossible for Miles to decipher.
But, even if he put his life on the line for something, that thing should have never been anything like love.
Priscilla: [――――]
Miles: [Wha, What is it, Milady. Did I do something…?]
Suddenly, from the corner of eye, Priscilla gazed at Miles, who was biting down on his molars. While he was shuddering at that unforeseen gaze, Priscilla responded “No” to his question and shook her head.
Priscilla: [It is something trivial. Only, I just think you are restricting yourself through your own sense of values, therefore eventually that will be the reason for your ruin. It would be best to keep that in mind.]
Miles: […I don’t get what you mean exactly, but understood.]
Given a warning as if being told a riddle, he was unable to do anything but nod.
Making a face that appeared to be able to see through everything in this world, the audacious young girl, with crimson eyes and insight unbefitting her age, looked down upon everything. While that understanding manner of speaking had thoughtlessly retorted, it also had the power to contain her objection to emotional sentiments.
In any case――,
Serena: [The Mid Count had made a request in advance. If anything were to happen to him, to take care of his wife. Somehow, it seems the Mid Count was prepared for something like this to happen from long before.]
Priscilla: [And, I am sure he was. When he separated from mineself, he did not lose composure. It was unusual.]
Serena: [Is that so. I was not present at that location, but if you’re saying it, Milady, it must be true.]
Serena, who had a close friendship with him, felt relief upon hearing that come from Priscilla’s mouth and loosened her cheeks.
A part of Goz Ralfon was that of a military man, and there was a possibility that in order to protect his honor, he had dramatized the death of Jorah. However, Priscilla herself crushed that possibility.
For example, even when it came to her husband, Priscilla would not distort or embellish the facts.
Serena: [If so, then all the more, I’d like to carry out his intentions.]
Priscilla: [Hm, what do you intend on doing?]
Serena: [――Using connections with friendly companies, we’ve made preparations for you to escape the country, Milady.]
At the proposal of supporting her escape, Priscilla’s well shaped eyebrows twitched.
Was that anger at the thought of running away, or was it a reaction of considering the merit of the proposal? Feeling the temperature of the room rising, Miles made a faint sound with his throat.
However, this was a dangerous proposition.
The wife of the treason-accused Jorah, if she supported her escape, it would not be strange for Serena to be accused as implicit in his crimes. She would be committing an admirable act of treason.
Priscilla: [Why go that far? To pay back your debt to mineself? Or perhaps, you were earnestly and illicitly in love with mine husband?]
Serena: [――. Right after I cut down my father, who was my predecessor, I was struggling to bring House Dracroy together, and the Mid Count… Jorah did me a favor.]
Priscilla: [――――]
Serena: [The people of the Empire must be strong, he was a man that went against those teachings. But, sometimes people will meet a friend that wants to exert themselves for their sake, regardless of the advantages and disadvantages.]
For that reason, Serena would go as far as to put her house in danger for Priscilla’s sake――No, for the sake of her friend Jorah’s request, she would exhaust all means necessary to save his beloved wife.
Balleroy: [Doesn’t it make ya wanna cry. Hey, Miles-Bro.]
Miles: [Keep your damn mouth shut, utter fool.]
He chided Balleroy, who seemed to have been moved, however, Miles did not give his honest opinion.
Serena Dracroy was a High Countess of the Empire. If she let her emotions out one time, there would not be a second time. If this was the one selfish thing in her life, to carry that out was her duty to her feelings.
Serena: [Even if Priscilla Pendleton is lost, the fact that you were the wife of my friend will not change.]
Priscilla: [What an admirable mentality… So you will treat mineself like a child to the very end. It seems that somehow my husband, up until the very end, was a childish man who did not know how to treat a woman.]
Spilling out an exasperated sigh, Priscilla closed her crimson eyes.
In her meditating mind, there were likely memories of bygone days with Jorah circulating. That was a sentiment that others would not have been able to perceive, since it took place in a fraction of a few seconds.
Priscilla: [So, what are the arrangements?]
With her eyes open, Priscilla displayed a realistic attitude by accepting Serena’s proposal.
It was not a charming attitude, but at Priscilla’s answer, Serena began to explain the plan. While observing those clever, dignified, women without weakness, Miles heaved a sigh.
Balleroy: [Miles-bro, ain’t it real picturesque when M’lady and the High Countess’re together?]
With that, only now was he truly envious of his sworn younger brother’s carefree personality.
《END》
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