Volume 2 Chapter 96 Request For Reinforcements From Izerland Fortress I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The door opened, and a small princess in a white dress entered.
She must have taken a short nap, as the dark circles under her eyes had improved quite a bit.
Maribel walked over to Christy’s side, took a cloth, and dipped it into a basin of water.
”I-It’s fine! I can’t possibly let the princess do something like this!”
”Please, let me. It’s a way of thanking you for all your help. Right?”
”U… well…”
”Hehe, and speaking of princesses, Christy, you are also the princess of the Famille family, aren’t you?”
Maribel smiled and gently rubbed Christy’s back.
Christy instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.
”I’m only half, my mother was a commoner… And my family… I was kicked out after fighting with my father.”
Christy’s father had complex feelings toward her for being a woman with magical talent.
At one point, she was almost used as a pawn in a political marriage, but she managed to silence him by becoming the top student at the Royal Academy and later serving the powerful frontier king, Maribel.
After taking such extreme measures and due to her naturally rebellious nature, it was only a matter of time before her relationship with her father deteriorated and eventually collapsed.
”I see. So, maybe you’re not a princess after all.”
”Yeah.”
”But you are my Head magician’s. You’re like an older sister to me, following me despite my selfishness. You’re irreplaceable, an important person.”
”Manon…”
As Maribel washed the cloth in the warm water, she started humming softly.
Christy felt her heart begin to heal, soothed by Maribel’s cheerfulness and thoughtful nature.
Normally, someone with a more typical sense of social interaction might start a light conversation, but unfortunately, Christy had a complete lack of social awareness and a tendency to be overly realistic.
While cleaning her lower abdomen, the black-haired witch quickly brought up a more pressing matter.
”What’s Azrael’s side saying? Has anything happened since I passed out?”
”────. No. Lord Shajar insists that ‘the daughter who came to meet him was assassinated by the Knights of the Sun.’ The assassin who was following Sarah Nakash has been captured by Aisha, so if they spill the beans, it will be critical evidence. There are traces of a battle left in the forest, and it’s only a matter of time before the truth of their claims is revealed.”
”Okay. So we’re flying to Châtillon County again. Is the usual business finished?”
”I’ve finished the court documents that need to be dealt with right away. But McCutchen…”
”By the way, hasn’t that fat old man been found yet?”
”No…”
Maribel’s expression darkens.
McCutchen, who had been assigned to oversee Archbishop Homolka, had managed to escape from the mansion.
Given the barriers preventing the head magician Natasha from opening the teleportation gate, it’s unlikely he escaped outside the fortress; he’s probably hiding in the underground sewers or somewhere.
When Christy checked before going to bed, 2 of his skilled bodyguards were missing and the contents of his bank accounts had completely vanished.
Judging by the situation, he probably intends to hire soldiers to resist.
Or perhaps he plans to send assassins, claiming he doesn’t need a queen who threatens him.
Currently, Owl is personally guarding the Main Castle while tracking McCutchen’s whereabouts,” Maribel explains succinctly.
(The fortress’s underground sewers are vast and intricate. It’s uncertain how many layers of underground there are, even considering the old sections.)
If he’s accompanied by his skilled bodyguards, it will be a challenge to capture McCutchen, even if he is a fat old man.
If Owl could bring his Bloodsucking Kind into the castle, it would solve the problem in one go, but of course, causing such chaos is out of the question.
If during the search, any individual that breaks away from Owl’s control leaps into the town, there would likely be a bloodbath before the adventurers could respond.
”The two guarding McCutchen have previously worked as assassins. Owl is keeping watch over the Main Castle, but Christy, please be careful too.”
”Yeah. ──Thank you. I’m good now, feeling refreshed.”
”That was a bit shabby.”
She finished cleansing her body and took care of the water.
Christy donned her dress and sprayed a bit too much perfume.
She’ll need to go to Châtillon County, and if there’s any progress in the investigation, she will have to venture back into the forest.
If she enters the woods next time, she wants to return home first after coming back here.
”Manon, I’m going to study harder and become a more skilled magician than Lady Natasha.”
”Oh? What’s brought this on, Christy?”
”Well, this incident is Lady Natasha’s responsibility for setting up a detection barrier around the McCutchen house. It’s also partly the fault of that lazy Bishop Homolka.”
”Now, Christy. Please don’t speak ill of my associate like that.”
Maribel’s voice sounded a bit flat.
This young princess seemed to think that McCutchen escaped due to either Natasha or Homolka’s negligence, or perhaps both.
Christy’s brow furrowed.
(No, if they just let him escape due to negligence, that would be one thing. But…, if either Natasha or Homolka betrayed McCutchen…)
Especially if Natasha, who oversees the barrier, was the one betraying, the Main Castle would be completely exposed, at least more so than the outer wall of Izerland fortress.
Since she maintains the barrier that prevents teleportation, if the worst happens, Christy wouldn’t even be able to teleport outside the castle with Maribel.
A caged bird──
The walls of the Main Castle could become a massive coffin to bury Maribel.
Christy felt an indescribable sense of unease and impatience envelop her chest.
Indeed, the black-haired Head Magician’s premonition proved to be true.
Just as Maribel stepped out of the nap room, a flustered Fringilla rushed towards her from down the hallway.
* * *
”Princess! This is serious! Azraelian and Shin forces are gathering outside the castle!”
”────!?!? ‘Outside the castle’? That can’t be the Main Castle, right? The outer Wall?”
”Yes, but…”
”Are the castle gates closed? Is the drawbridge raised? If not, contact the defense teams at all directions to close the gates immediately!”
Maribel commanded with a clear voice.
However, Fringilla shook her head with a pale face.
”According to reports, the eastern drawbridge malfunctioned and did not raise. The Azraelian and Shin forces are now advancing along the main road inside the fortress towards the Main Castle.”
”────. What… on earth…”
Christy had known Maribel for quite some time, but she had never seen her this flustered before.
The blonde young princess stumbled back, struck by fear.
Yet, she quickly shook her head and raised her golden brow.
”Call Owl, please. Christy, I will go to the castle Wall. I need to confirm the enemy forces that have broken in.”
”Understood.”
”Fringilla, once you speak to Owl, call Natasha next. Urgently instruct her to come to the fifth floor castle Wall of the Main Castle. Afterward, Archbishop Homolka as well.”
”Y-yes!”
”Guards, please follow me!”
”Ha!” “Yes!”
Maribel took off running.
Undeterred by her skirt.
She leaped up the stairs leading outside in 2 bounds, bursting onto the castle Wall where faint sounds of commotion echoed.
”Princess!?” “Your Excellency, this is dangerous! Please!”
The guards stationed atop the castle Wall widened their eyes, but Maribel paid them no mind.
She peered down from the edge of the uneven wall of the castle.
Despite her fear of heights, Christy followed her master to look down at the town below.
”────”
People.
People.
People.
As far as the eye could see, there were shadows of people, thick and dark.
It was hard to believe where such a massive crowd had come from, surrounding the Main Castle.
Most of them had the tanned skin of Azraelian.
Unlike the commoners, the poor, or the slaves who might rise up,
nearly all of them were clad in armor like mercenaries, wielding deadly weapons like warhammers and axes.
”Whoa──”
The crowd surged below, roaring loudly.
Perhaps someone had spotted Maribel standing on the castle wall.
(This is impossible.)
Christy thought reflexively.
She staggered backward, her face pale.
There’s no way they can handle this many.
The only option would be to gather all the head magicians and rain down blades made of ice from above.
But doing that would definitely start a battle.
There were easily over a thousand soldiers surrounding the Main Castle.
Considering the barrier’s maintenance, those 4 magicians could never wipe them out in time.
They would flood into the castle first.
(What was Natasha doing? The barrier?)
A sense of distrust towards her superior, the head magician.
A bad feeling caused her heart to race.
Next to her, Maribel was sweating from her temples.
”The Waterman knights have just been disbanded. The Owl soldiers… move very slowly during the day. We have no choice but to rely on the adventurers from the Guild or the soldiers at the ‘Knights of the Sun’ stronghold…”
”No, we should run!”
Christy grabbed Maribel’s hand.
”No, Christy. Perhaps──”
”I’ll open the gate! If I activate the teleportation gate, Lady Natasha will surely notice and lift the barrier!”
Christy ignited a massive amount of magic power within her.
The first spell was blocked by Natasha’s barrier and failed.
A few seconds passed.
Once again, she tried to activate it.
But…
”Wha…!? The barrier isn’t lifted! What is going on, this makes no sense! Lady Natasha must already know I’m trying to open the teleportation gate, right!? So why does she keep the barrier up!?”
Losing her only escape route sent her into a half-crazed panic.
Christy looked around at the guards while still holding Maribel’s hand tightly.
”What the heck is the other Head Magicians doing!? In such… a huge pinch!”
”Christy, they’re probably──”
Maribel’s voice was unnaturally calm, perhaps out of fear.
Before she could say anything else, a group of soldiers surrounding the Main Castle suddenly parted in 2.
From the center, she saw a familiar fat old man waddling forward.
Maribel murmured softly, like bubbles from a fish.
”…McCutchen…”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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