Chapter 161 The Women Bound for the Far Reaches
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Forward! We are the White Lily Knight¹! At any cost, we must fulfill Viorga-sama’s expectations!”
”Yeah!” the knights roared.
I, Alvia of the White Lily Knight, found myself reminiscing about the events from three days ago.
We had been exploring the Demon Forest² to search for Cleonora’s belongings when Viorga-sama arrived in this land, accompanied by Barnail’s magic bird, Skygoon³.
How moved we were…! Despite her overwhelming schedule, she cared enough for us out here on the frontier to travel this far in person…!
Even with the speed of flight, her traveling alone remained a perilous venture. I soon understood the reason she had assumed such a risk.
”Princess Liliarette was… abducted by the Magic Labyrinth King⁴ residing in the depths of the Demon Forest…!?” Alvia asked.
”Indeed. Barnail has already sighted the Magic Labyrinth King’s stronghold from above. Alvia… I find it truly regrettable to ask this of you, but…” Viorga said.
”You wish for us, the White Lily Knight, to secure Princess Liliarette’s person and bring her back… Is that correct? Leave it to us!” Alvia replied.
Princess Viorga had finally pinpointed her sister’s location. I suspect the presence of the Magic Labyrinth King was one of the reasons we were originally stationed in this region.
After receiving the location from Barnail, we immediately set about our preparations.
Venturing into the deep interior of the Demon Forest is no simple task. Had we gone alone, fatalities would have been inevitable.
Yet, Viorga-sama showed her consideration for us here as well. The very next day, she dispatched five sorcery users as our reinforcements.
Furthermore, one of them was a Guru⁵, one of only four in the entire kingdom.
They were transported in small huts enclosed by iron bars, carried through the air by Barnail’s magic birds.
”I am Alvia, Commander of the White Lily Knight. I look forward to your cooperation,” I said.
”Mm… nice to meet you. I’m Esrain,” the girl replied.
I recognized the name Esrain. She was the youngest of the four Gurus, having only recently attained the rank.
Magic Power⁶ is inherently stronger in women than in men, and its potency is further influenced by age. Based on that, Esrain is likely at the absolute peak of her power right now.
(Even to rescue Princess Liliarette, I never imagined she would deploy four high-tier sorcerers and a Guru… It truly emphasizes Viorga-sama’s resolve.)
It stands to reason, of course. The Magic Labyrinth King dared to abduct the third princess of our kingdom. This is nothing less than a declaration of war against the Emmeld Kingdom.
No… given she was to be wed into the Republic, the ramifications extend to that nation as well. The fool calling himself the Magic Labyrinth King has made enemies of both the Kingdom and the Republic simultaneously.
He likely presumed that by hiding in the depths of the Demon Forest, he would remain untouchable. It is certainly a daunting locale.
However…! This is not the age when mere adventurers wandered blindly through the Demon Forest! Sorcery has flourished, and we are equipped with superior armaments and Secret Treasure Orbs⁷!
With our advanced training and a Guru in our ranks…! Conquest of the deep forest is well within our reach!
Two days ago, we commenced our full-scale push into the Demon Forest. We have been ambushed by demon monsters several times, but with the sorcerers’ support, we have struck them down without suffering a single casualty.
Moreover, Guru Esrain’s expertise regarding toxic flora has been invaluable. She possesses not only mastery over sorcery but a profound wealth of such knowledge.
As the Demon Forest is bisected by numerous rivers, we maintain our progress by frequently hydrating and washing. Three days passed, then four.
Inevitably, the fatigue has become severe. We have encountered the demon monster Gardan⁸, and we have sustained injuries. Most of all, the mental toll is far heavier than the physical strain.
(Ugh… I’d heard the rumors, but this is…!)
Poisonous nocturnal insects are everywhere, and establishing a safe environment for rest has become nearly impossible. We find ourselves forced to take frequent, lengthy breaks, which has slowed our advance to a crawl.
Night falls swiftly while we struggle. In certain areas, the canopy is so thick that sunlight never reaches the floor, causing our very perception of time to fray.
The high-tier sorcerers and Guru Esrain appear to be nearing their limits. It’s only natural—they haven’t been subjected to the same physical conditioning as we have.
(According to Barnail, we should be emerging into an open plain soon…)
As the leader of this company, I must judge the proper time for a tactical withdrawal. If it were only the White Lily Knight, we could push further. But I cannot risk losing Guru Esrain here.
Her loss would be a catastrophic blow to the Emmeld Kingdom. I cannot allow her to perish because of my poor judgment.
”…If we do not reach the plains today, we shall withdraw,” I announced.
”Eh…!” a knight gasped.
”But…!” another objected.
”Alvia-sama! We have come so far…! The destination must be just ahead!” a third knight insisted.
”I wish to believe that as well. However, I bear the responsibility for all your lives,” Alvia said.
Furthermore, this is not our final opportunity. We have mapped out a viable route to this point. We can retreat, make the necessary preparations, and attempt the journey again.
”Guru Esrain. Does this meet with your approval?” Alvia asked.
”Mm…” Esrain muttered.
She was never particularly loquacious, but she has been almost entirely silent for these past several days. She is likely conserving her stamina to the utmost degree.
We frequently depend on her strength when demon monsters emerge. I wanted to let her husband her energy for such emergencies.
It was in that moment that I felt a strange sensation.
”Hm…?”
Is it just me… or is the ground shifting…? No. It’s no illusion…!
”On your guard! Something is approaching!” Alvia shouted.
I can sense something closing in from the distance at terrifying speed.
A demon monster…!? If so, it must be massive…!
”All units, on gu—”
Before I could finish the command, ‘it’ suddenly tore through the foliage, splintering trees with a sickening crack as it revealed itself.
”Wha…”
”Ha…”
”Fueh…”
All of us who beheld ‘it’ were paralyzed. Our minds simply could not process the sight before our eyes.
It was a thing shaped like a spider. Its limbs and body were encased in something resembling steel, possessing an overwhelming metallic quality. It was impossible to view it as a living creature.
Its parts moved with clockwork precision, producing a rhythmic clack-clack as its multiple lens-like eyes swiveled toward us.
Guru Esrain was the first to act. She swiftly leveled her index and middle fingers at the target, and an orange radiance erupted from them.
It was her signature sorcery, which I had witnessed many times. A heat-ray of such staggering temperature that it could pierce a demon monster Gardan in a single shot—an instant-death flash.
It requires significant charging time, but she must have been maintaining her readiness so she could strike at a moment’s notice. Truly, she is the pride of our kingdom.
Though the mysterious monster’s ambush was a shock, this would surely end it. Everyone who saw the Guru’s ray must have shared that thought. But the moment that certain-kill flash struck the monster—
”N-no…” Esrain sighed.
That metallic hull deflected the lethal flash with effortless ease. Not a single blemish remained on its surface.
And then. The one-sided slaughter began.
* * *
”Hm…? Wait, seriously!?”
After returning from the capital, I’d been keeping my head down and working diligently as a Quester.
On a side note, it turned out that Cleonora and Liliarette hadn’t realized that the nobles of the First Queen’s faction were actually pro-Empire.
Liliarette was aware of who had ties to Imperial nobles, but she’d assumed the connections weren’t that deep. They were both blindsided when I told them Lambdaine-san’s story.
Then, at noon several days later, my ⁹ went off.
”Ami-chan… it looks like a large group of intruders just entered the area…” I said.
”Oh my! Can you tell where? ” Ami asked.
”Yeah, they’re to the west. There’s still some distance, but they’re heading straight-ssu this way. Forty-five of them in total,” I replied.
Man, ⁹ is incredible. With just a little focus, I can tell exactly where they are and how many people are in the group.
Faced with this sudden emergency, we all moved to the room housing the ¹⁰. By opening the console and linking it to ⁹, I managed to project the intruders’ images onto the monitor. So convenient…
”This is…” I muttered.
”Knights…?” Ami asked.
There were knights in full armor and people who looked like sorcerers. They were all young women.
They looked completely exhausted… what should I do? I’m curious why they’re here, but maybe I should help them…?
As I was pondering this, Cleonora and Liliarette both looked troubled.
”Ugh…” Cleonora groaned.
”Alvia… it’s the White Lily Knight. And Guru Esrain is with them,” Liliarette said.
Apparently, they know the group. I’d heard the name White Lily Knight before—I think they were Princess Viorga’s private army.
”Most likely… Barnail told Viorga our location,” Liliarette said.
”She probably suspects Lilia is here. Think about it—when we caused that scene in the town, there were plenty of guards around, right? They saw Lilia’s letter of introduction. No matter how much the Kelnamerchant guild tried to keep it quiet, you can’t stop information from leaking forever,” Cleonora added.
Besides, the harder you try to suppress a secret, the more valuable it becomes. People will pay a premium to dig it up.
Especially now that the name of the Magic Labyrinth King is making waves, that info would fetch a record price.
”I suppose so…. She’s already secured the top-tier power of a Hero, and now she’s even deployed a Guru. She might be certain that I’m in this land,” Liliarette added.
One way or another, I have to do something about them. While I was weighing my options, Vectra-san nodded firmly.
”In that case, let us proceed to slaughter them all at once,” Vectra said.
”Wait, what!?” I yelped.
”They have trespassed into the territory of the Magic Labyrinth King without authorization. This is the only natural response,” Vectra replied.
”Hold on, hold on! Give me a second!?” I shouted.
That’s way too extreme…! Besides, I’ve never actually announced, “This is my land, so I’ll kill anyone who walks in!”
It’d be a nightmare for anyone on the receiving end.
”Hee-hee-hee~. Vectra, that would be such a waste~,” Ami said.
Spinning in place, Ami-chan floated higher into the air.
”They went through all that trouble to come all this way. Let’s give them a proper welcome-ssu, don’t you think? ” Ami added.
”Wait…” I muttered.
And so, the ‘Group Guest Welcome Event’ presented by Ami-chan was set in motion.
—
Summary:
Commander Alvia leads the White Lily Knights and Guru Esrain into the depths of the Demon Forest to rescue Princess Liliarette. Their grueling journey is interrupted by a terrifying metallic spider-like monster that shrugs off Esrain’s ultimate magic, leading to a desperate struggle. Back at the labyrinth, the protagonist spots the intruders via his surveillance system and discovers they are acquaintances of Liliarette. To prevent Vectra from massacring them, Ami-chan proposes a mischievous ‘welcome event’ for the exhausted guests.
—
Character Insight:
Alvia is defined by her protective nature, agonizing over the risk to Guru Esrain more than her own safety, which highlights her role as a responsible commander rather than just a soldier. Esrain’s failure to damage the mechanical monster reveals a shift in the power dynamic where traditional sorcery faces its match in labyrinth technology. The protagonist’s reaction to Vectra’s lethal pragmatism shows he still possesses a modern moral compass, refusing to view his territory as a death trap for the uninformed.
—
Behind the Scene:
The metallic spider’s resistance to magic suggests it may be a guardian construct specifically designed to counter high-level mages like Gurus. The political subplot deepens as it’s revealed that ‘Hero’ units are already being deployed elsewhere, indicating a global arms race centered around the protagonist’s influence. Ami-chan’s ‘welcome event’ likely mirrors game-like labyrinth mechanics, turning a potential tragedy into a structured trial for the knights.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
• Alvia – A Captain in the White Lily Knights, a private military force loyal only to Princess Viorga. White haired, long hair. She is deeply devoted to Viorga and views all others, especially the exiled Cleonora and the incompetent Heroes, with disdain and suspicion. She is on a mission to verify Cleonora’s safety and the progress of the exile camp.The protagonist’s classmate and long-time crush since middle school. She is charismatic, a bit strong-willed, and has strong leadership qualities.
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun. D-cup.
• Barnail – The only man in the kingdom capable of riding the Skygoon magical bird. He is a crucial asset for fast information delivery between the capital and the frontiers.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Esrain – One of the four Great Gurus of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is the youngest among them and is considered to be at the peak of her magical power. She is quiet and conserves her energy for combat.
• Lambdaine – A powerful Councilor of the Shital Republic and a successful merchant who built his fortune from nothing. He is the grandfather of Iris and Aris.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Vectra – A Unique Individual maid with white skin and white hair. Height 170cm, Bust Size D. Class: Duelist. Attribute: Darkness. Weapon: Star-Strike Battle Axe Volkein
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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