Chapter 19 Ashley’s Memory — Part ⑩ — Decision
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A coworker had died. He was killed so easily by a dirty trap.
Ashley was not very close to him as a person, but he had been a comrade who swore to support Princess Marina alongside her. They had met a few times when all of them gathered under her, and she knew what he was like.
He had been seen as a knight with a bright future, chosen to guard Princess Marina in this dungeon.
”Who… who ordered you to carry out my assassination…?!”
Princess Marina lunged at the traitor, Fried, with her sword. However, she was easily brushed aside. Even if Princess Marina possessed strong skills and blessings, her opponent had surpassed them through mastery of skills and accumulated technique.
The knights, who should have been there to bridge that power gap, had been eliminated first by Fried-kyo’s cunning scheme. Without guards surrounding her, Princess Marina’s swordplay, which had not yet reached mastery, could be easily handled. There was such a difference in skill that her ability, which would sever anything it touched, could not even land a hit.
”Stand up, Your Highness.”
Fried-kyo spoke to Princess Marina, who had been kicked away and was rolling on the ground. The voice was remarkably calm.
It was the detached tone of a professional soldier who could cut someone down without batting an eye. Their gaze, devoid of any emotion that might support such a statement, was directed at her. It was then that Ashley first realized the possibility of her own death.
”Or shall I send your attendant back to the dungeon first?”
Fear. Without thinking, even though she was within the enemy’s reach, Ashley tried to raise her staff. A powerful hand grasped her arm and stopped her, restraining her frantic, uncontrolled movements. She looked up at the owner of the hand. It was Yuuri’s profile. His gaze was fixed on Fried-kyo, never wavering. He was strong. Unlike her. Even in such a critical situation, he never abandoned dealing with the threat before him.
That was the trust Yuuri had earned over these ten years. Right now, the thing Fried-kyo feared most was Princess Marina escaping. To prevent that, they needed Ashley alive, incapacitated. At the very least, her life as a lady-in-waiting was guaranteed until Princess Marina was killed. Similarly, although silencing her would eventually be necessary, Fried-kyo could not kill Yuuri now if they intended to return to the surface safely. Yuuri had already seen through all of this. In terms of strength for survival, Ashley didn’t even come close to Yuuri. Despite knowing he had no skills, Yuuri could make calm judgments within the enemy’s range. How pathetic was Ashley, who had been intoxicated with a sense of omnipotence just by newly acquiring a skill?
Meanwhile, Princess Marina shielded Ashley, and Yuuri accompanied her as they descended the ‘stairs’. Even after that, Princess Marina was at a disadvantage in both swordplay and verbal exchange. Death was near. Ashley felt like a prisoner waiting for her turn at the execution grounds. Amidst the despair, a dark emotion surfaced. What if she fled into the workshop? If she revealed everything to Yuuri there, and encouraged him within the workshop where even time was isolated, perhaps she could help Princess Marina with the power she had gained.
…But would Yuuri really go along with that plan? Could Yuuri’s heart handle hearing about his childhood friend’s betrayal in a situation like this? Unable to decide, Ashley looked up at her childhood friend standing beside her. Yuuri’s gaze was fixed on the duel between Princess Marina and Fried-kyo. His expression, calmly observing the unfolding events, showed no trace of anguish. He had not given up yet. Then, the confession of betrayal should wait.
”…Kk, fufufu, hahaha…!”
Princess Marina’s laughter, mocking the contradictions of the faction that had sent an assassin after her, diverted Fried-kyo’s attention for a moment.
When Ashley asked for a way out, Yuuri told her he had a plan to escape. Since there was no prospect of winning against Fried-kyo there, she agreed to it.
”Gah— ha…!”
Fried-kyo watched Princess Marina fly away after being punched. Their certainty of victory and their hesitation to pursue further allowed the traitor’s triumph to slip away.
”Ice Wall!”
An ice wall filled the ‘stairs’ between Fried-kyo and them. Immediately after, a striking sound echoed. Even though the ice wall was over five meters thick, Ashley shuddered at the ability to send cracks reaching them. However, with her Ice Magic Mastery, her speed in layering ice walls was faster. Seeing this fact, she understood the meaning of the goddess’s words.
This was the death of Yuuri that the goddess had spoken of. If, that night, Ashley had not succumbed to the goddess’s threat and refused to become her familiar, Yuuri would have died there. Without the goddess even needing to reclaim his skill and kill him! If Ashley had not become Yuuri’s familiar and gained the Ice Magic Mastery skill, she probably couldn’t have created an ice wall strong enough to stop Fried-kyo. Beyond the ice wall, Fried-kyo’s figure, still struggling to break through the ice, became indistinct through the thickness of the frosted ice.
”I wasn’t wrong… Becoming a familiar… becoming Yuuri’s was the right choice,” Ashley whispered softly, so Yuuri, who had moved away to tend to Princess Marina, wouldn’t hear. She knew it was only hindsight. No matter how she tried to rationalize it, the fundamental nature of her current situation as betrayal and injustice remained unchanged. Nevertheless, if she hadn’t proceeded in the direction the goddess pointed, she couldn’t have evaded this death that had loomed so close.
Yuuri returned and informed her that Princess Marina was safe. They had made it through. Although they had lost four knights and the situation was still precarious, the enemy’s objective of assassinating Princess Marina had been averted for the time being.
Relief threatened to drain the strength from Ashley’s body. However, she had to freeze the ‘stairs’ as much as possible to keep Fried-kyo at bay. Only she could do it.
”Yuuri, put your arm around my waist. It won’t get in the way there.”
Ashley leaned against her beloved childhood friend. Even if she stumbled, Yuuri could easily support a woman’s body. Yuuri pulled her close without complaint.
He was allowing her to concentrate on maintaining the ice wall magic. She could use magic without worrying about the unstable footing as the stone steps sloped gently downward. Continuing the ice wall magic, Ashley descended the ‘stairs’ with Yuuri. Only then did she finally realize that she was still alive.
* * *
To be frank, the plan to escape using Yuuri’s random warp trap failed. Since luck was involved in determining which floor they would be sent to, Yuuri bore no responsibility. They had all agreed to Yuuri’s plan, so the responsibility lay with all of them.
Nevertheless, being teleported to the fifty-seventh floor, a place where survival itself was difficult, was enough to break Yuuri’s spirit. As Ashley rushed to encourage him, something caught her eye. Upon closer inspection, it was the distinctive roof shape she had seen many times before…!
”Yuuri, look at that!”
”It’s a Safety Area!” Yuuri replied without hesitation after Ashley confirmed it. They immediately formed ranks and began marching, narrowly evading monsters along the way, and rushed into the “Safety Area.”
Once immediate safety was secured, the next issue became how to survive for the time being. Honestly speaking, there was plenty of food inside the workshop. When Yuuri suggested they might have to eat bug monsters, Ashley almost began her confession of betrayal.
However, events progressed while she hesitated. Princess Marina, who had drawn the monsters away, was drenched, and Yuuri asked to use Purification on her to clean her. Naturally, the princess was unaware that her lady-in-waiting had acquired the Purification skill post-acquisition.
”…Is there no longer any need to hide it?”
Ashley made up her mind. The pretense of normalcy, the comfortable time with her childhood friend, were over. From now on, she would be a tool. Just a tool to keep Yuuri alive. By fully utilizing the functions of the Familial Workshop, it should be easy for Yuuri, and Princess Marina as well, to return safely. She only hoped that Yuuri could face his lack of skills and not give up on living out of despair.
Please, oh please, let Princess Marina guide Yuuri. Ashley could not help but wish that she would advise him to use a tool like her as a tool. May the two of them be able to return to the surface safely. From now on, Ashley must not long for Yuuri. She must become a tool. With this resolve, she placed her hands on the hem of her skirt.
—
This concludes Ashley’s Memories. We will now return to the main story’s progression.
Notes:
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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