After a satisfying bath, I was guided to the reception room where Freide was waiting.
Florence cast a healing spell on me again and headed to the infirmary to tend to the wounded, while Leonor, not wanting to intrude on a reunion between friends, went straight to her bedroom. So, I was the only one left.
Rain? That stoic woman naturally followed Leonor.
—
“Long time no see.”
Freide’s appearance had changed a bit since we last met.
Her reddish-brown eyes were bloodshot, almost crimson, and dark circles were visible under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept for days, her face pale and exhausted. A tired smile appeared on her face, filled with fatigue.
“Looking at your haggard face, it reminds me of the time of the great fire. I didn’t expect you to come here in such a state. While hot springs are good for recovering energy, now isn’t the best time for a vacation.”
Her tone, still as blunt as ever.
Just by the slight curve of her eyes and the slightly raised tone of her voice, it was obvious she was happy to see me.
“It’s a rare reunion, but you’re being quite cold. If you’re happy to see me, shouldn’t you honestly say, ‘Thank you for coming, Professor’?”
“Who would say such a…! Wait, what? Professor? You…?”
Still quick to flare up, as always.
With my arms crossed and leaning back on the sofa in the reception room, I grinned at the startled Freide.
“That’s right. Surprisingly, I am now an honorary professor at Remnant Academy. Do you understand what that means, Freide, my student?”
You’re a student, and I’m a teacher, Freide.
As a special second-year student, you might not attend many lectures, but even in private, basic manners should be observed.
“Now, shouldn’t you address me as ‘Professor’ with respect, Freide, my student?”
“I think I’ll drop out.”
Her immediate reply, without hesitation.
—
“So, what happened? I heard you suppressed a civil war.”
Freide, getting straight to the point.
Clearly, neither of us was in a good state for small talk.
Freide looked like she would collapse if she didn’t sleep immediately, and I was also quite fatigued from the forced march.
Moreover, although I had been treated by Florence, I wasn’t fully recovered yet.
“If you know that much, haven’t you heard the important parts? So, that’s…”
As I sipped the milk tea served by the maid, I explained to Freide what had happened.
The battle on the Zeren Plains, the subjugation of Isabella in the capital, and the aftermath.
I didn’t mention that Ophelia had snatched Isabella’s soul.
“A professor, a hero, and even Princess Leonor as your personal knight…? The empire is doomed… Well, it’s been a long time.”
Freide sighed incredulously and brought her teacup to her lips.
Unlike mine, her cup was filled with strong coffee, almost like a stimulant.
“Doomed? Don’t say such ominous things. I’ve been working hard to keep the country together.”
From the east to the southwest, through the capital, and now to the north.
I’ve practically traversed half the empire. The number of enemies I’ve defeated is countless. At this rate, I’d be considered the most loyal servant in the empire’s history.
“Anyway, that’s my story. Now, I’d like to hear yours. I heard the northern wall fell, but I don’t know the details.”
“The northern wall… Yes, it fell. Because of a single beast, the wall that held the history of Pailoon…!”
As if the memory of that time resurfaced, Freide gnashed her teeth and growled.
The handle of the teacup she was holding shattered into pieces with a sharp sound.
Her anger was sky-high.
Well, she always disliked beastmen, and after such a big blow, her pride must be deeply wounded.
“Calm down. The wall can be rebuilt later, right? Just drive out all the beastmen.”
“…You say it so easily. It’s not wrong, but when will that be…? At least, it’s impossible now. Those disgusting beasts are even preventing us from approaching the northern wall.”
Freide closed her eyes, placing a hand on her forehead, trying to suppress her rising anger.
From what she said, it seems the beastmen haven’t completely retreated.
“So, what’s the exact situation now?”
“I don’t know. Except for the first unit, none of the reconnaissance teams sent near the northern wall have returned.”
—
According to Freide, it’s certain that the enemies who retreated to the Sky Mountains have come down again.
But we don’t know how many there are. Sending scouts to confirm is impossible.
Sending small forces results in no one returning, and sending a large force risks falling into Ryurik’s trap, leading to total annihilation.
So, the only strategy is to fortify Pailoon Castle and wait for reinforcements.
Reinforcements… Well, they’ll come.
I arrived a bit early, but since the news of the northern wall’s fall has reached the capital, Duke Pailoon…
Of course, he’ll come back right away.
…Though when he’ll arrive is anyone’s guess.
We were just four people, so we could move quickly, but Duke Pailoon’s northern army has thousands of soldiers. Unless they’re planning to leave all their troops behind, a forced march like ours would’ve been impossible.
Especially since they just fought a fierce battle in the Venes territory and are heading north without proper rest… It’s no small feat, physically speaking.
Freide must’ve guessed this too, which is why she hasn’t slept properly for days, busy reorganizing the remaining troops.
With all the other masters dead, she’s now the highest commander and the only pillar of support for the remaining forces.
She has to somehow lift the morale that’s hit rock bottom, figure out how to fend off Ryurik if he attacks again, and reassure the anxious northern civilians in the midst of all this.
It’s too much for one person to handle alone.
—
“Are Damien and Milia okay?”
“Okay… is a bit of a stretch. Damien’s currently being treated.”
Freide’s expression visibly darkened.
“Treatment? Did the beastmen get him?”
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him around. Did he get seriously hurt or something?
“Sigh… I wish it were that simple. No, actually, maybe it’s worse…? Anyway, it’s not because of the beastmen. If anything, it’s his own fault.”
“His own fault?”
Freide let out a deep sigh.
“Right after recovering from the injuries he got during the retreat from the northern wall, he decided he needed to get stronger and trained until he collapsed… Then, exhausted and with blurry vision, he went to take a bath.”
Oh no, don’t tell me…
“Of all times, he walked into the bath where the maids and female knights were bathing together. You can guess what happened next, right?”
“……”
Did he get beaten up by the knights in his exhausted and panicked state?
“Given his skills, he managed to dodge their attacks even while tired and flustered, but Milia was there too. She didn’t recognize Damien through the steam and threw whatever was at hand—a rock, to be exact—and it hit him square in the head, knocking him out cold. He almost had his skull shattered.”
Good grief.
What an embarrassing way to get injured.
“That’s… hard to put into words.”
“He was rushed to treatment right away… He’ll probably wake up by tomorrow. Milia’s staying by his side.”
Well. Milia’s gotten stronger, huh…
To think a reflexively thrown rock could nearly crush someone’s skull.
—
======[ Sky Mountain Range ]======
As Freide predicted, the beastmen who had retreated into the Sky Mountain Range had come back down toward the northern wall.
They had retreated to guard against reinforcements after hearing the empire’s civil war had ended, but days passed with no sign of those reinforcements arriving.
‘If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve destroyed Pailoon Castle before retreating… That magician’s unnecessary fuss messed up my judgment. Or maybe he wanted us to retreat like this?’
Ryurik couldn’t figure it out.
If the magician were here, he’d have torn his limbs off and interrogated him, but the magician had stepped away for some reason.
After much deliberation, Ryurik decided to move his forces back down the mountain range.
He didn’t know when the reinforcements would arrive, but since things had come to this, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to deal another blow.
It took a whole day to regroup the scattered troops across the Sky Mountain Range, though.
“So, who’s arrived?”
Ryurik, sitting on the rubble of the northern wall, looked down at the pureblood warrior kneeling before him.
A rabbit beastman with long ears, crimson eyes, and muscular legs.
Despite being from a prey species with low combat ability, their scouting and mobility skills made them quite useful.
“I saw a small carriage entering Pailoon Castle. I couldn’t see who was inside, but I clearly heard the commotion inside the castle. They said, ‘The Beastman Devourer has come.’”
“The Beastman Devourer? I didn’t expect them to come personally. This is going to be fun.”
Ryurik grinned, baring his teeth.
Clearly, news of the northern wall’s fall had reached the capital. The empire’s reinforcements must be marching toward the north as well.
But if all that arrived was a single carriage, it seems she came ahead alone… which means there’s still time before the reinforcements arrive.
