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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 01 Chapter2 - MTL

2014-05-21T06:41:29Z

BB 7713:

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=== LeitMeritz ===

He was having a dream, though it wasn't quite a good one.

''On a small hill, our forces were gathered.''

''It was meal time. The soldiers put a pot that was as deep as a barrel on the mound, which had been turned into a stove. They were preparing a fish stew.''

''There was a slight ridge before Dinant Plains, which plateaued with no end in sight.''

''There were twenty thousand Brune soldiers sharing a meal with his own troops. Thousands of streams of heat floated upward ,and the soldiers seemed as though they were imprisoned in the steam.''

Tigre and Massas were talking while stirring the food in the pot when a few young men appeared in front of their eyes with the colliding sound of their armor.

“So you came as well, Vorn.”

The man who said that with an openly mocking tone was Zaien Thenardier.

The Thenardier house held the title of Duke. It was a long distinguished family incomparable to the Vorn household. It had many aristocrats who held enormous power, and the territory it owned was wide. It is said the number of soldiers mobilized by the household can reach ten thousand.


Even in this war, which was organized in haste, they commanded a force four thousand strong.

Zaien was the Thenardier family's eldest son and heir to the household. He was currently 17 years old.

Though he wore decorated armor and bore a splendid sword at his waist in an imposing manner, worthy of his lineage, he always had an expression as if looking down on others.

Behind him was an entourage of young men flattering them.

Just like Zaien, they were aristocrats born into the families with the ranks of marquis or duke, wearing glittering armor with their respective household crests. They looked at Tigre with a grin and didn't seem to harbor good intentions.

Tigre could not ignore them, and felt obliged to show the minimal courtesy.

“... I am here to serve as His Majesty's loyal subject, so I came here as quickly as possible.”

“Though it's quite admirable to say that, I'm not sure how helpful you'll be.”

After Zaien ridiculed Tigre, the laughter of the other nobles overlapped his own. Maybe because their respective ages were similar, Zaien frequently made fun of Tigre in such a manner.

“I told you before, your family has merely hunted for four or five generations. I can hardly recognize you as a noble.”

He spat out those words arrogantly and immediately tried to stomp Tigre's bow,which was laying on the ground.

Tigre moved in a reflexive manner, picking up his bow as quickly as a wild beast.


“Uwa!”

Zaien stumbled, lost his balance and fell hard on the ground, taking with him one of his followers.

“How dare you do that to master Zaien!”

To the enraged followers who roared at him, Tigre yelled back:

“I was protecting my bow!”

“A bow? If it's a bow, so what, you coward!”

“That's right. There's nothing bad in breaking this crap. You should be on the front lines with a sword!”

“I'm sure the God of War, Trigraf, would never give his blessings to someone like you!”

The other followers expressed their approval one after another. Tigre gritted his teeth in anger.

In the Brune Kingdom, their complaints were acceptable.

“The bow is the arm of a coward who does not have the courage to expose his body before a naked blade.”

Such train of thoughts were deeply rooted in the Brune Army, which made little use of the bow.

It's not only that the archers' achievements were disregarded, but also archers in general.

“The archers are all drafted hunters, farmers who do not own land, people who have committed a serious crime as warriors--or some people to fill the ranks who aren't great with the sword or the spear.”


Due to such a norm, those who used bows, even as soldiers, were regarded as criminals and useless failures that are looked down on.

Though Tigre's ancestor performed distinguished military services for which he was presented with territory for hunting and was promoted to the title of Earl, Massas told him: “If he wasn't a hunter, he'd probably be promoted to an even higher rank.”

“Calm down, you guys.”

Zaien stood up difficultly with some help, and put a stop to his followers' actions.

Though reluctant, they still stopped blaming Tigre.

Zaien put on an act while getting rid of the dust on his armor, crossed his arms and laughed at Tigre in scorn.

“The reason you stick to a bow is that you can't handle a sword or spear, right? You probably think that if you headed to the battlefield with a bow, it could be barely enough to pretend to be a soldier, right?”

Tigre remained silent. It was true he was poor with the sword and spear.

If he objected here, Zaien would ask him to take up a sword or spear and show his skills and laugh at him. This had happened once before.

Zaien's taunt didn't stop here.

“To begin with, you are an Earl of the Kingdom of Brune. Yet, you can't use a sword or a spear and plan to head to the battlefield without wearing armor. Aren't you ashamed? Guys, look at his shabby appearance. He has a leather plate, leather gauntlets and even leather leggings. All his equipment is made of leather. At most, his mantle is decent, but if that's the only presentable part, then I really feel sad about the financial situation of his territory.”


“--- Lord Zaien.”

Massas, who had remained silent until then, spoke sullenly.

“Your words have been insightful. However, since you said so much at once, surely you have become thirsty...”

He continued while pointing in a certain direction.

“There's some rayion wine being distributed over there. Why not try drinking some, to relieve your thirst?”

Using a polite and humble tone, Massas's attitude put pressure on the other side.

The dignity of this old Knight, who had just turned 55, was intimidating to Zaien.

Zaien grunted and stepped back involuntarily as he became aware that he forgot his manners. He then snorted and turned around.

“Hey, let's go.”

Tigre watched Zaien and the others walk away, and thanked Massas after checking his bow's condition.

“Thank you. You saved me.”

“It's nothing. I should be the one to apologize. It would be better if I had intervened earlier, but I couldn't find an opportunity to barge in.”


From Zaien's perspective, Massas was a weak aristocrat no different from Tigre. If the former didn't get the timing right, he would simply snort with laughter.

While returning to stir the pan, Massas looked about the area casually.

Whether soldier or aristocrat, all was concentrated on their pots, or was taking care of their arms while entertaining themselves with chatter. Not a single person looked this way, and that indifference reached an unnatural state.

They were all afraid of Zaien, so they avoided relations with Tigre.

“I now understand that handling the sword and spear is not a proof of courage.”

Massas spoke in irony. Tigre wanted to say something to him, but shut his mouth at the end. Because not far away, the barely audible voices of nobles gathered together reached his ears.

“By the way, did you hear about what Duke Ganelon did?”

“Are you talking about him increasing taxes, using war preparations as excuse?”

“That's right. If there is a young girl in a house that's not paying taxes, she will be taken away. If there isn't one, then the house is set on fire.”

“It's really enviable. I'd like to have the authority to place a temporary tax too.”


The aristocrat didn't look resentful, but was simply grumbling in dissatisfaction.

Duke Ganelon was one of the most influential nobles of Brune Kingdom, on par with Thenardier.

There were also many powerful aristocrats amongst his relatives. His power was something that even the King could not ignore.

Regarding territory, Brune nobles were recognized and allowed to govern a territory, but for certain privileges, such as setting taxes, the permission of the King was necessary.

Duke Ganelon not only went against this rule and imposed tax without consulting the King, but was also did these inhuman things in his territory. Yet, the king still tolerated that.

“For a story like that, Duke Thenardier is not inferior regarding doing that kind of things. He ordered his people to stop drinking as long as the war is going on. They had to hand over all alcohol as oath to the Gods.”

“I see. But it's not hard to hide or to make alcohol. What happens to those who are found guilty of violating the ban?”

“The part about kidnapping the family's daughters is similar to Ganelon's method. But as a warning, I heard that swords were given to husband and wife or the father and son ,and they were made to kill each other.It seems that they even bet on who would win.”

Tigre clenched his fist after hearing the conversation.

Massas placed a wrinkled hand on Tigre's knee as he was about to stand up.


“Calm down.”

“What, how can I possibly remain calm!?”

“Though it may be harsh of me to say this, nothing would change even if you said something.”

He was right. Tigre sat back down, but his rage was still boiling inside him.

He desperately gritted his teeth and held his silence, in order to restrain himself from acting on impulse.

He was angry because Ganelon and Thenardier did not regard the people within their dominion as humans. They did not hesitate in their cruelty. He was angry at the men who spoke lightly of such cruel matters and those who have an overlook those things without any scruple. Finally, he was angry at his powerlessness, as he knew he could do nothing.

“The story just now, is it true?”

“Though it is a rumor... there have been many others similar to this one. Still, the people in question have not denied it. You rarely come to the capital, so no wonder you don't know about this.”

Maybe this really couldn't be helped.

Tigre hardly left his territory, the land of Alsace.

He had no desire to rise in the world and gain fame or glory, nor did he have any ambition. That's why he was not interested in his status as an aristocrat.

Plus, in his mind, he has no intention of dealing with Zaien, who was one of the sons of the nobles.

“His Majesty still tolerates such behavior...?”


Fearfully, he asked.

He did not want to believe it.

“Certainly, His Majesty has said nothing to them at the present.”

Massas' stocky body trembled as he shook his head grumpily.

“I believe His Majesty has his own matters to settle... One day, if His Majesty can't control them anymore, at least Prince Regnas should...”

Massas' eyes clung to the slender hope. Suddenly, he looked up and stared at Tigre. The latter, distracted, saw his finger come towards him, aim at his mouth and poke him there.

“Fue...?”

It was too abrupt. No words could come out from Tigre's mouth.

Furthermore, the hand blocking Tigre's mouth was kind of cold, and had an indescribable iron taste.

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When he awoke, a dim ceiling was in Tigre's view.

“--- So you finally woke up.”

Tigre heard a voice which lacked intonation. Immediately after that, he felt something withdrawn from his mouth.

What left his mouth was a sword.


The owner of this sword was a woman with golden hair whom he had never seen before.

“... Where should I start.”

“By the way, this is my first time waking a person in such a way.”

She returned with a gaze and frosty words. Tigre was at a loss and tried greeting her for the time being.

“... Good morning.”

“It is one koku (two hours) through the day.”

Tigre set up and looked at the woman while scratching his head.

She wore a skirt and short-sleeved shirt. She had long gloves which reached to her elbows and boots up to her knees. At her waist was her sheathed sword.

She was possibly taller than Tigre, and seemed to be two or three years older.

She was unmistakably a beautiful woman, but her scarce expressions gave her face a hard look, leaving her with an unsociable impression.

There were three particularly eye-catching features.

Tied on the left side of her head was long, golden hair.

Her azure eyes were as cold as marble.

And though she was tall and well balanced, she had ample bosoms which did not match her slender build.


Tigre inadvertently stared at the two swellings which bulged from beneath her clothes. The woman flashed her sword and threw an unkind remark.

“--- If you don't wake up properly, I will skewer you.”

“... I'm sorry.”

Blushing, Tigre apologized properly.

He looked about the room. It was small, containing only the bed he slept on.

Sunlight shined through the window, brightly lighting the room. The stone floor was bare, and the only door led to the hallway. His bow leaned against the wall.

“Really, even with the soldiers shouting for your death, even though you are a prisoner... How can you sleep so well.”

“It's one of my special skills.”

“I suggest you hold back a little. You lack tension.”

Anger was mixed into her cold voice. Tigre looked at her in embarrassment.

“Am I really that bad?”

“To the extent that I recall my murderous intent.”

The woman turned about as she threw an answer to Tigre, pushing the door open in the meanwhile.


“Eleanora-sama has called for you. Please follow me.”

Tigre put on his leather shoes and quickly followed after her.

“It's nice to meet you. I am ---”

“This is not our first meeting, Earl Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

She answered without turning around, her voice clearly rejecting him.

“My name is Limlisha. It is not necessary to remember it.”

LeitMeritz was a principality located in the Kingdom of Zhcted, under Eleanora's rule.

Eleanora's troops arrived at the capital yesterday. It had been ten days since they departed from Dinant.

After giving a word of thanks to the soldiers, Eleanora left the men to her adjutant, Limlisha, and returned to the King's capital with several men.

It was necessary to report her victory to the King.

During the return to the public capital, Tigre asked the guards a few times, and each time the response was the same.

“We have no need to respond to a prisoner of our Vanadis-sama.”


Even if he asked to meet Eleanora, it would not be possible for them to accept. Regardless, there was no way to do it since she departed for the kingdom's capital to meet the King.

Since he had no other options, Tigre remained quietly obedient.

“... Guess I'll just go with the flow.”

Tigre made that decision and looked at the sky until late at night. During the day, he dozed off on the horse.

Following Limlisha, Tigre walked down the passage of the household.

“What are you looking about so restlessly for?”

Limlisha gazed back at him in amazement as Tigre looked about like a child.

“Yes, I just thought it is a splendid building.”

“You are an Earl, an aristocrat.”

“I am a poor noble. There is no point comparing my small mansion to this one.”

He responded without any shame. Tigre looked about, admiring the ceiling and floor.

Until now, Tigre had never left Brune Kingdom, and now he was in the province's Imperial Palace. The mosaics which decorated the floor were new to him.


The side facing the courtyard was bathed in a column of soft sunlight. In the vast area, soldiers were working hard, training. It was vibrant.

“It's a good atmosphere.”

“That is because this is Eleanora-sama's official palace.”

Limlisha answered as if it were natural.

Soldiers patrolled the corridors, and what he assumed were maids and chamberlains strolled about, likely performing their job.

Tigre thought about the girl who was like a younger sister house-sitting his mansion in his absence.

''--- Teita must be worried.''

When he saw her off, he did not expect such a thing to happen.

''--- Batran, and everyone else as well, I hope you made it back safely.''

In his chest, there was impatience.

He wished to return to Alsace as quickly as possible. However, a prisoner who escapes is punishable by death, so he could only remain quiet.

They finally left the palace.


He walked for a while before Limlisha stopped her feet.

“... We are here.”

He was brought to a training ground near the rampart.

Eleanora stood with three armed soldiers amongst the forty. She was clothed in shades of blue with her longsword in its argent sheathe at her waist.

“If you make any strange movements... No, please do so. It would save quite a bit of time and effort.”

Limlisha spoke as she let the sound of her sword escape its sheathe at her waist.

Though there was an obvious hostility, Tigre simply ignored it.

''--- It can't be helped. I'm a prisoner now; we were enemies just ten days ago.''

“Hm, you came.”

Eleanora noticed Tigre and walked up to him cheerfully. She smiled to Tigre first, then Limlisha.

“You've worked hard. Still, it took you quite some time to come here.”

“I apologize. He did not wake up so easily.”

“You didn't wake up?”


Eleanora looked doubtful hearing the story of him waking up only when he had a sword in his mouth. Her shoulders trembled as she held back her laughter.

“Even as a captive, you slept so deeply.”

“He is simply dull.”

At last, Eleanora laughed and turned to Tigre.

“Tigrevurmud Vorn, it's quite a long name for a person of Brune. Does it have an origin?”

“I received an ancestral name. If you find it difficult, you may call me Tigre.”

Tigre cited the phrase he was accustomed to. He felt odd being called Earl Tigrevurmud Vorn.

Eleanora's face suddenly glowed. The dignity as a Vanadis the soldiers knew was gone; she held the expression appropriate of a girl her age.

“In that case, Ellen is fine as well. I would prefer it if you use that name.”

Tigre stared at her involuntarily. She spoke in an intimate manner with a prisoner. Saying it poorly, she was being overly familiar.

“Eleanora-sama.”

Though Limlisha reproached her, she showed no sign of fear.


“He's my prisoner. This much is fine, Lim.”

“Lim?”

Hearing the name, Tigre looked at Limlisha in surprise.

“I'll tell you now. She is one of my escorts whose horse you shot down, and she was the girl who took you here from Dinant.”

Certainly, her physique matched.

Though puzzled as to how he should react, Tigre thanked her honestly.

“Though it may be strange of me to say this, thank you for bringing me here safely.”

Tigre had heard stories of prisoners being mocked and assaulted or killed by torture in a convoy. Some died without having a single meal.

However, on the way back from Dinant, Tigre was never abused. He was even given proper food.

Though it may have been because he was Ellen's captive, Limlisha – that is, Lim, was the one who properly managed him.

She did not respond to Tigre. What had to be done was done.

However, Lim hid her anger as she was thanked by ignoring Tigre and facing Ellen.


“Eleanora-sama, there is still work to be done today. You should finish your trivial errands early, correct?”

“I know, I know.”

Ellen smiled bitterly and waved. She faced Tigre and smiled deliberately.

“I would like to clarify things first, Tigre... no, Lord Vorn. As per the treaty between our countries, you will be treated as a prisoner of war. If, in fifty days time, the demanded ransom has not been delivered by the Kingdom of Brune, that is, if a ransom has not been paid to me, you will formally become mine as per the agreement. What binds this contract is the name and honor of the God, Radegast. Is this acceptable?”

Though hardly suitable, Tigre nodded reluctantly.

It was a contract held between every country on the treatment of prisoners of war.

It was made to avoid abuse, humiliation, and, frankly, murder. It was a rule which allowed for negotiations between countries to advance efficiently.

“Well, you might be a bit worried about the ransom, though.”

Tigre heard the number come from Ellen's mouth and stood rooted to the spot with his mouth agape.


It was a number close to the total tax revenue raised by Alsace in three years time.

He felt dizzy from the impact.

“... Is it possible to reduce the amount?”

“No.”

A flat response.

''--- Well, there's no reason for her to.''

In many cases, the goal of taking an enemy captive was to retrieve a ransom. It was unlikely she would decrease it so easily.

“You will live here in the Imperial Palace. Needless to say, any attempt to escape will be met with death penalty.”

He was like a fish dying out of water. Tigre desperately searched his memory for the savings within his territory.

It amounted to approximately one year's worth of tax revenue, so it was hardly enough.

''--- If I can speak to Teita or Batran, or perhaps Sir Massas, who is more widely known, they may be able to raise the money.''

The preparations for the ransom were, simply put, hopeless.

He felt a pain between his eyes as he thought about his gloomy future. He nearly fainted, but before it happened, Tigre somehow managed to gather strength in his legs.


Supporting his body and limbs with all the strength he could muster, he looked back at Ellen.

''--- I must return to Alsace.''

''I was born and raised there. It is an important land I inherited from my father.''

''I'm worried about the soldiers' safety as well. I'm certain my people are worried.''

''Above all, I promised Teita I would return.''

''I wish to answer their desires.''

“So... What business do you have to call me to such a place?”

Tigre spoke with impudent words and a tone to match. Ellen's crimson eyes smiled happily as she looked at him with admiration.

“Of course, that is not all I called you here for.”

Ellen pointed to a training bow sitting along the wall.

“Shoot an arrow from here and hit that.”

“Is that it?”

Tigre, who was on the defensive, felt it was rather anti-climactic.

The distance to the target was three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters). Even for those skilled with the bow, the distance would seem like a bad joke.


Shooting an arrow at that distance is already in itself a challenge; to also hit the target would make it nothing short of impossible.

However, the distance was not a big deal for Tigre.

Though he did not know what she was plotting, he decided to do it quickly.

One of the soldiers brought a bow and four arrows. The man had delicate features and beautiful, shiny black hair reached down to his shoulders.

After Tigre received the bow and arrow from him, his eyebrows knitted slightly.

“What a terrible bow...”

The material was hardly suitable, and the condition of the grip was poor. The stringing, too, was poorly done. There was also some warping. It was clear what his intention was.

Ellen glanced at him at a distance like a child, filled with expectation. ''Is she not involved? If that's the case, it's unlikely this is a standard bow for the Zhcted Army.''

He was unsure if she knew of this.

An unpleasant thought crossed his mind. Thinking back, the bows in Brune were not that good, either.


''--- It can't be an issue of the maker's ability... In the first place, there is no such profession as a bow craftsman.''

Tigre's bow was made by his father when he was small. The choice of materials, as well, was made according to the knowledge and technology of other countries, such as Zhcted.

The accuracy of his arrow was not due to just Tigre's skill but the quality of the tool as well.

While pretending to check the condition of the bow, he looked at the soldier who passed him the bow in his peripheral vision and saw several soldiers grinning.

“Such a petty trick.”

Because he was angry, a murmur leaked from his mouth.

“What is it?”

Lim, who stood nearby, looked at him dubiously. Apparently she had not heard his words. Still, complaining about the quality of the bow as a prisoner of war was cumbersome.

“I wish to confirm something. It is not necessary for me to hit the target with all four arrows, only one, correct?”

“That is a rather timid remark for a person who killed my horse with one arrow.”

Though she thought Tigre was being sarcastic, she remained expressionless. There was no sign of malice. It seems she had not noticed the bow was inferior.


“If your physical condition is poor, I can tell Eleanora-sama to hold this another day.”

“No, I will do it.”

He answered with a strong tone. Tigre set the bow in his hand.

“However, please allow me to hit the target with only one arrow. I am not as confident with an unfamiliar bow.”

Lim bowed in assent and immediately walked to Ellen. After speaking a few words, Ellen looked at him devoid of any dissatisfaction, as if saying “Please begin.”

Tigre nocked the first arrow and released it.

It stalled before it reached the target, falling to the ground less than two hundred alsin away. Laughter and sneers were heard amongst the soldiers.

He did not mind it and released the next arrow.

The hum of the arrow sounded as it flew in an arc. It hit the castle wall, far from the target.

The soldiers laughed loudly. Some shook their shoulders, others looked at him with pity or contempt. Many gazes pierced Tigre.

“Are you doing this seriously?”


Lim, speaking in an irritated voice, looked to Ellen.

Ellen looked troubled. Though she was trying to properly solve a problem, she looked at him as if she were scolded by a teacher.

“I'll do it.”

Tigre eagerly replied and nocked the third arrow.

“Hey, are you still continuing? You're really willing to make a spectacle of yourself, still?”

“Maybe you'd like a replacement. Though he can reach the target, he can't even shoot straight.”

“Vanadis-sama, did you really make a man like this your captive?”

“This is quite a splendid show. I wonder if something new will be shown tomorrow.”

Though the soldiers deliberately spoke ill, Tigre was not bothered.

He was accustomed to such abuse. He had received mental abuse incomparable to this many times.

He took a deep breath and looked at the sky for a change of pace, moving his neck around.

In Tigre's vision was a black shadow.

''--- What is that?''

His neck stopped moving and he looked closely.


In an instant, he understood the identity of the shadow. Chills ran down Tigre's spine as he screamed at Ellen.

“Get down!”

''--- An arbalest...!''

It was different from the bow Tigre used. It was a mechanical bow; the bowstring was pulled by a winch and shot with a trigger.

It was difficult to maintain and prone to failure, but it could reach three-hundred-fifty alsin (approximately three-hundred-fifty meters) at maximum and could easily pass through shields and armor with enough force for the bolt to come out the other side.

The black shadow on the rampart held one.

A thick bolt was released from the arbalest.

The roar of air sped straight toward Ellen. She had no time to avoid it.

However, Ellen did not panic, nor did she move from her spot.

“--- Arifal!”

Muttering those words like a spell, the sword at her waist gave off a spark, cutting the atmosphere and scattering particles of silver.

In a moment, the air rapidly swelled, like an explosion. A storm raged about her.


Her long hair of silver-white danced with the wind. The bolt, entwined in the intense storm, was thrown far off orbit.

It passed through the empty space away from her and fell to the ground weakly.

''--- What just happened?''

Tigre stared in blank surprise at Ellen.

It was not a coincidence; that was impossible.

While learning the bow, Tigre learned about the arbalest. He was knowledgeable about the power of the thick bolts. A wind could not conveniently blow it out of its orbit.

“Capture that man!”

Lim shouted. All the soldiers held a bow, however, far from hitting the shadow, they could not even reach the rampart.

The people with a sword or spear ran to the rampart.

The soldier guarding the wall, in response to the commotion, began chasing the shadow.

''--- This has nothing to do with me.''

Tigre muttered to himself. Though he shouted on reflex, he was not Ellen's subordinate, nor was he a man of this city.

While thinking that, suddenly, Tigre remembered his first meeting with Ellen.


“You're skilled.”

She smiled as she said so.

''Teita, Batran and his men, my late father, when was I last praised for my bow arm?''

“Should I capture him alive?”

Nocking the arrow, Tigre asked Lim in a flat tone.

“Is this really a situation where you can say that...?”

Grasping the sword with her hand until it went white, Lim stared at the shadow on the rampart in chagrin. She wanted to lead the soldiers, but could not leave Ellen's side.

The shadow ran quickly across the wall. Once he reached the tower, he could quickly escape outside.

“I understand. I'll get his foot.”

Tigre said those words as he strongly drew his bow to the limit.

After shooting the previous two arrows, he understood its condition perfectly.

''--- At this distance, I won't miss.''

Lim looked at him in doubt.

Then her gaze changed to one of surprise.


The bowstring trembled.

The arrow resounded with a sharp buzz as it drew a large arc, piercing the leg of the shadow.

The shadow fell on the rampart and was caught by the soldiers who finally caught up.

“What... was that?”

One of the soldiers on the rampart looked down at Tigre. No other words would come out.

The other soldiers, too, looked at Tigre in amazement.

“Impossible. He shot over three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) from that position to the rampart...”

“No, if you think about the height of the tower, it could be even more. No way.”

“I can't believe it... Is that a human skill, or can all people of Brune do this?”

Though the voices showed astonishment and shock, there was clearly admiration in them as well.

There were those rooted to the spot, others looked to the sky, and some covered their forehead with their hand and recited the names of the Gods.

The malice in the training area no longer remained.

“He did something like that... with such a terrible bow...”

The soldiers who passed Tigre the bow were pale with fear.


“--- You got me.”

Tigre shrugged his shoulders. Though he held no emotions in his chest anymore, he was puzzled. He noticed he was bathed in gazes all at once.

The fourth arrow remained in his hand. Though Lim had seen it before, she did not look any differently than the other soldiers. When his eyes met hers, he understood her body was tense.

He looked back at Ellen.

“I'll ask you now. What about the fourth shot?”

“It's enough with this. I'd rather not lose this.”

Ellen's argent hair moved gently as she shook her head.

“You did well.”

Ellen smiled at Tigre with sincerity, her sword still sheathed at her waist. A wind blew from somewhere, tickling Tigre's hair.

''--- Just now...''

Tigre placed his hand in his hair involuntarily. He thought Ellen had somehow used her longsword to produce the wind.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 01 Chapter2 - MTL

2014-05-20T04:40:15Z

BB 7713: "Behind him was an entourage of young men flattering them" please revise this sentence. I have a hard time understanding who "them" refers to.

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=== LeitMeritz ===

He was having a dream, though it wasn't quite a good one.

''On a small hill, our forces were gathered.''

''It was meal time. The soldiers put a pot that was as deep as a barrel on the mound, which had been turned into a stove. They were preparing a fish stew.''

''There was a slight ridge before Dinant Plains, which plateaued with no end in sight.''

''There were twenty thousand Brune soldiers sharing a meal with his own troops. Thousands of streams of heat floated upward ,and the soldiers seemed as though they were imprisoned in the steam.''

Tigre and Massas were talking while stirring the food in the pot when a few young men appeared in front of their eyes with the colliding sound of their armor.

“So you came as well, Vorn.”

The man who said that with an openly mocking tone was Zaien Thenardier.

The Thenardier house held the title of Duke. It was a long distinguished family incomparable to the Vorn household. It had many aristocrats who held enormous power, and the territory it owned was wide. It is said the number of soldiers mobilized by the household can reach ten thousand.


Even in this war, which was organized in haste, they commanded a force four thousand strong.

Zaien was the Thenardier family's eldest son and heir to the household. He was currently 17 years old.

Though he wore decorated armor and bore a splendid sword at his waist in an imposing manner, worthy of his lineage, he always had an expression as if looking down on others.

Behind him was an entourage of young men flattering them.

Just like Zaien, they were aristocrats born into the families with the ranks of marquis or duke, wearing glittering armor with their respective household crests. They looked at Tigre with a grin and didn't seem to harbor good intentions.

Tigre could not ignore them, and felt obliged to show the minimal courtesy.

“... I am here to serve as His Majesty's loyal subject, so I came here as quickly as possible.”

“Though it's quite admirable to say that, I'm not sure how helpful you'll be.”

After Zaien ridiculed Tigre, the laughter of the other nobles overlapped his own. Maybe because their respective ages were similar, Zaien frequently made fun of Tigre in such a manner.

“I told you before, your family has merely hunted for four or five generations. I can hardly recognize you as a noble.”

He spat out those words arrogantly and immediately tried to stomp Tigre's bow,which was laying on the ground.

Tigre moved in a reflexive manner, picking up his bow as quickly as a wild beast.


“Uwa!”

Zaien stumbled, lost his balance and fell hard on the ground, taking with him one of his followers.

“How dare you do that to master Zaien!”

To the enraged followers who roared at him, Tigre yelled back:

“I was protecting my bow!”

“A bow? If it's a bow, so what, you coward!”

“That's right. There's nothing bad in breaking this crap. You should be on the front lines with a sword!”

“I'm sure the God of War, Trigraf, would never give his blessings to someone like you!”

The other followers expressed their approval one after another. Tigre gritted his teeth in anger.

In the Brune Kingdom, their complaints were acceptable.

“The bow is the arm of a coward who does not have the courage to expose his body before a naked blade.”

Such train of thoughts were deeply rooted in the Brune Army, which made little use of the bow.

It's not only that the archers' achievements were disregarded, but also archers in general.

“The archers are all drafted hunters, farmers who do not own land, people who have committed a serious crime as warriors--or some people to fill the ranks who aren't great with the sword or the spear.”


Due to such a norm, those who used bows, even as soldiers, were regarded as criminals and useless failures that are looked down on.

Though Tigre's ancestor performed distinguished military services for which he was presented with territory for hunting and was promoted to the title of Earl, Massas told him: “If he wasn't a hunter, he'd probably be promoted to an even higher rank.”

“Calm down, you guys.”

Zaien stood up difficultly with some help, and put a stop to his followers' actions.

Though reluctant, they still stopped blaming Tigre.

Zaien put on an act while getting rid of the dust on his armor, crossed his arms and laughed at Tigre in scorn.

“The reason you stick to a bow is that you can't handle a sword or spear, right? You probably think that if you headed to the battlefield with a bow, it could be barely enough to pretend to be a soldier, right?”

Tigre remained silent. It was true he was poor with the sword and spear.

If he objected here, Zaien would ask him to take up a sword or spear and show his skills and laugh at him. This had happened once before.

Zaien's taunt didn't stop here.

“To begin with, you are an Earl of the Kingdom of Brune. Yet, you can't use a sword or a spear and plan to head to the battlefield without wearing armor. Aren't you ashamed? Guys, look at his shabby appearance. He has a leather plate, leather gauntlets and even leather leggings. All his equipment is made of leather. At most, his mantle is decent, but if that's the only presentable part, then I really feel sad about the financial situation of his territory.”


“--- Lord Zaien.”

Massas, who had remained silent until then, spoke sullenly.

“Your words have been insightful. However, since you said so much at once, surely you have become thirsty...”

He continued while pointing in a certain direction.

“There's some rayion wine being distributed over there. Why not try drinking some, to relieve your thirst?”

Using a polite and humble tone, Massas's attitude put pressure on the other side.

The dignity of this old Knight, who had just turned 55, was intimidating to Zaien.

Zaien grunted and stepped back involuntarily as he became aware that he forgot his manners. He then snorted and turned around.

“Hey, let's go.”

Tigre watched Zaien and the others walk away, and thanked Massas after checking his bow's condition.

“Thank you. You saved me.”

“It's nothing. I should be the one to apologize. It would be better if I had intervened earlier, but I couldn't find an opportunity to barge in.”


From Zaien's perspective, Massas was a weak aristocrat no different from Tigre. If the former didn't get the timing right, he would simply snort with laughter.

While returning to stir the pan, Massas looked about the area casually.

Whether soldier or aristocrat, all was concentrated on their pots, or was taking care of their arms while entertaining themselves with chatter. Not a single person looked this way, and that indifference reached an unnatural state.

They were all afraid of Zaien, so they avoided relations with Tigre.

“I now understand that handling the sword and spear is not a proof of courage.”

Massas spoke in irony. Tigre wanted to say something to him, but shut his mouth at the end. Because not far away, the barely audible voices of nobles gathered together reached his ears.

“By the way, did you hear about what Duke Ganelon did?”

“Are you talking about him increasing taxes, using war preparations as excuse?”

“That's right. If there is a young girl in a house that's not paying taxes, she will be taken away. If there isn't one, then the house is set on fire.”

“It's really enviable. I'd like to have the authority to place a temporary tax too.”


The aristocrat didn't look resentful, but was simply grumbling in dissatisfaction.

Duke Ganelon was one of the most influential nobles of Brune Kingdom, on par with Thenardier.

There were also many powerful aristocrats amongst his relatives. His power was something that even the King could not ignore.

Regarding territory, Brune nobles were recognized and allowed to govern a territory, but for certain privileges, such as setting taxes, the permission of the King was necessary.

Duke Ganelon not only went against this rule and imposed tax without consulting the King, but was also did these inhuman things in his territory. Yet, the king still tolerated that.

“For a story like that, Duke Thenardier is not inferior regarding doing that kind of things. He ordered his people to stop drinking as long as the war is going on. They had to hand over all alcohol as oath to the Gods.”

“I see. But it's not hard to hide or to make alcohol. What happens to those who are found guilty of violating the ban?”

“The part about kidnapping the family's daughters is similar to Ganelon's method. But as a warning, I heard that swords were given to husband and wife or the father and son ,and they were made to kill each other.It seems that they even bet on who would win.”

Tigre clenched his fist after hearing the conversation.

Massas placed a wrinkled hand on Tigre's knee as he was about to stand up.


“Calm down.”

“What, how can I possibly remain calm!?”

“Though it may be harsh of me to say this, nothing would change even if you said something.”

He was right. Tigre sat back down, but his rage was still boiling inside him.

He desperately gritted his teeth and held his silence, in order to restrain himself from acting on impulse.

He was angry because Ganelon and Thenardier did not regard the people within their dominion as humans. They did not hesitate in their cruelty. He was angry at the men who spoke lightly of such cruel matters and those who have an overlook those things without any scruple. Finally, he was angry at his powerlessness, as he knew he could do nothing.

“The story just now, is it true?”

“Though it is a rumor... there have been many others similar to this one. Still, the people in question have not denied it. You rarely come to the capital, so no wonder you don't know about this.”

Maybe this really couldn't be helped.

Tigre hardly left his territory, the land of Alsace.

He had no desire to rise in the world and gain fame or glory, nor did he have any ambition. That's why he was not interested in his status as an aristocrat.

Plus, in his mind, he has no intention of dealing with Zaien, who was one of the sons of the nobles.

“His Majesty still tolerates such behavior...?”


Fearfully, he asked.

He did not want to believe it.

“Certainly, His Majesty has said nothing to them at the present.”

Massas' stocky body trembled as he shook his head grumpily.

“I believe His Majesty has his own matters to settle... One day, if His Majesty can't control them anymore, at least Prince Regnas should...”

Massas' eyes clung to the slender hope. Suddenly, he looked up and stared at Tigre. The latter, distracted, saw his finger come towards him, aim at his mouth and poke him there.

“Fue...?”

It was too abrupt. No words could come out from Tigre's mouth.

Furthermore, the hand blocking Tigre's mouth was kind of cold, and had an indescribable iron taste.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

When he awoke, a dim ceiling was in Tigre's view.

“--- So you finally woke up.”

Tigre heard a voice which lacked intonation. Immediately after that, he felt something withdrawn from his mouth.

What left his mouth was a sword.


The owner of this sword was a woman with golden hair whom he had never seen before.

“... Where should I start.”

“By the way, this is my first time waking a person in such a way.”

She returned with a gaze and frosty words. Tigre was at a loss and tried greeting her for the time being.

“... Good morning.”

“It is one koku (two hours) through the day.”

Tigre set up and looked at the woman while scratching his head.

She wore a skirt and short-sleeved shirt. She had long gloves which reached to her elbows and boots up to her knees. At her waist was her sheathed sword.

She was possibly taller than Tigre, and seemed to be two or three years older.

She was unmistakably a beautiful woman, but her scarce expressions gave her face a hard look, leaving her with an unsociable impression.

There were three particularly eye-catching features.

Tied on the left side of her head was long, golden hair.

Her azure eyes were as cold as marble.

And though she was tall and well balanced, she had ample bosoms which did not match her slender build.


Tigre inadvertently stared at the two swellings which bulged from beneath her clothes. The woman flashed her sword and threw an unkind remark.

“--- If you don't wake up properly, I will skewer you.”

“... I'm sorry.”

Blushing, Tigre apologized properly.

He looked about the room. It was small, containing only the bed he slept on.

Sunlight shined through the window, brightly lighting the room. The stone floor was bare, and the only door led to the hallway. His bow leaned against the wall.

“Really, even with the soldiers shouting for your death, even though you are a prisoner... How can you sleep so well.”

“It's one of my special skills.”

“I suggest you hold back a little. You lack tension.”

Anger was mixed into her cold voice. Tigre looked at her in embarrassment.

“Am I really that bad?”

“To the extent that I recall my murderous intent.”

The woman turned about as she threw an answer to Tigre, pushing the door open in the meanwhile.


“Eleanora-sama has called for you. Please follow me.”

Tigre put on his leather shoes and quickly followed after her.

“It's nice to meet you. I am ---”

“This is not our first meeting, Earl Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

She answered without turning around, her voice clearly rejecting him.

“My name is Limlisha. It is not necessary to remember it.”

LeitMeritz was a principality located in the Kingdom of Zhcted, under Eleanora's rule.

Eleanora's troops arrived at the capital yesterday. It had been ten days since they departed from Dinant.

After giving a word of thanks to the soldiers, Eleanora left the men to her adjutant, Limlisha, and returned to the King's capital with several men.

It was necessary to report her victory to the King.

During the return to the public capital, Tigre asked the guards a few times, and each time the response was the same.

“We have no need to respond to a prisoner of our Vanadis-sama.”


Even if he asked to meet Eleanora, it would not be possible for them to accept. Regardless, there was no way to do it since she departed for the kingdom's capital to meet the King.

Since he had no other options, Tigre remained quietly obedient.

“... Guess I'll just go with the flow.”

Tigre made that decision and looked at the sky until late at night. During the day, he dozed off on the horse.

Following Limlisha, Tigre walked down the passage of the household.

“What are you looking about so restlessly for?”

Limlisha gazed back at him in amazement as Tigre looked about like a child.

“Yes, I just thought it is a splendid building.”

“You are an Earl, an aristocrat.”

“I am a poor noble. There is no point comparing my small mansion to this one.”

He responded without any shame. Tigre looked about, admiring the ceiling and floor.

Until now, Tigre had never left Brune Kingdom, and now he was in the province's Imperial Palace. The mosaics which decorated the floor were new to him.


The side facing the courtyard was bathed in a column of soft sunlight. In the vast area, soldiers were working hard, training. It was vibrant.

“It's a good atmosphere.”

“That is because this is Eleanora-sama's official palace.”

Limlisha answered as if it were natural.

Soldiers patrolled the corridors, and what he assumed were maids and chamberlains strolled about, likely performing their job.

Tigre thought about the girl who was like a younger sister house-sitting his mansion in his absence.

''--- Teita must be worried.''

When he saw her off, he did not expect such a thing to happen.

''--- Batran, and everyone else as well, I hope you made it back safely.''

In his chest, there was impatience.

He wished to return to Alsace as quickly as possible. However, a prisoner who escapes is punishable by death, so he could only remain quiet.

They finally left the palace.


He walked for a while before Limlisha stopped her feet.

“... We are here.”

He was brought to a training ground near the rampart.

Eleanora stood with three armed soldiers amongst the forty. She was clothed in shades of blue with her longsword in its argent sheathe at her waist.

“If you make any strange movements... No, please do so. It would save quite a bit of time and effort.”

Limlisha spoke as she let the sound of her sword escape its sheathe at her waist.

Though there was an obvious hostility, Tigre simply ignored it.

''--- It can't be helped. I'm a prisoner now; we were enemies just ten days ago.''

“Hm, you came.”

Eleanora noticed Tigre and walked up to him cheerfully. She smiled to Tigre first, then Limlisha.

“You've worked hard. Still, it took you quite some time to come here.”

“I apologize. He did not wake up so easily.”

“You didn't wake up?”


Eleanora looked doubtful hearing the story of him waking up only when he had a sword in his mouth. Her shoulders trembled as she held back her laughter.

“Even as a captive, you slept so deeply.”

“He is simply dull.”

At last, Eleanora laughed and turned to Tigre.

“Tigrevurmud Vorn, it's quite a long name for a person of Brune. Does it have an origin?”

“I received an ancestral name. If you find it difficult, you may call me Tigre.”

Tigre cited the phrase he was accustomed to. He felt odd being called Earl Tigrevurmud Vorn.

Eleanora's face suddenly shined. The dignity as a Vanadis the soldiers knew was gone; she held the expression appropriate of a girl her age.

“In that case, Ellen is fine as well. I would prefer it if you use that name.”

Tigre stared at her involuntarily. She spoke in an intimate manner with a prisoner. Saying it poorly, she was being over-familiar.

“Eleanora-sama.”

Though Limlisha reproached her, she showed no sign of fear.


“He's my prisoner. This much is fine, Lim.”

“Lim?”

Hearing the name, Tigre looked at Limlisha in surprise.

“I'll tell you now. She is one of my escorts whose horse you shot down, and she was the girl who took you here from Dinant.”

Certainly, her physique matched.

Though puzzled as to how he should react, Tigre thanked her honestly.

“Though it may be strange of me to say this, thank you for bringing me here safely.”

Tigre had heard stories of prisoners being mocked and assaulted or killed by torture in a convoy. Some died without having a single meal.

However, on the way back from Dinant, Tigre was never abused. He was even given proper food.

Though it may have been because he was Ellen's captive, Limlisha – that is, Lim, was the one who properly managed him.

She did not respond to Tigre. What had to be done was done.

However, Lim hid her anger as she was thanked by ignoring Tigre and facing Ellen.


“Eleanora-sama, there is still work to be done today. You should finish your trivial errands early, correct?”

“I know, I know.”

Ellen smiled bitterly and waved. She faced Tigre and smiled deliberately.

“I would like to clarify things first, Tigre... no, Lord Vorn. As per the treaty between our countries, you will be treated as a prisoner of war. If, in fifty days time, the demanded ransom has not been delivered by the Kingdom of Brune, that is, if a ransom has not been paid to me, you will formally become mine as per the agreement. What binds this contract is the name and honor of the God, Radegast. Is this acceptable?”

Though hardly suitable, Tigre nodded reluctantly.

It was a contract held between every country on the treatment of prisoners of war.

It was made to avoid abuse, humiliation, and, frankly, murder. It was a rule which allowed for negotiations between countries to advance efficiently.

“Well, you might be a bit worried about the ransom, though.”

Tigre heard the number come from Ellen's mouth and stood rooted to the spot with his mouth agape.


It was a number close to the total tax revenue raised by Alsace in three years time.

He felt dizzy from the impact.

“... Is it possible to reduce the amount?”

“No.”

A flat response.

''--- Well, there's no reason for her to.''

In many cases, the goal of taking an enemy captive was to retrieve a ransom. It was unlikely she would decrease it so easily.

“You will live here in the Imperial Palace. Needless to say, any attempt to escape will lead to the death penalty.”

He was like a fish dying out of water. Tigre desperately searched his memory for the savings within his territory.

It amounted to approximately one year's worth of tax revenue, so it was hardly enough.

''--- If I can speak to Teita or Batran, or perhaps Sir Massas, who is more widely known, they may be able to raise the money.''

The preparations for the ransom were, simply put, hopeless.

He felt a pain between his eyes as he thought about his gloomy future. He nearly fainted, but before it happened, Tigre somehow managed to gather strength in his legs.


Supporting his body and limbs with all the strength he could muster, he looked back at Ellen.

''--- I must return to Alsace.''

''I was born and raised there. It is an important land I inherited from my father.''

''I'm worried about the soldiers' safety as well. I'm certain my people are worried.''

''Above all, I promised Teita I would return.''

''I wish to answer their desires.''

“So... What business do you have to call me to such a place?”

Tigre spoke with impudent words and a tone to match. Ellen's crimson eyes smiled happily as she looked at him with admiration.

“Of course, that is not all I called you here for.”

Ellen pointed to a training bow sitting along the wall.

“Shoot an arrow from here and hit that.”

“Is that it?”

Tigre, who was on the defensive, felt it was rather anti-climactic.

The distance to the target was three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters). Even for those skilled with the bow, the distance would seem like a bad joke.


Although it was already difficult to shoot an arrow that far, it was nothing but even more than annoying to hit a target as well.

However, the distance was not a big deal for Tigre.

Though he did not know what she was plotting, he decided to do it quickly.

One of the soldiers brought a bow and four arrows. The man had delicate features and beautiful, shiny black hair down to his shoulders.

After Tigre received the bow and arrow from him, his eyebrows moved slightly.

“What a terrible bow...”

The material was hardly suitable, and the condition of the grip was poor. The stringing, too, was poorly done. There was also some warping. It was clear what his intention was.

Ellen glanced at him at a distance like a child, filled with expectation. ''Is she not involved? If that's the case, it's unlikely this is a standard bow for the Zhcted Army.''

He was unsure if she knew of this.

An unpleasant thought crossed his mind. Thinking back, the bows in Brune were not that good, either.


''--- It can't be an issue of the maker's ability... In the first place, there is no such profession as a bow craftsman.''

Tigre's bow was made by his father when he was small. The choice of materials, as well, was taken from knowledge and technology of other countries, such as Zhcted.

The accuracy of his arrow was not due to just Tigre's skill but the quality of the tool as well.

While pretending to check the condition of the bow, he looked at the soldier who passed him the bow in his peripheral vision and saw several soldiers grinning.

“Such a petty trick.”

Because he was angry, a murmur leaked from his mouth.

“What is it?”

Lim, who stood nearby, looked at him dubiously. Apparently she had not heard his words. Still, complaining about the quality of the bow as a prisoner of war was cumbersome.

“I wish to confirm something. It is not necessary for me to hit the target with all four arrows, only one, correct?”

“That is a rather timid remark for a person who killed my horse with one arrow.”

Though she thought Tigre was being sarcastic, she remained expressionless. There was no sign of malice. It seems she had not noticed the bow was inferior.


“If your physical condition is poor, I can tell Eleanora-sama to hold this another day.”

“No, I will do it.”

He answered with a strong tone. Tigre set the bow in his hand.

“However, please allow me to hit the target with only one arrow. I am not as confident with an unfamiliar bow.”

Lim bowed in assent and immediately walked to Ellen. After speaking a few words, Ellen looked at him devoid of any dissatisfaction, as if saying “Please begin.”

Tigre nocked the first arrow and released it.

It stalled before it reached the target, falling to the ground less than two hundred alsin away. Laughter and sneers were heard amongst the soldiers.

He did not mind it and released the next arrow.

The hum of the arrow sounded as it flew in an arc. It hit the castle wall, far from the target.

The soldiers laughed loudly. Some shook their shoulders, others looked at him in pity or contempt. Many gazes pierced Tigre.

“Are you doing this seriously?”


Lim, speaking with an irritated voice, looked to Ellen.

Ellen looked troubled. Though she was trying to properly solve a problem, she looked at him as if she were scolded by a teacher.

“I'll do it.”

Tigre eagerly replied and nocked the third arrow.

“Hey, are you still continuing? You're really willing to make a spectacle of yourself, still?”

“Maybe you'd like a replacement. Though he can reach the target, he can't even shoot straight.”

“Vanadis-sama, did you really make a man like this your captive?”

“This is quite a splendid show. I wonder if something new will be shown tomorrow.”

Though the soldiers deliberately spoke ill, Tigre was not bothered.

He was accustomed to such abuse. He had received mental abuse incomparable to this many times.

He took a deep breath and looked at the sky for a change of pace, moving his neck around.

In Tigre's vision was a black shadow.

''--- What is that?''

His neck stopped moving and he looked closely.


In an instant, he understood the identity of the shadow. Chills ran down Tigre's spine as he screamed at Ellen.

“Get down!”

''--- An arbalest...!''

It was different from the bow Tigre used. It was a mechanical bow; the bowstring was pulled by a winch and shot with a trigger.

It was difficult to maintain and prone to failure, but it could reach three-hundred-fifty alsin (approximately three-hundred-fifty meters) at maximum and easily pass through shields and armor with enough force for the bolt to come out the other side.

The black shadow on the rampart held one.

A thick bolt was released from the arbalest.

The roar of air sped straight toward Ellen. She had no time to avoid it.

However, Ellen did not panic, nor did she move from her spot.

“--- Arifal!”

Muttering those words like a spell, the sword at her waist gave off a spark, cutting the atmosphere and scattering particles of silver.

In a moment, the air rapidly swelled, like an explosion. A storm raged about her.


Her long hair of silver-white danced with the wind. The bolt, entwined in the intense storm, was thrown far off orbit.

It passed through the empty space away from her and fell to the ground weakly.

''--- What just happened?''

Tigre stared in blank surprise at Ellen.

It was not a coincidence; that was impossible.

While learning the bow, Tigre learned about the arbalest. He was knowledgeable about the power of the thick bolts. A wind could not conveniently blow it out of its orbit.

“Capture that man!”

Lim shouted. All the soldiers held a bow, however, far from hitting the shadow, they could not even reach the rampart.

The people with a sword or spear ran to the rampart.

The soldier guarding the wall, in response to the commotion, began chasing the shadow.

''--- This has nothing to do with me.''

Tigre muttered to himself. Though he shouted on reflex, he was not Ellen's subordinate, nor was he a man of this city.

While thinking that, suddenly, Tigre remembered his first meeting with Ellen.


“You're skilled.”

She smiled as she said so.

''Teita, Batran and his men, my late father, when was I last praised for my bow arm?''

“Should I capture him alive?”

Nocking the arrow, Tigre asked Lim in a flat tone.

“Is this really a situation where you can say that...?”

Grasping the sword with her hand until it went white, Lim stared at the shadow on the rampart in chagrin. She wanted to lead the soldiers, but could not leave Ellen's side.

The shadow ran quickly across the wall. Once he reached the tower, he could quickly escape outside.

“I understand. I'll get his foot.”

Tigre said those words as he strongly drew his bow to the limit.

After shooting the previous two arrows, he understood its condition perfectly.

''--- At this distance, I won't miss.''

Lim looked at him in doubt.

Then her gaze changed to one of surprise.


The bowstring trembled.

The arrow resounded with a sharp buzz as it drew a large arc, piercing the leg of the shadow.

The shadow fell on the rampart and was caught by the soldiers who finally caught up.

“What... was that?”

One of the soldiers on the rampart looked down at Tigre. No other words would come out.

The other soldiers, too, looked at Tigre in amazement.

“Impossible. He shot over three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) from that position to the rampart...”

“No, if you think about the height of the tower, it could be even more. No way.”

“I can't believe it... Is that a human skill, or can all people of Brune do this?”

Though the voices showed astonishment and shock, there was clearly admiration in them as well.

There were those rooted to the spot, others looked to the sky, and some covered their forehead with their hand and recited the names of the Gods.

The malice in the training area no longer remained.

“He did something like that... with such a terrible bow...”

The soldiers who passed Tigre the bow were pale with fear.


“--- You got me.”

Tigre shrugged his shoulders. Though he held no emotions in his chest anymore, he was puzzled. He noticed he was bathed in gazes all at once.

The fourth arrow remained in his hand. Though Lim had seen it before, she did not look any differently than the other soldiers. When his eyes met hers, he understood her body was tense.

He looked back at Ellen.

“I'll ask you now. What about the fourth shot?”

“It's enough with this. I'd rather not lose this.”

Ellen's argent hair moved gently as she shook her head.

“You did well.”

Ellen smiled at Tigre with sincerity, her sword still sheathed at her waist. A wind blew from somewhere, tickling Tigre's hair.

''--- Just now...''

Tigre placed his hand in his hair involuntarily. He thought Ellen had somehow used her longsword to produce the wind.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 01 Chapter1 - MTL

2014-05-16T14:37:08Z

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=== Encounter with the Vanadis ===

“Tigre-sama.”

His body was shaken by a girl with a familiar voice.

Since it was bright outside the window, he knew morning had come.

Still, he was sleepy.

“A little longer... Just a little more.”

“How long is a little more?”

“I don't have any hunting planned for the day, so until noon...”

“Please don't be lazy and wake up!”

She scolded him.

After the blankets were stripped off, Tigre's shoulder was violently grabbed.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw a girl whose face was quenched red in anger. She had a childish face and chestnut-brown hair in a twin-tail style which was hardly threatening, even when angry.

“Ah... Morning, Teita.”


[[Image:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis_Volume_01_-_012.jpg|175px|thumb]]

In a drawn out voice which betrayed his drowsiness, Tigre called the name of the young maid. Teita released him after realizing he was awake.

“The soldiers have already finished preparing, they are waiting for you, Tigre-sama!”

Tigre blankly repeated her words several times in his head.

His face grew pale at once.

“... Shit!”

He stumbled out of bed as Teita folded his evening clothes. She placed a small pail of water by his feet.

“Thank you for preparing things as usual.”

“I thought this might happen. I will prepare your meal. Once you have washed your face, please come.”

Showing no sign of anger, Teita smiled brilliantly and bowed while holding her skirt before leaving the room with short steps.

Tigre felt refreshed after washing his face and was at last completely awake. Donning his clothes and dashing out of the room, he fastened his buttons while running down the hall.

“I don't have any time... I wonder if I can really leave it, though.”

Tigre headed straight for a room at the end of the small corridor.


It was a small room, barely able to seat three adults. There stood a splendid decoration upon which a bow was propped.

The strings were soaked and pulled over the summer, so it was available for use at any time if he were so inclined. The only feature of the bow was its black color.

It drew a loose, curved grip, and the bowstring, as well, was black.

It was as if the bow itself had been cut from darkness.

''--- When I look at this, I get a strange feeling.''

The bow,a heirloom of Tigre's family,had an odd atmosphere different from others. It is said the Vorn family ancestors once used it in their hunts.

Tigre's father left a will regarding the bow.

“Only when you truly need this bow should you use it. Do not use it otherwise.”

Due to the will of his father, the mild disgust he felt for the bow, and his respect for his ancestors, Tigre avoided touching it as much as possible.

Correcting his posture and breathing, Tigre grasped his fist before his chest and gave thanks to the bow of his ancestors, passed down the generations.

When he finished, he stepped quickly and quietly into the passage. Tigre hastily rushed to the dining room.


Tigrevurmud, 16 years old, was born into the family of an Earl in the Brune Kingdom. He took over the house when his father fell ill and died two years ago.

His title was something of an exaggeration, as his ancestors were the ones to attain the status of Earl. He felt he was simply a person called Tigre.

When Tigre entered the dining room, a sweet, fragrant aroma reached his nose.

On the rustic table was ham, rye bread, an omelet, milk, and mushroom soup from which steam drifted.

Teita awaited him at the table.

“I am fine with just the soup.”

“That is no good.”

When it came to meal time, Teita always remained stubborn.

“What would you do if your stomach sounded before everyone. It would be disgraceful.”

With her hands at her waist, her gaze looked sternly at Tigre. She looked more frightening than she did earlier when he awoke.

Tigre surrendered the battle he could not win and began eating with her.


After eating his bread and drinking his milk, he quickly ate his omelet and soup.

“Thank you for the meal.”

He stood up as he spoke those words. Teita, with a napkin and brush in hand, approached him.

“You have some food remaining. Please make sure to wipe it off properly.”

She spoke with a slightly angry tone, wiping Tigre's mouth with the napkin.

“Your hair is a mess as well.”

After that, Teita, her hand holding the brush stretched forward, carefully combed his red hair.

“Look, your collar is bent as well.”

Placing the brush and napkin on the table, her hand extended to Tigre's collar. Though she had finished, Tigre remained.

“--- Tigre-sama.”

“Yes?”

Teita's voice suddenly became weak. Tigre gently replied to her. He spoke to her as a younger sister, as she was one year younger.

“Why, why must you go to war, Tigre-sama?”


Tigre had a troubled face as he tampered with his red hair. It was obvious what Teita was saying.

“It is at His Majesty's beckoning. As the head of the household, as Earl Vorn, it is natural I serve the Kingdom of Brune.”

“B-but.”

She looked up at Tigre with a tearful face, continuing to argue.

“You were barely able to gather one hundred soldiers...”

Though he was an aristocrat, he was a minor one.

The Vorn family was not poor; rather, they were simple. Calling them modest was suitable.

The territory of Alsace was in the countryside amongst mountains and forests, far from the center of the country, and his income was minimal.

He was far removed from the regality associated with a noble. Tigre's life was far from grand.

Though his residence was not too large, the one handling all chores was Teita alone.

“I have heard the enemy is from the Zhcted Kingdom. In that case, you should be here, Tigre-sama. There is only a single mountain between Alsace and the Zhcted Kingdom, after all.”


“That may be true, but this is the countryside. Zhcted has no reason to attack such a place.”

Tigre was grateful that his land would not become a battlefield.

“That... So you will go, even if they ridicule you for your bow.”

“That is because it's impossible to perform distinguished military services.”

“It doesn't matter if you do such things!”

Teita shouted and clung to him, her face buried in Tigre's chest.

“Just... don't overwork yourself, and don't get injured. Please return safely.”

Tigre gently hugged the maid's delicate body as she worried about him.

“Don't worry. I returned safe and sound from my first battle two years ago.”

“At that time, Urz-sama was...”

Teita swallowed her words. Urz was Tigre's father who died two years ago.

Tigre tapped Teita's head to reassure her.

“In this battle, my forces have been placed in the rear. It will be safe. Even if something happens, I'll somehow manage.”

As he used his finger to wipe the tears about to spill, Teita nodded.


“Is, is it really fine, Tigre-sama? You are always oversleeping. Make sure not to do so on the battlefield.”

“I don't like how you're saying I always oversleep.”

“It is simply a fact. Tigre-sama is only able to wake up properly on a hunting day.”

Tigre's counterargument was stopped by a disappointed objection.

Still, he understood that Teita was encouraging him as much as she could. Tigre held her closely once again.

Teita entrusted her body to Tigre.

Her warmth could be felt through his clothes, a sweet scent drifted faintly from her chestnut-brown hair.

Any longer than this would only be more painful.

Tigre released her, reluctant to let go.

“I shall take my leave, Teita.”

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Teita smiled.

“Please leave the house to me. Be careful, Tigre-sama.”

Tigre carried a bow and quiver over his shoulder and left the house. The soldiers were already waiting in formation.

A small old man wearing leather armor bowed to Tigre.

“Young Lord, all members are prepared. Our equipment is also ready.”

“You've worked hard, Batran.”

The elderly man was a servant of Tigre whose experience in war far surpassed his own. He was the only one other than Tigre permitted on horseback.

All the others were foot soldiers equipped with leather armor and a spear or a sword.

“You've all gathered.”

As Tigre spoke words of appreciation, the veteran soldiers cheerfully made a joke.

“Lord, there is no need to worry. Though it's been three years since we last saw battle, we have trained our body without a mistake every day laboring in the fields.”

“Whether we disobey the King's orders or follow them, we'll have plenty of food, it seems.”

“That's a welcome remark. By the way, is your wife not coming? The enemy only has one or two thousand men. I'm sure she could drive them away with her shouting.”

Laughter erupted between the soldiers.

“You should stop saying that before the Young Lord. His wife is indifferent to both enemy and ally.”

Looking back at Batran, Tigre ended the conversation with a shrug of his shoulders.


''--- Morale shouldn't be an issue.''

As the laughter subsided, the men saluted Tigre. Batran drew his bow with his right hand and issued a cry.

“Our destination is Dinant Plains. We shall join Lord Massas' army halfway.”

The infantry looked at their battle flags.

There were two kinds of flags. The flag of house Vorn held a white crescent-moon and meteor on blue fabric. The other was the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} – the symbol of Brune Kingdom which had a red horse with a black mane.
“We're off!”

It was the first time Brune Kingdom and Zhcted Kingdom crossed blades in twenty years.

The cause of conflict was due to heavy rain, which caused the river bordering the two kingdoms to flood.

Many residents were injured “Because those people did not properly manage the river.” It caused quite a quarrel.

Each country received a petition from the other to properly manage the waters. As such, the two armies were forced to go to war.


Still, that was not enough to pull Tigre to war.

“It appears the enemy has about five thousand troops going against our twenty-five thousand. The troops seem pretty excited here.”

With a sarcastic tone, an elderly Knight named Massas Rodant sat next to Tigre. He was a friend of Tigre's father and often acted as a benefactor.

“Is it true this is His Highness, the Prince's first battle?”

While moving forward side-by-side on horseback, Tigre asked Massas.

“I'm quite certain. It's well known His Majesty dotes on his son.”

Massas, his stocky body wrapped in iron armor, stroked his gray beard with a grumpy face.

“Many parents are reluctant to allow their children to come out for the upcoming war, and it is certainly different when it's for a serious affair that may risk the fate of the nation. In that sense, the King is sending out Prince Regnas to his first battle for a decoration... I suppose it will be a good experience for him.”

He probably wanted his beloved son to be decorated in his first battle.

The King sent the Knights under his direct control as well as the troops belonging to the nobles ruling the territories near Dinant Plains to battle.

This included small aristocrats such as Tigre and Massas.


Once all the armies joined together, they numbered more than twenty-five thousand.

Massas led just under three hundred soldiers. Amongst them, only fifty were cavalry.

Though it may be inappropriate to say, that amount would be completely buried within the twenty-five thousand. Whether Tigre was stationed in the rear or not, nothing would change.

“It's normal to try and outnumber the enemy in war. Prince Regnas will one day become King. Doing things in such a way is not wrong of His Majesty.”

Out of comfort, the old Knight tapped Tigre's shoulder.

Though it may not have been his real intention, he had said those words to convince himself as well.

“That's right. We small-time nobles should just stay quiet in the rear. Stepping into battle, earning a distinguished military service, there are plenty of people who want to get ahead... That's right, Tigre, have you heard of the Vanadis?”

As he heard the term, Tigre recalled a rumor and tilted his head.

“The seven Vanadis of Zhcted?”

“That's right. The enemy commander seems to be one of the Vanadis. She is a youth, 16 years old who has never been defeated. She is known for her excellent swordsmanship and is also called the {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}} and {{furigana|[Danseuse of the Sword]|Meltis}} since she spearheads the battle.”


In Zhcted Kingdom, there existed seven Vanadis.

The land was divided into seven provinces, each governed by one of the women known as a Vanadis – it was difficult to think they were the same age as him.

Tigre strangely admired the enemy Commander he had not yet seen. She was the same age and had many victories to her name and was currently leading a force of five thousand.

In Brune Kingdom, where Tigre was born, women were not allowed to be Knights, so the nobility had no incentive to send their daughters out.

Even in this war, there was not a single female Knight present.

That, too, was a source of interest.

“What is the name of this Vanadis?”

“If I remember, it is Eleanora Viltaria, and I heard she's quite the extraordinary beauty, like a jewel that will never fade.”

“Is she really that beautiful?”

“It's fine to admire beauty, but keep it in moderation. Teita will be jealous.”

Massas laughed, his gray beard shaking, as Tigre became angry.

“Why are you bringing up Teita? She's like a little sister---”

“Since she was little, she's been the little sister reliably taking care of an untidy elder brother.”


Hearing no retort, he ruffled Tigre's dull red hair and returned to the story at hand.

“If the Vanadis is as great a leader as rumors say, this battle will be difficult.”

“Still, the difference in number is quite large. No matter how much an expert she is, it will be difficult for her to win.”

No matter the bravery or ability of the Vanadis, a five-fold difference in troops should be impossible to overturn. Though Tigre wanted to agree, he could not say it so easily.

''What is it, this unpleasant feeling?'' He had a burning sensation around the nape of his neck.

Tigre had been attacked by this feeling before.

At that time, in the depths of the forest, when he was hunting a pack of wolves, he encountered a Dragon by the mountains.

He also felt it in the morning when Teita came as normal and his groin remained unhidden.

Either way, nothing ever went well at those times.

“Don't look so glum.”

It seems to have appeared on his face. Massas looked at him dubiously.

“Were you thinking of something? You're looking a bit absent-minded.”

“Absent-minded... There are other ways to put it. You could say I'm calm and collected.”


Tigre responded in a dissatisfied manner. Massas narrowed his eyes and laughed.

“You're pretty difficult. I remember two years ago when you succeeded Urz' position.”

“Hm, did I say something?”

“Before the representatives of the towns and villages, when asked about the future of Alsace, you said, 'Well, I'll manage.' That's what I meant by absent-minded.”

Tigre, unable to respond, shrugged his shoulders.

Massas continued to complain.

“While Urz was alive, you had a calm, gentle temperament; you were optimistic. You slept a lot, so I suppose I should praise you for being so healthy. Really, your parents were quite lenient.”

“Still, weren't they proud of me?”

Waiting for a break in Massas' words, Tigre finally retorted.

Actually, he did not particularly have any problem with Alsace as a whole.

His savings had gradually increased. Even if he was rather absent-minded around the village representatives, he had done reasonably well.

“Except for hunting days, can you get up on your own? That is, without Teita's help.”


“No, that's...”

“From what Teita has told me... Sometimes you just run away with your bow and arrow and spend two, three days to hunt in the nearby forests and mountains.”

Tigre's shoulders shrunk in silence. He could not deny that one.

“To think a guy like you is the Lord. Well, I guess I can see it in your face.”

Looking back over his shoulder, Massas saw a group of soldiers.

Though their will to fight was not lacking, they were placed in the rear. Still, no one made any complaints.

“Tigre, it's your job to bring your soldiers back alive. It's your job to think how they fight. I'm not sure what you're concerned about, but make sure you perform your duty.”

“Thank you very much.”

Seeing Massas' concern, Tigre smiled and thanked him.

As he said, it would be pointless to think of extraneous things.

Though they were only there to make the Prince look better, they still had gathered.

Nothing was expected from Tigre or Massas as war potentials. Even so, he took the advice to heart.


A few days later, Tigre arrived at Dinant Plains.

Twenty thousand soldiers stood at the foot of a hill, the remaining five thousand stood in the rear, atop the hill, surrounding Prince Regnas. Both Tigre and Massas were located there.

It was likely the battle would end before they fought.

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Before dawn, one thousand cavalry quietly marched.

Their swords and spears were covered with mud to dull their shine, the horses were covered in plates to hide them, their horseshoes were carefully wrapped in cotton cloth.

They reached a small hill near the enemy without being noticed.

It was only a gentle slope before they reached where the Brune rearguard was encamped for the night. The bonfires could be seen dancing in the night.

“--- Rest and make preparations.”

The girl with argent hair standing before the cavalry laughed lightly. After her words, the soldiers removed the plates from the horses and the cloth from the horseshoes.

Eventually, the scout, who went ahead alone, returned.


The enemy had fallen asleep without having noticed them. The girl looked back at her men and unsheathed her longsword. A faint wind blew along the length of the blade.

“The enemy is five thousand strong and outnumber us five to one. Though the rearguard, this is where their Commander's headquarters lay. He is likely a battle-hardened elite.”

Still, the girl's red eyes were filled with a fighting spirit.

“I will go. I will win. Will you follow me?”

In silence, the soldiers thrust their swords and spears to the sky.

The girl turned toward the enemy encampment and swung her sword forward.

“Charge!”

The banner fluttered in the wind. The {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}, the flag of the Kingdom of Zhcted, had a Black Dragon breathing a black fire displayed.

The wind stirred. The cavalry readied their swords and spears. The archers nocked their bow. They all followed the girl up the hill.

The guards finally noticed the rumbling of the earth as the horses invaded the base.

However, it was too late.

“The enemy---”

The girl, in a single strike, took the soldier's neck, not letting his scream escape.

Against the sky which gradually grew light, one thousand cavalrymen led by the girl invaded the enemy camp. The Brune Army fell to chaos, discarding their weapons and fleeing in a frenzy.


Though some soldiers resisted valiantly, the strength was far too different.

The strength of the girl wielding a sword and leading the Zhcted Army was overwhelming.

She cut through those deserting the battle in a single blow or kicked them mercilessly with her steed. Not once did she touch a drop of blood.

Every time the longsword became encased in wind, a corpse fell to the ground; the body count increased. The girl with fluttering silver-white hair cleaved the enemy as she advanced on the enemy camp, the cavalry following close behind.

By this point, victory and defeat had been nearly decided.

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His ears were ringing.

There were many screams; it was a day of judgment. The sound of swords and the roar of horseshoes echoed in his ear.

“... Uwa.”

He awoke.

He inhaled the blue sky of dawn spread before him.

Pushing and moving the weights against his body, Tigre rose.


The ringing in his ears disappeared only to be replaced with moans drowned out by the sound of wind. The torn banner fluttered slightly, the sound of grass being trod upon could be heard.

As the dust settled, the scent of blood crept into his nose.

“I must have been unconscious...”

He stretched his neck out above the pile of corpses and looked about.

The grass was dyed with blood, several thousand bodies lay upon the earth.

Covering his mouth with his hand to ease the nausea, he noticed his hand was wet and dyed red.

''--- Blood...?''

Patting his face, he noticed no signs of injury.

“Someone else's blood.”

Tigre was apparently alive because he was buried beneath the corpses. It is likely none of the enemies even set eyes on him.

“Batran! Lord Massas!”

He called out the name of his faithful subordinate and the elder he trusted, but received no reply.

He tried calling the soldiers under his command and still was not met with a reaction.

“It would be good if they escaped.”

All he could see were corpses and broken swords and spears, the banner was torn and discarded.


Though he was unsure, shrouded in the early-morning mist, there were no signs of motion from either friend or foe.

He did not feel anger toward the enemy. Fatigue weighed upon his body, and a sigh escaping his mouth.

“What a terrible battle...”

Almost simultaneous with the rising dawn, the Brune Army took a surprise attack. Rather than from the front, they were confused by an attack from the rear. The large, twenty-five thousand strong army collapsed.

''--- The day before yesterday, before darkness fell, our army confirmed the enemy was before us. In other words, the Zhcted army divided its forces in two and attacked the rearguard first. Still, we had been attacked from the front as well.''

Tigre felt the back of his neck go cold.

It was a simple plan, even a child could think of it.

''--- How frightening, the spirit to calmly execute such a plan against an enemy with five times the strength.''

Despite having fewer soldiers, they divided their army even further. If their troops did not move exceptionally well, they would certainly have an unsatisfying defeat.

''--- However, it succeeded splendidly.''


The Brune Army collapsed completely.

Swept away by the wave of allies who fled, Tigre could not possibly take charge and fell from his horse, knocked unconscious in the process.

Tigre's unit was overwhelmed by his allies.

“Even so...”

Tigre remembered. Though only for a moment, he saw the silver-white haired girl wielding the longsword as she led the enemy and killed one Brune soldier after another.

“So that was the Vanadis...”

The Vanadis always leads the troops. He recalled Massas' words.

It was improper to simply call her beautiful. Tigre felt his red hair stir as he was deep in thought.

Fortunately, his bow dropped nearby.

Picking it up, he checked the tension on the bowstring as he was attacked by anxiety.

“... Shouldn't be a problem.”

He stroked his chest in relief, seeing his bowstring still taut.


He was still not ready.

Few of the arrows in his quiver remained as well.

Looking up to the sky, Tigre confirmed the position of the sun.

“West is that way.”

The Zhcted Army arrived at the battlefield from the east. Brune was to the west.

Enduring the pain running through his body, Tigre slowly walked west. His feet stopped as he recognized something in his peripheral vision.

A Knight was running at him, brandishing a sword.

Tigre took out an arrow and drew his bow.

The horse trampled and kicked corpses aside as the Knight forced his way towards Tigre. When the distance shrank to thirty alsin (approximately thirty meters), the Knight yelled.

“Survivor of Brune, I will have your neck!”

Tigre silently nocked his arrow and looked on as he casually shot.

The air was blurred.

He heard the dull sound of the arrow accurately piercing the man's throat.

He was surprisingly quick and calm.

The Knight's body could not react and leaned over, falling to the ground.


The horse, now without a mount, gave a shrill sound, stopped, turned, and ran away.

“I give up... I guess things aren't going my way..”

He let out a sigh. Wondering if there was a horse he could easily get off the battlefield, Tigre resumed his walk and stopped in fewer than ten steps.

“An enemy?”

Three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) away, he saw a group of soldiers. If he was found, they would catch him quickly.

“... Seven people.”

Tigre was born with a good eye, further tempered by hunting. A distance of three hundred alsin was enough for him to distinguish a person's face.

He verified the contents of his quiver. There were four arrows remaining.

Though he was confident in his archery, he could not come out with a tactical victory if it was two-to-one. If it was no different from the man before, he could only be merciless.

''--- It is possible they are allies.''

While hoping it might be so, Tigre observed the Knights. He could not believe whose face he saw.


“The Vanadis...”

When they received a surprise attack the evening before, it was the girl who stood before the army.

Tigre forgot to breathe while admiring her.

She was a young girl his age, her hair of silver-white, which reached her waist, shimmered in the morning sunlight. Her bright red Irises burned with dignity.

An arm with a delicacy matching her age extended from her body. In her hand, she gripped a longsword which strangely suited her.

''--- Lord Massas said she held a unique beauty.''

Was it even necessary to say he was right? It certainly was unique, or perhaps rare. The more he looked, the more he agreed.

Tigre regained his senses by shaking his head, pushing away all idle thoughts. He stared at the Vanadis with a calm gaze.

The other Knights must have been her guard. Their horses advanced as if defending her.

''--- If I take out the Vanadis...''

The army had suffered a disastrous defeat. Surely there was a large-scale pursuit, as many Brune soldiers had run away.

“... If she falls, it will be impossible for the enemy to continue their pursuit.”


The soldiers following Massas and Batran and those from Alsace would be more likely to survive.

An urge to fight welled within him. Power entered the hand grasping his bow.

“I'll give it a try.”

Tigre pulled out an arrow and nocked it.

The bowstring bent. He unconsciously chanted the name of God.

“Oh Eris, Goddess of Storms...”

The creaking of the bowstring tickled his eardrum.

Currently, on the continent, the maximum range of a bow is approximately two-hundred-fifty alsin (approximately two-hundred-fifty meters).

This was simply a measure of the distance, not to where it could fly.

Aiming at that distance would decrease the damage an enemy would incur, so it was necessary to estimate to lower distances.

The Vanadis was still three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) away.

Still, Tigre shot the arrow.

The arrow cut through the wind and bore deeply into the head of the horse a nearby Knight was mounted upon.


The Knight was thrown to the ground as the horse toppled over. Tigre shot his second arrow, piercing the center of the forehead of another horse.

“Good.”

The path was now clear with two guards grounded.

There was now a gap in which his arrows could reach the Vanadis with argent hair and red Irises.

“Now for the real thing.”

Tigre reached for his quiver, his breath hot and heavy.

In the recesses of the mountain in which the sun did not shine, he had faced an {{furigana|Earth Dragon|Suro}} at no more than forty chet (approximately four meters). Even then, he was not so tense.

''--- Even if the other Knights try to defend her, with the dead horses and the fallen soldiers obstructing their movements, it would take them time.''

It was a very short amount of time, though.

However, it was enough for Tigre.

''--- She will take action in a situation like this. Will she duck down, or will she jump off her horse immediately?''

It was impossible to move left or right, and backing away a few steps would hardly be a retreat. Fallen men and horses were before her, so it would be difficult to jump over them without a larger run-up.


Even if it was possible, she would not have time to hide from an arrow after landing.

Tigre stared at the Vanadis once again and was attacked by a ferocious chill.

The Vanadis smiled.

She was clearly happy.

“Ku!”

Tigre clenched his teeth. He was nearly swallowed by her. He removed the remaining two arrows, placed one in his mouth, and nocked the other.

However, Tigre saw an unbelievable sight

The horse the Vanadis rode gently flew through the air.

It jumped over her fallen subordinates.

It reached a height of nearly twenty chet (approximately two meters).

It felt like wings grew from its back to Tigre. It did not jump, it flew.

“What now...?”

Tigre's entire body trembled in fear. He wondered whether his eyes had gone wrong.

A horse could not possibly jump as high as twenty chet without a run-up while mounted.


[[Image:Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis_Volume_01_-_040.jpg|175px|thumb]]

However, the Vanadis landed as if nothing happened. The horse began running straight toward him. He had no time to be afraid.

He scolded himself. It could have been an illusion of some sort.

Tigre glared at her and fired his third arrow.

The arrow rode the wind, cutting through the sky toward her forehead – it was struck down by a flash of silver.

“... Seriously?”

Tigre could hardly believe his eyes. His mouth was open and cramped.

The arrow flew at a high speed from many hundreds of alsin, and she struck it down with a sword.

He thought only a hero from legends could do something like that. It is hardly something the average person could do.

He nocked his last arrow.

Only in his bow did he have absolute confidence. His opponent was running toward him alone, she was already less than three hundred alsin away.

''--- I can't afford to miss.''

He aimed and shot his final arrow however it was deflected in exactly the same manner as before.


Meanwhile, the Vanadis rushed forward on her horse without letting go for even a moment. She ran fiercely and would arrive within ten seconds.

“So this is it.”

His arrows were exhausted. He had no other arms. It would be impossible to run away from the horse on foot.

Clutching his bow, Tigre stood upright on both feet with great strength. His actions were by no means unsightly.

The Vanadis stopped her horse before Tigre.

The spray of blood and flying dust did not touch her silver-white hair.

Her white skin reminded him of the snow which perpetually lay on the mountains of his hometown.

She displayed clean contours, a well-shaped nose, and charming, moist lips reminiscent of the finest sculpture. Her bright red Irises overflowed with energy; she gave an impression of not being made of flesh and blood.

She thrust the tip of her longsword toward Tigre.

“Drop your bow.”

After he reluctantly obeyed, the Vanadis nodded in satisfaction and spoke with a smile.

“You're skilled.”

Tigre did not immediately understand the words directed at him.


''--- She's praising me...? The man who took aim at her?''

His confusion surpassed his joy.

“My name is Eleanora Viltaria. Yours?”

“... Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

“An aristocrat? Your title?”

In both Brune and Zhcted, only those of nobility held family names. The people with a family name who did not belong to aristocracy were a small exception.

When he told her he was an Earl, her smile became increasingly joyful.

“Very well, Earl Vorn.”

The longsword was sheathed at her waist. Eleanora spoke brightly.

“You belong to me now.”

She spoke words which seemed to hold little thought. At last, her escort finally caught up.

Though they surrounded Tigre and pointed their swords and spears at him, when Eleanora waved her hand, they showed their surprise.

“Lim, take this guy with you. He's my captive. Don't treat him too roughly.”


The Knight named Lim, who had just caught up, nodded silently. Because her helmet covered her face, Tigre could not read her expression.

“Get on, quickly.”

Lim looked down at Tigre and spoke with a low voice from within the helmet. Tigre could feel anger in the voice and soon realized why.

Just a moment ago, she was one of the Knights who fell from her horse.

''--- Did she borrow a horse from another Knight? Is she above the other guards?''

“May I pick up my bow?”

Tigre pointed at the bow on the ground.

“It is important to me.”

He displayed his lack of hostility by showing her his empty quiver. Lim extended her hand to him from atop the horse.

“Fine. However, I will keep it.”

When Tigre passed Lim the bow and mounted the horse, his hands moved to her waist.

Lim suddenly moved her neck, the back of her helmet strongly hitting Tigre's face.

“What are you doing?”

Tigre suppressed his protest by pressing against his swollen nose. Eleanora laughed with trembling shoulders.

“Lim, he's my captive. Be a bit easier.”


“... As you wish.”

Lim followed orders, despite the dissatisfaction clearly oozing from her voice.

“If you do anything strange, I will shake you off immediately and have the horse step on you.”

Tigre sighed. He was a bit frightened of the aggression in Lim's voice and felt unease for his future.

Looking back at the Knights, Eleanora spoke triumphantly.

“Though it was a boring battle, I quite enjoyed things as we withdrew.”

The Battle of Dinant ended as a one-sided victory for the Zhcted Kingdom.

The casualties of the Zhcted Army numbered fewer than one-hundred while more than five thousand from Brune had perished. The injured more than doubled that.

It goes without saying, the losses suffered by Brune would be difficult to fill. More so because the heir to the throne, Prince Regnas, was killed in battle.

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