Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 01 Chapter1 - MTL

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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.”

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 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 the darkness.

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

The bow had an odd atmosphere different from others, but it was an heirloom. It is said the Vorn family ancestors once hunted while using it.

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 from 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 to the family of an Earl in the Brune Kingdom. He took over the house when his father fell ill from sickness 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, her hand holding the brush stretched forward, carefully combing 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 called 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 to handle 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 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 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's with experience in war far surpassing 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 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 BayardRed Horse Flag – 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 were crossing 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 for 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 which 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 Silvfrau[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash] and Meltis[Danseuse of the Sword] 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.

◎

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 ZirnitraBlack Dragon Flag, 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.

◎

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 pupils 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 pupils.

“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 SuroEarth Dragon 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.

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 pupils 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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