Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 473: After the Operation
“Confirmed one of the conditions for activating the special skill [&%$#], < Savior of the Saints>. [Longevity] has been acquired.”
Tauro, who had lost consciousness, awoke to the clear voice of the “World” echoing in his mind.
He found himself lying in a corner of the plaza, his head resting on Aeris’s lap.
“You’re awake, Tauro?”
Aeris looked down at him, who had finally opened his eyes with a relieved expression..
Although reluctant to leave the comfortable lap pillow, Tauro sat up and looked around. He saw the injured soldiers and Ankh lying down nearby.
Zion was moving between them, providing treatment.
Ragune was helping her.
“Is Ankh okay?”
“”Yes. It seems that nothing serious happened because he was treated immediately after the injury with the potion that Tauro gave him. After that, Zion and I took care of him. He just lost a lot of blood and passed out temporarily. He’s only sleeping now. But you were in even more danger, Tauro.”
Aeris stood up and let out a heavy sigh.
“Sorry… So, what about the Imperial soldiers?”
“Right after you lost consciousness, their powers returned, and five or six of the Imperial soldiers broke through the encirclement and escaped. But with that few, they probably won’t be able to do anything anymore. Still, Pella was the real star this time.”
Aeris picked up Pella, who was beside her, and placed it on Tauro’s shoulder.
Whether it was because Pella was happy to be praised or happy that Tauro had regained consciousness, it bounced up and down on his shoulder with joy.
“Thanks, Pella. Without you, we probably wouldn’t have been able to defeat the enemy commander.”
Tauro said, stroking the cheerful Pella on his shoulder.
Pella rubbed against Tauro’s hand, even more pleased.
“Still, the territorial soldiers suffered major casualties, and nearly all of the captured Imperial soldiers committed suicide with poison they had hidden in their mouths. Zion and I used detoxification magic to treat them and managed to save about three of them, but they might still try to kill themselves if given a chance, so we’ll need to keep an eye on them.”
As they were talking, a man who appeared to be the captain of the territorial soldiers approached them.
“Viscount Musai is waiting for us at the castle to give a report. Would you be able to accompany us?”
Ultimately, the success of this operation hinged largely on Tauro and the others, it made sense for them to report in person.
“—I understand. May we accompany you once our companions have regained consciousness?”
“Of course. I apologize for asking so much of you right after you’ve received treatment, but we’ve suffered heavy losses, and it would be best if the explanation on just how formidable the enemy was came from someone who was at the heart of the battle. Please come when you’re ready.”
The captain’s face was grim, having lost many subordinates.
The injured people Zion and the others were treating were relatively lightly wounded.
A short distance away, the bodies of the fallen territorial soldiers were laid out, and a still-healthy soldier, likely a friend, was weeping beside one of the corpses.
“…yes. They were far stronger than we imagined.”
Tauro murmured, not necessarily to the captain, but to himself.
“That might have been the special forces known as the Golden Lions. They’re said to be the trump card of the northern Empire?”
The captain voiced a possibility.
“‘Golden Lion’?”
It was a name Tauro had never heard before.
“…They’re an elite force directly under the Emperor of the Empire. The ‘Golden Lion’ are said to be a phantom unit that never appear on the public stage, and their existence has never been officially confirmed. But after what happened this time… it might not be so far-fetched.”
Aeris’s expression turned serious after hearing the captain’s words.
“They’d go that far just to capture the Saint…?”
“The existence of a ‘Saint’ is a powerful symbol for any nation. Even the Kingdom of Luwan itself is trying to elevate its own authority by… ahem, excuse me. ──In short, I guess every country think the same way.”
The captain lowered his voice so that soldiers dispatched by Marquis Donaisson of the Kingdom of Luwan wouldn’t hear, speaking only to Tauro and Aeris.
“Then… does that mean the Saint will continue to be targeted from now on?”
Tauro exchanged glances with Aeris, realizing they’d been dragged into something far bigger than expected.
“Hard to say. The ‘Golden Lions’ are said to be a small elite unit directly under the Emperor. We don’t know how large they are, but I doubt it’s often the case that fifty such skilled soldiers can be gathered. This incident may very well have dealt a great deal of damage to them.”
As the captain spoke, his expression brightened slightly, perhaps taking some solace in the idea that they had fought well against such a formidable foe.
Just then, Ankh, who had been lying nearby, stirred.
“…Ugh… Huh!? Leader, is Aeris safe!?”
He shot up, alarmed.
“She’s fine, Ankh. More importantly, are you okay? You were seriously injured.”
Tauro helped Ankh to his feet.
“I’m fine. A bit of blood loss is nothing — I’ll heal up once I eat some meat. …What happened to the enemy?”
Looking at the many fallen and injured soldiers around him, Ankh grasped the gravity of the situation.
“I’ll explain on the way to the Castle. Captain, shall we go?”
“Yes, let’s.”
The captain nodded and led Tauro and the others to a carriage bound for the castle.