Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 48: Departure
The day after the strategy meeting ended.
On this day, when Princess Leone was heading to battle, the sky was clear without a single cloud. Absolute had come to the front of the castle gate to see off Ur, who was accompanying her.
There were about 100 knights departing.
Although far more knights would be participating in the battle, the rest had departed the day before to make preparations in advance.
Originally, Absolute was supposed to be among them, but he never thought that Leone would exclude him from the members. His impression from the initial hostage event was too bad. Absolute did not regret it, but he felt nothing but disappointment… like, seriously?
Even so, the fact that Ur was placed by Leone’s side meant that he had laid the minimum groundwork. He believed that if the Suiroku Kingdom army, including Princess Leone, were about to be annihilated, Ur could bring Princess Leone back, avoiding the worst-case scenario.
(Even so, I still feel uneasy about facing the executives of the Black Fairy. I must make sure to thoroughly explain things to Ur just in case.)
“Listen, Ur. From now on, you will accompany Princess Leone.”
“Yes, master! But why aren’t you going, master?”
“I was supposed to go, but Princess Leone told me not to.”
“Poor master… I won’t forgive that princess!”
Absolute was pitied.
(Being pitied by Ur makes me feel a bit miserable.)
“I’m not worried about it. More importantly, I have some instructions for you.”
“Yes, master! Understood!”
Absolute felt inwardly relieved by Ur’s energetic response and straightened posture.
(That’s a good response. This should be fine.)
“First, do not fight. Never stand on the front lines, and always act with the intention of surviving.”
(I can’t afford to lose Ur here. If something happens, she should be able to escape if she focuses solely on fleeing since she’s a beastman.)
“Second, beware of a man wrapped in chains. If you see him, get away immediately. Do not make eye contact with him.”
“Third, bring Princess Leone back alive. We cannot let her die.”
(This should be enough. If I give her too many instructions, she might not remember them all. —Oh, right. I haven’t given her this yet.)
“And Ur, if you meet a man known as the Sword Saint of Light, give him this letter.”
Absolute took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Ur.
(This letter contains information about the enemy executives. Now, let’s see how this will influence the story.)
“Yes, master! I’ll be off!”
“Alright.”
And so, Absolute saw Ur off.
Watching her back, he felt that this must be the vague anxiety parents feel when sending their child on their first errand.
♢
Around noon, Leone and the subjugation army arrived at the second city.
This second city is essentially the economic cornerstone of the Suiroku Kingdom. With its largest fishing port and as a hub for trade with ships from other countries, it is no exaggeration to say that if this city falls, the country’s economy will come to a halt. Therefore, it must be defended at all costs.
Upon arrival, Leone and the subjugation army set up a camp outside the gates of the second city to wait for the enemy’s movements.
Princess Leone also waited in her tent, ready to act at any moment.
The leadership speculated that there would be movement within a few days at the earliest. This is because the enemy has a time limit.
Normally, besieging a city requires a large number of personnel. You need to block traffic routes, disrupt the flow of supplies, and weaken the enemy through a prolonged siege, requiring the forces to surround the city.
However, the enemy, the Black Fairy, lacks both.
The disparity in strength between the Black Fairy and the kingdom’s army is clear. Even if the enemy had dragons, the kingdom’s army, with the Sword Saint of Light, would undoubtedly prevail. Moreover, reinforcements and material support from allied countries can be expected on our side. The longer it takes, the more advantageous it becomes for us.
Therefore, the Black Fairy, having neither time nor manpower, must rely on some form of ambush to secure a quick, decisive victory.
During the attack on the third city, they targeted a holiday, a time when people from top to bottom were less vigilant.
(Our subjugation army will prevent the enemy’s intrusion.)
Ad
Even if a few have already infiltrated, there are still troops stationed within the city to handle them.
We have done what we can for now. All that remains is to hunt down the enemy.
“Your Highness, I apologize for disturbing you during your rest!”
Just as she took a deep breath to calm her tense feelings, a messenger soldier called out from outside the tent.
“The Sword Saint wishes to meet with you, Your Highness.”
“The Sword Saint?! Let him in immediately!”
“Understood.”
Leone’s voice showed a hint of joy.
As the messenger left to bring in the Sword Saint, Leone waited, visibly excited.
After a moment, a quiet yet imposing voice from outside said, “Excuse me,” and a well-built middle-aged man with slicked-back white hair entered. He had a kind yet dignified face, with a notable deep scar over one eye. He was clad in silver armor and had the symbolic sword of the “Sword Saint of Light,” the treasured sword Jupiter, at his waist.
This man was none other than the Suiroku Kingdom’s “Hero of Salvation.”
The Sword Saint of Light, Ideal White.
“It has been a while, Sicilian-sama.”
The Holy Sword greeted with a low but gentle voice.
“No, I am Leone now. It’s been a while! Sensei!”
Ad
Princess Leone greeted him with the brightest smile and the most cheerful voice she had shown since returning to the Suiroku Kingdom.
Despite the crisis, the teacher and student were reunited.
♢
When selecting someone to instruct Leone in swordsmanship, the king appointed Ideal White, the most skilled swordsman in the kingdom.
At the time, although Ideal was renowned as the Hero of Salvation, he surprisingly declined the appointment initially.
He claimed he lacked the skill for such a role, stating that he was still in training and not proficient enough to teach others.
Humility is a virtue, but at times it can appear self-deprecating.
The king responded by saying, “If you lack the skill, then there is no one in this country we can rely on.” Thus, Ideal reluctantly accepted the role.
Despite his initial reluctance, the teacher-student relationship was good.
The Sword Saint of Light also had a daughter around Leone’s age and treated Leone as if she were his own daughter.
Now retired from knighthood, he dedicated his days to perfecting his swordsmanship, leading an incredibly disciplined life that commanded the respect of those around him.
Hearing of the national emergency, he took on the duty of guarding the second city.
The two sat in simple chairs set up under the canopy, facing each other across a table, and enjoyed a lively conversation after their long separation.
“Your habit of getting names wrong is still the same, isn’t it, sensei?”
“Haha, my apologies. It’s been four months, hasn’t it? The last time we met was when I saw you off, Princess.”
Ad
“Yes, I’m so happy to see you again!”
“How was the Kingdom of Rainana?”
“It was very enjoyable, though there were some life-threatening incidents… If you don’t mind, could I tell you about them?”
“Yes, please do. That’s why I came.”
Leone began to eagerly recount her experiences in the Kingdom of Rainana to the Sword Saint. She talked excitedly about her first visit to the great country, the events at the academy, and the time she almost died during training exercises. She spoke quickly, a bit breathlessly, as she recounted everything to the Sword Saint.
The Sword Saint occasionally nodded, watching Leone intently with a gentle expression, listening to her every word.
The scene resembled a parent and child conversing.
When Leone finished her story, the Holy Sword began to speak.
“Princess, you seem to be pushing yourself too hard.”
“? That’s not—”
“Are you afraid of the battle?”
“?!”
Leone was caught off guard and her body stiffened for a moment. As a member of the royal family, this reaction was not good, but it seemed that her royal facade was stripped away in front of the Sword Saint of Light.
“It’s okay, you don’t need to hide. There’s no one else here but me.”
“…Yes.”
After a brief silence, Leone confessed her inner thoughts.
She talked about experiencing the exchange of life for the first time in the Kingdom of Rainana, and how her resolve to fight was wavering. She felt overwhelmed by the weight of knowing the value of life and being entrusted with the lives of others.
With tears she couldn’t hold back, she exposed her anxieties.
She spoke to the Sword Saint about all the negative aspects she couldn’t say before.
“Teacher… what should I do?”
Leone looked at the Sword Saint with pleading eyes.
After some thought, the Sword Saint replied.
“What kind of question is that? Are you asking how to overcome your anxiety and be able to fight? Or are you asking how to escape from the fight?”
“Well, that is…”
“If it’s the former, you don’t need to worry. It’s natural for anyone to have some anxiety about fighting. I’m no exception to that.”
“Even someone like you, sensei, is scared?”
Leone looked surprised.
Even he, the hero who defeated the world’s strongest, the savior of the nation, having anxiety was unexpected.
The Sword Saint smiled and nodded at Leone’s words.
“Yes, I’m scared. Because there are risks involved in fighting. For example, if I were to fight a goblin, what risks do you think could occur?”
“Death and limb loss.”
“That’s right. Besides that, there’s also the risk of getting injured and falling ill, or being captured and having my chastity violated in a cave. Since there’s no such thing as absolute certainty in a fight, anxiety about risks is inevitable for us.”
Midway through, I felt like laughing at his analogy, but I thought it was indeed true according to the teacher’s words.
Anxiety is inevitable as long as there are risks. It seems that one has to struggle while embracing that. In Leone’s case, it must feel even heavier because the lives of others are also at stake due to those risks.
“Now, as for the latter case…”
His gentle expression from earlier changed abruptly into a stern one.
“That is not permissible for you. As a member of the royal family, you have a duty to protect the people and fight. You cannot escape from the fight.”
Like swallowing ice, a chilling sensation brought the girl’s emotions, which had been soaring just moments ago, back to reality.
“…”
She knew it from the beginning.
But being told by the Sword Saint, whom she respected, might have helped her resolve instead. She understood that there was no choice but to fight.
The Sword Saint gently stroked Leone’s head, who had returned to her usual gentle expression without her noticing.
“But it’s okay. You’re not fighting alone. We adults will protect you.”
“Sensei… thank you.”
Her eyes welled up with tears again at those words, but Leone held back.
Ad
“Well then, I’ll return to my duties. Let’s meet again later.”
“Yes, sensei. When we meet next time, please give me some training after a long time.”
“Hehe, sure. See you later.”
Standing up from his chair and bidding farewell, the Sword Saint departed from Leone’s tent.
As the Sword Saint was about to leave the encampment after exiting Princess Leone’s tent, a young beastkin girl, presumably not yet fifteen judging by her youthful appearance and height, stood in his path.
The Sword Saint remained wary of her, his eyes, honed by encounters with many strong individuals, revealing no deception.
She was strong.
“Who are you?”
His hand rested on the hilt of the treasure sword at his waist.
“I have a delivery from my master.”
“Your master? Who might that be?”
The beastkin maid retrieved a badge from her pocket, displaying the emblem of a certain family.
“That emblem belongs to… the Ark family!”
The Sword Saint eased his guard. Knowing the head of the Ark family, he understood that she wasn’t an enemy.
As the maid sensed his relaxed stance, she handed a sealed letter to the Sword Saint.
“He said, ‘Believe it or not, it’s up to you. Decide for yourself.’ That’s all.”
With those words, she bowed and departed.
“As expected of Villan Ark. To have such a skilled individual in the Ark family at that age. If she’s here, then there’s no need to worry about the princess.”
With that admiration, the Sword Saint read the contents of the letter he had been given.
As he read, his expression grew more serious.
“This is… Well, what should I do?”
Despite his perplexity over the contents of the letter, the Sword Saint tucked it away and left the encampment with a determined stride, without hesitation.