This time, the request has turned into a total war for the Royal Knights.
Originally, we would leave a watch at the base for defense, but when it came time to fully deploy the Royal Knights like in the hunt for Comprachico, there was no exception to be made.
Rampaging Dwarves Republic. If we fail to stop this, the likelihood of the Dwarven Republic collapsing and a dark age following is high. After all, the Dwarven Republic is a technological powerhouse.
In the original work, the Demons use ridiculous technologies like magical cannons and mobile fortresses, and it’s established that they gained those by absorbing the Dwarven Republic’s technologies.
In other words, for the sake of my happy future, I absolutely had to protect the Dwarven Republic. Moreover, even if we somehow can’t protect the Republic, I absolutely must secure the Divine Sword.
“Teacher, I want to help you too!”
“It’s too dangerous, Helia.”
While the other members were not an issue, Helia’s personal safety was the biggest concern. Until now, I had kept Helia waiting in the rear with Cluna. Because she’s still so young.
At this point, she was barely transitioning from 13 to 14 years old. In modern terms, she was just a first-year middle school student. How could I put such a kid in the front lines? Naturally, I had to keep her in the rear.
However, this time, Helia was incredibly determined to fight up front with me. Of course, I and Cluna were against it, but the other members sided with Helia.
“Isn’t it better to let her do what she wants?”
“Choosing one’s path is one’s own decision.”
“Come on, I think I’ll be fine if I just stick close…!!”
Well, you all have been talking since you were three and catching bears, so that’s fair enough. But humans are different. Humans have a longer infancy compared to other races, and thus have many weaknesses.
Helia was no different. No matter how incredible her talent, she was still just a child. But what if Helia dies or gets seriously injured due to a small mistake?
That could potentially affect the developments of the original work. That’s something I want to avoid. A positive impact might be okay. But if it causes a negative effect, who knows how the future could turn out?
Yuren maintained neutrality. Perhaps because she had the experience of losing family, only Cluna, who thought of Helia as a daughter, agreed with my words.
“Lady Helia is lacking in experience and far too young. There’s really no need to act so hastily.”
“I’m sorry. But I don’t want to just watch from the back anymore.”
“What on earth is driving you to do this?”
“I can’t just stand here and watch you get hurt, Teacher.”
“That’s….”
Cluna’s gentle voice hesitated, as her eyes met Helia’s, which were heavy with gloom like a clouded sky. The girl’s red eyes were weighed down deeply.
“I don’t want to be a burden on you any longer. I’ll help you wholeheartedly.”
“…It’s like both of you are so similar in your actions…”
“Mom!!!”
“Well, since it’s come to this, I guess there’s no help for it.”
Cluna smirked and brought her hand to her cheek. At Cluna’s words, Clara blushed and yelled out. Regardless, Cluna ultimately stepped back.
…Um, what should I do if you step back like that? I looked at Cluna, feeling that way, and she smiled at me. Just as I was about to say something, she spoke first.
“Didn’t the Commander say something similar to me?”
“….”
“My daughter should be protected by me by my side. So, isn’t it just a matter of doing the same for you, Commander?”
I kept my mouth shut. I never thought my own words would come back as a boomerang. I was so confident in what I said that I couldn’t argue back. My head hurts; the headache is too severe.
“It can’t be helped. But in a crisis, you will obey my commands without question. If you don’t, I’ll send you straight to the rear.”
“Thank you! Teacher!”
“Great! We can finally fight together!”
“Um! With Helia, she’ll be more helpful than Kanp!”
“Why is this mineral brat causing trouble again?”
Amid all this, Clara and Ruby started bickering again. At first, I always tried to break it up, but since they fought every day, I’ve just come to accept it.
Besides, even if they said harsh things, since I became the Commander, they have never taken it to knives. Anyway, Helia officially joined the ranks of the Royal Knights.
But is this really the right choice? Putting a kid who’s barely 13 years old in a battlefield…? Sure, it’s a multi-racial alliance, and the current era isn’t modern but more medieval.
With all these thoughts weighing on my mind, something soft and sticky like a rice cake slapped against my arm. Startled, I turned my head to find myself face to face with a red-eyed gaze.
“We can be together forever now! Teacher!”
“Uh, is that so.”
Her crimson eyes glowed ominously. It gave me a chill. She was definitely smiling, and I knew very well that her emotion was goodwill…
But that didn’t mean there wasn’t something wrong. Maybe it was because she had been trained with Cluna, but compared to her direct knife-throwing days, her personality had really improved.
In fact, she often showed a friendly side with fellow members like Bayard, Clara, and Ruby. Still, a thought crossed my mind. What if Helia was behind all this, plotting something?
I immediately dismissed that thought.
There’s no way Helia could go that far.
*
Ambassador Viral’s request was simple.
Help save the rampaging Dwarven Republic. He said he’d give up everything for the reward. I thought, “What nonsense!” but my opinion changed when he provided a prepayment of 10,000 gold.
When a person is in a hurry, they can say things like that, right? Sure. But while money was one thing, having the Dwarven Republic hold out was beneficial for us too.
If the Dwarven Republic fell, one of the two main pillars holding back the Demons’ attack would crumble. So, we had to do our utmost to prevent the fall of the Dwarven Republic.
Understanding this, I left the fortress to the Human Kingdom and mobilized all our forces. Fortunately, thanks to the down payment from Ambassador Viral, it also helped the kingdom considerably.
As a result, we were now traveling by wagon directly toward the Dwarven Republic. Thanks to the transport supplies provided by Ambassador Viral, it felt like we were on a journey.
“What’s the current situation in the Dwarven Republic?”
“I can’t say it’s good, even as a compliment. It’s as if sacrificing others for their own technological advancement is perfectly normal to them.”
“Weren’t they always like that?”
“A good artisan has good skills. It’s a saying passed down among the Dwarves. But now….”
“Looks like there are neither good skills nor good artisans.”
Ambassador Viral fell silent at my words. I didn’t know much about the details. The settings related to the Dwarven Republic were not extensively covered in the original game or even in the guidebook. They were mentioned here and there, but not much more than that.
Moreover, the Dwarven heroine, Veli Sapphire, didn’t have a very positive view of her own country. She chose to rebuild the Republic merely for her last royal kin and kindred.
Eventually, she’d be freed from that heavy burden and live happily ever after with the protagonist, which was the normal ending of Veli Sapphire. The good ending… Well, let’s not think about that anymore, damn it.
“By the way, is it alright for other races to accompany us to the Dwarven Republic?”
“I’ll guarantee the safety of the Royal Knights.”
“I see. If it’s a word from an ambassador, I can trust it.”
According to Ambassador Viral, Dwarves essentially enjoy honing their skills. It’s like a racial trait or something. But if every Dwarf were a blacksmith, the nation wouldn’t run smoothly.
So, they create positions to keep the country running, appointing Dwarves to those roles. They can’t hone their skills, but they gain respect from the other Dwarves for that.
Because if, by chance, they stop, the next one to take that position could be themselves. So, I could trust Ambassador Viral’s words, although I’m not sure how long that trust will hold.
“Speaking of which, hasn’t Cluna been to the Dwarven Republic before?”
“Of course. Let’s see, was it around 500 years ago?”
“….That’s hardly useful information.”
Dwarves do live longer than humans, but it’s nowhere near the eternal lifespan of Elves. And 500 years would mean the times have already changed significantly. So it wouldn’t be of any real help.
Perhaps because we were talking about difficult matters, Helia soon started dozing off. I lent her my shoulder, and only then did she fall into a stabilized sleep.
“You two seem to be getting along very well.”
“It’s not bad.”
Only as a teacher and student, after all.
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