Strictly speaking, Ruby and I weren’t that close.
Unlike Clara, who was slowly regaining her cheerful attitude despite first impressions, Ruby hardly opened her heart to others. It felt like she had her spikes up like a hedgehog?
But here I was, choosing Ruby in this situation. Unfortunately, I had no other choice but Ruby. We needed someone to manage and defend Lionheart Fortress.
Cluna held more than 80% of that share right now. So, excluding Cluna for now, I had to leave out Helia too, who, even though she’s called the Sword Empress in the future, is just a kid now.
That left me with Ruby and Clara, but I had no intention of interrupting the reunion of mother and daughter. Therefore, I had no choice but to pick Ruby through the process of elimination. It felt slightly awkward, though.
It was surprisingly unexpected that the Ruby I chose was a close friend of a member of the runaway Royal Knights. Thanks to that, I could learn various stories from Ruby.
Ruby and I were currently riding along a mountain path. Clatter-clatter, the saddle shook violently. My buttocks began to feel sore and irritated.
“Commander? Are you listening to my story?”
“Of course. You mentioned the name of the runaway member is Bayard, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. He was the Vanguard of the Royal Knights.”
Bayard. A Beastman from the bear tribe, ranked 7th among the 12 Beastmen. He was said to have taken the role of the vanguard, relying on his overwhelming strength and endurance to charge in and rip apart the enemies.
“But even she got scared and ran away, huh?”
“That just goes to show that what we witnessed was Hell. Unlike us, who were somewhat in the rear, Bayard witnessed countless deaths on the front lines.”
“Sure, she must have been hit with a much greater shock.”
Historically, the bear tribe ranked lowest among the 12 Beastmen. They were barely acknowledged as a tribe after five other tribes betrayed the previous 12 Beastmen.
Naturally, their political standing was weak, and they must have faced disdain even among the Beastmen. Yet, they were recognized as Royal Knights just by relying solely on their abilities.
Moreover, Bayard was a vanguard fighting on the front lines. That meant she survived in that hellish place while fighting at the forefront. She was a top-notch talent.
“By the way, do you know where Bayard is?”
“I received a contact from the kingdom. Apparently, they found out where Bayard is.”
“Surprisingly competent, huh?”
“Of course, they’ve been searching since the Royal Knights were defeated.”
The king’s decisiveness was beyond imagination. He appointed a human as the commander of the Royal Knights and mobilized an intelligence agency to locate the members.
They even planned to gather talents from the Human Kingdom to support the Royal Knights. He truly was the best sponsor. Anyway, the result of the information obtained.
Bayard was unsettlingly close by. Just a week’s ride from Lionheart Fortress. Upon hearing that news, I immediately set off in that direction.
Even after several months, the fact that she was nearby indicated that she was still attached to the Royal Knights. So, I had to persuade her to come back before that attachment vanished entirely.
Now, after a week of talking with Ruby, I managed to gather a lot of information about Bayard. It seemed Ruby relied on her more than I expected.
“Were you the closest with Bayard in the Royal Knights?”
“She was the one I could communicate with the most. And when I was with Bayard, I could forget that guy.”
“That guy?”
“Nothing at all.”
Ruby hastily denied her own words. It seemed Ruby also had a dark past. For now, I should definitely remember this and ask her about it slowly later.
Anyway, I needed to focus on Bayard right now. The mental state of the defeated soldiers is usually unstable. Especially since she was a high-quality talent who had performed as the Royal Knights’ Vanguard.
If she were to rampage recklessly, the repercussions would be unimaginably disastrous. Eventually, Ruby and I finally arrived at the place the kingdom informed us about.
The first thing that caught my eye was a wooden fence made from carved trees. Inside that, I could see the skin of a beast drying and a massive building resembling a cathedral made of logs.
“…Where is this?”
“It’s the temple dedicated to the king of nature worshiped by the bear tribe.”
“Now that you mention it, didn’t you say they believed in such a religion?”
Even during the days when the Royal Knights were thriving, Bayard had reportedly visited here to pray once a week. Meanwhile, Ruby dismounted the horse and knocked on the cathedral door.
“Bayard! I know you’re in there! Open the door quickly!!”
[…….]
“Are you ignoring me?! Then I’ll break down this door!”
[W-Wait! Please don’t destroy the temple…!]
“……?”
When Ruby couldn’t contain her anger and took out her hammer, Bayard, sensing the killing intent, shouted from the inside. It was just that her voice was surprisingly slightly louder than a mosquito.
No, it’s not prejudice. She was a bear tribe member and the Vanguard of the Royal Knights, right? Shouldn’t she have a combative personality? Yet, judging by her voice, she sounded anything but aggressive.
On the contrary, it showed absolutely no confidence. To put it bluntly, one might call it a nerdy voice. I shook my head. Having unnecessary biases wasn’t good.
“Nice to meet you. You must be Bayard, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
[Is that so? I bet it wasn’t good news…]
“I heard you were an excellent Vanguard of the Royal Knights.”
[That… that’s nonsense. Someone like me…]
Her voice trembled as she vehemently denied it. Indeed, just from her voice, she seemed like a country girl. But judging someone by appearance is foolish.
The basic skill level was far above mine, and Ruby praised Bayard as an excellent Vanguard. So, as the commander, I had no choice but to trust my member. I spoke to Bayard.
“Bayard, we need your help.”
[Huh? My help?]
“Yes. If possible, could you at least lend an ear to our story?”
The strategy for dealing with characters like Bayard was simple. Just be extremely polite.
What? Where’s the dignity of the commander? Forget it!
I’m quitting this commander position in a year anyway. Right now, practicality is far more important than shallow prestige.
About five minutes passed.
Finally, the firmly closed door began to open.
*
I have been suffering from terrible nightmares every day.
Always aware it was a dream, she could never hold back and ran forward. This time, she would protect them. She repeatedly vowed silently in her mind.
Yet, every time, what unfolded before her eyes was a feast of blood and flesh. Those belonged to her comrades, who had always laughed and chatted with her. In the end, she couldn’t protect anyone and woke up.
Upon waking, the overwhelming regret left her body trembling uncontrollably. If the commander hadn’t given her the scroll, she probably would have lost her life in that hell as well.
In the end, she barely clung onto life thanks to the sacrifices of the commander and her comrades. Yet, she thought that she could be of some help here, but that was not the case at all.
“I am still useless.”
It has always been that way. She watched everyone moving ahead while she lagged behind. She hated it. So, she took on the role of Vanguard in the Royal Knights.
She didn’t want to fall behind anymore. She wanted to protect her comrades with her own hands. But, indeed, she remained a useless creature till the end. Why was she still here, clinging to some lingering attachment?
Perhaps, without knowing her place, she wished for someone to come find her. If someone needed her, even someone like her… but that expectation gradually faded.
“Nice to meet you. You must be Bayard, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Yet, just before that resolve was completely shattered, like a miracle, someone came to find her. The figure peeking through the door wore a helmet. Probably the newly appointed commander.
“Bayard, we need your help.”
[Huh? My help?]
“Yes. If possible, could you at least lend an ear to our story?”
It was the first time. Even the former commander had never said such words. For the first time, someone said they needed her help. Perhaps this time, she could finally be of assistance. If she could help…
Could this be the way to escape this nightmare?
Holding onto that hope, she finally opened the door.
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