Interlude: The Saint of Magic Kingdom
“How dare you run away leaving your comrades behind! Shame on you!”
Kingdom of Chiaro Diruna.
A shout of anger echoed inside the frontline base of the kingdom, which is also known as a magic powerhouse.
“I’m sorry……! But I thought I had to report the current situation …!”
“Tsk, you were scared just because those savage beasts! If you had taken up the sword without regard for your life, there might have been a chance that one or two of our people would still be alive today …… But now, we have only one lowly scum who can’t even handle magic came back!”
The armies of the Kingdom of Lugal are gradually advancing northward.
In fact, this time too, the fort that the Kingdom of Chiaro Diluna had taken in early days was retaken. Most of the soldiers in the fort were killed, and he was the only one who was able to escape with his in one piece.
The threat posed by the beastkins are beyond imagination.
Perhaps the day will come soon when this fort will fall.
As soon as he managed to come back to report the status of the war to break the current situation, this was it.
“There’s no need to be vigilant by those filthy beast! We just need to defend this fortress to the death.”
“But, but..”
“If you still insist on talking back to me, I’ll tear your body to pieces.”
“Yes……”
It was Fester Braham, Marshall of the Kingdom of Chiaro Diluna who took a magnificent attitude in front of the kneeling and frightened soldier.
He wears a red robe over his well-built body.
The bald-headed, sharp-eyed man was already close to 80 years old. However, his mighty power knows no bounds.
Since his youth, he had been acclaimed as a great general of the Kingdom of Chiaro Diruna, and was the de facto commander-in-chief of the magic powerhouse who was in close contact with the royal family.
Marshal Braham asks the soldiers standing around him.
“How dare you run away with your tail between your legs from those filthy beasts who only know how to fight using their teeth and claws! Which one is the real beast here? Don’t you think so?”
“Yes! We will never abandon our comrades. And if their lives are in danger, we will use our bodies as shields to protect them.”
“Kukuku… good. You guys don’t be pathetic like this guy.”
“You can count on us! We will never show any fear of those filthy beast! And we will never leave our comrades behind to survive on our own!”
The compariots looked down their own people who couldn’t handle magic.
A man who was born without magical power and can’t handle magic could only bite his lips even if he was ridiculed by them.
“Why are you mocking him!”
The soft, yet dignified words echoed through the room. All the people present looked at the owner of the voice.
Standing there was a young girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old.
She was a beautiful girl with black hair tied back.
She was dressed in the kind of clothing that a noblewoman would wear, not unlike a front-line base. However, her long skirt had a deep slit on the right side, exposing her white thighs.
This is a costume for a girl to wear when she runs the [Flying Dragon].
“…… Well, well, well, isn’t this the Princess Dragon General? What do you want with this fort?”
“I only returned because I had finished treating the wounded in the neighboring forts and villages.”
The girl looked so innocent, as if she didn’t even know how to fight, but anger could be seen clearly in her eyes.
“Most of those who fought against the beastkins never made it back alive. Even though he knew that he will be scorned if he goes back alone, how dare you ridicule the soldier who desperately came back with information for the sake of his country?”
A voice filled with quiet anger.
The scarred man looked at her secretly, not expecting to be protected by the one who was also called the princess dragon general.
“Hmm. What do you know about us if you are not from our magic powerhouse? A general is nothing more than a name. This is no place for a woman or child who has nothing but a little healing power.”
“It is true that in your country there are only those who are gifted in magic. However, it is also true that there are people who are gifted in other fighting techniques. If we continue like this, the Kingdom of Chiaro Diruna will eventually…”
“Do you take advantage of being named after the four dragon generals of Zenan to ridicule our magic powerhouse?”
“I’m not talking about that kind of thing. Don’t just rely on witchcraft. Your arrogance will eventually lead to the destruction of your country……”
“Shut up, you little bitch! You are interfering in our internal affairs! Such nonsense. If this is all you can talk about, then leave this country at once!”
The girl who was called the princess dragon general made a clenched fist, but she just turned her head down and trembled.
The bald-headed old man looked at her and smiled wickedly.
“–Hey, guest general, why don’t you make yourself a little useful? The medic to treat the wounded will do just fine, isn’t? Major General Raffille Balhouse?”
The old man’s expression receded as if his earlier rage had been a lie, but his look of contempt remained the same.
Whether she realized it or not, the princess dragon general turned her back on the old general and looked at the man.
“I will do what I can …. Let’s go for treatment. Don’t worry, if it’s just an injury like that, I can heal it.”
A girl called Raffille who gently calls out to a seriously injured man.
In this space filled with intimidation and disdain, she was the only one who seemed to be different.
As he looked at the soft smile on her lovely face, he suddenly felt light-hearted.
The girl took his hand, and his heart jumped a little.
The man was led by the girl directly into a room.
The moonlight shone through the stained glass. It is a room for prayer, and is currently the private quarters of the princess dragon general, Raffille.
It seemed that the treatment for the guest general was too simple. However, the girl’s figure was still beautiful in the moonlight.
She chanted the sacred magic technique.
A fairly advanced level of magic healed the man’s wounds. A gentle, warm light sinks into his heart.
The man has no talent in magic. He has learned how to use it desperately, so he knows the model and principle of the magic circle, but he can’t use it at all.
In this country, which is known as a magic kingdom, those who can’t use magic are as good as slaves. However, occasionally even the birth of royalty and aristocrats is rarely endowed with that talent.
Magical power and magical talent are often more important than status and bloodline.
The royalty and nobility are no exception to this rule, and if you can’t handle magic, you can be banished or, in the worst cases, executed.
This has been a tradition in this country for a long time.
The man was born in this country.
Fortunately, he managed to survive until he was almost thirty years old.
Before he became a soldier in the war – a discarded pawn – he was a mercenary in the mountains.
“Please don’t think ill of General Braham. He may be arrogant, but he is a very powerful man. The current strategy of the Kingdom of Chiaro Diruna is beyond the comprehension of a fool like me, but I’m sure that the marshal, who is an excellent general, will be able to bring victory to the magic kindom.”
“Yes. I’m sorry… We’re like his dogs, you know. It’s like a regular thing for us to be called that.”
With a fluffy air, the girl leaned in and embraced the man’s body.
Confused by what had happened, the girl said in a gentle tone of voice to the man.
“You are not a dog. You’re a good person. Please do not despise yourself, Private Frederik.”
“Oh, put my name on …… why?”
“I am very confident in my memory. I never forget the face, name, or backgrounds of anyone I see or hear about, even once.”
“But I’m just a lesser soldier, how can….”
“I know the names and backgrounds of all the people in this fortress, and I hope to be of some use to them as long as I’m here as a guest general… but I guess it won’t be easy.”
The embrace of the girl, who was shorter than he was, was so comforting that he almost surrendered himself to her, letting all the fatigue and heartache that had been building up in him slip away.
He tried to endure it.
“It’s okay, keep it that way.”
Frederik couldn’t resist the soft touch and sweet smell, and he was held up by her.
“You saw your comrades killed right in front of you, didn’t you?”
“…… yes …… those who fight against the beastkins, without being able to help them …….”
“It’s okay. You alone survived and brought back valuable information. I feel grateful, Private Frederik.”
He didn’t expect to be stroked on the head by a younger girl, but he no longer had the strength to resist. He was left to his own devices.
She was different from the women he had held in brothels. Innocent and noble.
He had never dreamed that the day would come when he would come into contact with the girl in this way.
The next thing he knew, Frederik was holding Raffille in his arms. It wasn’t from sexual desire, but a feeling of warmth from his mother that he had felt when he was a child. He came back to life and hugged the girl clinging to her with large tears spilling down his face.
“This land is full of selective thinking and discriminatory feelings. People like you have had to bear the brunt of it and have had a hard time. I have seen many other people like you.”
Frederik remembered many things as he sobbed.
The magicians torn to pieces on the battlefield. Those with no talent for magic who tried to fight with their swords but were completely helpless and had their heads cut off in an instant.
Maybe I should have stood for them bravely, as General Braham had said earlier.
And if I had ended up there gracefully, I might have been able to say that I was of some use to my country after I was reunited with my now deceased parents in heaven.
But, the girl said.
“Don’t beat yourself up. Your survival is meaningful.”
“What does it …… mean if someone, like me, survive?”
“Heaven help us. You remember, don’t you? You remember the other day, when the ‘twinkling of the red star’ covered the high night sky?”
A phenomenon in which hundreds or even thousands of red stars twinkle in the sky.
Many people in the Kingdom of Chiaro Diruna consider that astronomical phenomenon to be a good omen.
Frederik also nodded, remembering the scene from that moment.
“Yes. It was very …… beautiful.”
“That twinkle will surely lead us to victory. No matter how bad the war situation is now, when that red star we believe in shines, we will surely get God’s blessing.”
“But, Your Grace, the Princess Dragon General ……”
“Can you just call me Raffille, Frederic?”
He was told to do so while gently patting his back, and decided to follow the girl’s words maturely.
“Then, Lady Raffille…..”
“As far as I can tell, the battle is not going well. Will we really be able to defeat the people of Lugal? ……”
The guest general from the Dragon Kingdom of Zenan gently pulled herself away from Frederik and picked up a small box on the table beside her.
The white flowers arranged in a vase on the same table further enhanced the innocent and soft impression of Raffille.
Seen from any angle, this girl was not suitable for the battlefield at all. However, it’s also true that saintly beings like her that are greatly needed on the battlefield.
As Frederik thought about this, Raffille chuckled.
“So, do you also think that a woman like me is unsuitable for the battlefield?”
“Oh, no, no, not like that ……!”
“It’s okay. I’ve been called princess dragon general, but in reality, I’m just a replacement for the white dragon general who died in the last battle against the empire. In addition, the name “princess,” even if it is a general, sounds weak, and I don’t feel good about using a name that sounds like a decoration.”
He couldn’t help but smile at the expression on her face as she puffed out her cheeks, looking just like a young girl of her age.
The maternal impression from earlier and the current impression of a young girl. Frederik became more and more curious about this girl as he saw her unexpected duality.
But, Frederik reminded himself. Zenan Dragon Kingdom is a great land of powerful people.
It’s a country. It is a truly magical place where not only those with dragon blood but also the real dragon people live.
It is true that the name “Princess Dragon General” makes the claim that she is nothing more than a decoration.
However, it is not hard to imagine what it means to still call oneself a general in that country.
Major General Raffille Balhouse, the princess dragon general, is said to have no combat ability.
It had already been more than a year since she had come to this country’s aid.
During this time, she is said to have been engaged in a variety of information activities while treating the injured and caring for the sick.
But no one has ever seen her fight in person.
From the conversation she just had with General Braham, he can see that even the upper echelons of the military are not happy with Raffille.
Why such person was called to this place as a guest general?—As he thought so.
“There are spies in the Kingdom of Lugal.”
Rafiele chuckled.
“Oh my God, ……! Is it really ……?”
“Yes. While the beatskins tribes have strong bonds, their leadership has been disrupted by the loss of the lion royalty, who have absolute power. Therefore, they are not monolithic. However, they are extremely capable of fighting and have more wisdom than I imagined. I think it will be …… difficult for us to win at this rate.”
Raffille looked down sadly, staring at the small box in her hand.
The little box, speckled with red and black, seemed a little odd.
“Lady Raffille. I’ve been wondering about that little box for a while now.”
“Are you swearing that whatever I say here you won’t tell anyone?
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Raffille made a gesture of putting her index finger to her lips and then said.
“Alright… this little box contains something important that will reverse the war situation.”
“Oh, that’s…, but how….”
“I have to somehow deliver this box to Lyslin Fortress, one of the main fortresses held by the Lugal Kingdom army. Whoever is there holds the key to breaking the deadlock.”
Speaking of the Lyslin Fortress, it was originally a fortress owned by the Kingdom of Chiaro Diruna. However, it fell about a month ago at the hands of the Lugal Kingdom.
“I have men who are good at those missions, but unfortunately they are on other assignments right now. So ……”
Raffille clammed up, finding it hard to say.
But he knew immediately what she wanted to tell him. Frederik nodded.
“Lady Raffille. If you don’t mind, would you like me to take care of that task?”
“But this is a dangerous thing. If it fails, of course, but even if it works, there’s a good chance it could go horribly wrong.”
With a mission like that, there’s no one else you can trust, right? I’m fine. If it’s for the sake of Lady Raffille, I’ll use my life to complete the mission!”
Frederik clenched his fists tightly and thumped himself on the chest.
A girl with a high rank but no one else to rely on. The healthy side of her.
Filled with the feeling of being saved by her saintly side, Frederik was even willing to die.
Raffille showed signs of anguish as she bit her lower lip. After staring at the small box and Frederik several times, she muttered in an unreliable voice.
“Are you sure you want to do this? It’s a dangerous mission. You could really die this time. ……”
“A man’s word is his word!”
A life that should have been scattered in the last battle.
If you are going to throw it away for this girl, you won’t regret it.
When she looked at him with such a strong feeling in his eyes, the princess dragon general said as if she had made up her mind.
“…… The , Private Frederik. Are you sure you want to trust me to carry out this mission?”
“Yes! For the sake of the will of Your Grace Major General Raffille Balhouse, the Princess Dragon General!”
Frederik is then told the details of his mission.
It’s easy to put into words, but it’s truly a life-threatening mission. If you fail, certain death awaits you.
However, if he succeeded and the box was given to the spy, something would happen that would be enough to overturn this disadvantageous war situation at once.
Being entrusted with such an important task made Frederik feel more elated than he had ever felt in his life.
His hand naturally tightened around the small box.
“Thank you so much. Without you, none of us would have been able to complete this mission.”
“It’s an honor!”
“Make sure you get home alive. If you decide that you can’t make it, then don’t go ahead and return immediately.”
“No problem. Even though I look like this, I’m good enough at covert action to evade the beastkins’ pursuit and return to this fort. I’ll make sure to make this mission a success and return safely this time as well!”
Raffille’s expression softened as she received the powerful words.
She smiled at him like a loving saint, and Frederik couldn’t help but admire her.
“Let’s purify it.”
“Purify… huh?”
“Yes. We will purify that unholy land and restore the dignity of human.”
With a soft smile, Raffille gently strokes Frederik’s cheek.
He felt something different from his previous impressions, a kind of divinity.
The moonlight shining through the stained glass illuminated her, making her look even more mysterious.
Fredrik naturally knelt there and hung his head. For some reason, he felt compelled to do so.
“Don’t worry. Just do as I say and everything will be fine.”
“Yes! Leave it to me.”
“May the flowers fall upon this defiled earth.”
The princess dragon general, Raffille Balhouse, muttered this with an expression as if she was staring somewhere far away, not here.
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