Chapter 15: Save the Princess

 

Noontime, after clearing the quota of mountain cow hunting, I was in a room in the mansion, looking at a fan.

 

Princess Helene’s Fan. The fan that I’ve had in my belt since I got it.

 

『What’s that』

 

I heard the Demon Sword inside my head.

It was noisy at first, saying things like “Let me go”, but after drawing lots I, don’t know what happened but she stopped saying that.

 

「I got it, from saving someone」

『Love at first sight, huh』

「Hu!」

 

I lost my words. Maybe that’s true.

From the first glance, my eyes were stolen with her beauty.

Gold, long hair, a calm posture, and gestures with grace.

Everything about her was “Princess”-like.

 

「I wonder, if she’s okay」

『Are you worried?  Then you should just meet her. Using the feather』

「I don’t know where she is」

 

To be sure, I took out the feather and imagined “Princess Helene’s place”, but nothing happens at all.

The “Place” should probably be clearly decided or else it wouldn’t work.

 

「Master」

 

With a knock on the door, I heard Miu’s voice.

 

「What?」

「Please excuse me. Uhm, there’s a visitor for Master」

「A visitor? What kind of person?」

「Uhmm……A princess? I think」

「Eh!」

 

My heart throbbed.

By princess, you mean, no way.

I grabbed the Demon Sword, and left the room. Miu followed from behind in a hurry, and said.

 

「I passed her to the reception room」

 

With a fast pace, I walked towards the reception room.

When I enter inside.

 

「Ah!……」

 

I unintentionally let out a voice.

In there, wasn’t Princess Helene.

It was her younger sister, Iris Teresia Mercouri, it was Princess Iris.

I felt that I hit the wrong ballーーbut.

 

「Kakeru」

 

When I saw Princess Iris’ troubled face, that thought blew away.

 

「I want you to save Aneue」

 

As soon as I sat down on the sofa, Princess Iris said something like that.

 

「By Aneue, you mean Princess Helene? What happened」

「Aneue is on the front lines right now」

「Yeah, if I’m right, she was saying it was for consolation or something」

 

I remembered the time I saved Princess Helene.

 

「That’s right, in the barbarian’s subjugation war, that front line. It was mostly pacified, so one Royal Family’s members should go consolidate and do the post-war treatment. The one who went was Aneue, but……」

「But?」

「The local commanders turned to the enemy’s side. Because of that, the story went upside-down at once」

「Turned sides you say, then, Princess Helene is?!!」

「Guardian Knight Fortis sensed the emergency at the last minute, and let her escape. Right now, with a small army force, they should be at a siege in a nearby fortーーI want you to go there」

「Me?」

「That’s right. Of course, we are sending reinforcements, but it is taking time organizing that. I want you to save at least Aneue beforehand」

 

“At least Aneue”, those words were desperate.

Reading between the lines, “Even if you leave the soldiers to their death, I want you to save Aneue at the least”. I felt that sense of urgency within Iris.

A strong emotion, for sure. That’s why I felt a doubt.

 

「Are you sure? Asking me that. You were just betrayed earlier, normally, shouldn’t you be asking a more trustworthy person?」

 

「That fan」

 

Iris pointed around my waist. There was, the Princess Helen’s fan that I always carried with me.

 

「That is Aneue’s right? The first time I met with Kakeru, and even now. You always carried that fan with you on your waist. Like a treasure.  If it’s that Kakeru then, I thought」

 

「I see」

 

I touched the fan. It’s true that this is my treasure, but this’ ownerーーPrincess Helene is more important.

If someone told me to save her, of course, I’d go save her, even if I risk my life.

 

“If that’s the case then”, I was convinced.

 

「Also」

「Yup?」

 

I tilted my head and looked at Princess Iris.

AlsoーーWhat?

Iris looked straight at me.

With her back straightened, a face without any hesitation.

 

「I know, if it is Kakeru, I can believe it」

 

It was a surprise attack. And that face cheating.

If you looked at me with such eyes, the only thing I can do is to answer your expectations.

 

☆

 

I am riding a horse.

After leaving the town of Roizen, I made the horse run it’s best to the next town, Reius, where was the new horse that Iris prepared was atーーChanging to a new horse that wasn’t tired and went to the next town, then exchange horses again to the nextーー.

Riding horses one after the other, at full speed towards where Princess Helene is, to the Euboi region’s fort I go.

I changed horse in the town nearest to the fort, and took a map in addition.

And then I arrived at the fort.

It was a small, surrounded by wall made wood, simple fort.

 

『Smoke is rising, are we too late?』

 

The Demon Sword said inside my head.

I focused my eyes. What I saw with enhanced eyesight, was the fort being surrounded and receiving a fierce attack, it was such scene.

I was relieved.

 

「They are still resisting, we were just in time」

『Is that so』

「I will make use of you」

 

I gripped the Demon Sword. It’s a dangerous weapon before, but now it’s something that I could count on.

 

『All right. In exchange, I’d make you grant one of my wishes』

「If it’s about letting you go or hurting somebody I won’t listen to you though」

 

I made that clear just in case.

 

『Fu! My power, use it as much as you want』

 

From the Demon Sword’s blade was a dark aura that began to leak out.

It looks the same at the time when Marie’s body was taken over. Of course, I won’t be possessed though.

But, I somehow knew. That she is stronger right now than before. Her strength as a sword is increasing.

I gripped the Demon Sword, went down the horse, and charged to the enemy.

I ran towards the fort’s gate in a straight line.

The soldiers that saw me was confused, but ignoring them, I cut down those who were on my way and moved forward.

“Enemy Attack!”, I heard them shouting, and after that, the soldiers that were shooting hostility and flocked around me.

 

「Small fries!! Move!!」

 

Swinging the Demon Sword, I cut through those that were moving towards me.

I slashed and slashed, moving further.  

After cutting off about a hundred people, I arrived at the fort’s gates.

Through that gate, I saw a familiar face.

 

「Fortis!!」

「You areーー!!!」

 

It was the knight that was there, when I saved Princess Helen. Through the gates, Fortis was surprised that I appeared.

 

I felt from behind that soldiers were coming, I have no time.

 

「I’ve been sent by Princess Iris!! Please open the gates」

「Her Highness Iris? B-But」

 

Fortis hesitated. He was like “Should I really open it”.

 

「Khu!」

 

The enemy soldiers attacked from behind, I slashed while turning around.

I had to fight with the gates at my back.

It was, in the first place, the point where enemy soldiers concentrated. The difficulty of fighting here, couldn’t compare to the difficulty of charging through the enemy’s backlines.

Even though I slashed and slashed, the pressure of the enemy soldiers that came like the waves was tremendous.

 

“Am I just going to fight here until they’re annihilated”, it was the time when I thought that.

 

「Fortis」

 

It was a familiar voice. Even if I don’t turn around, I knew who it was.

Princess Helene. With her, sounding fine, I was relieved.

But, Fortis was in a fret.

 

「Your Highness!! It is dangerous her, please go baーー」

「Open the gates」

「Butーー」

「Open it」

「……As you command」

 

After their conversation, it sounded that the gates were opening.

 

「Now’s the chance, faster」

「I got it. Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhh!!」

 

Holding the Demon Sword with my both hands, from the above the top of my head and straight downーーI smashed it to the ground.

With an explosion, the ground shook, a giant crater was created in the place where I smashed it.

The enemy soldiers stopped their feet, they were astonished by the crater and couldn’t move forward.

At the same time, I entered the fort, and the gates were shut safely.

There was, Princess Helene.

 

「Princess Helene」

「Kakeru-sama」

 

For a while, we looked at each other.

 

「I’ve come to save you」

 

With all of my heart, I said.

The Princess, as if a flower had blossomed, smiled at me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 14 <-> Chapter 16