Chapter 18

Thank you for the bookmark.

"J...Jaiant Snake..."

Magilka whispered, her voice trembling as she looked at the monster that had appeared.

'Jaiant Snake'

It was just a big snake, but the problem was its size. The one in front of me was a giant, about twenty meters long. Moreover, from its large, slit-like mouth, two thick, long fangs were visible.

The snake's characteristic hissing sound was particularly grating, and a chill ran down my spine.

"Ugh..."

I could see Zaha groaning and shakily getting up after being slammed against a tree, but I had no time to be relieved. Magilka, who seemed to have reacted instinctively, managed to run over to Zaha.

The monster, which had once looked at us, turned its gaze back to me and Tütte.

Its eyes, which seemed to be weighing which of us looked more delicious, were long and narrow, with vertical pupils.

I couldn't move a muscle under its gaze. The reason was simple.

"Fear"

Just that.

Unlike the shock I felt when Tütte was targeted with "fear" before, now I was the one feeling "fear" from the monster.

It was only natural.

I was born in peaceful Japan, lived a life completely free from danger, and in this life, I was raised without any worries, protected by my parents and servants. The idea of being in mortal danger or being attacked by something was far from me.

But now, this giant creature in front of me had brought that fear to life.

For the first time, I felt my legs tremble, my hands shake, and cold sweat pour down my body.

(My body is invincible, so I won't be killed by a mere snake...)

I knew it, I should have known it, but my consciousness wouldn't accept it. Pathetically, I was so overwhelmed by fear.

Then, someone stood between me and the monster.

"Lord Reiforce..."

I opened my trembling lips and whispered the name of the person standing in front of me in a voice so soft it was barely audible.

He was also trembling with fear and couldn't move, but he still stood in front of me, trying to protect me.

"Your Highness! Run!"

Magilka, who had regained her composure and was supporting Zaha, shouted at the prince to run, and as if that was the trigger, the snake's head lunged at us.

(I can't, I have to protect the prince!)

But I didn't have the courage to move my body. If I could just be a shield, I should be able to protect them, but I couldn't give the order to my body to run forward.

I felt like crying...

Realizing how weak and pitiful my will was...

Bang!

Just as the snake's large mouth was about to swallow us, a strong impact came from the side, and the snake was blown away.

"Phew... That was a close one."

Standing in front of us was a middle-aged knight in armor, with a scar on his face.

"Sir Claus!"

"Fa...Father..."

Magilka and Zaha joined us, and Sir Claus, standing between us and the snake to protect us, smoothly drew his sword, which he had used to strike the snake while it was still in its sheath.

"I heard from the maids and thought it might be... this foolish son. I'll lecture you later, so be prepared."

"S...Sorry..."

Zaha, still in pain from his back, apologized to Sir Claus.

"Sir Claus... Zaha didn't know... So please..."

(It's my fault, I should have told them earlier... I'm the one who led us into here...)

Feeling a sweet sense of relief that Sir Claus had come, I gradually regained my composure and managed to speak. The next emotion that came was regret and a sense of guilt following the fear.

The pressure on my heart was so intense that I felt as if my heart was being crushed, and without realizing it, I grabbed my chest and made a pained expression.

"Zaha! Take the prince and the young ladies and run! Miss Magilka, go to the village and bring my knights here."

"Yes."

"I understand."

This was the difference in experience and resolve. Zaha and Magilka, who were in the same situation as me, understood Sir Claus's instructions and knew what they had to do.

I, on the other hand, was cowering in fear and had been excluded from the fighting force by Sir Claus.

Even though I was probably the strongest among us, I felt more relieved than ashamed at being excluded.

"Leave it to me, go! Take care of the prince."

Sir Claus said, swung his sword at the giant snake, and as the snake retreated, Magilka, still supporting the still pained Zaha, ran out of the forest.

The prince, Tütte, and I followed in quick succession.

(Now I can escape this fear.)

Just as I thought that, my body tingled, and something like an alarm went off in my mind.

I stopped abruptly, grabbed the prince's hand to stop him, and we both froze.

Boom!

A log fell between Zaha and Magilka, who were running ahead, and the prince and us.

No, it wasn't a log. It was a tail. The tail had been swung down from the bushes at the prince, who was running ahead.

The thing that crawled out of the bushes, about fifteen meters long, was smaller than the first giant snake but still huge. So, the monster wasn't alone.

"Your Highness!"

"Go, both of you! Do as Sir Claus said, bring the knights! Hurry!"

Magilka, who had stopped and was about to return, was stopped and ordered by the prince. A new giant snake was closing in on us, clearly targeting us.

Understanding this, the two of them ran with bitter expressions, heading to the village for help.

Sir Claus, who had noticed the new ambush, ran to us and found himself facing two monsters.

Even Sir Claus, who was probably the strongest among us, was at a disadvantage trying to protect three children while fighting two monsters. No, it wasn't just a disadvantage; it was a sure defeat.

Most monsters surpassed our basic abilities, and our weapons, techniques, and magic were meant to compensate for that. But even then, we could only win one-on-one or if we outnumbered them. In this case, we didn't count in the numbers.

Sir Claus was gradually being pushed back, and we were retreating deeper into the forest, losing our escape routes.

The renewed fear that came when I let my guard down completely crushed me, and that fear turned into despair.

(Scary... Scary... Disgusting...)

The fear was so intense that I felt nauseous.

The prince, standing in front of me and Tütte to protect us, came into my field of vision.

I looked at him with eyes filled with fear, and he showed a gentle smile that didn't fit the situation.

"It's okay... I'll protect you."

When I heard those words, my heart felt more constricted than relieved.

(Pitiful... Pitiful... Pitiful...)

I should have been the one who was unharmed, the one who could defeat these monsters, but now I was the one being protected by everyone.

What was the point of my power, my training, and everything I had learned? It all seemed like a childish game.

What I needed to learn was not just "technique" but something else, something more important, which I realized now.

(...Courage...)

At that moment, I remembered something Sir Claus had said during my training.

---

"Can you really bring out your power in a crisis, or is it more about experience and technique?"

I had asked Sir Claus about my weakness in critical situations.

"You're thinking about some pretty difficult things, young lady. I wish Zaha could drink your fingernail clippings."

Sir Claus chuckled.

"However, I believe there's something more important than 'experience' and 'technique' in a crisis."

"Like what?"

"Well, it's a bit cliché, but I think the difference between 'can do' and 'can't do' in a crisis is the courage to move forward."

"Courage to move forward..."

"Yes, in a crisis, people are divided into three types: those who move forward with courage, those who hesitate and stand still, and those who retreat out of fear. Whether you have experience and technique or not, you must first move forward and take action."

"...But isn't it true that having experience and technique gives you the confidence to have courage?"

"That's an afterthought. You can't gain experience and technique without first taking action. That's what I believe."

---

"Move forward... Courage..."

"Miss?"

My muttering caught Sir Claus's attention.

"Sir Claus... If there was only one monster... could you... break the current situation?"

Sir Claus, not understanding my intention, glanced at me for a moment.

"Yes, with one monster, I could manage to hold it off and regroup with the others, but..."

His answer solidified my resolve.

(God... Please give me courage...)

"I'm counting on you, Lord Reiforce."

When Sir Claus and the prince turned to look at me, I dashed forward, away from them, deeper into the forest.

"Wha—!"

As their shocked voices overlapped, one of the monsters moved toward me, positioning itself between them and me.

"Mary, Tütte! What are you doing?!"

The prince shouted in a voice that didn't match his gentle face. However, Sir Claus, understanding my intention, showed a pained expression.

As for me, I was surprised not only by the prince calling me by my first name but also by the other name. I quickly turned around and saw a maid, trembling but firmly following me.

"Tütte! Why?"

"I won't... leave you alone..."

Despite her pale face, she forced a smile, and I felt a small spark of courage grow in my chest.

"Go! Please!"

With a determined voice, I urged them.

(But this way, the prince can retreat to the edge of the forest. The other one will go with me...)

"...I'm sorry!"

Sir Claus, also determined, tried to carry the prince and move.

"No! No! I can't be the only one to survive!"

"Your Highness is different from us, please understand!"

The prince, struggling in Sir Claus's arms, tried to break free but couldn't match his strength.

"I'm the same! I'm the same as her, a citizen of the Aldia Kingdom! There's no difference!"

Hearing those words, I understood something.

(That's right... The prince's kindness, his tolerance of my rudeness, must have come from that...)

The prince, always so kind, might have been a bit rude at first, but at his core, he was a kind and non-discriminatory boy. If so, I had to protect him, to ensure he could become a kind king...

At that moment, I was driven by a sense of mission I couldn't quite understand. Whether it was because I was taught to serve the royal family as a duchess's daughter or something else, I couldn't tell...

And I told him.

"You are different, Your Highness... Before you are a citizen, you are the royal family who leads the citizens. Please understand that..."

(For the prince to escape... All of this is my responsibility...)

I tried to smile resolutely as a duchess's daughter, but I was aware that my smile was probably sad due to the mix of fear and other emotions. I don't know what the prince felt when he saw it, but he stopped struggling and bowed his head.

Then, we turned and moved deeper into the forest, away from the two of them.

Ugh... It's quite difficult to build up a story... I'll keep working on it. Thank you for reading this far.