Chapter 49

This is written from Lily's perspective, but it ended up being a flashback. It's late, it's difficult, and it's not very good. I'm really sorry.

I want to update another chapter today.

―――Lily's Perspective―――

It all started the day before yesterday.

When Sir Shiro visited the mansion for the second time.

Sir Shiro came to meet my brother again to report on the incident that occurred that day.

After finishing the report, he came to see me as well.

"…So that's what happened."

Sir Shiro briefly explained the details of the incident.

It seems that the son of the Earl of Cardi had been begging adventurers for money, so Sir Shiro punished him.

"That must have been tough."

"Thank you."

When I expressed my sympathy, Sir Shiro smiled.

I disliked both the parents and the son of the Cardi family.

The Earl saw my brother as an enemy, and the son often looked at me and other girls with impertinent eyes.

He was known among women for looking at them with lecherous eyes.

Since Sir Shiro punished the son of the Earl of Cardi, I and other women's opinions of Sir Shiro have been rising rapidly.

Later, when I heard the maids talking about it in detail, they said that Sir Shiro and his six companions fought against over a hundred of the Earl of Cardi's private soldiers and, with the help of a few reinforcements from the Turkis family, beat them up.

Sir Shiro also cut down the golem with a single strike.

…Sir Shiro, you're really leaving out too much.

It would be nice if you could boast a little more about your own bravery.

In any case.

At that time, Sir Shiro invited me.

"I'm having a small luncheon in two days. Would you like to come?"

It was a sudden invitation.

Usually, when inviting a noble to a party, you prepare an invitation.

But he said it was a small gathering, so it was probably a casual, friendly atmosphere.

Sir Shiro had a meaningful smile on his face as I wondered about it.

"On that day, the Knight Commander Gaious is scheduled to visit my home in the morning."

At first, I didn't understand what Sir Shiro was saying.

Sir Gaious is coming?

Sir Shiro said that he would arrange for me to be alone with Sir Gaious.

It was when he visited once in the afternoon.

I didn't expect it to be so soon.

"It's a small get-together, so it would be a problem if there were too many people, but please bring your friends as well."

In other words, Sir Shiro was telling me to come and meet Sir Gaious, even if I brought my friends because I was shy.

Even if it wasn't entirely planned for my sake, he had set it up for me.

I could feel my face breaking into a smile from the joy and excitement.

"Yes! I would love to!"

I answered loudly without thinking and felt embarrassed, so I hid my face.

Sir Shiro looked at me and smiled happily.

When Sir Shiro left, I started moving with my caretaker, Mary.

I chose my clothes, invited my friends, and made arrangements, and before I knew it, the day of the appointment had arrived.

I got into the carriage with my friends and headed for Sir Shiro's mansion.

Mary, the butler Jett, and my two friends and I made five.

Mary was on the driver's seat, and I was trying to relax with my friends, but I don't remember what we talked about.

After all, I was going to meet the man I liked without making an appointment.

I was also worried that he might think it was a bother.

When we were about halfway through the outer district, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.

It wasn't the usual noise of the city, but clearly screams.

Then, the sound of a whistle—

"Enemy attack!"

My thoughts stopped at Jett's voice.

"Huh…?"

I looked at my friends, and they also had bewildered expressions.

"Miss!"

"「「「Ahhhh!」」」

Mary's voice and the impact of the carriage being attacked brought us back to our senses.

Mary opened the carriage door and helped us out.

"Quick, run away!"

Not understanding what was happening, I looked ahead and saw that the horses pulling the carriage were being held down by a large mass.

It took a moment to realize that it was a large ant monster.

"Ah…!"

We screamed in terror and tried to go back the way we came.

However, a large mantis monster was already cutting down passersby in that direction.

"This way!"

Mary pulled us, and we ran past the ant monster that was feasting on the horses.

In the direction the carriage was supposed to go.

"Ah!"

The first to be caught was Jett, who was serving as the butler.

When I turned around, he was caught in the web of a giant spider.

"Don't stop! Mary! Get the young ladies to safety!"

"Jett! …Damn it!"

I should have run to him.

I knew that Mary had feelings for Jett beyond friendship.

But everyone knew that we couldn't stop.

We ran as hard as we could.

How long did we run? But in vain, we were caught in the spider's web just like Jett.

We were stuck to the ground, unable to move, and the ant monster approached us.

"Ah…!"

I thought it was over.

I turned my face away.

But what saved me was unexpectedly the giant spider.

The giant spider stood between the ant monster and us.

It seemed that they were fighting over us as prey.

While one giant spider was holding down the ant monster, we were lifted up by the legs (or arms?) of other giant spiders and hung on the upper part of the spider's web.

Perhaps we were being saved for later.

While being carried by the giant spiders, I didn't feel alive.

The giant spiders moved us somewhere else.

They still seemed to want to catch more.

They kept coming back and hanging people wrapped in spider silk on the web.

As time passed, I gradually calmed down.

I also gradually understood the current desperate situation.

If this continued, we would eventually be eaten by the giant spiders.

"Sir Gaious…"

I wanted to see him.

But if this continued, I wouldn't be able to see him again.

Our lives were like a candle in the wind.

Looking at my limp feet, my vision blurred.

"Help…"

My whisper was drowned out by the surrounding screams and cries.

I was already in despair.

I couldn't think any further in despair.

Until five young boys appeared at the end of the street.

The boys seemed surprised to see us.

Then, they looked curious and hesitated.

"Um…"

They approached us, who were captured by the giant spiders.

No, this can't be.

If this continues, these children will also become prey for the giant spiders.

I forced down the rising terror and tensed my stomach.

"Run away!"

I had to let this child escape.

I was desperate.

If this child could escape, we could die with pride, having saved a child.

I could convince myself that it wasn't a meaningless death.

I clung to this small excuse, this glimmer of hope.

But reality was cruel.

The giant spider descended in front of the children and bit one of the five boys on the head.

I couldn't save him.

Despair once again enveloped my heart.

However, what I heard was the cheerful laughter of the boy, as if shaking off the despair.

"Mr. Will's cream was eaten."

Looking closely, the child I thought was a boy was like a clay doll.

Was it some kind of magic?

It was different from golem creation, something else.

But who cast this magic?

Could it be the boy in front of me?

But I had never heard of a child this young being able to use such intricate creation magic.

In my confused mind, I realized that nothing had been resolved.

The boy was still in danger.

I immediately thought of the face of the person I loved the most.

(Sir Gaious…)

What good would it do to think of my love at a time like this?

(Please save this boy…)

Honestly, it seemed too convenient.

Normally, I would pray to the spirits.

But I didn't have the time to reconsider.

Neither for me nor for the boy.

At that moment, Sir Gaious appeared.

"Whoa!? What is this!?"

The moment I saw him, my heart beat faster than ever.

For him to appear at this moment, really.

If my hands weren't occupied, I would have pinched my cheeks to check if it was a dream.

But it probably wasn't a dream.

"Sir Gaious!"

Suppressing the overwhelming emotions, I shouted.

Sir Gaious, who was surprised to see the children, looked up at me even more surprised.

"Lily… Why are you here…"

"Please… take this child and run away!"

"But… I can't…"

Sir Gaious didn't nod at my words.

He's still as frustrating as ever.

He keeps his distance even though he knows my feelings, but he also watches over me from the shadows.

In any case, I had no choice but to entrust the boy to Sir Gaious.

"Abandon us and go quickly!"

"I can't do that! I can't abandon you!"

Turning his back on my urging, Sir Gaious readied his sword.

"Wait for me, Lily! Reinforcements will definitely come! Until then, I, Gaious, will protect you with my life!"

Honestly, I felt like crying.

How many times had I dreamed of hearing such words?

"…Just those words… make Lily happy. So please…"

My voice trembled, and I couldn't continue.

I got to see Sir Gaious one last time.

The boy was safe.

My love said he would protect me with his life.

That was enough.

I would make it enough.

I shouldn't hope for more.

But if.

If I survived, I would tell Sir Gaious everything I felt.

With a mix of hope and resignation, what caught my calm eyes.

It was the sight of the boy pulling on Sir Gaious's pants with a cute gesture.

"Um, Will, it's okay now, can I fight the spider?"

I couldn't understand what he was saying.

The boy, without any concern, chanted a spell in a halting tone, and the clay doll that had been eaten by the giant spider returned to the boy's form.

I couldn't keep up with what was happening.

I had never heard of combining magic with magic.

"Here I go!"

The boy's energetic battle cry.

The next moment, the boy who had been a clay doll rushed at the giant spider at an incredible speed.

The boy trampled the giant spider.

What?

The giant spider wasn't supposed to be weak.

After all, it was a monster.

In front of my stunned eyes, the giant spider tried to escape, but the boy was calm.

He chanted a spell, and a wind attribute magic was released from the boy's staff into the sky, followed by a loud explosion.

"Will wins!"

I just stared in amazement at the boy who declared his victory in a cute voice.

――――――――――

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