“How so predictable……”


  Sith Wiggins paced inside the small and shabby room full of smell of mold and formed a bitter smile.

  There wasn’t even a small window in the shabby room.

  The only thing there was were an old bed and a chair.

  Sith sat on the chair and stared at the room’s door.

  The door was in a tightly locked state.

  ‘Since they wouldn’t lock up a hostage and oversee him negligently.’


  The bitter smile hanging on Sith’s mouth turned even thicker.

  A hostage.

  Kallum Rinse couldn’t quite kill Sith who was an envoy and instead captured him as a hostage and locked him in a small room.

  ‘He must have thought that it’ll be a big help if he uses me as a hostage. But……’


  Though Kallum didn’t quite know, becoming a hostage was one of the things that Roan, Sith, Ian and Swift had originally wished for.

  Sith quietly stared at the still tightly closed door.

  ‘It is a bit disquieting since I can’t tell the time……’


  In the end, he could only wait sitting like this.

  ‘She should have heard of my news by now……’


  An odd light floated up on his eyes.

  Longing, anticipation, sadness, restlessness……


  It was a light tangled with various feelings.

  After who knew how long, an unfamiliar presence was felt outside the door.

  Sith who had stayed still for a long time without even moving made a faint smile.

  ‘She’s come.’


  His eyes twinkled and shone with light.

  At the same time, the tightly closed door slowly, very slowly began to open.

  Sith brightly smiled and stood up from his seat.

  “It’s been long.”


  A happily extended greeting.

  “It has been a while.”


  A slightly nervous sounding answer.

  The owner of the voice was a beautiful woman exuding a somehow firm and dependable feeling.

  Sith softly stared into the woman’s eyes.

  “I was waiting.”


  “You knew I would come?”


  The woman was of slightly surprised expression.

  Sith nodded his head with an unconcerned expression.

  “Of course. Since meeting you was one of the reasons I’ve come all the way here. Elva Dionell.”


  The beautiful woman’s identity was one of the 12 Hatchling’s nobles, Elva Dionell.

  The woman who in Roan’s first life had raised Kallum onto the throne by killing her 12 Hatchling friends as well as even cutting off her lover Sith’s head.

  She often was even called by the nickname Maiden of Blood and Iron.

  The steel sword Roan spoke to Austin of meant the very Maiden of Blood and Iron Elva Dionell.

  “To meet me……?”


  A quake waved in Elva’s large eyes.

  A turbulence of feelings she tried but couldn’t hide.

  Sith slowly nodded his head.

  Elva exhaled a short sigh.

  “You plan to persuade me and bring me to Count Lancephil’s camp?”


  She instantly saw through the entire situation.

  However, Sith didn’t even give any answer.

  A bitter smile hung on Elva’s mouth.

  “I’m really sorry to say these words, but…… you won’t be able to persuade me.”


  Sith slightly nodded his head at those words.

  ‘Since you’re someone whose loyalty is so strong……’


  Whatever words he said, Elva betraying Kallum was something almost impossible.

  But even so, Sith was unconcerned and relaxed and confident.

  ‘Since persuading isn’t my work.’


  He softly stared into Elva’s eyes and in a small voice spoke as if to whisper.

  “Elva. I don’t plan to persuade you. Persuading you……”


  A faint smile was formed on his mouth.

  “The world will do it.”


  Sith softly held Elva’s two hands.

  “You’re smart and kind. Listen to the words the world is saying.”


  “The words the world is saying……”


  Elva murmured in a small voice.

  She too knew very well of the horrible wrongdoings Kallum and Lukan were doing.

  Because of that, Elva too was pained every day.

  ‘It’s all something that happened because I, I couldn’t aid him well.’


  She was personally feeling a large sense of shame.

  Sith saw through Elva’s such heart.

  “If it’s you, you will be able to hear the real stories.”


  A gentle and warm voice.

  Elva chewed her lips and nodded her head.

  Because she had understood Sith’s words and consideration.

  Now was the turn to do what she had to do.

  “I’ll help you get out from here.”


  The reason Elva came to Sith at late hours was to save Sith.

  Though they couldn’t be together, she wanted to at least save Sith’s life.

  But for some reason, Sith faintly smiled and shook his head.

  Rather, he stepped back and sat down again on the old chair.

  “Elva. I’m sorry but I can’t leave here. I still have things to do, you see.”


  “What are you saying? You may even lose your life if you stay like this.”


  A desperate look brushed by on Elva’s face.

  Worries were full in her large eyes.

  Sith, as if to calm such Elva, made an even brighter smile.

  “Don’t worry. Since the bad things you’re worrying about won’t happen.”


  “How are you so sure?”


  Elva asked as if to nitpick.

  She was that much worried for Sith.

  Sith much too easily answered.

  “Since Sir Count Lancephil said so.”


  “Ah……”


  Elva let out a sigh with a tired look.

  She, with a slightly angry looking expression, asked.

  “Is Sir Count Lancephil so great a person?”


  At those words, Sith answered in a voice even more full of certainty than before.

  “Of course.”


  “Haah……”


  Elva’s sigh became a little bigger.

  Sith quietly looked at Elva’s such face and spoke in a quiet voice.

  “Elva. Do you know how I came all the way here?”


  “What does that matter so…… huu. You came riding a carriage.”


  Elva slightly creased her brows.

  She felt hurt because only she seemed to be worrying greatly.

  Sith didn’t minded it and nodded his head as he brightly smiled.

  “Right. I came personally driving a small carriage.”


  The tips of his eyes gently went down.

  “Isn’t something strange? That I arrived almost at the same time with Kallum Lukan Allied Army’s messenger even though I came driving the carriage with my clumsy skill?”


  “……?!”


  Elva’s frowned face changed to a shocked expression.

  Something she hadn’t thought of at all.

  ‘The messenger notifying the defeat should have run here without resting even a moment.’


  He should have ran at a fast speed that simply couldn’t be caught, nor imitated with a carriage.

  “How……?”


  Elva left the end of her words and stared at Sith.

  Sith cheerfully smiled and answered.

  “I didn’t even visit the Arpeau Forest the battle happened at. I drove the carriage directly from the kingdom’s West to Potter Region here.”


  Strength went into his voice.

  “Sir Count Lancephil and the Count House’s countless retainers predicted the battle happening at the Arpeau Forest with incredibly many information, and even predicted the situation and the result of when the Lancephil Legion would join the battle.”


  “Do you mean Count Lancephil was certain of the battle’s victory even before the battle started?”


  Elva asked with a disbelieving expression.

  Sith lightly nodded his head in place of answer.

  Elva collected her breath and once again threw a question.

  “Then Sith, that means you already calculated even the time our side’s messenger would arrive with the news of defeat and then showed up at the banquet hall?”


  “Exactly.”


  Sith much too easily spoke of too amazing a feat.

  Elva let out a long sigh with a stiffly rigid expression.

  “Is something like that possible?”


  Even a hollow look flashed.

  Sith still with a bright expression answered bubbly.

  “It’s possible if it’s Sir Count Lancephil and his retainers.”


  Only then Elva formed a bitter smile.

  “So that’s why you were sure that you absolutely won’t die.”


  Sith brightly smiled in place of an answer and nodded his head.

  Elva once again exhaled a long sigh.

  “They shouldn’t be empty words since it’s you saying them. But……”


  She quietly stared at Sith.

  A light of hesitating overflowed for a moment, then with a short sigh a discreet voice flowed out.

  “Your room will soon change. We decided to newly organize the allied army to face Count Lancephil, you see.”


  Her voice gradually turned smaller.

  “We’ll leave a few defense troop at the Warford Castle, here, and move the main army towards the South. We plan to set up the main camp there and construct a trap. We’ll lead the Lancephil Fief Regiment and then cause a large damage with a fire field tactic and an ambush attack.”


  The stories Elva laid out right now were strategies that came out from a strategy meeting that continued on for an entire day.

  They trusted without question the messengers’ reports that Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment were marching towards the Warford Castle after winning in the Arpeau Forest Battle.

  Kallum and Lukan, who still hadn’t properly organized the Allied Army’s order, planned to throw the Warford Castle as a bait and separately set up the real main camp in the south.

  Following the strategy meeting’s result, Sith’s residence too came to be moved to the new main camp.

  Elva was worried of that.

  “Count Lancephil and his subordinates would be making a pointless trip if they come to the Warford Castle to rescue you. So if the situation possibly becomes dangerous, tell me anytime and……”


  Elva who was talking on with a worried expression soon closed her mouth.

  Because Sith was softly smiling as he looked at her.

  “Ah……”


  A quiet exclamation flowed out from Elva’s mouth.

  A shocked look was overflowing in her eyes.

  “Have they already predicted this as well?”


  Elva asked in a little tired voice.

  Sith wordlessly nodded his head.

  “Then, do they know where we are going?”


  “Maiel Mountain.”


  Sith answered shortly.

  “Ah……”


  It was exact.

  At this point even Elva had to admit.

  “Count Roan Lancephil…… he really is amazing.”


  She could only shake her head.

  In truth, Elva held a doubt about Roan’s abilities.

  Because so, she wasn’t greatly willing when Sith first said to enroll Roan to the 12 Hatchlings and also wasn’t very happy when Kallum gave the order to separately persuade Roan and make him into an ally.

  ‘I didn’t think of him as someone without abilities, but instead that his luck was good compared to his skills, but……’


  Speaking with Sith today, the one who didn’t have abilities was actually herself.

  Because she didn’t have the talent, because she didn’t have the discerning eye, she couldn’t grasp Roan’s real talent.

  Elva quietly stared at Sith and asked in a quiet voice.

  “Are you going to let me go like this? Even though I could give a report that Count Lancephil is seeing through our strategy and state?”


  Sith faintly smiled and answered.

  “You won’t do it.”


  Elva made a bitter smile at those words.

  “Is that certainty also thanks to Count Lancephil’s prediction?”


  “No.”


  Sith immediately answered.

  He covered his chest with his right hand.

  “Because I trust you.”


  Instantly Elva’s face brightly blushed.

  She quietly stared at Sith and tried to say some words, but soon closed her mouth.

  He could see her eyes and tips of fingers shaking greatly.

  “Hm.”


  Elva needlessly let out a cough and then moved her steps towards the door.

  They were really urgent looking steps. No, embarrassed looking steps.

  Sith looked at that Elva’s back and softly smiled.

  Thud.

  Soon, the door closed with a heavy sound.

  Sith stared at the tightly closed door and let out a long sigh.

  ‘I trust you. Elva.’


  He could recklessly jump into the enemy army’s main camp because he trusted her.

  A long sigh twisted through his lips and flowed out.

  ‘Huu. Now, is the only one left the porter……’


  Meeting the porter in a situation of being trapped in the small room was something impossible.

  ‘But there thankfully is no need to personally meet the porter.’


  No, now wasn’t the time to meet.

  Within his head, the identity of the porter Swift told him floated up.

  ‘Just when has he also made a move in the southern region……’


  He could only shake his head at Roan and the Count Lancephil House’s abilities.

  *****

  High speed advance.

  Roan and the Lancephil Fief Regiment dodged Kallum and Lukan’s eyes and quickly marched towards the South’s Maiel Mountain.

  The newly supplied magic carriages became a big help in the fast advance.

  The ordinary foot-soldiers could take turns riding and traveling on the carriages carved with magic array and save stamina.

  Naturally the marching speed could only become faster.

  “My lord.”


  Harrison who was riding along next to Roan together stealthily spoke to him.

  Somehow a slightly worried expression.

  “What is it?”


  At the quietly asking sound, Harrison poured out the words within his head as if he had been waiting.

  “Is it really okay to not mind the North Rinse Kingdom’s side? I know that that side is also occupied because of the Estia Imperial Army, but the opponent is that fox-like Clay, sir. We don’t know if he may be doing some weird work.”


  Semi echoed at those words.

  “Truthfully, I’m also worried of that, sir. In the worst case, if they were to attack our fief……”


  There wasn’t even an adequate way to stop him.

  For Clay too clearly saw through the Lancephil County’s topography as if seeing his own palm.

  Furthermore, it was at a state where Roan and most of the Fief Regiment had emptied and left the Lancephil County.

  It was certain that it was an apprehensive and worrisome and situation.

  But for some reason, Roan seemed without any worry.

  He looked at his right side and made a faint smile.

  At the place his gaze continued to sat Pierce.

  “There is nothing to worry about.”


  A soft and firm voice.

  Roan looked around at the numerous commanders and added on.

  “Since our fief is currently the safest place in the Rinse Kingdom.”


  Incomprehensible words.

  Every commander slightly creased their foreheads and tilted their heads.

  In the middle of that, only one person, Pierce, was making an odd smile.

  End.

  Translator: CSV

  Proofreader: Fujimaru