TLFKCT 10

Chapter 10

And Kael saw everything.

For the past week, from the time they left Rainford until now, as they drew closer to Willow, Rosana had not gone a single day without bothering Vanessa.

No, she had been trying to keep Vanessa alive.

And now, the other young ladies were following her lead.

It was a sight that made Kael question his own eyes.

Rosana was running?

And she was running that well?

“Ha.”

Even after watching the same sight for several days, Kael could not hide a quiet laugh. The hand that had been rubbing his face suddenly stopped.

The Rosana he had thought was the most hopeless had been the first to change.

She was now running better than a deer and seemed more full of life than a rainbow-colored fish leaping above the surface of the water.

The vitality she gave off was almost dazzling.

Rosana never stopped moving.

Whenever she had some free time, she would watch the knights training and try to copy their movements.

Surprisingly, Kael had witnessed every one of those moments.

“My lord.”

Kael turned his head and looked at Seraphine.

He had heard that Seraphine, who came from the Monteria family, had been trained as the heir to her family for many years.

Her movements were disciplined, and she was careful whenever she held a sword.

Her quick feet and decisive movements were equally impressive.

All of those qualities came together to form the person known as Seraphine.

Despite being the heir to her family, Seraphine had volunteered for this expedition.

Her short hair, which she had cut just before the expedition began, swayed against the back of her neck.

“Training is over. Breakfast is being prepared. You should go now.”

“……Sir Seraphine, come here.”

Seraphine tilted her head before walking over to Kael.

Kael stepped slightly aside and pointed with his chin toward Rosana, Vanessa, and the other young ladies.

Seraphine narrowed her eyes as she watched them.

“What do you think?”

“They are certainly better than they were a week ago.”

“Do you think Lady Vanessa could escape from a monster’s teeth?”

“……I believe her chances have increased.”

A chance had appeared where there had once been none.

Kael pulled the corner of his mouth into a crooked smile.

Vanessa, who had seemed certain to fall behind first, was slowly changing with Rosana’s help.

Every time she collapsed, she got back up, and now she could actually run along with the group for a while.

At this rate, she might at least be able to escape danger on her own two feet.

“What about the other young ladies? I heard you had new shoes brought for them through Register. Clothes, too.”

Register was in charge of supplies.

Rosana had said she had taken supplies from them. So this must have been what she wanted them for.

Seraphine answered carefully.

“I think they have at least one chance of surviving.”

Kael looked at Rosana again.

He had always regarded those who could not fight as nothing more than burdens that needed to be protected.

But perhaps there was another way.

Kael watched Rosana with a heavy gaze as she smiled brightly and pushed Vanessa forward.

Rosana was breathing hope into this expedition.

And into Kael himself.

Rosana.

That was probably why Kael could not take his eyes off her.

Kael turned to leave, but then stopped for a moment.

“Seraphine.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Something Rosana had muttered back in Rainford not long ago came to mind.

“Could you teach Lady Rosana how to use a sword? Just don’t devote too much of your time to her.”

“……I will try.”

Seraphine nodded stiffly.

Kael shook his head once, then roughly ran a hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes.

I never thought I would find myself thinking this way.

Kael gave a quiet order.

“And starting tomorrow, the non-combat personnel will train as well. Give the knights orders to divide them into groups so they can train, too. Start with basic physical conditioning.”

“Yes, my lord.”

If Rosana had kindled the spark of hope, Kael intended to breathe into it with all his strength.

He would not let that fire go out.

For some reason, the situation had turned out differently from the original story.

An order had been given for the non-combat personnel to begin training as well.

As for me, I was more than happy about it.

Vanessa was horrified, and some of the young ladies complained, but there was no one who could disobey the Crown Prince’s order.

Among those who volunteered to help with the training was Seraphine.

I had no idea why Seraphine had volunteered for something like this……

No, wait.

Maybe it was precisely because she was Seraphine.

As the female protagonist of this novel, Seraphine was the person who gave hope to the male protagonist, Kael.

It was almost like…… how should I put it?

Like pouring ice-cold soda into a stomach completely blocked by a giant sweet potato.

She was also the only person who could make Kael smile.

Whatever Seraphine did was always right.

Besides, even in the original story, Seraphine was one of the people who continued to care about the non-combat personnel until the very end.

She mourned their deaths and blamed herself for failing to protect them.

Perhaps this time, she had grown a little more than she had in the original story and persuaded Kael to start this training.

As expected of the female protagonist.

She even grows on her own.

She really is something else.

I looked at Seraphine with a proud smile, and then she spoke.

“There is also an order that anyone among the non-combat personnel who wishes to learn swordsmanship should be allowed to train with us. If there are any volunteers……”

“Me!”

Without realizing it, I shot my hand straight into the air.

Ahem.

Was my voice too loud?

Everyone who had been listening to Seraphine with dull, fish-like eyes turned to look at me.

I could hear Vanessa sigh.

What? Why?

There was only so much I could do training by myself.

Seraphine was talented enough that, as the story progressed—or rather, during the battles with the monsters—she would eventually awaken as a Sword Master.

Do they have any idea how rare a chance it was to learn from someone that skilled?

I slowly lowered my raised hand and stepped forward.

“I definitely want to learn, Knight.”

Seraphine stared at me intently.

Then she turned her head and looked over the others.

“Is there anyone else who wants to learn the sword?”

“……Do we really have to fight monsters? Even us?”

A sickly-looking man asked the question.

Judging by the fact that he was still wearing silk clothes, he seemed to be one of those who had not yet realized his situation.

“Let us meet His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince. I will strongly recommend that he assign guards to protect those who cannot fight. That seems much more likely to work than making us train. Surely His Imperial Highness would not abandon us.”

Hmm.

He was practically talking nonsense.

I clicked my tongue quietly.

Did that even make sense?

The non-combat personnel made up nearly half of the expedition.

If they wanted to protect people who could barely even run, most of the remaining combat personnel would inevitably have their movements restricted.

But the top priority of this expedition was not to escort them.

It was to exterminate the monsters.

To reclaim the sacred relics and, ultimately, protect this empire and the world.

To protect the empire from the monsters.

That was the purpose of this expedition.

I saw several nobles nodding in agreement.

They all had the dull expressions of people who seemed to think they had come on a leisurely sightseeing trip.

Tsk.

They would probably be the first to become monster food.

I quickly turned my head away.

It was better to pretend I did not know them at all.

“Those who wish to skip training may do so. His Highness said he would not force anyone who does not want to participate.”

“Did you not hear what I just said? There are things I need to suggest to His Imperial Highness……!”

Seraphine drew her sword without hesitation.