Chapter 28: The other princess
1947 Words
“I apologize for earlier… But I think you were in deep trouble earlier. That’s why I helped.”
“Are you thinking of me as someone weak?”
“N-No… Someone who dares to fight a dragon is formidable enough. Your strength and sword weren’t enough to kill that dragon. You’re sword broken… without any weapon to use, how are you going to defeat that flying lizard?”
“Well…”
The girl was speechless and biting her tongue. She turned her back on us for a brief moment to think. After that, she turned back and said,
“Umm… You got me there… I was indeed in a dire position earlier… Thank you for saving me. Are you four travelers from another continent?”
“Yeah, I’m Eula and those four are my companions. The light brown-haired girl is named Hanayuki… The catgirl is Cake, together with her siblings Rasp and Berry.”
“Rasp… Berry… Cake… Sounds delicious. Their mother must love that cake.” She started drooling. Turning her glance at me. “Hanayuki? It's a weird name.”
“I’m a fox, not a cat!”
I know my name is weird, please don’t spell it too much on me. Saying that in our first meeting is quite rude.
“Since you’ve introduced yourself, it would be rude if I didn’t tell you my name. My name is Audrey. As you can see, I’m a knight. It's a secret but I’m traveling with someone very important.”
If it was a secret, why are you telling us?
“We are kinda in the same boat… I’m traveling with Prin...”
Before I finished my sentence, Eula took my mouth close by placing her palm. She drags me away and puts her mouth near my ears.
“We can’t just tell them that I was the princess. We’re on a different continent after all. The Draculon kingdom has misunderstandings with the Arsland kingdom. It's a huge problem if people find out that I’m the princess. Who knows what they do to me?”
She is a knight and probably working in the kingdom. Eula is making sense out of me.
“ We were traveling with Princess Eula.”
“She is so pretty!”
Rasp and Berry told Audrey with a bright smile.
Eula and I were shocked at what we heard.
“The princess? Eula? Meaning, you’re one of the princesses in Ireland.”
“That’s right, she is the princess of Arsland.”
Cake replied.
The catgirl and her siblings had already exposed Eula. Is there a space for a comeback? Can she explain? Looking at her panicked face, I bet she couldn’t think straight anymore.
If something funny happens, I’m prepared to move and fight. Eula is a good person. I don’t want her to face something terrible. Audrey doesn’t have a weapon on her body. Based on what we saw earlier in her battle with the dragon. She was a sword skill user. Without a word, she might be useless on the battlefield.
The tension in the air rose.
Eula snapped out and had her eyes focused on Audrey.
Audrey then speaks…
“Then we’re in the same boat after all… I’m a companion of Princess Noah. Currently, Princess Noah is in the country ahead of this rock canyon.”
Princess Noah was Eula’s sister.
Princess Eula's eyes sparkled and she held both of Audrey’s hands.
“Really?! Big sister Noah is here! It's been a while since I met her. I can’t wait to meet her and have a conversation with her again.”
I made a big sigh of relief knowing that Audrey wasn’t an enemy. Overall, she seems to be a nice girl.
The excited princess Eula follows Audrey toward the place where the other princess was staying. The current country princess, Noah, is staying under her control and protection right now. According to Audrey,
For an outsider to gain such forces outside her kingdom means that she might be powerful enough to lead them.
Maybe it's to be expected with royalty like them.
Eula had earlier used powerful magic but she didn’t break a sweat. Royalty and normal people have their differences. Royalties are all born with wealth and a huge pool of magic inside of them. From the very start, when they are born in this world, they are considered winners. Meanwhile, normal people are born with less magic. Worse, some people can’t use magic at all.
People aren’t born equal.
But people constructed ways to make people feel equality. For example, Audrey might have trouble using her magic. Maybe she has less magic than average. That’s why she uses skills instead of magic.
Skills only rely on users' energy instead of their magical power inside their bodies. Skills aren’t magical but strong enough to compete with magic. A Swordsman and a Wizard always quarrel.
From my perspective, there is no way a sword would win against magic. Sword arts could kill one person, but magic arts could kill ten people swiftly. That’s how big their difference is. Magic users always have the advantage.
“This is princess Noah’s base… The country of Filan.”
Audrey said before we stepped inside the gate. Entering the country, I was surprised at what I saw.
Right at the side of the gate was a thin man. Malnourished and had a lifeless expression on his face. The houses aren’t grand. The houses around were constructed with plywood put together. Stormy weather or heavy rain could destroy this house. Walking around, we saw kids looking at us. Looking like they are begging for something. Clothes were tarnished and dirt on their bodies.
This country is very poor.
Berry stopped walking and took something from her pocket. She ran toward the little girl on the side ally and give her the candy. The other girl had her eyes glittering in happiness when receiving the candy from the sweet girl.
“You can have that.”
“Thank you very much.”
I was proud of Berry for helping the other girl.
But…
“Can I have some too?”
“Hey, do you still have some candy?”
“No fair!”
“Give me some candy!”
A dispute started around Berry. Kids… Not even adults are surrounding her fight for just one candy. The other girl who had given her the candy ran away as fast as she could. Because other kids are trying to take the candy away from her.
The other girl lost insight. The only one remaining was Berry. The attention of all the people was focused on her.
“Give us food!”
“Give us something!”
A man held Berry’s shoulders together and shouted:
“You’re just a beast, man! How dare you look at me like that! Slaves!”
*Smack!* Cake fist connected to the man’s face. Give off a nice sound. Cakes were furious and aggravated at what she had just heard.
“Beast men are no slaves! Get out of my sight or else I’ll cut you down using my claws.”
Threatened, the man ran away in fear. Audrey stepped in and glared down at the kids and other people around us.
“Out out of my sight… Rats.”
Not a hint of respect was heard from Audrey's voice. Her voice turned vile. It's a complete 180 from the cheerful voice she used earlier.
The glare Audrey used was enough to make everyone back off and run away. People were wiped out and no one is on our path anymore.
“... I'm sorry about that… Those rats are so useless. We have trouble with how we are going to treat them.”
“How could you treat them like that?”
Eula asked.
“What? It's normal.”
“There is nothing normal about what you just did. Calling them rats and the glare you just did. You made a serious killing intent earlier. You glare at them as if you wanted to kill them.”
“I’m not going to hide it… I want them dead. The reason is that they are not chosen. Only people chosen by Master Noah are allowed to live. The only one who is allowed to step into the Ark.”
From above, the sunlight was blocked by a huge object. Not just an ordinary object. A giant ship floating in the sky. The ship landed in the center of the country, creating a heavy wave of wind.
“Oh! They are back at perfect timing… Princess Eula will meet my master… That is the main basis of Princess Noah. The vessel that will save everyone. The Noah’s Ark.”
Eula, without pause, immediately made her move.
“Earth magic: Stone Rise!”
Accompanied by her chant was the shaking on the ground. Rasp and Berry hug their sister. From the ground, a huge towering stone appeared launching from the place where it was standing.
From the sky, the princess landed directly on the front deck of the Ark. I followed her next and caught the three beastmen.
With a face full of disgust, Eula yelled.
“What are you doing to these people?! Big sister Noah!”
“ An unexpected visitor… I never thought that we'd be going to see each other here, Eula.”
A woman with long silver hair. She is beautiful, like Eula. Wearing a ship captain's clothes and on her was a long white saber. Standing in front of Eula, I felt it…
*Shing!* The long saber was swiftly drawn from its sheath. Directly striking Eula’s neck. From the saber’s blade blood dripped down.
“... No need to answer your question because you’re dead.”
“Who's dead?”
I said.
“.…”
“Trying pulling your sword away from Eula.”
She does as I say. She was surprised at what she saw. The long saber blade was broken and it only scratched Eula’s neck.
She had already attempted to strike down Eula. In other words, she is an enemy. She might be Eula’s sister, but she is an enemy. The enemy needs to be eliminated.
I have to kill her.
I curled my fist and prepared myself for a combat stance.
“Are you going to attack me in this place?”
“What do you mean?”
Using her index finger, she pointed out the three best men behind me. All three of them are held hostage already by the knights serving Princess Noah.
“Tsk!”
I click my tongue knowing that I can’t do anything in the current situation.
“You caught me by surprise, but there is no way you could defeat me. The hostage is just a backup plan.”
“Then, why don’t we try it right now?”
I said with a taunting voice.
She is already standing behind my back.
What happened? When did she move from her position? I’m puzzled. If someone moves very fast, the air and the space around me are supposed to adjust a little bit.
“Ice-cold blade.”
My stomach was ripped open. Inside my wound ice crystals emerge.
The skin where she slashed her sword was turning black. I was affected by the frostbite effect.
“There is no way you can defeat me… Because God chose me.”
My body wasn’t moving the way I wanted. She raised her sword and, using the hand, she smacked my head. Before I fell to the ground. I saw Eula and the others looking with worried faces.
I got lost… I couldn’t do anything.
I lost consciousness.
- Writer
