The scenery flowing past the window shimmered with a transparent glow in the warm sunlight.
The walls were finished with dark walnut wood, exuding a vintage feel, while a noble-patterned carpet softly enveloped my feet.
…Still, at least they booked the most expensive guest room. Cecilia sighed.
“What a ridiculous world. A train in the Middle Ages?”
With such technology, there should definitely be cars and guns too, right?
Cecilia gazed blankly out the window, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a realization struck her.
‘Is this really an exile destination?’
“Save the Gar’tan territory in crisis.”
Gar’tan was perhaps the most isolated region on the western front.
To send out an SOS from such a place must mean the situation was dire…
“Go out there alone?”
Leaving aside how much she didn’t want to go, how could she face the Duke of Gar’tan without feeling embarrassed?
“I’m the entirety of Windsor Knight Order’s support!”
Romantic as it sounded, war was no child’s play.
“…Should I run away?”
Cecilia felt gloomy.
But no matter what, refusing a royal command from the queen was impossible.
Even asking for just ten knights as support was turned down flat.
In the end, she had almost been thrown out, carrying only a travel bag, and boarded the “Western Train.”
She didn’t even remember how she packed her things.
“Sigh…”
Just a response to this hopeless situation.
‘…It takes three days round trip to the west. With the Sword Heroine’s specs, stabilizing the front line could take a year…’
Cecilia calculated calmly.
‘No solution in sight. …I have to use the Sword Monarch secretly. Then I can solve this within the week.’
Cecilia activated her happy thoughts as much as she could.
After all, if she finished this mission quickly, she would have free time afterward.
There was no way they’d work a cute knight who returned from battle to d*ath.
When she left, Kairon had looked ready to storm the palace in a fit of rage.
With her plan set, Cecilia quietly closed her eyes.
She might as well get plenty of sleep until arrival. And when they got there, she’d clear the dungeon called a war in record time.
“Sir, may I check your ticket?”
The station attendant politely said as he opened the door to room 6.
Inside sat a dignified middle-aged man and a somewhat youthful girl.
The man kept his eyes on the book, extracting his identification and ticket from inside his jacket.
After watching for a moment, the attendant accepted the ID politely.
Next, he checked the girl’s identity, then bowed and left.
“Are you a knight of Windsor?”
The man, who had been reading, asked, causing the dazed girl to flinch.
“Oh, I’m, um, a trainee.”
The man closed the book, stroked his beard for a moment, then extended his hand. The girl, still in a daze, grasped it.
“You’re working hard.”
“Th-thank you…”
“I’m Baron Belghast. Defensive Commander of the Gar’tan territory.”
The girl was taken aback, quickly standing and saluting.
“I-I’m Beatrice Schwarzpferd!”
Belghast leaned back comfortably, receiving the salute while crossing his legs.
“What luck it is to meet someone from Windsor in a place like this. On your way to the western front?”
‘What should I do? I missed my chance to speak.’
Beatrice gulped.
After returning from the dungeon with Cecilia, she had painfully realized, ‘Oh, this isn’t my path.’
She was headed back home to help her parents with farming.
Perhaps she was mistaken for a Windsor knight because of the clothes she was wearing.
The problem was that she had inadvertently answered ‘trainee’ because she was too shocked.
She had just graduated that morning, so her mind was all over the place.
‘It’s too late to clarify now… I’ll be fine, right? Gar’tan should be far less developed than our territory, after all.’
“No, I’ll be getting off before that. At the Schwarz territory.”
“On your way home? On a vacation, then?”
“…Yeah, something like that.”
Beatrice’s fair cheeks flushed slightly.
It was a bit embarrassing to admit she had failed and graduated without even making it as a trainee knight.
“That’s good to hear.”
“…What?”
“Not that it matters if a Windsor is on this train, but sharing the same compartment would be a problem.”
“…?”
“It’ll be noisy, so keep it quiet.”
Beatrice’s pupils widened. She tried to create a barrier with the Light’s Blessing, but it was a moment too late.
“…”
The man’s staff was already pressing into her knee.
“Y-you are…”
“You picked a nice compartment. Lucky you. You’ll likely be the last to d*e on this train.”
Cecilia, deep in sleep, slowly opened her eyes.
‘The scent of trouble.’
An instinct told her something was about to happen.
“…I’ll sleep some more.”
But Cecilia closed her eyes again.
A dreadful lethargy!
Having lost her only joy in life, the newbie, she had lost interest in everything!
‘The station attendant will handle it…’
Every attendant working here was an elite magician through and through.
She was sure it’d be fine without her interference.
Just as she sat there like a wilted weed—
Sniff, sniff.
What was this strange scent?
“…”
Her half-awake eyes fixed upon something. About four rows down, someone canceled their blessing midway.
“Light’s… Blessing?”
Hope gradually filled Cecilia’s empty gaze.
‘Newbie!’
With a start!
Cecilia hurriedly opened the door and dashed outside.
God hadn’t abandoned her yet!
As if dispelling her lethargy, Cecilia stepped with renewed energy.
“Sir, please stay still while the train is in motion… cough!”
Seeing some suspicious character, she delivered an uppercut. Normally, she’d interrogate, but now she just knocked him out and moved on.
[Room 406]
Thump.
Cecilia swallowed hard. The aura of a blessing could be felt right in the next room.
She cautiously opened the door.
“Eek.”
Inside was the adorable Beatrice, who looked ready to faint, staring at her.
‘…Thank goodness. She’s really here.’
Cecilia was moved to the point of wiping away tears while watching the man seated before Beatrice.
His warm gaze on her quickly turned cold.
“Boyfriend?”
“No…!”
Cecilia put on her most innocent expression again. Belghast briefly scanned Cecilia, then smiled faintly.
“How fortunate today is. To see not one, but two knights from the Windsor Order, all working tirelessly for this kingdom. I’m Baron Belghast, Defensive Commander of the Gar’tan territory.”
Defensive Commander of the front line.
Though his title was baron, his position was anything but trivial.
He was slightly above high-ranking knights of Windsor. It was no wonder Beatrice had saluted in shock.
However, Cecilia didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared right at him.
“…What’s wrong?”
“You must have made a mistake.”
“Huh?”
“The western front is currently a pretty dangerous place.”
“Ha ha. You don’t know, do you? Gar’tan is indeed in the west, but it’s quite detached, you see. That’s why as the Defensive Commander, I can join this central aristocratic meeting.”
“What a coincidence. I was on my way to provide support after hearing the news that Gar’tan was in danger.”
Of course, even if that hadn’t been the case, she would’ve sensed this man was up to no good.
His name wasn’t on the list of the central aristocratic meeting.
Soon, Belghast discarded his mask and laughed cruelly.
“Is that so? I was unaware. This kingdom might seem careless, but such information never leaks—”
He gestured toward Beatrice.
“But if you noticed, you should have tried to break my guard and launch a surprise attack. Or were you afraid of losing this knight? If you want, I’ll trade hostages…”
“Could you switch places with me?”
“What?”
Belghast looked taken aback.
“My seat’s first class, so it’s better than this one.”
‘It’s true.’
Cecilia earnestly made her appeal, but—
Sadly, the other party was disrespectful enough not to catch her hint.
“You crazy girl! d*e—!”
Belghast’s magic staff spouted flames. He firmly believed Cecilia would be reduced to ashes.
‘What sophisticated magic. Not easy to come by.’
Cecilia reached her hand out toward the incoming magic, leisurely.
‘Let’s show it only to Beatrice today since I’m in a good mood.’
A symbolic act any seasoned Dark Souls player should know how to do: parry. This game had it too.
However, Cecilia’s method of parrying was rather unconventional.
First, she calculated the acceleration and power of the opponent’s magic.
Then, she envisioned wrapping it with a blessing of just the right size.
After manifesting it, if she reached out her hand at just the right moment—
Thump.
“…!”
Cecilia lightly snagged the fireball with her bare hands.
She could see flames desperately trying to escape her white fist.
Contrarily to appearances, Cecilia felt a chill, not a warmth.
This was due to the perfectly implemented blessing of wind surrounding the flames—
Cecilia even demonstrated the skill of adjusting the blessing, expanding and retracting it in tune with the flames’ flickers.
“How…?”
But that wasn’t enough.
Generally, the skill of ‘parrying’ must have rewards upon success.
Without any merit, no matter how complicated the technique, it wouldn’t be appealing.
“It’s an explosive-type blessing. Such unique blessings are rare; not a bad talent you have.”
First, she praised her opponent, trying to induce some relaxation.
‘Now’s my chance.’
Cecilia twisted her ankle and quickly dashed forward.
The important point here was the magic she held in her hand.
It felt akin to carrying an egg yolk while running.
Too strong, and it’d explode; too weak, and it’d slip away.
But Cecilia was not one to make such beginner mistakes.
“Well done. Here you go.”
Cecilia neatly placed the magic into Belghast’s mouth while still holding on.
Gulp—!
“Ah, no, no!”
Belghast gagged, trying futilely to expel it. It was already too late; the magic had penetrated deep into his guts.
‘Huh.’
Cecilia shot an audacious glance at Beatrice.
‘Did you see that? This is me.’
But Beatrice was as pale as a ghost. There was not a hint of admiration on her face.
‘…Wait.’
In that moment, Cecilia realized she was overlooking something crucial.
Was it catching a glimpse of hope in an otherwise joyless timeline? Normally, she would never make such an egregious mistake.
‘I… questioning my potential for killing a crucial witness…?’
Exactly. The other party was merely ‘a suspicious individual.’
Someone who could potentially harm the kingdom.
To handle such a person with a modern mindset was a grave error.
Cecilia quickly drew her sword.
“I surrender!”
“…?”
“I-I’ll tell you everything! So please spare me!”
Belghast lay sprawled, begging desperately. Cecilia’s brow twitched.
In dire need, why would he choose this ambiguous position to beg?
Cecilia booted him and then elegantly spun her sword, stabbing towards his diaphragm.
Thwack—!
Cecilia felt the blade sinking deep and extinguished the magic that was about to explode.
After grabbing him by the collar, she looked at the target at a slight angle. Yep. The magic was safely nullified.
Throwing Belghast’s collar to the floor, she wiped her sword in the air.
Perfection itself.
Cecilia looked at Beatrice with a proud heart.
She had dealt with him in the most flawless manner. How about that? her eyes seemed to say.
But…
“Hick.”
Beatrice was even paler than before. She had actually curled up, trembling in fear.
‘Is she cold?’
Cecilia tilted her head. She might need to take her to her room later and cover her with a blanket.
