I felt as if the flesh of my body and the bones of my body had been twisted into a hard knot.

　Perhaps it was because of the cold air of the dead snow. My joints did not bend properly and I could not get up. His eyelids fluttered open, leaving only his exhalation hot.

　What the hell is going on now?

　I've seen with my own eyes how the heat of the Fire Alert burned Valerie. But my memory is hazy from there. What happened after that? Who died and who survived?

　My blurred vision slowly came back into focus and reflected the scene in front of me. It was only then that I realized I was lying on my back in the forest.

　There, at the edge of my vision. I saw silver hair. Kuro and blue as well. Oh, so they're here.

　--I closed my eyelids.

　As much as possible, I try not to breathe hard and pretend I'm sleeping peacefully. I hoped the white mist wouldn't blow up.

　I know. This is not the time. I should be trying to assess the situation immediately.

　But human instinct is a great thing. It's telling me that if I open my eyes right now, something bad is going to happen.

　At the very least, I'll probably break a neck or two. That's what I was thinking.

　And yet. I don't know what's going on, but if these three are here... I'm sure everything won't turn out badly. That's who they are. I have that much faith in them.

　I keep my eyes closed and listen to my surroundings. Something soft brushes my throat. I hear a voice whispering something to me.

　What the hell is that? A finger or something.

"-throat breathing is shallow. You're awake. Well, you've got some nerve in front of me, huh?

　It was Kalia's voice, clear and dignified. Oh, yes, it was. She can do this kind of thing.

　My heart thumped hard. She felt eyes all over her body. Not just Kalia's, but multiple ones. A wave of hot stares. A cold crawl up my spine.

　He clears his throat. He closed his eyes and gracefully raised his hands. A huge sigh escaped from the people around me. His joints were creaking.

What the hell are you doing? I don't blame you for being here. I think I know you a little better than that, don't you?

　When I opened my eyes, I saw Fialaat saying this with her glossy black hair. His expression was tight, but his lips were gentle. There was no hint of reproach in her words.

　But when I looked into his round eyes, I felt a tug on my cheeks.

　The eyes of Fialaat are not smiling at all, despite his expression. I could see that he was holding a lot of unbearable emotions in his heart. The same goes for Kalia.

"...... Well, here we are. I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that if I were you.

　Erdis said, his blue eyes narrowed as he looked out at the forest.

　Some distance away, she could see the enemy's cavalry deployed in the open. For the moment, they seemed to be on the lookout for a surprise flank attack from the enemy rather than an attack on any part of the city.

　With Elddis supporting me, I looked around and finally began to understand the situation.

　In short, the Gazarian reinforcements that he had requested by letter had arrived in time. That's why the Garristo soldiers have retreated and are investigating whether there are any other ambushers, in other words, they are trying to gain a foothold.

　Yes, footholds. To kill us. To take down Jail Bella.

　The reinforcements have made things better, but they haven't changed the game. The Garlist soldiers, and Valerie, are still in control of this place. The situation was still the same.

It's not like you're going to be able to get away with it. You're not going to tell me you're going to charge into enemy territory like that, are you?

　Erdis says, stroking my cheek as he cradles my upper body. People do whatever they want because they can't move their bodies.

　I open my mouth and expose my dry throat to the cold wind. He raises his body, but only slightly. A strange fatigue washed over me.



Yes, of course. I've already taken care of it. Now we just have to wait for the results.

　That's a lot of confidence," Fialaert said. He didn't sound suspicious of my words, but he did sound somewhat surprised.

　Fialaat, you didn't really think I was just going to storm into Jail Bella on a whim, did you?

　No, there's no denying that, considering everything that's happened. At least not this time.

　There was no point in keeping Valerie here, even if she was a hero. The Garrisons are a power, albeit a diminished one. It's not so soft that it will wither and die even if you shake its branches a little.

　So it will take a great fire to weaken it. A fire so big that it creaks to the core. And the only thing that could stop it was Valerie, the storm.

"They missed their chance. They could have dropped Jail Bella, they could have killed me, but they didn't do either.

　Then we're screwed. Opportunity and predicament are two sides of the same coin. If you let one side slip away, the other side will show up. When I was an adventurer in the past, I was hurt many times. I didn't have the luck or the ability to take advantage of opportunities.

　But this time it's different. I'm going to get my fingertips stuck in the mud, even if it means drowning in humiliation.

　My lungs were pumping like crazy. Kalia's silver eyes narrowed as she looked at my profile. What, you got something to say?

No, I just think you look like you're having the most fun when you're playing tricks. I'm fine with it, if that's what you want.

　That sounds like a very understanding thing to say. I'm no more understanding than anyone else. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.


　◇ ◇ ◇


　In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a number of things you can do. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

　Perhaps it was because she had left the realm of the wizard. The flames caused by the battlefield magic itself were extinguished. However, it did not prevent all the erosion inside. We had to let them store up their magic little by little to repair themselves.

　However, that was not the reason why she was taking the time to create a camp. Valerie can repair herself in the middle of a battle if necessary. I'm just waiting for information. Repairing the magic armor is just a side note.

　And so the wait was over.

　His second-in-command, Neymar, approached Valerie with some papyri in his hands. He looked up, made eye contact, and nodded as if to encourage her to speak.

I have something to report. I'm sorry to inform you, but we've identified a group of what appears to be elves deep in the forest. Their size is at most a thousand. There has never been an Elven settlement in this area. They're probably from the Hanging Gardens of Gaza. They do not appear to be actively engaged.

　The report was sincere, yet basic. Valerie nodded her head in satisfaction and opened her eyes. He didn't want to pursue anything further with Neymar.

　Valerie had known Neymar for a short time, but she understood his honest nature. That's what Valerie likes about him.

　It is likely that the information she has just given you has been gathered from a number of sources, and she has extracted only what she considers to be accurate. Neymar has the talent to do this quickly.

　So, Valerie says, take the information as true.

"We're going to mount a siege on Jailbird Vera. You know what that means, Lieutenant Neymar.

　For a moment, Neymar's eyelashes fluttered in dismay, but then his expression hardened and he nodded broadly.

You're going to drag the Elven Guard out of the forest, aren't you?

　Valerie nodded and placed the repaired magical armor on her shoulders. Valerie nodded and placed the repaired armor on her shoulders. The armor twisted around her body as if it had a will of its own.

　The elven legions are a threat only when they hide in the woods. Shadows become traps, archers devour horses.

　But when they meet on the plains, they are no match for their own generals. That's why the one to beat is Jail Vera. Then you can deal with them in any way you like.

　If the elves come out of the forest during the siege of Jail Bella, good. Then we'll turn on our heels and kill them. If they don't, so be it, and Jail Bella will fall by your own hand. A siege against an opponent who has lost his commander is easier than twisting the hand of a baby.

I'll deal with the sorcerer and the silver-haired swordsman. "I'll deal with the sorcerer and the silver-haired swordsman. The rest of you stay out of this. The great evil... will not move.

　The only thing that comes to Valerie's mind now is all the powerful people she's met. If she comes out, it's too much for a general to handle. It was necessary for me to cut off their heads. As for the great evil Lugis, he would probably not appear on the battlefield, he was so badly injured.



　Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Valerie saw Neymar's reaction to those words. He stood up straighter and seemed to be even slightly nervous.

"What, acquaintance?

　At Valerie's question, Neymar rolled his eyes in surprise. I'm sure you've heard of him.

"...... perhaps. I've heard of a similar appearance at the Battle of Sarnio. And the great evil is the one who made me taste the bitter defeat.

　The look on Neymar's face as he said this was not one of bitterness, but rather one of passion. I guess you could call it enthusiasm or aspiration.

　I like this kind of honest and straightforward side of her. Valerie even smiled and was about to say a few words.

　At that moment, there was a rush of sound. Footsteps. And a strange, impatient one at that.

　A messenger. He leapt to Valerie's side, out of breath. His voice was broken and his exhausted appearance showed that he had been riding for days.

　The messenger did not look like Valerie's silver-rimmed blue general.

　--They were Royal City's messengers.