Episode 15: The Blood-Stained Princess ④ – The World as Seen by the Eyes of the Divine Bow II – Tragedy –

　The hero, or rather Al, is dead.

　Worried about myself, who had become depressed and withdrawn from the world because of my grief, my parents and sister came to check on my condition, but I was too weak to do anything, so I just laid there on my bed for days without getting up.

　Of course, I'm not the only one who is sad.
　Having been saved by the two of them at the time of their encounter, my older sister, who was especially close to Raoul, was also saddened by Al's death and was very worried about Raoul after Al took his own life.
　It was common knowledge that my sister was attracted to Raoul, and I think the only person who didn't know was probably Raoul.
　In particular, after Raoul lost the person he loved during his travels, she encouraged the dejected Raoul, and she would send her familiar bird to carry messages between her and Raoul. Even so, I think it's all Raul's fault, the insensitive and dense number two, for not making any progress at all…… Although by the end of the trip, it seemed like Raoul wasn't so downhearted.
　……I also know that my sister is secretly knitting a bracelet for Raoul.
　In the Elven Kingdom, women make bracelets with magical threads woven with their own magical power to gift to the man they love. The person who receives it then wears it on their wrist as a response to the other person.

　I spent some time crying, but I realized that crying wouldn't change anything, so I had my subordinates investigate the circumstances.
　It was strange that Raoul, Al's close friend and the Celestial Knight who was supposed to protect Al, let Al die. And when I learned the details of the matter, I could do nothing but frown.
　The childhood friend that Al loved gave herself to another man while we were traveling, and she got pregnant from him.
　Furthermore, it was confirmed that the people of the kingdom turned their backs on Al, accusing him of false allegations and crimes, and that Al was thrown away like an old rag when he was no longer of any use.
　……I think the events that piled up broke Al's heart and killed him.
　There must have been something else going on with Raoul too. I'm sure he wouldn't betray Al, but I don't know what his intentions were after that, or what he was thinking.

　Because I was being so indecisive, my older sister went to the kingdom to offer her condolences on behalf of our country, and when she came back she told me all about what was going on in the kingdom, and she told me that Raoul seemed to be brooding about something.
　……Well, that's to be expected. Al and Raoul were especially close among the party members, and they called each other buddy.
　
　They abandoned the very people who had saved them once their purpose was served. ……Oh, how foolish humans can be.
　So this is why my father and mother were troubled by my excessive sympathy for humans. At that moment, I realized that people are both beautiful and ugly.

　After hearing about my sister's return from the condolence visit, I gradually began to calm down, and when the time when I was crushed by my emotions ended and I became calm, I was able to think about my traveling companions.
　When she hears the news of Al's death, that sexually-perverted saint…… I'm sure she'll be sad, at least for appearance's sake. Her personality was a bit strange, but on the surface, she seemed like a saintly person, and she had a relatively normal way of thinking for a member of the party.
　Towards Al, who grew taller and more mature during our travels, she said, "At this rate, it's like he's in his fifties!!! " And at some point, she started crying for real, it was so disturbing that I ended up pulling away with Raoul. I was concerned to hear from my subordinate that relations with the church were deteriorating.

　About Roger…… That greedy bastard didn't seem to care that Al was dead.
　I think he's more concerned about his own position, honor, and money than anything else, and considering that he's affiliated with the Empire, I wonder if he's up to something behind the scenes…… or maybe not. I must not speak out of speculation. After all, we were traveling companions.
　
　It was still Raoul who was the cause for my concern.
　Although he was almost brokenhearted after losing someone dear to him during our journey, I think he valued protecting Al and the friendships he made with the party members.
　That's why I worry about what kind of emotions he's feeling right now.
　I was worried that he might be doing something strange because of the guilt he felt for letting Al die, and I was starting to make arrangements to send him a letter or go and see him in person, but then I found myself in a situation where I couldn't do that.
　
　――――The neighboring human kingdom of Tagal had been making moves to invade the Elven Forest.
　
　The Elven Kingdom is located in the forest, and it has had a long-standing relationship of repeated skirmishes with the neighboring human kingdom, which has been targeting the forest's resources.
　However, after the Demon King's army began to cause trouble in the world, they were attacked by the Demon King's army on numerous occasions, and the exhausted Duke of the Principality of Tagal came to the Elven Kingdom to ask for peace and help, and so, with the existence of a common enemy in the form of the Demon King, a mutual non-aggression pact was signed with the Elven Kingdom under the mediation of the “Hero”.
　After that, when the Principality was attacked by monsters, they were rescued by the Elven Kingdom and survived the attack by the Demon King's army, but as soon as the threat of the Demon King was gone and the mediator hero was gone, they showed their greed and turned their backs on us. What a truly ungrateful bunch.
　……Looking back, it seems that my father was thinking about the possibility that this might happen, and that's why he limited the support he sent to the rescue effort to archers and magicians who could attack from a distance, so as not to endanger the soldiers of the Elven Kingdom.

　I heard that the kingdom was destroyed while the Tagal people were making disturbing movements like that. Apparently, a new threat, a dragon king called Hroboros, emerged and laid waste to the kingdom.
Just before that, several friends from the kingdom who were close to the hero party, including to me, were sent to the Elven Kingdom. It seems that this was something that my sister was asked to do by Raoul…… My sister is weak when it comes to Raoul's requests, so I was also happy that a person close to me was saved, even though it was a pleasant surprise.

　One night, when my sister came to my room to chat, I pointed out that I thought she was a bit too soft and easy on Raoul, and she told me while her face turned bright red, even her ears were red.

"Raoul-sama is…… Because he is a person who shoulders many things. Maybe it's because he has a strong sense of responsibility, but he tries to do what he has decided he should do, even if he has to push himself to do it. ……That's why I'm worried, and I want to support him. If there is anything I can do to help, I want to help."

"Why don't you just tell Raoul that? I mean, if you had the chance to talk alone with Raoul after going to pay your respects, you should have taken it."

　I couldn't help saying it while giving my sister a reproachful look. Instead of telling me these things like this, give him the bracelet and then repeat back to him exactly what you just said. I wouldn't mind calling Raoul “brother-in-law” if that's what it takes.
　Speaking of which, after the kingdom fell, my sister became worried when she stopped receiving letters from Raoul, and she went to look for him several times with the knights who served as her bodyguards.
　……I don't know if he's taking a detour somewhere, but I don't think he's the kind of guy who would die so easily, so I don't think there's anything to worry about.

　And even as the tension with Tagal increased, there were also some good things. The baker uncle who escaped from the kingdom started baking bread in the Elven Kingdom.
　In this country, people don't have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, so I think he might be doing it as a hobby, but he bakes delicious bread and gives it away.
　The baker, Mouja-san, was a long-time acquaintance of Raoul's who had helped him out in the bakery while he was living in the kingdom and before he became an adventurer.
　Our other friends who have come to seek asylum also seem to have blended in with life in the Elven Kingdom, and at times like this, I think I am grateful for the way of thinking of the Elves, who do not discriminate or make distinctions between the lives of all living things in this forest.
　So after I've finished my daily rounds, I usually drop by Mouja-san's place to pick up some bread and have a chat, which has become my secret pleasure of late.
　There are many things to talk about, but I often find myself worrying about Raoul and my sister.
　Both Father and Mother have expressed their approval of a relationship with Raoul, so I'd like to see my sister push him a little harder.

"I lost my wife and child to an epidemic. That's why I want to make a huge top-class wedding cake for Raoul and the princess."

"Uedingu Keeki? I've never heard of that before."

"I heard from Raoul once…… I hear that they serve a decorated baked confection with that name at weddings. So, it seems that there is a custom where the bride and groom hold the knife together and cut it."

"Haha, that's a good idea. I wonder if Raoul and my sister will be slicing baked sweets with the celestial sword together. That's really interesting!! I'll definitely request you for the wedding."

　Just as I was getting excited with Mouja-san, a soldier who was looking for me ran in.

"Falty-sama, Princess Luqur has been kidnapped by Tagal!! "

　It seems that Tagal's troops, who had invaded the forest, had abducted my sister. Although there were guards present, most of them were killed, and one of the surviving guards died after reporting the situation.
　In addition to the dead bodies of the killed guards, there were also the dead bodies of the soldiers under the command of the Tagal monarchy at the scene of the kidnapping.
　When I finished talking with Mouja-san and returned to the castle, the generals were discussing how to rescue my sister, who had been taken by the enemy, but I thought that I could just rescue her by surprise attack on my own, and that I could easily find out where she was by tracking her magical power.

　I jumped up and sat on the Sovereign Lunar Bow, ignoring the voices calling out to me to stop, and followed the trail of my sister.
　……The place where my sister was taken was a fort near the border. I believe that the prince of Tagal was commanding this fort, but since he has kidnapped the princess of a country, he must be prepared to suffer some losses.
　I could feel my sister's magical power deep within the fortress, so I confirmed that she had been brought here, and then I bombed the fortress from high altitude using the power of the divine bow. The fort was blown up with a loud bang, but the firepower was controlled to the extent that no one was killed.
　After entering the fort through the hole I had made, I found my sister and saw a scene that made me want to cover my eyes.

　―――Luqur-anesama, who had been kidnapped, was in a tragic state to behold.

　There were signs of her body being ravaged by the men, with parts of her body missing and being completely naked.
　Her beautiful face was swollen and her eyes were crushed, she was barely alive, as her chest moved up and down slightly. She had been subjected to the utmost humiliation, and her dignity had been completely taken away.

"Sister……"

　In front of such a scene, that was all I could say. I knelt down, trembling at the sight of her, and held my sister's body, who was unable to get up by herself anymore, in my arms. My sister spoke a few words.

"Kill me."

　I can't do it, I don't want to do it, but I held my sister in my arms as the tears flowed, and I could feel her magic slowly fading away along with her body heat. No, don't go, I don't want you to go, sister. My sister murmured in response to my lamentations.

"I want you to tell that person that I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise――――"

　And finally, after calling out my name with an “I love you, Falty,” all the magical power left her body and she died.

　―――I was robbed of my beloved elder sister.

　She was taken away from me so suddenly and so unfairly. This was more than enough to make me cross the final line that had been holding me back…… So I shed tears and howled, staining my clothes bright red with my sister's blood.

"I won't forgive it…… How dare you put my sister through this? I'll kill you!! I'm going to kill every last one of you in this fort!!!!!!! "

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 ToC  

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