Chapter 3 Part 2
Chapter 3, Part 2: Idle Talk: The guardian talks alone.
As Milimos disappeared beyond the trees in the forest, I made a bonfire and stuffed the branches of fresh wood with leaves into the fire.
Thick gray smoke rose and drifted towards the sky through the gap in the forest.
After watching that scene, I smiled at Princess Parubera.
"I have raised the signal fire. The knight who will come to pick you up should arrive soon."
"Thank you. It's something I should do myself."
"No, no. Helping young people is the duty of an old man. I won't spare myself for such a job."
With my words, Princess Parubera smiled with a mixture of loneliness.
"This old man said the same thing. Protecting the path of a princess born in the sacred knight state of Mudo Beniornatal is his mission. Today's debut according to the royal custom, he came with me and protected me with his life..."
Gently touching the arm of the knight who would no longer move, Princess Parubera said sorrowfully.
I also felt something poignant at the end of the knight, even though my position was different.
As the two of us were getting solemn, the forest suddenly became chaotic.
The source of this sound is not the soldiers of the empire. No good can come from making noise and advancing through the forest.
In that case, they must be soldiers or knights of the knight country.
Since the princess is left behind on the battlefield, they should come quickly for her recovery.
I moved away from Princess Parubera and the knight's corpse, and sat on the ground, as if taking a break, to show that there was no malice.
Before long, a knight on a white horse appeared.
The gentleman, dressed in full armor and emitting the radiance of holy magic from his body, had discovered the dead knight and Princess Parubera after seeing the signal fire.
"Princess Parubera! Are you alright?"
The knight who dismounted and approached was familiar to Princess Parubera, and a brightness appeared on her face.
"Famiris! You came to help me!"
"When it comes to the princess's plight, it's Famiris! I am prepared to go even to the depths of the underworld!"
The knight Famiris knelt in respect.
It was a bit late for me to realize that the face under the helmet was that of a woman, whose voice was muffled.
It seemed that Famiris also noticed that I was observing her, and she looked back through the gap in her helmet.
"Princess, who is this?"
"He helped me with the funeral for grandfather and also lit the smoke signal."
"Is this a funeral ceremony performed by the empire's people?"
"I don't think so. He came from another country to work here. If he picks up and brings back the empire's weapons, he can get paid."
Internally, I was worried about how to explain Princess Parubera's words from the perspective of the Holy Knight Kingdom, as they could be considered acts of aiding the enemy. While struggling with this issue, I bowed my head in a gesture that would be perceived as a villager's, without showing any expression or words.
Famiris then removed a leather bag from her waist and tossed it to my knees.
"I'll give you this. Instead of indulging in the vile practice of scavenging corpses, go back to your own country."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
As I picked up the leather bag with both hands and raised it while expressing gratitude, Princess Parubera objected.
"Famiris, isn't that attitude a little too much for someone who helped us with grandfather's funeral?"
"Your Highness, this is a battlefield. There are many people who attack unexpectedly while wearing a friendly face. It is natural to be cautious and not approach recklessly."
"But--"
I stopped Princess Parubera from speaking out. If she supported us too much, Famiris would become more suspicious of us.
"No, Princess. It is sufficient that we have received this. Oh, I forgot to mention, there are also the remains of your country's soldiers a little way off," I said, changing the subject to talk about corpses.
The knight, Famiris, seemed troubled at the mention of corpses. "Hmmm. My horse has enough leg strength to carry three people in armor, but with four people..."
It seemed that she wanted to retrieve the soldiers' remains, but due to weight limitations, it was impossible.
"In that case, let's light a new signal fire where the soldiers' remains are, and it would be better for the knight and princess to return home first with the remains there. I am not the only one who will come to collect the Empire's weapons."
"I see! Thank you for doing that!" exclaimed Famiris, her voice muffled within his helmet.
Famiris then placed the soldier's remains on the horse's saddlebags, picked up Princess Parubera, and mounted the horse.
"Well then, old man! May the blessings of heaven be bestowed upon your good deeds!" Famiris said, leaving with Princess Parubera.
Parubera seemed to want to say something, but she tightly pressed her lips together, probably to avoid biting her tongue while the horse galloped at an incredible speed.
Well, well, that was one huge headache of a problem, dealing with the princess of the Holy Knight Country. Finally, it was over.
When I stood up from the ground with the leather bag handed to me, I suddenly heard the sound of rustling grass and a human voice.
"It seems the princess was able to return safely," said the voice. It was Lord Milimos, who was holding a bow and arrows that seemed to have been taken from the corpse of an imperial soldier.
Perhaps if Famiris had done something foolish, Milimos would have shot him with an arrow.
"Lord Milimos, please don't startle an old man like me. I didn't sense your presence at all."
"It's a technique of the divine art I discovered recently. It's a technique to hide one's presence. By minimizing the divine power emanating from the body, one can create an absence of presence like that of a plant."
Milimos-sama's figure, saying things like this, seemed to blend into the scenery for me, as if it were a mirage.
It would probably be mistaken for just a part of the landscape, unable to distinguish it from a person, just because it flashed by in the corner of my vision, but now it is firmly within the center of my field of view, which is good.
Seeing such extraordinary talent firsthand, one could easily understand that Milimos-sama was indeed a genius.
It is regrettable that being a seventh prince and having his talent focus solely on combat, with magic and divine arts, is his only specialty.
If his talent had been manifested in politics or arithmetic, there might have been a call for him to be the next king, but it's not worth considering.
Since Milimos-sama has no desire to become a king, his ambition is to master magic and divine arts. It was precisely because of his lack of ambition that our king placed him in the position of marshal, the pinnacle of military affairs.
Taking a deep breath to change my mood, I decided to return to acting.
"Well then, Mimo. Let's light a signal fire next to the corpses of the soldiers of the Holy Knights' country while gathering the equipment of the Imperial soldiers."
"Got it, grandpa. As soon as we light the signal fire, let's retreat from the forest. What should we do after that?"
"Even if we have a lot of equipment, it'll just be a hindrance. Let's choose only the ones in good condition, and return the rest to the Empire."
"Money doesn't grow on trees, so it's not good to waste it. But we can't be seen trying to steal weapons, right?"
"That's why you go on ahead and make your way back. We'll catch up after buying some food for the journey."
"Is it okay to take a roundabout way back, like we talked about before?"
"That's right. The road we used when we came passed through the enemy country. Since that country is connected to the Empire, there is a risk of being suspected of having Imperial equipment."
"Got it. Well then, let's hurry up and gather everything. When I looked into the crystal earlier, I saw that the other scavengers have already started their activities. If we don't light the signal fire soon, the bodies of those soldiers from the Knight Country might be violated."
With his intelligence that belies his age of twelve, Milimos-sama not only understood our intentions, but also expressed his own opinions.
Indeed, a terrifying individual, I thought with a wry smile, as I and Milimos-sama set about stripping the equipment off the Imperial soldiers.