30. Secret of the Indifferent

After recapturing the Eratus citadel, the VI Brigade quickly caught up with the field army I.

They rested at the edge of the Radix forest before proceeding deeper.

We and a few other soldiers were resting in a medium sized tent.

Lustre sat leaning against my back. The girl's voice was still trembling.

"Cecile… those demons, one of them could be my family, my relatives, right?"

I turned around to hug her skinny body.

"Maybe so. But now we have Albert. I'm sure he meant well."

Her gaze sank, an unspeakable pain sprouting in her fading smile.

"I brought some cookies… My mom loves it a lot, she always compliments me every time I make cookies. Although it seems that the people in the village don't think it's that delicious."

In the withered palm were a few crumbs.

"It's really delicious... Thank you, Lustre."

The poor woman hugged me tightly and wept.

For them, who were turned into demons, the memory of the tormented feeling will always linger in their hearts.

Albert's voice echoed into the tent, but even though he tried to hide it, I could still feel his rapid breathing.

"Is there anyone named Cecile here, everyone?"

Telling Lustre to sit back and rest, I got up and walked out of the tent.

The man took my hand and pulled me behind a large tree.

"They're coming… We're being watched."

He pulled out a knife, the pattern of which immediately reminded me of an assassin named Edan.

"I found this knife stuck in the horse I used to come here… and a piece of paper."

That piece of paper was written in Sacred Letter, which ordinary people couldn't read.

What is ominous is that the Sacred Letter is only used by the Saintess Zerciel or the Elites of the nobility.

We were engaged in some secret important enough to make us their concern.

In the middle of the night, soldiers discovered a small legion marching deep into the forest.

They seem to be soldiers of the Lieramus Kingdom.

General Eis was quickly informed of this news.

A person who witnessed the whole family being slaughtered by demons, and then turned into one of them, had to live in the feeling of torment and madness that always existed in the heart.

Such a person should not have chosen to live on.

But in the depths of that broken heart, I found myself.

I see a long-rotted family, a brother losing reason, an emotionless father and a woman.

We love her more than anyone. But she was always extremely helpless before her husband.

Lustre trembled and gripped my hand tightly. Tears rolled down her hollow cheeks.

"Cecile… we're in the middle of a battlefield. I am just a farmer in a poor village. What can I help? You're a good person, Cecile. I don't want to see you die!"

My fingers wiped away the poor woman's tears.

Everyone is afraid of death… I'm just an ordinary girl, with no training, nothing.

By the time we realized it, it was too late.

I could lose my life at any moment on the battlefield, which just a few days ago seemed so strange to think of.

Albert stood near from us, muttering something, then spoke back.

"I will do anything to protect you two. It's not like I'm trying to be a hero or anything."

I looked up at him.

"How am I supposed to repay you if you keep doing this, take care of yourself first, idiot."

"Right, take it. Luckily for you two, I carry more than just a gun."

General Eis ordered two artillery brigades led by Brigadier General Ferich to advance, forming a formation of two small-scale wings to cover the forest.

Archers will take advantage of the jungle and foggy terrain to shoot down enemies from a distance.

Currently minimizing the maximum damage received in terms of numbers is the most important thing, the cavalry will not attack before being ordered.

I led Lustre onto the horse. We were ordered to circumnavigate the southeastern part of the forest, where it was not ambushed by the Lieramus soldiers.

"Do you mind if I come along? It would be unacceptable of me if I knew Cecile was here and not protect the Scottfield family's special daughter."

Marquis Ress rode towards us, followed by many soldiers.

"I need to speak to Lady Cecile here for a moment, you guys guarding the tents before we leave." – Ress said to the soldiers.

The marquis also asked me to call Albert.

"Did you two make new friends? This girl is?"

Albert quickly changed the subject. Regarding Lustre's identity and the experiment, we decided to keep it a secret.

"Can you get to the point sir? We still have to leave soon."

"Ah yes, right. I know about you two before, including your experiment, Albert. Or rather…"

Albert suddenly drew his rapier and pointed it directly at the Marquis's throat, his face was unreadable.

So he really has an identity he doesn't want anyone to know? He, to me have never been so trustworthy, and there must be something hard to accept behind the aristocracy.

"Knowing too much is certainly not good for you, Marquis. But, what do you mean by us?"

Ress let out a small laugh, and he looked at me again with those pitying eyes, just like when we met at the Sanctuary.

"I have my reasons, but for the sake of you and Raymond's secrets, I have to pretend to be indifferent before the eyes of the Scottfields and the Holy Kingdom. I want to help Albert, and you too, Cecile."

Lustre's hand had been gripping me tightly ever since she saw the Marquis, a fear-like feeling appeared on the girl's face.

It was hard to believe what he was saying, but from the unusual reactions of someone as calm as Albert, I was sure that Ress wasn't making up stories.

Lustre whispered in my ear.

"Cecile, I don't trust this man. I feel like I want to tear him apart. But just looking at him makes me want to vomit…"