"This village too..."
On the road back to East Ridge City, Chouri had lost count of how many villages he had passed.
He had seen many dilapidated, nearly deserted villages by now, yet each new one still wrung his heart with pain and fury.
'The people are supposed to be the foundation of the nation...'
Seated in the carriage, clad in a heavy winter coat without a single decent piece of jewelry on him, Chouri's eyes glistened with unshed tears.
This trip to the imperial Capital had yielded almost nothing. Those with good intentions and noble aspirations were far fewer than he had imagined—he could scarcely count five in the entire court.
This desperate, utter isolation left him feeling powerless.
They simply didn't have enough voice or authority to make the Empire change. Forget going toe-to-toe with Honest; they couldn't even make a splash.
The golden-haired girl beside him saw her father's anguish and felt her own heart ache.
But back when Chouri had retired from public life to avoid suspicion, he hadn't allowed her to learn anything about politics.
Even the management of their territory had been handed over to Eblana.
The only thing Spear could truly offer was her martial prowess, which was no less formidable than that of their guard captain.
Even so, she offered comfort. "To return to that nest of vipers in the Capital for the sake of the people—I think a father like that is truly great!"
Yet, Chouri's heart was too heavy with gloom to be easily consoled. "This is no time for self-preservation. For the Empire's sake, I must fight that Minister to the bitter end."
Things had come to this. He knew he had to bring Eblana to the Capital.
Those officials who obeyed the Minister were just like him—crafty, self-serving schemers who prioritized profit above all. Given a large enough incentive, it wasn't impossible for them to turn against the Minister. Luckily, his own trip this time had been more about gauging the situation; he hadn't shown his hand.
That way, they wouldn't be overly wary of him. They'd likely see him as one of their own, just another vulture hoping to snatch a share under the current Emperor.
"Don't worry! I honed these skills precisely to keep you safe, Father!"
Spear declared confidently, giving the long spear in her hand a little lift. When talking about a field she loved and excelled in, she couldn't help but reveal a hint of girlish earnestness. It finally brought a smile to Chouri's face.
"Hahaha, having such a brave and mighty daughter fills a father with pride."
He stroked his beard. He'd had her late in life, and Spear had been nearly his sole source of pride all these years.
But after his laughter faded, he continued, "But don't forget. More important than protecting me is protecting Her Highness Eblana. She is the Empire's only hope for change."
Spear naturally knew of Princess Eblana's status. Her feelings toward the princess, four years her junior and practically a little sister she'd watched grow up, were rather complex.
There was an elder sister's affection for a younger one, but also a growing awe for the competent leader she was becoming.
Just as the two had begun to relax a little, the carriage abruptly came to a halt.
"What now?"
Anger flared on Chouri's face once more. "How many times is this? Even on a side road to the Capital, there shouldn't be this many bandits!"
Spear was also displeased that someone would block their way just as her father's spirits had lifted. But when she pulled aside the curtain, she and her father were both stunned by the sight.
Blocking their path wasn't a band of robbers, but merely three individuals.
Their caravan had over twenty people—aside from the father and daughter, all were guards. A convoy like this was hardly something three people could take down. Moreover, the trio were dressed finely, nothing like mountain bandits or thieves.
Something's wrong... This is very wrong!
"Father..."
Spear clenched her teeth.
"Don't act rashly, Spear!"
Chouri also faintly realized what was happening. At least one of the three opposite them must be a Teigu user. Or perhaps... all three were.
But if that were the case, it meant they were the Three Beasts under Esdeath's command... formidable even among Teigu users.
"Master! Young Mistress! You must flee from here at once!"
The guard captain positioned all his men before the carriage and simultaneously unhitched the horses from their harnesses.
Chouri didn't want to abandon them, but he knew better. He had to honor their resolve.
Even if he had to flee until he dropped from exhaustion, he had to escape. That was the best way to repay their conviction.
"I'll fight with you—"
"Spear!"
Spear, ready to fight to the death, was cut off by Chouri's sharp rebuke. She turned back in surprise, and seeing the pained expression on her father's face, she fell silent.
"Father...! Get on the horse!"
Knowing this was no time for willfulness, Spear said no more. Taking the reins, she helped Chouri onto the horse's back, then leaped up behind him.
"Hahaha, they still think they can get away, Daidara."
Seeing the movements of the caravan ahead, Nyau couldn't help but chuckle.
Daidara's Teigu, Belvaac, had the ability to pursue fleeing enemies. No matter how far they ran, Daidara would chase them to the ends of the earth without end, as long as his strength held.
"Swift action, excellent judgment."
As a former general, Liver viewed the professionalism of the guards before him with appreciation. For a group of ordinary men who had never seen a battlefield, they displayed remarkably strong discipline.
He wondered how they had been trained.
However, no matter how excellent, they were still just ordinary men.
"Daidara."
Liver glanced at the muscular giant beside him.
"Finally time to move? I can't wait to rack up more experience points."
The muscular man gave a light laugh, then charged fiercely into the midst of the guards. Moving at a speed the guards couldn't follow, he cleanly bisected the men before him.
Seven men died in the blink of an eye. Losing a third of their number in an instant plunged the remaining guards into terror, yet also sparked a faint, secret relief.
Thank goodness...
Thank goodness they had received the Second Young Mistress's 'blessing' before setting out.
Daidara killed all the guards within the span of two breaths. Even the guard captain was helpless against this superhuman strength.
But just as Daidara was about to add to his experience points and complete the mission, he suddenly saw purple flames erupting from the ground.
"What's going on...?"
The strange phenomenon confused Daidara. Then, the searing heat forced him to take several steps back from the corpses.
"What's happening...?"
This time, it was Spear who spoke. She had been about to dismount to cover her father's escape.
Liver, however, stared at the flame-engulfed corpses on the ground, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
"Deal with the targets quickly! Then retreat immediately!"
He urged, drawing his sword from his waist and charging straight toward Chouri and his daughter.
Yet, a soldier who should have been dead abruptly stretched out an arm, his spear thrusting directly into Liver's path.
Forced to halt, Liver stared wide-eyed at the corpse.
"The corpses... are getting up?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.