Chapter 11

CARNAGE (1)

 

As we stepped into the carriage, Alicia's typically lively demeanor had been replaced by an unusual quietness.

I thought I could finally relax, but also at the same time, it made me worry about Alicia being awfully quiet today.

Normally, she exuded the enthusiasm of a five-year-old, finding delight in the simplest things like catching a glimpse of a green field through the carriage window.

Her usual routine involved excitedly jumping and pointing out every scenic landscape, town, and magical creature she spotted along the way.

Hana on the other hand was lying and reading a simple picture book she picked up from the Stark Palace library. It was amazing how she had so quickly developed a basic understanding of language on her own.

On the other hand, Alicia chose to sit close beside me.

With her head gently resting on the window sill, she finally broke the silence with a soft-spoken question.

“Regis, do you think there was anything I could have done to save Nia's sister?"

I did not know how to answer, because I knew Alicia had tried everything to trace back Lenya’s location but failed.

“I don’t think we could have done anything because we didn’t know Lenya would have been there. But I think she would be safe for now and besides I am positive that Nia will soon rescue her little sister.” I tried to assure Alicia that things ended on a good note and we were able to accomplish a lot.

But it was also a side of her that I had never seen before. So, I wasn’t sure what she was feeling from inside.

Because right now, she had an expressionless look in her eyes, that only looked past me. It was as if she could not herself decide what to feel.

“Yes, I think you are right.” Alicia replied and returned to her position and kept a constant gaze outside the window.

In my life, things have never gone the way I wanted, and all I could do was try and fight back to overcome any kind of problem. Whether it was the time I could not control my power, or help my people.

Accepting the losses was always a part of it.

But maybe for Alicia what we did was simply not enough.

Is Alicia truly convinced that she is supposed to save everyone with her powers?

***

 

ALICIA ASCALON ASHBORN

We had already spent a day on the carriage, and as the first ray of light appeared, we continued our journey.

The coachman which Arya assigned to us was talented as he meticulously took care of the horses throughout our journey and was also kind and respectful to us by patiently addressing all our questions.

And so, we were able to continue our long journey without any problem.

Unexpectedly, today I secretly used healing magic on the horses to revitalize them and make them move faster, without informing Regis.

This time I did not do it to make them overwork or just to hurry up on a whim. But from the moment the coachman announced that we had entered into the borders of the Hart Kingdom and passed a few checkpoint villages on the way.

My heart has been erratically beating loudly without any reason.

Was I simply being too hopeful to find a clue here?

But that shouldn’t be enough to make me feel this restless.

I always had an understanding of my magic even in my time in the divine realm.

And the contract magic inside me formed between Athena and me seemed to react suddenly to this place.

Could it be Athena was here or she could still be in this place? No matter where she was in this country, or continent, or any part of this world.

I had to find her.

And because of this free period, I gained from traveling. I had more time to think about what could possibly happen next after I found Athena.

Instead of enjoying the view through the window, my mind was reminiscing about my time in the divine realm. The one week I spent there was so special to me, that I realized how much I missed Athena.

Without conscious thought, my mind was already preoccupied with plans on how I could meet Athena. And how much I wanted to tell her all about what I experienced in this world.

But most of all I yearned to know if she was doing well and how she had been living her life all this time.

And there was also a premature childish thought constantly poking like a needle to me.

What if Athena didn’t recognize me? Will I be able to recognize her? What if our appearance had changed too much?

I needed to be discreet when revealing information about my reincarnation.

And also, a tiny fear that I was feeling just now.

What if Athena didn’t remember me at all? What if she felt betrayed that I was not around her all this time?

What will I do then? Where would I go? And what about our promise?

Suddenly the fast-moving horses came to a halt throwing us into disarray.

And because my posture was so relaxed, I almost got thrown off my seat.

Clasp.

But then a pair of hands enwrapped around my shoulder. I looked up and Regis was holding me with a worried expression on her face as she continued complaining about how I could be so careless.

“….What are you smiling about? You could have got hurt just now.” Regis awkwardly looked at my surprised face.

Somehow, my worries faded away as Hana too helped me to get back up.

“We have reached the Hart Palace.” The coachman announced.

At the entrance gate, the coachman handed us the letter we would require to quickly get an audience with the princess and a safe entry at the palace gate.

The guards at the palace gate seemed to be a bit restless on our sudden arrival and more so seeing an elf girl come out followed by Hana and me.

When they saw the Stark Kingdom crest on the carriage and were then handed down the letter. They started to move quickly and sent another guard to inform inside the palace.

Of course, we couldn’t complain because our visit was sudden and not previously informed.

According to Arya, it was best for us to go undercover, disguising ourselves as messengers from her kingdom, to propose a trade alliance with the Hart Kingdom.

That would give us the highest chance to meet with the princess of the Hart Kingdom.

Once the guards received orders from inside the palace they quickly let us in. They started treating us with respect and caution.

The duties of our coachman came to an end as we bid each other farewell and he headed back to his kingdom after we thanked him.

The three of us were made to wait inside a comfortable lounge after we entered through the palace gates.

It was not as magnificent or big as the Stark Kingdom palace but it had its charm like a castle from a fairy tale book.

On the side, we were also served with some refreshments. However, I could feel that something strange was going on with the movement of soldiers outside and how the maids hurriedly acted out.

Soon an escort guard came to take us to meet someone but we weren’t informed who.

The three of us followed behind him and were led into an open alley that had a beautiful garden to its right. Flowers native to this kingdom bloomed beautifully, and the vast grassy expanse with a walking path adorned with silver gravel.

From the other end, a man draped in a resplendent golden robe, his blonde head adorned with a crown. He was accompanied by a young, beautiful, and graceful woman with long, golden locks. She, too, wore a white gown adorned with exquisite gems.

We were a bit taken aback because we thought we were going to meet the princess.

But the two figures, who in no way looked ordinary approached us first, while our escort left at the same time after bowing.

They in turn were followed by a few other men who looked like ministers and attendants.

“Welcome to our humble palace. We have previously received foreign delegates but it’s our first time to host such special representatives from the Stark Kingdom. You three must be the ones seeking to meet my daughter.” The man asked.

And with the way he put things forward made it very clear that he was the king. He had a soft and warm expression on his face. While the woman who we guessed to be the queen kept on smiling while looking at us.

“So, can we meet the princess?” Regis had a straightforward way of asking and taking everyone by surprise there.

Of course, neither Regis nor I were trained in any way to greet royalty or talk to nobles fashionably. It was clear that Regis cared little about those etiquette subjects.

And in my case. I still remember when father, the True Demon Lord ended my etiquette learning session in just two minutes.

‘Being concerned about what others think or worry about how you should act in front of others. That’s not what we do. That’s what others do when they see us. You are now of the highest demon royalty with that title and crest in your hand. So, never bow in front of anyone. At least that’s what your grandmother, the previous True Demon Lord said to me.’

And with those words of Father, my social etiquette classes came to an end. On the other hand, mother was more inclined with the idea to thrash a noble if they ever act out of line. So, It was best not to ask her.

What a mess. I did not have to worry about these things in the Elven or Stark Kingdom.

But now I could see the ministers and the attendants watching us with distressed and angered looks at Regis and me. All because elf’s were rare in these parts and I wore a mask. And maybe they felt a bit agitated because we did not give our respects to the king.

Hana seemed little interested in the things going around her.

And I was standing just behind Regis to support her. It was not like I was trying to hide myself behind her because I felt uncomfortable speaking in front of so many strangers.

“I see. Let’s talk further others may leave.” The king asked everyone to leave.

The ministers and attendants were taken aback by his odd statement and so were we. Obviously, they were against the king’s request.

“Do you think I will be harmed by these young ladies who are around my daughter’s age?” The king’s funny remarks broke the seriousness of the matter and the ministers and attendants left without being able to refute him.

Now only the king, queen, and we were left.

“So, is there a specific reason you need to meet my daughter? Because you don’t seem to be like delegates at all who would come to discuss foreign trade here. I suppose it must be something urgent since you were able to get an official letter from the Stark Kingdom.” The King asked us again.

“Wait… I mean that is…” Even Regis was unable to contain her shock after we were found out.

“Take your time dear, there is no rush.” The queen said politely.

“So, is there a way we can meet princess Alice? There is something only she can do for us.” Regis after taking the queen’s advice asked.

“I don’t think there is any problem if you would like to confine your request to her only. But I don’t think you will be able to meet her right now.” The king answered with a troubled face.

He was not wary of us but could not at the same time trust strangers he had met just now.

Regis looked at me to confirm whether she could tell them their request or not and I nodded.

“You see we are looking for someone and because we have very little information we were told only the princess of Hart Kingdom could help us.” Regis revealed our real objective to them.

The king and queen looked at each other with astonished expressions.

“How odd! Looking at you it reminds me of my own daughter who is also searching for someone like that. Sometimes, she would imaginatively speak that someone even might come looking for her. But unfortunately, your request has to wait. The princess is currently unavailable in the palace because of an unfavorable situation in the kingdom.” The King revealed some confidential information to us in merriment.

But his description caught me off guard. My mind felt a bit foggy and I was unable to question any other possibility.

Without thinking of a reason, my body wanted to act on its own.

“Where is the princess? What kind of trouble?” I came forward and directly addressed the king.

“Alicia…” Regis was surprised since I never spoke out.

“What happened and where is the princess?” I repeated. At the same time, I asked Al to use analysis and verify my doubts.

Al only found out that the area which could have been the barracks and the training grounds was mostly empty. The palace looked almost vacant compared to the large number of people that should have been available to maintain and guard it.

The royal knights wouldn’t leave their station unless to escort a royal or for a very special purpose. And because the King described the situation as unfortunate.

“Alicia. Is everything alright?” Regis observed me lost in contemplation.

“What is the problem? A monster attack, or a conflict. Or, a war.” I did not reply to Regis’s question as if she had become invisible to me and my own body and mind seemed out of control.

“How did you know?” The King's words became too obvious to reach a conclusion.

“Wait there is a war going on here?” Regis was staggered to hear the truth.

“We still do not know the exact situation but we have got reports of a demon army heading our way from the seas. Princess Alice is the one leading in charge of the army to intercept the enemy forces.” The King and Queen looked in some kind of dilemma as they told us the news.

Their faces clearly showed their grief and the tension they had felt for days as their expression wore off.

“But why are the demons invading?” It made little sense because since the Great War there never had been an open war between humans and demons.

“I am afraid we have still not uncovered the reason for their attack. But the leader of the enemy forces is suggested to be a demon lord himself.” As the King uttered those words he felt unstable and the Queen held him.

Murmuring to himself he confessed, “I should have not let Alice go. If only I had known this news back then I would have gone myself.”

“Would have preferred to go to war with the demons or not?” I asked.

“If it would have been up to me I would have never wished for a war to occur itself.” The king said with conviction.

“Where is the war going on now?” I asked again.

I knew the situation was dire. While the royal army had left to intercept the forces. The king had to stay in the capital to not alert the neighboring kingdoms to give them a chance to invade the capital while he was away.

So, it made sense for the princess to be herself leading in charge if no one was available for this emergency.

“As I said it’s near the coast of the Middlemere Sea. It’s still one day away from here if we travel on the fastest route. And it will take reinforcement around three days to travel from the South to there. I am telling you this because you are not of this kingdom. You should all leave before it’s too late.” Even in such a predicament, the King was genuinely worried about us.

“We can’t leave. I need the princess’s help to find the person I have been looking for so long. So, I will not pass this chance nor I can let her get hurt before I meet her.”

Neither Regis nor anyone could understand my impatience. Maybe I couldn't myself. But I just don't want to stand here and wait with empty hands.

“Just point me in the direction where the war is going on.”

I don’t know why I was doing this but as I spoke I could not contain my magic as it flew out aggressively.

The king raised his finger involuntarily under the effect of my magic. “It’s that way…”

His finger pointed.

I walked towards the open garden as I knew what my next move would be.

“Alicia what are you about to do.”

Regis tried to get a hold of me but I was too far away. Even she felt rushing into the middle of a war in no way could be a good move.

I turned to her, but then I suddenly felt no reason to explain it. As if I had no will to do so. With a simple glance, I took off to the skies in front of their eyes.

There was no time.

I needed to be there… by any means possible. For more than one reason.

Otherwise, something bad and irreversible could happen.

***

 

ALICE HART [ATHENA]

I could sense the brisk sea breeze brushing against my skin with a tangible chill. And the salty taste and smell in the atmosphere imbued everything with a vivid sense of reality.

The sky was covered in gloomy grey clouds.

Only a few minutes and the enemy could be any time in our view.

An army of two thousand strong. The entirety of the Hart Kingdom army now stood with me at the coastline of the sea to intercept the incoming army.

One-thousand-foot knights, three hundred horsemen, and five hundred in the magic unit. The rest two hundred I had assigned to be prepared for a sea war with the small fast-moving boats we were able to prepare to secretly attack the enemy ships from back after they had let their guard down.

We weren’t sure of their exact strength. The power and identity of their leader also remained unknown.

Honestly the news of their fleet arriving on our coast to attack was so sudden and random that we didn’t have long to prepare. And the Hart Kingdom had always remained a peaceful kingdom without much conflict.

The flags of the Hart Kingdom with a golden lion and sun flew gracefully over the silver bars held by the bannerman.

No one made a sound. All they could do in the meantime was remember their loved ones and pray to God for the victory of our Kingdom.

The only thing that kept them headstrong and motivated was the fact that the reinforcements would arrive in three days from the South with my brother and that was considering the shortest possible time.

We could only ask the other nations for help when it would be confirmed that this is not just a coastal conflict but a real war waged by demons on the human continent.

Till then we had no choice but to be discreet with this war and resolve it as an internal skirmish.

Graaaahhhhh….

Gaarrrrhhhhh…

Multiple loud blaring sounds deafened our ears. Coming from all sides, our eyes were fixated on the horizon where the water and sky met.

And finally, the bow of the ships came in sight. Right in front of our eyes, the sizes of the ship kept on getting bigger and bigger. Their numbers rose with each passing second.

Reports from scouts started flowing in on my magical receptor.

“Confirmed the major race of monsters is high Orcs. Incoming from all sides Their strength is measured to be around ten thousand.”

“Reporting more than fifty large fleets, about eighty major ships and more than hundreds of small ships and boats.”

And the final news took the breath from my lungs.

“The leader of the enemy is confirmed to be the demon lord of Orcs.”

The leader knights of the battalion divisions were informed of the situation. Their face showed clear signs of anger and the dismay they felt.

No change in plans or formations was conveyed. There were no longer any prayers from the soldiers to be heard.

Under the grim sky, the large army of the demon lord was more than visible to everyone who would land on the ground in a matter of less than half an hour.

It was not like me to grit my teeth. All my powers amounted to simple magic spells and proficient healing magic because of my divine attribute.

But beyond that, I was just helpless in this world. So, many lives were hanging solely on my decision.

Should I give out the order to retreat?

We could still hide ourselves in the forest as we are more familiar with it than the enemy. And wait them out till reinforcements arrive.

But then all the villages settled around this area will be innocently killed. No, it will be worse.

It will be a complete slaughter.

My head was hurting just imagining what was going to become of this battlefield.

It will be a one-sided massacre. A carnage.

I don’t want to do this. I wanted to cry and hide away. I am scared of the outcome.

I am such a useless god who can’t even use their divine magic in this realm like other gods.

Why can’t I just be brave again? I have still not found her. At least I wanted to know whether she was even safe or not.

If something happened to me here, my blessing would weaken on her.

But I can’t let my selfishness come first. The new family I found in this world matters to me as well.

I wish she could just forgive me for the decision I am going to make.

I have always believed in one’s actions more than just words. I doubt I could say anything trustworthy to these knights that we even have a slight chance of victory.

But today, might not be just about the victory. If the demons attack and win here.

It will only send a message that the Demon continent has won over the Human Continent. And soon all the nations of the demon continent and the human continent will be engulfed in a world war.

I highly doubt all the demon lords would have agreed to this. So, it’s just an action of a selfish demon lord who took things upon himself.

I am sure even if we just hold out for a day, we will be able to get help.

The only way to do that was to take the first step on my own.

Holding out a sword in my hand I moved my horse forward two steps in front of the entire army.

Like a rehearsed procession, the entire army took two steps forward to show their readiness to fight as well despite our odds.

The orcs had almost reached the shallow parts where they could anchor the ship safely and cover the remaining distance by swimming or through boats.

In a matter of another few minutes, the first war that might lead to another Great War was about to start.

It could only have been a miracle or through wishful thinking that all of this could have been stopped.

.

Shhhh….hhhh…..

“Did you hear that?”

“What?”

“Listen there’s an odd sound.”

“Could it be an attack from the orcs?”

Suddenly a murmur broke out through the army and I could see a similar doubtful behavior on our enemy’s side.

“Look there is something up in the sky.”

“There’s som…eone... Someone is flying in the sky.”

“It’s a human. It's difficult to see so high up someone flying. But they are dressed in all white.”

“Wait see their hairs also turned white.”

Under the grim grey sky, the silhouette of a girl draped in all white was clear even from so down below.

“Are the rumors of the person who defeated the pirates on the sea true after all.”

“So could she be the protector of the sea? Will she save us?”

“Didn’t they that time call her ⸺the White Queen!”

And soon the alias name of this entity resounded through the entire army like a fairytale.

.

Is that the person from the rumours the White Queen? Why would they make an appearance here of all times now?

I could not see their face clearly from down below but she was most definitely a girl with their long white hairs.

I do not know why she is here or what side she would take if that’s her purpose by standing in between the two armies.

But the magic formation around her is in no way normal. Usually, magic leaking from someone’s body no matter how strong they are would dissipate in nature after some time.

But the flow of magic around her coalesced into a structure as if her magic became one with nature and harmonized with its flow.

Once I decided to analyze that magic as it reached further down.

“Why…. Why? But how?” In some sense, I could feel my divinity mixed in it. My eyes somehow got mixed with moisture.

“⸺Who are you? Can you…”

***

 

ALICIA ASCALON ASHBORN

With flight magic, I quickly took off from the Hart palace garden. Using a magical barrier in front I kept on doubling my speed moving through the air like a skyrocket in a fixed direction.

I kept on traveling in the same direction the King pointed to me. And I couldn’t afford to make a mistake here.

In addition to being concerned about the princess's safety. If a demon lord declares a war, it will become a global matter.

Mother and Father worked so hard to bring peace. So, I will never let this war happen. Father told me that the demon lord council would never make a collective decision to go to war. But at the same time, the demon lord council is not some kind of democracy.

In the end, each demon lord is free to make their own decision.

That means the demon lord is acting up on his own. All I have to do is end the war before it starts.

And I already know the best method.

.

I had been flying nonstop for almost an hour at full speed and finally, I could see the horizon with the sea.

And for some reason again my heart had been beating a lot faster. As if my magic was being slowly attracted to a specific place.

And somehow the direction and this path I was attracted to coincided. So, I followed without getting lost or confused on the way.

It was only when I reached right above the coast and saw the dreadful situation.

The two armies were right beneath me.

The orc army approached the coast by ship, and as they drew nearer, I could clearly distinguish and identify the orcish demon lord among them.

As I shifted my gaze to the human army, it became unwavering, fixated on a specific figure despite the large number of humans below.

My attention was drawn to a particular human girl standing directly in front.

The force of attraction I felt.

The magic aura I sensed from her.

And finally, her face and the look in her eyes. In all these years it hadn’t changed.

After so long, I just realized I had finally found her.

“The princess… is Athena.”

I didn’t need to make a guess. Or doubt my eyes. All I needed was just a look and I knew it.

I quickly removed my mask to let my magic tell her that I had finally come.

I wanted to meet her right now. I wanted to talk to her. Maybe to even hug her.

And not let her go.

But once I took off my mask all those emotions somehow felt suppressed. As if I was now seeing the world in a much bigger picture than this.

And I was not the part of this world but the one observing it.

The desire I felt to meet Athena right now was long gone and something else took over.

My head turned back to the orc army as if to fix the problem first. And by the snarky look on the orc demon lord’s face, I knew he had felt my presence by now.

So, this should make things easy.

Without any planning, I flew to the Orc Demon Lord’s ship.

As soon as I got near, several weapons were thrown at me at full force. Not that any of them could hurt me with the barrier up.

“Are you the demon lord?” I asked my words imbued with magic for him to take notice of them.

The demon Lord puts his giant weapon down and the incoming attacks stopped instantly.

He had a very huge build compared to a high orc. And his power level was equal to an average side monster in Tathya Labyrinth.

The first step was to politely ask him to stop this war and go back home.

“You have some impressive magic. Are you really a human? So, I will allow you to speak.” The demon lord's voice was filled with complete arrogance.

“My name is Alicia.”

“I am the demon lord of Orcs Tusk. What is that you want? If you are here to join our cause, you have definitely chosen the right side.” The demon lord looked in haste to recruit me.

Was he that confident in winning that he would let a stranger he just met join his army? Unless his true goal is more than claiming a victory.

“I  am not here to join any of the sides. The king of the Hartland Kingdom does not wish for a war to happen. So, if you wish for the same. You can stop this war if you turn back now and go back to your home.”

“Turn back and go home. Haaahaaa…..” The demon lord gave a carefree laugh and then narrowed his eye on me.

I could only minutely pout. Obviously, I can’t show my feelings in such an important negotiation.

“Only if we have a home to return to. I do not know of any Hartland Kingdom or its king. Every human on the continent is my enemy. They burnt our homes and killed our families. This fight will not simply go down in history as the first war to build a new era but the Demon Lord’s Tusk carnage of revenge.”

The Demon Lord of Orcs made his declaration.

So, that was his cause.

“I can’t take responsibility for what has happened before. But if you will let me help you to rebuild your homes and create a safe place where you can live in peace.” I promised him what he had lost.

“Are you the kind those humans praise as heroes and saint? Because I won’t fall for any of your lies.” The demon lord rejected my offer without batting an eye.

“But these people are not the ones who harmed you in any way.” I argued.

“That doesn’t mean they are innocent. All humans are the same. All of them despise us. So, I will hate them even more. I can’t wait any longer for some deity to give us a safe haven. I will make it with my own hands. And that too on the corpses of the entire humanity till my ancestors are satisfied with their sacrifice.” The demon lord had a world of his own and he wouldn’t let my words sway him.

“I see. So, you are fine with taking away from people as long as you can live over the loss of someone else.”

“Yes. I do not care how many people die here. It's obvious from their puny little army that we will win once I have cut down everyone there and wash in their blood. So, stop begging now because I have already made my decision.”

“Even when so many sacrifices were made because of the Great War. And the True Hero and the True Demon Lord lost their place in this world. Why would you want something like that again?”

“People like those would never bother trying to think about how we feel. The True Demon Lord was a coward because he chose an easy way out and gave up on his duties and vanished. I will never acknowledge someone like that. The previous True Demon Lord was much more ruthless and who would have done everything to protect their kind. Once I make this place permanently my own I will slowly take over the entire content and ascend as a True Demon Lord myself.”

“I’ve been waiting this whole time for what you had to say. Maybe you would understand what you are thinking might not be wrong, but the way you are trying to achieve it will make you regret it later. Maybe you don’t realize just how weak you are to achieve something like that but you are just someone who likes to do as they please. Do you even know how many orcs are alive on this continent?”

“As you can see there is a lot more than you can imagine enough for me to slaughter everyone standing in my way there. A puny weakling like you who advocates peace will too die once I win this war.” The demon lord did not realize the meaning of my question.

So, that was what his ambitions all amounted to. I am just glad it was not justice he wanted because now it would be much easier to deal with him.

“There are a couple of facts you are forgetting here. One you don’t know me who I am."

All the demon lord could do was glare at me.

"I am stronger than you can imagine, and other I can show you what it means to be really cruel. Once I start taking everything away from you.”

“Try me.” The demon lord dared me.

“First I will take away your chance of this war you so much desire to vent out your anger.” I brandished my hand and a big magic circular magic formation seamlessly glowing with a blue light covers the entire coast in a flash.

The next second after the light was gone the demon lord and the orc army could only gawk at an empty coastline with not a single knight for them to fight.

“Why you? What did you do to them?”

***

 

ALICE HART [ATHENA]

“What is happening there?”

“Why is the White Queen doing on that side? Could she be negotiating for peace?”

“What if she turns against us?”

“Shouldn’t she be on our side if she is a human too?”

The army was in a state of confusion and panic though they did not dare to break their position or stance.

I could only stare longingly at her, as reminded and impossibly made me feel so close to Sachi.

I did not know what to believe but wanted to confirm it as soon as possible.

If she is Sachi why isn’t she here? Is something troubling her to come over to me?

I want to apologize for all these years I couldn’t be with her. Even if she doesn’t forgive me or think that I had abandoned her.

I will accept any punishment and anything she has to say so come back to me.

I wanted us to be together with all my heart if she is really here in this moment.

But in this pure state of mysticism, a sudden blue light enveloped the entire land, and when I opened my eyes.

The entire army of Hart Kingdom was gone.

‘Just wait for me…’

Those were the only words that resonated in my ear that kept me sane.

Her voice…. So, it is her.

After all it was the voice of the person I had waited for so long. I can wait a little longer.

***

 

REGIS ASCALON - HART PALACE

“So, where is your friend?” The king asked me.

“You see Alicia is good at magic. So, she likes playing tricks sometimes and making others laugh.” I was barely able to make out an excuse here.

I was just glad that the King and Queen were kind enough not to throw us in prison and listen to me.

We waited here for so long and Alicia still did not come back.

Did she fly over to the battlefield on her own? How could she do something reckless like that again without saying a word to me?

And what was with that sad expression she gave me before leaving? I will have her answer all of my questions when she gets back.

“Master is asking is there a huge empty space to dump something huge?” Hana spoke after a long while.

“Did you just come in contact with Alicia? Just ask her where she is.” I could barely control my outburst as I shook Hana by grabbing her shoulders to spill some answers.

“Master is asking for a big empty space around.” Hana repeated as if she was under someone’s order. Even she had started acting a bit strange when Alicia was gone for long.

“I think the garden would do just fine.” The King gave his permission as if he wanted to see what that important thing was.

“Location accessibility. Confirmed. Completing mass teleportation.” Hana again said in that mechanical voice.

And then something unexpected and never seen before happened.

Humans in knight’s armor started falling from the sky continuously into the palace’s garden.

Thankfully they landed on the huge grass plain so no one should have gotten hurt.

“Yay… It’s raining knights.” Hana danced in joy.

Of course, she has to be back to normal and act like a kid when things become so confusing.

A few of the knights who woke up from their trance, started screaming in panic.

And one name was obvious that came out of their mouth.

“…⸺the White Queen.”

I looked at the King and Queen who were speechless to see their knights fall on the ground from the sky when they should have been engaging in a war.

I wish she could stop giving me heart attacks like that.

“Alicia just what are you up to that you now need to hide what are you doing from everyone? And even from me.”

***