She Who Became Immortal

That day, a fox beastmen girl named Kirina brought food to Volte Claus. After finishing off a hearty meal of warm soup, bread with vegetables, and meat roasted with herbs, he shamelessly fell into a deep sleep.

It was a dreamless, mud-like sleep.

When morning arrived and Volte sat up, he felt so refreshed that it was as if he had been reborn. His mind and body were clear, leaving him somewhat bewildered.

He hadn't realized he was so exhausted.

A satisfying meal and a proper bed had done wonders for his clarity. It was a testament to how off-kilter he had been.

Like dust accumulating in a sealed room, which is effortlessly blown away by a light cleaning, his fatigue had dissipated. Yet, the now-cleaned room felt empty.

Unable to even muster a wry smile, he could only stare vacantly at the wooden-framed window. It was likely still before noon. Voices from outside drifted in—a bustling market-like atmosphere, despite the fact that just the day before, they had repelled an enemy attack.

It was a gathering of those who had lost their homes.

These displaced people were creating a place for themselves.

The attack on the Tiant territory had been senseless from the start. Hearing the cheerful voices of women and the laughter of men exchanging jokes, it was clear how wrong it all had been.

Instead of blindly following orders to invade beastmen territory, he should have questioned Slack’s true intentions and justice, both as a vassal and a friend.

But it was too late now.

"Good morning, Mr. Volte."

Without even knocking, the door swung open, and Kirina entered carrying a wooden tray with breakfast. Following her, Euphemia, Junos, a lioness girl, a boar-like beastman, and several other demon and beastmen entered the room.

"You slept well. Your complexion looks much better. By the way, I need to apologize for something," said the blonde girl, who introduced herself as Euphemia, placing a chair near Volte's bed and sitting down with a grin.

"Yesterday, I acted more ladylike because I thought it would go over better with humans. But this is the real me. I’m Euphemia Grimwood, the leader of this motley crew."

"Euphemia... Grimwood?"

The girl who now introduced herself had none of the delicate beauty he had seen the night before. Instead, she radiated a strong inner light.

"Grimwood? As in the Grimwood Count family? Are you related to Forza Grimwood, who married Slack?"

Volte's mind raced, grasping at any familiar connection. But this wasn’t the question he truly wanted to ask.

Euphemia tilted her head, clapped her hands lightly, and laughed.

"Oh, right. They did say something about marrying someone from the Grimwood family. Forza Grimwood is my cousin. I had no idea she married the lord of Tiant… or maybe I forgot. Either way, it doesn’t matter."

"Doesn't matter? She’s your relative, isn’t she? Even if you’re on opposing sides..."

"The Grimwood Count family pretends Euphemia Grimwood doesn’t exist," she said, and then casually recounted how she had broken off her engagement to Eckhart, the second son of the Muller Count family, in favor of a powerful healer she had discovered. The Grimwood family did not protect the 'Talentless Euphemia.'

"During the Escard territory’s demon wars, I encountered the Yunofeliza tribe, who had been exiled from the Demon King’s land. They were ordered to charge into Escard."

These demons, upon meeting Euphemia Grimwood, chose to abandon their allegiance to the Demon King.

"So, that’s why you introduced yourselves as demon kin," Volte said, oddly satisfied with the explanation. Junos smiled slightly and ruffled Euphemia’s hair as if it were an afterthought.

"Exactly. 'Demon' denotes those who serve the Demon King. We are no longer his subjects. My name is Junos Grimoire now. 'Grimoire' signifies us. We have chosen to be with this small, brazen kid."

His pride in this choice was evident.

To Volte, Junos seemed almost blindingly radiant.

"But Euphemia, why tell me all this?" he asked. There was no need for her to explain who she was.

"Well, since we’ve prepared breakfast, why not eat while you listen?" she said, gesturing to the meal Kirina had laid out beside his bed. The spread included vegetable soup, bread, and a mix of boiled root vegetables and smoked meat with a white sauce. It was far too sumptuous for a fortress meal.

As a knight, he was used to eating quickly. He recalled Eirena once telling him he could eat more slowly. But it was a professional habit.

The soup and bread were delicious, far better than any battlefield rations. The root vegetables were perfectly cooked, and the meat and sauce melded well—just to his taste.

"Actually, Volte Claus, I want you to join us."

He choked, spitting out his favorite root vegetable. The vegetable stuck to Kirina’s face, and he accidentally sprayed her with saliva.

"Ugh! Sorry! I-I mean, I'm sorry! Truly sorry!"

Coughing and flustered, Volte quickly apologized and wiped Kirina's face with his sleeve. She was probably around thirteen years old, an age he wasn’t used to dealing with, and his hasty actions might have been rough.

"Being asked to join us suddenly might confuse you, so I'll explain everything step by step. Would you like some tea?" Euphemia asked, sitting cross-legged on the chair and smiling cheerfully, seemingly unfazed by Volte’s blunder.

"Uh, sure… If you don’t mind."

Nodding, Volte watched as another girl, likely a Grimoire demon kin, swiftly exited the room to fetch the tea. Euphemia continued speaking even before the girl returned.

"I’ll explain what we know and our expectations. If something’s wrong, feel free to correct me as you eat."

"Understood," Volte replied, though he was still puzzled and nearly done with his meal.

"First, let’s organize the information. The 'Prodigal Prince,' Blitz Orse Louisse, who’s staying in Tiant territory, convinced the lord Slack to invade the beastmen lands. This decision was made at least two months ago, meaning the attack on the aelv woman happened even earlier. The exact timeline isn’t clear, but that’s the general flow."

The attack on Mariel had been used as a pretext for invading the beastmen territory.

"By the way, the nine-tailed fox accused of attacking the aelv woman, she’s innocent."

"...What?"

"Even if it were possible for the nine-tailed fox, Kairine, to have attacked the aelv woman, she couldn’t have led her group deep into the human territory."

"Why is that?"

"Kairine has a bad personality. She’s good at manipulating others but terrible at working with anyone. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to team up with her to attack an aelv woman in the forest’s depths."

If she were a lone attacker, I would still be suspicious, Euphemia smirked. Her expression was clear and unambiguous, devoid of any guilt or deceit. It was simply the truth.

In this case, should I feel sympathy for Kairine, the fox beastmen?

"Now, let’s backtrack a bit. Recently, there was a change in the Beast King in the beastmen territory. Kairine, the nine-tailed fox, bought thirty suits of armor from the humans to defeat the old Beast King. The payment was a sacred stone, sacred gemstone, a treasure of the aelvs. So, they traded the stone for a lot of armor."

This contradicted what Volte knew. The story he’d heard was that Mariel’s sacred stone had been stolen by the fox beasthumans.

"In conclusion, Mariel, the aelv woman, is lying. Why such a lie? To give Tiant territory an excuse to invade. But why would she lie to the extent of getting injured, requiring the 'Saint of Healing' to be called?"

"That’s…"

"Because Mariel works for the 'Prodigal Prince.' Prince Blitz wanted the knights of Tiant territory to invade the beastmen lands."

On this point, Volte had no argument. Slack wasn’t the type to wantonly send knights to the beastmen lands. Despite their estranged relationship, Volte was certain of this about his former friend.

"Moreover, consider the facts. You, Volte Claus, were worked to exhaustion for two months, your judgment dulled, and then you were appointed as the commander of the invasion force. Even without a fortress, the mission was destined to fail. Wasn't it Blitz who pushed for you to be the commander?"

—I must admit, Volte, I hold you in higher regard than the captain. I intend for you, not the captain, to lead the charge in the invasion—

That's what the silver-haired prince had said. But why?

"It's clear that Prince Blitz wanted the invasion. But are you saying he also wanted it to fail?"

"If the Tiant knights alone succeeded, others couldn’t get involved," Euphemia stated matter-of-factly.

"Even if the Tiant knights managed to establish a foothold in the beastmen territory, they wouldn't be able to maintain it alone. That would open the door for outside intervention. But it wouldn't be ideal. The lead would remain with Tiant, which Blitz wouldn't want. He wanted Tiant to spearhead the effort but not reap the rewards."

"...What does that mean?"

"If the kingdom of Louisse truly wanted to sustain control over the beastmen territory, Tiant alone wouldn’t suffice—neither in resources nor manpower. They’d have to bring in forces from other territories. When that happens, would Tiant still be considered valuable to those forces? There would be procedures to follow, taxes to collect, supplies to trade, and food to procure. The influx of people and goods would enrich Tiant. Blitz had no interest in that."

A large movement of resources itself brings benefits. In the current peaceful Louisse Kingdom, large-scale military mobilization is unnecessary.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Slack saw the potential profit in this. Tiant is a rural, poor territory. Becoming a hub of trade would bring prosperity.

And the 'Prodigal Prince,' Blitz Orse Louisse, had no reason to enrich Tiant alone.

"Volte Claus, you were discarded because you’re competent. They wanted to diminish your abilities and send you to die. If you’d performed to your potential, you would have ordered a retreat rather than a suicidal charge."

And that wasn’t what Prince Blitz desired. Euphemia smirked, her gaze piercing Volte as she continued.

"Do you know what’s going to happen next? Prince Blitz will gather knights loyal to him in Tiant, ignoring the local knights, and lead the invasion into the beastmen territory. If they manage to secure a position, they’ll leave Tiant to maintain it, which they can't. When they fail, Prince Blitz will step in, mobilize resources, and strip Baron Slack of his title."

Because he's in the way. Euphemia's wicked grin deepened.

It made sense—and Volte’s intuition confirmed Euphemia’s words. In his brief encounters with the 'Prodigal Prince,' Volte saw no hint of goodwill or morality.

Simply a heartless psychopath with hidden agenda.

Slack’s fate was sealed. Though not incompetent, Slack lacked the political acumen to navigate such a crisis. Governance in the countryside doesn’t require such skill, and sometimes it’s better without it.

—Clap—

Euphemia's sudden clap snapped Volte from his thoughts, drawing his gaze to her. A radiant light shone there.

"Volte Claus. We need you. Join us. If you do, I’ll grant your wish."

"My… wish…?"

Euphemia’s words echoed in Volte’s mind. Euphemia Grimwood, and those present, neither laughed nor mocked him.

"I’ll save Slack Tiant. If things proceed normally, Prince Blitz will crush him. Even if you return to the knights, you can't change this."

"..."

Ah, the light.

"We can save Slack. Join us. I won't allow someone like you to be used up and discarded."

So—

"Wake up. You can’t do anything for Slack but help from afar. You must walk your path."

So—take my hand. The light beckoned.

Volte descended from the bed, knelt on one knee, and took the proffered hand. It was slender, white, smooth, and surprisingly warm.

"I swear. If you keep your promise, I will… no, I, Volte Claus, will devote myself to you, Euphemia Grimwood."

Euphemia chuckled, shaking Volte’s hand vigorously, then glanced at Junos and laughed again, merrily yet sardonically.

"I accept your oath. Let me teach you our way. 'Advance with a smile.'"