NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 122: The Clash of Duty and Despair
The situation unfolded exactly as Jack had described.
Though she was in the midst of healing and couldn’t respond, Mizetta had heard and processed the information.
Emerging from the forest, they were met by a small group of beastmen, led by a young woman claiming to be the sister of the Lion King. Volte, the squad leader, presented their case, but it was no surprise that the beastmen had no intention of peacefully relinquishing their land. The knights advanced toward the beastmen.
The beastmen retreated swiftly, too quickly for the 260-strong knightly battalion to catch up, but there was no reason not to pursue.
And then they saw it.
A formidable fortress.
Volte, after a moment of hesitation, ordered the entire army to charge. Foolish as it may have seemed, they had their mission and couldn’t return empty-handed.
Predictably, they failed.
Under a barrage of repeated shots from the ballistae on the outer walls, the units was decimated. The knights were urged to retreat by the enemy beastmen, leaving the Tiant Order of Knights in a state of rout. Volte Claus, the squad leader of units, was hit by a ballista bolt, his fate unknown.
"What a disgrace!"
The shout came from the knight captain, who slammed his fist on the long meeting table. He was a middle-aged, somewhat stout man whom Mizetta had seen several times when visiting noble estates for healing. Her impression of him as someone clinging to power hadn’t changed.
"Who will take responsibility for this!? Huh!? Retreating in disgrace without landing a single blow on the enemy? Claus, the vice-captain, turned out to be a useless fool! So, who will take the blame? You? Or you!?"
The captain’s fury escalated with his own shouting, glaring at each unit leaders gathered under the meeting tent.
Mizetta thought of her younger self.
In the presence of someone as “important and terrifying” as this knight captain, she would have undoubtedly been paralyzed with fear, unable to think straight. The image was clear in her mind because “important and terrifying” people could decide her fate at will. It was no different from a formidable monster appearing before her.
"The messenger squad and its leader are excusable. But the rest of you—"
"Now, now, let’s calm down, Knight Captain."
A calm voice cut through the captain’s tirade. It was Blitz Orse Louisse, the “Prodigal Prince.”
Stopping others’ actions seemed as natural to Blitz as breathing.
The knight captain, momentarily glaring at Prince Blitz due to the residual anger, quickly replaced it with an obsequious smile.
"I-I apologize, Your Highness, the Second Prince."
"There’s no need to shout. We’re not talking to someone on the other side of a mountain. Besides—"
Blitz’s silver hair shimmered as he scanned the room, a cold smile playing on his lips. Despite his handsome features, there was no warmth in his smile, only icy detachment.
"—if responsibility is to be taken, it should be by the one in charge. That’s what leaders are for. Vice-Captain Volte Claus was... oh, his status is unknown. That leaves only one person who can take responsibility."
His icy gaze fixed on the knight captain.
The middle-aged man, now visibly trembling, seemed to shrink under the scrutiny.
"M-me...? What are you suggesting...? Your Highness, I... I don’t quite understand..."
"Oh? You can’t comprehend my simple words? It’s lamentable that someone so incompetent holds the position of knight captain. But I suppose there’s one thing even the incompetent can do."
"Incompe—Are you calling me incompetent...?"
"Take responsibility, Knight Captain."
With a snap of his fingers, someone sliced through the tent’s fabric and entered. Jack, standing beside Mizetta, shifted to shield her.
In an instant, the intruder restrained the knight captain, slamming his head onto the meeting table, immobilizing him.
"Wha—who are you? Guards, apprehend this traitor—"
"Are you a fool? No, I misspoke. You are indeed foolish. Did you think, even as the 'Prodigal Prince,' I would wander without any guards? Of course, shadows always follow."
Blitz’s face showed no more coldness, only an expression of utter indifference, as if something trivial had entered his sight.
"Escort him to Lord Slack. You, the first to return as messengers, accompany them to ensure this fool doesn’t escape. Handle him with care."
Fate rolled onward.
Following Blitz’s orders, the shadow—whose identity was indiscernible—and the messengers took the knight captain out of the tent.
Victor Illyrius, standing at the edge of the room with his bulging eyes, watched Blitz intently. As the Marquis Leopold's nephew, he too seemed to have no choice but to tremble before the Second Prince.
"Well, it seems both the Knight Captain and the Vice-Captain are out of commission. For now, you, the leader of the First Squad, will take command. But don’t worry, I'm not asking you to lead another assault on the beastmen’s territory."
Blitz’s smile was bright, but there was a chilling undertone as he glanced at the elven woman standing beside him, Mariel San Foresight.
"Of course, we won’t let the insult to her go unpunished. The savage beastmen who dared to assault a guest of the Louisse Kingdom and the Tiant territory will be dealt with. I’ve summoned reinforcements for just such an occasion."
A reliable ally, indeed.
Blitz smiled again, a beautiful yet sinister expression.
Sheer cold, devoid of warmth.
"I had planned to seize the opportunity and make a quick exit, but that seems impossible now. Norman, I need you to return to the lord's city, gather the two maids, and head back to the Illyrius territory. Then, seek guidance from my uncle."
Victor, who had been silent since returning to the tent prepared for Mizetta, spoke with a strained expression.
In essence, he meant they could only go with the flow now. Mizetta’s display of competence had made their escape unlikely, and Blitz would not let them go if they were a hindrance.
If they had been seen as a threat, they would have been eliminated from the start.
After witnessing Blitz's inhumane cold smile, Mizetta was certain of this.
"I don’t mind, but I can return to Illyrius territory faster alone," Norman said.
"It’s negligible. It’ll take more than a day or two anyway. It’s safer to avoid the risk of Karna Regant and Niomi Arios being taken hostage. Even if you and I don’t care, the Saintess does."
Victor shrugged, and Norman nodded in agreement.
"Understood. I’ll relay the situation to Marquis Illyrius. I doubt I’ll get a direct audience, so a letter would help."
"No need. Just tell someone at the estate you’re ‘the Saintess's escort.’ That should get you straight to my uncle. He’s far more approachable than his position suggests."
"Got it."
Nodding repeatedly, Norman left the tent without another word, likely intending to run back through the wilderness to the Tiant territory’s city.
"And Jack, you—"
"I’m staying by Mizetta’s side. I’m not setting foot on the battlefield again."
Jack's tone was firm, surprising Mizetta. She had rarely seen the young swordsman lose his usual lighthearted demeanor. Victor seemed equally taken aback, raising his bushy eyebrows.
"What’s with the surprise?" Jack asked.
"Well, yes. I half-expected you to say you’d break down the fortress wall yourself. This saves me the trouble of persuading you."
"The Second Prince is underestimating the ‘enemy,’" Jack muttered.
More than his heavy tone, what caught Mizetta’s attention was his use of "enemy" instead of "beastmen." According to reports, the fortress was imposing, and they had been attacked with ballistae. Jack had witnessed this on the front lines.
Jack Frigate, the skilled swordsman who had once faced a demon clan leader in single combat, sacrificing an arm but emerging victorious, was not someone prone to undue caution.
"Is it a warrior’s instinct?" Victor asked seriously, as if such an ambiguous concept could be taken as solid evidence.
Jack nodded slightly, not a trace of a smile on his face.
"Something like that. I don’t know how many hidden cards the Second Prince has, but the ‘enemy’ probably has more than a few of their own. I’m not about to walk into that without knowing."
"Well, as outsiders, all we can do is ensure the Saintess heals the wounded brought to her. No one can complain about that," Victor said.
"Yeah. I’ll protect Mizetta. That’s all I’m doing this time and nothing else."
Jack muttered something under his breath, almost inaudibly.
But no one sought to confirm it.
