A Wish to Grab Happiness

Volume 10, Chapter 253: Largud Ann’s Territory

Vestaline Geluah opened her mouth while ringing the war horse. It was a fluent, educated tone. Her regal appearance was different from a mercenary chief. Yes, there was a big difference between her and me and her sister Bruder. She grew up as the daughter of the Lord of Belfein and was sometimes called the Steel Princess.

「Here we come with our precious horses. You see, Belfein’s mercenaries are not cheap purchases, but I guarantee that they are not evil things.」

Vestaline spoke while looking at me with crystal clear eyes.

The smile on her cheeks was so soft. I wondered if she used to be like this, since I thought she was a tough, pretentious person. However, I could no longer feel that kind of atmosphere from her now. Did her reconciliation with Bruder have any effect on her? That was fine.

Of course, there was only one answer. I opened my mouth by rippling my lips and lifting my cheeks.

「Of course, I’ll buy your war horses even if I have to sell lots of things. By the way, Bruder hasn’t shown her face.」

I replied with my arms outstretched and spoke naturally as if nothing had happened. Bruder, as I knew her, wasn’t mild enough to be carried in a carriage in front of the battlefield.

Rather, she was someone who dared to confront the enemies directly even if it meant throwing her life away. Did that also change with the reconciliation with Vestaline? It may be a good change in a sense, but it also felt a little lonely.

Upon hearing my words, Vestaline bounced her fingertips for a moment. She then thought for a second, and finally opened her lips.

「It seems that she’s tired from the long journey…She’s going to take a break for a while.」

Was Bruder going to take a break? I wondered if she had a hangover after drinking lots of ale. Well, it couldn’t be helped. I shall meet her later on.

Anyway, she had a reliable escort. Again, Vestaline looked at Philos city soldiers and turned her eyes to Roseau, who stood on the walls. She tilted her lips in response.

「Okay, the actor has come to visit us. What should I do, Roseau? Will you retreat or will I come to you at once?」

I looked at the feet of the city soldiers and I could tell at a glance that the answer to that question was understood immediately. The tone that Vestaline had released, immediately struck the skull and fragments of the city soldiers’ brains, and they all took a step back. That action was no good for them. The battlefield was over for those who took a step back.

Of course, it would be possible to retreat as a tactic. It was also a way to go to lure back your opponent.

But if you fought against the enemy’s assault, you could make them frightened to the point of wanting to run away. Once they felt fear, they wouldn’t go forward anymore. That was what humans truly were.

The spirit was shattered. Even if they could take a step forward again, the bravery would no longer reappear.

They couldn’t fight anymore.

Roseau spoke while breathing the air for a moment.

「…As if I’ll listen to your demands. We won’t run away. We’ll never run away from wicked people like you. We are not afraid of pain.」

It was a straight, spitting curse. I could not see his expression in the distance, but his eyes must be shining enough to burn.

I moved my eyes away and gazed at Largud Ann, who stood beside me. I asked her if she was okay with this outcome.

Ann nodded to my line of sight and opened her mouth. The movement of her lips was strangely smooth. We were surrounded by soldiers, but she was pondering words in her head with utmost tranquility.

「Roseau. Please give this message to Philos Trait. 」

Everyone around me looked surprised when hearing those words.

It was already clear that Philos Trait was in a position to be stoned by the citizens at the cost of forming an alliance with the Heraldic religion. The message would not even be delivered to Philos Trait, why saying it anyway? It would serve no purpose at all.

However, knowing that there would be such a reaction, Ann bounced her cheeks. Her profile looked strangely confident.

「This hostile action by the citizens of Philos against the Heraldic Order will be tolerated if…you hand over the mastermind’s head, Roseau, and bring Philos Trait back to her position of ruler of the city of Philos. Please tell her that. 」

Ann said with a high-pitched voice that echoed throughout the surrounding area. When I heard it, my voice seemed to leak without knowing it.

Well, naturally. A girl named Ann was serving as an aide to Saint Matia. If so, her nature was not always good. Rather, it would be more normal for her to be twisted.

In other words, Ann seemed to be talking to Roseau, but not only to him in reality. She was telling the people around him to decide their fate.

…Hand over Roseau quietly.Reinstate Philos Trait.Then, your life will be spared.

Her nature was twisted. Rather than using a peaceful talk, she did exactly the opposite. Ann always had a smile on her face, but it seemed that her inner self was full of calculations.

Her shimmering eyes seemed to contain something that could be called as passion.

—

Her intestines boiled over and her brain became feverish with the heat of anger.

Largud Ann felt in the depths of her viscera that water was about to be lost from her body. She didn’t even know how to describe her emotions anymore. She was passionate enough to be called crazy.

She felt anger at Roseau, who betrayed them, and a remorse for her stupidity, who didn’t foresee this outcome.

If you shook your hand off, there were people who took the initiative in a place where only death awaited later on.

No, Ann knew there were people of that kind. He stood right next to her, wearing a green military uniform. So that was okay. However, it was completely unclear that Roseau was a person with such thoughts.

Regret and humiliation tightened Ann’s heart, but she did not let them go. Why did she not see his true colors, and why did she conclude that he was a human being with only a mouth? Although he held the hand of the Heraldic Order, Ann knew that he was a middleman of the Great Holy Church. He was not willing to change sides. But more than anything else, it was a scenario that happened outside of her grasp.

There was anger, there was regret and there was humiliation. However, there was another emotion that controlled Ann’s brain. It was bigger than anything else and filled Ann’s thoughts. She couldn’t think of anything else anymore, except that emotion.

It was shame. It roamed in Ann’s brain, squeezing her other emotions and thoughts.

She was betrayed by others and fell into a predicament because she was not able to grasp the human mind and negotiate. Moreover.

“…I can’t believe that I was going to be humiliated like this in front of Lord Lugis, the Lord Hero.”

Ann’s cheeks were hot as if they were burnt. Her eyes were moistened with too much shame. She felt shame, so much shame.

The girl, Largud Ann, understood well that she was a useless person in battles and in martial arts, and had no intention of competing with anyone there. But on the other hand, she wasn’t willing to give up even to Saint Matia went it came to behind-the-scenes, post-processing, negotiations, and so on.

If she became a person with no outstanding ability, she would be out of anyone’s sight. She would be just a civilian official.

That was not the case. Even though she hadn’t taken control of the Hero yet, feeling shame was categorically unacceptable. Just being swayed felt like being defeated.

“That’s why I can’t make a mistake in my own territory.” Largud Ann’s tongue cramped with numbness, and her teeth bit on it to the point of self-destruction.

The words became like fever and exhaled from her mouth.

「Please tell Philos Trait these words. With just one heart, everything will be solved, and all of you will be pleased.」

Ann felt her cheeks straightening to the point of distortion. The cold wind struck her body, but her viscera was still heated and did not cool down for a while.