Volume 4 Chapter 13 Encounter
As I run through the dense forest, I heard the news two days ago that the war between Centraris Kingdom and the demon (mazoku) in the hilly area around Nena Castle had intensified, and the dispatch of the Third Knight Order was decided.
Although we were on a different mission in another country, we immediately decided to head to the battlefield without receiving a request to participate.
To shorten the time, we run through the mountain where magical beasts appear instead of using the city road. It's not as easy as it sounds.
"Princess, Rist, Yuusuke, are you okay?"
Glaive, who is leading the way, called out to Eris, who is running in front of me.
"I'm fine. You can even go faster."
"Hahaha, that's a heavy request."
"Please spare me. I'm not the type to run on the battlefield in the first place."
Rist calmly responded to Glaive's words. He is a slender young man with glasses, giving off an atmosphere of a civil servant, but he is actually a member of the Magic Knight Order. He would probably be able to keep up easily even if he increased his speed a little. In fact, he is running while making jokes in a place with many obstacles and unstable footing.
Eris is the same. Despite being the second princess of Centraris Kingdom, her abilities, which were trained by Glaive of the Royal Guard Knights since childhood, surpass those of ordinary soldiers. Even though she has been running for almost two full days, she hasn't even breathed heavily.
If it were just the three of us, we might have increased our speed.
But Rist stopped that because I was in this party.
"Yuusuke, even if it's tough, keep circulating your magic power without disrupting your breathing. As long as your body enhancement is effective, you can run."
While listening to Rist's voice, I couldn't reply.
It's strange, they're too fast, and the distance they're running is bugged. How much stamina do these guys have? It's the distance of a bullet train on Earth.
Even though Rist seems like a gentle man and Eris is a woman, they both have much higher physical abilities than me, and I desperately keep pedaling my legs. If I stop even for a moment, I won't be able to move again.
However, as much as the two of them are, Glaive, who is leading the way, is even more strange.
This mountain has hardly been touched by human hands. What we are running on is not even a mountain road, but the forest itself.
While maintaining a speed faster than a car, Glaive chooses the route and clears away everything that gets in the way, creating a path. It's understandable if branches fly towards us from front, but when it comes to logs and the corpses of magic beasts, all we can do is laugh.
Can he single-handedly pioneer a mountain like this?
I had no choice but to desperately run so as not to be left behind by the three of them.
I thought I had become somewhat useful in battle recently, but the fundamental specs are too different between an average middle school student like me and a fantastic person from another world.
This is not the time to complain.
The situation may be worsening even now.
The Third Knight Order is a powerful army even in Centraris Kingdom. To rely on them means we should know the situation.
Perhaps considering such anxiety, or maybe trying to distract my fatigue even a little, Rist said while running.
"Don't worry. What we are doing is guerrilla tactics to weaken various places and buy time. Once the Third Knight Order arrives, they will handle it somehow."
"...Is it really that easy?"
"Of course. Before I was born, Glaive served as the commander. They are different from other armies."
Even Eris joined the battle.
Since the Third Knight Order was mostly on the front lines, I haven't met them much. I've only seen the commander once, and he was a handsome man in his thirties. If he were on Earth, he could have become a Hollywood actor.
I remembered something unpleasant. Eris is infatuated with that commander.
A forbidden love between a princess and the commander of the knight order. What kind of love story is this? Damn it.
I maintain my body enhancement with flames of truly ridiculous jealousy. Step by step, as I move forward, I can't help but think that I'm getting closer to something.
The reason my legs stopped moving wasn't because of fatigue.
It was because Glaive, who was running ahead, suddenly stopped.
Eris, who caught up to Glaive's back, looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong, Glaive?"
"Well... it seems like someone is up ahead."
Someone?
This forest is too dense with greenery, and the moonlight doesn't shine directly through.
I can vaguely see with my enhanced body, but that's about it.
There's no way I could have known that someone was there.
Glaive said in a firm voice.
"Rist, be prepared to provide support if necessary. Princess, please stay behind with Yuusuke."
"What are you talking about? If there's an enemy, I'll fight too."
"Princess, our current mission is to assist Nena Castle. Your and Yuusuke's magic will be of great use in a large-scale battle. We can't afford to exhaust ourselves in a place like this."
"Well..."
Even the stubborn Eris fell silent at the calm observation.
The only person who could easily control Eris to this extent would be either Glaive.
Glaive, carrying a great sword on his shoulder, laughed in his usual manner.
"Hahaha. Don't worry, if they're enemies, I'll defeat them myself."
While saying that, he started moving forward again.
I wish I could be of help too, but I should follow Glaive's judgment.
Among us, he has the most experience and exceptional skills. Even if the three of us were to challenge, we wouldn't be able to win.
No matter how much I'm praised as a hero, in the end, I'm just a mess.
I have no idea when I'll become strong enough to live up to my name.
As I continue to walk following Glaive, the view soon opens up.
It's by the side of a large lake, with no dense trees covering the field of vision, and the moonlight illuminating the ground with a pale blue light.
In the center, there was a man sitting.
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