I Became a Dark Knight the Empress Is Obsessed With

197 – Side Story: Afternoon in Freesia – (5)

The weather the next day was completely different from the previous day.

The snowfall began to get heavier even before the sun rose.

By the time we were ready to set out again, a blizzard had swept in and the tent we had pitched for the night was about to collapse under its weight.

Everyone was quite shocked as they had never heard or seen such snow before.

“Damn it. Don’t let it pile up on the carriage ceiling. It could collapse!”

“Damn it! It’s raining trash from the sky!”

As he watched the hired mercenaries move quickly, Merta coughed loudly.

At that moment, with a gasp, ice crystals were sucked into my nose.

“Hehe! Heheheek!”

“ha…….”

“Eww! Oh, ice!”

As she watched Merta terrified as she used the wind spirit to block the blizzard, Milia slowly reached out to the outside of the tent.

A pure white frost settled on her palm. It felt as cold as ice. However, Millia reflexively noticed that thick mana was present among the cold air.

Fried, who had come closer, opened his mouth.

“Milia, this is… … .”

“It means that flowering is approaching.”

Millia guessed so.

The mana concentration in the vicinity was increasing by the minute. The weather was probably also affected by it.

That is, it meant that the full moon flowers had begun to bloom.

It wasn’t just Milia who thought this, as the wizards spread out their magic circles and prepared detection magic, and Knight Riana also finished preparing to depart with the surrounding squires.

“We should go quickly too.”

“What’s the weather like?”

“Anyway, as the full moon nears its bloom, the snowstorm will get worse. We should leave while it’s still calm.”

“Even so… … This is… … .”

Fried frowned as he looked at the ominous state of the sky.

Milia sighed softly and snapped.

“You don’t want it to be stolen by someone else, do you? Because it’s something you have to give as a gift.”

“… … Well, that’s right.”

“Then let’s go.”

All I could do was move forward.

In the end, Fried reluctantly nodded.

*

The journey that followed was slow due to the snowdrifts that dragged on our ankles like mud and the strong frost winds that obscured our vision.

A skilled wizard could control weather phenomena through elemental magic, but Millia was currently unable to use magic, and Merta was ignorant of any other type of magic besides spirit magic.

In the end, I had no choice but to move forward, relying solely on Fried’s sturdy back.

Hooow!

Millia walked, trying to hold on to her vision that was quickly becoming blurry as the biting wind and snowstorm blew against her skin.

How much time had passed? Millia, unable to bear the awkwardness, spoke first.

“How is your Majesty?”

“… … Lincia? Well, I’m doing well. The problem is that I’m a bit irritable.”

Fried’s expression was not visible.

But it was clear that he was smiling.

“thank god.”

In the end, Milia had no choice but to say that with a bitter smile.

The man in front of you is married to the empress of the empire.

As a married couple, they must have done everything they were supposed to do.

There is no room to squeeze in between, and the very fact that you are even thinking about it is rude.

“I have it.”

“huh?”

“Manwolhwa, I have no intention of giving up.”

“… … .”

“So I plan to give it my all and achieve it.”

That’s why I had no choice but to be determined even in a place like this.

Full Moon Flower. I couldn’t give in until then.

Was that the promise conveyed? Fried stopped walking. Soon, his back began to shake.

Fried was smiling.

“Okay. I’ll cheer you on.”

“thank you.”

“what.”

He walked along while telling that story.

The heavy snowstorm grew stronger, and it was now difficult to even take a step.

Fried said, pulling his hood down deeply.

“I guess I’ll have to stop here for today.”

“yes.”

It was dangerous any longer.

There may be an attack by the devil like yesterday.

Above all, since the field of vision is not clear, the danger of encountering an enemy is indescribably great.

“There will be a procession ahead. They will probably have set up camp nearby.”

The knights of Elvendel, Liana, her squire, and the wizards under the command of the Black Tower Lord set off ahead of Millia.

There is only one way to the land of beasts. If they had made the same decision, it would mean they were staying nearby.

Having come to a conclusion, Milia opened a path through Merta’s magic and took a few steps forward.

With every step I take, my feet sink into the snow.

With the snow reaching her knees, Milia had no choice but to lower her posture naturally.

A spatula.

“… … .”

At that moment, something strange sound was heard and Millia’s expression hardened.

Metallic sound.

This wasn’t the sound of stepping on snow.

“Milia?”

When she stopped walking, Fried, who was behind her, tilted his head. Merta also opened her wide eyes, but Milia paid no attention and bent down.

And then he put his hand between his eyes and pulled out what was buried there.

and.

“… … .”

Millia opened her eyes wide as she looked at the severed arm she had unearthed.

The pattern engraved on the arm covered in armor is undoubtedly the pattern of Elvendel.

in other words.

“This is Lady Rihanna’s… arm.”

It means that the group that was moving ahead was attacked.

“……shit.”

Fried clicked his tongue and drew his sword.

Merta also looked flustered, but soon regained her composure and raised her staff, looking around cautiously.

Milia swallowed as she looked at the cross-section of the severed arm.

“Sir Fried.”

Milia continued speaking with a hardened expression.

“This isn’t the devil’s doing.”

“… … .”

“The cut section is too clean. That means it was done by the same person.”

Swish.

As soon as Milia finished speaking, the snowstorm began to intensify.

And against the backdrop of a pure white forest, several figures slowly walked out.

Wrapped in robes and each with their weapons drawn, they didn’t even think about hiding their hostility. Instead, they lowered their postures as if they were going to rush in at any moment, and their eyes were shining through their robes.

Fried sighed deeply, swinging his sword.

“Damn it. The rumors were true.”

“Rumor? What are you talking about?”

“We can’t be the only force targeting the full moon flower. After all, if we could just get our hands on that flower, we could use it for all sorts of evil deeds.”

“… … .”

“I told you yesterday. The Empire has no enemies at the moment, but we must respond to all variables.”

Pot.

Light began to shine on Ernst, held by Fried. The imperial sword was covered in silver light. The approaching villains stopped in their tracks at the splendid light.

Anyone who isn’t a fool would know by looking at that sword that the person he attacked was a royal envoy.

“… … As expected, it’s not that bad.”

But they only hesitated and did not slow down their pace.

It means that they attacked knowingly.

“Are you a remnant of the church?”

“That’s not it, probably.”

Fried straightened his sword.

“The most likely hypothesis is… … .”

Fried twisted his lips as he flicked the sword he had drawn.

“You must be a remnant of the Snow Elves who are dissatisfied with the Empire.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the assailants rushed in.

*

“Whoaaah.”

Seira Liantour yawned lazily as she looked out the window at the slightly bleak scenery.

The leaves have all fallen, and now it’s the season to just wait for the snow.

Seira is already a person who gets bored easily with everything. No matter how much she enjoys her debaucherous life, she doesn’t have the patience to stay in the boring Highlings for more than two years.

“I guess I should have gone! Ugh! I’m bored!”

“You haven’t recovered yet. I think you should rest a little longer… … .”

“Almost done! I said it! And Leah hasn’t recovered yet either!”

“… … Even if you say that to me… … .”

Alert, the servant who mutters in a loud voice.

In fact, Seira’s mana circuit was almost fully restored.

Now, if I could just replenish my missing mana with elixirs and such, I would be able to regain my prime strength within half a year.

“Well, I have nothing to say since I gave in.”

Seira nodded.

And he looked at the dark clouds floating far to the north and smiled.

“Oh, right. You know what, Allett?”

“What now?”

“There’s news that a group of rebels are gathering in Eisenward. And their leader is more dangerous than you might think.”

“… … Was there something like that?”

“Yeah. I heard that from that old man a while ago.”

“… … When you say grandpa… … .”

“Yeah, yeah. That weird wizard.”

There are a total of three Archmages on the continent.

One was Seira herself, and the other was her father, Golden Duke Leonard.

And the last one is the oldest magician who is said to be in hiding.

A giant among giants who is revered as a legend in the magic world, and who would pay billions of dollars just for the right to see his face.

Although unknown to the general public, among high-ranking magicians, he was a magician with a reputation comparable to that of Seira.

“… … What did he say?”

“Secret~.”

“ha.”

Seira clenched her chin as she watched Alett nodding her head.

“I think they might be attacking Liane by now.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Probably so?”

Seira chuckled.

I gave Fried a hint, but I wonder what the outcome will be.

In fact, it was a good thing for Seira.

“I just, if it’s fun, it’s a hit.”

Seira stroked the cane that lay on the windowsill.

The wand that Millia left behind when she ran away from home as a child. She has kept it even after more than ten years have passed.

“Well, I hope it works out well.”