Глава 8

Runner, inform Patriot immediately!

Tell FrostNova right away—Ugh! Ah, *cough*...!

Kondrasha!!

You!

Hang in there, Yeti!

Aghh!!

What...? What just happened?! Quick! S-Set him down here! Take that goddamned spear out!

(...What's going on? The black spear... grew out of his body?!)

(No, it can't be... The Empire's monsters?! What are they doing here?!)

*Hiss*...

Ngh, ugh... Ungh!

What? Think you're all that?!

I'll show you what for! Let's go! Get him!

Stop...!

What are you doing? Why are you stopping me?!

You have no idea... You have no idea what you're facing! You don't even know what exactly he is, and you want to get yourself killed?!

*Hiss*...

What are you so freaked out for?! We've got this many people on our side!

(Smashes shield into the ground)

Ugh?!

Do you want to get yourself killed?!

...That's...

That's the goddamned Ursus Royal Guard!

...To think the Shieldguards have fallen this low.

Take my advice. Kill yourselves now.

All Shieldguards, back in formation! Protect the other soldiers!

Remember! Don't give him any openings!

*Hiss*...

There is fear abound in the air.

The Infected next to you isn't ready at all.

...I...

Don't be afraid! The more afraid you are, the more likely he will kill you!

He may attack at any moment! Eyes open! Don't take your eyes off of him for even one second!

Looks like I'm leaving empty-handed again. These three cities need to be cut off from the information net for being completely useless.

Infected.

Ugh, ugh...! What are you so smug for?! You...

Surrender to the local garrison, or I will slice all your mouths and noses off and bringing them with me.

M-Mouths and noses... Isn't that...

...The Liches... The Facerending Liches! I-I thought that was just a made up fairy tale...?!

You mean... we are looking at them right now?! The Liches that slice faces off of bodies after killing everyone, leaving behind nothing but a bunch of nameless corpses in the forest?!

How long have these guys been around...? I first heard the story... T-They could only be Liches!

No, they aren't legends, and they aren't the Demons in the fairy tales! They're murderers and executioners!

How are we even supposed to fight Liches?! We are no match for these guys! We're just people, just normal people!

The Infected... called himself normal.

*Huff*...

...You... You...

Help... Help me...

Don't run away!

All of you, stay right where you are! You'll die if you run!

He's not even human! How are we supposed—

I'll kill anyone who runs!

What?!

Like it or not, you're now in the same boat as everyone else. If the defense line falls, everyone will die!

They are nowhere as terrifying as you think. They're still made of flesh and blood! Not even the Royal Guards can take down the Shieldguards' layers of defense without a tough fight...

...But if you're scared, you will become their breakthrough. They'll start with you when the killing starts!

We're both among the strongest forces in Ursus, and yet the Shieldguards choose to oppose us and stand with the Infected. How foolish.

These are truly unfortunate times.

He's unsheathing his blade! Shieldguards, shields up!! Hold!

*Hiss*...

...He... He's not attacking?

...Something is burning. I can smell it.

Ahh... My body's starting to warm up...

—Could it be... she's here?!

She's here! She's here! Relax, everyone, she's here! Even the Liches are no match for her flames!

...Don't let your guard down! The Royal Guards aren't...

You wanted to bring whose what back with you now?!

*Huff*...

You hurt my people. If you turn to violence, then we will return the favor—

With violence—

I see you.

3, 7, 22, 36. 【Code words】, 【Code words】.

...What are the Ursus Royal Guards... doing here?!

*Huff*...

Talulah... You shouldn't have come. You should've waited for the Captain...!

You want to know why we are here.

We are here because we are looking for the duke's daughter. In other words, you. We need to assess the situation.

The sound of the snow falling to the ground is crisp and clear.

What did you just call me?

The duke's daughter, and bear this in mind. Given your social standing, surely there are more civilized vocabularies you could use to refer to us.

Huh?

...Whose daughter did you just call me?

You deny the truth, as you are wont to.

You think I'm the daughter of a snake?!

Anger... and it stems from your irritation... You want to run away from the truth.

The 'Emperors' Blade'...? *Spit*! You came all the way here today to mock me? Or are you here to kill me?!

*Hiss*.

—Protect Talulah!

(My brothers! The Royal Guards may be fierce, but there's only one of them! We have Talulah leading the charge, and we'll hold the line! With the rest of you supporting us, we'll definitely...)

(...My Infected brothers?)

(The duke's daughter? What is he talking about?)

*Hiss*.

You didn't tell them who you really are.

Is this part of your plan?

...Plan...? What plan?

How dare you mock her?!

You better watch who you are talking to before you try to provoke someone and turn people against her, executioner. My identity has nothing to do with the goal we are working toward here.

You can only turn one against another if there existed trust between them in the first place. I doubt there is any trust between you and the rest of them.

I can only surmise... You believe the trust they have for you will remain unscathed even after they come to know who you really are.

All that coming from a masked villain that carries out covert massacres at the Ursus Empire's behest? I'm afraid no one here needs to be criticized by your kind.

Your words are strong... and confident.