"Vileena-sama, Vileena-sama!"
Theresia called out loudly. Although her mistress often disappeared from sight, the situation was as it was. The princess had been informed of the prince's disappearance. Official notice had not yet been given to the town, but as a large number of soldiers from Apta were performing searches, it was only a matter of time before the populace would find out. And of course, if they raised a fuss, the entire country would also learn about it.
Not to mention that if the prince were to safely be found at some point, naturally his situation would once again take a turn for the worse. Thinking that it was by no means impossible that in order to avoid that, the princess might follow after the prince and go out of Apta, even Theresia went pale.
However,
"Vileena-sama."
She almost sank down unintentionally. It was somewhat anticlimactic.
Vileena was wandering aimlessly around the military training range within the fortress. As to what she was doing, she was gazing up at every tree, peering in the shade of the stacked up piles of armour, walking to the stable to compare the horses one by one, and appeared for all the world as though she were looking for something that she had lost.
"You surely can't be thinking that the prince will be in this kind of place. This isn't a game of hide-and-seek."
Against her better judgement, her tone was somewhat biting.
"I don't know," Vileena answered without so much as turning towards Theresia. "With that prince, it isn't impossible that he could have dug a hidey-hole. As an experiment, we could try digging where you're standing, Theresia. You never know, he might appear saying 'Boo!'"
Aha! Theresia homed in on Vileena's detached tone of voice. She was angry. And it was no ordinary anger either. Occasionally when her anger got to her head, her mistress would do things that she herself didn't understand.
Back then, had it been when she was seven or eight years old? Her older sister, Princess Luhla had wanted a puppy that had been sold at a street stall during a festival, and so she had begun to keep it in a corner of the inner palace. Vileena also expressed an interest. However, he dog was scared of her and wouldn't go near her, whose training methods were so strict despite her youth that she was almost like a tyrant.
"I've never heard of a dog that won't let humans hold it. It must be a cat. When people aren't looking, I'm sure it goes 'meow'".
Thus angered, Vileena had taken to watching the dog in the dead of night from near where it slept. Although very young, Vileena of course didn't really believe such a thing. As it was something she had said herself, she couldn't stand down - was an explanation that was also incorrect. Being excessively strong-willed, she would persevere even if brought her no personal satisfaction.
"Won't you come out, Prince? After all, I'm in plain sight."
She called out, looking as she had when dealing with a dog that might have been a cat. At the same time, having thought about wandering around the training grounds, she walked instead towards the garden. Just as Theresia had surmised, Vileena Owell was angry.
That, that sly, scheming, pretentious, jokster of a princeling!
Getting more and more wound up in her irritation, she unthinkingly stamped her foot.
When she was told that the prince appeared to have left Apta taking Bane with him, Vileena's first thought was Again? Yesterday, as they had passed each other, prince Gil had said "Please wait a little more." And so she believed that this time too he had some kind of purpose in mind. There surely couldn't be any need to mobilise the soldiers at Apta in a search, since after all the outcome could only be such as to leave everyone amazed.
And yet, in spite of that - or rather because of that, Vileena felt resentful.
Again, again you didn't confide in me.
This was the prince who had revealed all his plans at the time of the war with Taúlia. Vileena had thought that she had come a step closer to his innermost thoughts, so she found it hard to forgive that this time he had once again acted secretively and kept his mouth firmly shut.
At the time of the war with Taúlia, I thought I could place at least a little faith in him. No matter how strange his behaviour might seem on the outside, I was going to stop scolding him, getting angry at him and saying childish things.
Having faith in him was surely important. However Vileena was finding that not being able to do anything but wait was making her thoroughly irritated.
This isn't like me. If the prince decides to seclude himself indoors again, I might need to attack more forcefully.
Vileena was growing enthusiastic about the idea that there were different ways of believing in people. Since waiting silently went against her nature, she should support, if necessary forcibly, the prince who moved at his own accord.
At that moment, the horses in the stable suddenly grew restless. Instead of drawing near the fence, they were hurriedly shying away from it.
"P-Princess!" Theresia let out a small scream.
As Vileena watched a medium-sized Baian dragon came lumbering near. It wore neither chains nor reins. As the not-unnaturally astonished Vileena was unconsciously about to jump out of the way, from the other side of it, Hou Ran's figure, sitting astride a small-sized Tengo, came into view.
She wondered whether she was chasing after an escaped dragon, but Ran didn't appear to be in a hurry. She seemed instead to be slowing down the Tengo in order to let the Baian take the lead. Forgetting her fear, Vileena drew her eyebrows together slightly; the training and exercise ground for the dragons was in the opposite direction.
"Ran!"
"The princess?"
Ran brought the Tengo to a standstill. The Baian turned its head in her direction and, understanding that she wasn't moving on, also stopped. Theresia appeared to have lost her ability to speak and could only wave her hands at the princess as though to tell her to run away.
"Where are you bound?"
To Vileena's question, Ran answered as though it were perfectly obvious,
"To where... the prince is."
Vileena couldn't understand why Ran had faltered before saying 'prince'. Or rather, she didn't realise that she had.
"Did he inform you before leaving?"
"No", the girl from the borderlands had eyes reminiscent of a deep lake and in those eyes, Vileena's figure was reflected. "It's simply that that child knows. Once its heart has connected with a human, it can feel them no matter how far apart they are. It's what humans call being guided by ether."
'That child' no doubt referred to the Baian that was standing quietly a little in front of her.
"I've never heard anyone say something like that before."
"Is that so?"
Ran didn't seem inclined to argue. Nonetheless, Vileena judged her to be extremely knowledgeable when it came to dragons.
Come to think of it...
The ancient Magic King Zodias was said to have discovered the existence of ether as well as the means for manipulating it from the ruins of the Dragon Gods. Zodias had later expressed his belief that the Dragon Gods had once freely manipulated ether and that they had built a great civilisation on this planet.
In Garbera, those kinds of legends were given little credence. They even doubted that Zodias had actually existed. But since having been sent to Mephius, Vileena had remembered the theory that modern-day dragons were the degenerated form of the ancient Dragon Gods.
"So then, if you follow that child, you will find out where the prince is?"
"If it's nearby."
"But... why do you need to go to the prince now? Weren't you the one who said to leave that person be?"
"I don't remember saying any such thing. Personally, I can't bear for that child to feel lonely. So I'm going."
"That child..."
Vileena carefully scrutinised the Baian's face. Its forked tongue was flicking in and out of its mouth. Occasionally when it opened its mouth, tusks as sharp as blades would peek out.
Within her chest, Vileena's feelings were stirring noisily. She herself didn't understand what was going on. And while she didn't understand, it was with a feeling of desperate hurry that she spoke,
"Is it only that child?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm asking is if it is only that child who is feeling lonely and who is worried about the prince."
"I don't need to tell Vileena."
"Vileena." While repeating her own name, Garbera's third princess let out a chuckle. From 'she' to 'Vileena'. It probably marked an elevation in status.
"I see. You are as difficult as a dragon. Well, I probably am too. I was only looking for a pretext to convince myself."
"....?"
Atop of her saddle, a slightly troubled Hou Ran frowned. Without realising that that kind of behaviour was unusual for her, Vileena said,
"Very well. In that case, I will go too."
"P-Princess!" Theresia exclaimed, horrified.
"I need to get ready. I will be done at once, so could you please wait."
"The limit is how long that child can wait. I won't wait beyond that."
"You make things clear. Understood, I will hurry."
"Princess, you cannot!"
While once again playing tag with Theresia, Vileena felt her body grow light.
Elsewhere.
Although the prince's whereabouts were unknown, Oubary Bilan didn't much feel like joining the search.
"That prince delights in entertaining us with his bizarre behaviour."
Having said that, and after sending soldiers to search in all directions by way of an excuse, the man himself went back to drinking and to going out hunting in the forest.
He was not in the least bit concerned about where the prince may have gone, but since Oubary was at Apta, the imperial family might hold him responsible for the disappearance, and thus he couldn't simply leave things be.
How troublesome, such were his real thoughts.
However he remembered somewhat uneasily that his own subordinate, Bane, was rumoured to have gone with the prince. When he had asked around, he was told that he had been on surprisingly close terms with the prince at Apta.
That bastard. Just because the prince is highly praised doesn't mean he should change his allegiance.
Remembering the captain's puffed-up face, Oubary, who had gone out hunting, tossed back a large mouthful of wine from his flask. Hunting gun in hand, he took aim at a wild boar that had was cornered nearby. He felt like that splendid kill completely refreshed his spirits.
He couldn't stand Bane's personality and if the prince particularly wanted that man as his subordinate, it would be no great loss for the Black Armoured Division. Or rather, if that man would do for the prince, Oubary would give him over immediately.
He's a poor judge of character, Oubary sneered as he walked towards his next prey.
That evening, just as he arrived back at the fortress, a soldier knelt before him. Upon enquiring, he learned that Bane had returned.
"Why hasn't he come here in person?"
Oubary's angry words were accompanied by the stench of liquor on his breath.
"Yes. That is, the captain can't move but there is something he wishes to tell the general no matter what and..."
He explained that Bane was waiting for the general at a shop in the fortress' town. Moreover, he did not want his return to be publicly known and the soldier appeared to have more to convey.
"What's going on?"
Oubary glared at the soldier with eyes clouded from drinking, but when Bane's message was whispered in his ear, his opened wider and wider as he stared at the man. "What! Is this true?"
"Yes, it's what captain Bane said..."
All at once, the liquor-induced colour faded from Oubary's face and, taking a number of attendants with him, he descended to the town.
Bane was waiting for him at a cheap ale-house that stood away from the town's hustle and bustle. Not touching a drop of drink, he sat in a corner seat, quivering. When he saw Oubary's figure, he shot upright, forcefully kicking his chair back in the process.
"Gen-General!"
"Is what you said true?"
Oubary cut in without any form of notice. Bane nodded earnestly.
According to what Oubary had heard, Bane and the prince had been captured by bandits while out on a long ride. Bane was separated from the prince and imprisoned in an underground. dungeon but, through a gap in the thieves' vigilance, the prince had hurried to him and untied his ropes.
"There's no guard on watch right now. If we're going to escape, now is the time to do it." The prince had said to Bane. It seemed however that they wouldn't be able to escape together. "I'll deliberately make it look like I'm escaping in a different direction. I'll be more likely to attract their attention. I'll buy time as a decoy, whatever happens go and inform the general. Right, be sure to let general Oubary know by the end of the day."
Sent off by the prince, Bane had jumped onto a horse tied to a tree and had galloped back to Apta.
Oubary pondered. Most of the prince's imperial troops having been sent to Garbera as reinforcements, Apta's current military strength was no more than the five hundred from the Black Armoured Division. No doubt that was why the prince had said to inform him specifically.
"Should we inform the Imperial Guards?" Asked one of his attendants.
"No", Oubary answered however, running his tongue over his lips. "The prince's life is at stake. Not only is there not a moment to lose, but if soldiers charged out of Apta in large numbers, those bastards would probably realise it and escape. I'll go with a hundred and fifty from the Black Armoured Division. Sarne."
"Yes."
Oubary entrusted the task of choosing the hundred and fifty soldiers to his adjutant, Sarne. After that, while making sure that the soldiers were hurrying about, the general of the Black Armoured Division's face seemed to be wreathed in smiles.
That the princeling was stupid enough to go out for fun and to get caught by bandits means that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to pull off a great feat. Even such foolishness can sometimes have its uses.
To save the life of royalty, and moreover of the heir to the throne, would be an achievement that would more than wipe out his disgrace in Solon. It was an added bonus that the one whose gratitude he would earn for having himself saved him from assassination was the prince who had appointed slaves as his Imperial Guards. He would surely return the favour done him by Oubary Bilan, no matter how extravagant the reward,
"I'm getting tired of hunting beasts. Slaves would be next after beasts, and treating myself to some bandits might not be bad either."
Best of all was the feeling of his blood boiling. For Oubary, life was meaningless without fighting.
Guided by Bane, Oubary Bilan and the hundred and fifty from the Black Armoured Division drew near the bandits' hideout just before daylight faded.
Naturally they lit neither fire nor lamps. As they marched, they were careful to make as little noise as possible. There was only the snorting and clip-clopping footsteps of the horses, as well as the clanging of armour and helmets, as they slowly weaved their way through the trees. A while ago, several people had been sent out on reconnaissance. Lights shone from every house in the village and a number of men and women seemed to be drinking and dancing. There were people who appeared to be lookouts carrying guns but by going along the old beaten track that was the route chosen for their march, they should avoid running into them.
Stylishly dressed in dignified light armour, as he jolted along atop of his horse, Oubary's eyes shone with excitement as they drew nearer to battle and to its reward.
They started down a narrow path hedged in by cliffs. On Oubary's instructions, they all dismounted. With Bane as their guide, they advanced inwards while hiding themselves behind trees. Oubary beckoned them then gave the command to draw their swords.
"Right, go."
When soldiers had destroyed the fence with mallets, the gun corps, lined up side-by-side, opened fire all at once. The plan was to lure the villagers and to seize the advantage through further gunfire and arrows. Some of the soldiers had been sent on a roundabout route, taking a mountain trail that led behind the village; when they judged the timing to be right, the arrangement was for both sides to attack at the same time. However,
"Wait!"
Oubary temporarily halted the shooting. There was absolutely no reaction from within the village.
Don't tell me they were able to flee.
Oubary bit the edge of his thin lips. They must have abandoned their hideout when they noticed that Bane had disappeared. And yet, a little while earlier when they had sent out scouts, they had seen the shapes of people. That being the case, there hadn't been enough time for them to escape. Or it was also possible that they had gotten rid of the prince who had become nothing but a burden.
"Search every house. Don't miss even a single one."
Oubary ordered as he crossed through the wrecked fence. As each lit flames for their torches, the area was illuminated by the hazy light of fire. There were a number of the sod-thatched huts standing in rows. The vestiges of evening meals still wafted from smoke-filled pits. There were also traces of open-air fires here and there, which clearly hinted at there having been people there until just a while ago.
Oubary considered the situation while soldiers investigated the environs, when:
"General!"
A soldier called out loudly. His face was flushed with excitement.
"We found the prince!"
"What?"
Oubary's face brightened with greedy delight. It was a shame that he hadn't gotten to fight but at least he would have achieved his outstanding feat.
Near a vacant plot of land with a well, there was a building that looked as though it could house several tens of people. It was probably used to hold gatherings.
Accompanied by soldiers to his right and to his left, Oubary entered the building. "Oh ho", he narrowed his eyes.
Deep inside the wide hall, there was definitely the shape of a person. He seemed to be tied to a chair. His head was drooping as though he were asleep.
"Prince, Prince Gil!"
Oubary took a torch and strode towards the figure, raising it as he went.
The person who was tied up slowly lifted his head. The light from the flames fell upon his face and there was no mistaking it. It was Gil Mephius.
"It's very quiet."
Urging her horse to advance, Vileena spoke as she considered their surroundings. Low cliffs rose on either side of them.
At the front was the Baian and behind it Hou Ran rode on the Tengo. All around them, it had grown completely dark. As the Baian that was in the lead sometimes stopped as though sniffing a scent to find a way, their progress was slow.
"Are you afraid?"
"Certainly not."
Vileena said, as though telling Ran not to underestimate her. Ran smiled faintly.
"It's quiet but there are signs of life. This child seems to getting wind of a rather large number of smells."
"When did you talk with it?"
"Constantly."
Even though Ran's answer was clear, the meaning was still unintelligible. Somehow or another, Vileena was able to grasp her personality and they had simply reached an understanding without needing to talk.
The road the two of them were following was exactly the same as the one Orba had brought Bane along the previous evening. About an hour earlier, they had stopped to let the dragons and the horse have a drink at the riverside. Although she had spoken in that way for Ran's benefit, Vileena felt vaguely uneasy about the stillness and darkness of their surroundings. However, she silently followed Ran, who was being led by the Baian, without revealing those feelings.
When, carried by the wind, something sounded faintly in Vileena's ears. The sound of a great many people firing guns. The two of them looked at each other and slowed their steeds.
"That was..."
Vileena had immediately halted her horse and signalled to Ran to stop as well. There were a number of armed soldiers along the winding road ahead. Their backs were turned towards them and their attention seemed to be focused on something further down the path.
The flames from the torches they held illuminated their Black Armoureds and armour, and Vileena realised that they were Oubary Bilan's Black Armoured Division.
"Have they also located him?"
"Wait."
This time it was Ran who stopped the mounts. The Baian that the two had at some point overtaken also stopped when she turned around. Or rather, although it appeared to want to go forward, it pawed at the air with its foreleg without ever advancing. It was behaving as though facing something it absolutely loathed.
"What is the matter?"
"It seems to smell something it hates. There's no doubt that the prince is down there but its instincts are preventing it from doing what it wants. A dragon's instinct isn't only something that is ingrained through experience. Among them and throughout the generations, ether endows them with something like precognition."
"Precog..." Vileena considered for a short while, then, "It can't be... Something along the lines of someone having set a trap to capture the prince?"
"It might be. This child is particularly sharp for that sort of thing. - Wait, where are you going?"
"I am going to inform Oubary. Please stay here."
It was no sooner said than done, and Vileena had already spurred her horse on with a kick to its flank. "Princess!?" Ran heard the soldiers exclaim in astonishment. Ran was about to follow after the princess when the Tengo stood bolt upright, forcing her to a sudden stop.
Behind her, the Baian turned around. Ran pursed her lips; there were signs that a large number of people were approaching from that direction.
"Oubary?" Gil spoke in a raspy voice. "Thankfully you came. Bane seems to have done his job."
"Your safety is more important than anything, Your Highness. Nevertheless, to be outdone by the likes of those bandits is unlike Mephius' heroic and celebrated prince."
Oubary had long hated the prince. Being thus in a position to look down on him, the general smiled mockingly. Tied to the chair, Gil said weakly,
"I'm sorry. ... However, it seems they weren't originally that kind of group. They said that their village was burned down and they were reduced to banditry out of necessity."
"That would be at the time when Apta was occupied by those savages from Garbera. Although it may be that your kind heart holds some sympathy for them, I have no interest in the circumstances surrounding bandits. Now then, which way did they flee? Not a single one of their necks will be sparred, those curs who kidnapped the Crown Prince of our revered imperial dynasty."
"It was not Garbera that burned down the village." Gil Mephius raised heavy-looking eyelids and stared Oubary in the eyes. "I heard all about it, Oubary. What happened in this village was entirely your doing."
"No, that - What are you talking about?"
For an instant, Oubary could be seen to back away but, in the end, he had nerve. He was confident that here and now, he could certainly overwhelm the prince.
"The one who set fire to this village, no, to all the villages in this entire area was you, Oubary."
"...."
The subordinates that were behind Oubary looked at each other. They remembered what they had done. As they were turning pale, Oubary silently ordered them out with a wave of his hand.
"Why did you do something like that? It goes without saying that they were people of Mephius. You who are part of Mephius' military, why did you..."
"Deplorable."
"What?"
"It is deplorable, Your Highness. Could it be, Your Highness, that you believe what can only be called nonsense spouted by the likes of bandits more than you believe in a commander who has faithfully served the imperial family? I, Oubary Bilan, swear by the Dragon God Mephius that I have never done such a thing."
"..."
"And, even if... ah, this is speaking hypothetically. Even if I had done so..."
Feeling increasingly superior towards the prince who was remaining silent, Oubary grew greedy. This princeling was oblivious to the ways of the world. Oubary felt like explaining what he had done – and of course he remembered personally setting fire to the area's villages – then using that to tear through the prince’s utter ignorance so that he could look down on him more and more.
"Say it wasn't me but some other commander who was stationed at Apta at the time and who had done that same thing, I wouldn't consider it a crime in the slightest."
"Why is that?" Gil asked, his entire countenance expressing bewilderment. "What kind of reason could there be for needing to burn down the people's villages?"
"Forgive me if I appear to be speaking above my position, but as unworthy as I, Oubary, am, if nothing else, I have more experience than Your Highness and that is simply another facet of war."
"..."
"Your Highness is still young. And until now, you have always gained victory through heroic actions. However various things can happen in war and the outcome of a battle is not always clear-cut. I was indeed unable to protect Apta from Garbera. Nor did I receive sufficient aid from my country. However if I had merely fled and thus allowed Garbera to grow over-confident, then it would also have occupied the villages in the surrounding area and, as a result, it would have been easy for it to march towards our country's centre."
At the same time.
I see.
Tied to the chair, Gil Mephius – which is to say, Orba – felt that the time he had eagerly been waiting for had finally arrived.
There was no hesitating. He had already steeled his resolve. Because he would not come by a second chance to snatch away his mortal enemy's life without letting go of his mask, Orba would not falter.
However, at the very end, Orba desperately wanted to hear from Oubary about setting the village on fire. If you were to ask him why, Orba himself still didn't clearly understand the reason. He harboured a seething hatred towards the man and even though he would not simply attack him from behind, nor simply take his life, Orba had decided that when the time came, he would point his blade towards Oubary.
If I don't, six years of stored up hatred would be completely wasted.
He was possessed by the gruesome demon of revenge.
"In this thing we call war, in one way or another, there will always be a price to pay in victims and sacrifices to be made."
Oubary triumphantly carried on talking. Naturally he was unware that 'Gil Mephius' had a sword grasped in his hands that were tied behind his back, just as he was unware that 'Gil Mephius' could free himself in an instant of the ropes that bound him.
"In order to protect the people from an even greater sacrifice and to reap benefits for the country, one needs the resolve to be able to throw everything to the flames."
"I understand."
Orba's face was positively radiant as he spoke. Truthfully, his heart and mind were perfectly clear.
And with it, he was overflowing with willpower and energy.
"Oubary, it is thanks to the veterans of a thousand battles such as yourself that Mephius can know peace. That you also saved my life is something I will be sure to explain to Father. Now then, come and untie these ropes."
"Yes, certainly."
Having heard what he wanted, Oubary was beaming with joy. He walked up to Orba and was about to lean down closer.
He's here.
Orba grasped the sword ever more tightly. He found that the muscles in his shoulders and back were so strained they were rigid. When Oubary was so close that he could almost feel his body heat, Orba would knock back his chair with a kick and leap up.
Then, without pausing for breath, he would swing to hit Oubary who would go down without being able to utter a sound.
"Prince, are you there?"
He heard that voice from outside.
Vileena!
Startled, Orba stopped halfway as he was moving his waist. Oubary had been about to lean over him but seeing the rope drop loose from the prince's torso by itself, he too stopped.
And in his surprise, Orba, who had put too much strength in his movement, dropped his sword.
The sound of the blade hitting the floor with a crash resounded uncannily loud.
When princess Vileena had suddenly rushed up on horseback, the soldiers of the Black Armoured Division were dumbfounded.
"Where is the general?"
Still on horseback when she asked that question, she then went up to the village meeting hall under the soldiers' guidance. They had told her that the prince had been discovered there after he had been captured by bandits. A feeling of relief spread through her chest but as she recalled Ran's prophetic words, a twinge of anxiety still remained.
And so,
"Prince, are you there?"
She called out as she was about to step into the hall. Upon which, confusion broke out inside. A metallic sound struck Vileena's ears.
At the same time.
A group of torch-carrying soldiers entered one of the buildings. The prince had already been found but there was no saying that there might not be some valuables to look for.
Suddenly, the one in the lead was knocked off his feet and went flying to the right as though hit from the side by an invisible fist.
Immediately following was the sound of uninterrupted gunshots. They tore through the cheeks of the one now standing first and the force of the impact broke his neck, killing him outright. Then the second, the third; their corpses fell, piled on top of each other. Startled, Vileena whirled around.
"Uwah!"
"M-My, my legs!"
The soldiers fell noisily to the mysterious gunfire. Anyone could tell that it was an ambush. The bandits had made it seem like they had abandoned the village and had concealed riflemen outside of it. However even if they understood that, the surrounding darkness meant that they couldn't see to return fire.
"The flames", adjutant Sarne yelled. "Put out the torches' flames! The bastards are taking aim by them!"
It was a wise decision. Without losing a second, the soldiers put out their torches. But as soon as they had done so,
"Ah!"
Several of the soldiers suddenly shouted as a crimson tail blazed through the darkness: with a whistling sound, a number of fire arrows drew an arc in the sky overhead. One after another they pierced the roofs of the huts which then burst into fire.
"What!"
Light flooded the road where Sarne was. Just as he was rising in a panic, a bullet flew towards him and pierced his chest, and he fell back without another word.
Arrows were still being fired. The thatch on the roofs had been soaked in oil and no sooner did the arrows pierced them that they burst into flames with a roar like that of wild animals. The surroundings seemed to have turned into another world, wrapped in bright light.
Vileena stood stock still, holding her breath.
This time, from every direction, things that appeared to be water jugs were hurled forward and when the oil they contained splashed over the flames, they stocked them to greater strength. Had they calculated that the smell would alert the soldiers if they poured oil throughout the village from the outset?
At the same moment, a shadow drew up to Vileena from behind. As swiflty as the wind, the shadow raced towards the princess then suddenly seized her by the shoulders and waist and swept her away.
"Wha..."
"It's dangerous here. We have to leave at once!"
Vileena heard a young man's voice call out to her. When she looked, the one who had grabbed her was the Imperial Guard, Shique. His expression unusually desperate, he ran dodging the walls of flames that were springing up all over.
"What the..."
Noticing the frenzied uproar in the background, Oubary Bilan stopped moving. He was however a man who had survived many battlefields. When before his eyes he saw the signs of a change in the prince, he immediately jumped backwards.
Gil Mephius - Orba picked up the sword once more.
Sweat glistened on Oubary's forehead. Somehow, it felt as though he were confronting a mysterious presence.
"You , who are you?" Even as he spoke, Oubary's expression changed in sudden realisation. "You're not the prince, are you?"
"Why is that, General?"
The rope that was wound around his arms was now in his way, so Orba shook it off as he approached Oubary, looking for all the world as though he were about to drape an overly-familiar arm around his shoulders. The general of the Black Armoured Division backed further away. In that time, the fire spread to the walls of the meeting hall. Although the hall had not been doused in oil, unsurprisingly it seemed that some had still spread to it. The fire raced around the building, licking its outer walls while the heat inside soared.
"Tsk."
His hand to his face for protection, Oubary ran towards the outside but Orba was a fraction faster and stood in his way.
"Bah, move!"
"Don't be in such a hurry, General."
Orba smiled. Just before, Shique's voice had reached his ears.
Good man, Orba had thought from the bottom of his heart.
The reason he had shouted louder than necessary was so that Orba would hear. You can leave the princess to me, now do what you want to do – that was his message.
He could hear the roar of the flames. The blazed had by now engulfed part of the roof and sparks dripped like blood.
"That time too, there was a fire like this one. Won't you revel in this scene a little longer, Oubary Bilan!”
"That time?"
Judging that there could be no more waiting, Oubary struck out with his brawny arm even as he yelled. Orba nimbly dodged and kicked him down from the side. He sat astride him as part of the ceiling collapsed.
Gunshots resounded one after another. The soldiers of the Black Armoured Division tried to hide behind buildings and trees, but with the fire still spreading, the situation was not in their favour. To make matters worse, their surroundings were as bright as though it were the middle of the day. Blood spurted from yet another one of them before he toppled sideways.
"Hey, this way too. Fire! Fire!"
The gun-carrying soldiers finally began to fight back. They could now see their enemies. In a gap in the trees surrounding the village, on top of a hill that rose there, armed men lay in ambush. At long last, those of the Black Armoured Division also had their fingers to the trigger.
In an instant, screams resounded from the village's surroundings and then a large number of angry voices broke out from a heap of piled up straw and rubbish. Swords and axes in hand, the bandits appeared and rushed forward.
"An, an ambush!"
"Everyone, draw your swords! The likes of these thieves won't..."
The ring of flames was still spreading ever further. The survivors of the Black Armoured Division fled from there only to head to where the bandits were concealed. Born in the area, the bandits knew both the strength of that night's wind and its direction. With that in mind, they had calculated where to throw the oil and lay hidden in wait for the soldiers in places where the flames wouldn't reach.
The sound of blades clashing echoed all around. The gun units that lay hidden outside the village maintained their covering fire and one-by-one, the soldiers of the Black Armoured Division were shot without further warning, their heads were smashed with axes, or their chests pierced with swords.
"This is revenge for my parents!"
"How does it feel now, you dogs of Mephius!"
Scorched by the light of the flames, the bandits' faces looked like those of devils. As far as they were concerned however, the demons were none other than the soldiers of the Black Armoured Division.
The hunters and the hunted - Orba and Oubary whose positions had been completely reversed from those of six years ago, both tumbled around on the hunting field.
Shaking off the flames that clung to them, they literally rolled out of the building.
When both stood up, they were covered in black soot. Only their eyes stood out, reflecting the bright red flames.
"Did you plan this, Prince!"
Oubary bellowed. Inwardly, he still couldn't decide whether or not his opponent was the prince. Their features at any rate were entirely the same. But that no longer mattered. Whether his opponent was the prince or an imposter, he had lured the Black Armoured Division into a trap and had brought about the misery of their complete annihilation, and for that he would kill him.
"Even if I did, what would you do about it?"
"You've gone mad."
Oubary drew the long sword at his waist. Even within Mephius' military, he was something of a giant. His specially-made sword was about two fist-lengths longer than normal.
"If the likes of you succeeds to the imperial throne, Mephius will be ruined. With this sword, I will cut through both that future and your neck." Around them was a scene of utter carnage. In contrast to Oubary who stood with his sword at the ready, Orba walked towards him, his blade casually lowered, defenceless.
Fool.
Oubary would be done with this fight in a second then he would have to escape from this place. His sword readied in both hands, he haughtily swung it down from above his head.
A rush of air.
As the wind whistled, Oubary received a strong blow to his forehead and staggered backwards.
What the!
He was stunned, his consciousness hazy. But he was back up in an instant, this time swinging his sword in a side blow. His opponent's sword still hung loosely. He should have easily been able to cleave that slender body in half.
Another rush of air.
"Guah!"
Pain ran through his right arm this time. It felt as though he had been struck through his helmet and armour. Oubary confusedly pulled back his sword and took a defensive stance. A rush of air, then another. This time the wind whistled uninterruptedly. Sparks flew as iron hit iron.
T-This bastard.
Blood was flowing freely from Oubary's brow. His right arm hurt as though it had been broken from where he had repeatedly caught his opponent's slashing blows. He lost his calm. Though his opponent seemed truly defenceless, again and again he was struck by attacks that were as fast as the wind.
Even though Oubary was of course fighting back, he was only swinging at air. Thoughts of 'why' welled up within him. Why wasn't he striking him, why couldn't he easily bridge the distance between them. He couldn't read his breathing, he couldn't see his opponent's movements, he didn't move as he expected him to.
"Wa-Wait."
Oubary shouted as they fought. He was steadily retreating and with no time to even catch his breath, he was barely defending against the ferocious attacks.
Orba on the other hand pressed him continuously, deliberately choosing his timing and attacking in a flash. Seeing the tip of the sword coming from behind to strike at his head, he bent his knees, deflected his enemy's blade and in the gap that created, he slashed at his torso. With a strange gurgling sound, Oubary staggered back yet again.
"Wait!" Oubary still yelled. "This isn't a fight. This is outlandish. Soldiers should face off fair and square!"
Each time he received a blow from Orba's sword, the wound on his forehead opened and Oubary's face was now painted with blood as though with some ghastly make-up. At that point, his consciousness was already seven parts gone. Oubary was not able to comprehend that the person with the prince's appearance was so skilful with a sword. And so he thought he was being cowardly. Even before the fight, he had considered that might be the case.
Orba still dealt his blows. Oubary just barely manage to stop one from landing on his shoulder but his expression twisted in anguish.
"Wait, Prince. Does the prince intend to take the life of one of his retainers with his own hands...?"
The rest of his words were drowned out by the noise of the flames. With the speed of lighting, Orba brought his blade from the left towards Oubary's chest, knocking his sword away.
Oubary finally fell to the ground on his knees. Orba kicked him in the chest. Mephius' long-serving general toppled over backwards. Without pause, Orba's sword rushed towards him. In an instant, a third of the blade was buried in the ground.
"Gyaaaaaa!"
Blood gushing from his head even more, Oubary rolled on the ground. The blade that had struck by his side had severed his ear. Pulling out the sword with all his might, Orba subjected Oubary, lying like a dying insect, to another blow.
He smashed his right shin. He pierced his left shoulder. Then, when his arms and legs were immobilised, with terrifying speed he brought his sword down on each finger, one after another.
And each time, Oubary screamed.
There were no other cries near them. The fight was coming to an end. The bandits who gradually gathered around Orba stood before their bitter enemy as silently as though the souls had been snatched away.
In the midst of the roaring flames, Oubary watched Orba raise his blood-soaked sword over his head.
"He-He-He" Foaming at the mouth, his eyes streaming with tears, Oubary pleaded in a hoarse voice. "Help, Help me, please."
"I,"
Orba spoke for the first time since they had crossed swords. Although by no means a loud voice, every person there heard it resonate eerily. "I heard those screams over and over again."
A smile appeared on Orba's face, drenched in the blood of his victim. If a beast were to smile at its prey on the verge of death, it would surely be such a smile.
"And when the screams stopped was when everyone was dead."
Staring at a point in mid-air, Orba strode forward and planted his feet on either side of Oubary's tear-stained face. Filthy from the blood and the mud, he ground his teeth.
Six years – no, it's closer to seven years now.
A great many memories flickered like images across Orba's mind.
Being burned out of the village. Gathering a gang in Birac. And then, when being degraded into a sword slave, doing nothing but swinging a sword each day in order to survive.
Every night he had cursed Oubary.
When the mask's spell felt like it was burning his entire face with its intense heat. He had thought he would go insane. He had been terrified of dying. But every time,
I won't die.
Orba had reaffirmed his resolution.
My life isn't anyone's plaything. My life is for the sake of taking back everything that was stolen from me.
The sword in Orba's hand was the compass needle that guided him. He had snatched away a great many lives. All had wanted to live to see the next day. Even so, Orba carried on. When he had fought Ryucown, even though he had seen death in his eyes, Orba had crushed his noble ideals. Simply for the sake of revenge, simply for the sake of achieving his life's one goal.
Looking back, it felt like a mountain of corpses had piled up. And now it felt like one by one, those departed souls were rising and filling the sky, moaning in bitterness and grief.
Indeed - everything was,
All for this moment.
"Hiii!"
The raised sword cast its shadow directly on Oubary's face. It drew a line were that face would be cut through - seeing that, the bandits held their breath while Oubary himself let out a shrill scream.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"
When that long scream was cut off, Orba threw aside the sword he had swing down.
The watching men had no voice to speak.
Orba's bare skin was visible through his scorched and torn up clothing. And they looked at him anew. When Doug had laid out the plan and they heard that it had come from Orba, they had furiously yelled "You'd trust our enemy's prince?" To gain their trust, Orba had shown them the same thing as now.
Heaving up and down with his rough breathing was the brand of a slave.
Brightly ablaze, bathed in the colour of fire and blood, the emblem of the branded.
Countless sparks danced in the heavens and black smoke billowed incessantly. Orba looked up and sighed faintly.
It's over...
From flames it had started, in flames it would meet its demise.
Too gruesome and wretched to be called adolescence, that brutally cruel era came to an end.
"Vileena-sama, Vileena-sama!"
Theresia called out loudly. Although her mistress often disappeared from sight, the situation was as it was. The princess had been informed of the prince's disappearance. Official notice had not yet been given to the town, but as a large number of soldiers from Apta were performing searches, it was only a matter of time before the populace would find out. And of course, if they raised a fuss, the entire country would also learn about it.
Not to mention that if the prince were to safely be found at some point, naturally his situation would once again take a turn for the worse. Thinking that it was by no means impossible that in order to avoid that, the princess might follow after the prince and go out of Apta, even Theresia went pale.
However,
"Vileena-sama."
She almost sank down unintentionally. It was somewhat anticlimactic.
Vileena was wandering aimlessly around the military training range within the fortress. As to what she was doing, she was gazing up at every tree, peering in the shade of the stacked up piles of armour, walking to the stable to compare the horses one by one, and appeared for all the world as though she were looking for something that she had lost.
"You surely can't be thinking that the prince will be in this kind of place. This isn't a game of hide-and-seek."
Against her better judgement, her tone was somewhat biting.
"I don't know," Vileena answered without so much as turning towards Theresia. "With that prince, it isn't impossible that he could have dug a hidey-hole. As an experiment, we could try digging where you're standing, Theresia. You never know, he might appear saying 'Boo!'"
Aha! Theresia homed in on Vileena's detached tone of voice. She was angry. And it was no ordinary anger either. Occasionally when her anger got to her head, her mistress would do things that she herself didn't understand.
Back then, had it been when she was seven or eight years old? Her older sister, Princess Luhla had wanted a puppy that had been sold at a street stall during a festival, and so she had begun to keep it in a corner of the inner palace. Vileena also expressed an interest. However, he dog was scared of her and wouldn't go near her, whose training methods were so strict despite her youth that she was almost like a tyrant.
"I've never heard of a dog that won't let humans hold it. It must be a cat. When people aren't looking, I'm sure it goes 'meow'".
Thus angered, Vileena had taken to watching the dog in the dead of night from near where it slept. Although very young, Vileena of course didn't really believe such a thing. As it was something she had said herself, she couldn't stand down - was an explanation that was also incorrect. Being excessively strong-willed, she would persevere even if brought her no personal satisfaction.
"Won't you come out, Prince? After all, I'm in plain sight."
She called out, looking as she had when dealing with a dog that might have been a cat. At the same time, having thought about wandering around the training grounds, she walked instead towards the garden. Just as Theresia had surmised, Vileena Owell was angry.
That, that sly, scheming, pretentious, jokster of a princeling!
Getting more and more wound up in her irritation, she unthinkingly stamped her foot.
When she was told that the prince appeared to have left Apta taking Bane with him, Vileena's first thought was Again? Yesterday, as they had passed each other, prince Gil had said "Please wait a little more." And so she believed that this time too he had some kind of purpose in mind. There surely couldn't be any need to mobilise the soldiers at Apta in a search, since after all the outcome could only be such as to leave everyone amazed.
And yet, in spite of that - or rather because of that, Vileena felt resentful.
Again, again you didn't confide in me.
This was the prince who had revealed all his plans at the time of the war with Taúlia. Vileena had thought that she had come a step closer to his innermost thoughts, so she found it hard to forgive that this time he had once again acted secretively and kept his mouth firmly shut.
At the time of the war with Taúlia, I thought I could place at least a little faith in him. No matter how strange his behaviour might seem on the outside, I was going to stop scolding him, getting angry at him and saying childish things.
Having faith in him was surely important. However Vileena was finding that not being able to do anything but wait was making her thoroughly irritated.
This isn't like me. If the prince decides to seclude himself indoors again, I might need to attack more forcefully.
Vileena was growing enthusiastic about the idea that there were different ways of believing in people. Since waiting silently went against her nature, she should support, if necessary forcibly, the prince who moved at his own accord.
At that moment, the horses in the stable suddenly grew restless. Instead of drawing near the fence, they were hurriedly shying away from it.
"P-Princess!" Theresia let out a small scream.
As Vileena watched a medium-sized Baian dragon came lumbering near. It wore neither chains nor reins. As the not-unnaturally astonished Vileena was unconsciously about to jump out of the way, from the other side of it, Hou Ran's figure, sitting astride a small-sized Tengo, came into view.
She wondered whether she was chasing after an escaped dragon, but Ran didn't appear to be in a hurry. She seemed instead to be slowing down the Tengo in order to let the Baian take the lead. Forgetting her fear, Vileena drew her eyebrows together slightly; the training and exercise ground for the dragons was in the opposite direction.
"Ran!"
"The princess?"
Ran brought the Tengo to a standstill. The Baian turned its head in her direction and, understanding that she wasn't moving on, also stopped. Theresia appeared to have lost her ability to speak and could only wave her hands at the princess as though to tell her to run away.
"Where are you bound?"
To Vileena's question, Ran answered as though it were perfectly obvious,
"To where... the prince is."
Vileena couldn't understand why Ran had faltered before saying 'prince'. Or rather, she didn't realise that she had.
"Did he inform you before leaving?"
"No", the girl from the borderlands had eyes reminiscent of a deep lake and in those eyes, Vileena's figure was reflected. "It's simply that that child knows. Once its heart has connected with a human, it can feel them no matter how far apart they are. It's what humans call being guided by ether."
'That child' no doubt referred to the Baian that was standing quietly a little in front of her.
"I've never heard anyone say something like that before."
"Is that so?"
Ran didn't seem inclined to argue. Nonetheless, Vileena judged her to be extremely knowledgeable when it came to dragons.
Come to think of it...
The ancient Magic King Zodias was said to have discovered the existence of ether as well as the means for manipulating it from the ruins of the Dragon Gods. Zodias had later expressed his belief that the Dragon Gods had once freely manipulated ether and that they had built a great civilisation on this planet.
In Garbera, those kinds of legends were given little credence. They even doubted that Zodias had actually existed. But since having been sent to Mephius, Vileena had remembered the theory that modern-day dragons were the degenerated form of the ancient Dragon Gods.
"So then, if you follow that child, you will find out where the prince is?"
"If it's nearby."
"But... why do you need to go to the prince now? Weren't you the one who said to leave that person be?"
"I don't remember saying any such thing. Personally, I can't bear for that child to feel lonely. So I'm going."
"That child..."
Vileena carefully scrutinised the Baian's face. Its forked tongue was flicking in and out of its mouth. Occasionally when it opened its mouth, tusks as sharp as blades would peek out.
Within her chest, Vileena's feelings were stirring noisily. She herself didn't understand what was going on. And while she didn't understand, it was with a feeling of desperate hurry that she spoke,
"Is it only that child?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm asking is if it is only that child who is feeling lonely and who is worried about the prince."
"I don't need to tell Vileena."
"Vileena." While repeating her own name, Garbera's third princess let out a chuckle. From 'she' to 'Vileena'. It probably marked an elevation in status.
"I see. You are as difficult as a dragon. Well, I probably am too. I was only looking for a pretext to convince myself."
"....?"
Atop of her saddle, a slightly troubled Hou Ran frowned. Without realising that that kind of behaviour was unusual for her, Vileena said,
"Very well. In that case, I will go too."
"P-Princess!" Theresia exclaimed, horrified.
"I need to get ready. I will be done at once, so could you please wait."
"The limit is how long that child can wait. I won't wait beyond that."
"You make things clear. Understood, I will hurry."
"Princess, you cannot!"
While once again playing tag with Theresia, Vileena felt her body grow light.
Elsewhere.
Although the prince's whereabouts were unknown, Oubary Bilan didn't much feel like joining the search.
"That prince delights in entertaining us with his bizarre behaviour."
Having said that, and after sending soldiers to search in all directions by way of an excuse, the man himself went back to drinking and to going out hunting in the forest.
He was not in the least bit concerned about where the prince may have gone, but since Oubary was at Apta, the imperial family might hold him responsible for the disappearance, and thus he couldn't simply leave things be.
How troublesome, such were his real thoughts.
However he remembered somewhat uneasily that his own subordinate, Bane, was rumoured to have gone with the prince. When he had asked around, he was told that he had been on surprisingly close terms with the prince at Apta.
That bastard. Just because the prince is highly praised doesn't mean he should change his allegiance.
Remembering the captain's puffed-up face, Oubary, who had gone out hunting, tossed back a large mouthful of wine from his flask. Hunting gun in hand, he took aim at a wild boar that had was cornered nearby. He felt like that splendid kill completely refreshed his spirits.
He couldn't stand Bane's personality and if the prince particularly wanted that man as his subordinate, it would be no great loss for the Black Armoured Division. Or rather, if that man would do for the prince, Oubary would give him over immediately.
He's a poor judge of character, Oubary sneered as he walked towards his next prey.
That evening, just as he arrived back at the fortress, a soldier knelt before him. Upon enquiring, he learned that Bane had returned.
"Why hasn't he come here in person?"
Oubary's angry words were accompanied by the stench of liquor on his breath.
"Yes. That is, the captain can't move but there is something he wishes to tell the general no matter what and..."
He explained that Bane was waiting for the general at a shop in the fortress' town. Moreover, he did not want his return to be publicly known and the soldier appeared to have more to convey.
"What's going on?"
Oubary glared at the soldier with eyes clouded from drinking, but when Bane's message was whispered in his ear, his opened wider and wider as he stared at the man. "What! Is this true?"
"Yes, it's what captain Bane said..."
All at once, the liquor-induced colour faded from Oubary's face and, taking a number of attendants with him, he descended to the town.
Bane was waiting for him at a cheap ale-house that stood away from the town's hustle and bustle. Not touching a drop of drink, he sat in a corner seat, quivering. When he saw Oubary's figure, he shot upright, forcefully kicking his chair back in the process.
"Gen-General!"
"Is what you said true?"
Oubary cut in without any form of notice. Bane nodded earnestly.
According to what Oubary had heard, Bane and the prince had been captured by bandits while out on a long ride. Bane was separated from the prince and imprisoned in an underground. dungeon but, through a gap in the thieves' vigilance, the prince had hurried to him and untied his ropes.
"There's no guard on watch right now. If we're going to escape, now is the time to do it." The prince had said to Bane. It seemed however that they wouldn't be able to escape together. "I'll deliberately make it look like I'm escaping in a different direction. I'll be more likely to attract their attention. I'll buy time as a decoy, whatever happens go and inform the general. Right, be sure to let general Oubary know by the end of the day."
Sent off by the prince, Bane had jumped onto a horse tied to a tree and had galloped back to Apta.
Oubary pondered. Most of the prince's imperial troops having been sent to Garbera as reinforcements, Apta's current military strength was no more than the five hundred from the Black Armoured Division. No doubt that was why the prince had said to inform him specifically.
"Should we inform the Imperial Guards?" Asked one of his attendants.
"No", Oubary answered however, running his tongue over his lips. "The prince's life is at stake. Not only is there not a moment to lose, but if soldiers charged out of Apta in large numbers, those bastards would probably realise it and escape. I'll go with a hundred and fifty from the Black Armoured Division. Sarne."
"Yes."
Oubary entrusted the task of choosing the hundred and fifty soldiers to his adjutant, Sarne. After that, while making sure that the soldiers were hurrying about, the general of the Black Armoured Division's face seemed to be wreathed in smiles.
That the princeling was stupid enough to go out for fun and to get caught by bandits means that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to pull off a great feat. Even such foolishness can sometimes have its uses.
To save the life of royalty, and moreover of the heir to the throne, would be an achievement that would more than wipe out his disgrace in Solon. It was an added bonus that the one whose gratitude he would earn for having himself saved him from assassination was the prince who had appointed slaves as his Imperial Guards. He would surely return the favour done him by Oubary Bilan, no matter how extravagant the reward,
"I'm getting tired of hunting beasts. Slaves would be next after beasts, and treating myself to some bandits might not be bad either."
Best of all was the feeling of his blood boiling. For Oubary, life was meaningless without fighting.
Guided by Bane, Oubary Bilan and the hundred and fifty from the Black Armoured Division drew near the bandits' hideout just before daylight faded.
Naturally they lit neither fire nor lamps. As they marched, they were careful to make as little noise as possible. There was only the snorting and clip-clopping footsteps of the horses, as well as the clanging of armour and helmets, as they slowly weaved their way through the trees. A while ago, several people had been sent out on reconnaissance. Lights shone from every house in the village and a number of men and women seemed to be drinking and dancing. There were people who appeared to be lookouts carrying guns but by going along the old beaten track that was the route chosen for their march, they should avoid running into them.
Stylishly dressed in dignified light armour, as he jolted along atop of his horse, Oubary's eyes shone with excitement as they drew nearer to battle and to its reward.
They started down a narrow path hedged in by cliffs. On Oubary's instructions, they all dismounted. With Bane as their guide, they advanced inwards while hiding themselves behind trees. Oubary beckoned them then gave the command to draw their swords.
"Right, go."
When soldiers had destroyed the fence with mallets, the gun corps, lined up side-by-side, opened fire all at once. The plan was to lure the villagers and to seize the advantage through further gunfire and arrows. Some of the soldiers had been sent on a roundabout route, taking a mountain trail that led behind the village; when they judged the timing to be right, the arrangement was for both sides to attack at the same time. However,
"Wait!"
Oubary temporarily halted the shooting. There was absolutely no reaction from within the village.
Don't tell me they were able to flee.
Oubary bit the edge of his thin lips. They must have abandoned their hideout when they noticed that Bane had disappeared. And yet, a little while earlier when they had sent out scouts, they had seen the shapes of people. That being the case, there hadn't been enough time for them to escape. Or it was also possible that they had gotten rid of the prince who had become nothing but a burden.
"Search every house. Don't miss even a single one."
Oubary ordered as he crossed through the wrecked fence. As each lit flames for their torches, the area was illuminated by the hazy light of fire. There were a number of the sod-thatched huts standing in rows. The vestiges of evening meals still wafted from smoke-filled pits. There were also traces of open-air fires here and there, which clearly hinted at there having been people there until just a while ago.
Oubary considered the situation while soldiers investigated the environs, when:
"General!"
A soldier called out loudly. His face was flushed with excitement.
"We found the prince!"
"What?"
Oubary's face brightened with greedy delight. It was a shame that he hadn't gotten to fight but at least he would have achieved his outstanding feat.
Near a vacant plot of land with a well, there was a building that looked as though it could house several tens of people. It was probably used to hold gatherings.
Accompanied by soldiers to his right and to his left, Oubary entered the building. "Oh ho", he narrowed his eyes.
Deep inside the wide hall, there was definitely the shape of a person. He seemed to be tied to a chair. His head was drooping as though he were asleep.
"Prince, Prince Gil!"
Oubary took a torch and strode towards the figure, raising it as he went.
The person who was tied up slowly lifted his head. The light from the flames fell upon his face and there was no mistaking it. It was Gil Mephius.
"It's very quiet."
Urging her horse to advance, Vileena spoke as she considered their surroundings. Low cliffs rose on either side of them.
At the front was the Baian and behind it Hou Ran rode on the Tengo. All around them, it had grown completely dark. As the Baian that was in the lead sometimes stopped as though sniffing a scent to find a way, their progress was slow.
"Are you afraid?"
"Certainly not."
Vileena said, as though telling Ran not to underestimate her. Ran smiled faintly.
"It's quiet but there are signs of life. This child seems to getting wind of a rather large number of smells."
"When did you talk with it?"
"Constantly."
Even though Ran's answer was clear, the meaning was still unintelligible. Somehow or another, Vileena was able to grasp her personality and they had simply reached an understanding without needing to talk.
The road the two of them were following was exactly the same as the one Orba had brought Bane along the previous evening. About an hour earlier, they had stopped to let the dragons and the horse have a drink at the riverside. Although she had spoken in that way for Ran's benefit, Vileena felt vaguely uneasy about the stillness and darkness of their surroundings. However, she silently followed Ran, who was being led by the Baian, without revealing those feelings.
When, carried by the wind, something sounded faintly in Vileena's ears. The sound of a great many people firing guns. The two of them looked at each other and slowed their steeds.
"That was..."
Vileena had immediately halted her horse and signalled to Ran to stop as well. There were a number of armed soldiers along the winding road ahead. Their backs were turned towards them and their attention seemed to be focused on something further down the path.
The flames from the torches they held illuminated their Black Armoureds and armour, and Vileena realised that they were Oubary Bilan's Black Armoured Division.
"Have they also located him?"
"Wait."
This time it was Ran who stopped the mounts. The Baian that the two had at some point overtaken also stopped when she turned around. Or rather, although it appeared to want to go forward, it pawed at the air with its foreleg without ever advancing. It was behaving as though facing something it absolutely loathed.
"What is the matter?"
"It seems to smell something it hates. There's no doubt that the prince is down there but its instincts are preventing it from doing what it wants. A dragon's instinct isn't only something that is ingrained through experience. Among them and throughout the generations, ether endows them with something like precognition."
"Precog..." Vileena considered for a short while, then, "It can't be... Something along the lines of someone having set a trap to capture the prince?"
"It might be. This child is particularly sharp for that sort of thing. - Wait, where are you going?"
"I am going to inform Oubary. Please stay here."
It was no sooner said than done, and Vileena had already spurred her horse on with a kick to its flank. "Princess!?" Ran heard the soldiers exclaim in astonishment. Ran was about to follow after the princess when the Tengo stood bolt upright, forcing her to a sudden stop.
Behind her, the Baian turned around. Ran pursed her lips; there were signs that a large number of people were approaching from that direction.
"Oubary?" Gil spoke in a raspy voice. "Thankfully you came. Bane seems to have done his job."
"Your safety is more important than anything, Your Highness. Nevertheless, to be outdone by the likes of those bandits is unlike Mephius' heroic and celebrated prince."
Oubary had long hated the prince. Being thus in a position to look down on him, the general smiled mockingly. Tied to the chair, Gil said weakly,
"I'm sorry. ... However, it seems they weren't originally that kind of group. They said that their village was burned down and they were reduced to banditry out of necessity."
"That would be at the time when Apta was occupied by those savages from Garbera. Although it may be that your kind heart holds some sympathy for them, I have no interest in the circumstances surrounding bandits. Now then, which way did they flee? Not a single one of their necks will be sparred, those curs who kidnapped the Crown Prince of our revered imperial dynasty."
"It was not Garbera that burned down the village." Gil Mephius raised heavy-looking eyelids and stared Oubary in the eyes. "I heard all about it, Oubary. What happened in this village was entirely your doing."
"No, that - What are you talking about?"
For an instant, Oubary could be seen to back away but, in the end, he had nerve. He was confident that here and now, he could certainly overwhelm the prince.
"The one who set fire to this village, no, to all the villages in this entire area was you, Oubary."
"...."
The subordinates that were behind Oubary looked at each other. They remembered what they had done. As they were turning pale, Oubary silently ordered them out with a wave of his hand.
"Why did you do something like that? It goes without saying that they were people of Mephius. You who are part of Mephius' military, why did you..."
"Deplorable."
"What?"
"It is deplorable, Your Highness. Could it be, Your Highness, that you believe what can only be called nonsense spouted by the likes of bandits more than you believe in a commander who has faithfully served the imperial family? I, Oubary Bilan, swear by the Dragon God Mephius that I have never done such a thing."
"..."
"And, even if... ah, this is speaking hypothetically. Even if I had done so..."
Feeling increasingly superior towards the prince who was remaining silent, Oubary grew greedy. This princeling was oblivious to the ways of the world. Oubary felt like explaining what he had done – and of course he remembered personally setting fire to the area's villages – then using that to tear through the prince’s utter ignorance so that he could look down on him more and more.
"Say it wasn't me but some other commander who was stationed at Apta at the time and who had done that same thing, I wouldn't consider it a crime in the slightest."
"Why is that?" Gil asked, his entire countenance expressing bewilderment. "What kind of reason could there be for needing to burn down the people's villages?"
"Forgive me if I appear to be speaking above my position, but as unworthy as I, Oubary, am, if nothing else, I have more experience than Your Highness and that is simply another facet of war."
"..."
"Your Highness is still young. And until now, you have always gained victory through heroic actions. However various things can happen in war and the outcome of a battle is not always clear-cut. I was indeed unable to protect Apta from Garbera. Nor did I receive sufficient aid from my country. However if I had merely fled and thus allowed Garbera to grow over-confident, then it would also have occupied the villages in the surrounding area and, as a result, it would have been easy for it to march towards our country's centre."
At the same time.
I see.
Tied to the chair, Gil Mephius – which is to say, Orba – felt that the time he had eagerly been waiting for had finally arrived.
There was no hesitating. He had already steeled his resolve. Because he would not come by a second chance to snatch away his mortal enemy's life without letting go of his mask, Orba would not falter.
However, at the very end, Orba desperately wanted to hear from Oubary about setting the village on fire. If you were to ask him why, Orba himself still didn't clearly understand the reason. He harboured a seething hatred towards the man and even though he would not simply attack him from behind, nor simply take his life, Orba had decided that when the time came, he would point his blade towards Oubary.
If I don't, six years of stored up hatred would be completely wasted.
He was possessed by the gruesome demon of revenge.
"In this thing we call war, in one way or another, there will always be a price to pay in victims and sacrifices to be made."
Oubary triumphantly carried on talking. Naturally he was unware that 'Gil Mephius' had a sword grasped in his hands that were tied behind his back, just as he was unware that 'Gil Mephius' could free himself in an instant of the ropes that bound him.
"In order to protect the people from an even greater sacrifice and to reap benefits for the country, one needs the resolve to be able to throw everything to the flames."
"I understand."
Orba's face was positively radiant as he spoke. Truthfully, his heart and mind were perfectly clear.
And with it, he was overflowing with willpower and energy.
"Oubary, it is thanks to the veterans of a thousand battles such as yourself that Mephius can know peace. That you also saved my life is something I will be sure to explain to Father. Now then, come and untie these ropes."
"Yes, certainly."
Having heard what he wanted, Oubary was beaming with joy. He walked up to Orba and was about to lean down closer.
He's here.
Orba grasped the sword ever more tightly. He found that the muscles in his shoulders and back were so strained they were rigid. When Oubary was so close that he could almost feel his body heat, Orba would knock back his chair with a kick and leap up.
Then, without pausing for breath, he would swing to hit Oubary who would go down without being able to utter a sound.
"Prince, are you there?"
He heard that voice from outside.
Vileena!
Startled, Orba stopped halfway as he was moving his waist. Oubary had been about to lean over him but seeing the rope drop loose from the prince's torso by itself, he too stopped.
And in his surprise, Orba, who had put too much strength in his movement, dropped his sword.
The sound of the blade hitting the floor with a crash resounded uncannily loud.
When princess Vileena had suddenly rushed up on horseback, the soldiers of the Black Armoured Division were dumbfounded.
"Where is the general?"
Still on horseback when she asked that question, she then went up to the village meeting hall under the soldiers' guidance. They had told her that the prince had been discovered there after he had been captured by bandits. A feeling of relief spread through her chest but as she recalled Ran's prophetic words, a twinge of anxiety still remained.
And so,
"Prince, are you there?"
She called out as she was about to step into the hall. Upon which, confusion broke out inside. A metallic sound struck Vileena's ears.
At the same time.
A group of torch-carrying soldiers entered one of the buildings. The prince had already been found but there was no saying that there might not be some valuables to look for.
Suddenly, the one in the lead was knocked off his feet and went flying to the right as though hit from the side by an invisible fist.
Immediately following was the sound of uninterrupted gunshots. They tore through the cheeks of the one now standing first and the force of the impact broke his neck, killing him outright. Then the second, the third; their corpses fell, piled on top of each other. Startled, Vileena whirled around.
"Uwah!"
"M-My, my legs!"
The soldiers fell noisily to the mysterious gunfire. Anyone could tell that it was an ambush. The bandits had made it seem like they had abandoned the village and had concealed riflemen outside of it. However even if they understood that, the surrounding darkness meant that they couldn't see to return fire.
"The flames", adjutant Sarne yelled. "Put out the torches' flames! The bastards are taking aim by them!"
It was a wise decision. Without losing a second, the soldiers put out their torches. But as soon as they had done so,
"Ah!"
Several of the soldiers suddenly shouted as a crimson tail blazed through the darkness: with a whistling sound, a number of fire arrows drew an arc in the sky overhead. One after another they pierced the roofs of the huts which then burst into fire.
"What!"
Light flooded the road where Sarne was. Just as he was rising in a panic, a bullet flew towards him and pierced his chest, and he fell back without another word.
Arrows were still being fired. The thatch on the roofs had been soaked in oil and no sooner did the arrows pierced them that they burst into flames with a roar like that of wild animals. The surroundings seemed to have turned into another world, wrapped in bright light.
Vileena stood stock still, holding her breath.
This time, from every direction, things that appeared to be water jugs were hurled forward and when the oil they contained splashed over the flames, they stocked them to greater strength. Had they calculated that the smell would alert the soldiers if they poured oil throughout the village from the outset?
At the same moment, a shadow drew up to Vileena from behind. As swiflty as the wind, the shadow raced towards the princess then suddenly seized her by the shoulders and waist and swept her away.
"Wha..."
"It's dangerous here. We have to leave at once!"
Vileena heard a young man's voice call out to her. When she looked, the one who had grabbed her was the Imperial Guard, Shique. His expression unusually desperate, he ran dodging the walls of flames that were springing up all over.
"What the..."
Noticing the frenzied uproar in the background, Oubary Bilan stopped moving. He was however a man who had survived many battlefields. When before his eyes he saw the signs of a change in the prince, he immediately jumped backwards.
Gil Mephius - Orba picked up the sword once more.
Sweat glistened on Oubary's forehead. Somehow, it felt as though he were confronting a mysterious presence.
"You , who are you?" Even as he spoke, Oubary's expression changed in sudden realisation. "You're not the prince, are you?"
"Why is that, General?"
The rope that was wound around his arms was now in his way, so Orba shook it off as he approached Oubary, looking for all the world as though he were about to drape an overly-familiar arm around his shoulders. The general of the Black Armoured Division backed further away. In that time, the fire spread to the walls of the meeting hall. Although the hall had not been doused in oil, unsurprisingly it seemed that some had still spread to it. The fire raced around the building, licking its outer walls while the heat inside soared.
"Tsk."
His hand to his face for protection, Oubary ran towards the outside but Orba was a fraction faster and stood in his way.
"Bah, move!"
"Don't be in such a hurry, General."
Orba smiled. Just before, Shique's voice had reached his ears.
Good man, Orba had thought from the bottom of his heart.
The reason he had shouted louder than necessary was so that Orba would hear. You can leave the princess to me, now do what you want to do – that was his message.
He could hear the roar of the flames. The blazed had by now engulfed part of the roof and sparks dripped like blood.
"That time too, there was a fire like this one. Won't you revel in this scene a little longer, Oubary Bilan!”
"That time?"
Judging that there could be no more waiting, Oubary struck out with his brawny arm even as he yelled. Orba nimbly dodged and kicked him down from the side. He sat astride him as part of the ceiling collapsed.
Gunshots resounded one after another. The soldiers of the Black Armoured Division tried to hide behind buildings and trees, but with the fire still spreading, the situation was not in their favour. To make matters worse, their surroundings were as bright as though it were the middle of the day. Blood spurted from yet another one of them before he toppled sideways.
"Hey, this way too. Fire! Fire!"
The gun-carrying soldiers finally began to fight back. They could now see their enemies. In a gap in the trees surrounding the village, on top of a hill that rose there, armed men lay in ambush. At long last, those of the Black Armoured Division also had their fingers to the trigger.
In an instant, screams resounded from the village's surroundings and then a large number of angry voices broke out from a heap of piled up straw and rubbish. Swords and axes in hand, the bandits appeared and rushed forward.
"An, an ambush!"
"Everyone, draw your swords! The likes of these thieves won't..."
The ring of flames was still spreading ever further. The survivors of the Black Armoured Division fled from there only to head to where the bandits were concealed. Born in the area, the bandits knew both the strength of that night's wind and its direction. With that in mind, they had calculated where to throw the oil and lay hidden in wait for the soldiers in places where the flames wouldn't reach.
The sound of blades clashing echoed all around. The gun units that lay hidden outside the village maintained their covering fire and one-by-one, the soldiers of the Black Armoured Division were shot without further warning, their heads were smashed with axes, or their chests pierced with swords.
"This is revenge for my parents!"
"How does it feel now, you dogs of Mephius!"
Scorched by the light of the flames, the bandits' faces looked like those of devils. As far as they were concerned however, the demons were none other than the soldiers of the Black Armoured Division.
The hunters and the hunted - Orba and Oubary whose positions had been completely reversed from those of six years ago, both tumbled around on the hunting field.
Shaking off the flames that clung to them, they literally rolled out of the building.
When both stood up, they were covered in black soot. Only their eyes stood out, reflecting the bright red flames.
"Did you plan this, Prince!"
Oubary bellowed. Inwardly, he still couldn't decide whether or not his opponent was the prince. Their features at any rate were entirely the same. But that no longer mattered. Whether his opponent was the prince or an imposter, he had lured the Black Armoured Division into a trap and had brought about the misery of their complete annihilation, and for that he would kill him.
"Even if I did, what would you do about it?"
"You've gone mad."
Oubary drew the long sword at his waist. Even within Mephius' military, he was something of a giant. His specially-made sword was about two fist-lengths longer than normal.
"If the likes of you succeeds to the imperial throne, Mephius will be ruined. With this sword, I will cut through both that future and your neck." Around them was a scene of utter carnage. In contrast to Oubary who stood with his sword at the ready, Orba walked towards him, his blade casually lowered, defenceless.
Fool.
Oubary would be done with this fight in a second then he would have to escape from this place. His sword readied in both hands, he haughtily swung it down from above his head.
A rush of air.
As the wind whistled, Oubary received a strong blow to his forehead and staggered backwards.
What the!
He was stunned, his consciousness hazy. But he was back up in an instant, this time swinging his sword in a side blow. His opponent's sword still hung loosely. He should have easily been able to cleave that slender body in half.
Another rush of air.
"Guah!"
Pain ran through his right arm this time. It felt as though he had been struck through his helmet and armour. Oubary confusedly pulled back his sword and took a defensive stance. A rush of air, then another. This time the wind whistled uninterruptedly. Sparks flew as iron hit iron.
T-This bastard.
Blood was flowing freely from Oubary's brow. His right arm hurt as though it had been broken from where he had repeatedly caught his opponent's slashing blows. He lost his calm. Though his opponent seemed truly defenceless, again and again he was struck by attacks that were as fast as the wind.
Even though Oubary was of course fighting back, he was only swinging at air. Thoughts of 'why' welled up within him. Why wasn't he striking him, why couldn't he easily bridge the distance between them. He couldn't read his breathing, he couldn't see his opponent's movements, he didn't move as he expected him to.
"Wa-Wait."
Oubary shouted as they fought. He was steadily retreating and with no time to even catch his breath, he was barely defending against the ferocious attacks.
Orba on the other hand pressed him continuously, deliberately choosing his timing and attacking in a flash. Seeing the tip of the sword coming from behind to strike at his head, he bent his knees, deflected his enemy's blade and in the gap that created, he slashed at his torso. With a strange gurgling sound, Oubary staggered back yet again.
"Wait!" Oubary still yelled. "This isn't a fight. This is outlandish. Soldiers should face off fair and square!"
Each time he received a blow from Orba's sword, the wound on his forehead opened and Oubary's face was now painted with blood as though with some ghastly make-up. At that point, his consciousness was already seven parts gone. Oubary was not able to comprehend that the person with the prince's appearance was so skilful with a sword. And so he thought he was being cowardly. Even before the fight, he had considered that might be the case.
Orba still dealt his blows. Oubary just barely manage to stop one from landing on his shoulder but his expression twisted in anguish.
"Wait, Prince. Does the prince intend to take the life of one of his retainers with his own hands...?"
The rest of his words were drowned out by the noise of the flames. With the speed of lighting, Orba brought his blade from the left towards Oubary's chest, knocking his sword away.
Oubary finally fell to the ground on his knees. Orba kicked him in the chest. Mephius' long-serving general toppled over backwards. Without pause, Orba's sword rushed towards him. In an instant, a third of the blade was buried in the ground.
"Gyaaaaaa!"
Blood gushing from his head even more, Oubary rolled on the ground. The blade that had struck by his side had severed his ear. Pulling out the sword with all his might, Orba subjected Oubary, lying like a dying insect, to another blow.
He smashed his right shin. He pierced his left shoulder. Then, when his arms and legs were immobilised, with terrifying speed he brought his sword down on each finger, one after another.
And each time, Oubary screamed.
There were no other cries near them. The fight was coming to an end. The bandits who gradually gathered around Orba stood before their bitter enemy as silently as though the souls had been snatched away.
In the midst of the roaring flames, Oubary watched Orba raise his blood-soaked sword over his head.
"He-He-He" Foaming at the mouth, his eyes streaming with tears, Oubary pleaded in a hoarse voice. "Help, Help me, please."
"I,"
Orba spoke for the first time since they had crossed swords. Although by no means a loud voice, every person there heard it resonate eerily. "I heard those screams over and over again."
A smile appeared on Orba's face, drenched in the blood of his victim. If a beast were to smile at its prey on the verge of death, it would surely be such a smile.
"And when the screams stopped was when everyone was dead."
Staring at a point in mid-air, Orba strode forward and planted his feet on either side of Oubary's tear-stained face. Filthy from the blood and the mud, he ground his teeth.
Six years – no, it's closer to seven years now.
A great many memories flickered like images across Orba's mind.
Being burned out of the village. Gathering a gang in Birac. And then, when being degraded into a sword slave, doing nothing but swinging a sword each day in order to survive.
Every night he had cursed Oubary.
When the mask's spell felt like it was burning his entire face with its intense heat. He had thought he would go insane. He had been terrified of dying. But every time,
I won't die.
Orba had reaffirmed his resolution.
My life isn't anyone's plaything. My life is for the sake of taking back everything that was stolen from me.
The sword in Orba's hand was the compass needle that guided him. He had snatched away a great many lives. All had wanted to live to see the next day. Even so, Orba carried on. When he had fought Ryucown, even though he had seen death in his eyes, Orba had crushed his noble ideals. Simply for the sake of revenge, simply for the sake of achieving his life's one goal.
Looking back, it felt like a mountain of corpses had piled up. And now it felt like one by one, those departed souls were rising and filling the sky, moaning in bitterness and grief.
Indeed - everything was,
All for this moment.
"Hiii!"
The raised sword cast its shadow directly on Oubary's face. It drew a line were that face would be cut through - seeing that, the bandits held their breath while Oubary himself let out a shrill scream.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"
When that long scream was cut off, Orba threw aside the sword he had swing down.
The watching men had no voice to speak.
Orba's bare skin was visible through his scorched and torn up clothing. And they looked at him anew. When Doug had laid out the plan and they heard that it had come from Orba, they had furiously yelled "You'd trust our enemy's prince?" To gain their trust, Orba had shown them the same thing as now.
Heaving up and down with his rough breathing was the brand of a slave.
Brightly ablaze, bathed in the colour of fire and blood, the emblem of the branded.
Countless sparks danced in the heavens and black smoke billowed incessantly. Orba looked up and sighed faintly.
It's over...
From flames it had started, in flames it would meet its demise.
Too gruesome and wretched to be called adolescence, that brutally cruel era came to an end.
