Chapter 387 – Marching Day

000

In today’s royal capital, a lively atmosphere has spread throughout the capital since morning.

The story of Cassius’ shocking remark at the eve of the ceremony, which only nobles were allowed to participate in, was spreading among the citizens in a wave of waves, both in the royal capital and as if who had made the horses count in the palace.

Their reaction was no different from that of the nobles.

Opposition to a girl of traitorous blood having the right to succeed to the throne was also the mainstream.

“It’s not good. It’s not very good.”

Rampart said that while looking at Cleon sitting in front of him.

The two of them had come to the adventurer’s guild early in the morning to talk about the guards during the victory march.

Cleon, who saw two adventurers who had been drinking since morning at the tavern in the guild, going beyond gossiping about the imprisoned princess and spouting dirty words that bordered on obscenity, prepared magic in their hands.

It was just before Rampart threw water on the two and drove them away.

If Rampart hadn’t kicked the two out before Cleon did it, they might have stayed in the treatment room for days, if not for their lives.

“Cleon. I told you in the past that ignoring those guys is the answer.”

Looking at Rampart who said that, Cleon only answered silently.

However, there were wrinkles between the eyebrows, as if feeling a little uncomfortable.

“I agree with the fact that those guys should have a taste, but… It’s also true that public opinion about her imprisoned princess is not good. I hear you were with her at yesterday’s eve.”

“Am I even going to talk like that…”

Cleon touches his forehead and resents someone who spreads information.

‘Maybe the Exiled Church… Or someone from Astarothe.’

If you make good use of this situation, you will be able to cause great chaos in the capital.

“I thought I was hanging out with aristocratic ladies a lot these days… I never thought it would be Princess Amelia next time. You’d better pay attention to it. Even if I don’t say it this far, you’d be well aware of it.”

“… Okay.”

Cleon lightly nods at Ram Part’s advice-like nagging.

It is said that someone is spreading rumors that Cleon himself is responsible for this incident.

Being a member of the Dark Demon’s family, just being a member of that race, was the way to put on various labels.

Of course, in these 20 years, Cleon had gotten used to such views and perceptions to some extent.

Whether he was accustomed to it or not, she it was annoying that there were people who acted on the label.

Seeing Cleon’s expression his, as if he could read what he was thinking, Rampart sighed and adjusted his glasses.

“The conversation got off the ground because of the troublesome guys, but… Let’s continue the story about the original business. The request you’re about to issue is… ‘Participation in escort for a march by adventurers’, right?”

“Yes. Now that things have grown to this extent, it’s sure to attract attention from the bad guys. If we’re going to protect it, it’s better to have as many people as possible.”

“Well, pushing with numbers is also the basis of strategy.”

Rampart nodded at Cleon’s words, but sighed and rested his chin.

“I’d like to say… But I don’t think it will leave a very good impression. Above all, it’s the nobles and royal families of that royal family who have prevented adventurers from participating in the escort of the march. ‘Knights alone are enough’ That must be the reason.”

Escorting the march is the Kingdom Knights, a group of powerful people of the kingdom, according to an old tradition.

Many of them died in the previous wars between the Kingdom and the Empire, but without their active efforts, the war would not have been able to buy time until Lesia pulled out the holy sword and became a hero.

“Besides, Cleon. You are the dark horse clan that the kingdom’s knights hate the most. Of course, if you find out that it is the dark horse clan that leads it, as well as polluting their traditions… I don’t want to even imagine.”

Of course, the reason for the mass casualties was the war led by the Demonic Sword Emperor of the Black Demon clan.

In addition, under his command his is the Demonic Sword Knights, composed only of the Dark Demon clan.

They followed the Emperor’s orders and inflicted countless casualties.

The knights of the kingdom, whose mission is to protect the citizens of the kingdom, cannot exist in the same world, and the existence of each other is unacceptable.

And for the Knights of the Kingdom, who continued to fight even while losing many of their compatriots to them, the perception of the dark horse clan could not be good.

In their eyes, just being a member of the Dark Demon family would make them look no different from demons.

“I know. Of course, the Knights of the Kingdom are a group of powerful men like monsters, and that they hate the dark horse clan. Rather than placing bottles, adventurers who are confident in their skills will be safe.”

“That’s true, but… It’s also a question whether there are adventurers who will accept this request.”

“…”

Cleon nodded as if he understood his words of hers.

“All you have to do is gather as many people as possible. Just place an order.”

“…Okay. I’ll nominate a guy who can accept it and ask for a request. …Don’t expect too much.”

At Rampart’s words, Cleon thanked him and stood up.

“Are you going?”

“Yeah. There’s still a lot of work to do. …It sounds like it’s going to be a really long day.”

001

As soon as Amelia awoke in the morning, surrounded by a crowd of her maids who had entered her room her, she was preparing to join her procession.

If you take as few as 10 people, including the number of ladies-in-waiting outside, it will be enough for 20 people.

It was the first time that so many maids had visited Amelia at once.

Even with the usual preparations for the march, only about half of this number would have been mobilized.

All they did was clean Amelia’s body her and dress her up to join her in the procession.

When her clothes were half-forced, what if the buds of the crystal flowers that bloomed on her breasts were discovered, I thought the same thing.

As if their eyes her could not see the flower, the maids put her into the bathtub attached to her room her without saying anything to Amelia.

After cleaning Amelia’s body her with hot water, balm, and medicines with one or another magical effect, waiting was to tie her hair up and put a dress on her body her.

“…It’s different than usual.”

When Amelia said that, among the maids, a woman who looked a little higher in rank spoke.

“There is an order from His Highness Cassius. I want you to wear this dress for today’s march.”

The dress Amelia saw was not the usual cheap, thin dress that was on the verge of tearing—

A wide skirt and corset, like a royal dress worn by the Frost Queen from beyond the rift of another dimension. And it’s a splendid pure white dress that doesn’t cover the body, but seems to show the authority of the royal family.

Thinking of that dress, she’s seen it somewhere.

Previously, while listening to Amelia’s memories of her mother her, I could see that Amelia’s mother her was similar to the dress she wore when she was a child.

“Princess. Excuse me.”

“…”

The maid spoke in an emotionless voice as she brushed Amelia’s hair from behind her with the comb in her hand.

However, it seems that her excuse was not a lie, and her careless brushing her caused Amelia’s hair to be combed insincerely.

Placing the tiara her on top of her head while braiding it in one braid.

As she endured the pain running through her head, her tears seemed to flow, but she held them back by squeezing her hands.

At this rate, it happened every year.

After that-powder her face her, put lipstick on her lips her.

Both of them were high-end cosmetics, but Amelia felt somehow cramped.

Everything is just decoration to show off to others.

It seemed as if there was no ‘self’ anywhere in this appearance.

Once again, I remembered why Cassius had brought up such a word.

Cleon seemed to know something, but he didn’t seem to want to tell me.

Heartless—it was as if she was afraid that telling Amelia her truth would hurt her deeply.

“…With this, I’m ready.”

“…All right.”

Then, all that was left was to get on the wagon prepared for him.

Sitting inside the iron cage with the magic barrier hanging on top of the wagon.

While receiving the gaze of the people throwing stones at him or those who speak their voices.

As long as you endure the hellish time of going around this royal road.

You will be able to go back to life as usual.

To protect the royal capital with Cleon and Ruba, sneak out of this tower.

Living in the light of the full moon, wielding a holy hammer, and walking in darkness.

‘Does something like that mean anything to you?’

At the question echoing in her head her, Amelia shook her head and gripped the pendant tightly around her neck her.

“…? Amelia-sama. I’m sorry, but you have to take that pendant off.”

Then, one of the ladies-in-waiting who found it spoke out.

Amelia said ‘Ah…’And her maid and her eyes her met.

Reluctantly, she removed the silver pendant from around her neck and put it in a small box for jewelry.

I couldn’t be forgiven for wearing this during the march last year and the year before last.

For Amelia, the pendant was a memento of her mother and also a vehicle for wielding the power of the Saint Princess.

Dropping it off the body—really, it also meant going back to being a girl, Amelia Chaldearis.

“…Then. Let’s go.”

One of the maids leads the way, leading Amelia out of her room.

In this way, it is only once a year that she passes through the ‘correct door’ with her own feet and goes outside.

Her yesterday’s eve her – it was a few days ago for her her, but in this world’s time zone, it was her her yesterday’s her-.

If it was the same year as usual, it was Amelia who couldn’t even participate in her eve her.

Her anticipation of going out into the world outside her was no longer with her.

Like a prisoner being led to her scaffold her, she follows her handmaid her.

If the ladies-in-waiting who followed Amelia also followed her without saying a word or showing any expression.

I could hear other attendants walking down the aisle and chattering.

If you go down the stairs and go to the entrance of the tower-

There, on a luxurious carriage, there were prison-like cages-

And, inside, there was a luxurious chair like a throne.

The chair was fastened to the carriage and did not seem to fall or move even when the carriage was tossed.

“…Come on, princess.”

Her maid lifts her to her carriage, unlocks her barred door, and brings her to the front of her seat.

However, Amelia was a bit perplexed somewhere.

It was because, in my experience so far, it was the first time I had ever seen a chair like this in a carriage.

“…Is this also an order from His Highness Cassius?”

“Yes. In this year’s march, His Highness’s order to participate in the march while sitting in this chair…”

Of course, it may be better than sitting on a wooden plank floor.

But, this thing-

Amelia closes her eyes for a moment as she thinks of that, then she carefully sits down in her chair.

The lady-in-waiting saw it and nodded her head, then she stepped out of the cage and locked the door to her cage.

If you tap the buttocks of the horses, which can automatically move to their destination with the power of magic tools, the carriage slowly advances toward the ranks of the procession being prepared in the royal palace.

As it is, I will join the last row of the march and wait until the march begins.

From behind, he could see the ladies-in-waiting bowing to see him off.

However, Amelia knew better than anyone else that their behavior was ordered to the last.

Today, you will be more sensitive to human malice than usual.

Unless you think of something else.

‘…Cleon.’

And, thinking back to yesterday, Cassius remembers that he asked Cleon to escort him.

While such a difficult day is expected – if only there was a colleague near you.

Might be able to endure it for a bit.

While thinking so, the carriage carrying Amelia, who calmed her heart, gradually fell from the tower of confinement.

And- there was a shadow looking at Amelia.

“…Princess Amelia has left the tower.

[Okay. Because I am watching from the sky right now. Report thoroughly.]

“I know!”

A gray mouse moves from one person’s bush to another, wearing a hat.

When she glanced up at the sky, she saw a red-haired girl looking down at the royal road from the air, invisible to anyone other than Gray and a few others.

“…I will definitely protect it.”

The girl, who made another vow for her friend her, was to follow her chariot her, vigilantly not to miss it.