"Hah...... Ha...... Ha ......"

She gasped for air, blood dripping from the blade in her hand, and the rainbow-colored liquid melted into the sand, staining the ground beneath her feet red.

As far as the eye could see, there were corpses all around, scouts in leather armor and warriors in steel armor, who had once been their comrades, but now they were the most unwilling enemies to face.

Every time the blade dances, it takes away not only a life, but also splits one's heart, and the pain makes people feel that it is better to die.

However, even so......

"Isabella...... Leah ......"

Still calling her friend's name, she sheathed her sword and tightened her cloak. Turning his head, there was an endless sea of sand in the distance.

After passing through countless hardships and obstacles and getting rid of many pursuers, she finally came here.

"Let's go. ”

Looking at the harbor in the distance, she took a step.

Soon, however, new troubles arose......

"Hey, go to the sand boat in Mage City and ask for three gold coins?"

She was embarrassed to dig into her pocket, which contained only a pitiful fifty silver coins.

"This, and this, how about using them as collateral?"

I finally came here, how can I stop because of the problem of money. She gritted her teeth with difficulty, took the short sword from her waist and the round shield behind her back, and placed them on the table. As long as you can get on the ship, it's nothing to lose two pieces of equipment, and the most important sword is still behind you anyway.

"It's not impossible to have that, but you're going to sleep in a warehouse. ”

The staff picked up the equipment and weighed it, and it was all made of fine steel. However, noticing the eager expression on the girl's face, he still lost no time in blackmailing him.

"Okay!"

The warehouse is the warehouse. Time is of the essence, she nodded. I got on the sand boat that was about to set sail.

Toot!

With the sound of a shrill whistle, the sand boat sailed away from the harbor with a loud tremor.

She held on to the side of the ship, looking at the port that was getting farther and farther away, and felt a sense of relief in her heart, she shouldn't have to worry about chasing soldiers when she got here, right?

But then, pain, sorrow, and remorse erupted in the chest like a volcano.

Her body shook, unable to hold it anymore. He grabbed the side of the ship and knelt on the deck.

Meals on board were simple, with just cracked tortillas sandwiched between a kind of pickled cactus, and fresh water mixed with fine sand. For her, however, it doesn't matter how the food tastes like now.

I don't have an appetite or anything, and the only reason to keep eating is to prevent me from falling down because of weakness.

At night, although the exhaustion of the body has reached the limit, there is no sleepiness at all, and I close my eyes. In my mind, I will recall that day, like a nightmare.

[My friends, listen to me, in the face of this injustice. I decided to resist. I will raise my sword and prove to Cliff VI that House Britt will never give in!]

"Lord Arman...... Leah...... Isabella ......"

It was as if his chest was being torn. Her eyes widened and she couldn't sleep again. I can only lie in the haystack of the warehouse, with the back of my hand against my forehead. The names of those people were repeated over and over again.

Gurrah, cluck.

The door to the warehouse made a small, unusual sound that would never have been noticeable if it wasn't awake. She noticed that it wasn't the normal sound of the door opening, someone was picking the lock!

[Who!?]

This is a warehouse, and there may be thieves who want to do something unclean, but there is no negation of another possibility - the other party is coming for her.

Thinking of this, she quickly got up and stuffed straw under the thin blanket, pretending that someone was sleeping. Then hide behind a huge cargo box as silently as possible.

Squeak.

The door was opened! A black figure entered, as if gliding, without the slightest sound, to the blanket of the haystack, and raised his dagger!

"Who are you?"

She pulled out her sword from behind her back and pointed at the other person.

The other party turned around, and the moonlight poured in through the cracks in the deck that had fallen into disrepair, reflecting his face, which was someone she knew, a scout of the Iron Wing Knights, a former subordinate.

"It's you!?"

"It's me, my lord. Are you really going to leave us behind, the Lord?"

The other asked in a trembling voice, as if expecting her to change her mind.

"The princess and Leah are my best friends. ”

She replied.

"But that lord is your benefactor!"

The other party's words made her tremble violently.

"However, betrayal is an evil way, that adult was deceived by the villain and embarked on a path of no return, if no one can stop him, then it is really over!"

"Is there any other way to go? that stupid donkey-like king has stripped the Lord of a qiē, a Dawning Blade, a fief, and even a title!"

"Even so, betrayal is not the place of righteousness! And when the princess becomes queen, she will make up for the loss of the Britt family, definitely!"

"Princess, don't be kidding, as long as she still has Randall's blood on her body, nothing will change. As for righteousness, what is righteousness?"

"Loyalty is righteousness. ”

On the one hand, he is a close friend of life and death, and on the other hand, he is a benefactor who saves his life, and if it is a betrayal to choose either side, then ...... At least let me choose justice, she thought.

"Ah, yes, that's your answer, my lord?

In that case, I can only make realizations. ”

The other raised the dagger in his hand.

"Come on!"

She also responded with a sword, looking at the other party's decisive eyes, the wound in her heart was cut again, along the way, how many people did she send away who looked at her with such eyes?

In the dim moonlight, the figures of the two men intertwined, then froze.

"Ah, even so...... I beg you to save that adult......"

Fragmented words spoke of pleading, blood pouring into his throat drowning out the last breath.

"Ah...... I know, I know, even if it costs my life, I will save him. ”

Her voice was crying, and behind her came the sound of her body crashing against the ground, signaling that she was the only one left in the empty warehouse.

"Goddess, why is fate so cruel!??

Kneeling on her knees, she took off her disguise in the empty night and wept silently......

A few days later......

In the Central Oasis, the port city closest to Mage City, Germain's men have spotted a target who is here to intercept a traveler from Randall and prevent her from making contact with the princess and the duke's daughter.

"It's coming. ”

Not far away, a man in a linen-colored cloak stepped out of the boat, revealing her identity despite hiding most of her face, the red drift sea under the hood.

Tall, red-haired, woman with a long sword on her back. After confirming that the other party was the target, they quietly followed.

She also found these people, but even so, she did not choose to run away, but took the initiative to go to a place where no one was. Then, unsurprisingly, he was stopped.

"Who are you?"

Looking at the gradually shrinking encirclement, she asked calmly.

“......”

"Won't you speak? Since I'm not an Iron Winger, I'm relieved. ”

In addition to the Iron Wing Knights, they have encountered quite a few of these enemies along the way, and they are professional killers, more tricky than the people of the Knights. However, if she had to say anything, she would rather meet all such guys, because......

"If it were you, I would not have to have any mercy or sorrow. ”

As she spoke, she grabbed her flaxen-colored cloak and lifted it with all her might, her fiery red hair fluttering to the sky to the sound of the desert wind. The scars on the armor drenched the coat of arms of Iron Wing with sorrow. She gripped her sword tightly, its steel blade shining brightly.

"Former knight of the Iron Wing Knights, Leona Angelica, please advise!"

The girl's eyes were resolute and heavy, hiding grief, weakness and unease, she clenched the hilt of her sword, stepped forward, and charged towards the enemy......!