The Abandoned Empress

Our squad walked after him to head for the narrowest of the six roads.

“… We are surrounded, ” several members said with a moan.

According to Sir Giss’s opinion, we infiltrated through the small road and easily arrived at the point where we could see Dela Palace faster than expected. However, it seemed to be the enemy’s trap for us. It was almost certain, given that we were blocked quickly in the front and rear.

‘What should we do? It is unreasonable for us to break through.’

We lost one more, leaving the six of us. In contrast, the enemies consisted of at least three squads. It was an unfavorable fight of three to one to us, but it was fortunate that the road was narrow enough only five people could stand side by side.

I bit my lip, looking at the enemies fast approaching. They lunged at us, shouting all at once.

As soon as I blocked the sword from the right with the shield, another sword was pointed at my shoulders. I hurriedly lowered my body. When I saw the sword passing over my head, I got goosebumps.

The moment I breathed a sigh of relief, another enemy swung at my chest. It’s already too late for me to block. I closed my eyes, thinking this was the end, but his sword was stopped by an ally knight. He was Carsein.

“Be careful.”

“Thanks.”

I stepped back, thanking him. We lost one more, and now we have got only five.

As things stand now, it was obvious that we would be defeated.

‘Is there any good way?’

While I, biting my lip, was wary of the enemy trying to strike me from behind, I suddenly noticed a building located not far from me. At that moment, I hit upon an idea suddenly.

‘Is it possible?’

The place we were in was very narrow because it was in the middle of the passage to Lotus. Because of that, I could see the building on my right easily.

Again, I checked the distance, blocking another sword. Maybe I could succeed or maybe I would fail, but the problem was how to stop the enemies before us. Given the current situation, I could not use this method I just hit upon.

‘What should I do?’

I hesitated for a moment and decided to take the risk. Anyway, the result would be the same whether we were defeated or failed in our attempt.

After I pushed the enemy back with my sword, I relaxed my left hand. The shield I was holding tightly fell on the ground with a loud noise.

The moment the enemy lunging at me looked at the falling shield, I quickly took out a portable hook and threw it over the building.

Was it because the building was not high? It hooked at the spot I targeted.

I beat back the enemy and grabbed the ladder. Then, I quickly climbed the building and pulled the bow from my back.

With a smile, I put an arrow on the bow. An arrow stained with yellow dye hit the knight who chased me up the ladder. After taking a deep breath, I put a second arrow on the bow.

It hit the knight who attacked Sir Giss’s back. Only then did the 2nd Knights members notice they were sniped and turned quickly. It was imperative for them to stop our squad members from approaching them on the ladder.

“Great! Keep attacking them like this! ” Carsein shouted cheerfully.

“Sure!” responded the squad members.

I heard Carsein’s delightful voice and the squad members’ spirited response in chorus.

With their backs against the wall, they fought. I shot arrows at the remaining ten 2nd Knights.

By the time the arrows I had ran out, the squad members shouted for joy after beating the last 2nd Knights defender.

“We won!”

“Yes, we made it!”

“It was a great sniping!”

“…Thank you, Sir Monique. ”

I smiled, wiping sweat from my forehead. Watching the squad members giving me thumbs up, praising the operation, and Sir Giss bowing to me slightly, I felt great, with my heart pounding with joy.

“Now, come down from the watchtower. I think it would be better for us to escape quickly before the enemy’s reinforcements come.”

“Yes, I’m coming down now.”

I stopped while I was going down. As if somebody touched it during the battle, one of the two hooks holding the ladder was missing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing.”

I stepped on the swaying rope carefully because I thought the ladder would be okay without a clamp as it was also used with a single hook.

Even though it was somewhat swaying, I felt relieved as if it was fixed rather tightly.

But the moment I took another step, the ladder step below my feet was suddenly taken off.

I felt like my body was floating in the air.

I closed my eyes tightly. Thinking of the falling impact, I cured up as much as possible. However, I didn’t feel any big shock, except for the force of somebody hugging me tightly.

“Be careful, little girl!”

When I opened my eyes carefully, I saw something red blurring in my eyes. I slowly blinked and asked blankly, “… Carsein? ”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Apparently, he was far away, but I found him holding me with both arms before I knew it.

He said, frowning while breathing heavily, “Who told you to do that recklessly. Uh?

“Oh, first of all, let me…”

“Ugh?”

When I turned my blushing face, Carsein, who looked at me curiously, giggled as if he understood what I meant. After putting me down carefully, he stood, leaning against the wall.

As I was so surprised, I placed my hand on my fast-beating heart and caught my breath.

When I kept breathing in and out, my blush went away and my short breath went back to normal gradually.

Did he notice that I felt much better? Carsein, standing with his arms folded, beckoned to me.

As I approached hesitantly, he gently hit my forehead with a fist and said sternly, “That was your punishment. If you do it again, I won’t forgive you, okay? ”

“… Okay. ”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. I’m just a bit surprised. That’s all.”

“Good.” Only then, Carsein, who was frowning at me, disengaged himself from the wall. When they found the atmosphere got much better, the squad members, who had been looking at us silently, began to speak one by one.

“Wow, squad leader, you are so fast!”

“I can’t believe you got here at the perfect timing.”

“It’s because I’ve been watching her.”

“Oops! That’s a pretty dangerous statement…”

“Bullshit. Let’s move! Didn’t you tell me we had to get out of here before the enemy’s reinforcement unit came here? ”

After each of them said something, they went silent and checked their equipment.

As we lost three more in between, we have only five left now. Although the Della Palace was not far away from us, it seemed that we had better wait until our ally members got together before attacking the enemy again.

While walking behind the three knights watching around us warily, I looked aside.

Carsein, who was walking next to me silently, asked, leaning his head to one side,

“Why are you looking at me like that? Did you fall in love with me?”

“… Whatever.”

“Ugh? I saved you from getting hurt. How can you respond like that instead of expressing gratitude? Whatever!”

Come to think of it, he was right. As I was so surprised to find myself held in his arms, I forgot to say thanks to him.

“Sorry. And thank you so much, Carsein. ”

“You’re welcome. By the way, don’t you think I was cool a minute ago?”

“… ”

“Don’t deny it. I saw you blushing, little girl.”

Only

“… Oh, we’re here at Della Palace. Looks like they’re fighting now. What should we do? Are you going in right away? ”

When I asked, avoiding his gaze, Carsein chuckled with a nod, “Good. If they are fighting, we don’t have to spare ourselves. Let’s go in right away!”

I and Carsein ran straight to Della Palace to join our allies. The remaining three members of our squad also joined.

How much time passed? Our forces, who had been locked in a boring fight with the enemy, barely reached the second floor of the palace with the closing hour of the drills almost over.

“Hang in there a little more!”

“You should never let them rescue the prisoner!”

Thanks to the achievement a moment ago, the squad members felt better, but he was still hostile to other members. Obviously, he seemed to hold grudges because I provoked him, calling him a coward.

“Got it. Let me respect Sir Giss’s opinion this time and take the small road,” said Carsein, making the decision after nodding.