The hospital was in an uproar.  But that was to be expected, not a single person within had seen Lesath in person before then, and she was fully armored. And accompanied by a squad of equally equipped soldiers. It would have been quite foolish to ignore the emotional impact of her appearance.  Most seemed delighted that help had finally arrived, saying things like "the cavalry's finally arrived!" or "we're saved!" or something to that effect.  But some dared to bemoan and lament the soldiers' tardiness. The audacity of their was ignorance astounding, but tragically nothing new. It didn't bother Lesath personally, the job of the army was to protect the citizens, even if it was from themselves. And her purpose was to be Her Majesty's blade, not to be her political advisor. That position had long-since been taken by the Court and…  Drawing Lesath from her musings were a pair of girls with downcast expressions, though it wasn't their tardiness that they lamented over.

"If only Lycoris waited a little longer…"  "Cecily! Refer to her by her proper title!"

The older sister looked like she was in the midst of a panic attack, which only grew worse as the subject of their conversation piqued Lesath's curiosity.  Behind them, a strangely hued myrh raised its head and stared directly at her when she drew close. There was a deceptive intelligence behind those eyes. Even though it was lounging casually behind the two girls, it seemed like it was being protective of them. Given the brush in the smaller girl's hands, they were probably ranchers, and it was their prize bird.

But more importantly, they'd mentioned Her Majesty's own "child."

"You, Cecily."

She pointed her finger toward the girl, who nearly jumped out of her skin at being addressed by the skull-faced death-bringer. Even when Lesath doffed her helmet and slung it under an arm, the pair appeared no less at ease.  The younger girl's ears drooped down as she poked her fingers together guiltily, and as she gazed at Lesath, she remembered her manners and bowed her head. Though, it was more reminiscent of a child caught pulling a prank, given her eyes never broke contact with Lesath's. To her credit, she didn't stutter or shrink away from the Executioner when addressed, besides the initial shock.

"My apologies, Your Ladyship. I meant no disrespect to Her Highness… She, um, we were together for a little while, but she left."  "Really," Lesath cocked an eyebrow, stepping over to the three of them and crouching down, arm resting on her knee as she looked the girl dead in the eye. "Where did she go?"  "Ummm… I'm not entirely sure but," Cecily frowned, "she just asked us to look after Mira for her. Say hi, Mira."  "Kwagh."  Lesath eyed the bird once more. "Hmm, I wasn't aware Her Highness owned any pets…"  "Really?"  "Her Majesty is quite strict with such things," she nodded solemnly at the child.

Just because the girl was quite clearly young—roughly Lycoris's age, in fact—didn't mean she deserved to be talked down to. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was clear she understood her position and was attempting to be brave and helpful, in spite of her older sister's abject, speechless horror.  The fearlessness of youth was something worth tempering into confidence. That would require a defter hand than the Executioner's, but she was mindful of how easy it was to shatter such a brittle thing.

"Oh… she came in to the shelter riding Mira, and he was very protective of her, so I assumed… Um, she never said no, though. When I asked, I mean."  "I see. Do you think Mira knows Her Highness's scent?"  "Without question! He's very very smart."  "Good. I'll be taking him, then."

With the matter settled in her eyes, Lesath stood back up and clicked her tongue to call the beast to heel.  Except he didn't get up.  The myrh continued to sit there and stare at her. After a moment, he broke eye-contact with her and snorted. It was the first time she could ever recall been snubbed by a bird. For some reason, it brought to mind the mental image of a certain woman stifling an inelegant chuckle at her expense.  Lesath's eyebrow twitched, Cecily turned around to frown at the myrh, and her sister looked like she was about to pass out from stress. The other soldiers and the crowd that had gathered to gawk at her were all silent.

"…He seems a prideful sort."  "Mira, behave! She wants to help Her Highness. Come on."  "Kaawh."

But the bird staunchly refused again.  Lesath had seen, and endured, enough. Whether he could track Lycoris or not, the bird was clearly going to be of no use. Instead, she changed tack and looked to the sisters with matching green hair.

"Hmm… What are your names?"  Before Cecily could speak up, the elder sister bowed her head and choked back her nerves. "Vanessa Oxalis, and my younger sister here is Cecily Oxalis."  "How did you first meet, and when was the last time the two of you were with Princess Lycoris?"  "As I said, we were in the shelter when Lyco—"  "We were within one of the shelters when the Princess arrived on this myrh's back. She appeared to be in quite a state, and nobody dared approach her. She guided us to this hospital, and before Her Highness went into the basement, she asked us to look after the myrh she left behind. We have heard nothing else from her since, regrettably." Vanessa bowed her head deeply, her knuckles whitening as she clenched her fingers together over her abdomen.  "Mmhhh!" Cecily pouted at her sister's interruption. "Princess Lycoris didn't say anything about where she was going, but Mira seemed really keen on following her at first. He had a broken femur though, and was in no shape to be trotting about! It's weird that he doesn't seem interested at all now that he's at least in good enough condition to walk…"  "Kwah."  "It's no matter, we shall find Her Highness regardless. Remain here and listen to the hospital director's instructions. If you were in contact with the Exaltare's heir, there will undoubtedly come a time we speak again. Thank you for your cooperation."  "W-Wait! I'm sure he'll help. What's gotten into you Mira?"

The young child turned around and frantically stroked the myrh on his muzzle, earning a happy chirp from the bird, though not much else. Perhaps the creature was smart enough to pick up on Lesath's distaste for "Her Highness."  Though, that would be impossible unless there was some subconscious tell she didn't realize she was exhibiting. She reconsidered her posture and how she approached as she turned around and started walking off, signalling to the soldiers in the crowd it was time to go.

"WAAH!"  "Eeek! Cecily!"

Before she could make it as far as the stairwell, there was a loud chirp accompanied by an outburst from behind, and she felt something impact her and shove her forward. Acting on pure reflex, Lesath spun on the spot and gripped the myrh's neck with her gauntleted hand, her silent scowl causing the creature to immediately regret his actions as he puffed his feathers out and ruffled in fear.  Cecily was awkwardly clinging to the side with her arm wrapped around the bird's leg, looking like she'd been dragged along while trying to hold onto him.

"Wh-What in the world is wrong with you, Mira?! Bad myrh, very very bad! Lycoris would be sorely disappointed in you right now!"  Lesath ignored the lack of decorum—what did she care about that child, after all—and exhaled a chilly breath. "The only thing I despise more than disorganization is indecisiveness. Stay or come with, I do not care which. But whether you belong to Her Highness, or are a random myrh from the plains, I will cut you down if you continue with this rebellious charade. Now, heel."  "wark…"

At her command, and as she let go, the bird took a step back and sat down on his haunches, lowered his head to the ground, and looked up at Lesath pitifully.  It seemed she hadn't lost her touch.

She gazed down at the beast contemptuously, locking her eyes with his. "You have come to understand your place in the world. If you come with me, you stand a chance to protect Lycoris. But you will follow my instructions, and make no complaints or act out. If you cannot abide my command, then crawl back to your sickbed and wait with the rest."  "…bwok."

After a tense, one-sided staring competition, the myrh slowly stood up—head still lowered—and took a step closer to Lesath.

"How fortuitous that Her Highness found so wise and noble a steed," she muttered with no small amount of sarcasm. And in an even quieter tone, such that nobody else could hear, she groused, "Befriends every creature she sees… why can't Her Majesty see what a problem this child is? The signs are all plain as day."

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.  "Kwee?"  "Hmph, we'll be traveling overground, but caw like your life depends on it if you somehow pick up her scent. Follow me, and stay out of my way if combat breaks out."

Deciding that the bird was at least smart enough to follow directions, despite not being bred as a war steed, she led her troops out of the hospital with one additional companion. It was unlikely that they actually would pick up Her Highness's scent outside of the tunnels, but if she surfaced at all, the myrh would come in handy.

"Bye-bye Mira, take care!"  "Cecily please come back over here."

＊　＊　＊

High in the sky, the Exaltare sailed toward Kranes as fast as her wings could flap. Faster, technically—she was propelling herself using magic, her wings were just a tool to aid in stabilizing herself so she didn't tumble or spin out of control while impatiently speeding toward her destination.  The soldiers wasted so much time faffing about finding her a suitable undersuit that the blasted armor ended up irrelevant by the time they got it to her. Much to her temporary attendant's dismay, she didn't even bothered putting it on. Wasting even another second was unacceptable to her.  The moment that the Sun dipped beneath the horizon—a saving grace of the winter season—there was nothing left to forestall her hunt for her daughter.

The once-cozy town was within sight, she could see the various soldiers deployed in formation outside the walls as per Lesath's instructions, and there was a… large temporary shelter set up on the western side, where a large ant-trail of Whispers were marching past. Lilianna trusted that whatever was happening, Lesath had the situation under control. Otherwise she would have been informed.  As she began to circle over the town, she stared down at the tarnished and broken structures, scouring for any trace of her little girl.

＊

"Your Highness!"

The first of the onlookers to break the silence, and the first to rush to Lycoris's side as she fell to her knees and clutched her arm, was her maid Athena.

No sooner did the hatred vacate her body than she felt the toll of her foolhardy recklessness. The pain in her charcoaled arm was the worst she'd ever felt, even more horrendous than the agony from Mizar's holy bramble.  A tiny voice in the back of her mind—perhaps a vestige of Elham's wisdom—reminded her that if she could feel pain her arm wasn't beyond salvaging, but that hardly mattered. Compared to the throbbing ache and stabbing pain of being impaled and cut up, this was far more horrific.

"Aa… AAAAHHHH!! M-MAMAAAAA!"

Her mind whited out as she cried in agony. Even the gentle touch of her maid on her shoulder felt like a sudden needle pricking her. Her body was overwhelmed, hyper-sensitive, and she lacked the willpower to control it.

"The hell do we do?!"  "I don't know! I've never stuck my arm into the Sun before!"

Instead of showing their usual sarcasm or composure, Gier and Verndil both panicked as well. The Fangchaser rushed past the shattered desk and held his arms out to the sides, standing behind Athena as she held Lycoris.  And, useful as ever, the Count stood in place with Emma in his arms, too dumbstruck to even process a course of action.

"Your Highness, please breathe as deeply as you can, I need you to work together with me. Where is the pain, can you point to it?"

Guided by Athena's words, the girl choked back her screaming long enough to take a few raspy breaths, nodded, and pointed at her blackened arm.  Athena gestured as well, careful not to actually touch her skin as she slid her finger along the length.

"Is it the entire thing? Or just up here?"  "Th-The whole…"

Athena nodded and promptly sliced a long strip of her shirt off. Working quickly, she recited a spell to numb the pain in Lycoris's arm. As feeling faded from her fingers and the agony in her arm gave way to unpleasant prickling tingles instead, the tightness in her chest gradually faded and she slowly exhaled the frantic choking gasps of air she'd taken.  The maid next took the strip of cloth and started wrapping it around the affected area, which caused another flare of pain even with the numbing effect applied. Lycoris bit back the scream as her head spun, her vision blurring as she stared at Athena fumbling with the bandage. But for some reason, she stopped partway.

"Lycoris!"

The shout came from none of the room's occupants, but Lycoris could never mistake it.  The entire room went deathly quiet. The faint evening glow shining through the wall Lycoris had torn open was blocked by something.  The girl turned to look, and her eyes widened in nigh-disbelief. Tears of relief flowed as she stumbled up to her feet and stepped toward the source. Unsure if it was merely a hallucination caused by her pain, the girl felt compelled to approach and ascertain the truth.  She wore a perfectly tailored white suit, ash-gray heels adding to the woman's height, gold buttons and seams on her slimly-tailored white slacks glittering against the light blue evening sky behind her. A pair of large white wings flapped and folded around her waist, where her blazer was buttoned up over a deep blue blouse and white cravat.  It was Lilianna, in what looked like a nobleman's formal business attire.  Lycoris was stunned silent, she had never seen her mother in such an outfit before. If she had a pitch-black cloak to wrap around herself, she might've actually looked the part of abominable overlord that humanity considered her to be.

Before she could fully process everything, her mother rushed forward and pulled her in for an embrace, holding Lycoris's throbbing arm out like a brittle branch before twisting her gaze toward the three other conscious individuals present.

"What on Earth happened to our child?"  "MAMAAAaaa!"

The little girl pressed against her mother and wrapped her still functioning hand around in a tight, trembling squeeze. Though she'd been fully awake, Lycoris felt like she had just woken from a terrible nightmare, where her body was still gripped by terror and refused to relax even as she was warmly embraced in return.  Athena bowed her head and stared at the ground as she answered in a quiet and steady tone, though there was a slight tremble to it she couldn't fully contain.

"Her Highness gripped Bartholomew Vanas and held him up to the Sun. She left her wrist exposed for several minutes, and you arrived in the middle of me applying triage to the carbonized region. I've already applied a numbing enchantment."

Lilianna shifted her glare from Athena, to the Fangchaser frozen in horror standing behind her. He took a half step back as they locked eyes, his ears flopping down as he slowly forced his raised arms together to clasp his palms together suppliantly.

"M-My name is Gerald Rivlet, I-I work… worked at a wholesale grocers—Snosway, if you know—"  "Why are you here?"  Gier gulped nervously, and continued at a rapid pace, "I encountered her in a shelter, she led us to a hospital, I followed her, we fought Whispers, and Athena said the rest."  "And you?"  "Th-This is my h-house." Verndil couldn't even bring his voice to have his usual indignance, as he stuttered in awe and dread.

Having heard enough, she promptly dismissed the three of them as immediate threats and stood up. Nestling her daughter in her wings like a hammock, she carefully lifted up the charred arm.  Lycoris let out a whimper of pain as her mother looked from the burn to her face and back again, and then slowly lowered her head to plant a tender kiss on it. Like magic, the pain instantly faded as she gingerly set Lycoris's fingers into a more natural, relaxed position, and wound the cloth around her arm.  The entire time, Lilianna was entirely composed. She wore a gentle smile on her face, despite the obvious furrowing of her brow.  She remained speechless, but from her attitude and posture, Lycoris felt as though the danger had passed. Even though her arm was still grievously injured, her body relaxed as it caught up with reality unfolding around her.

Once she finished what Athena had started, Lilianna cradled her daughter against her and looked at the three silent adults, their horror having been substituted for stupefaction, save for Athena who looked momentarily relieved. Stretching her wings back out, she scowled deep enough to cause everyone else present to tremble.

"You're under arrest. Wait here for our Executioner to arrive and take you into custody. She should be here shortly."  "W-Wait, Your Majesty—"  "Be grateful that we have not separated your head from your shoulders already, Ochros."

The relief vanished from Athena's face, her eyes went wide as Lilianna addressed her in a manner Lycoris had never heard before. The maid's outstretched hand faltered and fell to her side, and like a puppet whose strings had been snapped, she slumped to her knees and looked up at the Exaltare and her heir despondently.

"M-Mama, they didn't do anything wrong," mumbled Lycoris meekly.  "There's a whole discussion ahead about whether or not that is true, and of you disobeying our rules to come here in the first place, but before that we must have your arm treated so it can heal properly."

She immediately took off through the hole in the wall, flying back up and holding Lycoris's head to her chest. The thought of being so high up caused Lycoris's head to spin, but her mother's arms clung to her with an almost desperate tightness. Too exhausted to fully process her own vertigo, she squinted her eyes shut and clung back, trying to savor the familiar comfort of Lilianna and the rosewood scent that clung to all her clothing.

With the pain in her arm subdued, calmness returned to Lycoris's mind as she pondered, When did this start feeling so natural? It's only been a few days, but I missed her so much… I-It must just be because of all the stress. Of course. I'm just exhausted. And injured. It's only natural that I'd be relieved to see Mama in this state.

Even if she was afraid that some unreasonable punishment waited for her when life returned to normalcy.

But, have any of her punishments really been that unreasonable? Now that I think about it, she's always heard me out, and…

Lycoris glanced down at her bandaged arm and blushed as the image of her mom kissing the pain away reappeared in her mind.

When they didn't immediately touch back down, she realized that Lilianna was taking her back to Condore, rather than the hospital in Kranes. It should have been obvious, given the state of things in the town, but the thought that she'd be unable to see Mira, Cecily or Vanessa anytime soon brought a pang of sadness to her.  At the same time, however, Lycoris nestled against her mother as she realized she'd get to savor her mother's warmth for just a little longer before she'd inevitably have to explain herself.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.