Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
True to the two military commanders' words, armed and armored men begin to appear on the ground of the hidden monastery the next day. First, twenty men in some kind of red colored military uniform begin showing up the next day after the commander's visit. Judging from their clothing, and the fact they are led by Lieutenant Commander Hewley, Mein has to guess they are the previously named Red Coats' Legion.
One might worry how will a small monastery hidden in a forest be able to support this sudden influx of fighting men on top of its usual staff, and the already up to capacity demi-human patients and refugees. But their addition actually helped Lady Silvia and her helpers. They brought tents, rations and supplies with them, on account of Lieutenant Commander Hewley already making his first trip a day before and knowing the state the monastery is in.
In addition to sentry and patrol around the perimeter, the soldiers also help forage and hunt in the forest to bring in additional food. By the end of the day, the demi-human refugees begin to get used to Lieutenant Commander Hewley and his soldiers, some of the younger children even get close to the army men and ask them questions.
By the next day, Mein is feeling well enough to slowly walk on her own. Although both Naofumi, and Sir Oersted fuss over her. The Shield Hero, still in his village girl costume, constantly walks beside Mein, in case she needs someone to lean on or if she trips over something on the ground. Such action would come off as annoyingly overbearing from someone with a more controlling personality, such as Consevatie the Younger. But in Naofumi's awkwardness, it's kind of cute, and makes the fugitive princess appreciate how much he cares about her.
The young Gallia knight, by comparison, is a bit more distant in a gentlemanly way. He walks behind the two of them like an inconspicuous shadow. Not letting them out of his watchful sight, but not sticking so close as to intrude on their privacy. Apparently, losing his supposed 'best friend' in Graile caused the inexperienced knight much more trauma than Mein initially assumed.
Chapter 98: Wings Stripped Away, the End is Nigh
The fugitive princess peeks out of the window, and just in time to see a second group of twenty men push their way through the foliage into the clearing outside of the monastery garden. Compared to the first group that came with Lieutenant Commander Hewley, they lack a uniform dress code. Their styles of armor are more haphazard, where some simply wear a light chest guard strapped with leather pauldron, while others are in full plate, complete with helmet that completely obstructs their face. The only thing everyone of them have is a cape, worn on the side of their arm with an emblem of a stylized greatsword with a pair of angelic white wings, possibly some kind of family heraldry.
One thing is clear, they don't belong to any church. But then again, it doesn't mean they are friendly either. Mein doesn't know enough about the Gallia nobility to recognize outside the most obvious great houses. And these men could easily belong to a noble family that have strong ties with the Three Heroes' Church, like House El Bridget apparently was.
They were led by a much younger man with rough, black hair with a giant sword the same style as Lieutenant Commander Hewley strapped on his back. He seems to notice someone, as he breaks his previous even pacing, and jogs towards the monastery while waving his arm at someone at the main door. The excitement and happiness on his face is palpable. "Angeal! I got the men ready and came as soon as I got your letter!"
"Take it easy, pup." With a light chuckle, Lieutenant Commander Hewley walks towards the young man. It's not hard to see why the much lankier man would affectionately compare the newcomer to a young dog. Despite clearly being a human rather than a demi-human, the younger man exudes the kind of overeager energy of a canine. Mein can practically see a pair of none-existing ears flipping up and down his head, and a fluffy tail swishing left and right behind him. "You are an officer now. You need to act calm in the eyes of your subordinate who looks up to you for command and instructions."
"I know, but… I'm so excited!" The puppy-like young man runs right into Lieutenant Commander Hewley, and pulls the older man into a tight embrace. Hewley shakes his head in what seems to be good natured exasperation, but returns the younger man's hug.
After a short while, the two of them part ways just as the rest of Hewley's sworn swords begin to walk up and surround them. Judging from the amused smirk or smile on their faces, the meeting between Lieutenant Commander Hewley and his puppy went exactly as they expected. The raven haired young man continues to hop on his feet, even as he pulls away from his… lord? Mentor? "This is going to be the first time I actually get to stay alongside you on a campaign! Well… not a real military campaign since we aren't at war with anyone… but it's as close as we'll get now! I can finally help you out!"
"Actually, no. You will not be alongside me." Lieutenant Commander Hewley looks to the side, scanning through the faces of his bannermen. "Once Gen- Commander Rhapsodos has exchanged messages with Marquis Leif and General David and gets the wagon team ready, Lady Silvia will split up with us, and make her way south back to Bragi land with a small escort. You will be going with them, and ensure Lady Silvia's safe return above all else."
"OH! Oh…" The young, puppy-like man's mood visibly deflated as his shoulders sag, previously straight back becomes slightly hunched over. "Man. And here I was looking forward to riding as your second-in-command, helping you out, and also learning more from you."
"Hey, you'll still help me even if you don't work alongside me this time. And look at it this way, pup." Lieutenant Commander Hewley takes a step forward, and pats 'Puppy' on his shoulder. "I tasked you with one of the most important jobs, because I trust you can get it done without my supervision. It'll be a new experience for you to take responsibilities for trained, but undisciplined civilians. And you get to spend some time with your friends."
"My friends? Wait, you don't mean-" The eyes of 'Puppy' practically lights up with expectation.
"ZACK!" Aerith skitters her way into Mein's sight. The princess doesn't miss how the gardener girl is practically skipping steps as she rushes over to the now properly named warrior. "You are going to be Mother Sylvie's escort? That's great! Seph and I will be going with you."
Sephiroth a few steps behind his friend. Despite Zack clearly being a trained, and probably a fairly high leveled warrior therefore posting greater risk than Mein's group logically, the white tiger boy seems completely at ease in the Hewley bannerman's presence. There's no sign of his muscles tensing up like he's preparing to jump into a fight any moment, and there is definitely no sign of him reaching for his weapon. He simply gives a nod of acknowledgement to the much bigger and slightly older boy. "Zack."
"Aerith! Seph! I'm going to be escorting you guys alongside Lady Silvia? Oh, this is going to be great! It's going to be perfect!" Zack laughs as Aerith runs into his arms. The two of them share a warm embrace just like Zack did with Lieutenant Commander Hewley a moment before. But as Aerith pulls away from him, the puppy-like young man suddenly seems to gain awareness of what he said. He turns around, looking at his smiling mentor… or lord and stammers in an embarrassed voice. "I mean… if I get to go with you on your campaign and be your second, that would be even perfecter."
"It's alright, pup. I'm not going to get jealous of your lady friend." Lieutenant Hewley, and the rest of the Hewley sworn swords laughs at Zack.
"Zack, you sly dog! All this time we thought you were too over eager to see your mentor. You were thinking about your girl, weren't you?" Some of the bolder Hewley men begin to openly make fun of Zack's plight.
"At least something stays the same." Naofumi's subdued response is loud enough to pull Mein's attention back from the garden of the monastery to the hall they are currently in. Perhaps her health has recovered enough for her to overthink things, but the fugitive princess is reminded of the Shield Hero's reaction when he was observing Commander Rhapsodos and Lieutenant Commander Hewley the first time. He looks like someone who swallowed some kind of nasty bug when he learnt both of their full names.
An unusual reaction to say the least, and she doesn't fully comprehend the reason for his strange behavior. But regardless, it speaks of some kind of expectation, perhaps even familiarity, towards two mid-tier nobles in Gallia who served in the army. Not completely unremarkable, but not famous enough for Mein herself, the first princess of Melromarc to remember, unlike Lady Silvia Edda.
It can be explained away by a summoned hero possessing some knowledge, even prophetic information of Medea. Not always, and definitely not every single hero who was ever summoned. But it was a pattern that's reoccurred enough time throughout history, it becomes part of the expectation of how a summoned hero could act. Perhaps these two Gallian military commanders will play some kind of significant role in the future against either the Wave of Catastrophe, or some other threat like the white tiger boy Sephiroth. Something she'd be wise to remember when…no, if she manages to live through the Three Heroes' Church's current hostile takeover.
But this line of thought brings the fugitive princess back into the topic she's been unconsciously, or perhaps intentionally avoiding. There are written records, possible prophecies written in Naofumi's world about some random Gallian army officers… and a white tiger demi-human boy living in a hidden monastery. It suggests an extensive knowledge his world has on Medea.
If that's the case, why wasn't she herself mentioned?
The Shield Hero's previous actions suggest that he didn't have extensive knowledge of who she really was. At least not enough for her to pose as some backwater village girl, and to fool him for this long. He even defended her false identity back when Streibough (rightfully, as much as she hates to admit it) accused her of being the real first princess of Melromarc.
Does this mean that she's not meant to be someone important?
The idea of her not being too unremarkable to be mentioned in text from the world of heroes would be unthinkable to her before her journey with the Shield Hero. After all, she comes from the union between the two most prominent royal bloodlines in their world: glorious Melromarc, and noble Faubley. Both families have countless infusion of bloodlines from heroes, and other prominent families. Her father was even the wand hero himself. The idea that she's less significant to some middle of the road count, or viscount from Gallia, and even a demi-human boy (even if said demi-human boy is a white tiger, one of the four 'holy' beasts)? Laughable.
But she's also traveled with the Shield Hero, and seen enough of all walks of life from her nation to realize that she wasn't the most diligent person. Not as a spellwright, and definitely not as a warrior. She relied too much on her natural talent; her bloodline supplied her rather than genuine effort from her own working ethics. Her heart condition is a good reminder of the consequence of her pushing her untrained body too far beyond her limits.
But now, with her nation taken over by a previous family ally that has gone rogue, her own ailment acting up again, and her latest hairbrained scheme definitely catching the attention of the Three Heroes' Church, she is starting to come to a newer, more chilling conclusion on why the text Naofumi read might not have mentioned too much on the princess of the country he is being summoned to. And despite her wanting to bury her head in the sand and forget about it, she needs to test out her newest theory.
The fugitive princess slowly shuffles her feet closer to the Shield Hero, whose attention is still focused through the window to the outside. She takes one last look around the hallway, thankfully free of people aside from the two of them, and Sir Oersted standing guard a short distance away from them. She leans her head closer to Naofumi, and whispers in his ears. "You knew about Commander Rhapsodos, and Lieutenant Commander Hewley before, didn't you? But they didn't meet your expectations? And you even mentioned the name 'Sephiroth' before we came here. Were all of them mentioned in the book? Will they be someone instrumental in fighting off the Wave?"
"The book? Oh, yes! The book…something like that…" The Shield Hero looks almost like he's confused for a brief moment before regaining his composure. His voice is shaking, like he's unsure about what he's talking about. "Yeah, sure. I learned about them in my book. And yeah, they are supposed to be pretty strong people in their own story… in the book! I mean. But they didn't completely fit the description."
The fact that these people didn't completely fit the prophetic record of Naofumi's world didn't surprise Mein. It has already been shown in the past that the information he gained from his world's hero academy wasn't fully reliable. Probably because whatever seers or divinity of his world was trying to peek into the future of a different world. The fugitive princess pushes away her confusion and presses the Shield Hero for the information she actually wants to learn about. "Did the book mention anything about the royal family of Melromarc at all?"
"The royal family?" The Shield Hero nearly jumps on his feet at the question. His head shifts slightly to the left for a brief moment, clearly trying to avoid her. But he turns around to look at her. "Why do you ask about them?"
"Well, they are the royal family of my nation. Of course, I'm curious about them." Naofumi continues staring at her, almost as if the Shield Hero saw something through her lies. Trying to come up with something to distract him, Mein continues on. "I mean. The royal family should be someone important, since they are the leaders of my nation. His Majesty made your life difficult enough because he doesn't like the Shield Hero. If your book mentioned some army officer and a boy helping out in a hidden monastery, it should have mentioned the royal family of one of the strongest nations in the world. Right?"
"Yeah… yeah. That makes sense…" The Shield Hero turns his face forward, his voice trailing off again. "Yeah… it did talk about a princess, but… nevermind."
"I do mind." The fugitive princess immediately follows up, not letting the Shield Hero waving the answer away. He isn't even bothering to hide his suspicious reaction at this point, or perhaps he's somehow caught off guard by Mein's question. And considering the answer directly affects her, she is beyond curious. "I mean, we know the church has control of the younger princess. Probably the elder princess too if she stayed in the capital. That means they could control the nation through them, and turn everyone against us. If your book mentioned something important, maybe we can do… something."
"My book did mention something about a princess. But what it said was…" Unlike before, Naofumi's voice is actually steadfast enough to suggest a sense of confidence even as his voice trails off again near the end. "It wasn't very nice. Don't worry about it. It's probably nothing. The book probably wasn't very reliable."
Mein feels like her heart sinking down into the pit of her stomach. Naofumi didn't straight up confirm what she has been fearing, but it doesn't take too much consideration to know why he was so hesitant about revealing the information of the princess in his book.
Naofumi's opinion towards the nobility of her world in general, and the royal family of glorious Melromarc isn't very high. It's understandable, thanks to Father's continued prosecution of the Shield Hero, and the decadent way of life most of the aristocrats have been living. And he wasn't shy about voicing his distaste previously, even going on record of commenting on the princess of her nation was probably spoiled whenever she tried to even make a suggestion about them being good-natured.
With this preconceived assumption, what could have been written about the princess that would make the Shield Hero, who already has a low opinion about said princess (and wasn't shy about saying it out loud), suddenly hesitate and try to change the topic when asked? Merely answering with an arbitrary response of 'it wasn't very nice', which suggests the entry about the princess was inherently negative? The answer was clear to Mein.
The princess in the book was supposed to die. Or more specifically, she herself isn't supposed to survive this current crisis caused by the Three Heroes' Church.
There might be other explanations that fit, but this seems to be the most likely answer. After all, the Shield Hero has already shown a sign of understanding, possible sympathy towards Mein's father when Uncle Aldrecht about the death of his first family. So it goes to reason that the thing that stops him from speaking out loud about the princess' negative depiction in his book… was her eventual death.
"You don't look well, Miss Sophia. Do you want to go back to bed? Or do you want to go get some fresh air?" Naofumi's worried voice brings Mein back into the present once again. It seems like she wasn't able to keep the dismay she's currently experiencing from showing on her face.
"Some fresh air would do me good, I think. I grow tired of smelling the bitter smell of herbs." The fugitive princess tries to play it off with her nonchalance. Naofumi doesn't look any more relieved at her attempt, but he nods his head, and helps guide her out of the hallway, into the prayer hall, and then out of the front door.
Outside, the newcomers of Hewley's men are already starting to settle into the garden around the monastery, setting down their own tents besides the Red Coats. Not too far away from the entrance, Lieutenant Commander Hewley is talking with Lady Silvia and Uranus. "It might take Gen a few more days to get the caravan ready, and receive a return letter from House Claus. Now that my apprentice is here, the safest action is for you to leave for Bragi land immediately, Lady Silvia. The more time you stay here, the more chances for the Three Heroes' Church to get their act together and capture you."
"That may be true, but it would set my mind at ease seeing the people I tried to help make their way to safety." The green haired lady nods her head along, but objects to the army officer's well meaning suggestion.
Thankfully, Lieutenant commander Hewley doesn't seem to take offense to his advice being rebuked. "I understand the sentiment, Lady Silvia. But you need to listen to me in case the Three Heroes' Church does find us before Gen gets everything ready. Follow my apprentice's lead and run, do not linger or look back. You staying back will only make it harder for us to ensure everyone's safety."
"Very well. I shall defer to those with expertise in warfare, like I did back during The Great War." Lady Edda nods with more conviction this time. It seems like she is at least reasonable when it comes to the more important decisions.
"Miss Sophia! Are you feeling better today?" Aerith's excited exclamation takes Mein's attention away from the conversation between Silvia and Hewley.
"Yes, I did, Miss Aerith." The fugitive princess looks around for a certain demi-human girl with sheep horns. Not finding her target, she turns back to Aerith instead. "I think the herbal brew Miss Lana made for me helped. Please thank her for me, in case I don't see her today."
"Oh, yeah! Lana is out foraging more herbs with her friends right now. I'll be sure to thank her for you, in case you go back to rest before she returns." Aerith furiously nods her head, clearly happy to hear Mein getting along with her friend, or maybe happy for Mein's recovery.
"New friend of yours, Aerith?" Zack turns his head to look at Mein's direction, looking curious at the people he obviously never seen before.
"That's Sir Oersted, Miss Sophia and Miss Siesta. They are apprentices of Master Uranus, who were apparently Mother Sylvie's old friend." Aerith turns to introduce Mein's group to her gentleman friend. "Miss Sophia had a heart condition, and Uranus brought her here to us for help."
"Yikes, that sounds very nasty." Zack's face faults at the mention. "You have my sympathy, Miss Sophia. I can't imagine how difficult that's like. But yeah, tell me if you need anything. I'll do my best to help while I'm here."
"It's not as bad as it sounds… although there is something you could help me with. Sir Zack." The fugitive princess was about to wave the young fighter away when she realized that yes, there is something he could help. "We heard some rumor about Vicar Vittorio being blocked from entering the capital by the Three Heroes' Church. Have you heard something like this?"
"Wow. Don't call me 'Sir' Zack. I'm not a knight, and it just sounds weird. Zack is fine." The large man waves both of his hands up, surprising the fugitive princess. With how much affection and pride Lieutenant Commander Hewley is showing him, Mein thought he would at least be a knight. Perhaps the army officer isn't one for convention, or perhaps his sister inherited the ladyship of his family and he's just a commissioned officer in the military, so he has no right to knight someone. "Anyway, about that nasty business with the church. You heard it too, huh? Everyone from every single settlement we went through was talking about it. On how the world has gone mad, and our priests are fighting among themselves."
Zack's reply lines up with Kate's words perfectly. So it wasn't a case where a lazy demi-human heard some outrageously strange rumor from unreliable sources. The Three Heroes' Church really did something that's beyond stupid that would push glorious Melromarc over the edge, and into the fire of religious civil war while the Wave of Catastrophe rages on, and the threat of a crusade from all the other major nations seems imminent. All of sudden, running off to Zeltoble and hiding her identity for the rest of her life doesn't sound like such a bad, last option to keep her alive anymore.
If she can even make it that far, that is. According to Naofumi's book, she isn't meant to survive this crisis. Probably.
"What was that about?" Naofumi's whisper in her ears brings the fugitive princess back to the present once again. It seems like in her own mind, she has completely ignored how Naofumi has guided her away from the large gathering of people to a less crowded corner where they can have a more private, quiet conversation. "You asked Zack a question, and then your mind seems to have drifted away."
"I wanted to confirm what Kate said two days ago from a different source. How Vicar Vittorio already arrived at the capital, but was stopped from entering the city." Mein sits down on the grass, and pulls Naofumi closer so they can speak in hushed whispers. Sir Oersted clearly realizes they are planning something and doesn't want anyone to overhear them, so he turns around and stands guard, looking at other people in the garden.
"He might only be a Vicar, but he is the Vicar of Romalia, the land that originated the Founder of Wizardry worship. He is effectively the highest authority of the Four Heroes' Church of Melromarc, which places him on the same level as Pope Balmus of the Three Heroes' faith. It could change everything if we get words to him about what Cromwell did right after the Third Wave. There's a good chance Vicar Vittorio could revoke whatever the Three Heroes' Church said about you to clear your name, save the princesses… we could even get Raphtalia and Firo back if they were enslaved and not killed."
"Oh, yeah. That is a pretty big deal." The Shield Hero's face becomes progressively more serious as he listens to Mein list all the good, possible changes the Vicar of Romalia could bring them. "How will we go about it? He's camping outside the plain of the capital right? Isn't it dangerously close to the headquarters for the Three Heroes' Church? Wouldn't it be dangerous if we go near him?"
As to be expected, the Shield Hero didn't let the temptation of passing a message to Vicar Vittorio blind him of the potential danger. He immediately points out the risk for the action.
"Yes, it will be dangerous. Probably very dangerous. That's why we aren't all going to see Vicar Vittorio." The fugitive princess takes a short pause to take a deep breath into her lungs, to steel herself for what she's about to say. "I'll go alone and deliver the message, while you go south to Bragi land with Lady Silvia and the rest of the group where you'll be safe. Let Master Uranus tell Lady Silvia who you really are, I'm sure she'll be happy to help."
"What? I-" It takes the Shield Hero about three seconds to realize what she's suggesting. He immediately reaches his hands over on Mein's shoulders. "I thought we went through this already back in Graile! I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself to do something that'll get you killed while I hide in safety!"
"This is different than Graile. We didn't have any other choice back then. Even if you hide in the catacombs, you'll eventually be discovered by the church if my rebellion fails and you have no one to rely on and nowhere to run." Mein doesn't back down from the Shield Hero's stares. He wasn't very intimidating to begin with except a few occasions, such as that time where he beats the Bitch Lord into submission with her own mace prosthetic arm with a wrathful fire in his eyes that rivals the Chief God's wrath. It's not replicated now, where he looks more distressed than angry.
"But if you go to Bragi land, you'll be protected by them, and whatever Four Heroes' Church forces have left to guard Romalia. And even in the worst case - if the Three Heroes' Church manages to invade and take over Bragi land, you can run to Amelisport, tell House Amelia your identity and have them ferry you away on a ship. They have a fleet that's strong enough to push through any blockade effort put forth by the Three Heroes' Church or their allies."
Naofumi doesn't look convinced. If anything, he looks even more dismayed at her explanation. "So you still want me to save myself, and leave you to do the dangerous thing that might get you killed. Do you really think I'm nothing, not worth it to be your partner without my shield?"
"No, that's not what I'm getting at." Mein feels taken aback by Naofumi's conclusion. Does he really think so little of himself, to be convinced that he's someone who is worthless without his legendary weapon. Although ironically, it's his identity as the Shield Hero that's making the fugitive princess worry so much about his personal safety. "I'm not a scholar, or a theocrat so I don't know what's the real reason, or even the entire philosophy behind it. But it is generally observed in the past that the four cardinal heroes are linked to our world in some way. And in case one of them dies during the Wave of Catastrophe. The next Wave becomes exponentially harder to fight back. By keeping yourself safe, you are keeping everyone in the world alive."
"The way you are speaking… this has happened in the past, hasn't it?" The Shield Hero stands up, and starts pacing around them. His action catches the attention of Sir Oersted, who turns around to look at the two of them instead of the rest of the garden around the monastery. After a while, he seems to calm down enough to sits back near Mein. "You said exponentially harder, not impossible. And the world obviously hasn't been destroyed yet. So even if I die, the others can still fight back the Wave."
"Well, yes. But it wasn't pretty. Supposedly the Four Guardian Beasts had to be summoned whenever a cardinal hero dies during the Wave, and a lot of lives had to be sacrificed to them to erect a barrier to keep the Wave safe." The fugitive princess feels like slapping her own face. For all the 'lessons' to take from her reveal, Naofumi has to latch onto this one. "And we might be already facing a Wave stronger than previously recorded ones. Father and Pope Balmus brought actual elite forces with them back in the Third Wave. And even Gaelion, one of the Dragon Lords, helped us. You saw how many people got hurt or killed even before Lautrec summoned his goddess. This kind of thing usually doesn't happen till five, maybe six Waves in."
"Oh…" The Shield Hero looks down. His brow twists together, eyes furiously blinking. Naofumi clearly gets the severity of the situation, but is still obviously fighting against the idea of letting her run head first towards her demise.
"Farkas, and Kyubey gave their lives so you can escape. Do you want their sacrifices to be in vain?" Seeing how he's still not fully convinced, Mein tries a different approach, and attempts to appease his more personal, and sentimental side in addition to the more practical side.
"They give up their lives for you too." Unfortunately, that's apparently the wrong thing to say as Naofumi looks up and stares at her in the eyes. "Why don't we all run to this Bragi place, if it's supposed to be safe? Leave this country to sort out the mess they caused themselves. I mean, it's not like it's your responsibility to make sure this country is well after all these shenanigans right? Why don't we both go south, away from the Three Heroes' Church influence, if it's supposed to be that much safer?"
Of course, the Shield Hero doesn't know her true identity. So he doesn't know the extra risk for him if she follows him south to House Amelia's land. Iris has already secured the Spear Hero for herself, so keeping Naofumi hostage for leverage, or to spread his bloodline across her family or the ladies of her bannerman wouldn't be an irreplaceable opportunity. But if the first princess of Melromarc is discovered alongside the Shield Hero in the sphere of House Amelia's influence… Iris, or her father might get a bit more ambitious. They might capture both of them, and use them to establish a puppet regime against the land under the control of the Three Heroes' Church. They do control the most wealthy, and fertile land of glorious Melromarc after all. And with her as a rallying point, they might gain enough support from the rest of the land to start a civil war that'll split the nation apart.
"No, Master Naofumi. My place is here, in Melromarc." The fugitive princess shakes her head. "This is my nation, it will not be safe, and the people will continue to suffer if The Three Heroes' Church are allowed to run amok controlling the royal family. If there's a chance to stop this crisis from further deteriorating, I have to try and take it."
The Shield Hero stares right back at her without moving his eyes. Just as her eyelids become too tired to hold back her blink, he replies. "It'll be hard to do it yourself. Even if this Vicar guy is stopped from entering the city, I'm sure the Three Heroes' Church will keep his camp under heavy watch. If you go yourself, who is going to plan things with you? What if you need some distraction to get a message to the Vicar?"
Mein opens her mouth to rebuke, only to leave her jaw hanging in the air for a few seconds without any voice coming out. Naofumi has a point. The Three Heroes' Church under the dubious leadership of Cromwell has done some dumb things, but she has to believe not everyone is an idiot. Someone would know the importance of Vicar Vittorio if they risked the start of a theocratic civil war by blocking him from entering the capital. Keeping the Romalian Vicar under heavy watch would be a no brainer. And if she tries to see the Vicar herself… Making a run for it and hoping for the best is the only thing she can come up with.
"I might be safe if I go south. I might not be. The Three Heroes' Church, or someone else could still do me in. And the innocent people of this world will suffer no matter what." Naofumi reaches his hands out, and wraps them around Mein's hands. "If there's no sure way for me to stay safe, I'd rather try my best to stop the Three Heroes' Church. So if something bad happened to me… at least I can look back and say I gave it my all and didn't die a whinny coward. And hey. We can always take a quick look at what's happening around the capital, and find we can't get words to the Vicar guy safely. We can always turn around and run back to the south where it'll be safe."
"I can't convince you to stay out of danger, can I?" Mein can't help but feel exasperated at Naofumi's insistency to help her. Granted, this was one of the values that she has come to value so much for staying with the maligned Shield Hero. But it's kind of annoying how much he insists on putting himself in danger for her. Even after she managed to find some peace about the idea of her own death.
"Just because I'm coming with you to the land controlled by the Three Heroes' Church doesn't mean I'm going to jump into danger. I don't have my shield any more. So I'm down to using this to make sure you stay out of danger." The Shield Hero tries to inject a bit of levity by jabbing his finger at his own temple. "Let's go save the princess."
It takes two more days for Commander Rhapsodos to get his caravan together, or get the reply from House Claus. But by the third morning, a small detachment of messengers were sent to the monastery to have the demi-human refugees ready, and move out of the forest where the caravan can't venture into. Lieutenant Hewley's men help carry the necessities for their journey east towards Thracia Peninsula, and patients who are still too sick to move on their own.
By this point, Mein has recovered enough to walk on her own. She should still not try to fight, and she'll have to take more, and longer rest between their journey north. But at least she doesn't need Naofumi and Sir Oersted to take their turns carrying her on their backs.
"Are you sure I can't convince you, and your apprentices to come south with me where it's safer?" Lady Silvia keeps trying to convince Uranus to give up 'his' mad quest. Once again, the fugitive princess whispers a prayer to apologize for the elder priest taking the blame for her. "This idea of trying to reach Vicar Vittorio and have him help the princess sounds like a fool's errand that'll get you killed."
"I know, Sylvie. Believe me, I know." Uranus is looking at his feet the whole way, letting the exotic dancer turned duchess guide his steps. The old priest doesn't look eager to march three young souls to their death, especially after what happened to Streibough. "But our nation is in turmoil, and Princess Melty is only slightly over ten years old. Someone will have to do something to save everyone, including her."
"If that's the case, perhaps Sephiroth can come with you?" Lady Silvia looks over at the white tiger boy. Zack, Aerith and Sephiroth all turn their head over towards the conversation. "He's the strongest fighter from our monastery."
"Thank you for your help and suggestion, Sylvie. But I think you'll also need as much protection as you can." Uranus looks up and shakes his head towards the duchess. He's clearly trying to reject Lady Silvia's help with a more gentle touch to not offend her, and maybe the demi-human boy.
"No offense to Mr. Sephiroth. But unless he can fight an army by himself, it's probably best that we keep our group small. Subtlety is the key for us to slip by and inform Vicar Vittorio." Mein doesn't share Uranus' sentiment. She points out straight why taking the demi-human boy with very distinct white hair is a bad idea for them.
"Yeah… Sephiroth isn't exactly someone who looks subtle. I see your point." Lady Silvia looks back at the demi-human child she took in. She gives Uranus another embrace. "Well, you keep the young ones, and yourself safe, you hear me, Uranus? Come see me in Bragi land. We aren't exactly a martial house, but we'll do our part to take back our nation from the schemers and traitors."
"Thank you, we'll keep it in mind." The elderly priest returns Silvia's warm gesture.
They break through the forest not too long after, and see a caravan with five wagons, and more soldiers standing around waiting for them. Commander Rhapsodos stood at the head with his arms crossed. Everyone gets to work, loading both supplies and the refugees onto separate carts. But clearly not enough, as a sentry standing north east suddenly calls them out. "Banners of the Three Heroes' Church from the north!"
"Surround and protect the wagons! Lady Silvia, prepare to run." The lieutenant pulls out his rapier from his waist. The weapon that's a bit on the light side, but still no less deadly in the hand of a normal man looks like a toy in the hand of the muscle-bound giant. His much lankier second in command pulls his giant sword out of his back, not having any difficulties swinging around a weapon that's even bigger than himself.
The army of Three Heroes' Church approaches them before Lady Silvia can get twenty paces away, due to them all riding on the raptors' backs. Zack ends up ushering everyone back to the main group, likely for better protection. There's about a hundred men, slightly less than twice the men brought by Commander Rhapsodos and Lieutenant Hewley combined. Not insurmountable odds, especially if their leader isn't someone who is high leveled, or an experienced war leader like Sister Amelia.
Speaking of the man riding at the front. He wears a set of military coats much like Commander Rhapsodos and Lieutenant Commander Hewley, with his own commander's hat on top of a curly gray wig.
"Commander Monro. Didn't figure him of all people would be the Three Heroes' Church sent." Lieutenant Commander Hewley's voice sounds a bit unsure. The fugitive princess wonders if this man is that terrible, or if he's someone who had a past grudge against Cromwell and the zealots.
"Commander Rhapsodos, Lieutenant Commander Hewley." Monro jumps down from his mount, making a slightly younger man with black hair that's been riding besides him jump down as well as they both take a few steps forward. The younger man hung half a step behind the Three Heroes' Church commander. "I was tasked by Head Confessor Cromwell to ensure the safety of Lady Silvia Edda."
"You are too late. We already made plans to ensure the safety of Duchess Edda, and everyone in her monastery, be they clergy, or refugees seeking help." Commander Rhapsodos takes one step forward and replies with his booming voice. He doesn't return his weapon back, but he's also not getting into a fighting stance, or holding his weapon towards the Three Heroes' Church group. Mein has to assume all of this is a good sign.
"Yes, I can see that quite clearly." Monro returns with a curt nod, as he backs away and jumps back on his raptor. "Very well. We shall return and inform Confessor Cromwell that his fear for Lady Silvia's safety was unfounded, and she's in good hand right now."
"Just like that?" Mein hears the sound of someone tripping. She looks back, and sees Zack currently lying face down on the floor, his large sword fallen a few steps from him. The fugitive princess has to admit, she's a bit surprised herself that there are still apparently good people in the Three Heroes' Church left. She figured they'd all been thrown in the dungeon now that the fanatics have full control.
"Yes, just like that." Monro replies with a good natured chuckle as Zack quickly pushes himself back up. The Three Heroes' Church commander changes into a more serious face. "Head Confessor Cromwell acts as our de facto head with his eminence Pope Balmus badly wounded, Lord Commander Fordring of the knight templars and High Lord Inquisitor Duncan of the inquisitors staying silent in the board of vicary's blessings to Cromwell. But I doubt his rise to power is as clean as he made it out to be. Even if I'm forced to obey his command, Cromwell isn't someone who represents the Three Heroes' Church as a whole. He is my superior, but he does not command my soul. I was commanded to ensure the safety of Lady Silvia, and I deemed she was in safe enough hands."
"You know Cromwell won't accept that answer, Lord Monro." The younger, dark haired man says. "You want me to take care of him?"
"No, Shay. You leave Cromwell and his band of sycophants to me." Monro shakes his head to the younger man before turning back to Commander Rhapsodos' group. "May the Chief God watch over you all. This is certainly the darkest time in this nation."
"And you, Commander Monro." Commander Rhapsodos finally puts his rapier back to his waist, as he gives a courteous nod back to the Three Heroes' Church commander. "There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess."
End Note:
So, part of the reason why last chapter feels so much like an interlude where Naofumi and Malty barely had anything to do, was because it was supposed to be a whole chapter with this one. The conversation between knock off Genesis, knock off Angeal and Silvia is supposed to be lead up to the emotional payoff Malty and Naofumi's scene in this chapter. Obviously, I once again underestimated how easy I can go off on a completely unrelated tangent and BS my way over 7k words.
And of course, Malty came to some rather parculiar conclusion about Naofumi's book, because neither Malty nor Naofumi told the other the whole truth. Anyways, they have a clear goal for the current ongoing 'Loveless' arc now.
Also, the token good Three Heroes Church member makes their brief appearance at the end of this chapter, even if the organization has mostly gone insane. Because I want to hammer home the point of how not everyone within 3HC is a brain dead evilmcfuckface. Yeah, even with most of the important figures of the moderate 3HC got throw into dungeon by Cromwell, not everyone inside 3HC thinks he is doing the right thing.