Lily's Knight (5)

As the carriage continued to climb the mountain, the sun set and the surroundings grew dark.

Of course, no villages could be seen from this position.

“I apologize. The horses are tired sooner than I expected. It seems we will have to camp outdoors tonight.”

“Ca, camp outdoors?”

Ameline asked back, surprised by the coachman's words. But her questioning face sparkled with bright eyes.

Is this young lady experiencing camping for the first time too?

“Yes. I apologize. I will prepare a place to sleep right away.”

“I will help too.”

I stepped out of the carriage.

Looking around, I found an open space perfect for spending the night.

It didn't feel like a place we had stumbled upon by chance. Is this camping part of the package too?

“If we gather branches in the center and light a fire, and set up a tent, we should be able to spend the night.”

“That's good, I'm relieved.”

“It is fortunate. It's difficult to find a suitable flat land on a mountain road like this.”

“That's fortunate, but...”

I approached the coachman a little closer.

“It's fortunate that you are staying quiet.”

“……!”

“I hope that the dagger you carry will not be revealed during this trip.”

Seeing the frozen face of the coachman, I smiled slightly.

“If there are enemies attacking the young lady, I will handle them all, so there is no need for you to step forward. It is truly admirable that even the coachman is fully armed to protect the young lady, the Ellis family.”

“……Yes, yes.”

“I hope you understand what I'm saying. I'm terrible at driving. The carriage I drive will be uncomfortable for the young lady.”

Whether he fully understood my words or not, the coachman nodded with his mouth shut tight.

“Good. Ah, and by the way, the path we are taking is slightly different from what I heard beforehand. It seems I haven't received any information about the change. Could you tell me which route we are taking to the Imperial Palace?”

“……Yes, yes.”

The coachman rummaged through and pulled out a map, drawing a line on it with his finger.

...It's a bit of a detour compared to what I know, but it's still heading towards the Imperial Palace.

“I see. There won't be any changes in the route this time, right?”

“Of, of course.”

I stored the map the coachman showed me and the route he indicated with his finger in the workshop. And I looked up at the sky.

‘I don't know what Lily wants from me.’

Whether she wants me to step back, or protect Ameline.

Or if she really just wants to see the choice itself

I don't know anything. I don't have the ability to read Lily's inner thoughts, and besides, even if I knew, it doesn't suit my temperament to move according to her wishes.

I am Lily's knight.

If Lily tells me to be a dog, I will be a dog, and if she tells me to die, I will die. I clearly told Lily that.

So, as long as Lily has given me the mission to 'escort Ameline'.

I intend to carry out this mission more perfectly than anyone else.

Even if that's not what Lily wants.

Caw-

The cry of a crow coming from somewhere in the forest.

Lily may not know, but I am not unrelated to the Shadow Unit either.

* * *

Laurie, the hypnotist of the Shadow Unit, has been very busy lately.

After investigating the fragments of Helheim in Yeranhes, her rank went up, and it jumped up again not long after that. It was an exceptional promotion even for the Shadow Unit.

The reason for that had little to do with Laurie herself.

Many of the top executives of the Shadow Unit suddenly went missing. They couldn't find their bodies, so they were listed as missing, but it was practically the same as being declared dead.

To fill the vacancies, the ranks of people like Laurie rose slightly, and at the same time, the amount of work increased significantly. If there is a shortage of people, you can just give more work to the people who are available. The behavior was the same in any organization.

‘It was because of the mana injection after all.’

Laurie, who was investigating the mana injection separately from the Shadow Unit. There was an order from the upper management not to get involved in it, but with Laurie's personality, she couldn't completely let it go.

Moreover, since most of the upper management who told her not to get involved went missing, there was nothing to stop her.

Therefore, Laurie soon found out. That some of the Shadow Unit members in the Imperial Palace had messed with demons. And that she should never tell anyone about it.

She was rather fortunate that she belonged to the Shadow Unit at this time. As some of the upper management went missing and the talk about the mana injection faded, Laurie also withdrew her hand.

She had started investigating because of the potential dangers and uncertainties of the mana injection, not because she wanted to get involved with anything related to demons.

“Then I'll send all these documents directly.”

“Okay. The Empress specifically asked, so don't forget.”

Laurie's daily life still revolves around her second personality created through self-hypnosis. However, she lowered the level of hypnosis a bit compared to the time in Yeranhes.

After being severely treated by Frondier, she learned that deep hypnosis could actually put her in a corner when facing a human who had fully grasped her identity.

Although Laurie is currently in her second personality, she is vaguely aware that she is the original Laurie. Her current role is a clerk in the Imperial Palace. Her job is to deliver all documents related to Frondier to the upper management.

‘Why is Her Majesty the Empress interested in Frondier...?’

This second personality wears glasses like the previous one, but has no freckles. A more intellectual feeling, but still maintaining a modest appearance.

The second personality doesn't have any particular thoughts. She just processes the work she receives and carries out her daily routine.

Therefore, even if Laurie's deep psychology raises questions, her actions are quick to perform the given tasks.

It's like a very brief awareness of a dream while dreaming.

However.

“……?”

While walking down the hallway of the Imperial Palace with documents in her hand, Laurie looked towards the window on the left to rest her eyes, and.

Caw-

She met a crow.

She made eye contact with the crow.

The crow.

[Laurie. A message from Lord Frondier.]

At the moment it uttered human words.

“──Eeek.”

Laurie wakes up from the dream.

[Tell me everything you know about Ameline von Ellis and Ria Lis.]

“Ah, Ameline……?”

[Now is not a good time or place. I will visit you again at night.]

At night?

After the second personality disappears?

Wait, but did that crow just say it would come back? Not because Frondier ordered it, but because it decided to do so on its own?

“You, you, what the hell are you…….”

[I'm just a crow.]

The crow flaps its wings and speaks.

[Lord Frondier just took me in.]