Leitmeritz and Lebus’s armies had set up camp at a location six days by foot south from Zagan. After arriving there, Tigre’s party could finally catch a breath.
Being told about Aram’s death in battle, Tigre consoled Rurick while clapping his shoulders. For Tigre Aram had been a precious friend. Back when he was a prisoner in Leitmeritz, Aram had become very close to Tigre alongside Rurick.
◆◇◆
Tigre had sat down on the carpet inside the tent assigned to him. His silver-haired lover was sitting next to him while leaning against his shoulder. Both of them only wore tunics.
As might be expected, Elen was depressed about her draconic tool having turned into stone. In front of the soldiers she had acted resolutely with the intent to hide this fact from them, but when alone with Tigre, it was unnecessary for her to pretend.
Tigre comforted her with words, joined hands with her, and gently stroked her hair. Desiring each other’s warmth, they kissed and stared at each other with blurred eyes. But they didn’t want to stop. Or maybe it was just that they wanted to affirm each other that they were alive and that they had survived by looking at their reflection in the eyes of their lover.
Even after settling down, the two remained sitting side-by-side, enjoying each other’s body temperature as it was transmitted through their arms.
Tigre absently gazed at the lamp hanging down from the ceiling, but suddenly something cold was pressed against his cheek, causing him to yelp in surprise. Looking in the direction, he spotted Elen staring at him with a teasing smile while holding a porcelain cup in her hand.
“Want a drink?”
Having it held out to him, Tigre accepted the cup with a wry smile. It seemed to be water. Emptying the cup in one breath, the cool water felt pleasant as it passed through his parched throat.
“By the way, is that place really okay?” Tigre’s eyes were pinned on his sweetheart’s abdomen.
That place was wrapped up with several layers of bandages. Elen laughed and stroked her left side.
“If you like, I could show you? The wound has mostly closed up by now. However, it’s bandaged so heavily because Lim is such a worrywart.”
“The more I hear about what happened, the more I can understand Lim’s feelings on this.”
Tigre had heard from Elen and Lim what kind of battle they had to fight against Figneria. Thus Tigre believed it only natural for Lim to be worried.
“It’s times like this where you should be on my side.” Elen said and leaned against Tigre’s shoulder.
For a while now, the two were spending time together in such a manner. They’d be staying glued to each other, feeling each other’s warmth, and every once in a while, they’d converse as if they had remembered something.
Elen, who had been staring at her empty cup, briefly started, “Things are going to become hectic, starting with tomorrow.”
They had to join up with the armies of Olmutz and Polesia to march together on the capital. There they’d need to free Eugene and confront Valentina. That might also be the reason why the two were seeking out each other right now. Lim had also turned a blind eye for them while organizing Leitmeritz’s army in Rurick’s stead.
“──Elen.” After letting silence precede, Tigre said her name while embracing a certain decision. Staring at Elen who had turned her face towards him, the youth spun his words as if to ascertain his own will, “Until now I intended to only move for the sake of Brune. But, I think I’ll also try to move for my own sake and not just for the country.”
Unable to grasp her lover’s intention, Elen tilted her head to the side in confusion.
Tigre went on, “If I manage to obtain some kind of accomplishment during this whole matter, I’ll try to talk with His Highness Ruslan or Lord Eugene. ──That I want you.”
Elen’s eyes turned into dots out of surprise. The word rushing out of her mouth first was the following:
“Dummy.”
“…You think so?”
“Obviously. In the worst case, you could lose everything. Including the things you might have obtained after returning to Brune.” Elen dished out without any mercy while glaring at her lover, who was ransacking his hair with a troubled expression.
But, Tigre didn’t pull back.
“However, although I feel bad to put it like that, this is going to be the first and last chance. Once this matter has been resolved, I’ll go back to Brune, just as you’ve said. I won’t be able to come to Zhcted that easily anymore either. Above all, I might be forced to limit our meetings to places where others can’t see us.”
“…But, be it His Highness Ruslan or Lord Eugene, both are definitely going to refuse.” Elen objected while pouting.
Elen was a Vanadis. This was a position said to not allow her to bend her knee to anyone but the king. It was unthinkable that the marriage with someone from another country would be approved.
“It might be natural for me to be turned down. But, I’ll start from there and keep looking for the very best path to make it happen.”
Elen was at a loss for words. Even though he had obtained many things, Tigre didn’t fear losing all of them. All he desired was her. Her cheeks turned red, and tears accumulated at the corners of her eyes. Elen cast her eyes down and buried her face in Tigre’s chest.
In response, Tigre gently hugged her.
Both remained like that for a while.
◎
The crescent moon coldly shone with the night sky as its backdrop. Around the time when Tigre informed his sweetheart about his decision, Sofya Obertas walked outside the camp of Leitmeritz. She wanted to spend some time alone to think about how they should handle the information that they weren’t able to use their draconic tools. She could think of several plans, but feeling that any of those plans had flaws and advantages, she couldn’t quite make up her mind which to use.
Grassland sprawled out beyond the camp, and no villages or settlements were to be found nearby. When the chilly wintry wind swept across the plain, the short grasses faintly rustled. Sofy wrapped her arms around herself as if to hug her own body. She wondered whether winter was something so cold without the power of a draconic tool.
──I guess I should head back before I catch a cold.
Just when she was about to turn on her heels after having decided so, she sensed the presence of someone within the darkness. Sofy turned around while bending herself forward. Her beryl eyes were filled with tension as she stared into the darkness.
“──I suppose I got spotted.” A beauty appeared alongside a familiar voice and the sound of grass being trampled down.
Bluish-black hair and a pure-white dress adorned with roses. And a jet-black and deep crimson scythe that she was shouldering. It was 『Illusory Princess of Hollow Shadow』 Valentina Glinka Estes.
Sofy pondered while taking several steps backwards.
I can’t call my draconic tool, and I wonder whether I’d be able to make it all the way to the camp after putting my opponent on guard by screaming. It’s also unclear how long Elen’s group and the soldiers would need to come running for me.
“Why don’t you ready your draconic tool?”
Sofy tried to sprint towards the camp before Valentina finished speaking. But before she could do so, a heat traveled diagonally down from her left shoulder to her right flank. The blood that splashed out dyed her white and green silken outfit crimson.
Sofy collapsed with a shocked face. She felt like she could hear someone’s voice in the distance.
Valentina swiped off the blood clinging to her scythe’s blade, and expressionlessly looked down at the blond Vanadis.
(To be continued)
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