Chapter 472
Chapter 472. Run, Lili! Season 2
Edgar gave me a hint about the whereabouts of “Hero Alexander.”
“Wow! Woof!!”
Like the wind, Liliana dashed eastward, with Helena and Orderju desperately trailing behind her, cutting straight through the Elf Forest to arrive at the shores of Aulitos Lake.
— The Demon Lord’s Prince, Zilbagias, assaults the Imperial Army.
The shocking news came in just then.
(Why!? Just why would he do that!?)
Even Liliana couldn’t believe her ears.
If he had been forced into combat due to his identity being discovered, that would be understandable. However, it seemed Zilbagias had proactively attacked the Kaizaan Empire’s forces. Moreover, the casualties reportedly numbered in the thousands, including not only Imperial soldiers but also brave priests from the Holy Church…
“Lily…”
Her childhood friend, Helena, wore a grave expression. The actions of “Hero Alexander” described by Liliana seemed worlds apart from this.
“……..”
With a pensive look, Liliana remained silent. No, she couldn’t respond. The fact that Zilbagias had contracted with the “Forbidden Demon God” was information she hadn’t disclosed to Helena yet.
(But still…)
Alexander wasn’t the type to voluntarily commit taboo acts. Why would he…?
“Rumors tend to have embellishments.”
Orderju pointed out calmly and nonchalantly.
“We don’t know how much damage has actually occurred. …However, it seems there was indeed a clash with the Imperial Army.”
The three Forest Elves exchanged glances.
“…I’ll confirm it. Let’s go to Kaemuran.”
“Then let’s take a boat. That will be faster.”
Thus, the three of them bought a small boat in a fishing village, set a makeshift sail that inflated with the spirit’s wind, manipulated the water currents, and sped off to Kaemuran at a pace that left the locals in shock.
Hamilton Duchy, Holy Church of Kaemuran—
Upon learning that a number of Imperial soldiers had been captured, they were able to gather information in exchange for treating the wounded.
“That was… a monster…”
While receiving treatment from Liliana, the bed-ridden commander of the Imperial Army spoke.
“My carefully raised and well-trained heavy infantry unit… couldn’t do anything. They were torn apart like wet paper in an instant…”
The commander, whose head was wrapped in bandages, was captured while unconscious on the battlefield.
It seemed he had directly crossed blades with the Demon Lord’s Prince, Zilbagias. And he was one of the few surviving Imperial soldiers. Due to his severe skull injury, noble status, and complete loss of will to fight, he was now under the care of the Holy Church.
“There, all done.”
Even disguised as an ordinary Forest Elf, Liliana’s magical skills were intact. In an instant, the commander’s wounds were healed.
“Wow, already? …Thank you so much.”
Surprised at such speed, the commander sat up in bed. The pain had completely vanished, and the paralysis in his limbs was also gone.
“May I ask your name? I am Wilfried Genbach.”
“I’m Lily. Please take care of yourself.”
“Lady Lily, thank you. …If I had the support of esteemed mages like you and the Holy Church…”
Just as he was about to say more, the commander shook his head.
“No… Even so, I can’t believe we could fight the Demon Lord’s Prince on equal footing… On the front lines, we face such monsters. And yet we… how foolish we’ve been…”
As if still plagued by pain, the commander covered his face with both hands and looked down.
After Liliana exited, a soldier from the Duchy’s army entered the hospital room to take the commander into custody. Now fully healed, he would likely be transferred from the Holy Church to the Lord’s mansion dungeon…
Liliana continued her treatment of the wounded.
Support from nearby cities was on the way, but the Holy Church of Kaemuran was facing a severe shortage of personnel. The frontline personnel of the Holy Church had perished in combat with the Demon Lord’s Prince, leaving only elderly priests and apprentices behind, with far too few healers for the count of the injured.
Liliana, Helena, and Orderju split up to treat patients while gathering information from the soldiers—
“… What was it like?”
“The rumors did not seem to be exaggerated after all.”
For those three who knew of actual combat, the grim truth was painfully clear.
“The Demon Lord’s Prince… truly showed no mercy.”
Orderju’s words carried an implied weight.
“However, the Holy Church countered as well. According to the soldier I treated, they reportedly poisoned the Demon Lord’s Prince. Apparently, he was suffering towards the end…”
“Poison…”
Liliana’s expression hardened. The Teleportation Spell shouldn’t be effective against poison—
“However, it seems that half of the casualties were caused by a dragon… A White Dragon at that…”
Orderju spoke in hushed tones.
(Reila…)
Liliana clenched her hands tightly in front of her chest. She had never committed murder before. She was a gentle girl who cherished Alexander above all else…
“………”
A sharp pain struck her heart. Yet, what was the true source of that pain, that suffocating feeling, even Liliana couldn’t discern.
“I’ve heard something intriguing.”
Helena began to speak.
“It seems that our compatriots have also been brought to this Holy Church of Kaemuran. After being scorched by a dragon’s breath, they teetered between life and death but somehow regained consciousness and managed to leave the Holy Church…”
Apparently, they were trailing the footsteps of the Demon Lord’s Prince, Zilbagias…
—On the outskirts of Kaemuran, the site of the “Kaemuran Tragedy.”
The smell of blood, mud, decay, and charred flesh filled the air.
Even days after the attack by Prince Zilbagias, the hills of Kaemuran remained cloaked in a heavy aura of death.
Once lush with flora, extensive areas were now scorched black and painfully burned. Freshly disturbed earth lay exposed. Piles of bodies of Imperial soldiers, carelessly stacked, awaited cremation, surrounded by swarms of flies—
“………”
The gruesome scene was far from what one would expect in a peaceful allied territory, leaving Liliana and the others dumbfounded. The soldiers engaged in clearing the dead paid no heed to the forest elves, who merely stood there in a daze, continuing their work in silence.
Among them, one Forest Elf was seen walking alongside a Beastman.
…No, it was the other way around. The Beastman was being most diligently assisted by the Forest Elf.
He seemed to be severely burned. The traces of his scorched body looked painful. Perhaps he struggled with miraculous healing.
“Um…”
“Ah, hello there.”
As Liliana timidly called out, the Forest Elf woman responded with a strained smile due to her burn scars.
—Her name was Yesera.
“He’s my partner, Rujiakka. We’re Vampire Hunters.”
“Pleased to meet ya.”
“Oh, I see. I’m Lily.”
“I’m Helena.”
“I’m called Orderju.”
Yesera, too, seemed to have strong High Elf lineage but was taken aback to see someone as elderly as Orderju wandering far from the Elf Forest.
“Yesera, if it’s alright, shall I heal your burn scars? I’m quite skilled at healing…”
“Oh, no, thank you, but I’m fine.”
In response to Liliana’s offer, Yesera smiled stiffly.
“I’m intentionally leaving these scars.”
A flame of hatred ignited in her eyes.
“To never forget my anger towards the Demon Lord’s Prince.”
…Those words hit hard, resonating deep within her gut.
It seemed Yesera and Rujiakka had vowed revenge after their fellow Vampire Hunters were slaughtered by the Demon Lord’s Prince.
“That White Dragon too… it’s unfortunate; who would’ve thought a creature would side with the Demon Lord? Next time I see it, I’ll shoot out both of its eyes…”
“That’s why we’re searching for clues to track down that Demon Lord’s Prince…”
The wolf Beastman with a black eye patch said darkly while grinning.
“…Hmm?”
Suddenly, he sniffed the air.
He strode right up to Liliana.
“Eh, what’s going on?”
While Liliana certainly had a hidden puppy nature within her, she wasn’t exactly seeking this kind of interaction, so she took a step back.
“Hey, Rujiakka, remember, she’s a maiden!”
“Oh, sorry, my bad… I thought I smelled someone familiar…”
Someone familiar…? A common acquaintance between Rujiakka and Liliana…?
“Could it be… this is the scent of Alexander…?”
Liliana’s heart nearly leaped out of her mouth at Rujiakka’s mumbling. Helena and Orderju exchanged glances, looking puzzled.
“Wow…!”
““Wow?””
“Wow, I’m really surprised to hear that name after so long. Maybe it’s because of this…?”
While fending off Rujiakka’s suspicions with a half-smile, Liliana retrieved a small pouch containing dried fruits from her pocket.
It was none other than what Alexander, aka Zilbagias, always carried as snacks for his pet. And it was one of the few gifts he had given her as a farewell present when she escaped from the Demon Lord’s Kingdom…
“Oh! This is it, exactly…! The scent of Alexander…”
“Do you know Alexander?”
““………””
Rujiakka looked downcast, while Yesera wore a troubled expression.
“…Alexander has fallen in battle.”
“Eh?”
Liliana’s face became expressionless.
“What do you mean…?”
“His arm was found on the battlefield. It had already been cremated along with the other heroes… I didn’t think you’d have any acquaintances, so I apologize for not saving his remains.”
“Oh… no… that’s…”
Liliana could find no words.
(What does this mean? …Considering Alexander’s abilities, it’s not impossible that an arm could be left behind on the battlefield… But that arm was from Zilbagias, right? …No way)
—Could it be that they couldn’t distinguish between the scents of Zilbagias and Alexander?
Focusing on Rujiakka’s eye patch, Liliana intuitively reached a conclusion that was alarmingly close to the truth.
“Rujiakka, do you know Alexander?”
“Knew? We traveled together for a while. …I owe him a lot.”
Yesera answered, avoiding eye contact.
“Oh, is that so… fallen in battle…”
“Though I didn’t see him die or even see his corpse. We separated just before Zilbagias attacked.”
Yesera explained that they had departed Kaemuran by boat, while Alexander was probably heading to the Holy Kingdom by land with Leila…
“Maybe he anticipated Zilbagias’s arrival and went to intercept him before we could return to Kaemuran… Still, I wonder what happened to his girlfriend, Leila. Even in Kaemuran, I couldn’t find her at all…”
Yesera’s expression darkened.
“There weren’t any solid testimonies from the Imperial soldiers, but if Leila fought alongside him… it seems hopeless if she wasn’t among the wounded…”
What a pity for such a young girl… Yesera’s sorrowful face left Liliana speechless.
—That girl whom you hate, the White Dragon, is the same wretched young lady.
(Do these people intend to continue searching for clues about “Zilbagias”?)
In fact, Liliana felt pity for Rujiakka and Yesera. Rujiakka appeared to possess a sense of smell surpassing that of ordinary Beastmen, but without knowing that Alexander and Zilbagias were the same person, even if he caught a scent of Zilbagias on the battlefield, he’d mistakenly identify it as Alexander’s.
In other words, eternally—no clues would ever be found.
Would they continue to search for clues that would never be found…? That was too much…
“…!”
She bit her lips. However, that didn’t mean she could tell them the truth here.
In terms of keeping a secret, it would be out of the question for Rujiakka. Yesera, being a Forest Elf, might keep her vow with her life, and since she was able to heal herself, it seemed she could potentially self-destruct even if summoned by Necromancy.
However, she harbored exceptional hatred towards Zilbagias and Leila.
While her feelings could be… understood, it was still uncertain what she would do if she learned the truth; predicting her actions was impossible…
“………”
Yesera looked at the anguished face of Liliana with a gaze full of pity.
She interpreted it as mourning the death of “Alexander”—
In the end, Liliana and the others left after offering words of encouragement to Yesera and Rujiakka.
Without revealing the truth.
Knowing full well that their efforts would likely end in vain.
