Chapter 120
“Young Master!”
Aina’s voice echoed through the fortress.
The soldiers’ gazes were drawn to her, but he didn’t care at all.
Was facing exhausted soldiers something new for him? Not for a day or two.
For Aina, this kind of scene was almost an everyday occurrence.
“You’re here.”
Upon hearing that voice, Dante turned his head.
He saw Aina, Trisiel, and Bratni approaching.
“Hmm.”
Dante furrowed his brow.
He could detect traces of battle on Trisiel.
Bratni was the same.
The lingering aura of magic still tickled his nose.
It was clear that quite a powerful spell had been used.
Fortunately, it seemed no one was injured…
“Battle, huh.”
Trisiel noticed Dante’s gaze and gave a slight smile, bowing her head as if to say not to worry.
That was enough for him to relax.
If Trisiel said she was fine, then she truly was.
“Young Master!”
Once again, Aina called out as she arrived in front of Dante.
“Are you alright? No injuries anywhere?”
It was hard to tell who was worrying about whom.
“I’m fine.”
He stopped Aina from inspecting him too closely and released his magic.
Even though Trisiel said she was fine, Dante still felt concern.
“Good.”
Apart from being slightly tired from the forced march, Aina was completely healthy, without even a scratch.
After patting her head, still fussing beside him, he turned his gaze to Trisiel and Bratni.
“What happened?”
They had been following slowly from half a day away.
Dante had no idea who they had fought.
Furrowing his brow, he asked, and Trisiel stepped forward to report.
“They were the remnants of Caldrian.”
“Remnants?”
Dante had never expected that word.
Monsters had no concept of remnants.
They never ran; they kept charging until the last one fell.
So there was no need to chase down those who fled.
But Caldrian’s warriors were human, not monsters.
He should have thought their behavior would be different.
Having dealt with monsters for so long in the duchy, he hadn’t considered the obvious.
“How many?”
“Five great warriors and about twenty-five regular warriors. Around thirty in total.”
Not a small number.
Even leaving aside the regular warriors, five great warriors—
That was enough to operate a detachment.
Dante’s face hardened.
“It must not have been easy to handle them, huh?”
There’s a saying: one hand cannot block ten attacks.
Trisiel was skilled, but to face so many while protecting Aina was no simple task.
While the great warriors held her, even the regular warriors aiming at Aina could have made things dangerous.
“Exactly as the Captain said. It really was a close call.”
Trisiel sighed deeply and pointed at Bratni, who stood politely by her side.
“If he hadn’t appeared at the perfect moment to help, Aina might have been seriously injured.”
Bratni.
Dante’s fiery eyes turned toward him.
Grateful, but also furious that Aina had been in danger.
“…Thank you. Because of you, those I care about returned safely.”
“No need. I merely carried out my orders, so spare me the thanks.”
Bratni chuckled heartily before continuing.
“This old body also had the chance to release the pent-up frustration I’ve been holding. A very satisfying time indeed.”
Pent-up frustration…
Dante recognized the annoyance and anger hidden behind Bratni’s smile and nodded.
Outwardly a kindly old man, his feelings toward Caldrian were clearly at their worst.
“I heard you’re a mage affiliated with the Mage Tower.”
“That’s right. I wander here and there under the Lord of the Tower’s orders, to experience the world for a while.”
“And your reason for coming here?”
Perhaps because Dante pressed the question, Bratni narrowed his eyes and answered.
“It’s due to my connection with Sir Zenon Aquites. I’d prefer you not ask further.”
He didn’t want to answer in detail.
Dante nodded.
Bratni was a mage—unable to assert the authority of the nobility.
Respect had to be given willingly; it could not be forced.
Especially since Zenon’s name was mentioned, Dante could not push further.
“Understood.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Bratni bowed politely and stepped back.
“Trisiel.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“You said there were about thirty remnants?”
“Yes.”
Dante’s expression turned serious.
Caldrian had been utterly defeated and fled.
But those fleeing from Acrasion wouldn’t have only headed beyond the borders.
Many likely moved toward the Empire as well, just like the ones Aina and Trisiel encountered.
“What shall we do?”
Trisiel’s question left Dante in silence for a moment.
The soldiers in the fortress were already exhausted.
Yet they could not simply do nothing.
Caldrian’s warriors were not ordinary bandits.
If they had ill intentions, innocent civilians could be harmed.
No, they surely would be.
“Sir Mileon.”
“Yes?”
At Dante’s low voice, Mileon approached eagerly.
“We’ll need to organize the soldiers.”
He wanted to let them rest, but…
“Organize the soldiers?”
“Although I wish we could act ourselves, unfortunately, that’s not possible.”
They had to prepare to strike Caldrian.
Chasing remnants now would risk missing the opportunity.
That could give them another chance to cross the border.
It wouldn’t be so easy to defeat them next time.
Deciding wasn’t easy, but it had to be done.
“Send the Northern Legion’s soldiers and knights to search for the remnants.”
Dante’s voice was heavy with the weight of command.
“I will inform Sir Roten accordingly.”
Mileon’s response was equally resolute.
He saluted with a firm expression and ran toward the interior.
“Good work, Trisiel. Rest for today.”
“…Really?”
She blinked at Dante in disbelief.
It was understandable.
“You seem to be preparing for another battle… right?”
Trisiel was quick-witted.
Not as sharp as Mileon, but she quickly understood Dante’s intentions.
“Exactly.”
Dante sighed, and Trisiel grinned.
“Then I’ll go too. I’m not exactly exhausted.”
She had only fought about thirty people.
But Acrasion had just eleven individuals defeat tens of thousands.
Since Bratni had told her so directly, it was certain.
The ones who truly needed rest were not her, but the others from Acrasion.
So she didn’t want to sit out.
“Besides, I want a bit of revenge on those guys.”
“Revenge?”
When he looked puzzled, Trisiel gritted her teeth, smiling fiercely.
“They dared to touch Aina. I’m not the only one angry.”
She was exaggerated in her display, but the anger seemed genuine.
Even unconsciously, a deadly aura emanated from her.
Dante watched her quietly, then turned his body.
“Captain?”
“Report back to Sir Zeke and prepare immediately for battle.”
“Yes!”
Trisiel’s eyes sparkled as she responded enthusiastically, then swiftly ran to her companions.
A young woman in her early twenties delighted to be allowed to fight.
Dante quietly sighed as he watched her.
“Bratni.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you once again. Without you, those I cherish most wouldn’t have returned safely.”
“Ha ha, you flatter me.”
Bratni waved with a satisfied expression.
“While you were absent, some things were discussed. Go hear about them from Sir Roten.”
“I shall.”
Everyone moved away from Dante, leaving only Aina.
She continued to observe him carefully.
Checking if he was uncomfortable, injured, or struggling.
When their eyes met, she gave a small, happy smile.
She seemed satisfied that everything was fine.
“You seem quite tired too, so go in and—”
“Young Master, Young Master.”
Aina interrupted, her expression full of curiosity.
“Hm?”
Dante tilted his head, unsure of what was happening.
“Is that Bratni person really a mage?”
“Didn’t you see for yourself?”
“I did. I just can’t believe it.”
“What do you mean?”
“That a mage helped me.”
Dante recalled the recent incident at the Institute.
Somehow, Aina seemed very eager to see the Mage Tower.
As if she admired mages.
This was the same.
The moment her concern for Dante vanished, all her attention focused on Bratni, the mage.
“Hmm.”
After thinking for a moment, Dante spoke softly.
“You seem very interested in magic.”
“It’s fascinating.”
Aina replied in her bright, clear voice.
And…
“I heard that the founder of our family was also a mage.”
That was new information to him.
