Chapter 70 Part 2: The End. My Light, My Soul

‘I should have anticipated this.’

Caron’s mistake was agonizing.

His heart was burning. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

But there was only one thing he could do.

“Yah!”

He just ran.

Without sleeping, without eating.

He rode his horse, looking only forward.

It was an incredibly forced march.

Little by little, his troops fell behind.

Still, the only ones who steadfastly kept up with Caron were the seasoned knights of the Archduchy.

They were all truly desperate.

Their families, their homes were under threat.

Like a wolf pack following its leader.

Everyone just rode their horses in silence.

Exhausted horses collapsed.

When that happened, they had no choice but to rest for a while.

“It’s not easy to find horses anymore.”

Where on earth would they find hundreds of horses every time?

In the end, those who couldn’t find horses decided to follow as best they could and join up later.

The late night faded away.

They decided to rest for a while.

Flicker- crackle-

The campfire in the camp blazed.

The knights were exhausted as soon as they dismounted.

But Caron couldn’t rest easily.

“…We must go as quickly as possible.”

He just kept muttering those words.

Pavel spoke up.

“Forgive me, my lord. But if we go this quickly, we will lose more than we gain.”

Both the horses and the men were exhausted.

Caron’s insides were burning.

“Damn it…!”

An uncharacteristic curse, one he rarely used.

But if he didn’t vent his anger, he couldn’t bear it.

His heart was burning with frustration.

Blood flowed from his tightly clenched fist.

‘Even if we hurry, it will be the morning after tomorrow at the earliest…’

By that time, two nights would have passed.

The nights of crisis that Arnad would experience.

And he and his army would not be there.

It felt like someone was clawing at his heart.

Caron’s face contorted in agony.

He knew.

To be fair, he had found out quickly enough.

No matter how capable he was, he couldn’t see everything.

Especially not the vast empire.

In fact, the region south of Elchen was not even under his jurisdiction.

Considering that, he had found out quite early.

The knights Caron had stationed at key points had delivered this urgent news.

‘The distance to the enemy is two days.’

He had really closed the gap.

From the capital to Arnad was a week’s journey.

And Caron had immediately turned back from a day’s distance from the capital.

The shortest distance, without rest.

He had covered a four-day journey in two days.

It was possible after severe exertion.

But there were limits to everything.

There was a way to replenish the lost troops.

‘The Knights Hospitaller will catch up soon.’

With them, it was possible.

He wasn’t worried about fighting the enemy.

‘But Rosa…?’

It was her who was in danger.

Caron’s heart was racing.

His eyes were bloodshot.

His hair was a mess, his armor covered in dust.

Pavel knew the reason.

The Archduchess in Arnad.

He understood Caron’s state.

‘But to push himself like this…’

It was not good for Caron himself, nor for the knights.

So Pavel spoke.

“I remember the villa in Eckshire.”

Pavel’s words were somewhat out of the blue.

“You have changed a lot.”

Pavel remembered the boy and the girl.

Caron’s eyes asked what he meant.

“Of course, my lord has changed a lot too… but Her Grace has changed even more.”

Now, she was a gentle and calm Archduchess.

But she had been different before.

“Don’t you know? Her true nature.”

It was none other than Caron who had said that.

“She was always running around like a wild horse, never quiet.”

But Caron had fallen for her occasional kindness.

“You said that.”

It was a long time ago.

Had he really said such things?

“Her Grace is certainly… a remarkable person.”

She was no ordinary noble lady. Sometimes, she had a proactive and planning nature.

“More than anything, she is the protagonist of the oracle. She is not someone who would be easily defeated.”

Caron seemed to understand the meaning of his words.

“Rest, my lord. A siege. And it’s Arnad. Think about what is truly important to you right now.”

Once his childhood friend. Now his most precious partner.

His reason for living, his reason for being.

So he had to trust Rosa.

In fact, the reason Caron was so shaken.

It was because it was Rosa.

He was actually afraid of losing her, who was so precious to him.

But suddenly, Caron realized.

He had forgotten for a moment.

The Rosa he had known since he was a child, she.

She was not a fragile being who just waited for someone else’s protection.

Then what was important to him now.

Being anxious and not sleeping wouldn’t change anything.

‘Rather…’

In that time, he should trust Rosa completely.

As quickly as possible, in the best condition.

It was a hundred times better to go to her.

“…Thank you. Pavel.”

Caron finally realized it.

And he fell into his first light sleep in days.

The rest was longer than planned.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he was back on his horse.

“Hurry, let’s go!”

His gaze was clearly directed forward.

The army gradually grew.

“Hurry! You’re just in time.”

Anencia, who had procured supplies.

The Knights Hospitaller, who had caught up with them.

Caron trusted Rosa.

That she could hold out.

So all he could do was ride with all his might.

It was a small, white hand.

The hand was trembling slightly.

Their Archduchess’s face had been pale for a while.

The maids were watching her carefully. The knights were also at a loss for words.

Rosa, who couldn’t take her eyes off something, had lost her words.

The necklace in her hand.

A red jewel was attached to it.

‘Surely…’

It was.

She had given it to Caron.

She could tell because she had chosen it herself.

‘Why, is this…’

Why was it with her now?

The First Prince had suddenly offered a truce.

Two knights had left these items at the foot of the castle wall.

The first was the necklace.

The second was.

“Ahhh-!”

When the box was opened, screams erupted from around her.

Wendy and Rudy collapsed.

“…Don’t look, Your Grace!”

Hamel quickly ran over.

He tried to cover Rosa’s eyes, but she had already seen everything clearly.

A person’s head, with the blood dried and caked on.

A severed head was inside.

A piece of paper next to it.

A chilling message written in blood.

[The fate of the traitor, Gallia]

Rosa immediately recognized it.

She had seen it in her father’s letter before.

The letter that had originally been delivered to Caron.

Caron had shown it to her.

An insider of the First Prince’s faction.

It was definitely the name Marquis Gallia.

“Ah…”

Her vision blurred, and she felt like the ground was giving way beneath her.

The sky above was full of dark clouds.

The news from Caron that had stopped for a while, the enemy that had suddenly appeared here.

The insider who had been discovered and executed.

‘And…?’

The necklace she had given him, which was undoubtedly Caron’s.

[Surrender, Archduchess. The battle is already over. Do you intend to shed unnecessary blood? If you come to me, I will promise you humane treatment.]

Such was the First Prince’s letter.

[The Second Prince is already dead. After executing him, his head is being paraded from the capital.]

Of course, she didn’t believe those words.

Still, Rosa’s body swayed for a moment.

A dizzy spell came over her.

“…It’s a lie, Your Grace.”

Hamel’s firm voice.

“If His Grace had really been defeated, wouldn’t they have presented his body?”

“That’s right. It’s all the enemy’s scheme.”

Freya chimed in with Hamel.

“But..”

Rosa trailed off.

She couldn’t be sure of anything.

Beside them were neatly arranged corpses.

[This is proof of my goodwill.]

The bodies of the knights who had come with the items.

There were ten corpses.

All of them were knights belonging to the Archduchy.

The dark and gloomy weather, the situation of being surrounded by a much larger enemy force.

‘He definitely wasn’t defeated.’

Even as she repeated that to herself.

It was truly an inevitable process.

A smoldering emotion began to grow in everyone’s hearts.

It was taking on a dark form, and it was called anxiety.

And soon.

The time for an answer was approaching.

Of course, she didn’t believe it.

No, she couldn’t.

It was Rosa’s honest feeling that she was anxious.

‘No. Surely…?’

Even as she told herself that.

Dark thoughts, wondering if it were possible, kept growing.

Her body lost its strength. Her breath caught in her throat.

Still, Rosa persevered.

The countless eyes looking at her.

‘I am…’

She was.

None other than the Archduchess of Elchen.

She had a duty to fulfill.

She didn’t believe the First Prince’s words.

He was a man with cruel methods, even if his abilities were foolish.

A snake-like personality.

‘Of course, he was like that in the original story too…’

Rosa could tell just by looking at him.

The First Prince, who had been standing below the castle wall, had smiled at her, supposedly.

Just once. Their eyes met.

Of course, Rosa felt a chill.

The dark desire that flickered within.

So there was no way she would surrender.

That was absurd in the first place.

Even if Caron had really been defeated, even if the contents of the letter were true.

‘If it really… were like that……?’

An imagination close to impossible.

Rosa quickly shook off the thought, feeling her breath catch.

But there was one definite fact.

Something had happened to Caron.

If not.

‘Why would the necklace be here…’

Just that one fact made Rosa’s heart ache.

But she believed in Caron. He would definitely come here.

So she intended to fight until he arrived.

This land that Caron cherished. This place that was his home.

This place where their precious memories resided.

‘…And.’

The land where their child would be born.

Her small face was pale. Her delicate frame swayed slightly.

But the Archduchess was resolute.

“There is no reason to surrender, and there are too many reasons to fight.”

So they would fight.

That answer was conveyed.

“She refuses the opportunity even when it’s given.”

First Prince Leon was furious.

Surrender was take it or leave it, anyway.

The real reason was different.

“This will have broken the morale inside the castle.”

But Leon didn’t know at all.

That his choice had only ignited the fighting spirit of the opponent.

Again, the long sound of the horn echoed.

“Attack!”

The battle resumed.

Under the darkened night sky.

A fierce battle took place.

But that night, Arnad did not allow the enemy to invade.

They held out for a full day.

Thanks to everyone’s concerted efforts.

Arnad was, strictly speaking, a capital-like city.

Even with the numerical disadvantage, it was not a city that could be captured in a day.

The siege that began the night before.

But the sun had set again.

The situation had not improved at all.

Rather, it had worsened.

Thud-thud-

The shelter beneath the chapel.

The ceiling shook as if it would collapse any minute.

“Waaa-!”

Frightened children all started crying.

An elderly couple held each other’s hands tightly.

It was a truly fierce battle.

A battle with an overwhelming numerical disadvantage.

Those who could move had been mobilized for the defense since yesterday.

A boy with a sword as big as his body staggered under its weight.

“You have a long way to go to catch up to your brother.”

The father smiled and led his son.

“Will he be here soon?”

“Yes. Surely.”

Such individual determination gathered to defend this city.

“We will help too.”

The women moved ceaselessly.

They couldn’t participate in the battle, but they didn’t rest, carrying supplies.

They also took on the role of nursing the wounded who filled the castle.

Literally, a desperate struggle.

Shouts and screams filled the sky.

The dark night sky turned red.

Flames rose from buildings everywhere.

Around midnight, First Prince Leon was furious.

“What on earth are you all doing! With almost six times the troops, you can’t even capture that city?”

But it was a city where everyone had joined forces.

A city centered around the Saintess and the Archduchess.

Arnad was incredibly fortified.

It had been the capital of a kingdom.

Its defenses were formidable.

“We came in a hurry and bypassed them, so we don’t have enough siege equipment. But it will be soon.”

At the lord’s words, Leon barely managed to calm his anger.

“The Saintess must not be harmed.”

Even in the midst of all this, he didn’t forget that order.

Even the fortified Arnad was gradually allowing intrusions.

Finally.

Around dawn.

Crash-

The outer wall finally collapsed.

It was a double-layered rampart.

“Everyone, retreat!”

“Retreat to the inner castle-!”

Amidst such urgent shouts.

“The outer wall has just been breached.”

Luther said with a dark expression.

The townspeople were all evacuated to the underground shelter.

“Even if he is the First Prince, he won’t immediately harm civilians. And don’t worry. We can still hold out for another couple of hours.”

The situation was utterly desperate.

Luther and Natasha exchanged glances.

‘Even if we all die.’

‘We must get Her Grace out of here.’

The screams were getting closer.

The two ran back again.

“Everyone, get close to the door!”

Nearly a few dozen soldiers blocked the door.

They were physically blocking the enemy’s entry with their bodies.

Stab-

But one by one, they fell, bleeding.

Time flowed slowly.

The fierce clashing of swords.

The screams getting closer.

But Rosa, witnessing the scene, was not afraid of death at all.

No, she didn’t even feel it.

‘What I’m afraid of is…’

Eventually losing this Arnad.

Her deeply submerged gaze.

Her small fist was clenched tightly.

“Are the reinforcements, still not here?”

“There are too many enemy troops outside the castle.”

Of course, they had sent for help as urgently as possible.

“They might be delayed trying to join forces with each other.”

They would be picked off one by one if they came as they were.

But it wasn’t the time to consider such circumstances.

“Call them immediately. Them.”

It was a complete unknown whether they would respond.

But Hamel followed her words without a second thought.

“Yes. Understood.”

Rosa looked out the window with a tense heart.

The veteran knights remained.

They were the elite of the Archduke’s knight order.

Natasha, Luther.

They were among the top three in terms of skill within the knight order.

That was why they had held out for two full days.

In fact, comparing only the regular troops, there was a numerical difference of almost tenfold.

But even holding out for two days had reached its limit.

This desperate situation.

Naturally, Caron’s face came to mind.

‘Please… come quickly. Caron.’

She didn’t give up until the end. She still believed he would come.

How long had the battle been going on?

By now, the sky had turned blue.

So it was really the dawn of the third day.

And they had held out for quite some time after midnight.

‘Please・・・ ᆞCaron.’

For him to come to her.

To save her from this situation.

Rosa prayed earnestly.

Ding-dong-

This was the sound of the main tower’s bell.

Two long rings of the bell.

When the city was in a desperate crisis.

It was the sound to alert those nearby.

Birds took flight at the sound.

The leaves of the trees rustled.

Bang-

Finally.

Even the inner castle gate was breached.

Through the collapsed gate, enemy troops began to enter.

Now, less than three hundred troops were engaged in the final battle.

“Block them! We must stop them!”

Such desperate shouts.

It was like a scene from a mirage.

Natasha came running to her with an urgent expression.

“You must escape, Your Grace! Right now!”

“But…”

“There’s no time to hesitate! There’s a secret passage. It’s still possible.”

The words seemed to slow down like an auditory hallucination.

“Hurry! Your Grace!”

“Please forgive our rudeness!”

The maids and Hamel beside her pushed her.

There were no reinforcements, as expected.

‘Ah・・・ so this is how it ends.’

Was she really going to fail to protect it?

What face would she have to see Caron and the others later?

From the deepest part of her heart.

She offered a fervent prayer.

‘If you exist… if there is meaning to the oracle you gave me. Give me strength. Please. The strength to protect everyone.’

In fact, even as she prayed, Rosa was deeply frustrated.

But.

Just then.

Boo-woo-boo-woo-

The sound of a horn that shouldn’t have been able to sound rang out twice, long and drawn out.

The enemy troops, momentarily startled, were immediately attacked by the allies.

“What? A retreat?”

Such voices were heard.

But the horn sounded again.

It kept sounding.

Only then did everyone, friend and foe alike, realize that it was not a signal to retreat.

Rosa ran to the window.

The main tower was the tallest.

From her room on the top floor, she could faintly see the scenery outside the castle.

The sun was just rising.

Gradually, the dawn light filled the sky.

It was a massive army.

The sound of horses’ hooves vibrated.

Knights in silver armor. Faintly, flags could be seen.

Instinctively, Rosa realized that they were the Knights Hospitaller.

But they were not the end.

Beside them, black-armored knights. Cavalry mounted on mountain goats.

“It’s the Archduke’s army-!”

Hamel’s joyful shout.

The enemy froze.

Black smoke was rising.

Caron took in the sight of the city.

As if to remember it clearly.

A cool rage filled his eyes.

Then he lowered his sword.

“Protect the Archduke!”

“Charge! Charge!”

With various shouts, countless horses’ hooves surged forward.

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