Captain! Where is the Battlefield?

 

  “What’s this?”

 

  “It’s a certificate for the reward money put forth for the Count of Amins.”

 

  “…You came to deliver this yourself?”

 

  Usually, a servant from the palace would deliver such things. However, Derivis put down the cloth he was using to wipe Rosalie’s face and smiled faintly.

 

  “It’s a good excuse to come see you.”

 

  “You didn’t need an excuse to come.”

 

  Strangely, Derivis didn’t offer a response. Rosalie took the certificate from his hand and unrolled it to read the contents.

 

  “…Is the Emperor planning to bankrupt the Count?”

 

  “Well, it seems like he crossed a line during the trial.”

 

  “You’re right, the Emperor did look a bit upset back then.”

 

  Rosalie sighed and rolled up the certificate again. It had already been approved by the imperial family, so there was no way to change it. 

 

  Rumors would now spread that the Count Amins’ household had fallen out of favor with the imperial family. Rosalie could easily guess why everyone from the County of Amins had hurriedly left their territory.

 

  “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen them. I thought Nathan would have realized I was here.”

 

  “Maybe they haven’t woken up yet.”

 

  From what Martin said, it seemed they had been drinking late into the night after she left. Rosalie let out a light sigh, feeling a tightness in her chest.

 

  Derivis found it strange and asked why she reacted that way, but Rosalie hesitated for a moment then shrugged it off before putting on a nonchalant expression.

 

  ‘I guess Derivis would react the same way.’

 

  The two of them entered the room where the drinking party had taken place last night. As soon as they opened the door, the smell of alcohol wafted in, causing Derivis to furrow his brow.

 

  “The smell of alcohol is overpowering.”

 

  Looking at Nathan and Erudit, who were pale and staggering almost lifelessly, Derivis commented. Just as Rosalie had expected, they were a mess.

 

  “Emma, bring some good hangover remedies for them. Bring the most effective ones.”

 

  “Yes, I’ll bring them right away.”

 

  Emma quickly brought the remedies, and Nathan and Erudit emptied their glasses in no time. Then, Nathan rushed out of the room after tasting the bitter taste, his face contorted in disgust.

 

  “Ugh, what is this…?”

 

  Erudit also stared at the empty glass with trembling pupils, covering his mouth. Their intense reaction caused Rosalie to lift the glass and sniff it, too, before quietly setting down the glass due to the overpowering smell.

 

  “…It should work well. They say it’s good for your body.”

 

  “Your Grace.”

 

  As Joey’s voice came from the door in the midst of the noisy atmosphere, Rosalie turned her head. He quickly bowed deeply when he saw Derivis and approached them when Derivis waved the formality off.

 

  “What’s going on?”

 

  Rosalie’s question made Joey hesitate, glancing around as if unsure whether Derivis should hear the story.

 

  “It’s okay, tell me.”

 

  “It seems there was an attack by beasts near the Dita mine.”

 

  At the softly murmured words, Rosalie’s face froze. Her heavy voice reached Joey.

 

  “…What kind of beasts?”

 

  “It was wyverns. Apparently, they’ve been nesting in the area.”

 

  “Female wyverns usually stock up on food in preparation for the breeding season during the winter. It seems like the mine became their target.”

 

  Upon hearing Derivis’s words, Rosalie frowned and began to retrace the cause of this incident.

 

  ‘When Derivis developed the Dita mine, there were no villages or roads frequented by people.’

 

  Unlike Derivis, who had set up portal towers around the mine for smooth transportation with the authority of the imperial family in the novel, Rosalie couldn’t set up portal towers at will. 

 

  She had to designate and clear the path herself to ensure that the delivery reached the Duchy’s mansion smoothly, wasting time. This delay led to the late mining.

 

  ‘The novel has already ended, so there are things I didn’t expect. But the fact that the duchy and not the royal family developed the Dita mine must have also contributed to the wyvern’s attacks.’

 

  Additionally, Rosalie and Erudit had hired laborers from the duchy’s residents who needed a job and money, causing their families to gather around the Dita mine and form a village. This was enough to attract the wyverns’ attention.

 

  “Wyverns are difficult to handle in the sky, but luckily, they are among the more intelligent creatures. If we properly exterminate them once, they will relocate their nest.”

 

  As Rosalie was troubled, Derivis, who was next to her, spoke. Rosalie let out a faint sigh and looked at Joey. 

 

  Mining had already begun, the village and roads were formed, and they were already planning to negotiate with Countess Seth and arrange the contract.

 

  It was difficult to revive a broken flow, so it had to be resolved before it was interrupted.

 

  “I’ll ride down to the territory tomorrow and prepare for battle. Immediately send someone to ask Sir Aaron to select personnel from the firing squad and the knights.”

 

  “Yes, I understand.”

 

  After nodding, Joey quickly left the room. Rosalie then turned to Erudit, whose face had also turned serious.

 

  “Erudit. In the meantime, negotiate the contract terms with Countess Seth. We’ll only need a few guards.”

 

  “Understood. Please take care.”

 

  In response to Erudit’s worried reply, Rosalie approached him and lightly patted his shoulder, and Erudit remained silent. Then, she called Derivis immediately in the midst of the awkward atmosphere that had come out of nowhere.

 

  “Derivis.”

 

  “I’m going, too.”

 

  Before Rosalie could finish speaking, Derivis firmly stated. Rosalie knew as soon as she met his blue eyes that he was worried about her.

 

  “I can’t just send you alone and wait here comfortably.”

 

  “…But I can’t let Derivis be in danger because of the duchy’s affairs.”

 

  “If it’s dangerous enough for Derivis, then Rosalie would already be dead.”

 

  Nathan, who had been absent for a while, suddenly appeared and leaned against the door frame as he spoke. Rosalie looked at him as he smiled and approached Derivis.

 

  “And if the two of us go, the time for the expedition will be reduced by more than half, right?”

 

  “Reducing the time means reducing casualties.”

 

  Although they said it playfully, it was an undeniable fact. With Nathan and Derivis present, they would definitely not suffer losses. Rosalie made a small groaning sound.

 

  “Nathan, let’s say that’s true. But what is Derivis going to do about his palace duties?”

 

  “I haven’t used my allotted vacation yet, so I’ll take a vacation.”

 

  The imperial family took breaks twice a year, dividing it into the first half and the second half. 

 

  Rosalie felt like it was a waste for Derivis to use his scarce vacation for hunting monsters, but given Derivis’s attitude that showed no signs of changing, she had no choice but to allow it.

 

  Although she felt worried, Rosalie felt quite good on the other hand. In fact, she felt reassured by Derivis’s presence.

 

  “Instead, promise me you’ll be careful not to get hurt.”

 

  “…Alright. Promise me you won’t get hurt either.”

 

  Derivis looked at Rosalie, who, despite knowing his strength, was endlessly worried. And he was thoroughly pleased by that fact. 

 

  “Understood.”

 

  “Then, I should go back to the palace now to handle my vacation.”

 

  As Derivis left the room, Erudit bowed, and Nathan waved his hand. Rosalie looked at Nathan and spoke.

 

  “You should be careful, too.”

 

  “You’re the one who should be careful. Erudit, I won the bet, didn’t I?”

 

  “Don’t be ridiculous! Didn’t you secretly pour your drink on the floor?”

 

  Rosalie let out a faint sigh as she watched the bickering pair. She felt like they were becoming more alike in their antics.

 

   ⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰

 

  The day broke, and Rosalie headed to the territory with Derivis, Nathan, and the knights who had come up from the capital.

 

  To prepare for any unexpected situations, they left behind a small group of knights to accompany Erudit. It was a situation that became possible because Derivis and Nathan were going together.

 

  As they approached the duchy’s estate, they spotted Aaron, who had already prepared the knights. When he saw Rosalie, he inclined his head and, noticing Derivis behind her, became even more flustered, bowing even deeper.

 

  “I greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

  “He has agreed to join us in the wyverns’ extermination.”

 

  Straightening up, Aaron sent a ‘why on earth?’ look towards Rosalie, who pretended not to notice and surveyed the knights.

 

  “Is the preparation nearly complete?”

 

  “We’re almost done, so we should be able to depart soon.”

 

  Rosalie scanned the knights once more. The path had been cleared, so it wouldn’t take too long.

 

  Furthermore, although the surroundings of the Dita mine were still rudimentary, the city was gradually forming, making logistics relatively smoother. The problem was the exact number of the wyverns, which had not been accurately assessed yet.

 

  “Cheer up. With me and Nathan, there should be no problem.”

 

  Derivis lightly tapped her furrowed brow with his fingertip, smiling. Rosalie, who had been absorbed in her worries, seemed to have unintentionally furrowed her brow.

 

  “…I was concerned about the size of the monsters.”

 

  “Wyverns, by nature, don’t breed easily within their own kind. They’re cautious about their bodies, so they’ll naturally retreat if we subdue about half of them.”

 

  “And since wyverns have relatively weak wings, we only need to target them there~ it’s relatively easy if the knights swarm them when they’re on the ground.”

 

  Nathan added. Rosalie looked at the knights, who were holding crossbows, and pushed her worries aside. Her own knights were certainly not weak.

 

  Once the knights were ready, Rosalie departed immediately. The weather was cold, but fortunately, there was no snow, making their progress relatively smooth.

 

  Thus, the first night arrived. The horses that had been running tirelessly during the day now moved their hooves restlessly, demanding a break.

 

  “The first village isn’t that small, so there should be plenty of places to rest.”

 

  As Aaron approached and spoke, Rosalie nodded. The village chief recognized her and greeted her warmly, studying her reaction, and Aaron subtly inserted himself into the conversation.

 

  “Your Grace, you should go and take a rest. We will let you know if there are any issues.”

 

  “Alright, thank you.”

  

 

Like my translations?
Buy me a Milktea!