A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic

Reine sat astride her horse, riding nonstop to the royal castle.

Without a proper meal or sleep, she rushed straight to Fili's room.

There was no one in Fili's room, and there was a little dust on the shelves and paintings.

There were many belongings, but Filli had always been neat and tidy.

The sight of the dust alone indicated that she hadn't been there for some time.

"...Elsreine-sama."

"..., Where's Fili?"

From the open door, her attendant Livinia peeked out.

She quietly shook her head, shaking her chestnut hair.

Her face was gloomy.

"About two weeks ago, while she was tending to the flower bed...she stabbed her in the chest with a knife."

"The culprit?"

"It was Nasser, a servant at the royal mansion. However, he committed suicide... his birth family, the Lisernia family, was destroyed and a strict investigation was carried out, the reason is..."

She knew his face.

She had never spoken to him.

"...Why. Fili?"

"I don't know. ...I don't know why Fili had to be killed..."

She covers her face to hide her tears and falls to her knees.

She didn't understand.

Fili was a servant and had nothing to do with politics.

She wasn't the kind of person who would be hated by anyone, nor was she capable of it.

It would have been different if it had been an accident, but from what Golzarias had told her and from the way he spoke, it was clearly a deliberate attempt to kill her.

Reine passed by her side as she cried and went up the stairs.

The servants looked at Reine with fear, pity, or perhaps sadness.

There was a knock on the office, and a voice said, ‘Come in’.

Her mother was working at her desk as she stared at Reine as she entered.

"...You're quite early."

"Did Kaa-sama, kill her?"

Her mother sighed tiredly and troubled, then smiled.

Then she stood up and came closer.

"Do you think I would gain anything from doing that? I don't want you to hate me."

"Kaa-sama hated Fili."

"That is certainly true."

She moved away from the hand her mother was trying to reach out to her.

Then she glared at her mother.

Her mother looked troubled and moved her hands around.

"Reine, did as Mother told me. Reine killed Rougran-niisama and the others, ended the rebellion, and has been a good girl up until now. So, why, kill Fili?"

"Why do you think it was me?"

"...Who else would kill Fili, and for what reason?"

Her mother sighed again.

Please calm down, her mother said.

"Someone has filled your head with nonsense. This situation… it seems to be intended to drive a wedge between us. I did want to distance her from you, and I even considered killing her, but if I were going to do that, I would have done it long ago and in a much more thorough manner."

"...Sail-niisama said he had talked to Fili the other day. I'm sure that was unpleasant for you too, Kaa-sama."

"...Reine, just keep suspecting me."

"Then who would do something like that?"

It's going around in circles, she sighed.

"Even if I did kill her, what would you do with that? Would you kill me because I'm her enemy?"

"That’s..."

"...Get some rest, Reine. You're tired and not thinking clearly, right? You look awful. Then we'll talk again slowly."

Her usual gentle voice.

Her mother was always kind to Reine.

She had never doubted that she loved Reine, and even now, she didn't doubt it.

――But that wasn't the case with other people.

Her mother hated everyone except Reine.

Perhaps this was also her love.

Maybe she didn't want to make Reine sad――But.

"...Reine, doesn't really understand Kaa-sama."

For a moment, her mother's face stiffened.

"Reine heard that things were very difficult for Kaa-sama before Reine was born. That's why Kaa-sama couldn't trust anyone..."

The king's illness, Golzarias said.

The vassals who were executed for admonishing her mother had said the same thing, and perhaps Fili wanted to do something about it.

Fili always looked happy when he saw Reine speak of wanting her mother to change.

"But there are good people like Fili in the world, and Reine just wanted to create the little paradise that Kaa-sama spoke of some time ago with those people. That's all... Reine wants to live together with Kaa-sama and Fili someday, together."

‘That's all.’

She loves her mother and Fili, so she just wanted them to live together in harmony.

She just wanted to tell her mother, hoping that she would notice Fili's good points.

Her vision became distorted, and sobs spilled out.

Her chest was tight and she couldn't breathe properly.

Why couldn’t she convey that?

That was all she wanted to tell her.

"Did Kaa-sama hate that Reine thought like that? Because Reine is too stupid stupid and can't think like Kaa-sama, so..."

"Reine, no, I..."

"It's fine. ...Reine doesn't want to talk to Kaa-sama anymore."

‘Reine’ Ignoring the voices calling out to her, she left the office.

She ran straight ahead, got on his horse, and dashed out of the royal territory and out of the royal capital.

She kept asking herself, ‘Why?’

‘Reine doesn't understand. Why Fili?’

‘...Unfortunately, it must have been Her Majesty. Murder in the royal territory... Moreover, it's hard to imagine that anyone would do something so pointless and foolish as to deliberately target and kill a servant, even if they were targeting Her Majesty the Queen.’

The question and answer kept going round and round in her head.

‘From what I've heard from Your Highness, Your Majesty must have found the servant Fili annoying. The two of you always argued about that servant... I think Your Majesty felt a sense of crisis about Your Highness' beloved Fili’.

‘A sense of crisis..’

‘Her Majesty likely feared losing you, the one irreplaceable person in her life. It’s only natural that she would be afraid of that.’

‘Filli would never… Reine too…’

‘Indeed, but… Her Majesty is ill. She’s so deeply untrusting that she may even doubt Your Highness in her heart.’

Before going to the royal capital, while preparing a horse for Reine, Golzarias looked sad and seemed to find it difficult to answer.

While sighing that it was a pitiful thing, he told the stunned Reine all sorts of things.

It was true that it was hard to believe, but she couldn't dismiss it as impossible.

As he said, her mother hated Fili, and she sighed every time she saw Reine being influenced by Fili.

They had just argued the other day――Reine was afraid that her mother would punish her, just like when she removed Fili from her attendant, and she had been careful to prevent that from happening.

But that anxiety always exists in her heart, so she couldn't deny what he said.

‘Could it be a mistake? Perhaps it wasn’t Filli, but someone else…’

"...I heard it too, but I haven't confirmed it myself... leave this place to me. It's probably best for Your Highness to confirm it directly."

Then, kneeling, Golzarias continued.

‘I am your vassal, so I’ll wait here…Elsreine-sama.’

Her head was spinning, and her body felt heavy.

She didn’t know what she would do if she returned. But she just wanted to get away from the capital.

Riding her horse, switching mounts, heading eastward.

She slept on horseback, ate while riding, and after several days――

"Reine..."

"...Sail-niisama"

It is Sail who appeared on horseback with several people.

Sail glared at Reine with a stern look on his face and furrowed brow.

"...Where are you planning to go?"

"This has nothing to do with you, Sail-niisama."

"It's not that I'm not involved. Are you planning to betray Mother?"

Raine didn't answer, and when she tried to pass by him, the escorting cavalryman also stood in front of her, grim-faced.

"...Move out of the way."

"Calm down. You're just confused. Did Golzarias tell you something? Don't trust that man. He doesn't listen to my orders, he's privatizing the army, and he's trying to use you for some scheme."

Sail kept telling her to calm down.

"If you act, the kingdom will split in two. It will become a quagmire of war. At least, that is not what Fili wanted――"

"What did Sail-niisama tell Fili?"

"?"

"Venure did it for Sail-niisama sake... Didn't Sail-niisama tell Fili some stupid things? Isn't that why it ended up like this?"

Sail froze, and Reine jumped from her horse and got on top of Sail.

"Uh, ugh...!?"

She grabbed him by the collar and slammed his back to the ground, the tip of the drawn sword on his neck.

The purple eyes of Reine, staring before him, were cold and filled with hatred.

"...Don't ever show yourself in front of Reine again. If you get in the way any more, I will kill you all right here and now."

"Reine..."

After saying that, Reine got on top of her horse.

The young-looking girl's eyes were freezing cold, and even the veteran cavalryman blocking her path shivered like a boy, making him instinctively make way for her.

Reine started running again, and Sail simply slammed his fist into the ground.

Grabareine was a tyrant who oppressed others, executed many good-hearted people, and sought to control the world through fear.

Elsreine was the only one by her mother's side who tried to straighten out her madness, and she lamented being forced to fight an unwanted battle against her brothers who stood up for the people, and to top it off, even her beloved servants were killed.

Queen Grabareine no longer had a heart.

And so Princess Elsreine rose up and rebelled against Queen Grabareine.

Word of this spread like wildfire, and when it reached the ears of those who were devastated by the princes' defeat, many people flocked to the east from all over.

She was the only one who could stand against the ever-invincible Grabareine.

She had shown her talent in battles against the brave and fearless princes, and she had given mercy to the soldiers who had participated in the great treason of the rebellion.

They could have been executed immediately, but she released many of the incited people, saying that their crimes were not serious, and it was said that this was also the reason why she swiftly raided the main camp and killed her brother herself in four duels.

The plan to lower taxes to achieve domestic stability after suppressing the rebellion was originally a generous and humane measure, but those who followed Elsreine said that it was the result of the princess's kindness and compassion, spreading the idea of ​​good and evil.

In just under a month, even those who had not participated in the princes' rebellion had begun to rise up.

"Elsreine-sama, how about you go outside for a bit of fresh air?"

"Lukazan, I want to be left alone."

"...That's. The people are gathering. Many people from the eastern region have shown their allegiance. It's about time you looked forward, Elsreine-sama."

Renaria, home base of the Alberan rebel army.

The largest city in the eastern region, it was the capital of a kingdom that was destroyed by Grabareine.

Every day, Golzarias would visit Elsreine, who continued to sleep in her bed in the castle.

“What should I look forward to?...Reine doesn’t want to do anything.”

"If Elsreine-sama is like this, Fili will be sad."

"...Fili is no longer here."

"Indeed, she may not be alive."

Elsreine frowned and sat up.

Golzarias spoke as he looked out the window.

"But... her words should live on in your heart, Elsreine-sama. Were her days meaningless? Are you saying that the many things she must have taught you since she was born were meaningless?"

"That is..."

"I understand Elsreine-sama’s feelings of grief over Fili's death. She also died halfway through her journey... it must have been very regrettable. But for Elsreine-sama to waste your time like this is tantamount to denying her life."

Reine opened her eyes wide, and Golzarias closed them.

"Why does Elsreine-sama think we soldiers risk our lives to fight?"

"Um..."

"Most of us are not as strong as Elsreine-sama. I'm just lucky that I'm still alive... it's not even worth gambling on, and I'm sure Elsreine-sama would find it foolish."

She thought for a moment, then nodded.

“To you, we are all weak beings. And yet we choose to fight. ...Some could be a merchant, a craftsman, or a farmer. There are plenty of ways to live, so why risk their lives to fight?"

Golzarias turned and looked her straight in the eye.

"...That is a wish, Elsreine-sama."

"A wish..."

"And so, even if I die, those I must protect can live in peace. That is the wish... which is why we can sometimes sacrifice ourselves, and even accept death. I believe that those who survive will surely grant my wish."

Then he smiled gently.

“A wish more precious than one’s life...Fili must have had such a wish as well. Even in her final moments, she must have thought of it. Will you simply live on, mourning Fili death forever, without fulfilling that wish?”

“Reine...”

"At least from my perspective, that would be much sadder. The many words Fili spoke to Elsreine-sama would disappear without meaning."

That was certainly sad.

Surely Fili would not be happy to see Reine like this.

"...What do you think, Elsreine-sama? Won't you grant her wish with us?"

"With Lukazan and the others...?"

"A world of peace and no war... a small paradise, I believe you said."

"A small paradise..."

What comes to mind was something Fili once drew.

A place where everyone was smiling and having fun, with unused swords and armor lying around.

"Of course, it will be a difficult path. To unite the hearts of many people and create such a world... but it is not an impossible wish. At the very least, I believe that if we continue to wish for it, we can get closer, even if only little by little."

"......"

"...In name, we are currently a rebel army against Her Majesty the Queen. But Elsreine-sama, aren't you still unable to hate Her Majesty?"

She nodded.

There were enough soldiers gathered, but the kingdom's side was unstable.

Many people had come and said that she should not miss this opportunity to lead this army and attack and destroy the royal capital, but Reine shook her head.

Reine wondered why she had killed Fili, but she couldn't imagine wanting to kill her mother.

She knew that her mother loved her, and Reine also loved and respected her mother.

It was just sad.

That was all Reine had.

She was simply sad that her mother had done something that could not be undone.

"When you returned from the Royal Capital, I had a feeling that this was the case. If that's what you wanted, you would have done so at that time. ... Lady Elsreine is a kind person, and you still love Her Majesty the Queen."

She nodded, and Golzarias smiled and said, ‘It's okay’.

"There's no need to listen to the words of fools who act on emotion. Things will calm down eventually. And for that, we need a new name that isn't the Alberan Rebel Army."

"A name..."

"Yes, a new place, a new country that Elsreine-sama will create."

"A... country?"

"Yes. That would probably be the best."

Golzarias turned his eyes out the window again.

Birds were chirping in the sunlight.

"...In order to obtain military power, it’s best to spread the word that Her Majesty is evil and a tyrant, gathering many people and nobles... but I don't think that Her Majesty is that kind of person. She has been exposed to so much malice that no one can trust her anymore... She is a pitiful person."

"...That is..."

"I don't want to drag Her Majesty down from the throne or start a rebellion. I just... want Her Majesty to notice our feelings, and those of Elsreine-sama... that's all."

‘Words alone wouldn't be enough’, Golzarias said.

Squinting his eyes at the dazzling light.

"... But even if words don't reach her, if we can create the kind of country Elsreine-sama desires... if we can show Her Majesty a place where everyone can live happily and peacefully, I think we can clear up Her Majesty's feelings. I think there is something that can be conveyed, just like Elsreine-sama paintings."

Reine looked at him and lowered her eyes.

She waited a moment, then asked.

“...Do you really think so?”

“Yes. At least, I believe so, and I will assist Elsreine-sama to the best of my ability… if Elsreine-sama needs me. I swear on my name, I will risk my life for this cause.”

Reine stood up, moving from the bed to the carpet. Golzarius knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

"Elsren, is good."

"Elsren..."

"That...name from before."

When Reine asked if it's strange, Golzarias give a wry smile.

"A little paradise... it seems a bit odd as a country's name."

"Um, if that's not okay..."

"But... it's a good name, full of hope."

Golzarias removes his sword from his belt and holds it up to Reine as if offering it.

"...Elsren, would you please add me, Golzarias Lukazan, as its first vassal?"

Reine looked a little taken aback, but then smiled.

She took it and said ‘Yes’, returning the sword to his hands as he bowed his head.

Elsren――she remembered Fili's smile as she spoke it.

――The face of that loyal vassal, still couldn’t be seen.

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