Chapter 214

“It’s fine.”

The fool would speak up.

In her silver-haired state, Xiarette slowly raised her left hand. At the same time, her shoulder lightly pressed against Sheffy’s, as if trying to gain an advantage early on.

“Um… I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to ask this, I get the overall arrangement, but… how exactly are we supposed to split into two groups? It’s already been decided that Sheffy is going to the Northern Territory, right? So then… who’s going with her? Uh… why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong? Isn’t this exactly what needs to be decided?”

Belith cast an exasperated, disdainful look at Xiarette.

Her gaze resembled someone looking at a bizarre species.

Sigh… Royal Sister, how could you fall for such a blockhead? In a situation that called for adaptability and waiting for the right moment to strike with intelligence, she had just blurted it out!

But… maybe it was for the best that she said it out loud.

After all, there had to be a decision eventually. Dragging things out like this wouldn’t solve anything.

Frankly, the only one contending for the spot to accompany Royal Sister to the Northern Territory was Xiarette. At the very least, that Fire Dragon Clan woman and the human princess definitely wouldn’t—

“Ahem…! I suppose I can reluctantly go with Sheffy, alright? Didn’t you all say this might be related to the higher races? I used to be part of the Fire Dragon Clan, after all. If this mess was caused by other higher races, and they don’t recognize me, they might still give me some face when they see my wings… though I don’t know if I actually have any face left to give…”

“Miss Timani makes a good point,” Livra said with conviction. “The higher races might give her some face. As for me, I have absolutely none. I know exactly where the Kingdom of Aurus stands. But I still want to go, to broaden my horizons. Just in case Aurus goes under someday, I’ll know how to help Father King and Mother Queen survive in the cracks.”

Hey…

That princess over there who just uttered something treasonous enough to warrant beheading! Could you at least show a little respect for your homeland?!

Sylatrella had no idea why the group had suddenly erupted into noisy chatter. She tried to stuff the fish into her pocket but found it wouldn’t fit, so she had no choice but to hold it up again and hop toward the middle of the carriage, assuming a running pose.

“Sheffy, they’re weird. Let’s ignore them and go.”

“You’re not going anywhere either.”

“What?! Even though I have a fish?!”

“You having a fish is… I mean, you can, but what does that have to do with anything?! This isn’t about the fish!”

So this is what they call an inauspicious start.

The very first major decision had already taken a blow. It was hard to imagine how they’d manage to cooperate going forward.

This time, it was Sheffy who timidly raised her hand and offered a suggestion.

“Um… actually, I could go to the Northern Territory alone…?”

“Sheffy…” The big goof Xiarette, for once, looked at her like she was the little fool. “You can’t say things like that… Why would you act alone?”

“What she means is, Royal Sister probably isn’t fully awake yet and is just spouting nonsense again.”

I am not! If you’re going to keep arguing like this, then going alone would be salvation for me!

Everyone had their own reasoning.

The mission to rescue Ailellek was like a burning hot potato—no one wanted to touch it.

Auntie, you’ve really hit rock bottom now.

In truth, it wasn’t that no one wanted to rescue her—everyone simply wanted to go to the Northern Territory with Sheffy.

And the reason Auntie had hit rock bottom… was none other than our Sheffy!

The current chaos was, in fact, completely within Belith’s expectations.

“Sigh…”

“I still think…!”

“Princess of Aurus, I advise you not to speak again. Stay quiet, or else… I’ll chop you down, got it?”

“I promise, I’ll shut up. Silence is golden. Not a word from me.”

Crap, Princess Belith just sighed—I’m going mute now.

This time, the silence inside the carriage wasn’t due to hidden rivalries or overt competition. Everyone was simply waiting for Belith—waiting to see if she could deliver a convincing mission assignment.

At the end of the day, they were currently in the Demon Domain, and this matter directly involved Sheffy. Naturally, the one with the most authority to speak… was Sheffy’s younger sister.

Sheffy: What about me then? Where’s my authority to speak?

Belith crossed her arms in front of her pitifully flat chest, squinting as she gently shook her head, her words now and then laced with sighs.

Whether she was sighing over the uncertainty of this operation, or over their ridiculous antics, only she could know.

“Mother Queen spent the entire afternoon talking with me today.”

“So that’s why you didn’t show up this afternoon—you were chatting with Mother Queen?”

“Mm. The topic wasn’t exactly light, so it took a while, Royal Sister.”

Belith patted her thigh, then glanced at Sheffy beside her.

At first, Sheffy didn’t understand what she meant, but the gesture was so blatant, it wasn’t hard to guess her intent.

This half-pint loli actually has ambitions like this…!

That look, that gesture—she wanted Sheffy to sit on her lap to listen.

Realizing what the motion meant, Sheffy let out a muffled laugh.

Pfft… What do you take your big sister for? A little kid?

Absolutely ridiculous.

Letting out a light huff and refusing to sit over—this was the silver-haired dumpling’s final shred of dignity.

It didn’t matter.

Belith simply shifted her position.

Under Xiarette’s increasingly stunned gaze, she smoothed and gathered up the hem of her black dress with elegance, and with perfect posture… plopped herself down right on Sheffy’s frail legs.

“Ahhh…! Are you trying to crush me?! You traitorous little sister!”

“I already gave you the chance, Royal Sister… You didn’t come sit here, so I had no choice but to take action myself, right? And besides, I’m not that heavy, am I? Hmm… although lately, to make things feel a little nicer for Royal Sister, I’ve been purposely eating more sweets. I was way too skinny, after all.”

“Who asked you that?! Uh… sweets? Share some with me?”

Feel nicer?

Timani and Livra couldn’t quite understand. What did she mean by “feel nicer”?

As she spoke, Belith’s peripheral gaze slipped past the thin veil of silver hair and landed on Xiarette.

Her action had already made her meaning clear.

—Let me make this clear. I’m not giving up this spot.

And more importantly…

This wasn’t just her being unreasonable.

“Hero,” Belith’s gaze turned cold and desolate, no warmer than the frozen winds outside the carriage. “Let me ask you: when we reach the Northern Territory, if it turns out the Third Army Corps wasn’t manipulated, but is simply a group beyond redemption—what will you do?”

“What do you mean…?”

“I mean, if a massacre becomes necessary—can you guarantee that you won’t need Royal Sister to intervene, or that she won’t have to turn around and comfort your emotions afterward?”

“……”

Silence.

The moment of hesitation from Xiarette was enough for Belith to confirm the answer she had already expected.

Another sigh followed—this one deeper, heavier than before.

“Sigh… That’s why I’m saying, maybe you’re fine accompanying Royal Sister to look at flowers and swim with fish—but to accompany her to the battlefield? You’re not suited for that.”

Though you’re a Hero, as the Kingdom of Aurus’ trump card, you’ve stepped onto the battlefield far too few times.

In the end…

You’re just a “Hero raised in the castle.”

When faced with blood and seas of corpses, can you truly remain composed?

If you can’t even control your own emotions—then how can you let Royal Sister feel at ease?

Xiarette, when it mattered, was rarely slow to understand.

The more she grasped the meaning behind Belith’s words, the more she wanted to argue and fight for her place. But the moment her eyes fell on Sheffy—who was still struggling beneath Belith to free her thigh—and saw that “fragile” back…

She couldn’t bring herself to protest.

Some truths were hard to hear—but that didn’t make them any less true.

There were things Xiarette had already heard from the Queen.

Sheffy bore a shadow deep in her heart—one that had never faded with time.

Because of her own overwhelming power, which she couldn’t fully control, and the way it robbed life from everything it touched… A treasured pet had once burst apart and died in her arms, leaving her unable to find peace.

Tears could be shed until they ran dry, but the trembling of the soul was a relentless tide. As long as her thoughts continued, even if she forced a smile, that curve at the corner of her lips would never truly return.

The title Princess of Calamity was earned by frightening enemies off with grand, yet as minimally lethal as possible, shows of force. But that… wasn’t easy.

Back on the battlefield again, all Sheffy had done was joke and banter along the way—was it really just to put everyone at ease…?

Of course, Xiarette could force herself to claim she was capable—for Sheffy’s sake, she wouldn’t mind becoming a devil, throwing everything she had into annihilating the enemy, never letting Sheffy’s hands be stained with a single drop of blood.

But even if she succeeded—could she guarantee that her emotions would remain steady?

If I returned to Sheffy, covered in blood…

Would she still see me as a good sister?

That… wasn’t even the real point.

The real point was: Xiarette didn’t have absolute confidence that she wouldn’t end up needing Sheffy’s comfort.

And if that was the case, what real help could she be by going with her?

That—was the deeper meaning behind Belith’s question.

Hero, you can accompany Royal Sister to look at flowers and the sea. I’m not interested in those things—but you are, and so is she. That part is essential.

But what I must do… is carry the shadowed blade, bear the biting cold, clear the thorns and blood-soaked path ahead—so that what she sees before her eyes… will always be a world of blooming flowers.

No one was greater than anyone else.

It was just that their roles were different.

All of it… was so that she could smile more genuinely, and no longer shed tears in secret.

Having understood all this—

Xiarette had nothing more to say.

Her nod was not only an acceptance of Belith’s decision—it was also an acknowledgment of Belith’s resolve.

“Alright. I understand. I’ll take Miss Timani and Her Highness Livra and carry out the mission to rescue the First Princess. Belith, little sister… on your side, make sure to take care of Sheffy. You must not let your guard down.”

“No need for you to say it.”

Huh?

Sheffy blinked. Somehow… the atmosphere seemed to have suddenly become peaceful!

Had they made a decision already?

Well then…

Belith, could you get off now? Stop chatting there for a second.

Because your Royal Sister here—my legs are going numb!

—

44. Splitting into Two Groups

It might sound rude to the horses pulling the carriage, but it had to be said.

—If they kept going by carriage at this pace, there was no way either of the two routes would make it in time!

“There’s no helping it, little horses… You’re just too slow. We can fly faster on our own. You two wait here, alright? When we return, we’ll come back for you.”

“Neigh?”

“But for the next few days, you’ll have to take care of your own food. Self-reliance, okay, horse?”

“Neiiigh——!”

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