Chapter 286: Chapter 286: 15 year old Inglis and the Eastern Front (17)

「Owww! I-, I’ll do something about it, so spare me, please?」

「……Can you?」

「Of course. Why do you think Miss Eris and Miss Ripple summoned me? As someone with zero strings attached, I have the freedom to defeat the Prisma, in which case big bro Rafa won’t lose his life, and no one will be sad! Both Miss Eris and Miss Ripple have seen many Holy Knights lose their lives in their hands, so I’m sure this is hard even for them. As for me, I would be given priority to fight such a strong opponent! See, it’s a happy thing for everyone, isn’t it?」

「…That sounds so you, Glis!」

Rafinha lifted her face. There were still traces of tears there, but her expression was back to its usual brightness.

「I’m not sure I could trust someone elated at such a crisis, but they do say to fight fire with fire!」

「Hey, you made me sound evil. But, yeah… I will use this sword Vufailbane kindly provided me to defeat Prisma. Fufufu, I knew it, Magic Stone Beasts won’t betray me!」

The sturdy sword specially made with a Dragon God’s scales —with its first battle facing Prisma, Inglis couldn’t ask for more.

She knew it, Magic Stone Beasts were good enemies. They would attack without thinking. They didn’t avoid battles, scheme, or calculate risks as Vufailbane and Abel did.

「No, I don’t think Mister Dragon gave it to you or anything, though?」

「Yes, more like you robbed it of him if anything…」

「Well, I suppose this is another instance of fighting fire with fire. After all, the Dragon God was a danger to everyone!」

「So is Glis!」

「Aren’t you all being mean?! But, I see that you’re back to your usual spirit. So, what do we do? You’ve heard the reason why I want us to get back to Charalia as soon as possible…」

Inglis provided Rafinha with an option. She recommended going back this instant, but if Rafinha decided otherwise, she was willing to comply.

「Hmm…」

Rafinha’s expression strained.

「There’s no need to hesitate, Rafinha! Just go!」

「Leone… but……!」

「I know! The Alucardian forces will be handled by Liselotte and I! We’ll split up here, and you two need to go right now! Is that okay with you, Liselotte?」

「Why, yes! I was just about to say the same thing!」

「You two…」

「You’ll make it in time if you hurry! Go and save Sir Raphael! I’m sure I’ll be more forgiving to my own brother and what he’s going through if you do that!」

「Thank you! Okay then, the two of us will be returning to Charalia soon. Lahti, Pullum, I’m sorry we couldn’t help you until the end!」

Lahti shook his head.

「No, I should be thanking you for being such a huge help so far! If anything, I wanted to say that all of you should go, but….. I can’t, and I feel bad about it!

」

「Inglis, Rafinha, be careful! Once you defeat Prisma, come to Alucard again. I’ll prepare a mountain of our specialty food for you two!」

「Ah! That’s something to look forward to! Right, Glis?」

「Yeah, we can’t lose now!」

Inglis nodded to Rafinha and then turned to Redas, who was waiting nearby.

「Well then, Mister Redas. Let us get back to Charalia right away.」

「Roger! Thank you very much, Lady Inglis! Well then, we’ll stop at Marquis Wilford’s camps and change to a speedboat!」

「No, that won’t be necessary! We already have transportation.」

As if cued by Inglis’ words, the noise of a drive came rumbling from above the roofs. It was the Battleship of the Ironblood Chain Brigade that was coming down to pick them up.

「They’re just in time to pick us up. Let’s go, Rani! Mister Redas too.」

Inglis led the way out of the lodging house and looked up at the sky! The Flying Battleship had lowered altitude and was casting a shadow so large that it loomed over the entire encampment.

「OOohh?! Is that Highland’s…?!」

「It must have been something the Ironblood Chain Brigade had looted during Lord Abel’s last visit to Charalia.」

They probably patched it up and added it to their fighting force. The only other Battleship comparable to this one, even amongst the elite Knights of Charalia Kingdom, would be Special Envoy Theodore’s personal battleship.

The quality of the equipment they possessed was no less than the entire chivalric kingdom of a single country.

「Ironblood Chain Brigade, you say?! W-, we mustn’t, Lady Inglis! We can’t have you be seen in league with such rowdy folks!」

「Seeing as this is an emergency, why not use all that we can? Our first priority right now is to fulfill His Majesty’s Special Decree, no?」

「N-, nevertheless! Once you’re on it, you’ll be in the den of our enemies, you know? Who knows when they’ll attack you!」

「Should they attack me, I’d gladly be their opponent, it’s that simple, no? It’s good to warm up on the move, isn’t it? I might also test my newfound sword on them.」

「I-, I see… I- I’d expect no less from you, Lady Inglis, how fearless! I understand, I shall put my body and soul in danger and come along with you!!」

「Yes, let us go then! You’re fine with it too, right Rani?」

「Yeah, but……I think using the Star Princess unit will be much faster, though?」

「The speed will drop with three people on it, and even if it’s just the two of us, the frames won’t hold if we’re covering such a huge distance at full speed the whole time, you know? We could use the Star Princess unit from midway through, but we still need to have her carried to some extent. Plus…」

「Plus?」

「We could take the whole thing on that boat!」

Inglis glanced at the butchery where Leone and Liselotte were mainly working. There lay a fresh, whole tail of the Dragon God, not long after it was cut.