Chapter 17

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The First Battlefield
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Argenta’s military might was largely divided into three branches.

The assassins, who secretly eliminated any obstacles to Argenta from the shadows.

The Order of Knights, Argenta’s official military force.

And the executioners, who punished those who broke Argenta’s laws.

The head of the knights was the family’s lord, Diello Argenta. This made Pielle, the head maid and leader of the assassins known as ‘the Cleaner,’ and Rick, the leader of the executioners and head of intelligence known as ‘the Executioner,’ key figures within Argenta.

As such, they held absolute loyalty to Diello Argenta.

Naturally, they sought to eliminate anything that could harm their lord first and foremost.

“I didn’t expect the Madam to throw herself into the battlefield completely.”

And so quickly, without hesitation.

Pielle was surprised as she listened to the report from the knights dispatched to the 4th District.

“Isn’t she an outsider, after all? She’s bound to leave the family soon anyway.”

The informant giving the report also had an admiring expression.

“That’s why I never imagined she would go that far. If the Madam hadn’t been on the battlefield this time, our losses would have been immense.”

“A magic-wielding monster… Sir Redius might have had to self-destruct.”

Listening to the report, Rick shrugged. Pielle frowned at his words.

“Not self-destruct. Go berserk.”

“Same difference. He’d die either way. Boom.”

True to his nickname, the ‘cheerful psycho,’ Rick grinned and spread his hands. Pielle sighed, looking at him.

Few people knew that Rick and Pielle, two of Argenta’s key figures, were close.

In public, they were strictly formal with each other.

“She’s more proactive in her duties than I expected, and she understands the Argenta way of life well. It must be very different from the Alloje.”

Coming from Pielle, who was particularly exclusive toward outsiders, this was high praise. The informant reporting to them bowed his head.

“It’s a shame that she’s only here temporarily.”

He, too, was an Argenta of the 4th floor and thus knew about the fake Pero plan.

At that, Rick scratched his cheek.

“But even if it is temporary, the Lord doesn’t seem to have any intention of letting the Madam go.”

“That’s true.”

Pielle replied without thinking.

“Why?”

The two asked each other the same question at the same time, their eyes meeting.

“The Lord ordered me to tell her Argenta’s secrets without hiding anything.”

Pielle spoke first.

*She’ll either remain as a complete insider, or… He must be planning to make a sharp decision.*

Understanding the grim implication, Rick tilted his head.

“Really? I thought of it a bit differently.”

“How so?”

Rick always seemed frivolous, but he was a man of sharp insight.

He couldn’t have become Argenta’s Executioner and head of intelligence otherwise.

That was why Pielle tended to respect Rick’s opinions.

“I…”

Rick’s expression turned serious.

When he made that face, he was being truly serious.

Pielle’s expression also grew grave as she listened.

However.

“I saw love in the Lord’s eyes.”

Pielle slapped her forehead at his next words. *So much for being serious. Rick is Rick…*

“No, I’m serious! There were little hearts popping out of them!”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense, go write your report.”

Pielle shooed Rick away.

Regardless of what the two of them thought, the atmosphere in Argenta was certainly beginning to change.

Originally, the perception of Croire within Argenta had been this:

An outsider from the hostile Alloje family, who might leak Argenta’s secrets to them at any moment.

But now, it was different.

Though she came from Alloje, she was the one who had plunged into the heart of a dangerous battlefield for Argenta’s sake, saving countless members of the family.

The way Argenta saw Croire Alloje—no, Croire Argenta—was completely changing.

* * *

“…Ah.”

How did I get back?

I blinked.

I seemed to remember talking with Diello and watching the battlefield get sorted out.

*‘The post-battle cleanup will take some time.’*

I also remembered hearing Redius’s words and mounting a horse.

*‘Ah,’*

And I think I also stumbled, my head spinning, as I tried to get on the horse.

At that moment…

*‘Croire.’*

It was Diello who had reached out to me. I recalled his apologetic expression.

*‘You can rest now. I’ll take you back.’*

He led my body onto the horse and…

“…Ah.”

I hadn’t known because I’d lost consciousness after that, but it seemed I had returned riding Diello’s horse.

I blinked my stiff eyes a few times.

My mouth was parched, as if all the moisture had been drained from my body.

I didn’t even have the strength to move a fingertip.

“So this is the side effect.”

They said that after using their powerful abilities, members of all three families experienced different side effects.

Since Croire had never properly used her water-controlling ability in the original novel, how would I know?

—*Click.*

Just then, the door opened slightly, and a maid carrying a wet towel entered.

When our eyes met, hers widened.

“…Madam?”

“Yes.”

She was a familiar maid. She approached quickly and checked on me.

“You’re awake. I’ll call for the doctor.”

“The doctor can wait.”

I wasn’t sick, just exhausted. I stopped the maid and asked about something important.

“What about Sir Redius?”

“Pardon?”

The maid’s eyes widened.

Was I too direct?

Then again, Redius and I had never met before crossing paths on the battlefield, so asking like this would seem strange.

“I mean the field commander of the 4th District. No, not just the commander, but all the troops in the 4th District.”

Lying in bed would only drain my energy.

*Ugh*, pushing myself up, I asked the maid again.

“Is everyone safe? What were the casualties?”

Diello, of course, would have returned safely.

He was the one who brought me back, after all.

“Ah, Sir Redius has already visited.”

“What?”

My eyes widened.

If he’s already visited, just how many days was I out?

“Was I unconscious for a long time?”

“You were unconscious for about a day and a half.”

Oh… no wonder I feel so weak.

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them as the maid spoke.

“The damage to the 4th District’s forces was minimal. There were many with minor injuries, so if it had become a prolonged battle, the losses would have been significant, but…”

The maid bowed her head deeply and said.

“Thanks to your support, Madam, there were no major losses. The field commander, Sir Redius, wished to offer his personal thanks, but he had to return to the 4th District due to the urgent need for his command.”

“That’s a relief.”

Only then did I let out a sigh.

My body was a bit stiff and I’d lost about two days, but just having Redius Argenta survive would be a great help to Argenta.

A pleasant smile formed on my lips.

“And Diello?”

“He returned without issue and is managing his schedule. He has been stopping by to check on you, Madam, whenever he has a moment.”

It wasn’t hard to imagine his worried face.

I sighed.

He would have been very concerned about me.

After all, our marriage contract had no condition stating that I had to risk my life on the battlefield in an emergency.

“Tell him I’m perfectly fine, too.”

“Understood. However, the Lord’s orders were to call a doctor as soon as you woke up…”

the maid added carefully.

Knowing Diello’s cautious nature, that made sense.

I finally nodded.

“Alright. Call the doctor, and you can go report to Diello.”

“Yes. For Argenta.”

The maid gave a respectful silent bow and withdrew. Her movements were sharp and disciplined.

“…‘For Argenta’?”

I quietly searched my memory.

It was the first time I’d heard such a formal greeting since coming to this mansion.

But starting with that maid, the other servants began to use the same greeting.

“Madam, I am Doctor Nias.”

“Ah, come in.”

Doctor Nias, who entered very cautiously to examine me, and the Argenta maids and knights who followed him to attend to me, were all the same.

“As you command.”

“For Argenta.”

Listening to them all greet me like that one by one felt strange.

Just a short while ago, I was an outsider in this mansion, but now it felt like we had grown noticeably closer.

Why the sudden change?

The one who resolved my confusion was Pielle, who came into my room to check on me as soon as the doctor left.

“Your appearance on the battlefield seems to have left a very strong impression on the people of Argenta.”

To be honest, I hadn’t thought the servants would look kindly upon the new lady of the house, who had just arrived, mobilizing the knights.

Of course, the site was flooded, an environment where my Alloje power was effective, but my going there in the first place was practically a result of my own stubborn insistence.

*‘It’s near water, so shouldn’t an Alloje who controls water go?’*

If that wasn’t being stubborn, what was?

But I had to save Redius, even if it meant becoming a stubborn, childish madam.

That’s why I pushed for it.

“…Why?”

So I couldn’t understand.

No matter how good the outcome was, unless someone had read the original novel like me, my actions would have been seen as reckless.

And no matter how confidently I marched out, even I didn’t know I could control water to that extent.

At best, I thought I’d barely be able to pull Redius Argenta out of the chaos.

Who knew my blood would start to boil the moment I saw the water?

“Because it was a dangerous battlefield.”

Pielle answered while I was thinking about the scene.

“I heard you leaped onto the battlefield without hesitation, Madam.”

She gave me a brief, silent bow and continued.

“Even an Argenta feels fear before they must burn themselves for the family, but you did not. In fact, you were more fearless in charging onto the battlefield than any Argenta.”

Pielle smiled faintly.

My eyes widened.

I knew that Pielle, Argenta’s ‘Cleaner,’ always kept a distance from people.

But that smile clearly held genuine warmth.

“They believe you have fought your ‘first battlefield,’ Madam. I think so as well.”

“First battlefield?”

“Yes.”

—*Click.*

The door opened, and a maid carrying a tray carefully placed a bowl of soup in front of me.

Pielle spoke while attending to my meal.

“It is the trial to become an Argenta.”

So it’s not just about having the ability?

According to the original novel, an Alloje could become a knight just by possessing the ability to control water.

“It is a trial where those who have the ability and wish to become an Argenta are released onto a battlefield without a weapon. They must survive using only their own flame.”

“…!”

So you’re saying they let those who can’t fight properly just die?

“Survive or die. That gate must be passed through with one’s own strength alone. If they die, the ability they possessed becomes a part of the Lord’s, but if they survive, they become a member of Argenta.”

Pielle’s expression was serene, even as she spoke of life and death.

“It is a trial to ask if one has the confidence, the readiness, to burn themselves for Argenta. To become a true Argenta.”

Her words were impressive. I repeated them quietly.

“To become an Argenta…”

I now understood the strange bond I had always felt among the people of Argenta.

It was likely because of their custom of only accepting those who have endured the ‘first battlefield’ as true Argenta.

“It’s a strange feeling.”

Having finished the soup, I spoke while looking at Pielle as she wiped my mouth.

“I don’t know when I’ll be leaving this place.”

In truth, I already knew it wouldn’t be long, but I couldn’t let on that I knew.

“…”

At my words, Pielle merely gave a short, silent bow.

* * *

That night. Perhaps because I had slept for a day and a half, sleep wouldn’t come.

So, I decided to take the opportunity to prepare for my future.

“Could you bring me a map of the continent?”