Chapter 30
The wide moat might hinder the progress of humans, but for wild elephants, it barely covered half their legs. The elephant at the front, presumably the leader of the herd, slammed heavily into the gates of Yueqing City, causing it to reverberate with a thunderous crash.
For some reason, every time it struck, Wakako’s heart trembled along with it.
She didn’t know what she was worried about. Was she afraid that these wild elephants would hurt the Saint? But the Saint had plenty of protection; they wouldn’t let her get hurt.
Wakako understood all this, yet she couldn’t help but gaze into the distance.
Several mercenaries and a squad of soldiers escorted the Crown Princess to an open space near a low-lying forest, where they could take cover in case of emergency.
Lois and Miki stopped to check on the Crown Princess. “Princess, are you injured?”
Tsukiyo shook her head, remarkably composed, showing no signs of fear. “I’m fine. How about you all?”
“We’re all unharmed. However…”
Miki suddenly looked up at Wakako, slightly surprised. “Senior, are you injured?”
The others also turned their gazes towards her.
Wakako instinctively touched her cheek, feeling a warm, wet sensation on her fingertips. It was blood.
In the chaos earlier, she must have been grazed by an arrow from an unknown direction, leaving a cut on her cheek. She hadn’t felt any pain, so she hadn’t noticed.
“Master,” Tsukiyo also looked at her with concern.
Wakako casually wiped the blood away. “It’s nothing, just a flesh wound.”
Her reputation as the “Human Weapon” was well-known among the mercenaries, and most had heard of her naturally low pain sensitivity.
“Should we check for any other injuries you might not have noticed?” Lois, the Omega mercenary, suggested. “If the arrow’s barb is still embedded in your skin, it could fester. It’s best to treat it as soon as possible.”
Lois didn’t know that Wakako had already refused Miki’s offer earlier. Assuming that they were still an engaged couple, she nudged Miki’s shoulder with a teasing tone, “How about you check Senior for injuries?”
Miki glanced at Wakako. Her senior didn’t want to embarrass her by refusing outright, but the reluctance in her eyes was clear.
A bitter feeling swept through Miki’s heart. She had intended to deflect the conversation, but suddenly thought better of it and changed her approach.
“This area isn’t entirely safe,” she said. “How about Lois continue escorting the Crown Princess while Senior and I stay here to check for injuries? We’ll catch up with you shortly.”
She turned to Tsukiyo for permission. “What do you think, Princess?”
Wakako was Tsukiyo’s master, and although they hadn’t known each other for long, they had a good relationship. Naturally, Tsukiyo had no reason to object. She nodded. “Alright, let’s do as Miki suggests. Be careful, both of you.”
Lois obeyed the order and led a squad of soldiers to escort the Crown Princess forward.
Only Wakako and Miki remained, and the atmosphere between them was slightly tense.
However, with several wild elephants rampaging in the area, lingering for even a moment longer meant greater danger. In such a situation, Miki’s willingness to stay behind and check for injuries, regardless of her motives, deserved a word of thanks from Wakako.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she said. “We should leave quickly, otherwise…”
Miki interrupted her. “I know you’re not injured.”
“Hm?”
“It’s just… you seem worried, distracted. That’s why I wanted to stay behind and ask.”
Miki’s words hit the mark, leaving Wakako feeling as though her thoughts had been laid bare. She lowered her head slightly. “The wild elephants suddenly went berserk. Naturally, I’m concerned for our soldiers.”
She had never been good at lying, even when it was a half-truth.
Miki could see through her, but she didn’t expose her. Instead, she said, “Senior, are you thinking of going to join the reinforcements?”
Wakako abruptly lifted her head and looked directly at her.
If before, the desire to find Miki had been a secret impulse hidden deep within her heart, Miki’s words brought it to the surface, laying it bare before her.
Wakako was a mercenary of Mios. On the battlefield, everything she did had to prioritize Mios’s interests; she couldn’t act on her own desires. So no matter how much she cared for Miki, she wouldn’t allow herself to do such a thing.
But… what if she used the opportunity of providing reinforcements to check on the Saint?
This thought ignited like a spark in her heart, catching onto dry tinder and burning ever brighter.
“Yes,” Wakako’s voice was hoarse, clinging to the last threads of reason. “But I can’t show my face in front of the Eagle Kingdom again, so I’ll just forget it…”
“What does it matter? After this battle, they probably won’t have many people left. Even if they see your face, it won’t make much difference,” Miki said. “Besides, isn’t Senior Liu Siruo up ahead? She can help you disguise yourself, right?”
The thread snapped.
The tightly wound thread in her mind finally broke.
After hearing Miki’s words, Wakako knew she had made her choice.
All her hesitation and struggle vanished, leaving only calmness and determination.
“Go without worry, Senior,” Miki said with a smile. “I’ll explain your absence to the Crown Princess.”
Wakako tightened her grip on the reins, bent slightly, and said sincerely, “Thank you.”
She rode back along the path as if someone important was waiting for her ahead, unwilling to linger even for a second longer. Her horse’s hooves kicked up dust, leaving deep imprints on the ground.
Miki stood where she was, her gaze following Wakako’s tall figure, lost in thought.
Wakako wasn’t the only one filled with doubt.
Miki felt it too.
She had a sneaking suspicion that Senior was taking this risk just to see a certain person. Although it was just a subjective assumption, her instincts told her it was true.
The answer to the question that had been haunting her for so long now seemed so close.
Who was the Omega girl who had made her senior reject the Queen’s marriage proposal? Was she better than Miki? In what way?
Miki desperately wanted to follow Wakako.
But the sight of Wakako’s pure and sincere expression as she thanked her just now held her back.
Senior was clearly straightforward and unguarded, not suspecting her true intentions in the least. If she followed now, it would betray Wakako’s trust, something Miki found difficult to do.
Two conflicting thoughts pulled at her mind, twisting and turning.
In the end, jealousy won out.
The thought of that Omega leaving such bold marks on her senior made Miki’s hands and feet turn cold and made her tremble.
Senior Wakako was such a respected Alpha, naturally gifted and decorated with countless battle honors. The Omega who was with her should be gentle and considerate. How could that person… how dare she treat her senior like that…
How could someone so reckless and stubborn win over her?
Why would Wakako choose her?
Jealousy gnawed at Miki’s heart like termites devouring wood. She quickly mounted her horse and followed after the senior she admired from a distance.
***
Wakako had always been a decisive person. Once she made up her mind, she didn’t hesitate or drag things out.
She didn’t stop along the way.
Spring was approaching, and the wild elephants were nearing their mating season, making them particularly agitated. She spent some time maneuvering around the scattered elephants, heading straight towards the gates of Yueqing City.
Under the command of several mercenaries and generals, the Mios forces were not in such a terrible state. Some soldiers had been injured in the stampede, but overall, the casualties weren’t severe. They quickly formed a defensive formation, avoiding the elephants’ paths and escaping harm.
The Eagle Kingdom on the other hand, was not so fortunate.
For some reason, the elephants seemed to have singled out the people in Yueqing City, perhaps identifying them by scent—whatever the cause, they relentlessly targeted them.
The city gates had been trampled, flat, and cries of agony filled the air. The ground was smeared with mud mixed with blood.
Liu Siruo was the first to spot Wakako galloping towards them. She initially thought something had happened to the Crown Princess and frowned, concerned. “What are you doing here? What happened to the Crown Princess?”
“The Crown Princess is fine. I’ve come to provide reinforcements.”
“That’s good.” Liu Siruo pushed her away. “The situation here is under control. We don’t need any more help. You’d better return quickly and stay with the Princess.”
Wakako paused, not answering.
“Oh…” Liu Siruo seemed to realize something, her eyes narrowing as she looked Wakako up and down, lowering her voice playfully. “You’re looking for your Saint, aren’t you?”
Wakako didn’t have time to explain. All she wanted to know was Miki’s situation. “Have you seen the Saint? How is she?”
“Of course, I saw her. The Saint went up to the city wall earlier, then came back down.”
“How did she come down?”
“What kind of question is that.” Liu Siruo teased. “How else could she come down? The elephants smashed the city wall, so she must have fallen.”
“…” Wakako’s face darkened. “Senior Sister, don’t joke about such things.”
Liu Siruo’s smile faded as she met Wakako’s eyes. She shook her head slowly.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a joke.
Wakako’s heart plummeted, sinking like a stone into an icy abyss. She would rather believe that her senior was teasing her about the Saint than believe that something had actually happened to her.
How could Miki fall from the city wall? The wall was so high; anyone would be severely injured, if not killed outright. Especially with the Saint’s frail body, which couldn’t even withstand a slightly chilly breeze.
How on earth had the Eagle Kingdom protected her? Why wasn’t anyone by her side? Why did they let her go up to the city wall? If Wakako were still the Saint’s guard, she would never have let this happen. Even if it meant risking her life, she would…
It was pointless to dwell on it now.
Miki would be fine. Wakako told herself this repeatedly.
The Saint was favored by God, possessing a unique gift of prophecy and acute perception. If she were truly in danger, she would have foreseen it and cleverly avoided it, turning danger into safety.
But another voice in her head told her—these abilities consumed vital energy, and with Miki’s current physical condition, she wouldn’t be able to sustain them. It was highly likely she had missed the premonition.
The rain and snow intensified, the sky darkened, and a dark, indistinguishable mass in the distance was rapidly approaching. The mercenaries, with their exceptional eyesight, were the first to see it clearly.
“Damn it!” Even the usually carefree Liu Siruo couldn’t help but change her expression. “Let’s go! The mountains are flooding!”
Hundreds of wild elephants had gathered to attack Yueqing City, causing the ground to split and mountains to crack , sending torrents of water mixed with mud cascading down. The deluge swept across the land, sparing no one in its path.
This disaster, also known as a mudslide flood, was undoubtedly a catastrophe for the Eagle Kingdom, but for Mios, it was an unexpected advantage.
The fall of Yueqing City was already inevitable. All they needed to do was survive the flood, then return to clean up the remnants and claim victory without fail.
But survival was the priority now. There was no time to dwell on strategies. Liu Siruo, along with the others, hurriedly led the troops in retreat, only to find someone missing.
Wakako hadn’t moved. She remained standing in place, the cut on her cheek was bleeding again, dripping onto her armor. But she didn’t care. She raised her hand and waved vigorously at Liu Siruo.
“Senior Sister.”
She called out just like that, without any further explaination, but her meaning was clear.
It was a silent farewell, a final request.
Liu Siruo’s eyes widened as she looked at her junior sister, unable to believe the absurd decision Wakako had made. But the rain and snow intensified, blurring their vision until even their faces were indistinguishable.
Was she really willing to throw her life away for that person?
In the end, Liu Siruo could only watch as Wakako’s resolute figure, like an arrow released from its bow, rode towards the gates of Yueqing City, charging into the chaotic maelstrom and disappearing from sight.
