Chapter 46: Lovey-Dovey
1343 Words
"What are you doing here!?" Homer, who was also one of Captain Trevor's loyal followers, asked.
"Hm? You've got some nerve questioning us! We are soldiers of the kingdom," one of the soldiers said.
"We should be the ones asking you that! Who are you and why are you here?" another soldier questioned. "Tell the truth, are you the people we're looking for?"
They exchanged sharp glances, and the soldiers had a strong suspicion that it was indeed them, as no other people could be in that dense part of the forest.
Homer grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I don't know! Who are the people you're looking for?"
The soldiers' eyes narrowed further, and they drew their weapons.
"What we're looking for are the rebel citizens of Bronwen who fled here to Priya to betray the kingdom," one of the soldiers said, and it seemed to be their signal to attack. "And we're sure you're those people!"
Weapons clashed as the soldiers charged, and Homer's group defended themselves fiercely. They refused to be defeated by the soldiers and bravely fought back.
"You despicable traitors! You're a disgrace to Emmett's kingdom!!!" a soldier shouted, swinging his sword angrily. "You should all die!!!"
"You are those bastards who are a big disgrace to the kingdom!!! Instead of protecting your people, you're the ones belittling them!!! You're worthless!!!" Homer retorted, seething with anger.
Aside from being skilled at wielding weapons, the soldiers outnumbered them almost two to one, making it challenging for Homer's group to overcome them immediately.
Meanwhile, due to the busy engagement of his comrades in battle, one of the soldiers attempted to leave to inform their leader that they had located the rebels. Unfortunately, he unexpectedly encountered another group.
"I'm sure the leader will reward me generously once I tell him about this—" he stopped short as he turned his gaze ahead and a sharp sword almost struck his face.
He immediately halted and froze in place. He broke out into a cold sweat, his eyes fixed on the edge of the sword aimed at his throat.
"W-Who are you!?" the soldier stammered, about to retreat.
"Oops! Don't move any more! You might accidentally impale yourself on my sword!" Ranz grinned.
"D-Don't tell me you're... also allies of those rebels!?" the soldier questioned. "Worthless creatures! You're going to die! Once our leader finds out about this, you're definitely going to die!!!"
Amara stepped forward and lowered her hood. "Don't worry, because we'll make sure... that you disappear before us."
"P-Princess!?" the soldier exclaimed in shock as he recognized Amara. He was about to draw his sword when Ranz and Dravis simultaneously beheaded him.
"Wretched being," Ranz muttered.
"Let's hurry. There might be other soldiers like him planning to reveal Captain Trevor's location," Dravis said, and they quickly ran off.
They followed Dravis, running as they headed towards the path that led to Homer's group. They found them engaged in a fierce battle and, without hesitation, they joined in to help.
"Princess," Dravis said, and the young woman turned to him. "Be careful."
Amara smiled and nodded at the young man. Together, they charged towards the soldiers and fought alongside them. As Amara fought against them, she was quickly recognized by the soldiers.
"You!? You're still alive!?" exclaimed a soldier as he lunged at Amara.
The young woman didn't back down and showcased her skill in combat. "I can't die yet until I've reclaimed the kingdom!!!" Amara declared firmly as she thrust her sword at the soldier's neck.
"With the rebels is the princess! The fugitive princess is here—" shouted a soldier before being stabbed by Cyrus.
"So noisy! You're annoying!"
The attention of the soldiers immediately turned to Amara, and they tried to target her.
"Whoever kills the princess will receive a great reward from the leader! Attack her!!!" shouted one of the soldiers, and they all moved to do just that.
Amidst the chaos, Amara stood her ground, tightly gripping her sword. Her eyes showed no fear, only a sharp determination. Despite their attempts, none of them could approach her, as her comrades shielded her, along with Captain Trevor's men. The attack on the princess seemed to ignite even greater anger within Dravis, Cyrus, Ranz, Louie, Nina, and the others.
Ranz saw that two soldiers were simultaneously attacking Nina. He quickly approached and assisted her. Nina turned her gaze as the sword that was supposed to strike her missed its mark. Instead, another sword intercepted the blow, and it was Ranz's sword.
Nina's eyes widened as she saw Ranz coming to her aid.
"Hey! Mind your own business!!!" Nina exclaimed in irritation.
"Why don't you just say thank you!?" Ranz retorted angrily, then swiftly ended the soldier's life.
Nina snubbed him and her annoyance intensified towards Ranz.
"Why should I be grateful? Huh! I didn't ask for your help! Just stay away from me!!!" Nina retorted, walking away from Ranz.
Ranz watched her leave and let out an exasperated sigh. "That girl has such a hot temper! Tsk!"
"Annoying guy! Just because he's our leader doesn't mean he can boss me around like that! Huh! Why did I even start liking that guy—" Nina was startled when a man suddenly lunged at her. She hadn't anticipated it, so she couldn't avoid it immediately. Her arm was grazed, and blood started to flow.
"Huh! I thought you were the princess! Damn! My bad!!!" the soldier taunted with a grin. "But it's all the same! It's an honor for me to kill a beautiful lady like you!"
"Nina!!!" Amara shouted, unable to reach her as she was engaged in her own fight.
Since Nina had let go of her sword to hold her bleeding arm, she couldn't fight back effectively and her movements slowed. As she tried to run again, she was met by another soldier and found herself cornered. She felt fear creeping in, thinking it might be her end, but it didn't turn out that way.
"Stay away from her!!!" Ranz shouted as he ruthlessly attacked the soldiers who attempted to harm Nina.
Nina stood frozen, her gaze fixated on the blood spatter across Ranz's handsome face. Their eyes met, and Nina couldn't comprehend why, just as she tried to distance herself from the young man, he seemed to be drawing closer to her.
"I told you not to come with me in the first place!!!" Ranz scolded Nina.
It was only then that Nina snapped out of her daze and instinctively averted her gaze from Ranz.
"If you're just going to scold me, then you shouldn't have bothered saving me in the first place—" Nina was cut off as Ranz suddenly pulled her towards him and embraced her tightly. Her eyes widened, and she couldn't fathom why he did that. "D-Devil Wolf!"
"Why? Do you really want me to worry about you!?" Ranz tightened his grip on the girl even more. "That's not a good idea at all, so please, don't do it again!"
"R-Ranz," Nina stammered, her heart racing uncontrollably.
"Hey! We're in the middle of a battle here! Cut the lovey-dovey act and help us!" Cyrus exclaimed after protecting Ranz and Nina from an enemy attack.
"Exactly, this isn't the right time for that! Look at me, I'm just waiting for the princess to hug me again," Louie said as he fended off an enemy attack as well.
"Hey!!! What do you mean 'again'?! When did you hug my princess?! Confess! Did you take advantage of her!?" Cyrus retorted, and their banter resumed as they continued to fight.
Louie chuckled before swiftly beheading the soldier, "Secret! Hehe!"
Amara forced an awkward smile as she caught Dravis's piercing gaze at her. She quickly signaled that it wasn't real, but the young man still seemed to believe it. Despite the cold atmosphere around Dravis, his eyes blazed with intensity as he effortlessly dispatched the soldiers who charged at him.
The princess let out a sigh. Why wouldn't he believe me!? She sighed.
- Writer
