At those words, Marxell's eyes trembled faintly. He frowned as if unable to believe what he had heard, and asked back.
"Military?"
"Not the imperial army that His Majesty will eventually pass down, but private soldiers that Your Highness will bravely lead."
The word private soldiers felt somehow unsettling, so Marxell did not relax his stiff expression.
Lilia explained as if understanding his discomfort.
"I know there are dangerous monsters in the Belladia Mountain Range. I also know they will soon go on a rampage. But we can't move the imperial army based solely on premonitions, can we? After the monsters rampage, it will be too late. If Your Highness subjugates them all before damage occurs, wouldn't everyone praise you?"
Lately, the monsters' movements had been strange, and even at the imperial palace right now, the empress was unconscious after being attacked by a monster.
Leading soldiers to subjugate monsters before it was too late didn't seem like a bad method at all.
Above all, considering Marxell's position which was falling into an abyss, going out to the battlefield, wielding a sword, and establishing military achievements would be the way to overturn his recent slump in one stroke.
"You're saying you need private soldiers for monster subjugation? But that's not an easy task. Not just soldiers, but funds and...."
It wasn't that he had no private soldiers at all, but monster subjugation was not a problem his private soldiers could solve. He worried that blinded by vain ambition, he might push all the soldiers he had painstakingly raised into a deadly situation.
Was soldiers the only problem? To lead a unit, that much funding was also necessary.
Perhaps guessing Marxell's concerns, Lilia smiled gently.
"I have a mine. So Your Highness only needs to lead soldiers, subjugate the monsters, and raise your name high."
At Lilia's words, Marxell looked surprised.
Marxell had already heard and known that Lilia owned mines she had not reported to the imperial family.
However, he had been so preoccupied with various matters that he had temporarily forgotten about it. He never imagined Lilia would step forward and confess it first.
"Don't tell me that mine... was something you secretly prepared for me?"
"Of course."
Marxell was speechless for a moment.
Marxell, who had been moving his lips, let out a long sigh and pulled Lilia into an embrace. Her small, delicate body fit perfectly in his arms.
"I had foolish thoughts while having you by my side. When you go to such lengths for me like this."
Marxell regretted his past when he had been shaken by Anelli, who had returned.
What was the reason he had turned to Anelli in the first place? Unlike the cold and calculating Anelli, it was because there was Lilia who thought of him this much.
Lilia, held in Marxell's embrace, buried her head and spoke in an ordinary tone.
"You know the Ruejac Count family, don't you? They have soldiers."
"If it's Ruejac... I recall the Ruejac Count's young lady was staying as a guest at the Roam Duke's house. I remember she was Anelli's friend."
"The Count's young lady is also close with me?"
Saying don't forget that she's also her friend, Lilia spoke as if pouting. Marxell looked down at such Lilia as if she were cute.
"The Ruejac Count family won't refuse the opportunity for monster subjugation. It's a glorious thing, after all."
"Right, it is a glorious thing."
Marxell stroked the back of Lilia's head.
She, who had embraced him even while stepping on broken pieces for his sake, felt so lovely. That was why Marxell's arms holding her tightened.
Through the slightly open balcony door, crows hopping about were something the two completely did not notice.
* * *
I had already heard about the incident at the Lindéa River through Mori, so I knew about it long ago.
At that time, Mori said he had possessed a weak authority before he died, and that power seemed to have remained even after he awakened.
[So I thought I should do something.]
The authority he possessed appeared to dilute the fear of nearby beasts. Animals welcomed Mori, and Mori listened to their troubles.
The place where Mori opened his eyes was the Lindéa River. The ducks living in the Lindéa River used to grumble about humans who threw stones at them for amusement.
In other words, it was a peaceful riverbank with no particular problems otherwise.
Perhaps that was why Rusalca's story had particularly captivated Mori.
[It was very small.]
Mori said it was so small and gaunt that at first he thought it was a child. He thought it was a child who had lost their way by the waterside and approached it.
But when he saw it up close, its body was covered in green moss, and its hair was thoroughly soaked and hung like seaweed, he said.
[It said it needed rest. That it was in too much pain.]
It said it had been abandoned here and wandered for a long time, and now it wanted to be at peace. Saying that at the end, it hoped to close its eyes comfortably.
I guessed that perhaps it had detected Mori's authority in some way.
"If it knows how to mimic humans, it must also know how to practice deception and lies."
Gazing at the quiet Lindéa River, I murmured lowly.
"It's too vast. Even with the help of animals, finding it doesn't seem easy."
Xenon, standing beside me, muttered with a sigh in his voice. Then he glanced back and added in a displeased tone.
"Besides, there's something annoying attached to us."
"They just want to somehow insert their names, that's all."
The knights of Roam had attached themselves under the pretext of escort. However, they would be thinking of monitoring me and, if possible, taking credit for my achievements as their top priority.
"The Temple teaches various techniques for tracking monsters. Using those, we'll find it quickly."
"But if we add more companions here, we won't even have a chance to talk with that thing."
Even with just the Roam knights watching me like this, it was bothersome enough.
I was troubled thinking about what excuse to use to separate those fellows, and now they want me to add Temple officials too?
"It's not in the river. We need to enter the forest...."
We had been searching for several days. Based on Mori's testimony, we were releasing insects and animals to search, but according to Cesian, there was a possibility it was changing its form.
"How did that monster use authority? Authority isn't a power that can be used just because one wants to."
I had asked Mori that. And Mori, lowering his head as if apologetic, answered.
[The captain gave me a pendant. I could only use authority when I had that.]
Hearing his words, I recalled it. The pendant resembling a pocket watch that the captain of the past had given to Mori.
[When I transformed into a snake, it was difficult to manipulate the pendant. To transform into a Dullahan... it was midday, and there were many ducks around....]
So he was saying he had taught Saluka, who resembled human form and knew how to use hands, how to manipulate the pendant.
The timing when he taught that was exactly right before the empress crossed the bridge.
'If it has the pendant, I might be able to recognize it.'
Light emanates from places where authority resides. The problem is that only I can recognize that light.
Ultimately, this meant I had to go through that vast forest myself.
"Young Miss."
Perhaps it looked strange that I was just standing still by the riverside, for the Roam knights subtly approached and called out to me.
"If you request support from the family even now, they'll arrive soon."
"The Roam knights? What use is increasing the number of those without ability?"
At my question back, the knight's face flushed red. He lowered his gaze and spoke in a deliberately calm voice.
"...Everyone is striving in training. They won't be careless again."
"Carelessness isn't the problem. You simply lacked ability."
"It seems as if you don't need us at all."
The knight's voice was laced with unconcealed hostility.
'Ah, this is it.'
Suppressing the delight rising within me, I deliberately lifted my chin coldly.
"As someone who has directly witnessed your 'pride,' I can't help but feel no need for you."
"I heard the Magic Tower's mage and the Temple's paladin are accompanying only for investigation purposes. No matter how strong the Young Miss's escort is, with just that one knight here, it's difficult to guarantee safety from monsters."
Samuel was accompanying me as his original self, a paladin, so to them, my escort knight must look like just Palides alone.
I tilted the corner of my lips and mocked the knight.
"Shall I remind you how many Roam knights were defeated by my knight?"
Then the knight's cheeks quivered and trembled. He seemed to be exercising the maximum patience he could muster.
"I heard news that the Young Miss was repeatedly kidnapped by monsters. I was merely worried that such a thing might happen again this time."
"Even with you lot by my side, I don't think you could prevent such mishaps."
At my unreserved insult, the knight too was increasingly unable to manage his expression.
Surely inside, doesn't he want to return to Roam right now? He just can't bring himself to disobey his father's orders.
"You seem afraid of monsters. If so, then stand here and guide ignorant commoners so they don't lose their way."
"Young Miss, we...!"
"Shall I call it an order?"
I, with my arms crossed, surveyed the knights indifferently.
"Just report to Father that I gave you an order."
The faces of the knights who had been insulted before outsiders Xenon and Samuel had now changed to a ridiculous state, hard to look at with open eyes.
The knight, with a bright red face and heaving breath, answered through clenched teeth.
"If it's an order, I will follow it."
It's truly fortunate I could separate them more easily than I thought.
Thinking so, I turned my body without hesitation.
The Roam knights did not follow me.