064. [STAGE 3] The Road
Three years ago.
Evangeline left home for the capital.
Following her, Earl Cross gave Evangeline his cavalry lance and shield.
They had been family heirlooms for generations, worn but elegant in appearance, and durable enough to be hard to find in the area.
They were also the ones Evangeline had been singing about since she was a little girl.
“Take it.”
Changeling said bluntly.
“It will help you.”
Bang!
But Evangeline threw her father’s spear and shield to the ground.
‘I don’t need them.’
‘…….’
‘I won’t inherit this shit.’
Glaring at her father, Evangeline turned away and climbed into the carriage.
Looking at his spear and shield lying on the ground, Earl Cross slowly opened his mouth.
“……Evangeline.”
Evangeline thought her father would be angry and yell at her.
“It’s cold in the north. Winters are especially harsh in the ecliptic.”
But no.
“Stay warm and don’t catch a cold.”
‘…….’
“Come back whenever you feel like it.”
Her father’s voice was trembling.
Evangeline didn’t answer, but closed the carriage door.
Soon the carriage pulled away, and Evangeline burrowed into the seat and glanced back.
Her father was still standing there.
And so on, until she was out of sight at the end of the road.
“…….”
Evangeline bit her lip tightly as she picked up the old cavalry lance and shield in her dirt-caked hands.
The spear and shield were worn and battered. Like her father, who had grown old quickly after losing his mother.
In her childhood, this spear and shield had seemed so wonderful.
My father’s back, as he silently gathered his weapons and left the house every time a monster attacked…… couldn’t have been cooler.
How did I end up like this?
How did it happen.
Guoooooo-!
The golem from behind let out a ferocious roar. Ash shouted urgently.
“Evangeline, come on!”
“……!”
Evangeline hastily sheathed her shield on her left arm and gripped her cavalry spear in her right hand. Then she asked.
“I thought you had insurance, old man!”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then get it out, I’m at my limit, i won’t last much longer!”
“I already took it out.”
Prince Ash smiled in his trademark mean, confident, and, at the same time, dirty handsome smile.
“Here it is.”
Ash’s index finger flicked Evangeline’s forehead.
“You are, my last insurance policy.”
Evangeline blinked in disbelief.
“……?”
“Now, get up, Miss Insurance, put on your father’s armor, and fight like he taught you!”
I wanted to argue, but there was no time. The golem was so close now.
Evangeline strained the hands that held her shield and spear.
The armor fit perfectly in her hands, as if it had found an old master.
Then, for some reason.
“This is how you hold the spear, and this is how you hold the shield.”
Suddenly, an old memory of her father flashed through her mind.
When I was very young. The moment I first learned to hold a spear and shield.
Gritting her teeth and scrambling to her feet – Evangeline thrust her cavalry spear at the charging golem.
Tukwak-!
The battle had not left the golems without damage.
Their tattered chest armor was quickly torn apart by the attack of the worn cavalry spear.
Evangeline smashed her shield against the exposed magic core. The golem crumpled like crumpled paper and fell instantly.
Behind it, four more charged.
Evangeline’s green eyes flashed with light.
Was it an illusion? For a moment, their movements seemed slower.
She could see their openings. She knew instinctively how to step, how to pace herself.
Bam! Bam! Kwazik! Boom!
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It was as if a “path” was unfolding before her eyes.
Thud, wood, puck, bang!
Block, poke, block, poke, block, poke, block, poke, block, poke.
In one fell swoop, she blocked four times and stabbed four times. Perfectly refined movements, defense and offense struck like lightning.
By the time Evangeline came to her senses, the four golems had been smashed to pieces and were dripping rainwater onto the floor.
“Huh?”
A stuttering sound escaped Evangeline’s mouth as she panicked.
The recoil from the violent movement of her injured body came too late.
Gritting her teeth against the pain that shot through her body, Evangeline tried to recall the sensation.
What was that?
Clap-Clap-Clap.
Then she heard clapping.
She glanced to the side to see Ash smirking and clapping.
“Great job, Ms. Insurance, I was counting on you!”
“Hey, man. Did you just say that…… the hell?”
Evangeline looked nervously down at her hands.
“I felt like I saw a ‘path’ to something, but what is it?”
“Well, that’s because your armor is yours now, and even if you don’t upgrade it, your traits will still be applied. That’s the effect.”
“……?”
Equipment? Upgrade? Talent? Effect?
Evangeline squinted at the unintelligible sounds.
But one thing was certain. Prince Ash knew the identity of this strange sensation.
“Hmph, there’s something more urgent right now.”
Hesitantly, Ash gestured to the sky.
“There’s the last one.”
“……!”
Out of thin air floated the Magic Crystal Golem.
It was missing its right arm and right leg, but it was still ready to fight.
I could see red energy surging from his one remaining fingertip.
“What should we do? It’s too high up for our attacks to reach.”
The crystal golem was floating about ten meters in the air.
But it had no ranged weapons. Ash’s magic gun was out of ammo.
Evangeline might be able to throw a javelin, but if she missed or he dodged, they would be out of luck.
“There is a way.”
Ash smirked. He smiles so confidently even in this situation, Evangeline thought to herself.
“The prince always has a bag of tricks up his sleeve.”
Ash looked at the western sky. The sun was almost out; it would soon be night.
“Evangeline. Last order of the day.”
“Go ahead.”
“Run straight for him, and I’ll drop him.”
Evangeline decided not to ask how he was supposed to drop him.
When Ash gives an order, she follows it.
She realized that it was the most reasonable and most likely action for their survival.
“I’m going.”
“Last time. Let’s go with all the strength we can muster!”
“That cheer, it’s so old school…….”
Ta-da!
Evangeline stomped the ground and ran forward.
Ping, ping, ping!
A steady stream of red light poured out from the crystal golem. Since it only had one arm, its magical attacks were much weaker.
Boom! Quagmire!
“Eek……!”
If there was a problem, it was that Evangeline was exhausted.
Still, she ran, kicking the ground with her twitching legs, just running. Toward the monster-infested air.
“Ah.”
It was then. She felt a sensation similar to the one she remembered.
She could see a ‘path’ in her mind, the best way to run while dodging enemy attacks.
“What is this sensation?”
Holding her shield firmly up, Evangeline sprinted along the path.
In a matter of moments, she was upon him, and the crystal golem was in a frenzy.
But Evangeline managed to get right under it without taking a single hit.
“Well done, Evangeline.”
The gemstone golem’s attention was completely focused on Evangeline.
In the meantime, Ash, who had turned around and sprinted towards the Gemstone Golem, pulled something out of his arm.
“With this…… checkmate!”
It was a torch with a blue flame.
Ash threw it with all his might at the Crystal Golem.
Boom!
The sun had already set. Beneath the blackened sky, the blue torch rose vigorously, spewing light and…
ping-grrr…….
…… plummeted to the ground.
It didn’t even reach its feet, let alone hit the gemstone golem. The blue light illuminated the golem once, and that was it.
Thud.
The sound of the torch hitting the ground echoed powerlessly.
“…….”
“…….”
There was silence. Ash, Evangeline, and even the magic golem stood frozen in place.
Evangeline, stunned, opened her mouth.
“What the hell-“
At that moment.
A flash!
A light flashed in the distance. It came from the ramparts of Crossroads.
And a few seconds later.
A blast.
Tuhak……!
Suddenly, the gemstone golem’s chest burst open.
“What?!”
Evangeline looked up.
A bullet flying from the distant Crossroads had just pierced the Crystal Golem’s chest.
“No way, a bullet from the Crossroads?!
Are you telling me that someone sniped from this distance, in response to Prince Ash’s signal?
‘Nonsense. It’s not humanly possible, it’s physically impossible!’
Ash’s shouts reached Evangeline’s ears.
“Well, well, well, well! Here’s your one chance! Evangeline!”
The crystal golem was falling, caught completely by surprise. Ash stretched out his hand and shouted.
“Finish him off-!”
Ta-da!
Evangeline suddenly found herself moving at the man’s command.
She sprinted toward the falling magic golem, stomped her foot, and leapt into the air,
“Haaaaat-!”
She thrust her spear as hard as he could.
Pukkak-!
The Cross Family’s old cavalry spear emitted a dazzling white light and pierced through the air- piercing the last golem’s magic core.
With that, this long and terrible battle was over.
Hoo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!
Shards of the golem, smashed in midair, fell in all directions.
Evangeline, who had pierced the golem with her spear and landed on the other side, tumbled forward.
“Ah……h.”
She felt like she was going to die of exhaustion. Without exaggeration, she didn’t have the strength to lift a finger.
When she finally rolled over onto her back, Prince Ash appeared in her blurry vision.
Ash squatted down beside Evangeline with a tired smile.
“Took you long enough. Ace junior. I really didn’t think you’d make it.”
“……Is this really the end?”
“At least here, yes.”
The two of them had indeed defeated fifty large monsters by themselves.
Of course, Prince Ash’s trick was out of the ordinary, but it was still quite a feat.
“You…… are really amazing……. I can’t believe you would do such a ridiculous thing…….”
“I could tell anyone and no one would believe me.”
Ash shrugged smugly.
“Let’s just let this be a war between the two of us.”
Evangeline’s eyes began to close.
“……Can I pass out now?”
“If I say no, can you hold on?”
“Only if that’s an order…… would I hold on…….”
Evangeline whimpered, struggling to open her half-closed eyes.
Ash reached out and placed a hand over Evangeline’s eyes.
“You can sleep, little one. Don’t worry.”
“…….”
“Lullaby, lullaby.”
Relaxed, Evangeline closed her eyes.
Soon the world went black.
[Translated by Mashine. Proofread by: WebTrashTranslation]
