CHAPTER 96…………………..
After an exhausting nine nights and ten days of marching, Esther, along with the Holy Knights and the priests, finally arrived at the battlefield.
“The stench of blood.”
As soon as they entered the outskirts of the battlefield, Esther took a deep breath as the smell filled her nose.
“Ah, what a delicious scent.”
Raksah licked his lips and murmured under his breath.
Even Ross, perched on his shoulder, was breathing heavily. Judging from their excitement, the smell of blood must have been quite strong.
“I don’t really feel anything…”
Perhaps the reason she couldn’t sense the appeal was that she still hadn’t fully awakened.
“It’s a bit disappointing that we can’t join the front lines, Lady Esther.”
The voice that sighed lowly was laced with an odd sensuality. Esther frowned and shot him a glare.
And between his legs…
Ah, damn it.
Let’s not say it.
“Are you insane? Get away right now!”
Perhaps Siphon saw the same thing, because she flinched in shock and shoved Raksah away.
“I can’t help it. The human body is weak to desire. Even I can’t control basic biological urges.”
“Shut up and get lost.”
Siphon growled fiercely, as if to tell him to stop spouting nonsense. Raksah only shrugged and stepped back obediently.
“Good job, Siphon.”
Esther couldn’t help thinking how much the girl had grown since she’d last seen her.
While Esther sighed, Kaelos and Kardem approached.
“…Esther.”
Kaelos’s expression was darker than ever now that they had reached the battlefield.
He still seemed uneasy about bringing her along.
“Brother, don’t worry.”
Kardem patted Kaelos on the shoulder.
“Niece! We’re supposed to stay in the rear anyway, so we’ll be waiting here.”
All around them stood countless white tents.
People bustled to and fro, tending to the wounded or preparing supplies for the rear line.
Esther was guided to the cleanest and most secluded tent among them.
“I must go to the front. Stay here—do not go anywhere else, understand?”
“Okay, come back safely!”
At her words, Kaelos gave a faint smile and awkwardly patted the child’s hair.
Just as he turned to leave—
“Father.”
“Yes?”
He spun around immediately at her call, perhaps too quickly. Realizing it himself, he furrowed his brows slightly in embarrassment.
“Is something wrong?”
“Yes, take him with you.”
Esther pointed toward Raksah, who was standing in the corner of the tent, facing the wall.
As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Raksah quickly turned around. His round eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
“Did you call for me, Lady Esther?”
“Yes. Protect my father.”
At that, Kaelos frowned.
“Esther.”
“Yes?”
“I may be weaker than your mother, but I’m still strong.”
“Uh-huh. And?”
“That means you don’t need to send your butler along with me. It’ll only add another pointless death.”
Esther blinked at his words.
“He’s going to die like a dog?”
She turned to look at Raksah, whose eyes were practically sparkling.
“…Well, I suppose he is kind of like a dog.”
He did seem like the maddest of mad dogs. Esther’s expression twisted oddly.
“It’s fine! He’s my guard too!”
“……”
Kaelos narrowed his eyes and examined Raksah closely.
He had already investigated the man, but nothing much had come up.
Some said he was just a wandering mercenary; others said he constantly changed his name.
“I’ll need to hire proper servants once we return to the capital.”
Until now, he had stayed out of it since Esther had hired him personally, but he still didn’t like the idea of an unknown man staying close to his daughter.
“…I can’t guarantee his safety. It’s a dangerous zone.”
The battlefield was the kind of place where you could see the very bottom of human nature.
A place where any cowardly trick was acceptable as long as it meant survival.
“It’s okay! He’ll survive just fine on his own. Just don’t overdo it.”
At Esther’s words, Raksah’s smile deepened. He placed one hand on his chest and bowed gracefully.
“It will be my honor, Lady Esther’s father.”
Raksah’s grin was polite, but his eyes didn’t smile in the slightest.
No one present could bring themselves to laugh.
“Niece, what are you doing?”
“Rolling around.”
“Where’s that kid who’s always following you?”
“Sid? He went out to get food for us.”
“Really? Then while we wait, want to play a card game with your uncle?”
At his suggestion, Esther lay sprawled on the bed, eyes rolling lazily. There wasn’t much to do when confined to the tent.
Yeah—just as he said, she was bored to death.
It had already been nearly a week since Raksah and Kaelos left.
Esther couldn’t easily leave the tent.
Soldiers guarded the outside, and inside, Kardem was almost always with her.
He refused to let her out, saying it was too dangerous.
“Alright!”
Esther jumped up and shouted.
“But uncle, why are you so free?”
Sure, she was just a kid, but he was technically on duty. How did he have so much time?
At her question, Kardem froze for a second, then chuckled softly.
“Well, I only get busy when there are more wounded.”
“Ah, so you’re the boss.”
“Something like that.”
He quickly dealt the cards and handed her a hand. Esther glanced at them and frowned.
“What a terrible hand.”
It was almost impressive how consistently bad her luck was.
“You know the rules?”
“Uh-huh, I read about it in a picture book when I was little.”
“Wow, they put card games in picture books now? Amazing…”
Kardem, who had been about to explain, laughed awkwardly. Esther snorted.
“But why do people keep fighting wars here?”
“Hm?”
Kardem paused as he drew a card and glanced at her. Esther peeked at his hand and then hers.
“Why do they keep fighting?”
“Ah… you don’t know. There’s a wasteland on the continent—land that can’t be used.”
“A wasteland?”
“Yeah, it’s full of poison and miasma. No humans or animals can live there. It’s just… dead.”
Esther’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A dead land?”
The demon realm gate had been closed for ages. There shouldn’t still be places like that.
Even if the miasma lingered, it was strange that nothing alive could exist there.
“Monsters keep spawning from there. No one knows what lies deeper inside.”
Kardem frowned deeply, choosing his next card carefully.
“The further you go toward the center, the thicker the poison gets. No matter how strong your holy power is, you can’t overcome it.”
Usually, poison came from something alive—or from a corpse.
But once something was dead and decayed, it left nothing behind.
So why keep fighting for so long?
Esther quickly discarded a card.
“Ah…”
Kardem groaned loudly.
He really couldn’t hide his expressions. Clearly, that was the card he’d been waiting for.
“When something dies, it decays, right? Then why is there still poison everywhere?”
“…Good question. Maybe the remnants of a massive monster still remain?”
He rubbed his forehead tiredly with his thumb.
“There are a few such places near the Empire. No one knows why.”
Esther turned her head.
Through the small gap in the tent, the metallic scent of blood seeped in.
“We’ll need to erase the source.”
Her brow furrowed. There had to be a reason.
“Ugh, I’m too much of a kid.”
Esther sighed deeply.
Even at ten years old, there wasn’t much she could do. She couldn’t even move freely.
“…You talk like a little old lady sometimes, you know that?”
Esther grinned at Kardem’s tired smile and threw her cards down.
“I win.”
“…Wow, you’re cheating.”
“Nope, I’m just super lucky!”
She’d always had good luck—well, ever since she became the Demon King, anyway.
“…Unbelievable. I just lost to a ten-year-old…”
“Hmph. Idiot.”
“I—I was going easy on you! Let’s play again! This time for real!”
Oh, sure. As if he wasn’t already trying his best. His stiff face made it obvious how serious he’d been.
Esther stared at him incredulously as he frantically began shuffling the cards.
“Uncle, uncle. I never said I’d play again.”
“I told you, I went easy on you! What, you’re okay with such a fake victory? Huh? Is that it?”
Kardem’s voice rose in protest, face twisted like he was about to cry.
