“Three years?”
“Yes… that’s right.”
After calming Whitey down, the answer I got from Sienna was shocking.
I’ve been lying down for three years straight?
…How am I even alive?
This world doesn’t have advanced medical technology, so did they use some kind of special magic?
[Did you really think a candidate for My Apostle would die so easily?]
“Ah.”
So that’s what it was.
It’s because of that crimson-black power.
Well, it could even create armor.
Keeping a sleeping user from starving to death wouldn’t be too difficult either.
[More importantly, that wolf spirit beast is very healthy. It would make a fine guardian hound for My Order.]
Ignoring the strange words coming from the devil, Sylvanus, who was eyeing Whitey, I turned back to Sienna.
“So… since when have I been here?”
I needed more details about the situation.
I understood that I had been asleep for three years, but why was I in this cabin?
“Oh, that… You were brought here about two years ago.”
“…Two years?”
So I’ve been in this place for two whole years?
I guess that makes sense for me, but Sienna too?
“Why…?”
“Uh, well…”
At my question, Sienna seemed to recall something, rolling her eyes as if searching her memory.
Then, she began explaining what had happened right after I collapsed.
So, in short…
“An expedition force?”
“Yes. There was a report that a devil had descended upon the viscounty, so the First Expedition was formed.”
First? That implies there was a second one too.
I held back my questions and waited for her to continue.
“Ah, well… The Empire, the Eastern Alliance, and even the Church sent reinforcements, forming a grand expedition force.”
“And the result…?”
“…It didn’t end well, unlike what they had hoped.”
Sienna’s words were almost unbelievable.
They failed to subjugate it?
The Adel Kingdom is a powerful nation.
It was strong enough to annihilate the Lugar Kingdom in the south, despite their sudden invasion.
And yet, even with aid from the Empire, the Eastern Alliance, and the Church, they failed?
“What do you mean…?”
As I was about to ask for more details, a thought crossed my mind.
The devil is said to be entrenched in the viscounty and still remains there.
Then… what exactly is the thing inside my head?
[Thing? How insolent.]
Just as I began to question it, the very subject of my doubts spoke in my mind.
[That is my true body.]
True body?
[To put it in terms you can understand, I am a will created to grant power to my Apostle.]
A will?
So, is it something like an avatar?
[Ignorant beast. My true body and I are one. Do not try to comprehend it using a mortal’s perspective.]
…How can two be one?
What is this, quantum mechanics or something?
Well, I could think about this later.
“…Do you know why the expedition failed?”
For now, it was more important to finish hearing about the expedition from Sienna.
“Hmm… First of all, the devil worshippers entrenched in the viscounty resisted fiercely. They used massive tree roots as if they were fortress walls…”
It was as if Sienna had witnessed the battle firsthand.
She described the battlefield in vivid detail.
The enormous roots and branches that spread throughout the viscounty blocked the path of the expedition force.
And in between them, devil worshippers, who seemed to have no regard for their own lives, charged at them in relentless waves.
“…That sounds truly horrific.”
Even just hearing about it was enough to understand how dreadful it must have been.
“Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.”
“Which means…?”
“There were also various internal issues within the alliance…”
Did they have internal conflicts?
They were supposed to be fighting a devil, yet they were clashing among themselves?
“At first, it was the Empire and the Adel Kingdom. Later, there were also large and small conflicts between the Eastern Alliance and the Church.”
However, as I listened to her continue, I realized—
The allied forces never should have been assembled like that in the first place.
The Empire and the Adel Kingdom had completely broken relations after the invasion of the Lugar Kingdom.
And the Eastern Alliance, which accepted beastkin and other non-humans, was practically at odds with the Church, which upheld the belief that only devout humans were worthy.
“Is that why they failed?”
“Hmm… I think overall, the circumstances just didn’t work in our favor. There were also other obstacles. For example, there were incredibly powerful devil worshippers, and remnants of the Lugar Kingdom appeared, making the battle even more difficult.”
…Remnants of the Lugar Kingdom.
So, in the end, they joined forces with the devil worshippers.
For a moment, the image of Alden crossed my mind, but I quickly pushed it away.
Anyway.
Now I had a general understanding of why the First Expedition failed.
They weren’t coordinated, yet they tried to brute-force their way through with sheer numbers, only to be stopped by the entrenched defenders and forced to retreat.
“What happened after that?”
“Well… a lot happened, but the Second Expedition was formed.”
So they immediately launched a Second Expedition.
Well, the kingdom must have been desperate to eliminate the devil as soon as possible.
“Actually, that Second Expedition is the reason we’re here right now.”
“What?”
“During the Second Expedition, the Boyd family and the royal family completely fell out.”
“What? Why…?”
“That’s…”
Sienna then explained the events of the Second Expedition in brief.
“At first, everything was progressing smoothly. But then…”
According to her, the royal family suffered heavy losses in the First Expedition because they had taken the lead.
Since it was a coalition force, they had probably wanted to showcase their strength.
On the other hand, the Boyd Margrave had conserved his forces.
But when the Second Expedition was launched, this time without external reinforcements and with only the Church’s support, the royal family seemed to have taken notice of that fact.
So after advancing a certain distance, they ordered the Boyd Margrave to send his troops to the frontlines.
However—
“…He refused?”
“He declined in a roundabout way, but ultimately, yes.”
The Boyd Margrave did not comply.
He outright ignored the king’s command.
However, as I had seen when I visited his territory, the margrave maintained a sizable standing army to guard the eastern border.
His elite knights were on par with the royal knights, and he had powerful figures like Sir Barts and Lowell among his ranks.
…Even from my perspective, the Boyd Margrave could afford to defy the king.
Especially in a time when a devil had appeared in the world, and the failure to eliminate it had shattered public confidence in the monarchy.
And so, with the Boyd Margrave refusing to obey, the Second Expedition naturally collapsed as well.
To make matters worse, having failed two expeditions, the royal family suffered a severe blow to their authority.
“This is a complete disaster.”
“Yes… it’s unfortunate.”
“But then, why this forest?”
The royal family was too occupied fending off the devil worshippers that kept flooding in after their failure to subjugate the devil.
And now, the most powerful margrave in the kingdom was openly at odds with the royal family.
Even so—
Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to be recovering in the margrave’s infirmary?
Why was I in a secluded forest instead?
When I asked, Sienna glanced at me hesitantly.
“Ah, well…”
Her eyes flickered briefly toward my left hand, which was clad in a glove.
“…It seemed best to keep you hidden.”
“Oh, the marking.”
Now that I thought about it—
Ever since I woke up, my left hand and arm had been engraved with the devil’s markings.
Having cared for me for three years, there was no way Sienna wouldn’t have noticed them.
“When did this marking first appear?”
“…About a week before I took you and ran.”
Damn…
So that’s why she didn’t even ask the margrave for help and instead brought me to a secluded cabin in the middle of the forest?
No matter how much I’ve contributed or how much the margrave favors me, if he saw the markings of the very devil that threw the kingdom into chaos, there’s no telling how he would react.
[She’s a wise woman. Letting those insects discover you would bring nothing good.]
I shut my eyes tightly at the shameless words of the very cause of this whole mess.
This bastard, sounding unnecessarily smooth and charming…
[You speak of me with no filter.]
Look at the situation—how could I not complain?
Damn it, I thought this was a risk-free training opportunity.
Turns out the risk was way bigger than I expected.
[How absurd…]
“Regardless, thank you. You must’ve had a tough time taking care of me.”
“No… I just, um, kept you lying down.”
I expressed my gratitude to Sienna.
She had taken care of someone who did nothing but sleep for three whole years.
Even calling her my savior wouldn’t be enough to repay this debt.
“But… where exactly are we?”
More importantly, where was this place?
I knew it was a forest, but that was about it.
“Ah, this is Luwin Forest, in the northern part of the kingdom.”
“The north… Does that mean it’s near your hometown?”
“Well, it’s closer to my hometown than the capital, but it’s not actually my hometown. Just in case someone came looking for me.”
“I see…”
Now that I thought about it, she had taken me out of the infirmary.
Even in all the chaos, the Boyd family or the royal family must have searched for me.
So in the end, because of me, she couldn’t even return home and had to spend two years in a place like this?
I honestly didn’t know how I could ever repay this debt.
“Thank you again. I’ll make sure to—”
Just as I was about to thank her again,
Grrrgl—
A loud and embarrassing noise came from my stomach, which was practically just skin and bones.
“Uh… Would you like to eat first? I’ll whip up some stew real quick.”
“…Please do.”
Yeah, gratitude and figuring out the situation could wait.
First, I needed to eat—something I hadn’t done in three years.
“Just sit tight! I’ve actually come up with a pretty good recipe…”
And so.
I began living with Sienna in a secluded cabin deep in the forest.
