Thus, Wilhelm had Theresia's complete trust, but…
" "
The sky was dark. Incredibly dark. The whole world seemed to be made of this pitch-blackness, without a ray of light anywhere.
The four corners of the world seemed to hold no light in them, and the air felt saturated with sand that rubbed against their skin, carrying a bitterness they could practically taste. The ground beneath their feet was at once hard yet wet and slippery. It was truly the worst possible environment.
Several clangs of metal against metal rang out through the darkness and disappeared into the far distance. The men strained their ears to follow it, heard it vanish far away, then sighed. "Deep, huh…?"
There was no room for doubt in the matter, nor was there any response. But that only made sense. Aside from Wilhelm, there were only two other people here in this place. One of them was unconscious in the Sword Devil's arms, and as for the other…
" "
Wilhelm felt a tap on his shoulder and looked back. He couldn't see the other person's face for the gloom. But through long familiarity, he still knew what the man was thinking. It was scary. And he was giving the worst possible answer.
It was hardly necessary to go in-depth about what a poor combination Grimm and total darkness made. Lack of light was the natural enemy of a man who communicated via the written word. His expression and body language could bring across something of what he was thinking, but in this pitchblackness, even that much was impossible.
" ngh."
"It doesn't matter how desperate you are to talk," he said, "I still don't know what you're trying to say…"
Maybe Grimm was distressed at just how dire the situation was. Hearing the scratchy groan, however, actually made Wilhelm calmer. Humans sometimes grow steadier the more panicked those around them are. Or perhaps that was merely how it seemed. Perhaps Wilhelm had simply encountered such a tremendous spate of bad luck that he had passed through ultimate distress to reach something like enlightenment.
"Ahh…" Wilhelm scratched his cheek and looked up. He could see the collapsed entrance to the cave, but for the life of him, he couldn't reach it. They would have to explore, using the echo from Grimm's metal plate, in the faith that that would be another exit deeper in.
"But even if I survive this, Theresia might kill me instead…"
Before the matter of getting to the wedding on time, it had become questionable whether he would even get home alive. Wilhelm sighed. And with the wedding ceremony only half a day away, the Sword Devil took his first step deeper into the cave, hoping to escape being buried alive.
9
Carol gulped quietly at the intimidating presence of the man before them. It was very similar to the warrior's aura exuded by a superb swordsman, but it was public knowledge that the man before them had no skill with the sword, and Carol was well acquainted with the fact. Hence, this overwhelming aura must have been a wave of some other strong conviction.
"First, let me thank you for coming all the way to the capital."
Carol felt frozen; beside her, her lifelong mistress struck the spark of the conversation. Her eyes were hard, a gaze that all by itself might have undone a lesser opponent. But this man, so far from being daunted by Theresia's expression, looked her full in the eyes and smiled.
Of course he did. After all, the person facing Theresia wasn't technically an enemy, but—
"Such formality, Theresia. This is a place for family. Don't feel compelled to stand on ceremony."
"Yes, but…"
"Don't make me insist. We are family, and I am your father. There's no need for pomp and circumstance." He smiled at her, a middle-aged gentleman with a rather dashing beard. His height, his rich red hair, and his smiling blue eyes all seemed to bring images of Theresia to mind. As perhaps they should, the two of them being parent and child.
Her father's name was Veltol Astrea. He was indeed Theresia's blood father and current leader of the House of Astrea, for generations home of the line of the Sword Saints, those who stood at the zenith of swordsmanship.
But he was equally famous for the fact that despite his lineage, Veltol himself had absolutely no facility with the blade.
"Carol," Veltol said.
"Y-yes, sir!" Carol responded. "It's been quite a long time, Lord Veltol."
"Leave aside formal greetings. What has gotten into you? You and Theresia both are standing so stiffly. It makes me fear something has happened. No?"
Carol straightened up when the conversation turned to her, unable to conceal her nervousness. It was difficult to judge her precise social distance from Veltol, and she found conversation with him difficult, for reasons entirely separate from the relationship of Carol's family to the Astreas.
"Father, please don't pick on Carol. She's a very serious young woman."
"Oh, 'pick on' is such an ugly expression. In any event, it looks like you're finally ready. You must be nervous about tomorrow, but I can assure you, you don't have to—"
"Actually, Father, tomorrow is what I've come to talk to you about."
Theresia interrupted Veltol to get directly to the business at hand. Carol took this as her cue to compose herself, and Veltol narrowed his eyes slightly.
"When your daughter is to be a bride tomorrow and comes saying she wants to talk about that morrow, one can't help but feel concerned." Veltol smiled as if to dispel the anxiety. He seemed to feel no pang of conscience at the mention of the next day. The fact made Carol tremble. Veltol's involvement with Wilhelm's patrol was already clear. That made it all the more shocking that he was able to discuss the subject with perfect poise.
"Traditionally, when the bride greets her parents before the wedding, it's to offer her thanks and make them promises about the future. Normally she does this immediately before the proceedings, but then I suppose we would
hardly have time to dry our tears. This is quite considerate of you."
"Of course, I do thank you. But that's not what I've come here to say."
Theresia shook her head, causing Veltol to resort to bringing up the worst possibility. "You want to put the wedding off, then, or cancel it? I'm afraid that just can't be done at such a late hour. It would bring such shame upon our family… Yes, a terrible humiliation." He put his hands to his face as if to emphasize what a tragedy it would be. "I wondered what might have brought you and Carol here alone—don't tell me the groom ran out on you? Or is there some disturbing revelation about him? I asked him about his history when we met him, but perhaps he was still hiding something. No, wait… Something about his personality or preferences that wouldn't be evident to the average observer… Is it some deviant sexual desire?"
"Faaatheeer…"
"Calm down, Theresia, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. A husband and wife must, ahem, want the same things. We should consider it a blessing that you've discovered this abnormality before you're formally wed. True, it will still be a matter of embarrassment to cancel the ceremony, but it's more important that—"
"Father, that's enough!"
Theresia finally interrupted her suddenly long-winded parent, her teeth gritted. Veltol's eyes went wide at the sound of her voice, and he fell silent under her stare.
"I haven't said a word yet, Father, but you sound downright eager to embrace that embarrassment."
"Eager? Now, that's very strange. I'm just thinking of your happine—"
"You did something to Wilhelm, didn't you, Father? I know that much."
Veltol didn't seem to know when to quit, so Theresia laid into him with words as sharp as any sword. He was speechless under this assault, until he finally managed to respond.
"And…what if I did?"
Veltol had a thin, cruel, distinctly villainous smile on his lips. Despite the vague fig leaf of what if, he clearly had no intention of hiding anything anymore. Theresia's suspicions had been correct. Veltol's smile and his attitude were proof enough.
Theresia let out a small breath to discover this malice on the part of her own father.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me until this moment," she said. "I hereby renounce the Astrea name. Good-bye."
"Wha?! W-wait just one minute, Theresia! Your father won't allow it!"
"You think I care about what you allow? You should be begging for my forgiveness! Why would you ever do such a thing?! I've wondered ever since the interview; what exactly is it you hate so much about my Wilhelm?!"
Theresia, so quick to act, wheeled on Veltol. He was reeling at this fresh attack, his mouth working open and shut. The intimidating aura that had issued from him until a moment earlier was gone. Instead, there was only an astonished, mean little man whose plans had been exposed.
"Your methods, Father, are underhanded! If you don't like Wilhelm, then say as much. What's wrong with him? Go ahead, tell me! Is it his achievements? His family background? His ability with the sword? His looks? Well, he's achieved everything that could be hoped of him, he comes from a fine family name, I don't think I need to tell you about his swordfighting ability, and frankly, he's perfectly handsome!"
"L-Lady Theresia, we're getting off topic…"
"No, we aren't! Wilhelm is handsome! You think so, don't you, Carol?!"
"Grimm is first in my heart, so I can't say!"
Caught up by Theresia's accelerating pace of conversation, Carol found herself unexpectedly admitting how she really felt. She blushed furiously.
Theresia put a hand to her mouth and said, "Carol, you're just the sweetest…"
"P-please don't tease me, Lady Theresia…!"
"Ahem, she's right, you shouldn't tease, dear. I think you've taken several years off your father's life."
"What I said to you wasn't teasing, Father. If things go on as they are, then I'm done with you!"
"What?! Why?!"
"Why, indeed! You're trying to impede my marriage! How can you not understand?!"
Veltol shrank under Theresia's shouting, looking like he might faint straightaway. Carol suppressed the urge to intervene, waiting to see how things developed.
This back-and-forth between father and daughter was, in fact, perfectly normal.
The dignity with which Veltol had begun the conversation had been completely shattered by his daughter's emotional outburst. This was not the first such conversation they had had about Theresia's wedding recently. Carol knew this full well, having heard Theresia complain about it on several occasions.
"You tried to dig up dirt on him before you met him, you introduced new members to Zergev Squadron, trying to get Wilhelm removed from office, and you delayed the wedding again and again in hopes of confusing him…but this is unacceptable! I can't believe I was stupid enough to let you get away with everything for so long!"
"It's because of your gentle heart, Lady Theresia," Carol said. "But I agree that things have gone too far this time."
"What! You too, Carol?" Flagging under the enumeration of his crimes, Veltol found himself the subject of a disdainful look from Carol now as well. His beard bristled as Carol leveled an accusing finger at him.
"Oh, Carol," he said, "daughter of the Remendes family. You and your line have served the House of Astrea for generations. Do you now dare to speak out against the head of that very house?"
"We have served, sir, but I am Carol before I am a Remendes. And my loyalty is not to the Astrea family but to Lady Theresia."
"Hrrghh…!"
The point-blank rebuke left Veltol lost for words. Theresia ignored him, her eyes welling with emotion at Carol's declaration.
"If I had been a man," she said, "I swear I would have made you my bride, Carol."
"It was not to be, milady."
"St-stop right there! I won't allow it! I wouldn't give you to Carol or to anyone!"
"I'm not seriously proposing it," Theresia said. "But more importantly, Father…" She turned to Veltol, who had ended up so cornered that he took even a joking comment seriously. Her eyes narrowed. "You say you wouldn't give me even to Carol? Should I take that to mean that the problem isn't with Wilhelm but elsewhere?"
"Erk…"
"Did you just go 'erk,' Lord Veltol?"
Veltol had turned pale, his whole body trembling. He was not a man with a strong poker face. Although he might have been a little bit harder to read if the matter hadn't concerned his daughter.
Theresia continued to glare at him silently. Veltol's true motives were now apparent, but after so much interference in her wedding, Theresia was in no mood for mercy. She was going to strike the final blow.
Before she could bring him down, however, someone new entered the room and the conversation. "My goodness, such cringing. I think it's about time to give in already."
The three of them looked over, and each had a different reaction. Veltol's face grew even more anemic, while Theresia's cheeks went stiff. Carol, on the other hand, executed a formal bow and said, "Lady Tishua, it's been a long time. Carol is at your service."
"There's no need for formality, dear. You know you're like a daughter to me."
This remark, along with a burst of laughter, came from a woman of ambiguous age, with long, flaxen hair. Her beauty made her look strikingly young; she had an unmistakable allure.
Her name was Tishua Astrea. Veltol's wife and Theresia's— "Mother."
"You, too, Theresia. Don't puff out those cheeks. I raised you to be a sweet thing—your Wilhelm will fall out of love if you make such faces all the time."
"Wilhelm would never stop loving me…I think."
"Well, isn't that wonderful. And you, dear?"
Tishua smiled broadly at her daughter's obvious fondness for Wilhelm, then looked at her own husband. The glance was enough to set Veltol back on his heels, waving pointedly.
"N-now, just a minute, Tishua. This is, you know, it's all a mistake… Yes, that's it, a misunderstanding."
"Is that so? You mean that you were too lonely to let your daughter go in marriage and thus harassed her husband-to-be in every way you could dream up, including deliberately forcing him into a military assignment that would conflict with the date of the wedding itself, and then were discovered by your daughter, who's now threatening to leave her own family…but it's all simply a misunderstanding?"
"Argh…"
Tishua's assault was even more withering than her daughter's, and
Veltol's only response was to slump to his knees. In fact, if anyone else had overheard the list of the man's wrongdoings, they would have been shocked.
Tishua sighed at her dumbstruck spouse, then turned to her daughter. "I'm so sorry, Theresia. In addition to his being rather mean-hearted, this man is immensely petty and couldn't think his way out of a paper bag—and it's led to such trouble for you and yours."
"Er…Mother, aren't you normally a bit more supportive of Father…?"
"Do you see anything in his actions to support?"
The three women, if not Veltol himself, could agree that there was absolutely nothing.
Under the combined attack of his wife, his daughter, and a girl who was like a daughter, Veltol found his pride in tatters. But even as he cowered, he managed to look them in the eyes. "F-fine, say what you will. But it won't change the facts. If that young man isn't here in time for the wedding, it will be a slight against our house. And then we could never dream of
countenancing this marriage. You'll never marry, Theresia…!"
"But why would you…? Father, do you want to hold me back in my life?
Why?"
"That is not something we should speak of yet."
"Oh, stop with the portentous act. You just don't want to let go of your dear, sweet daughter. And you'll stop at nothing to keep her."
"Tishua?! Whose side are you on?!"
"What a question. My daughter's, of course."
"Whaaaat?! But why?! You're my wife, aren't you?!"
"Did you think a wife must always blindly follow her husband? What a delightful fantasy."
Astounded by Tishua's sharp tongue, Veltol found his figurative ship sinking yet again. His reaction made it plain that his motivations were precisely what Tishua had alleged.
"Shallow thoughts, shallow goals, a shallow man…" Carol sounded exasperated.
"To be fair, that's part of what makes him lovable," Tishua said, looking mischievously at her husband. The relationship between the two of them was somewhat difficult to fathom, but it was clear enough that Tishua really did love Veltol. Even Carol, who had known them for so long, was perplexed by that fact, but so it goes…
"It may be lovable to you, Mother, but for me, it's appalling. I don't know what straits Wilhelm may be in thanks to Father's ridiculous schemes…"
"As I said, there's not that much to this man. He's not capable of anything truly terrible. Just a few little delaying tactics along the road…minor traps, nothing that could really stop the boy. If I had to say, I would call this my husband's last futile struggle."
"His last struggle?" Carol furrowed her brow at Tishua's attempt to assuage Theresia's anxiety.
Tishua looked calmly at Carol from under her long eyelashes and said, "That's right, the very last. He wants to be able to hold up his head as a man of the Astrea family, to be able to say that he tested his daughter's husbandto-be to the bitter end."
"Oh…" Theresia and Carol both looked at Tishua in surprise.
It was, she was saying, the last bit of mischief by Theresia's father—the last man in the Astrea family after the death of Theresia's brothers in the civil war.
"Elder Brother Thames," Theresia said, "Elder Brother Carlan. And Cajiress…" She looked at the ground, speaking the names of three of those who had died in battle. They seemed like good siblings, Carol reflected. At the very least, they had all loved Theresia.
After naming her departed brothers, Theresia looked at Tishua. "If my brothers were still alive…do you think they would have opposed my marriage?"
"I suppose I don't know. Those boys were never as slow-witted as Veltol, so I don't think they would have done anything as ridiculous as this…but they would have tested him, I'm sure. To see if your Wilhelm could bring you happiness."
"He already did, a long time ago."
Tishua smiled at this whisper from Theresia. "It would be to make sure he could continue to do so." She walked over to her collapsed husband, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now I believe you two have a wedding to prepare for. It's the work of a long day, making a bride as beautiful as she can be for her marriage."
"Yes, Mother. But what about Father…?"
"As I said, this is his last act of resistance. I won't let him get away with anything further. And your dear groom will be able to outdo his little plots.
Don't you think?"
Theresia reacted reflexively to her mother's provocation. "Of course I do." Then she frowned. "But, Mother."
By the time she realized she was in the palm of her mother's hand, it was too late. She had been robbed of her reason for cornering Veltol.
"Father truly needs to repent! I'm really, really mad this time!"
"I-I'll think about—okay! I understand! I repent! I truly regret my deeds!" Veltol's dithering turned to genuine surrender under Theresia's pressure. His daughter snorted at him, and Carol gave a weak shrug.
"Gosh, am I tired now…" Theresia said.
"You were amazing, though," Carol said. "I'm rather looking forward to tomorrow myself." A thin smile played across her lips.
Theresia raised an eyebrow. "So you believe Wilhelm will make it, too,
Carol? I'm a little surprised…"
"Well, he does have Grimm with him. Ahem, that's a joke, but yes, I believe. That man…Wilhelm…would not fail to be there to take you as his bride."
In Carol's mind, she was revisiting the day that the Sword Saint, Theresia, became just a normal girl. It was not Theresia alone who had been saved by Wilhelm on that day. She had never spoken of it, and for all her life never would, but he had saved Carol as well.
The passion of the Sword Devil on that day, the way he fought, remained burned into her mind's eye.
"So, Lady Theresia, let us get ready for tomorrow. It's just as Lady Tishua said—you will be the most beautiful woman in the world tomorrow. Allow me to assist you."
"Carol…"
"The only thing I begrudge that man is that I will have to give my Lady
Theresia to him."
"I feel the same way."
"Father—!!"
Carol was simply trying to hide her embarrassment, but Veltol, quick to recover, agreed with her. His words provoked a shout and a blush from Theresia. Behind the redness in her face, however, was less anger and more a pressing anticipation of the next day.
"I'll be waiting…" Theresia whispered, still blushing, to an absent someone she cared deeply about.
That precious, precious man would overcome all of Veltol's meanspirited interference to be there at the wedding ceremony the next day, to take her as his bride. Of that she was sure.
10
At roughly the same moment that his bride was in the capital, declaring her unwavering faith in him…
"…Dammit, the air smells like earth." The young man spat on the ground with a snarl of frustration, craning his neck for a look around. But eyesight alone was of limited value in a lightless cave enclosed in thick rock walls. He had to find his way along largely by guesswork, following what breeze he could feel and an all-too-thin ray of hope.
He was in Cordoro Mountain, near Cramlin, a town southeast of the capital—in a cave known as the Lair of the Earth Snake. It was considered so dangerous that the locals never went near it. And with half a day to go until his wedding, Wilhelm found himself sealed inside, literally lost in the dark.
It had all started several hours before. Other than the delay in Furoul, Zergev Squadron's frenzied patrol had been going smoothly. They passed through Milgre, famous for its windmills, and Bonobo, renowned for its distilleries, in short order, and soon arrived at their final destination of Cramlin.
The trouble came when the squadron was presented with a report stating that several local children had gone missing. There was every chance that they were simply playing, or had gotten lost, or were pulling a prank. But if some emergency had befallen them, then it came very much within the squadron's mandate as guardians of public safety.
"Captain, if we spend time here, we'll be—"
"Late for the wedding. I know. And what am I going to tell Theresia? 'I abandoned a bunch of kids so I could be with you'? She would personally cut
down me and every single member of this squadron."
That's for sure. And Carol would be angry at me, too.
Such was Zergev Squadron's appraisal of the missing-children situation.
Wilhelm was firmly against dereliction of duty in favor of prioritizing the wedding, and not a soul spoke out against him. Instead, they set to work as quickly as possible.
They tasked the locals with searching the town itself, while Zergev Squadron checked out the surrounding countryside. That was what had led them to discover the tracks near Cordoro Mountain and to follow them to the children, who had fallen into the cave.
By that point, they had been in Cramlin for two hours—a painful amount of time but not an irrecoverable loss. Relieved, Wilhelm planned to climb into the cave and help each of the four children out, then return to town.
At least until the moment the earthquake happened, collapsing the entrance to the cave.
It started with just a small tremor and a little crack; then the tremors got bigger and the crack got wider until, in a hail of dust and earth, the former entrance became nothing more than a featureless wall.
In the cave it was only Wilhelm, the last of the four children, and Grimm, who had been catching the kids but had fallen in during the quake.
Several hours later, the three of them were still groping through the darkness.
Straining his eyes for anything to see, Wilhelm muttered into the pitchblackness. "I thought for sure this would be faster than trying to dig out the entrance…but I'm starting to think it would have been smarter to wait for help." As if in rebuke, there came a sound of metal that echoed off the walls of the cavern.
The clamor was Grimm protesting. He was striking the metal plate strapped to his left leg as if to say firmly Don't give up.
Since they were prepared for a variety of circumstances, even without words the two could manage a minimum of communication, but it made Grimm's interjections much more physical and noisy than when he could simply write them down. Wilhelm certainly hadn't needed Grimm to tell him not to give up; he just wanted to be free of the cave, and that clanging, as quickly as possible.
It was perhaps a blessing that the little boy they had with them had blacked out during the collapse and remained unconscious. Grimm carried the small body with him, Wilhelm going ahead to scout out the cave— following the breeze that blew through the tunnels in hopes of finding another exit.
" "
Hour after hour slid relentlessly by. There was hardly any light in the cave, and the speed of their search couldn't even match a snail's pace.
Impatience began to grip them.
The hour of fire had been nearly past when they'd arrived in Cramlin; by now, the sun must have been sinking outside and the temperature starting to drop. The breeze coming into the cave got colder, and their situation grew slightly but steadily worse. They nearly despaired that they would ever be in time for the wedding.
But then—
"Hey, don't get too far ahead. It's bad footing. If the ground goes out from under you and you fall, I can't promise I'll be able to rescue you."
Grimm, his breath coming hard, was moving quicker. He appeared more upset than Wilhelm, the man whose wedding they were going to miss, which puzzled Wilhelm. Like everyone else in Zergev Squadron, Grimm had given his blessing to the union between Wilhelm and Theresia, and it was obvious he wanted to get back to the capital as quickly as possible.
"But this isn't like you. You're normally all safety-first, making sure you survive before anything else. And this is when you decide to get worked up?"
" !"
Grimm looked back, surprised by words of comfort he was not accustomed to hearing from his old brother in arms. His face was invisible in the darkness, but his gaze felt angry. How can you act so unconcerned? he seemed to be asking.
At this rate, they would be late for the wedding. Yet, Wilhelm showed no sign of consternation; his temper had gotten no shorter. He was obviously impatient, but that was as far as it went.
He considered the facts.
"Even if I were to miss the ceremony, she and I already know how we really feel. As long as those feelings haven't changed, there's no reason for me to get all bent out of shape."
" "
"Besides, I've got no intention of being late. I am going to make her my bride. I am going to come home. I promised her I'd do both those things. If I don't keep those promises, I'll probably never get to eat her cooking again." Wilhelm boasted boldly to the despondent Grimm. Just for a second, Wilhelm got the impression that Grimm was taken aback by his nonchalant banter. But soon, there came a long sigh, a response very much in character for Grimm.
" "
"Don't give me that look. I know what you're thinking, even if I can't see you or your piece of paper. And we don't have time to chat, either. Am I wrong?"
The edge had vanished from Grimm's aura and was replaced with something softer, but Wilhelm brushed it off and resumed searching the cavern. He assumed Grimm simply shrugged at his words and went back to looking as well—or he must have tried to, but then came a weak "ah…" in the darkness.
The sound came from Grimm's direction, from the boy he was carrying on his back. The formerly unconscious child shifted, slowly regaining consciousness.
"Ah, oh… Huh…?"
"…You're awake, huh? Do me a favor and try not to make too much noise," Wilhelm said calmly. He could sense the boy's confusion. The boy picked up on Wilhelm's gentle manner as Grimm set him on the ground; he looked for the two of them in the dark, saying, "Wh-where are we…? Who are you, sirs?"
"Us? We're from the capital. We came to find you. We're in a cave in a mountain. We were looking all over for you and your friends. You follow me?"
"Oh, we're in the Lair of the Earth Snake… So this cave must be…" The boy understood from Wilhelm's explanation where they were, and it frightened him terribly.
"You need to stay calm. You're right, this is the cave they call the Lair of the Earth Snake. The entrance collapsed, and we're looking for another way out… Why'd you come here anyway?"
"…The adults told us not to come in here."
"Makes sense. They all but told us not to come in here."
"But there have been so many earthquakes lately… My grandpa told me a story once. He said the honored Earth Snake that lives in the mountain causes earthquakes. So…"
The boy trailed off, but Wilhelm took his meaning. "You came to kill the Earth Snake. Awfully brave."
He'd spoken too soon. With a note of panic in his voice, the boy said, "Nno! We wanted to bring him an offering so he would stop thrashing!" Then he rifled through his bag. He tossed something to the ground—and an instant later, there was a bright light. It was a strong light, the first they'd seen in several hours, and Wilhelm and Grimm both grunted.
"…You brought ragmite, huh?"
"Of course we did—it's a cave after all. Why didn't you bring some, sirs?"
" "
Wilhelm and Grimm exchanged a sour look at having a child call them out on their lack of preparation. But in any event, thanks to the boy, they now had something to see by. This would make their search considerably easier.
Wilhelm held out his hand, and the boy reluctantly handed over the stone. A ragmite crystal. Wilhelm felt the shining thing in his hand as he said, "I admire the spirit you and your friends showed, but you're too weak for this job. Work on your swordsmanship before you do something like this again so you don't cause this kind of trouble for everyone."
"Er… Right, yes, sir. I'm sorry." The boy hung his head, the advice somewhat unexpected. Now, though, between the light and the wind, they might be able to find where the breeze was coming from and discover a way out. Wilhelm dreaded to think how much time would have passed when they finally emerged…
"But we'll worry about that when we get out. Much as I hate superstitions like the Earth Snake."
The kids had been, in their own way, thinking of the town. There was no point in being angry at them forever about it. But Wilhelm's positive, almostoptimistic mutter caused the boy's eyes to go wide.
"Superstitions?" he asked. "But the Earth Snake is real."
" "
Wilhelm narrowed his eyes at the boy's startled pronouncement. Immediately thereafter, and from directly beside Wilhelm, Grimm gave a sharp ring of his metal plate, touching the nape of his own neck. The echoing sound of metal was the strongest warning he could give.
Grimm had a finely honed sense of danger, and even Wilhelm typically deferred to his perception. Grimm's reaction heralded the onset of true danger.
"Shit, is something—?"
Wilhelm was about to say coming, but before he could ask, it was there.
Sword drawn, he held up the light to see deeper into the cave. No sooner had he done so than a shadow passed in front of the bright fluorescence, a surge approaching them through the cavern with a frenzied rumbling.
" !!!"
It crashed and writhed, a creature that filled the entire tunnel ahead of them, many times the size of Wilhelm or his companions. For an instant, they doubted their own sense of reality.
A second later, the great, twisting shadow launched itself at them.
" ?!"
The relentless wave of destruction caused a second collapse.
11
The so-called Earth Snake took the form of a massive worm, more than thirty feet in length. It had no eyes, which it did not need underground, and its squirming body had no arms or legs. There were, however, twisted horns growing from its dark brow, making the hideousness of its bloodline apparent at a glance.
The horns were proof that it was a demon beast, one of the archnemeses of humanity. Demon beasts were driven by the desire to devastate all forms of life—meaning that the three of them, having unintentionally wandered into its hunting grounds, were now the targets of its merciless attempts at destruction.
" !!"
Its tail came crashing down on Grimm's raised shield. As a shield bearer, he had an exceptional ability to read an incoming attack. They were facing a demon beast, a great, fast creature, and yet he had easily predicted and intercepted the enemy's first strike.
" "
Grimm put all his strength into his shield, deflecting the blow to one side. Instead of hitting its target, it crashed into the stone wall of the tunnel, causing the entire cavern to quiver.
"Hrrk, haak—!" Grimm shook his head with the force of it, blood dribbling from his mouth. He had blocked the blow but couldn't entirely defeat it. There was an uncomfortable noise from his arms, and he had fallen to his knees. It was unlikely he would be able to deflect a second strike.
Even so, he had bought them an opening, however brief. He trusted that the Sword Devil would be able to use it like no one else.
"Good work."
Just two words that nonetheless constituted the highest praise—followed by a cascade of silver flashes in the dark.
The cuts came from every direction and without respite, tearing into the body of the motionless Earth Snake. The monster's skin was very flexible, its slippery surface highly resistant to claws or blades.
But whenever the Sword Devil found one of his blows rebuffed, he changed his approach for the next one. The angle, the intensity, became more precise with every stroke, until finally he broke through the creature's defenses—
"Rrruuuaahhhh!!"
Wilhelm continued his assault with a great howl, blood spattering back upon him.
Overwhelmed by the shouting and the incredible assault, the demon beast withdrew, its body spurting blood. They could hear it slithering along the ground, and the distance between themselves and the Earth Snake suddenly increased dramatically.
"Grimm, get up! This is a bad place! Let's move!" Wilhelm grabbed Grimm by the shoulder, helping him to his feet, then grasped the petrified young boy under his arm. Neither of his companions was able to move quickly, but this spot left them at too much of a disadvantage to finish the fight. He set off running deeper into the cave, relying once more on the light of the ragmite crystal.
But it was as he was running that Wilhelm realized something. This cavern was no natural formation; the irregular tunnels had been cleared by the snake as it moved.
"And that means…!"
That meant it was likely that no matter how far they ran, the tunnel would never get any wider. They would be forced to fight the Earth Snake in a space exactly as large as their opponent.
"We can keep running, but things are only going to get worse for us…"
The assessment came from his deepest fighting instincts, and Wilhelm stopped where he was. He passed the boy to Grimm, then stood with his sword at the ready, looking over his shoulder. Grimm took the child silently, then grunted something to Wilhelm.
"Neither of us can do what we're best at in here!" Wilhelm said as Grimm backed up. "This is the best way to get out of here alive! While I'm going at it with that thing, you run deeper in!" Then he gave the ragmite crystal a smack with his sword, splitting it in two. Even when divided in half, the crystal lost none of its potency. He gave one of the now-smaller lights to Grimm, Wilhelm holding the remaining crystal in his mouth.
"Get going—!"
Carrying the light and the boy, Grimm started running deeper into the cave. The sound of his retreating footsteps was gradually wiped out by the rasp of soil under a great, approaching body. In the light of the crystal in
Wilhelm's mouth, he saw an eyeless, open-jawed monster approach…
"Rruuuuaaahhhh—!"
Straining, he aimed a blow at the demon beast's forehead. His sword bounced off the creature's skin, but then his excessive commitment to battle found its target anew, and he drove his blade through the monster's flesh.
The fluids inside the creature burst forth, their color obscured by the darkness, and Wilhelm bellowed as they drenched his body. But that was as far as his blade went. His enemy's strength was not blunted, and it smashed into him, sending him flying.
"Gah!"
He slammed into a rock wall, driving the breath from his lungs, but still he quickly spun to the side. Barely an instant later, a follow-up attack from the monster crashed into the place he had just been lying, gouging out a piece of the wall. The impact popped the crystal from between his teeth. The light rolled over to settle just in front of the creature, which was raising its head.
" "
He needed his light back—or not, he judged instantaneously.
Wilhelm leaped in, scooping up the shimmering rock with the tip of his sword, diving through the air. With the crystal still balanced upon it, the blade drove deep into the wound once more. The monster, bereft of vocal organs, could only thrash violently, crashing about in the confined tunnel.
Wilhelm couldn't escape the monster's convulsions and slammed into the wall several times. Blood came from a split on his forehead. But he had achieved his goal.
"Now I'll know exactly where you are."
With the ragmite crystal lodged in it, the monster's head glowed brightly. Wherever in the tunnels the creature might go now, he would never lose track of it.
The sightless Earth Snake was unaware of this fact; it retreated into the darkness as it normally did when hunting, hoping to seize its prey from a fatal angle. But instead—
"I can see you, you fool!"
The attack from the great beast was impossibly quiet, but Wilhelm dodged it by a hair's breadth. Even when he knew where the attack was coming from, the tunnel was hardly large enough for him to avoid it. He had to wait until the last possible moment, then edge away. Again and again. Sometimes he managed to strike the beast with his sword in passing, but he never landed anything resembling a critical blow. Whether attacking or falling back, this space afforded him no freedom. At least…
"—?! Grimm?!"
In the middle of the battle, he suddenly heard a repeated, high-pitched sound from deep in the cave. It seemed a desperate noise, but to Wilhelm it communicated a clear instruction.
Emergency summons—it meant to come, no matter what.
" "
Wilhelm did as the metal plate told him, hurrying deeper into the cave. The demon beast happily followed him in his flight, but the glow from its brow in fact lit the way for him, ironically aiding him as he made his escape.
He exited the labyrinthine path, jumped over a fissure, and finally saw an end to the dark tunnel…
"Grimm!"
At the very edges of the light, he saw Grimm at the dead end of the tunnel, both hands outstretched. As Wilhelm called his name, a question flitted through his mind. He didn't see the boy whom he had entrusted to the shield bearer. Why were they at a dead end? Why had Grimm summoned him here? And why was he looking at him with such trust in his eyes—?
" "
Wilhelm threw himself at Grimm, and both of them jumped to one side. The demon beast that had been chasing Wilhelm failed to follow them, and it slammed headfirst into the wall.
There was a great smash, and a burst of dust blasted Wilhelm and Grimm. The impact immediately collapsed the wall the creature had struck. There was yet another cave-in, the narrow tunnel filling with dirt. But that was not the biggest change. That distinction belonged to the thin ray of light filtering in through the shattered wall and ceiling.
"Zergev Squadron, full assault!!"
They heard a great bellow of an order, and then a furious clanging of swords. It was the sound of their comrades mercilessly attacking the Earth Snake, whose momentum had carried it clear out of the mountain.
"Battle concluded. Captain and vice-captain successfully recovered!" Conwood stepped up onto the demon beast's corpse, grinning down at Wilhelm and Grimm where they sat buried in earth.
It was all Wilhelm could do to growl, "Took you long enough."
12
The wedding ceremony was set to begin just after the hour of fire had passed. The moment was nearly upon them, and the ceremony hall was already packed with attendees. Each had high hopes for the beautiful Sword Saint's wedding ceremony.
"And after all those times I said I'd be happy with a small ceremony with only family…" Theresia muttered when she heard the lively bustle of the hall.
"Lady Theresia, no! The entire country is watching your wedding. And I believe that's only right and natural," Carol replied. As the attendant of the bride, Carol was also wearing an elegant dress. It enhanced her own courtly beauty, but Carol herself seemed indifferent to it.
At that moment, she had eyes for nothing and no one but Theresia.
"Lady Theresia, you are truly beautiful. It's enough to make me want to take you away and keep you for myself."
"I might even accept that from you, Carol…but I'm sure Wilhelm would come after us, and you'd have to fight him. I don't want you to fight over me!"
"As you are now, Lady Theresia, I think it would be worth it even if I had to do battle with the sword."
The exchange was joking, but the praise was real, and Theresia put a hand to her mouth and laughed. No compliment could do justice to the way she looked in her white bridal gown. She was so sweet and gorgeous that even Carol found her throat dry, almost blinded by the bride's beauty.
Theresia had simply gathered up her long, rich red hair and put on a touch of makeup, but it created an entirely different impression from normal. If with sword in hand she was an imposing hero, when filled with love she was like a faerie of flowers. Carol couldn't resist a rush of pride to have helped Theresia dress and make herself up. The only fly in the ointment was that she should have to give up the gorgeous Theresia as bride to such an uncouth man.
"Perhaps I really will run away with you…"
"C-Carol? Are you okay? You sounded a little too serious just now…"
"Please don't worry yourself, mistress. It's merely a joke…for now."
Carol averted her eyes from Theresia's piteous gaze, trying to divert attention from herself. Her efforts were interrupted by the slamming of the door to the room where she was waiting.
"T-Theresia! Is young Wilhelm not back yet? If he doesn't hurry, the ceremony will begin! And there's a man who looks very much like His Majesty the King in the audience… I can't imagine it's really him, yet— Ahh, but the accoutrements of a bride do become you!"
"Father, you're quite the nuisance…"
Veltol had bustled into the room, entirely unable to contain or calm himself. He looked from the hall to the preparation room and back, incapable of settling on a single topic of conversation, until finally his fatherly heart was overwhelmed by the sight of Theresia in her dress.
Theresia frowned at all this, but the gaze she directed at her father was without anger; in fact, there was a tremendous, measured gentleness in it.
As was made clear by Veltol's consternation, Zergev Squadron had not yet come back from its patrol. The fact that they were more than half a day late for their expected return suggested they had run into some kind of trouble. Given that Veltol had, in fact, plotted several such hurdles for them, it was perhaps less than logical that he should be so alarmed, but still…
"You see? If you had simply accepted this like a man, instead of reaching for absurd schemes, this would never have happened."
The weepy Veltol was followed into the room by Tishua in a dress that befitted the mother of the bride. She looked at her daughter, the bride herself. For an instant, the eyes of the ever-cool Tishua swirled with intense emotion.
Carol couldn't quite tell which emotion it was. But then Tishua said simply, "You are beautiful, Theresia. I'm sure your brothers would have been so happy."
"Yes," Theresia said, a faint smile on her face. "Thank you, Mother…
And my brothers, as well. And you, Father." She nodded. Veltol, whom Theresia seemed to have mentioned almost as an afterthought, nonetheless welled up at her words and blew his nose on his handkerchief.
"She's right," Veltol said. "Your brothers would surely have blessed you
on this day, Theresia."
"You try to make it sound so happy, Father, but I still haven't forgiven you, you know."
"Whaaaaat?! Even with the ceremony so near at hand?! Anyway, surely we have a more pressing problem right now!"
"And who's responsible for that problem, I wonder…?"
"Lady Theresia, if you get too excited, you'll ruin your hair and makeup. And Lord Veltol, please stop antagonizing Lady Theresia. Consider the time and place."
"Listen to how even Carol speaks to me thus!" Veltol said sharply (it seemed he was still somewhat unrepentant), but Carol was already taking stock of Theresia. It was undeniable that Wilhelm and his companions were not yet back. If, hypothetically, the groom should truly fail to return, the entire ceremony would be a waste, and it would be a great slap in all their faces.
"It's all right. Even if the worst should happen…I don't need anyone's permission."
"Lady Theresia?"
"I don't care about my father's little games. If Wilhelm isn't in time for the wedding ceremony, we'll go somewhere far away to be married. I became his long ago, and he mine. We can never be torn apart. That's why I can hold my head high."
As far as the kingdom was concerned, this was a marriage between the Sword Saint and a knight. But to Theresia herself, it was simply the wedding of one man and one woman—and demanded no more pomp than that. She was grateful to the attendees and happy for their blessings. But even so… "I've never been happier than when Wilhelm came for me that day." Carol almost forgot to breathe at the sight of Theresia's flowerlike smile. The same was true of Veltol and even Tishua. All of them knew the bride could have no truer, no more profound smile. She and Wilhelm had already been bound together. Sometime long ago, no doubt in that field of flowers.
And then—
"I hear some commotion outside," Tishua said in surprise. She looked toward the door. At that exact moment, there was a knock, and in peeked a giant with his head bowed.
The polite but well-muscled man was Bordeaux. He smiled broadly and gave a forceful nod.
"I'm sorry to leave you to fret for so long," he said. "They're finally back."
And so it was: At nearly the moment the ceremony was to begin, news had come of the groom's return to the capital.
13
Just before the door of the ceremony hall opened, Theresia could feel her heart pounding. She had been so calm waiting for this crucial moment, yet now that it had come, all her composure abandoned her. It reminded her that even she was just a frail human.
No doubt the man on the other side of the door had something to do with it. He and he alone, her groom, could transform Theresia into "just" Theresia —not the Sword Saint, not a fighter, but simply who she was.
"Although I don't think he knows that," she murmured with a smile.
"Theresia, it's time," Veltol said from beside her, holding out his arm.
As tradition dictated, the bride and her father would proceed into the venue arm in arm. Theresia linked her arm with Veltol's, the hem of her long dress shifting. She felt his body heat, the tension in his arm, and she let out a small breath.
"Father, I'm sorry for causing you such trouble. I'm going to be happy."
"…! If you make me cry now, the House of Astrea won't be able to hold up its head."
"That's why I said it."
"You always were my most troublesome child."
The words were a bit of a jab back at her, but Theresia pushed aside the emotions they provoked and smiled at her father. He nodded, then opened the door to the hall.
Light spilled out upon them, along with a vision of the royal chapel decked out for the ceremony. The aisle they walked through the church was covered with flowers—yellow petals from that field where Theresia and Wilhelm had met, countless scores of them.
It was probably Carol's doing. Thinking what a naughty thing it was, Theresia looked at the participants at the far end of the aisle. But what she saw left her blinking.
" "
Beside the elegant, impeccably attired party, they stood proudly. They were covered in dust and sweat and grime and still wearing armor and cloaks. In addition to their dismal state, it was all too clear they had gone without sleep—yet there stood the assembled soldiers of Zergev Squadron.
It was certainly not the way one ought to dress for a once-in-a-lifetime wedding like this. It would have been perfectly acceptable grounds for kicking them out of the venue with a stern scolding. Out of the corner of her eye, Theresia could see the shock on Veltol's face.
But as for her, she only closed her eyes briefly, deeply grateful that they were there at all.
Thank you.
She couldn't speak the words aloud but nonetheless expressed her gratitude to the filthy, exhausted soldiers. If getting dressed up to celebrate this occasion was considered a kindness, then the same must also be said of those who had rushed to be present, no matter the cost.
Theresia, who had fought alongside these very warriors many a time, knew who they were. To receive their blessing was a great honor for her both as the Sword Saint and as a woman.
As she walked down the red-carpeted aisle, the attendees applauded her. She pulled on Veltol's arm, smiling wryly at her father. He was so full of emotion, it was difficult to tell which of them was the bride.
As she passed Zergev Squadron, they straightened up and clapped for her, and she favored them with a small bow. They responded with a collective perfect salute, an image that burned itself into her memory.
Grimm and Carol were lined up together to one side of the squadron, both of them watching Theresia. She was sure they would soon have the chance to be on the other side of an occasion like this. She vowed that when they did, she would celebrate them more fervently than anyone else.
Beside them she could see Bordeaux, along with several other kingdom VIPs. There was a hooded figure beside Bordeaux—His Majesty Jionis himself—and she smiled even as she registered surprise.
She savored her heartfelt thanks toward everyone who had gone out of their way to be a part of this ceremony.
And then…
"Wilhelm…"
At the end of the aisle, one man stood on a dais, looking down at her.
Theresia spoke his name, then let go of Veltol's arm. The young man stepped down from the platform and took her newly free arm, wrapping her in his own.
It was that moment when the bride left her father to join her husband. Theresia closed her eyes, thinking about it, breathing deep the smell of the young man embracing her.
"You stink…again."
The words, and her smile, encapsulated her appreciation for the man who had fought so hard to be here with her.
14
The battle with the Earth Snake had ended just at dawn on the day of the wedding.
Conwood was explaining the situation to Wilhelm after rescuing him from being buried alive.
"It was thanks to Vice-Captain Grimm's quick thinking," he said. "The space where the wind was getting into the cave was too small for an adult to squeeze through, but big enough for a child. So he had the kid bring us a message…"
"He set the squadron in ambush, then had the demon beast collapse the cave, huh?" Wilhelm said. "I'm surprised you could tell where we were going to show up."
"We were more frantic than you probably realize, Captain. The squad was canvassing the whole mountain."
And then, of course, Grimm's little surprise and Zergev Squadron's allout attack had destroyed the beast. Cramlin was safe, the children were safe, and as far as public order went, the patrol had been a resounding success.
"Now all we have to do is ride our land dragons ragged to get you back to the capital, sir…or at least to the wedding hall. Come on, there's no time to rest. Let's go!"
Conwood's fierce enthusiasm forced Wilhelm to finally voice his doubts. "I appreciate it, but…why are you all so bent on this? Is Theresia's and my wedding that important?"
Conwood, halfway onto his dragon already, snorted. "We told you. We can hardly leave Lady Theresia standing at the altar by herself. She…she's a girl who deserves to be happy."
" "
"Captain… I mean, Wilhelm. Maybe you don't realize it." The usual jovial tone had left Conwood's voice, and he looked uncommonly serious. He spoke the way he had spoken back when he and Wilhelm had just been two comrades in arms. "But we fought with her, with the Sword Saint, in a lot of battles in the civil war. If we're still alive, it's thanks to her. That's no exaggeration."
Conwood looked dead ahead, hands on the reins of his racing land dragon. Just for a second, Wilhelm saw his eyes flash with selfrecrimination.
"I was overwhelmed by her strength—by the Sword Saint's sword," Conwood said. "So when you finally beat her that day at the ceremony, I could hardly stand it."
"Hardly stand what?"
"The fact that we had never realized that the Sword Saint was also just a normal girl." He gritted his teeth; Wilhelm could see the dejection on his face. Then the tension in his cheeks softened, and he gave a weak smile. "I know it's just a matter of fact to you, but we had never seen it. The Sword Saint was the epitome of strength, the person we had relied on for years. We never thought she was a girl with her own weaknesses."
" "
"We made her carry a sword, made her fight—and we call ourselves knights? We call ourselves the bold, heroic Zergev Squadron? That's why we're all grateful to you for taking the sword from her. We weren't good enough to call ourselves knights or men, and you woke us up to what we had to do."
Then Conwood stopped speaking and smacked himself hard on each cheek. In the space of an instant, he had once more relinquished the familiarity of an old comrade. "That's why we need you to make her happy, Captain. So let's get a move on! I mean, we'd better hurry, sir. Even if we won't have time to wash or change."
"So she won't have to stand there by herself, huh?"
"Exactly, sir."
Now Conwood gave a great, broad grin, provoking a snort from Wilhelm, who put the spurs to his land dragon.
Thus, Zergev Squadron returned to the capital, postponed their afteraction report, and rushed to the wedding ceremony…
"You stink…again."
Wilhelm smiled as the girl in his arms wrinkled her nose at him. For once, he couldn't deny it. He'd had time for neither sleep nor hygiene while on this patrol. He had intended on a thorough washing before he showed up at the church, but in the end, he hadn't had time.
Indeed, there was not a single absentee among those who had been invited to the wedding; all were present. Wilhelm hadn't had time to wash, but at least he had been able to change out of his armor. He hoped that would be enough.
Still, though…
"I do feel bad about it."
"No, don't. This is your smell, Wilhelm. This is you."
"My smell is dirt and sweat? I'm not sure how I feel about that."
"I didn't mean it that way. Silly."
As they stood there, holding each other, Wilhelm gazed directly across at Veltol. The man who was most likely responsible both for his patrol assignment and the various obstacles he'd encountered along the way. Considering the physical and emotional tribulations he had just endured, he doubted anyone would blame him for having a few terse words for the man.
"Lord Veltol. I'm here to receive your daughter, Theresia."
The words he finally spoke, though, were bereft of resentment. He said what he had to say to the person to whom he had to say it.
And Veltol, his face stiff, responded in kind. "…I want you to make her happy."
"I swear it. You don't want it more than I do."
She was, after all, his bride, the beloved woman he was taking as his wife.
Theresia's cheeks went red at this declaration, and Veltol's eyes widened. But shortly thereafter, he bowed, as the father of the bride, and returned to his seat beside his own wife.
Now Theresia and Wilhelm alone remained in the aisle, the two people this ceremony was to celebrate. Wilhelm had managed to change into an appropriate outfit, but his hair was still a mess and his face was still dirty; as grooms went, he was not the most impressive.
Theresia, on the other hand, in her white dress, might have been the most beautiful bride in the world.
"I'll ask you what you think of my dress…after the ceremony, okay?" she said.
"Honestly, I'm not confident I can put it into words."
"Then you can show me with your actions."
"…Well, that might get out of hand fast."
"Huh?"
The groom let out a familiar sigh at his bride, altogether unaware of exactly how attractive she was. Finally, Wilhelm let her go from the embrace, this time picking her up instead. Theresia was a touch startled to feel his arms around her legs and waist as he carried her up to the altar. He treated her light frame as if it were the most fragile and precious thing in the entire world.
"Oh, put me down, you're embarrassing me…!"
"I have to show off exactly who you belong to."
"I think you did that at another ceremony long ago, and the whole country knows it!"
Wilhelm tilted his head at that, as if to say, Huh, maybe. His half-baked excuses didn't mean much anyway. Ultimately, he had done it because he wanted to.
He had simply wanted to brag that this sweetest and most beautiful of women was his bride.
The ceremony proceeded.
Bride and groom faced each other at the altar, where Miklotov, as the officiant, gave a lengthy speech. Wilhelm and Theresia, who only really paid attention to about half of what he said, exchanged vows of love for each other…
"Now then, and albeit for the second time, you may share a kiss, a vow of love before all present." (Was the editorializing really necessary?) Wilhelm took a step toward Theresia.
"Wilhelm," she said, "I love you."
" "
"What about you?"
To his bride's teasing question, Wilhelm did not respond with words.
Instead, as she had asked, he answered with his actions, bringing his lips to hers.
The day of that wedding was the sequel to the love song of the sword devil, the romance that would be sung long into the future…
It was a beautiful day, and a fitting end to the tumultuous and wonderful first act of the Love Ballad of the Sword Devil.