TSMMT Ch 98

Hallucination

[Revius] "The gargoyle nest sits atop a cliff, inaccessible to standard knights."

[Dianna] "……"

[Revius] "We require exceptional archers, yet few skilled bowmen remain in the capital right now. Experts possessing Your Majesty's ability are rarer still."

Dianna listened to his explanation. Hearing it, she understood why he dragged her, the Queen, into this matter.

Climbing the cliff proved difficult for knights. Yet gargoyles reproduced continuously, attacking travelers bound for the capital, and if their population swelled, they would invade the capital once more.

[Dianna] "Are monsters usually this numerous?"

[Revius] "They say monsters infested Lodbrog a century ago…… His Majesty wiped them out completely, making this resurgence strange indeed."

She deliberated briefly and nodded. She possessed no knack for complex calculations in the first place.

[Dianna] "Very well. I shall go."

[Revius] "Is that true?!"

His eyes sparkled.

What on earth is wrong with him? I would prefer he mock me like before.

She knew well that he harbored no goodwill toward her. He merely elevated her status because she was useful.

[Revius] "No queen matches your mercy. You are an absolute blessing to the Lodbrog Kingdom……"

[Dianna] "I said I will go!"

She shouted through gritted teeth. Being treated this way by Revius gave her goosebumps. She got the impression that he was secretly enjoying himself.

---

[Inez] "Your Majesty has come again……Why on earth would Lord Revius do this?"

Inez and the knights looked at Dianna and released sighs. When she joined the Vargrhati knights preparing for deployment, a tense atmosphere enveloped the group.

The Vargrhati Order, renowned capital hunters, archers, and two mages, stood ready for the expedition.

Mages.

They possessed extremely rare abilities. Long ago, when the gods loved humanity, mages wielded vast magical power, shaking the heavens, splitting the earth, and channeling divine strength as the creator's most cherished creations.

Yet, failing to recognize their limits, they dabbled in creating life. Wrathful gods stripped away their power, leaving modern mages able to cast only simple magic like fire spells and levitation.

Dianna observed them out of curiosity. Clad in long robes like priests, they conversed among themselves.

Would they detect that I use spirit magic?

Worry flickered within her, yet having resolved to participate, she had a duty to fulfill. As she stepped among them, several mages grumbled.

[Mage] "Navigating a cliff is hard enough without guarding an escort."

[Vargrhati] "Hey!"

A knight barked toward the mage. Dianna refrained from responding to their reactions.

After receiving sudden worship earlier, this cold reception grounded her back in reality. Having lived for days as if floating above clouds, returning to reality felt welcome.

Dianna offered a faint smile, causing the people around her to stare in shock.

---

The ascent proved difficult. Though Dianna had lived in Lodbrog for years, she had never ventured beyond the palace grounds.

Because they had to head toward the cliff, after descending a distance on horseback, they proceeded on foot.

The knights ascended the rugged mountain path with ease, but Dianna struggled. Jagged rocks jutted out, sections of ground gave way, and she tumbled multiple times.

Unable to watch any longer, a mage cast levitation magic upon her, saving her from utter exhaustion.

[Dianna] "I am sorry for making you expend mana."

[Mage] "If you know it, walk quietly and stop being a burden."

She looked at the person who cast magic on her. A white-haired boy with blue eyes, appearing thoroughly annoyed by assisting her.

[Bill] "That is going too far! You think being a mage gives you free rein?!"

Bill snapped. Casting a sideways glance at Dianna, he met her deliberate indifference.

[Mage] "I am not affiliated with the royal palace, so what is wrong with stating facts?"

[Vargrhati] "……"

[Mage] "Because Her Noble Majesty graced us with her presence, think of how many extra details we must manage. Isn't that right?"

When the mage sought agreement from the knights, several cleared their throats. The Vargrhati knights surrounding Dianna flared with anger.

[Vargrhati] "Are you treating the Queen of this nation as an inconvenient burden?"

[Vargrhati] "She came specifically to assist us!"

What is wrong with these knights? In my past life, they detested me to the point of madness, yet now they are desperate to protect me.

[Dianna] "It is fine. Having rarely climbed mountain paths, I am indeed causing a burden."

[Vargrhati] "……"

[Dianna] "However, let me clarify one thing: I can protect myself. I require no assistance from any of you."

Seeing their doubtful expressions, she smiled. Facing those looks, defiant pride quietly stirred within her.

[Dianna] "So please focus on your duties without worrying about me. I would appreciate that."

She offered a faint smile, causing several men to scowl. In that thoroughly tense atmosphere, they reached their destination.

[Archer] "……No one mentioned it was this high."

An archer stated.

Dianna looked toward the cliff as well. It towered as if piercing the sky. Yet even from a distance, something distinct from the gray rock caught her eye. Green, odd slime-coated eggs—differing entirely from the green of the forest—clung to the rock face. As if guarding them, a swarm of gargoyles circled the cliff.

[Dianna] "There are so many eggs."

[Vargrhati] "We must burn them all. They are about to hatch."

A knight spoke with tension. No matter how stiff the bowstring or massive the bow, arrows couldn't reach the gargoyles from their current position on the ground.

The group nodded, resolving to scale the cliff. The small-framed mage rode piggyback on Bill's back, while Logaple and Inez stood beside Dianna, assuming a protective stance.

The archers reacted similarly, not daring to shoot across such a vast distance. It was far too distant. Dianna hoped the gargoyles would fail to notice the humans climbing below.

However—

[Gargoyles] "Kieeereeeek!"

Guarding their eggs, the beasts possessed sharp senses, immediately swooping down toward the climbing knights. A mage on the ground launched fireballs, but the range proved limited. Unable to watch quietly, she shouted.

[Dianna] "Levitate me into the air!"

[Mage] "What?"

[Dianna] "Hurry!"

Grasping her intent, the white-haired mage hastily levitated Dianna into the air. Raising her beginner's bow, she launched an arrow at a gargoyle attacking Bill without a moment's hesitation.

Thwip!

An arrow pierced the gargoyle's head cleanly, sending it crashing down. Dianna shot continuous arrows at gargoyles attacking the ascending knights. However, atmospheric instability in the forest caused occasional shots to clip their wings instead.

Fallen beasts were eliminated on the ground by knights and archers. Realizing the threat, the gargoyles shifted their attacks away from the climbers, targeting the forces on the ground instead.

It worked!

Though possessing high intelligence for monsters, they remained beasts. They quickly forgot the climbers scaling the cliff and focused entirely on attacking the ground force. Dianna grabbed quivers of arrows, shooting down gargoyles targeting the climbers.

---

The stalemate didn't last long. Those reaching the summit set fires. The protruding green slime eggs boiled violently like water in a pot. Hissing sounds echoed before the eggs burst open with loud pops.

Gargoyles on the verge of hatching tumbled out, screeching their final cries before going limp.

[Vargrhati] "Phew…… Is it over?"

Knights dusted off their blades. Levitation magic wearing off, Dianna landed lightly on her feet. Just in case, she summoned Sylphs to guard her surroundings.

She stood dazed.

It is over now. What a relief that nothing went wrong. Then again, troublesome as it was, Revius sent me because it was safe.

She nodded as she observed the group reforming ranks.

Several people cast glances toward Dianna. Archers whispered among themselves while looking at her, yet none dared approach.

[Vargrhati] "Please rest, Your Majesty."

Dianna nodded, waiting anxiously for the situation to wrap up. In any case, being queen meant she didn't need to handle cleanup, which brought relief.

Wandering slightly off to the side, a bubbling sound struck her ears.

Is water boiling? What is that?

Approaching the noise, she spotted a gargoyle bursting forth. Spotting bright green slime through the bushes, she gasped in horror.

[Dianna] "Aahh!"

She had assumed the gargoyle nest was restricted to the cliff top. She never realized they had laid eggs within the bushes as well! Worse still, these were on the verge of hatching immediately.

More than one or two gargoyles hatched instantly, bursting out to attack the knights standing near Dianna. Surprised by the sudden swarm, the knights panicked.

As if an intentional trap had been set, this sudden assault pinned them down.

Dianna dodged a gargoyle pouncing toward her by a hair's breadth. In the chaotic ambush, she had no time to draw her bow. Summoning a Sylph to target the beast, her spell failed to strike cleanly against a monster consumed by murderous intent.

The gargoyle grabbed her wrists, pinning her to the ground. Sharp claws dug into her skin, leaving bloody gashes. Staring at her face, the beast opened its fanged maw wide and shrieked.

Exerting all her strength, she proved no match for its raw power. Though she thrashed, her struggles proved useless against the monster.

Every knight was locked in battle. No one could reach her in time. Staring into that wide, fanged mouth, she felt death approaching.

After struggling so hard to live. So this is the outcome? Am I going to die?

Resentment welled within her. However—

The instant a blade pierced the belly of the gargoyle pinning her, Dianna gasped for air.

The sword withdrew, spraying green blood. Simultaneously, the beast crushing her vanished from view.

Dianna looked up at the man standing against the sun. Black hair fluttered in the wind. Purple eyes gleamed with a cold light from his shadowed face. His hair, slightly long and falling near his eyes, differed from the last time she saw him.

Though his face was shadowed, the desperate urgency etched upon his features shone clearly. She blinked against the dazzling light.

Because there was no way this man could be here. The man standing before her was Guiscard—her husband.

He stood right before her.

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