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Chapter 98
Hallucination
“The gargoyle nest is atop the cliff; ordinary knights cannot reach it.”
“…….”
“We need an exceptional archer, but among those remaining in the capital, there are very few skilled archers. Especially those with abilities like Her Majesty the Queen are rare.”
Diana listened to Ribus. Now she understood why he had involved her, the Queen. The cliffs were difficult for knights to approach, but the gargoyles continued to multiply, attacking travelers to the capital or potentially invading if their numbers exceeded a certain threshold.
“Were there always this many monsters?”
“They say the Kingdom of Rodbrock had many a hundred years ago… but now, Your Majesty has probably wiped most out, so it’s certainly strange.”
Diana paused for a moment, then nodded. She wasn’t exactly quick with calculations in the first place.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
“Are you serious?!”
Ribus’s eyes gleamed. What is it with this person? She wished he would at least mock her like before. She knew the truth: he bore no goodwill toward her; he simply praised her because she was convenient to use.
“There is no Queen as merciful as you. You are the greatest blessing of the Rodbrock Kingdom…”
“I said I’ll go!”
Diana grit her teeth and shouted. The way he treated her sent shivers down her spine. Somehow, she felt that Ribus was enjoying this.
“Here again…?”
“Why on earth, Ribus…”
Ribus and Ines sighed as they looked at Diana. The knights of Vargharti, preparing to depart, were now tense with Diana in their midst. The Vargharti knights, renowned hunter-archers from the capital, and two wizards were all standing, ready to head out.
Wizards.
They were individuals with very rare abilities. Long ago, when the gods loved humans, they wielded immense magical power, shaking the heavens and cleaving the earth, using divine energy as the gods’ cherished creations.
But when they exceeded their limits and meddled in the creation of life, the gods became angry, taking back their power. Today, wizards could only use basic spells such as fire magic or levitation.
Diana observed them with curiosity. Dressed in long robes like priests, each was engaged in their own conversation.
Could they detect that Diana herself wielded elemental power?
She felt a slight worry, but having decided to participate, she had to see it through. As she stepped among them, some muttered complaints.
“Not only are we climbing cliffs, but we have to provide an escort too.”
“Hey!”
One knight shouted toward the source of the noise. Diana deliberately ignored them. After being adored abruptly like before, it felt almost grounding to return to reality. For the past few days, she had felt like she was floating above the clouds—this was a relief.
Diana let out a faint smile, causing those around her to glance at her in surprise.
The climb was not easy. Though Diana had lived long in the Kingdom of Rodbrock, she had seldom ventured outdoors. Heading toward the cliffs, they had to dismount and proceed on foot.
The knights ascended the rugged mountain path effortlessly, but Diana struggled. Jagged rocks jutted out, the ground caved in at places, and she stumbled several times. A wizard, noticing her difficulty, cast a levitation spell to help her stay afloat.
“Sorry for making you use magic.”
“If you know, then quietly go. Stop causing trouble.”
Diana looked at the one who had cast the spell. A boy with white hair and blue eyes seemed annoyed at having to help her.
“That’s really unfair! Are all wizards like this?”
Bill snapped, glancing at Diana, which she deliberately ignored.
“I’m not part of the royal court. What’s wrong with saying this much?”
“…….”
“Your Noble Majesty the Queen has so many concerns just being here, don’t you agree?”
The wizards spoke as if seeking the knights’ agreement, and a few coughed awkwardly. The Vargharti knights beside Diana were enraged.
“Are you treating the Queen of this kingdom as a burden?”
“We came to assist her as we should!”
Why were these knights like this? In a past life, they had hated her so much, and now they were eager to defend her.
“It’s fine. I’ve not traversed these paths often; I admit I caused inconvenience.”
“…….”
“One thing to clarify: I can protect myself. Your help is unnecessary.”
Seeing their expressions of distrust, Diana smiled faintly. The sight fueled her resolve.
“So, if you focus on the task and not worry about me, I would appreciate it.”
Some frowned at her words. Amid this tense atmosphere, they finally reached their destination.
“……It wasn’t supposed to be this high.”
One archer muttered. Diana looked up. The cliff towered as if piercing the sky. But even from afar, something green stood out against the gray rocks—slimy, green eggs clinging to the rocks. Guarding them, gargoyles flew around the cliff.
“There are many eggs.”
“They must all be burned. They’re nearly ready to hatch.”
One knight said tensely. Even with their strong bows and great effort, they could not reach the gargoyles from here. Nodding in agreement, they decided to climb the cliff.
The small wizard rode on Bill’s back, while Rogaph and Ines stayed by Diana, seemingly to guard her.
The archers were in the same position. The distance was too far for arrows. Diana hoped the gargoyles would not detect the humans climbing from below.
However…
“Kiiiieeeek!”
The guardians of the eggs were alert and immediately approached the knights climbing. The ground-bound wizard cast fireballs, but the range was limited. Diana, seeing this, shouted:
“Lift me into the air!”
“What?”
“Hurry!”
The white-haired wizard quickly levitated Diana. She drew her beginner’s bow and fired at a gargoyle attacking Bill without hesitation.
Fiiing!
The arrow pierced the gargoyle’s head. Diana continued to shoot at those attacking the climbing knights. The forest’s unstable air sometimes made her miss.
Those who fell were dispatched by the knights or archers below. The gargoyles then focused on the ground instead of the climbers.
Perfect!
Despite their intelligence, they were still monsters. They quickly forgot the climbers and attacked those on the ground. Diana strategically shot arrows at the gargoyles attacking humans.
The standoff did not last long. Those who reached the top set the eggs ablaze. The green, slime-coated eggs boiled and burst with pop sounds.
Even a gargoyle about to hatch squealed and collapsed, its arms dropping lifelessly.
“Phew… is it over?”
The knights shook their swords to clear them. Diana’s levitation spell ended, and she lightly landed. Summoning sylphs to be cautious, she scanned her surroundings.
Diana stood dazed.
It was over. Thankfully, no major incident occurred. Although troublesome and difficult, this was probably why Ribus had sent her—it was safe.
She nodded as she watched the group reorganize. Some glanced at her; a few archers whispered about her but did not approach.
“Your Majesty, please rest.”
Diana nodded, tapping her foot impatiently, hoping the situation would quickly resolve. Being the queen, she did not have to handle the aftermath herself.
Suddenly, a bubbling sound caught her attention. Was water boiling? What was it? As she approached, a gargoyle sprang out from the bushes. Seeing the bright green, Diana screamed.
“Ah!”
She had thought the gargoyle nest was only atop the cliff. She had no idea they had laid eggs among the bushes! These were moments away from hatching.
There were many gargoyles, and they immediately hatched, attacking knights near Diana. The sheer number of them caused panic.
As if a trap had been set, the sudden attack froze the knights in place.
Diana narrowly dodged a rushing gargoyle. She had no time to shoot arrows. She summoned sylphs, but they missed the frenzied gargoyle.
It grabbed her wrist, pinning her to the ground. Its sharp claws cut her hand as it opened its mouth, screaming while looking at her face.
No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t overpower it. The knights were all fighting. No one could help her. Seeing the tooth-filled maw, Diana felt the certainty of her death.
After living so hard…
And now, this was the result?
Was she going to die?
She felt wronged. However…
At the moment she saw a sword pierce the gargoyle attacking her, she gasped.
The sword drew out, green blood splattering. The gargoyle pressing on her disappeared from her sight.
Diana looked toward the man standing against the sun. His black hair fluttered in the wind. His shadowed face held violet eyes with a chilling light. Strands of hair partially covered his face, different from the last time she saw him.
Though shadowed, she sensed the urgency in his expression. Diana blinked against the dazzling light.
It couldn’t be…
The man before her was clearly Giskar, her husband.
Giskar was standing there.
