The Tsunami

Tch...! Why did this happen?!

On the morning of the third day, I found it only natural, despite Elna's frustration.

Because Christa's words had been nagging at me, I had been moving farther and farther south while taking care not to stray too far from Kiel. Elna, who had been disheartened on the night of the first day, hadn't objected to this decision. Her determination to win at all costs must have faded.

As a result, starting on the second day, the rate at which we encountered monsters dropped sharply. Considering the monsters' habits, this was only to be expected.

Monsters' survival instincts are stronger than humans'. That's precisely why they avoid fighting individuals stronger than themselves whenever possible.

"Al. Are we just going to sit here...?"

"Wait a little. Let me think."

Even as I said that, I found it strange that things were proceeding almost exactly as I'd calculated.

On the first day, Elna had rampaged through the surrounding area so thoroughly that the more sensitive monsters had judged her dangerous and stopped approaching her.

This was basic knowledge for an adventurer, but Elna, being a knight, lacked that kind of knowledge. She could defeat monsters, but her understanding of them fell short of an adventurer's. An adventurer would proceed cautiously, then corner and defeat a powerful monster with certainty on the third day.

I had known that, but I hadn't stopped her because I wanted things to play out that way.

At present, only our group, Gordon's, and Leo's have defeated AAA-class monsters. Each group has defeated one. Since we also defeated a pack of Bloodhounds equivalent to one, we were provisionally in first place, but that position was becoming precarious.

The reason was that I had deliberately been moving south. The only people south of us were Leo and my youngest brother. If Elna, whom the monsters now feared, moved south, the monsters trying to avoid her would move south as well. In the end, we could steer them toward Leo and the others.

When I was devising the plan, I had suggested luring the monsters with Silver, but I tried carrying it out with Elna instead. Thanks to that, Leo and the others had also managed to defeat an AAA-class monster.

Our victory was the most certain outcome, but the best one would be for Leo to win. Based on the results of the first day alone, we had a good chance of winning. That's why I had switched to supporting Leo, but everything was going too smoothly.

It would be perfect if Leo and the others defeated one more AAA-class monster, but perhaps that was asking too much.

A captain of the Imperial Guard Knights could defeat an AAA-class monster. However, only the higher-ranking captains could do so with ease. If Leo and the others were already struggling, there was no point in luring monsters to them.

Besides.

"If they're going to make a move, I think it will be soon..."

"Al...?"

"Huh? Ah, sorry. I was just thinking Erik and Zandra seem suspicious..."

"You can't just expect to run into an AAA-class monster. I was surprised there were even three in the East."

"That's true..."

"C-Captain! Your Highness! Look at this!"

As Elna and I were talking, a knight hurriedly showed us a crystal.

It displayed the current rankings.

Our ranking had fallen to second place. Above us was the name of the Fifth Prince, Carlos Lakes Adler.

"What's going on?"

"T-The rankings suddenly changed... He must have defeated two AAA-class monsters, presumably..."

"That's impossible! It would be impossible without an SS-class adventurer or one of the top captains! The Seventh Captain is with Prince Carlos. I won't say he's weak, but it's impossible!"

"Perhaps he didn't fight them head-on. He might have attacked them while they were sleeping, or defeated them while two AAA-class monsters were fighting each other. There are all sorts of possibilities."

"Could a coincidence like that really happen?!"

Well, naturally, you'd think it was impossible. And yet it had happened.

I see. He couldn't hold back any longer and showed his hand. I'd thought he might be lying low for the sake of something bigger, but with Carlos, this made sense. He was simply an idiot being used by someone else.

The Fifth Prince, Carlos, was twenty-three years old. He was an unremarkable man with no particular distinguishing features. He had never been called talented, nor had he ever been called incompetent. However, he was something of a dreamer, and when you spoke with him, hints of a hero complex occasionally showed through.

If someone had managed to stimulate that hero complex, controlling him wouldn't have been difficult.

"If it wasn't a coincidence, what are we supposed to do? Accuse him of cheating?"

"That..."

"There's no point discussing it here. In any case, the deadline is the end of the third day. Let's do everything we can."

Even as I said that, I had almost given up on searching for monsters.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a single monster that didn't flee when Elna approached. It was impossible for us to make up the difference.

However, the moment Carlos took first place, that no longer mattered.

Grandpa had said that winning the festival wasn't his goal. Those were the words of a man who had won the struggle for the throne through intrigue. I could believe them completely.

And then there was the nightmare Christa had seen.

If I believed that nightmare—that Kiel would be surrounded by monsters—the outcome I could deduce was truly the worst possible one.

Kiel naturally had a garrison, but the Imperial Guard Knights protecting the Emperor were scattered throughout the East alongside the Emperor's children. The Emperor was more defenseless than ever before.

Only Leo, Carlos, and I were anywhere near Kiel. Everyone else was moving farther and farther away. The fact that Carlos was maintaining such a precise distance made me think he planned to rescue the Emperor when the monsters attacked him. That was probably what Carlos had in mind.

Idiot. As if things would work out so neatly.

"Please be smart..."

I muttered softly, praying to the heavens that my brother was intelligent.

■■■

The ground was shaking.

Elna was the first to notice.

"No... This is..."

"Elna! What's happening?!"

I dismounted from my rearing horse and asked Elna.

Something was definitely happening, but I couldn't determine anything from where I was. I couldn't exactly use magic in front of Elna, either.

I had to rely on Elna.

Elna dismounted and pressed her ear to the ground.

Then she slowly rose.

"...A huge horde of monsters is running this way... The 〝Tsunami〟 has begun."

"The 〝Tsunami〟...?"

"It's a phenomenon that sometimes occurs in regions with large monster populations, when the monsters' movements overlap and become one massive migration... We must have driven the monsters in the East to flee all at once...!"

I see. That was how she had interpreted it.

It was the most reasonable explanation, and it made sense.

It was easier than bringing out a flute capable of controlling monsters. Carlos was probably planning to weather the situation using that explanation as well.

However, speaking as an adventurer, it was strange for monsters to flee all at once in the same direction. A 〝Tsunami〟 occurred when something like a volcanic eruption, a great storm, or another natural disaster was involved. The only thing here comparable to that was Elna. It made sense for them to flee from Elna, but the footsteps were already quite close. The fact that they were ignoring Elna was far too unnatural.

"Where are they headed?"

"At this rate... I think they'll reach Kiel..."

"Will Kiel's garrison be able to hold them off?"

"I don't think so... The commander of the Imperial Guard Knights is probably escorting the Emperor's consorts from the Imperial Capital for tomorrow's announcement of the results, and only the minimum number of Imperial Guard Knights are at His Majesty's side... No matter how I look at it, they won't be able to stop them..."

The Emperor could simply flee.

He probably had enough forces to do so. But that wouldn't solve anything.

The purpose of this festival was to ease the discontent in the East. If a tsunami occurred and the Emperor fled, the people's dissatisfaction would only grow worse.

At worst, it could lead to a rebellion. If the person using Carlos had planned that far ahead, he was truly malicious.

If war broke out, they could distinguish themselves through military achievements. Whether it was Erik or Gordon, that was a strategy that ignored civilian casualties.

Once they won the struggle for the throne, those men would become Emperor. They would have a duty to protect the people...

"So they're the kind who must never become Emperor..."

"Al?"

"...Elna. If I ordered you to save Kiel, could you do it?"

"...Of course. Protecting His Majesty and the people is our duty as knights."

"We don't even know how many monsters there are. It might be like going to our deaths."

"I don't fear death."

"...What about everyone else?"

"Of course! I swear on my life that I will protect them!"

"We will save Kiel, no matter what!"

Elna's subordinates voiced their courageous resolve one after another.

They said they didn't fear death and would risk their lives. They were all phrases I hated.

I didn't want to hear such self-satisfying declarations.

"...Swear one thing, Elna. On that sword."

"What...? What should I swear?"

"Swear that you will live. All of you, too. Swear on your swords that none of you will die. If you can't swear it, I won't send anyone."

"Al..."

Elna spoke my name in surprise, then knelt, planted her sword in the ground, and pressed her forehead against its hilt. Her subordinates followed suit.

Then.

"I, Elna von Amsberg, Imperial Guard Knight, swear upon my sword that I will never die."

Everyone swore that they would not die.

That should take care of the problem.

"Come on, let's go! Al! If there are this many monsters, we may still be able to turn things around..."

"No... I'm dead weight. You go on without me."

With that, I forcibly removed the bracelet I had been wearing. The rules forbade removing it; doing so meant I would be disqualified.

"A-Al...?"

"I was fiddling with it and it came off. Can't be helped. Careless, careless. Since there's nothing to be done, I'll have a drink in a nearby city."

"Why...? We still had a chance to make up the difference! Why?!"

"I'm already disqualified. Go without worrying about me. You didn't cause me to be disqualified. I disqualified myself of my own free will. Don't let it bother you."

If I merely said I would stay behind and sent Elna and the others ahead, they would hesitate. To cut off that hesitation, I quickly eliminated its source.

With the Emperor and the people in danger, the festival rankings came second.

"Al... You..."

"Make sure you tell Father that. Tell him I broke my bracelet."

Since the Emperor had used the phrase 'two wings and joined branches,' there could be no question of a knight disqualifying a prince, even on the prince's orders.

By removing the bracelet myself, I had taken responsibility.

That gave them no grounds to blame Elna or the other knights. If they saved Kiel, it wouldn't matter anyway, but I had to consider what would happen if they failed. If Kiel couldn't be saved, everyone would start shifting the blame. I couldn't give anyone an opening to exploit.

Perhaps realizing that, Elna wore an expression as though she might burst into tears.

The other knights had lowered their heads as well.

I spoke to my knights.

"I have an order for my knights."

"..."

"Save His Majesty and the people in Kiel. Even if we have to abandon Kiel, that's acceptable. Prioritize human lives."

"Your command, Highness... We accept it."

"Also, Christa and Fiene are there. They'll be frightened, so do something about that, too."

"Y-Yes, sir... I'll leave a few men behind."

Elna answered with an expression mingling frustration, helplessness, and sorrow.

The other knights wore the same expression.

Amid all this, Sebas appeared silently behind me.

"I will guard His Highness. Please don't concern yourselves with that."

"Sebas... Why...?"

"I was naturally concerned—primarily about his day-to-day needs. So please leave it to me, Lady Elna."

Elna seemed slightly shocked when told that a guard was unnecessary. Perhaps she had taken it to mean that she wasn't even allowed to protect me. That wasn't the case, but there was no time to clear up the misunderstanding.

Still, they were knights. Every one of them quickly switched gears and began preparing their horses.

When they were about to depart, I gave them my final words.

"My 〝my〟 knights. I leave it to you. You're the only ones I can entrust this to."

At those words, a faint glimmer of tears appeared in Elna's eyes.

But, as if to brush them away, Elna drew her sword and answered.

"I, Elna von Amsberg, Imperial Guard Knight, will fulfill Your Highness's wish! By this sword and my name, I will annihilate every enemy and save Kiel!"

"Yes. I leave it to you."

With that, Elna and the others galloped away at astonishing speed.

I had thought they were fast when I rode with them, but apparently they had been holding back quite a bit even then.

By the time they were out of sight,

I called out to my one and only butler.

"Sebas."

"Yes, sir."

"Get ready. From here on, it's time to work behind the scenes."

"As you command."

Wearing the usual black robe and silver mask, I became Silver and left the area using teleportation magic.