Chapter 257
William had Christa in range.
The other Dragon Knights had moved to hold off her escorts, leaving Rita as the only one protecting Christa.
Easily getting past Rita, William ran alongside the fleeing Christa and seized her arm.
"Ah...!"
"Kuu-chan!!"
William drew Christa beneath him and ascended with her.
He intended to take her all the way back to the castle.
However.
"Woooooah!!!! I'm not letting you go!!!!"
"Rita...!!"
Rita clung to the leg of William's ascending dragon and began crawling up toward Christa.
Seeing that, William warned her.
"Let go, girl. I don't want to kill you."
"I'm not a girl! Rita is an Imperial Knight!!"
"An Imperial Knight?"
Hearing Rita's words, William briefly thought they were a child's foolish babble.
But seeing the white cloak on her back made him reconsider.
That cloak unmistakably belonged to an Imperial Knight.
"It doesn't seem like... mere childish nonsense."
"It is no nonsense! Let Kuu-chan go! Otherwise, I'll follow you all the way to hell!"
"...The Empire's imperial family is enviable."
Christa had achieved no military exploits, nor produced results in diplomacy or politics. She was merely an imperial princess.
Yet someone was willing to risk their life for that princess. A child around the same age even called herself an Imperial Knight and committed the reckless act of clinging to a Dragon Knight's dragon.
When William had been Christa's age, he had no friend like that. There might have been people who said they would protect him, but no one would have actually acted this way.
"You're brave... In consideration of that bravery, I'll spare your life. Let go."
William slowly lowered his altitude.
It was low enough for her to land on a rooftop if she let go.
She might be injured, but it would not be life-threatening.
However, Rita took advantage of the opening and continued crawling higher.
"I don't want to go without Kuu-chan!"
"...You'll die."
"Even if I die, I won't let go!!"
Rita climbed the dragon's unwieldy body and reached a hand toward Christa.
Christa reached out her hand as well.
Just as they were almost within reach, William suddenly rose higher.
Rita lost her balance and had no choice but to stop reaching out and cling to the dragon.
"What are you doing, William!!"
William had raised his altitude because Gordon was closing in from below.
If he had left things as they were, Gordon might have attacked Rita.
That was why William had risen higher.
"Stay out of this! Leave her to me!"
"Don't be ridiculous! This is no time for that!"
"Your lack of time is your problem! And I have concerns of my own! If it became known that the Dragon Prince needed another's help to shake off one child, I would become the laughingstock of the entire continent! If you interfere, be prepared to be struck down by me!!"
With that, William moved away from Gordon.
Then he lowered his altitude again and asked Rita a question.
"Who gave you that cloak?"
"Captain Oliver!"
"I see... He entrusted it to you."
The captain of the Imperial Knights would not have entrusted a white cloak to a child without reason.
Had he seen a future in this girl?
Destroying that future would be easy.
But William did not consider that acceptable.
"Tell me your name, Imperial Knight."
"Rita!!"
"I see, Knight Rita. That cloak is still too heavy for you. It is proof of strength. When you have grown strong enough to wear it well, let us meet again!"
With that, William took the javelin mounted on the dragon, reversed its blade, and shoved Rita away with the butt.
Struck hard, Rita was thrown from the dragon.
She fell toward a rooftop, but enduring the pain, she drew her sword and threw it at William.
"Uwaaaaaah!!!!"
"Tch!"
The sword flew straight at William's face.
It lacked speed, however. William twisted his head aside to avoid it, but the blade grazed his cheek and left a faint wound.
The price was that Rita fell onto the rooftop without even being able to break her fall.
Seeing this, William muttered a single word.
"Impressive."
Having offered Rita his praise, William spoke to Gordon.
"We have the Rainbow Celestial Orb! We're heading to the castle!"
"Good! I'll personally place it on the pedestal!"
Gordon declared triumphantly, then climbed onto the back of one of William's men and rose into the sky with him.
Trau and the others pursued them, but once they had climbed high into the sky, there was nothing they could do.
The magic that allowed one to fly was highly advanced, and only a limited number of people could engage dragons in aerial combat.
"Damn... We have to head to the castle!"
"Your Highness! With that wound, it's too dangerous!"
"It's only a graze!"
Despite bleeding, Trau tried to head for the castle.
However, Wendy stopped him.
"You need treatment first, Your Highness."
"Lady Wendy..."
"You've lost too much blood, Your Highness. Moving now could cost you your life."
The activation of the Imperial Banner had already caused Trau to lose a great deal of blood. Now he was bleeding on top of that.
If he headed to the castle without treatment, he would undoubtedly collapse along the way.
But.
"I don't need my life. If I survive without being able to protect my sister, I'd rather die!"
"You can't save anyone without your life. Treatment first!"
Trau tried to push past Wendy, but she refused to move, determined not to let him go.
Amid this, one of the guards brought over a battered Rita.
"She needs immediate treatment! She's unconscious!"
"Rita..."
Wendy gazed worriedly at Rita in the guard's arms.
Her right shoulder was dislocated, perhaps because she had been unable to break her fall, and she had scrapes all over her body.
Seeing that, Trau gritted his teeth.
"I will never forgive them...! We'll split into two units. Leave an escort with the children; the rest will come with me to the castle!"
"Your Highness. That's far too reckless. Dividing our already meager forces in two is foolish."
"Then you expect me to stand by and watch!?"
"It is our only option. We have no choice but to place our hopes in Knight Commander Alida and Prince Arnold, who are in the castle."
Trau tried to object to those words.
He hated placing his hopes in uncertain possibilities.
But his body could not keep up with his will.
"Guh...?!"
His vision swayed, and Trau could no longer remain standing.
It was the price of losing too much blood.
"Lay him down at once! I'll close his wounds! Lay Rita down too!"
With an almost tearful expression, Wendy began treating Trau and Rita.
Wendy wanted to save Christa, too.
When she had been surrounded by dark elves, Wendy's heart had nearly been crushed by anxiety. Christa and Rita had been the ones to save her. The time she spent with them had been healing.
When the rebellion began, Christa had come to Wendy. She had not abandoned her.
Wendy had been so happy.
Even so, Wendy had to make a realistic decision.
If they forced Trau to continue like this, he would die. Rita was in a dangerous condition as well.
Wendy knew that even if this allowed them to save Christa, Christa would not be happy about it.
So Wendy focused all her efforts on treating the two of them.
Healing magic was not her specialty, but she had no time to worry about that.
Fortunately, the cavalry Gordon had brought with him had pursued Rupert and the others.
Thanks to that, they had time to provide treatment.
But it was also true that Trau and the others had suffered a major delay.
Another wind had begun blowing in Gordon's favor. Knowing that, Gordon was in high spirits in the sky.
"Hahahahaha!! We've won!"
As he listened to Gordon's triumphant laughter, William looked at Christa in his arms.
Christa did not move at all. She simply continued staring at the place where Rita had fallen.
William thought she was probably not dead, but he could also tell that her injuries were severe.
Despite the situation, Rita had refused to give up until the very end and had aimed for William's neck.
William was certain that she would become a terrifying knight once she grew up.
But.
"But William, you let your guard down. To think a brat like that could wound you. That's a disgrace to the Dragon Prince's name, eh?"
"I did not let my guard down. I remained vigilant the entire time. That is why my head is still attached."
"Hmph, that humiliating wound has put you in a bad mood, eh?"
"I'm in a bad mood because your laughter is unpleasant. Whether this wound is humiliating or honorable is for me to decide. This is a wound inflicted by a knight who disregarded her own safety to protect her liege. It is no less honorable than wounds I have received from proud enemies on countless battlefields. It is an honorable battle wound. I will not permit insults directed at this wound—or at the knight who gave it to me."
Having said that, William left the formation alone and headed for the castle ahead of the others.
Then he quietly muttered.
"Have you become incapable of even respecting your enemies...?"
Time had changed a friend.
Shaken by that realization, William felt uneasy about what lay ahead.
Those who grow arrogant always stumble in the end.
History had proven that.