Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 287: Engagement Ep - The Obituary

Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 287: Engagement Ep - The Obituary

286: Engagement Ep - The Obituary
"It must have been Dad."
On the way back, Rera said this. She seemed to have made up her mind that the person who watched her from the mysterious temple below the Antoroff Gorge was Dehor.
"It was definitely Dad. He gave me this sword as a gift."
She mumbled again while fiddling with the sword she had picked up, and Ray could only nod in response.
It didn’t matter who had actually watched us. As long as Rera found comfort in it, that was enough.
Rera was much brighter compared to when they had first set out. The two walked side by side, exchanging bits of idle chatter that had been bottled up for so long. On their way back to the camp, they even held hands briefly towards the end. However, just as they were almost back to the camp, someone jumped out, interrupting their peaceful moment.
"I found you!"
"Where the hell have you been wandering around when you said you were just going for a quick stroll?"
It was a knight holding a torChapter When they were caught and brought back, the camp had already been dismantled, and the knights were preparing to depart.
"We’re sorry. What’s going on?"
Ray Dexter shamelessly asked the captain of the knights. Arpen glared at him disapprovingly and said,
"A reply has arrived from the church."
"From the church? Ah, so you mean a reply from Count Jacob Mordred. What does it say? Will they open the gate for us?"
Ray thought that something urgent must have happened, like the gate could only be opened at this hour, and they needed to hurry through. But Arpen shook his head.
"We couldn't even contact that guy. Jacob has been acKusd of treason. And instead of denying the charges, he fled, causing a huge uproar in Manubium. The movements of the prince and the knights there are suspicious too. Do you have any idea what’s going on?"
"Damn... Halpas beat us to it. And the prince has caught on."
"Seems like it. Anyway, that makes it hard for us to pass through the gate. We’re leaving immediately, so pack your things."
"What are you planning to do?"
Arpen glanced at the knights lined up on their horses and replied, making Ray think he was out of his mind.
"What else? We’re breaking through."
*
When a gate is attacked, the standard protocol for the army is as follows:
A signal fire is lit during the day, and a flare is launched at night. The priest stationed at the gate sends a communication that the gate is under attack to the border count defending the respective border, and troops are mobilized according to the severity of the situation.
There is usually a trade city near the gate, and close to the border, there are often contracted mages residing in the city for national defense.
This means that if a knight order attacks a gate demanding passage, they will likely face an army that includes mages. And depending on how capable the border count is, knights might also be involved.
Therefore, Ray expressed his concerns.
Even with two sword masters and the elite 1st Knight Order of the Kingdom of Astin, they might be able to repel the forces dispatched by the border count, but the aftermath would be problematic, and their losses would be substantial.
Ray advised that they needed to preserve their forces to face Halpas. But Arpen simply said,
"Shut up."
"...I misunderstood."
Instead of attacking the gate, they chose another route. They planned to secretly bypass the border, aided by the Kingdom of Astin’s border defense, who guided them to the least guarded path. Ultimately, the knights bribed the corrupt ranger captain of the Aster Kingdom to cross the border.
...I mean, if they were going to do that, why put on such a show? Glancing back at the knights and talking about breaking through—how could anyone not misunderstand?
Arpen was smarter than he looked.
He wasn’t quite a strategist, but despite his rough appearance, he knew how to use his brain.
The fact that he tricked me... Well, it’s fine. Since he resolved the problem well, Ray saw him in a different light.
Or at least, Ray tried to see him differently, but...
“Ha ha ha ha! Did you really think I’d attack the gate? You’ve got to use your head, your head. You see, ever since I was young...”
Arpen’s excessive bragging only served to tarnish his own reputation. Ray thought he was truly an unrefined noble.
After crossing the border, Rera, Ray, Arpen, and his knights continued to push forward.
Avoiding the gate had delayed them significantly. However, since they were now in another country, they couldn’t rely on postal stations and had to move at a slow pace that matched the stamina of their horses. No matter how hard they pushed, there was no such thing as an endlessly energetic horse...
- Neigh!
...Except for Kus, whom Ray had summoned, who was perfectly fine every morning. Thanks to this, Rera, despite her poor riding skills, was able to keep pace with the knights without falling behind.
After over a month of forced marches since departing from Barnaul, they had finally neared the capital of the Aster Kingdom, Manubium.
Though it had been a long journey, both the horses and the knights were in good condition as they had managed their stamina well along the way. However, mentally exhausted, Arpen halted the knights at a steaming hot spring.
"We’ll rest here for a day. Wash the horses first, then stretch out and relax."
Cheers erupted.
Without anyone saying so, the knights stripped off their armor and rushed into the hot spring. This, however, led to a small issue.
“Ah—get lost.”
“Damn it. Acting all high and mighty just because you’re a woman...”
“You wanna die? Better scream before I draw my sword.”
The gender ratio among the knights was the problem. There were quite a few women in the order.
The physical ability to channel mana doesn’t discriminate by gender. According to research by mages, the rate at which mana accumulates in the body is the same for men and women.
That’s the average, anyway. The speed varies greatly depending on talent, and it’s not uncommon for women to be stronger than men, which is reflected in the gender ratio of the knights.
However, the ratio was about 7:3, with more men. The difference from mages, whose rare mana sensitivity is evenly split 5:5 between genders, was explained as follows:
- “Bigger bodies naturally have an advantage. Mana accumulates evenly throughout the body without any imbalance.”
The density, however, varies with talent.
Royal knights, regardless of gender, possess exceptional talent. Of course, being a knight requires more than just physical prowess—swordsmanship talent is also needed, which introduces some variability, but those who make it to royal knights generally have comparable skills.
Therefore, if their swordsmanship skills were similar, female knights often had superior physical abilities. They compensated for their smaller stature with higher mana density, which became more pronounced at higher levels.
The highest positions, such as knight commanders, tended to be occupied by larger men (also, knight commanders were usually nobles, and noblewomen rarely had the opportunity to learn swordsmanship). Still, exceptional female knights like Katrina frequently occupied the top ranks.
As a result, even though there were more male knights, the generally less skilled male knights were outmatched in rank and were chased out of the hot spring. Seeing this, Ray decided he would just bathe later and let Rera go in first.
“Those guys. They only listen when you raise your fists. And they’re all so tiny down there, too.”
“What, did you see? You’ve seen mine?”
“How could I not? We’re not new to this. And don’t worry. Compared to my husband, you can’t even call it a thing. It’s not intimidating at all, so take care of it on your own.”
Laughter erupted, leaving only the women in the hot spring. There were no partitions or screens, but as comrades in the same order, the female knights had no concerns about being ogled and undressed comfortably. Rera shyly joined in.
“So, you know, my husband bought land near the capital. You know he’s a merchant, right? After all that effort we put into saving money together, now he says he wants to quit trading and start farming.”
“Really? Does your husband even know how to farm? That sounds hard.”
“That’s what I said. He’s so frail—what kind of farming does he think he’s going to do? I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t even keen on buying the land in the first place. I just know I’m going to be the one plowing the fields and weeding. I’m telling you, once he retires, I’m going to be the one doing all the hard work.”
“Oh? I heard the land is quite big.”
“Only the land’s big. I swear, a man’s strength is in his waist. I didn’t notice when we were younger, but the older he gets, the less impressive he is. Ah—should’ve married that guy who used to follow me around.”
“Who? Oh, that junior knight. No way, sis, you married well. I never liked him. He was the type to cause trouble with that pretty face of his.”
“Right. He used to be your squire, didn’t he? Is that so… Did I marry well?”
“Of course. When it comes to men, you’ve got to look at the long term. Honestly, men are all the same, but at least he should make life easier for his wife and kids. So, is your husband still trading?”
“Yeah. I told him farming was out of the question. An old guild leader’s son, who used to work under him, started his own guild last year, so my husband joined him. He should be back by the time we return.”
Soaking in the warm hot spring, the knights were chatting away, exchanging stories. Rera was awkwardly washing herself alone, about to leave when someone approached her.
“Your name is... Rera, right? Why are you by yourself? You should join in and chat.”
“Oh… I’m not a knight, and I don’t really know anyone here.”
“So you were just staying quiet? Come on, join us and have some fun.”
She was a kind-hearted person.
With everyone else in the hot spring, it felt wrong for Rera to leave alone. She squeezed into the group of knights and started talking. Being the youngest, she was soon referred to as the youngest of the group.
Various topics were discussed.
They talked about Malpas, whom they had fought in Barnaul, and mentioned the names of their fallen comrades. When they ran out of words, they sighed and moved on to another topic.
Nothing sparks a conversation like talking about the newcomers. “By the way, how did you end up here? We never got around to asking.” All eyes were on Rera, making her feel embarrassed. She covered herself with her arms and said shyly,
“I have a grudge against Malpas. Ray told me he knew where Malpas fled.”
“Oh, so you’re talking about the person the captain brought in. That person’s swordsmanship is incredible… But aren’t the two of you the captain’s disciples? I see you sparring with him often.”
Another knight asked. Rera wondered for a moment, ‘Am I that old man’s disciple?’ before replying.
“I’ve just been learning a bit from him. I’m not really a disciple. We haven’t known each other for long.”
“Wow, you must be really talented. I’ve never seen the captain teach anyone before. So you’re a native, huh? Maybe that’s why. Ah, sorry if that sounded weird. It’s just that he’s really reluctant to take on disciples.”
Rera asked curiously.
“Really?”
“Yeah. If you ask him to teach you, he gets really mad.”
“Oh, did you ask him to teach you too, sis? I did that once, and he gave me such a glare. I got so scared I ran away.”
“Hahaha. Me too. Captain Arpen can be pretty scary. He yells a lot.”
“Huh? Mr. Arpen yells a lot?”
“Mr. Arpen?”
“Mr. Arpen?”
The knights’ eyes turned to Rera again. She thought, ‘Did I say something wrong?’ It seemed it might be disrespectful to call the captain ‘Mr. Arpen,’ so she tried to explain.
“That’s what I’ve been calling him. He said it was fine… I guess it’s because I’m not a knight.”
“Haha, you really are a native. No offense meant. But since the captain is a noble, we can’t call him that.”
“Yeah, and honestly, even if he wasn’t a noble, I wouldn’t have the guts to call him that. He’s intimidating.”
Yet somehow, it felt like they were missing the point.
Rera still didn’t understand why Arpen was considered scary. She figured it might just be because he was their superior and stayed quiet. The conversation moved on quickly.
“Hey! How long are you girls going to hog the place?!”
“I told you, he’d be the first to throw a fit.”
“Ha, ha, ha. He really is. But hey, sis, when did you see that guy’s junk?”
“I haven’t, but I can just tell.”
The women burst into laughter as they left the hot spring. They dried themselves off and put on their damp clothes from the long journey, glancing at the angry knight as they passed by.
“What? What’s your problem?”
“Nothing.”
Rera didn’t know who he was, but she chuckled along with the other women. She handed Ray a bath sponge and other cleaning supplies.
“Have fun.”
“...Yeah.”
Ray gazed at her for a moment. Seeing her much brighter than before made him feel at ease.
When the men finally came out of the hot spring, it was time for a meal.
“At least they’ve got some sense.”
As one of the knights mentioned, the female knights had gone to a nearby village to get food, so they were able to enjoy a leisurely meal for the first time in a while.
Afterward, during their free time, everyone rested in their own way. Rera went for a walk with Ray.
“It feels nice.”
“Yeah, it does.”
Rera gently squeezed Ray’s hand. As she stroked his rough, calloused palm, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was the lingering heat from the hot spring or the earlier conversation about that guy’s junk, but she leaned in and kissed Ray.
“...You’re in a really good mood, huh?”
“Why, don’t you like it?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then… shall we do a bit more?”
Rera pulled him into an embrace. But then, suddenly,
‘Now there’s no one left to scold us... whether we have sex or do anything else.’
The thought crossed her mind. At least she still had her mother, but Ray was an orphan. No relatives, no one left.
Rera stroked Ray’s hair, and Ray met her gaze with steady eyes. Fortunately, Ray was not small… Actually, he was quite...
“Uh, Ray?”
“...This is bad.”
Moments later, Rera, with her entire body flushed red, hastily tidied her tousled hair and chased after Ray, who was sprinting away.
Why did he suddenly do that?—she wondered, still feeling a bit dazed, as Ray hurriedly approached Arpen and spoke urgently.
“We need to leave immediately.”
“Hmm? Why? There’s no need to rush. We’re almost there, and we should rest for at least a day…”
The tracking skill that had been in place was just severed moments ago. Shaking his head, Ray whispered,
“Count Jacob Mordred is dead.”

Chapter 287: Engagement Ep - The Obituary