Volume 5 - CH 2.07

「—Oi」

「Fua!?」

Valeria, who had shut the window, put out the lights and was thinking about getting into bed soon, was surprised that Dimitar showed up at the balcony and somehow swallowed the scream, which had almost leaked out unconsciously.

「W, what is it, Dimitar? The queen has already slept, you know!?」

Valeria lowered her voice and tried to hide the bed where Almudena was sleeping from Dimitar’s gaze while rebuking the rude boy.

「I came because I thought she had slept already. You’re also going to sleep anyway, right?」

「U… t, that’s right, but—」

「I have something to tell you before that」

Dimitar then pointed at the door of the spacious room.

「—Secure the bar on the door and come up onto the roof through the window. We can’t be too far away from Her Highness the Queen, after all」

Right after he said that, Dimitar put his foot on the handrail of the balcony and jumped lightly.

「Hey… he’s really self-centred!」

While getting angry at Dimitar’s arbitrary attitude that didn’t allow any objection, Valeria firmly secured the bar on the door. As long as one didn’t force their way through, one could only go through the window via the balcony to enter this room now. In other words, if they stood watch over the balcony from the top of the roof, miscreants wouldn’t be allowed to break in.

Valeria checked Almudena’s peaceful sleeping face and went out to the balcony. Concentrating her mind on her right leg slightly, she created wind magic and soared lightly.

Their itinerary was already halfway over. Just like they had done so far, the party was concealing their identities and lodging at the biggest—that is, the cleanest and safest inn in town today as well. Valeria was also staying overnight at Almudena’s room and guarding her closely as usual.

However, this was the first time that Dimitar came in the middle of the night and called Valeria out.

When he had climbed onto the gently inclined roof, Dimitar sat down and maintained his sword. Although he didn’t have the opportunity to pull this out even once during the journey towards Roma, he wanted to arrive in the capital like this without pulling it out if possible.

「What is it that you want to talk about?」

「The plan for tomorrow. You’ll explain it to Her Highness the Queen tomorrow morning」

「Plan?」

「The plan for guarding her. Tomorrow will most likely be the critical moment, after all」

「Eh?」

His way of speaking was as though something would happen tomorrow. Valeria sat down beside Dimitar, lowered her voice and asked again.

「Critical moment, you say… what do you mean?」

「There’s neither a town nor a village where we can rest on the way tomorrow. If we take the speed of the carriage of this party into consideration, I reckon that after we leave here in the early morning and pass through the highway in the dense forest, we’ll barely arrive at the next town before sunset」

「Is there something wrong with that? We’re not sleeping outdoors, so it’s fine, isn’t it?」

「…In short, if there’s an attack, then it’ll most likely be in the forest during the journey tomorrow. In addition to it being dense and easy to have one’s troops hidden there, judging from the few stars today, it’ll probably rain tomorrow」

「Eh…? Attack?」

Valeria reflexively looked up at the night sky and ruminated on Dimitar’s words.

「Looking at the topography, if the enemy is going to spread a net and wait for us, then it can only be this town in front of the forest. They probably noticed that we’ve reached here. …In other words, there will surely be an attack tomorrow」

「Hey—Eh? What’s that?」

Valeria opened her eyes wide in surprise and covered her mouth.

It was a fact that the mission this time was entrusted to them because guards were necessary in case of lawless assailants, but it was her first time hearing that they’d surely be attacked. Or rather, his way of speaking just now sounded as if he even knew who the assailants were.

「Hey, Dimitar! You know something, right!? Something that I don’t know!」

「I’ll say this in advance, but everything is His Majesty’s idea. Complaining to me about this and that, you’re barking up the wrong tree」

Making such introductory remarks, Dimitar started to narrate.