Chapter 1 Decisive Refusal

“I refuse.”

A dignified voice echoed inside the wide room. Those words shook the atmosphere.

It was during an audience in Rideiran Kingdom’s royal castle. Despite bending her knees to the King sitting in the throne, enclosed by Knights and numerous nobles, Syltina spoke words of refusal while staring directly at the King.

“…What did you say?”

“I said ‘I refuse’.”

The tone of the King’s voice lowered by a margin, nevertheless, Syltina just calmly repeated the same words from before.
Anger dyed the King’s face. It was an expression that all people present at this audience showed.

“Are you saying you will not comply to me, the King?”

“Have you forgotten, King? Because of the command you–the King—gave, I was banished from this country two years ago.”

Syltina simply mentioned a fact, with a tone devoid of any deep emotion.

“You pinned a false crime on me, forced me to withdraw from the academy, had my household disown me and exiled me from the country. Why must I, whom you called back to this country after merely two years, wield a sword for your sake?”

Syltina was a noble lady. She was Syltina Balratona, the eldest daughter of the “Balratona Duke family” who possesses authority next to the royal family in the Rideiran Kingdom. Such woman lost everything from her hands two years ago, as though it was plotted. Nay, that was certainly plotted. Syltina lost everything to a girl who had come from a different world.

“I am not a citizen of this country anymore. Therefore, I have no reason to abide by your commands.”

“The country where you were born and grew up is in crisis, is it not!?”

“So what? This country that fell into such a situation…is your responsibility as the King. I already told you so. If you get infatuated too much with that woman over there, sooner or later, you will have to pay a compensation that corresponds with it.”

Syltina shifts her attention to the royals waiting behind the King, at the woman snuggling next to the First Prince.

Everything were the consequences of their own deeds. They are not worth saving.
Two years ago, when this country had forsaken her, Syltina lived desperately. She went over the neighboring country, grasp a sword she had never grasped until then, sold her long hair, put on clothes with easy mobility in exchange for dresses, practiced magic until her magic power was about to run out, she truly lived through all of that while struggling to death.

Is it not ridiculous that the very people who drove her to such circumstances are begging for help now that they are in danger?

“The time when monsters started to run rampant in this country also coincides with time she came to this country, so I warned you to not be negligent, but you completely ignored me. You, who not only treated my advice in disdain but also pinned the crime of ’embezzling the national taxes’ on me despite having no knowledge of it at all, what sort of great cause do you have that I must save you?”

From the ancient times, there are creatures that appear in this world when the government and public order of the country are disturbed. These so-called “monsters” are totally incomprehensible beings with uncertain cause and origins, however their strength cannot be compared with an ordinary soldier’s. It is unknown how many countries in the world perished because of them.

These beings also appeared in the Rideiran Kingdom. The kingdom will be ruined if they are not defeated, and a lot of lives will be lost along with it.

However, it has nothing to do with Syltina anymore. She is not saying that all the people of this country are detestable. Even so, two years ago, Syltina definitely almost lost her life to the citizens led by this country’s royalty.
Syltina does not have a tolerant heart to go as far as save that sort of people.

“You mean to say you will not comply no matter what?”

“My mind will not change.”

“Even if I permit you to have the name of Balratona Duke family once again?”

“I have no desire for a status at this late hour.”

“Then I will bestow you lands and money.”

“I enlisted in the Guild, lands and the likes of them are unnecessary for this body that wanders different places in the world. Excess fortune is a burden.”

“If that is the case, I will grant you what you wish for.”

“I will fulfill my own wish by myself. I don’t have any expectations of other people giving me anything.”

Syltina answered no to all of the King’s proposal. Although the King began to embrace resignation seeing her like that, one girl fired off words at this moment. It was the girl standing next to the First Prince.

“Why are you saying that kind of cold-hearted things!? The lives of people are hanging here!”

“…….”

The look Syltina directed towards her is chilling.

“Syltina-san will be able to save a lot of lives by receiving this request! And yet, why are you refusing!?”

Bullshit!! Syltina strongly reigned in the impulse to shout back, and exhaled deeply.

“Akari Fuyuhara-sama, please do not cut into matters unrelated to you. This is my problem. A matter I decide on. No matter how much you line up high-sounding statements, if I said no, everything about this matter is nothing to me. ”

“But your family and friends are in this country, too!!”

“There is no such thing. What exist in this country are only the people who were my friends but scorned me, and the people who should be my family but betrayed me. I no longer have anyone I want to protect in this country.”

Haven’t you deprived me of everything? Syltina thought. The woman named Akari Fuyuhara was the person who schemed so that Syltina will lose everything. Recalling the events two years ago, Syltina unconsciously sighed deeply in her mind.