TS Duchess Eliza’s Internal Affairs

Chapter 17

Clanetta's Monster Extermination — Part 3

Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV

In the afternoon, eight days after the contact with the monster, a covered wagon belonging to Bernhardt arrived at the manor house, and all the ingredients were in place for the extermination of the monster.

「Bernhardt. That was quick. Did you receive the replacement horse without delay?」

「Thanks to the Princess. The travel went with ease.」

In order to get them there as soon as possible, I had sent messengers to all the towns between Amyn and Sparling to prepare healthy horses. Since it was an urgent request, I thought it would be better if it could take one shift, but I was told that preparations had been made in all the towns he stopped in. Thanks to this, we were able to shorten the number of days compared to our expectations.

「I brought this stinky yellow stone as you requested. So what in the world are we supposed to do with all this stuff?」

Bernhardt, who had jumped down from the governor’s platform, asks curiously as he picks at the sulfur on the back of the truck.

「It is used to make something called gunpowder. A few had that yellow stone, sulfur, in Amyn. I’ve just finished a prototype using it.」

「Gunpowder, is it? I’ve never heard of it.」

「You’ll know it when you see it. I’ll be testing the prototype outside of Amyn, so Bernhardt can follow along.」

◆

Witnessing my experiment in a vacant lot for training outside the city walls were Emily and the knights who participated in the defeat, and the refugees of the village. And then there was my father, who had asked me to do the impossible this time. I was there to report back to him.

「Eliza. Is that the secret to slaying monsters? It looks like a tube wrapped in cloth.」

「Yes. This is called gunpowder, and in this is the same sulfur that Bernhardt delivered to me earlier. The charcoal was prepared by the charcoal makers. It contains crushed and kneaded nitre that is added to the cultivated land.」

「When you say nitrites, you mean the fertilizer that was extracted from that soil and human waste?」

「Exactly, this is used to burn the sulfur and charcoal in the tube.」

Claude’s contribution was of course due to Father’s help, but the fact that the prototype was created so quickly was largely due to Claude’s efforts. The knight who had preceded us had arrived only a day earlier than we did, and he had all the materials he had instructed us to use in that single day. Even sulfur, which Bernhardt later brought from Sparling, was prepared in small quantities by the town’s mineral merchants. This allowed them to confirm the proportions of the gunpowder mixture, and despite a few failures, they were able to bring it to a practical stage in a short period of time.

I thank him in my heart for not accompanying me on this experiment due to his busy schedule, and continue with my explanation to Father.

「This is such an apparent but very powerful thing. In order for you to understand this, I asked you to be present today, despite your busy schedule.」

「…I understand. I will see it through with all my heart.」

Perhaps sensing an unusual atmosphere from my more serious expression, Father’s face changed to that of the Lord of Clanetta, not of a parent. After bowing to my father, I turned to those who were standing away from us and announced the start of the experiment.

◆

A straw was erected, just as the knights do when they train, and about 20 meters away from it, Emily and I began our preparations. Father and others are further back, watching me.

The powder, the ignition rope made of cotton thread dipped in melted nitre, and the Albarett I had been using the other day are all ready. The gunpowder is strapped to a short crossbow arrow and placed on Albarett. Although the flying distance is slightly reduced, we have confirmed that it flies fine with this method using a mockup with the same amount of sand in it.

「Princess. The fireline is ready. You can start anytime.」

「Ahh, thank you.」

With my free left hand, I took a fire rope and holds it close to the fuse of the gunpowder. However, just as I was about to do so, my hands stopped moving. The right shoulder holding the crossbow with gunpowder attached feels tremendously heavy. It was as if the responsibility for a possible future tragedy was pressing down on them all at once. The responsibility for the stigma of the tragedy was being asked of them all at once.

——Still, there are people I want to protect.

I look at the villagers, at Father and the knights, and at Emily. By then, I could already move my hand. I lit the fuse and fired an arrow straight at the winding straw.

◆

The events before him did not seem real to Daniel, Lord of Clanetta. When his own daughter thought she had hit the straw with an arrow, a few moments later there was a flash, an explosion, and white smoke, and when it stopped, the straw was gone without a trace.

And when his daughter came near Daniel and the others, she told the knights and villagers, who were as surprised as he was, in a young but powerful voice. As long as she have this, she have nothing to fear from monsters. She said she would save the village. The villagers, who had suffered so much, wept tears of joy, and the knights, whose friends had been wounded by the monster, let out a brave cry.

「Eliza… what are you…」

Who is she? Daniel swallowed desperately as the words were about to come out. This is because he had a bad feeling as if he would lose his beloved daughter as soon as he said that. But the words that were on their way out were overheard by her. Eliza approached Daniel and spoke to him with a melancholy expression I had never seen on her face before, like an older adult.

「…Father, and I have something important to tell you, Mother. Let’s go to the villa.」

◆

I had a sneaking premonition that such a day would come. As I changed into my loungewear alone in my room, where the sun was setting, I remembered the look on Father’s face when he saw the power of gunpowder. I remember the look of astonishment, bewilderment, and slight fear on his face.

How did the daughter’s knowledge of a weapon that brings about clear destruction appear in her father’s eyes? But however it looked, I could not remain silent. I took one look at the setting sun, finished dressing, and headed for the living room where my parents were waiting.

A fire was already lit in the living room fireplace. Young Adolf and his twin had fallen asleep, and the only people present were me, my parents, and Emily, who was serving them, sitting across from each other on the sofa near the fireplace.

「Emily. I’m going to ask you to stay on. I have a story you need to hear.」

「I understand.」

I put my share of tea on the side table and stopped her as she bowed to leave the room. Emily bows to us again and steps back behind me.

「Eliza. What’s the story? Did you come up with something interesting again?」

「No, not today. Father. Mother. I owe you both an apology.」

Mother, wearing a white loungewear that matched mine, seemed to sense something was amiss when Father’s face turned pale. Still, she gently smiled at me and gently encouraged me to speak. Her smile, which seemed to accept everything, pushed me to gather my courage and open my mouth.

「There is something I have kept quiet from you people——」

I told them everything. My previous life, the accident that took my life. That I was reincarnated by God and asked to save the country. Father did not speak, but Mother nodded and listened.

「This is everything I have been hiding from you. I am so, so sorry.」

I get up off the couch, kneel down and bow their heads. They do not open their mouths. It is not surprising. It was ridiculous to talk about it myself, and it was no wonder people thought I had gone crazy. Even if they believed me, it would be unforgivable. Still, I lifted my head, knowing that I was being presumptuous, and asked for a favor.

「I will accept whatever punishment is necessary for having deceived you up to now. But I would like you to do so only after the monster is exterminated. I am the only one who knows how to use gunpowder. I would like to be judged after I have removed the plague that afflicts the Lord of Clanetta.」

「You moron…」

Father muttered something like that and stood up and approached me. I didn’t care if he hit me. I had deceived them for so long that it was not enough to make up for it. But his palms were never clenched into fists, and my father held me tightly.

「Don’t call me “you people” or anything like that! Eliza!」

「F–Father!?」

「He’s right, you are my, our daughter.」

「That’s right. Eliza.」

Mother also came to my side and crouched down, stroking my cheek in a hug.

「We were so happy to have you in our lives. Your smile always made us happy and the many things you taught us made not only us but also the people of Clanetta happy. It was given to us by no one else, Eliza, but by you yourself.」

「Mother…」

「Neither Daniel nor I love you only because you are our daughter. I love you from the bottom of my heart because I adore your kind heart. Am I right? Daniel.」

When my mother says this, Father hugs me painfully.

「Yes. Liliane, that’s correct! We are proud of this child. You is our beloved child. Even if you were an angel, we will never let you return to heaven. Eliza!」

「Father! Mother!」

「Oh my, you’re the big sister already, and suddenly you’re now a crybaby.」

I was so moved that I cried and clung to them, and Mother smiled and toyed with me. But there was also a glint in the corner of my eye, and the shoulder on the side where Father’s face had been when I was hugged was quite moist. We found it oddly funny and laughed for a while.

I nodded to my parents and turned to Emily, who was waiting a short distance away. Her mouth was smiling and her eyes were just a little red.

「Emily.」

「Yes.」

When I called her name, it came back in its usual tone. It was as if she was telling me that she would stay by my side even after hearing what I had just said.

「I am sorry for not telling you as well. I know I am like this, but I hope you will continue to be with me.」

「As you wish, Princess. I will accompany you forever and ever.」

「Thank you.」

The answer she gives without hesitation makes my eyes water once again. Father and Mother look at us happily.

「Eliza, you’ve got a good vassal.」

「Yes. A valued retainer and a treasured friend.」

On this day, I truly became a member of Clanetta.

◆

Five days later. With the cooperation of the evacuated villagers, everything was ready for the monster extermination. That night, before leaving the next day, I gathered the knights in the conference room of the manor house and explained the plan.

「The gunpowder is powerful, but it’s extremely difficult to hit all of it on that lithe monster. To make sure we get him, we need to lead him to a place where he can’t escape. So, we lured him to this terrain near the village.」

Spreading a map on the table, he points to the eastern edge of the Belguim Mountains near the village. According to the village headman, there is a narrow passage a few meters wide there.

「That’s a narrow passage between the cliffs. If he gets in, are you talking about dropping rocks back and forth from above?」

「Yes. The rock is stopped with a wooden plank and dropped just after the decoys that lured the monster out. Bernhardt, I want you and Gregory to lie down on either side of the cliff and take command of the Albarett force from above.」

「Leave it to me.」

Gregory asks a question from among the nodding knights.

「Princess. If Bernhardt and I are going to ambush on the cliff, how do we select decoys? Should we use a light knight?」

「No, I’ve already decided on the decoy role.」

The knights trembled with warrior’s shivers. They were waiting for their Lord’s next words to see who would be chosen. I released a single word that astonished them.

「That will be, ME.」