After receiving permission from Yuri to go out at night (or so she said), Diana played the role of the Red Rose quietly in the carriage during the day, and when she arrived at the inn, she immediately changed her clothes and looked around the town. The roads that the carriage would take were places that Deanna had never been before, and the towns that she would get off at each day would be new to her. She rejoiced in this, and tried not to think about the daytime when she could not move freely.
The trip was going well, and today was the fourth day. The tea break had just ended and the carriage was now moving along a road cut through the forest. The winding road seems to be quite difficult for a large procession to pass, and the speed is slower than usual.

We will arrive at the Mist Temple tomorrow evening. You'll need to leave early this evening.
"I know. I won't cause you any more trouble since you've been so selfish.

I can't thank Yuri and Lurie enough for how well they've been able to cover up the absence of the Lord. I'll buy something for them at the town I'm getting off at today.
Diana breathed a sigh of relief as she secretly made up her mind.
The carriage jolted noisily.

Carriages are supposed to shake. A carriage is supposed to shake, because the horses are pulling and moving.
But what Diana was riding in now was a carriage of the highest quality, prepared by the royal family. The horse, the coachman, and of course the body of the carriage are all of the highest quality. The swaying is always kept to a minimum so that the passengers feel as little discomfort as possible. In fact, during this trip, Diana often forgot that she was in the carriage.
And now, the carriage. It shook so much that the rider's body tilted. That wasn't all. Before the maids in the carriage could ask what was going on, there was a slight shaking of the horses, and the ...... carriage came to a complete stop.

What's going on?

It's a good idea to take a look at the details on the web and see if you can find anything that might help you.

I'm not sure, but it looks like the procession itself has stopped.
So, what's the problem up ahead?
Perhaps it is ...... Ah, the messenger has arrived.

Footsteps are running. It was so unnerving that even Deanna could see it coming. A sense of foreboding spread from the corners of her mind.

"To the Red Rose!

He stopped in front of the carriage and didn't wait for an answer.

His Majesty's carriage was attacked a moment ago. We're in the middle of a battle!

The atmosphere around us changed drastically. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I couldn't believe my ears.
I couldn't believe what I had just heard, and I couldn't believe my ears... The tension of the reality that something terrible was happening instantly swelled to the maximum.

All members of the royal guards are requested to go to the aid of the court immediately.

In an emergency situation, Deanna's mind switched to the Red Rose. The words that came from inside the carriage made the area around the carriage shake softly.

But, Red Rose, that means we'll have less protection .......
But, Red Rose, then our defense will be too weak. The priority now is the king's life. --Head there immediately.
Ha!

A number of horses are galloping away. The only sound was the sound of the palace guards dismounting and moving into position to protect Diana's carriage.

I'm not sure what to make of that.
It's no use saying that. If it happened in real life, you should think about how to get through it.

In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you'll be able to get a lot more.

--I've got a bad feeling about this. I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

I don't know.

It was almost the same time that Rita turned her sharp gaze outward and a scream echoed outside.

Who are you?
This carriage belongs to the royal family, and you know it!

As if to match the shouting of the palace guards, multiple footsteps could be heard inching closer and closer. The sound alone was enough to make Diana realize.

(This is not good. These guys are ...... used to it.

They may or may not have been professionally trained, but they were probably used to this kind of situation and combat. The palace guards are women who have been trained in swordsmanship, but have little practical experience. All in all, we are at a disadvantage.
I glanced at Rita, and she nodded back with just her eyes. She smiled and looked at Yuri.

"Yuri, please take care of Master Diana.
"Rita!

Yuri didn't have time to stop her. Before he could say anything, Rita opened the carriage door and danced outside, right where the battle was about to begin.

"Dear Diana, where is Rita?
It's all right, it's all right.

It seems that Rita's jumping out was the signal for the battle to begin. The sound of swords clashing against swords and footsteps kicking the ground was heard, and soon the carriage was filled with the sounds of battle.

"Di, Deanna-sama: ......
It's okay, Lurie. This fight won't last long. It'll be over soon.


"Master Diana, come here. Lurie and I will protect you.

Yuri suggests that they sit back down between themselves, but Diana shakes her head loosely.

I'm fine as I am. I'll stay where I am. You guys should stay away from the windows.

Judging from the sudden screams of the palace guards, there must be at least one archer on the other side. Even though the window is now closed, it's better to be careful.
She refrained from peeking outside directly, but Deanna thought that once Rita left, it would not take long to settle the matter. Rita was ostensibly an ordinary maid, but she was also an expert fighter, having received direct combat instruction from Sirius. It was hard to imagine that there was anyone out there that she would struggle with.

...... But.

(That's weird. Rita's position hasn't moved since a while ago.

I'm not sure what to make of this. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for before you buy. ...... That means .

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what you need to do.

--If that's the case, this is . This is an extremely unpleasant situation.

Despite the threat of the outside world, Yuri and Lurie sat up straight and did not move from their spot. They instinctively knew that in a situation like this, it would worsen the situation the most if non-combatants did anything unnecessary.
It was easy to see from the color of their eyes that they were determined to act as shields to protect the Lord and themselves in times of need.

(Rita ......!)

In order to avoid being noticed, Diana shifted her body slightly and tried to look through the small window to see where Rita was fighting. Fortunately, Rita was right there, but the situation was far more difficult than Deanna thought.

Rita was confronting a man with a familiar weapon in both hands. The man's weapon was a long sword, which put Rita at a disadvantage in terms of distance. She is accustomed to jumping into her opponent's gap, but the man's movements do not give Rita a chance to step in, but on the contrary, he steps in.
Of course, Rita is not defeated. She took advantage of the opportunity for her opponent to attack and repeatedly slashed at him. However, it seems that the man is wearing some kind of protective gear under his body, and Rita's attacks have not been able to inflict fatal wounds.
And Rita was not blessed with the tools to kill such an opponent in an instant. She has a double-edged weapon that can be used in any situation, but it is not specialized for combat. When she really wants to kill an opponent, Darkness uses this in combination with poison. There are only a few who can fight monstrous battles with this dark weapon alone.

As a result, the two were engaged in a 50-50 fight with little time to spare. And with Rita held back by the man, the palace guards were also overwhelmed by the battle-hardened bandits, and the war was slowly heading towards defeat.

(Don't go to .......)

If things go on like this, someone will lose their life, it could be the worst. I'm also worried about the safety of the palace guard who just screamed.
I'm not sure what to do.

At that moment...

"Rita!

Before she could think, her body moved. She jumped out of the carriage and, almost on a hunch, threw the weapon she was carrying. The light that sent chills down Deanna's spine flew through the air, aiming straight for Rita's chest, and just before it pierced Rita, it collided with Deanna's throwing weapon and fell to the ground. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
If it had been stuck in Rita, her life might have been in danger.

A nobleman's daughter in a beautiful dress, unsuitable for the scene of a deadly battle. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

...!

I felt the unmistakable murderous energy of the attackers turn towards Diana all at once.

These people are after me.

I don't know the logic or the reason. However, Deanna instantly sensed that she was the reason why they attacked the carriage and that they were willing to make any sacrifice to kill her.
--At the same time, she knew how to protect the people she cared about.

The time between when Deanna got off the carriage and when she got here was only about two seconds. Even that much time was enough for her to make up her mind.
With a lurch, she slumped forward. The enemy, who had been fighting close to the carriage, raised his sword, confident of victory.

"No!
Red Rose!
No, Master Diana!

As the screams of friend and foe mingled, Diana slashed the enemy's wrist with the second weapon she secretly carried, and broke through the enclosure, replacing the screaming man. Without looking back, he jumped into the forest on the opposite side of the arrow and ran deep into the forest.
Their target was Diana. If their target was gone, then they would have no reason to attack the wagon. Behind her, she can hear the gruff growls of the men who have lost their prey, and the rough sound of their shoes on the wind as they follow.

Deeper into the forest, Diana fled. She chose a place with as many fallen leaves and as few footprints as possible, deliberately changing direction as she ran.
This would have been impossible for an ordinary young lady. They rarely even walk outside on their own feet. Jumping into the forest by themselves was no different than a slow suicide.
But for Diana, the forest was a more secure place than any castle. Having been surrounded by the forests of the Cresta since birth, she knew that the forest would always protect her, as long as she didn't make a mistake in her interactions with it.
In a simple comparison of speed, the female Diana was no match for her male pursuers. Despite this, the further Diana went through the forest, the more the trackers disappeared, and by the time she had been running for an hour, she had succeeded in dispersing them completely.

(At least, I managed to. ......?)

We had been running around in our dresses and unfamiliar shoes. Deanna was exhausted as expected.
She felt the urge to take off her dress and corset and go light, but she had no clothes to wear. Even though it would soon be night, it would be extremely dangerous to continue running away in such a conspicuous dress, but there seemed to be no other choice at the moment.



And more than that, she had a big problem on her hands.

"Well, ....... Which way is Mist Lake?

The ceremony was the day after tomorrow, and she was completely out of the queue. Now the only way to complete the Lord's Day service without incident was to somehow make it to the Mist Temple on my own by tomorrow night.
No, but...

I should have brought a map. ......

I don't know how to get to where I'm going.
Deanna was right, she was lost.