After a short pause, there was another explosion.
　This time there were two or three sounds in succession, and the outer wall spilled out as if dragged by it.

'As expected, it won't last.'

　Moore confronts the reality as if he were talking to himself.

　Originally, the garrison left in the royal capital was only two hundred.
　The number of opponents is unknown, but at least it won't be less than a thousand.

　In addition, the stunning surprise attack allowed them to enter the city in the blink of an eye.
　It was inevitable that the royal castle would fall sooner or later.

''Young lady, it's about to get seriously bad. I know how you feel, but I need you to think about your own safety at this point.''

'Are you guys safe at ......?'

'I'm sure we have an escape route prepared for this kind of situation, and the castle guards have bought us enough time. All we can do is hope we made it out alive.

　For Moore, who is not a nobleman and is now a soldier belonging to the kingdom's army, royalty would be 'I want you to be safe if possible, but that doesn't mean that you are not an object of loyalty that you would risk your life for.

'Either way, the tide is turning. I can't accept it any more. If you won't listen to me, I'll do everything in my power to take you away.''

　With Moore's unusual seriousness, Minerva understands that the situation is that urgent.

''It's unavoidable. Let's escape from King's Landing.''

　Minerva was itching to leave King's Landing without knowing the whereabouts of the royal family she served and leaving behind the people she was supposed to protect, but she chose to follow Moore's advice.

''Master Solte, Milmeus-sama, join us.

　Solte and Eleanor, who were approached, probably understand the dangers of remaining in the royal capital in this situation.

''Yes. Please leave the treatment of the injured to us.''

Yes, sir. It's going to have to be this way.

　When Minerva asked to go with her, they both immediately agreed to go with her.

The forest to the east, the imperial army to the south, and the north in the middle of the battlefield. So it's the west.

Yes, we'll go to the capital first.

　As Moore said, there are only a few places to go if you want to escape from King's Landing.
　The only way to escape from the enemy's hands and be safe is to take a course to the west.

　Fortunately, the Duke of Nilesteria's estate is just a day's journey west along the coast from the royal capital.
　It was a perfectly natural choice in terms of keeping away from the Imperial and Tria forces.

　Minerva and the others escaped from the west gate of the royal capital and received horses from the people of the duke's family who had been waiting for them and headed west with the refugees.

　But their progress was slow.
　The refugees, unlike Minerva and her friends, are mostly on foot, and the loads they have taken from their homes have weighed on their feet.
　The elderly, children and the wounded were even slower.
　It was impossible for them to escape if their pursuers arrived.

''As for me, I'd like to run to the territorial capital as soon as possible.

'I can't. That would be an affirmation of the deeds of that man in the carriage.

　He didn't protect what he was supposed to protect and put his own self-defense ahead of his own.
　She couldn't approve of such actions.

　However, on the other hand, it is also certain that he has involved Moore and the other guards in his beliefs, and Minerva can't shake his self-loathing.
　All of this is due to the fact that they are only in a position to be protected, and it's all due to their own lack of power.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can do this. In my heart.

　It would be a difficult position for Moore to be in.

　From his point of view of how he wants things to be with the aristocracy, the action Minerva is taking now may be the right thing to do.
　But from the standpoint of being entrusted with Minerva's guard by the duke and his son, the priority is to get her to safety as soon as possible.

　It's an hour to proceed westward on the city road with a heavy air.

I'm not sure what to expect. It's already here.

　With his horse's head turned westward, Moore turned his upper body back and announced the appearance of his pursuers with a gruff voice.

　Minerva also turned back over her shoulder while advancing her horse, and in the distance, she saw a group of armed humans coming out of the western gate of the royal capital.
　Naturally, they were not allies.

''Your pursuers already?　They wouldn't have to chase after refugees who are running away, and they wouldn't have to chase after soldiers.

Well, if it was just the refugees, they'd leave them alone, wouldn't they?

　Minerva comes up with one answer to Moore's meaningful way of saying it.

'...... Perhaps it's because I'm here?'

　The Dukes of Nilesteria are connected to the royal family, and are, so to speak, a branch of the royal family.
　It's not surprising that the head of the family, the Duke, of course, and his daughter, Minerva, also has the right to succeed to the throne, albeit a subordinate one.

　Of course, in normal times, the succession to the throne would never come to Minerva.
　But no matter how subordinate it is, no matter how practically non-existent, the right of succession is the right of succession.
　If the empire wanted to cut down the resistance of the kingdom to its roots, Minerva's presence would be a hindrance.

''You're a popular one, young lady,''

You don't deny it, do you?

　The fact that there was no answer to your question means that.

It's not a good idea. If it's just us, I think we can get away with it if we let the horses run.

　The options given to Minerva right now are few.
　Either she can stand as a nobleman who will only protect her people, or she can use herself as a bait to attract the enemy, or she can attempt to negotiate with the enemy and flee without the displaced people.

　If the imperial soldiers are targeting the heir to the throne, then Minerva herself might be able to ensure the safety of the refugees by leaving the group.
　But if the imperial soldiers were unaware of Minerva's movements, or if they were targeting the refugees themselves, the result would be to rip the defenders off in front of the enemy.
　That could be taken as 'abandoning the people in favor of self-preservation'.

　If so, would he attempt to negotiate with the Imperial Guard?

　Perhaps it will buy you some time.
　But this is based on the premise that the enemy's target is Minerva.
　Besides, even if the safety of the refugees is secured as a result of the negotiations in the first place, what the other party will demand in exchange is that Minerva be taken into custody.

　Naturally, Moore and his guards would not allow that to happen, and Minerva herself believed that it was not self-sacrifice, but simply an abdication of responsibility.
　First of all, there was no guarantee that the imperial soldiers would keep their end of the bargain after Minerva was captured.

　Of course, there was no way they would be allowed to escape without the refugees.
　If that is the case, the only thing left is the path of resistance.

''We must first try to negotiate with the enemy to buy as much time as possible, and once negotiations have broken down, we have no choice but to do our best to hold the enemy back.

''As the person who has been entrusted with the responsibility of guarding you, I'd like you to run to the territorial capital on your own while we hold off the enemy.

By leaving the refugees behind?

I've got about a hundred of them, at first blush.

　It's a good idea to have a look at the imperial soldiers with one hand as a shield.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for. You can't just run away from it, can you?

　Moore asks Minerva, who silently shakes her head.

Why? Why is it so important for you to be proud of your nobility?　Even if it involves the entire bodyguard.

　Minerva's chest tightened and ached as if she was being choked to death by your selfishness and sending her guards to their deaths.
　Still, she couldn't back down.

''Because the people behind us are the people of the kingdom and I am the kingdom's nobleman. If there are nobles of a higher rank than me in this place, they would be allowed to prioritize their own safety. But right now, there is only myself and Master Myrmeus in the room.

　If Eleanor is the head of the Viscount's family herself, it might be a different story, but she is just a mere daughter without a title, just like Minerva.
　Considering their respective families, it is needless to argue that it is Minerva who is considered high ranking.

Then my words are the words of the kingdom, and my deeds are the deeds of the kingdom. At least the refugees will think so. If I forsake them here and now, that means the kingdom has forsaken them. Therefore, I can't run away to protect myself alone.

　This is the role of a nobleman, the brunt of the country and the shield of the people, Minerva was taught from childhood.

I will negotiate and buy time on my own. Captain Greysta and the others will be guarding the refugees--

"Don't be a fool, sir.

　With a dumbfounded face, Moore interrupts Minerva's words.

''To present the nobleman you are supposed to be protecting alone in front of the enemy, what guard would allow that to happen? I wouldn't call that kind of thing an escort anymore.

　Sighing loudly, Moore offered a counterproposal, "Then we'll do this.

''We'll negotiate first to buy some time, and after the breakdown, we'll use the Lady and a few guards to draw the enemy in a different direction. Pull as many enemy soldiers as possible away from the refugees, and after buying time to avoid being surrounded, we will escape. Leave most of the guards behind to stop the enemy from flowing towards the refugees. How about this?　If the enemy is aiming at the Lady, maybe we can get most of our men away from the refugees. I'm sure this will give the Lady and our guards the eyes to survive without endangering the refugees.

'Thank you, Captain Greystar. Let's go with that.

I'll tell you what, it's still quite dangerous.

　Without hiding his displeasure, Moore begins to coordinate with the other guards.
　As a result, it was decided that Minerva and Moore would be the decoys, plus three or so other handlers.
　Sorte and Eleanor also offered to go with us, but Moore brushed them off, saying that they didn't have enough horses.

These five horses are the only ones that have been trained as war horses. The rest of the horses will definitely be useless in battle.''

　In the battlefield, horses are not simply a matter of carrying a man on them.
　Without the training of a warhorse, they would be startled by the roars, sword fights, and magical lights and sounds of soldiers, and it was obvious to them that they would lose control.

　Most of the horses originally raised as warhorses have been sent out to fight against the Empire or to intercept the Tholian army.
　In such a situation, the fact that they were able to secure a warhorse, even if it was only five, is as expected of a duke family.

　In the end, I decided to have Sorte and Eleanor, along with the other guards, go to protect the refugees.
　First of all, Minerva and the other five horsemen, who will serve as decoys, will take up position in the middle of the road and wait for the imperial soldiers.
　Naturally, in the meantime, the remaining guards are rushing the refugees to advance as far west as possible.

　As the distance between them and the imperial guards closed in, their formation became clearer and clearer.

''As I thought, there aren't many cavalry,''

'Yes. I'd say seven or eight horsemen.

　Minerva also caught sight of a group of pursuers.
　Most of them were infantry, but some of them were mounted, probably the platoon leader or squad leader.

''If we're going to put them on a ship, their numbers will inevitably be small, and this time we'll be a surprise attack from the harbor. The cavalry will have little chance to come out. We only brought a few just in case. It would be a nuisance for us, though.

'As long as we get rid of those cavalry, it doesn't matter if we dodge the chase.

　One of the guards that served as a decoy with Minerva spoke to Moore.

''Yeah, I guess I'd rather have to slow down after finishing off the cavalry so that the Imperial soldiers on foot can continue to pursue us.

　The small number of enemy cavalry is convenient for the one being pursued.
　The infantry can't catch up to the cavalry who are seriously running, and as long as they aren't surrounded, the chances of Minerva and the others surviving are high.

''But, Miss. I don't think there's any need for the young lady to take the lead in negotiations herself, as far as I'm concerned.

No, sir. First, you need to get them to the negotiating table. It would be better for me to be at the forefront of that process. In addition, if I make my presence known in advance, they will be able to hound me more firmly afterwards.

'Well, I won't deny that. Don't be alarmed by the arrows that might be flying at you.

　The distance between them is getting shorter and shorter while Moore, who stands next to Minerva, urges them to pay attention.

　The hundred or so imperial soldiers who had jumped out of the west gate of the royal capital, but when they noticed Minerva and the others welcoming them with a small number of five horsemen, they stopped about fifty meters away.

　The sea breeze carried the scent of the tide across the street.
　There was a brief moment of silence as the footsteps of the Imperial soldiers disappeared.

'Who is the commander of the squad?'

　A dignified yet dignified voice, unbecoming of the battlefield, echoed.

　The Imperial soldiers buzzed.

　A moment later, a male voice from the Imperial side called out, "Who or what is this?

''I'm the one commanding this unit, but who are you like that?''

'My name is Minerva Nilesteria. I am the daughter of the Duke of Nilesteria.

　After receiving Minerva's answer, the Imperial soldiers begin to buzz even more.
　Even from the common sense of the Empire, it would be unthinkable for a high ranking nobleman's daughter to come out to a place that would be a battlefield.

　And it's not a dress that Minerva is wearing, but an armament for battle.
　The sight of her wearing a sword and straddling a horse was very unlike that of a young lady.

''The only people behind us are non-combatants who have escaped from the royal capital. They have no will to resist and have no way to fight. If you guys--

　Just as she was calling out to the Imperial commander, Minerva spotted a hazy spot in her vision and quickly shouted.

'Something's coming!'

Spread out!

　Reflexively, Moore gave the order and Minerva moved her horse quickly.
　As he grazed by her side, a fireball was sucked into the place where Minerva had been earlier.