Neighbors in forbidden land

I walked on the empty courtyard path, looking at the backyard full of flowers and green leaves.

There is an ancient plane tree in the center of the backyard. The thick trunk supports the branches that spread out in all directions. It is covered with emerald green leaves. end.

Some withered leaves seem to be shy, quietly hiding behind the green leaves, only a light brown corner is exposed.

From the time when I entered the palace and became a knight, this sycamore tree is so conspicuous.

Now that I have become the commander of the Knights, this plane tree is still so healthy.

It is rare to see such an ancient parasol outside the palace, as if time has passed, but it is still young.

The sycamore leaves fell on the grass around the sycamore tree. Originally, no matter whether they were fallen leaves or withered leaves, they were not allowed, and they would be removed by the royal gardeners as soon as they appeared.

But because of my request, the most original posture of this sycamore tree was preserved.

Surrounded by fallen leaves, blessed by stars.

Because the princess likes the fallen leaves of this tree very much, I can always see the princess who sneaked out of Professor Huot’s class to pick up fallen leaves under the shade of this plane tree, and then weave them with needles and threads. into various things.

Princess……

When I think of this, my heart throbs.

So he quickly left here and walked towards the main hall.

Otherwise, I seem to see the scene of the princess wearing a white dress, bowing her head and smiling under the sunshine.

I broke my vow, for the sake of more people's lives.

He escorted the princess to the north of the sea, the land known as the Forbidden Land.

Where--

"Good morning, honorable Miss Guard Knight Commander."

Professor Huot's gentle voice came from the front, interrupting my thoughts.

Looking ahead, on the aisle covered by the gazebo, Professor Huot, who was wearing a gold-rimmed white robe symbolizing the title of "Grand Professor" at the highest level in the royal family, had a tired expression on his face.

Although he has the palace—no, to be precise, he has the most knowledge and ability in this country, but compared to his title, Professor Huot is just a "young man" in his 30s.

Unlike us knights, look at Yuri Acgn's light-blond short hair under the light-blond short hair, and there are already light wrinkles on his weather-beaten face, but he has not fascinated many girls by his face. His face was smeared, but it added a bit of maturity.Under the curved light golden eyebrows, there is an unconcealable fatigue in those gray eyes.

It's normal to be tired, the honorary president of the Royal Society of Magic and the only great professor in this palace.

Especially as the princess' teacher, it is impossible not to get tired after such a major change.

"Good morning, honorable Professor Huot." I put my hand on the hilt of my waist, bowed to him, and added:

"Please don't use that title anymore, I am no longer worthy to be this knight commander."

"Please don't blame yourself like this...it's not the fault of Miss Guard Knight Commander..."

Professor Huot's voice is still gentle, which is one of the reasons why he is still respected in this palace.

Leaving aside disputes over academic issues, he is gentle and courteous to everyone regardless of his position in a high position. This attitude without falsehood is also respected by me as a knight.

but.

He didn't go on the boat with us, he didn't know the truth.

Don't know why I blame myself so much.

"Your Highness doesn't have the slightest intention to blame you, Miss Guard Knight. After all, this is a tragedy that no one wants to see, so you should get up quickly."

I straightened up slowly, put my hand down from the hilt, and stared into Professor Huot's gray eyes.

Gray eyes that are said to be "full of the wisdom of a nation".

If I remember correctly, this is the first time since the princess left that I have had such an opportunity to talk to him face to face.

"Professor Huot, do you...do you have any official business arrangements?"

After listening to my words, he narrowed his troubled eyes and smiled slightly:

"Compared with official arrangements... I think I need a private arrangement to relax for a while."

Did you see it... He knew that I had something to say to him, so he said this...

"Then...do I need to change places?"

"Don't bother." He turned slightly, glanced at the grass on both sides of the aisle across the royal backyard, looked slightly into the distance, and placed it on the ancient plane tree, sighed thoughtfully, "The scenery here is good, and there are no outsiders to disturb it. It is really suitable for relaxation."

……In this case.

I thought about it for a long time.

Should I speak out my almost willful questions?

After all, the other party is Professor Huot. Although we have also met because of the princess, I am a little hesitant about the sensitivity of my question.

"Is it Her Royal Highness's business?"

As a result, his words pierced my heart, and I couldn't help but feel a little shaken.

"Don't be surprised. During this period, the matter that Miss Knight, who is the captain of the princess's guard knights, is talking to me is likely to be about Her Royal Highness, or..." He turned slightly and looked at the I, with a faint smile on my face, "Did I guess wrong?"

"No... I didn't guess wrong." My eyes also turned to the sycamore tree, "It's about the princess."

I looked at his expression, he still had a tired smile on his face.

However, for him, apart from the relationship of being a princess' teacher, this matter is also considered an "academic issue" for him.

As long as it is an academic problem, no one can compare to him, the great professor Holt.

I organized the language in my mind, and finally spoke:

"Forgive me...Professor Huot, do you think... is it possible for the princess to survive?"

This question can only be asked to him.

Because for others, this is a sensitive issue that cannot be touched, and it is also a question for which the answer has long been fixed.

But if it was him.

There must be different opinions.

Or... deep down in my heart, I hope he has a different opinion. "Is that the question you came up with... Miss Knight Commander of the Guards is really straightforward."

"If there's a risk—"

"There is no need to be too polite, since you will come to ask me this question, then there is no need for so much etiquette between you and me." He raised a hand to stop my words, and then continued, "Then I also Let’s just say it straight, because here, at this moment, all we care about is Yimi’s child.”

—that child.

This is Professor Huot's pet name for the princess on informal occasions, and I have heard him mention it occasionally.

The use of this title means that this exchange has been established.

"First, let's analyze it from scratch."

Professor Huot has resumed his rigorous posture in the classroom. At this moment, the fatigue and smile on his face disappeared without a trace, leaving only his most formal expression as a big professor.

And I also straightened my back, raised my chest slightly, looked into his eyes, and expressed my respect for him.

"First of all, judging from the situation of Yimina's child, what she awakened is undoubtedly an extremely powerful kind of magic, a kind of magic that theoretically will not be awakened again in this age when magic has been one-sidedly declining. No matter what the reason is, since If it happens, let’s talk about it.”

His eyes drifted to the sycamore tree again: "According to the surviving records, it was in ancient times when magic had not yet declined. There was a kind of magic called magic eye. Simply put, it was magic using the eyes as a medium." , the wide and flexible line of sight can convey all kinds of effects, and the child Yimina is—"

He turned his head and looked into my eyes: "Erasure of life, you should be very clear about this, Miss Guards Knight Commander."

Yes, I know very well.

On the day when the princess's magic awakened, the corpses of maids, knights and all kinds of people fell in pieces at the door of the princess' room.

Accompanied by the heart-piercing screams and cries of the princess.

As someone who can use magic, I know exactly how powerful magic is.

So powerful that the princess couldn't control it.

"But Yimi's child can't control this magic, and she is the first magic eye awakener of our era. The remaining information is also very limited, and no one can use it as a reference. My teacher—" In an instant, there was a trace of loneliness in his eyes, "—and I have no way to deal with it. I can only let her grope helplessly. This is...my dereliction of duty."

"Professor Huot, please don't say that. If it weren't for your advice, the princess might—"

There would be no such "good" ending to exile.

When I think of this, my heart throbs again.

"Then, I'll continue." It can be seen that he raised his spirits and continued, "We can't even judge whether dig-ahem, removing the child's eyes can forcefully end the magic, so the lack of We have given up the ruthless method, but it is an indisputable fact that Yimi has committed a crime. Considering the danger of Yimi's magic, we have no choice but to—”

"—Exile the princess to a forbidden place, that's all I've learned so far."

I took Professor Huot's words and clenched my fists.

no choice.

The crime committed by the princess should be executed, but because she is a member of the royal family after all, coupled with her young age, and the uncontrollability of her magic, the sentence of exile was made.

But, in this case——

"That's right... But I think what you want to know is another possibility that we all expect." His eyes met mine again, and a sharp light passed over.

I remained silent, waiting for the next words.

"Then, from the analysis of the situation in the taboo land - in fact, simply speaking of the environment, we don't know much about the environment in other places except our human habitation. We can only judge that there is no environment suitable for human living environment."

I know that very well.

I looked up at the sky, and the magic barrier that was as transparent as the glass of a mirror window and exuded a faint gleam enveloped the palace.

More precisely, it enveloped the country.

This has been handed down from ancient times, and it has been built with countless painstaking efforts. Every day, special magicians are arranged to use magic power to maintain it. The only huge magic barrier that has not declined can isolate the adverse factors of the outside world as much as possible, so that there is energy inside the barrier. An environment suitable for human survival.

The world outside the barrier... Not to mention it is not suitable for human habitation, there are almost no animals, and the plants are all sickly and dead. Only monsters can live a little better.

Without the protection of this barrier, neither the grassland nor the phoenix tree, nor even us human beings, knows what will happen.

All because of that day a thousand years ago.

"The south and the east are mountains that cannot be crossed at all, and the west is the territory of other countries, so there is only the north blocked by the vast ocean, which is the forbidden land."

"..." I was speechless, this was the only option.

"Let's tie the child with chains that can seal magic. Maybe the magic is too powerful. In front of the child, it's just a formal thing, and it can only restrict movement."

He sighed deeply, and continued with some helplessness: "In the Forbidden Land, there is a high mountain called 'Forbidden Stone Dome' located on the land by the sea. , an ancient language with the same origin as the magic we use—forget it, these have nothing to do with the current topic." Professor Huot, who almost started "teaching", stopped himself in time, and continued, "The environment there is also harsh, These are the information brought back by the adventurers who dared to step forward in the past, but these are not what we are most worried about..."

This time, there was a trace of worry in his eyes.

"The environment is harsh, maybe it can be overcome, but the real problem is the culprit that once destroyed the world to pieces and caused us to survive in this world so hard, disaster."

Disaster.

No one knows this name.

According to the surviving records, the ancient humans used to have advanced magic technology, and once expanded their territory to the far north and south, and even reached the edge of the sea that could no longer expand from east to west.Even the taboo land now was the territory of human beings in the past.

but.

On that day thousands of years ago.

The day that is now known as the "Day of Calamity".

All gone.

Only the human civilization that survived relying on the protection of the magic barrier, which can only be called rare, has been slowly rebuilt in an extremely difficult environment until today.

How difficult it is... so difficult that even the historical records are intermittent.

But one thing was recorded, and remained as a memory that must never be erased.

All of this was caused by the monster called "Calamity".

Although the disaster did not attack humans again, it still survived in this world.

"Your report says that you successfully sent the princess to the Forbidden Land, right?"

"……Yes……"

Actually... no.

However, it cannot be said.

Because this is the source of my tangled pain.

His expression became a little dignified: "Then let me put it this way, human beings are very tenacious, as we can see from our ability to live to this day, the idea of ​​wanting to live exists in the instinct of each of us."

In the end, he sighed the heaviest breath so far: "Although it seems cruel to say this sentence, the environment there is harsh and the living conditions are not sufficient, but judging from the experience summed up by those adventurers, it is not impossible to survive."

"..."

"Fresh water can be found in the wild. As for food... Yimi's child's magic is enough to ensure that most of the monsters are not her opponents, and Miss Knight Commander, you know that ordinary people have proved that monsters can be eaten..."

"..."

How cruel.

But what a helpless words.

It was like one slap after another, hitting my face.

Do you want the princess to face such a cruel life...

But the last sentence, almost pronounced my death sentence.

"We can only hope that Yimi's child will be able to live strong... To avoid the disaster, there is hope of survival."

————————————————————————————————————————

I almost tried my best to squeeze out a twisted smile and bid farewell to Professor Huot.

I walked up the stairs made of marble polished as smooth as jade, and occasionally passed by maids or nobles.

not like this.

We ditched the princess.

——The life of the princess is life!Isn't our life our life?You can ignore my life!But I won't allow you to ignore my crew!These crew members risked their lives to accompany you to this shit taboo place!their lives!

When the captain yelled at me, I hesitated for a moment.

At that time, we saw among the hazy weapons, a tail tens of meters long protruding from behind the mountain called "Forbidden Stone Dome" located by the sea.

The rest of the crew were so frightened that they only had the idea of ​​running for their lives, and no one wanted to send the princess ashore.

So the princess was... thrown overboard.

The next moment, I finally understood.

No one has ever seen a disaster, but at that moment, all of us were convinced that it was a disaster.

I don't know how to describe it anymore.

Tens of meters high, the huge body scorched black all over, waving sharp claws that can directly smash the ship, broke through the sea and set off huge waves, and rushed directly towards it.

That is no longer fear.

Even the fear is forgotten.

Slowly, I walked to the room where no one would come again, the former princess.

The door, covered with ornate borders, was also covered with a thin layer of dust.

The final report is "We successfully sent the princess to the forbidden land".

No more.

I should have told the truth.

But in this case, the crew members who were able to save their lives will definitely be convicted.

The princess is a sinner, but those who oppose my opinion and abandon the princess are also sinners.

No... actually me too.

I gently brushed off the floating dust on the doorknob with my hand.

What is the spirit of chivalry?

Treat everyone's life equally?

Loyalty and honesty to protect the weak?

Do I treat everyone's life equally?What about the abandoned princess?

Am I loyal and honest to protect the weak?What about the lies I tell?

I am a knight.

but.

I am also Princess Yimi's guard knight commander.

Now that it has been violated, the only thing that matters is this one.

——Sworn to protect everything about Her Royal Highness, ready to sacrifice her life for Her Royal Highness at any time.

This is the oath I once knelt in front of the princess in the Royal Auditorium and swore to her.

I put my hand off the doorknob and turned to leave.

I slightly loosened the chains that bound the princess to seal the magic in advance.

The princess just fell into the sea, and the disaster may not necessarily target the princess.

My only salvation is that tiny possibility.

The princess can survive.

Therefore, no matter how slim the hope is, I will look for an opportunity to go to the forbidden land again.

No matter what, bring the princess back.

If you see disaster again this time.

——If you avoid disaster, you have the hope of survival.

Professor Huot's words echoed in my head, constantly stimulating my nerves.

I gripped the hilt of the sword at my waist with my hand.

This time.

I will use my sword.

destroy it.