The Vampire Is an Academy Honor Student

Chapter 071. Escort missions (3)

Going out for only one week a year.

At this time, all schedules are decided by Iris’s will as the top priority.

“Are you talking about plains?”

“yes.”

The place she wanted to go to was the vast plains of the southern part of the kingdom.

There are not only flatlands, but also basins, wide lakes, and desert areas where Iris cannot go, making it one of the treasures of nature in this world.

“It’s a bit far, but… . I think it will be fine.”

It was the conclusion that the knight commander and the cardinal, who were in charge of leading, came to a conclusion after a moment of contemplation.

Even if there is fatigue from moving, it will be fine by now because it will not be hot or cold.

After the decision was made, we set off right away.

two days after that.

We have arrived at our destination.

* * *

“Wow!”

Iris exclaimed at the superb view in front of her.

Carefully step out of the wagon and inhale whoa whoa.

Yuriel, who had been watching the scene from about three steps behind, muttered with a faint smile.

“You are pretty.”

“I know.”

“… A plain.”

“… ? huh. plain.”

The plains that stretched beyond the horizon and the hills that rose here and there were full of vitality that I could admire even when I was dry of emotions.

“We will go.”

Some of the Knights and Church members left to check the lodgings they were staying in today, and the rest of the members set foot inside the plains with Iris.

Iris murmured as she walked on her own feet instead of the carriage.

“I feel like something is getting better.”

“Is that so?”

“yes. Is it like going outside?”

Of course, that’s what I feel, but my health hasn’t improved as much as others, so I had to rest a few times.

“I will take a break for a while.”

How long did it take to move while being cared for by priests?

We stopped talking and had lunch when the sun was just past the top of our heads.

Like Uriel, he prepared Iris’s and called her.

“The meal is ready.”

“… … .”

Iris didn’t even move her head, as if she didn’t hear my call.

It was belatedly that I noticed that there was a sale of attention somewhere.

“Princess. … ah.”

The one at the end of Iris’ line of sight was a colorfully patterned parrot.

The chirping sound is clear and the feathers are also stiff and beautiful.

Perhaps that is why it is popular among nobles as a pet.

I asked, recalling such miscellaneous knowledge.

“Would you like to see it up close?”

“… ah!? Ah yes.”

“Please wait a moment.”

said, and stood up cautiously.

“… ??”

Iris widened her eyes as if she was going to catch him.

The knights and Yuriel around me also looked at me with curious eyes.

However, contrary to their expectations, I did nothing special.

Isn’t it just a matter of catching it even if you go to Moro?

“Sup!”

“… !!”

Just like when taming a horse, it was simply captured by scaring it and then handed over.

“Here it is.”

“Uh… thank you… ?”

Looking at the parrot trembling in her arms, Iris expressed her gratitude with a calm expression.

Tilting your head, it’s like, ‘Isn’t this what it is?’ is the expression

“really. Meal is ready.”

“Ah yes.”

At first, her expression was a bit bewildered, but soon her expression brightened as the parrot wiggled in her arms.

To the extent that Yuriel, who was frightened by my eccentricity, said this.

“Good for you. I was frightened.”

Regardless of the process, they say that they did well because they liked it in the end.

But that evening.

After a dense day, when everyone is getting ready to go back to their son-in-law, which has gone dark in an instant.

Iris was secretly squatting and patting the parrot’s butt.

I saw it from a distance and asked.

“Are you going to let me go?”

“Were you watching? yes.”

“Why don’t you raise… .”

I said it because I thought it would be helpful for a secluded life.

If you’re worried about raising them, I can tell you how.

So I opened my mouth to explain it.

“It’s been a long time since I have wings, but it’s so pitiful to be confined.”

“… !!”

It soon got blocked.

Iris said it with a nonchalant expression, but I could understand the meaning behind it all too well.

What did I think of until now when I saw the parrot I scared and caught?

The words that came after a while were apologies.

“… My thoughts were short.”

“yes? no. Because that’s just how I feel. Thank you so much for catching me. … Oh, okay.”

Good food!

She looks at the bird flying far away with a relieved expression.

She looked at it for a long time to see if she had any regrets, and when she was no longer visible, she asked.

“Can I be like that?”

“can be.”

“… !”

‘ah!’

She opened her eyes wide at the answer that came out as she always did without going through her brain.

“Hmm?”

I stared at this side and tilted my head once. ‘He speaks like that person,’ he muttered in a small voice.

In an instant, my heart skipped a beat.

But fortunately, it was impossible to make a plausible guess with just this.

Iris said with a smile.

“Thank you for your words.”

“… … .”

“Let’s go. now.”

“yes.”

We headed home.

* * *

late night.

Uriel, whom I met in the hallway, asked while wearing the same clothes as Iris.

“Do they look similar?”

This was for escort at night.

There must have been a small blade hidden under that thin garment.

Actually, it was not necessary to do this, but since Iris didn’t hate it (actually she liked it), it just ended up being like this.

I looked up and down at Uriel for a moment before replying.

“Eolchu. But you are rather tall.”

“hmm… .”

“Still, the body shape is similar, so I don’t think you would know unless you look closely.”

Then, saying that was enough, he nodded his head with a relieved expression.

“Then suffer.”

“huh. you also.”

After Uriel was gone, I went outside to check my guard order.

‘It’s the second.’

Considering my young age, my order was fixed at second every day.

Considering that there are a lot of things to do secretly in the first and last, it was actually the easiest turn.

In fact, my pure physical strength is no longer inferior to that of the knights, so there is no need for that.

But good is good, so I just accepted consideration.

however.

“… … .”

rustle.

Strangely, I couldn’t sleep today because of that consideration.

Miscellaneous thoughts keep popping up, and maybe it’s because of my mood, I hear surrounding sounds more sensitively than usual.

“… … .”

It was a waste of time to lie down with my eyes open, so I got up right away.

In addition, since I have to get up again in two hours anyway, I thought about going out for a while to get some luck.

‘I don’t want to, but… .’

It is natural to act alone while escorting VIPs, but absolutely not.

but what

I thought it didn’t matter because I was planning to sneak in from the beginning anyway.

It’s late at night, so if I make up my mind and kill the signs, no one will notice.

‘Whoa.’

hold your breath

I moved out of the barracks cautiously, avoiding the presence of the knights standing in line.

As expected, none of the knights noticed me leaving.

when I was about to cross the fence.

“… !!”

fit, do.

There was a sensation that passed through my head.

It feels like something is watching over me.

First of all, it wasn’t an article.

From noble mtl dot com

something else.

or enemy.

Instinctively, the moment I felt my senses rise up, I moved right away.

The sign was very vague, so I couldn’t tell if it was a human (enemy) sign, an animal, or my misunderstanding, but I had to check it first.

I jumped over the fence and got out of the inn, speeded up and ran to the place where I felt the first presence.

Almost 3,400m away.

‘It’s far, but… .’

No matter how much I am, I am not sure exactly what the presence was felt from this distance.

In addition, I couldn’t sleep strangely today and my senses were strange.

As expected, when I first arrived at the place where I felt the presence, I couldn’t find anything.

‘Was it an illusion?’

I can’t feel the presence even in the vicinity.

It seemed that my sensitive senses had malfunctioned today.

“Whoa. hmm?”

As I was about to return with a sigh of relief, there was one thing that caught my eye.

I bent down and picked it up, shining in the moonlight.

A small rosary broken in half.

“… … ?”

I looked around, feeling wrapped up in the cold feeling of metal in the chilly night temperature.

The surroundings were still just silent.

* * *

Crisp!

The warhorse’s hooves crushed dry leaves and branches.

“stop.”

“yes.”

Ian dismounted and picked up the broken branch.

There were red bloodstains.

definite traces.

“… Caliburn!”

At this, Ian turned his head and called for his adjutant.

“yes. I will see.”

Caliburn, who narrowed her eyes for a while and looked at the condition of the traces, said.

“Is this enough for a day? Two days have passed at the most.”

“… … .”

“It is getting closer. If it stays like this… .”

At this rate, he could catch the corps commander.

Considering the distance that was gradually getting closer, it was as he said, but Ian felt uncomfortable.

“… Giving up so easily?”

I thought ‘there’s no way that a corps commander would simply run away’ or ‘there might be something hidden’, so I kept on guarding it, but now I really don’t know what it means.

why don’t you do anything

“Are there many facilities that have been attacked?”

“That was the natural thing to do, given that they had invaded.”

“Hmm… . If it doesn’t work after stabbing it a few times, aren’t you trying to go back before you get caught?”

“Common sense makes sense, but… .”

… However, the traces of Ymir you see everywhere you go, keep denying common sense.

It was because there were so many that I could feel a sense of incongruity, and they stood out.

‘Is someone at the level of a corps commander so lax?’

Of course, there may have been a lot of mistakes because I was impatient in the position of being chased.

But that’s enough.

Isn’t this enough to add a little exaggeration and intentionally not erase the traces?

Why did you do such an inexplicable thing… .

‘… Wait, on purpose?’

Ian stopped walking.

It was because of the terrible assumption that passed through my mind in an instant.

Weren’t there some strange tattoos among the bodies of the priests found in the church?

At first, I didn’t even know what it was, and I didn’t even look closely at the priests who had already passed away, so I cremated them without much investigation.

What if that was a sign that had a special meaning ‘between them’?

‘ah.’

As the puzzles fit together, a shudder ran through my body.

“… Or, since the number of monsters accompanied was smaller than expected, didn’t you think that your strength was insufficient?”

The adjutant didn’t notice that sign and continued talking.

Ian’s head was hot and he didn’t have the energy to answer.

‘That’s not it! damn… !!’

If the prediction is correct, there is another reason for the small number of accompanying monsters.

Ian managed to calm his trembling body before speaking.

There is no time.

“… Opposite.”

“yes?”

“Return immediately! Let’s guess the elite.”

“Everything, Captain!? What are you really talking about… !”

When I asked to leave Ymir, who seemed to have been captured, the adjutant asked, extremely flustered.

However, Ian did not change his decision.

A traitor to the church.

Ymir deliberately left traces and narrowed the view of the Knights.

The number of monsters is smaller than expected.

No, it’s not a small amount, but the rest must have been siphoned off somewhere.

Like this, everything indicated that Ymir wasn’t aiming for this side from the beginning.

What I’m really aiming for is probably the princess.

‘sh*t!’

The distance is too far.

Time is running out.

Even if I ran at full speed, I would already be on the other side of the kingdom, but it was hard to think that the time would be right until the death.

‘please.’

Ian thought as he ran.

There is only one thing you can rely on.

I don’t know if it’s an enemy or an ally.

He, who always moved one step faster than the Knights, had to hope that he would be there this time too.