Seirei Gensouki's
Chapter 193: The Near Crisis

It was a while before the village chief made a fuss about Flora's disappearance.

Flora sneaks out of the village unnoticed by anyone and goes alone to the highway. It is slow, and unstable.

Maybe it was because he was already in a bad state, so his condition got worse when …

「………. . U ~ h …………. . 」

As soon as he left the village, his consciousness began to blur. He approached a voiceless groan of pain as he attempted to move further, and then fell on the spot.

But, Flora had not given up. Otherwise, he would be a hostage of a hostile country and that would bring a lot of trouble to his home country.

He even felt it …………. . Dying is much better than being a hostage to a hostile country. But, he didn't want to die. He's afraid of death. He wants to return to Bertram kingdom. He must!

The mixed emotions and memories in her head became a new source of power for Flora's body to be able to move again.

But his stamina and endurance had reached its limit, his body unable to move. No, his body might be moving. It was just that he did not know the current state of his body. ――,

「U ~ h ……………. 」

With a thud, Flora's legs turned limp as she fell right in the middle of the highway.

（………………. Eh?）

Perhaps it was because of his blurred consciousness or perhaps because his sense of balance was lost, but he only realized that he had fallen to the ground when he felt his cheeks touch the ground and his line of sight shift.

（I cannot . Dear sister, I, would like to meet you）

For all she wants to be able to meet Christina once again, her conscience grows increasingly dangerous, and a terrifying wave of exhaustion threatens to swallow her up. Even when he tried his best to exert all his will to order his body to stand, move, but he could not do it at all.

He's run out of ideas.

◇ ◇ ◇

Around the same time, Rio was chasing Lucius' trail to the west of the kingdom―― Closer to the village where Flora lived.

（If I am fast enough, I may be able to find it before the end of today）

Rio can feel it! He's getting closer and closer to finding Lucius for sure. According to the information he got from the royal palace, he knew that five days ago, Lucius left along with the army of knights and the first prince of Paladia kingdom, Duran Paladia, to be with him, to go hunting in a certain forest in the western part of the Paladia kingdom.

It looks like they went there on horses. However, they did not reveal the exact details of their hunting grounds. But then again, he did not need those details because the western region of the Paladia Kingdom was quite small. Even if they were in front of him, it was still possible for him to catch up, because he knew the general direction they were planning to hunt. Therefore, he did not waste any time and chased after them immediately.

In addition, as he chased them through the air, he also gathered more information about hunting groups from towns and villages along the way. That way, he could eliminate the possibility of their route and find their trail, facilitating his search. And, finally, he made progress with one particular group of hunters after he made a detailed investigation of the route the day before.

In other words, he was only one step away from catching Lucius' tail. Rio took a deep breath as he stepped into the new village.

The villagers working in agriculture gave him a glimpse when he saw the sword hanging on the hip of Rio ――

「Excuse me, may I ask? Did the knight army pass through this area about five days ago? 」

Rio asked in a calm and calm tone.

「………. . No, uhm, may I ask who you are? 」

The expressions of the villagers were filled with vigilance as he asked Rio's identity.

「I am a servant who works in the royal palace, currently chasing them on foot. 」

Rio introduced himself, using a fake identity while smiling kindly. The result was as clear as day, when the villagers lowered their vigilance towards Rio.

「O ~ h, so. The people in the royal palace, huh? They came to our village. It seems like they are also looking for every village around this area, which is close to the forest, for a girl wearing a 」 dress

The villagers easily told Rio that the fact without waiting for Rio's question, was probably driven by the thought that he couldn't act rudely towards the people from the royal palace.

"… I see . So is that right? Thanks for the cooperation . 」

Hearing that, Rio's eyes widened in an instant before he returned his calm and composed expression and conveyed his gratitude, a friendly smile still on his face.

（Girls dressed? They won't hunt?）

Although the revelation surprised him, asking the person in front of him meant nothing because he would not be able to dispel his doubts. Instead, it would raise unnecessary suspicion if he asked too much.

「It seems I finally caught up with them. Well I'll forgive myself here because I'm in a hurry too. 」

Rio slightly bowed in gratitude and turned around to leave the village. After he reached an area without people, he rose into the sky again.

（Villages around the forest in this area, yes?）

The search area was quite vast when he ignored her from above. There seemed to be several villages around this forest, but looking from his current position would not take him more than an hour of searching.

Rio hurriedly headed to the next village.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few minutes later–

「See, find him! 」

The villagers were busy looking for Flora who disappeared while the village chief waited for their report in the central square. He must have been disappointed, as the report was disappointing.

"………… This is not good . We can not find it in the village or in the field, appeared 」

Will reports with the other men who came with him, all out of breath.

「In short, he has left the village, yes ...............」.

The village chief muttered, looking worried.

「What makes you think that? Do you really think that Flora-sama left on her own accord? In worsening conditions? 」

Will asked, looking as if he was out of his mind.

「.......... Actually, he left a letter. It was a thank you letter. He wrote, “Thank you very much. 」

The village chief lightly frowned as he told them part of the truth. In fact, aside from the letter, Flora also left her clothes and some kind of gem as a sign of her gratitude for their care, but the village chief could not bear to tell them about it.

"WHAT! ? THEN HE ACTUALLY LEFT THE VILLAGE! ? HOW NOT TO DO ONE SEE HIM WHEN HE LEFT THE VILLAGE! ? 」

Will caught the village chief when he asked.

「I-That's the only possibility left. After all, there should be no way for him to come out, especially in his current physical condition. He also has not shown any signs of improving. So, the main question here is, why did he leave even with his poor health? He must have had some kind of reason to force himself to leave. Does any of you know why he did such a dangerous stunt? 」

The village chief reasoned out loud, before asking the young man what they knew about the situation.

「LIKE WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT IT! IF FLORA-SAMA IS REALLY LEFT AS YOU SAID, I'LL GO LOOK UP IN THE MAIN ROUTE! 」

Exciting, but just as he left for highway――,

"QUIET DOWN! THERE ARE 3 MAIN ROUTES FROM THE VILLAGE, TO THE NORTH, SOUTH, AND WEST. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHICH ONE HE TOOK THE ROUTE? . ARE YOU TRYING TO FIND YOURSELF BY YOURSELF, KNOWING NOTHING? NOT EVEN A REASON TO LEAVE? 」

The village chief shouted back to Will, puzzled.

「SO YOU TOLD ME NOT TO LOOK FOR HIM ?! 」

「I TELL YOU TO WAIT A MOMENT AND CALM YOURSELF BEFORE LOOKING FOR HIM! HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GO THAT FAR IN HIS CURRENT STATE, SO! 」

And thus, Will and the village chief started to quarrel, while the others could only watch this parent and child pair. Though, before it could turn into the first fight, someone suddenly interjected with a question.

「Hey, what about the possibility of someone taking him out? 」

The question stopped everyone in its tracks.

「Dan ……. . Someone that would be …? 」

「So, so so. 」

The villager nodded his head, understanding what was implied from the village chief. The village chief himself asked because he did not want to suspect his fellow villagers without a basis.

「.......... Although we cannot eliminate that possibility, it may not be the cause. Perhaps, the reason Flora-sama is in the letter she wrote. First of all, why would someone from our village need to take Flora-sama from here? None of us knows the identity of Flora-sama or the identity of her pursuer, so why would one of us take her away?

「A ~ h, well, this situation is similar to the story I once heard ..」

The villager, who spoke his theory, shyly said that, scratched his head.

「. If anyone sees anything strange, report it immediately. The loss of Flora-sama was probably around the time we started our work 」

When the village chief said that, the villagers looked at each other, trying to remember something unusual at that time. Suddenly, someone spoke loudly—,

「About the time we started working ………. . Ah, come to think of it ……………. ! 」

A man suddenly remembered something.

" What's the problem? "

The village chief asked the man—,

「........ Ah, no big deal, it's just that when everyone goes to work, I remember that Donner came back from the fields. Isn't that weird? 」

The man said as he looked at Donner who was quietly standing nearby. Due to the unexpected situation and attention, Donner's body twitched. But he kept his mouth shut. The other kids are not the same.

「…………. . Donners? 」

The young men, starting from Will, asked as they looked at Donner, suspicious.

Stared that way, Donner could not keep his composure especially since he had a guilty conscience. Then his eyes began to swim.

「T-No. I don't know anything. I went back to the field soon after. 」

He denied the suspicions directed at him with a shrill voice, shaking his head. However, his reasoning was refuted by the next sentence that Will said.

「....Oi, Donner. Aren't you the one who left first, telling us it's time to work? Besides, you were very angry this morning, however, you are really calm now 」

Suspicion fills Will when he asks Donner.

「I just fixed my farming tool because it is already in bad condition and then come back soon. I didn't do anything! 」

Donner replied in a confused voice and then turned his face away.

「………. . You, you didn't tell Flora-sama about the "it" matter, did you? If you do, that might be the reason Flora-sama ………. . 」

Donner denied Will's constant barrage of questions with a confused face. However, before they can continue arguing—,

「……………. . What's this about, Will? 」

The village chief finally mediated, asking for a clear explanation, after listening to their exchange from the side. However, it was futile.

「............... S-As I know. After all, there will be no end if we continue this kind of banter. Now, I will search for Flora-sama on the main route, and even if my father is against me doing that, I will still do it! 」

Shouted loudly as he turned around and retorted to his father.

Chapter 152 2: The Nearby Crisis

「………. . It's not that I'm against the idea you're looking for it. It's just that I'm worried. By the way, there is nothing to be gained by stopping you and letting Flora-sama die in our village is also a bad thing. Therefore, we have to split up into groups and look for it in the main line that runs from the village. Naturally, I will also leave. 」

The village chief explained, stopping Will from going alone, when he joined the search.

◇ ◇ ◇

Then, the villagers join hands to search for Flora on the main road connected to the village.

Every one of them including Donner, Will and the village chief were looking for Flora as they walked on the main route heading south. Moments after leaving the village――,

「.................OI! Is that the person who fainted there! ? Ah, Oi Donner! 」

When Will had just shouted that he found someone falling, Donner had already run to the spot. However, Will is not far behind, as he soon pursues Donner.

「Flora-sama! 」

What they found collapsed on the street was really Flora. A thin blanket was draped over her village-like clothes as a temporary coat.

「Haa, haaa …………. . 」

Flora's face flushed red, her breathing rough and beads of sweat slowly flowed down her forehead. The shirt she wore under the thin blanket was most likely soaked.

「Are you okay, Flora-sama! ? Didn't you say that you can't move because of your illness! ? 」

The first person to arrive was named Flora. However, Will who had followed him up close, cut in.

「So it was really you …………. . Hey, Donner! Do you wake up, Flora-sama! ? It's me, Will! 」

Will pushes between the two. She flipped Flora's body gently and then called out her name.

"Ah uh……………"

Flora replied faintly. It was a really vague answer, but he seemed to be able to stay sober, even with just a thread. Meanwhile, the village chief and the villagers left behind came towards them one by one.

"This is…… . . 」

The village chief, who was looking at Flora, held his breath because of her severe condition.

「Oi, Pops! It seems like Flora-sama is still conscious. Let's take him back to the village 」

Will said in a confused voice. But–,

「…………」

The village chief just stood there quietly. His gaze was fixed on the neck of Flora's neck.

「Oi, Pops! Oi, friend, let's take Flora-sama! 」

Will smacked his lips and called out to the people who were still standing stunned. The men regained their senses and ran towards Flora.

「Wait, the disease may be contagious! 」

The village chief stopped them.

「................. A-are you seriously saying that now! ? 」

Will accidentally yells, furious, when his face is twisted in his anger, but—

「………. . What's like a birthmark on his neck? Was there a flashy sign there when he had just come to the village? 」

The village chief simply pointed to the nape of Flora while she asked the question, her voice cold. The place he was headed to was the place where the bluish birthmark was located.

「Urgh …………………. . 」

The faces of the villagers stiffened as they looked at the place like a birthmark on the nape of Flora.

「……………. N-No way! 」

Suddenly Will shouted out loudly.

「Wills. Can you shut up for a second? 」

「IT'S ALL WRONG！ I'm just about to tell you about this today! At first, I thought it was just an old wound, but I found it strange that such a place as the birthmark became bigger during the day! 」

Unsettled, Will would do his best to explain to the Village Chief only to be notified once more.

Pain Muscle pain along with joint pain throughout his body, and then there is a high fever as well. Although she said that this was just a fever, it was another story with dark birthmark-like spots. I think I remember seeing some cases like this 」

The village chief said with a pensive expression on his face—,

「K-You know about his illness! ? Tell me what is Flora-sama's disease! ? 」

Will asked that question as if seeking salvation, someone to support him.

「………. . One of the things I know is the fact that this is a deadly disease that took the lives of its victims. I did not know the detailed information about this disease because I only knew about it from the traveling merchant. 」

「What …………. . 」

When the village chief replied, Will and the other villagers' faces stiffened in fear.

（A certain spider that lives in the forest can also cause similar symptoms, but the spider must be a night animal. Besides the spider is not supposed to appear in the village, but. It is also possible that it is an unknown disease. Whatever the case, he can't save. After all, it's not like he died in my village, and I doubt anyone would take him because there's now a suspicion that he might be carrying a contagious disease. )

With that in mind, the village chief decided to put the village as his top priority, choosing to leave Flora――, he said,

「…………. Let's just go back .. 」

He urged the villagers to return to the village.

「A-What will you do to Flora-sama then! ? 」

「……. We cannot accept someone suspected of having an infectious disease in our village. I actually wanted to tell you to leave it here. Let's get him closer to the forest entrance. 」

The village chief gave a cold assessment in response to Will's eager desire to help.

「O-OI! 」

When he noticed, Will had already taken his father's collar, But――,

"WILL! YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OUR SITUATION! THIS IS FOR SAKE VILLAGE. OR ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY THAT YOU CARE MORE ABOUT YOUR MAJESTY THAN YOUR VILLAGER FELLOW?

「……」

Will closed his mouth as the rumbling sounds of the village chief sounded.

「………. . Guys, let's get this over with quickly. Donner, you're the strongest among us. Bring her! 」

The village chief told Donner who was standing close to him, but—

「A-me, no. I don't want to carry it. 」

Donner hesitated for a moment before he resolutely shook his head.

「Ceh, you are useless for nothing. Then, you guys, take him. 」

The village chief smacked his lips in annoyance and then ordered the other villagers.

The villagers carried Flora in a timid gesture, fearing the infectious disease suspected of being carried by Flora, and treated the act as if they were carrying lumps of feces. They carried him all the way to the forest entrance separated from the main route.

「. A very cute girl is ……………. 」

A young villager gulped when he saw Flora's agonized expression, but—

「Forget her youth. You will be infected by the disease if you do not stop. Here is enough. Let's solve this problem soon 」

Another young man urged his friend to quickly get it done, with a face afraid they would get infected if they took him longer. Soon after, they threw Flora's body at the entrance of the forest, everyone still looked worried.

「Urgh …………………. . 」

A small groan came out from Flora's lips, but her voice could not be heard by the villagers who were leaving immediately.

(Some one…… . . Save me……………… . . ）

◇ ◇ ◇

After that, the villagers returned to the village. As they were on their way back, the village chief warned the villagers to forget about Flora's whereabouts. He also told them that it might be better if such nobles had never come to their village from the very beginning. From the beginning to the end of his speech, the faces of the villagers were ugly.

However, when the villagers arrived at the farm fields, they saw a villager standing together with people dressed in knight attire beside the party of the escort of the first prince of Paladia kingdom, Duran Paladia, waiting for them— ――

「I-That guy is the village chief! 」

The villagers, who were with the knight, pointed at the village chief with agitated expressions. And when the villagers give who the head among the group is back, a man in his prime, Lucius, comes out from among the knights.

「Finally. Are you the village chief? Sorry, I have no intention to intrude because your village seems to be troubled by our presence. I have tried to ask the villagers who I came to, but for some reason, they seem to be afraid of us to the point of not being able to talk to us 」

He greeted the village chief with a strange intimate attitude.

「. I apologize for the rude people in my village. May I request your business with a rural place like this? If you want to talk, let me invite you to my humble abode. 」

The village chief gulped and then guided Lucius who had an impatient expression to his house. Lucius flashed a cynical and arrogant smile as he looked down at the village chief and the villagers from behind his horse—

「Ah, actually, I'm looking for someone. Did a girl wearing a dress come to this village? Called Flora. No, there's a chance he's using an alias, but ………. 」

He stated the reason why he visited this village clearly to everyone there.