I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 227

“Lady Hardland, please take the lead. Of course, we will provide cover.”

“Understood.”

“We need to prepare your armor, so let’s take your measurements.”

The knight came to fit the armor, and the cold metal sent a chill through my chest.

The sun rose and set.

“Hoo…”

The armor felt so lightweight that it barely registered as I put it on. The shine of the armor reflected the light, making me realize, ‘I’m wearing this.’

“Are you really going out?”

Tess seemed quite displeased, but there was no way around it.

“If I’m in danger, you’ll come to rescue me.”

“Of course.”

His tone was rather curt.

“Euseniel has no combat experience, yet you insist on going out? Really?”

“Has anyone here experienced multiple battles? Most of the soldiers here are likely facing war for the first time too.”

Just as I had remained surprisingly calm when faced with the horde of monsters, I felt the same way now.

The fear I felt when Tess mentioned going to battle seemed nonexistent.

I was still afraid of death, but I thought simply not dying would suffice. It’s contradictory, but that’s how it was.

Truthfully, there was a slight fear in me, but I pretended it wasn’t there.

“I’ll be carrying the sword you gave me as a gift, so I’m sure I’ll win.”

As I gently touched his dark bangs, the corners of his eyes, which had been raised in concern, relaxed.

“I don’t think Euseniel will get hurt.”

“Really?”

“While my magic may be stronger, your swordsmanship is superior.”

Swordsmanship is straightforward. While magic sometimes fails to improve despite effort, swordsmanship rewards the hard work put into it.

“However, what worries me is that people might fall for you.”

“Oh, Tess.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not the one who shines and gets praised for my looks.”

“……”

“No one is going to notice me in the midst of a deadly battlefield. Look at me. I’m not dressed up at all, so I don’t look pretty.”

Tess, with an expression that clearly said ‘I completely disagree,’ kept his mouth shut.

At first, I thought Tess’s seriousness was excessive, but now I find even that side of him lovely.

I lightly pressed my lips against the sulking lips of my lover.

“So don’t worry.”

“Euseniel really doesn’t know herself.”

As Tess shook his head, his hair swayed slightly. I took the opportunity to smooth down his tousled hair.

“Your heart is right here.”

I tapped my chest.

No matter what happens, I’ll return safely and in one piece, so don’t worry.

It seemed Tess sensed the unspoken thoughts in my heart and shrugged his shoulders. He let out a soft sigh and kissed my forehead.

We went down together.

The soldiers were already prepared, but a gloomy atmosphere hung in the air. I began to understand why General Panet was so eager to send me out.

It felt like the remnants of defeated soldiers were marching off to their deaths.

“Hello.”

I greeted the man approaching me. He was the actual commander meant to replace my ornamental role.

It was the commander of the imperial knights’ third unit who had brought me and the other knights here. He bowed his head in response to my greeting and chuckled warmly.

“I had no idea that the Chancellor’s messenger was Lady Hardland.”

“Please keep it a secret.”

Seemingly aware of the operation, he nodded and explained the plan once more.

“Hello.”

As I greeted the black horse Tess had brought, it nuzzled against my face. Tess had been feeding the horse himself, so it seemed to have gotten used to it by now.

The elf blood coursing through my veins likely added to my charm.

When I mounted, the knight who led the horse offered a farewell.

“Come back safely.”

It was Ethyl. He had a splint on his right arm but was trying hard to smile.

“I’ll be back.”

After exchanging smiles, I didn’t look back again.

Following the signal from the commander next to me, I drew my sword and pulled on the reins.

“Depart!”

The black blade shimmered white in the sunlight.

Kuuuuuuung.

With a grand sound, we charged out through the opening gates.

The inside and outside of the castle felt like entirely different worlds.

While the inside felt cozy, the chilly wind whipped against my cheeks outside. It seemed there was nothing to shield us from the breeze in front of the castle.

All the enemy forces were cavalry, but only our core members were mounted while the rest were infantry. We rode at a speed that the infantry could keep up with.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, accompanied by a loud noise, red projectiles began to fall from above.

It was bizarre to see fire dropping from the empty air. Although I knew the defensive magic would protect us, my body instinctively flinched.

The soldiers around me seemed oddly unfazed, as if they had grown accustomed to it.

As soon as the defense magic ended, I needed to unleash my attack.

It’s rare for someone to wield both magic and a sword. While there are a few who can, typically one skill significantly lags behind the other.

Most sword users might have a magic level of 2-3, while wizards would be at level 5-6, with their swordsmanship only sufficient for basic self-defense.

So, when I wielded my sword, it was expected that they wouldn’t realize I was also using magic, which was part of General Panet’s strategy.

“We’re about to clash with the enemy! Stay alert!”

The moment we collided with the enemy, the defensive magic dissipated, and I envisioned hail falling around the hill where the southern army was emerging.

Bang! Crash!

Since one of the high-level wizards frequently used water-based magic, it served as a decent distraction.

The hail attack, which felt almost like a weapon, was stopped by the enemy’s defense magic, but it blocked their retreat. Now, I just had to split that white mass in half.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

To carry out the plan, a direct confrontation with the Southern Army was inevitable.

Since attacking from horseback had a much greater offensive advantage, our infantry fell quickly.