Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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―Whoosh!
Alloze is naturally advantageous in places with a lot of water.
As if to prove that obvious statement, the waves crashing onto the shore soared high as if hitting a wall.
"I'll block the water!"
As her hand stretched out once more, the ferocious waves that had been disturbing the shore were suppressed into mere ripples.
"...Ah."
Dielo exclaimed softly.
Yes, Krua was an Alloze.
An Alloze who freely manipulates water.
Therefore, a being who becomes powerful on this beach.
...But that's why she was an Alloze who didn't need to risk her life in the middle of Argenta's sea battlefield.
She would have been if she truly cared about Alloze.
But she willingly jumped into the middle of the battlefield for Argenta.
The seawater falling like rain at the end of her purplish-red hair glistened.
―Flash!
The surrounding water reacted to her blue mana and subsided.
―Flash!
The area flashed repeatedly with her mana.
Once the water stopped rushing in, the situation on the battlefield changed rapidly.
"Dielo!"
He had to rush out now. He had to catch the monsters.
But Dielo couldn't take his eyes off Krua Alroze.
Argenta, who controls fire.
Therefore, water was terrifying to them, and the sea was no different from the realm of death.
But not now.
For the first time, Dielo saw the sea sparkling.
Not a sea of death filled with the blood of monsters and humans, but a sparkling sea.
At this moment, to him, the sea, the water, she, sparkled splendidly and dazzlingly.
* * *
Before departing for the battlefield.
I was trying out my ability to manipulate water again.
To get even a little more used to it.
―Plop!
The more I used the ability, the easier it was to handle water.
In the original story, there wasn't any mention of Krua Alroze having such excellent Water Manipulation Ability?
As far as I knew, Krua Alroze in the original story was someone who struggled even with a teacup.
My ability must have changed as I possessed her.
That was a good thing for me.
―Plop!
I made the water in the canteen into the shape of a sharp knife, then scattered it again.
It was a fascinating ability to have the surrounding water move just by imagining it.
All of this was as natural as breathing.
"Preparation is complete. Order to advance."
Then the captain of the royal guard approached and bowed.
Now that Dielo wasn't at the mansion, I was the only one who could issue the order to deploy.
I looked around at the Argenta royal guard.
As elite forces, they were all composed of Argenta from the 4th floor.
'Anyone who goes to the 4th floor of Argenta, you can trust.'
Dielo had said that.
According to his casual words, at least those who frequented the 4th floor of this mansion knew that I was a fake Pero.
Wasn't there a single spy in this mansion?
Didn't the servants who frequented the 4th floor have any contact with the servants below the 3rd floor?
What if the plan leaked?
...I had thought so until now.
"..."
I stared at the royal guard bowing before me.
He was also an Argenta from the 4th floor.
What I felt while preparing for this expedition was that the Argenta people on the 4th floor were more tight-lipped than I had imagined.
Was Dielo trusting them for no reason?
Unlike them, the servants below the 3rd floor, who didn't know that I had a contract marriage, tried to treat me as if I didn't exist.
'Excuse me? You're going to deploy in person?'
But immediately after I said that I would go to the battlefield myself, the attitude of the servants began to change little by little.
It was the same regardless of which floor of Argenta they were from.
It was so radical that it was hard to believe that the change had occurred in less than half a day, and they became polite and kind to me.
As a result, the expressions of the servants below the 3rd floor who were seeing us off were quite friendly.
How strange.
I turned around to look at the royal guard neatly lined up behind me.
Since they were all royal guard belonging to the 4th floor, I could use the Alloze's ability to some extent in front of them without attracting the attention of other families.
"All troops, advance to District 4!"
I raised my sword to the royal guard who were waiting for my command.
It was a heavy sword, and a sword that I would never use, but there was no better item to match the atmosphere of preparing for battle.
"Waaaaa!"
―Neigh!
With the horse I was riding in the lead, countless royal guard set off for District 4.
Originally, less than half of this number would have gone to District 4.
'Organize manpower to escort me together.'
But as I participated in the battle, the number increased significantly.
Originally, if it were another family, they would have been horrified at the thought of the mistress participating in the war.
But this was Argenta, who guarded the Endless Sea, and I was the only Alloze here who could control water.
The decisive key to quickly resolving the situation on the battlefield.
The royal guard who realized that fact were tempted.
But they didn't immediately agree to my deployment.
Partly because my Water Manipulation Ability was known to be weak.
'...The order I received from the head of the family was to protect the safety of the mistress above all else.'
They seemed worried that I would be in danger.
I didn't think there wouldn't be this much opposition.
I blocked their arguments from the start with the answers I had prepared in advance.
'The center of Argenta is not me, but Dielo Argenta, the head of the family. I'm very concerned that the head of the family requested support troops even though he went to war himself.'
When demanding, demand with dignity.
I raised my head and stared straight at the royal guard.
'If this expedition is useless, it will end with the mistress, who moved the troops unnecessarily, being criticized for being reckless. But if Dielo is in danger, Argenta will pay a heavy price.'
At those words, the royal guard eventually decided to launch an expedition centered around me.
"Giddy up!"
I and numerous royal guard followed the royal guard who was leading the way.
'Redius Argenta must not die.'
This was the reason why I participated in this expedition even to the point of overdoing it.
Redius Argenta was Dielo's uncle, and now that all the Argenta family members were dead, he was Dielo's only blood relative.
In short, it meant that he was a great force who was strongly endowed with Argenta's abilities.
In the upcoming battle with Alloze, he would be a major force of Argenta along with Dielo's Pero, who would be coming soon.
In the original story, Redius Argenta went berserk and died in this incident, causing Argenta to face a crisis.
'I can't let that happen.'
"Giddy up! Ha!"
My urgent heart urged the horse even more.
What was really fortunate was that Krua Alroze's body remembered not only the ability to handle water.
She also had a talent for horseback riding, and although she was a little awkward when she first rode the horse, there was no problem in riding quickly.
Thanks to the fast running, the surrounding scenery drew horizontal lines and fell behind.
Meanwhile, I pondered for a moment.
'I don't have time.'
According to the original story, Redius Argenta dies shortly before Pero arrives.
I was so busy with the wedding, deceiving Alloze, and adapting to Argenta's work that I almost missed something important.
The real Pero would come two months after the wedding.
Now that Redius Argenta was in danger, there wasn't much time left until Pero arrived.
The original story was told from the perspective of a maid, so Krua and the real Pero were just extras, but there was a reason why I clearly remembered when the real Pero appeared.
It was because the real Pero's personality was no joke.
[I heard he's an amazing cynic? He enjoys inflicting pain on others. I'd rather work under Krua Alroze.
Besides, he's incredibly picky.]
That's what the servants were saying in the original story, so that says it all.
I had no intention of running into such a Pero.
'I need to hurry up and prepare to leave.'
Of course, I wouldn't be able to leave Argenta until Alloze was completely defeated, but it would be easier to lay the foundation for leaving while I was still in the position of mistress.
However, that was a problem for when I returned safely from this battle.
I knew in my head that abilities grew closer to the source.
That's why I came with confidence.
But I was worried about handling it on the vast coast, especially in a place where monsters appeared.
At best, when I experimented from time to time at the mansion, I was able to move the water in a huge tub freely.
Without even taking a breath.
But if I'm this good, how powerful is Duke Alroze's Water Manipulation Ability?
Can I really be of help on the battlefield?
Even though I used my abilities from time to time, I couldn't easily gain confidence.
But.
―Shooooo……!
The closer the distant sea came into view, the more I felt it.
The blood inside my body was boiling.
Alloze's blood was reacting to the water.
Alloze becomes invincible as long as they are on the water.
"……!"
I saw a huge wave in the distance trying to engulf Argenta.
I also saw Dielo's blue eyes, looking at me with a surprised expression, as if he didn't know I was coming.
As expected, it was a color that resembled the sea.
―Flash!
Alloze's blood, reacting to the water, gathered blue power in my hand.
I swung it around and grabbed the surrounding waves.
"……Krua!"
I heard Dielo shouting in surprise.
But once I jumped into the battlefield, I couldn't turn back.
―Kuaaa!
I wasn't afraid even when monsters with grotesque shapes, half fish and half human, were staring at me.
Strangely enough, that was the case.
That must be thanks to the confidence that Alloze's blood was giving me.
"!"
I swung my hand once more.
