A lone carriage stood motionless on the highway leading to the City of Gilm.
Indeed, it wasn't traveling; it was at a dead halt. The reason for the stop would be obvious to anyone who looked toward the roadside.
A battle between humans and monsters was currently unfolding there.
Usually, a battle on the highway meant humans being preyed upon by monsters, but this scene was different. If anything, the monsters—who were supposed to be the predators—were the ones fleeing in terror. A single human was trampling them underfoot.
"Vile Orcs! Lament the misfortune of having crossed our path as you surrender your lives!"
The woman swung her weapon in a massive arc as she spoke.
At first glance, her weapon appeared to be an ordinary blade, perhaps a bit longer than a standard longsword. However, when she swung it with force, the tip extended and flexed like a whip, revealing blades attached along its segmented length. It was a type of magic item known as a whip-sword or bellows sword. While such a weapon typically required extremely advanced technique to master, the woman wielded it with the grace of a dancer.
She possessed a beauty well-suited for such a magnificent display. Her features were as refined as a work of art, and her sharp, almond-shaped eyes suggested both a fierce spirit and unshakable willpower. She radiated the fragrant allure unique to someone in their late teens—that transient period when a girl is reborn as a woman. Luxurious blonde hair, which could only be described as golden threads, cascaded down to the middle of her back, the ends styled into elegant vertical rolls.
Her body was protected by armor that was also a magic item, much like her whip-sword. It carried the Blessing of Wind, granting the wearer increased speed and the ability to read the air currents. Guarding her back was a Golden Mantle of the same hue as her hair, a magic item possessing the effect of Danger Detection. On her feet were Sleipnir's Shoes, allowing her to kick the air itself for a few steps. Around her neck, hanging between the grand swells that would surely seize any man's gaze, was a necklace to increase magic defense.
Her entire person was outfitted with magic items, but what was truly marvelous was that she did not rely on their performance; she had mastered them completely.
"What is the matter? Do you not wish to have me? Then show me your strength! I refuse to surrender myself to a man weaker than I!"
The woman shouted as she swung the whip-sword again. Perhaps because she wielded the weapon with such intense, rhythmic movements, the Orcs stood mesmerized by her beauty even as they realized she was harvesting their lives. Their heads were severed by the segmented blade before they could even react. A few droplets of blood splashed onto her fair skin from a severed neck, but even that Orc blood merely served as makeup to accentuate her beauty.
The sight was purely, gallantly beautiful, yet simultaneously cruel. Beyond beauty and cruelty, she radiated the charisma and majesty of a commander. If one were forced to describe this figure—who embodied both the god of war and the goddess of beauty—the only fitting word would be "War Maiden."
Indeed, this woman, who was single-handedly overwhelming more than ten Orcs, was Elena Kerebel. The daughter of Duke Kerebel, she was renowned as the Princess General throughout the Kingdom of Mireana, the rising Bestia Empire, and all the neighboring nations.
Two knights watched their superior from a short distance away.
"As expected of Lady Elena. Mere Orcs are no match for her."
The one gazing at Elena with a doting expression was a female knight. She appeared to be in her late teens, perhaps slightly younger than Elena. Her name was Ara Scarley, a member of Elena's escort unit. She was a surname holder because she was the third daughter of Count Scarley's House, which belonged to the Noble's Faction.
"Man, our Queen is either beautiful because she’s scary, or scary because she’s so beautiful..."
The one wearing a bewildered, wry smile was a knight in his early twenties named Vel Sails. Like Ara, he was a member of the escort unit and the second son of Viscount Sails, another noble from the Noble's Faction.
These two, along with Kyuste—the second son of Marquis Brashin—formed the three-person escort unit ordered by Duke Kerebel to protect Elena on her journey to Gilm.
"Still, for Orcs to appear on a highway like this... and for even an Orc Mage and Orc Archer to show up, it's quite strange," Ara murmured, her eyes still fixed on Elena.
Vel responded in his usual casual tone.
"I heard reports that an Orc settlement was recently discovered near the City of Gilm. A subjugation force was sent out, so these are likely the survivors."
"...You certainly stay well-informed about the happenings in the frontier."
Vel gave a wry smile to his surprised colleague.
"It's the city we're heading to, so gathering information is a given. That's my job as the support for this unit. Besides, Gilm isn't part of our Noble's Faction; it’s the home base of Margrave Larkus, who’s a heavy hitter even among the Neutral Faction."
"...True. We cannot afford to neglect our intelligence if we are to protect Lady Elena."
"Well, though I say that, Lady Elena is stronger than all of us put together. Our escort unit is almost a formality."
"You!"
As Ara snapped at him, Vel diverted the conversation by looking back toward Elena.
"Look, the fight’s almost over. If we linger here, we’ll be late getting to Gilm. We need to finish the cleanup quickly. I’ll go collect the magic stones from the Orcs Lady Elena took down."
"I don't think there's any real need to collect Orc materials."
"Don't be like that. Look, if we sell the magic stones we find here in the City of Gilm, it might make the locals feel a bit more friendly toward us, right?"
"Then what about the Proof of Subjugation Parts?"
"Well... we aren't registered with the Guild. It would be a bit silly to join just to sell those."
"When you put it that way, I suppose you're right. Though the Guild really should buy Proof of Subjugation Parts even from non-members."
As Ara nodded, Elena approached them, having wiped out the Orc pack without a single wound.
There was no trace of exhaustion on her face, and her breathing wasn't even labored. Her cheeks were only slightly flushed from the exertion, which only served to give her a more profound, almost sublime allure. Though she herself had no interest in romance, her appearance radiated a charm that captivated almost everyone who saw her. It was a misfortune for both her and those around her.
"I suppose I should expect this of the frontier. I didn't think such a large pack of Orcs would appear on the highway in broad daylight."
"Excellent work, Lady Elena. Please, take this. You have some blood on your cheek..."
Ara gently offered a silk handkerchief.
"Thank you, Ara."
While Elena softly wiped the blood from her skin, she called out to Vel, who was busy cutting open the Orcs' chests to retrieve the magic stones from their hearts.
"Vel. Collecting magic stones is fine, but be quick about it. It will be a nuisance if other monsters are drawn by the scent of blood."
"Yes, I'll have it finished in a moment."
As promised, Vel harvested the stones with practiced ease. His movements were efficient even to a casual observer.
It was only natural. They had been attacked by monsters numerous times on the way from the Royal Capital to Gilm, and each time they had repelled the threats and harvested the stones. His efficiency now rivaled that of any local adventurer.
Having quickly finished with more than ten Orcs, Vel tossed the stones into the bag containing the rest of their spoils.
"Lady Elena, the collection is complete. Let’s move on. As you said, it would be a pain if more monsters showed up."
"Very well. We are nearly at Gilm. Hang in there a bit longer, you two."
"What are you saying? As long as you're with us, Lady Elena, I'm always full of energy!"
"Fufu, you're as lively as ever, Ara. ...Vel, are the preparations in order?"
"The carriage doesn't seem to have taken any damage. ...As impressive as always."
Vel cast a glance toward their transport.
To an untrained eye, it looked like an ordinary carriage, but very few could see it for the highly advanced magic item it truly was. It was enchanted with concealment magic to prevent it from standing out. Furthermore, it had been adjusted with space magic, making the interior a luxurious room about the size of thirty mats. The carriage itself was reinforced with magic, making it so sturdy that arrows literally could not pierce it. It also carried an enchantment that enhanced the horses, and since the animals pulling it were among the finest warhorses in the Kingdom of Mireana, the carriage was effectively a rolling fortress. It even had a hostility-detection effect, which was how they had avoided being ambushed by the Orcs.
All of this was thanks to the custom-made magic item Duke Kerebel had commissioned from the alchemists of the Magic City Ozos—where the world's greatest mages gather—sparing no expense to protect his beloved daughter as she fulfilled her noblesse oblige on the battlefield.
Elena followed Vel's gaze and gave a small nod.
"Indeed. I must thank my father. Thanks to these horses and this carriage, we can travel through battlefields and frontier highways without a care in the world."
Elena stroked the backs of the two warhorses.
"Brrrr."
The warhorses narrowed their eyes and whinnied softly, seemingly enjoying the touch.
"You two have just a bit further to go until we reach the City of Gilm. Keep it up."
With those final words, Elena climbed into the carriage. Ara followed her inside, while Vel took his place in the driver's seat and set the carriage in motion.
Inside, the carriage was lined with furniture crafted with the height of an artisan's skill. This, too, had been prepared by Duke Kerebel so his daughter could relax even in the most dangerous environments.
Ara began brewing tea in the small magic kitchen while Elena sat on a sofa to wait.
"I wonder if Kyuste is all right."
"Regarding what?" Elena asked.
Ara murmured as she placed the freshly brewed tea on the table in front of her.
"Well, Kyuste is usually polite to nobles, but he becomes quite insolent the moment he’s dealing with commoners. We're heading into the territory of a neutral lord, not someone from your father's Noble's Faction, so I hope he doesn't cause a scene."
"Ara."
"Yes?"
"It is true that my father is a leader of the Noble's Faction. However, as I have told you many times, I do not consider myself part of that faction. ...Though I am not part of the Neutral Faction or the King's Faction, either."
Elena spoke gracefully as she sipped her tea, looking as though the fierce combat from earlier had never happened.
Ara managed to sigh even as she stared in admiration at her superior.
"Lady Elena, as I've said before, the moment people see that your father is Duke Kerebel, they automatically assume you represent the Noble's Faction as well."
"...Being a noble is a tedious affair."
"Coming from someone who performs her duties as a noble so faithfully, those words carry quite a bit of weight," Ara said with a wry smile, placing a plate of cookies on the table.
"I understand my duty. Since we live off the taxes of the people, I have no hesitation in dedicating my life to protecting them. However, I have no desire to participate in power struggles."
"But because your father is such a powerful figure, your very existence has become a symbol of the Noble's Faction."
Elena gave a wry smile and took a cookie.
"The Princess General, hm? Honestly, I feel the title is far beyond my merit."
"What are you saying? The battle where you defeated a general of the Bestia Empire in single combat is famous throughout the entire Kingdom of Mireana, not just among the nobles."
"Setting that aside, what is our schedule from here?"
"Yes. Once we arrive at the City of Gilm, we have an initial meeting with the lord, Margrave Larkus. We'll stay one night at the Lord's Mansion and depart for the dungeon the following morning."
"The dungeon. ...The Altar of Inheritance. I never truly expected such a thing to be discovered."
"Indeed. Fortunately, it seems no one in the City of Gilm has realized its true value yet."
"Then the greatest concern is whether we can reach it safely... but are you certain we don't need to hire a thief in Gilm? No matter how skilled Vel is in those areas, it will be his first time in a real dungeon."
"I had the same concern... but Vel himself insisted it would be fine."
"I see. ...Adventurers of a frontier city. Perhaps there might be someone there even stronger than I."
"Lady Elena... I wish you would stop publicly declaring that you'll give yourself to whoever manages to defeat you."
Even Ara, who was utterly devoted to her, found that point difficult to yield on.
Talented in both letters and martial arts, and possessing peerless beauty, Elena stood too far above her peers. She had become convinced that any partner she chose must be superior to her in some way. And since she was known as the Princess General, she had publicly stated that her man must be stronger than her in combat.
Naturally, many young nobles had challenged her, hoping to win a beautiful wife and the backing of Duke Kerebel's House. Every single one of them had been soundly defeated. Because of this, Elena believed that a suitable partner likely didn't exist for her.
...However, she did not know that in the frontier city she was fast approaching, she would meet the person who was her destiny. And there, for the first time, she would truly come to know herself as a woman.