The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Confession (3)

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This was a disaster.

Could there be a more fitting description of my current predicament?

Lili's magic, fueled by a massive expenditure of magical energy, had been wasted on a relatively insignificant beast compared to the colossal Lycansthrope it was meant for.

And I, tasked with protecting her for the three minutes it took her to recharge, was now a wreck.

Despite my efforts to stay vigilant, this was the result. A bitter chuckle escaped my lips, the sound grating like metal on bone.

-  Growl…

The creature, which had been watching me intently after I'd been slammed into a tree, vanished into the shadows. The forest, once pitch black, was now filled with an eerie, unsettling darkness.

That alone told me this beast, unlike the previous hothead, wasn't going to underestimate us, even in our weakened state.

"B-Berry! Are you… Your arm!!"

Oblivious to the lurking danger, Lili rushed towards me, taking advantage of the larger beast’s disappearance.

She didn't realize that for a predator of that size, having two prey animals huddled together was a welcome gift.

Propping myself up with my sword, I spoke to her, my voice raspy with pain.

"…My arm is fine. You need to run. That creature is targeting you, Your Highness."

Gasping for breath, I tightened my grip on my sword, its point wavering uncertainly. It was a clear signal: I would hold it off, so she needed to escape.

My self-sacrificing act, perhaps a bit presumptuous towards the now-proud Princess, made her bite her lip in frustration. She couldn’t bring herself to order me to protect her while she prepared another spell, especially after I’d been thrown around like a ragdoll by the beast's massive paw.

…Or perhaps, she felt more frustrated and helpless because she didn't have enough magical energy left to cast another spell. The colorless magic she’d used had nearly depleted her reserves.

Regardless, staying here was a bad idea. We were both within the beast’s attack range, and I didn’t know when it would strike again.

In our current state, staying together was more of a liability than an advantage.

"I'm fine. Run and alert the instructors. That creature is far too powerful for first-year students to handle."

I tried to persuade her, to guide her towards the safest course of action.

In the original story, the instructors didn't appear until after the event was over.

Even we, who were right in the thick of it, hadn't sensed the creature until it was almost upon us. There was no way an instructor, waiting at the rendezvous point, would notice anything.

Lili seemed to realize this too. She was torn between the logical choice of escaping and calling for help, and the emotional urge to stay with me, the one who had sacrificed himself for her.

Her conflicted gaze, fixed on me as I prepared to face the colossal beast alone, spoke volumes.

Just as she opened her mouth, a determined look on her face…

"I…!"

…she closed it again, silenced by my gaze.

As she finally turned to run towards the rendezvous point, she spoke, her voice tinged with despair,

"I-I'm sorry, Berry…. I can't fulfill your request."

Two boar-like monsters, the kind I had easily dispatched on our way here, blocked her path.

While she could have easily defeated them normally, she was a mage, not a warrior. Without magical energy, she was no different from an ordinary girl.

'So she really did use up almost all her magic.'

Selina had collapsed immediately after using that spell, so it wasn't surprising. And for those monsters, it was a welcome opportunity.

As my attention shifted to the boar monsters, the Lycansthrope's presence faded, almost imperceptible now.

Unlike the previous beast, this one was intelligent. It was waiting patiently for me to weaken further, either by fighting the boar monsters or by succumbing to my injuries.

My lifespan had been extended by a few minutes, perhaps ten at most, but I still had to face these two monsters.

"I'll take care of these two. Run as soon as they're dead."

Even these two monsters posed a fatal threat to her without magic.

And as someone who had vowed to protect her, I couldn't just stand by and watch her in danger.

"You're going to fight them in your condition? Two of them?"

She looked at me as if I were insane.

A swordsman, his left arm mangled, exhausted and gasping for breath, challenging two monsters.

…Well, it did sound crazy.

For an average academy student, it would be an act of suicidal arrogance. A fitting end for a nameless extra, trying to show off in front of a pretty girl.

Even Ian, the protagonist, would have been severely injured, if not killed, in my situation.

But I wasn't an average first-year student. I was a top scorer, and I was still stronger than Ian. This wasn't arrogance, but confidence.

Confidence that I could defeat these two.

"I can handle them."

But I wasn't confident about facing the Lycansthrope, lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance.

I had to create an opening for her escape. I looked at her, conveying my resolve, but she avoided my gaze.

"If you had the strength and skill… you should have escaped alone. You had a better chance of survival than me, especially since I could have been captured."

"I have a chance of survival, however small. You, Your Highness, have none."

I wanted to say something heroic, like, 'Because I care about you. Enough to risk my life.' But in this situation, such a declaration would only hinder her escape. So, I resorted to a pragmatic, albeit slightly ridiculous, argument.

At my somewhat condescending remark, she fell silent, her gaze fixed on the monsters, as she moved behind me. Then, she gathered her remaining magical energy and created a small light, illuminating our surroundings.

I could see the monsters clearly now, their size and shape. And the Lycansthrope, retreating further into the shadows to avoid being seen.

"…Royalty never forgets a debt. Especially a debt of gratitude."

"Your Highness?"

Her quiet voice, from behind me. She had said the same thing when she hated me. That royalty never forgets.

But I had never heard the words that followed, so I looked at her, puzzled.

Her gaze, no longer filled with malice and hatred, but with suppressed sorrow, met mine.

"So you must survive. You must survive until I return. Understand? This is an order."

…One unpayable debt is enough.

My hearing, impaired by my injuries and exhaustion, failed to catch her muttered words. Perhaps she was explaining the reason for her order.

It was an unreasonable order, an impossible order, in my current state. Yet, I could only respond, a faint smile on my face, my gaze fixed on the monsters,

"Understood."

Because it was an order from my Princess, an order I had longed to hear as her attendant.

Her gaze, no longer filled with love, nor hatred, but with regret and concern…

At her request, disguised as an order, I could only nod, my head heavy with sweat and blood.

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