Running Away From The Hero! (Remake)

273

Side Story – Memories of a Princess (46)

“Your Highness! I can’t continue with this. Please replace me with someone else!”

“No, you can’t.”

“Your Highness! Please!”

I watched as the officer was dragged away by the soldiers.

I could understand his fear.

War is a place where life and death intersect.

Fighting monsters is to protect people, but in this case, it’s to kill people.

Monsters and humans—what may seem like a small difference is actually enormous when experienced firsthand.

It’s said that soldiers who experience war for the first time often request a transfer due to the overwhelming fear and guilt of killing humans.

But,

“What’s going on?”

I had never encountered such a situation.

“Why do the ones stationed in the rear keep asking to be replaced?”

Usually, soldiers request a transfer due to the guilt of killing, but these were rear personnel.

They hadn’t even participated in the battle; they were support staff who were gripped by terror.

“What has Ast been doing this time?”

The common factor among these individuals was that they managed the video magic devices under Ast.

“Sir Ast probably did something typical of him.”

“Right? Even though he’s protected by the Emperor’s decree, he still needs a warning. Lea, get ready.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

What could Ast be doing to make these rear personnel so desperate?

Just as I stood up to find out, I felt a sudden spatial distortion.

“What if someone sees you?”

“I know there’s no one else around.”

A young man who appeared to be in his early twenties emerged from the distorted space.

Formally, he was my personal butler assigned to assist Ast, but his hidden identity was that of a dragon sent to monitor Ast.

And this dragon,

“I want to quit! Send me to a department far away from that lunatic!”

He began ranting similarly to the officers from earlier.

“Is this an ability…?”

Even the dragon was reacting this way.

What on earth had Ast done?

“Aren’t you here to monitor him?”

“I don’t care. If I stay around that human any longer, I’ll go insane too. What kind of person is he? No, is he even human? How can anyone be that deranged?”

“I know Ast is crazy, but what did he do to make you react like this?”

“Well…”

The dragon sighed and then told me everything that had happened.

“Sir Ast…”

Lea, who was listening, was trembling at Ast’s actions, which were steeped in madness.

“Thank goodness there are no priests here…”

Even in war, his actions had crossed a line.

The clergy might have declared him possessed by demons.

“Even with the difference in species, are humans naturally like this? No, the others are retching just by watching him! That lunatic is enjoying his horrific acts!”

The dragon begged me to send him away, saying he felt he would go mad if he stayed any longer.

“Tell that to the Dragon Lord.”

“I already did, but I was refused. They said everyone else is busy, but what would keep dragons busy? They just don’t want to come because it’s inconvenient!”

Gritting his teeth, the dragon seemed resigned.

“It’s not possible.”

“Why? Why not!”

He looked as if the sky had fallen on him.

Ast had pushed a dragon to this state. Truly impressive.

“If we make an exception for one, we’d have to replace everyone, and we don’t have that luxury.”

The rear personnel were specialists in their fields. Replacing them wasn’t easy.

I could replace those handling communication, but the ones analyzing and maintaining the video magic devices were irreplaceable.

“Really, it’s impossible?”

“Yes, really impossible.”

The dragon’s desperate gaze was almost pitiable.

I never thought I’d feel this way about a dragon.

“I was just about to go see Ast myself. I’ll try to talk him out of his madness.”

Though I doubted I could persuade him, given that he barely listened to me back at the Royal Palace.

Even in wartime, would Ast, armed with the Emperor’s decree, listen to me?

“I’ll wait for now.”

Surprisingly, the dragon backed down quietly, understanding that his actions were merely a tantrum.

“Lea, get ready as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Unlike before, this was a battlefield.

Even moving within our own territory required preparation.

An hour later, with a small escort of about a hundred, I headed to the forward area where Ast was stationed.

And there,

“Ah, you’ve arrived?”

I found Ast lounging and watching the video magic devices.

“What are you doing?”

The room was a mess, filled with personal items including a bed.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m working.”

He still had a sense of decorum, getting up to greet me, though the room was far from decorous.

“It looks more like you’ve moved in.”

“Working space can double as living space. Wouldn’t you think of raising the pay for such a diligent subordinate?”

His words made it sound like he was indeed working hard.

But the scenes on the screens behind him were hellish.

People were being brutally killed, their screams echoing through the room.

“I was told there’s no current battle… Was I misinformed?”

“I’m replaying the recordings to find errors or improvements.”

His words painted him as a diligent and loyal servant.

But the other people in the room, with their heads bowed, looked at Ast as if he were a monster.

“Can you spare a moment?”

“I’m quite busy, Your Highness…”

“Then consider this a royal command.”

“Wow…”

Ast was speechless for a moment but had no choice but to comply.

When a royal commands, one must obey.

“Maref, take over.”

“Yes, Senior.”

The dragon and the other officers sighed audibly with relief as Ast left the room.

“Ast.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I called Ast aside, ensuring it was just me, Lea, and him.

In this private setting, I sighed and confronted him.

“What the hell are you doing? Have you really gone mad?”

They say war drives people insane, but does it make a madman even crazier?

What I saw of Ast earlier was sheer madness.

“How could you say such a thing? I’m just working hard.”

“Eating bread with jam while watching blood splatter and handing it to others isn’t exactly normal behavior.”

“Oh… Who told you?”

“Everyone. They stormed Fesra Castle to tell me they wanted to quit.”

Our forces were divided into three main groups.

One at Fesra Castle, the rear base responsible for supplies.

Another in the rear area where Ast was stationed, far enough from the front lines to manage operations through video devices.

And the last group, fighting at the front lines, consisting of most of our soldiers and sorcerers, maintaining the first line of defense and attacking with mages.

“Running all the way here from such a distance to report…”

Tsk!

Ast clicked his tongue, giving me a headache.

“Why are you doing this?”

I was considering whether to isolate him for everyone’s safety.

“It’s part of the strategy. Do you think I enjoy watching people’s heads explode and eating jam on bread while laughing?”

Ast’s serious expression made me almost believe him.

“Yes.”

“What… Do you really think I’m that insane?”

Ast looked to Lea for support, but she avoided his gaze.

“Sir Lea? Do you really think I’d do such a thing without any reason?”

“…”

“Look at me when I’m talking!”

Ast seemed genuinely shocked by the cold reception.

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

“Should I be honest?”

“No, I think I’d rather not hear it.”

Smart choice.

“What’s the strategy behind your madness?”

“Obviously, to deceive the enemy. Even with good management, there are spies among us.”

“True.”

Inserting spies is difficult, but rooting them out is even harder.

“Well-managed as we are, some information will still leak. It’s inevitable.”

“Even so, how does your insanity fit into this?”

“What do you think the enemy will think if they hear about me?”

“If they hear about your actions?”

Ast’s rapid rise made him a figure of interest.

Rumors of his new tactics would make him a target for information gathering.

“Not all information is beneficial. Ignorance can be bliss.”

“You’re scaring the enemy with your madness?”

“Yes.”

It seemed absurd, but considering it, it might be effective.

If I heard the enemy’s key commander was a lunatic who laughed at carnage and ate jam on bread, I’d be horrified.

If I felt this way, how would others react?

“That’s the plan?”

“Yes. Even I have limits. I’ve been forcing myself for the sake of our strategy.”

Ast’s earnest expression made me reconsider my doubts.

“Really?”

“You still doubt me?”

Yes.

I wanted to say, but his serious look made me hesitate.

“Well, I suppose it’s plausible. Even you wouldn’t do that without a reason.”

“…Thank you for believing me, but why are you avoiding eye contact, Your Highness?”

“…”

Ast sighed deeply.

“Can I expand the plan, now that you know?”

“Expand? How?”

“That…”

His evil grin made Lea’s face go pale.