Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death
chapter-594

The Decision Without Guidance

In response to the demand from the Chaos Serpents, Mia quickly gathered her allies: Anne, Ludwig, Dion, and Bel. Additionally, Rafina, Abel, and his retainer Grammateus, along with Aima and Malong were also present. Once the key members had assembled, Ludwig, who had been entrusted with the task by Mia, began to speak.

“We have received a threatening letter from the Chaos Serpents. The demand itself is not particularly surprising. It essentially said, ‘If you value Citrina-sama’s life, you will come at once.’”

Ludwig then crossed his arms, appearing to be deep in thought.

“One thing that’s curious is that it doesn’t specify that Mia-sama should come alone.”

Rafina furrowed her brows at his words.

“That is certainly strange. Normally, a threatening letter like this would specify that you must come alone, without any guards.”

“Perhaps they thought the threat would not be credible under those conditions. Citrina-sama is indeed the noble daughter of one of the Four Great Duke Houses, but compared to Mia-sama, Princess of the Tearmoon Empire, it is clear who holds the superior standing. Of course, Mia-sama herself would be willing to risk her life to save Citrina-sama, but as her vassals, we cannot allow such a thing.”

“I see. So, to ensure that Mia-san definitely comes, they’ve allowed for the possibility of her bringing guards. That said, even if it’s not explicitly stated, bringing an army of a thousand is probably out of the question.”

Ludwig nodded in response to Rafina’s comment.

“Yes, I think that’s what we need to consider. It’s clear that the enemy has control over Citrina-sama’s life. They will allow a reasonable number of guards, but if we exceed that limit, they will not hesitate to kill her. Since the decision is in the enemy’s hands, we cannot afford to be too reckless. Needless to say, if Citrina-sama were to be killed, the damage we would suffer would be considerable.”

Mia and Citrina. It was clear whose existence held more significance, but that was only a relative comparison. Losing Citrina would lead to a deterioration in relations with the Yellowmoon family, which would be a favourable outcome for the Serpents.

“By the way, would Sir Dion fall within the range of a reasonable number of guards?”

Abel’s question was half-joking, but Aima shook her head, her expression serious. She silently and firmly asserted that including Dion was not within the realm of common sense.

Ludwig gave a wry smile and said,

“Sir Dion’s skill with the sword certainly exceeds the bounds of common sense, but in this case, the enemy would expect him to accompany Mia-sama. On the other hand, they are hoping to lure Mia-sama out even with Sir Dion present. That means they believe they have an effective way of countering him.”

Dion himself nodded in agreement with Ludwig’s assessment.

“I agree with Lord Ludwig. They seem to have a strong grasp of our expected actions. However, I don’t think we need to play along with their expectations, do we?”

With that, Dion flashed Mia a sly smile.

“As one of Princess Mia’s loyal retainers, as Lord Ludwig just mentioned, I am opposed to the princess taking such risks. If you were to send me alone, I could handle things skilfully.”

‘Skilfully…kill…?’

Mia translated Dion-speak in her head and turned a little pale.

“Just to be sure, Dion-san, I need to confirm something. Are you saying that you can certainly rescue Citrina-san by yourself?”

“I will do my best to handle that skilfully as well. I will adapt to the situation as needed.”

Dion was slightly vague in his response, but Mia realised what he meant.

‘If Citrina-san were to be killed and relations with the Yellowmoon family deteriorate, then he would kill them as well!’

That was certainly not the future Mia desired.

‘In the first place, the Serpent Priestess is Abel’s sister. If Dion-san were to charge in and kill, it would be disastrous. Moreover, Citrina-san is Bel’s dear friend, and I also consider her a reliable friend. Losing her would leave a bitter aftertaste. I can’t leave it all to Dion-san alone. While I understand this, I also know that the risk is extremely high. Just as Ludwig and Dion-san have analysed, the enemy is probably planning their strategy with the assumption that Dion-san will be present. It’s unclear how they plan to deal with Dion Alaia, the Empire’s strongest. Ah, but there are also the wolves.The wolf master, more accurately Aima-san’s brother, will also be there, so it will be quite dangerous. I don’t want to go. I really don’t want to go!’

As Mia groaned with a troubled expression on her face, someone interrupted with a gentle voice.

“What do you want to do, Mia?”

“Huh…?”

Mia tilted her head in confusion as Abel spoke to her with a gentle smile.

“You should do whatever you believe is best. I’ll support you with all my might. If you wish, I am even prepared to go and rescue Miss Citrina myself.”

“Your Highness Prince Abel…that’s…”

Grammateus couldn’t help but speak up, and Abel responded with a slight shrug.

“I chose Mia over sister Valentina. That was my decision, so I am prepared to risk my life.”

His words were as honest and decisive as his swordsmanship. They rang with determination, focused only on the path ahead as he took a resolute step forward.

“Oh, Abel…”

Hearing this declaration, Mia felt as if Abel were pulling her hand to guide her. She felt as though she could close her eyes and let Abel lead her. It might have been love… or perhaps it was simply Mia’s true nature as a yes-man being revealed. Then, someone else added more weight to the already tilted scales of judgement.

“Well said, Abel Remno. I feel the same way!”

Aima declared proudly, puffing her chest.

“If it comes down to it, I will repay Princess Mia’s kindness, even if it means facing my brother in a fight to the death.”

“Aima-san…”

As usual, Aima made a rather heavy declaration. Then, someone else spoke up, not wanting to be outdone by Aima. That was…

“Of course, I’m also ready to give up a lot for my friends. Like, even my life!”

Mia’s smile grew a little strained as she observed Rafina display her competitive spirit.

“Umm, I would prefer if Rafina-sama could stay behind to oversee the affairs of the Equestrian Kingdom, if possible…”

Rafina had been attending meetings with the clan chiefs and witnessing the resolution of the matter with the Fire Clan. She couldn’t simply leave.

“Eh? But…”

“Besides, if both Rafina-sama and I were captured, it would be exactly what the Serpents are hoping for. That would leave Sion to handle the aftermath alone, which would be both cruel and unfair to him.”

If Rafina were involved, it would only add to the mayhem. Therefore, Mia did her best to dissuade her.

“But Abel, Aima-san, and Rafina-sama… I’m truly grateful for your feelings. They have helped me make up my mind.”

To begin with, Mia’s options were limited. If she abandoned Citrina, the enemy would spread the news widely. And in that case, it was clear that Mia would be in a very difficult position. So…

“As I thought, nothing can be resolved unless I go myself. Ludwig, please make the preparations.”

Thus, the course of action was decided.

Mia resolved to confront the Serpent Priestess, accompanied by an elite group including Dion, Ludwig, and a few others.

However, there was still one thing that bothered Mia. After Citrina had gone missing, Mia tried reading the Princess Chronicles, but there was no mention of this event.

Of course, Abel’s sister’s involvement was not suitable for public records, so it wasn’t surprising that it was omitted.

For some reason, Mia couldn’t shake a vague sense of unease at the Chronicles’ failure to fulfil its role as a guiding force.