Chapter 5: Escape!

“Eeek!”

A pitiful sound escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

“Your Highness! Please lower your head a little more!”

“I-I know that already!”

The Demon King’s army had set fire to Gaikoku Fortress and charged in, spreading chaos everywhere. Amid the turmoil, the southern castle gate was lightly guarded. We rode our horses through, splitting the soldiers into groups and forcing our way through.

A few unlucky ones were struck by arrows and thrown from their mounts. I had no way to check if they survived… not now.

I clung tightly to the back of Captain Postov, lowering my head as far as I could. My helmet and hard leather backpack offered some protection, but if a black-glinting arrow from the Demon King’s army hit me… the thin helmet would be no more than butter. Pierced through in an instant.

“God, God, God…”

I muttered prayers over and over, lowering my head as far as it would go. I probably had never prayed this desperately in my life.

“Yikes!”

Something whizzed past my ear. So close. A few centimeters off, and it would have left a huge hole in my head.

…

……

………

How long had we been riding? When I looked around, the scenery had shifted to a forested area, and a slight slope appeared. The trees thickened, making it harder for the horses to pass.

“I think it will be difficult to continue on horseback from here,” Postov said, glancing back at me.

“…Then let’s proceed on foot,” I replied.

“Understood, Your Highness,” he said.

Though blood ran from various parts of his body, most of it was the enemy’s—his injuries seemed minor.

Several other riders had successfully joined us as well.

“You’re safe too, Your Highness!”

The maid Kamina ran up to us. Perhaps she had horseback riding experience, because she had made it through the castle gate alone, unscathed.

“K-Kamina! I’m so glad you’re safe.”

My eyes involuntarily grew warm.

It seemed we had successfully broken through the southern gate and reached the Black Forest.

Honestly, the image of arrows whizzing past us as we forced our way through—death all around—was terrifying. To be honest… I had soiled myself a little.

…This is impossible. Truly impossible.

“Thank you, Postov.”

“It was my duty, Your Highness,” he replied.

I dismounted, my legs stiff from riding.

“I’ll send these horses in another direction,” Kamina said.

“Please do,” I nodded.

She tapped the horses’ necks and sent them off. They would serve as a decoy, drawing away any pursuers. Even a few distracted enemies could be a huge help.

From here, we had to traverse the forest on foot.

With a soldier familiar with the forest guiding us, we plunged boldly into the mountains. The dense trees blocked our view of anything far away.

“…Your Highness, please watch your step,” Postov warned, walking beside me.

“Thank you,” I said.

He was clad in chainmail and carried a short bow, constantly alert. At a time like this, he was incredibly reliable.

The Black Forest was mountainous and uneven, with no paved paths—only animal trails. Wearing a maid outfit made walking difficult, but there was no time to complain.

Fortunately, the enemy couldn’t pursue us through the dense forest on horseback, so for now, there was no sign of pursuit.

Each group had split off, moving separately. Large numbers would attract attention; splitting up allowed the enemy to be dispersed.

“Lady Sonia, some water, please,” Kamina said, drawing from a nearby spring.

I was so grateful that it brought tears to my eyes.

“Thank you, Kamina. I always appreciate your loyalty,” I said.

“Don’t make it sound so formal,” she replied, turning her face away with a small pout.

Wait… could Kamina be a tsundere? I couldn’t help but grin.

“Quiet, everyone!”

Suddenly, Postov, walking beside me, issued a tense warning.

A wave of tension ran through the group.

We held our breath and hid in the shade of the trees.

Figures approached along the path we had just walked. I recognized the shapes.

Goblins.

In the game, they were supposed to be clumsy, so I decided to watch first.

A group of goblins armed with spears and swords passed through the grove where we hid.

Two options flashed through my mind: attack them here, or hide and let them pass. A fight in this situation would be foolish. Survival meant staying hidden.

Yet the goblins were thoroughly searching the forest, clearly on high alert.

Wait… weren’t you supposed to be clumsy? I wanted to shout.

Even worse, their noses twitched. Could it be… goblins have a keen sense of smell? No way… that wasn’t in the game’s setting… right?

W-Wait, wait, wait. This is bad. This is really bad.

In my nervousness, I shifted slightly to hide better. But I lost my balance and planted my foot too hard on the ground.

…Snap.

The sound of something breaking echoed through the trees.

The goblins reacted instantly, raising their alertness. Postov and Kamina exchanged glances, their hands tightening around bows and daggers.

Just when I thought it was over… a small, cute rabbit suddenly hopped out from my feet, bouncing straight toward the goblins.

The goblins’ interest vanished instantly upon seeing it. They ignored us completely and disappeared into the forest.

Even after their figures vanished, the tension didn’t leave my body. Only after a while did everyone’s muscles begin to relax.

Haah… that had been nerve-wracking.

My fists had been clenched so tightly that my palms were soaked with sweat.

Still… I thought I had seen a girl with purple hair near the goblins just now… but maybe it was my imagination.

After letting the goblin group pass, we rested briefly before resuming our march.

In the end, we encountered no further pursuers and successfully made it out of the Black Forest.

We had a few shallow cuts from thorny leaves here and there, but they were nothing—if anything, badges of honor.

My maid outfit had torn in several places, leaving me looking somewhat… provocative.

If this were an eroge, it would probably make a great event CG—my appearance battered, clothes in tatters, as if I had been whipped.

Once we safely exited the Black Forest, we stumbled into the homes of villagers on the far side of the fortress. After a short rest, we were fortunate to meet soldiers from a nearby fortress who had been scouting the area.

“Your Highness! Are you safe?!”

“Thanks to Kamina and Postov, somehow we made it,” I replied.

The soldiers who greeted us were moved to tears.

When we were escorted into the nearby fortress, I felt my legs give out from sheer relief.

Yes, it had been terrifying—but more than that, the overwhelming sense of relief at having escaped disaster safely took over.

The taut strings of tension in my body snapped, and I could no longer stand.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

Kamina rushed to me as I sank to the ground.

“…Hahahahaha.”

I couldn’t form words; all I could do was laugh.

Yes. In my heart, I was cheering.

We did it! We did it! We made it! I had defied fate itself!

…But fate is cruel, and that triumphant feeling, unsurprisingly, didn’t last long.

“My apologies, Demon King.”

“…Hmm.”

Cyclops reported the outcome of the Sugarcreek Kingdom raid, his voice trembling with caution.

The raid itself had been flawless. The Demon King’s army had suffered almost no losses, the opposing forces were scattered with ease, and key figures—including the princes of the Paptes Kingdom—had been captured. Overall, the operation was a success.

Yet for Cyclops, the supreme commander reporting directly to the Demon King, such achievements were trivial. His attention was fixed on the single point the Demon King had emphasized—and he knew that failure could cost him his head. To incur the Demon King’s wrath was to risk one’s life instantly.

“…Regarding the princess of the Sugarcreek Kingdom, Sonia. She set fire to the fortress at precisely the right moment and, as if anticipating our strategy, broke through the southern gate, where security was weakest and the soldiers were in disarray.”

“…I see.”

For once, the Demon King’s eyes gleamed. Rarely did he show genuine interest in the affairs of the lower world.

“…I had underestimated the human girl. She is… quite intriguing.”

“Moreover, questioning the prisoners captured at the southern gate revealed that Sonia had disguised herself in a maid outfit and, under that camouflage, headed for the southern Black Forest.”

“Hmm. Meticulous, indeed.”

The Demon King’s eyes shone brightly, alight with fascination.

“…And, my apologies, we failed to apprehend them. According to intelligence from our insider, they have been hidden in another fortress beyond the forest. What are your orders, Demon King? With our forces, we could retrieve them at will.”

“…Very well.”

“Yes, sir!”

“This expedition was meant to serve as a warning. No further advance shall be permitted.”

“Understood.”

“Then withdraw.”

“Yes, sir!”

Cyclops exhaled a quiet sigh of relief, narrowly having avoided disaster, and hurriedly exited the throne room.

“…Interesting.”

Alone on the throne, the Demon King murmured to himself.