The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

153 - Even Beyond Death We Stand Together - Part 1

Lily's Point of View

Honestly, I am in a bad position.

I am surrounded by earth magicians, and the only thing keeping them from making a cage around me is the sheer lack of material... and this won't last for long.

One on one against Normand it might have been a somewhat fair fight, but this is different. If not for them fearing me cutting them in half, then they would've been dealing the final blow right now.

As of now they're trembling, fearing that they end up as the enemies they heard of on the battlefield, or their two comrades I've already cut apart... but it won't last.

I need to get out of here.

I know that things aren't going well. Even now I hear Lionel's booming voice from where I left him, yelling out orders to soldiers that arrived after I left. If not for them we'd likely already be dead.

This was never a fight meant to be won. This was a matter of taking Alstair or the king down with me... how did it turn into this?

I heard Eric's voice just now as well, but that little group of people won't be able to do much against the steady flow of palace guards. Even from here I can see the number of guards between us increase, and I can only hope that the water remaining from the floodwave will be enough to let them defend themselves longer.

Summoning elements requires a lot of mana, and both Normand and Lionel are suffering in that regard as they've both had to summon quite a lot of rock. I can only assume the entire hall is blessed with an anti-magic blessing.

The biggest thing bothering me is the report Gilbert just got...

Why is there an army here?!

No, that aside it changes our priorities rather drastically.

The palace isn't made to be defended, and it's surrounded by a water filled moat and has the river nearby. If they've secured the harbor then we might be able to withdraw afterwards if we manage to pull everyone together.

First things first, I need to get back near Lionel... had Normand or Gilbert been slower or more ignorant things would have been over, but they're both worthy of guarding royalty... even twisted as Gilbert is I cannot deny that he has good instincts. He's ruined my attempts at Alstair's life twice now.

A sudden wail from behind the Tepet soldiers draw's Normand's attention away from me.

What in the- Did someone get Alstair?

I snap out of it quickly. I can't afford to be distracted, and neither can Normand!

I change direction and dash back at Normand to take advantage of his distraction.

"Astolphus!"

Normand screams the name of the king with all masks of politeness being ripped from his face as it contorted in worry and then... anger. If I remember right then Normand and the king were childhood friends just like Alstair and Lionel.

The blood boiling fury of a bear takes over Normand in an instant, leaving no trace of the calm commander nor the once warm hearted father I'd known him to be.

"Emilia!"

His voice booms and my skin crawls at both the sound, but also the hundreds of stones rising into the air from the ground like the result of an earthquake stopped at the peak.

I swing at Normand, but his gleaming eyes turn towards me the same instant those rocks set off, hauling through the air with whines like wisps.

He steps in, using his shield as a one time defense to catch the sword and in the instant the sword is inside, twist it to the side to change the direction...