“Erica!”
The two men's voices were filled with despair at the same moment.
The world darkened before my eyes, and a violent shock descended upon me.
One of them pounced, hugged me, and we fell to the ground.
Locks of red hair fell, filling my field of vision.
Crown Prince Ludwig?
At that moment, Carlex rushed the sword towards the human wolf with terrifying speed.
The monster flashed its sharp fangs and waved its claws at him.
The monster looked so ferocious that a single blow was enough to tear the skin apart.
Carlex lightly dodged his attacks, then unleashed a single decisive sword strike.
Lightning, a blue flash of a sword.
Splattering blood, the human wolf flew out of the tent and hit the ground.
With a final dying scream, the monster turned into a handful of black ash, then vanished.
“Erica, are you hurt?”
Carlex came quickly, and with a desperate movement he began to feel my head, cheeks, neck, and shoulders to make sure.
“I'm fine. His Highness the Crown Prince saved me...”
“Oh, ah! Isn’t that too much, Carlex? You should have first asked if His Highness the Prince was hurt.”
Ludving grumbled, rubbing his shoulder, in a slightly exaggerated tone.
Carlex gave him a short nod of thanks.
“Thank you, thanks to Your Highness, Librarian Erica was able to escape safely.”
Grooooo!
Scattered howls of monsters began to arrive from various parts of the competition field.
Carlex's gaze burned blue, carrying fierce hostility and anger.
“I will assess the situation. Your Highness and Librarian Erica please remain here.”
“I will go with you.”
When Ludving tried to advance, Carlex stood firm against him.
“Your Highness, please stay here. After assessing the situation, I will take you to a safe place.”
“How could monsters appear in the heart of the capital? Has the dimensional barrier been disturbed again?”
“I will confirm while calling for reinforcements and I will also call President William that there are definitely wounded.”
Carlex rushed out of the tent like the wind.
The Crown Prince stood with a frown, immersed in deep thought.
I took a deep breath.
The terror I felt from encountering the sudden monsters did not disappear after that.
Cold sweat ran down my back, and my heart began to beat like it was about to explode.
My limbs were shaking so violently that it seemed difficult to calm them down.
I wouldn't have imagined him in my worst nightmares.
If the Crown Prince had not embraced me at that critical moment, and if Carlex had not killed the monster immediately, I would have been torn apart and died.
My end could have been ridiculous, killed by a monster!
Did monsters appear in the original story?
Although there is mention of Carlix fighting monsters on battlefields, there have been no events depicting a direct confrontation.
The original story was romance, not horror.
To calm my mind, I began to examine the tent, and my gaze stopped at the weapons rack.
I saw the familiar bow and its quiver.
When I saw the weapon, the fear subsided.
My trembling hands and my rebellious heart gradually began to calm down.
If I were my old self, I would just be shaking in fear and crying.
But the strange thing is that I felt reassured.
This was not the time to meditate on passing matters.
First, I took a bow and arrows for myself, then handed the shield and sword to Ludving.
“Your Highness, you know how to use a sword, right?”
Ludving received the sword and shield with obvious astonishment.
“Are you not afraid, Librarian Erica? You were just attacked just steps away. You look as calm as a brave knight.”
“It is better to prepare means of defense than to waste time being afraid. Do monsters have weaknesses, for example?”
“Weak points...”
Ludwig leaned his chin in thought.
I too closed my eyes and recalled many of the books I had read in the library.
Among them is the Encyclopedia of Monsters.
I didn't know when I was reading, but once I finished reading a book, I was able to recall its entire content.
Is this also one of the advantages of taking over the body?
But this does not mean that my intelligence has increased.
My miserable athletic abilities remained the same.
It seems that whoever loses mathematics once loses it forever.
I started to recite what I read in the book:
“The human wolf is a wolf-shaped monster. Its main attacks are fangs and claws as sharp as a sword blade. Its strength is so immense that it can rip out the heart of a grown man with a single blow. It is an enemy that even experienced elite knights cannot confront, and if we were to determine its weakness, it is weak to fire and silver. Yes, it was definitely written that way, Your Highness! Human wolves are weak to fire and silver!”
Ludving stared at me, mouth agape.
“Librarian Erica, what exactly happened to you? You… you look like William!”
Oh, is being likened to William really worth the astonishment?
“It's complicated, I'll explain it later.”
First we have to find a way to attack with fire.
I grabbed my bow and was about to leave the tent quickly, but Ludwig quickly grabbed my arm.
"Where are you going? It's dangerous now!"
“Michael is out there and the others also need to be saved.”
“I understand your feelings, but there are a lot of elite knights in the celebration hall. People who used to fight monsters until they got bored are definitely fighting now, so let’s wait a bit here.”
“Anyway, this place is not safe. Do you think this thin tent will serve as a shield?”
Carlex told us to stay here, but I felt the chaos outside getting closer and closer.
We don't know when other monsters might attack us.
We'd better join the others and head to a safe area.
The knights' desperate shouts and torn struggles mixed with the angry howls of beasts coming from outside.
Ludving's facial expression quickly hardened.
“Librarian Erica, do you still have the artifact I gave you?”
“What? Yes, there he is.”
I found the small box in the bag and showed it to him.
“This artifact creates a protective shield. Do you see the red stone over there? Press it and then throw it, and the shield will form. It will be able to repel monsters to some extent.”
“Really? Huh, that’s a blessing we can all survive.”
“Give me the box.”
"What?"
Ludving's blue eyes glowed seriously under the light.
“I will go myself and create the shield.”
“What? Your Highness will present himself?”
I handed him the weapon, but only for our safety on the way to join the other knights.
To create the shield, you must first advance to the monster's heart.
I never thought of exposing the Crown Prince to such danger.
“شعبي وفرساني في خطر، ومن العار على العائلة المالكة أن تهتم فقط بإنقاذ حياتها.”
Ludving's facial expression was serious, without a trace of fear.
His red hair looked like a flaming crown.
I now understand why Carlex wants to make Ludving king.
Although it was the helpless royal family that caused his father's death, he probably saw in Ludving the last hope.
Ludving's true face behind the mask was neither a cruel nor merciful villain like in the original story.
He was a crown prince who valued his people and his knights more than his life.
Although he had not ascended to the throne yet, he was already the king protecting Ruberia.
Oh, that's kind of cool.
Isn't he handsome?
An involuntary smile spread across my face.
“It is the knights’ mission to protect the people. Your Highness’s mission is undoubtedly to ascend to the throne and rule the kingdom wisely.”
I put the artifact back in the bag.
I slung the quiver of arrows over my shoulder, took out an arrow, and placed it on the bowstring.
“So, I will handle this task.”
“Erica!”
Ludving shouted, trying to catch me, but it was too late.
When I left the tent, a cold breeze touched my cheek, and the smell of blood tingled my nose.
"Ah! It's a monster!"
“Save me!”
“Get out, you monster!”
The competition field turned into an arena of chaos. Screaming, terror.
A scene of massacre mixed with chaos.
Dishes were broken, food and chairs were scattered on the floor.
The band members who were singing dispersed, and only the sound of people crying and screaming could be heard from everywhere.
In the midst of this chaos, as dozens of huge monsters were roaming the competition field, I saw Carlex and the Shadow Knights at the front facing them.
Nearby are several fallen knights bleeding out.
Human wolf pack attacks are endless.
Just when you think you've killed one, a monster lashes out from behind, clawing out its claws ferociously.
Other knights joined the fight as well, but they seemed to be drunk and couldn't do their best, so they seemed helpless.
They could barely resist and repel the ferocious attacks of the human wolves.
The civilians were gathered near the central fire.
Maybe they ran away near the fire because they know that monsters hate fire.
People made barricades of long tables and chairs and hid behind them.
Noble knights would defend their masters with their lives against monsters.
Some of the knights waved torches to threaten the monsters, but the monsters continued to howl toward the sky and roam around the place as if they were lurking.
Among the people trembling with fear and anxiety, I found a terrified Michael.
The young master was also searching for someone with his searching gaze.
My eyes met his from afar.
Michael was surprised, then let out a sigh of relief.
I bit my lower lip until blood flowed.
Michael, I will definitely save you.
“Erica! Get into the tent immediately! It’s dangerous outside.”
Ludving, who had followed me, grabbed my arm and pulled it.
While I was trying to free myself, about ten of the royal palace guards and a group of nobles quickly approached us.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you are fine! God, thank you for protecting Ruberia!”
Count Lawrence, the first in the group of nobles, hurried forward, unable to conceal his joy.
The Guard Commander stood in a serious manner in the face of the Crown Prince.
“You must withdraw immediately. The number is too great.”
“Guards, save these people immediately!”
Ludving pointed to the people gathered in the middle and issued the order.
“It's hard to protect yourself while fighting a herd of monsters. We've prepared the cart, so you'd better withdraw quickly.”
“That's right, you should withdraw before the monsters attack this place. Come quickly!”
When Count Lawrence came running forward, shouting, the nobles agreed with one voice.
"This is an order! I'm fine, so save these people!"
“I will accept punishment later. Forgive me for my disloyalty, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
The guard commander tried to take the crown prince by force.
I opened my arms and stood in their way.
“No! Do you want to use people as bait and escape?!”
A painful feeling of guilt passed through the eyes of the Guard Commander and Count Lawrence.
Then their facial expressions changed to determined expressions.
The guard commander came forward with a hard face.
“Miss, stay away. The safety of His Highness the Crown Prince is the most important.”
These people are serious.
They truly intend to abandon everyone for the sake of the Crown Prince.
“What are you doing now?!”
Carlex came running, carrying a blood-stained sword.
His white jacket was covered in blood.
At that moment I thought it was his blood, and my heart suddenly sank.
But upon closer inspection, it was the blood of monsters.
Carlex frowned as he wiped the monster blood off his sword.
Then he directed a sharp command towards the Knight Guard.
“Is this time to gossip? Guard Captain! Move His Highness the Crown Prince and Librarian Erica to a safe place immediately. I will save the people myself.”
“I will carry out the order, Commander-in-Chief!”
When the knights received Carlex's order, they approached to seize me.
No, I found a way to save people right away!
“To be continued in the next chapter”
Loving translation