Lady Knight Valeria

I, Valeria, am a Royal Guard serving House Aurest.

I have the great honor of serving as the Princess's personal guard, and if I may say so myself, I believe I have earned her considerable trust.

However, House Aurest has many enemies. Foreign and domestic both, and even within the succession disputes themselves.

To carry on the glorious golden history of Aurest, one must be strong.

A village had been attacked by an enemy nation. The royal family itself was to deploy as a relief force.

Supposedly, royalty going in person would demonstrate authority and put the people at ease… or so went the pretext of the task foisted upon us.

Of course, I suspected foul play and led a detachment toward the village.

Male refugees from the village had joined us as soldiers, and with the Princess accompanying the force, morale was admittedly high.

The village had originally been ours. When we marched in to reclaim it, the enemy fled without resistance.

Soldiers native to the village ran to check on their homes, breathing sighs of relief at finding them largely unransacked.

However, the wells had been rendered unusable. Rat carcasses and poison had been dumped into them.

What a nuisance. Restoring them would take time…

But with the sun already setting, we decided to use the village as a base and stay the night.

If possible, we could begin restoration work while we were at it. We needed manpower, and the soldiers were a perfect fit.

However, that was our mistake.

Several soldiers, having run out of their own water, figured boiling the poisoned well water would make it safe to drink. They ended up with terrible stomachaches. That alone could have been laughed off, but…

In the dead of night, miasma had spread.

The enemy had dabbled in forbidden arts. Demonic weaponry.

That civilization should have been thoroughly destroyed by the Usurper King, but the enemy must have uncovered some ancient ruins.

Of course, legends in every nation say that as long as humans remain human, the dregs of malice will never cease, and demons will eventually return… but in no time at all, none of us could move.

Those with less stamina found their bodies completely immobilized before dawn even broke, as if caught in a blizzard and frozen solid. They were alive, but it was only a matter of time.

The Princess, as expected of royalty perhaps, or maybe because she still had some resistance to miasma, could still move somewhat… though she couldn't endure as well as a trained knight.

We managed to send a messenger running for help, but… the horses had all been incapacitated too. How far could anyone possibly get on foot?

At the very least, just before I lost the ability to move, I managed to lay the Princess down in a bed… and then I, too, succumbed.

And then.

I heard the Princess murmuring, delirious.

"No, as royalty… I cannot offer everything…"

Some entity was proposing a deal to the Princess.

She was refusing it. She refused.

But.

"… Very well. If that will save everyone."

The moment the Princess nodded, I saw something leave her body.

The Princess screamed. No sound came out, but she was crying out in silence.

I couldn't move. The miasma had left me utterly drained.

After that, I lost consciousness.

We should have been left unable to move, waiting for help that would never come.

Yet somehow, the miasma had cleared. My forehead was still pressed against the bed and I couldn't lift my head, but I could feel it through my skin: the air had returned to normal.

Had… help arrived?

I still couldn't move, but I sensed my strength gradually returning.

"Hellooo, coming in. Pardon the intrusiooon."

Someone barged into the house without a care in the world. I couldn't even turn my face toward them, still immobilized with my forehead pressed to the bed, taking shallow breaths.

If this person was an enemy, our lives were forfeit. I could only pray they were an ally.

"What the… a princess and a lady knight? Could've mentioned that from the start… Oh yeah, you were the villain girl who went on a rampage over on the monster side, huh, Miitei-chan. Love ya, love ya, love ya. You're adorable."

Were they talking to someone? I could only sense one set of footsteps creaking against the floorboards. If only I could at least turn toward the voice…

"Ah… aah… God…? Angel-sama…?"

They must have done something for the Princess. Given her medicine, perhaps? Judging by the conversation, they seemed to be an ally. At the very least, not an enemy.

They'd taken on a request? Had the messenger reached town?

No, even so, it was far too soon. What were the odds of conveniently finding a priest capable of purifying miasma?

Then the Princess gave me the second antidote potion she'd received.

…

I could move. Yes, I could move again.

"U-um? Angel-sama?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing, I was just thinking I wouldn't mind doing a little more work if there was an extra reward in it for me. Like, y'know, going out and beating up the enemy."

"…! U-uh, ah, that's…"

It was right then that I managed to lift my head.

Ah, the Princess… the Princess was trembling… Of course. Last night's deal.

Through that deal, something inside the Princess, something precious, had been stolen.

No, it must have been a fair deal. We had no chance of survival, yet at the very least, our lives had been spared.

But what manner of being was this, who had accepted that something and taken on this task?

Granting wishes in exchange for souls, for lifespan…

That would be… a devil.

I strained my neck to look. There stood an ordinary-looking cat beastkin child, with one exception: a halo of light floating above their head.

"Hm? Extra reward is… not happening? Then I'll leave it at this."

"Y-you can take it from me!"

If they were a devil, I would make any contract necessary.

To get revenge on the enemy who had done this to the Princess…!

A-ah, b-but I did value the life I'd just barely kept, so maybe half my remaining lifespan would somehow… work!? Wouldn't it!?