Meanwhile, Castor and Kotarō, who had escaped to a hidden passage in the well, had reached the exit on the other side of the passage.
This was a forest on the east side of the capital. The hidden passage led to a cave hidden in the dense trees.
In the middle of the night, the forest was so dark that Castor couldn’t see more than a meter ahead, and through the darkness he could only hear the cries of insects and owls.
“….. There’s no sign of the enemy. Have we managed to escape?”
He looked at the surroundings with the keen gaze of a bird waiting for a prey.
The darkness was so dark that ordinary people could not see through it, but Kotarō, who was a ninja and had good night vision, was familiar with it.
After carrying his lord this far, he lowered Castor’s body to the base of a nearby tree and sat him down with his back against the trunk.
“My lord, are you all right? Pull yourself together”
“Ugh…….”
He shook his shoulder lightly and called out, and Castor slowly opened his eyelids.
“Th…… the castle, or rather,…… the enemy, where is …… it?”
“The enemy is contranting Sanada Nobushige….who now calls himself Yukimura. We have just escaped out of the well passage.”
“So…… we have succeeded in escaping…….”
Castor breathed a sigh of relief and clenched his fists weakly.
He stood up with his hands on the tree trunk and shook his limbs lightly to check his physical condition.
“Hmm……? I’m no longer tired,……?”
Having summoned Kotaro Fuuma and Yukimura Sanada, Castor had fainted, feeling severely fatigued and drained of mental strength.
But now, strangely enough, his body had regained its vitality and his consciousness was clear.
It has been an hour or so since Kotarō carried him through the hidden passages on his back, and Castor thinks that is not enough time for him to have healed naturally.
“My lord, are you feeling better already?”
“Yes, strangely enough, I feel much better. I don’t know why…….”
Castor tilted his head in confusion and turned his attention to the cave, the exit to the hidden passage.
“I’m glad we made it out of there in one piece, but…… I don’t know what I’m going to do now. If possible, I would like to hide somewhere and wait for dawn……”
“Yes, we can’t be sure that the enemy won’t use the passage to chase you. In the meantime, leave here……”
“TOUuu!!”
“HM?!”
“!!!!”
As Kotarō and Castor were talking about what they were going to do, a figure came flying out of a hidden passage.
They hurriedly tried to take up their weapons, but it was not the Revra soldiers who appeared.
“Ooo, we have caught up with you at last, that we have! I see you are both safe!”
“You are …… Sanada Yukimura!”
The second hero summoned by Castor is Sanada Yukimura, who emerges from the cave carrying a jumonji spear.
Yukimura is covered in blood from what appears to be the blood of Revra’s soldiers, turning his red armour even more vermillion. He appears to be unhurt and gives a lively, fresh smile at Castor.
“My Lord, your vassal, Yukimura Sanada, has returned! Kotaro is well, that he is!”
“Ah, yes, you have fought well.”
He smiles a little at the sight of the bloodied samurai, as Castor gives Yukimura a pat on the back.
“………..”
Kotarō, on the other hand, was silent. The hood over his face obscured his expression, but he seemed to be in a bad mood.
Apparently, Kotaro does not have high regards towards Yukimura.
As a summoner of spirits, Castor has a vague idea of the abilities and background of the heroes he summons. Both of them belonged to opposing forces and served different lords before they died.
They may bring back their rivalry or hatred from their time in another world and start fighting. Castro was concerned, but Kotarō shook his head slowly.
“….. As usual, you too. Glad to see you’re back safe and sound.”
“Compared with the fierce battle at Osaka, that battle was but a mild one. He was no match for a Sanada!”
“That is very good of you. Many things have happened between Hojo and Sanada, but from now on I will rely on you as my friend. Together, we will support our lord.”
“Hmm! It is reassuring to know that Kotarō-dono, the man behind Hojo, is now on our side. Please take care of him from now on, that you will!”
The two were enemies in life, but it seems that they do not intend to drag their past into this world.
Castor breathed a sigh of relief and asked Yukimura a question.
“I’m glad you…… made it back safely, by the way. What did the Revra soldiers …..do with Zeke Rondos?”
“Zeke……is he the one with the spear? He was quite skilled, but we defeated him. We were not able to capture his head because we swung too hard, he might still be alive……”
“Well, …… it can’t be helped.”
Castor’s expression darkened slightly when he was told of the possibility that an enemy as powerful as Zeke Rondos could still be alive.
It is not reasonable to blame Yukimura. It was thanks to Yukimura that Castor was able to escape from a desperate situation.
“We also killed about thirty of the enemy’s men, But reinforcements appeared on the way, so we had no choice but to retreat.”
“That’s very brave of you. You have done well.”
“What a waste of words! I am honoured by your praise, that I am!”
Yukimura’s face beamed with joy at his lord’s praise.
Kotarō, who was listening to the conversation between the two, interrupted.
“Excuse me for interrupting. I know we have a lot to talk about, but we must leave now. We don’t want the enemy to follow us.”
“That’s right. Shall we hurry?”
“No, no, no, there’s no hurry. The enemy won’t be after us for long.”
Castor and Kotarō were in a hurry to leave the place, but Yukimura stopped Castor with his right hand.
“We have broken down a tunnel in the middle of the road, so the enemy will not be able to follow us right away. It will take a whole day to restore the passages, that it will.”
“That’s how you do it, Sanada Nobushige…… no, Yukimura.”
Kotarō looks impressed by Yukimura’s words.
Castor nodded and turned his eyes to the other side of the dark forest.
“But it’s best to get as far away from here as possible. There should be a huntsman’s hut a little to the east of here, and we’ll rest there tonight.”
“Yes, My lord. Leave it to me to guide you through the dark night. I’ll lead the way.”
“Yes. Good luck, Kotarō-dono.”
“Leave the back to Sanada. I will protect your back.”
A ninja of great skill and a master of valour.
Sandwiched in between these talented people, Castor makes his way through the forest at midnight.
He had succeeded in escaping from the royal castle, which had been taken by the enemy, but the road ahead was still as steep as a precipice.
His father has been murdered and there is no telling how many knights are left to protect the royal family.
In the few days that Castor was in captivity, how much of his country did Revra control? How many troops are left to stand up to Revra?
“The path before me is dark, I can’t see even an inch ahead, unsure where I’m going……, but there’s still a glimmer of hope.”
Castro puts his hand on his chest and bites his lip.
The taste of blood and mud fills his mouth. It is the taste of humiliation, of being betrayed by someone he trusted, of having everything he held dear taken from him.
“I will never forget this taste.”
“I will never forget this taste until the day I overthrow the kingdom of Revra, avenge my parents, and reclaim my country.”
“[Summoning Heroic Spirit]……I have a hero from another world with me! I don’t know why that goddess has given me this blessing, but I will definitely use this power to reclaim the kingdom of Styria. ……!”
Castor nodded resolutely and ran with his new vassals step by step through the darkness.
No matter how hopeless the situation is, as long as he was born as a royal, he cannot give up until the end.
The moment Castor dies, the blood and history of the royal family of Styria would be cut off.
Castor Styria
This was the moment when the days of rebellion and defiance of the exiled crown prince began with a bang.