Chapter 3: To Alice

...

In Alice Comstock’s memory, the sun at Eagle’s Rest Castle was always brilliantly radiant.

Eagle’s Rest Castle was the capital of Duke Igor’s Domain. Every afternoon, when the sunlight was at its peak, the sea breeze would blow in from the Salt Sea to the west, filling the air of Eagle’s Rest Castle with a briny scent.

At these times, ten-year-old Alice would stick out her tongue and lick her lips. It was salty, just like the taste of the dried cured meat made by the Lady of the Manor.

"Dried cured meat," Alice muttered in her heart. Gripping the hilt of her Ebony Short Sword tightly with both small hands, she slashed straight down with a WHOOSH. The tip of the sword struck the ground of the training field at Eagle’s Rest Castle, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Duke Igor’s Domain was located on the shores of the Salt Sea, so it had never lacked salt. This meant that almost every household here had a tradition of curing dried meat. However, every household also knew that the best dried cured meat in the entire domain was made only by the honorable Duchess Igor.

The Duchess, a noble lady hailing from the Eastern Empire, had been married into the Igor Family for exactly twenty years. During these twenty years, she would personally cure a bundle of salted meat every year. Then, on New Year’s Eve, using a silver knife of a quality found only in the Imperial Palace of the Capital City, she would slice it into small pieces and distribute them as a reward to the soldiers garrisoned at Eagle’s Rest Castle.

It was said that a soldier once saved his slice of meat instead of eating it, later turning around to sell it on the domain’s black market for the high price of three Silver Coins. After all, who in the entire domain wouldn’t want to taste the dried cured meat made by the beautiful Duchess’s own hands?

"The Eagle’s Rest Castle garrison," Alice thought about this term, swinging her sword with force once more and slicing a huge gash into a nearby scarecrow. "If I could join the garrison, I’d be able to eat the Duchess’s dried cured meat every year!"

Alice had only tasted the Duchess’s dried cured meat once. It was on New Year’s Eve a year ago, when she was nine years old. Her father, the vice-captain of the Eagle’s Rest Castle Guard Team, was on night duty in the castle that day. He made an exception and brought an unsupervised Alice into the castle with him.

While the guards were having their collective New Year’s dinner, the beautiful Duchess spotted the little girl hiding in the corner. She personally sliced an extra piece of dried meat and had her youngest son hand it to Alice.

At the time, Alice was completely dazzled by the castle’s splendor and the Duchess’s beauty. She actually failed to bow to the Duchess as her father had taught her, merely standing there blankly as the black-haired little boy pressed a slice of dried cured meat into her hands. Little Alice had completely forgotten how her father brought her home afterward, but she remembered the taste of that slice of meat very well.

On the second day of the new year, she asked her father how she could become a soldier of Eagle’s Rest Castle just like him.

"Just practice your swordsmanship more," her father replied perfunctorily, busy drinking his wine.

"So, I just need to practice my swordsmanship," Alice thought. In the afternoon sea breeze of Eagle’s Rest Castle, she sent out another flying strike, completely slicing off the scarecrow’s head.

Laughter from the soldiers drifted over from a distance—it seemed someone had lost a bet. Alice Comstock paid it no mind. The little blonde girl swung her wooden sword diligently on the training field. Behind her, the majestic Eagle’s Rest Castle gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight of the Western Empire.

...

"Alice Comstock, welcome to Duke Igor’s Domain Guard Team," her father said dryly, without a trace of joy on his face.

Inside the guards’ lounge at Eagle’s Rest Castle, seventeen-year-old Alice Comstock, clad in Standard Leather Armor, held the hilt of her sword and answered loudly, "Yes, Captain Comstock!"

Her father, nearing fifty, dusted off his captain’s armband, looking even more helpless. "If your mother knew I let you do this, she’d definitely kill me," he muttered.

"Reporting to the Captain, I will work hard!" Alice puffed out her chest, her voice even louder.

Her father rolled his eyes. "By tradition, our Guard Team doesn’t recruit women. But you’re a lucky girl. The Duchess just happens to need a personal guard recently."

"The Duchess!" Alice felt a suffocating wave of joy surge in her heart. "That beautiful Duchess!"

"Alice, I’m warning you, the rules at Eagle’s Rest Castle are very strict." Her father pulled a hip flask from his waist and took a gulp with a GLUG, curling his lips as he spoke. "From today onward, you are the Duchess’s exclusive guard. You must obey the Duchess unconditionally and are not allowed to defy her orders! Remember, you’re only seventeen and a girl. If you make any mistakes, I, as your father, will suffer for it too!"

"Yes!" Alice answered loudly.

A commotion arose nearby. Alice and her father turned their heads together, only to see a handsome, black-haired youth walk past the doorway surrounded by a crowd, then disappear from sight.

Alice thought the youth looked somewhat familiar.

"That is Duke Igor’s youngest son, Eliot," her father took another sip of wine. "He’s a child with Magic Talent and has been studying at the Mage Academy in Academy City. He’s back on holiday this time, but it seems he has to leave after staying for just two days. The rules of those old fogeys at the Mage Academy are incredibly rigid."

Alice gave an "Oh," not taking her father’s words to heart. This young girl’s mind was already completely filled with the joy of being able to serve the Duchess.

"Hey," her father called out to her.

"What’s wrong?" Alice looked at her father in confusion.

Her father clutched his flask and licked his lips. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, "You did well in the swordsmanship tournament. Your mother would be proud of you."

...

Twenty-one-year-old Alice Comstock stood in place, leaning on the hilt of her sword, clad in ornate armor adorned with tassels. In the brilliant sunlight of Eagle’s Rest Castle, she felt waves of dizziness wash over her.

Not far away, an imperial envoy wearing a silk robe patterned with lions was surrounded by a group of the Imperial Regular Army. He loudly read the Emperor’s decree from a parchment Scroll:

"...It has been found that Duke Vincent Igor plotted a rebellion. His crimes are unforgivable, and he has been beheaded in the Imperial Capital! The Former Duchess Anna Igor is suspected of being an accomplice. Her arrest is authorized, pending official imperial interrogation!"

The beautiful Duchess Anna Igor knelt before the imperial envoy, her dark purple dress stained with tears. Alice gritted her teeth as she watched the Duchess tug at the detestable imperial envoy’s trouser leg, pleadingly asking, "My Lord, my Lord... what about Eliot? What about my Eliot?"

The imperial envoy cast a disdainful glance at her, then kicked his leg out, knocking the Duchess to the ground with his exquisite leather boots. At that moment, Alice almost wanted to draw her Longsword and hack the bastard to pieces for the Duchess.

"His Imperial Majesty commands:" The imperial envoy clearly had not noticed Alice’s hateful gaze. He arrogantly raised the Scroll and announced loudly, "The son of Vincent Igor—Eliot Igor, being in Academy City, did not participate in the rebellion. His Imperial Majesty orders him to inherit all of his father’s titles and domains!"

Hearing that her son was safe, color immediately returned to Duchess Anna Igor’s pale face. She cried and pleaded no more, silently allowing the Imperial Soldiers to escort her onto a prison carriage. Right before getting into the carriage, she offered a distant, apologetic, and gentle smile toward Alice.

The imperial envoy and a large contingent of Imperial Soldiers escorted the prison carriage, strutting haughtily away from Eagle’s Rest Castle.

Captain of the Guard of Eagle’s Rest Castle, Alice Comstock, released her grip on her sword hilt, then tightened it again, turning to gaze toward the north. That was the direction of Academy City and the Mage Academy.

...

"Alice, Lord Eliot’s side!" Anjie screamed heart-wrenchingly.

Alice forcefully hacked down a zombie and looked in the direction Anjie was pointing. She then saw Lord Eliot Igor’s carriage, closely pursued by a surging tide of corpses. Master Laurie was lying on the roof of the carriage, trembling with fear. His hands glowed brightly as if he were preparing some Magic to fight off the zombies, but there was no longer enough time.

Without a single moment of hesitation, Alice turned and gathered her strength, charging headlong into the zombie horde under Master Laurie’s astonished gaze.

For the first time in her life, Alice closed her eyes during a battle. Recalling the Duchess’s face, she felt a salty taste well up in her mouth. Was it the taste of blood, or the taste of the Duchess’s dried cured meat, or the ever-salty sea breeze of Eagle’s Rest Castle?

Alice Comstock never received an answer.

...

In the darkness, a voice said, "That kid wants to resurrect you."

"That kid?" Alice Comstock was a bit bewildered. "...Who?"

"Who else could it be?" the voice sounded somewhat displeased. "Your respected Lord."

"Lord?" Alice Comstock first thought of the former Lord, Vincent Igor. But immediately following that, what appeared in her mind was a little black-haired child named Eliot.

"Alright!" The female Swordsman felt tears welling in her eyes, yet she still smiled happily. "Then send me back!"

...

Amidst the radiance of the Resurrection Technique, Alice Comstock once again saw that black-haired young nobleman. Lying on the sheepskin felt where corpses were kept, she gazed blankly at her Lord, suddenly chuckling softly despite herself:

"Lord Eliot, I... want to eat some dried cured meat."