The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 221
Yumir, who had experienced many hardships since childhood, possessed composure that allowed her to maintain calm in any situation.
That’s why even when she was caught in a strange transfer to another world, or when she was detained in the underground city, she could respond optimally without panic.
But this case was different.
“I heard someone raided the underground mine last night.”
“What!? Who would do such a thing…!”
“This is bad, we’ll surely face the consequences!”
News of the raid reached those who had escaped the underground city through Rampart. They were extremely on edge, knowing they could be silenced if things went wrong.
Therefore, they suggested to Rampart’s Alliance members to quickly escape the city, and fortunately, most were able to escape.
However, Yumir was an exception.
She couldn’t move because she had just gone into labor.
The roughly 20 people who remained at the base, including Yumir, vaguely knew they had been left behind. They just couldn’t bring themselves to say it out loud.
Then someone muttered as if in despair.
“We’re going to die… We’re going to die!”
“If only my legs were working properly…”
That despair spread, and the left-behind people sobbed.
Yumir was also preparing herself mentally.
Being prepared for death wasn’t an issue as she had been ready for it since childhood, but she needed to prepare for the sake of her unborn child.
Yumir earnestly pleaded with the midwife.
“Please, at least help the child survive. I beg you.”
“…”
The midwife didn’t answer. Though she wasn’t from the underground city herself, she seemed to want to run away immediately, as she could easily get caught up in this and die too.
Seeing this, Yumir felt time was running short.
She thought of her first master then.
‘Lady Rizna… So this is how you felt.’
She let out a bitter smile at the irony.
Back then, she had followed her master’s final order and hidden with a newborn baby, but now she was in a position to sacrifice herself so her baby could escape.
‘Baby, please, show your face soon.’
Yumir endured the labor pains while praying inwardly, but time wasn’t on her side.
The outside grew noisy.
Until then, there was no sign of the baby coming, and eventually, the midwife ran away.
“Ugh…! No…!”
Yumir tried to escape somehow, but her body wouldn’t move as she wanted.
When she sensed someone right outside the tent, her face crumpled in despair.
Swish! A masked figure appeared, pulling back the tent flap.
Yumir, distracted by labor pains, didn’t have the composure to calmly judge who it was.
Thinking to offer at least minimal resistance, she grabbed a blade that was nearby.
However, when she heard the other person’s voice mixed with a sigh of relief, her strength left her, and she dropped the blade.
“Really now, there was no need to be this dramatic.”
“Young master…!?”
When Ars removed his mask, Yumir thought for a moment she might be dreaming. It was already a huge relief that it wasn’t an assassin coming to kill her, but for Ars to come find her…
Ars seemed equally overcome with emotion as he tightly embraced Yumir.
However, he soon realized the situation and loosened his grip.
“Did, did I hug too tight? Was it too much pressure on your belly?”
“It’s… Fine. More importantly, why are you here, young master…”
“Obviously, I came to get you. I’m sorry, I should have come earlier.”
“No…”
Yumir thought it was amazing that Ars had found her at all. She was outside the city now, but until recently, she had been underground.
As that thought occurred to her, Yumir realized something.
“Don’t tell me you were part of the group that raided the underground city!”
“We’ll catch up later. We need to move now. Can you stand?”
“Yes, at least that much…”
“Oh good.”
Ars picked up Yumir in his arms. Since she was heavily pregnant, he couldn’t carry her on his back, so he had to carry her in both arms.
Though flustered by this treatment she had never experienced before, Yumir wrapped her arms around his neck to stay steady.
While Ars was rescuing Yumir.
Ilya was facing off against Rampart’s Alliance members.
“That’s far enough. Don’t come any closer.”
Ivor, the Alliance executive, hesitated at Ilya’s threat.
Cold sweat was running down his spine.
To him, Ilya looked like a special investigator sent by the Alliance.
Since they happened to be targeting the area where witnesses from the underground city were staying, he couldn’t help but misunderstand.
“Though I’m not sure exactly who you are, I can explain everything about the people there. So please calm down first.”
Misunderstanding Ilya’s identity, he began making excuses.
“Those people are indeed from the underground city, but there are circumstances! We only briefly moved them above ground to efficiently handle the injured who have difficulty moving and the pregnant women! So I hope you won’t make any unnecessary misunderstandings. Yes.”
“…?”
Ilya tilted her head in confusion, wondering why they were explaining themselves.
Whatever it was, it helped that the opponent hesitated.
Just then, Ars escaped while carrying Yumir, and Ash timely secured their retreat route.
Ilya didn’t hesitate to withdraw.
Seeing this action, Ivor misunderstood again. He thought their actions had already been discovered, and now the only way forward was to confront the upper Alliance directly by reporting them, as the Alliance Leader, Upretin had said.
“Lord Ivor, what should we do?”
Ivor snapped at his subordinate who asked if they should kill the stragglers.
“We’ve already been exposed! Given the situation, we need to change plans! We’ll have to use them to our advantage.”
The injured and pregnant women were good for evoking sympathy. They needed their help to sway public opinion.
Ironically, Ars’ intervention to rescue Yumir ended up saving others’ lives as well.
* * *
After leaving Rampart’s stronghold, we maintained momentum and broke through the city’s security network to escape to the outskirts.
I couldn’t hide my anxiety.
Yumir’s complexion had rapidly deteriorated.
“Ash! How far is it to where Gaspar’s group is staying!?”
“At least another hour! Should I steal a carriage?”
“Even that might be too late. Master!”
Reading my expression, Master Ilya nodded and rushed off somewhere. Ash was startled.
“Are you really going to steal a carriage!?”
“Never mind that, Ash, go ahead and tell Gaspar’s group to come this way.”
“You don’t mean-!”
That’s exactly what I meant.
I followed Master Ilya, who had returned from scouting, to a small village.
Then we barged into the village chief’s house.
Thanks to Master’s advance notice, the chief’s family didn’t scream, but their discomfort was evident.
In times like these, financial treatment works best. I threw them the bundle I had been carrying.
The chief’s eyes widened upon checking its contents.
“Please bring the village midwife. Quickly!”
“Ah, yes, right away!”
Seeming intent to earn what he received, the chief brought the midwife even in the middle of the night.
Master, who had experience assisting births during mercenary work, began helping.
I intended to stay by their side, but Master sent me outside after noticing that Yumir was forcing herself to hold back her screams because of my presence.
‘I wonder if the timing is good or bad.’
I had hoped mother could be present for the birth. She had lots of birthing experience and could help, and more than anything, I wanted to share this emotional moment with her.
But I shouldn’t complain. It would have been terrible if we’d been delayed even by one day.
As I paced anxiously, I saw Gaspar approaching.
Rather than taking a carriage, which wouldn’t suit his personality, he seemed to have ridden here on horseback.
“Ars! What’s going on!”
“You can see for yourself.”
“Kuk!”
“Don’t think about going in. Even I’m out here.”
“Ah, well. I have no right to go in anyway… Since I haven’t acknowledged being the father…”
“Sigh, how long are you going to keep this up? Why don’t you just tell the truth?”
“No way. It’s better not knowing that their father and grandfather were good-for-nothing scoundrels.”
At least he seems aware that he’s lived like a scoundrel himself.
Following Gaspar, Elena, Ash, and the others arrived.
Hearing that the birth had begun, Sophia let out a sigh of relief.
“That was close.”
“Thanks to you, we weren’t too late. Thank you, Princess Sophia.”
“Stop with the princess title. More importantly… Are you heading to Baien right after the birth?”
“Probably.”
“In that case, we should return to the Northern Continent. Gunther is wanted in the kingdom.”
“I don’t think they’d be that strict about arresting him… But it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
“We’ll move out tomorrow morning. If the birth takes longer, we’ll have to leave without seeing the baby, but please don’t take it to heart.”
“Of course not. Ash, you’re going too?”
Ash shrugged.
“I don’t care where I go. I took a month’s leave from the mercenary group before all this happened. If Princess Sophia really wants me to, I could return to the Northern Continent.”
Sophia responded with a bitter smile.
“Do you think I need someone who just drinks when they’re bored?”
“That, that’s just because I’m trying to fill the emptiness without Lysithea!”
“Whatever the case, we can’t let someone like you idle during such busy times. There’s nothing to do in the Northern Continent now except monitor the Alliance’s movements. I can handle that myself… You should help Wade. They’re busy with succession disputes and such, so you’ll be useful there.”
“Ugh, when you put it that way, I really don’t want to go.”
Either way, it seems Ash decided to return with me.
Looking at them, it seemed they had built up quite a friendship.
A princess of Beckavia and a prince of Tunkai – given the relationship between their kingdoms, the idea of these two becoming friends seemed like a dream.
‘Strengthening internal bonds…’
It was something I had been thinking about constantly before coming here. Strengthening the bonds between vassals.
Though in an unusual form, it seemed to be progressing steadily.
“Huh? What are you smiling about?”
“Nothing much. Just thinking you two might end up dating with all that bickering.”
“W-what are you saying? Do you know how old Sophia is? She’s twenty-five! Six years older than me!”
That seemed to hit Sophia’s sore spot, and they started arguing again.
That’s when we began to hear the baby’s cries.
* * *
Upon returning to Baien after parting with Sophia’s group, I felt my legs going weak.
‘It’s been like a whirlwind…’
We went to the elves’ island to rescue Eonia, fought with dark mages, and then raided the Alliance’s secret facility.
Though I wanted to rest leisurely for about two months, there was naturally no such luxury.
“Young master, are you alright?”
Yumir asked worriedly.
She was preciously holding the baby wrapped in a blanket. I forced myself to improve my expression.
“Are you okay yourself? Riding in a carriage without rest after giving birth…”
“I heard Ilya trained in martial arts the very next day.”
“Master is an exception. Anyway, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
We passed through the gate and headed to the mansion.
Although Baien’s security had been strengthened, we could enter the city without any problems, probably thanks to arrangements made by Godric, the king’s direct intelligence officer who had returned to the palace ahead of us.
“So this is Baien. It’s a beautiful city.”
“Come to think of it, this is your first time. Is Uland the only city you’ve visited?”
“Yes…”
Yumir said she was transported to a village near Uland. At the time, she tried to gather information to find me, but due to language barriers, she was deceived by Alliance people and taken to the underground city.
“That’s chilling.”
She was lucky – it could have been much worse.
“Especially that guy Alaga.”
“Since I was already pregnant, I wasn’t called there. But I heard enough about his evil deeds.”
“We might have to deal with him again someday.”
Just then, the Branford mansion came into view.
The Akasha family guards posted by Lucretia blocked our way, but they corrected their stance when they saw my face.
Before getting out of the carriage, I decided to warn Yumir about one thing.
“Yumir, there’s news that might surprise you, but I hope you won’t be too shocked or angry.”
“Something that would shock or anger me…?”
Yumir trailed off, unable to guess what it might be.
However, she was startled when she saw the person who came out to greet us.
“Welcome back, Lord Ars and… Yumir.”
Perhaps because others were present, Eonia used formal speech.
“E-Eonia, is that…?”
Yumir asked blankly, looking at Eonia’s heavily pregnant belly.
Before Eonia could answer, mother rushed out.
“Yumir! My daughter!”
Mother was about to embrace Yumir but stopped short when she saw the tiny baby in her arms, then her expression became ecstatic.
“Today is a festival! Eo, Meissen! Let’s prepare food quickly!”
“Um, Mother. What about me?”
Erina asked in confusion, having been naturally excluded from cooking duty, but mother seemed to have no ears for that as she rushed to the kitchen.
Seeing that scene made me feel like my accumulated fatigue was melting away.
“Haha, today is indeed a festival. Let’s go in.”
“Yes, young master.”
Now there were five missing persons left.
Since finding them would likely be a long-term operation requiring precise searching, we could consider the immediate missing persons search concluded for now.
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