Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 54 – The Twins Valor of Saintesses

— Celestia’s POV —

The battlefield roared with renewed life.

Steel clashed, magic burst through the air, and arrow-shaped aura rained death upon the remaining orcs.

Knights and adventurers, who had fought sluggishly just moments ago, now moved with frenzied vigor, cutting down their enemies with a fire that hadn’t burned in them before.

I watched from atop the wall, my breath heavy, my body aching, yet something in the air felt… different.

They were… more fierce.

"Have you two noticed? They’re moving differently now." The Earl’s voice carried a trace of amusement.

Daisy, equally puzzled, nodded. “Ah, yes.”

It was undeniable. Just moments ago, they had been struggling, their morale battered. Yet now, their attacks carried an intensity greater than even at the battle’s start.

“Isn’t it obvious?” the Earl chuckled. “It’s because of you two.”

Daisy and I turned to him, baffled. ““Eh? Us?””

"You two are the reason for it. Look.”

We followed his gaze—and what we saw left us speechless.

Knights, guards, and adventurers, once demoralized, were now charging forward with battle cries filled with renewed determination. It was as if their very souls had been reignited.

Their voices rang out over the battlefield.

And their word—pierced through the chaos.

“How could we lose to little girls!?”

“Why did we get saved by princesses!? Where is our pride as knights!?”

“Can we even call ourselves men when we were saved by two cute girls!?”

““UWOOOOO!!””

The battlefield trembled beneath the weight of their war cries.

Their collective war cry surged through the battlefield, a raw, primal force that sent shivers racing down my spine.

I clenched my fists, my heart pounding.

Were they… really talking about us?

But we didn’t save them.

I tried to convince myself they meant someone else.

But, the Earl betrayed my conviction.

“Why are you two more confused? They are obviously talking about you two.”

““Eh?”” Daisy and I tilted our heads in unison.

“B-But… We didn’t save them,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“T-That’s right! We just delivered potions,” Daisy insisted.

The Earl smiled knowingly. “And if you hadn’t, the mages and archers wouldn’t have had the strength to support the front lines. Without their support, the knights would have fallen. If they had fallen, we would all be dead. You saved them. You saved all of us.”

His words struck deep.

I had no words. Daisy stood frozen beside me, her eyes wide.

I looked back down at the battlefield, at the warriors fighting with everything they had—because of us.

I felt something stir inside me.

A thrill unlike anything I had ever felt before.

And then, a loud, familiar voice rang out.

“Oii! They saved our lives! That makes them saintesses!”

“S-Shuri!?” I flinched.

“W-What are you talking about!?” Daisy yelled.

Daisy and I turned, our faces flushing red as Shuri—ever the troublemaker—declared that nonsense for all to hear.

The adventurers around her, however, immediately latched onto the idea.

“They are brave like warriors!”

“They fought like twins!”

“They are the Twins Valor of Saintesses!”

“Haha! That’s a great nickname!”

““Twins Valor of Saintesses!””

““UWOOOOO!!””

““What the hell are you talking about!?”” Daisy and I shouted in protest.

They suddenly gave us a nickname!?

That’s so embarrassing!

Adventurers didn’t get nicknames easily.

They only got nicknames when they had done something truly worthy of recognition.

When they had proven themselves in battle.

When they had carved their names into history.

And now—they gave us.

We had one.

Something inside me shivered—not in fear, but in exhilaration.

This… This was different from anything I had ever experienced before.

I had spent my life watching adventurers from the sidelines. Listening to their stories. Watching them get cheered and celebrated for their victories.

But now—

Now I was the one standing here.

I was the one being cheered for.

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t just some bystander watching from the shadows.

I was part of the story.

“Arrrghhh! Dammit! I don’t care anymore!”

Daisy suddenly let out a loud groan.

Then—

As if embracing the madness, she suddenly threw her fist in the air.

“Oii! Go for iiittt! I believe in you all!”

And as if her words were a spark, the battlefield erupted.

““UWOOOOO!!””

The energy was infectious. It surged through me like fire, burning away my doubts.

I chuckled.

If our mere presence could ignite such enthusiasm, then isn’t it fine?

Yes, it’s for the sake of the town's survival.

As I found the valid reason for myself to join the excitement, I took a deep breath, feeling my body tremble from the sheer intensity of the moment, then—

I let it all out.

“GO FOR IT!! KILL THOSE UGLY ORCS AND RESCUE YOUR SAINTESSES HERE!!”

The response was immediate—and overwhelming.

“Go die, you damn orcs!”

“Don’t get in my way, you ugly bastards! I want to save my saintesses there!”

“No! I’ll be the one to save them first!”

““UWOOOOOO!!””

The battlefield had transformed once more.

It was no longer just a battle for survival.

I was no longer their battle.

It was our battle.

And we were winning.

And just then—

A calm, confident voice rang out.

“May I have the honor of saving two adorable saintesses there?”

Daisy and I turned in shock.

Hovering above the battlefield, a delicate layer of ice beneath her feet, was Karin, our guildmaster.

“"Guildmaster!"”

Below, a group of knights galloped in, their eyes sharp and ready.

Karin sighed, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Geez. We rushed here in a panic when we saw the breached gate from afar. But what do we find? The situation surpasses our expectations.”

The Earl chuckled. “All thanks to these girls.”

Karin descended from the sky, engaging in casual conversation with the Earl.

Karin’s azure eyes locked onto mine. “Really? It seems I missed something important.”

“You certainly did,” the Earl replied.

Upon reaching the wall, the Earl cast a final gaze upon the group below and issued the final command.

"Rejoice! Reinforcements have arrived! To all valiant warriors present! This is your final command! Annihilate the orcs!”

““UWOOOOOO!!””

With the fresh surge of knights, the battle quickly turned in our favor.

The remaining orcs, already battered and disorganized, were swiftly slaughtered.

The next thirty minutes were a relentless, bloody push forward.

One by one, the monstrous bodies fell.

*Thud.*

The last orc collapsed, its massive body hitting the ground.

And then—

*Clang.*

A single sword clattered to the ground.

*Clang.*

Then another.

*Clang.*

Then another.

Until, at last, someone spoke.

“…It’s over?”

A hesitant whisper.

Then another.

“…We won?”

And then—

“We won!”

““WE WON!””

““UWAAAAAAA!!””

The dam broke.

Shouts of joy erupted across the battlefield.

“I’m still alive!”

“We are alive!”

Some warriors fell to their knees, sobbing, while others embraced their comrades, laughing and cheering.

““UWAAAAAAA!!””

Tears. Laughter. Relief.

They were alive.

We were alive.

As the battle’s final echoes faded, the battlefield transformed from a place of carnage to one of celebration.

Swords clattered to the ground, shields lowered, and warriors—adventurers, knights, and guards alike—collapsed onto their knees, their bodies shaking from exhaustion and relief.

Laughter and victorious cries filled the air, some men embracing their comrades, others simply lying on the blood-soaked earth, savoring the fact that they were still alive.

The scent of sweat, steel, and lingering magic mixed with the acrid stench of slain orcs, a stark reminder of the brutal struggle they had just endured.

But amidst the revelry, a commanding voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

“SILENCE!”

The triumphant cheers gradually died down as Karin’s commanding voice sliced through the air.

Karin’s sharp tone brought the crowd to immediate attention, and as the noise faded, all eyes turned to the Earl.

He stood tall atop the wall, his face lined with exhaustion but burning with pride.

His gaze swept across the men and women who had fought, bled, and endured.

He took a deep breath, then spoke, his voice steady but heavy with emotion.

“Everyone… we did it.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some gripped their weapons tighter, as if to ground themselves in reality.

The Earl nodded, his expression solemn.

“There were moments when hope wavered. Moments when despair gnawed at our hearts, and we feared the sun would set on our lavender garden for the last time.”

“I know that feeling. I felt it, too.”

His words hung in the air, carrying a weight of solemnity.

Many lowered their heads, remembering the fear and helplessness that had threatened to consume them.

“But when the darkness closed in, who was it that reminded us to stand?”

“Who was it that ran against the tide of death, carrying not swords, but hope itself?”

He turned, his gaze settling on Daisy and me.

We stiffened.

Our faces heated up as they suddenly found themselves under the weight of hundreds of eyes.

“The young girls who risked their lives to deliver the potions—when we, hardened warriors, were losing hope—showed us what true courage is.”

“They are not knights, nor high-ranked adventurers.”

“They are not the strongest among us.”

“They are even the youngest among us.”

“And yet, when others hesitated, they fought.”

“When others fell, they endured.”

“They carried hope up these walls, and in doing so… they carried us all.”

A hush fell over the crowd.

Many looked at the girls—at us—with eyes filled not just with admiration, but with a deep, personal gratitude.

<“T-This is so embarrassing!”>

I screamed internally.

I want to shut my eyes with my hands, crouched down, and hide from all these gazes!

But I held back.

Because the Earl still continued.

“To the adventurers who fought despite knowing they had no obligation to do so.”

“To the knights and guards who stood their ground when the odds were against them.”

He scanned the battlefield before continued.

“You are the reason this town still stands.”

“You are the reason our people are still alive.

“I am honored, no—humbled—to have fought alongside you all.”

A few warriors clenched their fists, some with misty eyes, others nodding solemnly.

The Earl’s voice softened, yet his words carried the weight of the fallen.

“But we did not emerge from this battle unscathed.” He bowed his head. “Many brave souls will never return home. They fought so that others may live. And so, before we celebrate, let us honor them.”

A moment of silence followed.

Heads bowed, weapons were placed on the ground, and a quiet wind swept through the battlefield as if the world itself acknowledged their loss.

After a long pause, the Earl straightened, his voice once again firm.

“But because of their sacrifice, this town still stands. Because of your courage, our lavender fields will bloom again.”

He then turned to the young noble beside him.

“And we owe our gratitude as well to Count Ronan Shufillen and the brave men he sent to our aid.”

A young noble—about twenty five years old—whose face I recognized from the evacuation a few hours ago.

He was back with reinforcement.

With his handsome face, blonde hair and yellow eyes—Count Ronan inclined his head respectfully.

The reinforcement knights stood at attention, their armor gleaming even under the fading light.

The Earl lifted his sword high, his voice rising once more.

“So I say this now, to everyone who fought here today—”

“Adventurers, knights—”

“And even the two young girls who will go down in this town's history as the Twins Valor of Saintesses!”

A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd, followed by a resounding roar.

The Earl, casting his gaze across the assembly, raised his voice in proclamation,

“We have protected our town!”

““UWAAAAAA!””

The air erupted with victorious cheers once again.

Some pounded their fists against their armor, others thrust their weapons skyward in triumph.

Hands clapped in unison, resonating with the joyous relief that the arduous hour-long battle had concluded.

But—

Just as the atmosphere brimmed with unrestrained relief and celebration—

*Thud-thud-thud-thud!*

The distant sound of galloping hooves broke through the revelry.

A lone rider, covered in dust and sweat, stormed into the crowd, his panicked voice cutting through the cheers like a blade.

“Help! Help! I have an urgent report!”

My breath hitched.

Daisy’s body tensed.

A cold dread coiled in my chest, tightening like a vice as my intuition screamed at me.

No…

No—

It can’t be.

A cold, suffocating fear curled around my heart.

Because in that instant—I knew.

This was it.

The nightmare we feared—

Was here.

And we knew.

The nightmare—

Had only just begun.