Encounter

He might act as though honor meant nothing, but being insulted in front of everyone would taste different.

Insulting a noble? That kind of thing only mattered if you got caught. I'd already finished every calculation of angle and line of sight, and the simple hand gesture I'd put on display vanished in an instant like a fleeting mirage.

"You insolent little... utterly arrogant beyond belief...!"

"You insolent old... utterly arrogant beyond belief...!"

Since ancient times, mimicry had been an obnoxious act optimized for pissing people off. Maybe it was because I'd perfectly mirrored his words right on cue, but Count Bosha—who had likely never once been on the receiving end of such mockery in high society among nobles—couldn't collect himself. His eyes bulged wide as he cocked his head as if he couldn't comprehend it.

"You wretch...!"

Why get angry? Was that a hint I'd struck a nerve? Still, I had to give him credit for not raising his voice, like a man who'd spent enough time walking a knife-edge in the middle of politics.

"The truly arrogant one isn't me, it's you. A blade shoves in regardless of status, but a crown chooses whose head it sits on. If you lack the qualifications, your neck gets snapped."

Honestly, if you asked which one was more arrogant between a man who moved with the belief that anyone dies when stabbed, and a man who thought he was going to be king, you'd pick the latter, wouldn't you?

As if he'd never imagined that word would come out of my mouth, his pupils suddenly started to quake.

"What? Surprised that a brat you thought just knew how to swing a sword a little can predict that far ahead? Is it really okay to be shocked by just that? There's a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠separate thing to be shocked about, you know?"

"What..."

"I'm the connection to Esmue. Not Ragnis."

It seemed his conversation with me had rattled him quite a bit, because Count Bosha's expression shifted again, filled with questions. I recognized that look too. It had the feel of, 'Who is this Esmue that he's talking about a connection to?' But naturally, that question morphed into horror in an instant.

"In this trial, you stand to gain nothing and only lose."

No wonder the name sounded unfamiliar after I'd spent all this time calling her the 1st Princess or the Iron-Blood Princess, or the Empire's White Star at official events.

His reaction was so satisfying that I pulled just one corner of my mouth up from a faint smile into a rotten grin and spoke.

"Starting to get it?"

"You think... I'd let myself... be swayed by such... falsehoods?!"

Of course I thought you'd be swayed, that's why I ran my mouth. If he was the type of man who could shrug off the direct words of the guy who beat the Hero and saved the princess, he wouldn't have made this kind of reckless move the moment Ragnis arrived.

"That's a judgment for you to make on your own. I'm just giving you a heads-up so you don't come whining later about how you didn't know or whatever. Well then, haven't you got somewhere to be?"

I'd said it with a smile, but I laid my hand on the pommel of the longsword at my hip. I had no intention of cutting him down on the spot without just cause, of course. I only wanted him to feel my hostility unmistakably—and to feel a little more humiliated by it.

Fortunately, Count Bosha was humiliated exactly as I intended.

"...You will come to regret this."

"You won't even have the time to regret it. Ah, I'm so scared. So very scared. The family you broke away from your house to build up so painstakingly is about to vanish from the kingdom in a single day. Life's fleeting, isn't it? Right?"

Count Bosha answered by glowering at me. Then, with a cold gaze completely different from the beginning, he glared at Ragnis and opened his mouth again.

"You've picked yourself up quite the fine guard dog."

"To insult him—"

"Arf arf woof. Grrrr growl snarl snarl."

Hey, why look at me like that. I'd just figured I'd leave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the old man, who was at the end of his life anyway, one good laugh on his way out.

They both stared at me in disbelief, but Ragnis burst out with a hollow laugh. Then she turned back to Count Bosha and gave a farewell with polite poise.

"Farewell, Count Bosha. I had considered you an uncle, but as I will be unable to attend the funeral, I shall pay my respects here in advance."

Ragnis really came out swinging sometimes too. As if she had no interest whatsoever in Count Bosha's reaction, Ragnis turned around and left the spot. I moved my feet to follow behind her. It only amounted to a bit of distance since we had to enter the courthouse soon anyway, but Count Bosha also walked in the opposite direction and blended into his faction's ranks, so the gap widened considerably.

Once that much distance had opened up, Ragnis looked at me with an odd expression and asked.

"......What the hell was that at the end."

"I was trying to leave a man about to die one funny memory."

"That's really unbelievable."

Ragnis let out a small laugh, and her hand caught my sleeve. I'd meant to use the joke to lighten her tension, but that hand was still trembling slightly.

"So this was what you found out yesterday."

"To be precise, it was one of the things I found out."

He really did show up with uncanny timing, but if he'd arrived even a little later, I would have told her first that the mastermind targeting her was Count Bosha. Then we would have been surprised in a slightly different way.

No matter how different their factions were, learning that the man at the end of the chain targeting her was her father's younger brother had to be a serious shock.

"When Delt abducted me. I thought his voice sounded familiar somehow. He treated me like he knew me too. I figured I just couldn't remember, but if he was a close aide to my un... to Count Bosha, it makes sense. I would have seen him on a few occasions."

Whether she had a lot to say or nothing at all, Ragnis just wore a complicated expression. It wasn't something I could really speak on, so I just patted her shoulder a couple of times instead.

"I don't know about anything else, but don't worry about your safety. There won't be any problems."

Ragnis, forcing a smile, already looked worn out. It was draining enough just dealing with Demonfolk, but seeing them cook up vile schemes like this naturally sapped your energy.

So, right around the time I resolved to smash every smashable target before my energy drained further, a heavy bell tolled out.

-Dong... Dong...

The preliminary bell announcing trial preparations. I was hearing it for the first time, but was it familiar to the others here? They began to gather in twos and threes and enter the courthouse. I knew the Royal Faction people had gone in much earlier and were preparing, so did this mean all these people were the Noble Faction? The thought soured my mood.

Ragnis seemed cowed too, unable to see anyone who could be called an ally nearby, so I decided to see her off in the brightest voice possible.

"Go on. Let's meet at Ogatorf Manor today. I'll tell you the cheerful, rambunctious adventure tales of Eldmia."

"Pfft. Alright, see you later."

The trial would go on for several days, but Sheryl had told me when she returned at dawn that today's trial alone would likely prove her innocence and allow her to leave the detention center for protective custody. And if that happened, the Ogatorf family would step forward to protect her from the forces that had framed her.

When I told her the additional story about Count Bosha's funding line being smashed on top of that, Ragnis's mood would improve at least a little.

After watching everyone who had business inside enter and the doors close, I turned around. Asilie was there beside me before I knew it.

"Shall we go now, Eldi?"

"Yeah. But did you really have to avoid the spot?"

"Of course. No matter how much of an agreement we've reached, we're still rivals for now, right? In a place like this, it's better to have only the man she likes there."

She called herself a rival, but she made sure to look out for everything. It was so deeply touching. Carrying the absolute certainty that if nothing else, I'd been born with great luck with women in this life, Asilie and I moved our feet toward a nearby forest.

"Eldi. Look over there."

"Oh, looks like they're coming in now."

What we discovered as we approached the city gate were the victims we'd rescued yesterday. No longer in clothes indistinguishable from ragpickers, they'd changed into the gear and equipment of the slave hunters who'd died yesterday. Guarded by beastmen, they were just now entering the city.

And among them, I met eyes with Krul, who stood out especially because he was missing one fang.

There was no conversation. Had he and the others kept my words from yesterday in mind? They just smiled and nodded their heads as if in greeting, making no move to act like they knew me.

"That's a relief. They could enter the city without any particular trouble."

Asilie smiled, turning away from them as we left the city gate behind. I smiled back at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her the same way.

"Right. Worth having killed them cleanly."

Even I thought it sounded like something a psychopath would say, but who cared. The ones who deserved to die died, and the ones who needed to live were saved—that was all that mattered. Not a single speck of shame in my actions.

When we reached the edge of the forest like that, Asilie took my hand and began her explanation.

"I'm telling you in advance before we enter the forest. No matter what happens, do not let go of my hand. The forest spirits help elves, but they have no concept of also helping an elf's companion nearby or anything like that."

"Would it be impossible to talk with those spirits?"

"Hmm. They're called spirits, but how should I put it... they're closer to a slightly different kind of being from ordinary spirits. You probably won't be able to communicate. Even we don't really converse so much as just convey intent. They're not visible, and you don't really feel their presence. It's closer to instinct?"

"That's a shame."

We entered the forest while talking, but it didn't feel like anything else was sensed or had changed. I advanced about ten steps like that but still felt nothing. I was absently looking around, but when I turned to look behind me, despite Asilie's warning, I nearly let go of her hand.

"Whoa, just ten steps?"

Where normally the plains and the capital's walls should have been visible, only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forest existed.

"Eldi. You have to look forward properly. If you get separated, it's trouble."

"This is so fascinating, big sis. I really don't feel a thing."

"Heh heh. The Connected Forest is possible in most cases. Of course, a fair transaction has to be established."

"You mean doing something that helps the forest?"

"That's the typical one. Sometimes there are cases where we grant a request they make."

Divine Power was amazing and magic was amazing, but this kind of phenomenon that didn't belong to either was even more amazing. To the point where I'd want to travel around and see them if more things like this existed in the world.

What's more, even though it was deep in a dense forest, the journey held no discomfort at all, as if we were walking on flat ground. At its end, we were able to reach our destination.