Settlement

Oh for fuck's sake. That face was priceless.

Every time Count Bosha's complexion shifted while he was talking to that underling or whoever the hell it was, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. And the way he kept glancing at me despite all that... had he caught on to something?

Maybe it was because I'd submitted a letter to the royal family while the trial was in progress. Judging by that bastard's sorry state, he definitely had at least one plant in the royal household.

He was such a cautious bastard that he was fully aware of what kind of crimes he was committing, so it was probably best to keep in mind the possibility that he'd realized something unusual had come up during the temporary inspection.

"But what I have to do is already decided."

I tucked Esmue's letter back into my chest pocket and waited a moment. Unlike Count Bosha, Ragnis emerged from the courthouse with a bright expression, spotted me, and walked over.

"Eldmia? How did you know to wait here? And why are you dressed in uniform again?"

"I didn't know to wait. I was prepared to wait all day to deliver good news as fast as possible, ma’am. Putting on the uniform is related to that."

There was no point dragging it out or hiding anything, so I laid out everything that had happened today for her. Ragnis looked a bit dumbfounded.

"I didn't think Esmue would go that far."

"I didn't think I'd be able to intervene like this."

"Well, you've never had much interest in politics."

"That's because I'm not smart enough for politics."

I could talk circles around clumsy amateurs, but to people who made their living with their tongues, I was nothing but prey. Just look at Duke Lesrom. I really didn't want to get tangled up with him.

She was looking at me like I was strange, but it was the truth, so there.

"But delivering it to the royal family directly is a bit unexpected. I thought you'd pass it through the Ogatorf family."

As Ragnis said, that had been my original plan, but since it was a document containing the Empire's will in some form, I took Asilie and Mongsun's advice that entrusting it to someone else's hands might lead to it being unintentionally exploited politically, and just took it myself. Even then, they pulled rank and said they couldn't admit anyone without a prior appointment, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so I just chucked it at them and came back. But that too, in its own way, looked like it had the potential for future entertainment.

Turning away an envoy who brought an official missive from the Empire because he didn't have an appointment. Wouldn't they make a pretty funny face the next time we met?

I hadn't lied. I made it clear that it had to be delivered directly to His Majesty and that I couldn't be held responsible otherwise, but some nobody whose rank I didn't even know just shook his head like I was ridiculous.

Of course, I deliberately put it in the envelope Esmue had used as a disguise, but isn't that just a little surprise box?

"Eldmia? You didn't go all the way to the royal palace and cause some other weird trouble, did you?"

"No. What do you take me for? I did exactly as I was told, step by step, and came back. Isn't that why I could wait for you so comfortably?"

"If you could have seen your face just now, you wouldn't be saying that..."

Ah, there were people watching, so I'd managed my expression somewhat, but I guess my true feelings slipped through.

But there's only so much you can interrogate with suspicion alone. I decided to act brazen and confident.

"Anyway, since it ended earlier than expected, I'll take care of some other business and head in. You go on ahead."

"Huh? We're not going back together? Sheryl will be out soon too..."

"We have to use our time wisely, don't we? I might understand if the way back were dangerous, but it's safe."

It was only because she came straight to me, but from the moment she stepped out of the courthouse, three knights from the Ogatorf family had been providing a strict escort.

Since we weren't strangers, I exchanged a quick nod with them and finished the conversation by patting Ragnis on the shoulder a couple of times.

"You have to deal with annoying things without putting them off. That's the rule. I'll see you later."

"...Don't come back late."

"I'll be back before dinner?"

Probably? Maybe?

Ragnis looked sulky, apparently not pleased with the interrogative ending to my statement. But it couldn't be helped.

I didn't know how things would turn out either, so how could I give her a definite answer?

◈

Dark clouds spread across the clear sky and rain began to fall.

The man sighed as he watched merchants, who had been planning to keep their stalls open until dusk, frantically pack up their shops because of the sudden ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠autumn rain.

"Must be nice. They get to leave work just because it's raining."

"Damn. If I'd known this would happen, I would've worn something more."

He'd thought he was thoroughly prepared despite the sudden order, but he hadn't expected the weather to become a variable.

The rain, which showed no sign of stopping anytime soon, grew heavier and the sky darkened, but they couldn't turn back. Despite the autumn rain that leeched away body heat in an instant, it was because their target was still striding through the streets.

The orders from above were simple. Tail him, and kill him if the opportunity arose.

Because it was a command given the highest priority above all else, no other option existed for them. Unless that damned beanpole headed back to his cursed doghouse or willingly went somewhere deserted to meet his death, they were fated to keep getting rained on. It felt like they'd already been chasing that bastard's tail for two hours, and in a situation where they might have to follow him for half a day more, only sighs came out.

What made him angrier was that the only place the bastard had stopped by in that time was a second-rate used jewelry shop, nothing more. If they couldn't kill him, they at least needed something to report, but he was just enjoying a leisurely stroll.

Looked at another way, the rain might be a good sign. Because of its suddenness, the streets were rapidly becoming deserted.

As the man was trying to recall if there was any place nearby to hide a body, a hand signal from another member of his party came into view.

Deliberate exposure. It was a hand signal that meant a drive hunt.

"Is there a place around here for that?"

"Looks like they're thinking of the sewer side."

"Ah, the back-alley underpass."

That place would definitely be safe. Easy to hide a body, and there were enough beggars to kill and use to set up a plausible scene.

But ideal situations never went as planned. That was why the man, while agreeing with his comrades' judgment, couldn't help but be skeptical.

"The location's good, but if he has a brain, he's not going to crawl in there on his own, is he?"

It was a place not even ordinary citizens had any reason to approach. The atmosphere changed just getting near it, so filthy and dank that anyone who wasn't a moron would naturally avoid it.

Even if it was the capital of a kingdom, thugs and beggars always existed, and the place they were targeting was somewhere those sorts of people came and went like they owned the place. Why would a guy who even went so far as to put on a family uniform have any reason to go there?

But what was this? The bastard was a moron.

Not a moron who wandered in without a clue, but a moron who went in willingly. Even from a distance, you could tell he had considerable confidence in his skills and had jumped in with the idea of actively turning the tables and seizing the opportunity.

"He's a dumbass, but I'm genuinely grateful. If we'd had to keep trudging through the rain, I might've just stabbed him in the street."

"Who knows. Maybe he's an Aura user who could cut down six knights approaching Expert level with a single stroke."

Even his comrade moving with him didn't offer a single warning, just sneered full of sarcasm.

The amount of aura he could feel was so faint it was barely noticeable. Not to put too fine a point on it, the level was low enough that even a member of a mercenary band used for training recruits could beat him with one eye closed.

They had come out seriously considering the gravity of the order, but it was obvious that if even one of them just genuinely rushed the bastard, he wouldn't be able to hold out.

That was what they thought, and so even as they cornered the bastard into a dead end, they could afford to be relaxed. They felt the bastard's footsteps become quick and urgent, as if he'd belatedly noticed their presence which they hadn't bothered to fully conceal, but once he'd set foot in this place, there was no path of escape.

And so, they couldn't easily accept the fact that the target they expected to see wasn't there when they reached the dead end they'd planned for.

"D-did he disappear?"

"Shit. Did you guys lose him?"

"Bullshit. I know this area better than you do."

"Then why the hell can't I see this bastard? Are you saying he fucking flew through the sky?"

"Yeah. I flew."

They all turned their heads at once, no one needing to be first, and there stood the man who was their target.

"Parkour really isn't something just anyone can do. Still, fantasy is nice, isn't it? Sometimes I really love how most things can be solved with Magic Power."

Saying things they couldn't understand, the man casually drew the sword from his waist and continued speaking.

"I know who sent you. Now there's nothing left but a head-on fight, so I've got nothing to ask you... and that being the case, I've got no reason to let you live. Might feel a bit unfair, but what can you do? You signed up under a traitorous bastard, and I don't introduce myself when I'm going to kill everyone."

"Hah. If you had a chance to run, you should've just run."

It was called an alley, but it was by no means narrow. Even with buildings towering high on the left and right, four men could charge him at once.

"The reason you die here today is because you didn't know your place, Eldmia Ega."

The six knights drew their swords simultaneously and released their aura. No matter how faint an aura he possessed, this was a gap he could clearly recognize. If he had any sense, the moment he realized it, he'd run without looking back.

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should have.

"I said I don't do introductions, and you're calling me by name and embarrassing me, you fucking prick."

But shattering everyone's expectations, Eldmia lunged forward with a hollow laugh.

And they only realized that fact after the head of the comrade at the very front went flying.

"Your cause of death is complacency, you bastards."

Behind the realization that something had gone horribly wrong and Eldmia's muttered words, a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blade began to dance.