Quickening
Quickening
In the end, Siegfried really had just shown his face and given a friendly warning, and after that brief conversation, he naturally melted into the bustling crowd.
I couldn't tell whether his tension had eased at all, but honestly, considering the Imperial soldiers who'd be attached to him, it probably wouldn't be a serious problem even if it hadn't. My own road ahead was more troublesome than his in the first place, so who was I to worry about anyone else?
After parting with Siegfried like that, we spent some time sightseeing and amusing ourselves among the festival-goers before heading home. Sheryl had been acting a little strange ever since Siegfried's sudden appearance, but by the time we were leaving, she seemed to have cheered up.
"So you decided to cap that axe with the same metal as your sword?"
"Yeah. They said if I wrap it around the right spot near the middle of the haft, it won't throw the center of balance off by much."
Since my company was Sheryl, most of our conversation as we walked revolved around swordsmanship, combat, and weapons.
It was mostly just Sheryl asking questions and me answering, but she must have found the homing instinct addition to the axe pretty interesting because she turned her steps away from home and headed toward the Dwarf District with me.
"They say all the smithies are swamped these days, but the fact they're finishing a job like that in half a day suggests you've really gotten on their good side."
"I've been bringing gifts every time I show my face, so maybe that's why they treat me well?"
I understood Sheryl's surprised reaction. I'd figured it would take about three or four days this time too. But he'd volunteered, saying it was only natural since he owed me so much, and it felt a bit off to refuse.
"The head seamstress too, you're really talented in so many ways... Ah, soldiers."
I wondered why she was suddenly reacting to soldiers, and when I followed her gaze, the Dwarf District was packed with people who anyone could tell were knights and soldiers. I'd lived in the capital all this time and never seen anything like it, which struck me as odd, and then I realized every single piece of equipment they wore was from the parade earlier.
"Returned soldiers? Why are they here in full kit?"
"...I have absolutely no idea."
I'd wondered if something had gone down, but seeing them laughing and chatting, that clearly wasn't it.
"Don't tell me they came out in full battle gear to enjoy their free time?"
Sheryl muttered it like she was dumbfounded, but once I heard it, it actually sounded like a pretty plausible theory. As veterans assigned to an important operation, they would've spent a long time on the front, and if that were the case, it seemed entirely possible that taking off their gear felt awkward or unnerving instead. When I mentioned that thought to Sheryl, her eyes widened slightly as if she'd never considered it, and she nodded.
"If that really is the case, staring at them too much would be rude. Let's hurry."
Haha. Polite kid. Would've been real nice if she'd been this polite when we first met.
Giggling at the old memory that suddenly surfaced, I walked with her past the soldiers, and the eyes of the laughing and chatting men flicked to us for just a moment before scattering away naturally.
No, it was more accurate to say their eyes flicked to Sheryl for a split second, then they looked at me, and then their gazes scattered naturally, as if on cue.
"...Am I overreacting...?"
Something felt off.
It reeked of deliberately feigned indifference.
There were plenty of other people in the Dwarf District, but there were also plenty of soldiers. Not that they were all clustered together—they were just scattered around, really seeming to browse the streets. Most of them paid no attention to us at all, but every single one whose eyes happened to wander our way showed the same reaction and averted their gaze.
If the act of signaling the soldiers with them and looking away happened three times, it was definitely no coincidence. The nerves that had just relaxed snapped taut, and a chill raced up from my spine to the back of my neck.
At the same time, the easy smile vanished from Sheryl's lips too.
"Eldmia. We're being surrounded."
"I know. But I don't get why."
Why were soldiers just back from the front suddenly reacting to me?
If this were a deliberate setup, too many of them paid us no mind, there were too many civilians around, and the location was all wrong. We'd only come here on Sheryl's whim in the first place.
Because I'm Eldmia? In a world where people can't even tell when a fake Eldmia is shitting all over the place, there was no way they'd all simultaneously recognize me at once.
"Could it be Magic Power...?"
"How would another member of the Human Race notice that?"
"I don't know either."
But what could I do? That was the only possibility that came to mind right now.
If they'd noticed I used Magic Power, identified me as a potential enemy, but were approaching cautiously because we were in the heart of the capital and they were concerned about civilian casualties, then everything fit. How they'd noticed was the next question.
Still, since they didn't seem to be taking any immediate action, I kept my expression as blank as possible. By the time we reached the front of Master Balkun's smithy, the ones blocking our path were soldiers and knights I didn't recognize in the slightest.
Even without cloaks or anything, telling the knights apart wasn't hard. The bastards in the impossibly heavier-looking armor would be the knights.
"I never expected to see a familiar face here. I trust you've been well, young noble lady Sheryl."
An acquaintance?
The first one to speak up with familiarity was a young man among the knights. As he stepped forward, the ones who'd been following us and the ones right in front of us very naturally sealed the encirclement. At that, the other civilians realized something was going down and hurriedly began clearing out; some even ducked into the shops.
"Sir Ruber. I'm relieved to see you unharmed, but before that, I'd like to ask what exactly is going on here."
Sheryl answered with a certain degree of courtesy, but it was a bit iffy to call it full courtesy. Still, since we'd been surrounded out of nowhere, from a noble's perspective this was actually pretty damn respectful of the other party.
Sir Ruber knew that well too, so he bowed courteously as he answered.
"I may have spent a fair few years on the battlefield, but I haven't forgotten my manners. However, the situation may be urgent, so I apologize for any unintended rudeness."
"I'll hear what this urgent situation is first and judge for myself."
"Well said. First, may I know who your companion is?"
Straight for the throat. Thanks to that, I was absolutely fucking delighted to be proven right that I was the cause.
"At the very least, he is not someone you can justify surrounding out of the blue like this."
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe that's something you can decide right now."
"Sir Ruber. I haven't changed much in four years. Get to the point."
Hmm, so it had been four years since this guy headed to the front. I didn't know what Sheryl was like four years ago, but at minimum, the Sheryl of two years ago and the Sheryl of now were both owners of a perfectly consistent temperament, so she might not even be wrong.
Unlike me, lost in idle musings, what came out of Ruber's mouth was slightly chilling to me.
"Haha, so you were. Well... when you face the Demonfolk on the battlefield for a long time, you develop a bit of a strange sense, you see. Ah, even without visible horns, that one's a member of the Demonfolk. Has horns but doesn't feel like a member of the Demonfolk at all. That sort of thing."
Because the answer that came back carried the implication that they really might be sensing Magic Power. It seemed to rely entirely on instinct, but the fact that something like that was possible for a whole group was astonishing enough.
The moment he finished speaking, I could tell that not just Ruber but everyone around us had tensed up hard, ready to predict and counter my next move. They didn't draw their swords outright, but if I showed any hostile intent, they'd clearly spring into action instantly.
Having confirmed their reaction, Sheryl furrowed her brow and replied.
"This man is Eldmia Ega. You may not have heard yet, but he has accumulated countless achievements, recently received a royal investiture, and furthermore become a wandering knight recognized by both the Empire and the royal family. Are you telling me you're calling such a man a member of the Demonfolk right now?"
In books, the usual reaction to this situation was 'We failed to recognize the hero and committed a grave error!' but unfortunately, these guys were different.
Even after hearing everything Sheryl said, Ruber nodded firmly and answered.
"the Demonfolk aren't monsters—they're people. And people, for the greater good, are entirely capable of deceiving everyone around them."
"You aren't unaware that's an extremely rude remark, I take it."
"That is correct."
That surprised me twice. First, that they at least considered Demonfolk as people, and second, that they trusted their shared instinct so completely.
They'd been a little surprised at my identity, but they didn't ease their tension or hesitate. I considered it a highly respectable attitude, trusting the senses that had kept them alive through years of crawling battlefields, so for the first time in a while, I applauded not in my mind but for real.
Even though it only heightened their wariness, I was now sure they wouldn't draw first as long as I didn't draw my sword, so I didn't really mind.
They were acting on circumstantial suspicion alone. If they could specifically detect Magic Power, they wouldn't be answering Sheryl while asking permission—they'd have produced hard evidence on the spot.
And that alone meant the situation was already as good as over.
"I'll respect the instincts of the battlefield's heroes. What must I do to prove my innocence?"
They could never prove that I used Magic Power. At most, they'd suspect transformation magic or feel around my head in case I'd cut off and hidden my horns. If they were simply picking a fight, I would've done my utmost to humiliate them, but since they were acting on the possibility that Demonfolk had infiltrated the capital, I decided to end things amicably.
These were the men who'd be moving with Ragnis anyway, so they'd end up running into me too. No need to make enemies and make things tiresome for myself.
"Just stay still. Our mage will cast Dispel, and then we'll check your head for traces of horn growth."
The method Ruber presented didn't deviate one bit from my expectations, and I was able to smile genuinely.
Of course, I was going to wrap this up nicely, but I had no intention of ending it as if nothing happened.