Before the Newbie Cools Off (2)
“Kyaaaaah—!”
In the quiet dawn, a sharp scream pierced the air.
“What’s going on?!”
Citizens rushing outside soon discovered it: a woman dead with her guts ripped out.
“Hah, huff.”
And etched in her blood, a demon summoning magic circle. Right in the center, the number 4 carved boldly.
“I-It’s Jack! The killer Jack! Jack’s here!”
The recent string of serial murders. All victims found with their innards torn out in brutal fashion.
Each site marked with a demon summoning circle and a blood-scrawled number, counting down.
No one knew the culprit. They left no clues at all.
People just borrowed the most common male name and called him that.
The Ripper, Jack.
“Roughly, that’s the story.”
“……”
Sisilia and Beatrice watched the shoddy play stage with cooling enthusiasm.
Explaining the case from morning, and this was it?
Leo Ric’s wives flushed with embarrassment as they cleared the stage.
“Now you get why I wrote that black letter to summon you, Sisilia.”
“……Not at all.”
“Me neither.”
“Then let me explain.”
Leo Ric crossed his arms proudly.
“Even with the great inventor Leo Ric throwing everything at it, we found zero clues.”
Beatrice’s eyes widened.
Bragging……?
She suddenly doubted Leo Ric’s skills.
“Got it now.”
Sisilia replied flatly.
“You needed my detective prowess, the sharpest in the Windsor Knights.”
Sword Princess Sisilia. Her true worth lay not in her beauty or sword skills—but in her overwhelming deductive power.
For cases like this, calling Sisilia made perfect sense.
“Huh? Nope.”
“……”
Sisilia fell silent, then spoke.
“Then why’d you call me?”
“……You’ve grown to say words like that. You’ve come so far.”
“If you don’t need me, I’ll head out.”
Sisilia meant it. No need for her power? No reason to stay.
She stood without hesitation, ready to leave for real.
“Wait, hold up. I do need you. Jack targets only women. Gorgeous ones.”
Sisilia’s steps halted abruptly.
“……Gorgeous women.”
“Yeah. Needed a strong lady knight pretty enough not to get killed outright by Jack. And the only woman in the Windsor Knights is you, Sisilia……”
Leo Ric’s pupils dilated mid-sentence.
“Wait, there’s one more now? If you’re leaving, leave your adjutant. I’ll use her quick and send her back.”
But Sisilia was already seated.
Beatrice stared in shock. Did she come back just because he called her pretty?
“Definitely, that makes me the perfect fit.”
“Haha, as expected from the Windsor Knights’ top cutie!”
“Um, but.”
Beatrice timidly voiced her opinion.
“……That is—”
Lady Sisilia doesn’t have time for something like this.
Beatrice frowned. As vice-captain, Sisilia’s workload was massive. Sending her to a scene already covered by a high knight felt like overkill.
But saying it felt too cruel, so she held back.
“Sisilia shouldn’t bother with something this minor?”
Leo Ric asked casually.
Beatrice flinched—her mind read.
“Fair point. Two high knights…… no, the vice-captain has tons to do.”
Leo Ric pulled a paper from his pocket. The same magic circle sheet from the play.
“I glossed over it lightly, but this is serious. Forgot to mention the key part.”
Three weeks ago, the last scene had a 4. The first circle started at 99.
A countdown. For something.
“Asked Lude to analyze it. Quick reply: demon summoning circle.”
“……!”
“Not just any demon. A great demon. Killer’s sacrificing women to summon a big-name one.”
Leo Ric said coldly.
“What happens if it succeeds? Obvious.”
Beatrice finally understood the black letter. No time to waste. No certainty he’d catch the killer before the 4 hit zero.
“Tried using your wives as bait?”
Sisilia asked bluntly.
Leo Ric nodded.
“First thing I tried. But weirdly, no murders in my patrol zone.”
Strange. No matter how he suppressed his presence, killings never happened in his range.
“Like it’s taunting me—always just outside my range.”
He’d tried everything. Nothing worked.
First time facing this.
Felt like an old acquaintance.
“……High chance it’s a traitor.”
“……!”
Sisilia said flatly.
Leo Ric chuckled.
“Only Windsors know Windsor streets that well. No demon could scout it ahead, no matter how strong.”
Leo Ric was a spearman. Spearmen had vast vision.
Calculating just outside that? Only one possibility.
“Opponent knows you inside out. Of course.”
Sisilia tilted her head at Leo Ric.
“Unless you’ve got a demon buddy you know personally.”
“No such demon.”
Leo Ric stood decisively.
“……Right. A traitor. It all fits.”
“Any suspects?”
“Only one traitor in my squad.”
“Who?”
“Sword Emperor Severus.”
Beatrice’s eyes widened at Sisilia.
“S-Se Severus……”
“You know him?”
“You executed him before coming here, Sisilia.”
“Gluttony Severus? No way.”
Traitors topped the purge list. But Severus wasn’t purged.
His Aura was fatally effective against humans.
And moreover.
“Sisilia killing Severus? Impossible.”
“Huh?”
“Worst matchup for you.”
Not because she was Sword Princess, he Sword Emperor.
An insurmountable wall between them.
Aura compatibility.
“Severus’s Aura is air. Wind Aura can’t touch him.”
“!”
Yeah, Sisilia couldn’t win that.
Wind moves through air. Control the air?
Sisilia’s Aura becomes meaningless.
“Wasn’t the real body.”
Sisilia replied tonelessly, despite hearing she couldn’t win.
“But Leo Ric.”
Sisilia looked at him, stating the obvious.
“I definitely killed Severus.”
“What……”
“So, no connection to this case or Severus.”
Sisilia stood.
“Here’s Jack the Ripper. Not Severus.”
Cutting down a former comrade wasn’t easy.
Sisilia considered Leo Ric’s feelings.
“When’d you grow up so much?”
Leo Ric patted Sisilia’s head.
Sisilia blinked.
“Don’t worry. I won’t make rookie mistakes like that. If I see Severus, my spear sharpens, doesn’t dull.”
No, she really killed him.
Soul, definitely shattered.
Many demons regenerate. So Sisilia always destroyed souls too.
She’d sliced Severus’s soul clean.
No way she’d miss a demon right in front of her, newbie-watching or not.
This was real Jack the Ripper.
High chance traitor.
But Leo Ric’s momentum was too much; she couldn’t say it.
“Follow me. Time to explain the job.”
**
“Simple, right?”
Leo Ric’s plan was straightforward.
Beatrice and Sisilia patrol late into the night.
If Jack targets one, signal and hold till Leo Ric arrives.
“That enough?”
“Wander happily if you can. Victims were all happy folks. Bride-to-be. Young mom heading home to her kid. Girl celebrating her birthday.”
“……”
“Oh, another commonality: social weaklings. People whose death changes nothing. Probably to dodge pursuit.”
Beatrice said firmly.
“Lady Sisilia, catch him. The killer.”
As Beatrice tightened her dress sash, burning with resolve—
Sisilia nodded slightly in flashy attire.
“……”
Leo Ric and Beatrice stared.
“Let’s go, Betty.”
“Hold on.”
“Hm?”
“That outfit…… what?”
Sisilia declared proudly.
“Whore Sisilia.”
“……”
“Jack targets hookers guaranteed.”
The 17-year-old knight said vulgarly without batting an eye, giggling as she headed out.
Beatrice clung to Sisilia’s arm.
“Not over my dead body!”
After much struggle, Beatrice changed Sisilia’s clothes and sighed in relief.
Sisilia, now in plain village girl garb, slumped boredly.
“Good thing you’re her adjutant.”
Leo Ric, sweating, saw them off.
But Sisilia and Beatrice soon returned.
Dragged limply by guards.
“Wh-What.”
Leo Ric panicked, approaching. The guard scowled.
“That your protection? Letting two highborn ladies wander? Unfit as guards. First time in Londinium? Bad security here. Be careful next time.”
“……”
Yeah. Their looks stood out too much.
Blonde-haired, golden-eyed Beatrice screamed pure Liannen noble.
Sisilia? Runaway noble lady obvious.
“Didn’t see that coming.”
“Can’t help being pretty.”
“S-Sorry……”
“……Dye your hair too.”
Thus—after dyeing hair—they finally started the mission.
But couldn’t act right away.
Jack struck at night or dawn. Had to kill time till then.
“Better to plan calmly somewhere?”
They pondered where to wait.
“Let’s job at a super lewd shop first.”
“……Why obsess on that role?”
“Betty. Protecting citizens. Gotta do something.”
“Lady Sisilia just thinks it’ll be fun.”
“……”
Sisilia quietly turned away.
Beatrice hand-on-hip, lecturing. Had to set her straight now.
“Lady Sisilia. Know how scary it is with men?”
“Scary?”
“Obviously. Only with someone you love. Not to take lightly.”
Sisilia clasped hands behind back, peering close at Beatrice.
“Wh-What.”
“Got curious suddenly.”
Sisilia blinked.
“Betty, you done it?”
“……Done what?”
“That.”
Beatrice froze, then realized—face red.
“Why ask suddenly?!”
“Sound like you have.”
Beatrice silent, then glared at Sisilia.
She was 20 this year. Marriageable age.
Never? Embarrassing.
“O-Of course.”
She boasted.
“I’m a full adult woman. Done that much, naturally.”
“Ooh.”
Sisilia admired; Beatrice puffed up.
“What do you take me for? Three years older than you, Lady Sisilia. Life senior.”
Sisilia pointed at the unicorn.
“Ride it.”
“Pardon? Oh……”
Beatrice mounted the unicorn.
“Wow, always thought—Lady Sisilia’s mount feels nice. So glossy.”
Unicorn neighed happily.
Sisilia watched……
Pfft.
Grinning mysteriously. Pissed-off expression.
“Wh-What’s that face?!”
Beatrice didn’t know why, but felt the most humiliated ever.