Before the Newbie Cools Off (5)
“Leo Ric probably won't show.”
Just before launching the operation, Sisilia spoke as if she'd sensed something.
“He's already gone from here. Probably off to catch another demon.”
“Th-then what do we do? Don't tell me...”
Sisilia replied with an emotionless face.
“I'll handle Jack. Betty, keep the people away.”
Sisilia occasionally used formal speech like this. Whenever she did, her whole demeanor shifted. The usual airheaded vibe vanished, replaced by an icy chill.
“Not this time either...”
She couldn't even apply buffs. She hadn't before the fight to avoid detection, and now the vacuum state made it impossible to get close.
Frustrated by her own powerlessness, Beatrice rubbed her arms.
'When we get back, I need to train.'
Suppressing her tangled emotions, she scanned the battlefield.
Wind Shear had just dissipated. As expected, it didn't work on someone with the air blessing.
'...But if it's dangerous, I'll step in.'
Beatrice clenched her fists, praying fervently.
“Please win, Lady Sisilia.”
Swords clash!
Boom!
Their blades collided. Even from a distance, a fierce gust whipped up.
“Ugh.”
Beatrice shielded her eyes from the blast.
An immense pressure bore down. As the wind cleared, Sisilia was slicing into Severu's side.
She swung like a flash of lightning.
Clang!
Severu blocked it. Sisilia instantly released her sword and spun, kicking him in the body.
Thud—thud—thud!
Severu crashed through layer after layer of buildings.
Overwhelming power. Beatrice's mouth fell open slightly.
“Didn't you say it was a bad matchup...?”
She'd clearly said the odds were against her. Yet what Beatrice saw was Sisilia relentlessly overwhelming Severu with insane momentum.
'...The buildings. There won't be any left.'
Severu was flying everywhere. Not by choice, but forced.
...I wonder how much the compensation will cost.
Beatrice hurriedly slapped both her cheeks.
“Wh-what am I thinking? Lady Sisilia's risking her life, and I'm worrying about repair fees?”
Hanging around Sisilia must've broken her brain.
'...More than that, that's the real Sword Princess Sisilia.'
-Don't make Sisilia mad.
-She gets a bit rough when she's angry.
-A bit? Probably a lot.
Senior knights' conversation from some time ago surfaced in her mind. She'd brushed it off as a joke back then. She hadn't thought an angry Sisilia would look that different from usual.
But now she got it.
'Lady Sisilia's angry.'
She could feel it from the sword. Sisilia was unmistakably furious.
Because he was a murderer who'd killed so many? Or a traitor who'd betrayed the Windsor Knights?
Beatrice pondered the reason—
“Huh?”
Severu fled. At first, it looked like he'd been knocked away by Sisilia's strike, but he used the momentum to run along the ceiling.
Beatrice, caught off guard that he'd run, prepared to intercept since he was heading her way.
But it didn't happen.
Sisilia points her sword at the sky. Severu appears there.
“Jip-haeng (Execution).”
Sisilia twisted her blade slightly toward Severu.
Dong.
With a bizarre sound, the wind traced a form.
“...!”
Beatrice couldn't hold back her shock.
The wind had shaped—a reaper.
A silver reaper wielding a scythe. It was a form she'd never seen, but unmistakably one.
The reaper hooked its scythe around Severu's neck.
Beatrice instinctively stepped back.
...Feels like I saw something I shouldn't have.
“Th-that wasn't an Extreme Art... right? That?”
In her shock—
Sisilia slashes as if pulling her sword. Severu, suspended in midair, vanishes with a clean slice.
Shlick!
A crisp cutting sound echoed. Severu, mangled and collapsed on the floor below.
“Wh-what the hell was that.”
Then, a terrified man's voice from behind.
Beatrice turned. A strange man stood there. Unfamiliar attire—odd design but high quality. Holding a transparent bag.
Above all, his appearance was bizarre. Black hair, black eyes.
“A dream...?”
He muttered blankly. Beatrice recalled forgotten info and murmured.
“No way, a User?”
Then.
“Betty!”
Sisilia's voice pierced her ears. Beatrice whipped around hurriedly.
“!”
Thick fog spread. Sensing ill omens, she tried to retreat—but Severu, who she'd thought dead, emerged from the mist and thrust his sword.
Beatrice hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.
But she spotted compressed air hurtling toward the User.
Block Severu's sword, and she couldn't protect the User.
Her life or the User's. She had to sacrifice one.
'Lady Sisilia would definitely do this.'
Without hesitation, Beatrice turned her back to Severu and shouted.
One Flash
Beatrice cleanly sliced the compressed air.
But she couldn't block Severu's sword, already inches away.
'...Hope he doesn't die.'
As she thought numbly—
Her body lifted.
“...!”
And in her spot stood Sisilia, clutching her shoulder.
Sweating coldly, Sisilia glared up at Severu.
Severu dissolved into mist and vanished.
Sisilia hurriedly raised her sword to slash the fog—but pain in her shoulder stopped her, stabbing it into the ground instead.
“A dead corpse already, huh.”
Beatrice, voice breaking, checked Sisilia's wound.
'She took this to save my worthless self—'
It was severe. The dress shoulder soaked red with blood.
“A-are you okay? The wound—”
“Betty.”
Sisilia grabbed Beatrice's shoulders with a serious face.
“...Never do that again.”
“...”
“Saving people comes after saving yourself.”
Sisilia's eyes glistened faintly. She burrowed into Beatrice's embrace.
“You scared me.”
Beatrice couldn't believe it. She'd expected praise from Sisilia.
But.
“...That goes for you too, Lady Sisilia.”
Beatrice let her held-back tears flow, hugging Sisilia tightly.
“Why risk something so reckless to save someone like me...!”
Slither.
Deep in感動's pot of emotion, Beatrice felt Sisilia wriggle between her shoulders and vanish from her arms.
“...?”
Beatrice slowly turned. Sisilia was already rifling through the fainted man's pockets.
Her tears dried instantly.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
She pulled a rectangular object from his pocket. Pressed something with her finger, held it near his face.
Then clutched the rectangle again, fiddling intently.
“Whoa.”
Admiring briefly, she beckoned Beatrice.
“C'mere.”
“P-pardon? Oh... okay.”
Beatrice stood beside her as beckoned.
“Lady Sisilia, you should treat that wound first.”
“Closer.”
“Huh?”
“Double peace.”
“Ah, r-right? Okay.”
Sisilia held up the smartphone, snapping a selfie with Beatrice.
Click.
Seeing her earlier self, Beatrice yelped and hid behind Sisilia.
“D-did you stop time with an artifact?”
“...Betty. Even if you've only lived in the countryside, that's too bumpkin. Embarrassing.”
“Lady Sisilia?”
Back at the mansion, Beatrice treated Sisilia first.
Luckily, they had plenty of expensive potions for emergency care.
But the sword had pierced too deep, cracking bone. And per Sisilia, organs were damaged too.
Potions only healed surface wounds. Bone cracks or organ damage needed time as the sole remedy.
Sisilia said she'd need recovery time. For now, investigate the User from the mansion.
“Amazing. First time seeing a User. So that's what they look like.”
The fainted User hadn't woken. Staring at the unfamiliar man on the bed, Beatrice said.
“He has eyes, nose, mouth like us.”
“...What'd you imagine Users were like?”
“W-well, no rule says otherworlders look like us. Maybe four eyes or ten arms. That's what I thought.”
Beatrice poked the man's body here and there.
“Hands are super soft. Never done hard labor. Not quite noble poise. A wastrel maybe?”
But her hands were soon stopped by Sisilia.
“Where you touching?”
Sisilia's eyes were cold.
“Virgin groping a strange man's body?”
“...Hard to believe this from the guy who tried selling me to a brothel.”
“I was gonna take the money and run!”
“That's worse!”
Sisilia glared at the soundly sleeping man, then eyed the convenience store bag on the table.
Inside: Poca Chips, cola, and a macaron set.
(Macarons already eaten, FYI. Beatrice eyed them hungrily, but they were too good to share.)
Beatrice bawled.
Anyway, this newbie seemed summoned mid convenience store run.
'...Timing's suspicious. Looks like no tutorial either.'
No human presence nearby. Must've appeared out of nowhere.
Different from other newbies' summons.
'...Special case. Maybe a bonus newbie?'
Details when he wakes—but anyway.
Whoosh. Sisilia grinned cheesily.
Enemy escaped, but she was too happy. Newbies were finally appearing one by one.
“Lord Leo Ric has arrived.”
Then the door opened, a maid-dressed woman announced.
Leo Ric's seventh wife. Worried about his state too, Sisilia headed downstairs with Beatrice.
“You're wounded. I told you not to fight recklessly, Sisilia.”
Leo Ric was a mess. Beat to hell, no uninjured spots.
His mantle, resistant to sword aura and high magic, half-torn. Above all, a thin fountain of blood spurted from his crown.
Honestly, worse than Sisilia's wound by multiples.
Sisilia pointed blankly at his head.
“Blood from your head. What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Same here.”
Heehee. Kekeke.
They grinned at each other.
“...You two don't look fine at all.”
Beatrice found the knight order terrifying.