The Interview (2)
A quiet, chilly atmosphere hung over the room.
In the wake of the uproar at the guild, Karen had arranged a meeting to speak with Orion. From his point of view, of course, it was little different from being dragged here by force.
Haa...
Orion let out a silent sigh. The very thing he had dreaded had finally come to pass. Of all times—the first time he had stepped outside his home in years—and his luck had to be this rotten.
"So, what business do you have with me?"
He decided he might as well be polite for now. One look at the dozen or so soldiers lined up behind her made it plain that the woman before him was of high standing. Even so, Orion did not shrink back. No matter who she was, he could not tolerate anyone interfering with his shut-in lifestyle.
Karen crossed her legs, propped her chin on her hand, and answered.
"I have heard the rumors. You are the foreigner who has been living in seclusion near my territory, are you not?"
"If you put it that way, I suppose so."
Not wanting to be cowed by her presence, Orion settled into his chair in a thoroughly relaxed posture. Judging by the fact that no one had taken any action against him until now, simply living on her land was probably not that serious an offense. And since he had done nothing wrong, he remained unflinching.
Watching him, Karen kept her expression blank.
"Are you aware that the people of my territory are wary of outsiders?"
"Yes, well. I'm human too, so I can sense that much. Anyone who couldn't would be lacking in social awareness."
"Hmm. Then why have you never considered leaving this territory? There must be any number of places better than this cold, damp northern continent. Is there any need to remain here and endure discrimination?"
Was she testing him somehow? Her eyes alone made it hard to read her true intentions. But judging by what she had just said, it seemed she had no plans to banish him from the territory.
Orion gave a short laugh and spoke his honest feelings.
"Wherever people live, it's all the same, isn't it? Excel even a little and envy and jealousy run rampant. Fall short even a little and they tear you down without end. What difference would going somewhere else make? This place is familiar, so I just live with it. Ah, and I happen to like cold regions. There's something quiet and romantic about them."
"Is that so."
It was a thoroughly deflating response. By this point, he was curious. If she hadn't come to exile him, then what was this about? A person of her stature would never have sought him out just for this kind of trivial conversation.
Orion took a sip of the tea on the table, crossed his arms, and asked,
"I may not know much about the ways of the world, but I can tell you're someone important. Still, I can't figure out why someone so important would come looking for me. Ah—have you come to interview a foreigner for your own amusement?"
One of the soldiers watching this placed a hand on his sword hilt.
"You insolent—!! How dare you spew such nonsense before Her Ladyship!!"
"Whoa, I was just curious. Being a lowly person, I suppose my wording was a bit crude. My apologies."
He said as much, but Orion's tone was, to put it plainly, dripping with sarcasm. He had made a bold move, sensing that this probing conversation would otherwise drag on forever.
The soldier could not contain his anger and drew his sword. Karen made no move to stop him.
"You bas—taaaard!!!!"
In less than a second, the tip of a blade was pointed at Orion's nose. Orion did not so much as blink. There was no way he was going to flinch before some grunt, after all.
"That is enough. Everyone may leave now—except Heily."
At her command, the soldiers lined up behind her bowed and filed out of the reception room. Only the one who had drawn his sword remained, wearing a look of grievance as he protested to her.
"B-but, my lady!"
"I said that is enough. You will leave with the others at once."
"...Yes."
He looked dejected at her order, but before leaving, he shot Orion a look filled with killing intent. Orion shrugged in response.
Once every soldier had gone, a hush settled over the reception room. The only ones left were the territory's lord, Karen; Heily in her maid outfit; and Orion.
A stretch of silence followed. It was Karen who spoke first.
"You seem rather strong, don't you?"
"Excuse me?"
Orion's face twisted at the sudden remark. The soldier who had drawn his sword moments ago was none other than the captain of the Agnes Knights. He had been placed among the ordinary soldiers as a precaution against any unexpected developments. His ability to manage the knight order might have been somewhat lacking, but when it came to martial prowess, no one in the Agnes Territory could match him. And yet Orion had not so much as blinked at that man's drawn blade. The reason she had not stopped him from drawing his sword was Karen's deliberate ploy.
Sensing the conversation was turning against him, Orion began to play dumb.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Don't play the fool. How many people in this world would show no reaction whatsoever when a sharpened blade comes right up to their nose?"
"...I was too startled to react."
"Well, if the man himself says so, I suppose I should believe him."
Karen's expression shifted from blank to one of leisurely amusement. A cold sweat ran down Orion's back as he realized he had been had.
And there was yet another shocking revelation waiting for him. Karen had already known the full extent of Orion's abilities before coming here. To that end, she held out a set of documents she had received from the imperial princess.
"Take a look."
"What is th—"
The moment Orion took the papers, his eyes went wide. Had she known everything all along and been pretending otherwise? He looked back and forth between the documents and the woman before him. Fear began to stir within him.
"You've been making a living hunting magical beasts. And not just any beasts—ones that would be extremely difficult to take down alone."
".........Huh."
The only person who knew this was the merchant who had purchased the magical beasts from Orion.
That bastard already snitched on me?
Orion felt a surge of resentment toward the man.
"By now you must understand. Talent like yours—what does it matter if you're a foreigner? As the lord of the Agnes Territory, I wish to recruit you into the knight order."
The words he had dreaded finally came out. Accepting that proposal would mean forever saying goodbye to the comfortable, cozy shut-in life he had enjoyed until now. Status and rank were the least of his concerns right now. Orion answered without a moment's hesitation.
"I refuse—"
"Ah, I forgot to mention. You have no choice in the matter, so it would be in your best interest to accept the offer quietly."
His words were cut off even faster. Her high-handed attitude made Orion's blood boil. So she had finally shown her true colors.
"Hah. I'd heard nobles were an arrogant lot, and you're no different."
"Is that so? I rather think of myself as a noble one can reason with."
"That's just your opinion, isn't it? What else do you call an offer with no choice but a draft?"
"Hmm. Most people are desperate to join the knight order. You seem different. I would ensure you receive treatment befitting your abilities—what is there to worry about?"
"Yes, well. As you say, ordinary people would jump at a stable job with a salary others would envy. But there are people like me who find their own joy in life even when things are unstable and they have to worry about their next meal."
"Oh? So you're saying I would be taking away your freedom?"
"You're quick on the uptake. That's exactly right."
A flicker of hope stirred. Surprisingly, it seemed she really was someone he could talk to, just as she claimed.
"I see. Then have you said everything you wished to say?"
"Excuse me?"
But that feeling was Orion's alone. Karen took a document from Heily and held it out to him.
"Sign here. Out of consideration for you, I've set the contract term at two years, so you may rest easy."
So much for being able to reason with her. And what was with that attitude, as if she were doing him a favor? How was this any different from serving two military enlistments?
"I'm done. I have nothing more to say, so I'll be going."
Deciding there was no further point in talking, Orion made to leave the reception room. But just as he was about to stand, a bombshell of a statement left her lips.
"I understand your wishes well enough. In that case, I need only deliver the appropriate punishment, yes?"
"Punishment?"
"First, the crime of illegally entering my territory. Then, the crime of disobeying my orders. Ah—and I could also charge you with damaging my honor."
Karen held the rank of Grand Duke in the Ruthenia Empire. With that title came the authority to summarily punish anyone deemed guilty at the title-holder's discretion. Unaware of this, Orion asked with an incredulous look.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"And what, pray tell, makes it nonsense?"
"Excuse me?"
Karen's lips curved upward.
"True enough—with your abilities, you could easily shake off any charges. You would cut down any pursuers as effortlessly as water flowing downstream."
"Well, of course—"
"But you are only human. Could you truly run for the rest of your life? If you refuse my offer here and now, I will place a bounty on your head this very instant. Then there will be people hunting you wherever you go—while you sleep, for instance."
"Do you really think that mak—"
"It does. That is what power is."
"..............."
If asked what he hated most in this world, Orion could answer without hesitation.
Hassle!
But a life of running until the day he died? How was he supposed to deal with that? He'd rather die.
"Well? Have you reconsidered accepting my offer?"
Karen wore a broad, knowing smile.
Checkmate.