The Porter of the Hero's Party Should Be Beaten Up, Right? (4)
Angela Matahari. She took immense pride in her own abilities. In truth, among the Black Hands operating under their master's orders, her combat prowess was the strongest. She was confident that within the Academy, there wasn't a single student who could defeat her in a one-on-one fight.
But at this moment, Angela was painfully realizing just how badly she had been mistaken.
-THUD!!
“Guhhhhk!!!”
With a scream filled with agony, Angela’s body rolled across the ground once more. The twenty-third time. This was the twenty-third time she had been brutally beaten without any resistance and collapsed onto the floor. And not with a weapon—with bare fists.
“Kk… kuhhhk…”
Angela trembled, her voice drenched in pain. Standing over her with a fist dripping blood, the woman in question… Rosette spoke in a cold voice.
“Get up. Stop with the pathetic dramatics.”
“Kk… kill me… guhhk!”
“What are you, some princess knight? Cut the nonsense and get up.”
“Kuhhhhhk…”
Despite Angela’s plea to be killed, Rosette kicked her in the stomach and clicked her tongue in annoyance. In this moment, Angela bitterly resented the ultra-regenerative ability she possessed as a half-vampire. Still, she staggered to her feet.
“So, are you finally ready to accept my offer?”
“…”
Despite Rosette’s words, Angela kept her mouth tightly shut and said nothing. After enduring this one-sided beating, she had come to understand one undeniable fact: no matter what she did, she could not defeat this woman.
Rosette possessed strength that far surpassed anything Angela had imagined. The fact that it was now night, with darkness cloaking everything, only made that truth even clearer.
Even so… in the end, Angela could only reject Rosette’s proposal with silence.
“…Why are you going this far?”
“…”
“Duke Jellust, that master of yours. He doesn’t seem like he treated you all that well, does he?”
“…Haha.”
The name that slipped from Rosette’s lips. Angela’s master—the one who had given her all these orders. The Northern Duke Jellust. Hearing it, a hollow laugh escaped Angela’s lips.
She had already suspected as much once things reached this point. But the fact that Rosette would openly mention his name here meant she had already figured out everything related to her.
“It’s true… you’re not wrong…”
The Duke of the North who had taken in an orphan like her, fed her, clothed her, and educated her. That was undoubtedly a debt of gratitude. However, Rosette knew well that this favor had never come from genuine goodwill.
He had raised her and the other orphans solely to use them as tools.
Even so—
“Still… if it weren’t for him, I would have starved to death on the streets long ago. If someone shows you kindness… shouldn’t you repay it?”
No matter the reason, thanks to the Duke of the North extending his hand, she had been able to survive. To repay that debt, she had endured grueling training all this time. That was why she had infiltrated the Academy and was carrying out this long-term mission.
No matter how irresistible the temptation before her eyes might be, she could never abandon that grace and betray her master. Even if it meant facing death in the process…
“I am grateful that he reached out to me. But… even if my master were to abandon me, I could never abandon him. That is something that can never happen.”
“...”
With those words, Angela closed her eyes and lowered her head. She knew exactly what refusing the offer until the very end would mean. It wasn’t that she had no attachment to life. But she didn’t want to repay kindness with betrayal.
Having steeled her resolve, Angela humbly accepted the blade that would fall upon her neck.
And then—
-Clang!
“…?”
The next moment, a chilling sound rang out as a sword blade fell beside her. As it slid back into Rosette’s scabbard, surprise began to bloom across Angela’s face.
“Good grief. I didn’t expect you to be this stubborn. This is completely screwed from the start.”
“…Lady… Rosette?”
Rosette had sheathed her weapon and spoke in a voice thick with irritation. Yet within it, Angela sensed one particular emotion. The emotion that could be called mercy. And at that realization, deep astonishment settled over Angela’s face.
“Do as you please. I’ll be coming to the tea house for a meal tomorrow too, so make sure you prepare properly.”
“!”
Angela knew that simply revealing her identity as a half-vampire—half demon—would bring Rosette more than a few benefits. Especially for someone as cunning as Rosette. It would be child’s play for her to frame this incident as a conspiracy by the Duke of the North to assassinate her and reap the rewards.
Yet at this moment, Rosette was declaring that she would not take her life… and furthermore, that she would quietly bury the whole affair.
Feeling profound gratitude at that fact, Angela dragged her mostly recovered body and vanished into the darkness. Unaware, in that final moment, of Rosette’s silent gaze watching her go.
*
The next day passed as if nothing had happened. The usual classes, the unremarkable walk home after school—everything continued almost exactly the same as it had for the past week.
“Kuh… huuuh…”
Well, to be precise, there had been a few incidents, but nothing too serious. Leaving behind the black scorch marks on the ground and the traces of destroyed magic, I opened the door to the tea house and stepped inside.
The tea house was empty, its owner nowhere to be seen. Thanks to unlocking the door with magic, the place was utterly silent. I sat down, calmly opened my textbook, and began to study.
“Maximum radius is about seven meters… roughly.”
I waited quietly for the owner, who would soon arrive.
*
“…”
Angela stared silently at the regular ferry approaching. It wasn’t heading far—it was bound for the city on the other side of the river. In her hand, she held a small golden hairpin.
It was one of the accessories she had worn at yesterday’s banquet but hadn’t managed to return. As she gazed at it wordlessly, Rosette’s words from yesterday echoed in her mind.
She had said she would come for a meal again today… but the current Angela could not go to their meeting place at the tea house.
Not only had she ignored yesterday’s regular report, but a major incident had occurred as well. Even though Rosette had said she would overlook it, the situation was such that her identity might have been exposed… and perhaps even the Duke of the North’s entire plan had been uncovered.
To prevent the fallout, Angela had to reach the safe house on the other side of the river as quickly as possible and report everything.
However.
Even though she knew she had to do exactly that, and had come all the way here because of it—
At this moment, as she stared at the hairpin, a clear look of conflict was etched across Angela’s face.
Rosette, who had given her dreamlike moments and even shown her unmistakable goodwill—something that could be called a debt of life. On top of that, the overwhelming power she had felt with her entire body yesterday.
Even though it had been reinforced with mana, the strength had not felt human at all. It made even Angela, who was not human, feel an indescribable sense of kinship.
It was true that the current situation was urgent. But… did that really mean she had to break the promise she had made with her?
…This too… if it’s a debt of gratitude, then it’s a debt. If you receive kindness, you should repay it…
Thinking about it, she felt like she could quickly prepare a meal and still make it in time. Of course, she couldn’t be sure, but at least Angela herself thought there was still time.
I can just go quickly… From here to the tea house is only ten minutes at my pace. Even including the time to prepare the food, it won’t even take an hour…
She had rushed here out of impatience just moments ago, but when she thought about it calmly, there seemed to be plenty of time. Whether that was truly the result of calm judgment or simply her own wishful thinking, she wasn’t sure…
Having reached that conclusion, Angela hurriedly left the dock and began heading quickly toward her tea house. She crossed the main road, lightly vaulted over a wall, and entered a narrow alley. At the end of it stood the all-too-familiar tea house.
And then—
Ah…
She caught sight of that person sitting inside the tea house. Even though the owner wasn’t there, the sight of her casually letting herself in should have seemed incredibly rude. Yet after everything that had happened yesterday, it felt less like insolence and more like an endearing little quirk—almost welcome.
…I suppose she’ll enjoy it again today, won’t she?
The image of Rosette praising her lacking cooking and cleanly emptying the plates came to mind. At the same time, Angela’s steps unconsciously quickened as she tried to leave the alley.
-THWACK!!!!
“…Huh?”
In that instant, an arrow pierced straight through her chest. It had flown from behind, accurately punching through her heart and out the other side. Angela collapsed to the ground right then and there.
Th-this… silver… arrow…
A silver weapon—fatal to vampires. In her injured state, even Angela’s recovery was forced to slow dramatically. Moreover, it was broad daylight with the sun high in the sky.
As she lay helplessly on the ground, a painfully familiar voice came from directly behind her.
“So you really did crawl back here… you filthy traitor.”
“!”