Cats Heading to a Catfight

In the forest where snowflakes danced wildly through the air, two pairs of legs moved with urgent haste. Airi kept her teeth clenched tightly, while Camellia wore a relatively relaxed expression. Camellia even chided the visibly impatient Airi.

"If you rush through the snow like that, you'll only tire yourself out later. Calm down a bit and slow your pace."

At those words, Airi turned back with a sharp retort. "Is this really the time to stay calm? That damn girl kidnapped Master! Aren't you worried about him at all?"

Airi was agitated. The master who had once died because of her was being dragged away before her eyes again—this time by that savage girl who killed people without so much as changing her expression. Airi had disliked Glacia since long ago. The status of being Master's fiancée, standing blankly at his funeral without doing anything, and even after joining as a comrade, never getting angry or saying a word to her. The word "antagonistic" seemed made specifically for Airi and Glacia. More precisely, Glacia only lent her power to Airi out of necessity, treating her like a complete stranger in private matters.

Especially when Airi, wanting to get closer, had reached out to touch Glacia's messenger hawk and asked what its name was, Glacia had shown an agitated reaction for the first time and struck Airi's face with her fist. The users who watched that scene in the form of a 'game' left reactions like this.

Watching the agitated Airi, Camellia chuckled and urged them onward. Airi's reaction seemed rather adorable to her.

"Werner really raised his disciple wrong."

"What did you say?"

"He must have always taught her to stay calm and maintain reason no matter what happens. He said that getting excited leads to failure even when success is possible. At least Werner always stayed calm no matter the situation."

"That's true, but... still..." Airi felt wronged. Her master had been dragged away right before her eyes—how could she possibly stay rational? She had no idea what that savage girl might do to him. That monstrous wench who deceived people with her false expressions every day. Airi wanted nothing more than to rush north immediately and blast Glacia's face with fire magic.

Camellia wasn't worried about Werner. She knew the relationship between Glacia and Werner well, and even if it were another faction, the current North wasn't strong enough to handle Werner. Even if Glacia's parents got involved in this matter, it wouldn't matter. They would only stop Glacia from going too far.

"Glacia... that kid has grown enough to kidnap Werner, huh..."

Camellia burst into laughter instead. "Haha... that kid has grown a lot. To think the same kid who used to cry and throw tantrums when Werner ran away would use such a bold method. It's rather surprising."

"How can you be so calm when Master has been kidnapped, Camellia unni? You said he was your precious little brother, didn't you? And you're not even upset with that girl?"

Camellia chuckled again and raised her sword, tapping Airi's forehead with the hilt. It was a strike meant more as a scolding than out of hatred or anger. Of course, that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Camellia looked at Airi clutching her reddened forehead and began her lecture.

"What an interesting thing to say. Of course Werner is my precious little brother and comrade. That fact hasn't changed."

Camellia placed a finger on Airi's forehead and continued. "But to me, both you and Glacia are like nieces."

"Nieces?"

"Yes. Your father said it himself. We're all like siblings, so we're all family."

But as Camellia said this, she smiled somewhat wistfully. Her usually confident voice trembled slightly, perhaps because she was thinking of the child who had been hurt after believing those words wholeheartedly.

"The little sister who took those words at face value... ended up twisted later."

And though one of the people responsible for that was standing right in front of her, Camellia didn't bother to mention it. It was partly out of consideration for Airi, who liked her master, and partly because Airi hadn't done anything particularly wrong. If anything, it had been the comrades' fault for ignoring the child during her hardest times because they were busy—including Camellia herself, who had been wandering around looking for her parents and sister.

"Camellia unni, you've been saying strange things since earlier."

"It might sound that way. They're closer to my grumbling, after all."

"But I still don't like that girl Glacia."

"I don't think there's any need to be so wary of such a cute child."

At Camellia's incomprehensible reply, Airi tilted her head. Seeing Camellia's ears perk up, Airi spread her mana like a radar to detect nearby enemies, just as her master had taught her. As expected, a group of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠over ten people was approaching Airi and Camellia. Their skill at concealing their presence was nearly professional.

"Acting all high and mighty as a grand duke, desperate to show off by ordering her subordinates around. Like a child throwing a tantrum to show off new clothes?"

"Isn't calling it 'cute' a bit much when the prank is this deadly?"

"Impressive that you detected the enemies. I was a little worried whether you'd notice, given how skilled they are at hiding their presence... but it seems Werner's teaching ability is at least decent."

Even as the enemies approached while ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠concealing their presence, Camellia remained relaxed. Airi suddenly had a question. She had only detected them after hearing Camellia's hint and spreading ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her mana circle, so how had Camellia sensed the enemies? As far as Airi knew, Camellia didn't have the skill to spread a mana circle and detect enemies.

Camellia seemed to notice Airi's doubt and answered before she could even ask.

"I take after my father with excellent hearing. Especially in the snowfield, no matter how much you try to hide your presence and sound, the faint noise of stepping on snow remains."

Camellia drew her sword as she spoke. Of course, she had no intention of killing the enemies—they were the cute niece's subordinates and soldiers of the land ruled by her precious comrade.

"Airi... I recommend ducking."

Before the words even finished, Airi sensed a strange flow and immediately crouched down. Then, with a flash of light...

Camellia returned her drawn sword to its scabbard. Her blade, which had been drawn at some unknown moment, let out a clear sound as it slid back into the sheath and concealed its edge. With a metallic click as the sword fully returned to its scabbard...

The trees around Airi and Camellia began to splinter. Beside the fragmented trees, like vegetables before being pickled, lay people who had been utterly devastated by the sudden slashes. All of them were Glacia's elite soldiers, but they were no match for Camellia.

Camellia smiled and spoke to them. "I avoided vital points when cutting you, so your lives aren't in danger. I have no desire to kill you."

Seeing them, Airi voiced the obvious question. "But even if you avoided vital points... if you leave them like this in a snowfield where magical beasts appear, won't they die...? You have some plan, right?"

Camellia answered Airi's question. "Ah... right..."

Camellia had an unexpectedly clumsy side when it came to anything besides swordsmanship. Then, as if she had no choice, she whistled, and a black dot appeared in the blue sky. The dot grew larger until it took the form of a wyvern and landed in the snowfield. Camellia stroked the wyvern's head and gave the order.

"Carry those fallen people and take them to the castle in the northern territory."

Airi, who had never seen this wyvern even before the regression, spoke to Camellia with a hint of irritation in her voice. "Can't we just ride it too?"

"Unfortunately, it seems it can barely carry the fallen ones."

"Then we shouldn't have walked in the first place! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠We could have just ridden this wyvern from the start!"

"Ah..."

Camellia scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. And she swallowed the answer that she had actually disliked Airi's attitude and wanted to make her suffer a bit by walking through the snowfield.