That's Not How You Negotiate...
The two of them stood facing each other across the northern plains.
In a place where no ambush could possibly hide, they confronted one another with only a handful of retainers each.
Here, even Freya’s elder brother Kilian would find it difficult to seize anyone who sensed danger and tried to flee. That was why Freya had accepted his proposal for a private meeting.
And then—
“How is the bastard child treating you?”
Freya realized that her eldest brother Kilian was a far more cunning strategist than she had ever imagined.
“Father and I ordered that bastard killed, did we not? Why are you keeping the child alive?”
“How… how do you even know that?”
“You look surprised. You carefully set up recognition-blocking artifacts and tracking-interference artifacts, didn’t you?”
“I asked how you knew even that.”
“On top of it, you used yourself as bait. You drew Second Brother Robert’s attention onto yourself so the child would fall out of his notice.”
“……”
“But, little sister.”
Kilian looked down on Freya with arrogant amusement and smiled.
“That very thoroughness is what brought disaster upon you.”
“What?”
“After the assassination attempt, you wasted far too many artifacts. We simply began tracking the places where tracking magic was being nullified.”
“Kh!”
“Installing that many tracking-interference artifacts on a mere blacksmith’s forge only drew our eyes all the more. And so we found the little girl with the Bearheart crest on the back of her hand.”
Freya squeezed her eyes shut and bit down hard on her lip.
“So… what do you want? Why have you left me and the bastard alive until now?”
“Good. Unlike Second Brother, you’re quick on the uptake. I like that.”
Kilian smiled and gestured to one of his men.
Freya warily stepped back.
The retainer soon set a small golden chalice on the ground.
“You know I collect antiques, don’t you?”
“This is… the Oath Chalice…”
“Indeed. Drop blood into it, and the owner of that blood is magically compelled to fulfill whatever contract they make.”
“……”
“I told you to bring an appraiser to today’s meeting without fail, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
Moments later the appraiser Freya had discreetly summoned examined the chalice.
It was genuine beyond doubt—along with the magical power the relic possessed.
“From this moment I will drop my blood into it. I swear to guarantee the lives and safety of your bastard child and everyone connected to you.”
“What?”
“And I will see to it that every one of them lives out a peaceful remaining life. I swear it.”
“……”
“In return I demand this of you: you will duel me at the time of my choosing—before every watching eye.”
“What?”
Kilian smiled.
“I’ll be honest. If it were up to me I’d kill you right here and slaughter them all.”
“Then why the sudden change of heart?”
“It isn’t my whim. Ever since you slew the white dragon Styria, you’ve changed a great many things. So the whim is yours.”
“…Disposing of me quietly has become too risky, is that it?”
“Exactly. Your name has begun to circulate throughout the North. Those voices threaten my rightful claim—the claim to the Grand Duke’s seat.”
“…So I’ve become a political threat.”
“Yes.”
“Therefore you’ll kill me in front of everyone—after first demonstrating the difference in our strength, legally.”
“As sharp as ever. I like that.”
Kilian recited the terms of the contract and drew a small dagger.
“One more thing. Participate in the coming capital siege—together with your supporters.”
“……”
“And after I kill Second Brother, I will duel you—before every lord of the North.”
“…Very well.”
The two of them each let a single drop of blood fall into the Oath Chalice.
Kilian shall guarantee the lives and safety of Freya, the bastard child, and all connected to them, ensuring peaceful remaining years.
In exchange, Freya shall duel Kilian at the time of his choosing, before all eyes, and shall join the capital siege with her supporters.
After Robert’s death, the duel shall take place before every lord of the North.
The Oath Chalice flared once with crimson light, as if announcing the contract complete, then drank the drops of blood.
Clang clang clang clang
Scrape scrape scrape
“Hey. You hear?”
Even over the ringing din of the forge, the customers only raised their voices higher to gossip.
“About the North, right?”
And right on cue, the same old story these fellows had already told a hundred times began again.
“Is there really going to be a war?”
“Well, a civil war inside the North, at least.”
“Haa… but who the hell is this Freya woman? I heard there was a youngest daughter, but…”
And of course the next part started up as well.
“Ugh, don’t even get me started on that bitch. She’s a lunatic—a complete lunatic.”
“A lunatic?”
“Yeah. When they took down that white dragon or whatever, she got a thousand of her own men killed.”
“What? A thousand? Why would anyone follow such an incompetent woman?”
“Not incompetent—terrifying.”
“Huh?”
“That’s how she controls her subordinates, they say. She takes every last family member and relative as hostages and threatens them.”
“Ugh…”
“And if they don’t obey, she starts killing the oldest relatives first, right in front of them—slowly.”
“Blech… and someone like that is joining the succession war?”
“Yep. Women aren’t supposed to have succession rights, but you think a monster like her cares about that?”
“Haa… we’d better pray she never becomes Grand Duchess.”
“Right. If she does, even our Kepler’s position will get pretty dangerous.”
Apparently this Freya woman really was terrifying. Yesterday someone even claimed she drank the blood of little children…
“Here you go—your order’s ready.”
“Thanks for the hard work.”
My adoptive father handed the two men their finished goods. They kept talking about the Freya woman all the way out the door.
“Hey! Tina! Hurry it up!”
The moment the customers left, my adoptive father reflexively barked at me.
“No— ahem… uh, right, keep working. Yeah, yeah.”
Then he suddenly switched to an awkward, overly gentle voice and forced a smile.
This guy must be about to die. Lately he’s been trying way too hard to act nice.
“Th-the finishing work…”
“Mm-hmm. Sure. Do whatever you like.”
Well, from my point of view it was fine. No idea how long it would last, though…
Knock knock knock
“Yes, come in.”
Creak.
Just as I was feeling uneasy about kindness that might vanish at any moment—
“Welcome— oh my, milord!”
A familiar face appeared in the forge.
“Ah.”
Helen-unnie.
Wait—what did she break this time?
“A moment. Might I have some time with the child?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Alone, if you please.”
“Huh? …Ah, yes sir.”
Helen-unnie shot him a look, and my adoptive father scrambled out of the forge in a hurry.
Wait, did he always act like that around Helen? He used to look down on adventurers for being broke…
Ah. He really must be dying soon.
What am I going to do if I become an orphan at seven…
“Ah… hello…”
The instant Father left, Helen came straight toward me. I reflexively started to bow at a perfect ninety degrees—
“Clothes?”
Helen-unnie suddenly pulled me into a hug.
A heavy, soft sensation pressed against my face.
She’s so big!
“O-oh, why?”
“Ah, s-sorry… did I startle you?”
“W-what’s the matter…”
“You’re asking what’s wrong?”
“(nod nod)”
“No…”
Her expression didn’t look like nothing was wrong…
Could it be that?
A broken sword that just needs reattaching?
The nightmare of the worst customer ever?
The pattern where I actually fix it and then get yelled at for “why couldn’t you do it sooner”?
“Ugh…”
A flash of fear made me glance down at Helen-unnie’s sword.
But the blade was perfectly fine.
“Hm? Ah, no. Haha. My sword’s fine. I’ve been maintaining it exactly the way you taught me, every single day.”
“Ah…”
It was true. A well-cared-for sword was obvious at a glance.
“(tilt head)?”
“Huh? Then why the face?”
“(nod nod)”
“Ah… well, the truth is…”
“(tilt head)?”
Helen-unnie’s expression suddenly turned lonely.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to come back to this city anymore.”
“Huh?”
“I probably… won’t ever return.”
“Oh…”
“So… I came to say goodbye.”
“Ah…”
Helen-unnie stroked my hair.
It felt nice.
But the atmosphere was somehow lonely.
“Ah…”
Something occurred to me. I stepped back for a moment, rummaged through my little drawer in the corner of the forge, and brought out one item.
“This is…?”
“(nod)”
“This… don’t tell me it’s an enchantment catalyst?”
“(nod nod)”
“A Flame Stone?”
“(shake head)”
“Ah… then a Lava…”
“(shake head)”
“Then… a lizard’s…?”
“(nod nod)”
“A Wyrmstone!”
“(nod nod nod nod)!”
At the end of twenty questions Helen-unnie finally hit the right answer.
“You’re saying… you’ll enchant my sword?”
“(nod nod)”
Helen-unnie had helped me with little things here and there, hadn’t she? She’d stepped in during that sword-illiterate general-store incident, and somehow ever since she started coming around Father had gotten nicer.
Wait a second…
Is this guy angling for a remarriage?
She doesn’t even look twenty yet!
No way, right?
“Th-thank you.”
Anyway, I wanted to repay Helen somehow.
“But something this precious… ah, you mean for free…?”
I pointed at the price board listing enchantment fees.
Then I picked up my slate and wrote.
30% Discount!
“Ah…”
Helen scratched her head awkwardly.
True to an adventurer—she was a real tightwad.
40%!
“Ah, no, I wasn’t planning on an enchantment right now…”
Oh, look at this.
Does she know the market price and is playing hard to get?
50%?
“Hahaha… you’re adorable, our Tina.”
60%…
“Ah, wait a second…”
65
“Uuuu…”
“…D-don’t cry.”
Is it really that hard…?
Just as I was thinking that—
“F-fine, all right. I’ll take the enchantment. I’ll get the enchantment and go.”
Realizing this was no ordinary child, Helen stroked my hair and nodded while I teared up.
70%
Still, I kept the cost price covered.
Clang clang clang clang
I hammered away before Helen-unnie could change her mind.
And I finished the enchantment.
The results of all the secret practice I’d snuck in behind Father’s back weren’t bad at all.
“Heh. Thank you.”
Helen-unnie hugged me tightly once more.
“Well then… I’ll be going.”
She lingered, unable to leave the forge, before finally forcing her feet to move.
“Ah…”
Tears welled up.
But I held them back.
Whenever I had to send off a customer who had been kind to me, tears always came for some reason.
I remembered the older sister from my previous life.
In my past life, and in this one—
“Ah… goodbye…”
—there simply hadn’t been many people who were kind to me.
A few days later.
“Excellent! We march! We will butcher Robert, the true culprit who poisoned Father!”
“Waaaaah!”
Freya gathered an army of ten thousand and joined Kilian’s force of thirty-five thousand.
The combined host of forty-five thousand began its advance toward the capital Norsgard, which was defended by twenty thousand.
