The Female Knight I Met Again (3)
“Touch me with even a fingertip and I’ll make you regret it the moment these ropes come off!”
Heat rising in my chest, I pinned her thrashing body beneath me and forced a gag between her teeth. Then, to make her situation crystal clear and break her spirit, I fastened a dog collar around her neck and clipped a leash to it.
“There, there.”
When I tugged the leash and treated her like a pet, her face flushed crimson and she thrashed violently.
“Mmph! Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”
Her eyes bulged as she glared at me; for a moment I thought I was staring at a vengeful maiden ghost who had died of rage.
“It’s all right, it’s all right. Calm down.”
I stroked her hair gently, the way one might soothe a dog, and her furious panting grew louder. Finally, unable to contain her humiliation, she burst into tears.
“Huuuueeeng!”
She sobbed wretchedly, tears streaming down her face.
“Hic! Hic! Hic!”
Hmm. So she was the type who acted tough on the outside but was soft within. Or perhaps it was simply her age. Judging by her youthful face, she looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. Either way, hearing her cry was a hundred times better than listening to her scream.
These tears weren’t only from being treated like a dog. She had already been humiliated by me twice in the city; today made the third time. The accumulated shame must have finally overwhelmed her, and the realization that she could never overcome this wall had driven her to despair.
Even without words, I could read her feelings. The murderous mix of hatred and reluctant fascination in her eyes and expression said everything. The sight only made me want to torment her more.
While she sniffled and quieted, I leaned close and whispered into her ear like a wicked demon.
“You can never return to the outside world. From today onward, you’re my slave.”
She glared at me through tear-streaked eyes, as if she wanted to kill me. The look was so far from frightening that I almost laughed. No matter how fiercely she stared, she posed no threat. She was bound, and I held the power to crush her. Since I had decided to tame this wild mare, violent resistance was well within my expectations.
“Oh dear, our little slave has shed quite a few tears.”
When I tried to wipe her face with a rolled-up cloth, she shook her head violently in refusal. Understandable—she must despise me. Born a noble, reduced to a collared slave, the shame had to be unbearable. Still, I didn’t like her either. Her soldiers had killed Phelton and Harry, and she had made my life hell in the city. The memory left a bitter taste.
“We have a lot to talk about. If you behave, I’ll remove the gag. Nod if you agree.”
She furrowed her brows, continued glaring, then nodded sharply while radiating the clear intent to murder me at the first opportunity. I reached for the gag, but at that moment the faint thunder of galloping hooves reached my ears from behind.
I froze and glanced over my shoulder. In the distance, mounted soldiers were racing across the plain. A woman holding a sword led ten cavalrymen, each gripping a long spear. The armor they wore looked familiar.
“Damn it!”
I shouted toward the driver’s seat.
“Marcus! It’s the Lion Heart unit!”
“What?!”
Marcus looked back, clicked his tongue at the sight of our pursuers, and urged the horses to full speed. I quickly gathered the children into my arms and lay half-reclined on the jolting wagon so none of us would fall. The female knight lifted her head, saw the approaching riders, and smiled in relief. Watching her, I swallowed hard. I should have treated her better. Regret washed over me for having collared her like a dog. If those soldiers discovered what I had done, we would be beheaded the instant we were caught.
Anxious, I urged Marcus on.
“Marcus! At this rate they’ll catch us!”
“If they get close, shoot them with the crossbow! Even in armor, they won’t shrug off a bolt!”
The trained soldiers and their mounts were far faster and more threatening than the rabble that had chased us from the refugee camp. The distance shrank rapidly until the lead woman’s voice carried clearly to us.
“Stop the wagon at once! Otherwise I will throw my spear!”
I looked back and forth between Marcus and the woman, heart pounding. Escape was impossible. Surrender or fight? Surrender or fight? While I wrestled with the choice, gray trees suddenly erupted from the ground on all sides. Countless branches sprouted and wove together, blotting out the sky in an instant.
The horses neighed in panic. Marcus yanked the reins just in time to avoid crashing into a massive ancient trunk that had appeared directly ahead. I stared around in shock. We were surrounded by ashen grass and trees. In the blink of an eye we had been swallowed by a gloomy, lightless forest.
A memory from the refugee camp flashed through my mind.
“Marcus… don’t tell me this is…”
His expression turned grave.
“It is. The Dark Forest.”
Whether by misfortune or fortune, we were not the only ones trapped inside.
“Seize them!”
At the woman’s command, the ten soldiers immediately surrounded the wagon, spears leveled. My mind snapped into focus. Marcus reflexively drew a dagger from his boot while I looped my arm around the female knight’s neck and pressed my own blade to her throat, using her as a hostage.
“Drop the knife!” the armored woman shouted sharply. “The moment you harm Lady Adelia, none of you will leave here alive! I’ll slaughter those children too!”
Whoa—threatening the kids was going too far. Weren’t they supposed to be the righteous unit that upheld justice? Killing children was something only villains did.
“If you wish to live, you would do well to obey my adjutant. You have lost.”
Despite being held hostage, the female knight wore a relaxed smile and even mocked us. She thought she had won.
I turned to Marcus.
“What now?”
He shrugged helplessly.
“You’re the squad leader. You decide. This is good practice for making the right call in a crisis.”
Marcus… this wasn’t training. This was real life. We were in genuine danger. After racking my brain for another option and finding none, I made my decision. Two bandits could never realistically defeat more than ten trained soldiers.
“Congratulations,” I said loudly enough for the knight to hear, then released her neck and let the dagger fall. It was a clear gesture of surrender.
After that, Marcus and I were bound tightly with rope and taken prisoner. The female knight disappeared briefly with her adjutant, then returned wearing her armor. She looked thoroughly pleased at the chance to trample me underfoot.
“The tables have turned. Is it my turn to treat you like a dog?”
“What sort of fantasy are you entertaining, Sir Knight? I was under the impression that knights refrained from such vulgar, low-class behavior.”
I smiled, baring my teeth. Even in this predicament, I refused to lose to this woman. Pure instinct told me that if I groveled and revealed all my cards, she would kill me on the spot.
“You,” she said, grabbing my collar and yanking me forward until our noses nearly touched. Her eyes were wide as she stared straight into mine. “It would be wise not to underestimate my abilities. I simply wasn’t giving my all the last time we met in the city.”
What on earth was she talking about? Why bring that up now? Was losing to me really that humiliating?
“Do you have some kind of inferiority complex toward me?”
“Inferiority complex?” She snorted. “Toward a worthless bandit like you?”
“Then take a look at my left hip.”
She glared into my eyes a moment longer before lowering her gaze. My left hip held her sword, sheathed in its leather scabbard. Her expression hardened the instant she recognized it.
My mouth kept moving, fanning the flames.
“I even used it to cut meat. It’s quite sharp. I’ve been putting it to good use—mostly as a kitchen knife.”
Smack! She slapped me across the face without hesitation.
“Insolent cur!”
She seethed while I grinned, my head still turned from the blow. Maybe the bandit life really suited me. Instead of shrinking back, I only wanted to push harder.
Meeting her gaze again, I spoke calmly.
“Quite a heavy hand you have. I was curious what kind of strike the commander of a knight order would pack, but it turns out it’s just an ordinary, stinging slap. Surprising.”
“Disappointed?”
“Not disappointed—moved, actually. It made me realize you’re just an ordinary woman after all.”
Her eyes flashed dangerously.
“Enough nonsense. I am not a woman—I am a knight. Gender aside, I am a proud soldier. Bringing up my sex to make discriminatory remarks is an insult.”
So she had a strong sense of pride. I was tempted to tease her about crying earlier, but there was something more important to address first.
“I wasn’t belittling you for being a woman. I was saying you, as a person, are nothing special. Don’t misunderstand.”
She shot me a frigid glare, visibly furious.
“Do you have a death wish? Shut your mouth before I fill your body with maggots!”
That seemed to have landed. Her boiling expression made it clear her once-stiff pride had been thoroughly crumpled. Fearing that another wrong word would turn me into maggot food, I fell silent. Even when pushing back, one had to know when to retreat.
“This sword is not meant to be worn by a vulgar man like you.”
She drew the blade from my waist, inspected its condition, and returned it to her own empty scabbard. Farewell, sword. It was nice knowing you.
“I’m glad you recovered your sword, Lady Adelia.”
The woman who had chased us—Sinclair, as they called her—approached with a satisfied smile. She studied my face with curious eyes.
“He really is strikingly handsome. Women would probably like him quite a bit.”
“Thanks,” I replied, taking it as a sign of interest.
“Are you the leader of the Elk Bandits?”
“Me?”
A chuckle escaped me.