Chapter 36
Slave, bite.—Daughter. Don't forget. Watch over young Ruin well.
Those were the words her father had said to her before coming to the capital. Iris nodded at the memory.
Watch over Ruin. It didn't seem like a difficult command. So she really just watched. There wasn't much else she could do.
"...Hmm..."
But honestly, there was nothing else to do besides watch? Iris swallowed a groan.
Ruin didn't do anything particularly noteworthy in his day-to-day. It had been that way the entire trip. He'd sleep or read a book. Otherwise, he'd chat with the maid, Aeria.
Contrary to her expectations of a noisy journey, it had been surprisingly quiet. Ruin was quieter than she'd thought.
And then.
"Can I hear that too?"
"Where should I put it?"
"I like cooking too."
He enjoyed helping the attendants who'd come along for the trip. Was "enjoyed" the right word? No, more like he had no reservations about it. That seemed more accurate.
Ruin had no reservations. Maybe it was because he was a commoner orphan from the start, but even back at the Hailron estate... it was the same now.
He seemed endlessly carefree, immature, almost frivolously indulgent at times.
"N-no, we'll handle this, Mage...! You can't dirty your precious hands...!"
"That's what I'm saying."
"Pardon?"
"Everyone's hands are precious. Why should only your hands get dirty, ma'am? Let's just do it together. I'm bored anyway."
But then he'd show this subtle weight, this depth.
A chantless magic user. A young boy who'd grasped the World Tree relic. He was nothing like the mages she'd imagined. Was it because he was young? Or was he truly something else entirely?
Iris thought a lot while watching Ruin.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"...!"
And sometimes she'd get caught staring, her face flushing red. Her heart would thump sweetly. Probably from embarrassment. That's what she figured.
"No, it's nothing... just some dust in my eye for a second."
"Dust? Aeria, do I have dust on me?"
"No? You look the same as always."
"Same as always meaning handsome as ever?"
"Ah... yes."
"...Make your expression cuter?"
It was all trivial banter, over and over. Even up until they boarded the train.
"This fucking bastard."
Even right after the incident erupted on the train.
He'd been injured in the abdomen, unable to properly handle the mage opponent. That's when Ruin stepped up. The young mage beat him without breaking a sweat. Something she couldn't have done.
No matter how injured she was, the enemy had been strong. And the being they encountered after that was the same.
Especially that beastkin woman. She was beyond what Iris could handle. Maybe in peak condition, but in her wounded state? No chance of winning.
Ruin beat her.
The young mage dispatched that existence without a care. Was killing people not his first time? His attitude was eerily nonchalant.
What would she have done? Plenty of shady incidents happened in the North, wittingly or not. Iris had killed for that reason before. Fights with barbarians eyeing the North. After that, she'd been in what amounted to wars off and on.
But getting used to it took a long time.
Yet.
How does Ruin do it?
Casual murder. Even in a dire situation, was that possible? Iris couldn't say.
But.
Either way, he saved me.
Chantless magic overwhelmed the enemy mage. And against other knights, it unleashed tremendous power.
...That woman was at least Sword Expert level.
A well-honed swordswoman. Even at full strength, victory would be uncertain for Iris. How had he claimed triumph against her?
As Iris kept cycling through thoughts of Ruin.
"You seem lost in thought. Planning to stay that way?"
"...!"
The young man before her. Iris snapped to at Crown Prince Banheil Lehart's words.
"Ah, my apologies."
She immediately straightened her posture. The prince chuckled at the sight.
"It's fine. I wasn't planning to scold you. I'm not exactly thrilled about this either."
"..."
A single letter lay before her. Stamped with the imperial seal, it detailed the engagement schedule.
"I'll ask."
"...Yes."
"Do you want to?"
"..."
The prince's question furrowed Iris's brow ever so slightly. It was fleeting, but unmistakable.
"Answer honestly."
"...I do not... wish to."
She voiced her refusal regarding the engagement. She wasn't sure if she could even say such a thing. But she did anyway.
"I see?"
The prince stared at her, his brilliant golden eyes gleaming.
"Then we won't."
"Pardon?"
Iris was the surprised one at his calm reply.
"...You won't?"
"Why? Were you hoping for it?"
"N-no."
"Then no need. I wasn't planning to anyway. But."
Thud.
The prince tapped his sword against the wall.
"Do you know why you're refusing?"
"..."
The reason for refusing the engagement. Iris glanced at her waist. Where her sword should have been.
"I wish to become a knight."
"You're already becoming one. Or maybe you already have."
"...No. I haven't achieved what I desire yet."
"And what do you desire?"
"To become a Master."
"Hm?"
The prince's eye twitched. He reacted to that intense word.
"A Master, huh? You'd give up becoming the empire's lady for that?"
"...My apologies."
"No need. Good answer. Hell, I like it even more."
Riiip.
The prince tore the letter. Despite the emperor's seal, it was a casual choice.
"I'll handle telling His Majesty. Chase your dreams."
"...Th-thank you."
Iris bowed at the simple resolution. Was it really this easy? She wondered.
"Not to impose, but my little sister might get annoying about it. Bear with that much."
"...Your sister?"
Delvin Lehart. Thinking of her made Iris tense slightly.
—You. I don't like you.
A memory from years ago flashed by. One she didn't want to recall.
"Anyway. Good talk. You can go."
"...Thank you for your consideration."
"Consideration? Normally..."
Banheil eyed Iris as he spoke.
"I wouldn't let you go, even for my own position. But now I've got an interesting friend, so."
"..."
Interesting friend.
Iris immediately thought of Ruin. The interest—and faint possessiveness—in Banheil's eyes. She swallowed dryly at the indefinable feeling.
"Go on."
At the dismissal, Iris turned. Then suddenly.
Why.
More than the broken engagement or her path to Master.
Did his face cross my mind first?
Iris pondered if Ruin's face had flashed by before the others.
＊＊＊＊
She stepped outside. Knights meant to escort the crown prince were already gathered. Under their watchful eyes disguised as protection, Iris moved.
She finally calmed her nerves. The tension eased bit by bit.
She'd met the crown prince at the duke's estate before, but upon arriving in the capital, he'd become a completely different person.
Intense.
The empire's little sun. Reincarnation of the war god. A martial genius with endless accolades. The prince at the duke's had seemed somewhat awkward.
...Can someone change that much?
The Banheil she met in the capital was another person entirely. Eerily so.
"I'll guide you."
"Yes."
The talk with Banheil was over. She was about to head out.
But.
Step.
Step.
Footsteps echoed from afar.
Hm?
Small and dainty. Yet quiet. But they carried unusually well.
When Iris looked up.
Swish.
A girl with light blue hair. Expressionless, striking. And yet.
...Knight Order.
Someone in the Knight Order uniform approached. Iris knew her. She'd met her at the duke's estate where they'd stayed—no way she wouldn't recognize her.
The Colton family's masterpiece.
Colton Clay's granddaughter. The being called the Colton family's masterpiece.
Mirai Colton—
Banheil, Iris. And one more sword genius. One of the continent's Gujae—the Nine Talents.
The youngest to join the Knight Order.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met. For several seconds.
"...Who... are you?"
Mirai spoke first. Who? They'd definitely met at the duke's. She'd even greeted her.
"I'm Iris Hailron."
"...Ah... Hailron..."
Mirai nodded as if realizing upon hearing the family name.
"...The one who came with Ruin...?"
"...?"
Ruin? His name popped out of nowhere from her mouth. Why?
The two of them.
Did they know each other? She'd heard they'd met in the carriage. But this familiarity?
What is it.
Why speak so casually? It irked her oddly.
"...You know Ruin."
Iris asked. Mirai answered.
"...Yeah. Friends."
Friends?
Friends?
Mirai Colton, friends with Ruin? What happened?
"Friends."
Mirai said to Iris, as if repeating because she hadn't heard. Then.
"...But..."
Mirai glanced down. Her gaze on Iris's hand.
"...Swordsman?"
"...!"
An intrigued tone. Iris's body reacted on its own. To the emotion in those words.
Undeniable hostility.
"...Hm."
Mirai narrowed her eyes at her.
"...Wanna fight?"
"..."
At the blunt duel challenge, one of Iris's eyebrows arched.
In such moments, she.
"I won't hold back."
Never backed down.