The Black-Haired Employer
The blade sang—*shwaak!* The salamander’s neck flew off. Yet the sensation that traveled up my arm felt strangely wrong. I was certain I had cut it, but it didn’t feel like a clean slice. The reason revealed itself instantly.
*Fwoosh!* The salamander’s entire body had transformed into roaring flames. It had twisted away from my sword in that state.
I should have finished it with the first strike. At the beginning it hadn’t paid me any attention, which let me land a wound on its flank. But now this lizard had locked onto me alone and would not permit a second hit.
It circled me in a wide arc, became fire, then returned to its original shape, repeating the cycle. “A troublesome creature.”
It was a monster as difficult to handle as any human opponent. I briefly considered ignoring it and running, but it would obviously chase after the sixth carriage, so I resolved to settle things here.
How do I catch it? Any attack it perceived turned into flame and was dodged. Once it gained distance, it unleashed flame breath. Don’t rush. I still knew far too little about salamanders. The correct approach was to face it gradually, uncover its weaknesses, and exploit them. Trying to finish it quickly so I could return to Syucali and Eos felt like nothing more than greed.
“I’ll do what I can.”
As long as the carriage kept moving, time was on our side. A knight from the family was waiting at Kidichi Hill, after all.
“If I can pin down you and Margaret, we win.”
“Grrrr… Haa!”
Flames came flying. I dropped low to the ground and rolled clear. The stench of burning hair rose from the crown of my head.
Water Ball
I formed a droplet above my head and poured it over myself. As the heat subsided, I felt my scalding scalp cool rapidly.
“Is fire all you can do?”
“Kr…”
Did it understand human speech? The salamander that had been glaring at me with clear mockery now covered its whole body in flame and charged.
“Ugh…!”
I barely slipped aside. It immediately changed direction and came at me again.
*Fwoosh! Fwoosh!*
*Thud!*
Every time it brushed past, the searing heat pouring off it threatened to cook me alive. Even after drinking a fire-resistance potion, my body grew hotter and hotter, like a lump of molten iron.
“Urk?!”
My feet, driven backward, finally slipped. The salamander seized the opening and pounced.
Deflection
*Boom!*
I triggered Deflection against the flaming charge. I couldn’t absorb the entire impact; scorched patches bloomed across my body.
“Haaah…!”
Agony like my whole body was on fire sent me tumbling across the ground.
“Heuk… heuk…”
My insides burned as if molten. It felt like I would melt at any second.
Water Ball
*Hiiiiiss…*
White steam billowed from me as though water had been dashed across a red-hot iron plate. If my stats hadn’t strengthened me, I would already be ash.
“Ugh…”
A monster that wielded flame at will left me no room to search for weaknesses. This could not continue. I needed to land at least one solid, effective blow if I wanted to keep fighting.
“Huu… huuu… huuu…”
Confirming that the melting hilt had fused to my palm, I reset my stance.
*Fwoooosh!!*
It came.
Noble Swordsmanship
I met the flame-wrapped charge head-on. It looked like a head-on collision, yet I stepped inside, twisted, let the attack flow past me, and raised my sword in the same motion.
“Pierce!”
With the resolve to end it in one strike, I swung. I had assumed the blade would pass harmlessly through its fiery body.
Instead, the distinct sensation of piercing flesh reached my hand.
*Shunk!*
“Kuiiiik!!”
Water Ball
*Pssshhhh…*
I cooled my burning body once more and stared at the sword tip.
Why did it cut?
After its body became flame, I had never once felt the sensation of “cutting.” This time, however, there had been clear resistance. The salamander, in pain, immediately backed away.
“…”
Its retreat gave me a brief breather. I narrowed my eyes and studied its body, searching for the second wound.
I can’t see it… Where did I hit?
No matter how I looked, the second wound refused to show itself.
“…There.”
My gaze finally settled on the flank where I had first wounded it.
“You… you can’t transform the parts that are bleeding into flame.”
“Kuuu…!”
The original wound on its side had been torn much deeper. The increased blood flow told me my last strike had driven straight through the fiery body and gouged the existing injury even further.
“Now it’s manageable.”
The certainty that I could finally fell the seemingly invincible creature filled me. The salamander, displeased by my renewed confidence, snorted and cloaked itself in even stronger flames. Even though its weakness had been exposed, its will not to be struck the same way twice burned clearly.
“This is bad…”
The heat radiating from it was fiercer than before. I would have to carve through those flames and target the wounded flank again.
I glanced at the sword fused to my right hand. The black coating had completely peeled away; the tip was melted and blunt. This weapon would last only one or two more exchanges at best.
“…This really is the last one.”
I pulled out the final fire-resistance potion. After staring at it a moment, I uncorked the vial, touched a drop to my tongue, and made my decision.
*Splash… Clink…*
I poured the entire potion over the dulled blade. If I wanted to rip open the salamander’s wound properly, the sword could not be allowed to melt. My own body might melt first, but I trusted the Physical Endurance I had gained from the warrior Damo.
“Kuoaaaak!!”
The salamander charged.
“…Noble Swordsmanship.”
I took the exact same stance as before, facing its headlong rush. The creature opened its maw wide, as if mocking my posture, intending to swallow me whole. Flames swallowed my entire body. Yet my eyes never left the wound.
Even as my skin tore and blackened, I focused solely on that single point.
“Aaaagh!!”
My sword drove into the salamander’s wound. I lifted the embedded blade upward like a banner. Thanks to the weight-nullifying effect, the creature felt astonishingly light.
“Kueee! Kueeek!”
Impaled above my head like meat on a skewer, the salamander thrashed in agony, desperately twisting to free itself.
“Die… die…!”
“Kue… Ku… Kuuuuk…!!”
I clenched my teeth and held firm. I intended to maintain this position until it died. No next move had come to mind, so I had to finish it with the chance I had seized.
*Crack…*
“Ah…”
But the world never flows exactly as one wishes. Against my resolve, the sword snapped in two.
*Slice… Thud!*
The salamander, side still pierced, toppled sideways and slammed into the ground.
“Is this the end…?”
The sword I needed for Noble Swordsmanship had broken.
“Grrrr…”
The salamander shuddered in pain and rose once more. It spat clots of blood and glared at me with bloodshot eyes.
“…”
There was nothing left I could do except… raise both fists and assume a bare-handed fighting stance. My only weapons now were my two charred, blackened hands.
“That’s enough, Lemon.”
“!!”
The familiar voice made my eyes fly wide.
“Facing a salamander all by yourself… How impressive, Kang Seo-ja.”
“…Margaret.”
The salamander’s master had appeared. Beside her lay Syucali and Eos, both unconscious. In the end, even the two of them had failed to stop her.
The moment I saw them, all strength left my legs and I dropped to my knees.
So this is as far as I go…
Ever since I opened my eyes in this other world, I had believed I was handling things rather well. Apparently I was wrong.
Margaret walked toward me. She would kill me now, surely. I had interfered with her plans.
“…”
Yet she did not stop in front of me. She simply walked past.
Why…?
The question filled my head first. Why pass me by without killing me?
“…Why do you fight for Isabella to such an extent?”
Instead, Margaret posed the question first. It seemed my willingness to throw myself at the salamander had piqued even her curiosity.
“Why is Margaret tormenting Isabella to such an extent?”
Rather than answer, I returned the question. I wanted to know her true aim.
“…”
Margaret, too, could not easily speak.
*Step… Step…*
Her footsteps receded once more. In that way we slowly drew apart. Because we both understood the other carried their own burdens, neither of us offered an answer in that moment.
“Lemon, return.”
“Kuuuk… uk…”
At her single command the salamander turned to flame and vanished.
I gritted my teeth, forced myself up, and staggered toward the pair.
“Keugh…”
“Cough… cough…”
They were still alive.
“Are you all right?”
“Kang Seo-ja…”
“I’m sorry, Master.”
Even though they had collapsed, both were more worried about me than themselves.
“As long as you’re alive, that’s enough.”
Then I, too, collapsed beside them.
“Let’s rest a moment.”
“Yes…”
“…”
None of us spoke. We simply gazed up at the sky. Each of us—including me—seemed to have a great deal to think about. Now, and in the days to come.