The Desuwa Lady Who Can't Give Up Her Disguised Outings!
The market square sat in the Lower Commoner City of Eisenfels.
Disguised in commoner's clothes, Bielka and I slipped naturally into the bustling crowd. The smell of fresh vegetables and bread baked at dawn, mingled with sweat and spices, stung pleasantly at my nose.
Ah... this is the stuff. The feel of ordinary people living their lives. When was the last time—since I knocked out the Mountain King at the livestock market, I suppose?
Now, at last, I understood why the Katerina of my memories had loved sneaking out so much. Keeping myself confined inside the citadel, diligently attending heir-apparent lessons and living the life of a noble daughter wasn't bad, exactly—but this market's vitality, the first taste of it in ages... how should I put it? It made me feel overwhelmingly, gloriously alive.
As I drew near where people had gathered, I saw a round cluster of onlookers watching something. Still holding Bielka's hand, I shouldered through the crowd toward the front.
"Katerina—oops, I mean, Lady Rina, just a little farther and I think we'll be able to see."
Bielka whispered in a small voice. Pushing through to the very front, I finally caught sight of the woman I'd come looking for.
A woman with blue-tinted hair stood at the center of the square. She was tall for a woman—close to 180 centimeters, by the look of her—but unlike the other northerners, she didn't give the impression of sheer bulk. Her build was slender and athletic instead. A light-looking lamellar suit hugged her frame, practical in design yet somehow accentuating her striking, unusual beauty.
In modern terms, she'd be like a female volleyball player or a track athlete, maybe?
Her ice-clear sky-blue eyes swept her surroundings with sharp vigilance, and in one hand she carried a woldo—the very weapon the soldiers had been gossiping about.
"Bielka, that must be Hildegard."
Just then, a man strode out toward the center of the square. His chainmail bore the insignia of a veteran discharged from the Citadel Guard, and between his imposing frame and his swaggering gait, anyone could tell he was no amateur.
"Think an Empire's cat can handle a lion of the North?!"
The man's challenge rang out across the square. At his words, a smile spread across Hildegard's lips. It was not a kind smile—it was the grin of a beast that had spotted its prey.
"Cat or lion, in the end we're all just beasts, aren't we?"
Her voice was softer than I'd expected, but I could feel the sharp claws hidden beneath it.
With a roar from the crowd, the match began. The veteran raised his shield with a rough shout and closed the distance fast—he'd apparently taken care to account for the fact that Hildegard's woldo was a long-reach weapon.
But Hildegard slipped his charge with quick footwork, opened the range again, and swung the woldo back at him from a rather peculiar angle. Even riffling through Katerina's memories, I had never seen that form before.
She's definitely... completely different from the northerners, isn't she?
Natasha's and Milena's swordsmanship had been quite serviceable, but Hildegard's style was an entirely different beast. It looked to be a technique from the Empire.
The match didn't last long. The veteran, who had been taking hit after hit from the woldo, waited for an opening and leapt in with a powerful single strike—but Hildegard allowed him no approach at all, answering with a weight-loaded rotational cut.
A blue shadow flashed through the air, and in the next instant the veteran's weapon clattered to the ground. The cold blue blade of the woldo rested at his throat.
"That makes seven wins in a row for Hildegard Pechter of the Empire!"
As the referee's cry rang out, the crowd's reactions ran the whole gamut. Some marveled at her technique; others openly grumbled that a woman from the Empire had won.
"Damn it. Isn't there anyone who can beat that Empire woman?"
"Doesn't look like it for a while yet. That woman's skill is no joke. She must have spent her whole life practicing nothing but that strange-looking polearm."
Listening to their conversation, Bielka tugged lightly at my sleeve.
"That woman is really impressive. Her long-weapon technique especially. I think I could apply some of it to my halberd."
"It does seem... so, doesn't it."
The crowd began to disperse. Hildegard, the victor, was collecting her prize money, while the defeated veteran—perhaps out of embarrassment—left quickly.
As she accepted her winnings, a look of satisfaction crossed Hildegard's face, though it seemed closer to the quiet composure of a seasoned craftsman finishing a day's work than to any joy of victory.
Bielka and I stayed in the square to observe a little longer, without being too conspicuous, pretending to browse fruit at a stall.
How should I approach her? If I just blurt out an invitation to the citadel, she'll be on her guard...
I weighed the possibilities in my head. Command her directly with the authority of a Grand Duke's daughter? Using power to strong-arm someone into joining me—the very person I need working for me—would be the worst possible move. No one works properly under those conditions. Besides, it probably wouldn't fly with Hildegard anyway, being from the Empire.
Maybe it was better to keep my identity hidden and build rapport first. If you mean to make use of a person, you ought to know what kind of person they are.
"Bielka, let's wait a bit longer and then strike up a conversation."
Bielka nodded, but a flicker of anxiety passed through her eyes.
"What if someone recognizes you? Even with the outfit changed, Lady Rina, you're so pretty that anyone who knows you would spot you right away..."
"It's fine, it's fine. I'm wearing a hood, aren't I? And honestly, looks-wise, you're the more—"
I was glancing sidelong at Bielka's colossal bustline when the unexpected happened.
Hildegard was walking toward us. Her gaze was fixed on me, and a subtle smile played at the corner of her mouth.
Wh-what? Don't tell me I've been made? No way. I've never once crossed paths with that woman.
"Are the fruit to your liking?"
Hildegard stopped beside us and asked. Her voice was far gentler than it had been during the fight. Up close, I could see that her honey-kissed skin, darkened by outdoor life, looked remarkably smooth.
"Yes, it all looks very fresh."
I did my best to speak like an ordinary Eisenfels citizen. One slip into the desuwa register and I'd be exposed in a heartbeat.
Hildegard's sky-blue eyes studied me slowly.
"You were watching the match, weren't you? So—did you find my woldo arts interesting?"
"Very much. The way you handle your weapon was especially impressive."
"Is that so? By the way, you seem the sort who came out of the citadel. Might you have some business with me?"
A chill of sweat ran down my spine. I'd anticipated this, but I hadn't expected suspicion this soon.
Still, panicking was out of the question. I had to handle it calmly.
"Just came to watch. I heard there was someone exceptionally skilled here. It's true that I work in the citadel, though."
A playful smile spread across Hildegard's lips.
"Hmm... is that so? You might even hold a very important position in the citadel, I'd wager."
Bielka was standing there staring at empty space with a conspicuously tense expression. I wanted to jab her in the ribs with my elbow and tell her to act natural, but with Hildegard right in front of us, it was impossible.
Hildegard's gaze lingered briefly on Bielka and her fearsome décolletage, then returned to me.
"There will be another match here in the market square tomorrow, around noon. You're welcome to come as a spectator—or, alternatively..."
She fixed me with a meaningful look.
"Might you be thinking of testing your own skill firsthand?"
My heart began to race. It was a challenge.
Well, well... this is going more smoothly than I expected? She's from the Empire, they said—so are the Empire's people like Natasha and Milena too?
I knew this flow by heart. Whether a duel or a match, if I gave my opponent a decent run for their money and then put them down lightly, for some reason their favorability toward me always shot right up.
An opportunity, an opportunity. This woman might be easier to recruit than I thought.
"...Why not, then."
I answered with a faint smile toward Hildegard.
"I have a fondness for unusual martial arts. And for strong people."
At my reply, a brief flash of surprise crossed Hildegard's face before it vanished. She hadn't expected me to accept the challenge.
"This just got interesting."
She said it with a trace of laughter in her voice.
"I find myself truly curious what manner of skill someone like you possesses."
"And I'd like to experience your technique firsthand."
To my honest answer, Hildegard gave a nod.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow at noon, in the square. Feel free to bring a sword or any other weapon you like."
As she turned to leave, a question suddenly came to mind.
"Hildegard Pechter, was it? Why did you come to Eisenfels of all places?"
She paused mid-step and looked back. Curiosity and interest mingled on her face.
"I drifted here doing merchant caravan escort work. And..."
She was silent a moment before adding:
"It struck me that if I stayed in this city, there would be quite a bit of money to be made."
After Hildegard disappeared from view, Bielka heaved a sigh of relief deep enough to sink the earth beneath us.
"That was terrifying. I really thought we'd been found out."
"It's fine—if anything, it went well."
Shutting down Bielka's fussing, I called to mind the blue arcs that Hildegard and her woldo had traced through the air.
Hildegard Pechter... just how strong is she? I'd wager she's stronger than Milena, even.