#067 Assembly
#067 Assembly
Thud!
The sword drove into the ground.
The only adventurer left in the training grounds couldn't even swallow as the black-masked knight aimed a blade precisely at his throat.
All he could do was raise both hands as a sign of surrender.
Shhk.
The black-masked knight immediately retrieved the sword and turned away.
No one could tell whether the unidentified figure in heavy armor was merely a slender knight or actually a woman. The figure left the training grounds without a word.
"Urgh...! What the hell is this?!"
The defeated adventurer screamed as if in a fit.
"You said this was a knight order entrance test! You said if I won, I'd move on to the next exam! So how am I supposed to win when you send out a monster like that?!"
"A monster, you say. Watch your tongue."
Knight Etsi, acting as examiner, sternly warned the adventurer.
"You lost to a swordsman who didn't even use Aura. Have you no shame?"
"There's a limit to how unfair an opponent can be!"
"This much is required to enter our new knight order. Did you think that just because you can use Aura, you'd be certified by House Odron and become a knight? I'm afraid not."
"Tch...! No! Let me see the count! I dropped all my commissions and came here for this!!"
"Unfortunately, go improve your skills and come back. There is no place for you in this knight order."
"Uwaaah!!"
The adventurer let out a howl of frustration.
But this was House Odron's training grounds.
They had already shown all due consideration to someone who failed to become a knight, and they could no longer allow an eliminated applicant to cause a disturbance.
"Just you wait!"
The adventurer snatched up his sword, which had flown out of bounds, and stormed out, fuming.
"......Good grief."
Knight Etsi let out a sigh and turned around.
He walked to the private room where the black-masked knight was resting.
Knock, knock.
After knocking, Etsi entered and immediately locked the door behind him.
"Phew."
The person who removed the mask and helm was a brown-haired woman.
Drenched in sweat, she fanned her face with her hand to cool down. Etsi stepped behind the brown-haired woman and unfastened the straps of her breastplate.
Clank.
As he removed the breastplate, which looked rather uncomfortable, a chest far too large for the armor to contain was revealed.
In fact, unless the breastplate was specially made, it was so large that she couldn't wear ordinary clothes, let alone armor.
"Lady Droniel. You've worked hard."
"Worked hard? They were all weak."
Droniel Odron.
Count Odron's hidden child, looked down upon within the family compared with the children of his lawful wife.
But in truth, she was someone even the legitimate wife and her children feared.
A genius of the sword.
If Etsi dared to assess her, the woman before him was a sword genius with talent seen once in five hundred years.
She had not yet awakened the stage of channeling mana into her sword—the Aura Blade—but aside from that, she had already shown such tremendous growth that one could call her a "master" anywhere.
As a mercenary, she was S Rank. As a knight, she was skilled enough to be recruited directly as vice-commander of the capital's First Knight Order without anyone finding it strange.
That skill was plainly demonstrated in Droniel's "live-combat training," disguised as a knight-order entrance exam.
Dozens of people had fought Droniel directly so far.
But no one in the County of Odron had defeated Droniel, and Droniel grew rapidly day by day.
It had been barely half a year since she first picked up a sword. How was this physically possible?
Etsi recalled a saying passed among swordsmen.
-In swordsmanship, never expect physical common sense from a genius. What you built over thirty years, someone else may reach in three.
It seemed absurd, but looking at Droniel, he couldn't help thinking it wasn't impossible.
This woman's strength and genius truly were....
"Etsi. The entrance exam applicants are all sorted out now, right?"
"Ah, yes. That man just now was the last. We plan to select knight order members from those taking the additional exam in a week."
"Good. Later, when they find out the person they faced was the knight commander, they'll understand well enough."
Droniel fiddled with the black mask and twisted the corner of her lips.
"...Gold would be nice."
"Pardon?"
"This. Couldn't it be plated in gold?"
"...My lady?"
"It's a joke."
Droniel bit into an apple from a basket.
"...I need to get stronger quickly and find that person."
"......My lady, that man is...."
"If you don't know the details, just stay quiet. I've already finished discussing everything with Father."
"...Understood, my lady."
Etsi shut his mouth firmly.
Not because she had coldly put distance between them.
"Hnnngh, Lucius.... Just wait a little. I'll lead a knight order for you and... hnnngh...."
"......."
Simply thinking that it would be far better for his mental health to keep his distance without knowing, Etsi gave up thinking.
"Let's go out on a light external patrol during the knight order recruitment period. You know that village where strange things have been happening lately? Let's go check it out tomorrow."
"Understood. Will you be going as Lady Droniel?"
"No."
Droniel pressed the black mask over her face.
"As the Dragon Swordsman."
The black mask had a design reminiscent of a dragon.
* * *
At that moment. A private room in the Normance Adventurers' Guild.
"I see. So that's what happened."
"Y-yes. That's right. Hero Bareness is...."
"The guild master has already told me everything, so I have nothing in particular to say."
Bareness spoke in a rather cold voice, sharpening her tone toward the woman before her.
"Saintess Yan Diere."
"Please speak, sister."
"Who is your sister?"
"I merely call you Sister according to the will of the Church."
"...Hmph."
Bareness twisted the corner of her lips in displeasure, but Saintess Yan, seated across from her, simply smiled quietly.
"We have already told you everything that happened in Normance. Is there something more you wish to hear?"
"I want to know about that witch and the swordsman. If they are the people we think they are, one possibility is especially likely."
"Possibility?"
"Yes. Perhaps...."
Saintess Yan took out a photograph in a serious voice.
"One of them may be the owner of a Holy Sword that has had no master for five hundred years."
"......Huh."
Guild Master Francis clicked his tongue as he looked at the rusted Holy Sword.
"Truly, could they be...?"
"It isn't them. Neither Lucius nor the witch used a Holy Sword. If a Holy Sword had been used, I, as a Holy Sword Hero, would have known better. Moreover...."
Bareness indicated with her eyes the tall woman standing behind Saintess Yan.
"Wouldn't that woman have noticed even more readily?"
"......Hehe."
"Liliez, what do you sense?"
"The possibility certainly exists."
At the words of the Holy Knight Order commander escorting the Saintess, Bareness scowled deeply.
"Just on a possibility...."
"Did you feel nothing from them?"
"The resonance felt between Holy Sword Heroes? Ha, if I'd felt something like that, I would have caught them long ago."
"Could they not have hidden it with some kind of power? What do you think, Branch Manager de Emery?"
"...I naturally know less about Holy Swords than you heroes, but if those people are Holy Sword Heroes."
Francis placed a hand over his chest and nodded gravely.
"Then for the heroes who saved Normance, I would simply offer my sincere thanks once more."
"......Hmm."
Saintess Yan stared intently at the branch manager, who nodded calmly without showing much unease.
"To think the people who saved Normance were actually a Hero Party.... Sniff, if only I had treated them better while they were here...!"
"...Well, fine. Whether it's true or not is something we can find out. We will meet with them again and talk."
"What? Saintess, are you saying you'll go after them now?"
"Yes. That's why I arranged this separate meeting with the two of you. According to the compiled information, at least one of you would have been told their next destination before they left."
"......."
Saintess Yan took a light sip of tea.
"If they disappeared suddenly, they would have used Teleport magic. And considering that 'witch' in their party, they would have roughly told you their destination before leaving. Even if it wasn't a city, you would know what purpose they left for. Where is it?"
"Well, we...."
"Saintess."
Bareness pointed at Liliez with a serious face.
"I will escort the Saintess for a moment and find 'Scarlet United.' Leave that woman here."
"Oh my, Bareness. Why are you reacting so sensitively...?"
"Shut up, Liliez."
The two women glared at each other, grinding their teeth, while Saintess Yan quietly stared at Guild Master Francis.
"Please tell me. I'm personally interested in that person, 'Lucius,' as well. No, perhaps saying it's personal is a bit...."
"Wh-what do you...?"
"The Azure Moon Goddess has given me an oracle to accompany him."
At Saintess Yan's words, Francis squeezed his eyes shut.
"A Saintess is one who follows the word of God. As a Saintess of the Church of the Azure Moon Goddess, I wish to find him. Naturally, you will cooperate, won't you? Guild Master Francis de Emery?"
"......."
A moment later.
Saintess Yan and Liliez quietly slipped away toward the northern lake, unseen by others.
* * *
And then.
Late at night.
"......What do we do?"
"I will sleep on the floor, Master."
"Um, well...."
"No. You two sleep on the bed."
"Master! How could I let you...! It would be more proper for you and Rosemas to sleep on the bed!"
I had to fight with Lucius over something so trivial.
"I'm telling you to share the bed with Rosemas."
"You should lie on the bed, Master."
One bed.
One blanket.
Two people could lie down.
So obviously.
"Wouldn't it be most efficient for you two to lie down together?"
It was perfectly natural for Lucius and Rosemas to sleep in the same bed, so why was this guy making such a fuss about not doing it?
'Ah, shit.'
He can't even take what's handed to him.
"Hey! Do you hate Rosemas?!"
"Th-that's not it!"
"Then just shut up and lie in the bed together! Stop being so frustrating!!!"
Lucius's frustrating resistance made me feel like my insides were going to burst.
"Ugh, seriously, this is so annoying!!"
Still.
Lucius just looked at me with wronged eyes.
I hadn't done anything wrong.