3
Chapter 3
Whoosh!
Silvia the Hero's archery was an absolute disaster.
"Damn it, I missed again!"
Twenty handmade arrows. A wooden bow she'd managed to scrap together. She was struggling to catch a deer with them.
But there was no way a woman who had spent her whole life swinging a greatsword could become an archer in a few hours.
"Damn it!"
Only one arrow remained. If she missed this time, she'd be starving today.
It was now a matter of survival. Silvia focused once more and drew the bowstring.
And right at that moment.
"Silvia! What on earth are you doing in my hunting grounds?"
Swish!
****
The damn Hero had trespassed on my private land. The personal hunting grounds of the Archduke of the North.
My grounds, which I didn't even open to skilled hunters.
And yet, this damn Hero was using them.
"Don't you know that poaching is a serious crime?"
"A-Alec? Why are you here?"
"What do you mean why? This is my land."
Silvia looked at me, seemingly clueless as to what the problem was.
"W-wait! My arrow! That was my last one!"
"Hmm?"
"Hey, you jerk, Alec! I'm going to starve today because of you!"
This Silvia girl still hasn't come to her senses. Poaching? She should be groveling on the ground!
"Are you unaware that poaching is punishable by hanging?"
"Are you saying you're going to kill the Hero? As if kicking me out wasn't enough?"
"Yes. I'll do it by the book."
As I drew my sword, my bodyguards lined up and took their combat stances.
I'm on strike anyway, so I have no reason to cut the Hero any slack.
"Submit and be bound quietly."
"Are you serious... you want to fight me? I'm the Hero, you know!"
- Rumble!
I casually cast a Lightning Magic spell in the air.
"W-what?"
This damn Hero, Silvia, is a 100% pure Warrior who can't use a shred of magic. In terms of compatibility, facing a Magic Swordsman like me will be quite a headache.
And honestly, I'm someone who can handle the Hero in a one-on-one. I haven't just focused on building military power.
"Well, do you want to try me?"
"Alec, are you serious?"
"Call me Archduke Alec, Your Highness. Unless you want to die."
Zap!
This time, I struck lightning right at Silvia's feet. She dodged immediately, as expected of the Hero, but her expression changed instantly.
"Alec, you just..."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm on strike? If you keep causing trouble, I'll really follow the law."
"W-what do you want?"
"Get out of my hunting grounds."
"I-is that it?"
"Just get out of my sight. I came here to catch deer, not the Hero, so just disappear."
Silvia slumped down. Had she finally realized something?
"U-um, Alec..."
*Gurgle.*
Silvia's stomach let out a loud growl.
"I can't believe the Hero can't even catch a single deer! Give me a break."
"I've never used a bow before!"
"You call that crude stick of wood a bow?"
"Hey!"
"What."
Shring.
"N-no, Archduke Alec, Your Highness..."
"What."
"I'm sorry, but... would you mind sharing some of that venison?"
Ah, come to think of it, I did catch one earlier and loaded it onto the horse.
Hmm. Looking at her, if I leave the Hero like this, she'll probably starve to death.
That might be a bit too pathetic. Not that it's any of my business.
"P-please... Archduke Alec, Your Highness!"
"No."
"I'm seriously going to starve! Please, even a single piece of bread would be enough..."
Sigh. I can't just leave her like this.
If she storms into a village and starts shaking people down, that would be a headache. I might as well give her a warning.
Slice.
"W-what?"
Thud.
"Is this enough for you?"
"T-thank you!"
Silvia threw away all her pride and lunged for the deer leg, but the bodyguards blocked her path.
"Eh...?"
"Get on your knees and grovel."
"What...?"
"If you want to eat, grovel and apologize for everything you've messed up until now."
Silvia's expression became conflicted. Then, suddenly, as if her temper had flared, she couldn't hold it back and screamed.
"To hell with it! Just don't give it to me!"
"Is that so? Hey, pack that back up."
Such petty pride. She refuses to grovel, huh?
Fine, then starve. But.
"You're the one who said you wouldn't eat it, right? Just so we're clear, if you touch a single one of my people..."
The Frost Greatsword can track location.
I've sealed it remotely, but it can still be used as a sword. Therefore.
"I'll track you down and behead you instantly. Then I'll display your head at Hoistein Castle. I won't tell you to leave my territory. Instead, don't touch my people. That is the minimum mercy I will grant you."
Silvia's face darkened. Yet, her knees still didn't touch the ground.
"T-this is..."
"Alright, let's move! We need to catch at least five more!"
Still, starving her felt a bit too cruel, so I tossed a piece of hard, black bread behind my back.
Well, she'll figure out how to eat it.
****
A few hours later.
Twilight faded, and night fell.
The freezing cold of the North hammered against the Hero's body.
"Uuuuugh..."
A campfire that looked like it would go out at any moment. A few silver coins in her pocket were all she had, and the lump of black bread Alec had tossed her was her only meal for the day.
"This tastes like garbage..."
A cold, hard, tasteless brick. As she chewed through something that barely deserved to be called bread, Silvia felt a wave of misery over her current situation.
"Damn my pride! If I had just swallowed my pride for a second... I could've had meat! Aaaaargh!"
Venting her anger brought her nothing.
Pride couldn't satisfy Silvia's hunger.
And right then.
"A-Argo?"
"Ah, Silvia. So this is where you were."
Appearing again after several days, Argo looked quite different. For starters, the color of his eyes had changed.
What had once been blue now burned crimson. And those red eyes...
"You couldn't have..."
"What? Did you not expect this?"
"A contract with the Demon King...?"
"I've always been with him. Thanks to that, I enjoyed the golem quite a bit."
To think that the mage of the Hero's party was actually a traitor. Before she could despair, Silvia was simply bewildered.
"Wait, why are you...?"
"I've always been this way. Why act so surprised now?"
"You... you piece of trash...!"
With a cry, Silvia drew the Frost Greatsword. However, the sword, its powers sealed, did not roar back.
It merely resonated quietly. It did not answer Silvia's call.
"What do you plan to do with a magic sword that won't even activate?"
"I can at least carve you into pieces!"
"Ha, I'll take that as your last words. Now, shall I take that Frost Greatsword?"
A flash of light flickered.
At the same moment, Argo's body vanished, and lightning struck.
"Yikes!"
A shockwave erupted from her right side. Silvia managed to dodge, but it was a close call.
Argo. Having been the Chief Mage of the court, his skill was immense. Even for someone like Silvia the Hero, he was not an easy opponent.
"Uuuugh..."
On top of nearly starving, her vision was now blocked by the smoke screen Argo had deployed.
- Zzzzzap!
"Aaaagh!"
The Trap Magic Circle, prepared hours ago, activated, sending Silvia flying backward until she hit a tree with a loud thud!
"Damn it! Get over here!"
"Nope, I'm staying right here. What can you even do if I attack from a distance?"
"Graaaaaah!"
Silvia barely managed to pull herself together and raised the greatsword. She charged forward with all her might, attempting an attack, but...
- Whoosh!
Argo instantly widened the gap and used another magic circle to deliver a powerful electric shock.
"Gwaaaagh! Aaaagh, aaaagh!"
"Hurts, doesn't it? Why don't you just give up? I don't really want to kill you either."
"Damn it! I'm definitely going to kill you!"
"Oh, really? I guess I'll have to kill you first. 'The Hero died a pathetic death.' I'll carve that on your tombstone."
"Aaaaargh!"
She charged, squeezing out every last drop of her strength. However, the elemental disadvantage was too cruel.
There was a limit to how long she could parry Argo's lightning bolts with her greatsword from a distance.
"Gwaaaaah!"
Magic circles continued to appear on the ground, sending jolts of electricity through her.
Of course, she was still the Hero, so Silvia held out as long as she possibly could.
"Uuugh..."
"Getting tired? See, it's much easier if you just hand it over."
"Shut up!"
"Well, farewell then."
- Vrooooom...
Lightning gathered in a massive clump above Argo's head. A flame of mana shining like a brilliant star.
Silvia knew exactly what that was.
"Requiem..."
"Now! Let's finish this!"
Silvia raised her greatsword and took a defensive stance. But she knew.
She had to dodge this. But she had no strength left to move.
A direct hit would undoubtedly be fatal. However...
- BOOM!
"Aaaaargh!"
"You actually survived that? I guess there's a reason you're called the Hero."
Her eyes were half-closed. Her skin and hair were stained black. Her limbs were covered in wounds.
Silvia had practically lost.
"Shall we try one more time? Let's play the Requiem again!"
Once again, a giant star began to form.
Sensing her end, Silvia slowly closed her eyes.
- CLANG!
The mass of mana was deflected to the left. Something was wrong.
Silvia slowly opened her eyes. And then she saw him.
"Alec...?"
"I told you to call me Archduke."
It was Alec Ragnar.
In his left hand, he held a glowing blue Brass Shield.
"What on earth is going on here?"
- Swoosh!
In his right hand, he held a Saber.
"What? Alec? Why are you here?"
"Did you forget that the Frost Greatsword can be tracked? What the hell are you doing in my hunting grounds? Is this some kind of lovers' quarrel?"
"As if!"
"Well, one thing is certain."
In the aftermath of the Requiem, the nearby trees and bushes had been charred black.
Among them lay dozens of dead Snow Rabbits, electrocuted to death.
"Do you have any idea how carefully I've managed these grounds! You've absolutely ruined them!"
Alec Ragnar was in an extremely foul mood.