Chapter 73: Doubts
Lux’s Side
Siana and I wandered from one shop to another, enjoying all sorts of delicious food together. As we walked through the city, we came across someone playing a musical instrument, and we paused to listen to the melody.
“…What a beautiful sound.”
“Yes! …Master, have you ever played an instrument before?”
“Not really… I was a little interested in the violin at one point, but I just never found the time. I guess I never got around to it… But now that I’ve got a bit more free time, maybe it’s a good chance to finally give it a try.”
“I see! If it’s the violin, I can play it a little, so though it may be presumptuous, I could teach you, Master!”
“Eh…!? R-Really!?”
“Yes!”
Surprised to hear that Siana could play the violin, I looked at her and she responded with a bright smile.
I already knew, from all the time we’d spent together, that Siana could do just about anything… but even the violin? That caught me off guard.
“Siana, you really are amazing.”
When I told her that, Siana quickly shook her head and said.
“N-No! You’re far more amazing than I am, Master!”
“No, Siana. You’re amazing.”
When I insisted once more, Siana’s cheeks flushed pink as she answered.
“Th-Thank… you…”
Seeing her like that made me feel incredibly warm inside.
Siana is smart, capable, and can do anything, but to me, she’s just… a truly adorable girl.
“Siana, want to check out one of the décor shops next? After visiting the royal castle and Florence-san’s mansion, I started getting a little curious about that sort of thing.”
“Understood. Let’s go take a look!”
“Thanks.”
After that, Siana and I went around browsing the décor shops together. It was the first time we’d ever spent time like this in town, with no particular goal in mind, but I found myself enjoying it so much that I thought to myself I wanted more moments like this in the future.
Floria’s Side
“You say I should stay quiet… and just how, exactly, do you intend to make me do that?”
“Like this, actually…”
As they spoke, the woman in the pink hood pulled something out from behind her back.
“…A bow, huh?”
Seeing what the woman in the pink hood had drawn from her back, Floria murmured quietly.
A bow isn’t generally a weapon for one-on-one combat. It shines best when used to provide cover from a distance.
That’s why Floria found it a little strange that a bow had been chosen here.
“You’ll regret underestimating the bow. Let me show you what it can do when it’s in the hands of someone skilled.”
With those words, the woman in the pink hood nocked an arrow and loosed it straight at Floria.
But Floria deflected the arrow with her sword.
“It’s true the bow is a powerful weapon… but for someone who has reached a certain level of swordsmanship, as long as they’re not caught completely off guard, it won’t be enough to land a hit.”
Even as Floria spoke, the woman in the pink hood paid her no mind and fired a second, then a third arrow in quick succession.
Floria deflected those as well and said.
“There’s no point in dragging this out. I’ll be finishing this quickly.”
As she said that, Floria charged straight at the woman in the pink hood. In that same moment, another arrow flew toward her.
Floria raised her sword to deflect it, but when she sensed it was faster than the others, she abandoned the idea and dodged instead.
“That one just now…”
“Told you, didn’t I? A bow changes entirely depending on who uses it. Change the arrow’s weight or type, and its speed and force change too.”
“…But if you do that, wouldn’t you have to adjust your draw technique on the spot to match the new arrow?”
“You know your stuff~ That’s right. Of course, when the arrow changes, you have to instantly adjust your draw strength and release method. Most people can’t manage that… but I can. I’ve got the brains and the experience.”
Floria’s suspicion toward the woman standing before her continued to deepen.
Who is this woman? She has intimate knowledge of the country’s inner workings, and her archery skills are far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.
While Floria was still caught in her thoughts, a sudden surge of presences registered in her awareness. In a flash, ten armored figures had surrounded her, clad in gear from head to toe.
Then, the woman in the pink hood turned to the armored soldiers and spoke.
“That girl isn’t a bad person, so don’t kill her, okay? Just make sure she stays quiet… and be as gentle and painless about it as you can.”
As the armored soldiers nodded in acknowledgment, the woman in the pink hood began walking toward the building further in, where three male students were waiting.
“Please, wait…”
Floria tried to call out to stop the woman in the pink hood, but the ten armored soldiers began closing in, slowly tightening their circle around her.
“Who are you people?”
Floria demanded, but none of the armored figures responded.
“…If you won’t speak, then I’ll make you.”
With that, Floria took up her sword again and entered combat against the ten armored opponents.
Elizalina’s Side
“It was an unexpected complication, but I guess the backup plan I came up with just in case there were guards around worked out nicely.”
Whispering to herself, Elizalina, still wearing her pink hood, gazed ahead at the building where the three male students were.
“Lux… I’m going to take care of the ones who tried to hurt you.”
As she imagined Lux and smiled gently, Elizalina stepped into the building. The moment she caught sight of the three male students inside, her eyes turned utterly vacant.