The Order
“F-fine! I’ll talk, I’ll talk, so lower your sword!!”
“…Lower it?”
“P-please lower it!”
“…”
She had no obligation to lower her sword just because he asked, but she didn’t want to waste even a second of her time with Lux by dragging the conversation out any longer, so for the moment, she lowered her blade.
Then the man opened his mouth and spoke.
“A-as you already know, I was just ordered to attack Lux Rodwell, the guy who got runner-up in the swordsmanship tournament!”
“I see… but in that case, there is one thing that does not make sense.”
“D-doesn’t make sense?”
“Yes… Why did the one who gave you the order choose you?”
“W-what do you mean by that?”
“It is simple. Anyone who has seen his sword would know that ordering someone like you to harm him would be pointless… earlier I handled things because I intended to protect him, but even without me there, he would have overwhelmed you.”
“Wha…! L-like I’d lose to some brat…”
At those words, Rezamiliana turned her blade back toward him at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, then spoke in a cold, heavy tone.
“Watch your mouth… I do not break the law over personal feelings, but you attempted to harm the son of a count from our home country. Even if you were ordered to, if I judge that you show no remorse and might repeat it, I could cut your head off right here.”
“Hii…! P-please spare meeee!!”
“If you truly wish for that, then from this moment on, answer every question I ask with nothing but the truth.”
“Yes!!”
Overwhelmed by Rezamiliana’s intimidating presence, the man responded in fear.
But Rezamiliana paid no attention to how shaken he was and continued.
“Now, to continue… Do you have any idea why the person who ordered you to attack him chose you?”
“I-I’m known among swordsmen as someone who’ll take on rough work like this, so I think that’s probably why…”
“I see… so he chose you without even knowing your true ability and relied only on your supposed reputation.”
The foolishness of the one who gave the order was obvious.
Thinking that, Rezamiliana continued her questioning.
“Now then, this is the most important question… tell me the name of the one who gave you the order.”
“I-it was a duke of this country, a guy named Lage!!”
Lage… if she recalled correctly, he was a man with an unusually strong sense of rank. Elizalina often complained that he caused her trouble. Yet to think he would go as far as ordering an attack on a fellow noble of the same country.
“I see… if I could hear that much, then I have no further use for you.”
“I-if that’s the case, I’ll be taking my leave now!!”
As he tried to leave, Rezamiliana blocked his path with her sword and spoke.
“There is no way someone who attempted to harm him would be allowed to walk free… You will repent for your actions properly.”
“Hii!! Y-yes!!”
After that, Rezamiliana handed the man over to the place he needed to be taken, then began walking toward where Lux should be waiting.
Still… that man tried to attack Rodwell… it was unforgivable.
No matter how domestic the matter was, this was something she couldn’t simply leave to Elizalina. As she thought that,
“Remina-san!”
Before she knew it, she had already walked back to Lux. When she called out to him, he ran over to her and spoke.
“Are you hurt or anything!?”
“Of course not. Rather, did I look like someone who would fall behind that man?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant! But… I just can’t help worrying about you, Remina-san…”
“…!”
Honestly… how does this man strike so precisely at my heart… Rodwell… standing before you, I renew my vow… that I, and no one else, will be the one who brings you happiness with my own hands.