♣♣♣

As the sun finally vanished behind the hills, I stood at the window watching the last sliver of orange disappear. These days I rarely took long jobs. Ever since Aine started living with me, my adventurer life had quietly slowed to a crawl.

More time to breathe. More time to just… be.

But peace still felt borrowed.

Ever since Ralha showed up, I’d had this faint, nagging itch at the back of my mind. Was it really pure coincidence that she drifted into Rudro of all places?

On the hill she had been the same old Ralha: loud laugh, easy grin, teasing Aine until her ears turned red. Yet something felt off. The way she kept glancing toward the roads out of town. The way she brushed off every invitation to crash at our place.

If it had been the old Ralha, she’d already be sprawled on our floor with a bottle in one hand and her boots on my table.

Aine seemed to like her, too.

So why did it feel like she was trying to keep us at arm’s length?

“…Hey. Lunois.”

Aine’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Hm? It’s nothing.”

“Don’t give me that.” She folded her arms, fixing me with a half-scolding, half-worried stare. “You’ve been like this ever since we got home. It’s Ralha-san, isn’t it?”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words died.

She saw right through me.

“…She was acting normal,” I said, more to convince myself than her.

“But you’re still worried.”

Aine stepped closer and rested a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“I only met her yesterday, so I don’t know her the way you do. But I can tell she’s a good person. Because somewhere along the line she took a hopeless rookie and turned him into the strongest adventurer I know.”

She gave me a tiny smile.

“If something’s bothering you, go talk to her. Properly. I’ll be right here waiting with dinner.”

“Aine…”

I hesitated.

If Ralha had wanted to tell me something, she would’ve done it earlier, right?

Aine’s eyes softened.

“It’ll be fine. Just be honest with her. She’ll answer.”

…Damn it.

When she put it like that, I didn’t have a choice.

“…Alright. I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time. Food’ll stay warm.”

I nodded, grabbed my sword belt out of habit, and stepped outside.

The moment the door shut behind me, I broke into a sprint.

Boots pounded the dirt roads. I vaulted over carts, blurred past startled pedestrians, and raced toward the hill at a speed that would shame most carriages.

I had to know.

Tonight, Ralha wasn’t getting away with just a smile and a joke.

I was going to hear the truth, whatever it was.

♢♢♢

Ralha stood alone on the moonlit grass, greatsword planted beside her like a monolith.

She had watched him coming from the crest of the hill.

One man.

No army. No backup.

Just Vaur Dira, sword already drawn, walking straight toward her.

“Gotta say, I’m impressed,” Ralha called out, voice light, almost playful. “Didn’t think you’d come alone.”

“I could say the same,” Vaur answered, calm and even. “One woman, daring to face me by herself.”

Ralha grinned wide, rolling her shoulders.

“Ha! Cocky, aren’t you? You really think you can take me solo?”

“That’s my line.”

They squared off.

She hefted the massive blade higher than her own head.

He leveled his longsword with quiet precision.

They had already crossed steel once before; Ralha’s full-power downward swing, and Vaur had stopped it cold.

(Tch. Guy who can catch my strike clean is bad news.)

She knew exactly how strong he was.

But knowing didn’t change anything.

Her plan was simple.

Hit him with everything. Cut him down before he could think.

That was all.

“Here we go.”

The moment the words left her mouth, they moved.

Ralha exploded forward.

The greatsword screamed through the air, a silver blur backed by every ounce of magically-reinforced muscle in her body.

Body Reinforcement: the most basic magic any half-decent fighter could use.

But Ralha used it like a cheat code. Her strength, speed, and durability shot far beyond normal human limits.

The strike came down like a falling building.

BOOM.

The impact cratered the earth beneath Vaur’s boots, sinking him ankle-deep.

Grass flattened in a perfect circle from the shockwave.

And yet—

The blade stopped.

Perfectly.

Vaur’s sword hadn’t even trembled.

He had taken the full weight of her monstrous swing head-on and halted it dead.

Ralha’s grin didn’t falter.

Instead, it widened.

“…Not bad, pretty boy.”

Night wind whipped between them.

Two predators, locked in place, blades grinding, sparks dancing.

Neither moved an inch.

Yet.

Ralha smirks—

“Ha, you really blocked it completely!”

She declares enjoyably.

“Of course. Did you think I’d just dodge a big sword swing?”

“That’s right. If you block it head-on, there’s nothing I can do—did you think I’d say that?”

“What—”

Ralha puts in even more ‘power.’ What’s there is pure muscle strength and magic power. If you’re blocked head-on, use power that can’t be blocked—Ralha’s combat style is ultimately brute force. She forcibly pushes Vaul out of the sword-lock state.

Both feet gouge deeply into the ground, and Vaul slightly furrows his brow.

“How’s that? This is still only about half my strength though.”

Ralha hasn’t shown her full power yet. She’s not looking down on Vaul at all.

Ralha’s full power causes severe magic power depletion and puts enormous strain on her body. This current stage is the limit of strength that doesn’t burden Ralha’s body.

(Still, he seems like an opponent I can’t beat without full power though.)

What’s important is the timing to use full power—Ralha was aiming for the moment she could definitely finish off Vaul.

“I see, blocking head-on is impossible. Then, from here I’ll use ‘technique.'”

Technique—receiving those words, Ralha braces herself.

From what she gathers, what Vaul excels at is swordsmanship. Just because she has the advantage in strength doesn’t mean Ralha’s victory is decided. Rather, this is where it really begins.

“Fine, come at me!”

Ralha raises her voice.

In an instant, Vaul deflects Ralha’s sword sideways, lowers his stance and enters her guard.

Ralha immediately kicks off the ground and leaps backward.

Seeing that, Vaul stops his movement precisely and readies his sword again.

(So he won’t attack recklessly. Surprisingly calm.)

What Ralha was aiming for was a counter. If he came with a follow-up attack, Ralha intended to meet Vaul head-on.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d show me this technique thing.”

“You pulled back more than I thought. One in ten thousand—I stopped my feet considering the possibility of a trap, but apparently you haven’t prepared anything.”

“Ha, who do you think I am? With just this sword, I’ve lived as an adventurer up to this point, you know? There’s no way I’d use traps to fight one person, right?”

“I see. Indeed, I thought you were that type of person, but I’m cautious by nature. However, thanks to that, I’ve seen your depth.”

Receiving Vaul’s words, Ralha’s eyebrow twitches.

Are his provocative words inviting Ralha—they end up facing each other while keeping distance.

She’s good at attacking, but knows she’d be at a disadvantage in defense.

(Tch, either way… I have no choice but to go.)

Once, as if resetting, they both move out again.

“Hah.”

Vaul exhales and swings his sword. Ralha blocks the rapidly unleashed consecutive attacks with her greatsword.

Vaul’s strikes are by no means light. If she’s careless, even Ralha wielding a greatsword could be overwhelmed.

Still, Ralha calmly receives those strikes and watches for a momentary opening.

(—Here it is.)

In the middle of the consecutive attacks, Ralha reads one of Vaul’s strikes and deflects his sword.

Toward Vaul whose balance is slightly broken, Ralha swings her sword upward with all her might.

“There!”

With his balance broken, Vaul receives Ralha’s greatsword swing with his sword.

Vaul’s body floats up and is thrown into the air.

“Guh!”

Vaul’s expression becomes harsh.

Ralha doesn’t miss this opening—the opportunity she found in battle to use her full power.

“HAAAAAAAAAH!”

Ralha crouches low and circulates magic power through her entire body.

It doesn’t take time to bring herself to full power state.

Clad in magic power enough to shake the atmosphere, Ralha kicks off the ground with all her strength. The earth gouges as if exploding, and Ralha closes the distance with Vaul in one go.

Jumping higher than Vaul, Ralha raises her greatsword.

Gripping the handle tightly, about to unleash the finishing strike on Vaul—

“I said I’d fight with technique.”

What she sees there is Vaul’s calm expression.

“—!”

When she realizes it, there are ‘blades’ around Ralha.

Over ten blades created by magic power—they weren’t there until just now.

After seeing Ralha jump high, Vaul activated his magic.

(To deploy magic this quickly…!?)

Ralha’s eyes widen in surprise.

She wasn’t careless at all. Rather, Ralha intended to unleash her full-power strike aiming for a definite opening.

What she misjudged was Vaul’s word ‘technique’—Ralha instantly takes a defensive stance, but she can’t block everything in midair.

“This is the end.”

Along with Vaul’s words, the magic blades move and pierce all through Ralha’s body.

“Gah, ha…!?”

Losing balance, Ralha falls to the ground. Somehow recovering her posture and landing, but the wounds received all over her body are severe.

Vaul stands before Ralha.

“Sorry, but I never said it was ‘sword technique.’ I’m not a swordsman, but rather in the mage category. Of course, I’m confident in my skill as a swordsman too though.”

“I see… it’s true, I let my guard down—!”

Ralha swings her greatsword with a whoosh.

Vaul leaps backward. The blades that pierced her body have already disappeared, but blood flows endlessly from the puncture wounds.

(Tch, this is a bit bad.)

Ralha can’t help but grimace.

The wounds received are deeper than imagined, and she’s already in a state where even standing is difficult.

If she doesn’t stop the bleeding immediately, death by blood loss is unavoidable either way.

But the situation doesn’t allow such leisure.

(What a mess… I got done in before showing my full power.)

She knew that Vaul was at least equal to or above Ralha in sword skills.

That’s exactly why she intended to finish him where she could definitely decide it.

But at the moment of unleashing her full-power strike—at that timing, it was Ralha who got done in instead. Falling to her knees on the spot, Ralha exhales heavily.

“This is… I need to prepare myself.”

“Not a fatal wound—but you can’t move anymore. This is the end.”

Vaul says in a monotone.

Not triumphant, even now maintaining distance from Ralha, he created a situation where he could definitely finish her.

“…After killing me off, will you be satisfied?”

“I didn’t fight to gain satisfaction. At least, you lied to me. That means you have the will to oppose me. That in turn could become a threat to the Empire. Even if it’s a small insect, I won’t overlook it.”

“An insect, huh… ahaha, it’s the first time I’ve been treated like that. You’re strong.”

Ralha looks up at the sky as if losing strength. From anyone’s perspective, Ralha’s defeat is unshakable.

Still, Ralha hasn’t admitted defeat yet.

At least one strike—she waits for timing when she can definitely finish him.

But magic blades float up around Ralha again.

Vaul apparently won’t show the carelessness of approaching Ralha to finish her off.

“I want to ask one last thing. Why did you betray? Don’t adventurers complete jobs as long as you pay them?”

Before unleashing the magic, Vaul voices such a question.

I see—apparently Vaul views adventurers with such eyes.

“Ahaha, what a biased way of thinking. There are various adventurers. At least, I’m different. There are things more important than money.”

“What’s that?”

Toward Vaul who asks again, Ralha smiles and answers.

“Love.”

“…Foolish, I wasted time—die.”

The magic blades created again fly toward Ralha.

Unable to stop even one enemy like this—pathetic.

What Ralha thought of at the end was anger at such a disappointing self.

If she had told Lunois—could she have cooperated with him and perhaps not died? No, Ralha doesn’t wish for such things.

Lunois should be near Aine, protecting her.

Even from being together just a little, she understands. The two think of each other and are in love.

(Well, for me he’s like a cute little brother.)

That’s why—she has to protect them.

Thinking that, Ralha faces her approaching end. Gripping her sword beyond the limit—what entered her vision was a young man.

“…Ha, why are you here?”

Inadvertently seeing the young man’s figure, she loses strength.

Cutting through all the magic blades, the young man—Lunois Staler stands before Ralha.

That back is completely different from Lunois’s back she saw before. More than anyone, it was the back of a reliable man.

“…Who are you?”

“No one worth naming. Either way, you’ll die soon.”

To Vaul’s question, Lunois answers matter-of-factly.

♣♣♣

I stand before the man and ready my sword.

The man glares at me, then glances toward Ralha.

“So you had backup prepared. But weren’t you a bit late?”

Apparently the man thinks I’m a companion who was waiting beforehand.

Ralha’s figure is no longer on the hill, and from witness reports we learned she was outside town.

It was quite close, but I’m glad I made it in time.

“…This isn’t backup or anything. Lunois, you should hurry back.”

Ralha declares with a resolute attitude. Looking at her injuries, she’s already in a critically wounded state.

Fighting the man before me from here on would be impossible.

I answer while keeping my eyes on the man.

“After I cut him down. Or is he a friend of yours, Ralha-san?”

“…No, this guy is Vaul Deela—a knight of the Empire.”

“! The Empire…”

I never expected those words to come from Ralha.

The man standing before me—Vaul, says he’s a knight of the Empire.

I don’t know why Ralha was with an Empire knight, but looking at this situation, she must have shown hostile intent.

“Sorry. I should have told you earlier.”

Ralha says that and bows her head.

It shouldn’t be something for her to apologize for.

If a knight from the Empire came here, the target is naturally clear.

“…You’re after Aine?”

“From your words, I gather you’re the one who bought Aine Krosinte who was sold as a slave? I see, that saves me the trouble of searching.”

To my question, Vaul answers clearly. A knight of the Empire went to the trouble of coming all this way to pursue Aine.

“Why are you after Aine?”

“Do you think I’ll tell you that?”

“…Right. If you’re a knight, especially if it involves national affairs, you wouldn’t talk about it. Conversely, there’s something about Aine that the Empire wants badly enough to use a knight—that’s what it means.”

Even without hearing the answer, Aine has that much value.

They sent a knight skilled enough to defeat Ralha—could it be related to the ‘Lust Collar’ that the mage named Domiro mentioned before?

“…If you quietly hand over Aine Krosinte, I could have let you live—I thought, but you’re a boy who overthinks. As expected, I should cut both of you down.”

“You think you can cut me down?”

“Yes—I can.”

Vaul takes his stance.

I respond by pointing my sword at him.

“W-wait… Lunois. Go back to Aine quickly. He might not be alone.”

“…Of course, I’ll return soon. But I can’t abandon you and return. I’ve decided to protect Aine, but I won’t use that as a reason to abandon you. Because Aine surely wouldn’t want that.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’re not in perfect condition either. With one eye not seeing…”

“Ho, that eye… did you just get injured?”

Hearing Ralha’s words, Vaul questions me.

My eyepatch hasn’t come off yet—certainly, I can’t say I’m in perfect condition.

However, being able to fight even without using my eyes is because of training with Ralha.

“One eye is no problem for defeating you.”

“Hmph, quite confident.”

“Lunois…! Even for you, it’ll take time to defeat him—”

“I’ll finish it in ten seconds.”

Interrupting Ralha’s words, I declare that.

At my words, Vaul slightly furrows his brow—

“Ten seconds—that’s my line.”

Simultaneously with swinging his sword, ‘magic blades’ appear around me. It must be Vaul’s specialty magic. Immediately, I take action.

—One second. For the swords appearing in front, I circulate magic power through my sword and slash through them. The dozen or so magic swords become like scattered jewels, and I run through them.

—Two seconds. Dodging the magic blades flying to chase from behind, I close the distance with Vaul. Again, magic blades form in front. I step and change direction to the right.

—Three seconds. Magic blades also appear at the destination I moved to and rain down. Dodging them, deflecting with my sword, I move to circle around. Even to my movements, Vaul responds well.

But he doesn’t close the distance with me.

I mutter in a small voice.

“I see, I understand.”

—Four seconds. Handling all the magic blades approaching from the front, I close the distance with Vaul at once.

I catch Vaul’s expression of widening eyes in surprise in my vision.

—Five seconds. Vaul swings his left hand, and the magic blades dancing in the air all strike toward me at once.

But I closed the distance with Vaul even faster than that.

I grip my sword strongly and swing upward. In response, Vaul blocks it.

“Did you think I couldn’t react?”

—Six seconds. Vaul fully blocks my sword.

What echoes around is the metallic sound. Sword and sword clash, sparks scatter. We enter a sword-lock, and my movement stops there.

Vaul smirks.

“Was it ten seconds?”

“Yeah.”

“This is seven seconds. Looks like my sword will finish you before ten seconds pass.”

—Seven seconds. Floating around are magic blades. As if covering me and Vaul, their sword tips are aimed. Keeping my movements stopped like this and bringing down the magic blades—that would be his victory.

“Lunois…!”

Ralha’s voice shouting my name reaches my ears.

I send a slight glance her way and smile. Don’t worry—that’s what it means.

“Seems like I’m the one who didn’t need ten seconds.”

“What?”

—Eight seconds. I crouch down and slightly weaken my grip on the sword.

Vaul’s strength prevails and takes a form of pushing me in—I match that slight movement and slide the blade. Circling around to the left side of Vaul who lost his balance, I cut off his left arm from the elbow down.

“Wh-what—!?”

—Nine seconds. For Vaul to manipulate the magic blades, his left hand needs to consciously move. I understood that in the battle.

So I exploited the opening born from the moment of moving it combining with the moment of concentrating on suppressing me.

I circle to the rear, and Vaul turns around—

“Hah.”

One breath. This time without giving Vaul time to defend, I cut off his right arm.

“Wh-gah!?”

I thrust my sword tip at the throat of the surprised Vaul.

“That’s ten seconds—though my victory was already decided when I sealed your magic.”

Both our movements stop precisely. With both arms lost, Vaul probably has no moves left.

Vaul looks at me with an expression full of surprise.

“Just who are you…!?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter. More importantly, are there other companions coming?”

If it’s just this man alone, that settles it.

But it’s hard to think he came alone.

“…If I answer that, you’ll let me go—is that it?”

While enduring the pain of losing both arms, Vaul questions me.

Looking at that expression, I can tell—he has no intention of talking.

Then the conversation is quick.

“Did I give you the wrong impression? I have no intention of letting go those who target Aine.”

“You think that’s negot—”

A sound of cutting wind echoes around. Before finishing hearing Vaul’s last words, I swing my sword and cut off his head.

“If you answer immediately after I ask, good. If you don’t answer, that’s that. Sorry, but I’ve decided to absolutely show no mercy to you people.”

Sheathing my sword, I turn back toward Ralha.

“Ha, haha… you’ve become a stronger man than I thought, huh?”

Ralha lets out a dry laugh while voicing such words.

♢♢♢

Aine was alone, having finished preparing dinner and waiting for Lunois to return.

Not much time has passed since Lunois left home—she thought, but before she knew it, it had gotten completely dark, and looking out the window, moonlight enters her vision.

“It’s already night.”

When was the last time she was alone at night?

Lately, she’s been with Lunois all the time.

Until a little while ago, she was forced into a life where the future was completely unclear.

But now, Lunois is here. Even when apart, Aine understands his strength best.

Even if something happened with Ralha, Lunois would be fine—Aine had that conviction.

That’s why Aine continues waiting alone.

“…But I still want to do something too.”

She glances at the sword leaning against the wall.

It was Aine’s new sword that Lunois bought for her before.

Just bought, barely used, brand new. Though she maintains it without fail, she couldn’t use it today either.

“In the end, I haven’t been able to help with work much.”

Aine was bothered by it a bit.

Lunois appreciates Aine’s swordsmanship—yet living together, there are few opportunities to wield it.

If looking at Aine’s value as a ‘slave,’ it could be said she fully demonstrates that value in combat.

The sword skills she thought had declined somewhat have been recovering through the occasional training with Lunois.

Of course, she doesn’t think Lunois wants to fight either.

Rather, she strongly feels his intent to avoid having Aine fight as much as possible. She doesn’t know if relying on those feelings is good for Aine.

Does she want to grip her sword and fight alongside Lunois?

Or is it enough just to be with Lunois—if she reaches too high, an anxiety attacks her that even this current life might disappear.

“It’s okay…”

She touches her own neck. The sensation of cold iron shackles—once this comes off, will she be able to stand equal with Lunois? As she’s thinking such things—

“! Lunois?”

She realized someone was approaching the house.

In this area with little foot traffic, if someone tries to visit Lunois’s house, she’d know immediately.

Aine immediately tries to greet them, but feeling a slight sense of discomfort, she stops her movement.

Inexpressible in words—a strange sensation. Aine only understands that what came is someone other than Lunois.

As if on guard, Aine fastens her sword at her waist, touches the handle, and stands before the door.

“…Is someone there?”

Aine says as if to confirm.

But there’s no reply. She slowly opens the door.

It’s already dark outside, and it’s a time when lights can be seen here and there in nearby houses.

Aine looks around.

(…No one’s here?)

Someone was definitely there, yet even opening the door, she can’t confirm anyone. Only the sense of discomfort continues to linger.

(This sensation. Something feels… familiar…)

She’s struck by sudden anxiety. A sensation like her spine freezing.

Aine knows the identity of this discomfort—gripping the sword handle tightly, Aine takes one more step forward.

“—”

In an instant, a sound of cutting wind echoes.

Leaping left, Aine swings her sword upward while backing away.

She doesn’t feel her swung sword directly hit. But ‘something’ was definitely there.

Landing on the ground with that momentum, Aine directs her awareness to her surroundings. Then—

“Ho… quite a good reaction. Aine Krosinte-san.”

“—!”

A polite man’s voice reaches her ears as if reverberating off something. Looking in that direction, before she realizes it, a large man in armor stands there.

Even though until just now, she felt no presence at all.

And Aine recognized that appearance.

“Y-you are…!”

“Should I say ‘long time no see’?”

“Ziguld Arneld… sama…”

Aine has conversed with him several times.

A hero of the Empire—one of the knights called that. That’s Ziguld standing before her.

Despite his large build, he has a gentle demeanor and is deeply trusted by knights.

Aine had heard the reputation too, and when actually talking to him, he had a kind atmosphere.

An opponent she’s even sparred with in the past.

“Why are you here…?”

Aine voices such a question.

Ziguld is an existence called a hero—for such a person to leave the country and come all the way to visit Aine, it’s not normally possible.

To the Empire’s knights, Aine must surely be known as a criminal.

Aine strengthens her vigilance, but—

“Fufu, a foolish question. I’ve come to retrieve you.”

Ziguld said that.

At the unexpected words, Aine can’t hide her surprise.

“Retrieve?”

“That’s right. There’s someone who framed you with a crime and tried to sell you as a slave. I was dispatched to investigate that fact.”

“!”

Aine’s eyes widen. Framed her with a crime—that story is precisely the reason Aine was forced to quit being a knight.

What Ziguld is saying is that Aine’s charges might be cleared.

That’s why he came to take Aine back.

She never expected to hear such a desirable story.

“Is that true?”

“What merit would I have lying here? Or can you not trust me?”

“That’s…”

Standing before her is a hero of the country where Aine once worked as a knight—more than enough to trust.

(Ziguld-sama is the Empire’s hero… if he says so, there’s plenty of possibility my charges can be cleared. But—)

Lunois hasn’t returned yet.

Besides, the fact that Aine is being pursued by the Empire hasn’t changed.

More than anything, Ziguld clearly erased his presence and approached Aine—if he really intended to clear the charges, there should have been no need to hide his appearance.

Even for a faint hope she wants to cling to, Aine keeps gripping her sword handle without lowering her guard.

To such an Aine, Ziguld extends his hand.

“Return with me, Aine. I will guarantee your safety.”

If his words are true, taking Ziguld’s hand would at least place her under the hero’s protection.

That might surely be safer than continuing the current life.

However, Aine didn’t nod vertically.

“…It’s not that I don’t trust Ziguld-sama.”

“Then—”

“But right now, I’m… being targeted by people from the Empire.”

Aine states the fact.

In the capital, she was attacked by Empire mages.

They too tried to take Aine back to the Empire—so Aine can’t completely trust Ziguld now.

“…Ho, by Empire people?”

“Yes, I don’t know the reason.”

Not knowing—is a lie.

The Empire’s people are after the ‘Lust Collar’ put on Aine.

She doesn’t know what meaning this collar has, but at least the reason they want Aine is there.

Ziguld shows a gesture as if thinking.

“In other words, you’re uneasy about the Empire itself, including me…?”

“I won’t say that much. But I have someone I’m with. After talking to that person first, I want to decide what to do next.”

Aine clearly stated that.

Even if returning to the Empire, she can’t decide such things without consulting Lunois.

If Lunois says not to go, even if there’s a possibility of clearing the charges, Aine intended not to return. That was Aine’s answer.

“…I see. Then shall we wait a bit until that person returns?”

Surprisingly obediently, Ziguld accepts Aine’s proposal.

Aine inadvertently looks at Ziguld with a taken-aback expression.

“Is there something surprising? Do you think I’m targeting you? Fufu, I would never do such a thing.”

Ziguld’s tone remains gentle.

So much so that it feels like he’s genuinely worried about Aine.

The other party is an existence called the country’s hero—being on guard might be the strange thing.

Enough for Aine to think that, she couldn’t feel even a fragment of hostility from Ziguld.

Slightly lowering her guard, Aine removes her hand from the handle.

“…You’re right. I’m sorry for saying strange things.”

“No no, I don’t mind. Now, I’ll wait outside. You stay inside the house… it’s cold outside.”

Ziguld smoothly indicates the house with his hand.

Aine follows that and slowly starts walking.

Ziguld doesn’t move, and Aine passes by Ziguld—the instant she feels clear killing intent, Aine immediately draws her sword and blocks that strike.

“—!”

But Aine’s body is blown away by strong force. While taking balance in the air, Aine immediately sends her gaze toward Ziguld.

What Ziguld grips in his hand is a greatsword. From his build, perhaps the size of a longsword? He was wielding it lightly with one arm.