Chapter 159: The Former Marquise Illuminates the Light, and the Dagger Shines 2
*
“Erica-san’s awesome.”
I heard Shara murmur that, as if involuntarily, standing next to the stunned prince.
Erica certainly was cool.
What’s with her? Is she planning to conquer the world with coolness?
I’d gladly rush to serve under her banner, you know?
I’d shouted Erica’s name over and over, leaping across rooftops and running through the town.
Just when I thought Erica had suddenly stopped, that happened.
No matter how much I yelled, Erica showed no sign of stopping. Was the only option left to grab her?
Just as I was steeling myself for that, I landed in an unsightly manner, almost no different from falling off the roof.
As I wondered what was going on, a dazzling space completely off-limits to men unfolded before me.
I felt like if I even tried to interject, I might get stabbed by some extremist group.
Ah, but still, it’s over.
My happiness is coming to an end.
Faced with the absolutely men-forbidden field unfolding before my eyes, I was honestly starting to give up.
It was impossible. It was impossible to hold Erica back.
The obvious truth I had been averting my eyes from all this time was thrust before me, and my spirit was about to break.
Lou Memphis, the Maiden of Light, Erica’s best friend.
Why had she taken the trouble to come all the way to the neighboring country?
It was obvious without thinking. To bring her best friend back.
And that look on Erica’s face.
That resolute expression.
It was no use. The fact that Erica made that face meant that was it.
If Luu said just one word, asking her to come back, Erica would surely nod.
No matter what difficulties that answer might bring her, Erica would burn through them all, crush them underfoot, and move forward.
That’s the kind of person she is. The person I love is that kind of person.
Perhaps she had suddenly started running to solidify that resolve.
They say running helps people sort out their thoughts.
A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
Well, what would happen now?
No, it would surely be utter chaos.
The Royal Family, the church, the nobles – it would be utter chaos from top to bottom.
The prince must be stunned because he foresees that too.
The prince is certainly an idiot, with nothing but flowers in his head, but surprisingly, he’s not incompetent.
He committed the colossal screw-up of letting someone else use their plan, but he’s not incompetent.
He’s similar in that regard to Elza, who’s muttering behind me, “My senior disciple’s wife is awesome,” though I don’t want to know what Elza’s head is filled with.
Hmm, now what should I do?
I scratch my head, thinking.
Naturally, I’ll cooperate with Erica.
However, I’m just the second son of an Impoverished Viscount Household.
There’s no place for me in political struggles.
It’s nothing to brag about, but all I have is my sword.
Does that mean I should get on my knees and beg Jen?
Jen seems like the type to stick her nose in even if not asked, but if she sticks her nose in on the enemy’s side, it would be incredibly troublesome.
Yes, begging it is.
What would happen if you mixed the Solntsalri and Pantile families, two houses dangerous to mix?
Before it escalated into civil war, the Royal Family would likely decide to assassinate Erica.
The ones who would appear are the “Kingdom Assassins.”
An assassination group specialized against humans. One mission, one kill. Rumors are heard, but their figures are never seen.
I recall the old woman I saw long ago, a former Kingdom Assassin.
The thought of having to fight others like her is depressing, but that’s probably the only job I can do.
Seriously? Dealing with the Ogre Knight, the King of Monsters, would still be better than this.
As I stood there, stunned by the monsters I would likely end up fighting as things progressed, Luu’s voice pulled me back to reality.
For me, this voice would likely signal the end of this life.
“Eri-cchi.”
Luu took a few steps back from Erica.
A distance where they could see each other fully, yet too far to ask something of someone.
What?
I felt a sense of unease in Luu’s voice.
What exactly had Luu resolved herself to do?
“Maybe, but I think I probably caused Eri-cchi trouble because of my situation, didn’t I?”
Next to me, the prince maintained an ironclad expressionless face.
Hearing those words come from the Maiden of Light, I almost started to respect this guy for maintaining a face that suggested he had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Because those words were spoken, all eyes inevitably focused on Erica.
“That is so.”
Even the prince let out a faint gulp at Erica’s voice.
“Although I know no reason why trouble caused by a friend should be considered trouble. If answering ‘yes’ will save you, then I shall answer ‘yes’.”
But Erica shook her head.
Her gestures spoke more eloquently than words, saying that wasn’t it.
“Luu, I am happy now.”
Erica’s gaze moved as if taking in every part of her best friend’s figure, tracing from her toes to her head.
And Luu did the same.
The two, inevitably gazing at each other’s faces, probably exchanged something important.
Erica smiled quietly, and Luu offered a surprisingly frank smile, unexpected given her usual demeanor.
“I know!”
At her best friend’s words, Erica laughed. “Oh? You knew?”
“Yeah, I know. I could tell just by looking. At first, I was thinking of being selfish and taking responsibility. Eri-cchi taught me that if you’re aware of your responsibilities, you should also be aware of your rights, after all.”
Luu, who, no matter how much ability she displayed, was still looked down upon by most nobles as merely a commoner’s daughter, showed a glimpse of that shrewdness.
“I thought, here’s my chance to use my rights (be selfish) for my best friend’s sake, you know?”
“I seem to have made that pointless. But it is fine, Luu. You should just crush anyone who tries to force only responsibility upon you.”
That sounds far too ominous.
Coming from the daughter of Solntsalri, who was thought to be the former Maiden of Light’s backer, it’s probably far too political.
It was a statement the usual Erica, no, the Erica of the past, would never have said in public.
It was a facet of Erica gained since her exile.
Shown that, Luu smiled happily.
“Be happy, okay? Eri-cchi.”
At those words, Erica laughed.
A truly Solntsalri-like smile, one that looked as if flames might spill from it at any moment, scattering her Golden Magicka.
“I apologize to you, but yes, it is quite alright? Even if it’s something I’m ‘borrowing,’ if I like it, I make it my own. Quite arrogant, wouldn’t you say?”
Erica told her best friend that she would not return to her side.
“I shall make them happy. I shall become a fire to ward off the cold, a fire to light the way home, and a fire to exorcise any misfortune that befalls them, ensuring they lack for nothing.”
“That’s so like you, Eri-cchi.”
Is it not?
Erica said, flicking her hair back.
Her dancing hair was like brocade woven from flames.
*
“So…”
Next to me, the prince tilted his head.
“What does this mean?”
This guy…
He didn’t understand?
Could it be he only managed to keep a calm face because he couldn’t grasp the situation?
A sigh escaped me.
“Basically, it means Erica is awesome.”
At my perfect score answer, the prince tilted his head even further.
“Is… that so?”
“What else could it be?”
The prince crossed his arms and groaned.
“Whether she is cool or not aside, I understood that she has no intention of returning to Faltar, but…”
I covered my face with both hands, glancing at Shara who was losing her mind, bending her body into a ‘く’ shape while exclaiming, “This! This refreshing sweetness! A new sensation!” I shook my head.
This is why this guy is useless.
He has good looks and good lineage, but at crucial moments, he doesn’t understand people’s hearts.
“Basically, that was Erica’s declaration. That she’ll make herself, now free, even happier, so you should return to Faltar without any worries.”
I added unspokenly, And I cleaned up your mess for you.
I don’t know if it got through, though.
“To me, it sounded like a different declaration, or rather, boasting about her love life. Well, if my friend, who is her husband, albeit in a farce, says so, then it must be so.”
For an idiot prince, he says some good things, doesn’t he?
Thinking that, I watched Erica and Luu exchange what looked like a farewell handshake.
I ignored Shara, who was contorting herself strangely and spouting incomprehensible things like, “This! This refreshing sweetness! A new sensation!”
Erica and Luu approached, exchanging a few quiet words, both with looks of understanding on their faces.
It turned out as it was meant to.
Faces that said they had found where things should settle.
The subtleties of women are about as understandable to me as the path of fluff dancing in the wind.
Even so, seeing the emotion on Erica’s face, I felt a strange sense of relief.
Was it a rebound from genuinely worrying just moments ago that the farce with Erica would end?
I hoped the source of the smile escaping my lips wasn’t just selfish relief.
Erika, whose eyes suddenly met mine, quickly averted her gaze, so I guess it must have been a selfish smile on my face.
“Daryl.”
Luu ran up here with light steps, calling out casually.
“I feel bad asking after you just indulged my selfishness, but…”
“It matters not. The whims of a woman one loves are something to be cherished, not loathed.”
Whoa, the Prince is actually kind of cool.
“Being able to say things like that without lying scores pretty highly, you know. But interrupting me is a bit…”
Hmm, I see. I’ll be careful next time.
The Prince reflected, looking slightly dejected.
The Prince is really being wrapped around her finger.
“My best friend got caught by a bit of a bad guy, you see, so I was thinking I had to do something about it… but it seems that won’t be necessary.”
With a seemingly timid air, she looked at me, a uniquely sarcastic smile on her face.
I pleaded ‘Do something,’ asking Erika for help with just my eyes, but she averted her gaze again.
“So, sorry about this, but…”
It was just as Luu continued speaking.
Shara, with eyes staring into the void, muttered something like, “I can’t hear clearly,” her gaze wandering, then suddenly looked at me and said:
“Shin-san! Something’s coming, apparently!”
What’s coming?
Before the question could fully form, my hand reached for the Sword at my waist, and Erika drew her Sword even faster than me.
Not just Luu, but Elza too, and even Master standing watch on the roof, looked puzzled, wondering, “What is it?”
Several Knights, who had been stationed throughout the town before we knew it, saw Erika draw her Sword in the middle of town, and their expressions changed.
A silence lasting about five counts ensued.
The Prince, losing patience, opened his mouth.
“What on earth is that Sister—”
As he said that, the Prince vomited.