“What?”
She covered herself with the mantle and received the fireball. Though the mantle blazed up in a moment… the water bag beneath it evaporated absorbing the impact of the fireball. However, it did not disappear completely. It knocked against Agnes body, incandescing her chain hemp garment,
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
However, Agnes endured it not falling down. Fearsome willpower. Enduring the pain of having all her body burned, pulling out her sword, she rushed towards Richmon.
Richmon, in haste, shot another spell trying to counterattack. The blade of wind attacked Agnes. Though it tore through the chain hemp garment and sheet metal armor, it prevented her from suffering a mortal wound. While receiving innumerable cuts on her body, Agnes still rushed on.
The moment when Richmon tried to recite another spell, Agnes crashed into his chest.
“Uoo…”
It was not the spell that escaped Richmon’s mouth…but red blood. Agnes pushed her handle plunging the sword deeper into Richmon’s chest.
“M…mage to a commoner… a noble like me… to a fencer like you…”
“…tell me, are a sword and gun still toys for you?”
While having her whole body burnt and cut, Agnes twisted the sword slowly scooping Richmon's chest out.
“They are not toys. They are weapons. Unlike you nobles, we have at least polished fangs. Die from those fangs, Richmon.”
*Gop* Richmon vomited an especially large amount of blood.
And slowly crumbled down.
Silence returned to the vicinity.
Agnes picked up the lantern that she dropped earlier, and, supporting her shoulder with the wall, staggeringly started to walk. The cuts on top of burns hurt so much that Agnes could fall down at any moment.
Still, Agnes walked.
“…Cannot die here. Still, still…I need to kill.”
Slowly, step by step, using her sword as a cane, and still bleeding, Agnes headed towards the exit.
The nearest exit of the secret passage going under Tristania’s soil was… the drainage trench on the Chicton Street. As Agnes crept out of there, pulling her body through, townspeople started to scream. Looking up at the dazzling sun… feeling lucky to be alive, Agnes fainted.
Three days later…
In the kitchen, Saito was washing plates as usual. *Don* Louise bumped against his back. Almost dropping the plate, Saito complained,
“Be more careful! Don’t make me break the plates!”
Grrr, Louise glared at him. Feeling relieved, Saito turned his head. Since that day… Louise hadn’t talked to him.
Louise criticized him, as eventually Saito told her everything that happened while hiding with Henrietta in that cheap lodging house. Except one thing… the kiss.
She was only pouting now, but she would get really serious if she were to find out about the kiss. Anyhow, Louise’s desire to monopolize was very strong. She raged whenever her familiar Saito got distracted by other girls; the kiss with her highly valued Henrietta would be even worse.
She would kill him if she knew.
Consequently, no matter what, Saito had to make sure she didn't find out.
“…D-don’t be so angry.”
“I am not angry.”
“So why are you not talking? The Princess and I embraced each other because we had no choice. We didn’t want to be found out…”
“…You didn’t do anything else?”
“O-of course not!”
Saito started to whistle while washing the plates.
Although from the outside it looked like a quarrel between lovers… they both thought otherwise. Saito viewed Louise’s jealousy as a desire to monopolize her familiar. And Louise being Louise did not admit her feelings to herself. So altogether, both their relationships were still going in parallel lines. Would things continue to remain the same? For now, they were parallel lines.
Then, in the place where two people’s relationships were complicated as usual, the door opened and two visitors showed up. They were wearing hoods.
“Hello. Can I help you?”
When Louise went to take an order, one of the guests quietly lifted the hood and showed their face to Louise.
“Agnes!”
Agnes whispered to Louise.
“Please prepare the room on the second floor.”
“If it’s you, then… the other…”
“…is me.”
Henrietta’s voice.
Louise nodded and prepared the guest room on the second floor.
“Now then… Louise. First of all, let me express my gratitude to you...”
Henrietta said looking at everyone who sat around the table.
Louise, Saito, Agnes…
Though Agnes was badly injured, with Henrietta’s, who was a water user, “Recovery” spell help, she was almost completely healed. However, she still couldn’t wear armor. Therefore, today she was wearing a padded undershirt and plain trousers with boots.
“The information that you collected is really useful.”
“I-is it really useful for you?”
It wasn’t only political topics that the town’s gossips were about. It was also citizen’s opinions and criticisms. Even though she couldn’t think all of them through, they were useful for Henrietta…
“This way I can see without pretending myself how I really look to others. I want to hear the true words. Even if they are painful for the ear…”
Anyway, there are a lot of criticisms regarding Henrietta. Though Louise did not agree, she reported everything as it was. That’s why she was glad.
“I am still a greenhorn, thus I should accept the criticism, because it is necessary for future improvement.”
Louise bowed.
“I also need to apologize. I am sorry for borrowing your Familiar-san without permission and not explaining the circumstances.”
“Indeed. It was cruel to ignore me.”
Louise said dully.
“I did not want you to get too much involved. I needed to do a dirty job of setting traps… for the traitor…”
“The Royal Palace Judge was the traitor…”
Though Henrietta tried keep it a secret… such secrets always seemed to leak somewhere. Richmon being an Albion spy was already a popular rumor in town.
Louise reared her head.
“However, I am not a child anymore. I can keep Princess–sama’s secrets. From now on, always tell me.”
Henrietta nodded.
“I see. Let's do it that way. Anyway, the only the people whom I am able to trust from the bottom of the heart… are the ones in this room.”
“Familiar too?”
Louise wondered. Henrietta and Saito's eyes met for a moment. After that, a light blush appeared on both their cheeks, and they mutually looked down.
“Y-yes… Naturally. Ah! That’s right! We still have not had a formal introduction!”
Henrietta, trying to change the topic, held out her hand towards Agnes.
“This is my trustful Musketeer Commander, Agnes Chevalier de Milan. Though she is a woman, she uses a sword and gun as skillfully as a man. She also punished splendidly the betrayer who was trying to run away. Without fear she stood against a mage with just a sword… A hero.”
“I am not a hero.”
Agnes brushed off the statement and returned to her cheerful expression again. Then she said in a smooth voice.
“Her Majesty, we don’t need the introduction. With Miss Vallière, we already had a relationship overnight.”
Louise blushed, remembering the kiss.
“I-it wasn’t like that!”
“That was an unforgettable night, right, Miss Vallière?”
Agnes said laughingly. Which made Louise blush even more.
“Unforgettable night?” Henrietta asked.
“Nothing, to trick the enemy's eyes we pretended to be lovers. We kissed! That was so funny! Ahahahaha!”