Chapter 0200 Interrogation
-x-X-x-
Of the thirty assassins, six were prisoners of war plus one frozen.
The prisoners were five who had been wounded in the leg by the initial ranged attacks and were unable to move, and one woman who surrendered.
The frozen one was, of course, Natalia.
"I didn't even realize one was aiming at us from a distance…"
As Ryo brought in Natalia, frozen in ice, Showken, who was in charge of leading the adventurers, said in admiration.
"I just thought it odd that one of them was acting separately. Turns out this woman is an executive of the Order of Assassins."
Ryo's words caused a stir among the diplomatic mission.
"I knew they were from the Order of Assassins…"
"No wonder they were so formidable…"
"A female executive…"
The adventurer who uttered the last remark was met with cold stares from the female adventurers around him.
The women quickly realized what sentiment had been mixed in with that one statement.
Never underestimate a woman's intuition!
(
Ryo gathered the six prisoners together and enclosed them in an ice wall.
They were after all assassins.
It wouldn't be funny if they decide to blow themselves up.
"Abel, I've surrounded those six with an ice wall, just in case."
He whispered to Abel in a quiet voice.
Reporting, contacting, and consulting (ho-ren-so) is an important aspect of collaboration afterall.
"Okay, noted."
Abel nodded and looked at Ignis, the negotiator, and asked.
"What should we do with them?"
Ignis, the negotiator, had the highest authority in the entire mission.
However, he was not used to seeing carnage and he was aware that he had no information about the assailants.
"I'm sorry, Abel, but I have absolutely no idea who these people are. And if I were to interrogate them, I wouldn't even know where to begin. So if everyone in the escort doesn't mind, I would like to leave it to you, the A-rank adventurer…"
"I agree."
The first to give consent was Showken, who was responsible for leading the adventurers.
"I, too, think it's appropriate to leave it to Abel."
Followed by Dontan, the company commander leading the knights, also agreed.
Behind him, Zack and Scotty nodded their heads.
Thus, the approval of the core members was obtained, and Abel was to represent and lead the interrogation.
And, naturally, Ryo stood by Abel's side.
But before the interrogation.
"Ryo, what is the name of that female executive?"
He asked Ryo again in a low voice.
"It's Natalia. I learned it directly from the person who used to lead the Order of Assassins, they called him 'Chief'. And it seems that she killed the Chief, because she was cajoled by an executive named 'Black'."
"Holy shit…"
Hearing this, Abel shook his head slightly.
After some exchange of information, Abel turned to the six and began to talk.
"So, about the interrogation…I don't expect you guys to answer honestly. So here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to chatter on and all you have to do is keep your mouth shut and listen."
The members of the diplomatic mission exchanged glances with each other at the unexpected statement but did not utter a word.
They were dealing with assassins.
It's more than likely that they would not give any answers to their questions.
"I'm going to be upfront with you, we know that you guys are members of the Order of Assassins."
First of all, he let that out.
Five of them did not change their expressions at all.
The woman who surrendered, however, had a slight twitch in her expression.
"Ryo, can you isolate that woman from the rest?"
"Yeah, sure."
Following the whispered conversation, the female assassin was surrounded by an ice wall without anyone noticing.
As the interrogation progressed, if it became known that information was about to leak from the female assassin, the five men might try to silence her, even at their peril.
It was a very likely scenario.
"Also, we know that the woman frozen in ice is Natalia, an executive."
The five men could not remain unmoved by those words.
How could an outsider know such things?
They had indeed been informed that he was an A-rank adventurer, but it was still obviously strange that he knew the name of an executive of the Order.
"Yeah that's right, you lot have a village in the kingdom, don't you? A village that was buried in ice. I believe that's where your Chief died…"
All six of them were listening, their faces even tenser than before.
"Are you aware? That it was Natalia who killed your chief?"
Finally, the six of them widened their eyes.
They no longer had the leeway of keeping blank expressions.
"Don't you lie to us! "
One of the men shouted.
"I'm not lying. She killed him for 'Black'."
The expressions on the faces of the six turned pale.
The man in front of them even knew about Master 'Black'!
Ridiculous! How's that possible! But it was happening right in front of them.
And the female assassin was almost in tears from her expression having gone ghastly pale.
"Oh, by the way, you guys have tattoos on your chest, right? You know, the one with the two-headed bird with a sword through it."
The six of them were on the verge of a complete meltdown.
Everything about them was no longer secret.
It was useless keeping quiet.
"That tattoo, does it still function now that the Chief is dead?"
"…Huh?"
They couldn't understand what Abel, the A-rank adventurer in front of them, was saying.
"Hmm? I mean that tattoo, if you tried to rip it off, a stone spear would materialize and pierce your heart, right? I'm asking if that function is still in effect till now."
"What are you talking about…?"
One of the men muttered involuntarily.
Abel and Ryo knew of the function because former executive Sharfi had told them about it, and because the spear had actually materialized when it was being stripped from Sharfi's chest.
But the six people in front of them had probably never witnessed it before.
Their reactions were dull.
"You didn't know? That's what that tattoo does. Apparently it was engraved using alchemy…but now that the Chief is dead, I wonder what has become of it."
This was, in a way, decisive.
The man in front of them knew more about the Order than they themselves who are directly affiliated.
About their own bodies.
They didn't know why.
But they became convinced, whether they wanted to or not. That they stood no chance against this opponent.
"Now, what is your objective…"
"Abel."
Ryo interrupted Abel from the side.
Then he drew closer to his ear and said in a quieter voice than before.
"I know what it is. So please don't ask them about it here."
"Hmm…"
Ryo knew part of the reason why the mission was attacked.
That's because he had prevented Natalia's attack.
Having gone through the trouble of even using all of her allies' attacks as cover, Natalia's stone spear was aimed precisely at the heart of one adventurer….
In other words, assassinating that person was their aim …although that may not be their only objective, it was certainly one of their main objectives.
So he thought it was best not to publicize that there.
Because the woman who happened to be their target will not say anything, even if it came down to it.
There had to be a reason why she did not want to make it public.
If so, Ryo would go and ask her about it later.
Then fill Abel in later.
There was no reason to have everyone learn about it.
"Oh right, there's a dark-attribute magician among you, correct?"
The female assassin's reaction to these words was intense.
Anyone could see that she was not at ease.
"I see, you are the dark-attribute magician?"
Abel asked the female assassin with conviction.
The female assassin nodded helplessly.
At that moment, something flashed from the hands of two of the men.
And very precisely, flew toward the woman.
But….
Clang, clang.
The two throwing knives were repelled by the ice wall that was stretched between the men and the woman.
At that moment, Abel grinned.
"Whoa scary~. Did you see that, your buddies just tried to silence you without hesitation, lady?"
The female assassin looked at the five men who were supposed to be her comrades.
With widened eyes, she clenched her teeth.
The expression on her face was an indescribable mixture of…anger, frustration, and fear.
"Now then, dark-attribute magician. What's your name?"
"…Rosalia."
That was the moment Rosalia quit the Order of Assassins.
After the initial interrogation was over, while the leaders of the mission were discussing subsequent plans, Ryo approached a certain woman.
A female magician, brunette hair, and an adventurer with small stature.
She was the one Natalia had targeted at the expense of her subordinates.
As Ryo approached, the woman bowed to him.
"Um, thank you very much for that, Ryo."
"Don't worry about it. Miu, right? It's only natural to protect my allies."
Through the banquet at Acre, Ryo had learned the names of all the escort adventurers.
"So…I was wondering if you could tell me why you were targeted, if possible…"
As they were having this conversation, her party members were approaching from behind Miu.
"Okay…"
Miu looked down and glanced at the party members behind her.
"Should we change location?"
Ryo wondered if it was something she would rather others didn't know.
However…
"No, it's okay. My party members are already aware of it…"
Miu nodded and began to speak.
"I am not exactly sure, but if they were truly targeting me here, then I think the reason has to do with my family, or my lineage, or something along those lines."
Ryo listened quietly without interrupting.
Miu's friends, who were standing behind her, gently placed their hands on her shoulders.
That single gesture alone showed that the party was close-knit.
Somehow, Ryo felt relieved.
"My grandfather's name is Silas Theo Santayana. The current Grand Duke of Twilight Land."
This world seems to be swarming with royalty, such as princes or grandchildren of grand dukes and the like.
-x-X-x-
"My mother is Grandpa Silas' daughter, but Twilight Land only recognizes the right of succession to direct male heirs. So obviously I have no claim whatsoever."
"But Miu, your father is the Marquis of the Kingdom, so you have the right of succession there."
The follow-up was from a party member who had his hand on Miu's shoulder, named Imogen.
(Oh…. If the daughter of a Marquis of the Kingdom and granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Lands is killed within Lands…surely it will cause a stir…)
Ryo thought so, but did not say.
"The Grand Master and Negotiator Ignis both confirmed my origin when I was chosen to be an escort for this journey. But the Grand Master, on the contrary, encouraged me to go for it saying that it could turn out to be beneficial to me, rather than a risk…"
Miu properly pointed out the potential risks, and the brass still gave the go-ahead.
"Okay, I think I've gotten most of it. Thanks for telling me."
With that, Ryo left Miu and the others and moved toward where the leaders were holding a meeting.
As Ryo headed to the leaders' meeting, it seemed that the meeting had just ended and they were leaving one after the other.
"Ryo! "
Abel found Ryo and called out to him.
"I take it that the meeting is over. By the way, I've confirmed why the Order targeted us."
The two exchanged information at a place some distance away from the others.
Ryo to Abel, about Miu's origin.
Abel to Ryo, about subsequent plans.
"I hear that we have to hand over the assassins to Lands because they are within their borders."
"I see… Rosalia, was it, the dark-attribute magician. What a waste of talent, such a shame."
"Y-Yeah…"
When Ryo thoughtfully expressed his opinion, Abel looked like he was holding back on something as he agreed.
"What is it, Abel?"
"Nothing, just surprised to hear the words 'waste of talent' come out of your mouth…"
"Here we go again, what exactly do you take me for, Abel! I'll have you know that I also have my own thoughts about the development of the country! With her, I can make extremely rare alchemy tools, you know? Even if it's not possible for me right now, I can take her to Kenneth…"
"Oh, that's what you mean. In that case, I'm totally convinced."
Ryo's criteria fall under whether it's cool, interesting, or alchemy-related.
"Well, anyway, they are going to contact the town we are staying in tonight, Karnak, immediately and have someone come to take them off our hands. No idea how long it will take from the sounds of it."
"I see. It's a foreign country, so their procedures and systems may very well be different from those in the Kingdom. But if there is a chance that they could show up at any moment, I would like to ask the frozen lady a few questions."
With the permission of Ignis, the negotiator, the two went to Natalia, the woman frozen in ice.
"No matter how many times I see it…I can't believe she's alive in that state."
Abel said, looking at the frozen Natalia.
"I had to practice a lot before I could learn to freeze people in ice while keeping them alive at the same time. I experimented with quite a lot of monsters in Rondo Forest…"
Ryo thought he was being sincere, but it's obvious to Abel that he didn't think much of it.
Which was why, the only words that come out of Abel's mouth was…
"Ohh~"
The reaction was very anticlimactic.
After looking at him with a little bit of resentment, Ryo thawed Natalia's ice, just the part with her face.
"Hello, Natalia. I'd like to have a word with you."
"You sunnavabitch! Drop dead! You…"
Immediately, he put the ice up again, moreover, her frozen body seemed to be under some kind of pressure.
After about two minutes of this, Ryo once again melted the ice from Natalia's face.
"It would be a shame for a beautiful woman to speak such foul language. It hurts, doesn't it? You're frozen in ice after all, and if you were about to be crushed by that ice, that would hurt, wouldn't it?"
"You…"
Natalia's face was tinged with fear and hatred.
Fear that her life and death was in his hands.
Hatred for the way she was being treated.
"It's nothing serious really. I know why you targeted Miu, but I'm here to confirm that and to ask you about your client. So let's start with Miu. does it have to do with her origin?"
"You really think I'm going to answer that question? Give me some credit."
As best she could, Natalia made a mocking face as she turned and replied Ryo.
"Oh just so you know, I have nothing against the Order of Assassins. The only reason I froze the village was that you kidnapped His Highness Willy. But if you continue to remain stubborn, I guess I will have to go take care of 'Black' this time around, don't I?"
Ryo said with a huge smile.
Natalia was absolutely mortified.
After a full minute, she finally opened her mouth.
"You can't, do that…"
"You want to bet on it? You know what I'm capable of right?"
Natalia knew very well. That the person in front of her was a genuine monster.
He had single-handedly destroyed their village, froze an entire area, and even fought their 'Chief' on equal footing.
Although she has great respect for Master 'Black', she couldn't deny that he's inferior to the 'Chief' in terms of individual combat ability….
Not just Master 'Black', but all the executives…in other words, there's no one in the current Order of Assassins who could defeat the monster in front of her.
While Natalia was still hesitating, Ryo made a decisive statement.
"Listen, I could give two shits about 'Black' or how you lot run the Order from now on. As long as you don't come after me, I can promise you that I will not act against you guys. But that is only if you answer my questions. So Natalia, what I'm trying to say is, you can save 'Black' and the Order just by answering some of my questions. You will never get another chance like this, ever again."
A threat backed by one's prowess.
This is common in negotiations between countries, but it's also effective in negotiations between people.
In a world where there's no force like the police.
"All right…. I will answer as much as I can, but not everything. But I want your word. If I answer your questions, you will leave Master Black and the Order alone."
"As long as you don't make a move on me, I won't go after Black or the Order."
Ryo promised.
He knew that some people view it morally unacceptable to negotiate or make promises to the likes of assassins and terrorists.
However, Ryo wasn't a person who would be at all concerned with such matters.
If there was information that could be obtained through negotiation, he would negotiate even with assassins.
And Ryo and his group obtained some information.
The request to attack the diplomatic mission came from some rogue faction in the Twilight Lands.
To conduct a 'human' attack in the Lands.
To kill Miu.
To keep the negotiator and civilian officials alive and allow them to reach the Lands capital.
And to carry out the attack within three days of entering Lands.
That was all Natalia knew.
"Great, that would do."
"What you promised…"
"Yeah of course I'm a man of my word. I won't touch 'Black' or the Order."
When Ryo promised again, Natalia looked relieved.
In fact, Ryo had no interest in the current 'Order of Assassins' whatsoever.
As far as Ryo was concerned, they could party all day long wherever they were for all he cared, as long as it had nothing to do with him.
So, he had no intention of breaking his promise to Natalia.
Abel, who had been listening all the way in the background, might have a lot on his mind, but…decided not to bother and remained silent for the time being.
Ryo turned around, putting Natalia back on full ice again.
"So, that's the gist of it, Abel."
"Yeah…. Well, as for how the Order of Assassins operate from now on, I'll put it aside for now. I'm more concerned about that 'rebel faction in Lands'."
The two discussed as they walked away.
"Yeah, it's disturbing all right. But honestly, we have too little information to know exactly what's going on."
"You're right. Negotiator Ignis is also aware of Miu's origins, right? Then, I guess I'll just give him a heads up, including what you just told me."
-x-X-x-
The delegation ended up spending two nights in the city of Karnak.
The city of Karnak is the largest city in the Twilight Land in the direction of the Kingdom, and is the center of trade with the Kingdom.
Hence, it was gratifying that the entire delegation was able to stay at a proper inn.
The captive…Rosalia to be precise, who they obviously had to bring along, was able to stay in a room, albeit with supervision.
The rest were left frozen in the courtyard of the inn. Including Natalia, of course.
After handing over the prisoners, the diplomatic mission finally arrived in Thebes, the capital of the Twilight Land, five days after leaving Karnak.
As they passed through the gates and entered the capital, they saw the inhabitants of the capital lined up on both sides of the main road.
They were there to welcome the diplomatic mission from the Kingdom.
In their hands, they held a miniature Land flag and the Kingdom flag in each hand, waving them happily.
"What a spectacle…"
"Yes, it is."
Ryo's impression and Abel's impression were probably completely different in content.
In Ryo's case, it was, "I never thought I would see such a common sight back on Earth in this world".
In Abel's case, it was, "I wasn't expecting such grand welcome for a diplomatic mission from another country".
Either way, both were equally impressed.
Immediately upon arrival, there were to be an audience with the Grand Duke.
The head of the mission, Negotiator Ignis, would be in attendance, as well as the civil officials, Abel and Ryo.
"Um, since I'm an adventurer, I don't need to be there right…"
"Like hell you don't! The reason why we were allowed to travel in a carriage all the way throughout the journey was to fulfill this kind of task. The Kingdom even went through the trouble of preparing ceremonial clothing for us, and you dare say you wouldn't attend?"
"Ugh…"
Abel explained with good arguments piled on top of good arguments.
Ryo became depressed, unable to refute at all.
Naturally, Ryo ended up attending the audience ceremony as well.
The audience itself ended without incident.
Ignis answered all the questions posed to the diplomatic mission, so Abel and Ryo could only remain on one knee and listen to the Grand Duke's words.
Ryo's impression was, 'Even though he's Miu's grandfather, they look nothing alike'.
After the successful conclusion of the audience ceremony, the welcome banquet was a standing buffet attended by civil and military officials, ministers, and nobles of Land.
Ryo, who had never experienced a standing buffet-style banquet in the Kingdom, felt very nostalgic, partly because it was the first time since Earth.
Not that he ever attended a banquet in the Kingdom even once.
Led by Negotiator Ignis, the civil officials of the delegation were chatting with the people of Land here and there.
For them, this banquet was part of their job.
And Abel, the only A-rank adventurer, was also surrounded by many Land military officers and nobles.
Ryo could see that Abel was trying his best to hide his fatigue with a smile.
"Hang in there, Abel! "
Ryo, who was having such an outsider's impression of the event…was positioned in front of a table lined with food.
Enjoying his meal.
Normally, Ryo is not a big eater, and when he's occupied, he settles for beef jerky, but with so much delicious-looking food laid out in front of him, and so many of the participants engaged only in conversation, he could only oblige….
That's right, it was not a despicable thing to do, but an act driven by righteous indignation to save the food that had been cast away!
Of course, being a banquet venue, the meal had to be consumed in a dignified manner. All while standing.
Ryo, however, managed to successfully combine these two features 'elegant gluttony', which are extremely difficult to achieve together, and continued to devour the food in front of him.
The Land nobles were unable to approach the scene from a distance…and Ryo continued to eat.
"I see that the adventurers of the Kingdom are as voracious as they appear."
A woman approached Ryo in a delightful voice.
Ryo turned his head to the side at the sound of her voice.
She was nothing short of a peerless beauty….
Ryo had the impression that there were many beautiful men and women among the Land nobles, but the woman in front of him stood out from the crowd.
A truly peerless beauty.
Ryo, who is a little lacking in his vocabulary, could only come up with those words.
There are only two people Ryo has ever thought of as a 'peerless beauty'.
Sera and Elizabeth…both of whom are, oddly enough, elves.
But the woman in front of him was no elf.
Nor is she similar to the previous two.
If Sera is a 'cool beauty', Elizabeth would be a 'delicate beauty'.
The woman in front of him could be best described as a 'bewitching beauty'.
Ryo was about to reply when he realized that he had something in his mouth.
"Oh, you don't have to hurry. I just couldn't help but notice how deliciously you were gobbling up the food."
The woman looked at Ryo with a smile on her face.
"I'm grateful."
Finally, after finishing the food in his mouth, Ryo was able to speak.
The beautiful woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, put her hand on her chin for a moment and thought about something, then opened her mouth.
"You are the magician Master Ryo, right? I am Agnes."
"Lady Agnes. I am Ryo, an adventurer from the kingdom."
Ryo felt that she was a high-ranking noble, but of course, he could not kneel to greet her because he was holding a plate in his left hand and a fork in his right.
He only bowed his head.
"Do you like pasta, Master Ryo?"
Agnes asked, looking at the pasta on Ryo's plate and the several platters of pasta set up right in front of him.
"Oh…I do like pasta too."
It wasn't that he was eating only pasta, but as he went on eating, more plates of pasta were currently just lined up in front of Ryo.
Unbeknownst to him, that would bring him good fortune.
"In that case…I would like to invite you to my mansion. I'd love to hear what you think of 'Ramen'."
"Come again…?"
The entire delegation, including the escorting knights and adventurers, was to stay at the state guest house in the castle.
And the state guest house has its own bathhouse!
"How wonderful! I guess the people of Land also know how to appreciate culture."
"You really love taking a dip don't you, Ryo…?"
While the audience only made him more tired, Ryo had an unexpected stroke of luck at the banquet.
And when he checked out the large bathhouse, he got even more excited.
When Abel saw this, he was so taken aback and that was when he uttered the previous line.
"You bet! Man is born to soak in a bath and die in a bath!"
"Like hell we do…"
It was as if Ryo was saying, 'I have found the way of man is to take a bath'.
When they got out of the bath and went to the dining room, they found the members of the delegation, mainly civil officials, gathered there, looking at something.
"They all seem to be looking at something."
"Yeah. Probably the negotiation schedule for tomorrow or something?"
Abel answered Ryo's question nonchalantly.
In the first place, it had nothing to do with the two of them.
The reason was that their timetable had already been communicated to them and they knew that they had one tough schedule ahead.
But…
One of the assembled civil servants spotted Ryo entering the dining room cafeteria and shouted.
"Ryo!"
At that moment, all eyes of the civil officials were on Ryo.
"What? Me?"
Ryo unintentionally said aloud.
"An invitation addressed to Ryo came in. The messenger over there brought it."
Then, one of the civil officials indicated a man standing in the corner of the room who looked like a butler.
The butler-looking man bowed reverently.
He then proceeded to where the civil officials were gathered, took the envelope that was the reason for the gathering, and brought it to Ryo.
"Master Ryo, I bring to you an invitation from my lady, Duchess Alba."
Hearing this, the civil officials were once again in an uproar.
Ryo's reaction, however, was dull.
"Duchess Alba?"
Wondering if he had such an acquaintance…having thought long and hard, he couldn't come up with any.
"Yes. Lady Agnes would like to treat Master Ryo to some 'ramen'."
"Oh, Lady Agnes! I apologize for this. I am ashamed to say that I was unaware that Lady Agnes is the Duchess of Alba. I humbly accept your invitation. So please convey my best regards."
Ryo took the envelope.
He had no idea the date and time it was set, but it was an invitation that he would need to attend at all costs…after all, it's ramen! Of course, he's never eaten ramen since he came to 『Phi』. Much less even heard of it.
Besides, it's an invitation from the Duchess, he would have to be flexible with his other plans and give face…so accepting it was a smart move.
"Very well. I will convey your acceptance to Lady Agnes."
With that, the butler-looking man bowed reverently again and left the dining room with very graceful steps.
Afterwards, Ryo was surrounded by the civil officials.
"Ryo. How did you come to know Duchess Alba?"
"How long have you known her…?"
"Duchess Alba is one of the most powerful dignitaries in Land. Her wealth is said to far exceed that of the Grand Duke, who leads the country…"
"She is said to be a very beautiful woman, but there are rumors that she is over 90 years old…"
"…A beautiful witch."
Only the last line was Ryo.
"Witch…as in a female magician? I'm surprised you realized, Ryo. Duchess Alba is, in fact, a powerful magician."
"If I recall correctly, she possesses the water-attribute…. Wait a minute, you are water-attribute too, aren't you, Ryo? Now I understand, so that's how it is!"
Ryo on the other hand, couldn't make heads or tails of what he had come to understand though….
The civil officials seemed to be somewhat convinced.
The civil officials assumed that the connection was formed because Ryo is a water-attribute magician, which is rare among adventurers, and Duchess Alba also happens to be a powerful water-attribute magician.
They never would have thought that Ryo had met her while he was being a glutton at the banquet.
However, there was one person there who knew the truth.
"Right, when he shoved the role of guest of honor on me and went ahead to eat all those delicacies alone…"
Abel, the A-rank adventurer, blurted out.
The next day.
At last, the bilateral negotiations began.
Negotiator Ignis and the civilian officials would hold various meetings, sometimes simultaneously, at the reception hall adjacent to the guest house.
If the banquet was the unofficial job, this was the official job.
In the meantime, the knights and adventurers had nothing to do in particular.
Since the journey to and fro was their real work.
Abel and Ryo, however, were not among those 'adventurers'.
They were invited to the Twilight Land Adventurers' Guild headquarters, where they were assigned to attend several meetings and sometimes watch mock battles.
At present, there were no active adventurers in the Twilight Land above A rank.
As such, Abel, the Kingdom's A-rank adventurer, got himself a major role.
As for Ryo?
Ryo was practically Abel's accessory and even though he's a C-rank, there was no chance Abel was letting him go.
His role was to be dragged around by Abel.
"Woe is me…"
Ryo's mutterings were heard by no one but himself.
-x-X-x-
The third day passed without much difference compared with the second.
Then came the fourth day.
The fateful day.
On that day, Ryo was already excited since early in the morning.
"Kukuku, at last! At long last, my ambition will be fulfilled!"
"What ambition…?"
While Abel was eating breakfast, Ryo was having only coffee.
Ryo, whose catchphrase was pretty much, 'Breakfast is a must!', seemed a bit unusual since he wasn't adhering to his creed today.
"I'm talking about ramen! At long last, I can finally eat it! After decades of perseverance…I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this day."
"Decades, wow…. Well, I hope that 'ramen' or whatever is the same as the 'ramen' you're longing for."
Abel was not being sarcastic or intended anything in particular, he was simply speaking his mind.
However, its impact on Ryo was intense.
Ryo suddenly froze in his merry state, and then his expression hardened… and after a while, he turned only his head toward Abel, you could almost hear the creaking sound.
"…It might not be the same 'ramen'…"
"Hey, it's only a possibility, okay, not a certainty."
Abel, frightened by the change in Ryo, calmed him down.
"If it turns out to be so…then let me apologize in advance because I'm going to put the whole of Land on goddamn ice…"
"Hey, whoa, idiot, stop that! "
For the sake of the civilian officials who were still engaged in intense negotiations, Abel prayed that Ryo would get the very 'ramen' he wanted.
That morning, Abel would be observing a mock battle between the knights of the Land nobles.
Typically mock battle was not something he disliked since there was no need for ass kissing, but…the problem was the fact that it's the 'Knight Orders of the nobles'.
"Dealing with nobles, what a royal pain in the ass…"
Fortunately, the mutterings of the second prince of the Kingdom of Knightley did not reach anyone's ears.
After the civilian officials began negotiations, Abel headed to the mock battleground in a carriage and Ryo left the guest house in a carriage sent to pick him up by Duchess Alba, while some adventurers were escorted to the ducal castle.
They were led to the Grand Duke's reception room.
It was Miu and her party of five.
The adventurers escorting the mission this time were selected from C-rank parties with many magicians, because of their synergy with the knights, who specialize in melee combat.
Since it is said that women have a greater affinity for magic than men, there were more female magicians than male magicians among the adventurers.
The party to which Miu belongs, 'Valkyrie' is unusual in that three of the members are magicians, and all five are women.
Perhaps because of this, the party got along very well, and they basically went everywhere together.
When Miu was invited by the Grand Duke of Land, her grandfather, the remaining four followed behind her as a matter of course.
Of course, Miu had obtained permission from the Grand Duke in advance.
When the five of them entered, the Grand Duke of Twilight Land, Silas Theo Santayana, was already waiting for them.
"Grandpa…"
"Oh…Miu, it's been a while."
There he was, not with the guise of a ruler ruling a country, but a grandfather, just happy to see his granddaughter.
The mock battleground was on the outskirts of the capital.
When Abel arrived, the four knight orders were already lined up.
"Sir Abel, welcome."
When Abel got off the carriage, he was greeted by four well-dressed young men.
"I am Robert, Count of Rijo, who will be presiding over this mock battle."
"I am Abel, A-rank adventurer from the Kingdom."
After exchanging words, they shook hands with each other.
The other three were also nobles: two viscounts, and a baron.
In other words, they are the lords of these four knight orders.
(A bunch of young nobles… each having about forty knights in their order… surprisingly, even a baron has a force of forty men. Even Kenneth in our Kingdom, as Baron Hayward, doesn't have a single retinue to speak of… Maybe they're just a bunch of young, bloodthirsty lot.)
Abel felt that way as he looked at the knights.
"Now, Sir Abel, if you would please follow me to the stand over there. After the mock battle, I would appreciate it if you could give me your impressions and point out anything you noticed."
"Certainly."
Count Robert Rijo urged Abel to move to the spectator's stand.
Duchess Alba's residence.
Entering through the gate, Ryo had an impression of a national university in the suburbs rather than a mansion.
Ryo himself went to a private university in Tokyo, but his local national university had a vast site that looked much like this, he thought.
Of course, there were no five-story buildings in Duchess Alba's estate….
But quite a number of elegant buildings.
That must be a library, that building a concert hall, and that one an observatory…
It was strange why there was what seemed to be an observatory.
And then the carriage pulled up in front of a particularly luxurious building.
When Ryo got off the carriage, a red carpet was rolled out, with butlers and maids lined up on both sides.
"Welcome."
The voices were perfectly aligned, with not a single one out of place.
Ryo was overwhelmed.
Just by looking at this, he could imagine the power of Duchess Alba.
If the subordinates are sloppy and do things haphazardly, their superiors will also be judged to be incompetent…that conclusion is just inevitable.
If that is the case, the opposite is also true.
If the deeds of the subordinates are pleasantly uniform, their superiors will also be judged capable…it's only natural to come to that conclusion.
The butlers and maids here were aware that every one of their actions would be used to judge 'Duchess Alba'.
They are trained to take responsibility for every single action they take daily.
This is what it means to be a professional.
Of course, the superiors as well, offer high salaries and favorable treatment to keep these professionals from leaving.
They have the 'money' and also understand the importance of spending it in such areas.
If the subordinates are professional, then… to keep those professional subordinates in sync, their superiors must also be professionals.
And Duchess Alba, as a 'superior', is a professional.
The butlers and maids, with just this one gesture, demonstrated this.
That got Ryo thinking about a lot of things.
Ryo was taken to a rather spacious dining room.
He had seen pictures of the Palace of Versailles and the Akasaka Palace… but the interior size there was unusual.
The length, width, height, and everything else seemed to have been multiplied several folds….
There was a huge long desk in the center.
It was probably the dining table…but it was massive.
And further back, at the back of the room, there appeared to be a person.
Yes, the room was so large that he could only recognize the figure as 'appears to be a person'.
Ryo thought to himself.
(Damn, it is bigger than a school gymnasium…)
A dining room larger than a gymnasium.
Ryo was led by a butler and walked to the back of the room.
Then, the person who was in the back of the room also walked toward him.
"Ryo, thank you very much for coming."
It was Agnes, the bewitching beauty he had met at the banquet.
"Your Excellency, it is my pleasure to be here today…"
"Oh, come on. No need for such formalities. Please call me Agnes. As we are both water-attribute magicians."
As she said this, Agnes gave a terrifyingly bewitching smile, somewhere between a sweet and suggestive grin.
Even Ryo was momentarily taken aback by her smile.
"Uh, sure, Lady Agnes."
Somehow Ryo managed to keep reason, not because of his strong rationality, but because of the aroma that wafted through the air into the dining room.
So nostalgic…
"Oh, you can perceive it all the way here. Let's leave the complicated stuff for later, let's eat first, shall we? Come, over here."
Agnes said, indicating a seat to Ryo, and sat down next to him.
As soon as Ryo sat down, the door opened and a tray was brought in.
After arriving next to Ryo, the cover was removed for the big reveal.
It was…
"Wow…"
It was unmistakably a tonkotsu ramen, just as Ryo had hoped.
Two bowls of tonkotsu ramen were reverently placed in front of them by the butler.
It was only then that Ryo noticed.
Next to the ramen was something that had already been set up.
"A fork, chopsticks, and a spoon…"
That's right, chopsticks of all things.
'Chopsticks', which he had never seen in the Kingdom or the Duchy since he left the Rondo Forest.
"You can use a fork to eat ramen, but officially, you are supposed to use something called 'chopsticks', right there. It's oriental tableware. However, it's not exactly easy to use for the first time, so I had them prepare a fork as well."
"Wow…"
Even on 『Phi』, there is a cultural sphere in the East where people eat with chopsticks.
Ryo learned that for the first time that day.
"Now, let's eat it while it's still warm."
"Yes. Thank you for the meal."
Ryo involuntarily put his hands together and said, 'Itadakimasu'.
Agnes was surprised to see this, but Ryo didn't notice as his full attention was already on the ramen.
Ryo held the chopsticks in his right hand and a spoon in his left. A perfect formation.
First, the soup.
He scooped the soup with the spoon into his mouth.
"Delicious…"
The words leaked out unintentionally.
Agnes, looking satisfied with her sideways glance, also sipped the soup with a spoon.
Ryo drank two mouthfuls of soup and finally started on the noodles.
The noodles were what is called medium-thick noodles.
The doctrine that 'thin noodles are the best for tonkotsu ramen!' was the last thing on Ryo's mind.
As long as it's tasty.
In cooking, the taste is everything, and if it tastes good, it is justice.
Even the thickest tonkotsu ramen is justified as long as it tastes good!
And the tonkotsu ramen in front of him…the succulent mix of the noodles and soup was….
Slurp.
First, a slurp.
Then, another slurp.
And another slurp.
….
After that, he couldn't stop.
Ryo was by no means a fast eater. He was a big eater, depending on the occasion.
And he hated eating messily most of all.
On this occasion, Ryo showed an almost miraculous appearance of a 'charming fast eater'.
There was only one reason.
Because the ramen was delicious.
Having hailed from Kyushu, Ryo was of course picky when it came to tonkotsu ramen.
But the ramen in front of him was, purely and simply, delicious!
Ryo finished his bowl of ramen in no time.
"Phew~"
Looking at Ryo, who let out a sigh of satisfaction, Agnes smiled and uttered a terrible suggestion.
"Care for some refill?"
"Yes, please!"
He answered without a moment's pause.
Seeing Ryo's completely conditioned reflex, Agnes smiled happily.
She then resumed eating herself.
Ryo, in the meantime, had time on his hands.
Suddenly, he looked at Agnes eating beside him.
A beautiful woman eating ramen with her head tilted slightly to the side and her hair falling over her ears.
It was a scene that could have been made into a beautiful moving picture by itself.
Ryo was in heaven.
-x-X-x-
The moment of happiness broke abruptly.
A loud noise came from the corridor, and the door to the Grand Duke's reception room was suddenly opened, and armed soldiers rushed in.
At first glance, it was clear that they were not castle guards.
Neither were they thugs or adventurers.
Because of their unified armaments and coordinated movements.
Confirming these, the five members of the 'Valkyrie' moved quickly.
They stood in front of Archduke Silas, the most important person in this situation, and took a stance to protect him at all costs.
As one would expect from C-rank adventurers, they reacted quickly.
"What is this all about?"
Silas raised his voice at the incoming soldiers…or rather to the person at the center of it all.
"I'll ask you again. What is the meaning of this, Count Maguilla?"
Count Maguilla replied, without changing his expression at all.
"Silas Theo Santayana, you are hereby placed under arrest on suspicion of treason."
"The hell…"
Silas' eyes widened as he muttered.
"We know that you are trying to sell the treasures of our country to the Kingdom of Knightley through their delegation while they're here, and the fact that you're also trying to sell off the country itself. These acts are nothing short of treason. As of this moment, all your privileges as the Grand Duke are frozen. I suggest that you cooperate and wait for your punishment."
"What nonsense…. Why are you doing this? There is no need for all these. I am always ready to abdicate my position as Grand Duke if 'you people' want me to. You know that!"
Count Maguilla and the others were not at all surprised by Grand Duke Silas' words.
But Miu and the other Valkyries on the other hand, very much so.
However, they did not utter a word either.
They realized that it was not their place to intervene in such a matter.
And …
"That won't do, Silas."
The words came from behind the door, from the hallway.
And then the person emerged.
"So, it is 'you people' after all, Marquis Espiel. Why, there is no need to do all these, and you people know that better than anyone!"
But the man called Marquis Espiel did not say anything in response, and instead spoke to the 'Valkyries'.
"Adventurers of the Kingdom, we have already taken the twenty members of the diplomatic mission into custody as well. You would do well not to resist."
Hearing those words, the five of them conversed with each other with their gazes.
Miu, on behalf of the others, asked Silas with a glance.
"Yeah, he's probably telling the truth. It is pointless to go against them. They are the true rulers of this country."
"Grandpa?"
"I'm sorry, Miu, for dragging you and the others into this…"
The Grand Duke of Twilight Land, Silas Theo Santayana, dropped his shoulders dejectedly and declared that he would not resist.
The Mock battleground.
From Abel's point of view, it happened but left much to be desired in terms of thrill.
(With what I'm seeing, if they ask me what I think…that'd be a bit difficult to answer.)
In his mind, he sighed deeply but did not let it show on his face.
While still feeling distraught, a fast horse arrived, and Count Roberto Rijo listened to the report a little distance away.
When he finished listening to the report, Roberto nodded to the soldier on the stand.
A bugle sounded, and the soldier's voice echoed around the mock battleground.
"The mock battle is over."
Abel's jaw was practically dropping.
(Just like that? What shitty timing to call it quits…that's it, there go my impressions.)
In his mind, his face was distorted in agony.
Robert, not caring about Abel's thoughts, called out to him.
"Now, Sir Abel, shall we head downstairs."
With Roberto leading the way, Abel and the remaining three nobles descended onto the mock battleground.
During this time, Abel was thinking desperately in his mind. About his impressions of the mock battle.
It probably wasn't the case, but if he continued to follow Roberto, he would be led to the center of the four knight orders.
"Hmm?"
Then, he finally noticed something unusual.
He was in a position where he was surrounded by the knights, and although the knights had not drawn their swords, they had their hands on the hilts of their swords.
"Now then, Sir Abel, I know this may sound abrupt and for that, I apologize, but I would like you to surrender without any resistance."
Count Robert Rijo's voice contained a slight hint of mockery, more so than in previous instances.
"Count Rijo, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Abel, while maintaining his composure, remained vigilant of his surroundings.
He was already surrounded and didn't look like he could break through any direction unscathed.
"Then let me explain it to you so that you understand what I mean. A short while ago, Grand Duke Silas was arrested for treason. Evidence has been found that he sold the treasures of the country to the Kingdom of Knightley and even tried to sell the country itself. The treasure was found in the luggage of the delegation."
Surely, it must have been planted.
It's a no-brainer.
The question was the safety of the members of the delegation and the scale of the rebellion.
Meaning, after leaving the capital, would they be able to reach the Kingdom's borders safely?
He needed to draw out more information.
Conveniently, Count Roberto Rijo then continued his explanation.
"All members of your diplomatic mission and civil officials have been taken into custody. Also, the knights and adventurers in the state guest house have complied without resistance."
(Well, of course, since you already have the civil officials, they can only comply! )
He screamed out in disgust in his mind but didn't show it on his face.
"I see. And the adventurers who were visiting the Grand Duke, what about them?"
"Oh, you're talking about the granddaughter of the Grand Duke and her party. They are witnesses to the treachery of the Grand Duke. Seeing as he must have sold off the treasures through them. So, they are to be put to death."
Only this time, Roberto's words were clearly laced with mockery.
"Perhaps, to make an example out of y'all, maybe the members of the diplomatic mission will also…"
At that moment, Roberto's head flew off.
Abel pulled out his sword, jumped in front of Roberto, and chopped off his head.
He then proceeded to attack the knights in front of him.
The knights, who were supposed to be on guard, were slow to react due to the sheer speed of the attack.
In the meantime, he moved in between the knights, thrusting his sword through the gaps in their armor and helmets, and took them down.
Without a moment's delay, without stopping for even a second, he kept moving and knocking them down.
As expected, after he had cut down about twenty men, the knights were prepared to counterattack.
However, what was odd was that none of them uttered a single word, and they remained silent.
"And this same bunch were all lively in the mock battle earlier."
Abel muttered quietly but kept moving.
Although it became more difficult to inflict a fatal wound with a single blow, he still went after the gaps in the armor.
The gaps in the armor are basically joints, with no hard bones, yet packed with tendons.
Any animal would be unable to move once their tendons are severed.
That was Abel's goal.
Of course, this would be impossible for an ordinary swordsman.
But Abel was a genius swordsman.
He was able to accumulate results and experience, even if only a little at a time.
Although he had accumulated a lot….
He did not expect an attack from his feet.
He did not anticipate an attack from an opponent he had already eliminated.
He didn't see the attack coming from the guy he decapitated.
"Dammit."
The sword in the hand of Count Roberto Rijo, who had been decapitated and was lying on the ground, cut deeply…into the hamstring of Abel's left leg and thigh.
Abel immediately became still.
Without mobility, even Abel would not be able to stand up against a hundred or so knights.
He was stabbed in several places, robbed of his sword, and pinned to the ground.
"What in the world…?"
Roberto's corpse rose, probably not in reaction to Abel's words, picked up the fallen head, and placed it where it had originally been.
"Never thought I'd have my head chopped off…by a mere human no less!"
The tone of the man's voice, full of mockery and brimming with confidence, was no longer there.
There was only hatred for the swordsman who had cut off his head.
"I see, you are a vampire."
Abel came up with an answer.
Abel's beloved sword is a 'magic sword'.
There are only so many beings that cannot be defeated by beheading with a magic sword.
And when it comes to 'humanoid', it's almost exclusively limited to vampires.
"That's right, we are vampires."
"We…"
The four nobles, including Count Robert Rijo…were all vampires.
The dining room of Duchess Alba's residence.
There was a water attribute magician drinking coffee with a satisfied look on his face after having his fill.
However, Ryo was left with a big question.
The ramen noodles.
In the many stories of otherworldly reincarnations, ramen is not often reproduced.
The reason for this is the ramen 'noodles'.
The difficulty in reproducing ramen noodles has to do with 'Kansui'.
Ramen noodles are made by mixing 'kansui' with wheat flour.
This is what sets ramen noodles apart from, say, udon or soba noodles.
'Kansui' is a synthetic chemical.
It would certainly be too difficult to obtain another world….
Which is why, in the otherworldly stories, you hear about curry dishes, but never ramen…as far as he could remember…at least…probably…in all likelihood….
But here it is, now, in reality.
It's a mystery.
"What's wrong, Master Ryo?"
As Ryo was sinking into such thoughts, a voice called out to him from the side.
It was Duchess Agnes Alba, who was also enjoying her coffee.
"Oh, nothing, I was wondering who made the ramen…"
He decided to come out with it and asked.
"Fufufu, you're curious aren't you? I get it, that's a dish that Lord Shinso created himself."
Agnes answered more happily than ever, as if she was very happy to be asked.
"That Lord Shinso is a genius!"
"Oh, you can tell! As expected of you, Master Ryo, to realize the greatness of Lord Shinso with just one dish."
Agnes really seemed happy seeing Lord Shinso complimented.
Even a simpleton like Ryo could tell.
That Agnes has a liking for this person called Lord Shinso.
Even if they're not the object of her affection, it is somehow pleasing to the observer to see a beautiful-looking woman who is in love with someone else and seems to be enjoying herself.
Of course, in some cases, they may be jealous….
While they were having this conversation, the butler brought a small piece of paper to Agnes.
Agnes took one look at it and her expression turned a little, really just a little shadowy.
But she quickly recovered and burned the paper in the fireplace.
Then she began.
"I have a favor to ask you, Master Ryo."
"Sure, what is it?"
Ryo had been treated to such a great meal of ramen.
It was only natural that Ryo would want to do as much as possible to accommodate her wishes.
"Please remain in this mansion for a while."
"…Excuse me?"
Ryo tilted his head and asked.
"What do you mean?"
It was a sincere question, but then it suddenly occurred to Ryo.
Starting with Phelps' words that, "Twilight Land is becoming a little seedy", and furthermore, the matter of the Order of Assassins that was hired by the rebel faction, and today, at this moment, Ryo, Abel and the others all separated from one another…and some other pieces as well, so, his brain must have analyzed on its own that various information he was unconsciously aware of….
"Is it a coup…?"
The word 'coup d'etat' is originally French.
Agnes probably didn't understand its meaning.
But she understood that Ryo had noticed something, and with a forlorn expression on her face, she told him.
"If you stay here as I asked, I can guarantee your complete safety, Master Ryo. I swear to you that I will release you when this is over. But if you must leave…"
"If I have to leave?"
"You leave me no choice."
Agnes snapped her fingers as she said this.
At that moment, Ryo was struck by a strange feeling.
A feeling of discomfort…but a feeling of discomfort that he remembered experiencing in the past.
No doubt about it, the first time was with the one-eyed Assassin Hawk, then the Behemoth, Little Behe, and then in the village of the assassin with 'Hassan'….
"No way, magic nullification?"
Hearing Ryo's muttering, Agnes showed a sidelong look of surprise.
"This is…a surprise. I wonder how you figured it out…"
"That's my line. This is magic nullification generated through alchemy, isn't it?"
(I didn't think that anyone other than Hassan could manifest a magic-neutral field with alchemy.)
"I am very interested in this technology. If not for the situation being what it is, I would love to see the magic formula…"
"Unfortunately, the magic formula is not visible from the outside…. And it is the sole formula that Lord Shinso made especially for me."
"I knew it, this Lord Shinso must be one hell of a genius…"
He created ramen and now, a magic-neutral field.
What a talent.
"Now you understand, don't you? There's no doubt that you are an extraordinary magician. In the Central Nations, it has been about a hundred years since they have to chant to activate magic, but that does not apply to you, Master Ryo. Still, in this magic-neutral field…"
"Lady Agnes. When did you see me invoke magic?"
Agnes sighed deeply, looked up and answered.
"There's no point hiding it now. It was when you defeated the assassins of the Order of Assassins."
"That makes sense…"
At that time, there was no one within a radius of five hundred meters at the very least.
She could have simply been outside of that radius, or had some kind of means to remain undetected.
And Agnes' words earlier stuck with him.
(It's been about a hundred years since they have to chant to activate magic…that is true indeed, but…I could have sworn that I've heard that exact same wording before…)
And then it came to him.
"Count Haskill Kalinikos."
Agnes clearly reacted to that name.
It was the last piece of the puzzle.
"Lady Agnes…this is the land of the vampires, isn't it?
-x-X-x-
Unsurprisingly, Agnes did not anticipate his deduction that this was the land of the vampires.
"How did…"
"I made a comprehensive judgment based on a variety of information. Lady Agnes' beauty was also a factor in reaching that conclusion."
Maintaining such beauty, even after the age of ninety, certainly can't be possible for a human …probably.
It all came down to Ryo's sole discretion and prejudice.
"I'll tell you one thing, just so there is no misunderstanding, Count Haskil Kalinikos did not sell out his people."
"I see. So you were there when Kalinikos disintegrated."
Her words contained neither blame nor accusation.
It was simply a confirmation.
"Yes. I witnessed his last moments at the hands of the clergy of the Western Church…"
"Right, Archbishop Graham."
He could observe the slightest flicker of emotion in those words.
"Well, that's all right. I honestly didn't expect you to find out the secret of this country, Master Ryo, but it can't be helped. In fact, all the more reason why…I really can't afford you to wander around, knowing what you do."
"And if I insist on leaving?"
"You'll lose your life."
Agnes's expression looked genuinely sad when she said that.
"I have no desire to do this either, but I must fulfill the obligation assigned to me…"
"You can't guarantee the safety of my fellow delegates while I am here, can you? I can easily imagine them being executed along with the Grand Duke."
"To be honest with you, I reckon that's how it'll play out."
Agnes wanted Ryo to stay, but she was not willing to lie.
She felt that if she lied and he stayed, only to find out the truth later, everyone involved would suffer most horribly….
"Then I guess I'll have to leave."
"No matter what?"
"Yes, no matter what."
Hearing Ryo's words, Agnes shook her head slightly.
At that moment, all the walls of the dining room, including the windows, turned into stone.
Then, a man entered through the door.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to force Master Ryo to stay put…and depending on the circumstance, you may even lose your life…"
"You do what you have to do."
"You can't use magic, you do know that right? Even if you could use a sword…how do you intend to fight vampires who outperform humans in both speed and power? You know what, there is no use in saying anything. Let's just…get this over with right away. This person is…"
Agnes pointed to the man who appeared through the door.
"He is Sir Griffin, one of the greatest vampire swordsmen of all time. You have no chance whatsoever, Master Ryo."
"That may be so. But…people have battles they can't run away from. I guess this is mine."
Ryo was very well aware.
That it was a battle that he could not win.
Still, he had no choice but to fight…he somehow had the feeling that Abel and the others were waiting for his help.
Ryo, as usual, brandished Murasame, and the blade materialized.
Seeing this, Agnes gasped.
But the swordsman in front of him, Sir Griffin, did not waver at all.
Both Ryo and Sir Griffin, began closing in on each other.
Getting ever closer…Sir Griffin made the first move.
Striking at a frightening speed, with a diagonal slash.
Ryo didn't catch it with Murasame, but instead avoided it with body movement, and cleaved Murasame to the side while he dodged.
Sir Griffin dodged it by backstepping with unusual speed.
However, even Agnes could see that it was an extraordinary sword fight, even though they've each only traded one blow.
Duchess Agnes Alba is known as one of the most famous and most powerful magician in Land.
She is also outstanding with a sword.
Therefore, it would have been fine to confront Ryo with a sword after neutralizing his magic, but to be on the safe side, she came up with a contingency.
In case 'Ryo, who is an extraordinary water-attribute magician, turns out to also be extraordinary with a sword'.
Hence the reason, she called Sir Griffin, one of the best vampire swordsmen.
Perhaps Ryo would insist on going to join his comrades…with that assumption, and while she clearly didn't want that to happen….unfortunately, it turned out exactly as she feared….
Even if he were to die like this, at least she wanted him to die without suffering….
Agnes liked Ryo.
At first, she was aware of him as a powerful water-attribute magician, and today, she came to like him entirely as a person, including his mannerisms.
Of course, not in a romantic sense.
As a vampire, it was more like her realizing that he was pretty good for a human.
Still, she liked him.
She felt frustrated and saddened…that she had to let go of something she liked so much, and wanted to let him die without suffering.
It was with this mixture of feelings that she began to watch their sword fight ….
She knew from the first blow that her prediction was way off.
It wasn't so much 'Ryo is also extraordinary with a sword', as it was…'Ryo is also extremely extraordinary with a sword'.
(This is bad…)
Ryo felt this way the moment he dodged Sir Griffin's diagonal slash.
Indeed, as Agnes said, the adversary was overwhelmingly superior in both speed and power.
Then, perhaps like Abel and Hugh who could compete against the Hero Roman, with their 'sword handling skills', maybe he could do the same… but probably not.
His opponent wasn't just all power and speed.
(Meaning, there is no winning factor.)
He felt a wall as high as when Sera uses 'Wind Equip'….
And Ryo was no match for Sera when she uses Wind Equip.
With no idea of how to break through, the sword fight continued.
Of the three, it was probably Sir Griffin who was the most surprised.
Yesterday, the 'Duchess' had asked him to fight a human magician with a sword.
He didn't understand the reason behind the request then.
The opponent was a 'human' and a 'magician' no less.
They're so vulnerable that vampires need not take them seriously.
Of course, some have something to offer in terms of learning ability, diligence, creativity, and so on.
They don't refute that.
However, when it comes to combat, they don't stand a chance, be it with swords or magic.
Of course, seeing as it's a request from Duchess Alba, who stands at the summit in Land, there is no way that he would refuse, no matter how futile it may seem.
Moreover, it's to be a 'sword battle right in the middle of a magic neutralizing field in the mansion'.
Pure swordsmanship.
If she asked him to, he would no questions asked, but he probably wouldn't last more than a few rounds.
Even the infamous Hero and the A-rank adventurer swordsman who's currently visiting Land would only be able to hold out for at most ten rounds.
That's what Sir Griffin said to Duchess Alba.
At that moment, Duchess Alba laughed and said.
"Yes, I agree with you. Although I agree with you…there's no telling what could happen…that's the kind of person you'll be dealing with."
With those words, Sir Griffin finally became interested in his opponent…a human magician who could make Duchess Alba say such a mouthful.
Then came today.
The sword fight had already lasted more than twenty rounds.
He had the advantage in speed and power.
In terms of skill, it was hard to tell the difference between them.
And yet, he couldn't break the defense in front of him.
(Is this guy really a magician…?)
He was a more troublesome opponent than an actual swordsman.
He didn't think he would lose.
But he also didn't think it would be an easy victory.
A battle that seemed to go on endlessly, but also a battle that could end at any moment, continued to play out.
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