"So you claim to have killed the Five Dragon Warriors?"
"I have no intention of spreading that around. For now, the Ashinto group is serving as a nice smokescreen."
"Ridiculous."
Eve dismissed my words outright.
"That is impossible."
I thrust my hand forward.
"I do not know if this will serve as proof, but—"
Eve took a wary stance.
At that instant Seras stepped forward.
—Tap.
"!"
Eve reacted to the step.
The moment her attention was drawn to Seras,
"—Paralyze—"
I activated the status abnormality skill.
"—Nngh!? What… is this…? My body…!"
"It is better not to move forcefully. If you do, there is a nice bonus of bleeding from all over your body."
"No way… this is… a status abnormality… type spell…?"
"You could call it an out-of-frame status abnormality granting power. By the way, this one has a higher success rate than the chance of a popular gladiator dying in the final blood fight."
"Ridiculous."
"Exactly. Thanks to this ridiculous power, even a weakling like me was able to kill Shibito Gartland."
"Guh… nngh…"
"I warned you. It is better not to force yourself to move. This is not a threat."
I approached Eve.
"I will make it easier for you to speak now."
I released the paralysis on only her head.
Now Eve could speak normally.
"—Hm? I can… speak easily…?"
"I can use several other powerful status abnormality grants. This power is what I used to kill the Five Dragon Warriors. If you want, I can even tell you exactly how each of the Five Dragon Warriors died."
Eve's fighting spirit had already vanished.
She must have sensed there was no hostility.
"You really… killed the Five Dragon Warriors?"
"Let me show you one more piece of proof."
Hm?
Seras?
Seras placed her hand on her chest and spoke.
"The Seras Ashrain that the Five Dragon Warriors were chasing—that is me."
Twitch.
Eve's ears reacted.
"You?"
"My lord saved me from the Five Dragon Warriors using that power."
"…Your playacting will not work on me. I heard the former Holy Knight was an elf—"
Eve's eyes widened.
"!"
I could tell from her reaction.
For a brief moment Seras had released her transformation power.
"Do you understand now? Right now I am borrowing the power of the spirits to change my appearance."
"…Muu."
Eve groaned.
Inside I was groaning too.
Seras's action just now had been completely unexpected.
I never thought she would reveal her identity here.
She must have grown quite sympathetic toward Eve.
Perhaps she was trying to save her somehow.
"My lord certainly defeated the Five Dragon Warriors. I personally witnessed the deaths of four of them."
Seras took one step back.
I said,
"If there are monsters in the demon zone stronger than Shibito Gartland, even I might be out of my depth."
"…It does seem to be a powerful ability."
"Whether you believe the story about killing the Five Dragon Warriors is up to you. There are plenty of people who only believe what they see with their own eyes. Still, I wanted to show you this power. As proof of my strength."
Eve snorted.
"But it was a pointless proof. In any case, tomorrow I will fight in the blood arena. I will not go to the demon zone either. That will not change."
"Even if you win the blood fight, do you really think Duke Zuan will keep his promise?"
"What?"
"He is the kind of duke who beheads a prostitute just because her face did not match the image he wanted, right? From the rumors I heard, he does not sound like a decent man at all."
Duke Zuan's reputation.
While gathering information on Eve I had lightly looked into it as well.
He did not smell like a good person at all.
If anything, he seemed like the same type as "those guys."
The same type as the trash I had encountered so far.
"I understand the way scum think."
After all, I am one of them.
"Even if you win tomorrow's blood fight… I really do not think that duke will honestly grant you freedom."
"…"
I changed the subject a little.
"By the way, I heard a story about a certain blood gladiator. He was called the strongest, just like you."
Eve listened in silence.
"That man won his final blood fight. But the very next day his body was discovered. His corpse was found floating in the river that flows through the royal capital early in the morning."
"A blood gladiator who died right after gaining freedom… I do not know the details from back then, but I have heard of it. That man got into a fight with mercenaries at the tavern where he was celebrating his victory. He was heavily drunk and unarmed. Then he was beaten to death by mercenaries who did not know how to hold back."
"Well, that is how the story goes on the surface."
"On the surface? What do you mean?"
"Do you know the story about the daughter that man had feelings for?"
"…It is the first I have heard of it."
"She was apparently a slave girl working in a dirty tavern. The man was trying to buy back her freedom, just like someone else I know. However, something seemed off."
"What happened?"
"The girl's freedom was never bought back. Moreover, the tavern where the man held his victory celebration was not the one where the girl worked. Normally, would you not go straight to the person you care about and free her first?"
"I do not know that man's character… Perhaps he planned to buy her back after the celebration?"
"Maybe. But what bothers me is what happened to the girl afterward."
"Afterward? What happened to the girl?"
"After the man died, records show the girl was taken in by Duke Zuan and worked at his mansion for about two years."
"!"
"After that she was apparently sold to a brothel. You understand what that means, right?"
"…!"
"Furthermore, one of the mercenaries who beat the man to death later became a blood gladiator as the one who killed the strongest gladiator. With a strong recommendation from the Mercenary Guild. I think his name was—Gilmud."
"Gilmud? I know that name. He was already dead by the time I came here… But where did you hear such a story?"
"I will just say it came from a 'shadowy place.' Interpret that however you like."
"Muu…"
Eve seemed to know about the existence of "shadowy places" as well.
"Well, I did not hear the truth directly from Duke Zuan himself. I do not know whether it is true or not. Naturally, even if questioned, Duke Zuan would probably deny everything…"
"You are saying the man's death was arranged by Duke Zuan and the Mercenary Guild?"
"That is how I read it."
"So I would meet the same end?"
"Maybe… So what will you do? Will you stay and face the final blood fight, or will you take that girl and come with us to the demon zone now?"
I looked Eve in the eyes.
"The decision is yours to make."
"I—"
Eve answered without looking away.
"I will seize my freedom with my own hands."
She had chosen to challenge tomorrow's blood fight.
"I see."
I had somewhat expected that.
"I will definitely win. I have gained many things through victory in the blood arena. Victory in the blood arena has always opened the path for me."
Eve stared at us.
"Besides, I cannot fully trust you two. Therefore I cannot give you the information about the Forbidden Witch either."
Seras opened her mouth.
"My lord is trying to help you—"
"Do you think I can blindly believe the words of people who appeared before me only yesterday? On the other hand, between me and the world of the blood arena there is a long history that has been built up."
Well, that makes sense.
I asked,
"Can you trust Duke Zuan?"
"It is true that he is not a man worthy of praise as a human. However, it is also a fact that he has responded whenever I produced results."
That was because Eve Speed still had future uses for him.
"To make the final blood fight exciting, it is possible he will prepare a disadvantageous situation for me. Even so, the duke is still a human being. We have a long relationship. He is not as heartless as you claim."
Naive.
"When you compare the world of the blood arena that I have built a relationship with over time to you two, it is obvious which one I should trust."
Things that have been built up can collapse surprisingly easily.
"I will trust the world of the blood arena that has built the current me more than you two."
Eve declared it firmly.
I twisted the corner of my mouth.
"Why, Eve Speed?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you keep repeating those words about trusting the world of the blood arena so much toward me?"
"What are you—"
"The one you were really directing those words at just now—was it not yourself?"
"…"
"The proof of strength is done."
I released Paralyze.
"I said a lot of rude things… but I will pray that you win tomorrow's blood fight."
I turned on my heel and started walking.
"Let us go."
"Y-yes."
Seras followed.
"Wait."
Eve called out to stop us.
"Why did you release me? You held absolute superiority. If you wanted to make me spill the information about the Forbidden Witch, there were other ways. I also learned your secrets. Yet you are releasing me unconditionally?"
I stopped.
"There is one thing I will tell you. We plan to leave Monroy by early tomorrow morning."
I did not answer Eve's question.
There was no need.
"I will wait near the bridge in front of the great gate until the date changes. If you change your mind, come."
Without turning back toward Eve, we left the area.
▽
On the way back to the inn, Seras spoke.
"I am sorry."
Hm?
"What are you talking about?"
"I revealed my identity without permission…"
"Ah, that earlier thing."
"I made that decision on my own without obtaining my lord's approval… Of course, I will accept any punishment."
Seras's expression looked gloomy.
Punishment…?
"What you did earlier was certainly not planned, but in the end it served as material that added persuasiveness to my story. So I am not bothered by it."
I recalled Eve's reaction.
That had been an almost believing reaction.
She had probably seen Seras's face on a wanted poster or something.
That was why she immediately believed it was Seras Ashrain.
"But that is only looking at the result. When I think that I might have ruined my lord's plan—"
"Whether it was a bad move or not is for me to judge."
I cut off Seras's words.
"If the result is good, I will not say anything. If I think it was a bad move, I will reprimand you. In this case, the result moved things in a good direction. Do you have any complaints about this policy?"
"…Understood. If that is what my lord says."
Hmm.
It might be the influence of the Holy Knight Order she used to belong to…
She seems like the type who values discipline.
Some moderate tightening might be necessary.
Even so, in this "mercenary band" I am the rule.
Whether to reprimand or not is also something I decide entirely.
The tension disappeared from Seras's expression.
She stopped and bowed her head.
"Thank you for your generous treatment, my lord."
She had completely become someone who serves lately…
We started walking again.
I called out to Seras.
"Is there anything else on your mind?"
"Ah, no…"
"Go ahead and say it. You already saw that I am generous, right?"
"That—"
While watching my expression, Seras asked,
"The story about that blood gladiator from earlier was made up, right?"
Seras can detect lies.
She had noticed after all.
"Yeah. That was just something I made up on the spot."
The truth was only in the separate parts.
The story of the man who gained freedom and was found dead the next day.
The name of the real blood gladiator Gilmud.
In reality I had simply added embellishments to those parts.
There was no real surface or underside.
In truth only the "surface story" that came out at the beginning existed.
"It is not exactly a praiseworthy method… but even if it was a made-up story, I needed to plant a 'seed of doubt' in the current Eve Speed. Toward Duke Zuan and the Mercenary Guild."
Toward the world of the blood arena that Eve believes in as well.
I took out my pocket watch from my breast pocket.
"Now it is just a matter of when the planted seed will sprout…"
Planting a seed of doubt.
I had seen it often in manga and anime.
A plausible story mixed with lies to stir up doubt and make allies betray each other.
On the other side, we would continue to show a sincere attitude.
In that way we would shake their hearts.
"A seed?"
"Yeah."
It was an image often used when trying to tear apart the bonds on the protagonist's side.
In short,
"If anything, it is a method used by the villain side."