Disclaimer: I do not guarantee a 100% accurate translation. Do kindly notify me if you see any mistake.

You Don’t Acknowledge Me

In the southeast of Amaddo, there was once a kingdom which was affiliated to the “Holy Alliance (Furigana: Riga Santourear)” called “Romarikku”. However, at the end of twists and turns, Romarikku was annexed by Amaddo and now remained as nothing but the name of one provincial city of Amaddo.

Due to such a sequence of events, the self-reliance trait was strong in Romarikku province, and Amaddo’s government had been racking its brains on the treatment since the olden days.

Conversely, Haiderota also had a past of annexing a member nation of the alliance called “Baragan”, and including it into its own territory. The current Haiderota had a two-person share of the possession right of Dominas because one of them belonged to Baragan.

Presently, the north of Haiderota which was ruled by the rebel army roughly coincided with the territory of the former Baragan. From that start, the animosity towards Haiderota’s government firmly remained among the people of this region.

It was certainly a little girl.

Casually tearing off the black mantle that had gotten dirty in mud and making her neck sound a “kokiri kokiri” was, possessing hair that was long to the degree of reaching her ankles and skin, which had faintly emerged in the very dim light, that was white to the extent of abnormal, a little girl with melancholic eyes.

The plenitude of exposure, which one could see nothing but cloth wrapping around the circ.u.mference of her flat chest and waist in very small amount, made one think of Valeria’s appearance when she used magic, but because she was short and lacking variation of body line, she looked much more younger than Valeria.

However, Dimitar, whose chest was greatly cut open, understood well more than anyone that it was impossible that she was an innocent little girl according to that appearance.

It wasn’t because he was rained on, but because he was purely shuddering that Dimitar felt his back muscles s.h.i.+vering.

「…She’s not a normal kid」

Rather than conveying to Valeria who was beside him, perhaps Dimitar muttered to warn himself.

It was probably this girl who had cancelled out Clotilde’s magic just now. Thinking about that, he immediately understood that her magic skill was quite something. And then, even if one thought about the matter of her managing a large warhorse with this small body, grappling with Dimitar at the moment when they met and swinging her knife, it was possible to say that that agility put professional soldiers to shame.

However, what was the most troublesome was that she could kill people as if she was breathing. Despite aiming at the human body’s vitals and swinging her knife, she neither released killing intent deliberately nor had any hesitation. It was better to face and fight her from the front; he might hardly survive if that sort of person made a surprise attack on him in the dark.

「…Though I’m concerned about the number of people being numerous, you’ll have to take on those people in our surroundings」

Brus.h.i.+ng his forelock that had absorbed the rain and sweat and became heavy upwards, Dimitar spoke.

「And then, run away if there’s a chance」

「Look here—」

「It’s fine to link up with Clotilde and rescue His Excellency or return to the town and call for reinforcement. …At any rate, move away from that kid」

「Like I said, I can’t do that—」

「You definitely can’t win」

Dimitar casually made Valeria who had doggedly opposed him obeyed by force. It was because he believed that that was an undeniable fact.

If it was just putting a distance from right in front and shooting magic at each other—in Dimitar’s opinion—Valeria might win. However, in a one-on-one battle where anything goes, no matter how, Valeria probably had no chance of winning. She’d be approached in the blink of an eye and stabbed deeply once with the knife, and it’d end with that.

「It’s not because you’re weak」

While understanding that it wasn’t any kind of consolation, Dimitar added.

「It’s simply that… she’s just merciless」

Differentiating the two girls’ positions was most likely just that one point.

Valeria was gentle. It might be fine even if one paraphrased it as “timidity”. She was afraid of herself being wounded, and at the same time, she was afraid of injuring others. If one were to make an extreme argument, she couldn’t kill people.

However, that girl could kill people. She probably wasn’t afraid of herself being wounded either.

Therefore, Valeria couldn’t win against that girl. Just by shortening the distance and making one stab to Valeria’s vitals while she was hesitating, the girl would become the living victor, and Valeria would be transformed into the defeated that could die.

「…Leave her to me」

「Dimitar!?」

While hearing that voice at his back, Dimitar slashed at the girl.

「Do, dodo—」

The girl, who was looking at Dimitar fixedly with upturned eyes, seemed to be trying to say something in a faltering tone, but it didn’t become a clear word.

Instead, the somewhat large knife attacked Dimitar. The edge of the knife which had drawn a strange curve caused Jagieruka’s blade to smoothly slide on it, and Dimitar’s slash was easily warded off. It was the brilliance of the skill that he wanted to show to the bonbons of the Seal Chivalric Order (Furigana: Tanpries Aegis).

However, he didn’t have the free time to be feeling admiration.

Patterns of pale purple phosph.o.r.escence emerged closely packed on the girl’s bare white stomach. They were considerably high-density and complex magic crests (Furigana: Hierateika), but Dimitar who was a Hiera Glaphicos could immediately understand those were for using what sort of magic.

「It’s—like that, huh!?」

Dimitar took a distance against the girl instantly and thrust Jagieruka into the ground. Removing the gauntlet that was put on his left arm in subst.i.tute for a s.h.i.+eld, he concentrated his consciousness into both arms. Separate magic crests on each arm shone, and Dimitar’s whole body was filled with a new power.

Then, the girl came charging towards him at high speed.

「!」

Pulling Jagieruka out quickly, he repelled the girl’s knife back. It was a blow that possessed an unnatural weight, but this was also within the estimation for Dimitar.

「Though you hold a huge projectile weapon…, you’re the type that is similar to me, huh」

What the girl had used just now were “Double Power (Furigana: Force)” and “Double Speed (Furigana: Flash)”—magic which dramatically raised physical ability that Dimitar also frequently used.

「Oh, o-oh… oh?」

The girl, who was easily sent flying, kicked a tree trunk with both her feet, landed with a “hitari” and gazed at Dimitar quizzically. She most likely noticed that Dimitar had used the same magic as her.

The other thieves came interrupting in that opening.

「Step aside, Dimitar!」

Valeria who had come running to the side of Dimitar, who was staring at the girl, stuck her left hand out forwards. The flame arrows which the thieves had fired were entirely pulverised by Valeria’s “Iron Wall (Furigana: Rampart)”. Perhaps they were surprised at that jarring noise, the horses which were nearby ran away into the forest, leaving behind shrill neighs.

「If you’ve the spare time to do something like that, then go somewhere!」

「Hey…!?」

Dimitar carried Valeria under his arm and greatly jumped backwards, but the thieves were already taking a roundabout path to there too. While it might be true that those movements were easy to grasp, he couldn’t ignore the thieves who, unlike the girl, released clear killing intents either.

「Chi…!」

At almost the same time when he heard the sound of the thieves unsheathing the swords on their waists, Dimitar extended his right foot to the back while sinking his body.

「Gugo—o」

The sensation of ribs been broken was transmitted through the boots. Dimitar’s back kick had probably done a direct hit on the chest of a thief at the rear. Furthermore, letting Jagieruka pa.s.s through his armpit, he did a stab with it and delivered the finis.h.i.+ng blow.

「In, in front!」

Valeria, who was pressed down by Dimitar and had squatted down on the spot, finely scattered “Fire Bullets (Furigana: Blast)” towards the girl who was approaching from the front.

However, the girl weaved her way through those gaps and ran here. It was a kinetic vision that one ought to be shocked at.

「Do the rest yourself somehow!」

「Eh!?」

Dimitar grabbed the nape of Valeria’s neck and flung her, and then attacked the girl. On this occasion, the other thieves wouldn’t become a significant problem. Their number had decreased to some extent, and when compared to the girl, their abilities fell behind by several levels. If those people of this standard were her opponents, then Valeria should be able to defend herself as much as she liked.

However, only this girl couldn’t be left alone. The worst case was this girl and Valeria squaring off one-on-one while Dimitar was occupied with the other thieves.

Therefore, Dimitar proactively slashed at the girl of his own accord.

「—Fuu!」

Despite stepping in, the girl sank her body and evaded the point of Jagieruka that had matched her and ran horizontally. Although a tuft of her bluish-purple hair was cut and fell as if dancing, she didn’t even narrow her eyes. As she stared at Dimitar with completely unshaken eyes, the girl tried to jump into Dimitar’s chest.

「You’re more troublesome than I imagined—!」

While stepping backwards, he thrust Jagieruka which had magic crests emerging on it into the ground. An intense cold air ran radially from there while freezing the ground.

「—?」

The girl, who had stepped on the ground that had frozen and split finely, grimaced and hurriedly jumped back. For the girl who was wearing sandals, this footing was probably unpleasant.

In that interval, Dimitar pulled out the knife that was inserted in his boots. Recalling his practice with Lucius, he a.s.sumed a stance with his legs in an L-shape. The posture of thrusting out his left hand which gripped the knife to the front with his right hand which gripped Jagieruka at the back was for opposing the girl who had come challenging him to close combat.

The girl, who had temporarily jumped to the side, kicked a tree trunk and came attacking Dimitar again.

「!」

He turned the knife which had come extending towards his face away to the side with his knife that was far more meagre when compared to that. Dimitar who had sensed that the girl tried to forcibly grapple with him as it was boldly stepped in of his own accord and struck his forehead against the girl’s head.

「Aii!?」

Raising a shrill scream, the girl was blown off. Even if she obtained amazing physical ability by means of magic, only this difference in body weight wasn’t covered up as expected.

Dimitar then fired magic arrows towards the girl who had rolled and bounced on the ground.

「H, H-h, how dare, you—」

Holding down her temple where blood weakly oozed, the girl swung her left hand. Similar arrows surged from those fingertips and were negated together with Dimitar’s arrows. Her instantaneous reaction and speed of even using magic; even the proficient magic warriors (Furigana: Marefikos) of Amaddo would probably be astonished.

Dimitar kicked the ground and closed in on the girl. Taking advantage of the centrifugal force, he threw a full swing of Jagieruka. Honestly, Dimitar wasn’t inclined to the composition of slas.h.i.+ng at a young girl without going easy on her, but the sense of danger that such a cheap vacillation would become fatal had removed the limiter of his mind.

Making a “gatsun!” dull sound, Jagieruka’s blade sank into the tree trunk. The girl who had jumped lightly dodged the blow striking from the side.

「You impertinent—!」

The girl landed onto Jagieruka’s sword blade as it was, aimed at Dimitar’s face and released a kick.

「—What!」

Blocking the girl’s turning kick with his left elbow, he then grabbed that ankle immediately and swung her. If he could throw her to the ground or even into a tree trunk with that force, that’d be the best, but seeing the girl raising her knife overhead, Dimitar threw her out at once.

If they continued such a hand-to-hand combat, it’d probably cause shortness of breath to the girl first eventually. By borrowing the power of magic, the girl could also obtain a speed and power on par with Dimitar’s, but to stand on the same place as Dimitar, the originally powerless girl must push herself to the limit more than Dimitar. That was to say, she must be saddled with more mental burdens than Dimitar.

Of course, this shrewd girl should have realised that. If so, the girl might not aim for a hand-to-hand combat that would slowly exhaust her, but a short-term decisive battle by means of flashy magic. If that could be predicted, he could make the battle progress to his advantage.

The girl, who had rolled in the mud with a “goro goro”, made magic crests emerge on both her bare arms while standing up.

However, he wouldn’t give her the time to let them transform into real magic.

「Excuse me for my manners being bad—」

Dimitar hooked the corpse of a thief which was lying down close by onto Jagieruka and flung it towards girl.

「……」

Immediately after a sound of clicking tongue was faintly heard, the girl put up a rampart around and before her. The corpse which had lost the strength of its limbs was sent flying with a “gunyan”, and the mud turned into sprays due to that aftermath and scattered flas.h.i.+ly.

Seizing that opportunity, Dimitar shortened the distance between him and the girl.

「Y, y-y… y, you—!」

Although the girl directed her right hand which was coloured by magic crests towards Dimitar, prior to the flame arrows surging from those fingertips, the side of Dimitar throwing his knife at her was faster.

「Tsu—」

The knife that Dimitar, who had acquired a physical ability that far surpa.s.sed an ordinary man’s, threw was even faster than the arrow of a strong composite bow. The fact that that knife which should have been aimed at her chest was limited to just gouging her left shoulder might be because the girl had tried to reflexively avoid it.

Although that reaction was magnificent, Dimitar didn’t think that she’d be killed by that. When Dimitar kicked up mud and approached the girl, he tried to drive the toe of his boots into the girl’s solar plexus.

It was when he noticed through the gap of her copious hair which drooped loosely that the girl wasn’t looking at him but the night sky that he sensed that it was a mistake.

「—!?」

The girl, who had held her knife in her mouth, stopped Dimitar’s kicking leg with both hands, used that force and soared into the air in one breath.

In front of that dark gaze was—.

♦♦♦

「—Be careful, Your Eminence!」

Creating wind and staying in the night sky, Valeria who had tried to send flame arrows towards the enemies on the ground opened her eyes wide at Dimitar’s sharp voice.

「No way—!?」

That girl came soaring directly this way from Valeria’s blind spot. Just like Valeria had always been doing, the vivid magic crest which had emerged on the girl’s right leg was picking up her small body on the wind.

「Run away!」

Those following words of Dimitar brought Valeria back to reality from her surprise.

「Why do I have to—run away!?」

Raising her eyebrows, she raised her right hand overhead. The red magic crest which ran from the top of her shoulder to her fingertips in an instant was reflecting Valeria’s will and flickering strongly.

She understood that the opponent was an unknown magic warrior who possessed frightening power. She understood that when the girl negated Clotilde’s magic at the beginning. However, she was angry at being told to escape since she absolutely couldn’t win by herself. If it was magic—if it was shooting magic at each other, she wouldn’t lose no matter who the opponent was.

She wanted to make him—not the girl before her eyes, but Dimitar—realised that here and now.

「I’m not conceited! This is a matter of pride! A Dominas of Amaddo running away without having a match with a child whom n.o.body knows about is absolutely unforgivable!」

Valeria stared at the girl and directed her right hand’s index finger at her.

「O, o-o-o… soo」

While muttering something in a clear voice that was quite out-of-place and gave one the impression of a small bird’s chirp, the girl who had tightly grasped a knife in her right hand sidestepped it easily.

「—Eh?」

The girl evaded the red-hot flame which Valeria had staked her pride as a Dominas and shot just by twisting her body slightly.

The flame which had lost its target impacted near Dimitar who was on the ground and transformed the surroundings into a momentary midsummer. From the middle of that dazzling sunlight, the girl who had dishevelled her hair in the hot wind came rus.h.i.+ng in like it was nothing.

「—Hi, ii!?」

The girl’s knife accurately extended towards Valeria’s chest. An intense pain ran on the right arm of Valeria who had protected her face at once and tried to put up a rampart around her. The point of the strange-shaped knife slid from the vicinity of her elbow to her wrist, and red blood spurted out in the dark.

「—Ah!?」

Valeria who was stiffening her whole body in pain and shock realised that rain was falling from the front of her body. Before she knew, Valeria was starting to fall.

Perhaps when she tried to use a rampart to defend herself—though it wasn’t in time in the end—her concentration of trying to continue circulating magic power to her right leg was interrupted. Due to tumbling down from the sky because of that, considering that she could escape from the girl’s a.s.sa.s.sin’s dagger instead, one might be able to say that she was lucky.

Of course, if the back of her head crashed into the ground as it was, she’d surely die on the spot because of a blow on the whole body or a skull fracture; even if she was breathing, she’d be easily finished off without being able to move.

When Valeria held her right hand with her left hand, circulated magic power to her right leg again and created a whirlwind, she then directed it at the ground.

「—Tte!」

Since her bottom landed on the ground with a “dosun” and that impact ended with the degree of groaning, one could also probably call that “good luck”. At the least, it ended without fracturing her neck bone.

Her feeling relieved was also momentary, and the other thieves came attacking there.

「!」

「I said to run away, I’ll—!」

A thief, who had pulled out the sword on his waist and came slas.h.i.+ng, was blown off in a pose where his body bent with a “gunyan”.

「Dimitar…」

「You did it again…!」

The left arm of Dimitar, who was breathing heavily while saying so, perhaps because of the flame that Valeria had shot just now, broke out in bright-red blisters like it had a severe sunburn. His blouse also had burn marks here and there.

Dimitar, who had nonetheless caused one of the thieves to become incapable of combat with one kick, lifted Valeria up with his wounded left arm and swung his sword.

「Gaa…!」

One thief scattered fresh blood and collapsed again.

「Good grief… with this, you’ve understood that she isn’t an ordinary kid, right!?」

Following the gaze of Dimitar who had shouted as if spitting out, Valeria looked up at the sky too.

The girl, who floated in the empty sky together with the midnight breeze, was looking down on Valeria and Dimitar and holding that knife up.

「! Dimitar! T, that knife’s blade!」

「Messing around with us…!」

Distinct magic crests were emerging on the surface of the wickedly curved knife.

「—Chii」

Dimitar clicked his tongue. Perhaps he had understood immediately as well.

It was the magic which was shot from that knife that had negated Clotilde’s magic.

That was also a kind of “Magic Motion Sword (Furigana: Espada Marefika)”.

「Hey!」

The remaining thieves came slas.h.i.+ng at Valeria’s party, who was distracted by overhead, in one breath from every direction.

「Her comrades are still here, aren’t they…!」

Enduring the pain in her right arm, Valeria made her magic power converge in her left hand. Letting the “Tornado (Furigana: Razor)” run in a straight line, it then mowed down the enemies who came rus.h.i.+ng in.

「Guah!」

「Gu—」

The thieves who were blown away crashed into the ground and tree trunks, and confirming that they had stopped moving, Valeria then immediately glared up at the girl again.

She already understood the power of the magic that was shot from that knife. If she didn’t cast a magic that was no less on par with it and cancel each other out, Valeria and Dimitar might be burnt pitch black here. She made her entire sensitivity converge to produce a magic of that extent.

However, the magic crests on her right arm completely couldn’t be used, and above all, the pain of the wound hindered her; it took time to the extent that even she was irritated to charge up sufficient destructive power.

「Ku—!」

Beside Valeria who was grinding her teeth, Dimitar thrust his sword into the ground.

Dimitar who had taken a deep breath pointed both his hands to the sky. Those arms were completely covered by ivies of bluish-black light in the twinkling of an eye.

Those weren’t the magic crests for the magic which raised physical ability that Valeria often saw.

They were extraordinarily complex magic crests—for making extra-large explosive flame magic explode—that Valeria was trying to formulate with one arm right now.

「Y… you, that sort of magic—why!?」

She had never heard that Dimitar could use a magic with such a destructive power. She had thought that the offensive magic which Dimitar could use were on the level similar to those that the army’s magic warriors used at the most, and that it was also surely because he had borrowed that sword’s power.

Nevertheless, if it was true that that powerful magic, similar to Valeria’s, could be used without relying on that sword, then—.

「Aren’t you the one who is messing around…!」

When humans got extremely angry or excited, some strange things would be produced inside their heads, and they wouldn’t feel pain temporarily—Valeria had heard said story from Karin. The current Valeria was exactly that way. The strong anger which shook her whole body had numbed the pain in her right arm; sharpening her sensitivity, she accelerated the flow of her stagnated magic power in one breath.

She heard a strange sound of “basun” above her head. That girl must have shot her magic.

However, Valeria wasn’t looking at the girl anymore.

As she fixedly glared at Dimitar’s profile, she made the magic which she had ama.s.sed in her right arm explode together with her anger.

♦♦♦

One should say that it was fortunate that the rain was continuing to fall without stopping. No matter how many times they shot flashy magic of that degree, it hardly spread fire to their surroundings, and the left arm which had sustained burns could also cool immediately.

If he counted such trivial good luck one by one, then overcoming the dreary bad luck which waited beyond this might become slightly easy.

Valeria’s magic, which had far exceeded Dimitar’s expectation and speedily exploded, after slightly forcing that girl’s magic back, cancelled each other out and scattered in night sky.

「……」

Lowering his arm that had been making the magic power converge, he grabbed Jagieruka. Dimitar, who had stared at the girl through the veil of drizzling rain, narrowed his eyes and took a step forwards.

「Te, te, i—」

Perhaps she received the aftermath of the two explosive flames that had clashed, the girl who had flown down unsteadily sustained burns on her right hand that held the knife. It wasn’t a damage to the extent of fatal, but the fact that her right arm’s magic crests were sealed didn’t change.

It became a situation where Valeria and the girl’s right arms’ magic crests couldn’t be used. Even if she borrowed the power of magic, it might already be impossible for the girl to do close combat with Dimitar with one arm. Whether she knew that and had the will to fight an extended battle or not—Dimitar lightly swung Jagieruka to show that he could still use the sword with both hands.

「……」

The girl’s chirp stopped, and her eyes which contained trepidation in some respects began to move hurriedly, looking around restlessly. Ironically, that was a very humane reaction that she, who should be a dreadful slaughterer who aimed at people’s vitals without hesitation, showed for the first time.

「!」

Bending her body, the girl who was taking rough breaths on nearly all fours suddenly jumped up. Purple magic crests were drawn on both legs, and they created a strong wind that blew away the raindrops.

「This…!」

Valeria instantly raised her left hand overhead.

「Stop」

Grabbing the hand of Valeria who tried to make a new magic crest emerge, Dimitar sighed.

「—Leave her alone if she’s withdrawing. Cornering a wild animal and receiving a desperate counterattack is also foolish」

「However…!」

「More importantly, close up your right hand’s wound. You’ll collapse due to excessive bleeding, you know」

Jerking his chin lightly, he made Valeria become aware of the depth of the wound that she had received. Valeria’s right hand had been deeply cut open with a “zakkuri” from near the elbow to the wrist, but because of the metal bracelet, it ended without her artery and tendon being cut. One should probably call it “luck among the misfortune”.

However, there was no guarantee that they could count another good luck like that when they further cornered the girl who was fleeing away.

「…I’ll search for the horse」

Leaving Valeria who had begun to obediently treat her right arm’s wound behind at the spot, Dimitar pushed through into the forest. Somehow securing one of the horses that had become frightened by the exchange of flashy magic and ran away, he returned to Valeria’s original position.

Valeria, who was standing stock still in the middle of the path, held her right arm whose wound was healed and glared at Dimitar with a reproachful look. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand what she wanted to say somehow, but he didn’t think that it was a situation where he’d be rebuked either.

Dimitar had instructed Valeria to leave here together with Clotilde. Since Valeria had disregarded that and remained in this place, what she’d experience and what she’d think here, those might be her self-responsibility.

Dimitar secured the clasp of Jagieruka’s scabbard and spoke to Valeria.

「I don’t think that the kid from just now will link up with her escaped comrades…, but I’m worried about Clotilde. Let’s go」

「You, sa…」

「What is it? We don’t have the free time for making pointless talk」

Dimitar straddled the horse and hit the front of his saddle with a “pon”, saying “get on here quickly”.

「—Or is it that you want to be scolded for disregarding my instruction again, here and now?」

「That’s because—that’s because you don’t acknowledge me!」

「…Ha?」

「You don’t acknowledge my power, right!」

Valeria shouted, her cheeks flus.h.i.+ng bright red in the cold rain.

「I was chosen to be a Dominas! However, you don’t acknowledge my power, do you!」

「Therefore, you wanted to show me? To show me that you can fight even by yourself, and if I praise you, you’d be fine with that?」

「It’s not like that!」

「Ma… in reality, you weren’t able to fight by yourself」

「—」

Valeria bit her lips and glared at Dimitar with eyes like she was looking at her parents’ enemies.

He could tease Valeria with sound arguments until she cried here, but unfortunately, he didn’t have such free time. It was unthinkable that there were other magic warriors on the level of the girl from just now, but if he thought about the possibility of the worst case, he was worried about Clotilde who had continued the pursuit alone. It’d be better to run after her quickly.

「…If Clotilde and Sigibert die, our position will conversely get worse. We’ll go to see the situation」

Dimitar took a deep breath greatly and extended his left hand to Valeria.

Valeria then grasped that hand.

「…That, you’re really amazing」

Valeria who had muttered in a low voice was fixedly staring at Dimitar’s left arm. The magic crest from just now was still faintly remaining on the skin that had blistered in deep red.

「That is so, isn’t it; you can use such a magic too! You’re knowledgeable in various things, can use a sword, can mount a horse, and are always calm! Since you can be a Hiera Glaphicos, and on top of that, can even use such an amazing magic, it’s natural that I’ll seem like an idiot, right!? That’s why you don’t acknowledge me, right!? No matter how much I did my best, you absolutely won’t acknowledge me!」

「…Do you want to be acknowledged by me?」

「—」

「Think carefully」

Conversely, Dimitar grasped Valeria’s arm back and forcibly pulled her up onto the horse. If he waited for Valeria who had become emotional to calm down, it might take until dawn broke.

Placing Valeria on the horse in such a way as to carry her under the arm, Dimitar made the reins resound.

「—What you’ve been saying since a little while ago was, you want to be acknowledged by me when you’ve become able to kill people too, you know?」

「It’s different!」

「To begin with, you couldn’t see through that kid’s ability. If you knew that the opponent is stronger than yourself, then you might have used the cleverness of at least performing a surprise attack secretly from under cover」

「But… such a thing, isn’t something that a Dominas would do, right!? For a Dominas of Amaddo, no matter who the opponent may be, from the front—」

「Work like murder isn’t requested of the Dominas of Amaddo」

「—」

The situation varied according to countries, but Dominas standing in the battlefields was something that happened occasionally, and there were examples like Clotilde’s as well. However, what the current people of Amaddo were requesting of the Dominas wasn’t that sort of role.

「I said that you’ve your role, right? Bear in mind that the surrounding people are making the efforts to protect that image. …Don’t think that children will feel intimacy towards a Dominas who has killed people and then approach her」

While speaking to Valeria who had cast her eyes down, Dimitar clearly understood. At the least, he believed that he could understand.

For the sake of strengthening the position of Amaddo that was the leader country, Orvieto had been thinking of actively sending Valeria’s party to the outside. Intervention of dispute, inspection of the frontier, inspection work, and also diplomacy—in order to resolve the trouble that arose in the process, it wouldn’t always be concluded with just lip service.

Therefore, Dimitar was a.s.signed to be Valeria’s a.s.sistant. Helping Valeria and raising her reputation on one hand, Dimitar would be entirely responsible for the work that would lead to damaging her image because she did it herself. This was often the case in the world of politics.

What Orvieto was requesting of him was the role of a villain like that.

「…In the first place, when did I say that I don’t acknowledge you? Saying that I don’t acknowledge you who is a Dominas means finding fault with the decision of Head Director and His Majesty who had chosen you to be a Dominas, you know? I’m not foolish to that extent」

Dimitar spoke while galloping the horse.

「You’ve a role that the other Dominas don’t, and I acknowledge that. I know that you can use every magic almost equally at a high level, and I also know that you’ve the desire to improve yourself more than others. …What do you want me to acknowledge of you anymore?」

「But…」

Maybe because it had gotten wet in the rain or there were other reasons, Valeria wiped her face with the back of her hand many times, sniffled a little and muttered.

「—You’re actually making fun of me, aren’t you?」

「That can’t be helped. It’s a fact that you do foolish things」

「That… I wish you wouldn’t say “foolish”!」

Valeria suddenly raised her face and hit Dimitar’s arm that gripped the reins.

「—First of all, trying to use a flashy magic like you’re competing with me, you’re really looking down on people! Pretending that you can’t use it despite being able to use even that sort of magic, you were looking at me who had gotten proud and laughing in your mind the whole time, right!?」

「If I were laughing at you, I’d look at your face and laugh openly and above board. It isn’t interesting if your reaction isn’t known」

「Ki—i!」

Tearing off her long hair, Valeria hit Dimitar’s arm even more violently. If it was the usual, it wouldn’t be very painful, but his left arm which was blistered would hurt as expected.

「Ah…」

Perhaps she had realised that like now, Valeria stopped her hand that was. .h.i.tting Dimitar’s arm. Dimitar then raised his lips and,

「The unrefined me can’t use healing magic. I’d like to have the versatile Costacurta-geika to heal it quickly」

「Saying things that make fun of me like that again—」

Although she grumbled “butsu butsu”, Valeria made a magic crest emerge on her left hand and started the treatment of the wounds on the left arm and chest of Dimitar who was clutching the reins.

「…Are (huh/eh)?」

「What’s the matter?」

「You… did that just now, right? Ano—hora, that!」

「Don’t think that you can have a conversation with just a p.r.o.noun. What do you want to say?」

「That’s because, even though it was burned and the magic crests shouldn’t have been usable—magic crests rose up on this arm just now too—」

「Ah, that, huh」

Thoughts of “did she realise it as expected?” and “she didn’t realise it until now?” turned into a jumble, and Dimitar gave a bitter smile slightly.

「That magic crest… the truth is, I never intended to use it again」

「Eh?」

「I certainly used that sort of magic which subst.i.tutes projectile weapons by myself before. —However, I understood that I can’t master it well no matter how hard I may try and decided not to use it after that」

「Can’t master it…?」

「It went out of control」

Dimitar laughed at himself. It was a past that he didn’t want to remember much, but it might not be bad in a self-admonition sense.

「No matter how much I injured the skin, it’d never disappear. It’s futile with the degree of a blister. Even though I sustained an even more terrible burn, and the skin was completely burned hideously, this left arm’s magic crest didn’t disappear and didn’t stop going out of control either」

「Such a thing… eh? It really exists?」

「If my story is unbelievable, then you can try asking Babel-geika next time」

「It’s something that Babel-geika knows as well?」

「When this left arm went out of control previously, it was Her Eminence who helped Lucius and me. Honestly, that person is difficult to deal with, but because of just that, I’m indebted to her for my whole life」

At that moment, Dimitar, who had remembered Shakira Babel’s grinning face and knitted his brows, noticed that a small light was lit ahead.

「—There she is」

In the middle of a circle of a dim light was the person in question, Clotilde Diaghilev, who held up the light and Sigibert Duevre who was placed on horseback, tied as he was; moreover, there were people in black from head to toe who had collapsed in the vicinity, not moving with so much as a twitch.

「The both of you… are safe, I see」

The one who came running was Clotilde who had noticed Dimitar’s party; at this unexpected thing for her, she relaxed her mouth like she felt relieved in some respects.

「His Excellency?」

「He’s safe. …It seems that he was made to smell a medicine or something and was put to sleep only」

「As one would expect of the “White Rose of Steel”」

Roughly looking, about five, six thieves had collapsed. Since she defeated the thieves who had mastered magic and swords by merely herself, Clotilde was surely a Dominas suited for combat.

Dimitar, who had carried Valeria under his arm and dismounted the horse, tore off the thieves’ mantles and tore them to appropriate length, and then asked while tying them up quickly.

「Is it certain that this is the deed of Yururogu?」

「We won’t know the exact things unless we try interrogating these thieves…, but there’s no mistake anyway, I think. I’ve recollection of this sword and harness. They’re the things that the rebel army is using if I remember correctly」

「Is that so…」

「Hyowaaaa!? —Uguho!」

An odd scream resounded abruptly, and something made a “dosun” falling sound.

「Ugugugu… w, what on earth is this…? U, untie me, untie me, untie me!? W, who do you think I am—!」

Sigibert, who had tumbled to the ground, was shouting while wriggling like a caterpillar. Although it was good that the medicine had worn off and he had woken up at last, he probably fell from horseback when he stirred.

「Y, Your Excellency…」

The figure of Sigibert, who was covered all over with mud and shouting, completely had no dignity of a military vice-minister of a whole country. Clotilde walked up to him with an astringent expression, and when she untied the binding, Sigibert tried to stand up vigorously, and his foot slipped and he magnificently fell on his bottom.

「Pu—gya!」

Lightly driving his knee into the bottom of Valeria, who had seen that and was about to burst into laughter, and changing it into a scream, Dimitar nonchalantly spoke to Sigibert.

「Are you all right, Your Excellency?」

「U—… to have experienced something terrible」

「You don’t seem to be injured; that’s the best」

「”Best” you say… it’s not the best, good grief! What were the security people doing?」

「The person in charge of security is Your Excellency though」

「That sort of quibble is—eh? Are (huh/eh)? You’re—」

Perhaps Sigibert who had thrown off his mantle, which was covered in mud and became very heavy, and stood up then finally realised that the other parties weren’t his subordinates; he scratched his head with a “pori pori” as he kept opening his mouth halfway.

「Ah—… Richternach-kyou, and even… Costacurta-geika as well. Why in the world are the both of you here?」

「We were searching for Your Excellency together with Diaghilev-geika」

「Eh?」

「Your Excellency was kidnapped from the inn by the hands of the thieves. …Do you not remember?」

Sigibert bent his mouth into a “he (へ)” character and groaned at Clotilde’s question.

「…I certainly remember that someone seemed to have broken in through the window, but I was suddenly covered with something and couldn’t see anything, after that—when I realised, I was here」

「In any case, let’s return to the town. Puyol-geika must be worried as well」

「Ah, umu…」

Sigibert, who had received Clotilde’s help and straddled a horse, then stared at his right hand and sighed. Maybe he didn’t feel at ease if he didn’t have his favourite riding crop.

Clotilde placed one thief who was tied up on her horse and,

「Let’s leave the remaining thieves here. After we return to the town, we can dispatch a party to apprehend them again」

「U, umu. I also think that that’s good」

Dimitar who had straddled a horse together with Valeria spoke to Sigibert who had cleared his throat and said such a thing now.

「—At any rate, it was truly great that Your Excellency is safe. If something were to happen to Your Excellency, how much would our country’s Isaac-denka have grieved… to the extent that I want to inform him of Your Excellency’s safety with a fast horse even at once」

「Eh ah!? Ah, iya, it’s fine, that kind of thing! T, there’s no need to read too much into things like that, un, no need, no need, no need! After all, there’s no need to go out of the way to cause him to worry!」

Sigibert hurriedly shook his head with a “buru buru”. Certainly, the person in charge of security himself was successfully kidnapped by the thieves; furthermore, he received the a.s.sistance of Valeria whom he should have protected and was rescued, and if this wasn’t handled properly, it might become an international problem and a mess where he besmirched Haiderota’s honour. Most importantly, if this was known by Isaac, it might become an even more depressing situation than a reprimand from the king for Sigibert.

「Costacurta-geika, sorry to trouble you, but may I ask for a light?」

「Ah, hai」

Relying on the magic light that Valeria held up, Dimitar galloped the horse. Clotilde and Sigibert then followed from the rear.

「—Richternach-kyou」

Clotilde who had come shortening the distance spoke in a lowly subdued voice.

「…I’d like you to not say spiteful things to His Excellency too much」

「If that degree is spiteful, then Isaac-denka’s one is a mental torture. —I thought that maybe that sort of exchange was a proof of friends.h.i.+p between the both of them for sure though」

「Richternach-kyou too, seems to be a person who loves sarcasm as much as that His Highness of yours」

「It depends on the time and situation. It was you who tried to make Our Eminence feel embarra.s.sed at the beginning, so I’m also just matching that style. I was told by His Highness to retaliate if I had something done to me」

「That’s…」

When Dimitar mentioned the matter of the dinner time, Clotilde knitted her brows like she was troubled and glanced at Valeria.

He had just observed for slightly one day only, but fundamentally, Clotilde was a person who was too serious and had a strong sense of responsibility. She also earned the trust from her subordinates, and possessed the disposition of someone who led others much more than Sigibert. Most importantly, she seemed to be fastidious and had a high pride.

It most likely wasn’t her own idea, but probably because it was Sigibert’s instruction that such a person would deliberately bring up that sort of topic at the place of the meal. After all, even if Clotilde had the thought of ascertaining the abilities of Valeria’s party, such a malicious method didn’t quite fit her image.

Clotilde inhaled a deep breath and nodded many times.

「…Very well, I guess. I shall talk to His Excellency myself so that such a thing won’t happen hereafter. I don’t want to create unnecessary discord between allies while it’s turning into a situation like this」

「Thanks then」

When Dimitar nodded his head, Clotilde reduced her speed a little and lined up with Sigibert’s horse. She was probably giving a warning to Sigibert immediately. Although he didn’t know whether the party’s visit to Aurillac would advance as planned from now on or not, at least they should be freed from that sort of sarcasm while they were in Haiderota.

「—Oi」

Estimating the time when Clotilde left, Dimitar spoke to Valeria.

「—Just now, if your magic wasn’t on time, I planned to use a huge magic with the resolution of it going out of control. If a similar thing happens again next, and in the case that I really cause it to go out of control, the possibility of you being nearby is high」

「Eh…?」

Valeria twisted her neck and looked up at Dimitar’s face.

「S, so… what?」

「At that time, you must stop me」

「Huh!? “Stop it from going out of control” you say, if I remember correctly, the magic crest—」

It was precisely because she had received teachings from Orvieto in the Magic Academy (Furigana: Prasa Marefikos) that she, as one would expect, seemed to know at least the method to cope with it when magic power went out of control. In the event that magic became impossible to control due to it going out of control, the thing which one should do first was to sever the magic crest that had the flow of magic power—that was to say, damaged the magic crest and magic power normally wouldn’t flow.

「Normally, it’ll be fine with that. However, my magic crest won’t disappear even if you injure my skin」

「Then what should I do?」

「Hit me with all your strength and make me lose consciousness. It was stopped with that last time too」

「”Last time”… Babel-geika?」

「Yes. I suddenly had something done to me with a “gatsun”, so I don’t understand well, but Lucius said that she seemed to have hit me with all her strength with a stone of the extent of an infant’s head. …If Her Eminence wasn’t a master of curing magic, I might have died as it was」

「You… perhaps, the reason for quitting the Chivalric Order is—」

「It seems that various rumours are floating around, but there’s nothing to be said from my own mouth. —I’ve the obligation to keep secrets」

Wiping his right hand which was slippery due to the rain on the thigh of his trousers—it didn’t have much meaning though—Dimitar struck and made the reins resound.

♦♦♦