Chapter 28 - <8>
Oblivious to all this, Franz, who had been forced into a situation where he had to make decisions on his own, let out a deep sigh.
"Preparation…"
Franz lay listlessly on the bed, lost in thought.
He was bored out of his mind. So much so that his pastime, 'How to Somehow Defeat Ritz', was nearing completion. That's how bored he was.
Siglet would occasionally visit his room to ask what preparations were needed or when they could set out, but each time, Franz would gruffly reply, 'Not yet.'
It had only been a day since he had come here, so he didn't think he needed to rush, but Siglet was probably焦りin his own way, not wanting Rusan to get ahead of him.
"What should I do?"
He wanted to talk to Ritz and Anna. At the very least, he wanted to know what the situation was, whether there was a way to manage with things as they were. He had no idea.
He had never felt so helpless in his life, but for some reason, at this moment, he felt helpless.
Had being with the two of them become too normal? Until now, being alone had been the norm.
Even if it was a careless move, even if it was a spur-of-the-moment idea, he wanted something to break this deadlock. But he knew it was a futile hope. He knew, but he couldn't help but think about it.
"Haa…"
Sighing for the nth time, Franz, in an attempt to change his mood, sat down at the magnificent desk by the window and rested his chin on his hand.
"It's sunny…"
Perhaps because he couldn't go outside, the sunny weather outside was vexing. If it were at least raining or cloudy, he could console himself with the excuse that it was good he couldn't go out.
"Haa…"
Just as he sighed again, a pillar of water shot past his window.
"Water?"
As Franz tilted his head, the hallway started to buzz. The servants and other employees in this house were shouting and running around.
Franz pressed his ear to the door and listened to the servants' voices. The clamorous voices seemed to be shouting 'dragon', 'water pillar', 'monster'.
"Dragon… water pillar… no way!!"
Franz rushed to the window and threw it open. Immediately after, a water dragon shot past.
"Water Dragon! Stupid Anna… what are you doing?"
He was too stunned to speak. What on earth was she planning to do, causing such a flashy scene?
Franz desperately scanned the woods behind the mansion. Of course, it was to find the one controlling the water dragon, Anna.
"…There."
But he couldn't shout to stop her. What on earth should he do…
Looking closely, it seemed Anna wasn't alone. That was probably the innkeeper's daughter, Lira. To involve a child who had never traveled before was unbelievable.
Then, it seemed they had noticed him. They gave a small wave. Of course, Franz couldn't wave back. If that bastard Siglet saw him, it would be a disaster.
Then, Anna abruptly called back the water dragon. Despite having made herself so conspicuous.
"You idiot! Calling it back is like telling them where you are!"
In his frustration, Franz ran his hands through his hair. The one who could summon a dragon was a spirit user of the highest rank. How could a spirit user of the highest rank, of whom there were said to be only a few in a country, be so stupid?
Franz pressed his temples. He was starting to get a headache.
But seeing a creature approaching him, unfazed by the commotion, Franz stopped tearing at his hair.
"Sara…"
Yes, it was the Salamander, Sara. Though a small flame, there was no mistaking her as she walked towards him, carrying something in her mouth. Sara slowly found Franz and walked towards him happily.
"So, the water dragon was a diversion, and this is the real thing, huh?"
He understood what she was trying to do. He understood, but…
"This is overkill."
As expected, Siglet soon noticed the presence of the one controlling it and sent out his subordinates. Naturally, they went into the woods where the water dragon had returned. He could see several of Siglet's subordinates running towards Anna.
"Run, Anna, Lira."
All Franz could do was offer a small prayer. But naturally, his wish didn't seem to be granted. After doing something so flashy, it was only natural.
Adults, several of them, against a child desperately trying to flee. The number of adults just kept increasing. Watching with bated breath, it seemed one of them had been caught.
"…It's Anna."
On one hand, he was relieved it wasn't Lira, but on the other, Franz held his head in his hands with a sense of gloom.
"What are we going to do now?"
Oblivious to Franz's anguish, Sara skillfully climbed the wall and came to him.
"Fra-kee, tega-kee!"
Sara was unusually excited, but for Franz, the situation was nothing but a headache.
"Thanks, Sara."
He managed to thank her and took the letter from Sara while holding his head. Of course, the letter was from Ritz, and it contained instructions for the future. But there was a problem. A very big problem. He opened the letter and sighed.
Now that Anna had fallen into Siglet's hands, this letter was useless. The situation had completely changed.
Thanks to Anna’s flashy actions, it was impossible to delay the day to go to Mrs. Sabatieri's by making up various excuses to Siglet, and even if Ritz negotiated and set the duel for five days later, if the captured Anna confessed something, the duel would be meaningless.
Or rather, it could incite a riot.
What was he going to do if this turned into an all-out confrontation between the townspeople and the townspeople…?
And with Sara here and Anna captured, there were no more spirit users. There was no one left to be a messenger.
What on earth was Anna planning to do?
In truth, Franz knew. Anna probably hadn't thought about anything.
"…My head… hurts…"
Franz pressed his temples again.
At that time, Anna, who had been easily captured, was being dragged by the men.
"Ow, ow, ow, that hurts! Let go of me!"
Anna cried out as her single large braid was pulled. Her hands were tied with a rope, and she couldn't move freely. If she held the base of her braid, the pain would lessen considerably, but that wasn't allowed either.
She had carelessly gotten caught. It was a failure. The fact that Lira had frozen in fear was the initial failure, but ultimately, it was Anna’s fault for bringing Lira to this place in the first place.
The only good thing was that she had been able to tell her about Franz's room before Lira escaped. Now they could use Sara as a messenger.
Thinking that, Anna finally realized. If Franz was caught and Anna was caught, who would be able to use Sara?
For the first time, the color drained from Anna’s face. This meant that if Anna was caught, it would all be for nothing. In other words, Anna had ruined the plan herself.
Anna turned pale. She had to somehow prevent the situation from becoming the worst it could be.
She thought with all her might. For now, she had to talk her way out of it. But that would mean lying. But right now, she was working to help people, so this was a good lie. It's okay, it's not a problem.
After convincing herself of that, Anna began to think about the problem. Franz couldn't leave this house. Since he had been taken away, he was probably forbidden from meeting anyone.
If that was the case, Anna shouldn't say she came here to meet Franz. It would be very bad for her, as the older one, if Franz got scolded or treated badly. The older one had to help the younger one.
So, what should she do? She had never thought about deceiving people like this before, so her head felt like it was turning to pudding.
What would Ritz do?
When she thought that, Anna suddenly remembered the warmth of Ritz’s arms when he had lifted her up this morning.
Just like her foster father, Ritz’s arms were warm and comforting.
Father?
Something flashed in Anna’s mind.
That's it. Let's make Ritz her father. That way, her coming here might not be to see Franz. That way, she wouldn't get Franz into trouble, and she felt that Ritz would be fine even if he got into a little trouble.
If Ritz was her father… why was Anna here? What reason would the daughter of a mercenary hired by Rusan have for being here?
Think, Anna, think.
While panicking, she told herself to think, and as she was thinking desperately, the hand that had been gripping Anna suddenly loosened. Just as she thought she was relieved, she was pushed away in the next moment.
"Ouch!"
Anna was suddenly thrown at someone's feet and tumbled. The floor was a soft carpet, but being pushed with such force, her face scraped against it and it hurt.
"Well, well, I wondered who it was, but it's a cute little girl."
At the cold voice, she looked up to see a skinny man with sharp eyes looking down at her.
"…"
Anna knew intuitively that this man was Siglet. To borrow Lira's words, he was a twisted person, and she certainly got that impression. No, no, she shouldn't judge people by their appearance. There shouldn't be any truly bad people in this night.
"You shouldn't be rough with a girl."
Even when Anna complained, the man just smirked.
"Hey, bring the guest."
At Siglet's word, several men left. The guest was probably Franz. She had to think of a good excuse to say she wasn't Franz's companion before he arrived.
Since Siglet didn't even let her get up, Anna took this opportunity to make a pained face and rack her brain.
And she came up with one thing. A way to get out of this without involving Franz.
"You control something quite impressive, don't you?"
Perhaps to kill time while they waited, Siglet spoke to Anna with a smirk. When she looked up, Siglet was looking down at her with a mocking expression.
Was he planning to threaten Dill’s mother like this too? She couldn't allow that.
"…"
"Silent, are you?"
Anna glared at Siglet from where she lay on the floor. Her motto was to hate the sin but not the sinner, but she had gotten angry at this man. She couldn't help but repent in her heart.
Their silent staring contest continued for a while, but it was interrupted by the opening of the door.
"We've brought him."
It was indeed Franz. She could see him catch his breath for a moment at the sight of Anna pinned to the floor by a man.
"Well, well, do you know each other?"
Siglet gave a cruel smile. She could see the expressionless Franz clench his fists tightly. He was probably regretting letting his expression show for even a moment. If she could speak, she'd want to say 'sorry', but if she did, he'd probably get even angrier.
"I don't know this person."
Franz said in a stiff voice. But Siglet didn't believe him.
"So, it seems Rusan had a hand in this after all. But this is perfect. If you don't obey my orders, I'll make this girl suffer. What do you say?"
Franz was at a loss for words. He seemed to be confused by the sudden turn of events. If this continued, Franz might be harmed. Anna took a small breath and desperately put her plan into action.
She rolled on the floor like a bagworm and inserted herself between the two of them.
"Wait a minute!"
"! What are you doing?"
Siglet was flustered by the sudden interruption. Looking at his face, she spoke politely.
"You're wrong."
"What?"
"Franz just came to this town with me."
"?"
At Anna’s sudden statement, everyone in the room turned to look at her. She had never done anything like this before, so she was so nervous her heart felt like it would jump out of her mouth.
"You're wrong. We're not companions anymore, so it has nothing to do with him."
Anna was desperate. It was no joke to be threatened because of her.
"Then why did you do such a thing?"
When the inevitable question came, Anna composed herself. I'm sorry, Goddess, I'm going to lie, she apologized in her heart, then glared at the frowning Siglet and looked him straight in the eye.
"Isn't it obvious? I came to see the face of the person who's getting in my papa's way!"
"Papa?"
Even Franz raised his voice. He seemed to be quite surprised by her words, but from Anna’s desperate expression, he seemed to have realized something.
Incidentally, the reason she called Ritz 'papa' instead of 'father' was due to Lira's influence. She thought it would sound more like something a girl of this age would say.
"Well, who is this papa?"
Undeterred by Siglet's cold gaze, Anna said.
"My papa is currently hired by Rusan-san. He said you were the enemy, mister!"
At Anna’s desperate lie, Siglet, his suspicious expression unchanged, nodded as if he had understood something. He seemed to have something in mind. She was relieved she hadn't had to think of any more excuses.
"Hmph, well, it doesn't matter. Whether you're Franz-kun's friend or the daughter of the man hired by Rusan. Either way, you're a hostage."
"…My papa is strong! If he gets really angry, he'll beat you up in a flash, mister!"
Aside from replacing Ritz with 'papa', Anna was almost completely serious. She hadn't lied one bit. Anna believed from the bottom of her heart that Ritz would somehow manage.
"…You don't look like you're joking."
Siglet said this and glared at Anna with a vexed expression. Anna glared back, not losing. Anna couldn't forgive people who did bad things.
"Well, no matter. I had been planning to settle things with that dirty Rusan who sends such spies soon anyway. This just speeds things up."
"Then release her. She has nothing to do with this conflict."
At Franz's strained words, Siglet gave a thin smile.
"I can't let the girl go, Franz. Your shock was genuine. Even if this girl is the daughter of the mercenary with Rusan, it seems she is important to you."
"…What are you going to do to Anna?"
Perhaps realizing he could no longer say he didn't know her, Franz called Anna’s name. Anna didn't know if this was a good thing, but there was nothing else she could do.
"I'll settle things with that bastard Rusan. The negotiations for the treasure will come after that. I'll have you risk your life and fight that man over there. I'm not one for violence, but if you lose, I'll make sure this girl's face is never seen again."
At Siglet's words, one of the men took a knife from his pocket and held it to Anna’s face.
"Stop it!"
The usually expressionless Franz shouted. He seemed to be shaken. It was scary, but the feeling of guilt was stronger. Come to think of it, this was Anna’s fault.
I'm sorry, Franz, she apologized in her heart.
Anna knew that if Ritz and Franz fought for real, Franz would be cut down in an instant. And since Anna was being held here, she couldn't use the Earth Arrow or Wind Arrow that were meant for emergencies.
"I'll fight. If I win, you'll release Anna, right?"
"Of course."
"You won't go back on your word?"
"I won't. What do you say?"
"Franz…"
Franz gave Anna a deep, silent nod. It seemed Ritz and Franz would really have to fight.
"However, my opponent is strong. I need to prepare. There are some things I need you to buy for me."
Siglet raised the corner of his lip slightly and nodded.
Meanwhile, Lira, who had returned to the inn, was clinging to her father, Net, and crying as she recounted the events. Net, who at first didn't understand what had happened, turned as pale as a sheet when he understood the situation.
It was only natural for him to be shaken, as all three of the masterminds behind this duel were now unable to move.
"Lira, is that true?"
No matter how many times Net asked for confirmation, Lira could only nod. After crying hysterically in a panic for a while, she began to calm down a little.
"I'm thirsty…"
She muttered between sobs and wiped her tears. She had to calm down. Before Anna was caught, she had asked her to tell Ritz if anything happened.
If she didn't keep her promise to Anna, Anna, her important people, and Dill's mother would all be in trouble.
"Here."
Lira reflexively took the water held out to her and drank it down.
"Haa…"
"Calm now?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
The one who had given her the water was not Net, but Dill. Though a little pale, Dill was there with a much calmer expression than before. He looked a little more reliable.
Because her father, Net, had not yet fully recovered. He had never been in a situation like this before, and originally, he shouldn't have been in one after this either.
As Lira wondered what to do, Dill spoke in a firm tone.
"We should contact Commander Hellebore, right?"
"Dill…"
Surprised, she looked at Dill. Dill was looking straight at Lira and Net.
"If Anna can't move, I have to do my best, right?"
In the eyes of the two who looked at him in surprise, a different expression than usual was reflected. Though he had made up his mind, his voice was slightly trembling. Lira, looking closely, saw that his clenched fist was also trembling slightly.
But Dill continued to speak.
"Because they're doing it all for my mom. So I have to do dangerous things too, I'm sure."
At Dill's words, Lira was inspired. She remembered Anna’s words in the second floor of the weapon shop. Even if it's dangerous and forbidden, there are times when you'll regret it if you don't do it… Anna had said that.
"I want to protect my mom myself."
"Dill."
"Because my dad said so. He said since I'm a boy, I have to protect my mom."
At Dill's firm declaration, Lira was also spurred into action. This was undoubtedly that time. So they had to do their best. This was no time for crying. Now it was Lira and Dill's turn to do their best. After all, the three of them had just been dragged into this town's mess; the real parties involved were the two who lived in Faldina.
"But Dill, what are you going to do?"
When Lira asked, Dill answered with confidence.
"I'm not strong in a fight, and I'm not a smooth talker. But I'm good at climbing trees and mountains."
Since Lira was his only friend, he always played in the mountains behind his house when he was alone. Lira knew that. Lira, who had little time to play with other children because of her business, also often played with Dill.
Since his family was not wealthy, his playthings were things that ordinary children didn't have… a rope from the warehouse at home and an old hatchet.
Because of that, his playing was mostly limited to mountain climbing, tree climbing, and cliff climbing.
But what did that have to do with anything? As she tilted her head, Dill declared firmly.
"I'm going to sneak into Siglet-san's house."
"Whaaat?!"
"What did you say?"
Lira and Net exclaimed in surprise at the same time. They had never dreamed that such words would come from the mouth of Dill, who they had always thought of as timid.
"Wait, Dill, that's reckless! There are a lot of scary people in that house, you know? If you get caught, you don't know what will happen!"
He flinched for a moment at Lira’s shouted words, but after a while, he looked up again.
"Then, I'll bring a lot of sandbags. Small ones. I'll throw them at the scary guys' faces. I'm good at throwing stones too."
Lira looked at Net for help. Net just had a bewildered look on his face.
"Anna told me I'm not a kid who can't do anything. And she said if someone helps you, you have to help them next time. I'm going."
With a still slightly trembling voice, he declared his resolve. Lira no longer knew what to say. Net was probably the same.
"Alright, Dill, I'll go too."
Net, finally giving in, said this and looked at Dill. But Lira interrupted him.
"No way! Ritz-san said he wants you to keep the shop open as usual so people don't think this inn is suspicious!"
"…I see…"
Net fell into thought.
"As Dill says, we should talk to Commander Hellebore. Dill, listen, if you get caught, say this: 'I was going to get revenge on the guy who was trying to bully my mom'."
Net explained in more detail to the confused Dill and Lira.
"If it gets out that Dill is a companion of the two who were caught, what will happen? It will just put the two of them in a worse position, right?"
Dill gave a small nod. Lira also nodded. That's right, it could cause more trouble for the three of them. Seeing that the two understood, Net continued his explanation.
"If Dill says that, he should be able to get out without being thought of as a companion of Anna-chan or Franz-kun. If he can't, I'll have Commander Hellebore go to Siglet-san's house to pick him up."
"So, mister, is it okay for me to go?"
After hearing the explanation, Dill timidly asked Net. Net nodded with a serious expression.
"I know that there are times when a man has to go. Lira's mother loved that kind of man."
Lira and Dill's eyes widened.
"Did that happen to you too, Dad?"
It was hard to believe coming from her current, rather timid father, but Net nodded gravely.
"Of course. There are battles that a man absolutely cannot run from."
Then, Net whispered something in Dill's ear. Dill turned bright red and looked down, fidgeting.
"What are you two men whispering about?"
Lira said, somewhat annoyed. Net cleared his throat and continued as if nothing had happened.
"Listen, you'll sneak in after Ritz-kun brings some kind of plan."
"Okay. I know."
"You have time until then. For now, prepare to sneak in and help me with the shop."
"Okay."
Net, satisfied with Dill's obedient nod, stroked his bald head. Lira was curious about the secret conversation just now, but she didn't feel like asking.
It was definitely something stupid.
Net, who had finally calmed down and was heading to the kitchen, suddenly stopped. He grinned like a child who had thought of a prank.
"Dill, I'll make you a bomb bag."
"A-a bomb bag?"
At the surprised Dill, Net grinned while stroking his beard.
"I'll blend a generous amount of pepper and other spicy powders and stuff it in a bag."
"Okay!"
Dill also smiled brightly.
"Well, it's late today. We can't move until tomorrow anyway. Let's just rest today."
"Aww!"
At Net's unexpected words, Dill and Lira pouted in dissatisfaction.
"I won't take any complaints. Come on, let's eat and sleep. Everything will happen tomorrow."
Come to think of it, Lira was hungry. Looking at Dill, it seemed he was too. She was worried about Anna, but it was also true that panicking wouldn't help. Lira, the daughter of a merchant, remembered a certain phrase.
'A hasty street performer has few earnings.'
"Okay. I understand."
Net placed a hand on Lira’s shoulder as she collapsed into a chair, her strength gone.
"It's okay. Anna is a companion of that Ritz-kun and Franz-kun. She's much stronger than us."
Lira let out a big sigh at Net's words.
"You're right. That's right…"
"Yup."
That day, each with their own anxieties and worries, the night wore on.