Chapter 29 - <9>
The butler had summoned him, and Ritz was on his way to the reception room. It was an unexpected visitor, he’d been told, but the only guests he could imagine coming here were Anna and Lira.
But they shouldn’t have had any reason to come here today, of all days. If that was the case, then what was this about…? He could only hope his bad feeling was wrong.
He quickened his pace slightly, opened the door to the reception room, and found Lira there. Anxious, yet sitting upright without looking down, her presence stirred a flicker of unease in him.
The other person who should have been there was missing.
"Lira… where's Anna?"
At his question, Lira’s face fell. He had prayed his bad feeling was wrong, but Lira being here alone meant his premonition had come true after all.
"Ritz-san, Anna…"
Lira trailed off, as if struggling to find the right words. But that alone was enough for Ritz to guess what had happened.
"She was captured, wasn't she? By Siglet."
Lira nodded grimly.
"I knew it. Anna used the Water Dragon…"
Ritz's murmur made Lira's eyes go wide.
"How did you know?"
Ritz managed a wry smile as he explained.
"She said she'd stand out so Franz could find her, right? And of all the spirit magic she can use, the Water Dragon is the only one that's flashy enough."
It was the one trick he'd hoped she wouldn't use, but he knew she probably would. That's why he had been praying in his heart that she wouldn't.
Ritz could only let out another bitter smile.
"She's a top-tier spirit user, a dragon user. So she should be able to use lower-level skills too…"
Ritz had no choice but to groan. It seemed that once this was all over, despite not being a spirit user himself, he would have to teach Anna a thing or two about using spirit skills.
They'd have to start over from the very, very basics, just like Franz: a Water Sphere.
"Ritz-san?"
"Sorry, sorry. I was just lost in thought."
With a wry smile, Ritz sighed again. She could have thought of some other way, but her tendency to act immediately on an idea was, depending on the time and place, a very bad habit.
Couldn't she have thought of lighting a small bonfire, or throwing a rock against a wall? There were other options.
Well, no use dwelling on it now that it's come to this.
"Ritz-san, what should we do?"
Lira's question sent Ritz deep into thought. What kind of story had Anna concocted? She probably hadn't used the most dangerous line: "I'm one of Franz's companions."
She wasn't that foolish… probably.
If she said that, the suspicious man would have thrown her in a cell right alongside Franz. That meant there was a high probability she'd claimed to be one of Rusan's people.
If that was the case, there was a chance they'd let Franz off the hook. Then, they should be able to somehow move forward with this plan.
"She probably said she was working for me."
And Franz would have undoubtedly gone along with it. That would make it easier to course-correct. He had to believe it. Or rather, since it was the only move he had, he had no choice but to believe it.
In that case, Siglet might be the one to challenge them to a duel. That would make things simple. They could just say they needed time to prepare and set the date for a day when the inspectors from the Royal Capital were likely to have arrived.
"Still, to think I've now lost contact with Anna, too…"
Ritz scratched his head in utter exasperation and fell into thought for a moment. Lira hesitantly spoke to him.
"Um…"
"Hm? What is it, Lira?"
Ritz waited patiently as Lira fidgeted, looking as though she was finding it difficult to speak. At last, Lira looked up.
"I might be able to get in touch with Anna or Franz-san. But… I think I'll only be able to pass them a letter from our side."
After staring at Lira blankly, Ritz’s expression hardened. He asked her seriously.
"How?"
Lira looked down again, looking a little troubled, but raised her head faster than before.
"Dill… said he'd sneak in."
"Dill?"
As he said this in a tone mixed with surprise and disbelief, Lira conveyed the extent of Dill's resolve. At Net’s words—that sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do—Ritz felt his strength leave him.
"Hahahaha, that old man again…"
He wanted to tell him to stop the kid in situations like this, but there was no helping it now. It didn't seem possible to change Dill's mind without speaking to him directly. Besides, if he tried to stop him, the boy, likely all fired up, would probably just sneak into the mansion on his own.
In that case, it would be better to know about it and offer some advice.
"Alright, let's bet on Dill. You're a girl, Lira. You don't need to do anything else dangerous."
"But Anna is a girl, too."
Ritz gently placed a hand on Lira's pouting head.
"You and Anna have both done your best. So now it's the men's turn. From here on out, leave it to Dill, your father, Captain Hellebore, and me and Franz."
Lira nodded, though her face remained anxious.
"Alright, I guess I'll write a letter!"
Ritz said, then helped himself to a quill pen stored on a board in the reception room. He then reached into his breast pocket for the flame-retardant paper.
Just then, the door to the reception room was thrown open with tremendous force.
For a moment, he tensed, thinking someone had overheard their conversation and was about to harm them, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"R-R-R-Ritz-kun! Th-th-th-this is terrible!"
The one who came tumbling in with his round body was Rusan. He always acted high and mighty, but he was probably terrified of being harmed himself. That's why a man like him favored those with power.
For him to be in such a panic surely meant Siglet had arrived with his men in tow. Right now, Ritz was the only person in this house who could put up a proper fight.
"It's Siglet! Siglet is here!"
Just as he thought. Still, what were the gatekeepers doing? Casually letting in a rival was completely useless for a gatekeeper.
But there was no point thinking about Rusan's sloppy crisis management.
Lira, terrified, hid behind a piece of furniture. She must have sensed somewhere that she shouldn't be here.
"I have no recollection of being on a first-name basis with you."
A gaunt man with sharp eyes strode in brazenly. His mouth was twisted into a sarcastic sneer. He looked at Ritz and laughed mockingly.
"Hoh. So you were here, mister mercenary."
"…You're Siglet?"
He asked in a low voice, but inwardly, he couldn't help but sympathize with Franz, thinking, Franz must have had a hard time with this guy. He had brought his subordinates with him, but unfortunately, Franz was not among them.
"You're the one Rusan hired?"
"That's right."
At his short reply, Siglet let out a low laugh.
"I came to see what kind of man would use his own daughter as a scout, but you don't look like much."
"My daughter?"
The words were so unexpected that Ritz was genuinely surprised, and Siglet's eyes flashed sharply.
"Don't play dumb! I'm talking about the girl named Anna!"
"That little…!"
She's got some nerve, making me a father without my permission. He'd told her it bothered him because it made him feel old. He'd give her a piece of his mind when she got back safely.
But Siglet seemed to take his words another way.
"Not even worried about your own daughter. You're a cold man."
"I don't recall giving you permission to call me by my first name, either."
Ritz's mind raced. As he'd suspected, Anna had claimed to be working for Rusan. That was a relief in its own way. It seemed Anna did have the ability to think, even on the brink.
This man was holding Anna hostage. To get her back, Ritz would challenge him to a duel. The one to come out would probably be Franz.
His thoughts solidified, but before Ritz could voice them, Siglet glared at Ritz and Rusan and shouted.
"Before I take the treasure, it seems I'll have to settle things with you, Rusan!"
Trading insult for insult, Rusan, hiding behind Ritz, yelled back at Siglet.
"I'd like to see you try! Go on, see if you can beat the mercenary I hired!"
It was Ritz who would be fighting, not Rusan. The saying about a fox borrowing a tiger's authority was a perfect fit.
But on second thought, this was a huge opportunity. If things continued this way, the duel would take place on the day they specified.
"So who's fighting on your side? You?"
At Ritz's obvious and sarcastic question, Siglet sneered back with more sarcasm. Sarcasm clashed with sarcasm. The air around them seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Hmph, the spirit user who was your companion until just the other day."
Ritz frowned. If Franz had even told Siglet about his spirit magic, did he really intend to fight Ritz for real?
Perhaps he was being blackmailed with Anna. But why would he be blackmailed by a man who thought Anna was Ritz's daughter? Just what was Franz planning?
His mind was filled with things he didn't understand.
"He said he'd fight me?"
Ritz asked Siglet, feigning nonchalance, and Siglet replied as if he understood everything.
"Your daughter and the man I hired… those two must have a special relationship, don't they? Especially the man I hired."
If Franz heard this, he might just faint. No, he'd probably just scrunch up his face in utter disgust. Siglet was under the mistaken impression that Franz had feelings for Anna.
"Could that be why you two had a falling out?"
Ritz desperately suppressed the urge to laugh, managing to maintain a disgruntled expression.
His eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, but Siglet seemed to mistake it for an expression of pure rage.
"Well, none of that matters. If you win, I'll return your daughter. And Rusan, I'll let you have the treasure. If I win… you know what happens, don't you?"
Rusan nodded.
"The treasure is yours. I won't touch it again! Is that clear?"
Siglet laughed in a low, resonant voice and nodded.
He understood the situation. Franz probably intended to fight Ritz for real. He would have to come up with a way to counter the flames—or rather, a way to defeat Franz without killing him.
No, before that, if only the inspection team from the Yuresla Army that Heath was bringing would arrive in time…
But for now, he had to consider the worst-case scenario.
Fighting Franz… Franz, who has no real combat experience. Me, a swordsman, a mercenary who has taken countless lives on the battlefield…
A chill ran down his spine at the thought.
He could go on the defensive and not attack… but that would arouse suspicion.
Then again, if he did attack, Franz would take a major blow.
Ritz scowled in earnest. This was a difficult problem.
"…If I'm to fight him, I'll need time. Three days from now, then."
But Siglet didn't nod. With three days, the inspection team might just make it in time. With two days, there was no way, no matter how he calculated. But it seemed Siglet couldn't wait that long.
"Do you really think nothing will happen to your daughter in three days?"
"Tch…"
Anna wasn't his daughter, but she was a precious charge entrusted to him by Anton, and as a member of the Spirit Tribe, she was a kindred spirit to Ritz, a fun traveling companion. He couldn't let her get hurt.
Ritz bit his lip.
Which would come first: the conclusion of the duel, or the arrival of the inspection team…?
The inspection team would probably be later.
"Two days at most… Well, I suppose I can wait that long."
With that parting sneer, Siglet had his subordinates leave the room and was about to follow. Halfway out, he turned back.
"Two days from now, at dawn. The place is Saradio Central Plaza. Let's have the people of this town see clearly for themselves who has the right to claim the treasure. It should be an entertaining show."
With those words, Siglet left. Using a single hostage, Anna, to blackmail both Franz and Ritz into fighting…
Ritz, who was only pretending not to know the situation, could clearly see how dirty Siglet's methods were.
"Ritz-kun, you have to win!"
Rusan gripped Ritz's hand tightly.
"R-Right."
He nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere. How could he defeat Franz without dealing a major blow…?
"Rusan-san, could you leave me alone for a while? I have some things I need to think about."
"To win?"
Ritz felt a little irritated by Rusan, who looked at him with eyes shining with hope, but he supposed it couldn't be helped under the circumstances.
"Of course."
"I'm counting on you! I'll make sure you're well-rewarded!"
With that, Rusan left the reception room. It was a stroke of luck that he was too excited to ask about Anna before he left.
Ritz sighed, relieved to be alone.
"Killing Franz would be easy, though…"
Ritz clutched his head. Franz would likely come at him with everything he had.
He probably couldn't control the Fire Dragon yet, but he would come at him with all his might. In that case, Ritz would need to be extremely careful. By careful, he meant careful on his part.
He would have to pay the utmost attention not to cut him down out of reflex, all while pretending to be fighting seriously.
This time, he couldn't use the trick of fighting with the scabbard still on. For Rusan and Siglet's sake, he had no choice but to draw his greatsword.
"This is a tough one…"
If they were both acting, it would be a simple matter, but with one of them being serious, it would be tricky. And his opponent was Franz, who lost sight of his surroundings when he focused.
As Ritz looked up at the ceiling, he heard a small, trembling voice.
"Are you going to fight?"
"Whoa, Lira!"
That's right, he had completely forgotten Lira was there. And he had been planning to have Dill deliver a letter for him.
"Are you going to… kill Franz-san?"
Lira was trembling uncontrollably. Crap, this was too shocking for a child. Lira was staring at Ritz as if looking at something terrifying.
"With that sword… Ritz-san, are you going to… Franz-san…"
"Don't be stupid. I'm not going to kill him. It's okay."
When Ritz took a step forward, Lira took a step back. He had really scared her.
"Lira…"
Ritz crouched down, meeting Lira's gaze. Though frightened, Lira looked back at Ritz.
"What if, just what if, you had to fight Dill for real, even though you didn't want to? Would you really hit your friend with all your might?"
Lira shook her head vigorously.
"No."
"Right?"
With a slow motion, Ritz pointed to himself.
"Then, do I look like the kind of person who would kill a friend in a situation like that?"
Lira shook her head vigorously again.
"See? It's okay. I'll rescue both Anna and Franz. It's a promise, alright?"
"A promise…"
"Alright?"
At Ritz's smile, Lira finally smiled back.
"Okay."
Relieved, Ritz collapsed onto the reception room sofa. What a tiring day. But it was his fault for carelessly forgetting Lira's presence and speaking about Franz.
"Alright, let's think about what to write in the letter for Dill to deliver."
"Okay."
Their two-person strategy meeting began.
"No good, huh…"
Meanwhile, Franz was standing in the courtyard of the Siglet residence. In one hand, he held a spear. He had asked one of Siglet's subordinates to buy it for him. That same subordinate was now standing behind him, watching over him.
Close-quarters combat against Ritz was a complete disadvantage. If he got close, he'd be cut down.
It was highly unlikely that Ritz would come at him with his full strength. If a man who had served as a mercenary captain came at him for real, the inexperienced Franz's head would be lopped off in an instant.
But there was such a thing as reflex. If he recklessly jumped into Ritz's range, he would surely be cut down with a single swing of the sword, and that would be the end.
That's why Franz chose a spear, which would allow him to avoid getting too close to Ritz. At first, he considered a bow, but he quickly realized that a bow was highly unsuited for one-on-one combat, and Ritz wouldn't have the luxury of time to put on a show.
If Ritz came charging at him, he wouldn't have time to draw the bow. In that case, forget acting; Ritz would have no choice but to cut him down.
With a spear, it was possible that Ritz could buy time by pretending to match him.
Moreover, a normal spear wouldn't do. If it was cut down, it would be over. So he devised a plan.
"This is no good either…"
Franz threw the spear aside. At his feet lay a pile of already scorched spears.
"It's difficult… Am I not good enough…?"
He had been asking himself this over and over. But there was no time. Franz picked up another spear from the towering pile.
"O flame, reside in this spear and aid me!"
The flame instantly enveloped the entire spear. Unable to hold it, he threw it away.
He just couldn't get the flame to reside only on the blade of the spear. It burned all the way to the shaft. He couldn't hold it like this.
Yes, what he was trying to do was enchantment magic. By imbuing a weapon or armor with one's own spirit, one could use it to coordinate the power of the weapon and the flame to attack.
Apparently, it could only be done on weapons made of special materials, but his master, Orphe, had manipulated it skillfully. However, he had never seen him use it on a weapon, its intended purpose.
His master would often imbue a frying pan with a Fire Spirit to make fried eggs or cook ham, or imbue a brush with a Water Spirit to clean the sink.
He was a mess when he did it himself, but when he used spirits, he was oddly skilled. Then again, there was the time he imbued a duster with a Wind Spirit and wrecked the house.
For his master, enchantment magic was a convenient household magic, but when Franz tried it himself, it didn't work at all.
And all he was trying to do was imbue a weapon, its intended purpose, with flame.
"I don't have time. There are only two days left…"
The more he rushed, the worse it went. Franz was caught in a dilemma.
Frustrated, he kicked the remaining pile of spears, and a single, simple yet beautiful, slender spear with a gemstone attached came tumbling out.
"A red gem?"
The beautiful gem shone a deep crimson at the barb of the spear. The spearhead was about thirty centimeters long. The shaft was made of metal.
For a moment, Franz thought it would be a waste to burn it, but the money used to buy this spear wasn't his in the first place. He didn't care.
Franz picked up the spear.
"What, it's light…"
It was as light as the rapier Hellebore had given him. Despite being so long.
The spear was longer than Franz's height. It might even be longer than Ritz's.
"With this length, I can keep my distance…"
Muttering to himself, he examined the spear more closely and realized it was designed to retract.
He tried to retract it somehow, but he didn't know how. As he fumbled around with it, making clattering noises, the spear bent with a sound.
"…What is this?"
Once bent, the spear could be easily retracted. When retracted, it became only about eighty centimeters long.
"?"
Looking closely, he saw that the spear was not made of a single piece of iron. It was made of several dozen thin, strong, silver-colored metal plates layered on top of each other. Franz tried to extend it again.
But this time, it wouldn't extend no matter what. He fumbled with the spear again, but it still wouldn't extend.
"Damn it."
He muttered and swung it, and the spear extended with a shara-ra-ra-ra sound, stopping with a click.
"It extended…?"
Upon closer inspection, he noticed a metal stopper-like object on the barb at the top of the spear, where it met the shaft. When he lifted it, the spear bent and retracted. And to extend it, he had to swing it vigorously. Then the metal would extend with a pleasant sound.
"I can use this… If I can just imbue it with flame."
But if he failed here, this spear might burn up and become useless.
After hesitating for a while, Franz made up his mind and extended the spear.
Focusing his consciousness, he held the spear at the ready, and in his mind, he pictured a blazing flame. Believing this spear was his only hope, he took more time than ever before to create a vivid image of the flame.
His anxiety turned into confidence that it would work. This was the first time this had happened. It would definitely succeed.
"O flame, reside in this spear and aid me."
The flame slowly settled onto the spear's blade. It spread upwards as if igniting from below. The shaft… was completely fine.
"…I did it…"
The spear burned with a gentle flame. A complete success. Franz, who had been staring at it in a daze, noticed two more strange things about this spear.
One was that the gemstone was flickering and shining in response to the flame. The other was the crest carved on the opposite side of the gem.
"A unicorn… Royalty?"
He had just heard about it from Ritz, so there was no mistake: the unicorn was supposed to be the crest of the royal family of the Yuresla Kingdom. And none of the other crests he had explained at the time were there. This alone meant that it was the royal crest.
"Why is something like this here?"
Franz called out to Siglet's subordinate, who had been watching his successful magic in a daze.
"Where did you get this spear?"
The man, realizing he was being spoken to, snapped out of it and answered.
"I went around buying up spears from all over. I don't know where this one came from."
"I see…"
With flame-retardant paper and royal weapons, the weapon shops in this town were full of mysteries.
But if this was really something from the royal family, why was it here? He couldn't understand it at all.
But for now, he had to think about the upcoming duel with Ritz.
"The other spears don't matter. Can you give this one to me?"
Franz confirmed with the man.
He would be悔しい if it were taken away after everything was settled. This might be the only weapon he could handle.
"Yeah, I'll give it to you. I'm not gonna use it anyway."
As the man yawned, looking bored, Franz took out a piece of paper and a pen from his coat pocket.
"Huh? What's that?"
Franz spoke firmly to the bewildered man.
"I need you to state clearly that you are giving me this spear free of charge."
The man was slightly taken aback by Franz's forceful words, but while grumbling, he wrote on the paper, I'm giving you this spear with the stone on it, no matter what happens, and signed it.
"Is this good enough?"
"Yes."
After receiving the paper and confirming the signature, Franz tucked it into his breast pocket, returned to his original spot, extinguished the flame, and began practicing extending and bending the spear.
The man spoke to Franz, looking exasperated.
"You're like a merchant, you know that?"
"…Is that so?"
Franz was amazed at himself for being such an inherent merchant that he would get a certificate even in a place like this. He was doing it unconsciously, so there was no helping it.
It was a habit he had acquired since childhood, and since he had made Orphe sign all their promises on paper, it had become second nature. In Orphe's case, if you didn't write it down and post it, he would completely forget.
His promises with Orphe were childish things like, I will not scatter books around anymore, or I will not accumulate more junk.
"………Contracts are important."
Finding nothing else to say, Franz stated curtly.
Two days until the duel with Ritz. From now on, his practice would be solely focused on how quickly he could extend the spear and how quickly he could cast enchantment magic on it.
"Alright, I can do this."
Franz muttered softly.
Confined, Anna was bored out of her mind.
"Uwaaah, Sara-chan, I'm so bored!"
Anna was locked up in a small room at the top of the mansion. She had no idea how much time had passed. She knew it must be night because it was pitch black outside the window, but what time was it?
The only saving grace was that she wasn't alone, but with Sara-chan.
But Sara-chan was inside the lamp, and even if she let her out, she couldn't pet her. Anna would get burned.
"Hey, Sara-chan, I wonder what happened with Ritz and Franz. When are they going to fight?"
"Fra-kii, Ri-kii!"
"Sara-chan, try saying Anna. A-n-na."
"An-kii!"
"A-n-na. Come on!"
"An-an-kii!"
"Aww, no good, huh?"
When she was bored, Anna would pour her energy into meaningless things.
"Hey Sara-chan, when do you think we'll get out?"
"When-kii!"
Anna sighed. She had learned for the first time that being a hostage was boring.
Normally, one would feel their life was in danger, but Anna knew she would be released somehow if the duel took place, so the sense of crisis was thin.
She had felt a real crisis back in the previous village. That time when she almost died from poison was more dangerous. She knew firsthand that she had been on the verge of life and death. Compared to that, she was now a carefree captive.
"Ugh, I feel like I'm going to rot."
Anna rolled onto the crude bed. She was at least grateful that there was a bed and not just a wooden floor.
"Bored, bored, bored, soooooo booooored!"
"Quiet!"
The door was slammed violently from the outside. There was a guard posted in front of this room. It was the first time the guard had spoken to Anna inside.
"Ehehehe, I got yelled at."
Happy about that, Anna quietly crept towards the door. She slammed her hand against the spot where she sensed the presence.
"Ugh!"
She could tell the guard jumped.
"Y-You brat! Be quiet! You're a hostage, you know that?"
The guard shouted without opening the door.
"But I'm so bored!"
Anna complained to the outside.
"Then go to sleep! It's late!"
Anna enjoyed killing some time with the guard, but after being scolded, she reluctantly moved away from the door and became bored again.
"Booooored!"
"Shut up!"
It was a relief that even the guard was keeping her company. Unlike Ritz and Franz, Anna had no preparations to make, no duel to fight. She was simply a captive.
But how many more days did she have to stay like this? Not knowing was unsettling.
"Aww, isn't there anything to do?"
Just as Anna muttered this, something crossed the window outside.
"What?"
This was the top floor of the house. There was no way a person could cross this window. Thinking it was a trick of the eye, she stared outside again, and something crossed her vision again. It seemed to be swinging.
"A person? No way."
When the swinging stopped, the human-like shadow seemed to have landed near Anna's window.
"Huh, it really is a person?"
Anna whispered in a small voice and quietly opened the window without making a sound.
"!!"
Peeking her head out the window, Anna was speechless. A small figure was moving along a rope that was firmly wrapped around a projection on the roof.
The figure looked familiar. But no, that couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be that person.
Unsure, Anna watched the figure with bated breath, but as the figure slowly climbed towards her, she debated for a moment whether she should hide.
But if, by some impossible chance, that figure was him…
The shadow desperately climbing up became clearer and clearer. Anna gently held up the lamp with Sara-chan inside. Dull blond hair. No way…
The figure, noticing the light, looked up nervously. Their eyes met.
"Di—"
About to shout, Anna clamped her hand over her mouth. Luckily, the guard didn't seem to have noticed. This time, she spoke carefully in a small voice.
"Dill?"
The figure grew larger and larger, eventually reaching Anna's window and stopping.
"Anna, thank goodness. I thought I wouldn't be able to see you."
It really was Dill. Speaking to Anna in a low voice, Dill's cheeks were flushed with nervousness and excitement.
"What are you doing? It's dangerous."
Anna also whispered.
"It's okay. Uncle Net and Captain Hellebore are with me."
"Huh?"
Looking closely, she saw another rope tied to Dill's body in addition to the one he was climbing.
Leaning out the window, she saw that the rope was stretched taut from a projection on the roof all the way down.
"Uncle and Captain Hellebore are holding the end of the rope."
"But it's still dangerous."
Ignoring Anna's concern, Dill smiled proudly.
"I'm best at climbing cliffs, you know. I practice every day behind my house."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
While still trying to calm her pounding heart, Anna asked Dill.
"Why are you here?"
Dill smiled brightly again.
"I've been entrusted with the job of a mail carrier."
According to Dill's story, after consulting with Lira, Hellebore, and Net, Dill, being the most suitable person, was entrusted with this most dangerous job.
"Why did you accept, Dill?"
At Anna's natural question, Dill smiled sheepishly.
"I asked them to let me do it."
"You asked? You, Dill?"
Dill nodded slightly.
"Ritz-san and Franz-san saved me from the bullies. Anna taught me all sorts of things. You were the first to teach me that there are things I can do too. So this time, I wanted to help."
Another reason was that if anyone else had climbed up here, there wouldn't have been enough people to support them from below.
"Here, Anna. From Ritz-san."
Anna nodded and accepted the letter. Ritz's surprisingly neat handwriting was there.
"Thank you."
Dill smiled shyly, then remembered his original purpose and asked Anna seriously.
"By the way, Anna, which room is Franz-san in?"
Anna leaned out the window and looked down.
"Umm, I think it was the one at the far end on the floor below this one."
Dill, having heard this, smiled cheerfully and started climbing down the rope again. Anna watched nervously, but a few minutes later, he easily reached Franz's room.
"Wow, he's really good."
Anna was sure she would fall instantly if she tried. People must be born with at least one talent.
Even from Anna's room, she could see Franz's blond hair peeking out the window as he received the letter. Now she could rest easy.
Dill came back to Anna's window a few minutes later, encouraged her, and climbed down.
Around the time Dill safely reached the ground, the rope that had been wrapped around the top moved strangely, like a living creature, writhing and thrashing about before falling a short while later.
It was probably Hellebore who had tied it. Anna didn't know, but there must be a special kind of knot.
In the mansion, which had returned to its usual quiet state, a relieved Anna opened the letter. With Sara-chan's lamp, reading it was easy.
*To Anna,
You've got some nerve making me a father. You just wait.*
"Oh, he found out?"
*Well, that doesn't matter. The duel is the day after tomorrow. You'll probably be brought to the dueling site as a hostage. In that case, your job is to cast healing magic. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm sure you already know, but use that healing magic on Franz, not me. You can heal me after everything is over.
I'll say this just in case, but I think Franz will come at me for real. I'll hold back, but I might end up injuring him. If that happens, the act is off. I'll release you, so heal Franz right away. See you on the day. Ritz*
"Whoa, they're really going to duel."
It was too much responsibility. Casting healing magic every time Franz got hurt.
But she couldn't get close, could she? The realization made her sigh.
What should I do… This is too hard.
"But I have to try, right?"
Anna steeled her resolve. This was a letter that Dill, who used to be such a crybaby, had delivered. Anna had to make an effort worthy of that.
In any case, as a captive, there was nothing Anna could do at the moment. In that case, there was only one thing Anna could do. Sleep well, eat well, and face the day with energy.
"Good night, Sara-chan."
Meanwhile, Franz, who had no idea about the previous circumstances, was simply amazed that Dill, the bullied crybaby, had climbed the wall to deliver a letter.
"They made me a part of the plan."
Dill said with a smile. He also heard that Hellebore and Net were holding the rope. But he didn't understand the reason he had changed like this.
"Because Anna taught me."
After saying only that, Dill handed the letter to Franz and started climbing the wall again. When he reached the end of the wall, he started climbing the rope.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a window in one of the rooms. An attic room. Franz, looking up, realized that was the room Anna was confined in.
Dill talked with the room's occupant for a while, then climbed down. He caught a glimpse of a braided shadow.
Anna seemed to be safe.
Relieved, Franz closed the window and opened Ritz's letter.
*To Franz,
Siglet came barging in the other day. From what that guy said, it seems you've ended up in a situation where you have to fight for real. I plan to fight just enough not to arouse suspicion. So, I'm going to tell you the direction I'll swing my sword.
I'll swing my sword in a set order. You dodge it. You can come at me with your full strength. I'm more than confident I won't die.*
"I bet you are."
Ritz wasn't the kind of man to be killed by someone like Franz.
*From your perspective, you must dodge my sword in this order: right, right, left, right, left. You can block it if you want. Attack me in between.
The result must be a draw, followed by a rematch. That's the only way. We'll wait for the inspector like this. There's no other way.
I don't know what kind of tricks you'll use, but I'm actually looking forward to it a little. See you at the site. Ritz*
"I see, with this, I should be able to dodge… maybe?"
No matter what happened, he had to remember the direction to dodge and stay calm. But he knew he had a tendency to lose sight of his surroundings when he got worked up. He was aware of that.
He had to fight calmly, without getting carried away.
"Right, right, left, right, left… Right, right, left, right, left…"
Franz chanted like a mantra. Calmly, and composedly. Franz rehearsed the plan over and over in his head.
First, extend the spear while concentrating his mind and cast enchantment magic. When Ritz attacks, dodge in order. If he can, he'll strike back in between.
Even if he strikes back, he has to stay calm so he doesn't forget the order.
"If I forget… I'll be cut down…"
For a moment, a shiver ran down his spine, but he told himself that as long as he didn't forget, it would be fine. Gazing at the starry sky outside the window, Franz decided that he had to spend the entire next day practicing enchantment magic and memorizing the sequence.
He would hate to be killed by his own mistake, especially after his companions had gone to the trouble of devising a plan in a place like this.
The three of them spent the entire next day practicing in their own ways, and finally, the day of the match arrived.