Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

161 – A Preemptive Measure

Not only the Holy Knights

present at the scene,

but even Sister Siren,

who prided herself on having travelled

far and wide for treatments,

He stood there, jaw slack, just staring straight ahead.

“Hmm? Haha, why is everyone so stiff?”

“…You, did you even

call for the Saintess? You madman–”

“No, I never said to bring the Saintess…”

Three dukes

were slowly walking toward them.

Leaving behind the

utterly ruined

remnants of the manor.

Crack–

Behind them,

a fractured stone pillar crumbled,

followed by a cascade of collapsing timber.

Crrrrraack–

Riiiipp–

With each piece of rubble that

tumbled from the stone heap,

now no longer a manor,

the mouths of the holy knights and nuns

gaped even wider,

because they knew well

who that manor

belonged to.

“C-Commander, that manor… could it be?”

“…Silence.”

“I-Is it true? No… why–”

“I said, silence…!!”

Some of the holy knights

stole furtive glances,

but none of them

would dare utter the

truth with their own lips.

Why?

Isn’t it obvious?

Who would dare ask?

Especially to those three

dukes walking toward them

from afar.

“We greet the dukes.”

“We can only apologize for

involving the Saintess in such a matter.”

“No, without a single word of consultation with us…!”

“Nay, I thought for sure

someone would be gravely hurt…”

I wager, unless one held

their own life as naught,

none would dare

insert themselves there so brashly.

Though now, upon their faces,

not a shadow of unease

seems to linger,

the aura about them

speaks that their mood

is anything but pleasant.

Hee-hee-hing—

The horse wills not draw any closer to them.

A certain heaviness

permeates the air nearby,

and despite the broad daylight, gooseflesh erupts upon my skin.

Due to an inexplicable chill

that begins to constrict them.

“Saintess, please step back for a moment…”

“Pardon? What is amiss?”

Yet these are they

who bear the duty of guarding the Saintess,

those who, should even the slightest

influence threaten her well-being,

must cast aside their lives

to eliminate the cause.

Once again, that truth

resounding within their minds,

they drew the Saintess away,

separating her from the dukes.

Even should their actions

become subject to criticism later, it mattered not.

For presently, nothing

outweighed the safety

of their Saintess in their eyes.

Thus, by the holy knights,

the Saintess, who had been

engaging in conversation,

in a manner quite amicable with the other dukes…

He distanced himself from them by a few paces,

and the first to

crease his brow at the action

was none other than Duke Rüniel.

“…Paladin Commander, what

is the meaning of that?”

His voice held a trace of fatigue,

but even that alone was enough.

Voice was a medium

that was never

insufficient for holding magic.

Wooong—

With that single word from her,

the air vibrated to the very bone,

and accordingly the paladins’

pauldrons began to shake

wildly, as if a rubber band were stretched

long and then snapped back.

A clear sign that she was angered.

A retribution against those who dared

to regard themselves as enemies

before the Saintess.

“Krrhk…!”

“S-Saintess…”

Despite the madly trembling

air and the resulting

pressure,

the paladins’ heads

were turned only

toward their Saintess,

as if they would

throw away their lives

to protect the Saintess.

For the briefest moment, Rüniel

caught a glimpse of madness

bearing the name of will.

“What is this you are doing to the Saintess…!”

Eisen, commander of the

Paladin Order currently

guarding the Saintess.

As expected of a commander…

The title, it seemed, was rolled by dice,

or so it appeared.

Unlike the other paladins,

he alone remained standing,

unbowed. Which is to say,

he alone was in a state

to speak. And furthermore,

he alone held the key

to the paladins’ escape

from this predicament.

“Saintess?”

“Y-yes… Duke.”

Surveying his knights, sprawled

about him, the Iron Knight Commander

reached a single conclusion:

Now was not the time

to flaunt the Order’s might.

To further provoke her

would endanger not only

his men, but perhaps

even the Saintess herself.

Of course, no Imperial

Duke would ever be permitted

to lay hands upon the

Saintess’s sacred person, but

one could not dismiss

the worst possibilities.

“Ha, playing games, aren’t we? The Saintess is right here, unharmed.”

“…?”

“L-Lord Iron? What is the meaning of…”

Yet, contrary

to his expectations,

the Saintess before him

appeared perfectly fine.

Those fragile legs

had not buckled in supplication.

That slender arm,

it didn’t tremble even once.

Nor did she seem to suffer

the sort of pain that demands

a jaw clenched tight.

She simply breathed divine power

into the knights who fell, one after another, before her.

As if there was no pressure,

no obstacle to speak of.

Even though the distance

between her and I was less than a meter.

Even as she moved to other knights, channeling her light.

Her expression didn’t

falter in the slightest.

‘Is this…even possible?’

“Why, did you think I

couldn’t control even this small amount

of mana without harming

the Saintess?”

“Khrrr…ugh!”

“Sadly, I have no such

intentions, you see.”

“Ho…how…”

“What angered me

was your rudeness in judging

me a threat in the first place.”

There’s no need to drag in

those who aren’t relevant.

*Squeeeze─*

The moment her words ended,

the pressure intensified.

As if to punish them for

attempting to gloss over this situation

with concern for the Saintess’s safety,

instead of apologizing for

their disrespect.

Even if they were entrusted with

the Saintess’s protection,

there were lines that should not be crossed,

and even if they had stepped over that line,

Even so, to attempt to brush it aside

without a single word of apology was a reprehensible act.

‘Humbly…I accept it.’

“Hmph…”

“Come now, surely something like this

can be overlooked?”

Knowing the truth of that well,

the Commander of the Eisen Knights

ceased any further resistance altogether,

and Charlotte, while observing

his demeanor silently,

would not let things stand.

To respond any more harshly

held too great a possibility of later

complications with the Order.

*Click*.

The sound as his fingers snapped, and at once

her mana, which had been enveloping

the surroundings, vanished completely.

No matter how skilled a mage Lnuiel was,

if it was merely mana

scattered loosely about,

even he could gather it up

without much difficulty.

“…Tch, I’ll take my leave first.

I’ll see to the wound separately.”

“Ah…excuse me…”

“We shall meet again, Saintess.”

*Shhh…*

Her body began to crumble,

starting from the tips of her toes.

Like snowflakes,

scattering white into the air.

As all eyes were drawn

to the astonishing spectacle,

a timely gust of wind

snatched up all the snowflakes,

and Duke Lnuiel vanished

from that place entirely.

“Ughhh…”

“C-Commander… what is…?”

“…Prepare to write your statements

later, you lot.”

“Y-yes?”

And so, she vanished without a whisper.

The paladins, who couldn’t quite

control their own bodies,

began to regain their senses one by one.

Thankfully, their

bodies showed no other

abnormalities, and they

were healthy enough not to

require the Saintess’s healing.

“…I end up cleaning everything, Iris has already left too…”

And after intently observing

the spot where she departed,

Charlotte, the Duchess,

let out a heavy sigh and

turned her body back to the Saintess.

The Saintess, though she didn’t

show it, was inwardly

tense at the Duchess Charlotte’s

frame, which seemed to tower

a full head taller than her own.

“Saintess, thank you for

coming all the way here.”

“A-ah… yes.”

“That matter just now… haha,

a rather unpleasant

incident occurred just before.”

“Y-yes…”

“And originally, there was

a task you were supposed to help with…”

“I-is it already too late?!”

“Ah, that’s not the case.

The wretch escaped, you see.”

“E-escaped?”

A patient, so grievously wounded

that they required the Order’s

healing, yet choosing to

flee.

From her perspective,

it was a rather

unbelievable story, though.

Having listened to the Duke’s continuing tale,

I found myself thinking it could very well be so.

“He is, after all, now in the position of a criminal.”

“..Ah.”

Yes, well, if he’s a criminal.

It is only fitting, perhaps.

The Order exists, at its heart,

for the sake of those who are good and ordinary.

There’s no need to be merciful

to criminals who inflict

exploitation and violence on others, is there?

Though, of course, if the possibility

of repentance and contrition

were to be seen in them, the story would change.

“Hmm…but I hadn’t expected

even the Saintess herself to come to such a place.”

“Ah…that is…”

“I confess, I am surprised;

at most, I figured they’d

send a high-ranking bishop.”

“…”

“Or… perhaps there was some reason

you specifically wished to come here?”

“Ah… no! It’s not that!!”

How could I possibly say it?

That there was a man here,

one I felt shouldn’t be left alone,

and so I came all the way here myself.

“Haha, I understand.

This old man will take his leave now.”

“No… I truly mean it’s not… eh?”

Drip, drip, drops of blood fell.

From the area of his chest.

And quite a considerable amount,

even at a fleeting glance.

A quantity of bleeding

that simply could not occur,

unless something, somewhere,

had gone terribly amiss.

“Uhm… are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, this isn’t my blood.”

“…?”

“If I find that b*stard,

I’ll contact you.”

“..Yes?”

“Because at that time, you will certainly be able to be healed.”

Leaving those cryptic words to the Saintess,

He received a very minimal

amount of healing and vanished, and

suddenly alone, the Saintess

began to take in the wreckage of the demolished mansion

far in the distance, while

the Holy Knights slowly regained their senses.

*

“Doberman?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Relay this to His Majesty.”

“What…?”

“Reinhardt has fled,

sword in hand.”

“….”

“Tell him to take precautions,

as there may be trouble later.”

“Your command will be obeyed.”