Vol 2 Chapter 14.2 (1/2)
2nd Volume, 14th Chapter 【The Designated Quest】 2nd Part
――Afterward, there was nothing special――It was calm and peaceful.
I downed the black tea, which Logins-san brought, *guit* in one gulp. The black tea here was as delicious as ever.
When a florid scent tickled my nose, I turned my sight around.
N? Lim, who would always relish its flavour, wasn’t trying it out today…
「There’s… some kind of smell…」
「Really? I can’t sense it at all.」
Upon Lim’s words, Marita held herself back from drinking it and tried to notice the smell.
Seriously? Has it expired? It tasted delicious, though.
「…The tea may have gone stale… I’ll have it replaced right away. By the way, how was the lunch today, Marita-sama?」
「Ehehe, to tell you the truth, I exchanged it with Seiji’s bento under a mutual agreement…」
The agreement was post exchange, though. She was just acting like a good kid in front of Logins-san.
Right after the gentle laughter resounded inside the room――I felt a sense of incongruity which I couldn’t put my finger on.
――Something… was strange…
There was still some time till dusk, yet――――
――――Wasn’t the mansion unusually quiet?
It was as calm… as midnight…
――The moment that question crossed my mind, the footsteps of someone running echoed inside the corridor.
Those presumptuous footsteps felt abnormal. I laid caution bare and whipped my sword out.
The air carried tension with it to Marita. The little girl held her breath and peeked.
――The next instant, the door as if kicked was thrown open. What appeared were――two suspicious people with their bodies clad in black mantles and their faces masked.
What’s going on…? I mean, where are the guards…?
「Ooh, everyone really is asleep~ there can’t be any job as easy as this.」
「You, can’t you see a human moving in front of you? Secure the target right away. As for the obstacles… get rid of them…」
Asleep…? No, it’s not the time to think about such things… Their target must be Marita.
They didn’t seem to be friendly.
I tried to confirm the status of the enemy… but I couldn’t…
Because their faces are hidden behind the masks?
It wasn’t a skill that could see through someone hidden under cover. Since they had their faces completely hidden, it was impossible.
One of them, who was confirmed to be a woman from her voice, took a whip out.
What’s that… Whip Arts…? Does such a Skill even exist?
――Calm down. I must concentrate on the enemy in front of me.
Unless I grasped a Skill, I couldn’t steal it. So, there was no use in deliberating.
If I read the enemy’s strengths with my own eyes――
――――It would be my victory.
「Lim, protect Marita. I will keep them company.」
To test the ability of the enemy, you would throw your strongest piece. Because the objective of the enemy was not clear, Marita would have to kept away from damage.
…When I took a peek at Logins-san’s status, he had fairly high combat skills. Therefore, I would be glad if he provided reinforcement. However, to keep Marita safe, I had to keep myself from being nearby her.
「Hey, hey. Does this guy… intend to take us on…?」
「You, too, get ready. Don’t make light of your enemy, or you’ll get into trouble.」
…I had been reduced to a guard… Adventurer was fine, too… However, what I always longed for was―――a knight 「……Naa!」
While spitting such words, I kicked the floor hard and bounded.
Although Marita’s room was too big to live in――――it was too good to fight in.
I ate the distance to the enemy completely and shook my sword off.
The target of my first attack was not the woman holding the whip――but the man next to her.
「Uoo――」
The man faintly groaned, but he caught the attack with the weapon which he already had set up underneath his mantle.
I see. So, the man’s weapon was… twin swords, huh…?
Two somewhat long, somewhat short [swords]… geared with my sword at the last moment giving sparks off…
As for the strength, mine was higher… I would be able to press him…
「Wait… What’s with this guy? Don’t you think I should have known about this beforehand?」