The Attackers

“Leave this to us, Prince Saryu!”

Mone’s voice cut through the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Mone and Roze turning their horses toward the coachman’s seat.

“Right!”

I answered and guided the black horse as close to the carriage as I could.

The black horse was desperate too, since it did not want to be caught in danger. I felt bad hearing it occasionally neigh, as though calling for Raul.

The man clinging to the carriage roof thrust his head through the window first and peered inside.

Shitoen hurled her bag at him.

It struck him in the face. Well done, Shitoen!

Just as I had ordered, the carriage did not slow down.

Roze and Mone must have been fighting hard. The coachmen desperately kept the horses running.

I controlled the reins with one hand, lifted one foot from the stirrup, and placed it on the saddle. Little by little, I edged closer to the carriage.

It was close.

Barely, but I could make it.

The man faltered slightly from Shitoen’s attack, but he immediately kept hold of the upper window frame and somersaulted into the carriage.

The carriage rocked violently.

The wheels tilted sharply from side to side, and the vibration caused the door to swing wide open. Its fittings came loose, and it fell away.

With a sound like a lightning strike, the detached door bounced and rolled across the stone-paved road before receding into the distance.

Mail screamed.

Shitoen pulled her to her feet, hid her behind herself, and retreated toward the opposite door.

She raised the bag again and struck the man, but this time he did not even flinch.

I checked the distance. I checked the speed. I checked where I would land.

I released the reins and leaped from the black horse, using the leg planted on the saddle as my pivot.

The instant my foot left the stirrup, I sensed the black horse accelerate toward Raul. While silently thanking it for everything, I kicked my legs through the air.

Perfect.

Just as intended, I tumbled into the carriage.

At the same time, I successfully ambushed the man from behind. Or rather, it was practically a full-body tackle. I only managed to stop myself by crashing into his back.

He must never have imagined someone would suddenly slam into him from behind.

The man pitched forward toward Shitoen and Mail, but Shitoen cried, “Ah!” and thrust her fist upward.

Her strike hit the man’s chin like a palm-heel blow, sending him collapsing onto the seat.

Good, Shitoen! Teaching her self-defense at the knight order had paid off!

“You damned flying squirrel. You’ve caused me enough trouble.”

I seized the back of his neck and hauled him up.

The man wore a mask, so I could not see his face, but he shuddered and slashed out with his right hand.

I dodged at the last possible moment. Tch, a knife. Well, I had not expected him to swing a sword around in such a cramped space.

“Isn’t your group supposed to use war clubs?”

When I asked, he silently thrust the knife at me. I casually dodged to the right, but—

“Ah!”

I cried out without thinking.

The man had jumped straight out of the carriage.

“He’s escaping!”

That was Roze’s voice, not mine.

I gripped the door frame and looked outside. The man rolled to absorb the impact, then began fleeing alongside the other two men, who appeared to have jumped down from the coachman’s seat.

“After them! Don’t let them escape!”

When I shouted, several knights pursued the men.

They quickly dwindled into the distance.

The carriage continued accelerating, and our plans were changed so that we returned to the royal palace instead.