My Sister…

“What I want is only Lady Shitoen’s life. So, Prince, please take that maid over there who has collapsed in fear… and you as well, brave knight, take my sister and flee this tent.”

“You intend to blow yourself up?”

“At first, that was what I had in mind, but… it seems you will not let me.”

She gave a wry smile, which left me exasperated.

“Of course not. I absolutely won’t let Roze leave the tent. As long as your sister is here, you can’t blow yourself up, can you?”

“I see. Then I shall change my method.”

Mone gave a light shrug. Then she faced Shitoen with a serious expression.

“Lady Shitoen. Truly, you are like a celestial maiden.”

Mone closed her eyes and clasped the fingers of both hands together. The sight looked as though she were offering a prayer to Shitoen.

“I will absolutely take you to the heavenly kingdom. Even if evil demons try to block us on the road to the underworld, I will risk my life and surely bring you to the heavenly kingdom. To God’s side. So…”

She quietly opened her eyes and drew her sword.

“Please die here and now. For my sister’s sake.”

“Stop it, Sister!”

I shoved Roze away as she screamed, drew my sword, and swung at Mone’s back.

Sensing my presence, Mone turned around, shifted her sword sideways, and received my blow.

“Eeeeeek!”

I heard Raul scream.

“Sparks!!!! Commander, the sparks are bad!”

Ah, right.

I had been pressing my blade down from above with a grinding sound, but I hurriedly threw my sword away and took distance.

Without a pause, Mone slashed at me.

I dodged to the right. The first attack seemed to have been a feint. Her sword point was not swung all the way through, but changed trajectory and shot straight toward me in a thrust. I took distance with a backstep.

“Commander! Be careful of the lanterns too!”

Raul shouted. That guy was not worried about me at all.

But Mone’s attacks continued.

Instead of raising her sword, she launched repeated thrusts at me.

Of course this was faster than lifting and lowering the sword.

The tip was aiming straight for my stomach with all its might.

Her aim and movements were not bad.

I wanted her in our knightly order.

I moved my body just slightly to the left, and while still empty-handed, I stepped toward Mone.

Mone’s sword passed barely along my left side.

Mone’s right hand was gripping the hilt. I punched it from the side.

The trajectory shifted easily, and Mone’s upper body wavered.

“Tch,” Mone clicked her tongue.

I saw her brace her feet and regain her posture. Would she change her attack?

But.

Mone’s gaze did not leave me.

She would aim with another thrust.

That was what I thought.

Pretending to come at me again, Mone turned her body around and raised her sword toward Shitoen.

“I shall take your life!”

Mone’s voice was like a scream.

“Too naïve!”

I charged toward Mone, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her up.

“Tuck your chin! Curl up your body! Break your fall!”

I shouted at her, then threw her behind me.

Even if she was tall, in the end, she was a woman. She was light. Weight was strength. If weapons were not involved, the heavier one was stronger.

It seemed she heard my warning.

There was a heavy thud, and Raul’s scream of “Gyaaaaaa!” rang out, but there was no sound of bones breaking.

When I quickly checked, Mone was struggling to get up, but she could not move because of a concussion. On top of that…. Sorry. Her bones did not seem to be broken, but when she landed, her right shoulder had come out of place….

Raul quickly jumped on Mone, cut the hemp cord tied around her torso with a short sword while repeating, “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to commit double suicide with the commander,” like a high-speed chant, and hugged the cloth bag filled with gunpowder to his chest.

“Don’t go out!”

Roze clung to Raul’s leg as he tried to carry it out.

“Fire arrows are aimed at this tent! If anyone comes out, they’ll set it on fire right away!”

“Sir Raul! This!”

Shitoen ran over carrying a water pitcher, so Raul gently placed the cloth bag on the ground.

Shitoen poured water over it in splashes.

“…With this…. It should somehow be all right.”

Still hugging the water pitcher with both arms, Shitoen smiled in relief.

“Good grief. We survived…”

Raul collapsed on the spot.

“Sister…!”

Roze ran over to Mone, who was lying on her back and unable to move.

I also approached and looked down at her while standing.

Mone was breaking out in greasy sweat while holding her strangely stretched right shoulder. But her legs seemed to move, and above all, the fact that she was holding her right hand with her left meant that her neck bones and spine were probably not broken. After that, I would have Shitoen examine her, but….

“Is the assassination group that has been targeting Shitoen all this time you people? Crown Prince Arios does not seem to be involved with you…. Who gave the order?”

When I asked, Mone looked up at me while furrowing her graceful brows as if enduring the pain.

“I do bear resentment and hatred toward that person, but… above all, that person raised me and my sister until now. I want to repay that debt. I cannot say the name.”

“Is that all you want to say?”

“There is more.”

Mone removed the harshness from her eyes and gently stroked Roze, who was crouched and crying right beside her, with her left hand.

“Roze. You have nothing to worry about anymore. Your sister will take everything with her. Prince Saryu.”

“What?”

“This is a shameless request, but…. I want to entrust my sister to you.”

“That really is shameless, you know. Don’t you think I might torture Roze to get information out of her?”

When I said that in exasperation, Mone laughed as if amused.

“If you were that kind of man, you would have laid hands on my sister much sooner. You are not that kind of person. Consort Shitoen.”

“…What is it?”

Shitoen approached beside me while still holding the water pitcher.

However, unlike me, she did not remain standing. She sat beside Roze and stroked the sobbing girl’s back.

“You told us we could come to the Kingdom of Tidros, did you not? Please take my sister. This child will swear loyalty to Consort Shitoen.”

“You will go with her. It is all right. That shoulder will be put back right away. Now…”

As if covering Shitoen’s voice saying she would heal her, Mone looked at Roze and smiled.

“Goodbye. Be happy.”

Just like that, her jaw moved with a gulp. …Hey, don’t tell me.

“Wa… wait, you! Open your mouth!”

I hurriedly crouched down and tried to pinch her cheeks to make her open her mouth, but she had clenched her teeth.

“Mone-san?!”

“Sister!”

In front of the two of them as they cried out, Mone began convulsing violently. Then, as if that were not enough, she curled her body like a shrimp and let out a retching sound.

“Poison…?! Roze-chan, do you know what Mone-san took?!”

Shitoen pressed her, but Roze turned pale and shook her head.

“B-But Sister said… if she died because of this, I would be free…. S-So it must be a lethal dose…”

With a gurgling sound, Mone vomited. There seemed to be no solids, only a thick liquid spilling from her mouth.