4-6 - Confrontation

“All right, then… I’m opening the door, okay?”

After confirming that we were both ready, I slowly opened the door. Carlos and Regis were waiting outside, accompanied by two knights who appeared to be their guards.

“…Hmm. It seems you noticed our ambush. My daughter… Is she unconscious? Surely you haven’t killed her?”

“She looked like she was about to make a scene, so we just put her to sleep. We haven’t hurt her at all. More importantly, so you really were the mastermind behind all this.”

“Mastermind is such an unpleasant word. Especially when I’ve gone to the trouble of granting your wish.”

“…Huh?”

What the hell was this guy talking about? He’d killed my family, and now he was claiming he’d granted my wish?

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you were despised for being an illegitimate child and deprived of your freedom. So I arranged for you to inherit the title of count.”

“…Don’t tell me you’re saying you killed my father, Caroline-san, and my brother for my sake?”

“Precisely. Your father, the current head of the family, is dead. So are your brother, who was first in line to inherit, and the countess, who had a say in such matters. Claireridil is also in our custody, so you’re now officially Count Granches.”

“Don’t screw with me! I never wanted any of that! All I said was that I wanted to be free!”

All I’d wanted was to gain my freedom and live happily. That was it. I’d never once wished for anyone to die. So why had things turned out like this? I couldn’t contain my anger.

“Indeed, this may not be precisely what you wanted. However, that would have been inconvenient for me.”

“…What do you mean?”

“The reason I wanted you to marry Sophia was to establish a connection with House Granches. But a despised illegitimate child would provide far too weak a connection.”

“So you decided to turn me into a puppet count?”

Carlos nodded as though confirming my suspicion. Seeing that, I realized he was completely serious. And with that realization, despair overwhelmed me.

“…Why? If you wanted power, all you had to do was accept my proposal. So why did you have to do something like this!?”

“Your proposal? Ah… That nonsense about being able to produce sugar in warm regions. I never believed that story in the first place.”

“—W-what are you talking about? I thought you believed me because Sophia believed me!”

“My daughter can only determine whether someone is lying. Whether what they’re saying is actually true is another matter entirely.”

“That’s…”

“To begin with, if such a crop truly existed, someone would surely have discovered it by now. Besides, how could someone like you, who received virtually no education and was confined to a separate building, possibly possess such knowledge?”

“—!”

I’d anticipated the possibility of being doubted. That was why I’d intended to bring up the influenza incident and other examples if anyone questioned me, but—

He’d agreed to the negotiations so readily that I’d never had an opportunity to demonstrate my achievements or knowledge. I’d assumed it was because he believed me… I see. He’d never trusted me from the beginning.

“—For the record, everything Leon said was true, you know?”

“Little girl. Are you the one who filled his head with that nonsense? I don’t know what you’re after, but if you’re going to lie, at least come up with something more convincing.”

“…Well, I suppose that’s the normal reaction.”

Alice murmured somewhat sadly. Sorry, Alice. Because of me, she’d been branded a liar too.

“Thanks, Alice. But it’s fine. Even if he believed us now, it would already be too late.”

“Oh? Does that mean negotiations have broken down?”

“Obviously. I’d rather die than make a deal with someone who murdered my family for his own selfish reasons—no, even if I were reincarnated, I’d still refuse.”

“Then what do you intend to do? We still have your sister—”

Carlos stopped speaking and glanced toward Sophia, who was lying asleep on the bed. Hey, unlike you, I wasn’t going to take Sophia hostage.

Not that I was kind enough to correct his misunderstanding.

“…Very well. If you insist on defying me, I’ll simply have to force you into submission. Men, show this foolishly idealistic boy the harsh reality of the world!”

“—Yes, sir!”

Regis was the first to charge toward me. I instinctively caught the strike he unleashed with my short sword.

“…Are you trying to kill me? I thought your goal was to make me obey.”

“Rest assured. Even if you fail to block my attacks, I’m holding back enough to avoid killing you. Besides, I’ve been given permission to inflict a few injuries.”

“You bastard!”

I pushed against his sword, and when Regis pushed back, I used the force to leap away. Immediately afterward, I began converting mana particles into magical power with my free left arm.

“Another bluff? I won’t fall for that a second time!”

“We’ll see about that.”

I thrust my left arm toward Regis as he closed in.

“O spirit of flame, accept my mana as an offering and grant my wish.”

I murmured an incantation—or more precisely, words I’d associated with the sensation of calling upon a fire spirit—and used my magical power as payment to summon spiritual flames around my arm. Incidentally, the reason my incantation sounded so ridiculously chuuni was purely personal preference!

“What!?”

Regis immediately stopped and attempted to dodge—but he was too late.

“—Flame Lance!”

I pictured my target and shouted. In the next instant, the flames gathered around my arm surged toward Regis. They struck him directly, exactly as I’d intended, while he stood rooted in place.

However,

“…Not bad at all.”

Regis stood there calmly, having suffered only a few minor burns.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You took that attack and you’re fine?”

“That would only be true if I’d taken the full force of it. I’m surprised you can use Spirit Magic at your age, but your attacks lack the sharpness of a first-rate Spirit Mage.”

“You’re saying you avoided a direct hit? Then!”

I’d just have to keep attacking until he went down. With that thought, I began manipulating my magical power again.

“Do you really think I’ll allow that?”

Before I knew it, Regis had closed the distance and swung his sword horizontally. I’d been so focused on my magic that I couldn’t react—and was struck by the flat of his blade. Unable to do anything, I was sent flying all the way to the edge of the room.

“—Leon!?”

Alice, who was fighting the two knights, cried out anxiously.

“Cough! I-I’m… fine. Alice, just focus… on your own fight…”

I grabbed my short sword, which had fallen nearby, and staggered to my feet.

Despite how defenseless I was, Regis simply stood there expressionlessly. In fact, he even returned his drawn sword to its sheath.

“…Why aren’t you following up with another attack?”

“My master has ordered me to break your spirit.”

I wanted to tell him not to underestimate me, but the difference in our abilities really was that overwhelming.

If Alice could at least deal with those knights, the situation might improve. With that thought, I glanced in her direction.

Alice was putting up a good fight, but with two opponents, she seemed unable to land a decisive blow. Their coordinated attacks were making it difficult for her to break through.

“Those two are among the finest warriors in our knight order. It’s pointless to hope for reinforcements.”

Regis noticed where I was looking and tried to crush my morale, but I ignored him. I recited an incantation in my mind while forming the necessary image, simultaneously converting mana particles into magical power as I thrust out my right arm.

—Flame Lance!

“What!? Silent casting!?”

Despite his astonishment, Regis twisted his body. Although the movement threw him off balance, he managed to evade my spell. However, I’d already closed in on him.

“HAAAAAAAAH!”

I swung my short sword with all my strength. The blade hurtled toward Regis—but just before it struck, an impact from the side sent me flying.

…What? What just happened? My side hurt, so had he kicked me from my blind spot?

“Remarkable. To think you’ve even mastered silent casting at such a young age. Your potential is truly frightening.”

“That’s rich… coming from someone who counterattacked me so easily…”

“Even with silent casting, it’s meaningless if your attack is that obvious.”

“So it’s the difference in our combat experience…”

“Indeed. Had you accumulated a few years of practical combat experience, you might have been able to land a blow on me.”

His voice drew closer. I desperately tried to get up, but my body wouldn’t respond properly. I’d probably suffered a concussion.

“Now then, what other tricks do you have hidden up your sleeve? Until your spirit breaks, I’ll demonstrate how every last one of them can be defeated.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. That last attack was the strongest trick I currently had.

Besides, although Regis had been surprised by my silent casting, what I’d actually used was nothing more than an imitation.

True silent casting, like what Alice used, was a technique that allowed someone to activate magic instantly simply by forming an image in their mind. I’d only cast a spell by reciting the incantation silently in my head.

In other words, I was still chanting, just in a way my opponent couldn’t hear. Compared to genuine silent casting, both my activation speed and flexibility were vastly inferior.

And even that little trick had been completely ineffective against Regis. I still didn’t understand what had happened during his last attack, and I couldn’t think of a single way to win.

“…Well, what’s wrong? If you won’t get up, I’ll have to attack you again.”

“—Guh!”

I rolled across the floor to avoid the kick he launched at me so deliberately. Then I forced myself to my feet, only to take another blow to the stomach immediately afterward.

However, he was probably holding back. The impact wasn’t particularly strong. I could counterattack at this rate—or so I thought as I raised my arm.

“Another one! And another! Take this! How do you like that!”

Four consecutive blows struck me, and I collapsed helplessly to my knees.

…It hurt. It hurt like hell.

Rather than simply holding back, he probably knew exactly how to inflict pain. My consciousness was perfectly clear, and I didn’t feel as though I’d suffered any serious injuries, such as broken bones. Yet every part of my body hurt unbearably.

“Leon! Hang in there! Leon!?”

Suddenly, something soft enveloped me. Alice’s face was right in front of mine.

“…Idiot. I told you… to focus on your own fight…”

“It’s okay. I’ve already defeated them.”

“You beat both of them… Alice, you’re amazing.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s right. So everything’s going to be okay now. Don’t worry about anything, Leon. Just rest here. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Alice gently laid me on the floor and stood up, wearing a smile that seemed capable of reassuring anyone who saw it. She looked just like—

“The protagonist… of a story.”

“Then that makes you the heroine, Leon.”

Alice laughed and brushed aside the cherry-blossom-pink hair that had fallen over her shoulder. Then she slowly turned to face Regis.

“…Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Not at all. My duty is to break your spirits, after all. Now then, if you’re ready, I’d like to begin… Shall we?”

“…Whenever you’re ready. You’ll pay for hurting someone precious to me.”