The great life or death tournament which determines the Continent’s ruler.
The rule concerning weapon usage: there are no limits.
The rule concerning magic usage: there are no limits.
The rule concerning eligibility: only women at least 12 years old.
A celebration held once every 4 years, open to women of any nation, race or social position aiming for the throne of the Queen.
Its name, “Queen’s Blade.”
Today is the day the curtain opens, all around the Continent, for the heated battle among Queen hopefuls!
Prologue: Birth of Irma, Rookie Member of the Royal Guard
Upon receiving a sudden summons, Irma was tenser than ever.
It came from the Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, Darrieux Kronenberg. With his status supporting the tasks of the Captain of the Royal Guard Elina, he was a man well-versed about the details regarding the espionage activities in the Earldom.
Irma had gasped, wondering why such an able, famous person would summon her.
She was just a low-class maid working in Earl Vance’s castle. Although the cleaning ladies at the vast Earl castle performed a thankless job, that was just something the aristocrats would never notice, and that went for the very employees as well, such as Irma herself.
There shouldn’t be any reason why the Lieutenant of the Royal Guard would even know about her.
[Did the Guards notice my true identity?]
She checked for her throwing knife, well-hidden within her skirt. That concealed item was not part of a maid’s job description.
The winner of the previous Queen’s Blade, and ruler of the Continent, was Queen Aldra. She directly commanded an assassination group, the “Assassins of Fang.” It was this group which Irma was a member of. Her mission, to assassinate the Earl.
[My real identity should have been perfectly hidden. Still, I guess nothing is impossible.]
Remembering her teacher’s lessons, she met face to face with Kronenberg.
[In case of an emergency, I must kill him and escape.]
“You don’t need to be so nervous.”
He spoke calmly, giving off the impression of an intellectual by his tone. His well-projected voice, handsome features and rather elegant mannerisms spoke volumes of his origins.
“This will be good news for you.”
“Good… news?”
Hearing his words, Irma breathed a sigh of relief, at long last.
[Apparently, they haven’t found out about my identity.]
Around one month had already passed ever since she had infiltrated the castle as part of the cleaning staff. More than enough undercover time. However, she had yet to fulfill her mission.
The reason was obvious: there were too many people. In this vast fort where the Earl had set up his residence, everywhere she looked there were either nobles led by the Earl, chamberlains to serve them or knights to protect them. The scale was comparable to a small city. With her being but a cleaning lady, one could say it was pretty much impossible for Irma to meet the Earl at the top of this pyramid.
The only advantage was, since she was a cleaning lady, it wouldn’t be suspicious if she entered every room all over the castle.
“As of today, you’re to become part of the Royal Guard.”
“Me, in the Royal Guard?”
As a rule of thumb, only those recommended by either aristocrats or their children could join the Royal Guard. Usually, it was impossible for a cleaning lady to be drafted.
[I knew it, there must be some kind of influence at work.]
Unfortunately, Irma had no idea who it could be.
“I have no objections.”
Kronenberg added, to emphasize his point.
“Can I ask one question?”
“By all means.”
“Who was it that recommended me?”
[I’d very much like to know who did it.]
Kronenberg smiled gently upon hearing her question.
“It was the chief maid and me who endorsed you. Are you dissatisfied with it?”
“The chief maid is one thing, but this is the first time I've met you, Lord Kronenberg. Why me?”
He kept his calm expression, and showed her the list of conditions required for the job.
Being able to drive a carriage; being able to read, write and do calculations; having knowledge of self-defense; and the most important of all, being a girl of the same age as the Captain of the Royal Guard Elina.
“Because you're the only one among us who meets the conditions here. Will you accept, Irma?”
“Yes…”
She bowed, as vassal homage.
[My original mission might enter a hiatus, but as a member of the Royal Guard, I might be able to enter a few different places.]
“Then, you’re a member of the Royal Guard now.”
Thus, Irma became the newest member of the guard.
“Properly speaking, you should get changed into a special uniform and receive some training, but seeing as this is an emergency, I’ll assign you a duty immediately. Stand up.”
Kronenberg stated so, and ordered her to follow.
“An emergency?”
“Now that you’re one of us, you have no right to refuse.”
His tone was cold now.
***
Elina walked at a quick pace towards the carriage shed of the Earl castle. She might have been walking without footsteps like a cat, but her expression was terribly fierce: she was angry.
Raised eyebrows, tightly shut lips, shoulders shaking, strides bigger than usual. Anyone who saw her could clearly notice she was, in fact, intensely angry.
Half a year had already passed since she received the royal command from the Earl Vance to begin the capture of Leina, her elder sister and heiress.
Although Elina was the most puzzled and shocked after hearing how her beloved sister had run away, that had only lasted for a few days. As soon as she received the order, she selected the most talented amongst the troops and dispatched them to every nook and cranny of the Earl territory.
As a result, she was now relegated to finding and defeating the dissidents in the territory, which had nothing to do with her original mission of capturing Leina. The situation was enough to make Elina angry.
The abilities of the guards chosen to capture Leina had no flaws. Elina would know, she had selected them personally. And yet, one week has already passed since they got back word about them having ultimately failed to catch her.
[I must hurry. I can’t trust my subordinates anymore. Only I can capture Leina.]
As soon as she thought that, Elina took action. She decided she’d stop waiting for her underlings’ information, and go chase her herself.
Her lieutenant Kronenberg objected to her going alone, and persuaded her to be accompanied by a personal attendant he would choose himself. Only then she would be free to go.
“We’re going, ok?”
Elina opened the door to the carriage shed and announced their departure. The horse-drawn carriage displayed their coat of arms, in the shape of a white tiger. In front of it were the Lieutenant of the Royal Guard Kronenberg, with a bundle of black hair tied behind him, and a girl with blue hair, waiting for her arrival.
“The preparations for the carriage are in order.”
“Oh? This is a new face.”
“By the Earl’s authorization, I took the liberty of appointing a new personal attendant.”
Prompted by Kronenberg, the blue-haired girl gave a step forward.
“My name is Irma.”
She volunteered her name, and with her next bow, stepped back beside him.
[If she was authorized by the Earl, she must have some decent knowledge.]
Kronenberg might be her aide-de-camp, but he was still some noble’s child that the Earl Vance brought in to watch Elina’s actions. Even if he did have high ability in his job, it didn’t mean she fully trusted him.
“Well, it’s fine. Nice to meet you.”
Showing no discernible traces of hesitation, she boarded the carriage.
[I don’t have time to waste on this. Either way, I just need someone as a personal attendant and to drive the carriage.]
Irma went to the coach box, and waited for Elina to get in.
“Where will you go?”
“Get us out of the castle first, I’ll tell you where later.”
The noble lady gave her an order, and rested her body on the carriage’s sofa.
Elina, the Captain of the Royal Guard, was chasing after the Exiled Warrior Leina, heiress of the Vance house and her sister, along with Irma, chosen as her maid while hiding her identity as the “Assassin of Fang.”
What kind of powerful enemies will they meet in their travels?
They won’t know that unless they fight.
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