“To get so engrossed over one human, am I losing my touch?”
The elf lamented with a sigh, then turned her attention to the dagger she had picked up from Irma. The pattern of a small rose was engraved in it, from back when Echidna was her teacher.
“Heh, this kid, she still uses this one.”
She traced the pattern with her finger, on her face a gentle smile she’d rarely show someone else. She had trained Irma in various arts. Just for a giggle, she’d sometimes ask her to do techniques with high difficulty on purpose for her to fail.
And yet, Irma kept training under her.
From her point of view, among all those she had trained, only a handful ever became the real deal, including Irma.
“The Assassins of Fang… it seems they changed a lot since I built them up from the ground.”
A fierce smile, completely different from her previous calm smile, was now on her face. The smile of someone who had had something really important trampled on.
She had not even once forced death on anyone from the assassination squads. She had emphasized survival, she had developed them so they could avoid dying. In the first place, someone who had acquired the advanced techniques belonging to an assassin shouldn't be disposable.
“Live through every kind of mission and come back.” That was what her organization supported, full of excellent assassins with extremely high survival rates. That was what Echidna had demanded from the Assassins of Fang.
However, they had changed. Currently a special unit under the direct control of the Queen, it was now a disposable unit for maintaining power.
“It seems that sometime soon, I’ll need to go and settle all this…”
She, who had left the Assassins of Fang, bore part of the responsibility too. With an unusually serious face, she looked at the sky in the distance.
***
Before that overwhelming feeling of intimidation, Irma understood for the first time why Echidna had taken away her weapons. The presence emanating from the man in front of her was that strong.
If it had been only Earl Vance there, she might have been able to make it work. Unarmed as she was, she had also learnt assassination techniques with bare hands. It wouldn’t be impossible to assassinate him with those. However, the moment she saw the redhead warrior standing beside him, she was forced to give up on the assassination.
Claudette, the Thundercloud General. In front of the one known as the strongest among the 3 Vance sisters, it would be impossible to simply murder him and escape. Despite fulfilling her mission, if it meant she couldn’t make it out alive to achieve her goal, it would all be for naught.
“Hm.”
He took a look at the report Irma delivered, and frowned lightly.
“What do you think, General?”
Claudette received the report from him, and only answered with “Resume the mission.”
“I’ll consider it.”
As his fingers played with his respectable short beard, his eyes turned to the maid.
“By the way… Irma, was it…?”
His clear blue eyes locked on Irma. He was only staring, but she felt like he could see into her very core.
“I have to thank you.”
She didn’t know how to react to such unexpected words.
[Why is he thanking me?]
“About Elina's matter. Had you not been there, she’d have lost her life. I’ll try to prepare a suitable reward.”
Apparently, he was referring to the fight against the Mistress of Flames Nyx just the other day. However, she had only conducted herself as any subordinate of Elina would. Rewarding someone for doing her proper work was something beyond her expectations.
Seeing the confusion all over her face, he spoke in a gentle tone:
“Despite my appearances, I’m her father, too. I think it’s necessary to reward my daughter’s benefactor. Also, one of the ruler’s duties is to repay his debts.”
“Your reply?”
Claudette demanded an answer from her.
“I’ll gratefully accept, Earl Vance.”
Feeling a stir like static electricity in the hair all over her body, Irma answered, prostrating herself.
“Ooh…? I heard you were from the Queen’s territory, but your words have none of the typical vulgar mannerisms to them. Did you study here for long?”
“No, I was born in the Earldom.”
“From your skin color, it would be the south… I see, that’s how it was.”
He drew his own conclusions, and looked fondly at her.
“Only if it pleases you, I’d recount the story of my life…”
“I don’t mind. Talk.”
She began to talk straight about her situation.
She was born in a region located to the south of the Earl’s territory. Since it was a territory directly controlled by the royal family from before the Queen’s Blade system, it was known for producing a lot of tough soldiers among its inhabitants.
When the Queen’s Blade system changed the dominant forces in the Continent, they recognized the Vance as a legitimate royal family due to their royal blood, but stubbornly refused intervention from any other rulers.
Each successive Queen was wary of the hefty soldiers from the south and refrained from meddling with them, so temporary as it might have been, the area spent some time in peace.
However, peace came to an end when the current Queen Aldra declared it as territory under her direct control. Because the Queen was annexing the southern region inhabitants into her military force, she assumed control of their territory. Not only that, it was part of a magnificent strategy to march from the south to the north and attack the Vance territory. That strategy might have been conceived entirely by the Queen, since her aides knew nothing about it.
As was natural, the southern region inhabitants rebelled against her territorial declaration, and challenged the Queen’s Army to a battle. They won a small fight, but facing the opponent’s large military power, backed by their overwhelming logistical support, the southern forces were gradually being forced into a defeat.
It was the Master Swordswoman Maria, wife of the Earl Vance, leading the Royal Guard and the four troop Generals, who turned the situation around. The course of the war was reversed by the full-scale participation of the Earl forces, and the Queen’s Army soldiers, its supply lines now cut off, were forced to rout.
When they did so, they didn’t miss their chance to pillage. Among the southern region inhabitants, they kidnapped women, children and young people who looked like they could be of use in the workforce.
“Me and my brother were driven out of the village by the Queen’s forces, and were taken to the Queen’s territory.”
The fate of those kidnapped was harsh. As they weren't even able to provide carriages to carry the looters and the kidnapped, the victims were barely given any food, it was just a single-minded walk. A death march.
“My brother lost his life on the road. I don’t know yet where he died.”
The Queen’s Army retreated while leaving behind the prisoners' corpses. She wasn’t even allowed to dig a grave…
The southern war ended in a military victory for the Earl forces, and an economic victory for the Queen’s Army. Both performed a victory declaration, and to that day neither had accepted defeat.
Fortunately for Irma, she was a child in the true sense of the word. Otherwise, she’d have been forced into a harsh life, like other women who were captured the same way; in order to distract themselves from the defeat, the soldiers of the Queen’s Army toyed with them.
Around half a year later in Gainos, some of them became mothers of children who wouldn’t know their fathers’ faces. Even the young Irma could understand; that was their fate after a war, both her life and her brother’s had changed beyond any turning back.
It was enough for her to bear a grudge against Queen Aldra, the culprit who had brought about all that calamity.
“Fortunately, I was blessed with a chance to earn my freedom in the Queen’s territory, and was able to get a job as a cleaning lady in Gainos. Soon after, the foreign trade with the Earldom was reopened, and somehow I succeeded in returning.”
Irma took a calm, deep breath, letting the Earl know that her story was over.
“It’s good that you made it back. I leave my daughter in your care from here on.”
Saying so, he motioned for her to leave with a wave of his hand. Meaning, he didn’t want to discuss it anymore. She nodded silently, and slowly left.
***
A few steps out of the office, Irma rested her back against the wall and gave a deep sigh.
Her legs could no longer support her; it hadn’t been just the Earl’s overwhelming presence, but the occasional glance Claudette directed at her by his side.
Devoid of energy like a puppet with her strings cut, she rested her back on the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor.
[If I’m like this now, will I be able to kill the Queen?]
Even the Earl, who was rumored not to know any combat techniques, had worn her down to that extent. How much would the Queen affect her?
“Good work there.”
Hearing unexpected words of praise directed at her, Irma raised her face.
“Figured out yet why I made you expressly leave your weapons?”
With a feeble smile, the elf gave them back.
“Yes…”
She made a small nod as she put her weapons back in the holders by her thighs. Her mentor had forced her to leave her weapons, evidently knowing that Thundercloud General Claudette would be by the Earl's side. Like her very title implied, the redhead manipulated lightning; no matter how cleverly she hid her weapons, as long as they were made of metal, they would be detected.
"Teacher, why all the trouble?"
"I can't very well disappoint a kid who still calls me ‘teacher.’ "
Seeing that gentle smile on her face only made the assassin's chest hurt.
"No other reason."
The elf slowly separated from her. The pain in her chest didn't disappear; on the contrary, tears were surfacing now.
"So, hurry back to your current master."
She cast her eyes down so that Echidna wouldn't see her face, and slipped by her side.
[Why? Why am I shedding so many tears?]
The feelings she had been repressing for a long time began to overflow. This wasn't regret, or sadness; this was joy.
After what the ravages of war had done to her brother and herself, she should have lost it all, but she was glad that her bond with her teacher still remained.
The maid wiped her tears, and left the Vance palace with a firm stride.
Irma's Diary, Part 5
Finally, my wish came true, and I was able to visit the cat garden. Cats here have no stress whatsoever, they even get fat, seeing as they have no trouble getting food. They're smooth to the touch, and I have nothing to criticize about the feeling when you hold them, but I still prefer slender cats.
Despite thinking that, I still went to feed the cute kittens. I figure I haven't been able to become cold-hearted yet. The person among the Royal Guards who feeds them might think the same way, that's why they've grown fat and round.
Good grief.
Speaking of felines, what surprised me was the white tiger appearing. One wouldn't call it a pet, but I hear rumors it's being trained as one. It could be said that the tiger's offensive power is equal to one platoon of soldiers. Maybe it also counts as one of Earl Vance's trump cards.
Incidentally, for the first time, I got the chance to face the Earl directly by substituting Elina. It was the best opportunity to carry out my mission, but all was lost when my teacher appeared suddenly and took away my weapons.
Judging from the results, failing to fulfill it was the best outcome. The Thundercloud General awaited by the Earl's side; even if I had succeeded at my mission, I'd have had no chances of ever getting out of the castle alive.
Regarding the battle with my teacher, it was my complete defeat. There's nothing to add there.
Maybe I should reevaluate myself for a while, according to my teacher's words? If I have to ask that question, it means I'm still a novice.
I just noticed something, now: maybe my teacher was employed by Earl Vance? In that case, it'd make sense for her to happen to be there at the time...
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