Chapter 71

The Failed Gamble

I waited for a while in the hopes that she would arrive late .

However, there was no sign of Seras appearing at all .

The time right now is about nearly 3:30 pm .

She said before that she would return at around 1pm at the latest .

[……… . ]

I feel like she’s rather too late if she would still arrive right now .

Last night, Seras visited my room at the perfect time just as we had arranged .

She looks to be someone that’s strict with her own time management .

I talk with Pigimaru under my robe .

[What do you think?]

[Piii… . Pyuuuu~…]

Pigimaru quietly cries out .

[Do you think she broke our promise and left without telling me?]

[Pyiii~]

He’s color turned into red .

The color of denial .

However, it’s color is quite faint .

It seems that he really grew attached with her .

[Well, it would be too early for me to decide whether she really has broken our promise before we even made sure of the current situation . ]

[…Pii?]

[As long as I haven’t seen her—]

Or Seras’ body…

[Something may have happened . ]

I should confirm what really happened .

There’s also some kind of significance in judging the truth with my own eyes .

[What decision did you bet has she chosen?]

[Pii?]

[If you think that she has just silently disappeared, cry out twice . If you think that it’s something other than that, then cry out once . ]

[Pii . ]

I haven’t heard a second cry from Pigimaru .

[It seems that you and I have been standing in a place that has quite a lot of people all this time . Let’s go . ]

We started walking .

[I feel like I would lose this bet . ]

v

There were some other questions that still boggles my mind .

At this point, I feel like Seras doesn’t have that much of a motive to just suddenly deceive us and disappear .

If she’s really not willing to accompany me, she should just have refused my offer for her to guard me right from the start .

Would she really mind about her identity after she knew that her true identity was already revealed?

If she really was that afraid of the trouble that might come from my knowledge of her identity, she should have just left Mills just earlier than what’s on her schedule .

She shouldn’t have troubled dealing with me, but…

Or did she plan to disappear after getting her hands on the 300 gold coins?

I still have some doubts about this .

There’s also the Azure Dragon Stone that I’ve handed over to Seras last night .

She had also said something about how something like that jewel was distributed in the market .

“I don’t think the Azure Dragon Stone is something that could be distributed in the open market . ”

In other words, you could say that Seras knows the existence of some kind of black market .

If she wants to get away from Mills as soon as possible while hiding her real identity…

Then, she can leave Mills either at night or early in the morning with the Azure Dragon Stone in her hand .

It may even be possible that the money she’s earning weren’t really for the travelling expenses she needed to go to Jonato .

However, she should still be going towards a big city so that she could exchange her money at the bank .

If she can reach the capital of Urza, she may be able to cash them out .

Most of all…

[If she were planning to deceive me right from the start, she made too many unnecessary actions . ]

From the eyes of someone who had been acting all his life, Seras’ acting at that time was the worst .

You could see a large gap remaining through their eyes, even to the most natural of the actresses but…

Anyway, I want to confirm if something had indeed happened .

I envisioned the location of the Marquis’ mansion to the hearsay I’ve heard from others .

[I’m certain that it’s a bit separated from Mills…]

………… . .

My brain couldn’t properly map out the area with just the information from the hearsay from others .

My knowledge around this area is severely lacking .

There isn’t anything that could also serve as a landmark .

[Do I have to buy a detailed map of the area around Mills?]

It was when I was about to step my foot and head towards the main street to buy a map of this area…

[Oi, have you heard!? The story about that woman who has found that aforementioned Dragon Eye Sakazuki!]

My feet stops .

There was a crowd that gathered in the plaza along the main street .

I feel like there’s some sudden news that has suddenly sprung up .

[I’ve heard about it too! Who would have thought that she was actually the escaping Princess Knight that was mentioned back in the guild!?]

[————]

Don’t tell me… It was exposed?

Her true identity .

[…………]

What in the world happened?

I perked my ears and listened .

And, one man began telling the others who has just joined the crowd .

Some find it enjoyable talking to those who don’t know about the latest scoop .

Or perhaps, it’s just engraved in human’s mentality to do something like that .

[Want to know what happened? It seems that Seras Ashrain visited the Marquis’ mansion to receive her reward for the Dragon Eye Sakazuki, but there’s a magician under the marquis’ employment who’s famous for having the ability to break Illusion Techniques in there . And, her disguise through her Illusion Technique was broken!]

[To have the ability to break Illusion Techniques… what a guy! It seems that her face looked exactly like in that portrait of the former leader of the Holy Knights-sama that’s been circulating among the guild!]

[Heee…!? So, elves could use Illusion Techniques that can change the shape of her face!?]

[What the heck! That woman really is that Holy Knight!]

The conversing people seems to have included a mercenary that was present at the briefing session near the ruins .

[From the rumors that I’ve heard, she seems to escaped in the direction of the Dark Forest!]

[Oioi, wait a second! Doesn’t this mean that we would be able to get that large amount of rewards if we were able to catch that woman!?]

[Yeeeaaaahhhh! Then, let’s head to the dark forest immediately! It’s the hunt for the Holy Knight!]

It was around that time .

[Stop right there!]

The one who raised his voice is that mercenary who was present at the the briefing session .

The other mercenary who has lost his momentum lunges at him in dissatisfaction .

[Hah? What the f*ck are you talking about, bastard…? That woman has taken the Dragon Eye Sakazuki that was from the ruins raid! I have to at least seize the reward for the Dragon Eye Sakazuki for myself!]

[I said you all should f*cking stop! There’s still more about that story and yet, you’re all in a f*cking hurry to rush!]

[Hah!? Is it that the Marquis-sama’s own soldiers area on their way on catching her!? Hah! Like I f*cking care! If I were to catch her first, I will be able to get the reward from Marquis-sama!]

[It’s a different matter!]

[Aaahhh!? Then, what the f*ck are you trying to say!?]

[It seems that we had come down to the nearest city which should have been where the White Walker is going through, and that White Walker were the ones who were following Seras Ashrain! Get this into your puny brains, okay!? This is not a stage we could play in! No— this is not a “stage we could play” at!]

[And so, what the f*ck are you trying to say!? We’re f*cking mercenaries who have the skill with fighting, right!? Aside from Marquis Harclay’s private army, are there still others that we’re competing with!? Are there still people that will be arriving!? Hah!?]

[That’s—]

[Gyyyiiiieeggggeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh—!]

A hoarse high-pitched screech screamed out .

The sharp screech sound like it resounded far away overhead .

The people that gathered in the plaza looked at the sky all at once .

A black dragon is flying in the sky .

[Gugyyaaeee! Gyyooeeeh! Gyyoogggooeee!]

[Guuugggeeee! Guuueeeaaahh! Gyyooooaaahhh!]

[Gyyyiiieeehhh! Guuueehhhh! Guuueeeeehhhhhhh!]

A ferocious flight of dragons were approaching .

I could only see their figures since they were in quite the distance from me, but there seems to people riding these dragons .

Those dragons have disappeared in the direction of the dark forest .

In the blink of an eye, that event has ended before they knew it .

The mercenary that has been passionate about hunting the Holy Knight seems as if they can’t even speak .

The might that was on his face couldn’t be seen anymore .

[That’s—]

As if he had finally squeezed out the voice from his mouth, he finally spoke their “name” .

[The Black Dragon Knights…]