The air inside the sealed room hung heavy and stagnant, like thick crude oil left to settle. The poor ventilation only made the moldy stench more pronounced. The place was cramped to begin with, and with her discussion partner being the notoriously overbearing commander of the knight order, Makoto made no effort to hide her irritation.

“So, you dragged me all the way back from the front lines just to see you? What, plotting something shady again?”

This wasn’t the first time she had been summoned like this More often than not, it meant being dragged into some rotten scheme.

“I’ll be blunt. We’re going to kill Ayane.”

“Seriously? I don’t want to stay in this place any longer than necessary, but you could at least start with some context.”

Exhaling the stale air she had unwillingly breathed in, Makoto voiced her frustration. The head of the armed group known as the Rehazen Knight Order seemed either to have forgotten what consideration was, or perhaps she had never possessed it to begin with.

“If it were Yuuto, perhaps I’d elaborate. But for you, this is sufficient.”

“Don’t lump me in with you.”

What she sought was empathy. As if. The person before her wasn’t some schoolgirl seeking agreement over a bit of idle chatter in a classroom. She was a twisted creation forged again and again in the furnace of war. “Like hell a girl built like that could exist,” Makoto scoffed inwardly.

“You’re both from the same homeland. Childhood friends, no less. And yet you don’t show the slightest agitation when I say we’ll kill her. You’re already one of us.”

Makoto fell silent, admitting there was some truth to it. It wasn’t as if she was unaware that her sense of values had changed. Perhaps right after being drawn into this other world things had been different, but after wandering from one battlefield to another, Makoto had completely adapted to life in this world.

“Look at this.”

Makoto lowered her gaze to the stack of papers tossed onto the desk. They were letters written on high-quality paper, sealed with the royal crest. The seals had already been broken.

“As you can see, we sent both messengers and letters. But Ayane insists on staying in Selta, saying she’ll remain there to heal the wounded. If this were Crest, it might pass as a touching story, but Mayard joining hands with the Highserk Empire? That’s no joke.”

Despite the accusatory tone of her words, the knight commander standing before her didn’t change her expression in the slightest.

“And what does that have to do with me?”

For the Kingdom of Crest, it was certainly a serious problem. But what benefit was there in it for Makoto? At the very least, she was already doing more than enough to earn the food, lodging, and pay she was given. Seeing how little interest Makoto showed, the knight commander murmured something venomous.

“Planning to hand this one over to that dear friend of yours again?”

It was an obvious provocation. Makoto released the magic she had been building up in an instant. She had expected Gran to roll around in pain, but in the blink of an eye the commander kicked the desk up with the tip of her boot. The thick table blocked both the heat and the freezing air.

“I see… a desk built for practicality,” Makoto thought.

The poor piece of furniture that had been sacrificed in its place was quickly consumed by flame and frost.

“Watch what you say. It’s not like I’ve spent the last two years lazing around.”

The diligent knight commander wasn’t only responsible for leading the knight order, she was also involved in organizing and turning the newly formed military units into fighting forces. That likely left her with far less time for personal training than before.

Makoto, on the other hand, had spent the past two years moving from battlefield to battlefield. Even in terms of individual combat ability, the difference between their skills wasn’t that great.

“So it seems. Sit.”

Gran didn’t even smile at what might have passed for a mischievous prank from a young girl. Instead, she jerked her chin toward the chair that had been knocked aside. Leaving the ruined desk between them, Makoto set the chair upright and sat down.

“Ayane has become a pillar of Mayard now. And that’s despite having had the chance to return to Crest. A pillar that sways like that has to be removed. Makoto, Ayane is in your way too, isn’t she? Or would you rather go back to being second place again?”

“Like hell I am.”

Makoto bared her canines as she snapped back.

“Among the Three Heroes, the only one who truly deserves to be called a hero in both body and mind is you, Makoto. Yuuto is weak when pushed, and Ayane knows nothing of reality. Don’t glare at me like that. It’s the truth. If the only other person from your homeland dies, there will be only one place left for you to depend on. Or would you hand over the man you love to a woman who might return to her country on a whim one day?”

It was an infuriating argument, but it wasn’t wrong. Makoto had always been Yuuto’s second choice. As she savored the bitter taste in her mouth, like chewing on a bitter herb, a sudden sense of deja vu struck her. An uncomfortable feeling, like a fishbone stuck in her throat. She swung her leg restlessly while searching through her memories, and realization dawned on her.

“Ah… I see.”

The way the woman in front of her was talking was no different from the meddlesome girls back in the classroom.

“You act like some rigid knight, but you’re actually pretty worldly… I guess they really mean it when they say love and war justify any method.”

For the first time during their secret meeting, Makoto smiled. The stiff woman across from her seemed to relax her expression slightly as well. In the end, Makoto took the bait. She believed it would bring her the greatest benefit.

◆

“So that guy’s Yuuto’s replacement? Ayane’s taste is terrible.”

From a ridge overlooking the mining town, Makoto watched the battle unfold. She could understand how the ambush had been discovered, but what came after was far worse. The Felius soldiers were completely unable to stand against the infamous Demon Fire user. Those who tried to avoid direct confrontation were blocked by the guards barricaded inside the church, preventing them from forcing their way in. Their fighting spirit was more than sufficient, but the gap in raw ability was obvious. In truth, the moment it turned into close combat, the outcome had already been decided.

“Not surprising. He’s the one who burned down forward positions in front of Sarajevo Fortress… Ahh, they’re getting cut down one after another… hm?”

Another soldier fell, split vertically along with his helmet by a halberd. It looked like an unnecessarily brutal way to kill someone, but it was probably a kind of performance. After all, who would want to be chopped up like fish or vegetables? As expected, their formation immediately began to falter.

Makoto had been observing from a distance, but the rising commotion made her grimace. The commotion didn’t come from Crest soldiers that had accompanied her, but from the local forces Gran had supposedly procured.

“Hey, mister, if you keep shouting like that, they’ll notice us.”

“Don’t mock me! Are you planning to abandon us?!”
“Abandon you? The deal was to eliminate the healing mage, remember? You got preparation and intelligence from us, launched an ambush, and now you’re complaining because you can’t even storm a building.”

“You damned little brat!!”

The man’s face turned bright red like a boiled octopus as he continued shouting.

“Uh… Con, Con…di? Ah, Mr. Condirata, you should calm down—”

Though inwardly cold, Makoto tried to calm Condirata as he ranted and spat foam at the mouth, but it was already too late. Most humans die when a sword sprouts from their stomach. This man was no exception.

“I told you. See? Now you’re dead.”

Makoto glanced at the perpetrator with displeasure. The knight showed no remorse.

“A lord who has lost his territory and even his personal troops has no value. Crest provided weapons, funds, and an opportunity. And after all that, this pathetic display. What more could they possibly expect from us?”

Makoto and kingdom of Crest had not technically broken their promise. They had provided maximum support so these men could reclaim their lost land. They had risked their lives and still failed to fulfill their side of the contract.

“Ugh… the way you talk sounds just like commander Gran.”

Instead of the busy commander herself, one of the knight order’s members accompanied Makoto. Having been thoroughly trained under her, the knight spoke almost exactly like a miniature Gran. If more of them appeared, it would be a disaster. Still, this one was somewhat easier to deal with.

“To be compared to our great commander is an honor.”

“Yeah… sure.”

Makoto gave a half-hearted reply and turned her attention back to the battlefield. At the edge of her vision, the former lord of the Refun region was being thrown into a mine shaft.

“Yeah… they’re finished. They’ll all be dead soon.”

Without even using Demon Fire, the enemy was cutting down dozens of men. Only a handful remained now, few enough to count on both hands. There was no point watching any longer. Makoto turned to the knight overseeing the operation and asked for his judgment.

“The timing is right. Prepare.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m doing it. Looks like we’re playing in the mud again.”

Makoto sank both arms into the ground and began pouring mana into the earth, manipulating soil and water. The rehearsal, also serving as bait, had been more than sufficient thanks to the heavy rain a few days earlier.

Translator – Lyxxna