Akatsuki Translations

“…” 

“…” 

Three days after Princess Aurelia’s royal decree, Farsa and Zenobia found themselves walking through a forest located in the northwestern direction of the capital city. 

This particular forest was regularly cleared of monsters, so it was rare for any creatures to emerge in the shallow area where the two were currently walking. 

Normally, they would have felt more at ease and relaxed, but both Farsa and Zenobia remained silent, advancing with each step. 

It wasn’t because they were wary of their surroundings; rather, in the three days leading up to this moment, there had been minimal conversation between the two. 

“Could you wait a moment?” Farsa spotted something and called out to Zenobia, who was walking ahead. 

“…I don’t have time to entertain your pointless talk,” Zenobia replied reluctantly, with a furrowed brow, though she did turn around to acknowledge Farsa. 

During these three days, Farsa had made it a point to keep conversation with Zenobia to a bare minimum. The extent of their interaction was limited to confirming the departure time for the next day during their overnight stays. They had been given a schedule in advance by Princess Aurelia, and they had been acting in accordance with it. 

Perhaps it was the result of Princess Aurelia’s foresight in anticipating such a situation, but it worked out well for Farsa. Now that it was a given that they would be working together, Farsa had devised a strategy to create the impression of being a person who didn’t engage in conversation unless necessary. 

There could be various reasons why he was so disliked to the point of not wanting to converse, but for Farsa, being ignored when necessary was the most troublesome. As expected, Zenobia reluctantly responded, and so the plan could be deemed a success. 

“These fresh claw marks on the trunk of this tree indicate the territory marking of an owlbear, judging by their height and size. Such monsters shouldn’t normally be found in a shallow area like this forest.” -Farsa 

“…You seem to know quite a lot,” Zenobia responded, looking surprised. Such knowledge was usually possessed by those well-versed in forests, like hunters, and not easily acquired otherwise. That’s why Zenobia was taken aback by Farsa’s statement. 

“Well, I’ve got a fair understanding of monster ecology. It’s likely that they were forced to move here after having their territory taken over by stronger creatures… Looks like they’re also struggling to find food.” -Farsa 

As Farsa spoke, he surveyed the surroundings, and gradually, creatures of about three to four meters in height started appearing, one after another. several creatures with the appearance of owls but the size of bears began to appear in the vicinity. They drooled as they approached Farsa and Zenobia. 

Four creatures approached from the front, and six from the rear, encircling the two as if to ensure they didn’t miss out on their rare prey. 

“For now, I’ll deal with the ones behind. I’ll leave the front to you.” -Farsa  

“H-hey, aren’t you a wizard? Why are you preparing your weapon?” -Zenobia  

Farsa readied his staff, facing the owlbears that approached from behind, while Zenobia, still perplexed, prepared her sword. 

From a general standpoint, considering common knowledge and Zenobia’s perspective, the actions of a magician such as Farsa were deviating from the norm. 

This held true for most wizards. When casting magic, they needed time to build up and unleash their magical energy, leaving them vulnerable. That’s why it was crucial for their companions, typically frontline fighters, to draw the enemy’s attention while the spellcasters prepared their magic from the rear. 

Even in the Valois Kingdom, when confronting powerful demons or monsters, the knights would take the frontlines, while the mages chanted their spells from the back as the basic strategy. 

“It seems we don’t have time for idle chatter,” Farsa replied, echoing Zenobia’s words from earlier. Without further delay, he leaped into the pack of owlbears, while Zenobia dashed in the opposite direction. 

Regardless of the situation, there were only two strategies that could be employed when surrounded: either engage both fronts simultaneously or swiftly eliminate one side. 

Though perplexed, Zenobia realized that since Farsa had already taken action, there was no choice but to face the opposing side. 

“Ha! …This ends here!” -Zenobia 

With fluid sword movements, Zenobia effortlessly sliced through the Owlbears one after another, dispatching all four of them in less than ten seconds. 

At the mere age of thirteen, Zenobia, appointed as a knight of the White Lily Order, had already made a name for herself, much like Farsa. 

Despite her noble status as the daughter of a marquis, Zenobia had wielded a sword since a young age, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to honing her talent.  

In particular, her passion for the sword in recent years had been relentless. She possessed such exceptional skill that she was granted a special exception to join the knight order, which normally required a minimum age of fifteen. 

“Hey, you! Get out of the way…!” -Zenobia 

Turning instantly to address Farsa in order to confront the Owlbear behind her, Zenobia was rendered speechless by the scene unfolding before her. 

When Zenobia defeated the fourth Owlbear and looked back, she witnessed Farsa, a magician, decapitating an Owlbear with a swift motion. 

As the massive body of the Owlbear collapsed with a thud, a moment of silence fell upon the forest. 

“W-What in the blazes! What was that?!” -Zenobia 

It was understandable for Zenobia to raise her voice and question Farsa. 

Surrounding Farsa were the lifeless bodies of six Owlbears, with two more defeated in almost the same amount of time it took Zenobia to slay her four. 

“What… This staff is actually a hidden blade. It’s an item from the East, quite challenging to maintain, but quite useful. Well, it’s not effective against magical creatures when you let your guard down, though.” -Farsa 

“!” -Zenobia 

Zenobia was left speechless by Farsa’s unexpected response, unable to find the words to continue. 

Farsa spoke without a hint of pretense, as if what he had done was nothing out of the ordinary. Farsa mistakenly thought she was merely interested in the unusual concealed blade, completely disregarding the matter of the Owlbears. 

The opponent was a magician, while Zenobia herself was a knight, who specialized in the art of the sword. 

Judging solely by the current outcome of their combat with weapons, Zenobia, the knight, was losing to Farsa, the magician. 

The young prodigy of the sword, Zenobia, who had been praised from her childhood, was inferior to a mere magician. Undoubtedly, this would be an unbearable humiliation for Zenobia. 

“Hey, you! I believe you said your name was Farsa, right?” -Zenobia 

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, that’s right.” -Farsa 

Surprised by the sudden question about his name, Farsa responded with a slightly vacant voice. 

For the past three days, there had been no occasion where Farsa was questioned about anything by Zenobia, and even in their minimal conversations, he was addressed merely as “you”. 

“Knight Zenobia de Ctesiphon challenges the magician Farsa to a duel!” -Zenobia 

“What? Huh?” 

Zenobia removed the white glove from her left hand and, without hesitation, threw it at Farsa’s feet. 

“What the hell is this girl thinking?,” thought Farsa, unable to grasp Zenobia’s inner motives. 

The two of them were currently in the midst of a forest inhabited by monsters, and moreover, they were there on the orders of Princess Aurelia for an investigation. 

Engaging in a duel was clearly not the priority at hand, and Zenobia seemed visibly agitated. 

Regardless, Farsa realized that Zenobia shouldn’t let her glove be tainted with the blood of an Owlbear. As he reached down to pick up the glove, his lack of interest in human customs proved to be a hindrance. 

In noble duels, throwing one’s left glove symbolized a challenge, and if the opponent picked it up, it meant acceptance. 

“Hmph, seems like you’re confident in picking it up without hesitation. Now, ready your weapon!” -Zenobia 

“Uh, um?” -Farsa 

Could it be that Farsa had failed in his response? By the time he contemplated this, it was already too late. Zenobia had already assumed a stern expression and brandished her sword. 

As far as Farsa could sense, there were no other presences in their surroundings at the moment. 

Rather than clearing up the misunderstanding, it would be more efficient to swiftly end the duel right here, Farsa thought. He, too, readied his hidden blade in the same manner. 

“Here I come!” -Zenobia 

Having confirmed that Farsa had readied his weapon, Zenobia issued a signal and closed the distance between them. 

While her actions exuded a great sense of knightly spirit, it was unnecessary from Farsa’s perspective. 

During his training in the Demon Lord’s army, he had been drilled in close combat, constantly in a state of war, always under attack whenever there was the slightest opening. 

That’s why Farsa, in his daily life, whether he was reading or eating, never let his guard down, always prepared to defend himself even if he was suddenly assaulted. 

Because of that, he could easily deflect Zenobia’s attacks, which were earnest but predictable. 

Farsa deflected Zenobia’s sword with the belly of his own blade, swiftly tripping her feet from under her, causing her to tumble backward onto the ground. Then, without missing a beat, he swiftly brought his sword to her throat, declaring his victory in a single decisive move. 

“Well, that’s my win. Now, let’s get back to the investigation quickly.” -Farsa 

Saying so, Farsa extended his hand to Zenobia, but his right hand was swiftly slapped away with a sharp sound. 

“…Don…do…’nt, don’t make fun of me! Don’t make fun of me! Why, Why, Why, Why! Uu, uwaaaah!” -Zenobia 

Zenobia rose abruptly, muttering to herself incoherently. Finally, tears streamed down her face as she screamed at the top of her lungs before running away from the scene. 

Farsa, taken aback by the knight leaving her sword behind and sprinting into the depths of the forest unarmed, could only watch in stunned silence. 

“Sigh… If something happens, it’ll still be my responsibility, huh?” -Farsa 

Letting out a deep sigh, Farsa picked up Zenobia’s sword and began to chase after her, picking up the pace. 

Witnessing Zenobia’s tears, which contrasted sharply with her previously bold demeanor, Farsa felt an inexplicable sense of restlessness. Unconsciously, his running speed gradually increased. 

“I believe she’s around the same age as me,” Farsa recalled, pondering what he knew about Zenobia as he sprinted through the forest. 

For someone like Farsa, who had little interest in humans, this line of thinking was unusual, though he remained oblivious to that fact.