Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 21 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Those Who Know the Mikoshiba Ways

That night, Cardinal Roland beckoned Rodney to his tent to further discuss the negotiations he had that day. Dick, the leader of the Eighteenth Order of the Temple Knights, was also present.

Cardinal Roland told the two of the fortunate outcome of the negotiations with a wide grin, then said, “And so, it’s decided that we enter an armistice with the Mikoshiba barony.”

He picked up a bottle of white wine and poured it into a glass set on the table. After relishing the aroma for a moment, he sipped on it.

“Hmm, Qwiltantian wines are some of the finest. I kept it for special occasions, and opening it now was the right idea.”

Afterward, Roland refilled his empty glass, but his hands stopped before he gulped it down. His eyes turned to Rodney, and he flashed a slightly bashful smile. It felt like he was enjoying fine liquor on his own. The bottle belonged to the cardinal, so it was within his rights to drink it alone, and Rodney didn’t mind.

Rodney wouldn’t object to taking a sip, of course, but that was the extent of his feeling on the matter. He wouldn’t demand a glass without the cardinal’s permission or take it personally if the other didn’t offer. This behavior was simply due to Rodney’s upstanding character. Most people would assume that a lofty clergyman not offering his subordinates his drink reflected badly on him.

It’s easy to see he’s simply celebrating and getting carried away, thought Rodney.

Moreover, Rodney had known the cardinal for many years and did not doubt the man’s moral fiber, knowing better than to take offense. It only made sense the cardinal would feel some guilt.

“Hm, this being a momentous occasion, why don’t you two also have a taste? Wine tastes better when you share it with others,” Cardinal Roland said as he fetched a couple of glasses for his attendants.

He happily put the glasses in their hands and filled them up.

“Now, then. Cheers!” Roland said and gulped down the wine from his glass, satisfied with the negotiations.

It is cause for celebration.

Even Rodney could tell how important the truce was to the Church. They would need to retreat from Rhoadseria, but the decision was good in the long term. Although Rodney didn’t think it was a big deal, he had something more important to confirm.

“So, Your Eminence... Is the date of the signing decided?” Rodney asked, concerned as the one tasked with the cardinal’s security.

“Yes, I should inform you about that...”said the cardinal, slightly scatterbrained from the wine. “It will take place in six days, as per the Mikoshiba barony’s request.”

“Six days? Why, that’s on very short notice,” Rodney said, surprised.

Such a cross-national agreement being signed in a week—even if they were effectively already in a truce—was much too fast. Dick, who had held his tongue thus far, spoke up.

“But Your Eminence... If that’s the case, we must report it to the pope in haste.”

“Thankfully, the power of the dragon current is waning,” added the cardinal. “Depending on how I feel, I’ll be able to report to the pope as early as tomorrow.”

The spell that uses the dragon current...

Reporting to Menestia, which was far to the west, would have usually been impossible. Delivering a letter would take many days since it required several pigeons based on how many monsters and birds of prey were in the way. This action threatened the message’s confidentiality, though.

If nothing else, it would not be possible to deliver the message and receive the pope’s orders back in seven days.

Among the highest-ranking members of the Church of Meneos, some had learned a technique that allowed them to speak to the pope in the Holy City from any corner of the western continent. It was a technique akin to carrying a mobile phone.

While it might sound like a very convenient thaumaturgical spell, it had many drawbacks. It consumed a great deal of prana, and the farther apart the two points communicating were, the shorter the time they could speak.

Seeing that the spell connects one’s consciousness to the dragon current to converse, it can backfire and even cripple the user for life.

Despite its utility, these were some reasons people rarely used the spell. Rodney knew of the spell but didn’t know how to use it nor did he feel inclined to learn how. Cardinal Roland, however, seemed to have no qualms about using it to report this situation.

Given this is about signing the treaty with the Mikoshiba barony, he has to do it. Either way, it didn’t change what Rodney had to do.

Having confirmed the information necessary for his role, he spent some time with Cardinal Roland merrily before leaving the tent with Dick. None of this was unnatural or noteworthy, but something did change. Rodney didn’t notice it, so he simply overlooked how Dick glared at him sharply as he left the tent.

Rodney returned to his tent, where Menea awaited him.

“Oh? Looks like you’ve had a lot to drink,” she remarked.

As he had spent time with Cardinal Roland, he now reeked of alcohol he had forced himself to drink. Rodney didn’t pay Menea’s sarcasm much mind.

“The date’s set,” he said.

Menea’s gaze became sharp. “When?”

“Six days from now, at night.”

That was the date decided during Ryoma Mikoshiba’s talk with Tachibana. In other words, the signing would occur during Asuka’s rescue.

I guess slipping out of camp to finalize the plan would be too dangerous.

Ryoma originally wanted to give Tachibana a Wezalié’s Whisper, which would have made the discussion much smoother. Unfortunately, he couldn’t frivolously hand over a precious dark elven creation. Things might change once the war ended and they produced many more, but they only had five sets.

Each set acted as a pair people could use to speak among themselves. They employed the power of thaumaturgy but were effectively similar to a phone made from two cups and a string.

Ryoma entrusted one part of each set to each unit leader who headed for the capital to maintain communication. Because of this, leaving one earring with Tachibana so they could iron out the details with Rodney simply wasn’t an option.

At the same time, sending a messenger to arrange the time had its risks. The more Tachibana sneaked out of the camp, the more likely the Church of Meneos’s patrols would capture him. Even if they could come up with the details of the rescue operation on the spot, there was no way of knowing how many days it would take to gather information and prepare. There would have been no way of letting Rodney know about the date ahead of time.

I didn’t think they’d use this method, though.

When Tachibana told him about this idea, Rodney thought it was reckless. Looking back on it now, it was a fairly safe method. It was quite simple: Ryoma Mikoshiba would stage the rescue during the night of the ceasefire signing.

With this, Tachibana did not need to make repeated trips out of the camp. Ryoma’s emissary would tell Cardinal Roland any information, which would eventually reach Rodney.

The plan’s simplicity and effectiveness displayed the gist of Ryoma’s personality and prowess. Upon hearing Rodney, Menea brought a hand to her well-shaped jaw in a pensive gesture.

“It feels like it’s happening suddenly. Are you sure it’ll be all right?” Since Menea saw herself as an older sister figure to Asuka, her concern was understandable. No matter how brilliant a plan they might have, its success hinged on preliminary preparations.

“Who’s to say?” Rodney shrugged. “Either way, the die has been cast. All that’s left is to believe in Tachibana’s words and hope Ryoma Mikoshiba comes through.”

“What are you saying...? Are you serious?” asked Menea as she frowned.

She wouldn’t say Rodney was being irresponsible here, but he almost sounded like none of this was his problem.

Rodney chuckled. “It’s just that there’s little we can do as it is. Instead of wasting time on concerns like that, we should focus on doing our job.”

“Yes... They put so much work into this, and it’d all be for naught if we end up making a blunder.” Menea nodded in a displeased manner.

Rodney and Menea truly were limited in what they could do.

Six days later, the sun dipped into the horizon, with the pale moon, ruler of the night sky, taking its place. Tachibana took Asuka to a specific spot on that fateful night, where they remained on standby.

“You’re sure this is the meeting spot, Mr. Tachibana?” Asuka asked.

“Yes...” said Tachibana. “All that’s left is to wait.”

When Asuka heard this, she fell silent. She had the uniform she was wearing when summoned into this world bundled up on her back along with Ouka, the katana she received from Koichiro. These items held emotional significance to her, much like Tachibana felt for his baton.

She looks calm enough, at least on the surface, mused Tachibana. He then noticed the shiver in her shoulders. Who can blame her, though?

They were in one of the tents where Rodney stored his spare supplies. This tent, set up near the enclosure built around the camp, was the perfect spot to keep out of sight of prying eyes. Both remained in the tent for a time, tensely awaiting a development, and they heard a faint rumbling underfoot.

“They’re here, it seems,” Tachibana said, relieved.

When he first heard of the rescue plan Ryoma suggested, Genzou Tachibana thought it was absurd. But it seemed to have worked.

Imagine burrowing under the ground.

Tachibana knew tunneling was a viable tactic during siege battles and had been used to get into bank vaults. Escaping through the underground wasn’t that strange from a modern perspective, though. But it would be an idea at best, and acting on it would take months.

Yet he did it over such a short period.

Eventually, the ground in the middle of the tent caved in, revealing a hole. They heard something scraping through the soil along with people, and the hole grew as the vibrations heightened.

Right on time...

He glanced at the clock set by the tent’s wall, which showed 2 a.m. Dark-skinned hands covered in soil erupted from the hole and grabbed the edge of the hole to pull themselves up.

“Pardon... Did we keep you waiting?” The figure said, looking around and brushing up their silvery hair to remove the soil clinging to it.

Even covered in dirt, the woman’s beauty was unmistakable. Most men alive would fall for her, and even Asuka couldn’t deny that she was gorgeous.

“No, you’re right on schedule. It’s fine,” replied Tachibana, then nodded.

“Well, that’s good. And...?” said the woman, smiling gently and checking the tent’s interior.

She was, after all, in enemy territory and had another goal to accomplish.

“You’re Asuka, then?” she confirmed, seeing Asuka was the only other person there.

Tachibana wouldn’t mistake Asuka for someone else, of course but understood they had to make sure. Asuka took a step forward and bowed her head.

“Yes... It’s nice to meet you.”

“Very well. I go by Dilphina. A pleasure to meet you too.” The dark elf woman smiled kindly, but her smile soon faded. “You’ve heard what comes next, yes?”

Tachibana and Asuka both nodded.

“Good. Let’s go.” With that said, Dilphina approached the pit’s edge again as Asuka and Tachibana peered into it. “It’s pretty deep... Isn’t it?”

It looked fifteen to twenty meters deep, which was about five stories.

They probably had to dig deep so the vibrations wouldn’t expose them.

Tachibana wasn’t particularly afraid of heights, but this was still daunting. At the bottom of the shaft, they could see the faint light of a lamp wavering, implying there were people below them.

“When I get to the bottom, I’ll use the lamp to send you a signal. You can place your hands and feet along the pit’s walls to climb down.” She then smiled at them teasingly. “Of course, if you’re not confident you can climb down the wall, you’re welcome to jump like me. I’ll catch you at the bottom. Make a signal with a torch if you do.”

The depressions in the wall were for Tachibana and Asuka, so Dilphina dived into the darkness. A moment later, the light of the lamp moved in a circular motion.

“It’ll be fine, but let me go last just in case,” said Tachibana.

He hesitated whether to go first, but their greatest fear was that someone would interfere and make them leave someone behind. Taking that into consideration, having Asuka go first was the right idea.

“Let’s be off, then,” she said, placing her hands on the edge and gingerly climbing down.

She soon disappeared into the dim darkness of the pit. Tachibana would usually call out encouragement in a situation like this, but doing so could draw the attention of patrolling soldiers.

They didn’t use a rope for the rescue to avoid leaving any signs that might tie the Mikoshiba barony to the operation.

It’s almost time...

He looked at the bottom of the pit and, seeing the lamp move in a circle again, sighed in relief.

She reached the bottom. At this rate, they’d finish in the nick of time. But there’s no time to climb down slowly.

Tachibana picked up one of the torches on the wall and tossed it to the bottom of the hole. Seeing this, Dilphina understood his intentions, and the light at the bottom of the pit turned red and once again moved in a circle.

He stood at the edge of the pit. Taking a deep breath, he jumped into the darkness, and an inexplicable sensation overcame him.

So this is what plummeting feels like. If nobody catches me, this is suicide.

Falling from five stories was enough to kill a man, or at least leave one with grave injuries. Oddly enough, Tachibana felt no fear. Fortunately, someone had caught him as he felt something soft brush against his cheek and a faint sweet smell.

“I’ll admit... You’re brave. I can appreciate that,” said Dilphina as she lowered Tachibana to the ground.

Tachibana regarded her with a hint of confusion, but she simply smiled. Still, the rescue operation was only beginning.

“I’ll plug the hole, then,” Dilphina said, and she began chanting. “Spirits governing over the earth, change your forms! Earth Creation!”

This chant was a shortened version of a verbal thaumaturgy spell, but its effect was just as potent. Even if someone were to enter the tent, they’d find no evidence there had been a hole there.

“Wow...” Asuka muttered in surprise.

“Now, let’s hurry. The diversion should start any minute now.” Dilphina swiftly picked up the lamp and signaled at Izolde, who was waiting farther away.

“Yes, ma’am!” Izolde said and disappeared down the tunnel.

Dilphina sent her ahead, likely to report the situation, then turned to look at Tachibana.

“We have to hurry. It’ll be a climb that’ll take some effort.”

Tachibana and Asuka nodded and followed. After walking for some time...

We’ve been going for over thirty minutes, Tachibana thought and glanced at Asuka.

Walking through the tunnel over two meters in height wasn’t a problem, but progressing through it for so long was tiring, mentally and physically. There was no view to distract from the situation, only exposed earth. While the slope was gentle, it was still a climb that would tire Asuka, given her stamina.

But she’s not complaining.

Asuka understood the situation perfectly well. Dilphina noticed and appreciated this because she’d been gradually slowing down the pace of their trek for her sake. She had done this out of respect for Asuka’s brave attitude and a sense of duty regarding the mission her master, Ryoma, entrusted her with.

Eventually, the climb ended.

“Good work... You made it,” Dilphina said.

Asuka looked up and saw a group of dark elves holding torches. They nodded at Dilphina and chanted once they confirmed the group had exited the tunnel.

As they chanted, the tunnel vanished due to their powers. In truth, they only caved in the entrance and exit to the tunnel, which was enough to evade the Church’s pursuit.

“This should mask all the evidence... We’ll take a short rest and head out to regroup with the lord,” said Dilphina, then received her lance and ordered her subordinates to hand Asuka a water canteen made of bamboo.

“Thank you.” Asuka sat tiredly on the ground, gratefully accepted the canteen, uncorked it, and took a long sip.

Regrettably, the mission would stop going so smoothly as a man revealed himself between the trees. It was a man who should not have been there since he wore the armor of the Temple Knights.

“Oh, now this is interesting... I don’t have the foggiest clue what this is all about, but am I to assume your friends were the ones who attacked our camp earlier?” declared the man, staring at them.

Dilphina was confused. What was a member of the Temple Knights doing here?

How? We have the area secured.

It was unusual for the enemy to come so close without her scouts reporting on it. Only a skilled soldier could sneak through their patrol, especially if he acted alone. This situation was something to address later. What mattered now was how to handle this bothersome man.

This is unexpected. Were we too careless? Still, there’s only one of them. We can handle this much!

Dilphina clicked her tongue, then held up her spear and thrust it with blinding speed. However, the enemy blocked her, and a loud metallic clang accompanied it.

“Who are you?” she whispered, stunned.

Her hand, gripping the spear, became numb. But the man didn’t respond to her question and reached for the quiver on his back. He drew three arrows between his fingers and nocked them against his steel bow.

“Let’s whittle down your numbers, shall we?” he said.

His motions were all too natural, proof of mastery that came from tens upon hundreds of thousands of uses. The lethal coldness that threatened to take their lives stunned Dilphina as the sight of his skill bewitched her.

“Oh, no! Dodge it!” shouted Dilphina out of reflex.

But his arrows hit the dark elves standing behind Asuka and Tachibana straight in the forehead. And the nightmare didn’t end there. Dilphina blocked the first arrow he fired at her, but then he fired another. And then another. He ended up firing nine arrows in quick succession.

Such skill... And the force of his shots, thought Dilphina. I can’t believe he just wiped them all out.

Dilphina could barely block all his arrows and sadly could not say the same for her subordinates. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw them lying lifelessly on the ground.

These were elves gathered from the village for this mission. Dilphina normally commanded the Black Serpent unit and had to do with these members to fill the vacancy. They were all hunters in the village but had no combat experience.

Their running into this monster of a man in their first battle was a cruel twist of fate. And yet, the fact they protected Tachibana and Asuka was worthy of praise.

I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. You did well.

On the battlefield, everyone was equal. While the grim reaper’s scythe swung to take all lives equally, luck and skill could enable one to dodge it. In that regard, they were unlucky. And the question was whether Dilphina still had the luck to survive.

I probably don’t. Activating martial thaumaturgy now would just be presenting an opening for him to shoot.

Since it didn’t require chanting, like verbal thaumaturgy, activating martial thaumaturgy was much faster. Dilphina saw she was up against someone with the resolve to fight. Even if she faced him with all her power, her chances of winning were about fifty-fifty.

In which case...!

Dilphina swiftly closed the distance at once and raised her voice in a loud shout.

“Forget about me and run, you two!”

Tachibana and Asuka heard her, but the latter didn’t move.

“Tachibana!” Asuka called out.

“I can’t move. I got shot through the stomach. Leave me and go, hurry!” yelled Tachibana.

Most likely, one of the arrows the elves failed to block got him. Though he had deflected the arrow, all that did was curb its momentum and make it gouge into his stomach from behind. Tachibana thankfully avoided an instant death, but he couldn’t run in his current state.

Asuka faltered but knew that crying and screaming wouldn’t improve the situation. She turned around and ran north as fast as she could, but all it did was turn the man’s attention to her.

“Hm... It seems that woman is terribly important to them,” he whispered and nocked an arrow.

“No!” Dilphina once again closed in on him.

The man unleashed his arrows in quick succession at Dilphina.

With this, he won’t be able to shoot her down!

Dilphina blocked his first, second, and third arrows with her spear, and each time she did, her hands grew numb from the impact. A dull pain shot through her abdomen when she blocked the fourth arrow.

Huh?

She hadn’t noticed a fifth arrow hidden behind the fourth one until it stabbed her. All it took was a small moment of carelessness, and it was all that was necessary for a hunter to shoot down his prey.

No... Asuka...

The man pulled back the string of his steel bow into a semicircle, and Dilphina couldn’t imagine the amount of tension applied. A human wouldn’t be able to pick up a bow that heavy and use it successfully. He aimed the bow at Asuka’s back.

No!

For the first time, Dilphina panicked because there was nothing she could do. Even if she used martial thaumaturgy, the arrow would still pierce Asuka’s back before she could possibly reach her.

Then, a miracle happened.

“Asuka! Keep your head down!” A man’s shout echoed through the forest, followed by metallic clashing.

A figure then sprung out of the trees and cradled Asuka’s body. Gripped in his right hand was a katana—Kikoku—and at his feet was an arrowhead cut in half.

“Ryoma? Is that you?” asked Asuka fearfully.

“Yeah,” said Ryoma, gently brushing his free left hand through her hair.

“Is it really you?” she asked again anxiously.

“Yeah... Can’t believe it?” he replied with a snarky smile.

Another arrow flying toward them disrupted that sweet moment. The attacker shifted his target from Dilphina, who knelt on the ground wounded, to them.

You pull some interesting tricks, you son of a bitch! thought Ryoma as he cut down the incoming arrow and activated martial thaumaturgy.

Leaving Asuka at that spot, Ryoma charged at the man.

“Asuka, listen to me and run! Allies are waiting past those trees!” he said, streaking into battle.

“Ryoma!” Asuka called out in fear.

Responding to her call was the furthest thing from Ryoma’s mind because arrows rained down on him.

Fifty meters! Ryoma’s charge was undisturbed, and he could tell slowing down meant death. Thirty meters!

An arrow fragment he cut down flew by his face, drawing a crimson streak across his cheek. Yet he didn’t stop since he had enough experience to not get fazed by such a small cut.

A bow and arrow are a dangerous weapon, but once you close the distance...!

Finally, the two combatants were within slashing distance of each other.

Die!

He drew his sword and slashed in a perfect achievement of force and speed. But he failed to cleave his opponent’s body in half. The man swung the steel bow in his hand at Ryoma with an audible whirring. Red sparks sprayed between the two.

Ryoma unleashed a flurry of slashes, then went from a drawing position to an upward diagonal slash to then swing it down vertically. At this, he finished off by slashing upward from the opponent’s crotch up to their head. It was a secret technique of the Mikoshiba style known as sakakaze—reverse wind—a four-slash flurry that should have been fatal.

Despite all that, the man blocked all four of them and struck a blow at Ryoma. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep enough to render Ryoma incapable of fighting. The man staved off Ryoma’s attack and counterattacked, showing his prowess.

This level of skill wasn’t the only problem. Ryoma wouldn’t be surprised if the man’s skill had been the only reason he took a blow. The other problem was the shape of the bow in the man’s hand.

That’s a hazuyari! That’s one unusual weapon he’s using, thought Ryoma, narrowing his eyes as he recognized the item.

A hazuyari was a spearhead attachment for a bow that allowed it to become a melee weapon, used during the Warring States period of Japan. One used it for emergencies when the shooter ran out of arrows or the bowstring snapped.

Bows were fundamentally curved weapons, ill-suited for use as a thrusting weapon. One could swing a bow about, but it would be poorly balanced. Fighting off an enemy with your bare hands was preferable. However, a spear was more effective in ease of use and damage.

Ryoma learned how to use a hazuyari as part of the Mikoshiba style, but his perspective was that it was a strange weapon.

But this time, it’s nothing that simple.

The blood dripping from the gash on his right arm spoke grimly to that.

“Kikoku! Lend me your power!” Ryoma called out.

As per his call, Kikoku’s blade became coated in red. With the mana flowing in from Kikoku acting as a detonator, Ryoma’s body instantly unleashed all its chakras. The words the man wielding the bow then uttered doused Ryoma’s fighting spirit.

“I see. You shifted to the lightning blade form, the secret of Mikoshiba style fencing... And that stride you showed earlier. That was rushing gale, which employed the wind blade form. To think you’ve acquired such skill and practice at your young age... Impressive.”

What the man just said defied belief. It shocked Ryoma several times more than the fact the man had blocked his attacks perfectly.

“Impossible... How— How do you know?”

Ryoma wouldn’t usually have said anything, as he had no reason to admit anything to his opponent. But no one in this world could have known the name of the Mikoshiba style.

And he knows about the lightning blade form, which is a guarded secret.

Secret or not, the slashes themselves were nothing more than that. In the end, it was only the name of a form. Somehow the man knew about this, meaning he might have stolen knowledge of the Mikoshiba style.

“If you’re Ryoma Mikoshiba, a successor of the Mikoshiba style, then that woman must be Asuka Kiryuu. So she was hiding within the Church’s army... What a twist of fate,” the man said with an amused smile.

“Who are you?!” exclaimed Ryoma with no restraint in his tone. He let the flames of his anger and bloodlust roll off him openly. I’m going to kill this son of a bitch! Why does a man from the Church of Meneos know about Asuka and the Mikoshiba style?!

For a moment, Ryoma suspected Rodney might have set a trap for them, but he soon wrote off that possibility. The man did speak of Asuka, but that didn’t explain how he knew about the Mikoshiba style.

Based on what he’s saying, it sounds like he only figured out this was Asuka.

As Ryoma glared at him, looking for openings, the man shrugged.

“I am Dick McGall, captain of the Eighteenth Order of the Temple Knights,” he said, swiftly gaining distance from Ryoma. This was a signal that he wasn’t interested in any more combat. He couldn’t repair his bow’s severed thread, and fighting Ryoma with only a hazuyari would be suicidal.

But that was Dick’s problem.

Whether I sheathe my sword is another story. From Ryoma’s perspective, Dick had to die right there. Dick seemed convinced that he’d get away, though.

“You still want to keep going? My subordinates are coming over, you know. And you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

Hearing this, Ryoma clicked his tongue. Dick was right.

So what do I do? Challenge him again?

If he did that, the signing tomorrow would fail. The same thing would happen by not silencing Dick, which made Ryoma have conflicted thoughts.

“Don’t worry. I won’t report what happened tonight to my superiors. But dispose of those elves’ bodies to hide what happened here. I’ll simply say this was a night raid from the Rhoadserian army.”

Ryoma glared at him sharply, as this sounded too good to be true. And yet, it didn’t feel like he was making things up.

What’s his angle?

“You’re one cautious fellow, aren’t you?” Dick regarded Ryoma with a strained smile. “You take after your father in that regard.”

“My father...?!”

“Yes, Ryoichiro Mikoshiba. He is your father... Correct?”

Ryoma couldn’t mask his surprise this time. He knows my father’s name?

Ryoma had encountered a mysterious man saying an unexpected name. He wasn’t born out of the ether, so it only natural he would resemble his father. But his parents were already deceased.

Being told he resembled a father he never met didn’t mean much to Ryoma, but there was no denying that this man, Dick, knew his father’s name.

“Well, we can pick up this conversation another time,” said Dick with a smirk. “For now, I’d like you to believe me.”

After hearing this, Ryoma couldn’t pursue the matter any further. He sheathed Kikoku and took a few steps back, marking that he accepted Dick’s proposal.

“Wise choice. I’ll stall my subordinates and buy you time. You’d do well to use that time to escape, yes?”

Dick disappeared into the forest. Ryoma watched him leave in silence, after which a whisper escaped his lips.

“What the hell is going on? Why did that man know my father’s name?”

That was an unanswerable question that didn’t reach anyone’s ears. Still, it encapsulated Ryoma’s current mental state.

The following day, the signing ceremony for the noninterference pact took place without incident in the Church of Meneos’s camp. It heralded the coming decisive battle between Ryoma Mikoshiba and Lupis Rhoadserians. One could say everything went according to Ryoma’s plan.

And yet, the enigmatic doubts Dick McGall had planted still haunted the young warlord’s heart.