The Branded Female Fencer

"When?

"Shortly after Mr. Louis left the army. They say your family has been opposed for a long time, but she's officially enlisted... and now she keeps 100 men."

"That girl..."

Louis remembers the old days. My sister Mira and I used to hang out and practice swords. From that time on, Louis knew that Mira also had talent as a knight. But at the time, she had no purpose, she was just a sister who followed herself around, but I didn't know she was in the army.

"Is it because of the eagle?

Louis was feeling responsible. I didn't want to get that sweet little sister involved in the fight. Anneclose regretted saying something extra, but it was no longer what would happen.

"What a... because you belong to a different unit than I do"

"What about the commander?

"Sir Oswald leads the 6th Army Division."

"Sir Oswald? Exactly. I seem to have avoided my father's division, but he wouldn't be able to operate in a weird way. I don't have a stake in the eagle house."

Louis is relieved. I guess I should be relieved just to hear what I'm doing fine.

"Well... safe and above all. So what about my brother?

"I don't hear about you joining the army yet."

"I wonder if I'm as sick as ever. It should be 12."

"What a..."

"Well, you heard boring things."

Louis lay his eyes down and shut up. I'm worried my brother will be in a position at home. Louis' father was a very harsh, old-fashioned thinker. Men had to be strong, and women were only tools to have strong children. Louis' mother was never infirm, but despite Louis' sister's very difficult labor, which destroyed her body, her father tried to give birth impossible because he really forced her to have a man, and she gave birth to her brother and soon died. It's also one of the reasons Louis flew out of the house.

Anneclose talks nasty to Louis, who looks uncomfortable thinking about it. Even though Anneclose is known as a vicious princess, only Louis can't really lift his head for a long time.

"... so, what's Mr. Louis going to do after this?

"Nothing. Mercenaries who lived that day. Most recently, there seems to be a large number of demon kings and others, and there seems to be an increase in troubles everywhere. You won't have trouble with your job, but speaking of which, isn't there a demon king out there in Romansland?

Louis said it himself and realized it. The only demon king we've dealt with is still in the western region. Rumor has it that he's out in the south and east, but each of you is dealt with by the Groussard, Arnelian, and Magic Churches in collaboration. But in the north, I don't hear any rumors of the emergence of demon kings. Even though Romansland has the largest territory on the continent, if it also includes the country to which it belongs.

Can't you convey Louis' thoughts like that, Anneclose's face doesn't change otherwise?

"Yes, so far"

"Hmm, some things are strange. Most..."

"Huh?"

"No, it's nothing"

One question comes to Louis. Honestly, I'm no longer interested in what happens to Romansland, but I just wanted my sister and I to be safe. This was also Louis, who I felt I could not say anything about without consulting Valsas.

Louis takes a seat, roughly Annecloses looking strange at Louis like that. The new bottle I had already brought was also empty.

"Well, the eagles are just about to go to bed. Anne's early in the morning, isn't she?

"Yeah, well"

"Speaking of which, what are we going to do with Alphilis?

"Alfi is a release because I have an appointment. Because I swore an oath as a knight."

When I saw Anneclose, who responded instantly, Louis did it.

"You've gotten a lot better, Anne."

"Really? Then I must have grown up too."

"Those who stand on top must be. And Alfie."

"What, what is it?

"No, I just thought you were close enough."

"Isn't that something!

Louis accidentally stroked Anneclose's head again, as he turned to the side as she swelled slightly.

"Geez."

"That's fine, I'm glad to see Anne growing up. Now, the eagle will return to Amarina."

"You have Amarina!?

Anneclose also looked surprised that she didn't think Amarina was there. Louis was flat, though, expecting such a reaction from Anneclose as well.

"Are we going to meet?

"I don't have a face to match... because without me, Mr. Amarina would have been division leader by now"

Annecloses annoys me.

"I don't know about that... but even with Anne, I think Amarina would have been division leader."

"Huh?"

Louis' answer to that was unexpected, so Anneclose looked up unexpectedly.

"Amarina did beat Anne in the game before that time. The expectations from my men, the ability to command, and the strength were certainly better than Anne at that point."

"Yet the title of Top Dragon Knight (Dragon Master) was awarded to me. And if you're not convinced, Mr. Amarina flies out of Romansland..."

"Right. But if Amarina is really into the title of Top Dragon Knight, she should have stayed in the army and worked hard. Because he was actually a Romansland dragon knight, and there was only one person better than her to count. Not so far away, he would have been awarded the title again.

But she didn't. If you weren't convinced by that judgment, or if you were shocked that Anne pulled you out of being adorable as a subordinate all along, then so be it. I guess the title of Top Dragon Knight was just one indicator of your strength for Mr. Amarina, too? I guess I got out of the army because I realized that the title of Top Dragon Knight was very vague and wanted to find something more to aim for "

Anneclose, who was silently listening to Louis, looks uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?

"Come on, I don't know. I didn't even ask him if he was a weasel. But it is certain that she is not the kind of person who would be annoyed by such a thing. I'm still manipulating dragons, and that handiwork just improves. If you're focused on the past, you won't. Besides, I'm guessing Anne doesn't think she's worthy of the top dragon knight?

"Yes."

It is also a long-suffering problem for Anneclose. When he was awarded the highest ranking dragon knight, there was a commotion between the fact that he had not yet been accompanied by a track record and the fact that Amarina had left the army. Anneclose also spent sleepless nights wondering why she had been named the highest dragon knight, resenting her father, the emperor.

But Louis' answer was unexpected to her.

"I think so too, eagle"

"... what?

I was told so straightforwardly that Anneclose was in the Empress. Seriously, I opened my mouth pompously.

"Don't look like that. No, was it a bad way to say eagles? Precisely, I thought so, yeah. Whoever saw it, it was Amarina who deserved the highest dragon knight at the time. But..."

"But if you don't think you deserve it, all you have to do is make an effort to be worthy. Anne has talent. That's what the servant admitted. Sooner or later, you'll have the strength you deserve."

Anneclose was thinking, but seeing Louis turn his back, he speaks from behind Louis.

"Soon... I'm not convinced, but I'll try to make it seem that way"

"Oh, do that. It's better than to be ugly."

"Thank you. It's good to see you today."

"And the eagle. Then I'll catch my breath."

That's how Louis pulled upstairs without turning around. After Louis left, Anneclose thought a little bit about it in the barely fallen tavern of the light.

"Monsieur"

"Lexus."

Lexus stood upstairs. Apparently, he was here long after he left his seat.

"Were you listening?

"I'm sorry, but it's my job to keep you safe."

"Well, it wouldn't be dangerous."

"I don't know."

Although Louis disagrees once and for all, he also knows that Lexus is not offended, and he actually knows that Lexus is safe until now because that's how he always assists Louis.

"So, any opinions?

"Talk about the demon king not showing up in Romansland. Mr. Valsas has noticed, too. Yeah, he kept crusading for the Demon King."

"I see. So?

"Wouldn't the man from Squad 0 already be putting in an exploration? Yeah, I can see it. Mr. Valsas can't pull it off, can he? I thought you might be able to do the right thing this time, but I was waiting for that report to come back."

"Hmm."

Louis roars. When Louis listens to the story, he wonders about Romansland. I imagine Valsas must have cared that he or Amarina didn't talk to him when he said Valsas was already moving. Unsurprisingly, Valsas is a meticulous man.

"So, what do we do?

"... would you like to go back to Mr. Valsas for once? I don't really feel like it's a problem to leave it alone, do you? In any case, I'm sorry for your loss, but we might as well infiltrate Romansland."

"You think?

"It's an investigation."

Lexus' reckoning is a good hit. That's all Louis always tries to trust.

"It's true that the eagle and the amarina would know even more about the inside. It's after you talk to Amarina that you decide to go back."

"Right. Then good hurry if you decide so. Talk to Amarina!

That's how Louis grabs the root and holds Lexus back trying to get to Amarina's room.

"What!"

"I have a weasel to talk to... you wait outside."

"Yeah, 'cause I've only secured one room, and either way, I'm not into it."

"I don't have your bed. There's no way I'm letting a beast like you into a woman's room.

"A woman... wouldn't even be like that right now... ha!?

The words Lexus grumbled instead of complaining had reached Louis' ears firmly. Louis pulls out his sword with killing.

"Hmm... you want to continue today?

"No, no, no, let's go peacefully, shall we? Right??"

"Heh, I was going to do that as a weasel. We should probably get rid of the pests."

"Hih, hih!? Help ~"

"Stay, you!

It was not until shortly after this that Louis saw Lexus slammed through the upstairs window with Miranda, Lisa and Nia, who then heard Lexus scream echo into the inn and came out angrily, "Shut up".

Continued