The Branded Female Fencer

"Kazas!"

"You were safe!?

"Of course, I won't die so easily."

It was Kazas who showed up in front of the Alphilis and the others. To the unexpected appearance of the person, the companions who know him rush to him in unison.

"You worried about me? I'm glad you're okay."

"This one too. But I'm glad Alphilis and the others are safe."

Kazas and Alphilis exchanged hands firmly. This would have been an unexpected development at that time, given the way they first met.

Just as we traveled together, Alphilis defended Kazas well, a non-combatant, and Kazas led the Alphilis with that knowledge from time to time. And Kazas was surprised that Alphilis was knowledgeable despite being a mercenary, and Alphilis was impressed that Kazas would follow a tough journey without complaining. They are no longer in recognition of each other.

"But why is Kazas here?

"Of course I've been looking for you guys, but I reasoned that I'd take the north street from the path rather than walking around in a detour, so I stayed in this town and waited. Then you heard a bunch of all the women that changed this evening went into town. I thought this was for sure."

Kazas speaks with excitement. It would be both my prospect hit and the excitement of meeting the Alphilis and the others. That's how Alphilis sees him with an eye of interest and kindness.

"I knew you were smart."

"And Kazas was one of the specialties in geography, wasn't he? Exactly."

"I don't care about that. I don't seem to see Mr. Nia any more than that...?

Explain to suspicious Kazas that Nia has returned to Gruzaldo. Then Kazas' complexion changes dramatically. Pale at first, and when her location is known, now to the color of relief. And Kazas, who regained his calm, says.

"Well, I see what's going on. For now, Nia's safe, right?

"Absolutely."

"Then this is not the case with me. Excuse me, but let me go after her."

Kazas will also be there to greet the reunion and try to leave the spot.

"Hey, hey. You're leaving already?

"Yeah, naturally. When she gets to Gruzaldo, it's a lot of trouble, so you better catch her before you do."

"What are you gonna do with him?

"It's been decided. I'll go wherever she goes."

As Kazas grew tight, the Alphilis and the others opened their mouths gently.

"What is it, look weird? I didn't mean to say that funny."

"... no, I do,"

"What are you going to do with the professor?"

"I'm going to go back to the inn and write a resignation. You can go anywhere with research, and I've sold enough of my name already, so just writing a new paper or discussion will make you an income."

"... that's kind of a good line for nothing"

Lisa says a little sarcasm, but no longer in Kazas ears.

"If you want to chase, good hurry. We're going to procure a flying dragon and fly for Gruzaldo."

"I hope so, but... be careful."

"Thank you for your concern, Alphilis. Bye!"

and Kazas leaves the tavern and stops that leg.

"And you shouldn't. I almost forgot what I did."

"Up to the prairie, but I will pay for my escort. Face the financial guild the next morning. I'll give you a pen so you can get paid the next morning. I was wondering if the road bank to Arnelia would hold enough."

"Oh, that's what you talked about..."

Alphilis remembered the story of Kazas becoming one of their own, pompous and headstrong. I completely forgot until you told me. Kazas was already an indispensable companion to Alphilis, so he completely forgot he was hired.

Kazas smiles when he sees such an alphilis.

"... it's really the same, Alphilis. Soon there will seem to be more reliable companions, and many wonderful encounters on your journey."

"Kazas is the one. I hear Nia will come back to me soon. I'll see you then."

"Yeah, be sure."

That's all I said, Kazas left. Alphilis said, "Don't make Nia cry. Yikes!?" And when he had teared from afar, Kazas responded with his thumbs up, even though things were about to happen. There seemed to be some change in him as well, though Kazas wouldn't do that until now.

And again, the Alphilis and the others return to their original seats. Rosetta and Emerald didn't know what was going on, but unlike earlier, the story was exciting about Kazas and Nia ahead.

"Haa... haa..."

Hearing coarse breath in the rain in the dark with no light. It's heard from a shadow that runs without footsteps.

"(Where... did I make a mistake?

The moonlight shoots into the shadows for a moment. The face you see there equals that of a girl, the look that leaves her young. However, even in the faceless expression, the expression is slightly distorted because it is hard to breathe. Sweat seeps through my forehead. Still,

"(to be ready in 20 seconds)"

Yes, she thought, and calmed her breath. Normally my strength shouldn't cut through all my efforts for half a day. But all this time things were different.

"(4 tasks in a row... highest difficulty up to the third. And the fourth is nasty easy)"

Three assignments in a week. None of that was very difficult, nor was the preparation period given much. Still, she accomplished her mission because of her excellence, for one thing. She recognized it as a fact, not a confidence, that the others would surely go so far to the top.

And the fourth directive was assassination. This was unpleasantly easier than the previous three. Besides, it's the last seat of this nobleman or something, and the security of the mansion is full of holes. She suggested that it would be easy to kill anything, but the instruction was to "pull in and assassinate". instructions from above are absolute. She decided to assassinate as directed.

Since the later end of the body was not specifically instructed, after the assassination, the escape will be effected as planned by the guides of his companions on a predetermined route. It was then that I felt uncomfortable.

She felt a tingly burning sensation on her nose. She knows that this is proof that she is in imminent danger. She couldn't understand why she felt that feeling while being guided by her peers, but her body reacted more honestly. Breaking a fellow hand with a knife offered from behind, he kicks up a knife that falls out of his hand and pierces the man's groin behind him. The man in front turned further back the moment he looked back at himself, inverting his neck 180 degrees to do it.

"(That I have already used it. This is the last reward for not looking at my life or myself and continuing to kill me)"

The girl looks back at her past as she breathes. But for a while, too. The perimeter was already surrounded, probably an unlikely number of 10.

"(Well, they meant this from the beginning. Big deal for me alone. But why)"

What makes her wonder is not why she is targeted. I could imagine myself being targeted. My organization's predecessors died one after the other, and I was somewhat predicted. Each of them was supposed to have died on assignment, but she also knows that they're not the ones who hit such bad luck. Death to the over-armed, the over-knowing. She has committed assassinations herself. So I also knew it would all be my turn, but I didn't get any emotions. Nothing in her, such as an obsession with raw. Because they're not raised that way.

Yet she wonders why she wasn't murdered by adults. Undressed, he still keeps killing his assassins while fleeing.

"(Why am I not murdered by adults? Why? Somebody give me an answer...)"

While I think so, an assassin hits me from the top of a tree I put my back on. The girl, who ran up on the tree to replace her body with the assassin, beheaded the assassin, climbed him onto the tree on the stepping stone and began to move as she flew through the woods. It is so light-hearted that it does not seem very human. The assassins are gradually distanced by her movements, which are first-class among their peers.

"(Horses somewhere... no, more than that)"

When the girl finds a small river in her sight, she further clarifies her ears and confirms the sound. Confirming the target sound, the girl landed by the river and began to run. Later, numerous assassins come after us.

"(Let's try my fate)"

Keep it up. The girl runs with all her might. Running in the wind is so fast that wild beasts can't catch up, and she can do her best to maintain the same speed as horses. The distance goes away from the successor while I look at it. And you can see the waterfall in front of you, but the girl didn't slow down her running speed at all.

She leaps herself straight into the waterfall. Over her head, a white moon close to the full moon illuminates the girl's silver hair, and a waterfall kettle visible far below her eyes reflects what she looks like.

"(Not a bad sight)"

For the last time, the girl thinks. I've never had such emotions before. And the girl, who fell into a waterfall kettle slightly reflecting the moon, slowly lost consciousness due to fatigue and shock.

Continued