The Branded Female Fencer

"... this smells so bad."

What the line gathered was that fact that the Knights, led by Diore, have been eating a stop in the border crusade for years now. It will be years without her leaving the outrages of the princesses, who cannot even be stopped with Diore in the centre. This had to be easy, Rhine thought. What the hell is going on in the country's centre now? Besides, how would that young and unreliable king have grown by now?

Rhine was thinking about that in a liquor store a little further away from the mercenary regiment, organizing information gathered from intelligence stores. In the seat where the line sat, there was a young man who had sat down. I thought you were a drunk looking for a dance slave, but you haven't brought a dance slave today. Because when you meet with an informant, the existence of a dance slave is remarkable and you can't help it. Besides, the man I've been sitting on was a good, good-looking young man who didn't look like a liquor store.

He speaks to the line in a nostalgic voice.

"It's a beautiful day, brother"

"... but it's cloudy today."

"No. With the grace of the earth, it is always sunny before us."

It was a funny story, but when Rhine heard the words, he immediately paid the tavern's lord to leave the spot. And after hanging around for a while, he re-enters through the back door of the tavern and slips into the back room. In that room, an earlier young man had already sat. However, the atmosphere was much sharper than earlier.

"Looks like you made it."

Naturally, it's our code.

"I wondered what I would do if my loyalty to Dear Diore had faded."

"I already have no loyalty. I still have respect."

The young man shrugged his shoulders to Rhine's words, but Rhine glanced sharply at him.

"You're the one who poked his sword at me at Fort Salamo."

"Do you understand? I'm going to change my voice slightly."

"I get it. I haven't changed the way I carry my legs. Anyone who uses a little sword or carries out an assassination is likely to notice. Stop walking like that all over town."

"That's our former captain. Let's try."

The young man nodded honestly and cut the story off.

"Well, I don't have much time myself either. Can I have a quick word with you?

"Wait, I want to confirm one thing before I do. You snuck into Arnelia, too?

"No way. I came in square and square from the front."

"How? No, well. Do you also have an identity on the surface?"

"Yeah, you're right. My table identifies me as an escort and aide to the Ambassador of Alexandria in Arnelia. Speaking of which, you still had a name. The Rainey family is the third son, Iblan-Goat-Rainey. I need to know you."

Rhine was frowning at Ibran's introduction until he was polite.

"He's an increasingly frigid guy. What are you up to?

"No, that's a lot, but now I just introduced myself. I don't need to hide anything in particular anymore, and I'm a decent person of my own origin. I don't need to shy away from you, who are mercenaries now, even though you are a former superior officer."

"That's true, though. Could I have revealed that it was Nights of Nights"

"That's no problem. Originally the face of Nights of Nights is just a testament to excellence. As you know, I sometimes do things like operatives and spying, but the basics are just titles as elites. Nothing wrong with that."

"You mean spying, not the spy itself"

To the words of the line, Ibran laughed all the time.

"I won't deny it, because it's my job to report anything unusual for the 400th anniversary festival. Of course, we will also do things in favour of our own country to the extent that they do not run counter to international rules. But that's what every country does."

"So it's our job to mess with us the other day? Although it would clearly violate international rules."

"Let's not say anything there. It's just that the purpose of my actions was to talk to you and me like this."

"Then just say the requirements. It's disgusting to have two guys in the back room like this."

"As rumors have it, he's an interesting man"

Ibran fucked up. Is it fun to say what you want? Is the line's response as expected again? He kept the word going.

"Then I'll revisit the requirements. Could you think about your return to Alexandria?

"I thought about it. But I still can't."

"Why not? Your sins will be dispelled and your honor restored. Besides, you may be able to regain the honor of the man you cherished. Is there so much untrained in this mercenary regiment?

"... I don't care if it's already an honor or a sin or something like that. The more I give it up, the more I feel like I'm going into the mud. At the time, even if Master Diore gave me a hand, he did. I don't think anything will change now."

"That's why you ran away from your country?

"... yes"

Rhine said with no expression, but it was clear that whoever saw it was painful and impossible.

But Ibran continued his relentless words.

Continued