Chapter 3  – The Maiden of Copper

    With that, she would be able to enjoy herself despite her inability to dance,

    which Lyle was thankful for.

    The melody of a moonlit night begun once more. And so, Lyle closed his eyes

    and enjoyed it.

    162

    Part 7

    Maria ascended to the second storey of the hall.

    Looking down from the atrium, the masquerade ball of fantastic outfits

    Lyle returned Milla''s bright side with only a look of amazement.

    On the other hand, Vilhelm who had been interfered with, had a face

    contorted with displeasure.

    "......A mere servant dares to oppose me, a Margrave?"

    "I answer to only my mistress, Lady Maria."

    "I see. Very well—you had best fulfill your duty to the very end, then!"

    186

    Vilhelm broke into a run, magic sword in hand.

    Milla responded in the same way, going head-on at him.

    "Milla! If that sword even scratches you—"

    At the same time as Lyle''s warning, Dansleif was swung downwards.

    Evading the pale crimson blade by a paper-thin margin, Milla was suddenly at

    Vilhelm''s back, with ghostly movements.

    "What?"

    The astonished Vilhelm hastily guarded the back of his neck with the magic

    sword.

    *Garin*!

    The clash of metal scattered sparks about.

    "How regrettable. You have fast reflexes."

    Before anyone had realised it, Milla was holding a whip-like weapon in her

    hands. But where there were supposed to be thick leather and cord, there

    were only steel blades thinner than razors.

    "What a strange-looking weapon.... which reminds me. I had heard that the

    previous leader of the Highline Foundation had a bodyguard with certain

    remarkable skills."

    The smile had returned to Vilhelm''s face, and his mouth opened as though

    reciting a poem.

    "And that assassin bodyguard... could you have been the rumoured, ''Assassin

    Slayer''?"

    "What a distasteful thing to do, Sir Margrave. Trying to expose a woman''s

    secrets, that is."

    187

    While still maintaining her smile, Milla swung the whip of razor-sharp, thin

    blades.

    It was like a whip, but far more lethal. The steel ''whip-sword'' lashed out at

    Vilhelm, drawing a spiral arc in the air.

    Vilhelm intercepted the attack with a horizontal slash from Dainsleif.

    However, the trajectory of the whip-sword changed right before the clash

    between weapons, and it went directly downwards. Bouncing off the stone

    floor, the tip of the razor blades headed straight for Vilhelm''s jaw.

    Vilhelm had barely managed to evade that attack.

    "Haha! No doubt that this is equal to even the likes of demonic and faerie

    blades! Indeed, the assassin is well-matched with her blade!"

    Vilhelm replied, while returning with attacks of his own.

    The whip-sword was ill-suited for receiving blows. Though a scratch or two

    would not make it unusable—it still ought to have been a one-sided fight.

    However, Milla was able to dodge every single attack that came her way.

    "Well dodged!"

    "You give me too much credit."

    Dodging backwards, Milla lashed out with her whip-sword. The flexible whipsword

    wrapped itself around Dainsleif.

    The sounds of the magic sword and the whip-sword grinding against each

    other could be heard.

    "—Impressive."

    "Nowadays, this is a basic requirement of being a maid. There is no need for

    such praise."

    188

    "Heh, I wish I had a maid as skilled as you are. I could make you obey me with

    this magic sword, but...... Well, the door is always open. It is regrettable, but

    there are things I must attend to... !"

    Suddenly, there were sounds of footsteps on the stone floor.

    From the shadow of the stone pillars on the other side of the viewing

    platform, emerged the figures of numerous puppets.

    Although they had many opportunities to join the fray, it seemed like they

    had been waiting up till now, just in case.

    "Well then, what will you do, my lady maid? At this rate, Lyle is going to be in

    danger, isn''t he?"

    Vilhelm then blew a sharp whistle.

    The youths who had been made into puppets lunged at Lyle. Though he had

    taken a defensive stance, without amber, he could not use any magic.

    "Master Lyle!"

    Letting go of her whip-sword, Milla leapt aside. With the hilts of the knives

    concealed in her sleeves, she struck and neutralised them.

    "Sorry about that, Milla."

    "Don''t—In all honesty, I would not have had a chance of winning, had the

    fight been dragged on. And so I aimed for a tie... but everything was a little

    too late."

    Milla''s face darkened as she surveyed the viewing platform, her body

    drenched with sweat.

    "...It looks like he escaped using the rope I had come up here with. I am very

    sorry."

    "......No, I was also at fault."

    189

    The pocket watch was also gone. It was most likely taken away by Vilhelm,

    who had called it a ''key''. In its place, a piece of paper was left.

    "......Damn it."

    Crushing the piece of paper in his hand, Lyle cursed.

    "...Milla. Let''s leave this place for now. How is Lunaria doing?"

    "She is still breathing. I will carry her."

    Lyle nodded, and turned his gaze westward, past the centre of the royal

    capital, where a massive fire illuminated the white castle of Ilsestein—

    towards the outskirts.

    ''The multi-purpose plaza in the western outskirts of the royal capital

    The first military shipyard

    The third factory site''

    That was what had been written on the piece of paper which was left behind.