You want to negotiate in a situation like this?
"Hey, you...! Ahem. Now's not the time for that! You'll get yourself stabbed!"
"Please answer me."
A grayish energy gathered on Samuel's sword. Divine power.
[Ah, that's dangerous!]
[Captain, please allow me to return to my true form! I will subdue him!]
This damn bastard!
"Fine, so calm your horse first!"
At my words, the divine power on Samuel's sword disappeared, but Palrides's condition didn't improve at all.
Without realizing it, I took a couple steps forward, and Nadav quickly blocked me with his body. Samuel, still maintaining his defensive stance, spoke again.
"But how can I trust your words?"
"What?"
"Your record is quite spectacular."
Once again, Palrides's sword was deflected. As she staggered back, black smoke began to rise from her body.
She's really going to turn back into a Dullahan at this rate. In my anxiety, an irritated shout burst out of me.
"What good is a spectacular record when you'll find everything out anyway!"
Clang!
Metal clashed, sending tiny sparks flying. As they competed for strength, both swords entered a brief stalemate.
Unlike Palrides, who was breathing roughly, Samuel was relatively composed.
Even accounting for Palrides being in a transformed state, isn't Samuel abnormal at this point?
"Now that I hear it, you're right. You can't escape me anyway."
"What...!"
In that instant, Samuel pushed away Palrides's sword and shifted his stance. Palrides tried to react quickly, but Samuel was faster—he grabbed his blade and swung.
The cross guard and pommel struck the helmet with a loud crash. The helmet that had been fixed in place went flying noisily.
Having knocked off the helmet, Samuel seemed momentarily surprised to see the empty head. He froze without continuing his attack, while Palrides panicked and created distance.
At the same time, Nadav, who had been watching the situation, suddenly charged between the two.
Thud!
"Nadav!"
Palrides was struck by Nadav and sent flying. Already unbalanced from losing her helmet, she couldn't withstand Nadav's heavy weight and rolled on the ground.
Nadav ran to her again and stomped down with his hoof, shouting in anger.
[You stupid brat!]
Thud!
[You're the one who got excited and went wild when you should be protecting the Captain!]
Thud!
[You almost put the Captain in danger! You foolish thing!]
Thud!
"...Um, Nadav, I think that's enough."
[No, this one needs to be hit more!]
"She's already fainted."
At my calm observation, Nadav stopped kicking and looked at Palrides. After checking her limp limbs, he trembled. Then he stomped his foot in anger again.
[...This weakling! Fainting from just this! A disgrace to the Twelve Knights!]
Do you not consider your size and weight, Nadav?
At a loss for words, I stood there blankly before quickly approaching the fallen Palrides.
Perhaps because even in his anger he couldn't bring himself to kick a fainted comrade, Nadav snorted and glared at Palrides.
[Captain, Palrides's energy has stabilized!]
[Talk is cheap, Captain. Fist speaks louder.]
They don't seem worried about Palrides either. I sighed in relief after checking Palrides's chest rising and falling.
I crouched beside her fallen form, patting my chest to calm my racing heart, when someone handed me Palrides's helmet.
"Ah, right..."
I was about to take the helmet unconsciously, then stopped when I saw who it was. Samuel stood with his back to the sun, looking down at me with cold eyes.
"It seems you've added some strange companions since we last met."
Instead of answering, I snatched the helmet from his hand and fixed it back onto Palrides's armor.
The latch I had made was tattered, but it held awkwardly in place. At least it would last until we returned.
"Nadav, you'll have to carry Palrides."
[What?]
"You're the one who knocked her out."
Nadav glared at Palrides with displeasure, then reluctantly lowered his body.
As I struggled to pull Palrides's limp arms, Samuel, who had been quietly watching us, bent down.
While I struggled to lift both arms, he effortlessly picked up Palrides.
"Should I put her on the horse's back?"
"...Yes."
Palrides's body hung limply on Nadav's back. Jigor, who had been hanging on the shoulder, moved above Nadav's head, sighing heavily.
Tristan also grumbled complaints to the fainted Palrides in a dissatisfied voice, though she couldn't hear him.
"...?"
I looked at the Dullahans with tired eyes, feeling a hot gaze beside me.
If I said let's part ways now that everything's done, he wouldn't accept it, would he?
Worried, I slowly created distance from him and took out my communication device. Fortunately, Samuel didn't seem interested in eavesdropping on my communication, and Nadav blocked between him and me with his body.
—Anelli?
"I'm going to book separate accommodation in the city."
Bringing him to Decain's mansion might cause problems. And with Palrides fainted, I needed somewhere to lay her down immediately.
—What?
"Contact me in four days."
Xenon frowned at my sudden instruction.
—What do you mean by that suddenly?
"Something came up."
—Why book separate accommodation when it's dangerous! Leaving a safe place behind!
"I said something came up."
I wish he would just accept it like always, but Xenon showed no signs of understanding.
—First, book accommodation and let me know the location. I'll come there.
"No, you just..."
—I'll wait for your contact.
Xenon irritatingly cut off the communication first. Why is he suddenly overreacting like this?
I stared blankly at the silent communication device and let out a long sigh.
Even in this situation, the Dullahahs' chatter that only I could hear, and Samuel's persistent gaze that never left me for a moment, fearing I might escape, made me even more exhausted.
I swept my bangs up with complicated feelings when suddenly someone's snoring was heard.
Snore, snore.
What a sight, really. I glanced at the sprawled Palrides and grabbed my forehead.
Should I just give up on collecting the Dullahahs at this point?
* * *
We finally got a room in the crowded area and laid Palrides on the bed.
In the process, I struggled to carry her and received Samuel's help again, resulting in letting him into the room.
So I just resigned myself. I'd escape later, but first I needed to rest. I also needed to find out why Palrides had gone on a rampage.
Using nursing Palrides as an excuse to stay in the room, Samuel also found a seat and sat down. Then he started recounting his recent activities on his own.
"I was late because I had to deal with troublesome pursuers in Roam."
Where did Roam's reputation go? They couldn't even hold onto one holy knight and cleaned everything up? Everyone should be ashamed.
'Sister Friesian must be running Roam's knights too loosely these days. Maybe I should send an anonymous report pointing out Roam's lax discipline.'
Samuel, unaware of what I was thinking, continued with stories I hadn't asked for.
"I don't intend to call soldiers here as it would attract unnecessary attention."
That was fortunate. Or was it actually bad? If he had soldiers to command, Samuel couldn't freely chase after me. Right now, those words sounded like a declaration that he would focus entirely on me.
I was half-listening to Samuel's voice with a disinterested attitude when a name that rubbed me the wrong way caught my ear.
"Sir Arin's trial has concluded as well."
Sir Arin? Trial?
Forgetting my resolve to never react to Samuel, I turned to look at him.
"Trial?"
"The Temple officially submitted an indictment demanding Sir Arin's punishment. A formal trial was held immediately, and punishment was decided quickly."
I could still clearly see Sir Arin's ridiculous act of trying to capture me, yet in that short time, what did he do to deserve being indicted? And by the Temple at that.
As if knowing my question, Samuel added an explanation.
"The charge was inflicting injury on you."
"The arrow incident? Who would make such a big deal out of that..."
I was about to ask who would make such a fuss about it, then closed my mouth.
There was someone who would make a fuss. Right in front of my eyes.
"Did you make an issue of it?"
"It wasn't making an issue—it was an actual issue."
"And Roam accepted that?"
Roam is a house that extremely dislikes losing face externally.
Even if they judged Sir Arin to be at fault, my father would have chosen internal punishment.
"Roam's intentions don't matter. The Temple's formal indictment was delivered to the Imperial Palace."
I could see clearly how angry my father must have been. Sister Friesian must have been furious too.
Perhaps other vassals of Roam also jumped up and down in shame.
No, they would have drawn a line first, saying Sir Arin's actions were a personal deviation and poor judgment.
"...It was concluded as Sir Arin's personal, arbitrary deviation."
As expected, the words from Samuel's mouth were an unsurprising conclusion.
I nodded and turned away from him indifferently.
"It's surprising that Sir Arin's crime was acknowledged. All he did was shoot an arrow once."
When I muttered indifferently, Samuel furrowed his brow. However, instead of picking at my words, he turned his gaze to the arm where I had been hit by the arrow before.
"Is your wound alright?"
"That was ages ago."
"I didn't leave it untreated on purpose."
Wondering what he meant, I stared at him, and he explained expressionlessly.
"My divine power isn't a healing power. That's why I brought herbs, and I planned to call a priest with healing power once things settled down."
"...You're really early with your explanation."
"I tried to explain that morning, but you ran away."