Chapter 157: The greatest skill under the heavens, part 10
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
◆Lyla◆
「Lylael-sama!」
Running through the corridor to her master, Rodje got down on one knee. In her feline form, Lyla looked up at her servant and noticed her expression. Although rarely, she had seen it before, and it made her heart beat faster.
It was the expression Rodje put on when delivering news of someone’s passing.
「It’s bad. Really bad.」
Her sixth sense acting up, Lyla had ordered the elf to follow Roland and keep an eye on him beforehand. She scurried over to the ‘Gate’ in the castle on all fours. Rodje soon caught up to her, and with a brief apology scooped her master up and placed her on her head.
「How bad is it?」
「That guy has clashed with the assassin who’s apparently after the Heroine. Both have been K.O.’ed.」
「Then let us make haste.」
「Aye.」
Stepping into the magic circle, master and servant blinked away.
K.O.’ed? Roland, of all people?
It was something Lyla could scarcely imagine. Yet she was certain that her servant had been telling the truth, as for the past few days, Roland had behaved exactly like those subordinates who had already chosen a place to die before being defeated.
They landed in a slum a fair distance away from the capital.
The street was lined with rickety, dilapidated houses on both sides. No human presence could be detected. Had the people run away when the fight started, or had the streets been empty to begin with? Lyla felt like the latter was more plausible.
After a bit of walking, they noticed Almeria slumped on the ground with her back against a pillar.
「Almeria!」
「I believe the Heroine is simply unconscious, Lylael-sama」, assured Rodje. 「That guy watched her battle the assassin, waiting for an opportunity to strike.」
「…did he not notice that you were tailing him, Rodje?」
「His attention was entirely focused on the battle… that’s how strong his opponent was.」
It’s rare of her to genuinely compliment Roland, thought Lyla. They hurried together towards the battleground — where traces of it could still be sensed from afar — while Rodje explained how the fight had played out.
「We’re here.」
Roland was lying in a pool of dark liquid, which Lyla immediately knew was blood.
A lady was collapsed on the ground nearby.
「Roland…!」
She leapt from Rodje’s head and darted straight for her partner.
「…oh, you’re here, Lyla.」
His expression was listless, as expected of someone who had pushed himself to the limit. He was in a state of total exhaustion, and he was as pale as a ghost.
He had lost way too much blood.
「Tend to him at once, Rodje!」
「Aye!」
「Wait… hold it. It’s not over yet.」
Gnashing his teeth, Roland tried to stand up. He placed his right hand on the ground, then remembering that it was gone, lost his balance and collapsed again.
He was visibly irritated that nobody was helping him to his feet.
「How is it not over? It’s your victory!」
「I made a promise to Aimée.」
That’s the name his master used often, Lyla recalled. The lady lying nearby was alive, but just barely.
「Your dream was to die at my hands.」
「Whatever! What does it matter now?」, retorted Lyla.
Not having heard her — or pretending not to if he had — Roland clutched a pillar with his left hand and finally stood up. He looked around him, found his severed right arm, and loosened the fingers to reclaim his knife.
「There is no obligation to fulfil a promise imposed on you!」
Roland tottered towards the lady.
Lyla placed herself between the two belligerents.
「You said it yourself, didn’t you?」, she continued. 「Remember what you said at that house in the mountains? She’s the mother who raised you as an assassin!」
Ah, said Roland, his voice becoming weaker. Still paying no attention to her, he continued towards her like a haunted spectre.
「I won’t let you kill her…」
Her words once again fell on deaf ears. As a cat, she was unable to get within his field of vision. It was also physically impossible to stop him in his tracks.
「This has nothing to do with you, Lyla」, he said at last.
「If she truly raised you to be an assassin, then she has everything to do with me.」
Because without her, she would never have met him.
「I know she would have wanted this.」
「Is matricide ‘normal’, Roland?」
Her voice rang out through the night.
She heard a short plink coming from her neck.
「Lylael-sama, the collar –」
The moment she heard Rodje’s voice, light flooded her view and she could see the surroundings more clearly. She felt like a prisoner whose shackles had been removed, and looking at herself, realised that she had returned to her innate form.
The collar that had bound her for so long fell to her feet.
But more than that —
「It doesn’t matter who she is, or where she’s from. She must not die at your hands.」
「Get out of the way, Lyla…」
She hugged him before he could take another step. Contrary to his steely resolve, his frame softened. Anyone could have stopped him in this state.
「Your memories… your precious memories… must not die at your hands.」
Memories of your childhood.
Memories of your training and your desire to improve.
Memories of your growth as an assassin.
All those memories, Roland, are memories of the time you spent with the woman behind me, expressed Lyla through her actions.
「You no longer have to kill her. You no longer have to fulfil your promise…」
Tears flowed from her eyes.
「Because you’re now a guild employee.」
She hugged the weakened Roland even tighter, who reciprocated by resting his head on her shoulder.
「Right… that’s true…」
You’re right, he muttered into her ear.
「I no longer have to kill…」
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