Chapter 176
While Lynette and I were confronting the two pursuers from the empire, Yachiyo and Fuuko, who were released from my『Wait』command, peeked their faces out of the hidden passageway fearfully. With a single glance at the assassin and martial artist we were facing, they could tell the two pursuers were far stronger than themselves, causing their fur to stand up on end.
Both of them had their tails tucked between their legs, and their complexions weren’t looking too good. Yachiyo, who was carrying Amria on her back, sensed the tense atmosphere between the martial artist and assassin, and she began to worry about what she should do.
This was probably the second time in Amria’s life that she has found herself in a tense situation like this ever since she escaped from the castle through the hidden passageway.
But for a second time, it was still quite dangerous. It’s a pity that things turned out that way, but it can be said Amria was just born with such a fate.
「D-D-Dran, who in the world is this man and woman?」
Even though Yachiyo’s knees were trembling, she made sure to keep her hands behind her back on Amria so she wouldn’t fall, and kept her nerves alert so she could move at any moment if needed.
If it weren’t for her knees shaking and her tail tucked between her legs, I would have praised her for her boldness, but I also couldn’t fault Yachiyo since she was trying her best.
「They wouldn’t tell me their names. Their identities and backgrounds are unknown. But they are the kind of enemies that would rain knives down on me and Lynette the moment we try to get outside. There must be something dangerous going on in the back too」
In all probability, there are all sorts of troubling circumstances surrounding the megalith that might cause new ripples in the empire’s struggle over the succession to the throne. As those two confronted each other without any weakness in their guards, Lynette accidentally took a step forward, which could only be called a careless move.
Lynette’s fighting spirit, or rather, her desire to show her good side to me, has been emanating from her for a while now, tangible enough to feel as if it were hitting my skin. I was worried that she might end up overdoing it.
「Master Dran, for what it counts, they are throwing their knives in a way so they would avoid inflicting fatal wounds, so I think there may be some room for discussion, but…」
「That interpretation is fair. Fumu, but I wonder, is there plenty of time for those two to talk it out? I’m sure we wouldn’t mind if they did」
If those two really want to stop and talk about it, then I would be more than willing to do so.
But the two of them weren’t even making eye contact, let alone showing any sign of wanting to communicate. The only thing that could be said is that they would briefly glance at Amria’s face as she was being carried on Yachiyo’s back.
What is clear so far is that their goal is to obtain Amria, and that the upper class of the empire are involved.
「Yachiyo, Fuuko, Amria, please leave this to me. I, Lynette, shall handle it! So please retreat from this place together with Master Dran」
Having sensed the signs of a slight change in the assassin and martial artist’s auras, Lynette spoke to the two beast girls with her cute voice sounding as lovely as a ringing bell.
However, Yachiyo and Fuuko were more compassionate than that. It would have been insane for the two of them to let Lynette, who looked like just a young girl in her early teens, to fight against this female assassin and the martial artist, both of which are surely very strong opponents.
Naturally, they did not agree to it.
「L-L-Lynette, are you serious!?」
「Dran, don’t tell me you’re going to do as Lynette says! No matter how you look at it, that’s just terrible. We may not be that big of a help, but as a group of four, we should be able to somehow make it out of here!」
Just as I expected, Yachiyo and Fuuko shouted in protest. Because of their shouting, Amria blinked her eyes and started to cower frightfully, but based on what they were saying, it seems she was able to determine that if Lynette stayed behind alone, she would be in danger.
「Um, Dran, Lynette, those two over there are targeting me, so I will stay here, just please don’t do anything dangerous」
Fumu, based on her reaction, it’s easy to see that Amria, Yachiyo, and Fuuko are all peas of the same pod. If she would say something like that, that just makes her all the more worth protecting.
It seems Lynette also felt the same way as me, and she answered the three of them in a clear voice as she stepped forward before I could.
「Yachiyo, Fuuko, Amria, I am truly grateful for your offer, as is Master Dran.
However, please understand my feelings. That’s right, there is nothing more exciting for me, as a servant, than to put my life on the line against a powerful enemy for the sake of my Master.
No, there really isn’t. I guarantee it. Yes, I declare it so. There is no situation that makes my soul as a servant burn hotter than this one!!」
「…What, Lynette, are you serious!? Those two are ridiculously strong. Honestly, their strength level is so great, I can’t even grasp it!」
Yachiyo, while taking care not to jostle Amria on her back, twisted her body side to side as she desperately urged Lynette to change her mind, but Lynette let out a huge sigh, as her small body burned fiercely with an invisible fighting spirit.
This is one thing that I, as her master, will have to protect her from.
But since Lynette is filled with this much fighting spirit, and if she uses the trump card that we created together, we can leave this place to her without any worry.
「Well then, they’re taking their time and just watching us talk, but I guess this is the reason why」
I swung my dragon claw sword in my right hand around us in slow motion, catching all the layers of invisible threads strung up around us.
The one controlling these hundreds of threads was the female assassin over there. It must have been a technique that she took pride in as a sure-kill move, because a slight hint of agitation — a small waver in her heart, if you will — was transmitted to my dragon claw sword through the threads.
「Dran, was there something there? I couldn’t see it at all. Fuuko, did you?」
In response to Yachiyo’s question, Fuuko shook her head, as she squinted to try to see what we seemed to be entangled in, with her tail wagging.
「No, I can’t see it with my eyes either. Whatever it is, I would guess it’s the work of those people over there, but that’s all I can say for sure」
「Fumu, so you two can’t see it. I’d hoped you could at least be able to detect its presence. Lynette, how about you?」
「Fufufu, the Lynette Ears are the wind, the Lynette eyes are clairvoyant, the Lynette Skin is as sensitive as the smooth, white skin of an egg, and the Lynette Nose is stronger than any dog’s. In addition, the Lynette Sensor boasts an accuracy and precision that can detect molecular changes in the atmosphere.
Centered around Amria, there are 724 threads of metallic alloy, made of mostly adamantite, stretching around us in all directions. This is a product that has been treated with invisibility and anti-spiritual effects.
Based on the precision with which the magic was bestowed to the threads, this treatment was done by a very high ranking mage. Although there is no need to say that she is still no match for Master Dran」
「So it’s a fearsome weapon that is capable of decapitating its prey with a single flick of the finger, even from a thousand miles away. But if you can see it, it’s not something to be afraid of. See, like this」
I made a twisting motion with my wrist, and at almost the same exact time, the female assassin and the martial artist also began to move quickly.
By pouring my magic into the metal threads, I aimed for the assassin’s internal magic power in order to knock her unconscious, but she let go of the threads faster than the magic could be transmitted to her. Meanwhile, the martial artist approached within punching distance of me with a single step, which made everyone here think he was capable of instantaneous movement.
Even if he were to clash with a giant iron hammer, this martial artist’s fist would probably shatter that hammer.
However, his right fist, which he aimed toward me, collided head on with Lynette’s left fist as she stepped in between us, where they stood in opposition without either side budging in the slightest.
「As long as I am not defeated, do not think that you will be able to harm Master Dran. I, Lynette, am his shield」
「Thanks, Lynette. Well then, considering your enthusiasm, I will entrust this place to you, but if I think you are in danger, then I will intervene. Even if it will make you resent me」
Even if I am not present, there are still many ways that I can intervene from a distance. Even though I understood in my head that this was a situation that I could leave to Lynette, if I could have just quietly accepted that, then I never would have reincarnated as a human.
「Please, have faith in me. Now then, Yachiyo, Fuuko, Amria, I will be following after you very soon, so please go on ahead」
「But, but, will you really be okay, Lynette? I feel terrible leaving you behind by yourself, for our sake」
「Dran too, will you really, really just leave her here?」
Without saying a word, but saying far more than any words could have, Amria also gazed at me questioningly. Frankly speaking, rather than the assassin and the martial artist, these three people that I had to protect were much more formidable to me. This kind of thing happens sometimes.
「We’re not quite leaving her behind. We’re just leaving this to her」
The assassin, who had already rendered the metal threads ineffective, had lost her reason to leisurely and silently listen to our conversation, so she began to close in behind Yachiyo, blending her figure into the trees of the mountain.
「Lynette Shot!」
The assassin was not only visually blending in with the surrounding scenery, her presence as well was completely assimilated with the mountain, but it was still well within Lynette’s range of detection.
With Lynette’s other fist which wasn’t occupied with the martial artist, a sphere of highly concentrated magical power was extracted from the perpetual motion machine within her body, and it shot out, knocking down the assassin who was closing in on Yachiyo and Fuuko, and blowing her thin body apart into pieces.
Yachiyo and Fuuko, who could only recognize that Lynette had just suddenly shot something shiny in their direction, was surprised to see that the female assassin had disappeared without them noticing, and then reappeared right next to them immediately after, only to get blown away, causing their fur and tails to rise in surprise.
Amria, maybe because she didn’t quite comprehend the danger of the situation, or maybe because she just naturally had a calm personality, only muttered to herself, 「Oh, my.」For better or worse, she sure is an important person.
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