Fool – Part 13
“I didn’t think you’d come. And what is that you’re wearing?”
It was only natural for Siegfried to be taken aback.
“You’ve cast aside your femininity? Is that it?”
Cecily was wearing tailored male clothing. Since she wasn’t an official guest, it was modest in design. Her hair was tied back, and she wore Aria, transformed into an Infernal Blade, at her waist. It was likely that the few who had stared at her earlier realized she was a woman in a man’s attire.
“A dress would hinder my work.”
“Work?”
“Indeed. I’m supposed to be your bodyguard until the ball.”
Siegfried raised an eyebrow, then chuckled darkly. “I see. I thought I wouldn’t see you again since you slacked off on your duty. It turns out you’re a lot tougher than I imagined. I feel like I’ve been played.” He laughed. “By the way, good job eliminating that convict. I didn’t expect him to use a Demon Pact.”
Cecily felt a twinge of annoyance at his flippant attitude but held it back.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Yeah?”
“You mentioned before that Demon Pacts serve as a deterrent. That every nation uses it.”
Nations held each other in check through Demon Pacts.
“You forgot something. There’s one place that doesn’t wield that power.”
A force outside those boundaries. Cecily fixed a steely gaze on him.
“The Independent Trade City.”
Siegfried smirked. “You have the knowledge. Whether or not to use them—well, that line’s easier to cross than you think.”
“We will not use them,” Cecily replied without hesitation. “Be it demons, Inhumans, we won’t stoop to wielding such foul power. We protect our citizens with our hands, our feet, our bodies.”
Siegfried’s expression went blank. “The city the first Housman left behind, right?”
“Yes.”
They locked eyes in silence, neither willing to back down. Cecily did not look away.
“Did you know that the first Housman once tried to reinforce Valbanill’s seal? That he failed? Do you know what became of those who went with him?
“No.”
“Then you should learn more about this place’s history. Why the first Housman built the Independent Trade City, who he was, and the Campbell family’s role as his right hand. Without knowing that, there’s no point in talking.”
Siegfried leaned forward suddenly. His eyes bulged in an unsettling way as he stared into hers, as if trying to pour dark emotions into her through his gaze.
“Otherwise, I’ll destroy this city.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
She had once asked the captain and her mother about the supposed role of House Campbell.
“When the time comes, you’ll understand. But not yet.”
They didn’t give her an answer. Back then, she was unsatisfied, but now it seemed trivial. Cecily would no longer be swayed.
“What you know or what I don’t—it doesn’t matter. I already know what I must do. I’ll seal Valbanill, lay to rest the burdens my dear friends carry, crush your schemes, and keep protecting the city I love.”
“That’s quite the fantasy. Pipe dreams never come true.”
“They will. I can assure you.”
She was done lamenting her own helplessness. She’d never do that again.
Maybe she wouldn’t achieve every goal. Maybe some of it would end up as empty words.
“There’s only so much you can actually do.”
But that wasn’t a reason to keep quiet, to suppress her beliefs, or to take no action. So, she would press on. She’d speak her ambitions, pursue everything she envisioned, and strive to make it all happen.
“I’ll make it all real.”
That was her decision.
Cecily removed the glove from her right hand. “I challenge you to a duel, here and now.”
“What? Aren’t you supposed to be my bodyguard?”
“Accept it, Siegfried. I need to surpass you.”
She couldn’t deny the fear. She couldn’t stop herself from trembling. Even now, the memory haunted her in nightmares, night after night.
But she knew this man would continue to stand in her way. That’s why she had to confront him, to rise above the humiliation—even if he didn’t go as far as he could have. This duel would put an end to it, once and for all.
The man in front of her frowned with distaste, then slowly, the corners of his lips lifted into a smirk.
“A duel usually means there’s something on the line.”
“If I win, you keep your hands off Lisa for good. If I lose, I’ll do one thing you want—as long as it’s within my ability.”
“Is that so? All right. If I win, you’ll become my slave.”
“What?”
Before she could react, he seized her wrist, and a chill swept through her body. Her glove slipped from her hand.
No.
Vile memories flooded back. His relentless assault. Her armor stripped away. His fingers creeping over her skin.
“Stop.”
She tried to pull free, but she couldn’t muster the strength. The memories seemed to bind her limbs in place. Just after she’d challenged him, here she was, paralyzed. Shame washed over her, but she couldn’t stop her body from trembling, or her eyes from tearing up.
Siegfried leered down at her. “I love putting women like you in their place.”
“Let me… go.”
“Don’t be so cold. Aren’t we about to duel?”
“S-Stop!”
“Let go of her.”
A fist struck Siegfried’s hand aside, freeing Cecily. She clutched her hand to her chest and staggered back.
Someone had stepped between her and Siegfried. Shielding her. Protecting her.
She stared at him in disbelief.
“Lu…”
She thought he wouldn’t come.
“Luke?”
But he did.
Though he was dressed in formal attire instead of his usual work clothes, the person before her could only be Luke Ainsworth, standing between her and Siegfried.
Did he come for me?
Luke was here for her. To Cecily’s surprise, her eyes filled with tears. It felt surreal. But the familiar broad shoulders, the faint scent of coal, and the katana at his hip left no doubt. He had actually come.
“Let go of her.”
Cecily clutched her hand to her chest. But what was he doing here?
Siegfried seemed to share her confusion. “Well, well. If it isn’t the blacksmith himself. I didn’t expect you to show up.”
“Duel me,” Luke interrupted sharply. “Right here, right now.”
Siegfried raised an eyebrow.
Cecily was just as startled. Why was he doing this?
“Luke! This is my—”
“Stay out of this,” he snapped, not sparing her a glance. Cecily fell silent.
“What’s your game?” Siegfried asked cautiously.
Luke pressed on, ignoring everything around him. “You once told me your theories. Now seems like a good opportunity to share mine. You can relax. All of it is just guesswork. It’s about the death row convict and the Inhuman.”
“…”
“Let’s start with the Inhuman. Those nasty swords on its back were forged from first-grade jewel steel from the First Tatara Workshop. The same material I use in my own katanas. Do you know where I’m going with this? Those swords used the same material as a Sacred Sword. And if I recall correctly, the Empire doesn’t know how to forge one.”
Cecily began to piece it together.
“So I thought: what if the Empire has been trying to forge swords comparable to, or even surpassing, Sacred Swords on their own? And worse, they’ve implanted these weapons into Inhumans, turning them into some kind of autonomous weapons. Imagine dozens of those attacking at once. They could wipe out an entire city.”
Siegfried did not respond. He regarded Luke with eyes brimming with unmistakable animosity.
“There’s more,” Luke went on. “The Crowd Powers are also involved in developing these Inhuman weapons.”
“What…”
Cecily’s breath seized. The Crowd Powers, too?
“There are two reasons for my assumption. First, the Inhuman’s habitat falls within the Crowd Powers’ territory.”
Cecily herself had added a similar note in her own report.
“Second, the Crowd Powers also don’t know how to forge a Sacred Sword.”
“Enough, blacksmith.” Siegfried raised both hands in mock surrender. “Your delusions are amusing, but too much fantasy can bore the audience.”
“I’m not done. The escaped convict supposedly used a Demon Pact. How could a regular prisoner know his own death spell?”
“No idea. He must’ve gotten his chest opened somewhere after his escape. Or maybe he knew it all along.”
“What a weak excuse. What was his sentence?”
“Beheading.”
“Just admit it, Siegfried. The convict knows his death spell, and thus is able to execute a Demon Pact, because you wanted to test if weaponized Inhumans were effective against a hypothetical Valbanill.”
“That’s ridiculous. Enough with your nonsense.”
Everything they were discussing could impact the power structure of the continent, and while it was certainly shocking, Cecily, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but think about something else entirely.
Is Luke angry?
Cecily sensed the barely-concealed fury in Luke’s voice. Was this payback for revealing the truth about Lisa, or was it something else entirely?
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