Episode 49.8

They got medics on the case and had Sariel drink potions right away.

Lecan relished the match's aftertaste while watching over them.

It was a good fight.

Sariel is a son of a high ranking noble family that carries the royal blood. And yet, he fought savagely like a wolf that was protecting its family.

His move sets were incredible. And how in the end he chose to abandon those techniques and poured all his soul into that one strike at Lecan. It was as if he was betting his life in that fight.

(This duel is my defeat.)

(That zeal must be the embodiment of your feeling to Heles.)

(The gods are probably on your side there.)

Eda got down to the arena, took a red potion from a medic and walked up to Lecan.

"Lecan, you're bleeding. Here, take this red potion."

She's not panicking. A wound this little is nothing to Eda who has conquered Grand Dungeons together with him.

"Nah. It's fine."

"Eh?"

"I'll wipe the blood, but leave the wound as is."

"Y-you sure?"

"Yea. At least until we leave the palace."

The wound on Lecan's forehead is a proof of Sariel's victory. Thus, he's fine with keeping it for now. That young man has earned the right to that much.

Lecan bowed deeply at the king sitting on the audience seat. Eda did the same next to him.

Sariel is still getting treated by medics. He bowed at Lecan which Lecan returned with a nod.

People gave their applause before anyone realized.

"Eda. Go ahead with Manfrey's group. I'll join you once I'm done changing at the waiting room."

"Un. Got it."

Lecan turned around and left the arena. Led by the chamberlain, he got back into the waiting room.

As he entered the room, he noticed someone inside. But since his <3D Perception> wasn't working too well, he thought it was the official from earlier.

A lone girl was standing inside the room. She's wearing a black servant uniform with a white frill. But she's young. Should be around ten. Had his <Life Detection> worked, Lecan would have realized the bizarre quality this young girl possessed. But unfortunately, <Life Detection> doesn't work well inside the royal palace.

(I guess she's not an attendant, a maid?)

(Do maids even work in royal palace?)

(What's with the short skirt.)

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

(And so young.)

The girl bowed before speaking.

"Lecan-sama. I have a message to you from my master."

"Master?"

"Lecan-niichan. You promised Witch that you'd come visit me when you're at the capital. You gotta keep your promise you know. The promise with Witch wasn't just verbal promise you know. It's magical words imbued with a curse. Bad things will happen to you or Witch if you break it. Really really bad thing. I'd come wakey wakey you up myself."

"Yacklubend? Your master's Tomato Yacklubend huh!"

"My, you remember my name right. I can feel the love in the air."

"Hold it. Is that really a message?"

"I can't get out of the capital due to an accursed covenant, see. But the capital is my garden. And oh look, I see people important to you in my garden now. A~ah, my finger slipped. It's gonna wander off to some real dangerous magic tool~"

"It's you. You're Yacklubend, aren't you."

"Wanna try killing if you think so? This maid that is."

Lecan focused <3D Perception> on the girl before him.

"A machine? It can't be. A machine in the form of human?"

"Hee, Lecan-niichan. You peeked inside this puppet, didn't you. Must be one of your skills. Awesome."

"You're speaking with me through that puppet."

"Hehehe? Amazing, you're amazing. That's some power of comprehension. Lecan-niichan, are you really a denizen of this world? Oh wait, you're not."

"Dammit. No point crying over spilt milk now that we've met. State your business."

"First thing first, I wanna see Lecan-niichan in person. Will you come to my mansion."

"I don't wanna."

"Ah! It's gonna wander off to a magic tool that brings misfortune~"

"You're just playing around."

"I am. I mean what's living if not playing."

"How many hundreds of years have you been doing this?"

"Never kept track of it~. So like, come to my house, yeah?"

"No."

"Oh really~. So you don't wanna~. Aw shucks. Whatever should I do now. Uun. Alrighty. Just gonna push it. Aaand done."

A sound of explosion resounded. Nearby.

A sound of something hitting the room's wall resounded.

Looks like something exploded in the far end of the next room. Sounds of many objects getting blown away and colliding with one another kept going for a while until it petered down.

"Lecan-niichan. Have my hot passionate zeal got across?"

"We're in the royal palace here."

"Duh."

"You think they'd let you get away doing this."

"Ahaha. It's just a little prank. I gave PM-chan a prior notice already. Oh right, where do you think Norma-chan and Eda-chan are right now?"

Rustling could be heard. Looks like a crowd is forming due to the sound of explosion.

Lecan's voice turned cold.

"What do you want with me."

"I wanna see Lecan-niichan face to face. And then I want you to listen to my one request."

"What's this request."

"Umm, kinda hard to say until then."

"Is it gonna take long."

"Oh it'll be over in a jiffy."

The bad thing will happen if you don't keep your promise thing is probably just a bluff. However, there's no telling if a curse has truly been established when he made that promise or not. Besides, he needs to buy time to get Norma and Eda to somewhere safe.

He did made that promise. Unless he goes see Yacklubend at least once, she's gonna keep pestering him for sure. For hundreds of years even. That's no joke.

(Dammit.)

(Shouldn't have made that promise.)

Lecan spoke to a male official.

"Oy."

"S-sir."

"I want to send a message to Marquis of Mashajain, Manfrey Wazrof. Can you deliver it?"

"S-sir."

"I've got some business to take care of on my own. Tell him to go back to the mansion ahead of me. And for Eda and Norma to leave the capital today even if I don't return in time. That's all."

"I understand. Lecan-sama."

The official bowed before leaving his post.

It was evening already. The duel threw a wrench in their schedule. They were originally to leave the capital today, but they might not make it in time due to all this mess. At any rate, they should get out as soon as possible while Lecan is taking up Yacklubend's attention.