Book 9: Chapter 37

Eltrinde’s sword cut down onto Mazenda from the top of her head.

With her smile still remaining on her face, Mazenda collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

That one blow must have had finished her, as Mazenda ceased to make any further movements.

「……」

For a moment, she felt that she should strike her blade into Mazenda once again just to make sure the deed was done, but she stopped herself because it was unknightly. Eltrinde didn’t want to be the type of knight that would further mutilate a corpse.

Taking one final look down at the unmoving Mazenda, Eltrinde turned around to focus on taking care of the rest of the Alva.

「Kufu.」

Hearing a sudden laughing voice from behind her, Eltrinde quickly turned around.

However the only thing there was Mazenda’s corpse, which was still collapsed onto the ground.

The blood leaking from her wound had begun pooling up, dying her robes a deep red.

The eyes in her still smiling face looking up at the ceiling had lost all light, reflecting nothing.

「…Was that just my imagination?」

It was then that the muttering Eltrinde heard an Alva’s shriek.

The shouts that then followed it must have been the cries of victory.

With the previous laughter she had heard still on her mind, Eltrinde once again turned away from the corpse.

「We did it, we did it!」

「Take that, you damn Alva!」

They were far from uninjured, as to be expected, with the Imperial Guard Chivalric Order having the most injured, but they had managed to exterminate the Alva.

Perhaps it was because they had become recognized as 「comrades」 from growing closer to each other in the battle against the Alva, but Kain and Ein were also wrapped up in the commotion.

Shironos had successfully managed to get away and stood in position beyond the stairs.

Eltrinde assumed that Kain and Ein must have been survivors from the Knight Screening Tournament, but in either case, she recognized that the atmosphere should be one of 「celebration」 and joined them in silence.

There would be plenty of opportunities to talk to Kain and Ein later, after all.

Since the captain and the vice-captain of the Imperial Guards weren’t there, there was no one to stop the knights from letting their guard down momentarily from their victory against the Alva.

But they would soon remember their job. It wouldn’t take long before they realized what happened to Mazenda, as well.

Eltrinde knew how the situation would get nasty again once that happened.

She then took a step towards heading towards Shironos.

Mazenda had been defeated.

Narika was a troublesome sister, but she was no fool. Judging from the recent events, it was hard to believe that she had anything to do with them. In that case, she still had the chance to convince her.

The moment she began thinking that…

「Kufufu.」

This time she heard it for sure. Eltrinde once again whipped her head around.

Standing there was Mazenda, with her white robe stained blood red.

The wound she had inflicted upon her was no longer there. However, her torn robes and pool of red stretching out from below her showed that it was no illusion.

Perhaps it was because they picked up on the uncomfortable pressure being let out, but the commotion from the victory soon stopped, and Eltrinde felt the eyes of everyone focusing on Mazenda and herself.

「…Kufu, kufufu…」

「…What’s so funny?」

Eltrinde assumed that she must have healed her wound with magic.

It would be a difficult thing to accomplish, but it was not impossible.

Eltrinde snapped her tongue at herself for choosing not to deliver a final blow due it being unknightly.

「It’s nothing, I was just wondering where exactly my plans went astray.」

「…Plans, you say?」

「Yes. I was thinking that the cause must have had been my imprudence, and so I had myself take your blade as self-admonishment.」

Mazenda smiled as she tapped her face where her original wound had been.

「But now that I think about it, it was most likely much earlier on when everything went astray.」

Mazenda slowly lifted her arm and pointed at Eltrinde.

「Why are you alive?」

The Imperial Guard began making a ruckus in response to those words, but Mazenda uncaringly continued.

「You should have had no way to escape that place. Even if numerous coincidences had conveniently lined up together, it still should have been impossible. Then what was the reason behind it? That white knight over there? No, he might be a strong individual, but that’s all he’d be.」

「…I don’t know what you are trying to say, but can I take that as a confession to your conspiring with the Alva?」

Hearing Eltrinde’s cool words, the tips of Mazenda’s mouth curled up.

「You fool. You still haven’t realized that there are bigger matters to worry about than something as trivial as that?」

「Trifle… you say?! How dare you…!」

「Quiet.」

Mazenda’s words constructed a chant, and the wind released from it blew Eltrinde away.

「Gwah…?!」

「You still do not realize just how unnatural it is that you have survived? Why are you alive? Why are you here right now? Why is it that you, the one who had everything taken away from you, have managed to perfectly turn the tables and arrive here at this very moment?」

「It was simply… inevitable fate that led me here! It’s proof that evil shall never prosper in this world!」

「That’s right, it was the inevitable.」

The enmity let out from Mazenda seemed to have heavily lowered the temperature in the room.

「I know if it. The existence that creates the inevitable by stringing together thousands, millions, billions of coincidences together. It disguises the tightrope of miracles as the golden road and sings the songs of victory.」

Mazenda’s eyes shined with an eerie light.

Magical energy began gathering in the staff in her hand.

「You’ve come to get in my way… no, you’ve come to kill me again. I won’t let you do that, however. Where are you, who are you? I know you’re there. I know there’s at least one open seam among all these unnatural coincidences.」

Mazenda’s eyes turned to Eltrinde… then to the Imperial Guards, to Kain, and then to Ein.

「…This is strange. I’ve heard nothing about St. Atlis performing any summonings. Unless things are different this time around…? Or perhaps is there another unknown factor at work here?」

「Have you gone insane, Mazenda? You’ve just been spouting nonsense!」

Eltrinde’s Lattice Wand shone, but before she could strike with it, Mazenda’s staff struck at Eltrinde’s arm.

「Kuh?!」

「…You’re the most suspicious one as of the moment, so I might as well just try killing you. That way I might figure something out.」