“Leave”
“Well then, excuse me!”
I was about to leave the room after cheerfully saying goodbye to a dandy-looking old man, but–
“Wait.” Luna said, grabbing my arm and heaving a sigh.
…Even though I was the one who really should have sighed in that situation.
It was the day after I had become her knight, and after being told there was someone who wanted to meet me, Luna had abducted me all of a sudden.
And, the place she had dragged me to very much against my will was none other than the mansion of Duke Flame.
“Father, are you perhaps mistaken about something?”
“About what?”
The formerly calm atmosphere was swept away by a more serious one.
“Father, you were the one who told me to get myself a knight. You even had a word with the academy about it. And thus, even though I didn’t want to, I now have a knight. And that would be him. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Luna said, her eyes narrowing as the dandy-looking old man – her father stared at her fixedly.
“Indeed… I did not care who it was, in fact, I even had the numbers of you students adjusted so nobody would be left out. It was simply out of consideration that nobody would want to stay by your side…” Luna’s father, Argos Flame said, placing both his elbows on his desk and clasping his hands, calmly closing his eyes.
“So then, there aren’t any problems–”
“There is a big one. Namely that even though I did all that so that you could be protected, you brought the single incompetent person in the whole place back with you!” Luna’s father said, opening his eyes and sending a sharp look my way.
As expected of Luna’s father. Just the power from his words was the same as when my sister drew her sword.
However, the ‘Solitary Moon’ wasn’t going to lose that easily.
“And who decided that? Anyway, whether you call him incompetent or not, he still saved my life. So, I owe him my life. Is it proper for a duke to disrespect someone like that?” Luna countered, making her father sigh.
“He saved your life…? Fufu, stop with the nonsense. He can’t even use a sword properly, let alone magic. So how exactly could someone like him save your life?” Luna’s father said, sending another glare my way.
“It really seems like you fooled my daughter, but I will not accept you as her knight. Leave this mansion at once.”
Nodding with a smile and turning to leave – was not an option. I knew that.
Luna sent a sharper look my way than her father had done, and–
“– so, if he’s strong, there will be no problems?”
“…Of course.”
“He made a contract with the god Athena and received the skill ‘Spear Arts’. Thanks to that, he massacred his classmates during the mock fights they had at the academy.”
…I’ll have you know, did nothing of the sort!
“Hmm. As if you could tell something from a simple match between students. Also, did you say Athena? Isn’t that the god from that academy that was constantly called incompetent? In other words, Yuno here has no future. And he’s stuck with it! Making a contract with a nameless god is nothing short of lunacy!” Luna’s father said, slamming his fist on his desk.
He seemed to be rather angry, but… I was even angrier.
He shouldn’t have brought Athena into this.
I silently walked up to Luna’s father.
I didn’t say ‘I’ll beat you within an inch of your life!’, I had more self-control than that.
However, the ultimate meaning of what I said didn’t change much.
“Argos-sama please hear me out. I might be young, but I have confidence in my skills with the spear. Won’t you have a bout with me?”
Or, in other words, ‘I want to beat the crap out of you, so let’s fight’.
He would pay for ridiculing her with his own flesh and blood!
“Fufu…”
The sound of Luna laughing to herself came from behind.
“What a good idea, Yuno. All right. I’ll allow it. – Squash him.”
…Was I imagining things, or did she sound like she wanted me to take her words literally?
“I’ll listen to your damn request. Fine. Let us have a fight. However, your opponent will not be me, but my weakest servant.”
His weakest servant… so he’s basically saying I can’t even beat that person?
“Weakest servant? Who do you mean, father?”
“…You’ll see soon enough. Follow me.” He said, and we followed him out of the room.
“…I’m saying this just in case, but I’m not allowing you to do something like losing on purpose.” Luna said, her silvery-white hair slightly billowing out behind her as she walked along next to me.
…She really is a cautious person.
She probably already has somewhat of a grasp on my abilities.
I didn’t know whether it was some kind of intuition she had or whether she was simply smart, but I could agree to her terms this time.
“Of course. I’m definitely winning.”
I had already decided that as a fact.
And so we arrived in the mansion’s expansive garden.
I waited for my opponent to appear, standing on a large lawn cut to uniform height.
“Use whatever weapon you want.” said Luna’s father as two pretty maids brought over a collection of various spears.
I immediately took the oldest-looking one of the bunch and waited for my opponent to arrive.
And then–
I heard the sound of someone stepping onto the dried lawn, coupled with the appearance of a man.
“…I see. How interesting.” Luna said, with a wide smile on her face.
The man had neat, white hair, and was wearing a black butlers’ uniform.
He appeared to be a butler.
“It seems like I have kept you waiting.” the old man smiled kindly, taking off his white gloves and staring straight at me.
“When I heard that the young lady had chosen her knight herself, I was overjoyed that she had finally found someone who would believe in her. And, if I am not mistaken, that would be you.”
Not knowing how to answer, I just gave a small nod.
“Is that so. Well then, I am Claude, the butler of duke Flame, and I shall endeavour to be your opponent. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” the butler, Claude, said, bowing politely.
I felt somewhat let down.
“Claude. You don’t need to introduce yourself. He won’t be coming here ever again.” Luna’s father snorted, sending a glare my way. “Yuno Astorio. If you lose to a mere butler, you will not become my daughter’s knight.”
“…I will do my best.” I answered, getting ready and waiting for the signal to begin.
My opponent was a butler, but what I had to do remained unchanged.
If I lost, I wouldn’t be Luna’s knight, but I couldn’t simply turn a blind eye to Athena being called incompetent.
“Yuno, I’ve told you this already, but be serious about this. Even if he’s the weakest, he’s still a duke’s butler. You are my knight, so I won’t allow you to lose against him.”
“…I know.”
…Hm? Was she worried about me? Although for some reason, her statement had made me somewhat uneasy.
But, it seemed like I wouldn’t have the time to think too deeply about it.
Claude glanced towards Luna’s father.
“Is this really all right?”
“Just do it. Full power is fine.”
“…As you wish.” Claude said, crouching down into a fighting stance and grabbing the hilt of his sword.
“A start signal, if you would.” Claude said quietly, and Luna’s father flipped a silver coin up into the air.
It flew up into the air, making the characteristic ‘clink’ of metals due to being flicked into the air.
Now then, how should I do this?
Naturally, I had no intention of going all out. Still, I didn’t want to play around either.
“I’ll give you one piece of advice.” said Claude, tensing up, his left hand on his scabbard, his right gripping the hilt of his sword.
“If you thought I was just an old sack of bones–”
The coin slooooowwwwwllly fell onto the ground–
Claude’s afterimage disappeared an instant after he himself did.
“– that was a big mistake.”
…Huh.
I twisted my body out of the way of the sword coming down at me from behind, avoiding it by a hair’s breadth.
“…Hee?”
Luna smiled happily.
“I-impossible!” her father shouted in shock.
“No way!”
And me.
Claude gave a faint smile as he readied his sword again.
…He was the weakest…?
I came to the conclusion I had been underestimating him.
It seemed like this was not the place to hide my true ability.
I pointed my spear at Claude.
I had decided–
– to get just a little serious.
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