"Alright, an attack with intent and approaching with a drawn sword. I've got the conditions for justifiable self-defense!"
"Wha—?"
Miles' words left the lord and the crowd puzzled, raising their voices in confusion. They didn't understand the meaning of "conditions for justifiable self-defense." In their world, any sign of aggression was enough to warrant an attack; otherwise, no number of lives would be enough. In such a world, a mere indication of hostile intent or the mere act of reaching for a weapon was sufficient for a counterattack. Therefore, the strict "conditions for justifiable self-defense" as understood on Earth were nothing more than Miles' personal satisfaction.
"Pauline, Reina, please."
Miles had already taken the first shot, and even the formidable Mavis found it difficult to fight a large number of soldiers head-on. This was where Pauline and Reina came in. Pauline was the main character, and Reina, who had also lost her father to bandits, had been holding back and needed to let off some steam. The soldiers did not include any mages. Even if they could cast offensive spells, the number of mages was small, and those skilled in tactics and strategy, capable of engaging in magical combat at the level of military battles, were extremely rare and highly paid. While they couldn't afford the extravagant lifestyle of the Left Fan, they still received the equivalent of several regular soldiers' salaries.
The shop assistant who ran to inform the lord thought Miles was a swordsman and reported that there were only two novice girls as mages. The lord judged that even if mages were involved, a few times the number of soldiers would be enough to handle a few new hunters. Therefore, the few mages in the lord's army did not come to deal with just a few girls. Thus, it was a one-sided battle for Pauline and Reina.
"... Flame."
Reina's spell was a light touch of flame, not explosive or piercing, but a gentle one. It was clearly a restrained attack. However,
"AAAAHHHHH!"
The brief flame had little effect on the parts covered by armor and clothing. However, it was not the same for exposed skin and hair. The skin was still manageable; it turned red and stung, but it was a first-degree burn that would heal in one to two weeks without scarring. However, the hair caught fire and burned. Ignoring the soldiers rolling on the ground, Pauline cast a spell at the others.
"... Ultra Hot Mist!"
"AAAAHHHHH!"
A red mist enveloped the soldiers. Incidentally, "Hot" here meant "spicy" rather than "hot." It was the mist version of the "Waterball Ultra Hot" used to capture bandits before.
"Ughhhhhh!!"
It seemed that the mist had also affected those who had been burned on their heads by Reina's spell earlier. Unearthly screams echoed.
"W-What...?"
The soldiers, who had underestimated the girls, found that nearly half of their number were incapacitated in an instant. The lord was shocked, but the mages were at close range. Both had just cast spells, and it would take time to complete the next incantation.
"Move before they finish the next incantation!"
By the time the lord shouted, Miles and Mavis had already stepped forward. While it wasn't unusual for mages to have abilities beyond their years, the same couldn't be said for sword skills. The difference between forty-five and fifty was small, but the gap between fifteen and twenty was significant. Sword skills were like that. The young girls, one around ten and the other not quite twenty, were no match for experienced soldiers, who would easily kick them aside and then capture the mages. Thinking this, the lord felt relieved, but suddenly a voice rose from the crowd.
"Wait a moment!"
In a situation where every second counted, it was impossible for the soldiers to stop just because someone unknown called out to them. They continued to attack Miles and Mavis, who then stopped them. The brief respite was enough for Reina and Pauline to complete their incantations.
"... Flame Burst!"
"Slick!"
Reina's flame burst, a spell with reduced power and range to avoid collateral damage, exploded, and immediately after, Pauline's original spell "Slick" was cast to prevent the fire from spreading.
The flame burst sent several soldiers flying, and the remaining soldiers were in chaos.
"... Damn, it's slippery! I can't hold my sword!"
The magic array "Slick" was formidable indeed. Fortunately, there were no female soldiers.
"Hey, I said wait!"
When the battle temporarily paused, the person who had called out earlier pushed through the crowd.
He looked like a noble, flanked by several knights.
"Viscount Boardman, what do you intend to do with my daughter...?"
Then Mavis' voice echoed.
"Father! And, my younger brother, my older brother..."
The doting father and the two big brothers had arrived.
The morning after the decision to raid the Boardman Viscount's territory, Euan had sent a detailed letter to his father in the territory. Upon receiving the letter, the father was enraged.
"To try to assault my beloved daughter, who resembles my dear wife in her youth..."
An hour after receiving the letter, he had already left the territory with six of his subordinates and his eldest son, who had been given all the responsibilities of the territory's army.
"Who are you?"
"I am the father of the girl standing there, Mavis. Now, let me explain. Why are you protecting the one who attacked my daughter in the capital...?"
The man, with a furious expression, said to Viscount Boardman, trying to control his trembling arms.
"Anyone who tries to harm my precious Mavis von Austin, the treasure of the House of Austin, and their accomplices, I, or rather, my family, will take full responsibility for sending them to the depths of hell..."
Viscount Boardman turned pale.
He could do as he pleased with the people in his territory. He could threaten them with family, relatives, and tax increases, and if they still didn't listen, he could kill them. Most of the hunters and the guild staff here were his subjects. If he made the lord his enemy, not only himself but also his family, friends, and colleagues would face harsh treatment. He wasn't so foolish as to not understand this. However, a "count" was a different matter. The pressure and harassment from other factions and the royal palace would be unbearable.
"Daughter? What are you talking about? I just heard that a merchant in my territory was attacked and rushed here.
Moreover, this is a matter within my territory. Even a count has no right to interfere!"
Viscount Boardman tried to cover up, but the count did not let up.
"Hmm, so if I heard that my daughter and her friends, citizens of the capital, were attacked and rushed here, I have no right to interfere with a viscount. This is a matter involving my subject and the citizens of the capital, which is under the direct jurisdiction of the king."
"What nonsense... Unless the king himself says so, a count, who is just one of the nobles entrusted with a territory, has no right to..."
"If you need the king's approval, I have it here."
"Eh?"
Suddenly, a man in his mid-thirties, dressed like a minor noble and wearing a sword, spoke from the side. The surprised Count Austin and Viscount Boardman turned to see him.
"Excuse me for interrupting. I am Santos of the Second Guard Squad. I received a report from the Guild Master of the Hunter's Guild in the capital that the people the king is concerned about were attacked, and I was ordered to confirm the situation. I have come ahead of the detachment sent to capture and escort the perpetrators.
Since this is an attack on the king's subjects in the king's direct jurisdiction, I have the king's permission to arrest the perpetrators. In the name of the king, I request the assistance of the loyal subject, Count Austin, and the members of the Hunter's Guild in the capital, who received free education for six months at the Hunter Training School, to secure the perpetrators and remove any obstacles."
"Wha—"
Viscount Boardman was speechless, and the crowd, unable to keep up with the rapidly changing situation, looked bewildered. Miles and the others had considered the possibility of Mavis' family intervening, but they hadn't expected the royal palace to react so strongly to their situation.
Viscount Boardman panicked. If things went wrong, it could become a major issue. After much thought, he said,
"If that's the case, I have no choice. I will take custody of the merchant until the arresting soldiers arrive..."
The merchant, who had been pale, looked relieved. He probably thought the viscount would help him. However, Pauline's merciless voice cut through the air.
"What, looking relieved? That means when the arresting soldiers arrive, you'll be killed to silence you, thinking you couldn't escape and decided to take your own life to avoid implicating others..."
The merchant turned pale again and began to tremble.
"What nonsense...!"
"Anyway, we will take custody of the merchant."
While glaring at Santos, the guard who had interrupted, the viscount thought.
If things continued this way, the merchant would be escorted to the capital and interrogated, revealing everything. There was no way this man could withstand the torture of the royal palace. Moreover, he had no reason to protect the viscount. On the contrary, the probability that he would spill everything and implicate the viscount was much higher.
As a head of a minor noble family, if his past deeds were exposed, there was a possibility of the family being dissolved or him being confined and his son or relatives taking over.
This was bad. Very bad!
"Enough of this nonsense!
There's no way the king would be concerned about such young girls! And a novice hunter being a count's daughter? If you're going to lie, make it more believable!
These are criminals who have defiled the king's name by impersonating nobles and tarnishing the king's glory. Kill them!"
Just kill them. If the parties involved were eliminated, any excuse would do.
They attacked without warning.
They demanded bribes and defiled the king's name.
They conspired with the merchant to take over my viscount's territory. The guard was also involved.
If they were all dead, anything could be said. Anything could be done.
Viscount Boardman had to believe this. He didn't really think it would go smoothly, but there was no other choice.
The soldiers who had suffered less damage and the knights who had come with the viscount drew their swords.
Miles thought,
(The last 10 minutes of the show...)
And Pauline thought,
(Why did he emphasize that they received "free" education for six months at the Hunter Training School? Could it be that we're supposed to work for free this time? That's cheap! The king is cheap!)
Today, the cover is finally being revealed!
It will be simultaneously released on the publisher's website (Earth Star Entertainment's Earth Star Novels), official Twitter, and Amazon.