In the midst of cherry petals dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.
The forces were as follows: 13 soldiers from the Boardman Viscount's army (4 with minor injuries, the rest dropped out due to injuries) versus 12 soldiers from the Pauline army.
On the Boardman Viscount's side, the viscount himself was not counted, while on the Pauline side, Pauline, Reina, and Tillyza were not included in the numbers. Due to the strong insistence of the earl's family, the mages were excluded. It seemed they wanted to settle this with swords alone. Santos, a member of the royal guard, was firmly included in the fighting force at his own request.
At first glance, it seemed almost equal. No, it was indeed equal in terms of numbers.
However, the difference in strength was a different matter entirely.
On one side were mere soldiers from a weak viscount's army. On the other side were the bodyguards of a martial earl, the earl and his son, royal guards, and Myle and Mavis. It was almost like bullying.
...It was over in an instant.
The two earls, and the rest, one by one.
Everyone was knocked out with sufficient skill to avoid killing or causing severe injuries, but their spirits were thoroughly broken.
To hold back, a significant difference in strength was necessary. If the strength was evenly matched, they would have had to fight with all their might, and in such a case, the likelihood of fatal injuries would have been high. But with such a clear difference in strength, there was no problem.
"...Well then, shall we go with you, Viscount?"
"What... What are you talking about? I have no obligation to follow such nonsense!"
The sudden words from Santos made the Boardman Viscount flinch, and he hastily denied it.
"Until just now, that would have been correct. The 'Red Kichiga'... ahem, 'Red Blood is Good!' group acted on their own without receiving orders from anyone, and the testimony of the thieves captured in the capital was only related to merchants. There was no suspicion or testimony against the Viscount. The Viscount was merely trying to quell the disturbance in the capital and apprehend the parties involved..."
Upon hearing this, the Viscount looked as if he had found a kindred spirit.
"Hmm, indeed, you are a fine royal guard, understanding the situation well!"
However, Santos continued.
"Until just now, that would have been the case.
Now, you are a traitor who ordered your subordinates to kill the earl's party, the acting guild master of the capital branch, and me, who was entrusted by the king. Even as a noble, you cannot escape a serious crime."
"Wha... What?"
"You made a mistake. Well, if you had managed to kill everyone, there might have been a way out, but for that, you would have needed to spare no expense or time to gather elite soldiers.
Earl, I request your assistance."
Nodding at Santos' request, Earl Austin ordered his subordinates to arrest the Boardman Viscount, who was trembling and pale. The viscount offered no resistance and was bound quietly.
"Then, let's secure the viscount's residence and gather evidence. We also need to confirm whether the viscount's wife, children, relatives, and close associates are of the same ilk."
"Yes, that's right."
Santos affirmed Earl Austin's words.
The results of this confirmation would greatly influence whether the Boardman Viscount's family would be dissolved or allowed to continue through a child or relative. Even if the heir was decent, if the close associates were corrupt, the viscount's family would need to be dissolved and the upper echelons replaced. This would be done alongside the exclusion of many corrupt merchants.
As the earl was about to head to the viscount's residence with his two sons and subordinates, he stopped, turned around, and told Mavis:
"The escort carriage from the capital will arrive in two days. We will hand over the criminals and head for the territory on the morning of the third day. Until then, enjoy your last moments with your friends."
"Huh...?"
Confused by what she had just heard, Mavis was at a loss.
"The shop will likely return to the hands of the girl's family. From now on, the three of you will have to work together to protect the important shop left by your father. In other words, your little game, 'The Great Adventure of Hero Mavis,' is over.
And Mavis, you still have the continuation of your abandoned marriage training to look forward to."
"\"We don't need such a thing!\""
Mavis, Ewan, and the elder brother's voices overlapped.
"Mavis doesn't need any preparation for marriage!"
"That's right! Mavis should stay with us..."
"No, that's a bit..."
Mavis, who had intended to deny the earl's words, did not actually want to remain single for life, so she negated her brothers' words instead.
"Anyway, we don't know when we might face such danger again. The fun is over.
If you want to pretend to be a knight, I'll watch over you from time to time at the manor. As a noble wife, you need the basic self-defense skills to protect yourself and your children."
With that, the earl left with his son and subordinates.
After the earl's party left, the crowd still buzzing, Myle and the others returned to their inn.
Santos and Tillyza went to the viscount's residence with the earl, as was their duty.
In the inn room, the four girls sat in silence, their faces troubled.
"\"\"\"\"...\"\"\"\""
This was a matter concerning the life of a noble young lady. It was not something others could easily comment on.
However, the silence could not continue, so Myle reluctantly broke it.
"...So, Mavis, what are you going to do?"
"Of course, I don't want to! I haven't accomplished anything yet! Are you telling me to give up everything and become a caged bird?"
Mavis shouted, half-crying.
Pauline, whose family's problems had been resolved and who should have been happy, felt responsible for the situation and remained silent, looking down.
Reina, who would effectively dissolve the 'Red Oath' if both Pauline and Mavis left, also looked down with a dark expression. Even if they gathered new members with Myle, it would not be the same. They were not equals who had trained together, nor were they "soul-bound, eternal friends." They could not call themselves the 'Red Oath.' They would have to start anew with a different name. Moreover, Myle might not join. They had only included her as a member because she was one of the four roommates. On her own, Reina was just one of the forty classmates, and there was no strong reason to drag her along. Besides, would the new members be driven by greed upon learning of Myle's abilities? Myle might receive invitations from higher-ranked parties. If so, she could join the 'Mithril Roar' without hesitation. For Myle, that would be much better...
However, as a noble young lady, Mavis had her own life and "duties as a noble."
Thinking about this, Reina could not say anything.
And the silence returned...
"Then, let's send Mavis's family back!"
"\"\"\"...Huh?\"\"\""
Mavis, Reina, and Pauline were taken aback by Myle's sudden, casual statement.
"Huh? But everyone is against Mavis returning to her family, right? Isn't that so?
Well, let's see... Who thinks Mavis should stay with the 'Red Oath'? Raise your hands!"
Four hands, including Myle's, went up.
The four looked at each other.
"But, how? Father is a stubborn man..."
Myle smiled and replied.
"In my country, there is a saying: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles'..."
Though they had never heard the phrase before, as warriors, they understood its meaning.
"We know Mavis very well. And we also know about her family..."
"\"Ah...\""
Reina and Pauline nodded in understanding.
Mavis, however, was still confused.
For over half a year, she had talked about her family so much that she seemed to have no awareness of it.
Indeed, Myle, Reina, and Pauline knew a great deal about Mavis's family, probably more than anyone else.
"Huh? Father will train me?
No, thank you. That won't be enough to train me..."
"What?"
The next day, when the earl brought up the topic of taking Mavis back, she smiled wryly and replied, leaving the earl speechless.
"What are you saying?"
"Exactly what I said... Father is not even at the level of my teacher."
"Wha...?"
The earl was more stunned than angry.
The two brothers and subordinates also looked surprised.
After all, Earl Austin was a renowned warrior. A local sword instructor would not stand a chance against him.
The earl, recovering from his surprise, thought Mavis was just making excuses. He saw this as a perfect opportunity to bring her back without force. If he could show that her teacher was weaker than him and that Mavis was not as strong as she claimed, he could silence any objections. He did not want to force her or make her resent him, so he wanted to persuade her to come back willingly.
"Hmm, that's quite a teacher. If he's that strong, I would like to see him in action.
If he really is stronger than me and can prove that you can keep up with his training, I will allow you to continue under his guidance. But if it's just talk, then you will have to..."
"I understand! If Father loses to the teacher, and if I can beat my elder brother, then I will not have to return home, and I will be free, right? I heard you clearly. Everyone here will be witnesses, right?"
"\"\"\"\"Huh...\"\"\"\""
The earl, the two brothers, and the subordinates were again taken aback by Mavis's confident response.
The earl, though the situation seemed to be going as he had planned, had a bad feeling. Perhaps it was his warrior's intuition...
"No, in that case, we will invite the teacher to our house..."
As a noble, even a small possibility of danger should be avoided. Even if it made him seem weak.
"No, we cannot impose on the teacher. If he wins, I will follow him. Or do you, Father, not have the confidence to win?"
"...Fine, that's acceptable! When will the match be?"
"...Tomorrow evening, after the handover of the viscount and the merchants, at the arena in this town."
"What? Is the teacher coming too?
...Fine, I understand. Tomorrow evening it is. Enjoy your last night with your friends."
Hooked by Mavis's provocation, the earl had abandoned his safety measures. However, he was not overly agitated. He did not think he would lose to an unknown instructor who had taken on a novice hunter as a disciple. Moreover, the possibility of Mavis beating her elder brother was even lower. If miracles existed, they would not happen one after another. That was all he was thinking.
"Myle, was that really okay?"
As soon as the earl and his party left, Mavis, who had been confident until then, looked worried.
"The rest is up to you, Mavis. Let's go!"
And Myle and the others headed to the arena in the town.
Every town of a certain size had an arena, though it was a simple field with stands, essential for the entertainment of the people.
There, the training began.
"No! It should be, 'Do you think I needed special training to learn such a basic technique?' Now, again!"