Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

AS THE CHEFS put the finishing touches on breakfast the next morning, Rishe stood in the corner of the kitchen, making medicine in a boiling pot.

First, it needs to offset the effects of the sleeping drug.

Rishe had finished preparing the xeris leaves and crolaine grass the day before. She kept these plants on her in their dried form, then soaked them in water yesterday to make sure they’d fully reabsorbed their moisture. She sprinkled them into a large mortar and ground them into a paste. That done, she split a dried red nevila fruit and extracted its seeds.

The seeds warm the body, so I’ll keep those for something else.

She added the meat of the nevila to the mortar and crushed it into the paste, then checked the pot where the firinz nectar was boiling. Steam burst forth when she lifted the lid, filling the kitchen with a distinct, sweet smell. Stirring the pot with a large wooden spoon, she added the paste from the mortar to it, mixing carefully to minimize how much air entered the concoction.

What a beautiful green! You’d never be able to guess at this stage that it ends up amber-colored when it’s finished. I have to say, though…

Rishe glanced behind her as she stirred the pot. “Um…” She called out to the young man looking around curiously, watching her as she worked. “Sir Joel, what exactly are you doing here?”

“Hrmm…”

Her former mentor peered down at the pot and slowly blinked, sleepy as always. As Rishe moved between the table and the pot while she worked, Joel followed behind her like a duckling. Furthermore, since Raul’s duty was watching Joel, the hunter sat in a chair behind them to observe.

“Well, what are you doing? That’s not breakfast.”

“The chefs prepared a delicious breakfast that’s out in the guest dining hall right now. I’m making medicine.”

“Medicine.”

“Yes!” Rishe nodded and held her head high with pride. “It’s an antidote so that when I act as bait for the slavers, I won’t be affected by their drugs!”

“The crown prince’s bride is making medicine so that she can be used as bait and captured?”

“Huh?” Rishe blinked a few times. Joel was giving her a highly dubious scowl.

Her gaze slid to Raul, who seemed to agree with the foreign knight. “My dear princess, that husband of yours accepted your proposal like it was completely natural, but that is the normal reaction to such an idea,” he said, gesturing to Joel.

“I-I’m not the princess yet, and he’s not my husband!” she protested, though she knew that wasn’t the point. But if she took this medicine beforehand, she shouldn’t be affected by the drug the pirates had used on Joel and the kidnapped women.

Ideally, I’d like to test it with a dose of the drug first, but… She’d given up on that idea since she doubted she could get her hands on any amount. Michel would have chided her for rushing into things without proper experimentation, but Hakurei would’ve told her, “Take pride in your experience and intuition.”

The only thing I have to worry about is how much we need, but I brought some with me from the palace and have made more since.

Rishe glanced at another pot boiling nearby. This one did not contain the antidote for the sleeping drug but a salve for wounds with a pain-killing effect. She’d prepared this in advance as well, but the salve was most potent in the first twenty-four hours after the final step in its preparation.

When Rishe had awoken, Arnold was still asleep. She’d carefully extracted herself from his arms, and he’d shown no signs of waking. Her heart twinged at the memory of his defenseless sleeping face.

I hope he got some good rest…though there’s a possibility he was simply exhausted because of his injury.

She couldn’t express how worried she was for him here, however. The crown prince being stabbed was a serious matter for a country, to say the least. Particularly when that crown prince’s formidability in battle served as a check on any foreign powers with designs on Galkhein.

That was probably why Arnold hadn’t wanted anyone to know he was injured. Thus, Rishe forced herself to behave as she always did.

Joel, who had no way of knowing of Rishe’s internal torment, yawned. “I got up early today,” he said, peering into her pot with utter disinterest. “’Cause we’re supposed to have a strategy meeting, right? I might get to fight soon, so I woke up kind of excited…”

Yes, you did tend to wake up earlier when we had meetings to plan our expeditions, didn’t you?

Rishe had done her best to wake him on those days, but he might have gotten up in time even without her help if she’d decided not to bother. Or so she thought, but she still couldn’t picture him showing up to those meetings any other way than with bedhead and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Even now, Joel’s red hair was fluffier than usual.

He just seems so vulnerable when he’s not holding a sword.

Rishe found her thoughts wandering to a period in her sixth life before Arnold killed his father and started his war.

 

“If we can lure them into a naval battle, it’ll be our victory.”

Their training that day had taken place on the open sea, aboard several vessels sailing in parallel. It was a joint training operation with the desert nation of Halil Rasha, one of Siarga’s allies. Halil Rasha’s ruler, King Zahad, was on the biggest ship of the group. While peering up at him nostalgically every so often, Rishe had listened to Joel’s lecture with great interest.

“Our ships won’t lose to anyone else. And the knights aboard those ships are more proficient at fighting on the water than any other country’s.”

Their ships were in a formation like a bird with its wings spread. The vessel Rishe and Joel rode on served as the bird’s beak. There was a tailwind, but the tide was flowing in the opposite direction.

“The tide’s flowing against us, but we’re in the best possible formation for this fight.”

The moment the drill began, their ship would be engaging the enemy first. They would charge into the enemy’s formation, and the fighting would start.

“It’s nothing like a fight on land There’s a great risk of being thrown from a swaying ship… You’ve practiced falling tons of times, haven’t you, Lu?”

“Yep! I landed on my stomach and got knocked out a few times, but I’m confident now!” she responded brightly, eliciting grins from the nearby knights listening in.

“There aren’t too many newbies who dive straight into the water on their first falling drill like Lucius. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else do that other than Joel.”

“Well, he is Joel’s very first junior. Do you get it from your mentor, Lucius?”

“Hey, you guys are making fun of me, aren’t you?” Joel pouted before turning back to Rishe. “Anyway, this is as far as I can go with you today, Lu.”

The flag signaling the beginning of the exercise rose on the ship bearing the two kings. They wouldn’t be participating in the battle directly, but they’d watch over their soldiers’ fighting and take command in an emergency.

“I’ll be leaving you behind once it starts.”

“What?! But the commander told us to act in pairs!”

“Whether it’s practice or a real fight, you’ll only be weaker fighting together with somebody.”

The sails of every ship unfurled all at once. With a whap, they caught the wind and shot forward on the water.

“If you don’t want to die, fight alone.”

Rishe gasped at the speed of the heavy ships. Ugh! These ships really are fast! The waters were also choppy that day, with the waves only promising to get rougher. Their ship rocked and swayed with great force.

“Here they come.”

Their practice partner was already here. Rishe crouched low, grabbing hold of a rope affixed to the deck and bracing for impact as she’d been trained.

The next instant, a crash shook the ship. The tremors were so severe, it was like a natural disaster—as if they’d been struck by lightning or gotten caught in an earthquake. Barrels and other objects that should have been tightly secured went flying, falling into the sea.

I feel like the rope’s going to rip off my arms, but…! Rishe swiftly righted herself and kicked off the deck. She’d learned that she could move faster than anyone else with her light, tiny frame. That instant, someone passed her by, and she glimpsed the back of a man who seemed so very free.

Joel!

He’d already drawn his sword, his knight’s cape fluttering in the wind behind him.

“Watch that mentor of yours well, Lucius.” One of her other senior knights grinned like he was boasting about his little brother. “That kid’s the spearhead of our forces.”

The drops of sea spray glittered like stars, reflecting the light of the sun. Rishe felt her heart leap as Joel raced ahead of them, carving them a path forward.

When he jumped fearlessly onto the enemy ship, she followed him without hesitation—and though Siarga was at a disadvantage in the training that day, they’d been the ones to ultimately claim victory in the exercise.

 

“Sir Joel…”

In this, her seventh life, Rishe couldn’t help Joel as his junior, and Joel wouldn’t teach her or train her as her mentor. Knowing that all too well, Rishe set her spoon down.

“I have something I’d like to ask of you. Something only you can do,” she told him, and Joel gave her the exact response she’d been expecting.

“Don’t wanna.”

“Hee hee.” Feeling nostalgic, Rishe went on, “Oh, please don’t be like that. If you do what I ask, it will mean fighting in a unique circumstance!”

That piqued his interest. “Sword fighting?” he asked after a beat.

“I know you appreciate pure swordplay, Sir Joel, but I imagine you also enjoy fighting with restrictions for a little added challenge?” Rishe smiled and put a finger to her lips. “I don’t think I’ll be able to arrange that match with Prince Arnold for a while yet, but I can make things fun in the meantime.”

Rishe knew all about what Joel would find fun. She also knew that the aloof hunter leader had an unexpectedly caring side to him as well.

“I’d be relieved if you would help me as well, Raul…since it’s something I’m sure you’re the only one in the world who can do, at least as far as I know.”

“Come now, dear princess…” Raul said, a weary smile on his face. “If you don’t stop leading us on, your husband’s going to get rather scary, you know.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, but Raul wouldn’t explain himself.

By the time her medicine was complete, everyone had finished breakfast and their morning preparations and gathered in the lounge.

 

---

 

Having helped Arnold with his morning prep, Rishe was relieved to learn his wound had healed well since last night. They headed to the lounge together and sat side by side on one of the room’s many comfortable couches.

Joel looks sleepy, to be sure. Their Siargan guest was seated ­opposite them. But this is him motivated—excited, in fact.

The redhead was rather unsuited to things like strategy meetings. But considering that Siarga had sent them an official request for aid, his presence was necessary if they were to discuss the human trafficking operation plaguing both their nations.

Standing beside Arnold, Oliver started things off. “Let me begin with a review of the information we obtained yesterday.”

Arnold sat with his chin resting in his hand, neutral as ever. He’d already healed quite a bit and had Rishe’s painkiller to help as well, but his fortitude was also simply impressive.

Still, I’m sure Raul’s noticed his injury. She glanced over at Raul, who stood by the door, and he made a little fox with his hand, moving his fingers to imitate its mouth opening and closing. Even when he was joking around, his powers of observation were impressive.

“The man who calls himself ‘Thaddeus’ introduced himself as a trader in Siarga.”

As expected, they hadn’t located the hooded man. They were still searching for traces of him even now.

Flipping through some papers he’d undoubtedly put together himself, Oliver went on, “He has blond hair, blue eyes, and reportedly striking features. It seems he got involved with the women when he appeared at a party where many of them were in attendance… But he wasn’t there on a noble’s invitation. Rather, another merchant had introduced him to the host.”

“Have you found the referring firm, Oliver?”

“It was the ‘Culetta Trading Company,’ but there are no records of this company ever doing business in Galkhein.”

It was just like Oliver to already have the information Rishe considered valuable. Keenly aware of why Arnold kept him by his side, she told him, “Let’s ask Mr. Tully of the Aria Trading Company to find out more about them using their business connections, then. Even if this ‘Thaddeus’ isn’t really a merchant, it will be beneficial to identify anyone who might have had dealings with him.”

“I am once again impressed by the breadth of the connections you’ve forged for us, Lady Rishe,” Oliver said thoughtfully, then nodded. “If I may trouble you to write a letter to the Aria Trading Company, I will see that it is delivered.”

“Of course. I believe the chief is in the capital, so I’ll get it done right away.”

Oliver smiled and thanked her, then continued his report. “Thaddeus was a skilled negotiator, and he won the hearts of several of the noble ladies at this party. He was careful to stay in control of these relationships, behaving with the abducted women as if he were opening up to them alone in a bid to forge closer bonds.”

“Ugh… That’s the oldest trick in the book,” Raul muttered, and all eyes in the room focused on him. He shrugged and spoke from the perspective of a hunter who might kill or abduct anyone his lord wished. “It’s the most effective way to kidnap someone. You gain the target’s trust, and they practically kidnap themselves. It’s despicable.”

“It’s as Raul says,” Oliver agreed. “As a result, the women locked up on that slave ship had trouble suspecting ‘Thaddeus’ even after they’d been brought all the way to Galkhein.”

Arnold’s eyes narrowed. “You’re sure no one’s gotten inside the inn where we put up the women?”

“I’m sure. The woman who snuck out did so to go to a pre­arranged meeting.”

“Prearranged?” Rishe echoed. That was unexpected.

“Yes. She was instructed to sneak out and find the biggest ship in the harbor if they were discovered and ‘rescued’ by a third party before reaching their destination.”

“He was that careful?” Rishe frowned and met Arnold’s gaze. “Your Highness, this operation really is…”

Arnold was thinking the same thing Rishe was. “Yeah. Their goal is not to make money off the slave trade.”

“Hmm? It’s not?” Joel cocked his head drowsily. “But they were gonna sell the girls, right?”

“That was one of their goals. But they’ve made too many moves that would be unthinkable for actual merchants.”

She was reluctant to call people who kidnapped and sold human beings “merchants.” Yet regardless of Rishe’s personal feelings, there was “trade” involved in the slave trade, and the people behind this incident didn’t act in ways that made sense.

“This is no way to do business.” Rishe frowned, telling Joel what she found so strange about all this. “First of all, Galkhein is simply too far from Siarga. The longer a trip on the water, the more danger and expense such a trip incurs.”

When the war started in her sixth life, Siargans had judged that they had some time to prepare for hostilities with Galkhein. They’d miscalculated, of course, but their assumptions hadn’t been baseless. If Emperor Arnold Hein hadn’t obtained Siargan warship technology, his invasion would have taken much longer.

“The profit they’d make selling the slaves just isn’t worth it.”

Joel cocked his head again. “But slaves are expensive, aren’t they? Heard it from our king once. He said rich commoners buy them as well, not just royals and nobles, so demand is high. He also said they captured a suspicious ship in nearby waters once, and the hold was bursting with people who’d been abducted.”

“That’s an example of the regular slave trade, certainly,” Arnold said. “This incident is different. They weren’t merely rounding up as many people as they could to sell off.”

“They only abducted unwed noblewomen, right?” Rishe chimed in. Hence her volunteering to be bait.

Joel blinked. “Aren’t they just selling to people who want that?”

“I can’t say for sure that there aren’t people who look to purchase slaves with such preferences…” Some customers made exacting demands, after all. “The question there is how many merchants would realistically deal with such customers.”

“So even if there are people who offer a lot for them, there aren’t necessarily people willing to sell them for the amount of expense and risk involved?”

“Exactly, Sir Joel.” All aspects of trade had to lead to profit in some way. “Even if I were the sort of merchant who dirtied my hands with the slave trade, I certainly wouldn’t put so much time and energy into dealings like this… Not unless there was something else in it for me.”

“I see.”

“Abducting people in Siarga and selling them in Galkhein is simply inefficient from a trader’s standpoint. Abducting more people in Galkhein to sell elsewhere would be the least they’d have to do to optimize their business.” The merchants were planning that, which showed some measure of foresight on their part. “But even that would incur costs and take a lot of personnel. It’s not worth it, particularly if they’re transporting their ‘merchandise’ by way of dangerous sea travel.”

“Gotcha,” Joel said, sounding a little more awake than he had earlier. He mussed up his hair in frustration. “So there really is something else in it for them. Or selling the girls is just one part of a bigger plan.”

“Most likely.” Rishe glanced sideways at Arnold. “Prince Arnold, Siarga requested assistance from Galkhein on this matter through official channels, correct?”

“That’s right. A Siargan marquess served as messenger, bringing with him a letter signed by the king.”

“Then may I ask if it was you who received that letter?”

Arnold had to know what Rishe was really asking. His blue eyes glinted as he smirked and told her what she expected to hear. “It was my father.”

I knew it. Rishe gulped. An official letter from the king should have gone to the emperor. Yet it’s Prince Arnold who’s actually handling things here.

They’d had this exchange regarding Arnold’s investigation of the slave trade on their first day:

“Are you keeping this a secret from your father as well?”

“It’ll just become a bigger problem if he hears about it. I can guess how that man will react to most things.”

He hadn’t meant that his father was unaware of the incident. His Majesty simply ignored Siarga’s request for assistance.

She kept quiet about this since Joel and Raul were present, but Arnold had likely caught on to what Rishe had noticed.

There are any number of reasons he might have ignored the request, but from what Prince Arnold has told me, one of His Majesty’s motivations might be…

Rishe paused for a moment and rephrased her thoughts thusly: “This ‘Thaddeus’ is a slave trader, but I don’t think ­human trafficking is his main aim here. I believe what he’s after is a concrete deterioration in relations between Siarga and Galkhein.” She gripped her dress and hung her head, muttering, “He intends to instigate a war…”

This incident was connected to Arnold’s war in the future.

Leaning against the wall, Raul murmured, “A warmonger… A merchant of death, eh?”

Rishe wished she hadn’t heard him.

Arnold lowered his gaze and said, “The man I fought on that ship had blades of exquisite make. Even with Galkhein’s many skilled blacksmiths, those who can produce such blades are few and far between.”

Rishe hadn’t been able to observe the blades closely, but from the way they shone, it had been clear to her as well that they were of high quality.

That’s one of the reasons Prince Arnold’s injury is healing so well. Blades that don’t make clean cuts produce worse wounds. The quality of his enemy’s weapon had been just as beneficial to Arnold’s healing as his divine blood. Rishe wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but it was hardly pertinent to the topic at hand.

“That man probably trades in weapons too,” she said. “And not just any weapons.”

“He fans the flames of conflict between nations and profits from the resulting wars. That’s the sort of merchant he is,” Arnold said dispassionately.

Rishe reached an unsettling conclusion. He may not actually be Prince Arnold’s “enemy”…

Last night on the ship, Rishe had been led to believe that the hooded man intended Arnold harm, but she was now forced to admit that that might have been a mistake.

She swallowed hard. What if the future Prince Arnold, Emperor Arnold Hein, enlisted that man into his service?

It was possible that that was how future Arnold obtained Siarga’s ship technology.

Maybe it’s not that Siargan shipbuilders were coincidentally ­abducted and brought to Galkhein. It’s much more likely that someone abducted them intentionally and presented them to Prince Arnold to aid his war efforts…

The same way that Michel had chosen Arnold as the recipient of his gunpowder.

Prince Arnold would entice a war merchant. He’s one of very few people who could wage war against the entire world and greatly change history!

Rishe could only hope no one had caught on to the reason she had frozen in her seat.

I know Prince Arnold is a kind person now. But I also know that he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Rishe took a short breath, willing the fear that gripped her heart not to play on her face.

Still, I’m changing things this time. Making that silent vow, she observed Arnold beside her. My seventh life is clearly different than those that have come before it. Being at his side and forcing him to protect me from that man’s blade means the future has already changed.

At the very least, they were currently enemies. Rishe didn’t want to feel relief over Arnold gaining enemies, as she was working so hard to gain him allies instead—but she needed to play with whatever was at her disposal if she was going to win against him.

“We can’t afford to be picky about how we do things, no matter what happens.” With several layers of meaning in her words, she told her beloved, “Now that I think about it, the entity targeting Galkhein has involved a different country in each of their schemes as well.”

“…”

“If these incidents aren’t meant to weaken Galkhein but to provoke international conflict, they’re probably plotting all sorts of things to spark war.”

Arnold sucked in a breath and narrowed his eyes at Rishe. “Which is why you need to be bait to rescue the rest of the victims?”

Seeing the look on his face, Rishe realized he was being sardonic. But that wasn’t how he truly felt.

“Do you feel that you’re using me to solve one of Galkhein’s problems?” Rishe was amused by the ensuing scowl. “Heh. If so, you’re mistaken.”

“What?”

It was rare for Arnold to be wrong. She met his blue eyes and smiled. “I have responsibilities, and I take pride in those responsibilities.” Her smile grew wider. “I am the bride of Galkhein’s crown prince, am I not?”

Arnold said nothing. Even if he wouldn’t allow her resolution or her wish, the fact of their engagement didn’t change. Rishe held her head up high and raised both fists.

“Besides, there’s no need to worry! I confirmed the way the women were bound on the ship. If I’m bound in the same way, I’m confident I’ll be able to escape!”

“…That’s not what we’re talking about.”

Oliver laughed, watching their exchange. “Even you’re no match for Lady Rishe, Your Highness.” Arnold shot him a glare, and Oliver apologized, though he was still smiling.

Rishe puffed her chest out and proudly proclaimed as his bride-to-be, “I will carry out my mission. Not just for the sake of the victims but for the sake of relations between Siarga and Galkhein as well!”

Arnold slowly turned his gaze back to her. “I’m working with the Imperial Guards to determine our best course of action after you’re taken, but we can’t account for everything.” He scanned the waterway through the window. “They’ll try to flee, I’m sure. The final battle will likely take place on a ship.”

Oliver agreed. “Fighting them at sea will be difficult. There are all sorts of things you must consider that differ from fighting on land, and our ships aren’t necessarily going to be able to combat theirs.”

“On that note…” Rishe’s eyes landed on each of them in turn, and she beamed. “We happen to have the most powerful ally we could ask for right here.”

She turned to Joel, who was staring straight at her. Rishe knew exactly what sort of person he was and how he fought.

“This man here is a knight of the country most renowned for its command of naval warfare. And he’s already promised to help.”

“My, Lady Rishe…” Surprise crept into Oliver’s face, while Arnold frowned in displeasure.

Thus, she had convinced them of her plan to act as bait.

 

---

 

That afternoon, Rishe was hard at work in Bezzetoria’s harbor.

“Has anyone still not had enough to drink?!” she shouted, and several hands shot up among the rowdy crowd she was serving. The tanned, burly arms belonged to those who made their living doing hard labor.

“Hey, Lady Rishe! May I have one more before I return?”

“Yes, of course! Thank you so much for helping with the fire last night!”

She took out a bottle from a crate and handed it to an Imperial Guard assisting her. They were handing out drinks to sailors who worked in this port. These men had helped with the fire late the previous night, then summarily went to fish at dawn. Only now were they getting the chance to relax and unwind. After their morning strategy meeting, Rishe had gone out to buy a ton of drinks and headed to the harbor with them.

“It’s not much in the way of thanks, but have as much as you’d like. If there’s anyone who doesn’t drink, there’s plenty of fruit as well!”

“Ooh! Is this stuff from the southern continent?” A sailor’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the bottle Rishe handed him. “Great choice! You really know your drinks, ma’am!”

“Hee hee. I’d love to hear what sort of drinks you enjoy in Galkhein as well. I’m particularly after household brews that aren’t too pricey.”

“You wanna get a taste of what the common folk drink? Huh, wouldn’t have expected that from the future empress! Well, this here’s your guy if you want to know about booze. Right?”

“Just leave it to me! I don’t know if they’d suit your palate, but the popular drinks around here are…”

Rishe conversed with the sailors for a time, always relaying her gratitude for their help with the fire. She felt bad making the Imperial Guards assist her, but they were happy to when they heard Arnold had requested it as well.

A full-on party broke out, and though Rishe didn’t participate herself, she had fun watching from the sidelines. She applauded their singing, dancing, and other antics, until she’d given out all the drinks.

“You really are good at wrapping people around your little finger, Princess.”

Rishe spun around. “Raul!”

The hunter was sitting on a wooden crate, but her eye was drawn to Joel, whom Raul had dragged along. The knight was snoring quietly.

“I see Sir Joel ran out of energy…”

“No, he’s pretty much like this all the time,” Raul replied. Joel had actually worked quite hard during the strategy meeting—that is to say, he’d woken up early. At least by his standards.

“Well, the sailors seem happy enough, though I’m not sure what you and His Highness are thinking. The crown princess’s popularity is sure to shoot up yet again, but we’ve got this mysterious enemy to worry about right now, you know.”

“I almost wish he’d come at me here. Besides, I have the Imperial Guards with me.”

The aforementioned guards were cleaning up the crates. Rishe had offered to help, but they’d insisted rather firmly that she rest.

“It doesn’t seem like anything was strange about the canal or the sea this morning.”

“You were gathering information as well? I’m in awe.”

Raul shrugged. Rishe lowered her voice to ask, “Have Prince Arnold and Oliver asked you about Thaddeus, Raul?”

“Mm… I told them all the possible avenues he might use to escape, but His Highness didn’t seem to expect that we’d nab him. He’s focused on finding evidence or witnesses instead.” Raul seemed to agree with the prince on that. “When chasing prey that’s escaped through water, it’s standard to follow the liquid trail they leave behind—but the white stone streets in this town make it difficult. It’s hard enough to tell when they’re wet in the daytime, and he fled in the dark of night.”

“Not to mention it’s summertime. The sea breeze would help dry him as well. Even if someone passed him while he was still sopping wet, it would have been tough to tell in the dark.”

“Well, he might’ve just died in the water too. It’d be pretty impressive if he was able to swim away in his heavy clothing, with a broken arm, and after jumping into the sea from that height.”

Rishe lay in wait for prey once in a shallow river in her fifth life. The cold was the most taxing part of the experience, but the heavy cloak she wore seemed to steal more heat from her than the flow of the stream. Whenever that thick cloak got wet, it weighed a ton more.

“I won’t let him get away again,” Rishe muttered, and Raul sighed.

“You two are really alike. You both assume you’ll be fighting on the front lines.”

“Huh?”

Raul leaned in close to her face, wearing an openly exasperated expression—more than usual, anyway. “Shouldn’t you be focused on a way to return safely after you’re abducted, ‘Lady Rize’?”

“Right.” Rishe nodded, touching the ring on her left hand. “I know how much I worry him now.”

“Very good.” Raul shrugged, and Joel stirred on the pavement. “Oh, is Sleeping Beauty awake? Hello?” He knelt and flicked Joel’s cheek. The redhead scowled and slowly sat up.

“Good morning, Sir Joel.”

Joel blinked and rubbed his eyes, sniffing the air. “I knew it… It’s the same smell.”

Rishe tilted her head.

Without missing a beat, he scrutinized her and said, “Did you sleep with Prince Arnold last night?”

Raul coughed as Rishe froze, her mind short-circuiting. “Huh?! H-h-h-h-how did you—?!”

She thought they’d hidden how she’d slept in his room well enough. She didn’t want to cause trouble for Arnold since such things were frowned upon before marriage—and more importantly, the idea of anyone knowing about it mortified her. She whirled on Raul, wondering if he’d caught on as well, and he in turn whipped his head to avoid her gaze.

Joel looked up at her, not grasping what she was so flustered about. “You smell like flowers. Prince Arnold smelled the same way in the meeting.”

My soap!

Interacting with a wounded person when one was dirty could introduce complications in the healing process, so Rishe had used some of the peach nectar soap for her wedding when she bathed last night.

“Um, I-I…”

She’d spent the night with him out of concern for his injury, but she couldn’t explain that to Joel. The only excuse she could think of was that they’d just happened to sleep together that night.

While she was losing her head, Raul gave her some encouragement. “Well, you are husband and wife. It’s no big deal, right?”

“I keep telling you, w-we’re not husband and wife yet!”

“Husband and wife…” Joel said thoughtfully before his tone turned sulky. “Well, whatever.”

“What is it, Sir Joel?”

“All right, all right,” Raul interjected. “Let’s start getting ready, yeah? If you’ve finished thanking the sailors and gathering information, then you don’t need to be here anymore, do you? I’ve got stuff I need to collect still if I’m gonna fulfill your little request.”

“I suppose you’re right. I should really help everyone clean up first, though…”

When Rishe got down from the crate she was sitting on, the sailors waved cheerfully at her. They were on their way home for the night.

“Hey, Lady Rishe! Thanks for the drinks! We’ll all be at the parade to celebrate you guys getting hitched, okay?!”

“Idiot! This is the crown prince we’re talking about! Call it a ‘wedding ceremony’! Really, congratulations, though. Cheers to the future princess!”

The sailors all gestured like they were toasting her.

Rishe smiled, happy to receive their well-wishes. “Thank you, everyone!”

Watching them go, she stood a bit taller. I’ll do my part as Prince Arnold’s bride—as the future crown princess.

In no time at all, the day of her kidnapping arrived.

 

---

 

A young noblewoman named Rize appeared in a small manor on the edge of Bezzetoria for a business meeting. As it was the middle of the day, she showed up for the meeting with but a single maid. During the talks, she was led to a small room to try on a dress, where she suddenly disappeared.

But the disappearance of this young noblewoman made no stir in Bezzetoria, and the afternoon went on as normal in the busy port town.

 

---

 

“Hup!”

After the slave traders left, Rishe opened her eyes and sat up in a dim cell. Her wrists had been bound behind her back, and her ankles were tied. A cloth gag in her mouth, Rishe assessed her situation.

It’s gone as expected so far…

Playing the part of Lady Rize, Rishe had discussed business with a merchant over tea and gone into a fitting room after finishing her drink. There, she’d pretended to lose consciousness, and they’d brought her right to this cell.

I was prepared for them to handle me a little roughly, but they didn’t give me so much as a single bruise. Why would they be committing crimes like this when they adhere so strictly to their rules about handling merchandise with care?

They hadn’t even touched her clothing, perhaps because their “goods” were supposed to be pure maidens only.

Rishe drew in a breath and frowned. They didn’t even search me for weapons… They’re far too lenient for slavers. It was utterly strange to her, yet she couldn’t deny that it worked in her favor.

The only light source was a lamp beyond the iron bars. Rishe scooted over to the corner of the cell and nudged her maid.

C’mon, Joel…

“Mm…” Dressed in a maid’s uniform, Joel stirred drowsily. His sleeves were puffy, and his apron was covered in frills to downplay his physique. He may have been small and delicate for a man, but Raul had helped devise an outfit that would hide dead giveaways.

This was what Rishe had asked Joel and Raul to help with. Joel had an androgynous face, so when he dressed in women’s clothes and Raul put some makeup on him, he was able to pass for a woman with little issue.

Joel!

“Mmn…”

She gave up on trying to wake him up and reached toward his ear instead.

Got it!

She gently removed his metal earring. She’d attached a small blade and pin to it; these would cut the rope binds and pick the cell lock. They were tools she’d “just so happened” to bring with her that could be combined with a pair of earrings she owned—and it seemed they would be coming in very handy.

It was worth manipulating the positions of my wrists when they bound me. With this range of movement, cutting the rope should be simple enough.

She pinched the earring blade between her fingers and carefully sawed through the rope. Once she’d cut into it enough, she snapped the rope with a flex of her wrists. Her hands freed, she removed the gag and cut her legs free as well. Then she removed Joel’s gag and shook him a little harder than before.

“Sir Joel… Sir Joel!”

Joel slowly opened his eyes. He was sleepy as always, but it wasn’t the sort of drowsiness induced by the drugs.

“Thank goodness. I see the antidote is working on you as well.”

“Hey…”

“Can you tense your arms so that the rope is taut? It’s easier to cut through that way.”

He sat up and did as she asked. She cut his wrists free, then his legs. All the while, Joel gaped at her like she was the strangest thing he’d ever seen.

“Who are you, really? Those guys offered me tea too, so I drank it, but I didn’t get tired at all… And it’s not easy to use a little blade like that with your hands tied behind your back.”

“It’s fortunate that they bound us with ropes. If they’d used shackles, it would have taken me time to escape even with a pin to pick the lock.”

“Yeah, they are awfully lax when it comes to taking prisoners. I mean, when you take a prisoner of war, the least you should do is—”

Rishe’s voice overlapped with Joel’s. “‘Keep a close eye on them, search them thoroughly, strip them, bind their arms and legs, tie them to a pillar, and break all their limbs.’”

Joel went wide-eyed when they said the exact same thing. Then he gave her an even stranger look.

“Seriously, who are you?”

“Hee hee!”

The day their commander drilled this into them, Joel had appeared to be sleeping as always off in a corner of the training grounds—but he must have been listening. Finding that out after all this time made her happy.

“Well, as long as I can fight, I guess I don’t care. I can take these frilly clothes off now, right?” Joel shucked the maid uniform, revealing the thin shirt and pants underneath. He almost seemed disappointed that they both still had the knives strapped to their legs.

“If I’d known they were gonna be this sloppy in searching us, I bet I could’ve brought in a longer blade.”

“Well, it would have been bad if they’d found it, so I think this is fine… But they sure are careless with their captives, aren’t they?”

Rishe sat next to the bars of the cell and poked her hands through, searching for the lock on the other side. She stuck two pins in the lock and pressed her ear to it, listening carefully as she continued her conversation with Joel.

“Raul was watching our kidnapping site. If he was able to follow them, then there should be no chance of him losing us.”

“Whaaat? Then is help gonna come before I get to fight?”

“Unfortunately, I imagine that will be difficult.” When she carefully observed her surroundings under the light of the single lamp, she realized they weren’t in a jail cell. “After all, we’re on a ship.”

They were in a cage.

“I imagine we’ve already left port and reached the sea.”

Joel had to be aware that they were on a ship too. A dozen or so other cages surrounded them, occupied with unconscious women.

The redhead grunted and pressed his forehead to the bars. “Is it really that hard to fight on the ocean or on ships?”

“It takes a certain level of maneuverability, so I’m excited to see you in action.” Rishe felt metal shifting under the pins in the lock. She opened the door to the cage and glanced around once more.

Did they keep the women asleep so they don’t make a racket in their cages? There was no worry of them expending too much energy while they were kept asleep, but Rishe had other concerns about their health, both physical and mental.

“That being said, we need to save these women first.”

“…”

“Sir Joel, could I ask you to help me ensure the women’s safety before you fight?”

Rishe knew he wasn’t likely to say yes even if she asked. He had no reason to help her now that he wasn’t her mentor; he’d probably just burst out of the hold and draw his sword. Joel’s eyes only sparkled with life when he was wielding a blade.

Will he tell me he’s leaving me behind? Like he did in my sixth life…

But Joel just blinked at her. “Okay,” he said after a beat.

“Huh?” Rishe went wide-eyed as Joel picked up the lamp hanging from a beam and knelt in front of a cage.

“First time I’ve ever met someone who asked me to do something that’s not fighting.”

Maybe that’s true…but I know of a time when you taught ­someone a shortcut and made them snacks.

Even if they hadn’t worked together on the battlefield often, Joel had helped her in countless other ways. They were precious memories to Rishe, and the reason she idolized him so much as her mentor.

Is he happy to have someone relying on him for help? she wondered.

Would he help illuminate her work with the lamp while she unlocked the cages?

Joel stared at her and cocked his head. “I know ‘stay.’ Am I a good boy?”

“Yes, you are.” Rishe smiled, knelt by Joel’s side, and stuck her pins into the well-lit keyhole. “Thank you, Sir Joel.”

“Mm.”

Joel was born to a noble family and had much older siblings. She hadn’t met him as his junior in this life, but maybe he was just happy to be able to act like an older sibling to someone younger.

No, there were plenty of times he acted younger than me even when I was his junior.

Rishe opened the cage, thinking fondly of her sixth life. She checked the condition of the woman inside, cut the rope around her ankles, then tied her wrists to the cage bars in a position that wouldn’t put strain on her body.

“Hey, why are you tying them to the cages instead of taking the ropes off completely?”

“To prevent the slavers from trying to escape with them or throwing them into the sea when the fighting starts.”

In her first encounter with the slavers, they’d tried to take some of the women and flee when they realized they were no match for Arnold.

“They’re sleeping so deeply, I doubt the slavers could rouse them and get them to run. I’ll open the rest of the cages, so can you handle the ropes?”

With Joel’s help, she was able to examine all the women quickly. No one seemed in need of urgent treatment, but from the state of their hair and nails, she was worried many of them were anemic.

“Now, then. Thanks for your patience, Sir Joel.” Rishe stood and drew the dagger hidden under her dress. “Let’s head upstairs. We’ll take control of the ship and keep it in place until Galkhein’s ships are able to catch up.”

“Wait.” Joel stopped Rishe, his voice sharp. “I’ll be going on alone.”

He strode ahead, whisking the lamp away from her.

“You’re weaker than me, but I won’t protect you while I fight. So…” His hand on the door, he glanced back at her one last time. “Why don’t you stay here and protect the women?”

“I—”

“I know. You think we should help each other and fight together, right?”

Joel had probably heard those words countless times before. A certain amount of cooperation and dedication to a plan was necessary to win on the battlefield. Rishe had tried to convince Joel of this in her sixth life. Yet he’d always left her behind when the fighting started, and the one time she thought they’d finally be able to fight together, he’d died for her.

“But I’ll be weaker if we do that.”

“Sir Joel…”

“That’s why I have to fight on my own.”

Rishe locked eyes with Joel and told him head-on, “My role here is to protect your freedom.”

Joel gasped.

“Feel free to go down your own path alone if you like, but I will be there to clear it for you.”

“You…”

“Don’t worry about keeping an eye on me. I’ll take care of whatever you don’t.”

Rishe knew exactly how Joel liked to fight. He raced across the battlefield, eyes shining brighter than anyone else’s. That was the sort of swordsman Rishe’s mentor Joel was.

“There’s no need for you to protect me or fight with me. I’ll just be there to help you fight on your own.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Of course not.” Rishe smiled, thinking of Arnold. “I know how heartening it is to be told, ‘Do as you like. I’ll back you up.’”

She didn’t think this would atone for letting him die, but she wanted to pay him back in some small way for all that he’d done for her. Even if she could never really reach the man who’d been her mentor in her last life.

“Come, Sir Joel.” She opened the door for him. “This is your battlefield.”

After giving Rishe a meaningful look, Joel tousled her hair. She flinched; the gesture reminded her of her sixth life, and she stared back at him in wide-eyed awe.

Then Joel leaped out of the dim hold like a bird taking flight from an open window.

There were two presences directly outside the door. Some of the sailors were probably just about to check on their prisoners. Sailors on this type of illegal operation tended to be pirates well accustomed to fighting. Unlike typical sailors, they wore cutlasses on their waists.

When they saw Joel, they balked in confusion. Joel had moved so fast that they hadn’t been able to process what they’d seen.

“Huh?!”

Joel’s dagger glinted in their lamplight. The redhead zipped close in an instant, driving his pommel into one pirate’s gut. He got low and twisted as he lunged forward. He was good at making use of his weight.

“Guh!”

“Who the hell—?!”

As the first sailor collapsed to the deck, the second drew his cutlass. But by then, he too was collapsing with an anticlimactic yelp.

“Mm…” Joel licked his lips, eyes shining as though he were a little boy about to devour his favorite treat. “They weren’t very strong, but…I haven’t gotten to fight in a while.”

He’s like a bolt of lightning as always.

Rishe gulped, holding her lamp high for him. She felt like she’d just seen lightning arc from the sky and take out their enemies in a split second. His swordplay was nothing like Arnold’s, whose each and every blow felt incredibly heavy—but he was unmistakably a genius with a sword too.

She couldn’t just watch, though.

“Sir Joel, take this cutlass!”

Rishe procured the curved blades from the two fallen sailors, tossing one to Joel and keeping one for herself. In her sixth life, she trained with these blades, which were longer than daggers but more suited to shipboard fighting than straight swords. Rishe gripped the hilt of her sword and blocked the blow from a third sailor, who’d just appeared behind Joel.

The impact barreling down her arm was nothing like when she’d blocked Arnold’s sword. Rishe twisted her blade, flicking away her adversary’s weapon.

“Wha—?!” The third sailor’s eyes opened wide. When he lost his balance, Rishe crouched low.

“Sir Joel!”

She didn’t even have to signal to him. He had already launched himself forward, smacking his still-sheathed blade into the man’s forehead.

“Gah!” The sailor crumpled right as Joel landed.

Rishe stood, exhaling in amazement at the close-up display of Joel’s swordsmanship.

Such smooth moves! That’s my mentor, all right. There’s plenty to learn just from watching him up close. Even if she knew it was a technique he could only pull off with his agility and dense muscle, she still admired it.

Joel just gave her a dubious look. “You’re so strange.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve never once thought it was easier to fight with someone else, but…”

Rishe couldn’t help delighting in those words as his former junior, but now was not the time to reminisce.

“Let’s go. I don’t sense anyone nearby, so the deck should still be several levels above… Ack! Wait up, Sir Joel!”

As Joel raced up the stairs, Rishe hurried after him while doing her best to support him. He climbed the stairs with a lamp in one hand and a cutlass in the other, knocking out anyone they encountered. The pair did their best to keep the sailors from alerting their companions, but the bigger the commotion they made, the more sailors gathered to them.

But Joel’s eyes only shone brighter the more enemies they faced. Each time a strong-looking foe popped up, he ran right up to them while Rishe took care of the ones who didn’t catch his eye. Joel’s steps were a dance of their own, and Rishe understood the rhythm perfectly.

“I’ll draw those enemies out! Keep doing as you like, Sir Joel!”

When faced with a more experienced adversary, Joel gave his unique appraisal of the enemy’s skill. “You’re the cherry on top, I see… You look tastier than the rest.”

Smiling wryly, Rishe opened the door to a cabin, drawing the attention of the enemies within.

“You wench!” they roared, but she had the advantage in such a cramped space.

Plonking her lamp on a table, she held a cutlass in each hand instead. Even fighting with two swords, she was careful not to make too much of a mess inside the cabin.

“Augh!”

Rishe took a short breath after the last man fell with a yelp.

“Wait, what’s with this map?” This must have been the cabin where the navigator kept his records. Rishe frowned up at the sea chart on the wall.

That marker, it’s… She walked up to it and pinned the area with her finger. It was a northern seaport of Galkhein’s, the closest location to Coyolles.

“Why Ceutena?” It was the city ruled by Lord Lawvine, the loyal vassal Arnold would execute in the future.

“Hey. Come on, let’s go.”

“Oh, right!” Rishe pushed thoughts of Ceutena aside and hurried after Joel. She was surprised he’d bothered to call out to her at all before moving on.

They fought their way to the deck, where they could take control of the ship. Climbing up an unstable rope ladder, Rishe realized that the new floor had portholes.

We’re almost to the deck! But…

The sky through the round windows was white. Rishe ­grimaced when they finally reached the uppermost deck.

“Look at this fog!”

Joel stood with his back to her, glancing around. They could see to the other end of the deck, so the fog wasn’t absurdly thick, but they had no idea what was out at sea around them.

In this fog, our reinforcements may not be able to find us. Resolving herself for that possibility, Rishe tightened her grip on her cutlass. The rest of the crew, who’d by now caught on to the chaos belowdecks, stood before Joel and Rishe.

“I was worried about pursuers,” said one. “Didn’t think you’d sneak aboard.”

I figured they’d be ready.

“Sir Joel, don’t worry about me!” Rishe called out to his back.

He spared her a sidelong glance. “I know.”

Joel sprang forth, and the enemies launched themselves at him.

Still, there are so many!

Rishe switched to her sheathed dagger and threw it at the jaw of one of the sailors targeting Joel. She struck a weak point with a heavy blow, and the man crumpled to the deck—but she’d only eliminated one threat.

I’m itching for a bow. Though I’d need this swaying to stop if I wanted to actually shoot it!

The ship had been rocking violently for a little while now. Rishe glimpsed the stern, where the helmsman was spinning the wheel to make it lurch on purpose.

I’ve got to head to the help, so—

A chill ran down Rishe’s spine as she calculated the best route forward.

“Huh?”

She’d spotted a shadow on the sea, like a small island in the fog. It was another ship. As it slowly came into focus through the fog, she saw its shredded sails. The goddess figurehead on the bow was cracked and rotting, smiling with one eye gouged out. Rishe shuddered when she saw it. She felt like she’d caught the eye of the figurehead somehow.

It’s like a ghost ship!

She knew it wasn’t, however, judging by the figures moving on deck. They’d covered new sails and wood with old ones to give anyone who spotted them the impression that they were harmless. This old, abandoned-looking vessel was without a doubt a pirate ship.

Rishe grimaced and shouted, “Enemy reinforcements!”

The other ship launched weighted ropes at them, which caught on the deck’s rail. The ship was pulled toward theirs and rocked once more.

“Ngh…”

“Sir Joel!”

Where Joel had planted his foot, there was a collapsed sailor lying on the deck. Joel lost his balance just as an enemy blade swung down at him.

No!

Rishe flashed back to Arnold protecting her, and to her sixth life. Joel had become her shield. He’d smiled at her when he saw she was safe.

She jumped in front of him, slicing into the sailor’s arm with her cutlass.

“Gah!” The sailor backed up, clutching his bleeding arm. But Rishe knew better than anyone that it wasn’t enough.

“You friggin’ harpy! How dare you!” Another man tried to grab her hair. Rishe braced for the pain when a blade swung a hair’s breadth from her face.

Joel?!

He pushed Rishe aside and cut down the sailor. The man cried out as he fell to the deck. But Joel hadn’t fully recovered from losing his balance a moment ago. The ship swayed again, and Joel smacked against the deck.

“Agh! Ow!”

That shudder had been from the impact of the pirates boarding this ship.

This is bad! They were separated, and Joel was surrounded first because he’d injured himself.

“Sir Joel, are you hurt?!”

His only response was a hiss of pain.

He hit his head! Even if he caught himself when he fell, he won’t recover right away.

Rishe lifted her cutlass above her head and avoided the swing of her sword. She swept the man’s legs out from under him and, using the swaying of the ship to her advantage, struck the man’s nape with her sheath.

I need to break through them and get to Joel first!

Joel couldn’t get back on his feet, but he was still putting up a fight with his cutlass. He used his reflexes to roll around on the deck, avoiding multiple enemies as he tried to right himself.

Rishe broke through the foes before her and used her two blades to knock out the three who were closest. Timing her moves to the irksome rolling of the ship, she knocked the heads of the next two men together.

“How are these landlubbers moving so well on this rocking ship?!”

“Sir Joel, give me your hand!”

“I’m fine… Just get out of here…” Joel was panting hard as he writhed on the deck. He was too preoccupied fighting his dizziness to take Rishe’s hand. “I won’t help you anymore… I can’t help you, so…”

“I don’t care! Please, just this once, don’t try to fight alone!”

“I don’t need you.”

One of the men tried to plunge his sword into Joel, but he knocked the blade away without even looking at it. He rolled across the deck to avoid the next attack, but there was no way he could keep that up for long.

“Come on already!”

“Go…” Joel pointed his unfocused eyes at the sea and narrowed them. “If you don’t, more enemies will come…”

Another ship had appeared in the fog.

“I’ll fight. On my own.”

“No…”

“If I don’t, I—”

“No, Sir Joel!”

Rishe scanned the new ship. The sailors followed suit, bewildered by its arrival. The ship was a size larger than this one, and it wasn’t the rotten flag of a ghost ship atop its mast.

“That’s…”

It was the eagle of the national flag of Galkhein.

The moment Rishe spotted it, someone jumped aboard the ship. Landing gracefully in front of her, he cut down nearby sailors in an instant, gazing at her with his blue eyes.

“Rishe.”

Even in this dim fog, his eyes were the brilliant blue of the sea. In that dear voice of his, he asked her as he always did, “Are you hurt?”

“Prince Arnold!” Her voice trembled, and not just out of relief from seeing his face. She knew he’d come to save her. Still, she couldn’t stop worrying about the wound from a few days ago, so she couldn’t help voicing her selfish complaint. “I asked you not to come, Your Highness!”

“And I told you I wouldn’t agree to that,” Arnold said, tugging her toward him.

A moment later, the ship rocked again. Rishe braced herself, trying not to put any strain on Arnold. She regained her balance quickly, and Arnold shoved a bundle into her arms.

“Oh!”

It was a bow, a quiver, and two swords—one of them likely for Joel. Now that they were out in the open, it would be more advantageous to fight with longer blades.

Arnold always knew just what she wanted. “Thank you!”

The sailors glared at Arnold and rushed him.

“Damn it! Who the hell are—?!” The man’s voice cut out when he fell.

Arnold studied his enemies coldly and then focused on Joel. The redhead had finally gotten to his feet. Though his breathing was shallow, his center of gravity was low and he had a firm grip on his sword. The enemy slashed at him, but he swiftly evaded their attacks and cut them down instead.

How is he fighting even faster now?!

Arnold only squinted upon seeing Joel’s swordplay.

“Sir Joel, here!” Rishe threw him a sword, and Joel caught it overhead with a stagger. She doubted she was imagining the hazy state he was in.

“Your Highness! Sir Joel helped me, but he’s hurt. I don’t think he can fight for much longer.”

“The knights can join us when the ship stops swaying.”

Rishe nodded, drawing her bow. She couldn’t hit the helmsman from here, blocked as she was by the sails, but she could assist Joel and Arnold.

“We’re taking the helm.”

“I’ll back you up. Please don’t push yourself, Your Highness!”

Rishe nocked an arrow as Arnold headed for the enemy.

 

---

 

Why?

Joel was brimming with feelings he couldn’t understand as he watched Arnold and Rishe. His head throbbed, he was nauseated, and his vision was blurry. In his state, the juddering of the ship just made him more miserable.

Still, Joel’s limbs reacted to the bloodlust he sensed around him, and his body moved naturally to combat it without thought. But he found his attention drawn less to the people trying to kill him and more to the couple fighting together on the other side of the ship.

Prince Arnold is protecting her…even though that should make him weaker…

Joel was well aware of that fact.

 

“You really are a genius with a sword, Joel. There’s no other way to put it.”

A knight instructor had told him that while he was taking sword lessons with other young nobles.

The first person who’d taught him how to use a sword was his eldest brother. It was the first thing Joel had ever found fun. He’d spent most of his time sleeping out of a lack of desire to do anything else.

Whenever he was awake, he was thinking about the sword. When his brother was home, Joel would hang around him, pestering him for training. His brother had been patient with him, but when his studies as the next head of the family began to consume his free time, he asked Joel, “Do you want to take the same sword lessons I did? Everyone else will be older than you, but I’m sure you can keep up, Joel.”

His sister brought Joel to the lessons, and he learned with dozens of other students who were five or six years his senior. But by the third day of lessons, Joel had beaten every single one of them.

“Joel! You’re really amazing!” all the senior knights said, patting his head. He had really been a child then, and he felt happy to receive their praise.

“I hope you’ll join the knights as our junior, Joel!”

“It’s reassuring that we might be fighting alongside you.”

“Yeah…I’ll fight with you.”

Joel was looking forward to it so much that he put even more effort into his training. He swung his wooden sword even when his seniors were resting. He drank milk even though he didn’t like it because he heard it would make him taller, and he ran around trying to build muscle—living a life he could never imagine ­living now.

“Wanna join me?” he asked his seniors once, and they shook their heads, bitter smiles on their faces.

“You’re the only one who can train like that, Joel.”

“Yeah. We gotta do things our own way.”

He believed that they trained hard in their own way, but they never got any harder to fight against. If anything, Joel felt like the stronger he got, the weaker everyone else became. And it wasn’t just because the gap between their abilities was so great. They actually were getting weaker.

Joel finally understood when he was nine. They were out on the ocean, training to fight on ships—a necessity for future knights of Siarga.

“H-help!”

They’d gone out to the open sea and run into pirates. Maybe they didn’t have any real battle experience yet, but they were all noble boys who had been training for years. But the scene before Joel was nothing like what he’d pictured, and all he could do was stand there, blankly watching.

“Joel, hurry!”

The older kids cried and called for his help.

“Hey! What’s wrong, Joel?!”

The retired knight serving as their instructor had been stabbed first and had lost consciousness. Yet the older kids had done nothing to help him, instead thrusting a sword at Joel—the youngest among them—and pushing him toward the pirates.

“You’re a genius, aren’t you?! You can beat all the pirates yourself, right?!”

They’d laughed and said it would be reassuring to fight alongside him, hadn’t they? But now they were pushing Joel at the enemy by himself and yelling at him. There was even anger in their voices.

“Hurry up and save us!”

Oh. It wasn’t that he was sad over being forced to fight alone. They got weak because of me.

That was what he’d learned that day.

When strong people protect weak people, they get weaker. Both the one being protected and the one doing the protecting.

Joel beat all the pirates himself and treated the instructor’s wounds as well. When they got back on land, everyone heaped praise on him and thanked him for fighting for their sake, but he couldn’t accept their affection anymore.

I made them weak.

If he hadn’t been with them, they would surely have died. That was when Joel made his decision.

I must fight on my own. Anyone blindly relying on someone else will just die a pathetic death the moment they step onto a real battlefield.

If he ever fought alongside someone, it had to be someone stronger than him. Otherwise, they’d rely on him and die.

I don’t need anyone to praise my swordsmanship anymore. And I won’t train anymore either… I can’t leave my life in these people’s hands. It’s easier to just not trust them.

After deciding never to fight alongside anyone again, Joel’s swordsmanship only improved. Perhaps he was simply never suited to acting in concert with other people.

 

The strong become weaker because weak people hinder them. Weak people get weaker because they depend on the strong.

He’d been sure of that, but the way Arnold Hein and Rishe fought atop the ship contradicted his belief.

How is Prince Arnold so strong while fighting to protect her?

Swaying under this unbelievable reality, Joel cut down the enemies before him.

It wasn’t just Arnold; Rishe herself was taking down pirates with her arrows, much steadier than she’d been before.

Same goes for her. Her steps are so much better than they were when she was fighting alone.

Stuffing down the nausea he felt from his head injury, Joel squinted.

She’s…fighting better than she did with me too.

When she fought with Arnold, Rishe displayed a dignified strength that was clear even to Joel.

 

---

 

Rishe shot an enemy closing in on Joel in the leg to pin him in place, then hurried after Arnold. The prince’s footing was so stable on the ship, it was hard to believe he had so little experience fighting on the water.

It’s not just his swordplay that’s incredible, it’s his command over his body as well!

She fully understood why Arnold had boarded the ship on his own, leaving his Imperial Guards behind. Even as more sailors appeared, boarding from the other ship, Arnold’s expression didn’t change one bit.

But…

There were crates and barrels lying around on the deck, and each time the ship lurched, the pair drew closer, using the moving obstacles as cover.

I know what I need to do!

Rishe shouldered her bow and grabbed hold of a rope ladder hanging from the mast. She climbed up to a decent height and hooked an arm around the ladder so that she wouldn’t fall. Nocking another arrow from there, she shot an enemy in front of Arnold and shouted, “Two meters ahead at eleven o’clock, behind the crate!”

Arnold immediately kicked the crate and rushed forward. As soon as the two enemies hiding behind it were knocked out, Rishe leapt down onto the crate and shot a man hiding behind a barrel, whom she could now see from her new vantage point.

The helm was thirty meters away, but enemies were still crawling out of the woodwork. With one eye on Joel, Rishe said to her allies, “They’re turning the ship starboard! It’ll sway to the left next!”

Arnold cut down several enemies, opening up space at his side. “Rishe. Here.”

“Yes, Prince Arnold!” Rishe leapt into the spot he’d made for her, and the ship swayed. Arnold put his arm around her waist. The crate she’d just been standing on crashed into a pillar and shattered.

They parted swiftly, raised their swords, and cut down the enemies who were off-balance from the last shift. At Arnold’s side, Rishe switched from her sword to her bow.

I wasted some arrows. Even with this fog and the way the ship’s swaying, Raul wouldn’t have missed.

“Rishe.” Arnold raised his sword at the enemy, protecting her behind his back. “I’ll stop the pirates. Can you get that man off the helm?”

I only have one arrow left… The helmsman was obscured by the fog, yet Rishe held her head high and, entrusting her back to Arnold, replied, “Just leave it to me!”

“I will.” Rishe was sure that his gentle response wasn’t her imagination.

Maybe it does weaken him to protect me. Rishe was keenly aware of that fact after the injury Arnold had suffered. Prince Arnold is practical, and he only keeps those he needs by his side. He chose Oliver and Raul…

She took a deep breath and nocked her last arrow.

It’s the same reason he forged a technological alliance with Coyolles, formed a joint venture manufacturing paper currency with Siguel, and pardoned Professor Michel… There would be nothing strange about him allying himself with this merchant of death either.

Even if Rishe had prevented it from happening here and now, Arnold would most likely obtain Siarga’s shipbuilding technology at some point. This wasn’t like gunpowder. It was technology another country possessed that Galkhein didn’t, and Arnold would never allow his nation to remain inferior to another.

But that’s why I need to make something clear!

Rishe slowly narrowed her eyes and aimed. She made sure to keep her core steady, finding whatever balance she could on the swaying deck.

“Hey, you’re not seriously planning to shoot him from here, are you, girlie?! Ha ha, you’ll never hit—argh!”

She believed that Arnold was protecting both her and Joel. Even if she was worried about his injury, she’d decided to trust him completely.

I need anyone who sees me from now on to know one thing. Rishe held her breath, concentrating every nerve in her body. His Highness Arnold Hein, the crown prince, is stronger with his bride by his side!

She locked on to her enemy.

If I make that happen, then even Prince Arnold will have to think the same… I’ll make myself the logical choice over an arms dealer who will destroy the world.

If she couldn’t become a bride worthy of that, then she wouldn’t be able to change the future.

I won’t let you walk that bloody path all alone.

Silently conveying her resolve to the man at her side, Rishe let her arrow fly.

I’ll make you choose a future with me!

The arrow whizzed straight into the fog, aimed to the side of the helmsman. It would never hit him at this angle. But just then, the ship began to tilt back to the right.

“Gah!”

The arrow struck the man’s arm and he cried out, releasing the helm. The ceaselessly spinning helm finally released, and the ship shook one final time.

“Your Highness, I got him!”

“All hands on deck,” Arnold commanded immediately. His voice was indifferent, but it carried well.

With the deck finally a decent battleground, the Imperial Guards descended on the ship at once.

Almost there!

With this many knights on their side, the injured Arnold and Joel wouldn’t have to fight anymore, but Rishe couldn’t let her guard down yet. Joel was still surrounded, his opponents lifting their swords to strike.

“Sir Joel!” Rishe began to rush toward him, but Arnold stopped her.

“He’s fine.”

He was right. Joel’s sword flashed in a circle, the finale to his magnificent dance.

Joel!

With the fog clearing, his blade reflected a faint ray of sunshine. His enemies fell, and a path was opened before him. When he saw her, he smiled almost like he was relieved.

Thank goodness! Rishe let out a sigh of relief as well.

One of the Imperial Guards hurried over and reported, “Your Highness, Lady Rishe! We’ve located eleven women confined within the ship! We’ll rescue them immediately!”

All the enemies on deck were unconscious.

Sheathing his sword, Arnold told Rishe, “This eleven makes up the rest of the women reported missing in Siarga. We’ll seize this ship and the other one as evidence.”

“But, Your Highness, didn’t you mobilize the ship you arrived in on short notice? With just one crew, how will you get them all back to port?”

Arnold glanced up at the Galkhein flag flying from his ship. Now that the fog had dissipated a bit, Rishe could see people waving on the deck.

Her eyes went wide in surprise. “It’s the sailors who helped us put out the fire!”

The same ones whom Rishe had treated to drinks the next day as thanks.

“The hunter proposed we hire them temporarily. Oliver made the arrangements. Apparently, every single one of them volunteered for the job without regard for their actual work when they heard it was for you.” Arnold gazed at Rishe with affection. “That’s your power.”

Rishe’s heart swelled to hear it, even if it wasn’t true. In ­reality, this had come about thanks to Raul’s suggestion and Oliver’s maneuvering. This whole plan would never have worked without Joel and Arnold either. The day when Rishe would change Arnold’s strength was still far in the future.

Even so…

She reached out and hung on to Arnold. Within his arms, she asked him casually, “Has your wound stopped hurting?”

She knew the only way for them to talk without anyone hearing was for her to cling to him in this fashion—though that might just have been an excuse.

“Yeah,” Arnold said after a pause, stroking Rishe’s hair. He whispered into her ear, “It’s gone completely, thanks to you.”

If she said something back to him right away, she felt like her voice would quaver. Rishe buried her face in Arnold’s chest, clutching at his clothing. She was finally able to let go of him when lighter footsteps than the knights’ approached them.

“Sir Joel…”

Joel frowned when he saw Rishe in Arnold’s arms. “Thanks. For saving me.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Rishe was the one who’d been saved by him countless times in the past. She couldn’t tell him as much, but she was sincerely grateful to him nonetheless. He’d done so much for her that she could never possibly pay him back.

“You’re way stronger when you’re with Prince Arnold,” Joel said, his voice gentle despite the lack of expression on his face.

Could it be…? Rishe got the feeling she might understand a bit of what Joel had been feeling. Does Joel only fight alone so his allies have a better chance of survival? If she asked him directly, he would likely deny it.

Rishe glanced up at Arnold again, and he slowly released her.

“I know that strong people who carry burdens on their own and fight by themselves just don’t want to hurt others,” she told Joel. Praying that no one would notice how much she missed Arnold’s heat as he withdrew from her, she continued, “But that’s why I want to become stronger…so that person never has to get hurt again.”

Arnold’s eyes crinkled in understanding. “I see.”

Putting his sword through his belt, Joel gave Arnold a rare smile and said, “Yeah… That wasn’t bad.”

He opened his sword hand, studied it, and closed it. After the testing gesture, he left his hand on his sword hilt and said with satisfaction, “I remember now that I always wanted to fight with other people.”

“Why, Sir Joel!”

She had only ever fought alongside Joel once in her sixth life, just before she died. Had he remembered the same thing then, when he died for her?

He wouldn’t remember that, she acknowledged, then swore a vow in her heart. I will stop Prince Arnold. I will avoid His Highness’s bloody future and Joel’s death. To do that, I…

She gripped Arnold’s sleeve, and the prince caressed her hair. Rishe smiled, resisting the urge to cling to him once more.

Right then, Joel murmured, “I’m sleepy,” and collapsed to the deck.

Things on the ship were bustling for some time after that.