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Silence fell toward the interior of the room.

After that, the military soldiers who stood in their way—who were in reality assassins sent by the House of Nobles, full of killing intent and even readying their blades. As they saw the prince Acyl,

“He’s here! The traitor Acyl! Kill him!”
“If we kill him, we can have any reward we want!”
“Surround him! Take the woman as a hostage!!”

They came to attack while shouting those kinds of things. Well, the prince is playing dumb though, “Prince? Who is that? I am the mysterious masked knight who is grieving for this country!” Saying something like that, he’s in high spirits.

Then, I thoughtlessly joined this entertainment.

“Similarly, a mysterious swordswoman who happened to pass by, Mask The Rose, appeared! Those who hold no regard toward their own life, feel free to come at me!”

I said it in the heat of the moment and even took a pose.
…well. I am reflecting on that right now.

And, cooperating with Prince Acyl, we easily break through from enemy territory while continuing to wear our masks, escaping from the theater.

Immediately Sir Carlos carried Angelica in his arms and as if he’s flying he jumped into the carriage he drove. I commanded Mikoto to hold back our pursuers—well the person herself seemed delighted as she piled up frustration from meeting with the prince—while she confronted our pursuers (or more accurately, slaughtered them), we quickly escaped from the royal capital.

…Sometimes I can see flashes or hear exploding sounds from behind, perhaps someone is playing with fireworks or something.

By the way, our destination is as planned before, a place where a royal family sanatorium existed—Fulvia Lakes.

Since we can’t get a change of horses at night, midway we moved at an extremely slow pace. However, according to Prince Acyl, we will most likely arrive at midnight.

Also, while we escaped from the royal capital, since there is only one barrier pass certificate and I keep it with me, we planned to have Mikoto take a detour. She would fly until where the barrier most likely didn’t reach anymore and then regroup with us. Since she was also told the general direction we were headed, and a master and pet can check each other’s locations within a certain distance, I think this is the best option.

Well, for how Mikoto should escape, if by some chance the barrier also covered the sky, it is nothing more than a soap bubble for Mikoto so it’ll pose no threat anyway. And since we already escaped, even though there’s uproar because of her, it has nothing to do with us.

Then, as we took a breather, we took off our masks and kept silent—Since Angelica received a shock from the attack, Prince Acyl hugged her and tried to calm her down, as I sat on the opposite side inside the carriage, staring at them. Prince Acyl, who couldn’t stand the silence and my stare anymore, shrugged his shoulders jokingly.

“What is it, Princess Hiyuki? That grim look will spoil your lovely face.”
“…around 3 to 7.”
“—yes?”
“The number of enemies we defeated before we entered the carriage. You took quite the lead.”

“No no, that’s impossible. I think it’s around the same, well, as my neck’s being targeted, there might be 2 or 3 differences, perhaps. …eh, hasn’t Princess Hiyuki’s tone changed?”

“I’m the loser here. Even if I take a big loss 4 to 6 is still fine, but what was that? Even though I was frantically killing, you who were next to me, still have the composure to hold back so they won’t be killed? –Yet, you still took quite the lead of 3 to 7.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s as much ‘composure’, as well…they are just following the orders of the House of Nobles, and they’re still citizens of my country.”

The Prince became troubled and scratched his cheek.

“Hah! I don’t care whether they’re doing it for money or honor. For anyone who is willing to take a life in exchange for those things, I think it’s appropriate to kill them. They chose that kind of job, there’ll be no room for pleading. I think it’s better if they disappear from this world. –Moreover, you… didn’t you kill 8 people who came to assassinate you when you were 11 years old?”

“…Yes, at that time I was too focused on protecting Angelica, so I didn’t feel any regret since I protected her.”

Then he took a deep breath.

“However, I’ve always felt regret afterwards. I’ve shown the young Angelica the ugly side of kill or be killed human relation in this world, and my own weakness. That’s why, I aim to absolutely protect Angelica, gain power to be able to bring goodness to humans in this world, and show its beauty to Angelica.”

I saw no hesitation in his eyes, so I kept silent.

Well, it’s not like I’m over-awed or unable to say any words of rebuttal, I just feel like talking to him will be pointless. I understand that our thoughts won’t match—or rather, being told like that, for me who kills humans like cutting radish near him at the time, that will make me look like a heartless killer right!?

“—as I thought, you’re boring.”

“Well, even if you say so…I’m troubled. How can I fix your mood, Princess?”

Hearing that, I fell into deep thought. It’s obvious this happy-go-lucky prince is the source of this fuzzy feeling. Then let’s ‘talk’ with the way of my country.

“Well, since we are already separated from town and there’s no pursuers, and luckily, there’s a wasteland in the direction we are heading… It’s a bit dark, but it’s not a problem for us right? Then it’s perfect, how about we get off and have a match?”

Hearing my proposal, Angelica gasps.

Prince Acyl folded his arm with a difficult expression.

“…Isn’t that arrangement for another day?”

“It’s just a match, we don’t have to kill each other. It’s just, I won’t feel relieved without hitting that composed face hard at least once.”

“If it will please you, my lady, how about you hit it here and now, I’m ready to withstand one or two punches…will that please you?”

“If you said ‘by all means’ and let me hit, won’t that make it seem like it’s a woman’s hysteria? I won’t be satisfied if I can’t hit you under the same condition.”

“I don’t understand the difference, but…I guess I have no choice.”

With a resigned face, Prince Acyl looked out of the window, and commanded the coach, Sir Carlos, to move away from the highway and stop there.

In desolate land where night wind just passed by.

Angelica and Sir Carlos looked onward with a worried look, but with the only light coming from a lantern on the carriage that was stopped a bit farther away, they might not be able to see what was happening.

“Do you really want to fight in that expensive dress?”

Even though Prince Acyl said it worriedly, he who stood 5 meters away from me was also still wearing his tailcoat for dancing.

“You don’t have to worry, I’m used to it.”

…….

Ermm. I know that I said it myself, but it seems I really got used to this dress, this fluttering skirt, even this breeze. Or rather, since I reincarnated as Hiyuki, I never wore trousers even once.

…Am I alright? Somehow I became worried about many things.

“Is that so? Then I’ll come at you without reservation.” While saying that, Prince Ashyl grasped the ‘Wind Sword’ that I handed over to him.

“—If you fight as it is, this won’t be a decent match. How about getting serious?”

At that moment, Prince Acyl showed a bitter smile.

“…I’ve been seen through.”

Once again, he fixed his grasp on his sword, and with half closed eyes he manipulated the magic power inside him. Then with an uninterested tone he said something that might be a magic incantation or self hypnosis.

“I am peerless and invincible. There’s no opponent that can match my sword. –My—attack will destroy any enemy in front of me!!”

Race: Human (Magic Swordsman)
Name: Acyl Claude Amitia
Occupation: Third Prince of Amitia / Amitia’s Adventurer (S-rank)
HP: 21.500 → 70,950
MP: 9,200 → 30,360

“This is…as expected from S-rank, in these conditions, it’s near the upper limit of a human.”

Even so, in the end he is still an unbranded human. That said, perhaps I’m making light of him, since his status is similar to that of a player who had no re-incarnations yet.

“May I take that as praise?”

“Yup. Honestly, at first I thought a magic swordsman is a fighter who can use magic at the same time. Now that I know you use magic for body reinforcements, it’s quite brave. If you can hit me, I think I’ll receive damage.”

“If I can hit you?”

“Yep, if you can hit me. –Well, I don’t know what exactly will happen though, perhaps a fatal wound or just something serious, no matter what, when Mikoto catches up she can heal me just fine, so you don’t have to hold back.”

With a nod, I also grasped ‘Water Blade’.

“I see, I feel relieved hearing that. –Then, here I come.”

In an instant, from a posture without any fighting spirit, Prince Acyl shortened the distance between us in one go.

At the same time, a vivid beheading line appeared in this poorly lit place, together with the glitter of steel, he swung his sword down mercilessly to cut me into two.