--A back alley in King's Landing.

　One of those dark, damp, narrow streets that rarely see the light of day.
　Even so, it is a place where residents continue to try their best to find the little bit of light they can, drying their clothes on the ropes they share.

　The girl looked up at the scene with nostalgic eyes and gave a small sigh.


It was not even a warm-up, let alone a sparring session.


　I'm not sure what to say.
　The red drips down from the surface of the open parasol.

　It sinks into the outer lace, but is not fully absorbed, making ripples on the ground.

　Her boots were in the red puddle that had formed.

　Around her, there were about a dozen fallen knights.

　What they all had in common was not only that they were dead.

　Their faces.

　Some of them were crushed and bleeding profusely, their faces flushed red.

　Others had their faces slammed into the ground as if they had been forced to get down on their knees.

　And worst of all, there was a knight whose face was shaved to death, as if he had been scraped against a wall.

　Glaring at all of them in a boring manner, she closes her parasol.

　--She closed her parasol, which was as pure white as the dress she wore.


I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
I don't know if it's an order or what, but this is an order from the princess!
Seriously. Just because you're a commoner doesn't mean you should be looked down upon. ......?


　That's when it happened.

　The three guards, who are good friends of mine, caught up with me.

　It all started when the now-deceased knights pushed past the guards and infiltrated the back alley.

　While the guards, who had received information that there was a killer in the area, were slowly closing the siege, a strike force dispatched by the Eastwood estate - in other words, the Knights - pushed the guards aside and set out to kill the killer.

　The knights were confident that a platoon of ten would be enough, but the guards were unable to stand up to them.

　There are several reasons.

　The knights of the Order were all older than the guards and had war experience.

　They were also noblemen, albeit of a lower rank, and thus had a higher rank than the guards.

　In addition, unlike the guards, who were operating under the orders of the princess, they were operating under the orders of Conrad A. Eastwood, or Earl Eastwood.

　The point to remember here is that Princess Lilac's influence is not strong.

　In the capital, she is the first person to pass the Colosseum proposal, but people around her perceive her as "just a brilliant little girl.
　This means that her charisma and her true nature as a "wicked man" have not yet been revealed, and therefore she is often taken lightly.

　For these reasons, the knights half-heartedly pushed the guards aside, and the result was the scene they saw.

The result was what the guards saw. The woman on the wanted list, ......!
She's here for real. I mean, aren't they all dead?
No, you were killed by that guy!

　You've been killed by him!" Bill reflexively readied the knight's sword on his hip.
　Ben is stunned, unable to comprehend the situation.
　Ben, stunned and unable to comprehend the situation, and Bob, who now understands everything and is really in a panic about what to do.


　And.


"Oh. Another round?



　A young lady-like girl slowly looks back at the three of them.

"No, we're not eating!
"d*mn, seriously, you're not following me.
"......, you're a lot prettier than your picture.
Bob, what the f*ck?
Do you even know what you're doing?

　Bill and Ben are pale and desperate.
　Bill and Ben were pale and struggling to keep their heads above water, but I could hear them giggling and laughing.

"He's kind of a friendly guy, isn't he?

　Her fan hides her mouth, and her eyes are soft and relaxed.
　However, except for Bob, who is gazing at her, the two of them are not letting their guard down.

　There was no doubt that it was she who had killed the knights before their eyes.

　Bill and Ben were not so foolish as to think that three men could defeat the ten men they were up against.

What are we going to do about this?
I don't know, but I really don't think I can.
Maybe I could just ask him out on a date and let it slide.
Bob, what the f*ck?
I'm gonna kill you first!

　The girl's eyes pierce Bob's.

I'd be happy to take you out on a date.
Oh, really?
Yeah. You want a one-on-one, don't you?

　And then the blood drained from Bob's veins.
　At last, I might say.

I'm hoping you can be my sparring partner.

　He slowly opens his closed parasol.
　The blood that hadn't fully dried earlier splashed lightly.

　The fighting spirit that almost blows you away is like a torrent of murderous intent.
　My body, drowning in the emotion of fear and constricted to the point of not being able to breathe, cannot move as I wish.

　It's like...

　It was as if...

　This is what Prim Lancaster would look like if he really wanted to kill us.

　It was so overwhelmingly superior.

　Bill tightened his grip on his sword.
　Ben struggled to think.



　And Bob .

"I'm sorry, sir!

　It was a beautiful moment.

"...... Bob?
What? What?
"What the hell, you guys, is it our job to challenge these things and die in the dogs?

　At the whispered suggestion, both Bill and Ben gasped.

　The guards don't have to be strong.
　They just have to protect as many citizens as possible.
　That's what these bad guys do. You can always push them to the people who are always bothering you, the ones who have Lancaster's diaper, or the ones who are worse than that.

　But they're indiscriminate mass murderers.
　If begging for your life like this would have helped you, you would have been able to--.

　Bill's eyes met the girl's as he looked at her to see how she was doing.

What are you doing?　Aren't you the warrior who protects this city?
No, no, no, nothing like that!　Just trying to earn a few bucks a day?　I just do what I can for a living!
...... You must be willing to fight for the city.
If that's what it takes to make a living, I'll take whatever it takes!
"..................

　Bob's comment may or may not have had any effect.
　She slowly closed the parasol.

　Then she stepped forward from the puddle of blood.

　There was a strange sound of a viscous liquid.
　When it stopped, the sound of shoes walking toward her did not stop.
　One step, gracefully. Another step.

　Bill and Ben involuntarily step aside from Bob, who is on his knees in the middle of the room.

　The girl's eyes are cold.
　Eyes that had lost all interest, like they were staring at a rock on the side of the road.
　She walks to the front of Bob with an emotionless look of disdain.

　Bill and Ben hold their breaths.

　The girl lets out a single breath.

　The girl lets out a breath and stomps on Bob's head with a boot from the puddle of blood.

"...... Isn't that humiliating?
"......

　I put my center of gravity on the boot. He put his elbows on his knees and looked down at the man on his knees.

"A big man. I'm not sure what to make of that.
"......
You think it's a way of life for you to throw away your pride and self-respect and let yourself be humiliated?　I can't believe you're even human. You're a worm who doesn't even have the minimum dignity a human being should have.
......
......

　I kicked Bob in the head again with my boot.
　But Bob didn't budge an inch.

　The girl lets out one last big sigh.

"Boring guy.

　That's all she muttered, and walked past Bob.

　One step, then another.

　One step, then another.

　And when she was out of sight.
　When she was out of sight, Bill and Ben ran up to Bob as if they had finally been released.

"Oh, hey!　Are you okay?
"Bob, I'm sorry, ......, call us right away and let us know he's there--Bob?

　Bob shakes and looks up.

　The look on his face was one of ecstasy.

"...... do it again, will you?
"Bob, what the f*ck?
No, you're awesome.

　One thing's for sure.

　One thing was for sure, they weren't going to get killed.














　--King's Landing gate.

　It's like a triumphant return from war, who said that?

　The main street leading from the city gate to the main street of King's Landing was crowded as it had been for more than ten years.
　People who know the past say that even the celebration of the princess's birth would not have been this crowded.

　As far as the eye could see, there were people.

　The entrance to the capital was so crowded with visitors that it was almost impossible to see the luxurious cobblestone streets that were the hallmark of the capital, and there was so much noise that even the voices I raised melted away.

"Wow, ......!

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.
　She had traveled all the way to King's Landing, but her luggage was not that much.
　She carries a minimal amount of clothing and a wallet that she keeps in her pocket to avoid theft. And a sword on her back.

"Hey, kiddo, don't just stand there!
"Oh, I'm sorry!

　As I hurriedly avoided him, a strong man pulling a cart shouted, "Move, move, move," as he walked down the main street.



　What a bustling city.
　A town that lets you know that something is about to happen.

　It's a far cry from the countryside.

"Heh. I'm looking forward to it.

　I rubbed the bridge of my nose and squeezed my hat back on.

　It was hard work earning the silver to get here.
　I've had to do a lot of guarding, a lot of mail, and a lot of other things.
　I left the village I was used to living in, and after a lot of hard work, I arrived at the capital.

　I might be able to challenge the strongest princess in the country.
　The news of a martial arts tournament to be held in the capital arrived with such an incentive.

　In my hometown, I had never lost to anyone in terms of strength.
　I've been lambasted as a child, lambasted as a woman, but I've always been able to shut them up with a single sword.

　People back home laughed at me because of my thin, curved blade.

　But...

"...... hehe.

　She took out from her pocket a scroll advertising the Royal Capital Martial Arts Tournament, which she had obtained along the way.

　It was a sign of the arena in King's Landing. That is, the logo and the mark.

　--Two crossed swords.

　What it means, she doesn't know.
　She doesn't know that the two crossed swords were the beginning of the arena in King's Landing.

　But she was genuinely happy.

　But she was genuinely happy that her father's mementos, which had been ridiculed, were now being treated as proof of the King's Landing arena.

　There are many reasons why I left my hometown without a second thought, but it was definitely this mark that triggered me.

　It was my father's legacy. I'm going to show this place that I'm the best in the village.

I'm getting excited!

　First, we'll enter the Colosseum, the royal capital.
　Then we'll find a place to stay. At the very least, we'll be there for the entire tournament.

　Even though I didn't really believe deep down that I would make it to the finals. Even so, there isn't a swordsman who doesn't get excited when he imagines himself standing in the big game.

　He filled his heart with the excitement of King's Landing.

　And then he started running down the main street.

　I've never pushed anyone before. I've never been in a place with so many people.

　The goal is the Colosseum.
　It's a long way from here, but I won't get lost.
　Because I can already see it.

　It's not as big as a castle.
　A big, high wall. On top of it, there are many fluttering symbols with swords and the flag of the kingdom.




"...... What should I do?

　It wasn't long after that that Leafy stopped in his tracks.
　She had made it to the Colosseum and had completed her entry.

　The fact that he couldn't write hurt him a bit, and he had to pay a fee for writing ......, but that was okay.

　The problem was that all the lodgings were occupied.

The problem was that all the lodgings were full.

　She lowered her eyebrows in annoyance as she played with her pale green hair that hung over her ears.
　Her bobbed hair bounced like a spring, never returning to its original state.

　The streets were as busy as ever, and there was no place to sit down and relax.
　I wish I could go to a set meal restaurant, but not knowing the prices of eating out in King's Landing, I was too scared to go in.

　I'm also hungry.
　I was in trouble.

　That's when it happened.


"Hiccup. "Heck!


　I looked at the sneeze, which sounded oddly cute.

"Oh, come on. Ding.
I'm embarrassed to let you do that, maid!
Do you have any shame at all?
Terrible.

　I'm not sure what to make of this. The clothing underneath the cloak is also very good.

　And as an added bonus, there is a maid crawling around next to them as if she were a valet.

　Definitely a rich man. Leafy was sure of it.


　More to the point.

　What Reefy noticed was that the young man had a sword at his hip.

　He saw an opportunity.


"Hey, hey!　Do you have a minute?

　At the sound of Leafy's voice, the young man turned around.
　The maid also tilted her head and made eye contact with Leafy.

　The maids in the capital, unlike those in the village, have to be this cute?　The maid also tilted her head and looked at Leafy.

I'm pretty good at what I do!　I'd like to know if I can get hired as a live-in escort or something!　Just for the duration of the tournament!