Ch. 47
Something white and tattered hit me square in the face.
It hurt more than I expected, and above all, it was incredibly unpleasant.
With a soft plop, it fell to the floor. A white training glove. No matter how you looked at it, this was that kind of situation.
Especially since the one who threw it was Leo.
“It’s a duel!”
You look healthier today.
“Let’s battle fair and square for the right to compete!”
“Yah, stuff like this is for knights.”
“I’m going to be a knight one day!”
“Even so, I’m not a knight, am I?”
“…Whatever, it’s still a duel!”
Throwing a glove had a long history as a formal gesture to declare a duel. Typically, it was a noble tradition, used between knights.
But throwing a glove in a girl’s face like that was just plain rude.
Not that he’d ever see me as a lady anyway.
Should I be glad I’m not being treated like a lady? Or should I be offended?
“Sigh. So annoying.”
Leo’s ridiculous duel challenge was nothing more than childish nonsense to me.
So, I calmly lifted one foot and stepped right on the glove as I walked past.
Leo followed, grimacing as if I’d just stepped on his pride.
“Hey! I said let’s fight!”
“Nope.”
“If you’re not afraid, don’t run away!”
“Sorry, but I’ve got zero interest in playing with kids. Go find someone else.”
I wasn’t in the mood to humor him—especially not in the morning when I was already feeling cranky.
Lack of sleep, fresh out of mana training, and hungry too.
I tried to ignore the annoying fly and head into the dining hall, but Leo gripped my shoulder tightly and wouldn’t let go.
Tch, small guy’s got a pretty strong grip. Must be from the combat club.
His hand wouldn’t shake off easily with a half-hearted shrug, so I frowned and had to face him again.
Properly. Forcefully.
“Geenie Crowell! Your actions are an insult to me!”
“What about your actions?”
“This is because… you’re ignoring me!”
“Then learn to live with it. Bye now.”
I wanted to walk away coolly, but I couldn’t move because he was still gripping my shoulder. Damn it.
[Rai.]
Leo’s eyes widened in shock as Rai suddenly appeared, coiled around his hand.
“What is this thing?!”
[Master, what should I do with this brat?]
“It’s a snake!”
Leo panicked, flailing in an attempt to shake Rai off. But Rai had gone up against Kenta, the musclehead, and still won. There was no way some brat’s strength could pry him off.
Exactly! I had found the perfect way to deal with Leo.
Counter strength with strength!
“Hey. My snake says he wants to play with you.”
“What?!”
“His name’s Rai.”
“Like I care! Get it off me!”
Losing to strength feels pretty terrible, huh? Enjoy it for a bit.
“Try beating him first. Then maybe I’ll consider dueling you.”
“Grr! Aaargh!”
“Hohoho! Can’t even handle my pet snake, and you want to duel me? Good luck!”
“You… Hey! Get back here, you little—!”
Leaving the annoying Leo to Rai, I headed toward the dining hall with a spring in my step.
If you show up late, all the good food’s gone, so I had to hurry. Busy, busy!
* * *
It had been a while since I saw such a luxurious breakfast, and it was glorious.
It felt a little empty without Rai, who was usually hanging around my waist, but eating in silence wasn’t so bad.
I chose veal steak for breakfast and began slicing the meat with satisfaction.
I had just brought a perfectly cut bite to my mouth when—
“Geenie Crowell!”
Tch. Even dogs don’t get bothered while eating. This dining hall must be cursed or something.
Looking up, I saw Leo accompanied by the knight commander and Master Dinel. What a little tattletale.
I popped the steak into my mouth and chewed while waiting for them to approach.
The knight commander had a meaningful smile on his face, which meant he was definitely scheming something. Knew it—he’s always a creep.
“We were looking for you.”
“What for?”
“You’re always either eating or sleeping. Ah! Or causing trouble.”
Excuse me? I train too, you know?
“I didn’t know you were so interested in me.”
“You’re the kind of brat who gets under people’s skin in all the worst ways.”
So he’s picking a fight, huh. Fine. For that kind of effort, I’ll consider you a lifelong enemy.
“Geenie.”
Master Dinel from the combat club—also not someone I liked.
Now that I think about it, I dislike all three of them.
“When an adult speaks, you respond instead of just rolling your eyes.”
“What is it?”
“First, get that snake off Leo. The thing’s so strong that trying to pull it off nearly broke his arm!”
[Seems they’re angry they couldn’t pry me off, even with two of them.]
[Figures.]
Men who rely on brute strength sure get their pride hurt over the pettiest things.
Is that what half-baked strength does to you?
The knight commander, the combat club instructor, and Leo all looked like the same kind of idiot to me.
Three grown men cornering one girl—how noble of them.
“Rai.”
At my light chin gesture, Rai detached from Leo’s hand and slithered back to me. The three men stared bitterly at him.
Maybe they were upset that they couldn’t manage something so simple.
“Are you out of your mind, attaching a snake on a friend?”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
“Do you know how dangerous snakes are?!”
“Rai doesn’t attack without my permission. Unless someone threatens me with a sword or their fists. Leo made the first move. He keeps trying to fight me.”
“You really don’t let a single word slide, do you?”
Because I don’t feel like letting it slide.
“If you’re going to scold someone, you should be scolding Leo, not me. I’m not the one demanding duels nonstop. That’s not exactly chivalry, is it?”
“Of course not! But that doesn’t mean it’s honorable to attach a snake on him either!”
“Yeah!”
“Fair and square, my foot.”
I muttered quickly under my breath and clicked my tongue. Watching the two twitchy men flinch was pretty satisfying.
To begin with, three grown men cornering a young girl had nothing to do with fairness.
Do they not reflect on their own actions?
“Rai is like a part of me. He’s not dangerous unless I’m in danger. The world’s harsh—not me.”
“I know your specialty is twisting words. And you rarely lose, either.”
While they continued grumbling, the knight commander shoved Leo—still massaging his wrist—in front of me.
“Geenie Crowell. I have a proposal for you.”
“I’m eating. Can’t this wait? You all really lack manners.”
“Trying to slip away like an eel again!”
“Not like I have any reason to stay caught, do I?”
“…Geenie Crowell!”
They always shout when they start losing ground in an argument.
The knight commander ground his teeth, looking like he was dying to punch me.
Clearly, he couldn’t stand me. Well, the feeling’s mutual.
“Fine. Since I have at least a bit of class, I’ll humor you. What’s the proposal?”
I set down my knife and fork, signaling for them to speak, and Master Dinel jumped in like he’d been waiting.
“Leo told us you don’t want the spot in the delegation.”
[Master! I overheard something. These guys are plotting something nasty!]
A plan?
Rai climbed up to my shoulder and whispered right into my ear—even though, as a snake, he could speak directly into my mind anyway.
Those fools probably never imagined a snake could eavesdrop and report back to me.
Rai shared the details of what he’d heard.
[They want to dump everything on you, Master.]
[Dump what? What do I have to do with anything?]
[The two of them are likely facing punishment for losing track of you. But if you get labeled as a serious problem child, their responsibility would be reduced.]
[Hmm, go on.]
[They want to paint you as an uncontrollable troublemaker who even refused the delegation spot. That way, they can blame your disappearance entirely on your own carelessness. It’s a big setup to shift all the blame onto you and clear themselves.]
[So they want to throw me under the bus to save their own skins.]
And that’s their grand scheme? How stupid. My face immediately soured.
[Also, that brat Leo? He’s related to the knight commander! I heard him call him ‘Uncle’ in a really chummy way.]
That explains a lot.
Rai was an excellent informant. He spilled everything so I wouldn’t be left in the dark.
The fact that only I could hear him was both a weakness and a strength.
Sometimes I forget, but he really is my loyal spirit.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Answering what?”
“We heard you don’t want the delegation spot.”
“I don’t, but I’ll take it since it was assigned from above. Isn’t that what duty to the realm is all about?”
“…That’s not what we were told.”
