Chapter 3  – The Maiden of Copper


    With that, she would be able to enjoy herself despite her inability to dance,


    which Lyle was thankful for.


    The melody of a moonlit night begun once more. And so, Lyle closed his eyes


    and enjoyed it.


    162


    Part 7


    Maria ascended to the second storey of the hall.


    Looking down from the atrium, the masquerade ball of fantastic outfits


    Lyle returned Milla''s bright side with only a look of amazement.


    On the other hand, Vilhelm who had been interfered with, had a face


    contorted with displeasure.


    "......A mere servant dares to oppose me, a Margrave?"


    "I answer to only my mistress, Lady Maria."


    "I see. Very well—you had best fulfill your duty to the very end, then!"


    186


    Vilhelm broke into a run, magic sword in hand.


    Milla responded in the same way, going head-on at him.


    "Milla! If that sword even scratches you—"


    At the same time as Lyle''s warning, <Dansleif> was swung downwards.


    Evading the pale crimson blade by a paper-thin margin, Milla was suddenly at


    Vilhelm''s back, with ghostly movements.


    "What?"


    The astonished Vilhelm hastily guarded the back of his neck with the magic


    sword.


    *Garin*!


    The clash of metal scattered sparks about.


    "How regrettable. You have fast reflexes."


    Before anyone had realised it, Milla was holding a whip-like weapon in her


    hands. But where there were supposed to be thick leather and cord, there


    were only steel blades thinner than razors.


    "What a strange-looking weapon.... which reminds me. I had heard that the


    previous leader of the Highline Foundation had a bodyguard with certain


    remarkable skills."


    The smile had returned to Vilhelm''s face, and his mouth opened as though


    reciting a poem.


    "And that assassin bodyguard... could you have been the rumoured, ''Assassin


    Slayer''?"


    "What a distasteful thing to do, Sir Margrave. Trying to expose a woman''s


    secrets, that is."


    187


    While still maintaining her smile, Milla swung the whip of razor-sharp, thin


    blades.


    It was like a whip, but far more lethal. The steel ''whip-sword'' lashed out at


    Vilhelm, drawing a spiral arc in the air.


    Vilhelm intercepted the attack with a horizontal slash from <Dainsleif>.


    However, the trajectory of the whip-sword changed right before the clash


    between weapons, and it went directly downwards. Bouncing off the stone


    floor, the tip of the razor blades headed straight for Vilhelm''s jaw.


    Vilhelm had barely managed to evade that attack.


    "Haha! No doubt that this is equal to even the likes of demonic and faerie


    blades! Indeed, the assassin is well-matched with her blade!"


    Vilhelm replied, while returning with attacks of his own.


    The whip-sword was ill-suited for receiving blows. Though a scratch or two


    would not make it unusable—it still ought to have been a one-sided fight.


    However, Milla was able to dodge every single attack that came her way.


    "Well dodged!"


    "You give me too much credit."


    Dodging backwards, Milla lashed out with her whip-sword. The flexible whipsword


    wrapped itself around <Dainsleif>.


    The sounds of the magic sword and the whip-sword grinding against each


    other could be heard.


    "—Impressive."


    "Nowadays, this is a basic requirement of being a maid. There is no need for


    such praise."


    188


    "Heh, I wish I had a maid as skilled as you are. I could make you obey me with


    this magic sword, but...... Well, the door is always open. It is regrettable, but


    there are things I must attend to... !"


    Suddenly, there were sounds of footsteps on the stone floor.


    From the shadow of the stone pillars on the other side of the viewing


    platform, emerged the figures of numerous puppets.


    Although they had many opportunities to join the fray, it seemed like they


    had been waiting up till now, just in case.


    "Well then, what will you do, my lady maid? At this rate, Lyle is going to be in


    danger, isn''t he?"


    Vilhelm then blew a sharp whistle.


    The youths who had been made into puppets lunged at Lyle. Though he had


    taken a defensive stance, without amber, he could not use any magic.


    "Master Lyle!"


    Letting go of her whip-sword, Milla leapt aside. With the hilts of the knives


    concealed in her sleeves, she struck and neutralised them.


    "Sorry about that, Milla."


    "Don''t—In all honesty, I would not have had a chance of winning, had the


    fight been dragged on. And so I aimed for a tie... but everything was a little


    too late."


    Milla''s face darkened as she surveyed the viewing platform, her body


    drenched with sweat.


    "...It looks like he escaped using the rope I had come up here with. I am very


    sorry."


    "......No, I was also at fault."


    189


    The pocket watch was also gone. It was most likely taken away by Vilhelm,


    who had called it a ''key''. In its place, a piece of paper was left.


    "......Damn it."


    Crushing the piece of paper in his hand, Lyle cursed.


    "...Milla. Let''s leave this place for now. How is Lunaria doing?"


    "She is still breathing. I will carry her."


    Lyle nodded, and turned his gaze westward, past the centre of the royal


    capital, where a massive fire illuminated the white castle of Ilsestein—


    towards the outskirts.


    ''The multi-purpose plaza in the western outskirts of the royal capital


    The first military shipyard


    The third factory site''


    That was what had been written on the piece of paper which was left behind.