Jared, having heard the situation from Olivier and sworn to protect her, donned his combat uniform and waited for Pfeil.
The mansion’s garden had already been restored by Jared, who had interfered with the earth spirits.
Fortunately, the flower garden was still intact, but he was unsure of its fate after tonight’s battle. Olivier and the others had said not to worry, but he couldn’t bear to let the flowers that Hannelore cherished be destroyed.
The sun was already beginning to set.
Olivier was with Hannelore, ostensibly for tea. Trane was also present, serving them.
Given the short notice, it was unlikely a new adventurer could’ve been found, so the main problem was Pfeil.
However, just in case, the Duke had been informed of the potential for an attack tonight. At the same time, he had been asked to ensure that any reinforcements would only stand by unless something happened to Hannelore and her group.
It was unlikely, but if Pfeil, upon noticing the Duke Alway’s reinforcements, were to flee, all would be for naught. Of course, it wasn’t impossible that assassins other than Pfeil might be involved, so that aspect was being closely monitored. If anything were to happen, reinforcements would undoubtedly rush in immediately.
If they didn’t settle things tonight, Olivier and the others would have to live in fear of assassins. He couldn’t accept that.
When Duke Alway learned that Pfeil was a member of Waalthe, he determined that his own knights would be no match for him. He made the difficult decision to provide support while primarily remaining on standby, as a last resort.
Simultaneously, he agreed to dedicate resources to monitoring the consorts for any suspicious activity, suggesting that everything might be resolved today.
With such hopes, Jared waited for Pfeil. As soon as the sun set, Pfeil descended into the garden of Duke Alway’s villa without a sound.
“It’s been a day, hasn’t it?”
“It seems the poison from the arrow didn’t work. You’re surprisingly persistent. But today, I will finish you here and complete my mission.”
Like Jared, Pfeil was not in perfect condition. The burns and lacerations sustained last night could not possibly have healed in a single night, and his body was covered in bandages. His black attire was torn and bore traces of fire.
The same could be said for Jared; his combat uniform was torn and riddled with holes. Many parts were scorched, and he would have to get a new one after this incident. His somewhat long black hair had also been singed, requiring a trim.
“Poisoning me like that, I almost died.”
“It’s strange to say an assassin shouldn’t use poison. We employ multiple layers of traps precisely to ensure our targets are killed definitively—however, your existence is an exception to all of that.”
“I don’t care about that. Now, I want to finish this fight and blow you away, but as a final warning: are you considering surrendering?”
“Of course not.”
Pfeil drew his bow and nocked an arrow as Jared inwardly muttered, “I thought so.”
“Let me tell you, if you surrender now and tell me who hired you, I won’t treat you badly.”
“In the name of Waalthe, I will not betray my client.”
“Well, I was just saying. I’ve decided to defeat you. I cannot forgive you for attempting to harm Olivier-sama.”
“Then try to defeat me. The rules of Waalthe are simple: strength is everything. If you can defeat me, I will reveal my client.”
Jared’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at Pfeil’s words.
Honestly, he was surprised. He had assumed an assassin would never reveal their client, even if it meant death.
“There’s no need to be surprised. We of Waalthe believe strength is everything. Therefore, if you are stronger than me, I will obey you.”
“You’re simple-minded.”
“Because of that simple-mindedness, our organization has lasted for so long.”
“Then my objective remains unchanged. I will defeat you, reveal the client, and punish them.”
With renewed resolve, Jared gripped his short sword.
“Hoh,” Pfeil let out a breath.
“You can use a sword? I heard that despite being the eldest son of the Daum Barony, a family of swordsmen, you couldn’t inherit the family headship, so I assumed you lacked talent.”
“Not being able to inherit the family headship is different from not being able to use a sword, but everyone thinks the same thing as you. You’ll know how skilled I am with my sword—in battle.”
“Then let us fight and I shall learn your skill.”
He held a short sword in his right hand and its scabbard in his left. The short sword was a weapon Olivier had found somewhere in the mansion, unused and covered in dust. It was by no means a masterwork, just a common item.
Perhaps due to neglect, its edge wasn’t very sharp. But that was fine.
“Don’t hold a grudge even if you die.”
“That’s my line.”
Jared and Pfeil met each other’s gaze, holding their breath as they waited for the other to make a move.
They ground the heels of their boots, trying to lure the other into their range.
No signal was necessary.
As if understanding each other, they both sprung from the ground simultaneously.
If a third party were present, they would have appeared to vanish. They moved with blinding speed.
The clang of metal and scattering sparks occurred at the midpoint between where they had stood.
The short sword and the steel bow repeatedly collided, creating sparks and noise.
Neither was using their most proficient magic or archery, but their speed and stamina were evenly matched.
The scabbard in Jared’s left hand swung like a sword, approaching Pfeil. However, Pfeil skillfully twisted his upper body to evade and thrust a prepared arrow from his right hand. Knowing the arrow was poisoned, Jared could not afford to be touched. He batted the arrow away with the scabbard.
Kicking the assassin, who was reaching for another arrow from his back, Jared moved towards the retreating figure and swung his short sword before Pfeil could nock another arrow.
Jared’s blow formed a perfect arc, but due to Pfeil’s combat-honed reflexes, it only managed to lightly slash his shoulder and chest.
The black attire and clothing were cut, revealing white skin and the bleeding wounds.
“Not bad.”
Pfeil grinned, a predatory curve to his lips, and with a speed far beyond anything before, he drew an arrow from his back, nocked it, and fired.
He could only fire one arrow at a time, but he had three in hand. He loosed one, then another, and then a third in rapid succession.
But Jared was not to be outdone. He swung his short sword, cutting down each arrow. Even arrows fired at point-blank range were no longer a threat to Jared with his sword.
“I see, is this your true fighting style?”
“Yes. I am a swordsman and a magician. I am mediocre in both, but I am confident in my skills to fight without trouble.”
“Though not commonly used on the continent now, someone with your combat prowess is called a… magic swordsman.”
“I like it! I’ll take that name!”
Despite fighting, he grinned like a child and swung his short sword, cutting down more arrows.
“…This is getting us nowhere.”
“Our skills are almost equal.”
“However, you haven’t used magic yet.”
“I suspect you are also hiding something. Aren’t you?”
Instead of answering, Pfeil smiled.
“Just as I thought. Then, let’s each fight in our true style and settle this.”
“I am forbidden by Waalthe from using my true combat methods.”
“If you want to die, be my guest.”
Jared found it strange that he was enjoying a fight with Pfeil, an assassin targeting Olivier and the others.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had faced such a difficult battle.
Even when surrounded by a swarm of flying dragons and facing certain death, the threat was only from their numbers; a single dragon was not that formidable.
Fighting should be easy, after all. Even if one learns and memorizes difficult magic, the simplest, most adaptable magic is the most efficient to use. It’s rare to achieve an easy victory with a grand technique.
He had gotten by like this. He had experienced defeat before, but he had survived and killed his opponents again.
But Pfeil was different.
With an opponent of equal skill, who could test his abilities, Jared felt he could improve himself by continuing to fight, and he found himself wanting to fight more.
“No, I shall break Waalthe’s prohibition out of respect for your strength—Jared Murphy’s strength.”
“You say the most pleasant things.”
“It is the truth. I thought I couldn’t win unless I broke the prohibition. However, if I break the prohibition, you will have no chance.”
Jared detected no arrogance in Pfeil’s firm assertion. He truly believed he could defeat Jared if he used the power forbidden by Waalthe.
Jared’s instincts screamed at him to stop Pfeil from using his power. Yet, as a magician, Jared himself yearned to see that power. There was no need to hesitate about which to choose. He felt a slight regret that this time would end, but Jared’s objective was to protect Olivier and the others.
He could not endanger them by prioritizing his own curiosity.
“Then, I’ll pass on that power. I will defeat you. That much is non-negotiable.”
“What a coincidence. I too must defeat you and complete my mission. Even if it means breaking Waalthe’s prohibition!”
In an instant, an immense amount of magic power surged from Pfeil’s body.
Jared was rendered speechless by the magic power’s volume and quality. It was clear that Pfeil possessed a talent for magic that would make one wonder why he was using a bow and arrows instead of magic.
Jared swallowed, completely taken aback by this unexpected development. He regretted not having sacrificed himself to kill Pfeil, even if their skill with swords and bows were evenly matched.
“I have now removed my restraint. We of Waalthe must kill our enemies solely through skill, without relying on magic power. I will likely face some punishment for using magic, but it is because I recognized Jared Murphy as an enemy I could not defeat otherwise.”
“I am honored…”
“I have never used this power on a mission before. I cannot gauge its strength – but I will kill you without making you suffer.”
Jared immediately amplified and refined his own magic power, preparing to respond.
Then,
“Let me show you my power, known as Magic Bullet.”
Pfeil vanished from his sight.
