Editor : Jestersurge

“There they are! Let’s go!”

Emerging from the forest were five soldiers wearing the insignia of the Southern Army.

‘Maybe it’s just the scouts of the squad, that’s less people than I thought. There are no heavily armed knights but it’s still more than what Sarah can handle alone.’

Sarah steps forward to protect the two maids.

“Three women…. Hey! Be quiet and don’t resist!”

“Captain these women…..”

“Yes. What house are you from? Hiding it won’t do you any good.”

‘The noble families in the region are largely hostile to the Southern Army. Nevertheless, there are some noble families that maintain neutrality so it’s only natural to want to know which family they belong to and what they are doing, but I had a more important purpose in mind: I was looking for someone related to a certain noble family.’

“We are merchants, sir. The Lord has sent us to buy fruit and vegetables.”

Fer, who seemed to be the most solid looking person on the outside, stepped out quietly and bowed to the squad leader.

“At a time like this…?Which merchant family?”

“It should exactly be at a time like this when distribution is slow everywhere and for that reason, the lord sent us. We, the Pinkiri trading company, are still a small company, so people like us can’t afford to play around.”

“……..The Pinkiri Company? I’ve never heard of it.”

“If only we could get our name out there a little bit more, we would have been able to buy more, so it’s a bit frustrating.”

Fer speaks flippant bullshit with a natural smile on her face.

At this point, Fer and the other two managed to gain the soldiers’ pity. After all, they are beautiful women with each having different styles.

The soldiers almost instantly bonded to them, as if to show that beauty is a win-win for both sides, but

“That wagon has a boarded-up insignia. Hey, take that thing off for me.”

But the squad leader unfortunately had a liking for more childish women.

That’s why he wasn’t interested in the three beauties, who were slightly older even if they were more beautiful, and he felt uncomfortable with Fer, who was too nonchalant in a situation where the soldiers were pointing their weapons at them.

“Yes!”

Just as the soldiers were about to move at the squad leader’s command, Min threw chili and pepper powder at the soldiers.

“Ohhhhh!!!”

Sarah, her face twitching, also slashes at the soldier’s hand at the same time.

The three of them were aware that the soldiers had been searching for them.

If she could fool them with her mouthpiece, that was fine, but if they wanted to go on the offensive, they figured now was the perfect time to do so just when their enemies were still skeptical.

“You are related to the Duke of Verusenia, after all.”

The squad leader yell at the actions of the three women.

Troops who go out on scouts like them have lower combat experience. Fer and the other two’s surprise attack seemed to work but to avoid the blinding powder, Sarah did not take a step forward and was only able to make a shallow slash at the soldier’s arm. The powder in the small bag didn’t spread as much as she thought it would and the squad soon regained its position with only one soldier’s eyes and throat hurt.

As the soldiers dispersed and blocked the escape route, the squad leader spoke again.

“This is your last chance. Surrender. Or I’ll cut you down.”

“……………”

The squad’s objectives were more than half accomplished once Fer and the other’s identities were discovered.

All that’s left to do is to report to the main squad and detain Fer and the two others until the main squad arrives on the Viscount Carrow family and captures the Duchess of Verusenia.

It doesn’t matter whether they are alive or dead.

“If it comes to this….”

The only condition for Fer and the other two to win is to delay the soldiers without letting any of them flee back to disclose the family’s location or if  any one of the three ladies managed to return and notify Viscount Carrow and Duchess Verusenia of the crisis.

The squad leader sneers at Fer who grips the dagger in her bosom in a desperate attempt to make a decision.

“Haha, what a waste of time. What can a knight and two maids do together?”

“Don’t underestimate the power of women!”

“What will you challenge us with, that unreasonableness?  We don’t need to have you alive either, you know that, right?”

If the duke’s household members were present in Viscount Carrow’s territory, then simply attacking Viscount Carrow’s territory with rebel forces would allow them to put pressure on the royal family.

The orders the squad leader received were almost accomplished as the only thing he had to do was to find evidence of the Duke of Verusenia’s family’s presence here, but it would be better if he could get a clear location.

That’s why he was trying to break the hearts of Fer and the others, even if it meant having a conversation that wasn’t necessary.

“You must be unhappy. You are a lowly aristocrat at best, but even you didn’t think that you’re going to be put in a dangerous place like this, right?”

“How dare you!”

“I didn’t know I was going to lose my life in a place like this after serving a master like that too. Don’t you also regret being treated so unfairly?”

“We are here of our own free will. I’m not with you traitors!”

“That’s right!”

“Traitors huh….. ? Now that you mention it, while the center and the north became the main force in the fight against the Demon King, didn’t the south abandon us?”

“That didn’t count as a betrayal!”

“And if you’re going to call it a betrayal, how about the saints at your place? It’s been two years and I haven’t heard from her. Didn’t she also betray you and defect to some country?”

“That is not true!”

“Master Yuru fought for the world!”

“Then why didn’t she come home? The truth is she really got tired of it and ran away, didn’t she?”

“It wasn’t like that!”

“Then why hasn’t she come back yet? If what you guys said is true and she didn’t defect to another country, then it could only mean she either  lost and ran away or died.”

“Master Yuru will not be defeated! She will definitely come back for us.”

“Yes.”

“……………………….”

Everyone in the area fell silent with a subtle look on their faces.

We all look to the side in a strange, aligned, slow motion…. There was a beautiful girl in a black and silver dress with golden hair dominating her face and a soft smile on her face.

“I’m back”

“She’s here! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The screams of all of them were extremely loud in the quiet, deep forest where no one would pass.