Episode 96: Ricardo

　Ricardo himself was well aware that he was still far from being fully developed.

　There were people in the world with unbelievable strength, like the knight commanders of various countries, the chief court mages, SSS-rank adventurers, the head of the Paladin Order from the Holy Church, and the legendary assassin known as the Master—there were beings of tremendous power.

　But—even so.

　The existence he was facing right now far exceeded Ricardo’s assumptions.

　Spotting his hiding place and instantly circling behind him… it was beyond the scope of his predictions.

“Wh-why… how did you know I was here…!?”

　Before he knew it, he was asking that. His tone had shifted from the formal knightly ‘I’ to his usual casual ‘I’.

　Asking something like that to an enemy was utterly nonsensical.

　However, Siegfried responded naturally—as if it were just everyday small talk.

“The hay bale on top of the well wasn’t wet with morning dew. That means it had only been placed there recently.”

　In this campsite sandwiched between mountains, morning dew fell easily. Indeed, the grass on the ground was damp and moist.

　Despite that, the hay bale covering the well showed no signs of wetness.

　And that made sense, because this hay had been stored indoors—in the stables.

　Certainly, if one observed carefully, they might notice the anomaly.

　However—

But on a battlefield where countless pieces of information are intersecting, could someone really pick up on such a tiny detail!?

　Ricardo couldn’t conceal his shock.

　Right now, the battlefield spanned a vast area. How far had the enemy fled? What was the extent of their allies’ damage? Where was the enemy commander? What about the chain of command?

　With countless things to keep track of… would anyone really have the presence of mind to notice the dryness of a hay bale on top of a dried-up well?

　As if reading Ricardo’s inner thoughts, Siegfried replied.

“Wouldn’t it be a shame?”

“…A shame?”

“Exactly. If I missed the presence of a villain—it would be a waste. That’s why I’m always attuned to any irregularities around me.”

I-I don’t understand what that means…!

　What did he mean by ‘villain’? Ricardo had no clue at all.

　And then, Siegfried calmly asked.

　“More importantly… shouldn’t you be doing what you need to do?”

　Those words brought Ricardo back to his senses with a start.

　He had been rattled by having his ambush seen through—but thinking about it, the situation wasn’t bad at all.

　After all, the enemy commander had willingly stepped right into his range.

Sure, this guy’s strong. But—if I go in prepared to take him down with me…!

　Their distance was practically zero. If he went for a mutual kill, there was a chance of victory.

　Ricardo had already drawn his sword. On the other hand, Siegfried’s sword was still in its sheath.

This is it—slash!

　He whirled around and swung his sword down. …But at that very moment.

　Siegfried’s fist shot toward Ricardo’s chest.

　A strike from ultra-close range—normally, it shouldn’t pack much power.

　But—

　――.

　An impact reminiscent of an explosion assaulted Ricardo’s abdomen.

“Guh!”

　The sheer force blew Ricardo away, along with the bricks encircling the well’s edge.

　―Mana Short-Range Burst.

　By condensing mana built up inside the body and releasing it in a concentrated burst at the moment of impact.

　Even a fist thrown from a distance too close for a proper punch could blow the opponent away… a fusion technique of mana and martial arts.

“Guh… ugh!”

　Even as he was flung, Ricardo forcibly regained his balance, kicking off the ground to stand up.

　But Siegfried’s follow-up was already closing in.

　Before Ricardo could even get into a stance, the silver-haired youth’s hand chop came straight down.

　A searing pain shot through Ricardo’s right shoulder.

　And in the next instant, his right arm gripping the sword—was severed at the shoulder.

“Ah…”

　A cry of despair escaped Ricardo’s lips.

　What flashed in his mind—was his own figure from his younger days.

　Born into a knightly family, Ricardo had been trained in swordsmanship since he was five.

　That said, back then, his body was weak, and he wasn’t a child who excelled in physical activities.

　To him, his father had said this.

　―Just swing the sword for show. Our family has noble blood. We can live comfortably without standing on the front lines.

　And so on.

　In truth, Ricardo’s family focused more on socializing with nobles than on the sword, and his father was a knight in name only, never once setting foot on the battlefield.

　But… Ricardo couldn’t accept that.

　On the front lines, soldiers were shedding blood and losing lives.

　The knights who should be fighting were holing up in safe places, conscripting farmers who had no desire to fight and sending them to the front—this contradiction was something Ricardo couldn’t swallow.

　Knights were originally those who took up the sword to protect the people.

　Defending the populace from enemies with overwhelming power—that was the ideal form a knight should aspire to.

　That’s why he swung his sword and honed his abilities as a knight.

　He knew he wasn’t suited to being a knight.

　But he didn’t give up.

　He couldn’t give up—on his ideal.

　His efforts didn’t betray him.

　By the time he reached his early teens, his body had grown strong, and by mid-teens, he was known around as a swordsman with no equal among his peers.

　People called him a genius swordsman.

　But—his true strength was the fruit of unwavering diligence, built up earnestly without abandoning his ideal.

　And that—was now mercilessly shattered.

My… right arm…

　The right arm that had supported his almost reckless ideals.

　That arm was now being severed, falling to the ground within his field of vision.

　Tears welled up in Ricardo’s eyes.

　The overwhelming gap in strength with the enemy before him. His ideal was crushed, crumbling away so fragilely.

　Even so—.

“Aaaaaah!”

　Ricardo took yet another step forward. He drew his sidearm dagger with his left hand and closed in on Siegfried.

　In the end, Ricardo made the same choice as in his childhood days.

　That is—he didn’t give up. He couldn’t give up. Even if the situation was utterly desperate.

　Of course, he didn’t think this level of attack would work on the man in front of him.

　It would probably be easily parried. That’s what he expected.

　But—in the next instant, shock struck Ricardo.

　The thrust-out dagger pierced straight into Siegfried’s right chest without being deflected.

　Vivid blood splattered.

“Lord Siegfried!”

　A anguished cry came from the soldiers who had been watching the fight.

　But the man himself didn’t seem to care at all. He peered into Ricardo’s face, a smile playing on his lips.

“…Interesting.”

　Clear joy colored his expression.

“Kuku… Hahaha! It feels like I’ve stumbled upon a real find in an unexpected place.”

“What…!?”

　Ricardo tried to pull out the dagger. This time, to target the left chest—the heart.

　But the dagger wouldn’t budge. Siegfried’s muscles, tightened by magic, held the blade fixed like steel.

　And then, Siegfried unleashed another punch. This time, into Ricardo’s abdomen.

“Guh… Ah… Aah!”

　An impact like something bursting deep in his gut ran through Ricardo’s whole body.

　――Mana Penetration Technique.

　Slamming mana into the opponent’s body, destroying them from the inside.

　Ricardo’s knees nearly gave out. But, mustering his willpower, he steadied himself and glared at the youth before him.

　Seeing that, Siegfried narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

“Oh… still not breaking even after this. Well then…”

　At that moment, three options floated in Siegfried’s mind.

　One—slay this opponent as a ‘proud villain’.

　But this idea was dismissed. Currently, Ricardo hadn’t behaved in a way that could be called ‘villainous’.

　Two— as ‘justice opposing evil’, let himself be defeated.

　For Siegfried, death held no terror.

　If a ‘justice’ worthy of slaying him as ‘evil’ appeared, he was prepared to accept it.

　It wasn’t because he believed in justice. It was merely a stage prop to allow himself, as ‘evil’, to meet a captivating end.

　However, while Ricardo had noteworthy mental fortitude, his strength was still far insufficient to qualify.

　Therefore, this option was also rejected.

　That left the remaining choice—

“Won’t you become evil too?”

“What!?”

“In other words, become my subordinate. I’ll prepare a stage where you can be even more active than now.”

“…I refuse!”

　Ricardo declared without hesitation, his face twisted in pain.

“You people are… invaders of Serodonia! I have no intention of becoming the subordinate of such people—!”

　Receiving that rejection, Siegfried’s smile deepened even further.

“I see. This… has even more potential.”