After the story wrapped up nicely, I thought I’d casually toss a few questions at him that popped into my head.
Argantir answered some of them cheerfully, but avoided a few others, dodging like a pro.
“What do I plan to do with the Abyss Priest attack information? That’s quite an uncouth question. Once information is sold, how it’s used is none of your concern. No reason to answer you,” he said, waving his hand dismissively.
When it came to questions related to the Abyss Priests, he skillfully dodged answering.
That only made me more curious, but since bugging or begging wouldn’t work on this guy, I decided to give up.
Even if he’s got a nasty personality, he’s not garbage, so he likely won’t use it for any evil deeds.
“Amy? Kikel…? Oh, you mean those adventurer party members from back in the day? I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard they’re doing well.”
In contrast, he casually shared information about Amy and Kikel, my old party mates from my adventuring days, saying it held little value.
“The wizard was cleared of all charges according to the ‘internal’ interrogation results of the Magic Tower. Externally, at least. In reality, they probably didn’t even interrogate him. It’s the typical defense tactic of the Magic Tower.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“He’s now officially the apprentice of high wizard Milena Rayfield. Either he’s got considerable talent… or he paid a hefty bribe. One of the two.”
I’d bet on the former. Amy doesn’t have assets substantial enough to be called a ‘hefty’ amount.
“What about Kikel?”
“That lizard man got lucky. Initially, he was in a position where avoiding the gallows would’ve been tough, but serving the Magic Tower’s wizard protected him just like Amy.”
Kikel became Amy’s attendant, at least on paper.
Amy likely came up with the pretext of being his mistress to protect him.
“Is that so?”
Honestly, that logic seems a bit forced, so it might have been hard to convince others with just that… I wondered if Amy might have also been pushing it a bit.
It made me feel a little guilty, thinking I was the reason behind those hardships they faced.
I promised myself I’d repay that debt someday, even if I had no idea when that would actually be.
“I hear they’ve moved to Levant, finding too many things obstructive in staying in Vespians. They’ve taken on names too—‘Ice Stiletto’ and ‘Fire Lizard,’ if I recall correctly?”
Ice Stiletto Amy and Fire Lizard Kikel. Apparently, they’re steadily building up their achievements as adventurers in Levant.
They’ve also taken in two more party members named Bardu and Jane, making it a four-member squad?
The name was familiar; after some thought, I remembered those adventurers I met during the false quest from the Rivilla Trading Company, when I fought against Belita.
So, that connection led to them forming a party.
That’s great; they’re typical adventurers who only work for what they’re paid and know when to cut their ties, but they’re decent people for adventurers.
“Is that all you’re curious about?”
“Yes. Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.”
I sincerely expressed my gratitude. Hearing that my worried companions are doing fairly well lifted my spirits a bit.
“Right, showing appreciation is the right way to go. You’ve received valuable information without paying a single coin for it, after all.”
Even Argantir’s smug, snarky remarks could be shrugged off lightly.
◆◆
After that simple Q&A, Argantir guided us down to the underground of the log cabin.
An underground in a log cabin, huh? I thought that was strange, but since it actually existed, I had nothing to say about it.
It’s a home that was made as one of the organization’s meeting spots, so having an underground facility for hiding makes too much sense.
In any case, Friede and I walked in and were led to a large, sparring space that resembled a training ground.
“What is this…?”
“This is an underground training area for the organization members. I promised to support you from the shadows, but we still need to verify your skills.”
Argantir finally revealed the reason for bringing us to this training ground, pointing to the center with his thumb.
“If you want ongoing support, you’ll need to show some sincerity in return. I’m thinking of assigning you some tasks in the future.”
So, it’s essentially a trade-off, huh? He wants to test my skills first.
…That seems a bit much.
“So, when you say your tasks…”
I couldn’t help but feel that being involved with the Shadow of the Eagle meant something illegal, anti-social, and unethical wouldn’t it?
Like throwing someone in steel shackles and tossing them into a river or sneaking into someone’s house at night to slit their throat.
“I’m not expecting espionage or assassination. Not everything we do is like that, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Argantir shook his head with a grin, as if he understood my worries.
To begin with, those tasks are for specialists, not a novice like me to meddle in.
The jobs he’d give me are dungeon reconnaissance and monster subjugation, huh?
“Well… if that’s the case, I don’t really mind.”
Only after hearing those words did I nod. If it’s that kind of work, it’s essentially no different from what adventurers or knights do.
Thus, a duel between me and the Kingdom’s knight was established.
To be precise, it’s a duel between our side and the Kingdom’s knights.
What Argantir requested was merely to verify my skills, but Friede asked if she could join in too, wanting to evaluate her abilities objectively.
Coincidentally, Argantir had exactly two escort knights, so we decided that Friede and I would each take one and proceed with the duel.
◆◆
“I am Belihur of the Hervor Kingdom Knights. I wonder if it’s an honor to face a hero of another country.”
My opponent was a middle-aged man named Belihur. At least his face looked middle-aged, perhaps due to his beard and wrinkles?
But hey, this guy is using informal speech? And he seems to bear a bit of hostility too, huh?
How rude.
“Brunhilde. I’m a knight protecting the hero Friede. You can find it glorious. It’s better than disgrace or humiliation, isn’t it?”
I drew my black iron longsword and gave a playful smile, throwing in some sass.
Rudeness for rudeness; that’s my principle. I suppose I should make an exception if a noble or royal figure threatens to retaliate.
“…How arrogant.”
Belihur’s hostility grew even stronger. He groaned lowly, positioning his great sword straight ahead.
It wasn’t as excessively massive and thick as Friede’s Holy Sword but looked like a standard longsword extended a bit.
Wearing sturdy and heavy plate armor, wielding a two-handed sword? Classic.
You could tell he’s a knight from 10 kilometers away just by his armor.
“Let’s see if that arrogance is supported by your skills! I’ll confirm that with this sword!”
He thrust off the ground, lunging towards me.
“Go for it.”
I shot forward in response, as fast as a bolt. The armor of a former virgin shimmered with a dark gleam.
“Haaah!”
With a fierce battle cry, his great sword swung diagonally. Whoosh, the sound of rushing wind brushed past my ears.
As expected of a Kingdom Knight.
The descending sword was astonishingly fast, heavy, and thus, mighty.
– KWAAN!
It didn’t quite reach me, but still…
“Too bad, you!”
I quickly twisted my body to evade his sword and swiftly moved behind him, thrusting my longsword toward his armpit.
“Not happening!”
He swung his gauntlet fiercely and deflected my sword. Clang, the sharp, clear metallic sound transmitted through the sword’s blade with a strong vibration.
His reaction speed is decent. Not bad at all.
Actually, honestly, it was excellent. The only foes I’d faced with such quick reflexes were the spirits of Valkyries.
In my former days, that would’ve made me struggle to respond.
“Quite impressive.”
But not now. I’ve killed quite a few Valkyrie spirits. That level of speed is already too familiar for me.
“What, is your strength…?!”
Meanwhile, Belihur staggered slightly despite having blocked my sword with his, clearly struggling against the strength embedded in it.
Had it been a real fight, he’d have had his arm crushed along with the armor.
“Why is that? You’re staggered!”
I swung my longsword in an arc, slicing through the air as the furious Belihur raised his great sword to deflect my attack.
“You’re stronger than I thought…!”
“Strong, huh?”
With that recoil, I pivoted and aimed at his side, slicing through. Belihur’s armor crunched slightly and tore apart.
A faint trace of blood stained the tip of my sword.
“Not yet!”
Belihur pulled back the great sword and charged at me with his shoulder and torso.
If I tried to block him, I’d lose my stance from his weight and strength, and if I tried to dodge hastily, the swung great sword would hit me dead on.
Without hesitation, I dove to the side.
“Gotcha!”
The great sword swung swiftly without delay. Even trying to parry it with my longsword would likely shatter it. No time for that.
So I simply threw my body forward, abandoning defense, while thrusting my longsword towards Belihur’s helmet.
Belihur’s grin widened, his eyes shining with anticipation. He was certain my sword would be slower to reach than his great sword.
Well, he wasn’t wrong. I thought the same.
But…
– KAANG!
“What the…!”
Crashing metal echoed as Belihur’s eyes widened in disbelief. Shock washed over his face inside the helmet.
“Why are you so surprised?”
While keeping my longsword aimed at his neck, I secured his great sword tightly against my side with my left arm and smiled.
Boasting about the indestructibility of my adamantium armor.
“Did you think you could break or push me aside?”
His great sword didn’t have the power to crush my armor. No, it was impossible for it to even transmit shock into it.
The defensive magic that automatically activated dulled the shock’s force at the first level, while the armor’s strength completely blocked any remaining power.
Equipment can be a skill too.
What would’ve taken quite some time in a straightforward fight was, thanks to the overwhelming equipment advantage, resolved in the blink of an eye.
