The two people before her were not on the same side as that flamboyantly dressed piper. At the very least, what they were doing wasn’t silencing witnesses—they simply killed him offhandedly.
Though Lita couldn’t say for certain what their reasoning was, all the signs pointed her subconscious to this conclusion.
If Lita had a moment to think, she might be able to find more arguments to back herself up, but reality clearly wasn’t going to give her that chance.
The tall girl had already raised her Bow, and a starlit halo gathered at her fingertips, condensing into a sharp arrow. As her fingers opened and a crisp sound, like a shooting star streaking across the night, rang out, a beam of intense light shot at Lita.
So fast.
But I can dodge it.
Watching as Lita slipped past the attack, the tall girl’s gaze grew solemn. She raised her hand, ready to gather a new Magic Arrow between her fingers.
“That’s enough.”
The blonde girl who hadn’t acted so far raised her hand, stepping in front of the tall girl to stop her. The tall girl immediately lowered her hand, and the gathered points of light scattered like starlight.
The blonde girl took two steps forward, gazing at Lita, who stood at the ready, gripping her broken sword.
“Appearing in a place like this at midnight—who are you?”
You almost shot me through with an arrow, and only now do you think to ask?
Lita cast a glance at the piper’s fallen body and sheathed her broken sword.
“And who are you?”
The tall girl once more raised her Bow, but was stopped again by the blonde girl.
“We have no obligation to tell someone like you our names.” Even so, the tall girl replied coldly, her arrogant gaze making Lita rather unhappy.
But based on those two arrows just now, the other truly had the right to be arrogant.
Among all the examinees Lita had met, there were few who could match this archer’s skill.
“You can see, my subordinate doesn’t have the best temper.” The blonde girl lowered her hand. “So I’ll ask you again: Who exactly are you?”
Killing without hesitation, now threatening her. Do they really think I’m someone easy to deal with?
There were two opponents—one an archer, the other seemed to be her superior but hadn’t shown any fighting ability yet.
What I should do is already obvious, isn’t it?
“Fair enough.” Lita nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell you.”
“Mm.” Seeing Lita’s cooperation, the blonde girl nodded with satisfaction. But the tall girl at her side suddenly narrowed her pupils and instantly darted in front of the blonde girl.
A piercing sound rang out—the girl’s massive Bow blocked Lita’s fist, which had darted in like a shadow before the girl.
The blonde girl was struck with fear as Lita appeared so close, the tall girl wore a grave expression as she blocked the attack, and Lita herself was a bit surprised that her attack was stopped. For a moment, everything seemed frozen in time.
Lita hadn’t intended to kill. She simply wanted to give them a warning.
Her judgment had been correct—the blonde girl had no combat ability, and gathering a Magic Arrow required time. As an archer, she would find it difficult to deal with close-range combat.
So the success rate of this ambush should have been very high.
But for her to block it—was it because of quick reflexes? Or had I shown too much hostility?
Whatever the reason, it seemed she needed to adjust her view of this woman a bit.
At the very least, she was on the same level as Momoka or Promi. No, to be able to block her attack with a Bow—she might be even stronger.
And that Bow was certainly no ordinary weapon.
I really want to steal it.
“Kill her!” The blonde girl recovered, her face twisting from fear to rage in an instant.
“No, milady, it’s not that simple.” The tall girl shook her head, her eyes fixed on Lita’s fist, which glowed with a faint golden aura. Raising her Bow, she and Lita each took a step back. “This person can’t be killed.”
The blonde girl shot an unhappy look at the fleeting glow on Lita’s body, lips pressed into a thin line.
Lita’s expression was equally serious.
This woman—did she notice?
Although Lita knew there was much she could still develop about her crest, controlling it so it didn’t manifest was something she had mastered.
She’d already done her best to hide the crest’s power, yet the other had instantly recognized its source—certainly no ordinary person.
But now, most of her troubles should be resolved.
What next? Now that they knew about the crest, should she use Cecilia’s Princess Status as leverage?
No, that won’t do—this was her own mess, she couldn’t drag Cecilia into it.
“In that case, may I leave now?” Lita shook her hand, flicking off the last traces of light like dust.
“Of course.” The tall girl made a gesture of invitation, her gaze never leaving Lita’s fist or her own sword, while the corner of her eye remained fixed on the blonde girl—ready for anything without the need for words.
Lita had no interest in any of this, turning and walking away in the direction she’d come from.
As Lita turned, footsteps sounded behind her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the two of them step over the piper’s corpse and follow straight after her.
“Please don’t misunderstand. My lady and I also need to find a place to rest, and as it happens, there’s a Village ahead. As for passing through, I trust you won’t mind.” The tall girl seemed to know what Lita would ask and spoke first.
Probably because they saw me coming from that direction, they’re using it as an excuse.
A perfectly legitimate reason, not something I could easily refuse.
What a persistent pair.
But that’s fine. After all, Cecilia is a princess—whatever their identities, they should at least show Cecilia some respect.
A while later, inside the Village.
The War Between Humans and Field Mice had already ended. Lita had ordered the field mice beforehand not to hurt anyone, so the moment the war ended, they scattered and disappeared without a trace.
As for the reason the war ended, it was obvious.
The villagers lay sprawled all over the ground, seemingly having lost consciousness. It was likely because either the flute had been destroyed or the piper was dead.
Witnessing this, Lita said nothing, and the two following her seemed equally disinclined to speak.
Lita watched as the pair trailed her all the way to the inn. They showed no intention of leaving, and she couldn’t tell what they were planning.
No matter—it would be a bit of trouble for Cecilia, but she’d surely handle it better than Lita herself.
Lita quickened her pace, withdrawing the charm aura she’d set earlier, and lightly knocked on the door.
“Lady Safalia.”
“Yes, come in.” Cecilia’s voice came from within the room.
Lita pushed the door open gently. Cecilia was sitting by the entrance, and Lita could be seen immediately upon entering.
But Cecilia first raised her brows, then her gaze fell, showing an expression of dislike Lita had never seen before.
“Lita.”
Cecilia called her name, more hurriedly than usual.
And she wasn’t using a pseudonym, but directly called her Lita.
“Come here.”
Lita sensed that something was off in Cecilia’s mood and quickly stepped to her side, standing behind her.
As Lita turned, she also noticed the two who had been behind her were still standing at the doorway, watching Cecilia with a meaningful gaze.
“Miss Safalia.” The blonde girl curled her lips, wearing a half-smile as she glanced from Cecilia to Lita. That look only made Lita dislike her more.
In the end, the blonde girl gave a slight nod. “So that’s how it is.”
Lita saw Cecilia’s shoulders rise slightly as she took a deep breath, then stood up from her seat. “A midnight visit—don’t tell me you have your eye on my room?”
For Cecilia, these words were a bit much.
“Of course not. There was a bit too much noise outside, it’s only natural we’d come to investigate. But it seems there was a slight misunderstanding with your companion here—she nearly lost her life over it.” The blonde girl shrugged.
“She’s with me, there’s no need for your concern.” Cecilia calmly positioned her petite body in front of Lita. “If you wish to talk, perhaps tomorrow—”
“No, that’s unnecessary. I have nothing more to say to you. No matter what you do, it won’t change the fact, nor your current situation.” The blonde girl shrugged again. “I hope you understand, Safalia, little sister.”
With things said to this extent, the blatant provocation left Lita simmering with anger.
But Cecilia’s hand, hidden behind her, silently pulled Lita back, leaving her no chance to charge forward. She could only watch as the two turned and left.
Indeed, acting rashly wasn’t wise. She might not even be able to defeat the archer, let alone ensure Cecilia’s safety.
But the mood in here was strange—excessively so.
Even if it’s rude, people shouldn’t provoke someone they’ve just met like this.
And from the other side’s tone, they’d almost certainly already recognized Cecilia’s identity—that was why they acted this way.
Yet precisely because they’d recognized her, they should be all the more respectful to a princess.
“Lady Cecilia, you…” Lita wanted to speak but for a moment didn’t know where to begin.
“Tch.” Cecilia clicked her tongue in annoyance—a rarely seen lack of manners from her.
Then, Cecilia dove into Lita’s arms, knocking her onto the bed.
Just as Lita thought Cecilia might try something, Cecilia rolled over, laying her head on Lita’s stomach.
“You noticed?”
“What…” Lita was at a loss.
She had some guesses, but none she could piece together.
“That person just now is my older sister.” Cecilia murmured.
“Lady Cecilia’s older sister…” Lita echoed, and as always, adopted the same attitude when Cecilia acted spoiled.
But then, she realized what those few casual words truly implied.
“That means…”
“Yes.” Cecilia sat up on the bed, her face growing darker in the moonlight, nearly gritting her teeth as she uttered that woman’s name. “The Third Princess—Lilia.”