Even though Rita neither knew how to wield a sword nor was familiar with them, just by weighing the heavy weight in her hand and feeling the quality of the beast-skin wrappings around the guard, she could tell that this sword was in a completely different league from the one Momoka had broken on her at the arena before.
As for the price, just judging by the store’s decor and the few swords on the shelves, it was clear that it couldn’t be cheaper than the reward Cecilia had once given her.
A gift, of course, would make anyone happy, but what pleased Rita most was Cecilia’s words.
Last night’s incident had been Cecilia’s oversight.
Even though Rita wasn’t good with social graces, she knew that when her own mother made a mistake, she would just brush it off with a simple “Dinner’s ready.” But Cecilia, as a princess, had openly admitted her fault so straightforwardly.
Rita had never seen such a thing, nor had she ever imagined it.
Since she had originally intended to be a little mischievous, hearing Cecilia’s words had instead made her feel a bit embarrassed.
Rita felt relaxed, but Miss Rabbit Kross, who was watching from the shadows, was far from pleased.
Though Cecilia and Rita looked like they were just out enjoying the city, they lingered for quite some time at Central Square, the very place where Cecilia had once almost lost her life.
The two were still talking; afterward, they even went to a weapons store that had nothing to do with Cecilia…
Kross now simply refused to believe they hadn’t uncovered something.
Whether Cecilia had found anything was not what Kross should worry about.
What she should be concerned with was how to quietly eliminate Rita, this competent knight, without leaving a trace.
Before, when Rita didn’t carry a sword, Kross hadn’t dared get close to her.
Now, that was out of the question.
Wait, a knight…
Since Rita was such a righteous knight, then Kross would do the opposite and deal with her in a more underhanded way.
Evening, a narrow alley beside the street.
“I’m saying this one last time: every night, Rita passes through this road. When she comes by, you’re responsible for giving the signal,” Kross told a girl dressed as an ordinary citizen, then turned to the others.
“And when you see the signal, pretend to be ruffians harassing me, making as much noise as possible. Not many people come here, so don’t worry about being seen by others. Just make sure to get Rita’s attention.”
A man nearby frowned. “Lady, we’re here to help, sure, but is it really necessary to be so complicated? Why not just all go at once?”
Kross gave the man a sharp glare.
It seemed these small-time thugs sent by the ladies to nominally assist her didn’t know what kind of target they were facing.
But it made sense — the fewer people who knew they were going after a confidante of the princess, the better.
If they knew, it wouldn’t help, and might even lead to careless slips of the tongue.
“Don’t underestimate that woman. She’s a master. Even all of us together wouldn’t be more than a crumb in her mouth.”
“Then this harassment is supposed to work?” another man asked.
“What do you know? The moment a person lets their guard down isn’t when everything seems calm, but right after the danger has just passed! Her goal is to become a Holy Knight, so there’s no way she’d ignore someone like me who’s being persecuted.”
Kross waved her sleeve at the men.
In the light, the shapes of concealed weapons could be vaguely seen inside.
“When you strike a few times and run, she’ll be caught off guard. That’s when I’ll stab this dagger into her chest. After that, you can help with cleaning up the body.”
“Is that… really going to work? What if the target ignores us?”
“Don’t worry. I’m no match for you in a fight, but when it comes to psychological manipulation, you’re way off. Hurry up and get ready; the target should be here soon.”
Outside the alley, Rita walked leisurely along the street, savoring the day’s experiences.
She had eaten a crepe full of youthful sweetness, received Cecilia’s Greatsword as a gift and an apology, and finally spent a rare day doing nothing.
Her mood couldn’t have been better.
Maybe going out with the boss wasn’t so bad after all.
Alright! She’d have to work hard on the second round of assessments the day after tomorrow!
She just didn’t know what the second round would involve; maybe she could find Valfis and ask.
Speaking of Valfis, Momoka had said she could find a Dream Demon, and indeed the brothel she recommended really did have one.
Whether it was coincidence, Rita wasn’t sure.
Cecilia had warned her not to act rashly, and Rita herself was still debating whether to share this information with the Dream Demon Subjugation Squad.
But no one had really agreed to actually hunt Dream Demons yet, right?
Lost in thought, Rita suddenly heard a scream and a series of crashing sounds coming from a nearby alley.
Rita peeked inside, but it was pitch dark and impossible to tell if anyone was there.
If anything was wrong, it would be further in.
After a moment’s consideration, following the principle that ignoring gossip was a betrayal of her soul, she stepped into the alley.
An informant watching nearby immediately gave a signal.
Inside the alley, Kross kicked the man in front of her. “She’s coming! Get ready!”
Several burly men grabbed Kross and pinned her against the wall as she struggled violently.
This chaotic scene happened to catch Rita’s eye as she entered the alley.
Wow, a perfect scenario for a story, and she had stumbled right into it — how dramatic.
Stories were stories, reality was reality.
Seeing this happen in front of her, Rita couldn’t just stand by and watch a poor girl be harmed.
Maybe it would even trigger the classic hero-saving-beauty scene in manga and novels, with the girl grateful and offering herself in thanks!
Determined, Rita shouted, “Stop! Let go of that girl!”
“Hm? Who’s there?!” The lead man, knowing full well their target had arrived, still feigned surprise and glared furiously at Rita. “What do you want? Mind your own business!”
There it was — the super generic villain line!
This was the moment for a cool retort.
But the words stuck in Rita’s throat.
After a long pause, she finally blurted out, “I’m here to save her!”
“Hmph? Save her? Brothers, let’s show her what we can do!” The man called out to his eager comrades.
The way they acted the vile villain role was so convincing that even Kross silently praised them in her heart.
Hmph, just a little more! Now that Rita was unarmed and not about to cause any casualties, this was the perfect setup!
Just as the two sides were about to clash, Rita suddenly spun on her heel and disappeared down the alley like a flash.