Chapter 54

"Sure? There's no way I would know. I just told you the names of the woman and dog at the mansion you guys are using. Stop making such ridiculous accusations."

Pierre, who had boarded the Arrogance, spoke, and Marie, who was in the audience, lowered her head.

Around them, Gregg's face turned red with anger.

"You bastard, you're messing with us!"

Jilc also narrowed his eyes.

"Would you go that far?"

Chris's fists, clenched in anger, made a creaking sound.

Kyle muttered, "There's no name of Brad," but no one around him said anything in response.

Brad was still unable to get up.

He was probably left behind in the room.

Julius looked down at Leon.

"I hope we can save them."

At Julius's words, Marie quietly raised her head.

Her eyes, devoid of their usual sparkle, and her mouth, twisted into a crescent shape, made her look as if she had been driven to madness.

"You shouldn't think that it would be nice if everyone could be saved. We will save Carla and Noel, no matter what, and bring them back here. Or rather... how long are you going to mope around, you fools!"

Everyone exclaimed, "Huh!" and straightened up at Marie's words.

"Don't be scared just because we came to the Republic! This is the time to show your strength! When else will you work hard if not now? It won't look good if we let them get away with it!"

Marie's outburst made the five people in the room realize they had become weak while thinking about diplomatic issues and other matters.

Julius nodded.

"Marie is right. We must find them no matter what! We can't let the Baltforts get in our way."

Jilc agreed.

"That's right. It's about the Count of Baltfort. He must have some secret plan."

Chris adjusted his glasses.

"That's true. If it comes to a fight, the Baltforts won't lose."

Gregg punched his left palm with his right fist.

"No matter what, we will bring Carla and the dog back here."

But Kyle pointed out a practical problem.

"But we don't even know where they are."

Then, the terminal Leon threw from the dueling arena landed on Marie's head.

"Ouch! What are you doing, you damn... Leon!"

Marie, who almost called him "damn brother," picked up the terminal and looked down at the dueling arena.

Leon was giving instructions through gestures and mouth movements.

Marie immediately understood what Leon wanted to say from his movements.

"Find them, and beat them up... Yes, that's right!"

Marie gripped the terminal, which resembled a smartphone.

(If I do well here, all my demerits will be erased. That dog was cherished by my brother, so saving it will earn me a lot of points. I have to do well here to survive!)

It's important to remember that Marie is Leon's sister from his previous life.

They are siblings with similar traits.

Marie, operating the terminal, checked the information being sent one after another.

"Everyone, let's go back to the mansion right away."

Kyle was surprised.

"Huh? Aren't we going to search?"

Marie replied,

"I'll check on Brad. Besides, we need to gather our things."

Including Marie, the six of them headed from the dueling arena to the mansion.

◇

I nodded as I watched Marie and the others leave the audience seats after I threw the terminal.

They seemed to have understood what I wanted to say.

It was the right move to push them.

Well, I was just teasing a bit, but I left them alone because they showed determination.

Mr. Narcissus asked me for confirmation.

"Are you going to continue?"

"Of course. There's still some time before the duel, so let's wait here."

Mr. Clemen was exasperated.

"Knights of the kingdom are so warlike."

That's a misunderstanding.

I aim to be a knight like my master, who is a gentleman.

"That's rude. I am a kind-hearted knight, after all."

Mr. Clemen disagreed.

"A kind-hearted knight wouldn't use saplings of the holy tree for a duel."

"It's a difference in perspective. I can't leave evil unchecked because I am kind-hearted."

Pierre, who was called evil, was irritated.

'I'll kill you. Don't think you can die easily.'

...You are truly remarkable.

◇

At Marie's mansion.

At the entrance, Brad's battered figure was visible.

When Marie rushed over and lifted him up, Brad looked regretful.

"Sorry, Marie. Carla and Noel were kidnapped. They suddenly burst in."

The front door, which had been destroyed, showed signs of gun use.

Brad must have resisted, but being still recovering from illness, he couldn't move well and was beaten up.

"It's okay. We'll take care of the rest."

Brad, seeming relieved, passed out, and Marie had the other men carry him to a room.

Kyle sighed as he looked at the ransacked mansion.

"Who do they think will clean this up? We need to save Carla quickly and organize the cleaning."

Despite his harsh words, his concern for Carla was evident.

Marie remained silent.

Then—

"Um, excuse me... I have a delivery."

Outside, men carrying a large wooden box called out apologetically.

It seemed to be a delivery for Marie.

Marie signed for it.

After the men left, Marie opened the lid of the wooden box.

Inside was a machine gun.

Kyle picked up a bullet.

"This isn't a regular bullet."

It was a rubber bullet for use against people.

However, it would still hurt if it hit.

Marie held a submachine gun, the kind that gangsters in old movies would carry, with a drum magazine.

"This... is good. Kyle, tell everyone to get ready immediately."

The sight of a young girl holding a machine gun seemed surreal.

But Marie's stance was impressive.

Her information terminal, which she had put in her pocket, vibrated, so she took it out and watched the video.

It showed Carla, who had been captured by a gang-like group, hugging Noel.

Marie's forehead veins bulged.

"These bastards... I'll make them regret targeting a woman and a dog. And to survive, I'll make you all disappear."

Seeing Marie's dark smile, Kyle muttered,

"Master is scary today."

◇

At an abandoned warehouse.

Men involved in shady deals with Pierre were leering at Carla, who was surrounded.

Some were in suits, but most were dressed like thugs.

They held guns and knives ostentatiously.

Shaking, Carla was hugging Noel.

Noel was licking Carla's face with its tongue, showing concern for her.

Carla's teeth chattered in fear.

A fat man, removing his hat, looked at Carla.

"Miss, you're a foreign student, right? If you know Alzel is a scary country, you won't mess with the six noble families again."

The men were laughing.

Carla tried to be brave.

"Y-You think you can get away with this? This dog belongs to the Count of Baltfort—"

The fat man, who was the boss, sneered.

"You might be important in your country, but this is the center of the world, Alzel. I can't have you get weak-kneed over some country bumpkin noble. A little pain will make you understand."

He reached out to Carla.

Suddenly, the warehouse door was blown away.

Dust rose and sparkled in the light from the entrance.

The men aimed their guns and fired at the figure entering.

The sound of dozens of gunshots echoed in the room.

However, all the bullets were deflected by a light barrier.

"What the—?"

The boss, surprised, saw a slender girl step forward.

Carla cried out.

"Miss Marie!"

Marie, holding a submachine gun on her shoulder, aimed it and shouted,

"Give me back Carla!"

She pulled the trigger and fired at the men.

The rubber bullets hit the men, and then more men came from behind Marie.

It was Gregg and Chris.

"You're dirty for laying hands on a girl!"

"Be prepared for rough treatment!"

The two of them knocked down the men one after another with sticks and wooden swords.

The boss, taking a gun from his pocket, aimed it at Carla.

"M-Move—ah!"

The boss's arm was shot by Jilc, who had a gun.

"I can't allow you to point a gun at a woman."

Carla thought,

(Everyone... they look so cool, unlike their usual selves.)

Despite their low living skills, Julius and the others were very reliable in such situations. After all, they were rich and noble young men.

It's understandable that their living skills are low.

They were educated to use people, not to be used.

Carla ran to Marie, who was approaching, with a terrible face and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Marie, you got me!"

"Carla, you did well. Noel seems to be fine too."

Marie smiled, but the boss, holding his injured right hand with his left, shouted at her.

"Brat! You and your country won't get away with this—ahhh!"

Marie, without a word, aimed her submachine gun and continued to attack the boss.

When the magazine was empty,

"Master, I'll change it."

She handed the submachine gun to Kyle and took a pistol.

She removed the safety and loaded a bullet by sliding the slide.

"Thank you, Kyle. Julius and Jilc, take Carla to the dueling arena immediately. It should be fine."

Julius was hesitant.

"No, shouldn't I stay?"

Marie, stepping on the boss, who was in pain and crying, and pulling the trigger, answered,

"Hurry up!"

"O-Okay!"

Jilc and Julius took Carla outside.

An air bike was waiting outside, and the three of them got on.

"Both of you, hold on tight."

Jilc made the air bike float and fly, and Marie smiled.

◇

Marie looked down at the boss she was stepping on.

"Well, what should I do?"

The boss was crying.

"P-Please, forgive us. We were ordered by Pierre—ah!"

Marie shot the boss in the face.

She continued shooting until the magazine was empty, then lifted the boss by his hair.

"That must hurt. I'll heal you."

Pretending to be a saint, Marie's healing magic was real.

The boss's injuries were healing.

Thinking he was forgiven, the boss tried to flatter her.

"Hehe, thank you, miss—uh!"

Marie inserted the gun's barrel into his mouth.

"I don't need your thanks. Since you beat up Brad, I need to get even."

Gregg looked worried.

"Marie, isn't that enough? He's crying."

Marie turned to Gregg.

"Don't be so soft! We were kidnapped, and Brad was injured. Don't you feel humiliated by these Alzel thugs?"

Kyle silently handed Marie a replacement magazine, and she quickly changed it.

The boss was trembling.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll repent."

But Marie didn't stop.

"Chris, did you bring it?"

Chris took out a knife.

"I brought it, but is this okay? It's a cheap knife, and the blade is worn out. A dull blade is more likely to cause injury."

Chris, who was worried, received a smile from Marie.

"This is fine. It's for ears and noses. It's very painful, according to a book in the Republic's library."

It was written in a book she had picked up by chance.

Not a specialized book, but one that happened to have a description of torture.

The boss was trembling.

"Please! Forgive me. I'll tell you anything!"

But Marie was looking at the knife, humming a tune.

"The blade looks dull."

She seemed to be enjoying it.

The boss cried out.

"I'll tell you anything! I know Pierre's weakness. Please, just listen to me!"

Marie aimed the gun at the crying boss and pulled the trigger.

The boss's scream echoed in the abandoned warehouse, and his subordinates, who were watching, were trembling.

"Kyle, if anyone makes a strange move, shoot them. Don't hold back. I'll heal any serious injuries, so feel free to destroy them."

Kyle straightened up.

"Y-Yes!"

The boss cried out.

"Please! I'll tell you anything!"

Marie stepped on the boss's face.

"Talk freely. If I find it interesting, I'll stop. Try to keep me interested."

Marie laughed, and the boss cried.

Inside, Marie was thinking,

(The book said this about torture, but is it really okay? I don't really need to do anything to ears or noses... I've already saved Carla and Noel, and it would be helpful if he told me something my brother would be interested in.)

Unaware of Marie's thoughts, the boss and his men experienced hell in the abandoned warehouse.