Chapter 51

In a small square at the edge of the imperial capital,

Mabel stopped, even though this place was rarely bustling even during the day.

She sat on the edge of a small fountain and looked up at the starry sky with a sigh.

Seeing her somewhat lonely figure, I called out to her.

"Hey"

Mabel stood up as if startled, stared at me, and reached for the sheath of her throwing knives.

I waved my hands to show her.

"Wait, wait. I didn’t come here to fight. Let’s settle things tomorrow. That’s fine, right?"

Mabel glared at me and said,

"It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s today or tomorrow."

"But you’re not very good with daggers, are you?"

Mabel’s eyes widened.

"Why?"

"Because you seemed unsatisfied when we fought. I think you’re actually better suited for a heavier weapon than that two-handed sword, aren’t you?"

As I said this, I sat down on the edge of the fountain.

Then I looked up at the sky.

"This place is nice and quiet. It’s just a shame it’s such a clear day."

"…What’s wrong with a clear sky?"

"I prefer when there are a few clouds in the sky. A too-bright moon lacks atmosphere. Even more so when there are two of them."

"Atmosphere…? Having two moons is normal. You’re the weird one."

Saying this, Mabel sat down a little away from me.

A cool night breeze flowed through the small square.

"If you’re not going to fight… why did you chase me?"

"I came to talk."

"Talk…?"

"You must really want to win, right? I won’t give up just because you ask, and I won’t back down even if you force me. But… if you tell me about your situation, I might change my mind."

"…After what happened, you think a talk will do any good?"

"But you didn’t try to kill me, did you?"

"…"

Mabel remained silent for a while, then sighed and said,

"At that time, it looked like you were trying to eliminate that witness."

"I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to drive them away because it was dangerous. Maybe I gave off a bit of a killing aura."

Mabel continued,

"I just wanted you to get injured and withdraw from the tournament tomorrow."

"That seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it?"

"I planned to break a couple of your arms or legs. I thought I had to do that much to make sure you were injured."

"…"

"In the end, even that was impossible… Did you have a way to heal yourself even if you were injured?"

"…Well, that’s a possibility."

It’s hard to say I could come back from the dead.

Mabel looked at me and said,

"But even so… if we fight seriously, I won’t lose. I have a reason I can’t afford to lose. Please withdraw. I can’t hold back against you. I don’t want anyone else to die…"

"I already told you, I won’t give up just because you ask."

"…"

Silence settled over the night square.

Mabel didn’t seem willing to speak up.

Well, there’s no helping it.

"Then I’ll just make my own guesses."

"Eh…?"

"You’re a substitute for Amu."

"…!"

"How did you—"

"It’s just a guess. Am I wrong?"

"It’s not wrong, but… how did you know he’s the hero?"

"There are various reasons."

I smiled wryly.

"But it seems there’s more to it than that."

"…"

"You seem to have another reason for being so desperate. Depending on what it is, I might consider withdrawing."

"…"

After a long, long silence,

Mabel spoke heavily.

"There’s one thing wrong with your guess."

"Wrong?"

"What I’m supposed to do… is lose in the final."

"Ha…?"

"Be killed by that swordsman with the evil eye in the final. That’s my role, to make the demons believe the hero is dead."

I paused for a moment before speaking.

"So Kail was also sent here… I can’t understand. The plan is so sloppy, and I can’t understand the person who came up with it, or you. First of all, the demons probably don’t think you’re the hero. It’s much more likely that the hero is living somewhere in a village without realizing it, or is being kept secret by the empire."

"…Yeah."

"Participating in such a tournament is too convenient. Yet… to win, let alone lose in the final? If they think they can fake the hero’s death that way, the court people must be pretty stupid."

"…It couldn’t be helped."

"Couldn’t be helped? What do you mean?"

"The condition for lending me out was that I lose to Kail in the final."

"Ha…?"

"The academy and those above had no choice but to accept. There probably wasn’t anyone else who was the same age as the hero, female, and could reliably advance in the tournament. They gave up on making me the champion and decided to make it look like I died, even if it weakened the effect somewhat."

"…I don’t understand. Lending you out…? Who are you, exactly, and where were you sent from?"

"——The Lugroak Trading Company."

Mabel turned to me and asked,

"Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah… The host mentioned that Kail was from their guard unit. I thought it was just a cover."

"It’s not a cover. It’s the truth. The guard unit is the name of the organization that keeps the reserves who aren’t yet ‘products’."

"Products?"

Mabel paused before continuing.

"The Lugroak Trading Company treats people as products. They deal in slave trading and mercenary dispatch. That’s their business."

Mabel continued,

"What sets the Lugroak apart from other slave traders… is that they find talented slaves and train them to be mercenaries themselves. Especially children with magical aptitude. Kail and I were among them."

"…"

"The empire, of course, knows this. So when the plan was devised, they approached Lugroak first. They asked if there were any strong children who could be made to look like the hero. That’s how I was chosen. I matched the age and gender, even though my hair color was different. But…"

"…But?"

"…I was originally meant for a different purpose. To be Kail’s final test opponent. That’s why Lugroak set a condition for lending me out. They wanted Kail to participate in the tournament and face me in the final. And they wanted to take no responsibility for the outcome of my match… If I lost to Kail in the final, it wouldn’t be their problem. The empire understood this and gave up on making me the champion from the start."

"…"

"But I think this situation was a win-win for Lugroak. They could profit from me, who was supposed to be discarded, and complete the test in the tournament, while also promoting Kail, their star product."

After thinking for a moment, I spoke.

"What exactly is this test? You’re a mercenary, a product, right? Why would they use you up like this?"

Mabel shook her head.

"I’m not a formal ‘product’. To become a formal mercenary for Lugroak… surgery is required."

"Surgery?"

"Yeah."

I asked in return.

"Why go through all that trouble? Are they implanting something in your body?"

"No, it’s different… they open up your head."

"…Head?"

"Yes."

Mabel traced a spot above her forehead with her finger.

"They cut the skin and drill a hole in the skull… and insert a blade into the brain."

"That’s… for what?"

"Doing this makes you a perfect soldier. You feel no fear, no anger, no hesitation, and follow all orders perfectly. In exchange, you lose emotions like joy and sadness, and become a different person."

"…"

Mabel looked at me.

"Can’t believe it?"

"No… I believe you."

I wasn’t unfamiliar with similar cases.

I continued to ask.

"You haven’t had it, but Kail has, right? That explains why he seemed so inhuman… So, what’s the test?"

"To confirm if the surgery was successful. By making you kill your comrades."

Mabel continued,

"Children with magical or sword talent among the slaves are sent to a training facility. They are raised in groups of four. The four are always together. They sleep, eat, and train together. They sometimes fought, but for the orphaned slave children, they were like family. We encouraged each other, saying we would work hard and one day be free, and the adults at the training facility told us to help each other… But…"

Mabel said,

"Only one of the four can undergo the surgery. The strongest one."

"Surely…"

"The test is to kill the other three."

Mabel continued, looking at me.

"Only if you can kill without hesitation can you become a Lugroak mercenary."

"Then you…"

"I was one of Kail’s three comrades. The other two were already killed. I was the only one left, a candidate to be the hero’s substitute, with the test postponed. Killing me is Kail’s final test."

After a long silence, I spoke.

"You were trying to win just to lose in the final and be killed by him…"

"No."

Mabel immediately denied it.

For the first time, I could see some emotion in her voice.

"I don’t know about the hero or the test. My reason for not losing is… to kill Kail in the final. Regardless of the empire’s or the company’s intentions."

"Why…?"

"I had a brother. A real brother."

Mabel said,

"The only family I had, who was sold into slavery with me. By chance, both of us had magical talent and were picked up by the company. We were together in the training facility. He was always kind, cared for everyone, and comforted us when we were sad… and he was the first to be killed by that man."

"…"

"I will avenge him. That’s my reason."

Hearing Mabel’s words,

The accumulated sense of unease finally took shape.

"Kail being your brother’s killer is a lie, right?"

"Eh…"

"Kail… might be your brother."

"Wh… Why…?"

Mabel muttered in shock.

I sighed and said,

"It’s hard to explain. It’s mostly a hunch. There was a sense of inconsistency in the way you talked about your enemy, and the way you looked at Kail in the arena. Also, your eye color and Kail’s non-evil eye are the same, and your faces are a bit similar."

"…That’s true."

"Maybe your hair was the same gray before you dyed it?"

Mabel nodded.

Looking at the silent girl, I had another realization.

I narrowed my eyes and asked,

"Could it be… that Kail himself wanted to die by your hand?"

Mabel’s eyes widened.

Then she lowered her head and muttered,

"You know everything… Have you also lived in a terrible world?"

"No… not as much as you."

At least not in this life.

Mabel began to speak softly.

"A little before the surgery… my brother told me. ‘If I’m not myself anymore, I want you to put me out of my misery.’ I didn’t understand what he meant at the time… but I think he knew he would become like that. The ‘products’ were all a bit off. And my brother had the highest chance of becoming one. He was the strongest in the training facility, born with an evil eye."

"…"

"The person he is now… is not my brother. My brother would never kill his opponents recklessly, let alone the two comrades… I don’t know what he’s thinking now. But if there’s still my brother in him… he must be suffering. I want to put him out of his misery."

After a moment of silence, I asked,

"Can you beat Kail?"

"I don’t know… No, probably not."

"…"

"But I have to. This is something only I can do. Besides, I’m going to die anyway. Whether I lose in the final, win, or run away. If I’m not killed by him, I’ll be disposed of by the company. So… I want to fulfill my brother’s last wish."

I realized I was seeing Mabel’s smile for the first time.

She said,

"Please. Let me fight my brother in the final. I won’t lose to you. But I don’t expect to win easily either. I want to face my brother in the best condition possible. That’s all I want now…"

"…I’ve changed my mind."

I lowered my eyes.

"Actually, I was planning to lose on purpose in the semi-finals. I wasn’t interested in winning, and I had a good idea of what this tournament was about. But I’ve changed my mind."

I said quietly,

"I’ll beat you in the semi-finals. Then I’ll defeat Kail in the final."

"Wh…!"

A moment later, Mabel’s face twisted in anger.

"Why! Why would you do that!"

"You don’t need to be killed or kill your brother. Just drop out of this tournament. It’s wrong to harm your only family."

"What do you know!"

Mabel shouted.

"What do you think I’ve been through? Being forced into the academy, being shown the privileged people, and being reunited with my brother in this tournament! Don’t talk about ideals now! I’m different! I’m not a carefree noble child, a protected hero, or you! Don’t take away my last mission! What am I supposed to do if I lose to you and can’t do anything?"

"Simple. Go back to the academy. You’re a baron’s daughter and a student there."

I said,

"Go back to the academy and be congratulated for reaching the semi-finals. Then return to your school life. Study with the carefree students, take regular exams, advance, and eventually graduate… What happens after that is up to you."

Mabel’s eyes widened, and her lips trembled.

"Stop it… That’s impossible. The academy has no reason to keep me around after I’ve failed and become useless."

"Well, I don’t think you need to worry about that."

Mabel hesitated for a moment, then said,

"Even if that’s true… the company won’t let me go. They won’t leave me alone, knowing what I know. They’ll definitely send assassins. The company has many soldiers stronger than Kail. I can’t live in peace…"

I laughed and said,

"I think I’ve taken care of that. But even if they do send assassins, it won’t be a problem."

Mabel looked at me in disbelief.

"That’s impossible."

"It’s possible—because I’m the strongest."

Mabel looked at me in surprise.

Then she glared at me suspiciously.

"Are you trying to flirt with me?"

"Wh…!?"

"My brother said to be careful of men who try to impress me by making themselves seem bigger."

"I… No…"

I felt a bit awkward.

I shouldn’t have said that…

"Sorry, but… I just wanted to say that I have the skills. I won’t lose to Kail or the higher-ups in the company. So you can rest assured."

"…"

"Besides… if your brother had a wish, it wouldn’t be to be killed by you. I think he would want his only sister to be free."

Silence fell with the night breeze.

After a while—

"Thank you. But… I still can’t believe it."

Mabel stood up.

Then she looked at me with her sky-blue eyes.

"I’ll give it my all tomorrow. And I’ll beat you."

I smiled back at Mabel.

"Sure. If you do that, I’ll show you. I’ll beat you easily and defeat Kail in the final. Let’s start from there."

"…Alright."

Mabel nodded and