Chapter 99

"Teacher, you really are strong, huh~"

With the ease of someone about to go for a walk, she spun her words.

The scenery around her, however, was far from peaceful. The expensive new clothes she had bought were now in a terrible state, splattered with blood. They were so expensive. I wonder if they'll wash out.

"…Well, if the opponent is only this level…"

Even I could handle that number without much of a struggle. It should be clear that I have the skills for it. It felt like they just gathered in numbers.

At the same time, she swung her sword to shake off the blood.

To cut down a familiar face, the sword was a bit too sharp. No, it's not that we've definitely decided to fight, but a bad feeling inevitably crossed my mind.

"…Why did you let the assassins through?"

In the end, the words that slipped out were these.

What do I want to hear from this? Perhaps I wanted Rozé to clearly deny it. The evidence against her is clear, even just from the circumstantial evidence.

"Hehe, what are you talking about? I was fighting properly~"

Rozé's posture didn't waver. She kept her smile.

But does she really think that excuse will hold?

No, that's probably not the case. While she has a whimsical personality, she's not unintelligent.

Rozé's armor is thick and beautiful, befitting her position as the deputy commander of the Church Knights.

There isn't a single stain, dirt mark, or scratch on it. That's the best proof that she didn't fight properly.

"Even though your armor has no stains or scratches?"

Pointing this out again, she blinked as if she had just noticed and lowered her gaze.

"…I blew them away with my shield~"

"…I see."

Next, she came up with an excuse that seemed out of place and even childish for the situation.

I thought for a moment.

As she said, while she has an elusive personality, she's not unintelligent. She should have the ability to think and judge people well, and if she lacked that, she wouldn't have been able to become a deputy commander.

Yet, she continues to make poor excuses even in this situation. It's clear to anyone that her heart wasn't in the protection.

Is there a reason she can't tell anyone, or does she not want to tell me because I'm the one asking?

Is it selfish of me to want to know her true intentions?

"Still, you seemed to let a lot of troublemakers through."

"…Even a teacher can have a bad day, you know~"

Rozé had drawn her estoc.

However, the blade was clean, not a drop of blood on it. That means she didn't properly engage with the assassins.

"Is it that inconvenient for you if Prince Glen ascends to the throne?"

"…"

To break the deadlock, I mentioned the information I heard from Lucy.

For the first time, Rozé's smile disappeared.

"…Teacher, you're not only strong but also well-informed, huh~"

"Nothing, just what I heard."

I don't know what's happening in Sphendyarde Bania right now. I don't know which side, the Papal faction or the Royalists, is right, and I don't know their arguments.

Perhaps the Papal faction has a cause that I can't understand. Still, even considering that, I couldn't overlook a bloody plot to assassinate the royal family.

"…So, you won't back down even now?"

"…I'll take that as a compliment, I guess."

Seeing that it was no use to keep pretending, Rozé's expression changed.

Indeed, the number of opponents was large, but that was all. The protection of the prince and princess was handled by Alyssia and Hembritz.

So, I'm not so senile that I would lose to that level of opponent. If the first wave of skilled assassins had been more organized, it might have been different.

"…Teacher…"

"…Hmm?"

Changing her tone slightly, Rozé spoke.

"Teacher, if your homeland was in dire straits, what would you do?"

It's a bit of a difficult question for a middle-aged man from a small town.

I don't understand politics. Even if I were a king or someone in a similar position, I wouldn't have the confidence to run things well.

"I'm just a country bumpkin… I don't understand politics, but…"

I think Rozé is struggling with something related to this question.

If so, even if it's a far-fetched idea, I think I need to share my thoughts as her teacher.

"First, I'd probably ask the people. What are they struggling with?"

"…That's right~. That might be the way of a good ruler."

Well, there's no other way but to go around and ask. Listen to the people's opinions on what they're struggling with, think about it, and clear each issue one by one.

That's all I could think of with my ordinary mind.

"But…"

Again, Rozé's smile disappeared.

"If the rulers of the country were neglecting the people and fighting among themselves. If the country was weakening year by year due to pointless power struggles, and the central government needed to be purified as soon as possible. If everyone was only thinking about sitting at the top and fighting ugly battles—"

She spoke in a rush.

"Teacher, what would you do?"

The expression on her face when she asked this question was filled with anguish.

"…I don't know. As you know, I'm not great or wise."

I'm sure that with her current state of mind, my words alone won't open her heart.

She must have a tremendous resolve hidden behind her smile, and she's acting on it. As Lucy predicted, she probably wants to eliminate the prince to secure the Papal faction's advantage.

There's no guarantee that the country will come together because of that. But someone might have thought it was better than the current state of gradual decline.

And Rozé must have agreed with that plan.

I don't know how much struggle and conflict she went through to reach that decision, but it couldn't have been an easy choice. Her expression tells that much.

"…But…"

However, even if she struggled and struggled and finally made this decision—

"I can't turn a blind eye to my former student straying from the right path."

Such a coup-like action couldn't be allowed.

"…Is that so. Teacher, you really are a good person~"

Rozé's expression returned to a smile.

But if I'm not mistaken,

Her face looked like a child trying hard not to cry.

"You used to be a 'good person' too, didn't you?"

"…Hehe, I wonder~"

Rozé often took care of the younger students at the dojo and showed a different kind of kindness compared to Alyssia.

In a dojo with many children, she was like an older sister, and I think she was well-liked by the students.

"I taught you the sword to protect people, not to kill."

This isn't about sword styles or schools, but about the spirit behind it.

A sword is a weapon. It can kill people. I just cut down a lot of people myself. I'm not advocating a non-violent sword.

However, the purpose of wielding a sword must not be misunderstood. Great power comes with great responsibility.

That's how I taught the sword.

"This is also a sword to protect many people."

But the answer she found at my dojo seems to be somewhat different from what I had in mind.

"Blood will be shed. Many people will die. But this is a salvation."

"That's wrong, Rozé."

I don't understand politics, as I said before.

To be honest, I'm not interested. I just want the people I protect with my sword, the people my students protect with their swords, and the immediate surroundings to be happy.

But even I can understand some things.

"Revolution cannot be built on blood."

When you wield a deadly weapon, resentment is always left behind.

I try to be very selective about when and where I use my sword. Otherwise, a sword master is just a murderer.

"…And there's one more thing that bothers me."

"…What is it~?"

The salvation she wants to achieve, even if it means getting her hands dirty, and the specific content of her decision and the internal situation of the country are concerning, but there's something else that bothers me more.

"What do you really want?"

"Because I'm worried about the state of the country—"

"Wrong. I mean, what comes after that."

I understand that Rozé is concerned about the country. And I can understand that she planned to assassinate the heir to the throne as a means to solve the problem. It's not good, but I can understand it.

"What is it that moves you so much?"

But I can't understand what comes after that.

Even if Prince Glen's assassination succeeds and the Papal faction gains control and the country comes together, what happens next? Rozé might be hailed as a savior knight and gain more power and status. On the other hand, she might be punished as a traitor who shed a lot of blood.

"Do you want power as a savior knight? Or do you just want to kill? I don't think so."

However, her actions don't show a clear vision of the future.

Having a noble cause is admirable. I don't have such a purpose myself. If she's trying to fulfill her duty as a knight, that's great, as long as the means are not questioned.

"Rozé, the noble cause of salvation is admirable. But it's just a means, not the end. What do you want to make happy after saving the country?"

After achieving the noble cause, in the future, Rozé's happiness is not clear.

Dying for loyalty is one duty, but Rozé is not that kind of person. I felt that again when we talked the other day. She joined the Church Knights because Gataga told her to, not out of her own will.

"…Teacher, will you listen to me~?"

"Of course."

Rozé, who showed a moment of hesitation at my words, still uncertain, spoke.

"I love children."

"Ah, I know that."

I knew Rozé loved children from when she was at the dojo.

She was always taking care of them and looking after them. Many children must have been saved by Rozé's dedication.

"Children are dying every day from hunger and cold."

"…I see."

Saving all the people. That's the ideal of a nation.

But it's just an ideal. I understand that it can't be realized.

No matter what, there will always be people who fall through the cracks of the country's protection. Mui was one of them. The gap between rich and poor, and the value of life, is not equal.

"The Pope said that if the country comes together, the people will be freed from suffering. Children will no longer die in front of me."

"…Do you believe that?"

Convenience.

It's easy to conclude that.

But even if I point that out now, Rozé won't stop. First, it seems she's acting with that understanding.

"What else can I believe in? I'm a Sphendian, you know~"

"…There must have been other ways to achieve this without shedding blood. You could have taken power yourself."

What she's trying to do is too hasty.

Changing the country is not that easy. It takes a long time. Even if you temporarily suppress a civil war by force, it will take much longer for good governance to spread.

Moreover, it assumes that the person who ends the civil war and rises to the top is a good ruler. I can't imagine that these people who think like this can implement good governance.

"…It's too late."

She answered with a laugh to my words.

"There's no time to take it slowly. While we're talking, the gap between rich and poor in Sphendyarde Bania is widening, and people are dying."

"So you want to overthrow the Royalists and force a one-party system?"

"Yes~"

Her theory has many holes. Even I can see that, so Rozé must be aware of them.

She must have struggled.

She must have agonized.

And she must have made a bitter decision.

"…Even I can see that the story you just told is a fairy tale. How will you face the children with your blood-stained hands? You are still wrong."

But even so.

I still have to say that her decision is wrong.

"…Even so—no, I can't go any further."

Rozé's mouth, which was about to say something, stopped without continuing.

"…I'll hear the rest of the story after I stop you."

I took a step closer to Rozé.

She didn't try to increase the distance between us. She just held her estoc and kite shield in a slightly lazy manner.

"Hehe, what if I say I don't want to?"

The smile that had disappeared returned in the next moment.

Rozé, with the same smile as before, asked in a singing tone.

"…Sorry, but I can't choose the means."

I readied my sword.

If talking won't stop her, it's probably a waste of time to keep talking.

Rozé won't stop on her own.

Then, someone has to stop her.

The sword of Zeno Graybull, still gleaming despite being soaked in blood, shimmered faintly red in the sunlight.