“You know… Mr. Ian?”
Nainiae had her right hand to the front and her left hand near the handle of a blade on her waist. Facing Basilisk who was wielding a spear, Nainiae asked.
“Of course I know who he is. There isn’t anyone among those who make living as mercenaries that doesn’t know his name.”
With the tip of his spear aimed diagonally toward the ground, Basilisk answered. His eyes were still as fearsome as before.
‘What should I do?’
Basilisk’s attitude said to go ahead and fight him if she had any complaints. Noticing this, Nainiae looked toward where Riley was sitting.
‘If he is someone that knows who Mr. Ian is, I don’t think I should be rude and treat him carelessly. However, if I let it be like this, Young Master’s position will be…’
Nainiae was hesitating for a while. Having decided that she could not let this be, she was about to demonstrate her abilities. It was at that moment,
Riley, who have successfully completed eating a whole sandwich while sitting leisurely, dusted off his hands and got up.
“So?”
Although there was a spear aimed at him, Riley’s attitude was still leisurely as if he was on a picnic.
“Why are you aiming your spear at me? You even mentioned Ian’s name. Why? You probably know that I’m a young master of a count’s house, don’t you?”
Since he knew the house’s name, Iphalleta, and Ian’s name, Basilisk probably knew Riley is a high nobility from a count’s house.
Basilisk’s behavior was most certainly rude.
“Rainfield may be a city without nobilities, but still, don’t you think you are being rude?”
Riley was right.
“I’m a guest of your employer. Can’t you see?”
“Excuse me…”
After that, Riley crumpled the look on his face that was leisurely only a moment ago. Riley glared at Basilisk and created a cold atmosphere. Because of this, Reitri, who was watching from the side, started to break cold sweat.
“… The mercenary hero…”
Responding to Riley’s gaze, Basilisk also narrowed his eyes and said,
“Ian was… a mercenary that I admired the most.”
Guwak
[TL: sound effect for someone tightening one’s grip on a handle.]
Basilisk tightened his grip on the spear and said with his crumpled face toward Riley,
“However, when I heard that a hero like him retired, and he is now working at some nobility house as a butler… That felt like everything in me was being shattered.”
“So?”
“So, I want you to show me.”
‘Show what?’
Before Riley could ask back, Basilisk’s spear charged forward.
“…?!”
Nainiae was not able to respond to the situation that occurred in a blink of an eye. Concluding that it can’t go on like this, she decided to use her Six Circles magic and fight back.
<There is no need.>
It was when she was about to use magic and send Basilisk’s head flying away from his body.
In Nainiae’s head, Riley directly sent a message, saying there was no need.
“…”
Wheec!
Slicing through the wind, Basilisk’s spear charged toward Riley’s face. It stopped just before his nose.
“Show me. Prove it to me that it was the right decision for Ian to work as a butler in that family.”
‘Using what method?’
It seemed like there was no need to ask that question.
The spear that was stopped right in front of Riley’s nose was explaining how to prove it.
“All you are saying is that you just want to have a fight. Why are you going about asking it in such a brutal way?”
Peeking a smile, with the tip of his mouth twisted, Riley took a step forward.
He stepped forward despite having a spear aimed at him right in front of his nose. Seeing this, Basilisk shriveled and took a step back without realizing it.
The distance between the tip of the spear and Riley widened by that much.
“Seeing you asking me for a favor made me curious.”
“…?”
Riley took another step forward, and the tip of the spear moved another step back.
Noticing Basilisk narrowing his eyes, Riley asked,