A Blacksmith Dancing Under the Moonlight
"Now then, let’s put an end to your scheming here. Kindly take your leave for today."
The words were spoken with courtesy, but even that had to be a facade.
He’s probably planning to have one of his subordinates tail us, then use the cover of night to kill us.
If I resist here, he’ll crush me without hesitation.
There’s no turning back for me now, but this was within my calculations.
I’ve already considered the possibility of being cornered like this.
It’s all part of the plan to manipulate them and bend them to my will—
"Get out of the way, you rotten bald geezer."
As I reviewed my plans, Lucina suddenly hurled an unexpected insult at Garbel.
"Wh-Who are you calling a rotten bald geezer!? I’m not bald yet! Look, the sides still have a presence!"
That’s what he’s angry about?
I couldn’t help but retort internally.
Meanwhile, Lucina pressed on relentlessly.
"You’re finished! My new master is none other than Lake Gallard!"
"You ingrate! How dare you forget the debt you owe me!"
"You were planning to sell the weapons I crafted to foreign merchants, weren’t you?"
"How do you know that!?"
Wait, seriously?
If that’s true, the Knights Order and the Mage Corps wouldn’t stay silent about it.
The illegal underground arena thrived because certain nobles were repeat patrons here.
But if he’s involved with foreign dealings, even those nobles won’t stand by him.
After all, for self-serving nobles, there’s no benefit in siding with someone who betrayed their country.
"If we search your desk, I’m sure we’ll find plenty of incriminating documents."
"Ugh…"
Come on, ease up already.
I was planning to use him to make a quick profit before enrolling in the academy, but her accusations might ruin everything.
"Kill them! Finish them off here! I’ll reward whoever lands the final blow!"
Predictably, Garbel, now desperate, ordered his subordinates to attack us.
Damn it, my plans are falling apart.
Convincing them seems impossible now; retreating to regroup might be our best option.
I was about to suggest this to Lucina when—
"This is getting exciting."
… Huh? Did her demeanor just change? Her eyes look... intense.
Have they always gleamed like that?
"To create swords for justice… to wield them… Ahh, I can feel the pure bliss filling my body."
With an ecstatic expression, Lucina licked the blade in her hand.
Have I... recruited a total maniac?
Before I could delve further into that thought, Lucina grabbed a sword and an axe nearby.
Her logic seemed absurd, like combining two strong weapons would yield even greater power.
Yet, it led to unexpected results.
"Yaaahhhh!"
Her fierce battle cry echoed under the night sky.
With incredible agility, Lucina closed the distance to the fighters in an instant.
She swung her weapons deftly, scattering them like leaves.
Her petite frame belied her unmatched speed and overwhelming strength.
Her combat style was equally bold.
When her sword broke, she switched to a whip.
When the axe broke, she grabbed a hammer.
Mastering all kinds of weapons, she toppled opponents far larger and heavier than herself with ease.
W-What kind of combat prowess is this?
Lucina Timmons—not only a top-tier blacksmith but also a formidable warrior with unparalleled skills and instinct.
"Im-Impossible!?"
Garbel finally realized the gravity of the situation, but it was too late.
Lucina had already rendered his elite fighters incapacitated in no time.
"Give it up. This is the end of your wickedness."
"N-No! The arena still has plenty of fighters! One shout from me, and they’ll rush to this spot!"
"Then call them all right now. It’ll save me the trouble of hunting them down."
"W-What!?"
"… Tonight, I feel like I could take on a whole pack of wyverns and not lose."
Honestly, Lucina’s sense of justice was on fire.
Though, I was the one who encouraged her to follow her convictions, I didn’t expect this level of effectiveness.
She seems surprisingly easy to rile up.
She kept felling every fighter that came at her.
It was as if she was venting all the frustration she had bottled up until now.
The pure white moon might as well have turned crimson from the sheer ferocity.
Though I supported her with my swordsmanship, it honestly felt unnecessary.
Eventually, not a single fighter was left standing.
"Y-You… How am I supposed to arrange tomorrow’s matches now!?"
Even at this stage, he still cares about that? It’s far too late for any of that.
"Don’t you realize the underground arena is finished? The only thing you should be worrying about is how comfortable the inside of your coffin will be."
"Eek!?"
At last, Lucina’s righteous wrath was directed at Garbel.
Since he was unarmed, Lucina challenged him barehanded as well.
Even so, she subdued him instantly with brute force. I could hear sounds coming from his body that shouldn’t be possible.
Despite telling him to worry about his coffin, she left him half-dead rather than killing him outright. It seems unnecessary slaughter doesn’t align with her sense of justice.
"Phew… I suppose this is enough for now."
Finally calming down, she flashed a warm smile.
As for me, I was utterly drained.
I had planned to cleverly exploit these guys and earn some quick cash before heading to the academy… Now that’s all gone.
While I was lamenting, I noticed Lucina’s gaze fixed on me, her eyes sparkling as if asking for praise.
Honestly, I didn’t feel like commending her, considering the massive losses I incurred.
But upsetting her now would be unwise.
Lucina is indispensable for my plans moving forward, so I can’t afford to demotivate her.
Thus, my course of action was clear.
"Well done, Lucina."
"Evil deserves to be vanquished! Besides, they were trying to harm you, Lord Lake!"
Lucina declared, as if waiting for this moment. Her strong sense of justice and her loyalty to me were surprising, to say the least.
… If she ever finds out how crooked I really am, that could spell disaster.
Well, I’ll just have to bluff my way through it.
The Gallard family’s legendary skill in persuasion, "The Art of Talk," will see me through.
As long as she trusts me, I can count on her to carry out even the flimsiest of my excuses.
Although I missed out on a business opportunity, I gained something far greater.
Lucina’s devotion to me exceeded my expectations, allowing me to progress to the next stage of my plans.
And so, I successfully secured my first loyal secretary—and corporate slave.
What do you think about this chapter?
