The “Master swordsman” who was reincarnated, wants to live freely - Chapter 62

Translator: Darling | Editor: Nebosuke

Iris and Mersche were still walking in the crowded area near the arena.

They thought that if there were still this many people there was a good chance there was still something going on nearby.

“All we need to do is see what’s happening inside, so let’s go this way. We can actually see a lot from the audience seats, and since it’s open to the public now, we might as well use it.”

“Understood. Also, Lady Iris.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“You don’t need to speak with such honor to me,” Mersche said out of the blue. 

I was already talking on normal terms with Eia because she seemed to hate formal speak, but I felt like it was somehow different from Mersche.

But since she was Eina’s subordinate, it might actually be all the more strange to talk formally with her…

“Right… I won’t use it anymore. Mersche, I-“

“Excuse me, Lady Iris. I am Lady Eina’s subordinate, and not even of nobility myself, so please just see me as a normal person with which you can talk normally.”

“Understood.”

As they were talking, they were moving towards the arena’s side entrance to get to the audience seats. There are also quite a few people here, but far less compared to the inner area itself.

Iris took Mersche along towards the front audience seats.

It seemed like some sort of dome. It was a few meters above the inner area. You could see far and wide from this point on out.

“The market seems as good as finished though…”

“Is that a street performance?” Mersche said to supplement Iris’ remark. 

It seemed that the arena was so crowded because of the performance that was being performed at the center.

People seemed to be gathered around two artists, clad in robes wearing masks too.

Their bodies were most lenient, and their knife-throwing skills extraordinary. Their movements were nothing like that of any ordinary person.

As Iris looked onto them, she suddenly remembered something.

(Long ago, Alia too showed me various techniques she had learned.)

It was of her best friend and family member, the one that had disappeared not long ago.

Not that she actually told me much about it in detail though.

She just said that she had “fled”. Iris never really asked Alia more about her past.

… It was of no concern to Iris how Alia had lived before, she thought.

And that was because they used to spend most days together in mutual trust.

“….”

“Lady Iris, are you ok?”

“! Ah! I am sorry. Sorry, I kept staring, and..”

“I understand how you feel, lady Iris. Those two truly are quite something, aren’t they?

Perhaps if Lady Eina were here, she too would have been quite entranced, I think,” Mersche said as she too was looking at the two performers.

Would Eina be interested… That would actually be of importance to the current inspection too.

After all, the two countries needed to be on good terms with one another.

“Really? Shall we call her over too then? I will go and get her.”

“No, let’s go back together for now. Lady Eina is in quite a moody temper as of now, so…” Mersche replied. It sounded like it made sense.

I haven’t really known her for a long time or anything, but it seems like Eina is quite difficult to take along.

She’s almost the same age as me, but she is actually a soldier of the army — That is the one point that really makes her stand out from Iris. … It might actually be the point which causes Iris to admire her so much.

(I too will one day protect this land, as a knight… And for that sake I will do what I must.)

But because she was so worried about Alia, she could only do now what she must.

Alia would most definitely tell her so.

“Right, let’s go back then.”

“Too bad about the market though.”

“Yes, quite so… But if we get another chance, then we should def–!”

In that instant, Iris’s sentence got interrupted by an explosive sound from outside the arena.

Iris and Mersche looked at one another.

“This sound is…!”

“Lady Iris, we should return at once—“

Mersche was quick-witted, and we left immediately. 

But Iris didn’t fail to notice that there was a “knife” coming at her from behind.

Iris took the knife by its handle and stood in front of Mersche as if to protect her.

“!”

“… Oh goodness. Even here we’re being hunted.”

The loud sound that came from outside of the arena was most definitely an attempt to hunt down Eina.

That was more than enough reason to return to Eina and Alta as soon as possible, but…

(Eina is accompanied by Mr. Schweiss… So then I should…)

I should escort Mersche away from here, and get her to Alta… She decided that was what she had to do.

But the enemy already moved out to predict that very movement.

The performers before them showed no doubt in their movements as they closed in on Iris and Mersche.

One of them was blocking their escape path, and the other stood still in the arena.

Iris prepared herself for battle. So she called forth her blade, Purple Lightning. Her two opponents too prepared their own blades… They were pitch black short blades.

Iris looked with wonder to these weapons. 

After all, Iris knew these blades all too well.

“Alia?”

It was so sudden that she could barely comprehend what she just saw.

Though Iris wanted to deny this fact, it was impossible to do so.

As the “girl” took off her mask, Iris saw that it was her best friend that vanished a while back.

It was Alia.