“I will likely have to succeed my father within a few years. When that happens, I won’t be able to go out to town like this anymore. So before that, I wanted to properly see the town I will inherit and protect after succeeding my father. I asked knowing it was unreasonable.”
“I see…My apologies for not noticing.”
Though Reiner responded apologetically, Arwin lightly shook his head with a smile.
“Don’t worry about it. This is [my] problem. Just accompanying me to town today is already a great help.”
As the two spoke in voices only audible to each other, a woman’s tense voice suddenly called out.
“Stop it!! Let me go!!”
Hearing the woman’s voice out of the blue, tension ran through Reiner and Dinas. Quickly scanning their surroundings while protecting Arwin, they saw a red-haired woman being dragged away by well-dressed men to a secluded, uncrowded area a short distance away.
The men harassing the woman were likely nobles, so onlookers couldn’t readily intervene. Reiner instructed Dinas to guard Arwin, then checked with him.
“I can go deal with it, right?”
“Ah, I’ll be fine here. Just don’t overdo it.”
Having gotten his approval, Reiner immediately turned his eyes to Dinas.
“Dinas, please guard him.”
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
Reiner nodded at the response and hurried over to the woman surrounded by noblemen.
***
A well-dressed man and three brawny followers had dragged the [red-haired woman] to a less populated area in the noble district and were arrogantly looking down on her.
“Hehe…To think we’d get to continue this in a place like this. Now, shall we resume that conversation from before?”
Instead of cowering before the men surrounding her, backed against a wall, the woman fearlessly glared back and vehemently berated them in anger.
“…!! How could I have any discussion with such arrogant, selfish, self-centered men as you! Besides, I already formally declined that [talk] you mention through my father!!” To use such means just because you dislike that – it’s no different from a local ruffian. Have you no shame!!”
After hearing her condemnations, the men didn’t falter but grinned vulgar smiles as if enjoying themselves. Their gazes crept over her body from feet to face as if licking her. Those abnormal stares made the woman shudder in chill and fear. Seeing her state, the best dressed man looked utterly satisfied.
“Hehe, excellent. That’s what I wanted to see – that frightened face. Do you have any idea how much [humiliation] you’ve caused me? I want compensation for the [humiliation] I endured.”
“Wh-What are you saying…!?”
The woman had nowhere to flee. Still, compelled by instinct to escape the men before her, she desperately pressed her back against the wall. The bold air she initially held had faded, replaced by visible fear in her expression. The men exchanged glances, satisfied looks in their eyes.
“Hehe, I heard you rejected all marriage proposals. Then there shouldn’t be anyone who’d take you as partner. That’s why we’re offering ourselves. Our carriage will arrive soon. Let’s have fun together until then…”
My carriage? Have fun together? Realizing the implication of those words, the color instantly drained from the woman’s face.
What despicable men holding such deep grudges. But her situation was hopeless. The attendants she had likely been separated by these men’s actions. They had dragged the woman here the instant she was alone.
But if she did nothing, the worst fate awaited her. She desperately tried resisting, flailing her handbag around, but the men just laughed at her desperate struggle. Soon one of the well-dressed man’s hands seized her right arm swung down at them. Then he forcefully yanked her close, wrapping an arm around her neck from behind to restrain her. As the well-dressed man applied slight force, she grabbed his arm with her left hand, face screwed up in discomfort, but still shouted out boldly.
“Kh…If you intend dishonor, you may as well kill me!!”
But her words and actions only delighted the men further. With her restrained behind him, the well-dressed man whispered the truth of the men’s objective into her ear by the side of her face screwed up in discomfort. Her expression filled with despair at the whispered contents.
Seeing this, the satisfied man brought his face close to her cheek from behind her back and nuzzled against it. Out of disgust, fear, and chill, she clenched her face and trembled.
“Hehe, excellent. Your frightened face, your body trembling in fear. It’s everything I hoped for. But I won’t forgive you for humiliating me. Don’t worry though, I won’t kill you…I’ll just continue giving you despair until you wish you were dead, showing you a living hell.”
As the man drew close, she shook in fear and despair at her hopeless predicament, finally weeping as she pleaded in her heart.
(Please…someone save me…!!)
Then, as if her wish had been heard, a sharp yet dignified voice rang out from behind.
“What are you doing in a place like this?”
The one who appeared was a young man who looked like a civil official with glasses. At first glance he seemed a decent man, but the sharpness visible behind the glasses and the air he carried gave the impression of a [knight] who had overcome many battlefields.
Though clearly hostile to the sudden meddler, the men sized him up as the best dressed man responded as representative.
“…She’s my [lover], so we’re meeting secretly due to our circumstances. I’ll have to ask you as an outsider to leave.”
The woman tried to reflexively yell [That’s not true!!] but the men muffled her mouth, preventing her from speaking freely. Seeing their state and the man’s words, the youth wore a dubious expression as he gently shifted his eyes to the woman in a reassuring manner.
“While that man says so, is it true? My lady, please answer honestly. If you are in trouble, I will do everything in my power to save you.”
Encouraged by the young man’s words and powerful gaze, she regained her bold nature and bit down hard on the hand of the man muffling her.
“Gwaa!! You wretch!!”
The sudden pain and shock made the man cry out and recoil. Seizing the chance, she shouted with all her might at the young man.
“That’s not true at all!! These people are not my lovers or anything!! Please help me!!”
Having heard the woman’s words, the young man nodded quietly and smiled gently as he called out.
“Understood. Please don’t move from there so you don’t get hurt.”
Somewhat relieved by the young man’s words, she nodded. However, angered by this exchange, the men glared fiercely at the youth. Then the best dressed man muttered at the young man.
“I don’t know who you are, but I’m an [count’s] son. You should know what’ll happen if you cross me right? Annoying as this is, I don’t want to cause a commotion either. If you leave here immediately, I’ll be gracious enough to forgive you. What do you say?”
Having heard the man’s words, the young man wore an exasperated expression as he gave a wry smile.
“Oh…So some thugs putting on nice clothes and claiming to be imperial nobles try to make off with a young lady. That is what’s truly unforgivable. It is you who seems not to understand the meaning of your words.”
The youth’s provocative words further stained the men’s faces with anger. Then the well-dressed man spat out furious words.
“That’s enough…You guys, go!!”
At the well-dressed man’s order, the three brawny men vigorously rushed the young man. But he calmly dealt with their assault without flinching.
The first man came swinging a fist at the youth’s face, but he dodged by tilting his head and bending at the hips, deliberately evading by a paper-thin margin. Dodging, he immobilized the man’s overextended arm with his right arm. Then with his left arm he pinned down the back of the man’s shoulder on the outstretched arm’s side. With this move, the young man who had instantly executed an indirect throw on his opponent mercilessly applied force. At that moment, a dull sound rang out and the man’s agonized scream echoed. Without heeding the first man’s painful shriek, the young man flung him at the second man rushing him.
In the fierce motions, the youth’s glasses slipped off, falling at his feet, but he continued fighting unfazed without the fallen glasses.
The second man collided with the first man flung at him by the youth and lost his balance. Seizing that opening, the third man came swinging fists but the youth easily swept his punches aside. As a result, the man’s body was left wide open and the youth swiftly and powerfully struck at his throat with a [throat thrust]. The third man’s throat crushed by the young man’s strike, he choked and collapsed to his knees at that spot.
While the youth dealt with the third man, the second man whose balance was disrupted after colliding with the first man got back on his feet and charged the youth.
But the youth lightly received the man’s fist with his hand. The man was astonished, but immediately swung with his remaining other arm.
However, the youth easily received that punch in his hand as well. Staring down the man, the youth started applying strength to his hands. Then, as if being crushed by the youth’s hands, the man’s fists were forcibly clenched tighter and tighter, until with a groan he fell to his knees.
In that moment, the young man flipped the man’s fists he was gripping behind his back and slammed him onto the ground on his back. At the same time, he stomped on the man’s solar plexus as if to tell him not to move. With the young man’s stomp as the finishing blow, the second man moaned in agony as he crumpled up at that spot.
The exchange between the young man and the three men had lasted but an instant. To onlookers, they wouldn’t understand what happened before the three burly men were knocked down by the youth, writhing in pain on the ground.
The well-dressed man’s eyes were wide open seeing what had unfolded before him, stunned as if he had witnessed something unbelievable. In contrast, the young man calmly glared at the remaining man with sharp eyes after tidying up his disheveled appearance from the fierce motions.
“…I’ve no tongue to speak with you. Begone.”
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