Chapter 10: Vita’s Brain, Wrecked
“Ha ha ha! Of course the vice-captain is wandering the fields again today! She’s like a puppy!”
Vita von Kaambl, the prodigious daughter of a military noble house, lay in wait by the Spirit Wall for a certain woman. Her manner of speech was elegant, but steeped in scorn.
“I know you’re in this area for a mission, Iris!” Vita said, malice evident on her features at the thought of Iris of the White Blade.
Iris Zehirete. One of the strongest and most skilled knights, slayer of countless aetherborn. A renowned hero who, through her boundless determination and innumerable battles, had risen to the rank of vice-captain while still in her twenties.
Skill wasn’t all she had, however. She was also remarkably beautiful, a fact that had earned her the adoration of the citizenry. Nevertheless, Vita had no love for her.
“I can’t stand her!” Vita exclaimed, gnawing on her nail, her youthful beauty twisted by hatred.
To her—and to the other military nobility—the woman was a nuisance. A savage, a nobody from nowhere important. How the likes of a simple village girl could possibly be stronger than them, they couldn’t fathom. It was them, and their outstanding ability, that had been supporting the country on their shoulders, and they would not stand for such a disgrace. They would not allow themselves to be looked down upon like this.
“So you see, Vita,” they’d told her, “you must surpass that woman.”
The members of House Kaambl had given young Vita extensive combat education. She was the youngest of the family, the least important of them all. For this reason, her older relatives, willing to risk the consequences, had put her through grueling training. Day after day, she’d trained so intensely that even her urine turned bloodred.
Thus, at the age of thirteen, Vita had become the youngest magus knight ever. Her twisted knighthood came not from a desire to defend her country, but from the drive to secure power.
“Iris, Iris,” she said to herself. “Just hurry and come resupply or whatever it is already! I do so wish to torment you!”
Those who had raised her despised Iris, and so Vita had also grown to hate her. In fact, her loathing was even greater than that of her relatives. Her first few months since being knighted were spent incessantly harassing the older woman. She’d signed on for missions that barely suited her so she could stay close to Iris (to whom she pretended it was all a coincidence), just for the opportunity to keep barraging her with sarcastic, biting remarks that barely fell short of abuse.
Vita thought back on how Iris looked at her each time, as if gazing at filth, and her chest heaved, her breaths coming in long, hot huffs. What a wonderful feeling it was! How frustrated Iris must have been, unable to say anything! The girl could hardly contain herself as she contemplated the position her superior was in.
Vice-captain though Iris might’ve been, as a member of the influential House Kaambl, Vita had the upper hand through her social standing. With the other soldiers on the younger woman’s side, Iris had no choice but to take the abuse quietly.
“Hee hee hee! Oh, my dearest vice-captain, I’ll chase you down to the ends of the Earth itself! ♡”
She was determined to harass Iris until she finally surpassed her in skill. And when the time came, the blonde knight would fall to pieces, utterly shattered. At that thought, Vita wanted to burst into laughter.
Fantasies of that future were Vita’s greatest pleasure in life.
This terrible excuse for a knight had been standing by the wall for six hours by now, waiting for her chance to abuse Iris, when her nose began to twitch.
“Mmm! ♡” she hummed, sniffing the air.
She could smell that woman’s scent. Iris was headed her way. She could feel it.
“Here she comes! ♡” Her face lit up, and her whole body exuded a sweet fragrance.
Ah, how shall I make fun of you this time? Vita wondered. Perhaps I could tell you all about the innumerable times I’ve been hit on? Poor, poor Iris! How vexing it must be for you that I’m so popular with men at my age! Of course, I’m still quite short, but you see, my chest has grown significantly in size since I started harassing you! Why, I’m already an F cup! Men come to me in droves! Naturally, I ignore them all, but still!
Now you, by comparison, have no tales of romance to share, which of course surprises a grand total of nobody, since you’re always on assignment, going from here to there to who knows where, and let’s not forget that I endeavor diligently to harass and crush any man who dares to look your way so you’ll spend the rest of your miserable single life not knowing what to do with your useless J cups (yes, I looked it up), ah ha ha ha ha!
Yes, a splendid idea. Perhaps she would tell Iris just that, albeit in less direct terms.
How would Iris react? Vita could hardly wait.
“Oh, vice-captain, won’t you please hurry? ♡” she pleaded, jumping up and down with anticipation. Be still, my beating heart!
When Iris’s wagon crossed the thicket and came into view, Vita moaned excitedly, straining her eyes to take a gander at the older knight, and—
“Wha—”
Inside the wagon were Iris, her cheeks flushed, and a young man Vita had never seen before. They were smiling at each other in an intimate manner.
“Excuse me?”
Vita tensed up, her daydreams coming to an abrupt halt. In her now lucid mind, something shattered.
“Excuse me, vice-captain?! What?!”
As the unicorn-powered wagon drew closer, the scene came more clearly into view. That Iris—that scornful, sour-faced woman—was conversing with a young man and looking happier than Vita had ever seen!
“Oh...” The silver-haired knight snapped. “Yoooooouuuuuu!” she shrieked.
She began a mad dash toward the wagon, her feet moving of their own accord, her chest aflame with incomprehensible fury. Without a hint of hesitation, Vita drew her aethereal dagger.
“O Fragarach, the Vengeful Gale!” she chanted. “Bless me with the power of wind!”
An ominous wind started to blow from her back, propelling her forward.
Fragarach was a legendary weapon from Celtic mythology. It was said to grant the wielder command over the wind and to exact retribution for deep-seated grudges. In other words, the dagger’s power grew in proportion to the strength of the owner’s hatred.
“Haaaaah! Diiiiiie!” she yelled, her voice reverberating with resentment.
Powered by her strongest gale yet, Vita was upon the wagon within moments. She had never felt so much bitterness before. Who the hell was that bastard sitting next to Iris?
Ridiculous! Preposterous! Absurd! What is this nonsense?! That horrid woman, Iris of the White Blade, is a lone wolf! Incorruptible, collected, overwhelmingly zealous, and powerful! The supreme knight! How dare you make her look like that! Who do you think you are?! Eat shit and die, asshole!
The inexplicable explosion of wrath in Vita’s heart brought her face-to-face with the unknown man. There was no way he could dodge her attack.
Die! Die, die, die, die, die! A nobody like you isn’t worthy of Iris! Only someone of the same caliber as her belongs at her side! Go to hell!
As the young knight was about to thrust her vengeful blade at the man, she felt an unexpected jolt of pain in her arm, eliciting a yelp from her lips. Suddenly, the man was twisting the hand she held the dagger with, as if time had stopped for him alone.
Huh?! When did he—
The man was as merciless as he was swift, gripping her by the collar and dragging her out of the wagon with him.
“Eek!” she yelped in surprise as he slammed her against the ground at incredible speed.
What a disgrace! Vita was lauded as a genius, despite being the youngest among the knights, and she’d been so certain she was already close to Iris’s level! How could she have been beaten so easily?
Bastard, bastard, bastard! How dare you, how dare you, how dare you do this to me! she thought, her anger rising as the man overwhelmed her. I’ll kill you! Destroy you! You won’t get away with this, you filthy, worthless peasant!
The flames of her fury were soon quelled, however, when the dark-haired man pressed down on her with his knee, then drew his sword without hesitation.
What?
It dawned on Vita that he was about to kill her himself.
Whaaat? No, wait wait wait! You can’t just murder people! Hey!
She had no time to put her thoughts into words before the man brought his black blade down onto her throat.
No! No no no, waaaaaait!
Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, memories of her childhood racing through her mind as she began to sweat profusely. Death was upon her, and she could do nothing to escape it.
Nooooooooo!
Just as Vita braced for the end, the blade about to pierce her throat, the man’s hand came to an abrupt stop. The very tip of the sword just barely grazed the top layer of her skin.
“Eeeeek!”
I’m...alive...
As she realized she’d been spared for the moment, her body went limp, warm liquid wetting her crotch. It was horrendously embarrassing, but she’d been unable to stop it.
“Who the hell are you?” the man demanded, his gaze stone-cold. “Why were you trying to kill me?”
“Eep!” Vita squeaked, once again consumed by fear.
She tried to speak, but her tongue wouldn’t move. Shock had silenced even someone as arrogant and wicked as she.
Nooo! I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m so dead! If I don’t say anything, he’ll slit my throat for sure!
Terrified, Vita instinctively looked at Iris, her eyes pleading for help.
You can’t let him kill a junior knight! You’re the vice-captain! Help me!
“Let her go, Crow,” Iris told the raven-haired man.
Vita’s wish was granted. The man stepped away from her, obediently following Iris’s order. Why? What kind of relationship did they have?
I-I’m saved, she thought, releasing the last of her tension.
She’d never seen a man so terrifying. His face had been fully devoid of any emotion, and he’d moved with full intent to kill her. Frightening—far too frightening!
No matter how powerful he might’ve been, however, under Iris’s protection, Vita felt safe.
Thank goodness.
“Vita,” Iris snapped, interrupting the young girl’s thoughts. “Mind explaining what in the world you were trying to do?!”
“Eeeeeek!” was all Vita managed in response as Iris’s murderous gaze pierced through her.
She was really pissed.
Iris didn’t just have the usual sour look on her face—she looked like she’d actually snapped and seriously meant to kill her. Clearly, forgiveness was not in the cards. The blonde knight’s fury toward Vita was astonishing, her expression something the younger knight had never seen before.
And thus Vita von Kaambl was taken into custody, both for using an aethereal arm against a civilian and for attempted murder. As soon as they stepped into the city, Iris summoned the guards and had Vita detained, mercilessly commanding them to throw her in jail.
“Men! Arrest this girl at once!”
“Yes, my lady!”
“Wahhhh! Iris, please...!” Vita pleaded.
So, what the hell was that girl’s problem?! Crow wondered to himself as he watched the beautiful young knight get dragged away, sobbing and whining.
Crow had been seducing Iris.
And he had no idea.
Moreover, young Vita’s brain, full of distorted feelings for Iris, was in shambles—because of him.
And he had no idea.
Have I done something wrong?! he asked himself, his face locked into its usual sharp expression.
Crow’s countenance radiated a manliness so intense that the guards Iris had summoned shuddered. He was almost killed, but he doesn’t feel anything! they thought. He turned the tables on the genius of House Kaambl! What in the world is he?!
And he had no idea.
Utterly bewildered, he headed off to visit the city’s branch of the Imperial Order of Magus Knights.
“Breaking news! Heroine #2 has been revealed!”
“News flash! Heroine #2 has been arrested!”
“Well, this concludes today’s news!”