I Favor the Villainess Chapter 99

"What are you thinking, Rei!!"

Claire-sama who awoke in her room in the academy, said that first thing after taking notice of me.

"Please calm down, Claire-sama"
"How could I calm down! Of all people you closed your eyes to injustice!"

Claire-sama harshly condemned me.

"And still you call yourself Claire François's partner!"

I'd usually make a teasing remark here, but I'd completely lose her trust if I did that under these circumstances.
I must explain properly.

"Claire-sama. I haven't closed my eyes to any injustice. Neither Salas's, nor Dor-sama's, I will investigate both properly"
"Eh…?"

As if the earlier vigor was a lie, Claire-sama's tone weakened.

"Bu, but, Rei? You were deceived by Salas's…
"I only pretended to be deceived. I have another aim"
"Aim…?"

A questioning look appeared on Claire-sama's face.

"Yes. More importantly, please help me look for Lily-sama"
"Cardinal Lily? What happened to her?"
"It's my mistake that I hadn't explained beforehand, but same as Claire-sama, she was under the impression I fell for Salas's words and stormed out”
"It really is your mistake"

I wish you had explained it to me as well, Claire-sama complained.

"Anyway, we have to find her"
"I understand. Then, let us split up"
"No, we mustn't.  It may be just a little, but it's still dangerous"
"Dangerous?"
"… Sorry, Claire-sama. It doesn't seem I have the time to explain"

I raised Claire-sama from the bed by her arm, and shielding her from the door readied myself.

"Please prepare, Claire-sama"
"Eh? Eh?"

With a tiny click the door unlocked.

Perhaps finally realizing the situation, Claire-sama took out and readied her magical wand.
The door quietly opened and six men slipped in.

"Who are you!?"
"They're Salas's assassins"

Perhaps they're Salas's private soldiers who were in his room, but they aren't wearing the armor with the crest.
Their bodies are clad in black rags, and white masks cover their faces.

Salas said let's make a deal, but he had no such intentions.
It was a stopgap lie, getting rid of us was the real intention.
I only pretended to fall for his smooth talk.

"The three-man cell will see it done, huh"
"Th, three?"
"It means they intend to take our lives no matter what"
"Well, it seems so"

When Claire-sama said that, she held her wand towards the men and said.

"Now, come here! This Claire François will not run away or hid――"
"Kyaaaa! Murderers!"

Interrupting Claire-sama who tried speaking sharply, I loudly screamed.
Claire-sama's face said eeeh.

In the game, in this scene you drive away the assassins together with the capture target, but I've always wondered.
Why not call for help.
This is the academy dormitory.
That means there obviously are lots of people.
Two versus six is fairly tough, but if I raise my voice like this――.

"What's going on!"
"That scream just now!?"
"Are you okay, Claire-sama!"

It'll turn out like this.
People gathered one after another.
In the game it'd rob a capture target of the chance to act, but there's no need to push ourselves.
Rather than letting something unexpected happen to Claire-sama, I'll call for help and not strain myself.
Well, this is also my reflection on what happened during the commoners' movement.

The men were flustered for a moment, but without fleeing, they offered resistance.
Perhaps, Salas grasped their weaknesses.
It may be money, it may be lives of their families.
There's no way I would know details, but those must be fatal weaknesses.
Without surrendering, the men continued struggling to the end, when they were about to be captured, they took their lives.

"Inhumane…"

Claire-sama's mutter was of course censure directed at Salas.

"Yo. Not caring about the appearance, nice"

A cheerful voice unbefitting this situation resounded.
At the same time, the door to the room closed on its own.
I can hear banging from outside, but it seems it won't open.
Furthermore, people who remained on this side are collapsing one by one.

"There!"

Claire-sama fired a flame lance with restricted power in the direction where the last collapsed person had stood.
The flame lance soared towards the corner of the room, however, all of a sudden it disappeared like a mirage.

"Yo yo, you two. We meet again"

I searched my memory for the out of place tone of voice and the face covered by a black mask.

"At the time of the commoners' movement…"
"Right right. That time, I got careless, Well, this time it's my revenge"

I didn't expect this development.
Why did this man appear at this timing…?

"Rei, contemplate it later. Let's defeat him first"
"Absolutely"

Certainly, it's as Claire-sama said.

"Ooh, scary. But, don't think it'll be so easy?"

While cackling, the black-masked man readied a knife.

"Please be careful, Claire-sama. Probably it's coated in cantarella"
"Yeah"

Recalling the time Sein-sama was attacked, I warned Claire-sama to be cautious.
Claire-sama replied while vigilantly watching him.

"Hmm… What to do"
"If you are not coming, here I go!"

As Claire-sama shook her wand, flame lances flooded the black-masked man.
However――.

"Haha, useless useless"

Just before they hit him, all the flame lances disappeared just like before.
Just what magic is that.

"To begin with, why call out your attack. If you're acting――"

Without finishing speaking, the man disappeared.

"Kh!"
"How about doing it like this?"

Closing the distance in the blink of an eye the black-masked man slashed at Claire-sama.
Somehow Claire-sama managed to dodge and take distance.
It was close even for Claire-sama who excels at martial arts.
If it was me, I wouldn't be able to react.

"Freeze"

I invoked the water attribute magic "Judecca" I once used against Manarisama to stop him from moving.
If I connect it with Earth Spike, "Cocytus" will be complete――.

"I told you it's useless"

The man seemed to freeze for an instant, but the next moment he recovered from it.
No way, is this man Spell Breaker user just as Manarisama?

"Nn. But, it's troublesome. With you two as opponents at the same time, my odds are low"
"Yet you came to challenge us willingly"
"Because it's an order. I also didn't want to"

There's not a trace of tension in him, but seeing that Claire-sama doesn't attack, he must have no weak spots.

"Right. Let's do this. I'll stop"

Saying so abruptly, the masked man ran towards the door.
Without losing momentum he smashed through the door.
Perhaps surprised by the door suddenly opening, the crowd that gathered in the hallway split.
The man escaped the room through that gap.

"Wait!"
"No, Claire-sama. Lily-sama's safety comes first!"

I called Claire-sama who tried to pursue him to halt.
If the assassins were Salas's, his clutches of evil are sure to reach Lily-sama.
I thought so, but,

"Rei-san! Claire-sama!"

From the other side of the turmoil a person appeared.
It's Lily-sama.

"Wha, what a relief… You are safe"
"Lily-sama… Why are you here?"

While I was relieved, I also felt curious about that.

"A, after all, Rei-san saying such a thing without a reason is unthinkable… Lily came to ask why, but then you were attacked by those men"

Lily-sama burst into tears.

"Please be relieved, Lily-sama. Both Claire-sama and I are safe. I am truly sorry for making you worry"
"Se, seriously…"

As Lily-sama wouldn't stop crying, as a last resort I stroked her hair.

"Rei. First of all, explain the circumstances to the housemother. Then, it is necessary to provide Cardinal Lily the explanation"
"That's right, isn't it"

That day the inside of the dormitory turned into a mess.
Busy bringing the situation under control, it was the noon next day when we could move freely.

But, our counterattack starts from here.

Chapter end