章 16: Chapter 15: The Songstress
"Right, what's this guy's problem? Get him to tell us why he attacked us."
Oscar told his men.
So I looked into the face of the man who was subdued – and I said.
"It's you."
"Do you know him, Lucas?"
"Yeah. Sort of."
What a surprise, it was that debt collector who attacked me.
I looked around, and I didn't see the guys who were on their knees in front of the 13th Prince's residence.
I told him about the series of things that started with Alice.
"Yeah, it's totally counterproductive."
"Fuck you! Hey, let go of me!"
"Too loud.. Let's remove that jaw."
"Ha!"
At Oscar's command, the gent removes the debt collector's jaw with an extremely expert hand.
Cleverly, not your average Joe.
Well, I don't care about this guy.
More importantly, it's the armor linked to the Leviathan.
Oscar marveled at how well he was using it, but I'm still not sure if he really is.
I'd like to try it out some more.
I look up at Oscar.
"'Brother, could I ask you to do one thing for me?"
"Yes, please speak up."
"I'd like to see how well I can handle this armor. Since brother has expert magicians with him, can you help me with this one?
"It's no problem. What do you want to do?"
"Um, ...."
I told Oscar what I was thinking.
Oscar listened to the end of it in silence, and then smiled with a snicker.
"Then let's get on with it."
"Are you sure you wanna do this yourself, brother?"
"Yeah. I'd like to see how it works, wouldn't it be more informative to do it yourself?"
"Okay. Well, then, let's go inside my house."
"Yup."
Nodding, I entered the mansion with Oscar.
Just before we left the place, Oscar gave a look to the man, the debt collector was being taken somewhere.
He attacked a prince, and he's going to get the punishment he deserves.
We didn't enter the mansion building, but rather came to the yard.
Then we face each other and get about ten meters away from each other.
"Let's go."
"Okay."
Nodding, Oscar began to chant a spell.
A magic circle was spread out at his feet, and his aristocratic clothes fluttered with the rising magic power.
Immediately afterwards, many flaming arrows flew in unison.
One, two, three – seventeen in all.
Seventeen flame arrows flew in and scattered all at once a few meters in front of me, and then they attacked me in the entire perimeter.
I didn't move, I was standing in a state of peace.
The flame arrows that flew at me were blocked by a shield that was transformed by the ring from the Leviathan Link.
There were seventeen arrows and seventeen shields that were put out around me.
All of the seventeen arrows that Oscar shot at me were exactly blocked by all of them.
"Haha ... that's amazing. Lucas was the first person to prevent this so perfectly."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, I'm still working out on this one. Wow, that's amazing, Lucas. I'd love to show this to His Majesty."
I nodded at the excited Oscar.
" I suppose I'll have to figure it out a bit more."
"Why?"
"If I show it to His Majesty, he will surely ask me 'how it happened'. If you can't explain your power to him then, then what's the point?"
"I see. Clever Lucas, I didn't know you could think that far ahead."
I smiled back at Oscar.
I've been thinking a lot about making this ability more my own.
The next day, for a change of pace, I went out to the store where Alice is.
I figured that the debt collector would no longer be able to recover, and if Arice was still worried about it, I'd tell her and reassure her.
So I went to the store with that in mind.
And, there Alice was just singing along.
I didn't want to interrupt her singing, I gave the clerk ten reeks, including the tip, and took the best seat to listen to her sing.
Yeah, I knew it.
The more she sings, the more she will grow. Definitely, she'll grow.
I was quietly listening to Alice's song, thinking that I'm looking forward to the future.
When the song ended, Alice caught her breath.
There are a few guests here and there who throw a treat in between acts.
In the midst of this, one of the guests approaches the stage with a dazed step.
"Yo sis, that was a good song, see, here's your reward."
"Thank you very much."
"Come over here and pour me a drink."
"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant–"
Alice was used to this kind of drunk, though she tried to refuse without changing her face.
"Ahh, back off, you. I had my eye on this woman first."
Another drunk appeared from the other side.
"Shut up. I'm going first."
"You shut up and get in there."
Two drunks, fighting Alice while imposing their own rules.
Alice looked troubled.
"Wanna go, you bastard!"
"You fucking did it!"
The two men grew more and more heated, each clenching their fists and hitting the other.
There were two dull noises in rapid succession.
"Ouchhhh!"
"gaaah!"
They held their fists that they swung and were in pain.
Between the two of them – I was the one who had interrupted them.
At this rate, blood will be seen.
I don't care what happens to these two, but it would be disgusting for Alice to see it involved.
So I interrupted, between their punches.
Then Leviathan reacts and pulls out two shields from the linked ring to block the punches.
The drunkards punched the iron shields as hard as they could, holding their hands and screaming in agony.
"What the hell!"
"Get out of my way!"
I silently pulled out my leviathan and slashed them both.
In the next moment, their clothes were torn apart and they were completely naked.
"N,Noooo."
"Hiiii!"
The men turned pale and ran away screaming, having only their clothes torn off in an instant.
I held back, I just didn't want to spill blood in front of Alice.
Threatening them with Leviathan was fine, but if I "beat" them with it, it might not necessarily have a negative effect on Alice's mind.
So this is how I had them comically exit the scene.
"What the hell was that, that was some amazing swordplay!"
"That's the 13th prince himself. Huh. ... As expected of the prince, his swordsmanship is also top-notch."
The atmosphere was buzzing around me, but the fact that I had stripped and chased them away in a mop, kept the atmosphere peaceful.
I turned to Alice.
"Are you okay?"
I asked her.
"Yes ... thank you so much."
"Hm. Hey, owner."
"Yes, sir! Excuse me, my Prince."
The owner, who had been watching the course of events at a distance, came running up to me in a hurry – so hurriedly that his foot hit the table.
"From now on, don't let customers like that in."
"And yet, this is the kind of customer base that sustains our shop. We're in the business of…"
"Okay, that' s fine. I'll buy the whole store, then."
"—-Eh?"
The owner is surprised. I pull the money I'm carrying around in my pocket and give it to him.
"I've got a thousand liens, I'll buy the whole shop, so don't let that happen again."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
The shopkeeper bowed his head over and over again as he held the money he had received high.
"That ... your highness."
"What's the matter with you, Alice, you don't look so happy."
"I don't know how I can ever repay you for all you've done for me."
"Just keep singing."
I answered immediately.
"All I want from you is a song. All you have to do is sing."
" Just keep singing, Yes"
"Yeah, I'm counting on it. I hope His Majesty will eventually hear it, and in the meantime, devote yourself to it."
"Yes ..."
Alice's eyes welled up with emotion and her cheeks dyed.
"Um, Your Highness ...?"
" Another song, if you would?"
"Yes, sing."
With a smile, I nodded and went back to my seat at the back of the room.
Waiting for me to sit down, Alice gave a beaming smile, then touched the strings of her harp and started to sing again.
"Mmm ..."
It was clearly different from the start.
As she started to sing, it was more and more pronounced.
Alice's song enveloped the restaurant.
Me and the rest of the customers.
All of us fell in love with Alice's song.
It was a clear departure from Alice's previous songs.
It's as if she grew – or evolved – in an instant.
I knew she had talent, so it makes sense that she would get better.
However, why all of a sudden?
The end of the song came as I was mysteriously listening to the song.
A moment later, there was a thunderous applause.
All the guests who had witnessed Alice's hatching stood up and gave generous applause.
"Really, I wonder what that means,"
"I think it was His Highness."
"Hmm?"
Someone speaks to me from the side and I turn around.
I know that face, I think–
"Byron, huh?"
It was that merchant I met at the Third Vizier's party, Byron.
Byron gave him a respectful look.
"Why are you here ... or more importantly, what do you call it my help?"
"Your Highness made her evolve the way she did. I thought the girl had grown out of her shell to respond to His Highness."
"Is that possible?"
"A rare occurrence. But that makes you, your Highness a great person indeed."
"Right. Is that going to last?"
"As long as you keep your eye on her, Your Highness."
Byron assured me.
Then it's alright.
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