Sigrid - 12

“That’s fortunate. Could I ask you to guide me then?”

“Yes!”

Seria answered firmly and started walking ahead. Sigrid asked,

“What happened earlier with Count Oren?”

“Well, um… He said I caught his eye while I was walking…”

“Ah, I see.”

Sigrid nodded. It seemed he had brought his habits from his domain straight to the imperial capital. While it might not matter with serfs on his estate—

‘Does it not matter?’

Something nagged at her slightly.

‘Perhaps anything forced is not good. But serfs are definitely property… It’s not exactly breaking the law to do that. Hmm…’

“Oh, that’s right!”

Suddenly Seria raised her voice, snapping Sigrid out of her thoughts. Seria said with a smile,

“Thank you for saving me!”

“I only did what needed to be done.”

“No! I survived thanks to you, Lady Knight!”

Seria gazed at Sigrid with dazzled eyes. The gallant female knight who appeared with silver hair like a halo seemed to have stepped right out of a heroic tale. And such a person was looking for her brother.

“Um—”

“Yes?”

“Why are you looking for Arkana?”

“Well— I have something I’d like to ask him.”

“What is it?”

“I’d prefer to discuss that with him alone.”

“Ah, of course. I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize.”

Seria kept twirling her red hair with her fingers. With her tanned skin, slightly sun-kissed face, and green eyes, Seria was a healthy and cheerful-looking pretty girl. Her biggest concern was the light sprinkling of freckles across her face.

“Can you ride a horse?”

Seria shook her head at Sigrid’s question. Sigrid came back holding Echo’s reins and said,

“Then we’d better ride together.”

“What?”

“Would you like to mount first? Put your foot in this stirrup here, and take my hand.”

Seria thought this would probably be the most memorable day of her life. As they entered the small village, the two immediately attracted attention. Despite her reddening face, Seria diligently guided them until they arrived at a house on the very outskirts of the village.

Bang bang!

As Seria knocked on the door forcefully, it soon swung open and a man burst out.

“Seria? Why are you so late……”

The man’s voice, which was about to scold her, gradually slowed as he saw Sigrid standing behind Seria. Her attire was clearly not from this village.

“This lady saved me.”

Seria said as she turned around, and Sigrid greeted in a knightly manner.

“I am Sigrid Ankertna. Are you Master Arkana?”

Master—?!

Arkana was dumbfounded by the unexpected title.

“I-I am Arkana, but, um—”

‘Ah, I see. Not yet, then.’

But the red hair and green eyes. It matched the appearance she had heard about. Sigrid asked,

“Are you not the magician Arkana?”

At those words, the dumbfounded expression vanished from Arkana’s face. His eyes now held wariness, suspicion, and distrust.

‘I’ve found the right person.’

Thinking this, Sigrid spoke politely again.

“May I request a moment of your time for a conversation?”

“I’m sorry, but I think you’ve got the wrong person. Seria, come inside.”

As Arkana gestured to Seria, she hesitated between the two before quickly sticking to Arkana and saying,

“But Arkana, this lady saved me today.”

“She might have done that on purpose.”

“It’s not like that!”

Seria raised her voice sharply. Arkana pushed his little sister inside while saying,

“Go in.”

“But, but at least hear her out.”

“I said go in.”

As Arkana’s voice lowered, Seria quickly went inside, bowing to Sigrid as she did. Sigrid returned the gesture.

“I don’t know how you’ve sweet-talked my little sister, but I have nothing to say to you. Please just leave, Lady Knight.”

“I wish I could just leave, but this is quite a serious matter for me as well. Couldn’t you just listen for a moment?”

“I’m not a magician or whatever you think I am.”

Arkana said firmly and closed the door right in Sigrid’s face.

‘What should I do?’

She hadn’t thought of this… After hesitating, Sigrid knocked on the door again.

“Master Arkana— no, Mr. Arkana, please just listen for a moment, Mr. Arkana.”

She knocked earnestly, but there was no sound from inside the house, as if they were hiding from a debt collector. Sigrid sighed and wandered around the house before saying,

“I’ll come visit again.”

She then returned home.

When she arrived, two soldiers were waiting for her.

“Are you Lady Sigrid Ankertna?”

“Yes, I am.”

“We’re arresting you on charges of assault and intimidation.”

“Assault and intimidation?”

“We’ve received a complaint from Count Oren.”

“But they were the ones who—”

“For now, please come with us to the guard station.”

Sigrid frowned but then nodded. She said to her maid, Mary,

“I’m sorry, you prepared dinner but just leave it. I’ll eat when I get back.”

“Yes, yes. Don’t worry.”

With a worried face, Mary watched her employer leave with the soldiers. The three maids put their heads together for a moment, then finally one of them quickly set off to send word to their former employer’s house.

Even as she went with the soldiers, Sigrid wasn’t particularly worried. She had only exercised her authority justly. However, when they arrived at the guard station, the story changed.

“What are you saying?”

Sigrid frowned.

“I’m saying that you dared to assault and threaten my entourage in the middle of the road. Didn’t you cut down my knights who couldn’t even draw their weapons?”

Count Oren spoke with a rather solemn face. Beside him stood the knights who had been defeated by Sigrid earlier, their faces grim.

“You drew your weapons first, so I drew mine.”

“Nonsense! You attacked first, wench. If we had drawn our weapons first, why don’t you have a single scratch on you?”

“That’s because I’m strong.”

“No matter how strong, it’s impossible for a single female knight to defeat three men. Apologize and compensate us immediately.”

Sigrid was dumbfounded.

“What on earth are you saying……”

“Are you accusing me of lying?”

“Yes.”

“You, you wench! Guard Captain! What do you think about this!”

As Count Oren whirled his head around, Guard Captain Amu made a troubled face.

“Well, since there’s no evidence from either side……”

“Of course there’s evidence.”

Count Oren grinned.

‘Evidence?’

Sigrid slightly furrowed her brow, then said, “Ah.”

“I have a witness too. Please call the woman who Count Oren was harassing at that time.”

Amu nodded. Upon hearing this, Count Oren’s smile deepened. As one guard left for the address Sigrid provided, Morris entered as if exchanging places with him.

“Sigrid, what’s going on?”

“Morris? How did you know to come?”

Sigrid’s eyes widened in surprise. Morris scratched his cheek and said,

“I found out somehow. More importantly, assault charges?”

Count Oren’s eyes narrowed. Guard Captain Amu cleared his throat and explained the situation.

“According to Count Oren, this afternoon Lady Ankertna blocked the Count’s carriage on its way to the capital and picked a fight. When the Count’s knights tried to calm Lady Ankertna, she drew her sword, injured three of them, intimidated the Count, extorted money from him, and then disappeared.”

“What?”

Morris couldn’t help but exclaim. Amu’s face also showed disbelief.

There’s no way Sigrid would do such a thing.

Sigrid spoke in a cold voice.

“I did no such thing. I was passing by when I saw Count Oren harassing and trying to kidnap a free woman. When I tried to stop it, those knights drew their swords, so I only responded in kind. After that, I handed the Count over to the capital guards who arrived.”

“Handed over? They protected me from you! Why don’t we call those soldiers and hear their story, hm?”

“As they arrived after the situation had ended, the soldiers’ testimony……”

Amu quickly covered for his men. Count Oren said,

“Then let’s call my witness.”

At his nod, one of the knights went out and brought in a man wearing shabby clothes. The man looked around nervously, his face full of tension.

“Now, tell the truth.”

At Count Oren’s words, the man bowed repeatedly, saying, “Yes, yes.”

“I was working in a nearby field, sir. Suddenly I heard a loud noise, and when I looked, wasn’t this lady knight blocking the carriage?”

“What?”

Sigrid’s voice involuntarily lowered. Count Oren glared at her as if she had shouted, exclaiming, “Ahem!”

“You’re not thinking of intimidating the witness, are you, Lady Ankertna? Continue with your story.”

Despite the story being completely different from the facts, Sigrid furrowed her brows, but the man didn’t stop talking.

“I, I was surprised and just watched. Then the Count spoke nicely from inside the carriage, and when the male knights approached to talk with her, she suddenly drew her sword!”

Sigrid gritted her teeth.

“The male knights were taken aback! Even as this lady knight was swinging her sword around, they didn’t draw theirs… Then she demanded money! When the Count handed over his money pouch, only then did the lady knight disappear. Yes, yes.”

Sigrid remained silent.

It was just like back then.

A stranger who claimed to know her well gave testimony.

They lied.

Someone she had never seen before told her story, lied, and evidence she had never seen before poured out of her room—

She felt suffocated.

It felt like everything was going black before her eyes.

Back then, back then, back then—

Condemning voices, evidence that directly refuted her desperate claims.

She was telling the truth, but everyone said it was a lie.

“……ris……”

Morris turned to Sigrid at the very faint voice and was surprised to see her pale face. Sigrid reached out to grasp his sleeve and said,

“No, n-no, I, it wasn’t me.”

Hearing her desperate words, Morris took her hand and smiled.

“I know.”

I know.

At those words, Sigrid felt all the strength drain from her shoulders. She felt like she might cry. Morris, wondering why Sigrid was so anxious, squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Amu cleared his throat and said,

“Lady Ankertna’s witness hasn’t arrived yet, so let’s wait a moment.”

Shortly after, a guard arrived, saluted, and said with a troubled face,

“Lady Ankertna, I’m sorry, but we couldn’t find that person.”

“What?”

Sigrid asked in surprise. The faces of Amu and Morris darkened simultaneously.

“I went to the house you mentioned, but no one was there. When I asked the villagers, they said the people living in that house disappeared two or three days ago……”

“That’s impossible!”

I was just talking to them!

“Oh my, oh my, were you trying to prepare a false witness and got caught? Hmm? This is the end of your stalling tactics. Or should we take this case all the way to His Imperial Majesty?”

Count Oren spoke mockingly. Morris asked,

“What do you want?”

“A bit of money, and since she dared to accept bribes as His Majesty’s knight, she should quit being a knight. And to clear up any misunderstandings, I’d like to have a private conversation with Lady Ankertna.”

Morris felt like laughing.

A bitter laugh escaped him as he glared at Count Oren, then looked at the witness.

“You.”

“Y-Yes, yes.”

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Shemuel.”

“There are no lies in your testimony, right? You know the law that says those who give false testimony have their tongues cut out, don’t you?”

“Oh my, oh my, of course! How could I dare!”

Shemuel’s face turned pale as he prostrated himself on the ground. Count Oren spoke to Morris,

“Now, now, stop threatening the witness! What kind of behavior is this? Shemuel, don’t worry. I’ll protect you, so speak.”

“Yes, yes.”

Count Oren cleared his throat with a “Ahem” and then looked at Morris, asking,

“And who might you be?”

“I am Morris Deforest. Lady Ankertna’s fellow knight.”

“Deforest…? Oh, the second son of Viscount Deforest.”

A vile smile spread across Count Oren’s face.

“How is your older brother doing?”

“He’s doing well.”

Morris’s face hardened, but a smooth answer flowed from his lips. Count Oren smirked and said,

“It must be tough, having such a capable second son. And Lord Deforest, you should be more careful about choosing your friends. It’s laughable enough that a commoner is an imperial knight, but look at her drawing her sword against nobles.”

“I don’t think I need your advice regarding my friendships, Count.”