A silvery threat swung at Anne, aiming to gouge out her neck. There was a moment of hesitation, but the aim was precise.

　There was no doubt that death awaited her in the blink of an eye. Anne's five senses sensed this fact.

　To tell the truth, this was not the first time Anne had been held at knifepoint. She had been active in the favelas of the walled city of Garou Amalia, and had been the unwitting target of resentment.

　But even so, there had never been anyone who had dared to take Anne by surprise as a mere girl.

　Maybe the thugs were careless somehow. Or perhaps the arrogance that came with their strength gave Anne the room to open her mouth.

　Anne had always been able to hold her tongue against the blades of such fools. They were always foolish, and it was easier for Anne to persuade them than to twist a baby's hand. There was nothing more disgraceful than to have a scar on your body.

　But unfortunately for Anne, the man standing in front of her now knew that she was a threat. He was not careless, nor did he underestimate her. Rather, he's wielding his knife as if he were facing a monster.

　That's why the knife will definitely cut Anne.

　Anne's eyes widen and she shivers. I knew this would happen at some point. I've trained for it. But when it came down to it, my body just wouldn't move. Practice makes one's body freeze.

　Whether you're a hero or Kalia. She wondered if she would always be on such a level, Ann muttered in her heart.

　A small twist of her body and shoulders. She tried to shake off the knife with her arm, but it was too late. Her limbs felt numb and dull. Beneath his flickering eyelids, someone's figure floated. There was a sharp cracking sound.

　--and then there was fresh blood. The black-red blood soaked the floorcloth like wine.

"Uh-gah!

　A groan sounded. The sound of blood dripping down the floor, a sound not normally made in everyday life.

　The room shimmered with the glow of thin steel. Several of them sprouted from the palm of the man's hand. From Anne's point of view, it's hard to tell what happened. All she knew was that the knife had shifted its original trajectory.

　The sharp blade loses its momentum and precision. It was no longer a will, but only a reflex, and the tip of the blade snatched the flesh of Anne's shoulder as she twisted her body, and then fell out of the man's hand.

　It was as if everything she had been thinking about in that split second was now pouring into her head.

　What had happened? I survived, I survived. But why?

　Anne's rambling thoughts tangled and unraveled as things crisscrossed in front of her.

　A series of swooshes sounded. At the same time, a silver rod was thrust into the neck of the man who had been the chief administrator. Both Anne and the man looked into each other's eyes as if they didn't know what was going on, but it didn't last long.

　Next, the man's limbs twitched as if he were numb, and he fell down, foaming. Perhaps the iron, or even the needle, that pierced the man had been coated with a fast-acting poison.

　Seeing the fainting figure of the man, Ann finally resumed breathing. She hadn't even noticed that her lungs had stopped moving at some point. She opened her mouth, but couldn't get the words out.

"I told you, you should have an escort.

　The voice was a little too cheerful for the occasion. It was falling down from the ceiling. The needle-shooter glanced at Anne with only his face.

　No, but she's the one who's used to this kind of situation. Perhaps this voice is the right voice for the occasion. She breathed on her shoulders, sweat dripping down her neck, and said, "Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bruder. ...... I don't want a visible escort. I don't like to have visible guards, because it gives them an opening.

　Bruder descends from the ceiling with the graceful grace of a master magician. His brown hair blended in with the room and looked strangely beautiful.

　In his hand is a thin needle identical to the one that pierced the man's neck and palm. They return to his wrist with a simple turn of Bruder's hand.

　I had heard that he had been a mercenary and had also done some assassination work. To be honest, Ann hadn't expected her to be so good at it. Perhaps her own unpretentious personality had something to do with it.

"Oh no. I got hurt. ...... Ma. I'm sure this will be less noticeable after a quick treatment.

　Bruder wiped the blood from Anne's shoulder. Something more like a fever than pain bit at her left shoulder.

　It was a tingling sensation that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was a blade wound she hadn't felt in a long time. Anne involuntarily ran her fingers over her shoulder.

　It wasn't that big of a wound. If Bruder was right, the wound would heal quickly with proper treatment.

　As a negotiator, it is no joke to have a scar on your body. It is a disgrace, and the extra scars will make you more vulnerable. The sooner you heal, the better.



　That's the way it usually is.

　Anne turned up her nose, her eyes glowing. This might be a good thing, she thought.

　If the heraldry is successful in the future, there will surely be a flesh-and-blood battle within the church over who is the most successful.

　It is a peculiar trait of military personnel to say at that time that a person who does not have a single scar on his body can be said to have achieved merit.

　A single scratch on the shoulder would be effective in silencing such a person. It's not that I don't have my uses as a negotiator.

　Besides," Anne said, relaxing her eyes and relaxing her cheeks.

　--I'm sure the heroes will have a twisted expression when they see this scar.

　If he knew that he had received such a wound in the struggle waged by the anti-Rugis forces, he would have a pained expression on his face.

　He would at least say that he was sorry and apologize. To that, I might reply that I don't care about it.

　That will work for the moment, but I am sure the hero will not forget. That's the way he is. It would leave a mark on his heart just as slowly as this scar.

　With that in mind, Anne smiled, a gentle, deep smile. But the depths of her eyes were inexplicably tinged with darkness.

　Without knowing what was going through Anne's mind, Bruder said in a casual voice.

And what about this guy? It won't kill him, but it might take him a while to recover.

　You want to start talking? Ann shook her head in response to Bruder's question. She couldn't know anything anyway. There was no way that the cautious Salainio would reveal his true intentions to someone he was using as a pawn.

　In fact, it was much more likely that she was being given unnecessary information to distract them. At least, that's what Anne would do.

　Anne picked up the knife that had fallen out of her hand and opened her mouth. The heat in her shoulder began to turn to pain, and her fingertips splashed.

The heat in her shoulder began to turn to pain and her fingers began to splinter. Master Bruder cannot expect this man to betray the vigilance of those around him all by himself.

　The chief administrator was a man of his position, a man of quick thinking. If he were to betray us, he would naturally have others with him.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find someone who can help you. It will be someone with a certain amount of military power. Then we'd better hurry or we'll be in trouble. It would be worse if they started fires all over the place.

　But Bruder takes his time, chewing his tobacco in his teeth. It was an awkward gesture, as if he was still getting used to it.

"It won't do any good if the commander betrays us--we've got Vess.

　His voice was somewhat boastful, and he was proud of it. Her brown eyes swayed merrily.