"Ah!"

Apostate had had an elusive atmosphere about him until now, but in an instant the aura he was clad in changed. The silver string in his hands flashed. Andre cringed with fear at the bloodl.u.s.t that gave even me the creeps.

"Hii…"
"Tsk…"

Again wrapping Apostate"s silver string around my sword, I protected Andre.
I thought so before too, but the silver string is just like a sharp blade. While thinking that I was saved to hear about this method of attack from Cain, I faced Apostate.
Shaking his head, Apostate spoke in an astonished tone.

"… You really are strong. I didn"t think you could react to my serious attack… Or rather, why are you getting in my way? If I just do my job, I"ll quietly leave, you know?"
"Andre is a Wilhelm citizen. There"s no reason to let other countries do as they please with him."

When I stole a glance at Andre, I saw he"d fainted from fear.
… Pathetic.
Andre should"ve used swords and magic in the past within his capacity. And yet, far from responding, he fainted from the bloodl.u.s.t. He really lost his edge. Even though I found him pathetic, it wasn"t the time for that now, as I and apostate glared at each other.
Honestly, I didn"t feel it was necessary to protect Andre either, but Apostate"s killing method is special. I don"t want to show Lidi a scene of beheading.

"For me, killing anything but the target is against my principles. That"s why I"m really troubled that you"re in my way."

As Apostate frowned, I calmly pointed out.

"That"s on you. I won"t let Sahaja do as you want anymore. Withdraw, Apostate."
"… I give up."

Making a perplexed face, Apostate said.

"I truly didn"t imagine I"d be hindered so much… Aah, I wonder if not bringing him down with the first strike was an ill omen. If I"d finished that job, that would be the end, and yet… I wonder if I got the timing wrong. But I want to quickly go home too…"

While complaining, Apostate erased his bloodl.u.s.t in an instant and pulled the silver string.
The string came off my sword.
As he returned the string and wound it around his hand, with the words, "Good grief", Apostate sighed.
Then he raised his face and, looking me into eyes, easily said, "Then, I"m going home".

"Ha?"

I wonder what he was saying suddenly, but Apostate put away the thread in his breast pocket like it was troublesome and swept dust off himself.

"I said I"m going home. I was told from the start to not force myself if you were there. But you know, despite being told so, I couldn"t just say, "Yes, I see", could I? I"m still Black"s best. That"s why I tried… but, yup, I understand what he"d said. As expected of the Nightmarish Crown Prince. I better withdraw today."
"…"

I was taken aback. Apostate turned around and began carefreely walking away.

"That. It"ll be disposed of anyway, right? I"ll leave it to you. Best regards."

That must mean Andre. When I gave him no answer, Apostate shrugged his shoulders.

"It"s a shame, but the plan went amiss… In our plan, you were supposed to arrive a little later. I matched time with that. Well, in any case, I wouldn"t have time to welcome him, so I guess this time was unlucky?"
"Him?"

The word "him" Apostate said weighed on my mind, but Apostate didn"t reply.

"The princess is interesting, but you are pretty interesting too. There are many really interesting people in Wilhelm. I want to visit it again."
"Never leave Sahaja again."

It"s troublesome when a legendary a.s.sa.s.sin appears in foreign countries.
When I reflexively said that back, Apostate chucked.

"You said the same thing as Cain. But just as I told him, that"s not for me to decide. Fighting with you seems more troublesome than with Cain, so if possible, I want to be spared it. If possible."

When the Apostate was far enough from us, he turned around. Before I noticed, he was holding something like a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Then, Nightmarish Crown Prince, and… Princess who uses interesting magic. See you again."
"Ah!"
"Bye bye."

I reacted to the last words, but I was too late. What he was holding was a sheet of formula paper. A return magical art formation must be drawn on it. Almost simultaneously with the magical art activation, his figure disappeared.

"… It"s better to a.s.sume Sahaja knows about Lidi"s neutralization magic."

Interesting magic――. I understood everything from those words.
Earlier Apostate said he had observed Lidi"s escape.
That means he was there watching when Lidi erased the slimes.
Perhaps the King, and in the worst case Prince Maximilian too, know about Lidi"s neutralization magic.
If they know Lidi can use neutralization magic, those parent and child will unmistakably want Lidi even more. To use Lidi for military affairs.
I absolutely cannot allow that. I again swore to myself that I"ll protect Lidi.