“Don’t take me for a normal flirt and underestimate my capabilities. I am a von Zerbst of Germania, you have heard of it right?”
Tabitha nodded.
“Then, you should know the rumors that my family has on the battlefield. My family is cheerful and free like fire, but we are not just that. We will cheerfully and freely burn everything to ashes. And not just our enemies… Sometimes even our own men if they do not listen to us.”
Tabitha looked at Kirche motionlessly, the expression on her face seemed to be saying: “So what?”
“The thing I am most boastful about is the Zerbst flame that flows within my body. So as long as something obstructs my path, no matter what it is, I will burn it to a crisp. Even if it is our King… Or a child, they are all the same.”
Tabitha began spell-chanting. It seemed that Kirche’s threatening words did not have any effect on Tabitha.
“I have already warned you.”
Kirche waved her wand. Because of the considerable amount of military training she had received, when she gets serious, her chanting speed is faster than anyone else.
From the tip of her wand a fireball, not conservative in terms of size or power, flew towards Tabitha. Tabitha changed her spell in an instant, making an ice wall right before herself.
A thick ice wall blocked Kirche’s fireball… And melted into water. But this ice wall was unable to completely block Kirche’s fireball, causing Tabitha’s hair to be burnt by the spitting flames.
Tabitha jumped backwards, and then turned defense into attack. She made the water vapour in the air condense into ice, sending ice arrows flying at Kirche from all directions. She was serious as well, compared to the time when she nailed De Lorraine to the wall last time, the number of ice arrows was about three times as many… All hurdling straight towards Kirche.
Kirche waved her wand. Flames spinned around her body, wrapping onto the sharp ice blades, and melting them entirely. But, one of the ice arrows that had yet to melt completely scratched her cheek.
A drop of fresh blood fell along Kirche’s cheek.
Yet… Both Kirche and Tabitha stopped after that… The attacks from both sides ended there.
Both of them lowered their wands, and stared at each other.
Kirche stretched her tongue out to lick the blood that was falling down her cheek.
Tabitha used her hand to check her burnt hair as well.
De Lorraine who was hiding in the bushes asked Thonet Charente beside him, who was holding her breath to observe the battle.
“…What is going on? Is it over already?”
“…How should I know. Geez, get on with the fight already. There's no result yet is there?”
Why did Tabitha and Kirche stop fighting after releasing one attack each? De Lorraine and Thonet Charente could not understand the reason at all.
“What a headache… It seems that this is a misunderstanding after all.” Kirche said, pouting.
This mindless speech made De Lorraine and gang even more confused. Now is not the time to make such a relaxed speech is it? The two of them should be dueling, betting their lives on it shouldn’t they?
Tabitha seemed to have the same opinion as Kirche, and nodded.
Following that, she walked up to Kirche, and handed the burnt book to Kirche. Kirche took a look, and shook her head, saying.
“I didn’t do this.”
Tabitha raised her head to look up at Kirche. Kirche gave a faint smile, and patted her shoulder.
“My, if there is something I want, I would rob it, but my rule is to 'not rob the most treasured items of others'.”
Tabitha openned her mouth to say.
“Why?”
“Because, if I rob that, it would cause a situation where I have to risk my life, isn’t that kind of thing very troublesome?”
Kirche laughed cheerfully.
Tabitha, led by Kirche, revealed a tiny smile.
Kirche seemed to have noticed that smile, and said to Tabitha.
“You are cuter when you smile like this.”
After that, Kirche raised her wand high. A few tiny fireballs were fired towards the sky like fireworks, lighting up the area as though it was morning.
De Lorraine and gang who had been hiding amidst the darkness were instantly revealed in this light.
“Hi! Hiiiiiiii!”
“You people… What are you doing here?”
“N-no, just taking a stroll!”
“A stroll? Go for that a little later. Yeah, regarding the humiliation I suffered thanks to you… I would like to 'repay' you.”
The girls and De Lorraine intended to run, but their legs were tied tightly by Tabitha’s ropes of wind.
Kirche closed in upon De Lorraine who fell down.
“W-W-Why!”
“Are you trying to ask how we realized it?”
De Lorraine nodded vigorously as if he had a cramp.
“Listen well, have you heard the phrase 'The strong will know the strong?' When you become 'Triangle class' like us, you will be able to understand the level of the magic being cast on you. The whirlwind that tore my gown at the party, compared to the ice arrows this child has used just now, even though they are both of ‘wind’ magic, the magical powers in the two are completely different!”
“Hi! Hi! Hiiiii!”
Hearing the term 'Triangle Mages', all the people who fell to the floor were so scared they began trembling.
“Tabitha and I realized that both of us are triangle mages; that is why we let our wands down. If burnt by my flames, how can there be any book that retains its original shape? Remember well, my ‘fire’ will burn everything 'to a crisp'.”
De Lorraine struggled to get up to escape. Tabitha was about to chant a spell, but Kirche stopped her.
“Leave it to me.”
Tabitha shook her head.
“What are those books! I will become your friend in place of your books! But my humiliation… I am unable to find anything in replacement. So, I will take revenge for you as well, just watch!”
Something warm was created within Tabitha’s heart. Ever since she had abandoned her name, this is the first time someone had said something like “become your friend”.
This sentence… Seemed to have made the blizzard that has been rampaging in her heart melt slightly… Tabitha had that feeling.
“I owe you one.”
Tabitha nodded to say.
Her voice was very soft… She sounded a little shy, and there seemed to be a little happiness mixed in her tone. Having someone whom she could owe something to, this made Tabitha very happy without knowing why.
“Fine, you shall owe me for now. You better return the favor in the future!”
Kirche used a calm voice and a solemn demeanor to begin spell-chanting. A fireball flew at De Lorraine and his gang, who had no idea which way to run to.
The queen of flames sent more fireballs in concession, her actions seemed as though she was dancing, her tone sounded as though she was singing in happiness……
The angrier Kirche got, the cooler her speech, and the calmer her attitude.
Chapter 4
After listening to the story of their past, Montmorency seemed to find it hard to believe and said,
“So that incident with De Lorraine and Thonet Charente’s hair and clothes burnt, and even hung upside down on the tower, was done by you!”
“That’s right”, Kirche nodded cheerfully, admitting it.
The next morning, when De Lorraine and Thonet Charente were rescued from the tower, they insisted that they had climbed up to hang themselves upside down on their own. But the truth behind that incident? No one knows. It seems that they might have been threatened by Kirche.
Guiche nodded hard in agreement.
“That is to say, just now when Tabitha used ‘owe you one’ as her reason, and took on the duel for you… Is due to you taking revenge for Tabitha as well then?”