Clang clang. The sound of metal clashing, and the cries of unknown masters filled the air.

This place was definitely worthy of being called a battlefield.

“…..Wow.”
Whistle, I let out a small whistle.
It wasn’t because I found something fun and felt good; that was definitely not it.
It was just a spontaneous outburst of my utter hopelessness, something I could only express after giving up on everything.

I involuntarily chuckled.

Clang, clang. Sharp metallic sounds echoed.
For a moment, I felt uneasy at the refreshing sound reflecting off the walls and buildings.
As I slowly started to see the street I was originally heading to, I began to notice high-level fights unfolding in the distance.
In this hellish scene, I stopped in my tracks.

“……..”
From afar, it looked comical, but up close, they say it appears tragic.
That phrase fit so well with the scene before me that it almost made me gasp in admiration.

However, if there was a problem there,
One sad fact remained.
I had to get closer to that place.

As expected, my life was not a comedy but a damn tragedy.
Sigh.

Right now, I wanted to grab the fighters by their collars and ask if they knew they were in the middle of the Akard Empire’s capital.
Well, I wasn’t exactly one to talk, having wreaked havoc inside the Muzeion before, but still, there should be some decency, right?
I at least expected them to move their fights to a more secluded area.

“Surround them—!”
“Aim for the legs!”
“Wow, Your Highness!? Someone stop them!!”

Seriously.
Who would have thought they’d be brawling in plain sight like that?

Personally, I hoped the Imperial patrols watching from afar would intervene, but that seemed a bit too much to wish for.
Unfortunately, they were merely standing off at a distance, watching.
Since they were attacking people, they probably didn’t want to intervene due to potential diplomatic issues.
But why did it seem like the most important parties involved didn’t care at all?

It’s ironic that the outsider like me cared the most.

Anyway, the patrols must have figured out who they were by talking with the guards nearby.
In this world, duels were relatively common and even encouraged, so people wouldn’t condemn them just for causing a ruckus on a street.
So they maintained a hands-off approach unless something serious happened.
I wasn’t sure this could even be called a duel, though.
Using your nose as a hook and your ears as earrings; power is king.

Of course, this was all just unpleasant news for me.

Clang clang!
“You—what face do you have?!”
“…Remi!”
Remi Akaia shouted something while clashing swords with the attacker.
The opponent barely managed to deflect Remi Akaia’s flurry of attacks with a twisted sword.

Behind her, I could see some guards fidgeting awkwardly, unable to properly wield their weapons.
They probably couldn’t act recklessly toward their master.
No matter how talented they were, they wouldn’t want to intervene in such a fierce battle without causing any damage.
Or maybe, they were restricted by her commands from intervening.

It’s always the subordinates that have to suffer…
The higher-ups don’t understand their struggles…

In any case, the two continued their fight thanks to that loophole.
And by their side—
“….I told you, I would entertain you.”
“Get away…!!”
Tap, tap.
With a somewhat serious expression, Saelli stood facing off against the guards.
Having already knocked down more than half of them, she dusted off her hands, showing off her presence.
Some of the guards tried to take advantage of their numbers to distract her and a couple darted toward the alley where Alice and I had run off, but it was utterly useless in front of her wide-open eyes.

Crash!
“What?!”
“You were told not to pass through here!”
With rising dust and a loud crash, one man trying to slip by was caught and met the ground without slowing down.
Without batting an eye at the countless blades aimed at her, she simply stared at them with indifference.
If this were a fight in a close-quarters battle or if she had support from her shooters, it might have been different, but now, the guards were gripped by urgency to chase after us while getting past her.
The tide of battle clearly leaned in her favor.

Aside from Saelli’s unmatched strength, everything was going as expected.
But if there was one thing wrong with my assumption—

Clang, clang!
“…You…you!!”
“…….”
Remi Akaia’s sword was slowly being pushed back.
From an objective standpoint, the skill difference between the two didn’t seem that significant.
Sure, you could argue that Remi had the edge due to the weight and speed of her strikes, but she was currently lost in rage, swinging her sword around.

Because of that, all her crucial attacks went awry, leaving her with fatal openings instead.
If her opponent had seized one of those glaring gaps right away,
At this point, she would be on the ground.

Just a light brush would have been enough to inflict a wound that would keep her from moving for a while.
Just striking the pressure points alone would have been enough to bring her down in agony.

But that expectation of mine was wrong.
Remi Akaia was, without a scratch, perfectly fine.

Swish!
“Answer me!!!”
“…Ugh.”
“—Your Highness!”
Ironically, it was the attacker who bore a few cuts.
Droplets of blood flew through the air like tiny meteors.
Her completely disheveled hood revealed shiny silver hair fluttering around.

There was a strange familiarity to that color that reminded me of someone.
My eyes turned towards the unexpected attacker.

That thought was quickly resolved.
The answer was right behind me.

That’s right.
It was Alice’s color.

“……..”
Even though the yellowish tint of her eyes leaned more towards Remi Akaia,
Her features, hair, gaze, and skin,
And most of all, the aura emanating from her body.
Everything about her was nearly identical to the Alice I had always known.
I even found myself wondering if Alice would look like this if she grew any taller.
‘…Remi?’
‘…Huh?’
While the four of us were happily shopping, I turned around after hearing someone call out Remi Akaia’s name.
Despite having never met before, just seeing part of her face allowed me to realize her identity incredibly quickly.
She truly resembled Alice to a tee.

Right.
She was none other than Anna Akaia, the first princess and heir of the current Tesillia Kingdom.
The one who stabbed her own sister repeatedly with a sword and sent her plummeting off a cliff.
“…..How annoying, truly.”
Anna Akaia, it was her.

—

I should have felt anger.
Even if not anger, reflecting on what she had done should have filled me with disgust.

In fact, not long ago, just hearing the sound of the ‘An’ in ‘Anna Akaia’ would give me chills; I harbored a fierce animosity towards her despite never seeing her face.
That animosity had only grown with Saelli’s words confirming Remi Akaia’s testimony.
Her actions were something that could never be justified by any means.

But why?
Was it because she resembled Alice?
Was it the sorrowful look in her eyes that seemed to regret everything?

I found myself feeling a small pang of sympathy for her.

Stomp, stomp.
“—Everyone, stop.”
Noticing that, I slowly walked toward them.
“…Hey!? What are you doing here!?”
“…You!”
Saelli and Remi Akaia’s gazes pierced through me, as if reproaching me for returning, but I deliberately ignored it.
I had my own reasons.
You all haven’t witnessed Alice diving headfirst into death.
I absolutely couldn’t leave this child alone.
And you all seemed like you’d kill someone or two if I didn’t intervene, right?

I was dying to spill this long and complicated story, but right now, it was more crucial to stop the fight unfolding before my eyes.
I pointed my thumb behind me and muttered softly.
“Child is sleeping, you see?”
“…….Eh?”
They all stared at me blankly.
Their expressions seemed to question what kind of nonsense I was spouting, as I brought my index finger to my lips, gesturing for silence.
What kind of nonsense, you ask?
I meant that Alice was nestled in the bulging cloth behind me.

“……..”
A brief silence.
The redness and blueness in their faces was quite a sight to behold.
Really, it was a direct hit.

Saelli and Remi Akaia quickly snapped back to their senses, naturally panicking about why I brought Alice here, and the guards, confused about my sudden appearance, were experiencing their own chaos.
But among them, the one glaring at me fiercest was none other than Anna Akaia.
“……..”
A mixture of emotions I could hardly fathom swirled in her heavy gaze.
I tried hard to avoid it and opened my mouth.
“Let’s talk, let’s talk.”
“………”
It would have been better if she had been merely a brash person as the story went.
To think she was the vile human who committed countless unspeakable acts herself.
Someone who had attained all the power, wealth, and everything they desired.
Why was she looking so sorrowful, so guilty?

That inexplicable feeling of disconnect made me want to hear her story.

“Clear the street and follow me.”
First, let’s tidy up the area.

Observing the astonished faces of those who hadn’t caught up to the situation, I thought to myself.
I had successfully gambled.