One principle of her life when she was a spirit was not to get involved in matters that didn’t concern her.

Of course, being from a demon cult background, she didn’t have a strong sense of justice.

And she disliked making a fuss without gaining anything.

If she drew her sword, it would end in bloodshed.

So now they have made a very bad choice.

“Mister. That’s mine.”

Her lips moved and a calm voice flowed out.

Hearing a woman’s voice suddenly from behind, the group of thuggish mercenaries flinched for a moment.

But when they turned to look at her and saw she was alone, they raised their eyebrows with a “huh”.

And exchanged mocking glances with each other.

Were there such fearless women these days?

The leader who had picked up Esika’s sword spoke to her, wiggling his caterpillar-like eyebrows.

“This belongs to you, miss?”

Esika nodded with an expressionless face.

And held out her palm.

“If you hand it over now and leave, I’ll let you go without getting hurt.”

“What?”

“Hahahahaha! What did this woman just say?!”

The leader burst out laughing at her brazen behavior in such a clearly threatening situation.

Judging by her not-so-expensive dress, she didn’t seem to be some sheltered noblewoman either.

The other men also started snickering.

“Well, it doesn’t look that valuable, so I could return it, but……”

The leader’s gaze landed on Esika’s collar.

What those sticky eyes wanted was within the expected range.

“……Why don’t we go somewhere quiet and talk first? My heart is pounding at the thought of such a pretty lady living in this neighborhood, I can’t just let you go. Well, if you agree to be my lover, this measly sword… I could buy you even better things.”

“Hehehehehe.”

Esika stood still without reacting to the blatant harassment.

Thinking she was frightened, the leader slowly reached out his hand towards Esika’s hair.

“Such a shy miss…… Come here.”

Before he finished speaking, Esika drew the sword from the man’s waist.

And in the blink of an eye, she slashed his arm.

Blood spurted up brilliantly.

“……!”

It happened in an instant that no one here could even follow with their eyes.

“Aaaagh!”

The man’s arm was flailing horribly, spraying blood.

One more slash with the same momentum and the arm would be severed.

“B-Boss!”

“What the hell, you crazy woman!”

The men behind drew their swords angrily.

Looking at the bloodied sword of the man, her lips moved.

“I’ve always valued swords quite highly.”

Her silver hair was fluttering in the windless interior.

Her blue eyes were shining darkly with a fierce energy like that of a beast.

“So I don’t prefer dirtying them with the blood of trash.”

The terrified men pointed their sword tips at Esika.

“Much less do I tolerate such trash touching my sword.”

“Aaagh! Aaaaagh! Kill that bitch!”

The leader whose arm had been cut was screaming.

The corners of Esika’s lips lifted as she took a stance, holding a sword after a long time.

**

The situation after Esika drew her sword was resolved all too easily.

Blood sprayed and bones cracked everywhere at her smooth and swift swordplay, like a dance.

The men fell in an instant.

They opened their mouths to groan in pain, but for some reason no voice came out.

For her, possessing the memories and skills of a spirit, dealing with these bugs who weren’t even knight-level was a piece of cake.

“……Huk……”

The shop owner’s face had turned deathly pale, while Esika wiped the blood splattered on her face with her white hand, her expression as calm as usual.

Bending down slightly, Esika picked up her sword from the floor.

She partially unsheathed it to examine the blade.

The beautiful lines and lustrous sheen pleased her quite well.

“……”

The shop owner looked at Esika with disbelieving eyes.

Standing proudly amidst the fallen men, she had a deep smile on her lips.

As if what had just happened was nothing at all.

Moreover…..

‘What kind of life must she have lived to be smiling at a time like this?’

When she came dressed as a maid to have a sword made, he thought she was going to deliver a breakup notice to some poor fellow.

But to think that sword was for her own use…..

‘And this tremendous skill….’

If there was such an amazing female knight, rumors would have spread all over Torres, but he hadn’t heard of one.

Then was she an assassin belonging to a mercenary group?

But it was rare for women in mercenary groups to wear high-quality dresses.

‘I can only express it as truly astonishing.’

An angel of slaughter smiling amidst blood and corpses.

It was a scene reminiscent of a masterpiece created by some artist.

As Esika, who had been looking at the sword with a satisfied smile, met his eyes, the shop owner felt a chill run down his spine.

“These men fought amongst themselves and ended up like this.”

“Ah……”

“I cut their vocal cords too, so they won’t be able to testify. And illiterate mercenary thugs wouldn’t be able to write either……”

A chilling smile played on Esika’s lips.

Cutting vocal cords? Was that even possible?

The answer to that question was being provided by those guys who were opening their mouths but unable to make a sound even once.

A creepy feeling crept in at the strangeness and cruelty of it.

“It would be nice to just cleanly cut off their heads, but that would be troublesome.”

While an investigation wouldn’t be launched for a violent incident due to a fight between local thugs, if multiple people were massacred at once, an investigation would surely be launched.

Those who would have met the King of Hell if this were the martial arts world were, fortunately, or unfortunately, still alive and gasping for breath, so they had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

“I hate troublesome things.”

The shop owner, who shuddered at her low voice, bowed his head deeply.

“I-I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll take care of disposing of these men myself.”

As was often the case with any weapons shop, most shop owners paid protection money to large guilds.

Even if they paid protection money, it was common for wandering mercenaries rather than local thugs to cause trouble, but anyway, it wouldn’t be difficult to dispose of these pathetically fallen guys.

Nodding her head, Esika said to the shop owner.

“I like the sword. I’ll use it well.”

The shop owner, who had been bowing his head deeply, looked at Esika with a startled expression.

Esika… that is, the spirit, always respected blacksmiths and sword suppliers.

The only ones she treated harshly were fellow martial artists of equal standing.

Anyone who wielded a weapon had to take responsibility for their actions with their life, but those who made and supplied swords did not fall into this category.

“……”

The beautiful sight of Esika smiling was somewhat bewildering.

“I’m glad you like the sword. Please use it well.”

He bowed his head again.

“Farewell, customer.”

**

‘Meeting someone I don’t want to meet on a narrow bridge.’

Esika, who had come out of the shop door, twitched her eyebrows at the sight of Resban standing as if he had been waiting for her.

She wanted to sigh openly, but since he was still the crown prince… Think of holding back, she greeted him according to etiquette, standing in front of him.

As she bent her body slightly, her slender ankles were revealed under her slightly lifted skirt.

“I greet the small sun of the empire.”

The sun was rising behind his black hair, creating a halo-like effect.

Due to the light shining from behind, his golden eyes were shining even darker and more inscrutable than usual.

“From you……”

Resban slowly raised his hand.

His hand lightly touched the tips of Esika’s disheveled hair.

At that touch, Esika frowned slightly, but Resban looked at her with a cool gaze and moved his lips.

“……I smell blood.”

Esika’s blue eyes, which had been meeting his deep golden eyes, rippled slightly.

As the wind blew, Esika’s hair fluttered again.

“One, two, three……”

A low voice penetrates the ear, making the mind dizzy.

“……Many.”

The scent of blood – a somewhat rude expression to use towards a woman.

If she hadn’t been the Esika who had just joyfully danced with her sword.

The thick smell of blood must be permeating her entire body.

A master like Resban would have noticed the strong scent of blood just from the door opening and closing slightly.

Esika looked at Resban with a calm expression.

“I merely made them pay the price for their actions.”

Even if he knew what she had just done, it couldn’t be helped.

She had never regretted swinging her sword.

At that proud and composed appearance, Resban’s gaze deepened further.

“Then that sword.”

“……”

“Is it a sword for punishment?”

A faint smile plays on his lips and disappears.

As if observing her deeply.