SOAT Chapter 130

—Afterwards, the lord really did arrange a change of clothes for me.

As he had ordered his subordinates, he also issued a withdrawal order to the Lord’s Knights in the town of Belkarna and summoned Commander Hartus of the Blue-winged Knights for a discussion.

During the meeting with Commander Hartus, the lord confessed to imposing tyrannical rule based on his personal desires and promised to personally write a letter seeking punishment for his actions.

Throughout the confession, the lord had a very refreshed expression, while Commander Hartus, on the other hand, had his eyes wide from start to finish.

From Commander Hartus’s perspective, just when he thought Rido had been released according to plan, he was summoned to the lord’s mansion. Upon arriving, the lord readily admitted his crimes, and a withdrawal order had been issued to the Lord’s Knights in Belkarna. Moreover, I, who had gone to negotiate in women’s clothing, had returned to my original form and was wearing the flashy, noble-like clothes I had borrowed… It must have been a completely baffling situation for him.

Along the way, Commander Hartus shot me numerous glances that seemed to say, “What in the world is going on?” But honestly, I didn’t fully understand everything either, so I just maintained a serious expression and nodded silently.

In response, he glared at me with a somewhat resentful look.

Well, if I could explain, I would have gladly done so… But I’m not entirely sure what’s happening or why the lord had a sudden change of heart.

Incidentally, during the discussion between Commander Hartus and the lord, I was asked to leave the room.

Commander Hartus gave me a look as if trying to make me stay, but for some reason, the lord said to me, “There’s no need for you to be present here any longer. Your companions seem to be waiting outside, so you should go to them.”

As I was about to leave the room, he asked for a handshake.

I had no reason to refuse, so I decided to oblige. When I shook hands with the lord using my right hand, for some reason, he closed his eyes and remained silent for a few seconds, as if savoring the moment.

His behavior didn’t go unnoticed, but in the end, I left the place without saying anything. As he had said, there was nothing I could do by staying there, and I had other things on my mind.

“Takumi!”

As I exited the main gate of the lord’s mansion, a familiar voice called out my name.

I saw Gazelle and Felix running towards me. Upon recognizing me, their expressions changed to ones of relief—then immediately widened their eyes in surprise, scanning me from head to toe.

“Gazelle, Felix… I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re safe. But man, we were shocked! First, we thought Rido came out alone, but then the Lord’s Knights went to the Blue-winged Knights and requested an audience with Hartus! And when you finally emerged, you had returned to your original form… And what’s with those noble-like clothes?”

“What exactly happened inside? According to Commander Hartus, the lord admitted his wrongdoings and even issued a withdrawal order to the Lord’s Knights in Belkarna, but…”

Hmm, Gazelle and Felix were this confused.

I wonder what would happen if I dropped the bombshell on these two perplexed individuals: “By the way, it seems the lord here was in love with someone from our Black-winged Knights! I think it might be Iris, but what do you two think?”

I was a bit curious, but there was something else I wanted to confirm first.

“It’s a long story, so let’s talk about it when we get back to the inn. But I want to check, is Rido safe?”

“Yeah, he’s over there.”

I looked in the direction Gazelle pointed.

There, as if hiding behind a building, Rido was timidly peeking at us.

Oh, good! He managed to get out of the mansion safely!

Confirming Rido’s well-being, I let out a sigh of relief. I raised a hand and waved at him, and Rido walked towards us with a perplexed expression.

“Um, are you… Takumi?”

Ah, right.

I hadn’t revealed my identity to Rido yet.

“Yeah, it’s me. Until now, due to various circumstances, I had been taking on that appearance using a magic potion. But after you left, the lord slipped me a dispelling potion, and I ended up reverting to my original form.”

“I-I see…?”

Ah, I might have said too much.

When I mentioned being drugged by the lord, the expressions of Gazelle and Felix beside me turned grim.

Well, I’d have to explain it to them later anyway…

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re safe, Rido. I’m sorry for taking so long to come to your rescue.”

“N-no, it’s fine…”

I emphasized “anyway” to Rido, deciding to gloss over the topic of my appearance.

However, Rido still seemed unaccustomed to my current form, his gaze darting left and right.

But suddenly, his gaze fixed on my face, and he bowed his head deeply. It was a perfect ninety-degree bow.

“Rido? What’s wro—”

“I… I must apologize to all of you!”

Rido shouted while keeping his head lowered. I was so startled by his intensity that I even forgot to urge him to raise his head.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Rido.”

“No… I need to apologize for the harsh words I said to Takumi at the lord’s mansion. And there’s more… Actually, I knew that Gazelle and Felix were members of the Black-winged Knights.”

“What?”

I glanced at Gazelle and Felix in surprise.

However, it seemed to be news to them as well, as they stared at Rido in astonishment. Rido’s face was filled with anguish and guilt.

“Is that so? Since when did you know?”

“…When you introduced yourselves… and I heard your names. Not only were your brilliant skills in defeating the bandits impressive, but there’s no one in this country who doesn’t know the names of the ‘Black Duo’ of our nation.”

Wow. Gazelle and Felix’s names were more famous than I thought.

Rido continued speaking with a pained expression.

“I immediately realized that you two were being considerate of me by not revealing your identities. So… I took advantage of that and hid the petition in Takumi’s belongings. I thought that even if I were to be killed by the lord, you two would surely deliver it to the Blue-winged Knights.”

“So, you were aware that you would be abducted by the lord’s men?”

Felix asked in surprise at Rido’s words.

“…Yes. Since the handover to the Blue-winged Knights in the outskirts didn’t work out, I thought it would be difficult for me to contact the Blue-winged Knights in Gorera City under the watchful eyes of the Lord’s Knights. So, I was thinking about finding someone who could deliver this petition to the Blue-winged Knights in my place… When I was saved by you and learned that you were the renowned members of the Black-winged Knights, I felt it was a divine revelation.”

So, in other words—Rido had planned to act as a decoy from the beginning.

Realizing that he couldn’t fulfill his mission while being targeted by the lord, he had snuck the petition into my belongings, even factoring in his own abduction.

Earlier, I had told the lord that I had the real petition and that my brother Rido’s role was to be a decoy, but in a twist of fate, that turned out to be the truth. Is this what they call “the truth born from a lie”?

“However… Not only did you save Belkarna, but you also saved my life. Even though I had deceived and used you. I don’t know how I can apologize to all of you…!”

Suddenly, Rido’s face scrunched up. Then, he knelt on the ground, assuming a prostrating position.

I was flustered, but someone else was faster in embracing Rido’s shoulders and lifting him from the ground. It was Gazelle.

“Stand up, Rido. You have nothing to apologize for.”

“But I…”

“We, the Black-winged Knights, have a duty to fight on behalf of the powerless. You fulfilled your mission for your hometown, and we fulfilled our mission as knights. Neither of us has anything to be ashamed of. In fact, I take my hat off to your courage and quick thinking! Right, Felix?”

Gazelle grinned, flashing his white teeth. Following his lead, Felix also offered a gentle smile and praised Rido.

“Yes. As a fellow man, I cannot help but admire your determination and noble intentions, risking your life for your hometown. So, there’s no need for you to apologize to us like that.”

“I-I can’t believe… that you two from the Black-winged Knights would say such things to me…”

Rido seemed deeply moved by Gazelle and Felix’s words.

Seeing the three of them like that, the realization that this incident had finally come to an end sank in, and I also relaxed my shoulders with relief.

Well, there were still some post-incident matters to deal with, like the reconstruction of Belkarna and reporting to the capital… But there was no longer any risk of the situation worsening.

Yeah, for now, we can take a breather!

“By the way… um, Takumi? Earlier, you were dressed up as a very cute… I mean, you were dressed as a girl, but what was that about?”

“Rido, please forget about that.”

Just as I was feeling relieved, Rido dropped a bombshell with a curious expression.

Yeah. Please, forget about that!

And while you’re at it, I’d be grateful if you could also forget that I sat on Felix’s lap in the carriage the whole time when I was small!

◆