After our quick bout, I took Sheila to the reception hall. It was fully available now that our most recent guest, Amelia, had officially moved in to her own place. It was in one of the parlor rooms here that I sat facing Sheila as the elven maids waited on us—but I couldn’t bring myself to start the discussion.
“Uh... Are you just going to leave that there?”
“Hmm? Leave what?”
“That.”
I pointed to the side where a single sword lay discarded on the floor, almost like an old tool in a farmer’s shed. The elven maids had balked at the sight of it when they first came in, but Sheila remained poised on her seat without casting it so much as a glance.
Her attitude baffled me. After all, that was her sword—the very one she’d been using in our battle.
“Why, of course. Leave it be,” she said snobbishly.
“Really...?”
“It is currently receiving punishment.”
“Punishment...?”
Who in the world punishes a sword? I cast a dubious gaze back to the abandoned weapon, only to pause in shock. Its blade was pulsating with a faint glow, almost as if responding to Sheila’s words. Come to think of it, the first time we met, she was wielding a sentient weapon...
“Is that...another magic sword?”
“Oh my. You remember?”
“Not how it looks. Just that it possessed a unique kind of power.”
“Ah, how very like you,” Sheila mused as she crossed her legs. “You are correct. This is my new magic sword, Crimson Rose.”
“Wow... But, uh... Why the punishment?”
“You see, it boasted that it would serve me well, only to turn out quite useless. Naturally, such a failure calls for a punishment.”
Crimson Rose’s blade once again responded with a pulsating glow. I felt clear sentience from it. In fact, from the mana leaking out of the sword, it almost seemed...
“It’s...happy?” I blinked, turning to Sheila in utter confusion.
“Oh? You can tell?”
“From its mana, yeah... But I must be wrong.”
“Not at all. You sensed correctly.”
“Huh?”
Sheila sighed. “Once again, it rejoices at its punishment... What a useless, depraved weapon. It appears I must prepare an even harsher punishment later.”
“Uh... ‘Again’?”
“Yes. Again.”
Well... At least it sounds like I didn’t misunderstand.
Among magic swords were those known as “intelligent swords.” They possessed sentience and the ability to communicate with their wielders. Though I knew nothing of how Sheila and Crimson Rose had met, it sounded like this was far from the first time the sword derived joy from Sheila’s punishments.
“So, that’s a punishment...” I hummed. “If you won against me, would you have rewarded it?”
“But of course. Rewards and punishments go hand in hand. Had I won our little bout, then I would have stepped on it as promised.”
“Stepped on it...?”
“Yes.”
“You would have...stepped on it?” I asked again for good measure.
Sheila nodded breezily as she crossed her legs the other way. “Indeed, I would have.”
I tried imagining Sheila stepping on Crimson Rose. What? How is that a reward?
Lardon’s chuckle pulled me out of my swirling confusion. “Pay it no mind. This is something you will likely never understand for as long as you live.”
Why does she sound like she’s enjoying this? Though, I had to agree. This didn’t feel like the sort of thing I could ever wrap my head around. I decided to take her advice and just ignore this matter entirely.
“Anyway...” I turned my attention back to Sheila. “Did you just come to spar?”
“Heavens, no.”
“What brings you here, then?”
“Two matters,” she replied. “First, I have taken in defecting Partan nobles. Two counts and six barons.”
“Oh...” So this was about that thing I’d heard from Scarlet—about how nobles were defecting from Tristan. This was my first time hearing some specific numbers. “Wait... Did they come begging you to take them in?”
“Not quite. I reached out to them myself, as I surmised now would be the best chance to strike an easy bargain.”
“Ah, well... They are in a tight spot.”
“Certainly.” Sheila’s lips curled into an elegant smile. “Some of them have been rather traumatized by your magic.”
“Human Slayer, you mean?”
“Ah, is that what it’s called? I have heard that it is quite the frightening spell. The nobles call the grand duke a fool for antagonizing you despite having experienced it firsthand, and so they can no longer stand by him. Hence, I took the chance to take them in for cheap.”
“But...how does this benefit you?”
“That, my good sir, brings us to my second agenda today.”
So the two matters that brought her here were interconnected in some way. “All right.”
“You are aware that I am among the dregs of Quistador’s royalty, yes?”
“Ah, right... You said you’re the nineteenth princess, right?”
Sheila smiled. “Indeed. I’m honored that you remember.”
“I recall you’re also the active head of your house.”
“Correct. In fact, that is relevant to the current topic. You see, besides my status as princess, I desire a proper nobility title.”
“Hmm? A proper nobility title...?”
“And so,” Sheila continued, her eyes blazing with more charisma and ambition than they had in battle, “I’ve decided to take this chance to seize the seat of Parta’s grand duke.”