Reiko fell silent.
“What’s wrong? Is there a reason you can’t answer?”
“Guh...”
Just as Reiko stood there, unable to respond...
“That’s enough!”
Kaoru—Edith—stepped in. The situation was getting out of control, and with Can’s disadvantage growing, she had no choice but to intervene.
“I am the client who issued this request,” she said. “I’ve seen everything. Let’s borrow a room here and discuss this matter among the three of us.”
“Um... I’ll be joining you as well!” the receptionist interjected. “Even though you’re the client, this request was made through the guild, so we can’t allow you to act in violation of the rules. Specifically, things like making the two candidates outbid each other to lower the compensation or imposing unfavorable conditions to see who would be willing to accept. The rules are first come, first served, and only if the client absolutely refuses a candidate can the next in line step in, but that’s quite rare. And I’m sorry, but in this case, we couldn’t determine which of you grabbed the request first, so we can’t decide who has priority for negotiations. This is an unusual situation, so I’ll be present for the discussion as well.”
It was a reasonable stance for a mediator. After all, trust and profit were paramount for the guild. However, for Kaoru, who had been planning to find some excuse to choose Can, this was an unwelcome development. As the client, Kaoru certainly could pick whoever she wanted, as compatibility mattered when it came to choosing a bodyguard. But the “first come, first served” rule was in place to prevent clients from being too picky. So to choose Can, Kaoru would either need to prove Can grabbed the request first or provide a clear reason why the mysterious girl was ill-suited for the job. Yet right now, the girl who had proven she was at B-Rank held a significant advantage over the C-Rank Can.
This is bad... How am I gonna convince the guild staff to accept my choice of Can? And more importantly, how do I convince this girl, who’s obsessed with this request for some reason, to accept being passed over? Kaoru desperately thought to herself as the receptionist led her to a private meeting room.
The four of them were guided to a private room and took their seats.
“Let’s have a showdown,” Edith announced.
“Showdown?” the other three asked in unison.
“It’s a head-to-head contest to determine which of you is more suitable to fulfill my request.”
The three others nodded in understanding.
Reiko—Can—was quite sharp. She had likely known what Kaoru had meant by “showdown” but played along, acting clueless to avoid suspicion...or maybe she was genuinely confused, thinking, “What the hell is she suddenly going on about?”
Realizing that there was the possibility of an upset in a combat-based contest, Kaoru seemed intent on steering this toward an interview or oral exam. This way, her bias could directly influence the outcome, and with Reiko knowing everything about Kaoru, there was no way she’d lose to some random girl. They were quite optimistic things would go their way.
“First question. Can you defeat four ogres on your own?”
“I can.”
“I can.”
Their answers were in sync. Kaoru had expected that answer; it was just a light jab to start things off.
“What if you’re attacked by a noble’s squad of nine soldiers?”
“I can defeat them.”
“I can defeat them.”
This wasn’t helping to distinguish them. Asking if they could defeat an entire platoon of forty soldiers would be too absurd. It might have worked if it had been just Can and the girl, but with the guild receptionist there, Kaoru decided to change her approach.
“Our carriage and a merchant’s wagon following us are attacked by a pack of ogres,” she said. “Which do you save?”
“Both.”
“I’d wipe out the ogre pack, so it wouldn’t matter.”
There was a drawn out silence.
“If both an unfamiliar little girl and I are attacked at the same time, who do you save first?”
“The little girl!” Can and the girl said in perfect sync.
Damn, I knew it! Well...even if they were my hired guard, no priestess would tell them to prioritize herself over a little girl. Normally, that would’ve been the wrong answer for a bodyguard. But even back when I was traveling with Fran and Emil, I always told them that I had potions and that my body was only temporary, so they should protect Layette and Bell over me... Kaoru thought.
Meanwhile, Falsetto was thinking, Lady Kaoru’s questions are all straight out of the holy text, the Lady Kaoru Chronicles. As I thought, she’s picking these questions to ensure I’m chosen...yet this woman keeps stubbornly refusing to back down. This might make it hard for Lady Kaoru to discern which of us is the Einherjar. I can’t trouble Lady Kaoru any further. I have no choice but to reveal my identity in a way only she would understand...
“Miss Edith, my great-great-grandmother sends her regards,” Falsetto said, switching from her usual knight-to-commoner tone to a more refined, courteous manner.
Hardly anyone alive today would have great-great-grandchildren of Falsetto’s age...except for the True Ancestor—the savior of the continent, Fearsome Fran. Therefore, Falsetto believed that comment would tip off Kaoru that she was the descendant of the True Ancestor. But...
“Huh? Oh, uh...right...”
It completely flew over Kaoru’s head.
Kaoru hadn’t imagined Francette’s family would have grown so large, and more importantly, she didn’t even really comprehend what having a living “great-great-grandmother” meant. After all, most people only dealt with grandparents, and in some cases, great-grandparents, and the term “great-great-grandmother” was hardly used. The average lifespan in Japan was longer than this world’s, but people married and had children later, so elders with great-great-grandchildren Falsetto’s age were uncommon.
Who? Does this girl work for someone who knows me? Kaoru thought, immediately growing wary.
Falsetto was bewildered, realizing the effect was the completely opposite of what she’d intended. Now that I think about it, during the “Lady Kaoru Response Training” I took before I left, the True Ancestor mentioned Lady Kaoru can be sharp at times, but she can also be oblivious or downright slow...and that she likely limits her own abilities and intellect on purpose because seeing through everything would be boring. Looks like I’ll have to be more direct...
“I am the Einherjar.”
“What?!”
Falsetto was certain the matter was settled. But then...
“That title was given to Francette alone! You’ve got some nerve, imposter!”
“Huh...?”
“Whaaat?”
“Whaaaaaat?”
Kaoru’s sudden angry outburst left Falsetto and the receptionist with their mouths agape and eyes wide in shock...
“Huh? So...the term ‘Einherjar’ doesn’t just refer to Fran now, but the entire clan descended from her bloodline, with over three hundred members?” Kaoru asked.
“Yes. Our family line is rather resilient...” the girl replied.
Kaoru was at a loss for words. A descendant of Fran’s bloodline. Apparently, some of her abilities had been passed down through the generations...and this girl had inherited an especially potent share of that blood.
After that revelation, Kaoru, Reiko, and Falsetto forced the receptionist out of the room to have a private conversation among the three of them. Once Falsetto explained she was working for Francette, Kaoru revealed that Can was also part of her inner circle, allowing them to speak openly. Since the receptionist had overheard her careless remark, Kaoru explained that what she meant to say was “That title was given to Francette alone (by the Great Saint Lady Kaoru).” She further clarified that, in her sect, the title “Einherjar” belonged exclusively to Francette, who had been directly appointed by the Great Saint, and no one else was permitted to claim it, no matter how closely related they were. The receptionist seemed to have bought the explanation.
“And so, as the one said to have the most potent blood of the True Ancestor out of the clan’s younger generation—I, ‘Musclehead Falsetto,’ have taken on this glorious mission...”
“Pffft!” Kaoru and Reiko burst out laughing despite themselves.