Umi descended to the ground without a sound, carrying on her back Miyako in her swaying crimson dress and Fuuka in her pure-white ceremonial garb.
The Reinhardt family’s retinue yelped at the sight.
Of course they did; that was the natural reaction. The creature carrying Miyako and Fuuka looked like no magical creature they had ever seen. She had a translucent body, undulating dorsal fin, and a jewel buried in her forehead. Amongst the guards present were several with knowledge of black magic, white magic, summoning, and other arcane arts, but none had ever witnessed a beast like Umi.
Fright and confusion gripped the onlookers. The old books spoke of one such creature.
“That form... and the power to stop the flood in its tracks... No, this can’t be.”
“A water spirit? But only the best in the country could possibly form a contract with one of the four great spirits!”
Shrill whispers spread throughout the crowd. Even the Hamilton family forgot their panic over Dan’s sudden collapse and joined in.
They had always treated Fuuka like dirt despite her position as eldest daughter, using her illegitimate birth as their excuse. But now, that same Fuuka stood before them on the back of a mysterious creature—a powerful water spirit.
“...Nyaa.”
“Oh nooo!!”
Umi’s meows drove the crowd to screams.
She’s going to take her revenge on us!
Though Fuuka’s abysmal treatment hadn’t been their choice, the servants knew it wasn’t right. At the very least, they hadn’t treated her the way a lady should be treated. They would never normally confine a lady to a garden shed.
“M-My lady, we...” began a maid as the rain poured down, her voice trembling. She was clearly about to plead her case.
Fuuka ignored her and shouted.
“Nobody move!”
“Whaa!” The crowd stirred.
“Everyone, your necks!” said Miyako, following Fuuka’s lead.
“Oh God,” wailed the servants. “‘We’re next’!!”
“No, like, the one between your shoulders and your head...”
“Everyone calm down. I want you all to inspect each other’s necks to check whether you have the same red rash as Dan Hamilton,” said Fuuka, rushing to Miyako’s aid.
“Y-Yeah, what she said!”
“I want those of you with the rash to line up here. There’s a chance it’s decapitation fever.”
Shouts erupted from the retinue.
“D-Decapitation fever?!”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
“I-I’ve seen that term once, when I was at school to become a healer... If I remember, there are legends of the devastation it caused.”
They fearfully checked each other’s necks, and a scream followed each discovery of a red rash. The number of infected surpassed Fuuka’s expectations, and even several from the Reinhardt retinue joined the Hamiltons in front of Miyako and Fuuka.
Miyako scolded a few of the people without symptoms for trying to escape.
“Stop! You might still be in the incubation period, so don’t go running off!!!”
Her threatening tone froze them in place. Among them was the heir to Marquis Reinhardt, Klaus.
“Ha, hahaha... I wasn’t, er, running off, per se... I was going to get help, honey.”
“Who are you calling ‘honey’?! Our engagement’s dead and buried. You should know; you killed it!”
Although it was Miyako who put the knife in his hand.
But Klaus didn’t back down, even this late in the game.
“But you came back to me, right? If you really insist, I might give you another chance to be my bri—”
“Rot in hell.”
She cut him down. Miyako didn’t want to waste any of the precious little time they had left dealing with idiots.
With Fuuka leading them, the retinue began to recover some semblance of order amidst the confusion. Dan lay motionless where he’d fallen, gasping for air.
Fuuka heaved a sigh.
“...Now then, let’s start the treatment.”
She wouldn’t abandon anybody, no matter who they were. She would do her best to save them. That was the true nature of the villainess, Fuuka Hamilton.