“Hmm... Something is not right with Nina.”
Tien lay on top of a steeply angled roof overlooking the Dark Frost Mercenaries’ mansion. She was as still as though she’d been glued in place and wore a cloak of the same crimson as the tiles. No one watching from a distance would have guessed there was anyone on the roof.
“Leave it, Tien,” came Emily’s voice from the dormer window beside her. “Even a noble can’t do anything to hurt her from the other side of the gate. You stay put.”
Emily was holed up in an attic room that they’d rented to keep an eye on Nina. Meanwhile, Astrid was running all over the capital working as an inventor (or rather, as a handywoman) to earn money for their travels.
The mansion was over a hundred meters away. Tien could only catch glimpses of Nina through the windows, but that was no problem for her sharp lupalune eyes. She observed Nina bustling around every day and relayed what she saw to Emily. Together, they were on Nina Watch.
Tien saw the whole exchange between Nina and what appeared to be a noble’s servant at the mansion gate. She could tell that Nina was having a hard time, but to Tien’s frustration, even when the man got angry, Emily told her to leave it. Of course, if she made a scene and it was discovered that she and Nina were in the same adventuring party, all the work Nina had done to infiltrate the mansion would be for nothing. Tien knew she mustn’t let her feelings ruin everything—not when Nina was doing it all for her.
“Oh!”
At Tien’s gasp, Emily poked her head out of the dormer window. “What’s up?”
“That old man is going over to where Nina is.”
“Is it just me, or is he winding up that servant? Look, the guy rode off.”
They watched as Nina followed the old man back up to the mansion. Trouble appeared to be averted for now, but Tien wasn’t sure whether to be relieved. Nina still looked uncertain.
“Looks like Nina’s having a tough time...” Emily said. “I don’t know why she doesn’t just talk to—what was it again? Pearly Cloud and Morning Star?—and get this over with. But I guess that’s easier said than done when they’re celebrities...”
Tien said nothing.
“Tien? What’s up?”
“Chi...cannot stand it.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Nina is enduring great hardship for Chi,” Tien said, clutching at her chest. It sounded like every word was an effort for her. “Chi wishes she would not worry and simply be happy.”
“I know,” Emily said. “I feel the same way. But we can’t do anything about it. We’ve just got to hang in there.”
“Chi knows that, but—” Tien broke off abruptly. “Something is not right with Nina.”
“Huh?” Emily looked over at the mansion. With her human eyes, all she could make out was the open door, but Tien could see Nina standing there in the entrance. No, not just standing. She was frozen to the spot.
A burly mercenary appeared from one side to close the door. Just before he did so, Nina turned back for a moment.
Tien saw the flicker of terror in her eyes.
“Nina is in trouble.”
“Huh? Wait, what? What did you see?!”
“Chi must go!”
“T-Tien?!”
Tien didn’t hesitate. She took a few steps forward—then leaped off the edge of the five-story-high roof.
“TIEN!!!” Emily screamed.
The newsboy cap slipped off the lupalune girl’s head and tumbled through the air in her wake.
✦ ✦ ✦
Nina was pinned to the spot by hostile glares.
Wh-What should I do? I don’t know what to do...
Clever and quick-witted as she was when it came to her work, now that she found herself cornered, all of Nina’s skills deserted her.
“Did you really think you’d get away with this?” Morning Star demanded. “You must think very little of us...and as mercenaries, we can’t have that.”
“Yeah. I think I’d better snap those sticky fingers of yours clean off.”
Nina cried out in terror as Morning Star and Pearly Cloud descended to the first floor and advanced on her.
She had to say something. She had to make them see the truth.
But her memories of Count Mirkwood’s house held her fast. She couldn’t move a muscle.
“Someone hold her down! I don’t want her thrashing about in pain!”
“Aye, sir!” Two mercenaries seized Nina from either side. She felt like her shoulders might snap under the force of their massive hands.
“Now for your punishment...” Pearly Cloud reached for Nina’s hand, when—
BOOM!
The door of the mansion flew open—well, “open” wasn’t really the right word. What it actually did was fly off its hinges into the entrance hall.
“Whoa!”
“What the?!”
The door slammed into the mercenaries who were standing in front of it, sending them sprawling. Fortuitously, this also meant that rather than hit Nina, it skidded off to one side. The maids were all screaming.
And there, amid the chaos, panting hard—
“Nina! Are you all right?”
“Tien?!”
In a split second, Tien registered the mercenaries restraining Nina.
“Are you idiots asleep on your feet?!” Pearly Cloud roared. “We’re under attack!”
“B-But sir...! That’s a lupalune!”
“A what?!”
A ripple of uncertainty swept through the room.
“Unhand...Nina...!” rasped the lupalune girl.
Then, before their eyes, she vanished.
Tien had moved so fast that no one’s eyes could follow. Suddenly, the two mercenaries restraining Nina groaned in pain.
“Oof!”
“LET HER GO!!! Get your filthy hands off her!”
Tien was holding both mercenaries by the wrists, freeing Nina from their clutches. By then, everyone had found their bearings—only to lose them again right after.
Tien—a tiny little girl—casually tossed the two burly men aside like they weighed no more than pillows. They flew through the air in graceful arcs before smashing unceremoniously into the floor. Both of them let out agonized wails.
“Are you all right, Nina?!” Tien asked urgently.
“Wh-What are you doing here?”