Editing Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 01 Chapter2 - MTL

== Chapter 2 - Leitmeritz ==

In the Kingdom of Brune, their complaints were acceptable.

Duke Ganelon was one of the most influential nobles of the Kingdom of Brune, on par with Thenardier. There were many powerful aristocrats amongst his relatives as well. His power, too, was something not even the king could ignore.

The owner of this sword was a woman with golden hair, who he had never seen before.

“... Where should I start?”

She returned with a look and frosty words. Tigre was at a loss and tried greeting her for the time being.

Tigre sat up and looked at the woman while scratching his head.

She wore a skirt and short-sleeved shirt. She had long gloves, which reached to her elbows, and boots up to her knees. At her waist was her sheathed sword. It was possible that she was taller than Tigre, and seemed to be two or three years older than him.

She was an unmistakably beautiful woman. However, her scarce expressions gave her face a hard look, leaving her with an unsociable impression.

There were three particularly eye-catching features:

Her long golden hair, tied up on the left side of her head.

Her azure eyes, which were as cold as marble.

Tigre inadvertently stared at the two bulges from underneath her clothes. The woman flashed her sword and threw an unkind remark at him.

He looked about the room. It was small, containing only the bed he slept on. Sunlight shined through the window, brightly lighting the room. The stone floor was bare, and the only door led to the hallway. His bow leaned against the wall.

“Really, even with the soldiers shouting for your death, even though you are a prisoner... how can you sleep so well?”

“My name is Limalisha. It is not necessary for you to remember it.”

Leitmeritz was a principality under Eleanora's rule, and was located in the Kingdom of Zhcted.

Eleanora's troops had arrived at the capital the day before, ten days since they had departed from Dinant. After giving a word of thanks to the soldiers, Eleanora then left the men to her adjutant, Limalisha, and left for the king's capital with several men. It was necessary to report her victory to the king.

Even if he asked to meet Eleanora, it wouldn't be possible for them to accept. And regardless, there was no way for him to meet with Eleanora when she had departed for the kingdom's capital to meet the king.

Left with no other options, Tigre remained obediently quiet.

Tigre followed Limalisha down the passage of the household.

Limalisha gazed back at him in amazement, as Tigre looked about like a child.

“I was just thinking that this is a splendid building.”

“You are an earl. An aristocrat.”

“I am a poor noble. There is no point comparing my small mansion to this one," Tigre replied without a hint of shame. He continued to look about, admiring the ceiling and floor.

Until now, Tigre had never left the Kingdom of Brune. Now, he was in the province's imperial palace. The mosaics which decorated the floor were new to him.

The side facing the courtyard was bathed in a column of soft sunlight. In that spacious area, soldiers were training hard. It was vibrant.

“That is because this is Eleanora-sama's official palace," Limalisha answered, as if it were natural.

Soldiers patrolled the corridors, and what he assumed were maids and chamberlains strolled about, likely performing their jobs.

Tigre thought about the girl who was like his younger sister house-sitting his mansion in his absence.

''--- Titta must be worried.''

''--- Bertrand, and everyone else as well, I hope you all made it back safely.''

He was impatient. He wished to return to Alsace as quickly as possible. However, attempting to escape as a prisoner could be punished by death, so he could only remain silent.

He walked for a while before Limalisha stopped her feet.

“If you make any strange movements... no, please do so. It would save us quite a bit of time and effort," Limalisha said as she let the sound of her sword escaping its sheath at her waist be heard.

''--- It can't be helped. I'm a prisoner now. We were enemies just ten days ago.''

“Hm. You came.”

Eleanora noticed Tigre and walked up to him cheerfully. She smiled to Tigre first, then Limalisha.

“It is an ancestral name that I was given. If you find it difficult, you may call me Tigre.”

Eleanora's face suddenly glowed. Her dignity as a Vanadis the soldiers knew was gone; she held the expression appropriate of a girl her age instead.

“In that case, Elen is fine as well. I would prefer it if you use that name.”

Tigre stared at her involuntarily. She spoke intimately with one who was supposed to be her prisoner. To put it another way, she was being overly familiar.

Though Limalisha reproached her, she showed no sign of fear.

Hearing the name, Tigre looked at Limalisha in surprise.

“I'll tell you now, she is one of my escorts whose horse you shot down, and she was the girl who took you here from Dinant.”

Although he wasn't certain how he should react, he thanked her honestly anyway.

Tigre had heard stories of prisoners being mocked and assaulted or killed by torture in a convoy. Some died without having a single meal. However, on their way back from Dinant, Tigre had never been abused. He had even been given proper food. Though it may have been because he was Elen's captive, Limalisha -- that is, Lim -- had been the one who properly took care of him.

Lim did not respond to Tigre. She did what she had to. She hid her anger as she was being thanked by Tigre by ignoring him and facing Elen.

“Eleanora-sama, there is still work to be done today. You should finish your minor errands early."

“I know, I know.” Elen smiled bitterly and waved her hand. She faced Tigre and smiled deliberately. “I would like to clarify things first, Tigre... no, Lord Vorn. As per the treaty between our countries, you will be treated as a prisoner of war. If in fifty days time the demanded ransom has not been delivered by the Kingdom of Brune -- that is to say, if a ransom has not been paid to me -- you will formally become mine as per the agreement. What binds this contract is the name and honor of the god Radegast. Is this acceptable?”

Though it was hardly suitable, Tigre nodded reluctantly.

It was a contract held between every country on the treatment of prisoners of war. It was made to avoid abuse, humiliation, and, frankly, murder. It was a rule which allowed for negotiations between countries to advance efficiently.

Tigre heard the number come from Elen's mouth and stood rooted to the spot with his mouth agape.

It was a number close to three times Alsace's total yearly tax revenue.

“You will live here in the imperial palace. Needless to say, any attempt to escape will be met with the death penalty.”

''--- If I could speak to Titta or Bertrand, or perhaps Sir Mashas, who is more widely known, they might be able to raise the money.''

He felt a pain between his eyes as he thought about his gloomy future. He nearly fainted, but before it happened, Tigre somehow managed to gather strength in his legs. Supporting his body and limbs with all the strength he could muster, he looked back at Elen.

''I was born and raised there. It is an important land that I inherited from my father.''

''And above all else, I promised Titta I would return.''

''I want to respond to their wishes.''

“So... what business do you have calling me to a place like this?” Tigre spoke with impudent words and a tone to match. Elen's crimson eyes danced happily as she looked at him with admiration.

“Of course, that was not all I called you here for.” Elen pointed to a training bow sitting along the wall. “Shoot an arrow from here and hit that target over there.”

Tigre felt that it was rather anti-climactic.

The target was three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) away. Even for those skilled with the bow, that distance would seem like a bad joke. Shooting an arrow that far was already a challenge in and of itself; to also hit the target would make it nothing short of impossible.

But for Tigre, that distance was not a big deal.

Although he didn't know what she was planning, he decided to do this quickly.

One of the soldiers brought a bow and four arrows. The man had delicate features and beautiful, shiny black hair that reached down to his shoulders.

The material was hardly suitable for a bow, and the condition of the grip was poor as well. The stringing, too, was badly done. There was also some warping. It was clear what their intention was.

Elen was looking at him from a distance, and, like a child, was filled with expectation.

''Is she not involved?'' Tigre wondered. ''If that's the case, it's unlikely that this is a standard bow for the Zhcted Army.''

He wasn't sure if she knew about this. An unpleasant thought crossed his mind then. Thinking back, the bows in Brune were not that great either.

''--- It can't be an issue of the maker's ability... in the first place, there is no such profession as a bow craftsman.''

Tigre's bow was made by his father when he was small. The materials were chosen according to the knowledge and technology of other countries, such as Zchted.

The accuracy of his arrow was not solely due to Tigre's skill, but the quality of the tool as well.

While pretending to check the condition of the bow, he glanced peripherally at the soldier who passed him the bow, and saw him and several other soldiers grinning.

Angered, a murmur leaked from Tigre's mouth.

“Such a petty trick," he said.

Lim was standing nearby, looking at him dubiously. Apparently, she had not heard his words. Still, complaining about the quality of the bow as a prisoner of war was cumbersome.

“I wish to confirm something," said Tigre. "It is not necessary for me to hit the target with all four arrows; only one, correct?”

“That is a rather timid remark for a person who killed my horse with a single arrow.”

Though she thought Tigre was being sarcastic, she remained expressionless. There was no sign of malice. It seemed that she had not yet noticed that the bow was inferior.

“If your physical condition is poor, I can tell Eleanora-sama to do this another day.”

“No, I will do it," Tigre answered in a strong tone. He set the bow in his hand. “However, please allow me to hit the target with only one arrow. I am not as confident with an unfamiliar bow.”

Lim bowed in assent and walked over to Elen. After speaking a few words, Elen looked at him without any dissatisfaction, as though she were saying, "Please begin."

The soldiers laughed loudly. Some shook their shoulders; others looked at him with pity or contempt. Many eyes were piercing Tigre.

“Are you doing this seriously?” Lim said irritably. She looked at Elen.

Elen appeared troubled as she watched Tigre, like a student who had been scolded by a teacher, though she was trying to properly solve the problem.

“I'll do it,” Tigre replied and nocked the third arrow.

“Hey, are you going to keep going? You're really willing to keep making a spectacle of yourself?”

“Maybe you'd like a replacement. Even though you can reach the target, you can't even shoot straight.”

“This is quite a splendid show. I wonder if something new will be shown tomorrow?”

Although the soldiers deliberately spoke ill of him, Tigre was not bothered by it. He was accustomed to such abuse. He had been harassed much worse than this many times before.

Tigre took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky for a change of pace, moving his neck around.

That was when he saw a black shadow.

His neck stopped moving and he looked more closely.

In an instant, he understood the identity of the shadow. Chills ran down Tigre's spine as he screamed at Elen:

The arbalest was a mechanical bow. Unlike the one that Tigre used, its bowstring was pulled by a winch and shot with a trigger. Although it was difficult to maintain and prone to failure, it was a powerful weapon that could fire a bolt up to 350 alsin (approximately 350 meters) away, and with enough force that it could punch through shields and armor and come out the other side.

The black shadow on the rampart was holding one.

A thick bolt was released from the arbalest, speeding through the air straight towards Elen. She had no time to avoid it.

However, Elen did not panic, nor did she move from her spot.

Tigre stared in blank surprise at Elen.

Tigre muttered to himself. Though he shouted on reflex, he was not Elen's subordinate, nor was he a man of this city.

While thinking that, suddenly, Tigre remembered his first meeting with Elen.

''Titta, Bertrand and his men, my late father, when was I last praised for my bow arm?''

Grasping the sword with her hand until it went white, Lim stared at the shadow on the rampart in chagrin. She wanted to lead the soldiers, but could not leave Elen's side.

He looked back at Elen.

Elen's argent hair moved gently as she shook her head.

Elen smiled at Tigre with sincerity, her sword still sheathed at her waist. A wind blew from somewhere, tickling Tigre's hair.

Tigre placed his hand in his hair involuntarily. He thought Elen had somehow used her longsword to produce the wind.