"Why did they give the order to retreat!?" The baron stood before me, seething with rage. "Victory was already within our grasp!"
"Unfortunately, it's hard to continue the fight when all the commanders are taken hostage," the slightly breathless leader of the assassins appeared behind me. "Damn, you can run fast when you need to."
"Well, someone had to calm down the fighters," I replied.
When I arrived, two dozen soldiers had already surrounded the tent, ready to burst inside and seize the girls.
"What are you doing here?! Have you forgotten who hired you? Why are you helping the rebels?!" Rion yelled at the assassin, but he only smirked indifferently.
"You're mistaken. You hired us to capture the rebels, but the problem is, there are refugees in this fort who are in dire straits because of a stupid and narrow-minded ruler."
"How dare you!" The baron grabbed the assassin by his collar, but stopped when he felt a cold blade against his throat.
"Also, among those refugees, fighting alongside them, is our beautiful princess, and your actions have put her life in danger. I could kill you right here and now, but that won't solve the problems of the local population. Thank the big and kind heart of the princess."
"What do you assassins care about the Veranian princess? I thought you always fulfilled your contracts," the baron glanced briefly at Katrina.
"You see, I told you he didn't even bother to check," I shrugged. "He found out he could hire Kat for the task and didn't even verify who else was in her guild."
"What a bungler," the assassin sheathed his blade and stepped away from the baron. "Assassins primarily support the royal family of Leran, and Princess Seleria asked us to protect the Yukitori clan."
"What?!"
"In my guild, besides me, there are also princesses from Leran and Nordrune, so you shouldn't have recklessly hired us."
"I'm afraid he had no other choice," I pondered on the way, considering various reasons why the baron could have given us this mission, and I could find only one logical explanation: "He needed to somehow justify the extermination of the ancient clan. Of course, he could say they were a bunch of bandits, whom he personally got rid of when the mercenary squads failed, but if the king dug deeper, he would have to take responsibility for the death of the ancient clan, which had always been loyal to the king."
"But why did he need me?"
"Ah, that's a different story. If the hereditary princess had disappeared or died in the lands of the clan, then the owners of those lands could be blamed, as according to the ancient treaty, they were supposed to protect her. This could be portrayed as an attempted rebellion. So, he hired not just any guild but specifically you, so that he could heroically storm the conspirators' fortress and rescue the captured princess. Then, with the help of magic, he could adjust her memories, and everything would go smoothly."
The baron listened to my conclusions in silence, showing no intention to object.
"Indeed, the security at the tent was too weak, but there was a unit nearby just in case the princess personally came to see the baron. Also, to prevent any accidental harm to her during the siege, you ordered the assassins to take her alive."
"That's not all," Yuki interrupted my explanations. "A few days ago, he went to Ultras again, but I don't know why."
"Obviously, he asked him to spare the princess for him. But honestly, baron, what were you hoping for when dealing with that monster?"
"He would have used people for his own purposes, and after our clan, he most likely would have turned against you. It was useless to negotiate with him, but your behavior made it even worse."
"In any case, now he's dead, though I never thought it was possible. Now I want to salvage something from this situation. If the assassins refuse their task, then I will ask you to leave. You can't interfere in the affairs of neighboring states just because your princess asked you to."
"Stop this immediately! You must leave the Yukitori clan alone!" Katrina protested, but the baron merely shrugged.
"Forgive me, princess, but you can't give me orders. I swore an oath to your father, and he granted me these lands. Only he can command me!" The baron scowled at the princess. "If you want to change that, you can explain the situation to the king and await his decision."
"In the meantime, you'll destroy the clan!"
"I'll try to leave as many of them alive as possible."
"Then I'll fight against your army! And believe me, I have enough strength to stop you!"
The princess's threat angered Rion, but he tried to remain as composed as possible.
"Princess, do you want to weaken the defense of your country in the face of an approaching war? I doubt the remnants of that clan can do anything. Your father is unlikely to approve of this. And if you get hurt in battle, it will cause some inconvenience for me."
Tension hung in the air, and it seemed that it could only be resolved through a massive fight unless a suitable solution was found.
"Perhaps we can settle this with minimal bloodshed," Werner emerged from the shadows outside the tent. He had been nearby all this time, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Who are you?" The baron glanced at the young man with a contemptuous look.
"I'm Lady Asura's friend, and I believe you can settle everything with a single duel. The law that allows settling all disputes through a duel is not exclusive to the Academy's territory." Werner pulled out a small book from his belt - a collection of rules.
"Hmm, you're suggesting a knightly duel. This tradition hasn't been abolished, but only a true nobleman can challenge me to a fight."
"Then I challenge you!" Katrina stepped forward, and lightning crackled around her with electric discharges.
"Haha, forgive me, but the heir to the throne cannot challenge his vassals; otherwise, it will undermine their faith in the ruler. You wouldn't want rumors to spread among the nobility about a princess getting rid of her dissatisfied vassals," a malicious grin crossed the baron's face.
"Unfortunately, he's right," Werner flipped through the little book. "Seleria, Hilda, and Ragni can't interfere in the affairs of another country either."
"Then only Leira and Grain remain," Ragni calculated the possibilities in her mind. "And possibly Levris, but she's unlikely to agree."
"That won't work if we want to stop him. We must challenge him for the right to possess these lands," Werner shook his head.
"Exactly, young man. I know these rules well. To avoid further fragmentation of provinces, only a knight living in this or a neighboring province can challenge someone for their land. And since I only border one province to the west, I doubt your friends are from there."
"And there's nothing we can do?" Katrina clenched her teeth, and the baron smiled smugly.
"Well, actually, we can," a familiar voice came from behind. A slightly out-of-breath red-haired princess joined us. "Don't forget that we are representatives of the royal family."
A cunning smile spread across the girl's face, and Werner feverishly searched the book for a suitable law.
"Any member of the royal family has the right to appoint a personal bodyguard from trusted individuals. This person receives the lowest knightly title but is still considered a noble."
"Hmm, usually, such an honorary title is not just given to anyone," the baron clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
"But I can grant a knightly title to anyone I trust my life with, can't I?" Katrina smiled and turned to Asura. "I would like you to become my guardian."
Asura was taken aback by the offer; this was what she had been striving for all along, but she didn't want to receive the title in this way.
"Why do I feel like I'm forcing you to do this?" Asura sheepishly lowered her head.
"Asura, I have fought side by side with you many times, and I couldn't find a better candidate. You are a strong warrior, and I acknowledge your abilities. So, I'll repeat it once again, will you become my guardian?" Katrina stood tall before the girl.
"I'll take on this responsibility, Princess," Asura knelt and extended her sword to the princess.
"Hm, I've seen this a couple of times, but usually, it's done with a knightly sword," the princess drew her own sword from the sheath and held it over her guardian. "With this blade, you've defeated many enemies, and I'm sure you'll protect me and our country from any foes."
Katrina touched Asura's shoulders with the blade, officially making her a bodyguard.
"Hmm, now anyone can become a knight," Rion sighed sadly. "But if you decide to challenge me, you should offer me something worthwhile in return."
Nothing came to mind that could be worth all these lands.
"I think there's only one thing that might interest you," Yuki drew our attention; worry flickered in her eyes, but she was ready to take the risk.
"Hmm, the clan leader is offering me something I've wanted to destroy for a long time? Well, then I'll agree," the baron sneered.
"Then let's go back to the fort," the shinobi headed back, limping slightly.
"Well, there you go! I struggled so hard to get here, and now back again," Seleria's complaints went unnoticed by everyone.