As Ramune made her way back to the castle, her steps steady and composed, she encountered Sir Bastian on the corridor leading to the knights' lounge.
"Ah! Dame Ramune, there you are! I've been searching for you," he greeted warmly, extending a handkerchief as if out of habit. "Seems like you just got back, haven't you—"
His words trailed off as his eyes scanned her from head to toe.
The cheerful expression on his face twisted into one of disbelief. His mouth fell slightly open, and his brows furrowed deeply.
"Wait... you didn't slaughter anyone today?!" Sir Bastian exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders and scrutinizing her like a curious scientist examining a rare creature. He glanced around her figure, looking for any telltale stains.
Ramune blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Why would I?"
He immediately inspected her sword, unsheathing it partway to find it gleaming clean. No blood, no grime—absolutely nothing. His hand trembled slightly as he sheathed it back and muttered under his breath, "Did she bathe before coming here? No... she'd never."
Ramune, still perplexed, stared at him with her usual blank expression. She decided to ignore the fuss and continued toward the knights' lounge, Sir Bastian trailing behind her like a shadow, mumbling incoherent words of disbelief.
The moment she entered the knights' lounge, Edric, ever the loud and sarcastic one, immediately noticed her distinct, heavy footfalls and called out as he always did.
"Ah, look who's finally graced us with her presence. Done painting the town red again, Dame Bloodstain?" He didn't even look up at first, his hands busy braiding his hair.
But when he finally turned to face her, his jaw nearly unhinged. The braid he was working on fell apart as his hands froze mid-motion. His wide eyes scanned her in exaggerated disbelief.
"Where's the blood?!" Edric's voice rose, drawing the attention of several knights nearby. "What the hell happened to you? Did you... did you bathe in a river before coming back?!"
"Why does everyone keep asking if I bathed?" Ramune muttered under her breath, crossing her arms.
The other knights were just as bewildered, murmuring among themselves.
"She's clean..."
"Do you think she's sick?"
"Maybe she went soft?"
"Soft? Have you met her?"
Edric dramatically collapsed into a chair, throwing his arm over his face as if witnessing the fall of a legend. "This is the end of times, I'm telling you. Dame Ramune returned without a single drop of blood. Not one. What's next? She'll start baking cookies for the children in the village?"
Sir Bastian, still recovering, chimed in, "Maybe you just didn't encounter any enemies today, huh? That's it, isn't it? No one crossed your path?"
Ramune stared at him, her expression as stoic as ever. "Actually, I did encounter trouble. I just handled it differently this time."
The room went eerily silent.
"You handled it?" Edric asked, leaning forward suspiciously. "What does that mean?!"
"It means," Ramune said evenly, "that for once, the solution didn't involve bloodshed. I decided to avoid unnecessary violence."
Gasps filled the room. Knights exchanged shocked glances. Some even clutched their chests as if their hearts couldn't take the revelation.
Edric slumped back in his chair, dramatically fanning himself. "Will you start negotiating with bandits? Offering them tea and biscuits?"
Ramune's lips twitched slightly, though no one was sure if it was annoyance or amusement.
"I think it's a good change," Sir Bastian said, trying to salvage some normalcy in the conversation. "Though... it is a little unsettling seeing you without blood."
Ramune ignored the commotion and sat at the nearest table, pulling out a report she had prepared. As the knights continued their ridiculous speculations, she quietly thought to herself, Maybe I should bathe in blood next time just to shut them up.
---
Ramune continued to review her findings, then,Sir Aldric approached from across the lounge. His steps were deliberate, his sharp eyes scanning her with the scrutiny of someone who'd seen too much to let anything slip by unnoticed.
"Dame Ramune," he greeted, his tone carrying its usual mix of formality and dry humor. "I trust your report is ready. But, didn't I tell you to clean yourself up before sitting? Bloodstains are harder to remove from upholstery than you think—"
He stopped mid-sentence as he truly looked at her. His eyes widened slightly, and for a rare moment, his composure cracked.
"You..." he muttered, trailing off as though struggling to believe what he was seeing.
Ramune tilted her head slightly, her blank expression unchanged. "Yes?"
He didn't answer immediately, his gaze darting to her uniform, her hands, and even the floor beneath her chair. Not a single trace of blood.
"You're... clean," he finally said, his voice quieter, almost accusatory.
"Observant as always, Sir Aldric," she replied, her tone as flat as ever.
Aldric's lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowing as if he suspected some kind of trickery. But he said nothing, instead moving closer to the table where Ramune had spread out her report.
"What have you found?" he asked, finally regaining his composure.
Ramune gestured to the pages before her. "This is my report on the recent activities in the neighboring regions. While investigating, I came across this script in the archives—"
"Script?" Aldric interrupted, leaning over to examine the parchment she indicated.
"It was misplaced among other irrelevant documents," she explained. "But its contents align too closely with current events to be a coincidence. It details trade routes, supply chains, and certain... irregularities. When combined with the observations I made during my search, it confirms my suspicions about enemy movements."
Aldric's brows furrowed as he skimmed through her findings, his sharp mind quickly piecing things together. "Irregularities, you say. Go on."
Ramune folded her hands neatly on the table, her piercing green eyes unwavering. "The supply shortages we've been experiencing aren't random. They've been orchestrated. The patterns suggest that someone is deliberately diverting resources to weaken our strongholds in preparation for an attack."
Aldric nodded slowly, his expression darkening. "And the enemy's involvement?"
"I believe they've infiltrated key points in the distribution network," Ramune continued. "While I couldn't uncover the full extent of their operations, the script provides enough clues to start dismantling their strategy."
Suddenly, the heavy doors to the lounge swung open with a loud bang.
"RAMUNE?!"
Lionel stormed in, his breath ragged as though he'd run across the entire castle. Edric and Sir Bastian followed close behind, both looking equally flustered.
Lionel's heavy boots echoed across the room as he made a beeline for Ramune. The moment he reached her, he grabbed her by the shoulders, his wide eyes scanning her like a madman.
"What happened?!" Lionel demanded. "Where's the blood? Did you—wait, you didn't even fight anyone, did you?!"
Edric, still look a bit exhausted, smirked from behind him. "Well, well. Dame Ramune, the Bloodless Wonder. Will you start baking pies instead of breaking necks?"
Ramune's gaze flicked to him briefly before returning to Lionel. "Do you want me to prove otherwise?"
Edric's smirk faltered slightly, and he held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'll pass, thanks."
"Enough," Bastian said, stepping forward and placing a firm hand on Lionel's shoulder. "Let her explain herself."
Lionel reluctantly let go, though his suspicious gaze never left her.
Ramune sighed, the faintest hint of irritation crossing her otherwise stoic features. "As I was telling Sir Aldric, I found something far more useful than bloodshed today. If you'd care to focus on the report instead of my uniform, we might actually make progress."
Bastian raised an eyebrow. "Go on, then. What did you find?"
Ramune quickly summarized her findings again, explaining the connection between the script and her observations in the field.
By the time she finished, the room was silent. Aldric was the first to speak. "Her calculations are sound," he said, his tone firm. "This isn't just coincidence. The enemy is testing our defenses."
Bastian nodded in agreement, his usual stern expression growing darker. "If what you've uncovered is true, then we need to act quickly. We can't afford to lose any more ground."
Lionel, still looking skeptical, crossed his arms. "Fine. But next time, I expect you to come back with blood, Ramune. It's... unsettling seeing you like this."
Ramune gave him a flat look.
Edric chuckled quietly. "Oh, I like this new Ramune. Bloodless and composed? A winning combination."
Ignoring him, Ramune turned back to Aldric. "I'll prepare a formal briefing for tomorrow's meeting. For now, I suggest reviewing the script more thoroughly."
Aldric nodded. "Agreed. And, Ramune?"
She looked at him expectantly.
"Good work," he said, his tone softer.
Ramune blinked, the faintest flicker of surprise crossing her features before she nodded. "Understood."
As the knights began to disperse, Lionel muttered to himself, "Still can't believe it. No blood. None."
Ramune, overhearing, allowed herself the barest ghost of a smirk. Some victories, after all, didn't require a sword.