Vol 2 Chapter 68 – Eleonora Begins to Change【Vol 2 – The Condemned Knight Edition】

“There’s a thief! Someone catch him!”

That voice rang out in a crowded, bustling marketplace.

Hmm… while it’s nice to have many people and such liveliness, these places inevitably come with such incidents…

That said, it’s not as if things hadn’t improved at all since we took on the Royal Capital’s public safety duties.

Rather, you could say they’d improved significantly.

Specifically, the heinous crimes committed in back alleys and such.

Forced prostitution, rape, human trafficking, robbery-murder, illegal drug trade. These had decreased substantially.

A major factor was Eleonora-san’s extreme vigilante justice terrifying the criminals.

Well, being pummeled beyond human recognition isn’t something anyone but me could readily accept.

Miriam, Eleonora-san, and I had taken the lead in tackling not these visible marketplace crimes, but crimes committed in the shadows where eyes couldn’t reach.

Still, we hadn’t completely eradicated them.

If individuals were committing crimes alone it might have been possible, but there seemed to be several large organizations involved.

While Eleonora-san eagerly tried to charge in, for just the three of us to confront that darkness would be reckless.

I had Miriam and Eleonora-san report to their superiors, while secretly resolving to charge in alone someday.

“Move it!”

“Kyaaa!?”

Oops, a roar and scream pulled me back to reality.

This wasn’t the time to fantasize about being captured by a powerful evil organization and subjected to blood-and-iron torture.

Well, for that reason, our eyes as a trio didn’t reach these comparatively minor crimes on the surface.

We’d thought the knight order stationed in the Royal Capital could handle those.

That alone wasn’t enough, so we ended up patrolling the streets too, but…

Now then, shall I get hit once and then capture them, like before?

“Ah…”

Thinking that, the female knight standing beside me—Eleonora-san—kicked the ground hard and leapt forward.

Ah, this is bad. If Eleonora-san tries to capture him, a punishment far exceeding the crime of theft will be handed down…

“Huh!? What’s with you, woman! Get out of the way!”

The thief bravely charged at Eleonora-san who stood blocking his path.

Aah, don’t! That person gains pleasure from pummeling people—she’s a hardcore sadist!

Unable to say such things, the thief charged forward, and I thought it would become a gruesome scene I’d want to experience in his place, but…

“Hup…!”

“Bweh!?”

Without summoning those spike-studded gauntlets she’d beaten me with repeatedly, Eleonora-san punched the thief’s face with an unarmed fist.

Though not wearing gauntlets, the arm strength to swing those heavy weapons remained intact.

The culprit sprayed blood as he was blown back, collapsing onto the ground with a splat.

I-I’m jealous…

“…She got gentler. No follow-up attack either.”

Ah, right. Miriam’s words brought me back to reality.

Eleonora-san forgiving a criminal with just one punch? Impossible.

Miriam and I blinked at the hard-to-believe sight.

After exhaling, Eleonora-san saw our stunned expressions and looked away embarrassedly.

“…I promised to face my sadism, after all. Even with criminals, I’m trying to restrain myself from excessive attacks.”

Oh… what a wonderful person.

Even though the culprit was spraying blood with his nose bent slightly, twitching on the ground, Eleonora-san had stopped at just that.

Before, she would’ve dragged him into an alley and pummeled him further.

As I was moved, Eleonora-san approached and whispered secretly in my ear.

“In exchange, please shoulder my sadism. Tonight, perhaps.”

Whispered into my ear, I shuddered.

What lovely invitation words. I might follow along eagerly.

To shoulder Eleonora-san’s sadism, she and I repeatedly conducted one-on-one mock battles under the guise of training.

This way, it didn’t look like I was being one-sidedly tormented, so Miriam reluctantly accepted it.

Actually, through mock battles with Eleonora-san who was stronger than me, I gained things besides pain and pleasure.

I felt I’d gotten a bit stronger.

Well, I usually get pummeled though. Eleonora-san looks truly happy, which is wonderful.

I’m happy too, so we’re the perfect partners.

“…Too close.”

Miriam said irritably, pulling my arm to separate me from Eleonora-san.

We’d held that drinking party to remove the wall created after learning her true nature, but it seemed to have worsened further.

I felt hostility equal to what she shows Debora…

Eleonora-san gave Miriam a wry smile—a truly mature response.

“I’ll escort this man. Let’s part ways here for now.”

“Ah, yes.”

Leaving the growling Miriam aside, Eleonora-san made that proposal to me.

If this were Debora, she’d have fought with Miriam… but this woman probably won’t clash so readily.

“See you tonight, then.”

Eleonora-san whispered in my ear.

Hmm, is this what they call adult allure? If I weren’t a hardcore masochist, I might have fallen for it easily…

Eleonora-san smiled thinly, then grabbed the collapsed thief’s head and dragged him away.

Ah, she doesn’t hold back there.

Now, as I was thinking about what to do with Miriam who continued growling while watching her back…

“…She dropped this.”

Miriam picked something up and held it out.

A handkerchief… Eleonora-san’s perhaps? I’ll return it tonight.

Still though…

“How kind of you to pick up Eleonora-san’s dropped item.”

“…Not really.”

Miriam blushed embarrassedly and turned away with a huff.

Showing kindness even to someone she dislikes—that’s her virtue and wonderful point, isn’t it?

Miriam’s kindness warmed my heart.

“…Well, since we have some time, shall we go to the Royal Castle?”

With Eleonora-san escorting the criminal, we had unexpected free time.

Let’s make good use of this time.

“Eh? W-we’re going to see Debora?”

Perceptive Miriam caught on immediately.

“Yes. We haven’t seen her recently. If we don’t meet her soon, the consequences will be frightening, right?”

That’s a lie. Since Debora is short-tempered and selfish, she’s probably built up considerable irritation already.

Well, I think her demand that I visit her daily is rather unreasonable.

“Come on, let’s go. Don’t worry, she’ll welcome us.”

With an explosion.

“Ugh…”

Though reluctant, Miriam came along.

◆

“Why didn’t you pay any attention to me at all!”

“Gwaaah!”

“Aah! Erik got blown away by an explosion…!”