"You—!"
The knight below was so furious he could barely speak. After a long pause, he finally spat out through gritted teeth,
"How dare you openly defy the Duke's command! Are you trying to rebel?!"
"Look at you, losing your temper already," Hel replied with a lazy smile from atop the battlements. "I'm talking to you about the law, and you're talking about… what, treason?
You say I want to rebel? Who said that? Who's your witness?
Do you think flapping your lips is enough to accuse me of treason?"
She rested her chin on her hands and watched the knight below seethe, her tone unhurried and mocking.
"By your logic," she added sweetly, "if I say you joined a heretical cult, does that make you a cultist?"
"You—!"
The knight below could only glare up at her, speechless with rage, before jerking his reins and galloping back toward his unit.
Hel waited patiently atop the wall. After a long while, another figure finally emerged from the cavalry formation.
Unlike the others, this man wasn't wearing armor. Instead, he was dressed in a fitted nobleman's coat — a style currently fashionable among the upper class — though his was plain and a bit worn.
It resembled the open trench coats Hel remembered from her previous world.
His riding was clumsy; he moved slowly, awkwardly, clearly unaccustomed to horseback travel.
By the time he managed to reach the base of the wall, Hel was already bored out of her mind.
She expected he was just another messenger sent to scold her — but instead of shouting, the man began quietly chanting a spell.
Then, with some effort, he dismounted and kicked lightly off the ground, slowly rising into the air.
Hel blinked. Slowly was putting it mildly — his ascent was so painfully sluggish that just watching him was exhausting.
Heim's walls weren't very high, but at his pace, Hel would've had to wait half the afternoon.
So, with an exasperated sigh, she raised a hand.
A stream of water shot out from her fingertip like a whip, wrapping neatly around the man's waist.
With a tug, she reeled him in and pulled him straight up onto the parapet.
He landed awkwardly, looking flustered for a moment — but after taking a few deep breaths, he managed to regain his composure.
"My apologies for the unseemly entrance, Countess," he said politely, bowing. "I am not… particularly adept at rapid motion."
He straightened and introduced himself calmly,
"My name is Witt. A wandering knight. Not long ago, I answered the Duke's call and took part in the campaign to reclaim Linhaven."
Hel nodded slightly, waiting for him to get to the point.
But Witt didn't — instead, he began talking as if giving a lecture.
"To be honest, I have never seen so many small beastmen in one place. It was as if someone had kicked over an anthill — they just kept coming, wave after wave.
Ah, forgive my curiosity — I hail from the Scholar's Nation, Savent. Over there—"
"Alright, enough," Hel interrupted before he could ramble any further. "If you've got something to say, say it."
"Oh my," Witt blinked, smiling sheepishly. "Forgive me, I got a little carried away."
"If you're here to persuade me to obey that order," Hel said coolly, "you can turn around and leave."
"Of course not."
Witt shook his head, producing a small booklet from inside his coat. The cover bore a few bold characters — The Neth Constitution.
"You see, I'm quite fond of the law myself," he said cheerfully. "And since I dislike the kind of people who knowingly break it, I certainly wouldn't try to force you to send troops."
As he spoke, he flipped open the booklet, his smile never fading.
"According to Article 3 of the Lords' Chapter in the Neth Constitution, when the capital city is under attack by foreign forces, all surrounding lords are obligated to provide reinforcements without exception.
Meanwhile, Article 72 of the Nobles' Chapter states that underage nobles have the right to refuse their feudal military duties to their liege — such as conscription, commanding troops, or obeying military orders.
However…" He paused for emphasis. "…it does not include refusing aid when the capital itself is invaded. After all, that is not a command from a liege, but a duty to the nation."
Hel's expression shifted slightly — at first, she thought he was another bureaucrat trying to use legalese to corner her into fighting.
But then Witt did something unexpected.
He closed the booklet, tucked it back into his coat, and placed a hand over his chest in a deep, formal bow.
"Right now," he said solemnly, "Mandrake City stands on the brink of destruction. Tens of thousands of citizens — elders, women, children, even newborns — are trapped within its walls, facing slaughter at the hands of the beastmen.
So, for the sake of those one hundred thousand innocent lives… I beg you to send your troops to their aid."
Hel tilted her head, lips curving faintly.
Interesting.
First, he tried to corner her with the law. Now he was attempting moral coercion.
The method was… familiar.
In fact, it reminded her a little of herself.
Though, in her case, she'd usually start with the grand ideals — then quietly annihilate an entire family afterward.
Which, she mused, was at least more honest than this kind of moral posturing.
And besides — in this world, only strength earned you a seat at the table.
If the power wasn't equal, there was no point in talking.
Hel raised her hand.
A surge of water erupted from her palm, forming a massive, translucent hand that reached out, grabbed Witt by the torso — and, without hesitation, flung him back toward the distant camp like a piece of trash.
There was a loud whoosh, and he vanished from sight.
"Um, my lady…" Sebastian murmured hesitantly. "Wasn't that… a bit much?"
"Don't worry," Hel replied lightly. "He won't die. His power's not low, after all."
Her eyes glinted with a knowing look before she turned and descended from the wall.
Meanwhile, on the other side — Witt's body traced a graceful arc through the air before plummeting.
Just before hitting the ground, he cast a wind spell with practiced ease, righting himself midair and landing gently.
Gone was the awkward, fumbling mage from before.
He looked back toward the city walls, watching the small figure who had just turned to leave, and a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Interesting," he murmured. "It seems the new head of the Heim family is quite the prodigy.
To have the strength of a mid-level mage at that age… remarkable.
Heh. If the old geezers back home ever hear about this, I can't wait to see their faces."