"Ugh…! Cowardly bandits. To think they'd go for a surprise attack."
"Kuhehe, it's the knights' own fault for not checking properly."
In a remote mountain within the Northern Atlante Territory.
The bandits surrounding the splendid carriage let out mocking sneers.
The ambush had been a success, and all the knights were dead except for one.
Victory was already all but assured.
"You idiots. The lady will fetch a hefty ransom."
Thud. Thud.
A hulking brute, his head a full size larger than the other bandits', stepped forward.
"Knights, surround him from all sides—front, back, left, right. Don't get careless just because he's a knight, even if he's wounded."
""Yes, sir!""
"...Filthy scum."
The knight standing by the carriage gripped his sword.
But he'd taken a wound to the shoulder from the ambush.
Could he really face a dozen bandits at once when his body wouldn't even move properly?
The knight's face drained of color.
"Enough."
"L-Lady…!"
Clack. Clack.
A woman stepped out from inside the carriage.
Silver hair like it was made of glass, refined grace that held even in crisis, and a figure that stole the breath away.
Even the bandits gulped at her appearance.
The sole lady of the Atlante family, famed as the Flower of the North.
"If you take me as a hostage, let the others go free."
Heckenroze von Atlante.
She stepped forward before the bandits.
"Hmm, what reason do I have to follow the lady's orders?"
"If you don't, I'll die right here."
Shing!
She drew the dagger at her waist and held it to her own throat.
The sudden turn left not just the bandits, but even the knight, stunned.
"Lady! What are you…."
"If I die here, my father won't stand for it. You won't get your ransom, and instead, you'll be slaughtered mercilessly by his rage. Even if you flee the Atlante lands, forever."
"Gasp…."
"C-Crazy bitch!"
The bandits paled at her chilling declaration.
The Flower of the North, the only daughter of Northern Archduke Atlante.
If such a person died at the hands of mere bandits….
Where the fury of a father losing his sole daughter would turn was obvious.
"So that's your plan."
Pfft.
The muscle-bound giant let out a hollow chuckle.
"Not bad for a scheme from that little head of yours, but looks like your body's not cooperating."
"!"
"No good holding a dagger with a hand shaking like that."
Heckenroze's hand trembled even harder at the thug's words.
She could control her expression, but not the shaking in her hand.
The bandit leader keenly spotted it.
The fact that she had no real intent to die.
"A precious lady shouldn't hold something so vicious. Right, boys?"
"That's right!"
"One knight's nothing—we'll overwhelm him with numbers…!"
"Wonder how much ransom she'll bring, heh heh."
The bandits slowly closed in.
Weapons in hand, the pressure squeezing from all directions.
No matter that he was a knight, it was impossible to dodge or block attacks raining from every angle.
The knight still raised his sword, even on the brink of death.
In that moment of imminent peril—
"Oh, perfect—people right here. What luck."
A cheerful voice halted the bandits in their tracks.
A man had appeared out of nowhere.
He wore a pristine black suit without a single wrinkle, his hair an ominous black, leaning on a black cane.
His perpetually narrowed eyes made his intentions hard to read.
"Who the hell's this guy…?"
"Is he nuts?"
"Approaching us in this situation?"
"Quiet, all of you."
The bandits fell silent at the giant's command.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Ah, I forgot introductions in my haste. My apologies."
Swoosh.
He bowed with aristocratic grace.
Twirling his cane in the motion made him look more clown than noble.
"Pleased to meet you. Name's Matthew. Just a commoner with no family to speak of. Easy name to remember, no?"
"...Where you from?"
"Well… who knows. A wandering life with no fixed path… Got lost somehow."
"Lost?"
"Yes, indeed. Heading to the Northern Atlante Territory… First time on this road, so I lost my way in these mountains, haha."
Matthew shrugged with a laugh.
Laughing in this situation?
Even the bandits couldn't fathom this Matthew guy's mindset.
And Lady Heckenroze was just as baffled.
Who… is this man?
At first glance, she'd thought him some shadowy figure commanding the bandits.
His appearance was that untrustworthy.
Yet even the bandits treated him like a stranger.
To stand so calmly before over a dozen armed thugs.
Far too suspicious to pass off as simply lost.
"To the Northern Territory, eh?"
"Haha, yes."
"Then we can't let you live."
"What do you…?"
"Take him out."
Shing!
No sooner had the giant spoken than one bandit stepped forward.
"I hate pretty boys like you!"
"Is that so?"
"I'll split that handsome face in two!"
The bandit swung his rusted sword.
Lady Heckenroze squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the gruesome scene.
But no horrific scream or the sound of blade slicing flesh came.
Peeking cautiously, she saw… the man had perfectly evaded the bandit's attack.
"Swinging a sword so dangerously. I only asked for directions."
"Y-You bastard…!"
"Whoa there."
Swoosh! Swish!
The bandit slashed repeatedly, but Matthew dodged with ease.
His movements, evading by a paper-thin margin, resembled a dance.
Even so, he scratched his temple apologetically.
"Seems there's some misunderstanding. I only asked for directions…."
"Shut up! Hah… just die!"
"Afraid that's a request I can't fulfill."
A faint smile.
He gripped the midpoint of his cane with both hands.
The cane split in two, revealing the hidden blade within.
Sword and scabbard fused to masquerade as a cane.
"Wh-What?!"
"Pardon me."
Slash!
Blood sprayed.
The bandit had swung, but it was he who was struck—not Matthew.
He collapsed, unaware of what hit him.
Matthew shook his head regretfully.
"No kind soul among you to show me the way?"
"...Not some amateur. Gang up on him."
"Yes, sir!"
"Oh dear."
Thud-thud-thud!
The bandits, enraged at losing a comrade, charged.
They'd feel better only after carving up that smug face.
But it was the bandits who got carved.
"D-Die!! …Urk."
"As I said, that's not happening."
"You bastard!!"
"Call me Matthew."
"Shut up, just shut—!"
"I do enjoy a good chat. Whoops, excuse me."
Thud. Plop.
With every word from Matthew, bandits fell around him.
He evaded fluidly, as if eyes in the back of his head.
And each evasion left a sword cut on the attacker.
Neither Lady Heckenroze nor her knight could comprehend that bizarre swordplay.
"That man… who is he…?"
"D-Do you know him, milady?"
"First time seeing him. And… that swordsmanship too."
The knight watched wide-eyed, but couldn't discern the principles.
How he swung or struck—it was invisible.
To onlookers, Matthew merely danced joyfully.
"H-Hiiik… monster!"
"Monster? That's a bit much."
Now only two bandits remained.
The giant leader and one quaking so hard he'd dropped his weapon.
The giant spat and advanced.
"B-Boss! Do something about that guy…."
"Shut it, coward."
"!?"
Slash!
The giant's greatsword took the bandit's head.
His last subordinate, but the giant didn't care.
"Killing your own comrade? Harsh."
"You're the one who killed all the rest."
"I didn't want to fight…."
"Shut up. Who sent you?"
"...Pardon?"
"Lorelline? Black Plate? Red Raven? Which one?"
Matthew tilted his head.
"Hmm… Never heard of any of them."
"You cause all this mess and still act shameless…!"
"I only asked for directions."
"Don't expect an easy death."
Whoosh!
The giant's arm muscles bulged as he hefted his greatsword.
By looks alone, the giant should win handily.
Yet somehow, Lady Heckenroze couldn't picture Matthew losing.
"Hah!"
The greatsword swung with a shout.
The air-whipping whoosh made Heckenroze flinch, even from afar.
A leg-weakening strike, yet Matthew dodged lightly.
"Impressive strength. How do you even swing something that huge…?"
"Shut… up!"
"I'm weak, so this little sword suits me fine."
"Raaah!!"
Veins bulged on the bandit's forehead.
Whoosh! Whooosh!!
A flurry of slashes tearing the air.
Skill unbecoming a mere bandit chief gleamed through.
Even the knight's eyes widened at the attacks.
But… what the hell is that guy?!
He wasn't even sure he'd beat the giant 100%.
Yet Matthew evaded every blow with ease.
And each dodge sprayed blood from the giant's body.
The attacker taking damage—an eerie, uncanny sword art.
"Die! You rat!"
"Everyone's making such tough demands. Showing me the road's simple by comparison, no?"
"Die!!!!"
Boom!!
A full-force overhead smash.
The ground cratered where the greatsword hit, dirt splashing onto Matthew's clothes.
He'd avoided blood splatter before, but couldn't escape the flying earth.
Eyeing the dirt on his suit, he frowned faintly.
"...Tch."
"!?"
The giant gulped at the sudden shift in aura.
"One thing I hate is getting my clothes dirty."
"That's…."
Matthew's smile had vanished.
The giant nearly apologized on instinct.
Matthew's presence was that unnerving.
Before he could speak….
"That's enough."
Matthew moved at unseen speed.
Slide.
The giant's vision tilted slowly.
"I can just ask those two for directions anyway."
The giant saw his own body in view.
His vision dropping to the ground with a thud… and his headless corpse spraying blood into the air.
Only then did he realize his head was gone.
Far too late.
"Well then, ladies and gentlemen?"
Matthew brushed dirt from his suit as he approached.
"I trust you'll show me the way north."
Matthew beamed, blood still streaking his cheek uncleaned.