The battle came to an abrupt end at its most critical moment.
Not only did the spectators feel unsatisfied, even Reinhard himself wanted to keep fighting.
However, as a knight, he ultimately chose to respect Shiro's wishes.
If his opponent no longer wished to continue, then there was nothing more he could do.
Still, Reinhard silently committed Shiro's appearance to memory.
At such a sensitive point in time, an individual with this level of combat power had suddenly appeared within the Kingdom of Lugunica.
Whether that would prove good or bad remained unknown.
Shing—
Reinhard sighed and returned the Dragon Sword Reid to its sheath.
Fortunately, the Dragon Sword seemed to have gotten its fill from the battle as well and obediently fell silent.
Reinhard tidied his appearance before walking over to Emilia.
He knelt on one knee and lowered his head.
"Lady Emilia, due to my own lack of restraint, you were caught in the aftermath while observing our battle."
"I am willing to accept any punishment for my disgraceful conduct."
Emilia stared at Reinhard for several seconds.
Then she raised one slender finger and spoke seriously.
"I chose to come watch on my own."
"Even if I had gotten hurt, that would have been the consequence of my own decision."
"You don't need to take responsibility for it."
"But—"
"You know, I've noticed something strange about you."
"Strange?"
"Yes."
"You're always trying to shoulder responsibility for things that have nothing to do with you."
"And rather than punish you, I'd much rather thank you for letting me witness such an incredible battle."
"...Thank you for your understanding."
Reinhard lowered his head once more in respect before finally standing.
"Here. Take this back."
"And be more careful next time so nobody steals it again."
With the incident finally settled, Felt took the opportunity to return the insignia she had previously stolen from Emilia.
Its gemstone still emitted a faint crimson glow.
However—
The instant Reinhard saw the insignia, his gaze sharpened.
Then he suddenly grabbed Felt by the wrist before she could hand it over.
"Ugh, that hurts! Let go!"
"My apologies. That was discourteous of me."
Realizing what he had done, Reinhard hurriedly released Felt's wrist, which had already turned red under his grip.
Yet his gaze remained firmly fixed on her.
Felt immediately took the opportunity to hide behind Shiro.
Their conversation inside the Loot House and the earth-shaking battle she had just witnessed had unknowingly caused Felt to develop a strange sense of trust in him.
If she had to pick anyone here who could stand between her and Reinhard—Shiro was the only possible choice.
Reinhard then walked over to Shiro as well.
He bent down slightly so that his eyes were as level with Felt's as possible.
"I have several questions I would like to ask you."
"This matter is extremely important, so please answer them seriously."
"W-What? Why did you suddenly get so serious?"
Felt shifted awkwardly.
"What is your name?"
"Felt..."
"Your surname? And how old are you this year?"
"Why do both of you keep asking me stuff like that?!"
"I'll say it again—I'm an orphan! I don't have something luxurious like a surname."
"As for my age... probably fifteen?"
"I don't even remember my birthday."
"May I see that insignia one more time?"
Felt glanced toward Emilia as though seeking permission.
Only after Emilia nodded did Felt raise the insignia in her palm.
A dim red glow radiated from it.
"So it really is..."
"To think something like this could actually happen..."
Seeing the insignia glow, Reinhard lowered his head and murmured to himself.
After a moment, he suddenly raised his head and turned toward Shiro.
"Shiro-dono."
"Please entrust her to me temporarily."
As he spoke, an unquestionable pressure radiated from his body.
Before Shiro could respond, Felt exploded.
"Hah?! Why the hell should I go with you?!"
"Reinhard, forcing a girl to go with you is hardly proper behavior for a knight."
Emilia immediately spoke up for Felt.
Shiro nodded as well.
"Unless you explain the reason, I'm not letting you take her anywhere."
Admittedly, Felt had brought Shiro to the Loot House partly because he had pressured her into doing so.
But she had still helped him.
Shiro did not believe Reinhard intended to harm Felt.
However, he had known Reinhard for only a few minutes.
That could hardly compare to the time he had spent with Felt.
There was no way he would simply allow Reinhard to take her away without a proper explanation.
With Shiro supporting her, Felt's eyes immediately lit up.
Then she switched back to her fierce expression and glared at Reinhard.
The speed of her change in expression left even Reinhard unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
Still, considering the importance of the situation, he patiently explained.
"To tell you the truth, this matter concerns Lady Felt's origins."
"My origins?" ×4
The moment Reinhard said it concerned Felt's background, everyone except Old Man Rom became extremely curious.
Even Felt herself was no exception.
For as long as Felt could remember, she had been alone.
Old Man Rom had been the one looking after her since childhood.
Sometimes, when she saw children in the slums being protected by their parents, she could not help wondering—What kind of people had her own parents been?
Yet whenever she asked Old Man Rom, he either claimed not to know or gave some vague, evasive answer.
The possibility of learning something about her origins from Reinhard was completely beyond Felt's expectations.
She stared at him nervously, waiting for him to continue.
"The truth is..."
Reinhard hesitated over whether he should reveal everything in front of Emilia.
After all, the truth would be somewhat cruel to her.
But after weighing the consequences, Reinhard ultimately chose the prosperity of the kingdom.
He closed his eyes and began recounting a shameful incident from the past.
"Fourteen years ago, an incident occurred within the Kingdom of Lugunica that could never be allowed to become public knowledge."
"That year, intruders infiltrated the royal castle."
"The daughter of Lord Ford, the younger brother of the late king, was abducted."
"The perpetrators successfully escaped with her, and the young lady's whereabouts have remained unknown ever since."
Everyone present unconsciously held their breath.
By this point—They could already vaguely guess what Reinhard was about to say.
Almost simultaneously, every gaze turned toward the stunned Felt.
Emilia even covered her mouth with one hand.
"And the most prominent physical traits inherited through Lugunica's royal bloodline are golden hair and red eyes."
"Therefore..."
"Lady Felt is very likely the surviving royal child who disappeared all those years ago..."
…