Chapter 280: The Two Criminals, and the Declaration at the Arena

And that face was...

"!"

I had seen it.

No, a known face.

Flax-colored pupils and tan skin.

And above all the large body.

Even though a woman, the build was good even compared to the nearby soldiers.

No mistake.

That woman was Nadja who we had been taken care of by before coming to this town.

She seemed to have been freeing Dules from nobles, but after all Nadja and them were the target of the bandit hunt.

That meant the other one was... ah, the one who said she made the Dules serve and poured water on Sara... who was it?

For now that woman.

"Then we will perform the execution!"

Bonifatius declared.

The soldiers behind the hanging Nadja and the crying woman applied stakes to the two’s buttocks.

"Wait!!"

Nadja and them would be executed.

I who was impatient stood from the seat and shouted that.

At the voice volume that erased the large cheers of the spectator seats, I myself was startled.

The nearby Dules covered both ears with teary eyes.

After that no one made a voice, did not move so no sound came out, and it became completely quiet as if time had stopped.

"Soldiers, wait."

In that Freit who returned to himself faster than anyone ordered the soldiers who stopped moving just before piercing the stakes into Nadja and them.

The soldiers heard Freit’s voice, returned to themselves, and waited holding the stakes vertically.

Freit who saw that looked at me with cold eyes never seen before.

"Are you an acquaintance of these people?"

At Freit’s question I was troubled how to answer.

If I answered "yes", I would become a companion of the bandits.

If so I would be captured, and even if I managed to escape I could not stay in this city.

Moreover great trouble would fall on Freit.

If I answered "no", the meaning of calling wait here would be questioned.

If no meaning it would be unnatural to the extreme, so I had to "make" a meaning.

After answering "no", how to patch up?

Of course I wanted to save Nadja and them too.

No, even just us getting through this place was difficult.

I began to regret shouting on the spur of the moment.

No no, if I did not do that Nadja and them would have been executed.

"I will answer in Master’s place! Master is interested in these women!"

While troubled how to answer, Rosina who was sitting beside me stood, and raised her voice a little fast toward Freit.

"A Dule interrupting the master’s conversation is rude!"

The man sitting beside Freit stood and admonished Rosina.

"You interrupted knowing the punishment, right."

Freit restrained the man beside with a hand, and asked Rosina in a cold voice.

"Yes."

Rosina answered with a solemn face.

No good, if this continued I would have to give punishment publicly.

Rosina sorry!

"Do not interrupt on your own!"

I scolded Rosina, and slapped that cheek with the back of the hand.

I suppressed the force quite.

Thanks to that it seemed to end with only swaying a little.

Collapsing on the spot was probably Rosina’s self-acting.

It should be... probably.

"My Dule interrupted. Sorry."

When I apologized to Freit, Freit raised the corner of the mouth only a little, to the degree not noticeable unless staring.

Still a cold expression, but whether it was my imagination that to me the expression seemed softened somewhat.

"But as this Dule says. I am interested in criminals."

I said that, took Lily’s arm in front, and forcibly made her stand.

The bells attached to the nipples rang karan kolon.

Having her own unseemly naked body noticed by the many spectators here, Lily reddened her face embarrassedly, but did not try to escape from my arm.

Lily, sorry.

"Hmm, that Dule is a criminal slave too. I see, well understood. Bonifatius."

"Ah, if following the regulations, no problem."

When Freit called Bonifatius, Bonifatius nodded with conditions.

"Then which to make a criminal slave?"

Freit who looked this way again asked me.

Because there were two criminals, he was asking that.

Really only Nadja was fine, but...

Looking at Nadja, eyes met.

Then at that time she probably noticed it was me for the first time.

The puzzled face as if not knowing what was happening became bright paa.

But immediately she probably sensed thinking which of herself and the other woman to help.

She shook the restrained body, and raised her voice as if pleading to me.

"Please, I do not care what happens to me. This girl, ugh!"

Nadja restrained by the soldiers had her face pressed to the ground.

"Me, save me!! Please! Me, kyaa!!"

Whether returned to herself hearing Nadja’s voice, next the other woman raised her voice.

The soldiers restrained that woman too.

Of course helping Nadja, better to help the other one seeking help too.

Well, if eating poison even the plate, right.

"Both."

I answered Freit that clearly.

The spectators who had been completely quiet began to buzz.

"Both... Well fine. These people are heavy criminals who killed many nobles and robbed wealth. Different from that criminal slave, but can you control?"

Freit with an appearance somewhat dumbfounded confirmed with me.

"I can. If I cannot, whatever punishment I receive."

Right after saying that Lilli and Sara pulled my clothes many times.

Looking, both were looking at me worriedly.

Saying I would receive punishment was bad, maybe?

"Understood. Then I will entrust these people to you. Let me receive a little grace. After that I will deliver them to you."

When Freit declared that he nodded to Bonifatius in the arena.

"Then with this this place ends."

Bonifatius too looked at Freit and nodded, then declared to the spectators.

The spectators showed dissatisfaction, raised angry voices, and threw various things into the arena.

"After this these people will be processed, and once escorted to the assembly hall."

But when Bonifatius said that the angry voices of the spectator seats stopped perfectly.

"Then everyone. Please leave the arena."

Then following the words Nikolaus told obediently, they left the spectator seats.

In the arena the soldiers took the two blank women and left.

From now bells would be attached to both nipples, and brands pressed in three places, probably.

That meant to see that through we had to go to the execution ground too.

In the midst of fatigue coming out all at once, after confirming no one was looking this way looking around, I made Rosina who was still collapsed stand.

"Sorry."

"...Might become a habit."

"Eh?"

"Ah, no, nothing~. Aan!"

When I put a hand on the swollen cheek and poured magic, a coquettish voice leaked from Rosina’s mouth.

Ah, right.

From now I had to go see Nadja and them’s punishment.

Hard for the Dules, and even more for Lily.

Shall I have Rosina and them return first.

"Rosina, can you take everyone and return first?"

"Ee~? Why~?"

Rosina asked fawningly.

"I have to go see the punishment like done to Lily, right? You do not want to see that sort of thing much, right?"

"That is so~ but~..."

"That is not necessary."

After Rosina answered with an unconvinced appearance, a voice came from behind me.

Turning, there was Freit.

Rosina bowed her head, Lilli and Sara and Lily clung to my clothes.

"Those women I will hand over at my mansion. I should have said that."

The Freit who said that had none of the previous cold impression at all, and had returned to the usual Freit of a smiling face.

Good, seemed not angry.

While relieved I tried to recall the words Freit said.

...Indeed he had said that.

"Right."

"Yes. Then let us return."

Since Freit urged that, we began returning the path we came here.

Descending the stairs from the spectator seats, walking the corridor to the entrance.

"But when Hiroyuki suddenly raised his voice I was surprised."

Freit spoke to me while smiling wryly.

"Sorry."

I smiled wryly too, and apologized to Freit while scratching the back of my head.

"Hahaha, helped by Rosina."

"Yes, right."

"Of course."

Told by Freit I looked at Rosina, she answered as if nothing while embarrassed.

"With Hiroyuki’s quick wit the public punishment was avoided, but in front of me you will receive punishment."

Looking at such Rosina, Freit said wearing a mischievous child’s smile.

Rosina’s complexion became blue.

My complexion was becoming blue too, wasn’t it.

"Let us look forward to it."

Whether knowing or not knowing our insides, Freit muttered wearing a smile.

No, that face must know.