Chapter 9 - III -
Roland stood outside the wooden fence and smiled when he saw the door open up. He had the bouquet ready in his hand, freshly plucked from the rose garden, being kept by Grandma Margie. However, his face quickly soured when he saw Mariya come out instead.
“I didn’t ask for you, squirt.”
“Neither do we, tin head. Not only you’re inconveniencing us, but you also destroyed my grandma’s garden!” Mariya countered, “Don’t you think you guys have anything better to do? You have the guts to loiter even though you’re at work!”
“Ah, the beach will watch for itself.” Roland explained in a dreamy voice, “As for me, I need to see my muse each time I open my eyes…or I’ll die.”
“Well, we got no issues if you did. Just leave us alone!”
“Che. Again, I didn’t ask for you. Where’s Miss Lily?”
“I told you she’s got a lover already!”
“I don’t care!” Roland insisted, “In the first place, she’s here in Hagena, alone. Where’s her lover when she needs him? Meanwhile, I am here, and I can give her the love she didn’t experience before!”
“Oh yeah?” Mariya countered, “Why don’t you pass that ‘love’ to the other girls you sweet-talked before instead of trying to get inside Miss Knight’s skirt?”
“You know, for such a small brat, you have a foul mouth.” Roland was getting annoyed. “And besides, it’s their fault that we had to separate. They couldn’t return to me the love that I give to them? Then face the consequences! It’s that easy.”
“Well, at least, I’m much better than your stinking thing in-between your legs!”
Roland was visibly taken aback by Mariya’s insults. To add more salt to the wound, his fellow guards jeered and goaded him to take action.
And as the vice-captain of the guards, he can’t let it pass!
“Why you…! You’re just a little girl; what do you even know about being a man? A real man?”
“And what do you even know about a lady’s heart? That Miss Knight is still in love with her lover far away means you failed to show her your being ‘real man’!”
“The vice-captain’s being destroyed!” a guard laughed.
Another one followed-up with, “Haha! He’s all high and mighty with the ladies, but can’t win over a little kid!”
“That’s our vice-captain, alright!”
“Well, why don’t I…” Roland’s hand was about to reach for his sword, “…show you what being a real man is all about?”
“Well, I’d like to see that happen.”
At that moment, Lily had finally shown herself hobbling on her crutches. Mariya was quick to assist her as she struggled to keep her balance over the stony pathway. The other guards began whistling in the most lecherous way possible, as their eyes were plastered on Lily’s bouncing chest.
“Man! Look at the huge rack!”
“Heh, Vice-Captain Roland fished out a winner this time, eh?”
Lily, though itching to blow the perverted boys away with her magic, decided to remain calm. Maybe she could still persuade them to back off…
“Miss Lily, please, would you accept these flowers as proof of my love for you?” Roland asked, complete with a dreamy voice and kneeling to the ground.
“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Sir Guard,” Lily answered.
“Why not?”
“Well, I have a lover already.”
“But I am here, and I could love you more than that man!”
“I’m sorry, Sir Guard, but I can’t reciprocate those feelings of yours.” Lily bowed and apologized, “Anyway, I thank you for appreciating me. May you find someone else to love in the future.” She then turned her back on him and made her way back inside the house.
Roland, upon seeing that he couldn’t break down Lily’s defenses in her heart, fell silent. Mariya stuck out a tongue at him as she assisted Lily.
“Bruh, the vice-captain sure got wrecked this time, just like that, eh?” a fellow guard commented, which was followed by the others, who were watching them.
“Miss Big Tits sure is feisty, huh?”
“Hey, Vice-Cap! Why don’t we just drink it out later, huh?”
Seeing that he’s being made fun of, Roland was extremely embarrassed. His pride as the ‘strongest warrior’ of his village, as well as being the ‘Vice-Captain’ of the guards, was certainly trampled underfoot. At that moment, he couldn’t keep himself from getting enraged, especially when he noticed a lot of other people—the neighbors, passers-by, as well as his comrades and Mariya’s family—were watching the scene. And then…
“What is your problem?”
Lily and Mariya stopped in their tracks upon hearing the young guard speak. His voice was full of indignation, and his fist had already crumpled the rose that he had plucked.
“I’m asking you, what is your problem?”
It was Mariya who answered for Lily, “Come on Tin Head. Don’t sulk; it’s natural for us women to look for someone suitable for us. You don’t own our hearts, okay? Better fool around with someone who’ll listen to your stupidity!”
The other guards swooned and taunted the insulted youth even more.
“I’m not talking to you, you insolent brat!”
Mariya was taken aback when Roland finally shouted. He then pulled out his sword and attacked the young girl out of spite.
“!!!”
“Kyaaaaaa!!!”
It happened so fast that Mariya didn’t even have the chance to back off, nor put up her arms in front of her to defend herself.
The next thing that happened, everyone’s eyes were plastered on the unfolding scene in front of them. Grandma Margie’s scream tore through the otherwise silent air as she witnessed her defenseless granddaughter attacked. She tried to run to protect Mariya, but eventually fainted. Fortunately, Anton rushed to assist the old lady.
As for Mariya, she didn’t expect the guard to snap out of his senses and take her out with his sword. She had no time to shout. However…
“!!!”
Roland’s attack was parried once again by Lily, who was forced to use one of her crutches to block his sword, “You wonder why I won’t answer you? It’s because of this. Aren’t you one arrogant boy?”
“!!!”
“Anton!” Lily turned to the little brother, “Take your sister and Grandma away from here. I’ll just teach these little boys some lesson.”
Roland and his companions were enraged further upon hearing Lily refer to them as ‘little boys’. They ganged up on her, with everyone drawing out their swords and positioning themselves to attack.
“A ‘boy’ you say?” Roland snarled.
“Can four little boys joining to beat one disabled girl be called men?”
“Alright, we’ll show you what a man is!” Roland countered, “I heard that you’re a knight; if I defeat you here, then you’ll be my woman!”
“I didn’t agree to that.” she replied, “Just because your pride got crushed doesn’t mean—”
“Silence! At her, boys!” Roland and his comrades then simultaneously attacked Lily. Mariya tried to intervene, but Anton was quick to pull her out of harm’s way.
“I guess, it’s time to start our lesson then.” Lily, skillfully using one crutch while shifting her weight on the other one, defended herself from her assailants.
“!!!”
But the guards would not back down. They threw more thrusts against Lily’s defense, before using their hands to try breaking it down.
“Lesson no. 1!” Lily narrowly evaded every punch thrown, and realizing that Roland should be defeated first, quickly countered his blade by hitting the flat with her crutch. “We ladies want someone who would treat us with respect, and I don’t mean the superficial one. We need to feel that we’re properly honored and always watch out for this whenever you talk to us—all of us.”
Roland, however, dismissed her words, as he was quick to answer her blocking actions, “I got you now!”
But Lily wouldn’t even budge, “Lesson no. 2. A good man could always relate to the needs of the woman he loves, or at least he strives to. We know you’re not perfect, but it’s the effort in that aspect that separates boys from men.”
“Shut up!” Roland intensified his attacks, joined by his comrades, “I don’t need your unsolicited advice!”
Seeing that their attacks were not doing anything, Roland changed tactics. With Lily’s movement limited by her leg injury, he launched a diving attack designed to subdue the disabled girl.
“…”
However, Lily was unfazed. Though she couldn’t move much, she methodically crushed the other guards attacking her before driving her weapon towards Roland’s chest—fully encased in armor.
Then she made her counter-attack, “Lesson no. 3. A good man fights to protect, not to dominate, or destroy.”
“!!!”
“And clearly, you don’t have these traits, with you, Amateur!”
By then, everyone who was nearby was already watching the scene unfold. Neighbors, passers-by, and Mariya’s family all held their breaths as they were unsure who the winner was. Roland had his sword-tip pointed at Lily’s neck; Lily had her crutch touching the guard’s chest armor.
“…”
A moment of intense silence ensued. And then…
“I guess this ends it.” Lily smirked, “Wind punch!”
“Guahaa!”
Roland flew cleanly away from Lily and landed somewhere in the bushes. The crutch that Lily used as a weapon, however, disintegrated into tiny wooden bits, as it didn’t take the pressure of her magic.
“I hope cools off your heads, boys. Not all girls would fall for such foolishness.” the knight and former head maid of the palatial gardens told her parting speech to him in such a cool manner that she quickly earned the admiration of those who witnessed what happened.
But Roland isn’t finished just yet…
“Guohhh!!!” he picked himself up, with his armor battered and broken parts dangling from the ground.
“What? The tin head is still alive?” Mariya snapped.
“!!!” Lily knew that if the guards would resume their aggression, she’d be at a great disadvantage because she lost the other crutch. She couldn’t use the remaining one since she’s supporting herself with it.
“…” Roland glared at her as he walked towards where she stood.
Mariya was quick to put herself in-between Lily and the guard. She resolved to herself that she’s going to defend Miss Knight, or get injured trying to.
“Miss Lily…”
Tense silence then took over. Lily would like to retreat, but if she did that now, she’d be seen as the one defeated, and thus, would empower Roland and his companions to go after her once again. So, she resolved to stand her ground, with Mariya supporting her…
“Miss Lily!” Roland then made another lunge at her. However, much to everyone’s surprise…
“!!!”
“That was a beautiful display of swordsmanship!” the guard threw himself on the ground, “I don’t care if you don’t love, but please, I beg you! Please teach me that sword style, Master!”
“Eh?”
It seemed like Lily gained a new nickname…as well as a new job.
