Goldof just glared at the young man without replying to the questions. “So you’re Adlet, huh? Just what were you doing, going off who-knows-where and abandoning the princess?”
“Answer my damn question. You’re really pissing me off.” Adlet and Goldof stared daggers at each other. Nashetania, standing behind Goldof, attempted to pacify him.
In an effort to mediate, Adlet spoke especially quietly and slowly. “First, listen. Nashetania, why are you attacking Fremy? She’s one of us.”
“No, she is not,” insisted Nashetania. “Adlet, please get away from her.”
“Please answer my question. I don’t know what’s going on right now.”
“Adlet, you may not believe this, but…she’s the one who’s been killing potential Braves.”
Adlet looked at Fremy. She was undaunted, her gun raised as she glared at the other woman.
“She’s the killer? What are you talking about?” asked Adlet.
“Goldof is the one who informed me,” Nashetania said. “It’s trustworthy.” Goldof gave a distinct nod.
“…Fremy.” Adlet looked at his companion one more time. It has to be a lie, he thought.
But Fremy replied as if she had expected all of this. “It’s true.”
“Wh-what?” stuttered Adlet.
“I told you—I told you that if I explained why, we’d end up trying to kill each other.” Fremy swiveled her gun from Nashetania toward Adlet.
“It can’t be true,” he said.
“It is. Matra Wichita, Houdelka Holly, Athlay Aran. I killed a number of others as well…those who seemed like they might be chosen as one of the six. Goldof and Nashetania over there were on my list of potential targets, too. I hadn’t even considered you, though.”
Adlet remembered what Nashetania had told him before. “What about Leura? Did you kill the Saint of Sun, too?”
Fremy looked vaguely confused. “The Saint of Sun, Leura? I don’t know anything about that. Though she was on my list.”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Nashetania. “Adlet, she’s dangerous. Come over here, please.”
But Adlet didn’t take his eyes off Fremy. “What for? Why did you kill these potential Braves?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Fremy asked. “For the sake of the Evil God’s resurrection. If I succeeded in slaying all the strongest warriors, then the chosen Braves would be nothing but weaklings.”
Adlet was speechless.
His voice swollen with rage, Goldof broke the silence. “Now you know. This woman—Fremy is our enemy.” Nashetania and Goldof split off in opposite directions, converging on Fremy from either side.
Adlet was frozen in place. Fremy was a murderer who had killed potential Braves while being at the same time a Brave who bore the Crest of the Six Flowers herself. If both were true, then which identity should he trust? That was when what Fremy had said popped into Adlet’s head.
“No!” Adlet stood, shielding his companion.
“Adlet, why?” Nashetania pleaded.
Is this the best idea? Adlet worried. But Fremy had said that she couldn’t afford to die until she killed the Evil God. He believed she’d been telling the truth. “Nashetania, Goldof, listen up,” he said. “The Braves of the Six Flowers are not chosen purely on the basis of fighting ability. Will is also part of it—their desire to defeat the Evil God. Someone who wants to side with the enemy couldn’t have been chosen as one of the Braves of the Six Flowers, no matter how powerful they were.”
“But she—” began Nashetania.
“Fremy,” said Adlet. “You’re not trying to resurrect the Evil God right now, correct?” Fremy nodded, and he continued. “You have a reason now—a reason to fight the Evil God that you were trying to resurrect.”
“Yes,” Fremy admitted.
Adlet turned to Nashetania and spread his hands. “Do you get it, Nashetania? She is the one who has been killing potential Braves. But now the situation’s changed.”
“And you believe that?” asked Nashetania warily.
“I trust her. I can tell her desire to defeat the Evil God is real. Even if she was once the enemy of the Braves, right now, I know she’s our ally.”
“But—”
“If you’re going to keep fighting, I’m siding with Fremy,” he said.
Nashetania considered this for a moment, and then Goldof spoke. “Pardon me, but I must say this—Princess, is Adlet really someone we can rely on?”
“You’ve had it out for me this whole time. Just what is your deal?”
“I am here to protect the princess. Anyone who would expose the princess to danger is my enemy.”
“Fine. Right now, though, just ask Nashetania to put away her sword.”
“Adlet. Don’t refer to the princess so informally.” Goldof was clearly angry, but Nashetania restrained him.
“You two quarreling isn’t going to get us anywhere. I understand, Adlet. If you’re going to be so insistent about it, then I have no choice. Goldof, we will do as he says for now.” Nashetania sheathed her sword, and Goldof also reluctantly lowered his weapon. Adlet breathed a sigh of relief. “But…please take care,” she added. “You’re the type who’s easily deceived.”
“It’s okay,” replied Adlet. “I’m the strongest man in the world. Nobody’s gonna trick me.”
“I’m quite uneasy about this,” said Nashetania.
Adlet looked at Fremy. “You put away your gun now, too. You don’t have to worry about getting killed anymore.”
“For the time being.” Fremy lowered her gun and then holstered it at her waist.
“Fremy,” said Nashetania. “Just so you know, I do not trust you. I trust Adlet.”
“You sure are naive for trusting a guy like that,” Fremy replied.
Even after both Nashetania and Fremy had lowered their weapons, there was still an explosive atmosphere between them. And then there was Goldof, his eyes filled with animosity and fixed on Adlet.
Adlet felt intensely anxious. Would the Braves of the Six Flowers actually be capable of facing the Evil God in battle?
The four decided to start by heading together to the point where Mora awaited them. Since Fremy had agreed to go with them, Adlet returned the pack that he had stolen from her. They began making their way along the forest path. Nashetania and Goldof walked close together, and Adlet was a little farther away. Fremy maintained an even larger distance between herself and the others. Their positions indicated
