Side story: The author is sick

June 15th, 4:04 AM

Night fell over the aristocratic mansions on the Court of Fontaine, and the evening breeze carried salty, damp air across the rooftops.

Another disgraced aristocrat has ended his life by "suicide" in his own mansion.

Xingsu leaned against the rooftop railing, his fingertips casually stroking the yellowed dossier, which was densely filled with records of this nobleman's crimes of oppressing commoners and disregarding human life.

Downstairs, the children he brought were methodically cleaning up the scene, erasing all traces with swift and careful movements.

In the stillness of the night, a steady footstep approached quietly.

Chevreuse held up a standard-issue musket, the muzzle steadily aimed at Xingsu's back, her sharp eyes watching Xingsu's every move.

"Hey, Morning Star, your days of assassinating Fontaine nobles at the drop of a hat are over."

Give me the evidence of his crimes.

"If you want it, you'll have to come and get it yourself."

You already know this rule.

I knew you'd say that.

Unclear drumbeats

"It's time to settle things, Morning Star. Let's get this over with. Now raise your hands and face me."

Xingsu followed her instructions and slowly straightened up, raising her hands steadily above her head. She then slowly turned around to face Chevreuse.

"You are... the man from the dessert shop back then?"

"Hello, the Captain Chevreuse," Xingsu said with a faint smile, showing no sign of panic. "I think this is our first formal meeting. Should I introduce myself?"

"I don't need to know your name." Suppressing her surprise, Chevreuse tightened her expression again. "I only know that you have violated the laws of Fontaine, and now, on behalf of Fontaine and justice, I will arrest you!"

Xingsu raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery in her smile, and looked directly into her eyes as she retorted, "Oh? Representing the justice of Fontaine? Then why don't you tell me why you only represent the justice of Fontaine in arresting me, and not these parasites?"

Chevreuse's grip on the musket tightened slightly, the muzzle still firmly aimed at Xingsu: "This is no excuse for your disregard for human life."

Xingsu forward slightly, a cold mockery in his eyes, and retorted sharply, "Disregard human life? Then I would like to ask, do these nobles disregard human life? How many people have died directly or indirectly at their hands? When they were disregarding human life, why didn't the justice of Fontaine arrest them?"

Chevreuse's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. After a moment of silence, she could only grit her teeth and argue, "... After arresting you, Fontaine's justice will arrest them sooner or later."

"Oh? Sooner or later?" Xingsu chuckled, her tone sharp with sarcasm. "How late? A day? A month? A year? Or will we never see your ridiculous sense of justice again?"

The evening breeze swept across the rooftop, carrying the darkness of night. Xingsu walked forward step by step. "It's truly interesting. When they abused their status and power within Fontaine, treating human life as worthless and the law as nothing, plundering the people's wealth and committing heinous crimes, did you truly not see it, or did you choose to turn a blind eye?"

"And I simply stood up and used the simplest, most straightforward, most direct, and most unambiguous method to resist their injustice, and coincidentally, Fontaine's justice found me right away."

He looked directly into Chevreuse's tense eyes, and said each word firmly, "The Captain Chevreuse, do you really have absolutely no clue?"

"Those nobles Fontaine can judge, I can judge too; those nobles whom Fontaine doesn't judge, I can judge as well! I'm just doing what the Fontainian want to do but can't."

"Is it only me who can do this? Is there anyone else who can?!"

Xingsu walked forward step by step, his chest firmly pressed against the cold muzzle of the gun, his eyes calmly meeting her tense gaze.

"Miss Chevreuse, I am standing right in front of you now, and I am telling you clearly that I will attack you in ten seconds. You are entitled to exercise your right to self-defense. You have ten seconds to consider whether to shoot me dead. Now, the timer begins."

"10, 9, 8..."

Chevreuse tensed up instantly, her arm gripping the musket trembling uncontrollably. The cold metal muzzle pressed against the other's warm chest; with just a slight tightening of her fingertips, she could end this "Morning Star" who had stirred up the storm in Fontaine.

The justice she upheld should have protected the weak, but now, her gun is pointed at those who stand up for ordinary people.

The countdown numbers slowly dwindled in Xingsu's mouth, the drumbeats in the night grew increasingly rapid, and the wind on the rooftop carried a heavy, oppressive silence. Chevreuse's eyes were filled with struggle, her knuckles gripping the gun tightly, unable to pull the trigger.

"6,5,4..."

Chevreuse suddenly let go, and the musket crashed to the rooftop with a clang. She then drew her long spear and swung it fiercely at Xingsu, intending to knock him unconscious and subdue him.

"Say what you have to say in the dock!"

The gunshot, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, slammed in with tremendous force.

When!

Chevreuse's spear slammed into Xingsu's raised arm, as if it had hit a solid stone wall.

Xingsu simply raised one arm and effortlessly blocked the powerful blow without even flinching.

Chevreuse's pupils suddenly contracted, her face filled with disbelief.

"3,2,1."

After Xingsu finished announcing the last number, he pointed his other hand directly at Chevreuse.

"I'm sorry, I have an objection."

Snap!

A crisp snap of fingers suddenly rang out.

Chevreuse's consciousness was instantly pulled into the illusion of "Spirit Separation". The world spun before her eyes, her body went limp and she lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground. One arm stretched forward, the index finger pointing stiffly forward, while the other hand hung limply at her side.

(ki↑bo→no↘ha↑na~)

Hearing the commotion, the busy children downstairs looked up at the rooftop. Xingsu glanced down at the unconscious Chevreuse, his expression unchanged. He simply bent down, picked up the spear, and casually set it aside.

"Lord Xingsu!"

Lyney rushed onto the terrace, her hurried footsteps breaking the silence of the night. Her eyes immediately swept across the scene, and when she saw Chevreuse lying unconscious on the ground, her expression tensed instantly.

Xingsu lightly brushed the spear lying on the ground with his fingertips, his tone as calm as ever. "Lyney, you've come at the right time. This young lady has accidentally fallen asleep here. Go and take her to the Maison Gardiennage."

"Yes." Lyney didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly stepped forward to carefully carry the unconscious Chevreuse on her back, making sure she was properly settled.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Xingsu suddenly spoke up, "... By the way, you don't need to go back to House of the Hearth tonight."

Lyney froze, her face filled with astonishment, and subconsciously looked up at Xingsu: "Huh? W-why?"

Xingsu glanced at him and casually said, "If you ask again, go practice more."

Lyney immediately shut her mouth, lowered her head sullenly, and quickly walked down the rooftop with Chevreuse on her back.

Can anyone else write about large, medium, and small wards all in one chapter?!