Clarissa Beheads The Villainess

[13] Clarissa Can't Joke

Unfortunately for Clarissa, Peter was not thrilled to see her every meal as she had expected for winning the competition.  Instead, the men at the smithy used it as an opportunity to tell her she should go and help cook instead of craft.

Vixen quickly silenced them for those comments the first time it got around to him. She could smite gods with her fine work and they'd still whine about her presence.

Whatever anyone had to say didn't bother her regardless, she had other things to think about.

A week after the festivity, Peter was informed by his comrade rats who were spies within the Golden castle that Princess Freya was spotted alive once again doing her usual antics. Bullying knights in training, harassing the maids.

Astaroth and Clarissa were tasked to take her alive and bring her to Orias' castle for questioning.

They leave three days from now.

Clarissa is in the smithy sharpening her beloved blades, unaware Vixen was watching her every movement.

"Boss! Astaroth is looking for you." One of the men in the smithy calls him.

Astaroth stood out waiting.

"Need something?"

"Peter told me you plan to come with us. You can't."

"Says who?"

"Yourself. You need to stay here because if I'm gone then whose left to protect this place? You know more than anyone what your role is in our battle against king Golden's bullshit."

"I know, but..." Vixen glances at Clarissa, a solemn look on his face. "You're right."

"You don't have to worry about her, she's as tough as you can imagine. Maybe even beyond that."

"I'm not worried about just her I'm—" he stops himself from saying anything more.

Astaroth chuckles and walks off, satisfied with the response Vixen had to offer. Part of him felt guilt knowing about his friend's feelings towards Clarissa. The other part was his selfishness.

Unlike Vixen, he's the type to let his selfishness prevail.

"Clarissa! I didn't notice you were here. Are you making some final preparations before we leave?"

"Yes."

"Eh..." He watches her. "You know we aren't trying to kill her this time right?"

"My duty is to capture the princess."

"Right..."

"Anyone who gets in my way will face my blades."

"No! No killing. We're not trying to involve anyone else." The words didn't ring easy to him. Is a life that easy for her to take? Is the world she's from so awful that it meant nothing to involve people she's never even seen before?

"I was joking."

"O-oh." Everyone in the smithy stopped what they were doing and turned to Clarissa. Each had the same thought in mind.

Clarissa made a joke?

With the most straight face ever, almost angry looking even.

"Haha... Hahaha!" Vixen initiates an awkward forceful laugh and the others copy him.

Astaroth instead sighed in relief. It felt like the weight in his mind has been comforted. "I'm glad you were joking."

"Was it a bad joke?"

Astaroth took a look at everyone around him before choosing how to respond to her. Tell the truth? Or lie and she'll probably make even more, probably worst jokes in the future.

"It was a horrible joke."

"Oh." She continued sharpening her blades with no sign of embarrassment whatsoever. But the voice inside her head was screaming and the bones shook from inside her skin. That was atrocious! This must be why Peter thinks im scary! I will never make a joke again!

"Astaroth!" Vixen exclaimed.

"What? She's not Katherine. The truth won't make her cry. And if she makes more jokes like these people might begin to get the wrong idea about her. Saving someone's ass from execution isn't something I want to do everyday."

"It's ok Vixen, Astaroth is right. I do not want to scare people with my bad jokes."

"It wasn't that bad."

"It was." Clarissa lifted up one blade and the others at the smithy instinctively backed away even if they were far from her reach. "See."

Vixen withdrawed from arguing any further and Astaroth got a sudden, fun idea.

"Hey Clarissa, are you up to spar?"

"Are you kidding!? Astaroth is asking [i]her to spar with him!?" One man whispered loudly.

"Shush! Vixen is going to kick you out of here." The other replied.

"Spar... Why not."

They head to the courtyard, others followed to watch. In anticipation they called even more to come watch to the point Clarissa and Astaroth's sparring session had an audience.

The two did a quick warm up and stretching before getting into light protective gear. Neither had the intent to beat each other up, just light controlled swings.

"You ready?" Astaroth asks and she nods her head.

He swings his arm at her, attempting to land a few punches. She nimbly dodges all of them without making any counter attacks. To her, it's been way too long since she's ever sparred or trained with another human.

It felt like a light was lit to the trained assassin within. Who retained her strength, and skill.

The moment she sees an opening, she attacks in between his rib cage with her knee, using the strength of one arm to flip Astaroth over and knock him to the ground.

"She's fast!" The crowd was filled with surprised mumbles and gasps.

"I think I'm even more scared of her now..."

"Astaroth was definitely going easy on her!"

Astaroth gets up slowly, using one hand to support himself in getting up. "Felt that quite a bit. You certainly have strong arms."

"And legs. And core. I do core workout everyday."

"Shall we do another round? At least this time I'll know what to expect."

"Of course."

The next round looked more fair matched since Astaroth expected the possibility of a strong blow which he didn't the first time. Yet again, he loses to her. At least he managed to block and dodge some of her attacks.

"Who taught you all those attacks?" He asks.

She moves closer to him and whispers. "People from another world. I can teach you sometime."

"Please do. If this is how they all fight from there then my ass would get beaten."

"Definitely not all of them. I'm just one of the special cases."

"Magnificent battle! Perhaps I'll have to add a fighting tournament in the list of yearly competitions." Orias shows up, clapping his hands with exaggeration.

The crowd cheers in agreement.

Katherine watched from far, bitterness escaping her lips as she groans. "Clarissa in the spotlight again."