Who Took Out the Trash
“…Hans?”
Maybe it was because she had eaten so many mountain-hare buns those guys bought for her.
Seeing the Potatoes beaten like this made her stomach ache uncomfortably.
“Ugh, Lady Lukna… p-please run.”
Hans, covered in blue bruises, trembled as he reached toward her, as if leaving his last words.
Watching that pitiful sight, Zwei burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! I heard rumors you became that twig’s underling, Hans, but I didn’t think it was true!”
“You insolent bastard, I’ll—!”
Hans pushed himself up from the ground, but Lukna stepped in front of him.
“Stop, Hans. I’ll handle this.”
“But, Lady Lukna…”
“I don’t like seeing my people get hurt.”
More precisely, the person who bought me bread, but Lukna left that part out and smiled kindly as she patted his shoulder.
My people!
Deeply moved, the three Potatoes shouted her name in unison.
“From today onward, we devote our pure hearts to the respected Lady Lukna!”
“Why pure hearts and not loyalty? That’s burdensome.”
“Our hearts are already full of you, Lady Lukna! There’s no room left for any woman!”
Hans and his gang fawned over her dramatically.
“That’s right! You shine like a star to us now!”
「Oh dear.」
For a moment, it sounded like the Holy Sword sighed.
「I have reinforced Nolbu Master’s body with divine power.」
Sure enough, a faint glow wrapped around Lukna’s fists. But those idiots wouldn’t notice.
“You dare touch my subordinates?”
Armed with divine power, Lukna naturally called the three Potatoes her subordinates as she raised her fist. Hans and his gang covered their mouths, captivated by her bold presence.
“A pretty-faced runt acting tough.”
Zwei snorted at her small fist.
“Hey, twig. I told you over and over not to make me last place.”
“…What?”
“Still pretending you don’t know? Ugh.”
Zwei stepped closer, almost pressing against her.
With every word, he jabbed a finger hard between her collarbones.
“Because you, did well, on the exam, I ended up last this time!”
But her small body didn’t move at all.
That couldn’t be right!
Panicked, Zwei shoved her chest with his palm. Still, she didn’t budge.
Did she glue her feet to the ground? He glanced down. Her feet were perfectly normal.
By then, Lukna realized why this body had always insisted on being last.
“School life must have been exhausting because of trash like you.”
She clenched her fist tighter, borrowing more of the Holy Sword’s power.
“Hahaha! Guys, did you see that? Lukna Golden is clenching her fist in front of me!”
Zwei rolled his shoulder and leaned down toward her until their foreheads almost touched.
Was she always this delicate-looking? He admired her appearance for a moment before scowling.
“Go ahead and hit me with that weak little fist, pretty.”
Though Zwei’s presence was overwhelming, Lukna didn’t avoid his gaze.
“Not lowering your eyes? Ha. Lukna Golden acting arrogant now? Did I or did I not tell you my family runs the most successful merchant guild in the south?”
“……”
“Did I or did I not say we could crush the nearly extinct Golden County in an instant? Huh?”
Zwei threw a large fist at her cheek.
Lukna swiftly leaned back and blocked his attack with her own clenched fist.
Bang!
Their fists collided midair with a cracking sound, like bones breaking.
The shockwave pushed them apart, dust rising. Someone fell to the ground.
Zwei’s gang began celebrating—then froze.
It wasn’t Lukna who had fallen.
It was Zwei.
Lukna dusted off her fist and looked down at him coldly.
“Y-you bastard!”
Zwei tried to get up but staggered.
What was that? Their fists only touched, but his head was spinning.
As he struggled to steady himself, groans came from behind.
“Urgh!”
“Gah!”
When he finally grasped what was happening, his subordinates were already stacked on the ground like firewood.
Each had fallen in a single blow.
You arrogant brat!
Grinding his teeth, Zwei pulled out two daggers and held one in each hand.
“Wow. Using weapons? That’s low.”
Hi, Visbi!
Lukna called inwardly.
「Disobedient dogs are disciplined with sticks. Look behind you, Master.」
She turned. The pendant hanging inside her clothes shimmered.
When she grabbed it, the round pendant transformed into a long mop.
Why a mop of all things?
「Trash should be cleaned up with cleaning tools.」
Fair enough.
After the cabinet incident, she had felt strangely attached to mops anyway.
Beating that guy senseless with one sounded satisfying.
“Hahaha! Is that twig doing a magic show? Planning to become a clown after graduation?”
Zwei mocked her.
“A clown?”
Lukna turned to face him.
Holding a sacredly glowing mop, she looked strangely solemn, but Zwei treated her like a village idiot who could only summon cleaning tools.
“If summoning a mop is the best you can do with magic, what else would you be?”
“Then want to bet which of us will be funnier?”
She spun the mop. Dirty mop water splashed onto Zwei.
“Ugh! Ptoo!”
Seeing his twisted face, Lukna laughed heartily.
“Haha. I think you’re better suited to be the clown.”
“You little—!”
Furious, Zwei charged like a praying mantis with daggers raised.
「Someone has sensed unusual activity. The student council will arrive in 1 minute and 34 seconds. Complete purification. 4/5」
Already?
Memorizing the warning, Lukna leapt into the air, dodging his attack.
At the same time, she swung the mop handle in a clean arc and struck the crown of his head.
“Ugh—!”
Thud.
Zwei collapsed.
With the message Purification complete, the Holy Sword’s voice faded. The mop dissolved into particles of light.
The three Potatoes, who had watched only Lukna, cheered.
“As expected of Lady Lukna!”
“You finished it in one blow!”
“It wasn’t that impressive.”
The satisfying weight in her hands made her think she might be better suited to clubs than swords during dawn training.
“This is more comfortable to grip.”
“Let’s go. We’ll get caught.”
“Yes, Lady Lukna!”
Before the student council arrived, they quickly left.
She refused to receive demerits again.
A few days later.
“Someone has been quite flashy again.”
Matian examined the delinquent cadets lying on the ground.
Just like during the Zwei incident, they had enormous lumps on their heads. Their bodies were covered with marks from being struck by a long stick.
“There’s an official dueling system. Why do this secretly?”
Matian was genuinely curious.
There was a certain sweetness in pushing someone who tried to humiliate you publicly to the brink of death—in front of everyone.
Why handle it secretly?
Was there some hidden secret?
‘If it’s a cadet with secrets…’
He pictured a certain pale face.
The palm inside his leather glove—the one that had once high-fived Lukna—began to tingle. He scratched it with his fingers.
‘As if the missing Holy Sword wasn’t troublesome enough. Thanks to someone, school life isn’t boring.’
Bolton clicked his tongue as he looked around.
“They look like laundry that’s been thoroughly beaten clean.”
He wasn’t wrong. The usual vicious expressions on their faces were gone, replaced by almost innocent looks.
“If you beat someone with a divinely blessed washing bat, do they turn out like that?”
“Yaaawn. Who keeps making this mess? Can’t even nap in peace.”
Ched stretched, annoyed his nap time was disturbed.
“Who else? There’s only one person going around disciplining crooked idiots lately.”
“You mean Luka? No way.”
Ched lazily used Lukna’s nickname.
“You’re in charge of monitoring problem students and you don’t even know what that fool’s up to? I know more than you.”
“What are you talking about? When it comes to Luka, I know more—”
Ched stopped mid-sentence.
Lukna happened to be walking ahead of them.
His drowsiness vanished instantly.
“…You’re right. Maybe there’s something I didn’t notice.”
