Chapter 28
Chapter 28
While Oliveira was stuck in a state of stupefaction, Kurats came closer in order to seize him but he ended up being interrupted .
【”Are you the insolent who dared to break into my territory?!”】
The baron of Isengard, Dross, arrived together with his knights .
Dross’ height was slightly lower than average, he stood at about 5 feet 4 inches tall . (165 cm)
The impatient look in his eyes and the callous expression adorned on his face were enough for Kurats to partly guess what kind of person Dross was .
A little man who only valued his own little world .
『If that’s how it is, you probably won’t have to go easy on him, right?』
(d.a.m.n right I won’t!)
Kurats gave Dross a grand nod and started speaking .
【”Well, I found this monster user in my pursuit of the criminal that attempted to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess . Please don’t interfere needlessly . ”】
【”… . Are you treating my retainer as a criminal? I don’t know whose dog you are, but you sure don’t value your own life!”】
When he heard about the matter related to the princess, Dross was clearly shaken .
He did not want to believe it, but he really was being confronted by a spy .
Since the situation had taken such a turn, Dross’ only choice was to kill the spy in order to make him keep his mouth shut .
【”Are you sure? Protecting this guy is basically like admitting that the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt on the princess was your plan . ”】
【”Humph! If I kill you and get rid of Oliveira, there will be no evidence remaining!”】
Even Dross could tell that it was impossible for him to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess at this point .
If he took care of Oliveira and made it seem like he had died a quiet death, no one would be able to trace back the a.s.sa.s.sination to Dross .
For that reason, Dross absolutely had to kill this spy .
【”Crossbow troop, take aim! Same goes for the mages! We can’t let him return alive!”】
The troops that Dross had brought along with him were centered around 60 knights, accompanied by three mages and a crossbow unit composed of ten people .
Dross ended up having the troops attack from a distance while the knights kept their spears at the ready just for defense .
And it seemed like he had decided to keep only himself in a safe spot .
【”Aaaand… there . ”】
【”Whaaaaaat?!”】
Kurats once again caught the foot of the rock tortoise, which was still struggling on the ground, and then easily lifted it up .
【”K-kill him! Kill hiiiiiim!”】
Although the crossbow unit and the mages started attacking by reflex, it was useless since they were hindered by the rock tortoise’s 20 meters long body .
The rock tortoise’s ma.s.sive build was completely hiding Kurats’ body and made it impossible for any attacks to go through .
【”S-surround him! If you get him with a pincer attack, then no matter what, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d will be done for…!”】
『Good grief, what kind of idiot would simply wait and let himself get surrounded?』
(He’s really dreaming if he thinks he’s going to defeat me with such a stupid method . )
【”Uooooooooh!”】
As Kurats let out a roar, the rock tortoise’s enormous body powerfully went forward .
Even though the opponents were knights, even they could not endure the fear that came from seeing this hill-like body draw closer to them .
Terrified, the knights, who had been holding their spears at the ready, ended up hurriedly running away and scattering across the swampland .
But the nightmare was not over yet .
This time, Kurats lifted the rock tortoise’s body very high above his head, as if he was going to use it as a sledgehammer .
In doing so, he exposed his body to attacks, but the enemies were not in a calm enough state to aim properly .
No normal human would be able to keep their calm when under the threat of being hammered to the ground .
【”s.h.i.t! You G.o.d d.a.m.n monster!”】
Seeing his subordinates run and scatter in all directions, Dross naturally started running as well, without forgetting to curse at Kurats on the way .
Given the circ.u.mstances, it was evident that he would not be able to kill Kurats .
Therefore… .
【”You had some value but I have to do this now, no hard feelings!”】
【”Guh!”】
Dross mercilessly pierced Oliveira’s defenseless chest with his sword .
The acute pain that ran through Oliveira’s chest allowed him to finally come to his senses, but it was far too late .
【”No! Are you telling me I’m going to die here… Killed by some worthless fool?!”】
【”Me? Worthless? How dare you . ”】
Dross furiously put more strength in his sword .
【”Your cowardly action is proof enough . But I suppose this time… I didn’t do that great… either…”】
Those were Oliveira’s last words .
This monster user, who was likely a very rare existence in this world, had died with only regret plastered on his face .
With no regard to that, Dross, who was still burning with anger, abandoned Oliveira’s corpse on the spot, turned around and resumed his escape .
【”Well, you reap what you sow . ”】
『What about this one? Are you gonna let him escape just like that?』
There was cynicism in Kurats’ eyes as he watched Dross running away while shouting at his subordinates .
There was cynicism in Kurats’ eyes as he watched Dross running away while shouting at his subordinates .
No matter what, this man no longer had any future .
However, it felt uninteresting to let Dross think that he had managed to escape easily .
【”Haaaaa!”】
Kurats lightly swung the rock tortoise’s body and then tossed it very high, as if he was doing a hammer throw in the Olympics .
The perfectly aimed throw allowed the projectile to land right in front of Dross .
Upon landing, the rock tortoise’s body made a thunderous noise, shook the ground, and raised a large cloud of dust . Terrified, Dross fell on his back and wet himself .
【”Ih-Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!”】
If Kurats’ aim had been off by 30 centimeters (10 inches), Dross would have died .
Unexpectedly, it looked like Kurats might have had the same disposition for mischief as Bernst .
『This isn’t it… This isn’t what I meant when I implied you shouldn’t let him escape like that…』
Ignoring Bernst’s complaints, Kurats focused his gaze on a clump of bushes somewhere behind the rock tortoise’s body .
There was a man that he recognized over there .
While dragging the wet lower half of his body, Dross managed to crawl back to his castle . At that moment, he suddenly came back to his senses, and rapidly became anxious again .
In the end, he had not managed to kill that man with the huge body, and in failing to do so, Dross could have spelled his own death .
If that man was a spy as he feared, then he was certainly going to report the situation to his master .
If he happened to be one of the “king’s ears”, under the direct commands of the king, then his testimony could serve as evidence, and Dross would be on the losing end if this matter turned into a judicial trial .
There was also a high probability that he was one of Bessendorf’s subordinates, but even if that was the case, Bessendrof would not have any reason to go easy on Isengard, his longtime enemy, after managing to trap him .
On the contrary, it was certain that he would gleefully take him to court .
But if there was no evidence to take court, would he be able to do anything against Dross?
With that in mind, Dross had ordered his retainers to destroy every piece of evidence that had anything to do with Oilveira . However, he naturally still felt uneasy .
He wondered if maybe he had overlooked something .
He thought that maybe that was the reason why that huge man had showed no signs of chasing after him .
【”What am I supposed to do…”】
In the end, Dross was just a man who reigned over his own personal territory . However, when outside of his own little world, he did not have what it would take to face a powerful foe .
But, suddenly, Dross remembered a certain someone .
Albert, the marquis of Strasbourg .
He was the person who had hinted at Dross that he should a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess . From the perspective of Dross, who had no potential, a flower of the royal court like Albert was an object of reverence .
Dross felt like if he himself had the same majestic countenance and skilled speech, then perhaps the current pinch would not have come to be .
【”I-in the first place, I was only following the marquis’ instructions . He won’t be able to blame me for asking him for help . ”】
【”I-in the first place, I was only following the marquis’ instructions . He won’t be able to blame me for asking him for help . ”】
Although he was only thinking of completely depending on someone else, Dross believed he had come up with a great idea .
He did not think for a second that he would be discarded by Albert, just like Oliveira had been discarded by him .
In the end, no matter in which world or time period, there have been and will always be people who see the world through the lenses of their own personal convenience .
When Albert heard of Dross’ extremely selfish request from an envoy that was sent to him, he was in a bad mood, but that was only reflected by his eyebrows, which slightly rose and twitched .
His self-control was what one would expect from the leader of a faction that controlled a country .
【”I will ask Bessendorf about the spy matter . However, I don’t recall demanding anything of sir Isengard . It would be quite troubling if you mistakenly make that kind of claim . ”】
It was too hard for a regular envoy to bear with the pressure emitted by this man who was used to ruling over other people .
【”O-of course!”】
From Albert’s perspective, Dross’ complaints were a joke .
All he had said was that he would generously reward Dross if Felbell were to take the throne, and it was up to Dross to interpret that as he wished .
It would be impossible to pin a crime on on an important aristocrat like Albert over an accusation based on someone’s personal interpretation of his words .
【”Even so… Did that spy really leave without doing anything?”】
【”Yes… He only fought against Oliveira’s monsters, but he left Oliveira’s corpse as it was, and it didn’t look like he broke into Oliveira’s laboratory either . ”】
【”―― What kind of man was he?”】
Albert knew about the “king’s ears” . There were no n.o.bles who did not know about their existence .
It was the biggest intelligence agency in the country, and it was under the direct control of the king .
Their inspections went as far as touching on the kingdom’s economics and foreign affairs . It wasn’t the kind of organization that would get involved in some crude fight like the one that had happened within Isengard’s territory .
Hence why Albert had some doubts .
【”He was a really huge man with a herculean strength that put common sense through some tough times…”】
【”Wait, did you say a huge man?”】
Albert knew the ident.i.ty of that man .
He clearly remembered the huge man who claimed that, in order to clear his name, he would find the true culprit of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt himself .
(Looks like he did find the truth ―― But he’s an amateur who did not bother collecting any evidence . )
As he guessed the course of events, he smiled happily .
The n.o.ble society wasn’t going to do anything based on someone testifying that “It was that guy” .
That was especially true since there was no record of Kurats’ testimonies being trustworthy or not .
Which was only natural since, after all, he had been a mere commoner only a few days prior to this .
【”―― Are you sure that there is no evidence left?”】
【”N-naturally . We’ve erased all traces of Oliveira!”】
What would happen if Kurats were to testify and to then find himself with no evidence to present once the time would come for him to prove his testimony?
Well, this was a serious situation that concerned an attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess .
Trying to pin that sort of crime on the innocent baron of Isengard would be enough to get the death penalty .
What would happen if Kurats were to testify and to then find himself with no evidence to present once the time would come for him to prove his testimony?
Well, this was a serious situation that concerned an attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess .
Trying to pin that sort of crime on the innocent baron of Isengard would be enough to get the death penalty .
【”You need to check again, just in case . That giant used to be a commoner and rose in rank only recently . If he doesn’t have any evidence, then trust me, Isengard will not be charged for any crime . ”】
【”This kindness is more than we deserve! We certainly will not betray your expectations!”】
“I do not expect anything from you fools . ” Was what Albert was thinking, but on the surface, he answered the messenger with a radiant smile .
【”No need to thank me, I’m just giving advice to a fellow comrade who swore allegiance to her highness Felbell . It’s a shame that sir Dross had to deal with that pesky insect . ”】
In the end, the only thing Albert had done was to give advice about a suspicious man who had appeared in the Isengard territory .
Albert was not going to take the careless risk of putting any evidence against himself out there in the world for others to find, unlike Dross .
On that point, Dross could only get a failing grade as an aristocrat .
(At best I’ll use him as a sacrificial piece . And I suppose he’ll never get to see his wish come true . )
【”Kurats, thank G.o.d you’re okay!”】
Since she had figured the situation would most likely turn into a battle, Lunaria was delighted to see Kurats return safely .
She knew that, given his strength, Kurats would not be in danger, however Lunaria had still been worried .
After all, there was always the possibility that he would be poisoned or that an accident would befall him .
【”You look like lively as well, your highness Luna . ”】
【”Did you just abbreviate her highness’ name? How dare you show such disrespect!”】
【”What do you think you’re doing, Rosberg?”】
【”B-but, your highness… He’s going too far!”】
When Rosberg started acting like an overly protective parent as usual, Kurtas reflexively showed a wry smile .
If this was what Rosberg was doing now, what would he do the day Lunaria would get married?
【”What’s with the lukewarm look in your eyes? Just letting you know, I will not acknowledge you as being suitable for her highness . ”】
【”W-what in the world are you saying?! Kurats and I don’t have that kind of relation… . ”】
The princess spoke hesitantly with both of her ears blushing, which only served to fuel Rosberg’s opposition more .
【”Okay, that’s it, let’s settle this once and for all! This time, I won’t hold back!”】
Enraged, Rosberg readied his hand on the handle of his magic sword, Gerlach, but was interrupted by Lunaria’s fist, which came to hit him powerfully on the back of his head .
【”Don’t go starting a fight in my room, you fool!”】
【”Gaah!”】
Although Rosberg was blown off to a wall, there was a look of satisfaction on his face, for this attack showed the results of the consistent training that Lunaria had been going through since a very young age .
Chapter 28.
.
While Oliveira was stuck in a state of stupefaction, Kurats came closer in order to seize him but he ended up being interrupted
【”Are you the insolent who dared to break into my territory?!”】.
The baron of Isengard, Dross, arrived together with his knights
Dross’ height was slightly lower than average, he stood at about 5 feet 4 inches tall . (165 cm). The impatient look in his eyes and the callous expression adorned on his face were enough for Kurats to partly guess what kind of person Dross was A little man who only valued his own little world
『If that’s how it is, you probably won’t have to go easy on him, right?』. (d.a.m.n right I won’t!).
Kurats gave Dross a grand nod and started speaking
【”Well, I found this monster user in my pursuit of the criminal that attempted to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess . Please don’t interfere needlessly . ”】. 【”… . Are you treating my retainer as a criminal? I don’t know whose dog you are, but you sure don’t value your own life!”】.
When he heard about the matter related to the princess, Dross was clearly shaken He did not want to believe it, but he really was being confronted by a spy Since the situation had taken such a turn, Dross’ only choice was to kill the spy in order to make him keep his mouth shut
【”Are you sure? Protecting this guy is basically like admitting that the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt on the princess was your plan . ”】. 【”Humph! If I kill you and get rid of Oliveira, there will be no evidence remaining!”】.
Even Dross could tell that it was impossible for him to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess at this point If he took care of Oliveira and made it seem like he had died a quiet death, no one would be able to trace back the a.s.sa.s.sination to Dross For that reason, Dross absolutely had to kill this spy
【”Crossbow troop, take aim! Same goes for the mages! We can’t let him return alive!”】.
The troops that Dross had brought along with him were centered around 60 knights, accompanied by three mages and a crossbow unit composed of ten people Dross ended up having the troops attack from a distance while the knights kept their spears at the ready just for defense And it seemed like he had decided to keep only himself in a safe spot
【”Aaaand… there . ”】. 【”Whaaaaaat?!”】.
Kurats once again caught the foot of the rock tortoise, which was still struggling on the ground, and then easily lifted it up
【”K-kill him! Kill hiiiiiim!”】.
Although the crossbow unit and the mages started attacking by reflex, it was useless since they were hindered by the rock tortoise’s 20 meters long body The rock tortoise’s ma.s.sive build was completely hiding Kurats’ body and made it impossible for any attacks to go through
【”S-surround him! If you get him with a pincer attack, then no matter what, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d will be done for…!”】. 『Good grief, what kind of idiot would simply wait and let himself get surrounded?』. (He’s really dreaming if he thinks he’s going to defeat me with such a stupid method . ). 【”Uooooooooh!”】.
As Kurats let out a roar, the rock tortoise’s enormous body powerfully went forward Even though the opponents were knights, even they could not endure the fear that came from seeing this hill-like body draw closer to them Terrified, the knights, who had been holding their spears at the ready, ended up hurriedly running away and scattering across the swampland But the nightmare was not over yet This time, Kurats lifted the rock tortoise’s body very high above his head, as if he was going to use it as a sledgehammer In doing so, he exposed his body to attacks, but the enemies were not in a calm enough state to aim properly No normal human would be able to keep their calm when under the threat of being hammered to the ground
【”s.h.i.t! You G.o.d d.a.m.n monster!”】.
Seeing his subordinates run and scatter in all directions, Dross naturally started running as well, without forgetting to curse at Kurats on the way Given the circ.u.mstances, it was evident that he would not be able to kill Kurats Therefore…
【”You had some value but I have to do this now, no hard feelings!”】. 【”Guh!”】.
Dross mercilessly pierced Oliveira’s defenseless chest with his sword The acute pain that ran through Oliveira’s chest allowed him to finally come to his senses, but it was far too late
【”No! Are you telling me I’m going to die here… Killed by some worthless fool?!”】. 【”Me? Worthless? How dare you . ”】.
Dross furiously put more strength in his sword
【”Your cowardly action is proof enough . But I suppose this time… I didn’t do that great… either…”】.
Those were Oliveira’s last words This monster user, who was likely a very rare existence in this world, had died with only regret plastered on his face With no regard to that, Dross, who was still burning with anger, abandoned Oliveira’s corpse on the spot, turned around and resumed his escape
【”Well, you reap what you sow . ”】. 『What about this one? Are you gonna let him escape just like that?』.
There was cynicism in Kurats’ eyes as he watched Dross running away while shouting at his subordinates No matter what, this man no longer had any future However, it felt uninteresting to let Dross think that he had managed to escape easily
【”Haaaaa!”】.
Kurats lightly swung the rock tortoise’s body and then tossed it very high, as if he was doing a hammer throw in the Olympics The perfectly aimed throw allowed the projectile to land right in front of Dross Upon landing, the rock tortoise’s body made a thunderous noise, shook the ground, and raised a large cloud of dust . Terrified, Dross fell on his back and wet himself
【”Ih-Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!”】.
If Kurats’ aim had been off by 30 centimeters (10 inches), Dross would have died Unexpectedly, it looked like Kurats might have had the same disposition for mischief as Bernst
『This isn’t it… This isn’t what I meant when I implied you shouldn’t let him escape like that…』.
Ignoring Bernst’s complaints, Kurats focused his gaze on a clump of bushes somewhere behind the rock tortoise’s body There was a man that he recognized over there
◆ ◆ ◆.
While dragging the wet lower half of his body, Dross managed to crawl back to his castle . At that moment, he suddenly came back to his senses, and rapidly became anxious again In the end, he had not managed to kill that man with the huge body, and in failing to do so, Dross could have spelled his own death If that man was a spy as he feared, then he was certainly going to report the situation to his master If he happened to be one of the “king’s ears”, under the direct commands of the king, then his testimony could serve as evidence, and Dross would be on the losing end if this matter turned into a judicial trial There was also a high probability that he was one of Bessendorf’s subordinates, but even if that was the case, Bessendrof would not have any reason to go easy on Isengard, his longtime enemy, after managing to trap him On the contrary, it was certain that he would gleefully take him to court But if there was no evidence to take court, would he be able to do anything against Dross?. With that in mind, Dross had ordered his retainers to destroy every piece of evidence that had anything to do with Oilveira . However, he naturally still felt uneasy He wondered if maybe he had overlooked something He thought that maybe that was the reason why that huge man had showed no signs of chasing after him
【”What am I supposed to do…”】.
In the end, Dross was just a man who reigned over his own personal territory . However, when outside of his own little world, he did not have what it would take to face a powerful foe
But, suddenly, Dross remembered a certain someone
Albert, the marquis of Strasbourg
He was the person who had hinted at Dross that he should a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess . From the perspective of Dross, who had no potential, a flower of the royal court like Albert was an object of reverence Dross felt like if he himself had the same majestic countenance and skilled speech, then perhaps the current pinch would not have come to be
【”I-in the first place, I was only following the marquis’ instructions . He won’t be able to blame me for asking him for help . ”】.
Although he was only thinking of completely depending on someone else, Dross believed he had come up with a great idea He did not think for a second that he would be discarded by Albert, just like Oliveira had been discarded by him In the end, no matter in which world or time period, there have been and will always be people who see the world through the lenses of their own personal convenience
When Albert heard of Dross’ extremely selfish request from an envoy that was sent to him, he was in a bad mood, but that was only reflected by his eyebrows, which slightly rose and twitched His self-control was what one would expect from the leader of a faction that controlled a country
【”I will ask Bessendorf about the spy matter . However, I don’t recall demanding anything of sir Isengard . It would be quite troubling if you mistakenly make that kind of claim . ”】.
It was too hard for a regular envoy to bear with the pressure emitted by this man who was used to ruling over other people
【”O-of course!”】.
From Albert’s perspective, Dross’ complaints were a joke All he had said was that he would generously reward Dross if Felbell were to take the throne, and it was up to Dross to interpret that as he wished It would be impossible to pin a crime on on an important aristocrat like Albert over an accusation based on someone’s personal interpretation of his words
【”Even so… Did that spy really leave without doing anything?”】. 【”Yes… He only fought against Oliveira’s monsters, but he left Oliveira’s corpse as it was, and it didn’t look like he broke into Oliveira’s laboratory either . ”】. 【”―― What kind of man was he?”】.
Albert knew about the “king’s ears” . There were no n.o.bles who did not know about their existence It was the biggest intelligence agency in the country, and it was under the direct control of the king Their inspections went as far as touching on the kingdom’s economics and foreign affairs . It wasn’t the kind of organization that would get involved in some crude fight like the one that had happened within Isengard’s territory Hence why Albert had some doubts
【”He was a really huge man with a herculean strength that put common sense through some tough times…”】. 【”Wait, did you say a huge man?”】.
Albert knew the ident.i.ty of that man He clearly remembered the huge man who claimed that, in order to clear his name, he would find the true culprit of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt himself
(Looks like he did find the truth ―― But he’s an amateur who did not bother collecting any evidence . ).
As he guessed the course of events, he smiled happily The n.o.ble society wasn’t going to do anything based on someone testifying that “It was that guy” That was especially true since there was no record of Kurats’ testimonies being trustworthy or not Which was only natural since, after all, he had been a mere commoner only a few days prior to this
【”―― Are you sure that there is no evidence left?”】. 【”N-naturally . We’ve erased all traces of Oliveira!”】.
What would happen if Kurats were to testify and to then find himself with no evidence to present once the time would come for him to prove his testimony?. Well, this was a serious situation that concerned an attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate the princess Trying to pin that sort of crime on the innocent baron of Isengard would be enough to get the death penalty
【”You need to check again, just in case . That giant used to be a commoner and rose in rank only recently . If he doesn’t have any evidence, then trust me, Isengard will not be charged for any crime . ”】. 【”This kindness is more than we deserve! We certainly will not betray your expectations!”】.
“I do not expect anything from you fools . ” Was what Albert was thinking, but on the surface, he answered the messenger with a radiant smile
【”No need to thank me, I’m just giving advice to a fellow comrade who swore allegiance to her highness Felbell . It’s a shame that sir Dross had to deal with that pesky insect . ”】.
In the end, the only thing Albert had done was to give advice about a suspicious man who had appeared in the Isengard territory Albert was not going to take the careless risk of putting any evidence against himself out there in the world for others to find, unlike Dross On that point, Dross could only get a failing grade as an aristocrat
(At best I’ll use him as a sacrificial piece . And I suppose he’ll never get to see his wish come true . ).
◆ ◆ ◆.
【”Kurats, thank G.o.d you’re okay!”】.
Since she had figured the situation would most likely turn into a battle, Lunaria was delighted to see Kurats return safely She knew that, given his strength, Kurats would not be in danger, however Lunaria had still been worried After all, there was always the possibility that he would be poisoned or that an accident would befall him
【”You look like lively as well, your highness Luna . ”】. 【”Did you just abbreviate her highness’ name? How dare you show such disrespect!”】. 【”What do you think you’re doing, Rosberg?”】. 【”B-but, your highness… He’s going too far!”】.
When Rosberg started acting like an overly protective parent as usual, Kurtas reflexively showed a wry smile If this was what Rosberg was doing now, what would he do the day Lunaria would get married?.
【”What’s with the lukewarm look in your eyes? Just letting you know, I will not acknowledge you as being suitable for her highness . ”】. 【”W-what in the world are you saying?! Kurats and I don’t have that kind of relation… . ”】.
The princess spoke hesitantly with both of her ears blushing, which only served to fuel Rosberg’s opposition more
【”Okay, that’s it, let’s settle this once and for all! This time, I won’t hold back!”】.
Enraged, Rosberg readied his hand on the handle of his magic sword, Gerlach, but was interrupted by Lunaria’s fist, which came to hit him powerfully on the back of his head
【”Don’t go starting a fight in my room, you fool!”】. 【”Gaah!”】.
Although Rosberg was blown off to a wall, there was a look of satisfaction on his face, for this attack showed the results of the consistent training that Lunaria had been going through since a very young age