Happy Wednesday!
Here"s the next chapter and it"s a long chapter. A lot of things happen and this chapter can be considered a turning point of sorts. This chapter is also pretty sad, in many ways, so prepare some tissues if you need them. I have also translated the AN because it"s important unlike the other ones about certain revisions and corrections. Listen to the author and enjoy the chapter.
AN: In the second half, there is a scene that is slightly grotesque. I had, more or less, made it milder, but those who not good with it, please refrain from reading it.
After breaking the princess"s curse, I immediately held onto the crystal and snuck into Commander Saran"s room.
「Oya, Akirkun, that was fast.」
Even though I have completely entered stealth and should"ve been in a blind spot, he had sensed me, my pride as an a.s.sa.s.sin took some damage.
I went around the front of the desk with a dejected look on my face, and when I put the crystal down onto the desk with a thump, Commander Saran finally raised his head and looked at me.
「Please don"t make that face. I told Zeal-kun to take the day off today, and it"s because you"re the only one who would come.
「That"s not it. I"m not satisfied with having been detected.」
「Oh my, was it not due to the connection between you and I?」
「Gross.」
When I cut him down, Commander Saran fell on top of the desk.
However, his recovery was just as fast, he immediately picked up the crystal in front of him.
And then, he narrowed his eyes.
「This is….」
「Nn? The curse still hasn"t been broken?」
「The curse has been terminated. It"s just that, I"ve seen this crystal before….」
Deeply furrowing his brows and glaring at the crystal, I was able to see the intense rage and hatred in Commander Saran"s eyes.
It was unusual for the always smiling Commander Saran, it was the first time I saw Commander Saran like that.
「…can you tell me where you"ve seen this?」
When I said that, Commander Saran"s grim face quickly vanished, and his usual smiling face came back.
However, that look on his face was a little strained.
It seems that he was forcing a smile.
「No, please give me some time. I should be able to tell you about it tomorrow.」
「…I got it.」
「Well then, like usual, why don"t I answer your questions.」
While he said this like usual, the eyes of Commander Saran who was always calm and collected were wavering the entire time.
「No, it"s fine. I"m worn out from today, so I"m going to bed early.」
「Is that so. …well then, have a good night.」
「Good night.」
I randomly left through the window.
It"s going to be a habit now.
「…if I ask Vice-Commander Zeal…no, would it be better to not pry into it?」
That look on the Commander"s face, it seems that he doesn"t want me to pry.
For me who didn"t really care about other people, I didn"t know, what I should do.
「…let"s go to bed.」
I, who thought that I would understand everything tomorrow and escaped from reality, would go through h.e.l.l the next day.
As expected, I should"ve killed the king and princess, at that time.
「Akira! Akira, wake up!!」
I was violently being shaken and when I woke up, I saw the hero who was conscious for the first time in a while.
「What is it. …or rather, how did you find out about this room?」
「I asked Zeal-san. More importantly, something happened to Saran-san! Hurry up and get ready!」
Seeing something unusual in the impatient look on his face, I reluctantly did as he said and got ready.
I changed into black clothes, wrapped a black cloth around my neck, and equipped "Yatonokami" onto my waist.
When I went out into the hallway, the hero who left my room when I was changing was urging me to hurry up.
Was it ok for the guy who was in bed up until yesterday, to be moving like this.
When I went towards the courtyard while being hurried by the hero, all of my cla.s.smates were gathered there.
The king and princess were also there.
…only Commander Saran, wasn"t there.
「Vice-Commander Zeal, where"s Commander Saran?」
When I asked Vice-Commander Zeal, he sorrowfully looked down.
Did something happen to Commander Saran?
「Don"t tell such an obvious lie.」
From behind, someone suddenly said this.
When I turned around, my cla.s.smate who b.u.mped into me even when we were in our original world was glaring at me with eyes filled with malice.
「Ha?」
「Saran-san is, over there.」
I was nearly caught up in the trivial pretext of a small fry, but I followed the hero"s gaze and was at a loss for words.
Commander Saran was, over there.
He was lying there at the king"s feet.
His chest was dyed a dark color, and in the middle was a silver dagger.
It was obvious, that he was dead.
「That is, the dagger that you were using, right? You killed him. Murderer.」
My cla.s.smates were, glaring at me.
Only the hero was, looking at me with imploringly.
「…I see, it seems that I"ve been caught in a trap.」
I muttered this and looked at the king and princess.
The two people, had a sad look on their faces, but their eyes were glaringly bright with pleasure.
「Naa, Akira, if it"s a misunderstanding, then say so.」
The hero said this and looked at me, but I was staring at Commandr Saran, and did not look at the hero.
Honestly, including the hero, regardless of what my cla.s.smates think of me, regardless of how they see me, I don"t really care.
It"s just that, even though they were students who strived in their studies in j.a.pan, their ability to remember was extremely disappointing, was what I thought.
Did these guys not see that the dagger shattered when I attacked the Minotaur?
「Say something!」
My righteous cla.s.smate shouted at me.
I just sighed.
「Even though I saved you in the dungeon, it"s come to this, huh. Really, I"m fed up with you guys.」
「Shut up! Even before we came to this world, I was unable to stomach someone like you. Anyways, it was obvious that you were sneaking around even within the dungeon.」
I didn"t waste my time talking to the cla.s.smate who targeted me from the very beginning, and walked towards Commander Saran"s corpse.
The king and the princess didn"t stop me, and just attentively watched over what I said and did.
Commander Saran"s face was, twisted in anguish.
My heart was uncomfortable.
Was this emotion rage?
I quickly offered a silent prayer, and pulled out the knife from that corpse.
A red liquid flowed out from the body.
That body was already cold to the touch.
When I did that, my cla.s.smates screamed.
I stood up and glared at the king.
「I"m a hindrance, aren"t I? I"ll leave right away, so don"t worry.」
「What are you saying? I have not intentions of letting you go.」
「We will not let you go. The serious crime of killing this country"s last stand, even if you are a part of hero-sama"s party, we will have you atone for it.」
Those words were the signal.
It wasn"t the chivalric order, the palace guards surrounded me.
My cla.s.smates also joined the encirclement.
Vice-Commander Zeal merely, was telling me something from far away.
「Seize him.」
In accordance with the king"s order, the encirclement gradually became smaller.
「…no matter how many small fries gather, you should realize that you"re small fries.」
I muttered this and invoked stealth.
In an instant, I disappeared from their field of vision, and the human encirclement was bewildered and raised their voices.
Come to think of it, this might"ve been the first time that I"ve so brazenly erased my presence in public.
I jumped over their heads and approached Vice-Commander Zeal.
Perhaps Vice-Commander Zeal knew that I would come this way, although his eyes wandered around, he said the things that he wanted to say in a small voice.
「The ones who killed Commander Saran was the king"s a.s.sa.s.sin legion "Night Raven". You are also being targeted by them. Be careful. Also, there is a letter addressed to you in Commander Saran"s room. It is together with the necessary items needed for the journey that Commander Saran stole from the castle"s treasury. …hurry, please escape from the castle. 」
「…I got it. Vice-Commander Zeal as well, take care of yourself.」
I saw Vice Commander Zeal"s weak smile, and jumped onto the castle"s roof while in stealth.
In the courtyard, the palace guards were running around looking for me.
My cla.s.smates looked as if they regretted letting me get away, and the hero secretly sighed in relief.
I snuck into Commandr Saran"s room, took everything and anything that I needed, and left the castle.
Commander Saran"s death was outside of my calculations, but everything up until now was as I had predicted..
I had asked Commander Saran for a handbook for when I left the castle.
I did not kill Commander Saran.
Regardless of what my cla.s.smate had said, it didn"t change that fact.
I will destroy Commander Saran"s enemy without fail.
However, before that, there"s something that I must do.
I thought of Commander Saran"s gentle smile and roughly wiped away my distorted vision, and sprinted with all my strength down the path that we used during the dungeon campaign.