The sound of metal was ringing in the place, and a pair of people were trotting to the location.
“Hah…Hah… That roar just now… Fuh… Was around here, right?”
“Yeah, around here is their territory, so…”
A slightly fat man looked around the place lacking breath, and the thin man was also looking around.
The both of them are wearing the knight armor of the Motoyasu Kingdom, so they should be knights of the kingdom. If they are guarding the area of the national border, it must mean that they are from the fifth knight division.
“Good grief. Even if it is our job, I don’t want to go to the place where such stinky guys are in.”
“Don’t complain. You are also stinking of sweat, so there’s not much difference.”
“I don’t stink that much! You also stink of sweat.”
“Mine is a floral scent, so it is okay.”
“What are you talking about floral, with that insipid body of yours.”
The thin man makes fun of the fat one, but the tone of the two tells me that this is an usual happening. As proof, even when they are voicing complains, their faces are smiling.
“Just a bit more, huh. I don’t wanna go…”
“We have to. We are the ones who would get shouted at by the platoon leader after all. Don’t complain and let’s just go.”
“Hah… The squad leader must be having fun with a woman right now.”
The two knights walk on while spitting out complains to the million. They must have quite the accumulated displeasure towards their superior, but that superior of theirs doesn’t sound like a decent person.
“I also want to sleep with a woman… A woman of the empire…”
“True.Those women are apparently quite the nymphos, so our turn will probably come in time.”
“Really? But by that time…”
“Yeah…”
While they continue their dirty talk that’s just unbearable to listen to, the two knights were laughing dirtily as they continue walking on, and then, they suddenly stop their feet and look at one place.
“H-Hey…”
“Y-Yeah…”
What’s in front of their eyes are the Atomos Titans that I defeated just a moment ago and are now showing a tragic sight of only their bones and skin remaining.
“This is what caused the roar just a while ago…”
“R-Right… But, what in the world is this?”
Seeing this, the two were acting strange.
“Atomos Titans turning into just piles of skin and bones…I have never heard of that before!”
“Y-Yeah… What is going on here?! Could it be a monster?!”
“As if I would know! But high tiered ones have been reduced to this sorry state… It might still be around!”
“W-We have to report this immediately!”
“Y-Yeah!”
Seeing off the two who were leaving in a hurry, I scratch my head and look at the skin and bones.
…This is bad.
Looks like that’s not how the Atomos Titans normally die like. I do feel regret for standing out like this, but what interests me more is the conversation the two were having.
“Empire women…huh.”
Moreover, he said women, so it would mean there’s several of them. Why are they at a remote place like this? Being bothered by that part is only natural.
Then, there’s only one thing to do.
Begin, stealth mission!
☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆
Motoyasu side of the Stream mountain range – at the base of the mountain.
There’s two wooden buildings of two stories, and three small buildings that seem like storage huts. Aside from that, this place is surrounded by iron wires. Looks like this is the national border’s guard station.
“Huh… The corpses of Atomos Titans were left with only their bones and skin, you say?”
“Yes!”
“There’s no way that’s possible.”
An old man of around 40 years old with a stern face and only wearing underpants was showing an expression of doubt and glares at the knights in front of him. This old man is the platoon leader-sama of the national border guards.
I don’t even want to know why he is only in his underpants, but looks like the two knights didn’t share my same sentiments. Without even showing a single hint of withering at the gaze of the platoon leader, their eyes were nailed at the naked woman waving her hand at his back.
“B-But we did see that—”
“Don’t go spitting out lies just to slack off. Return to your stations at once!”
Saluting reluctantly, they looked at the naked woman with regret, and leave. The platoon leader snorts and shows a mocking smile.
“Good grief. Can’t they make a better lie?”
“My, it might have been the truth.”
With a charming voice, she leans her body on the platoon leader, and caresses his chest with her fingers.
“Ha! No way. Even if they die, they still leave their stinky meat. And yet, only the bones and skin are left? They must have seen wrong.”
“I see… Then, what will you do?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Fufu, you are evil too. Telling your subordinates to work, and yet, Platoon Leader-sama is playing with a woman in his room…”
The woman laughs with a smile that strongly captivates men, and with warm eyes, she leans her face on his chest.
“Ooh, the empire women are quite aggressive.”
“Oh my, do you hate that?”
“No, I like them more than docile ones.”
While doing that conversation, they kiss.
“But with this…Motoyasu is done for.”
I was thinking of leaving since it felt as if I stayed any longer I would end up watching something I don’t want to, but the Platoon Leader said that.
“…Could it be…you are regretting it?”
“No, not at all. There’s talk that the king doesn’t have long, and the queen cannot keep the nobles in place.”
“Fufu, what a terrible person you are. You are a knight, and yet, you are betraying your country.”
“I am not the only one betraying. The Prime Minister’s—oops, that one was a secret. Act as if you didn’t hear that.”
“My, if you say that much, isn’t it pointless?”
“True.”
Not looking apologetic at all, the Platoon Leader was fondling the breasts of the woman persistently, his mood steadily getting better, and his ego must have gotten bigger as well.
“In time, I will become a captain in the Empire’s army after all!”
Beginning to speak of such dream-like sounding stuff, he laughs with his shoulders shaking along.
But this man…he said the answer.
I see, this is quite the hidden trump card.
That Bald Geezer had connections with the empire. This is totally selling out your own country, oi.
The empire joined hands to obtain the secret technique of the hero summoning. There’s the possibility that they are using Erac for that sake, but the reverse can be said as well.
Well, I honestly don’t care about those details. The problem is that, at this rate, the Motoyasu Kingdom will be done for.
“Oh my, that’s splendid. —Then, you will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Latius-sama.”
“Ha! Standing shoulder to shoulder with such a man, that’s a hundred years too early for him.”
Why is it that villains like to say the ‘a hundred years too early’ line? Also, I think that guy called Latius is three times stronger than you.
“Really? Latius-sama is undefeated even in the empire, and is called a superhuman that can go against a thousand.”
“I-Is that so… Then, I can take on ten thousand!”
Ah, this Platoon Leader is an idiot.
“Then, once you become captain, will you welcome me?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. If you can satisfy me more, that is.”
“Fufu, then, I will have to work a lo~t harder.”
The Platoon Leader was raising a loud laugh and the woman was laughing as well which reverberated in the room, but contrary to her voice, the eyes of the woman were not smiling at all. Rather, those eyes were devoid of emotions like those of a machine, and I could feel a type of madness in them.
Aah, I see.
This woman is most likely not a prostitute of the empire, but from the army acting as a civilian. For a prostitute, her body is strangely shaped up, and most of all, even when she is having a talk with the Platoon Leader, her eyes were not showing a single opening.
She is probably from the intelligence division, or maybe the one that does the cleaning up.
“Okay! One more time!”
“Kya! Geez~!”
I avert my eyes from the two who were exchanging a deep kiss, and I intentionally open the door when leaving the room.
Ignoring the two who were surprised at the door suddenly opening, I headed to where the knights close by to listen in on them while arranging the information in my mind.
☆☆ ★★★☆☆
The two knights that had left the Platoon Leader’s room were not even hiding their resentment, they moved through the corridor with violent steps.
“Damn it! What’s with him?!”
“Oi, too loud.”
“But! We reported exactly what we saw, and yet, he called it seeing wrong! Not even confirming himself, is he an idiot?!”
The fat man was speaking ill with rough breath, and the thin man was sighing with a tired expression at that fat man.
“Hey…”
“What?”
But the fat man suddenly shrunk that energy of his, and while minding his surroundings, he speaks to the thin man.
“Want to escape from here?”
“—!! Oi, don’t say thoughtless stuff like that.”
“You plan on dying together with that Platoon Leader? If we stay here, there’s no doubt we will be killed.”
“I know, but…”
The thin man understood what the fat man was trying to say. The only knight here that doesn’t understand that is probably the Platoon Leader that is drowning in his desires.
“But you know, even if you say run, run where? We have betrayed the kingdom. There’s nowhere we can go to.”
“That’s just something he himself did on his own. If in the case we get caught, we can just say that we couldn’t go against the order of our superior, and they will forgive us.”
The words of the fat man had a point, and the thin man nods as if understanding, but he soon shakes his head and droops his shoulders.
“Not possible… The situation has already reached a stage that cannot be controlled. Also, if we were to run away, it would be the same as abandoning the country.”
“Then what do we do? The Empire’s army has already crossed the national borders, you know? After 4 to 5 days, an army of tens of thousands will reach the royal capital. The capital doesn’t have that amount of knights. Tell me how they are going to face that?”
“…True. At this point, no matter how much they struggle, Motoyasu is done for.”
The thin man was grieving the fact that the situation has already moved to an irreversible state, and the fat man wordlessly nodded with drooped shoulders.
“There’s already nothing we can do. Then, it would be better if we run away as soon as possible.”
“…Right. —Then, when is it you plan to?”
“Gather our stuff…and after tomorrow’s shift.”
“Understood.”
The two looked at each other and nod, and then, they left the building as if nothing happened, and return to their stations in the Stream mountain range with heavy steps.
The ones watching those two from the shadows were a beauty with a bewitching smile, and a Monster whose figure can’t be seen.
☆☆ ☆☆ ★ ☆☆ ☆☆
How to say it…when humans are cornered, do they tend to confess their sins?
Thanks to them speaking out a storm, I understood a variety of things, but I didn’t expect the Empire’s army to be inside the Motoyasu Kingdom’s territory.
“That was quite fast. Did you obtain it?”
“Yeah, I found what I was searching for faster than I thought.” (Makoto)
Motoyasu Kingdom – The Queen’s room.
Time is 8 p.m.
After that, I didn’t return directly to the castle, and was looking for something. And after finding my objective, and setting the Marker, I teleported to the castle and went to the room of the Queen.
…At any rate…
Looks like the national border guards have not gotten the info that the king has recovered, but even if they had received the message, it most likely wouldn’t change the reality that the people there are rotten. It probably can’t be helped that they rot in such a remote region, but is it wrong to think that I would like it if they were to push through their standing as knights?
“Your face doesn’t match the good news though.”
“Yeah… For now, I would like you to be calm when listening to what I am about to say.” (Makoto)
“…Makoto-kun, you smoothing the ground first before speaking is giving me an incredibly bad feeling.” (Caril)
“Yeah, that’s because you are right.” (Makoto)
There’s no point in fanning her uneasiness.
“Looks like the Empire’s army has crossed the national borders and entered Motoyasu territory.” (Makoto)
I decided on speaking the reality straight as it is.
“…Eh?”
“This is no lie. Around 200 km northwest of here, there’s a forest, right? I confirmed that there’s several tens of thousands of the Empire’s soldiers. With those numbers, their march shouldn’t be that fast. —It would take around 4 to 5 days to arrive.” (Makoto)
Because I went to confirm this, I got late in returning to the castle.
“No way… What are the knights at the national border doing?!” (Caril)
“About them, they were the first to turn traitors. By the time I went there, the Platoon Leader was having fun with a woman. The other knights were preparing to escape.” (Makoto)
“…How could this be…” (Caril)
Being at a loss for words, the Queen had an expression speaking exactly those sentiments. Slumping on the sofa, she covered her face with her trembling hands.
“Even though he finally…finally recovered…” (Caril)
A trembling voice – a cry from the bottom of her heart.
“Why is the Empire…at this moment?” (Caril)
Enduring the tears that were about to overflow, I could painfully understand the anger of the Queen that cannot be put in words. But right now’s not the time to be dragged around by emotions.
“Get a grip of yourself, Caril Dilba Motoyasu!” (Makoto)
“—!!”
We don’t have the time to be standing idly after all.
“This time around, Erac and the Empire’s army are connected. This is probably the hidden trump card for the rebellion.” (Makoto)
“Erac did…” (Caril)
“Call Gallahart. Send a scout to the place at once to get information as soon as possible.” (Makoto)
“Y-Yeah…” (Caril)
“How long do you plan on spacing out?! Don’t you have a duty to protect this country?! Do you plan on letting your people die a pig’s death?!” (Makoto)
If you don’t do anything…at this rate, in just a few more days, the capital will be covered in the flames of war. For the sake of avoiding that, there’s the need to be the first ones to move. And also, have the one who is pulling the strings in the darkness to come out to put an end to all this. For the sake of that as well, there’s the need to protect the capital at all cost.
Chapter 42: One problem over and…
The sound of metal was ringing in the place, and a pair of people were trotting to the location.
“Hah…Hah… That roar just now… Fuh… Was around here, right?”
“Yeah, around here is their territory, so…”
A slightly fat man looked around the place lacking breath, and the thin man was also looking around.
The both of them are wearing the knight armor of the Motoyasu Kingdom, so they should be knights of the kingdom. If they are guarding the area of the national border, it must mean that they are from the fifth knight division.
“Good grief. Even if it is our job, I don’t want to go to the place where such stinky guys are in.”
“Don’t complain. You are also stinking of sweat, so there’s not much difference.”
“I don’t stink that much! You also stink of sweat.”
“Mine is a floral scent, so it is okay.”
“What are you talking about floral, with that insipid body of yours.”
The thin man makes fun of the fat one, but the tone of the two tells me that this is an usual happening. As proof, even when they are voicing complains, their faces are smiling.
“Just a bit more, huh. I don’t wanna go…”
“We have to. We are the ones who would get shouted at by the platoon leader after all. Don’t complain and let’s just go.”
“Hah… The squad leader must be having fun with a woman right now.”
The two knights walk on while spitting out complains to the million. They must have quite the accumulated displeasure towards their superior, but that superior of theirs doesn’t sound like a decent person.
“I also want to sleep with a woman… A woman of the empire…”
“True.Those women are apparently quite the nymphos, so our turn will probably come in time.”
“Really? But by that time…”
“Yeah…”
While they continue their dirty talk that’s just unbearable to listen to, the two knights were laughing dirtily as they continue walking on, and then, they suddenly stop their feet and look at one place.
“H-Hey…”
“Y-Yeah…”
What’s in front of their eyes are the Atomos Titans that I defeated just a moment ago and are now showing a tragic sight of only their bones and skin remaining.
“This is what caused the roar just a while ago…”
“R-Right… But, what in the world is this?”
Seeing this, the two were acting strange.
“Atomos Titans turning into just piles of skin and bones…I have never heard of that before!”
“Y-Yeah… What is going on here?! Could it be a monster?!”
“As if I would know! But high tiered ones have been reduced to this sorry state… It might still be around!”
“W-We have to report this immediately!”
“Y-Yeah!”
Seeing off the two who were leaving in a hurry, I scratch my head and look at the skin and bones.
…This is bad.
Looks like that’s not how the Atomos Titans normally die like. I do feel regret for standing out like this, but what interests me more is the conversation the two were having.
“Empire women…huh.”
Moreover, he said women, so it would mean there’s several of them. Why are they at a remote place like this? Being bothered by that part is only natural.
Then, there’s only one thing to do.
Begin, stealth mission!
☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆
Motoyasu side of the Stream mountain range – at the base of the mountain.
There’s two wooden buildings of two stories, and three small buildings that seem like storage huts. Aside from that, this place is surrounded by iron wires. Looks like this is the national border’s guard station.
“Huh… The corpses of Atomos Titans were left with only their bones and skin, you say?”
“Yes!”
“There’s no way that’s possible.”
An old man of around 40 years old with a stern face and only wearing underpants was showing an expression of doubt and glares at the knights in front of him. This old man is the platoon leader-sama of the national border guards.
I don’t even want to know why he is only in his underpants, but looks like the two knights didn’t share my same sentiments. Without even showing a single hint of withering at the gaze of the platoon leader, their eyes were nailed at the naked woman waving her hand at his back.
“B-But we did see that—”
“Don’t go spitting out lies just to slack off. Return to your stations at once!”
Saluting reluctantly, they looked at the naked woman with regret, and leave. The platoon leader snorts and shows a mocking smile.
“Good grief. Can’t they make a better lie?”
“My, it might have been the truth.”
With a charming voice, she leans her body on the platoon leader, and caresses his chest with her fingers.
“Ha! No way. Even if they die, they still leave their stinky meat. And yet, only the bones and skin are left? They must have seen wrong.”
“I see… Then, what will you do?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Fufu, you are evil too. Telling your subordinates to work, and yet, Platoon Leader-sama is playing with a woman in his room…”
The woman laughs with a smile that strongly captivates men, and with warm eyes, she leans her face on his chest.
“Ooh, the empire women are quite aggressive.”
“Oh my, do you hate that?”
“No, I like them more than docile ones.”
While doing that conversation, they kiss.
“But with this…Motoyasu is done for.”
I was thinking of leaving since it felt as if I stayed any longer I would end up watching something I don’t want to, but the Platoon Leader said that.
“…Could it be…you are regretting it?”
“No, not at all. There’s talk that the king doesn’t have long, and the queen cannot keep the nobles in place.”
“Fufu, what a terrible person you are. You are a knight, and yet, you are betraying your country.”
“I am not the only one betraying. The Prime Minister’s—oops, that one was a secret. Act as if you didn’t hear that.”
“My, if you say that much, isn’t it pointless?”
“True.”
Not looking apologetic at all, the Platoon Leader was fondling the breasts of the woman persistently, his mood steadily getting better, and his ego must have gotten bigger as well.
“In time, I will become a captain in the Empire’s army after all!”
Beginning to speak of such dream-like sounding stuff, he laughs with his shoulders shaking along.
But this man…he said the answer.
I see, this is quite the hidden trump card.
That Bald Geezer had connections with the empire. This is totally selling out your own country, oi.
The empire joined hands to obtain the secret technique of the hero summoning. There’s the possibility that they are using Erac for that sake, but the reverse can be said as well.
Well, I honestly don’t care about those details. The problem is that, at this rate, the Motoyasu Kingdom will be done for.
“Oh my, that’s splendid. —Then, you will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Latius-sama.”
“Ha! Standing shoulder to shoulder with such a man, that’s a hundred years too early for him.”
Why is it that villains like to say the ‘a hundred years too early’ line? Also, I think that guy called Latius is three times stronger than you.
“Really? Latius-sama is undefeated even in the empire, and is called a superhuman that can go against a thousand.”
“I-Is that so… Then, I can take on ten thousand!”
Ah, this Platoon Leader is an idiot.
“Then, once you become captain, will you welcome me?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. If you can satisfy me more, that is.”
“Fufu, then, I will have to work a lo~t harder.”
The Platoon Leader was raising a loud laugh and the woman was laughing as well which reverberated in the room, but contrary to her voice, the eyes of the woman were not smiling at all. Rather, those eyes were devoid of emotions like those of a machine, and I could feel a type of madness in them.
Aah, I see.
This woman is most likely not a prostitute of the empire, but from the army acting as a civilian. For a prostitute, her body is strangely shaped up, and most of all, even when she is having a talk with the Platoon Leader, her eyes were not showing a single opening.
She is probably from the intelligence division, or maybe the one that does the cleaning up.
“Okay! One more time!”
“Kya! Geez~!”
I avert my eyes from the two who were exchanging a deep kiss, and I intentionally open the door when leaving the room.
Ignoring the two who were surprised at the door suddenly opening, I headed to where the knights close by to listen in on them while arranging the information in my mind.
☆☆ ★★★☆☆
The two knights that had left the Platoon Leader’s room were not even hiding their resentment, they moved through the corridor with violent steps.
“Damn it! What’s with him?!”
“Oi, too loud.”
“But! We reported exactly what we saw, and yet, he called it seeing wrong! Not even confirming himself, is he an idiot?!”
The fat man was speaking ill with rough breath, and the thin man was sighing with a tired expression at that fat man.
“Hey…”
“What?”
But the fat man suddenly shrunk that energy of his, and while minding his surroundings, he speaks to the thin man.
“Want to escape from here?”
“—!! Oi, don’t say thoughtless stuff like that.”
“You plan on dying together with that Platoon Leader? If we stay here, there’s no doubt we will be killed.”
“I know, but…”
The thin man understood what the fat man was trying to say. The only knight here that doesn’t understand that is probably the Platoon Leader that is drowning in his desires.
“But you know, even if you say run, run where? We have betrayed the kingdom. There’s nowhere we can go to.”
“That’s just something he himself did on his own. If in the case we get caught, we can just say that we couldn’t go against the order of our superior, and they will forgive us.”
The words of the fat man had a point, and the thin man nods as if understanding, but he soon shakes his head and droops his shoulders.
“Not possible… The situation has already reached a stage that cannot be controlled. Also, if we were to run away, it would be the same as abandoning the country.”
“Then what do we do? The Empire’s army has already crossed the national borders, you know? After 4 to 5 days, an army of tens of thousands will reach the royal capital. The capital doesn’t have that amount of knights. Tell me how they are going to face that?”
“…True. At this point, no matter how much they struggle, Motoyasu is done for.”
The thin man was grieving the fact that the situation has already moved to an irreversible state, and the fat man wordlessly nodded with drooped shoulders.
“There’s already nothing we can do. Then, it would be better if we run away as soon as possible.”
“…Right. —Then, when is it you plan to?”
“Gather our stuff…and after tomorrow’s shift.”
“Understood.”
The two looked at each other and nod, and then, they left the building as if nothing happened, and return to their stations in the Stream mountain range with heavy steps.
The ones watching those two from the shadows were a beauty with a bewitching smile, and a Monster whose figure can’t be seen.
☆☆ ☆☆ ★ ☆☆ ☆☆
How to say it…when humans are cornered, do they tend to confess their sins?
Thanks to them speaking out a storm, I understood a variety of things, but I didn’t expect the Empire’s army to be inside the Motoyasu Kingdom’s territory.
“That was quite fast. Did you obtain it?”
“Yeah, I found what I was searching for faster than I thought.” (Makoto)
Motoyasu Kingdom – The Queen’s room.
Time is 8 p.m.
After that, I didn’t return directly to the castle, and was looking for something. And after finding my objective, and setting the Marker, I teleported to the castle and went to the room of the Queen.
…At any rate…
Looks like the national border guards have not gotten the info that the king has recovered, but even if they had received the message, it most likely wouldn’t change the reality that the people there are rotten. It probably can’t be helped that they rot in such a remote region, but is it wrong to think that I would like it if they were to push through their standing as knights?
“Your face doesn’t match the good news though.”
“Yeah… For now, I would like you to be calm when listening to what I am about to say.” (Makoto)
“…Makoto-kun, you smoothing the ground first before speaking is giving me an incredibly bad feeling.” (Caril)
“Yeah, that’s because you are right.” (Makoto)
There’s no point in fanning her uneasiness.
“Looks like the Empire’s army has crossed the national borders and entered Motoyasu territory.” (Makoto)
I decided on speaking the reality straight as it is.
“…Eh?”
“This is no lie. Around 200 km northwest of here, there’s a forest, right? I confirmed that there’s several tens of thousands of the Empire’s soldiers. With those numbers, their march shouldn’t be that fast. —It would take around 4 to 5 days to arrive.” (Makoto)
Because I went to confirm this, I got late in returning to the castle.
“No way… What are the knights at the national border doing?!” (Caril)
“About them, they were the first to turn traitors. By the time I went there, the Platoon Leader was having fun with a woman. The other knights were preparing to escape.” (Makoto)
“…How could this be…” (Caril)
Being at a loss for words, the Queen had an expression speaking exactly those sentiments. Slumping on the sofa, she covered her face with her trembling hands.
“Even though he finally…finally recovered…” (Caril)
A trembling voice – a cry from the bottom of her heart.
“Why is the Empire…at this moment?” (Caril)
Enduring the tears that were about to overflow, I could painfully understand the anger of the Queen that cannot be put in words. But right now’s not the time to be dragged around by emotions.
“Get a grip of yourself, Caril Dilba Motoyasu!” (Makoto)
“—!!”
We don’t have the time to be standing idly after all.
“This time around, Erac and the Empire’s army are connected. This is probably the hidden trump card for the rebellion.” (Makoto)
“Erac did…” (Caril)
“Call Gallahart. Send a scout to the place at once to get information as soon as possible.” (Makoto)
“Y-Yeah…” (Caril)
“How long do you plan on spacing out?! Don’t you have a duty to protect this country?! Do you plan on letting your people die a pig’s death?!” (Makoto)
If you don’t do anything…at this rate, in just a few more days, the capital will be covered in the flames of war. For the sake of avoiding that, there’s the need to be the first ones to move. And also, have the one who is pulling the strings in the darkness to come out to put an end to all this. For the sake of that as well, there’s the need to protect the capital at all cost.
Chapter 42: One problem over and…
