Chapter 40

Bab 7: Persiapan Serangan

Bagian 1

Lower Fire Bulan (Bulan ke-9) Hari ke-3 18:27

Saat itu malam ketika Brain dapat kembali ke rumah Stronoff, setelah menyerahkan arlojinya kepada para penjaga yang dipanggil Climb. Sekarang dia dibebaskan dari tekanan pertempuran, dia menyadari bahwa dia sangat lapar sehingga perutnya sakit.

… Jika saya membuat Stronoff menunggu saya saat dia lapar, saya tidak tahu bagaimana saya akan hidup seperti ini.

Dia membuka pintu rumah. Secara alami, Gazef mengizinkan Brain untuk memperlakukan rumah ini seperti miliknya sendiri.

Ketika Brain memasuki rumah dan berjalan menuju kamar yang dipinjamkan Gazef padanya, dia mendengar suara langkah kaki menuju ke arahnya. Seseorang pasti sudah mendengar dia masuk.

Dia menduga itu Gazef, dan ketika orang yang membuat langkah-langkah itu menuruni tangga, tebakannya terbukti benar.

"Yah, kamu kembali terlambat, Unglaus. Apakah kamu pergi ke suatu tempat? "

Pertanyaan Gazef sama sekali tidak menunjukkan adanya teguran. Bahkan, ketika Brain merenung tentang bagaimana menjawab pertanyaan itu, Gazef malah memandangnya dengan mata yang cerah dengan penuh minat.

"Jika kamu tidak keberatan, bagaimana kalau berbicara sambil makan malam?"

Gagasan itu cocok dengan Brain. Dia mengusap perutnya dan tertawa.

"Itu ide yang bagus. Di mana kita akan makan? "

Gazef tampak terkejut sejenak, dan kemudian dia membawa Brain ke ruang makan, mengatakan "di sini."

“Apakah kamu akan membuat para pelayan membuat sesuatu? Atau jangan beri tahu saya, Anda akan memasak sendiri, Stronoff? "

Gazef tersenyum pahit pada pertanyaan tak terduga itu.

"Tidak, aku tidak bisa memasak sama sekali."

Mengatakan demikian, dia mengerutkan bibirnya menjadi senyum kucing, dan menambahkan:

"Namun, segala yang dilakukan pelayanku cukup hambar, mungkin karena mereka sudah bertahun-tahun bergaul. Dalam pekerjaan saya, saya ingin makan hal-hal dengan rasa yang kuat … tetapi mereka sepertinya tidak mendapatkannya. "

Brain terkekeh, dan menggoda: "Jadi Kapten-Prajurit Kerajaan yang hebat dan perkasa pun dipaksa makan hambar, makanan sehat?"

Gazef tidak memprotes ini, hanya mengerutkan kening dan menjawab: "Memang."

Kemudian dia melanjutkan, "Sementara aku berpikir untuk membiarkanmu mencoba makanan buatan rumah yang terkenal, pada akhirnya aku memesan take-out."

"Apakah begitu. Anda baik sekali. Terima kasih."

Brain tersenyum tipis ketika dia mengatakan ini. Tampaknya itu menghibur Gazef, yang tertawa. Kemudian, dia balas menembak:

"Bisakah kamu memasak, Unglaus?"

Namun, serangan itu melebar.

"Yah, tidak apa-apa, tapi aku bisa mengumpulkan hidangan sederhana. Lagipula, akan sangat sulit untuk bertahan jika aku tidak bisa memasak sendiri saat berlatih. "

"Aku mengerti," jawab Gazef ketika mereka memasuki ruang makan, lalu dia mengambil keranjang yang ditempatkan di dekat dinding.

Tampaknya cukup besar untuk menggendong bayi, dan sebuah aroma menghembus keluar dari dalam, menstimulasi hidung dan perut.

Keduanya duduk, saling berhadapan.

Setelah meletakkan beberapa piring di atas meja, mereka mengangkat gelas-gelas berisi anggur dan mendentingkannya. Tidak ada acara khusus untuk bersulang. Mereka hanya menenggak anggur dalam diam.

Rasa menyegarkan menyebar dari mulut mereka.

Setelah sekitar dua suap, Brain meletakkan gelas ke bawah. Dia terbatuk dan berkata dengan nada tulus:

"… Sudah lama sekali sejak aku minum anggur."

"Sama disini. Atau lebih tepatnya, aku harus mengatakan aku belum makan di rumah sebentar. "

"… Bekerja di Istana itu sulit, ya."

"Ada banyak hal yang harus dilakukan oleh Prajurit-Kapten."

"Apakah kamu juga bertanggung jawab atas keamanan Keluarga Kerajaan?"

"Iya. Itulah yang paling saya lakukan. "

Brain dapat merasakan sifat jujur ​​Gazef melalui kata-katanya. Akan baik-baik saja untuk kehilangan sedikit, tetapi dia bersikeras untuk tetap pada senjatanya.

Para bangsawan harus membenci rakyat jelata seperti ini.

Tampaknya dugaan Brain ada di sasaran, karena Gazef sangat jarang menyebut para bangsawan. Terlepas dari posisinya yang tinggi dari Kapten Prajurit Kerajaan, Gazef terutama berbicara tentang tugas militernya atau bagaimana ia melayani Keluarga Kerajaan. Nyaris tidak ada pembicaraan tentang dunia ballroom dan jamuan yang dekaden.

Suatu penghalang sosial yang mengesankan masih memisahkan bangsawan dari rakyat jelata, meskipun praktik ini sebagian besar telah lenyap di Kekaisaran terdekat.

Otak tiba-tiba merasa sangat lucu.

Di masa lalu, dia mengasah keterampilan pedangnya untuk mengalahkan Gazef, dan dia dengan egois berpikir bahwa "waktu berikutnya kita bertemu akan menjadi pertempuran sampai mati". Namun mereka berdua sekarang adalah teman yang bisa berbagi minuman.

Mungkin Gazef telah mengambil pikirannya, tetapi pria lain itu juga tersenyum.

Mereka mendentingkan gelas mereka. Mungkin anggur sudah mulai menghampiri mereka, tetapi mereka menggunakan terlalu banyak kekuatan dan anggur tumpah, membasahi meja.

"Oi oi, jangan menumpahkannya pada makanan."

"Tidakkah menurutmu anggur akan membuatnya terasa lebih enak?"

"Yah, lidahku sangat buruk sehingga semuanya hanya untukku … apakah itu sama untukmu, Unglaus?"

"Otak. Panggil aku Otak. "

"Benar-benar sekarang. Panggil aku Gazef, kalau begitu. "

"Mengerti, Gazef."

Mereka berdua saling memandang dan tertawa, dan ada nada dering yang jelas saat gelas mereka berdenting lagi.

Gazef mengemukakan berbagai topik, dan Brain segera menemukan dirinya di wilayah yang tidak dikenalnya. Ketika mereka masuk ke dalamnya, Gazef dengan santai bertanya:

"Kalau dipikir-pikir, bagaimana orang seperti kamu berakhir seperti itu, Brain?"

Dia mengajukan pertanyaan itu dengan hati-hati, seolah takut membuka kembali luka lama. Pandangan tajamnya tampaknya tidak menguji kebenaran kata-katanya. Dia tampak benar-benar khawatir tentang melukai perasaan Brain.

"Mm, terima kasih."

Gazef membeku karena terima kasih Brain. Mungkin wajahnya itu lucu, tetapi ekspresi Brain sendiri sedikit melunak. Kemudian, dia menegakkan tubuhnya dan berkata:

"… Aku melihat monster."

"Seekor monster? Semacam binatang ajaib, mungkin? ”

"Aku pikir itu seorang Vampir … namanya Shalltear Bloodfallen. Hanya dengan jari kelingkingnya dia berhasil membelokkan langkah yang kutemukan … untuk mengalahkanmu. "

Brain merasakan bahwa mata Gazef sedikit melebar.

"…Apakah begitu."

Kata-kata itu disertai dengan senyum buas. Brain tahu benar apa arti senyum itu.

Itu adalah keinginan prajurit mana pun untuk mengalahkan musuh yang perkasa.

Brain pernah merasakan hal yang sama tentang Gazef. Gazef mungkin juga ingin bertarung dengan Brain, untuk mengalami kembali pertempuran yang menarik sejak itu—

Namun, senyum binatang itu segera menghilang. Sebagai gantinya adalah senyum Kapten Prajurit Kerajaan.

Brain menggambarkan penampilan Vampir, tetapi Gazef menjawab bahwa dia belum pernah mendengarnya. Kemudian dia mengambil seteguk anggur. Brain menyesap dirinya sendiri, dan kemudian menggambarkan pertempuran mereka – tidak, bagaimana dia menginjak-injaknya.

Namun, ia menjauh dari topik dipekerjakan oleh Brigade Penyebar Kematian. Dia merasa bahwa Gazef mungkin mengatakan "setiap orang berjalan di jalannya sendiri dalam kehidupan", tetapi kebenarannya adalah bahwa di depan orang yang benar seperti Gazef, Brain merasa malu menyebutkan kedalaman yang diri masa lalunya tenggelam dalam mengejar keterampilan pedang .

Tidak ada keraguan di mata Gazef setelah dia mendengar semuanya.

"Apakah Anda mempercayai saya?"

"… Bagaimanapun juga, dunia adalah tempat yang besar. Tidak aneh jika monster seperti itu memang ada. Ketika Anda melihat kembali sejarah, ada hal-hal seperti Dewa Setan dan Dewa Naga. Tetap saja … Aku juga tidak berpikir aku bisa mengalahkan monster sekuat ini. "

"Iya. Saya tidak tahu seberapa kuat Anda sekarang sehingga saya tidak bisa berkomentar, tapi saya masih yakin Anda tidak bisa mengalahkannya. Dia hidup di dunia yang bahkan orang-orang seperti kita tidak bisa dekati. Bahkan jika kami berdua menyerang sekaligus, yang bisa kami lakukan hanyalah menarik pertempuran dari satu detik menjadi dua. "

"Tidakkah seharusnya kamu menghiburku dan berkata 'tidak, tidak apa-apa' atau semacamnya?" Gazef mengolok-olok.

Namun, Brain dengan tegas memberitahunya:

"Gazef. Anda harus melindungi keluarga kerajaan sebagai Kapten-Prajurit Kerajaan. Jangan menantangnya bahkan jika Anda melihatnya. Anda tidak bisa menyia-nyiakan hidup Anda seperti itu. "

"Terima kasih atas saran Anda. Namun, jika monster yang disebut Shalltear menyerang Kerajaan, aku akan membuang hidupku bahkan jika yang dilakukannya hanyalah mengulur waktu. ”

Jam berapa dia bisa membeli? Gazef tidak akan berdaya di hadapannya kecuali dia ingin bermain.

Meski begitu, Brain mulai merasa bahwa Gazef mungkin dapat melakukannya, bahkan jika itu hanya untuk mengulur waktu.

"Dia dipanggil Shalltear. Shalltear Bloodfallen. "

Setelah Brain menggambarkan penampilannya sekali lagi, Gazef mengangguk dengan muram.

"Benar, aku mengerti. Namun, Anda sebaiknya memberi tahu saya lagi setelah saya pulih dari anggur, hanya untuk aman. Saya akan belajar sebanyak mungkin tentang dia juga. "

"Saya rasa pembelajaran apa pun tidak akan membantunya melawannya."

"Jika kita tahu badai akan datang, tidakkah kita mencoba melakukan sesuatu tentang itu? Tidak bisa membiarkan begitu saja. Selain itu, kita mungkin bisa membuat sesuatu jika kita dapat mengambil otak yang cukup. ”

"Kalau saja itu masalahnya."

"Aku tidak terlalu dekat dengannya, tapi aku tahu seorang petualang peringkat adamantite. Dia seharusnya bisa membuat sesuatu yang berguna … lagipula, apa yang kau rencanakan untuk dilakukan di masa depan, Brain? ”

Alis otak dirajut oleh pertanyaan itu. Apa yang harus dia lakukan?

Matanya tanpa sadar melayang ke 「Katana oved kesayangannya di samping meja.

Itu adalah keterikatan yang melekat.

Pada akhirnya, hanya itu yang terjadi. Tidak peduli berapa banyak dia mencoba, dia tidak akan pernah bisa mengalahkan monster itu. Impiannya menjadi pendekar pedang terhebat. Dia memang telah menyia-nyiakan hidupnya.

Mulai sekarang, dia harus menjaga kakinya dengan kuat di tanah dan menjalani hidupnya dengan benar.

Itu hanya mimpi masa kecil …

"Apa yang harus saya lakukan, ya … bagaimana dengan bekerja di pertanian?"

Dia dilahirkan di sebuah desa pertanian, dan meskipun dia banyak lupa tentang pertanian, pengetahuan itu masih melekat di ceruk pikirannya. Satu-satunya hal lain yang dia tahu selain itu adalah ilmu pedang. Dimasukkan ke dalam cara yang lebih baik, dia telah menjalani kehidupan yang sangat fokus.

"Bertani … well, itu tidak buruk, tapi … bagaimana dengan ini? Mengapa tidak melayani bangsa dengan saya? "

Otak tidak menganggap itu ide yang buruk. Dia mungkin tidak bisa mengalahkan monster yang disebut Shalltear, tetapi dia menganggap dirinya cukup mampu dalam hal kemampuan skala manusia. Namun-

"Saya bukan orang yang sangat mudah bergaul, dan saya tidak tertarik pada bisnis membungkuk dan mengikis."

"Yah, aku tidak membungkuk dan mengikis sebanyak itu …"

"Ah maaf. Saya tidak bermaksud mengolok-olok Anda. Hanya dengan pemikiran melayani di pengadilan membuat saya memikirkan hal semacam itu … Sebenarnya, saya pikir itu ide yang cukup bagus, Gazef. Berjuang untuk orang lain … itu saja! Oi, Gazef, aku bertemu dengan seorang bocah lelaki bernama Climb. ”

"Mendaki? Anak yang bersuara serak itu? ”

Gazef berkata "ohhhhhh" ketika dia melihat Brain mengangguk.

"Di mana kamu bertemu Climb? Saya pikir dia adalah pengawal Putri, jadi dia seharusnya tidak memiliki banyak kesempatan untuk meninggalkan sisinya … "

"Aku melihatnya berlatih di jalanan."

"Pelatihan di jalanan, ya … yah, dia tidak punya bakat. Saya tidak berpikir dia akan menjadi lebih kuat dari dia sekarang. Yang bisa dia lakukan sekarang adalah melatih tubuhnya dan meningkatkan atribut fisiknya. Apakah dia melakukan itu? Jika tidak, saya mungkin harus membimbingnya sedikit. "

"Hm – memang … dia tidak punya bakat untuk ilmu pedang. Namun, dia lebih kuat dari saya di beberapa daerah. "

Ekspresi wajah Gazef sepertinya mengatakan "apakah kamu bercanda".

Memang, Brain jauh lebih terampil daripada Climb, dan lebih berbakat juga. Namun, Brain tahu bahwa perbedaan ini tidak berarti apa-apa di hadapan kekuatan sejati, dan karenanya ia merasa bahwa menertawakan Climb karena itu akan menjadi munafik.

Alih-alih berdalih tentang perbedaan kecil seperti itu, Brain merasa bahwa kemauan keras Climb – yang telah bertahan dari niat membunuh Sebas yang perkasa – benar-benar layak dipuji.

Saya dipukuli dan memilih untuk melarikan diri. Tetapi Climb tidak akan pernah lari jika seseorang yang harus dia lindungi ada di belakangnya. Dia akan memilih untuk bertarung. Mungkin pria seperti dia … bisa memotong kuku monster itu.

Brain tidak mengatakan apa-apa tentang ekspresi bingung Gazef. Alih-alih, ia dengan kasar menjelaskan peristiwa hari itu; dengan kata lain, penggerebekan di rumah bordil Eight Fingers.

"Saya melihat. Jadi kau dan Climb … Begitu. ”

"Kamu bisa meninggalkanku jika kamu pikir itu akan menimbulkan masalah. Maksud saya, ketika Anda memikirkannya, memiliki seseorang seperti saya yang masuk dan keluar dari rumah Anda akan membuat Anda bermasalah jika saya berselisih dengan dunia bawah, bukankah begitu? "

"Tidak, tidak sama sekali. Sebenarnya, saya lebih suka menyambutnya … bajingan-bajingan itu adalah belatung yang menyerang Kerajaan. Saya hanya ingin mengukir jalan saya ke markas mereka. "

"Apakah Eight Fingers begitu buruk bagi Kerajaan?"

"Mereka membuatku ingin muntah. Mereka mengendalikan sebagian besar perkumpulan rahasia di Kerajaan dan mendapat untung dari mereka. Uang dan manfaat pergi ke para bangsawan, yang memungkinkan para bajingan untuk bergaul dengan mereka dan angsa di masyarakat normal. Jika kami mencoba menangkap mereka, para bangsawan menghalangi kami, jadi tidak ada yang bisa kami lakukan di depan itu. Satu-satunya cara kita dapat melukai mereka adalah dengan melakukan apa yang Anda lakukan, Brain. Kita perlu menerobos ke tempat persembunyian mereka yang tersembunyi dengan licik, memaksakan tindakan kriminal mereka ke dalam cahaya, dan membuat keributan besar. Tentu saja, mereka lebih kuat daripada bangsawan rata-rata, jadi jika kita gagal, konsekuensinya akan parah. "

"Kalau begitu, kamu kurang beruntung?"

"Memang. Karena itu, saya berharap apa yang Anda lakukan melemahkan mereka. Sayangnya, itu tidak terlalu mungkin. "

"Tidak bisakah kau meminta Raja mengeluarkan dekrit kerajaan atau semacamnya?"

"Para bangsawan yang menentangnya akan ikut campur dari sela-sela, jadi kita tidak bisa melakukannya. Dan mereka memiliki sekutu di kedua faksi, yang membuat segalanya semakin rumit. ”

Ketika udara menggantung di atas meja, mereka berdua minum anggur dalam keheningan dan meraih makanan.

Bagian 2

Lower Fire Bulan (Bulan ke-9) Hari ke-4 07:14

Para anggota Blue Rose telah memasuki ruang penyimpanan pagi-pagi sekali. Masing-masing dari mereka membawa karung besar, yang membuat suara derap logam saat diletakkan di tanah. Karung-karung berisi semua perlengkapan mereka, karena memasuki Istana Kerajaan semua yang dipersiapkan untuk perang tidak begitu tepat.

Setelah meletakkan barang bawaan mereka yang berat, kelompok itu memutar bahu mereka. Renner memandang mereka dengan ramah, dan pemimpin tim mereka, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, bertanya kepadanya:

"Apakah kamu akan memiliki tugas seorang putri untuk diberhentikan nanti?"

Renner hampir tidak memiliki kekuatan apa pun, tetapi dia masih memiliki tanggung jawab sebagai putri.

"Tidak apa-apa. Masalah-masalah itu bisa menunggu. Jangan khawatir. "

"Aha."

Ekspresi nakal muncul di wajah Lakyus. Demikian pula, Renner juga melontarkan tatapan nakal padanya, yang kemudian melebur menjadi tawa yang tak terkendali.

“Lakyus. Setelah Anda siap, saya ingin meminta Anda untuk mengurus masalah itu sesegera mungkin. "

"Mengapa? Saya mendengar kemarin bahwa kami akan menyerang secara rahasia, mengambil setiap lokasi secara bergantian. Bukankah begitu? "Tanya Evileye, magic caster misterius bertopeng.

Dia belum melepaskan topeng penyembunyian wajahnya di Istana Kerajaan. Dia tidak pernah dikecam karena pakaian mencurigakan seperti itu karena dia adalah seorang petualang berpangkat adamantit, elit kemanusiaan, dan juga karena pemimpin timnya Lakyus adalah anggota bangsawan.

“Sesuatu yang tidak terduga terjadi semalam, jadi saya merasa kita perlu mengubah bagian dari rencana. Seperti ini-"

Renner menggambarkan serangan bordil dari tadi malam.

Climb berdiri diam di belakang Renner, dan anggota Blue Rose memandangnya dengan tatapan penuh hormat. Pandangan mereka membuatnya merasa gatal.

Memungut biaya ke rumah bordil dan menyelamatkan orang-orang dari batasan neraka mereka bukanlah yang dilakukan Climb. Dia hanya meminjam kekuatan dua pria yang pergi bersamanya. Terus terang, Climb tidak melakukan apa pun yang layak dipuji.

Sebaliknya, dia merasa kecewa dengan dirinya sendiri. Dia tidak ditegur karena tindakannya yang ceroboh dan independen dan rencananya tidak dibatalkan, hanya diubah. Fakta bahwa ia sebenarnya merasa lega dengan hal itu hanya membuatnya menjadi jauh lebih tragis.

"Tidak buruk, bocah ceri."

"Yup, Gagaran benar. Menangkap anggota Six Arms adalah hal yang cukup besar. ”

“… 'Undying King’ Davernoc. 'Void Cutter' Peysilian. Edstrom 'Pedang Berdarah'. Malmvist ist Thousand Kills ’. 'Setan Ilusi' Sukulen. Dan kemudian pemimpin mereka, 'Pertempuran Setan' Nol. "

Tia dengan lancar melafal setiap nama.

“Davernoc bukan mayat hidup. Peysilian dikatakan mampu menebas bahkan musuh yang jauh. Edstrom dapat dengan terampil menggunakan senjata sihir khusus. Malmvist adalah pemain anggar dengan pisau beracun, mahir menekuk lutut. Sukulen sudah ditangkap. Dan Zero adalah petarung yang unggul dalam pertempuran tangan kosong. Masing-masing setara dengan petualang peringkat adamantite. ”

"Mmm. Menangkap salah satu dari mereka adalah bantuan besar bagi kami. "

“Kerja luar biasa, Climb. Tetap saja, itu adalah keberuntungan yang bagus bahwa kamu bertemu Brain Unglaus dan bertarung di sisinya, ”

Climb setuju dengan sentimen itu.

“Fakta bahwa dia bisa mengeluarkan Succulent dalam satu pukulan membuktikan bahwa Unglaus – orang yang bertarung melawan pejuang terkuat Kerajaan (Gazef Stronoff) macet – adalah masalah nyata. Yang mengatakan, saya lebih tertarik pada kepala pelayan tua yang bahkan dia tidak bisa mengalahkan. "

"Aku tidak mendapatkan alamat Sebas-sama …"

“… Hm, Climb. Apakah dia tidak memberi tahu Anda karena dia khawatir dengan Anda, atau apakah Anda tidak bertanya karena Anda tahu Anda seharusnya tidak bertanya … yang mana? "

“Keduanya, Evileye-sama. Mungkin dia mungkin memberitahuku kalau aku bertanya padanya. Namun, Sebas-sama secara sukarela membantunya terlepas dari kenyataan bahwa aku adalah orang yang melibatkannya dalam hal ini, dan aku tidak ingin belajar apa pun yang mungkin membuatnya kesulitan. ”

"… Hm – kamu orang yang jujur."

"Ya."

Para suster tampaknya mengukur Climb dari kepala hingga kaki.

"Aku tidak tahu mengapa aku belum pernah mendengar orang yang luar biasa ini sebelumnya …"

Climb bisa merasakan kewaspadaan Sebas yang tiba-tiba dari semua orang, seolah-olah itu dipicu oleh kata-kata dari Evileye. Tepat ketika dia akan membalas, Lakyus bertepuk tangan beberapa kali dan suasana di udara berubah.

"Baiklah, mari kita kesampingkan ini sejenak. Jika bukan karena dia, kami tidak akan menemukan lokasi bordil yang akurat dan kami tidak akan menangkap kepala Divisi Perdagangan Budak (Cocco Doll). Climb dan kami berhutang budi padanya. ”

"Kamu benar, Lakyus. Lalu, Putri. Anda bilang akan mengubah sebagian dari rencana – apakah itu berarti kita akan menyerang lokasi baru? "

“Ya, Evileye-san. Saya berharap untuk menyerang beberapa poin sekaligus hari ini dan mengalahkan semuanya dalam satu gerakan. Mereka akan mendapatkan keuntungan dan kita akan kehilangan itu semakin banyak waktu yang kita ambil. "

Kamar itu sunyi senyap.

Hanya Blue Rose yang akan berpartisipasi dalam operasi ini. Mereka bersikeras untuk mengambil target satu demi satu karena kurangnya tenaga kerja.

"Eh, tapi Putri. Saya yakin kami sudah memberi tahu Anda sebelumnya bahwa kami tidak memiliki orang untuk itu, bukan? Apakah seseorang setuju untuk membantu kami di tengah malam? Kami tidak bisa menyewa petualang untuk ini, bukan? "

Salah satu prinsip pendiri dari Adventurer's Guild adalah untuk membela manusia dari ancaman eksternal. Dengan demikian, ada aturan tidak tertulis di guild bahwa mereka tidak akan pernah melibatkan diri dalam perselisihan antara manusia. Jika tidak, Adventurer's Guilds dari berbagai negara tidak akan dapat melangkahi perbatasan nasional dan saling membantu.

Karena itu, jika Persekutuan menilai bahwa keterlibatan mereka dalam suatu masalah akan mengakibatkan keterlibatan mereka dengan perseteruan abadi, mereka akan memberikan tekanan pada petualang mereka untuk mematuhi aturan yang tidak tertulis itu. Ini berlaku bahkan jika intervensi Persekutuan akan menyelamatkan nyawa. Tekanan yang diterapkan oleh Perserikatan termasuk peringatan, tidak merekomendasikan pekerjaan kepada mereka, dan pengusiran dari Persekutuan dalam skenario terburuk.

Akibatnya, ada beberapa petualang yang terlibat dalam kegiatan ilegal, menjadi bagian dari kelompok yang dikenal sebagai Pekerja. Namun, ada desas-desus bahwa Persekutuan akan menggunakan pembunuh pribadi mereka sendiri untuk mengejar mereka yang melanggar aturan dengan kebencian sebelumnya.

Fakta bahwa Blue Rose telah memulai penentangan mereka terhadap Eight Fingers adalah pelanggaran terhadap aturan tidak tertulis ini, tetapi mereka adalah petualang peringkat adamantite dan bisa dibilang perwakilan dari Persekutuan, jadi tidak mungkin mereka akan diusir dari Persekutuan. Dengan demikian, tindakan mereka telah menerima persetujuan diam-diam. Namun, satu-satunya alasan mengapa mereka dibebaskan dari pelanggaran ini adalah karena merekalah yang melakukannya.

“Hal paling bodoh yang bisa kita lakukan adalah melibatkan penjaga kota untuk menambah jumlah kita. Orang-orang itu memiliki penjaga di sakunya. Yang bisa kita lakukan adalah meminta mereka menangani pembersihan pada akhirnya. Kalau tidak, akan ada masalah. "

“Sama halnya dengan meminjam pasukan rumah dari para bangsawan. Kami tidak dapat meminta bantuan mereka ketika kami tidak tahu siapa yang tidur dengan Eight Fingers. "

"Hmph. Satu-satunya orang yang bisa kita percayai adalah Stronoff dan orang-orang yang setia kepadanya – para pejuangnya … tidak, kita bahkan tidak tahu berapa banyak prajuritnya yang bisa dipercaya. "

"Secara praktis, ya. Pada akhirnya, tidak banyak yang bisa kita lakukan karena kita tidak tahu persis seberapa jauh jangkauan lawan kita. Namun, jika kita tidak melakukan apa-apa selain menyelidiki karena itu, Kerajaan akan hancur berantakan suatu hari. Kami tidak dapat menyelesaikan masalah secara memadai ketika kami mendapat teriakan minta tolong dari semua pihak. "

Renner mengangguk ketika dia mendengar keluhan Lakyus.

Campur tangan Kekaisaran hanya memperparah kekacauan di dalam Kerajaan ketika korupsi terus memakan pemerintah. Climb menyipitkan matanya, seolah-olah dia melihat matahari dari belakangnya; lagipula, majikannya bersikeras untuk terus bertempur meski dalam kondisi yang mengerikan. Sekali lagi, Climb menyadari bahwa dia adalah satu-satunya yang mampu memerintah Kerajaan dan memberikan kebahagiaan kepada massa, dan kesetiaannya kepada dia semakin diperkuat.

Namun, ada orang-orang yang tidak mengerti hal itu dan memutuskan bahwa semua putri harus menjadi hiasan – tujuan utamanya adalah untuk duduk di sana dan terlihat cantik. Climb dipenuhi amarah pada orang-orang ini – terutama para bangsawan – dan tangannya mengepal.

Namun, suara Renner yang indah menyaring ke telinganya dan menebarkan amarahnya, dan dia sekali lagi berkomitmen untuk mendengarkan percakapan mereka.

"Kamu benar. Karena itu, saya berpikir untuk meminta bantuan seorang ningrat yang andal. ”

"Kau tahu bangsawan yang bisa dipercaya, Putri?"

“Ya, Evileye-san. Tidak banyak dari mereka, tetapi saya tahu orang yang bisa diandalkan. "

"Oh, dan siapa itu, Renner? Saya tidak meragukan penilaian Anda, tetapi tidak ada gunanya dapat diandalkan jika mereka tidak dapat melakukan apa pun untuk kami. Juga tidak ada jaminan bahwa dia akan dapat mengumpulkan cukup pasukan dari wilayah kekuasaannya juga.

"Saya tidak berpikir itu akan menjadi masalah. Juga, aku akan membawa Kapten Prajurit bersama. ”

"Aku bisa mengerti itu."

"Mm, Kapten Prajurit adalah orang yang dapat diandalkan. Atau lebih tepatnya, jika bahkan dia di tempat tidur dengan Eight Fingers, maka kita sudah selesai. "

“Climb, tolong panggil Marquis Raeven. Dia hadir di pertemuan terakhir, jadi dia harus tetap berada di dalam Ibukota Kerajaan. "

"Marquis? Saya memang melihatnya di perusahaan Pangeran … "

Memang. Marquis Raeven mencocokkan semua kriteria mereka dengan pria yang mereka butuhkan … selain kepercayaannya.

Dia adalah salah satu dari Enam Bangsawan Besar, mereka yang asetnya dan sebagainya jauh melampaui yang dimiliki bangsawan lain sejauh ini. Namun, tidak ada bukti bahwa Raeven tidak bersekongkol dengan Eight Fingers. Orang juga bisa mengatakan bahwa kekayaannya mungkin hasil dari suap Eight Fingers.

Namun, Climb segera menolak gagasan itu.

Renner – nyonyanya, yang paling bijaksana dari semua wanita dan orang yang paling pantas dihormati – telah memilih nama itu. Karena itu, Marquis Raeven seharusnya bisa diandalkan.

Namun, anggota Blue Rose tampak tidak senang, berbeda dengan Climb.

"Oi, oi, Putri. Apakah Anda yakin bisa mempercayai pria Marquis ini? ”

"Mereka bilang Raeven kelelawar."

"Seekor kelelawar yang mondar-mandir di antara faksi Kerajaan dan Noble. Jika dia melakukan semuanya untuk keuntungannya sendiri, maka lucre kotor Eight Finger akan menggerakkan hatinya. "

"Aku tidak ingin dia membocorkan intelijen tentang kita, Putri."

Saat ketidaksetujuan mengalir dari orang-orang yang berkumpul, tepukan keras memotong udara. Sumbernya adalah Lakyus.

"… Sudah cukup, kalian semua! Ahhh, Renner, Marquis Raeven tidak meninggalkan kesan yang baik pada saya. Apakah dia benar-benar dapat dipercaya? ”

"Aku tidak bisa menjamin itu. Dan saya yakin dia mengambil uang dari Eight Fingers. "

Eh ?! Semua orang yang hadir terkejut, dan mereka bingung melihat wajah mereka. Namun, seseorang menemukan kemungkinan dan bertanya:

"Apakah kamu mencoba menyebarkan informasi palsu untuk memanipulasi musuh?"

“Kami melakukan itu sebelum beberapa pembunuhan. Sebarkan berita tentang pembunuh yang datang dari suatu tempat untuk mengalihkan perhatian petugas keamanan. "

Renner menggelengkan kepalanya karena gagasan pembunuhan itu.

"Bukan itu, Tina-san dan Tia-san. Saya percaya bahwa beberapa orang tidak akan membantu Eight Fingers bahkan jika mereka mengambil uang mereka, bukan? Bisa dibilang saya kehilangan taruhan saya jika ternyata dia lebih aktif di belakang saya daripada yang saya kira, tapi … Mendaki. Pergi cari Marquis Raeven. Dia seharusnya mau bertemu denganku begitu kau memberitahunya tentang penghancuran bordil dan penangkapan budak kepala. "

Mata Climb bergeser, memeriksa cahaya di luar jendela. Matahari pagi hampir menyilaukan, dan sepertinya agak dini untuk membangunkan seseorang. Namun, seseorang tidak dapat menjaga Bangsawan Agung untuk memanggil dan memanggil, jadi mungkin yang terbaik adalah mengatur pertemuan sekarang.

“Haruskah kita berbicara tentang menangkap kepala perdagangan budak? Hambamu percaya bahwa mungkin lebih baik merahasiakannya untuk saat ini. ”

Renner mengatakan bahwa dia harus memainkan kartu truf itu untuk memaksa hadirin, tetapi pastinya bahkan seorang bangsawan pun tidak dapat menolak panggilan Putri. Karena itu, bukankah mereka harus menyimpannya sebagai cadangan?

Renner menggelengkan kepalanya pada pendapat Climb.

“Kita perlu meletakkan kartu kita di hadapannya jika kita ingin dia di pihak kita. Melakukan hal itu adalah bukti terbaik bahwa kita mempercayai Marquis.

Pantas. Climb mengangguk dan kemudian membungkuk dengan hormat.

"Hambamu mengerti. Kalau begitu, aku akan memanggil Marquis Raeven sekarang. "

“Silakan, Climb. Sekarang, karena ini akan memakan waktu, bisakah kita minum teh? ”

♦ ♦ ♦

Lower Fire Bulan (Bulan ke-9) Hari ke-4 09:37

Blue Rose percaya bahwa dibutuhkan waktu bagi Marquis Raeven untuk tiba. Mereka memperkirakan bahwa dia akan datang sekitar tengah hari.

Sebagai seorang bangsawan, ia memiliki jadwal tetap yang harus dijaga, yang sebagian besar terdiri dari pertemuan dengan para bangsawan lainnya. Itu akan menjadi satu hal jika Raja memanggilnya untuk audiensi, tetapi bagaimanapun juga Renner adalah putri yang tidak berdaya. Dia akan lebih rendah dalam daftar prioritas Raeven.

Karena itu, ketika Climb kembali lebih awal dari yang diharapkan, mereka semua berpikir sejenak bahwa dia dikejar kembali. Dengan demikian mereka kesulitan untuk menyembunyikan ekspresi terkejut di wajah mereka ketika mereka melihat bentuk dua pria di belakangnya.

Salah satunya, tentu saja, Marquis Raeven.

Penampilannya, singkatnya, sempurna. Pakaian ketatnya terbuat dari semacam kulit binatang langka – mungkin semacam binatang ajaib – dan dijahit dengan emas. Sulaman di kerahnya dan kancing depannya adalah pengerjaan yang sangat indah, dan kancing depan mungkin memiliki batu permata kecil bekerja di dalamnya, mengingat cara mereka menangkap dan memantulkan cahaya.

Kerah berdirinya benar-benar menyembunyikan lehernya yang sempit. Ini adalah pakaian kelas atas, yang sangat cocok untuknya. Dia adalah gambar seorang anggota Enam Bangsawan Besar Kerajaan.

Di belakangnya ada seorang lelaki yang agak gemuk.

Ketika Renner melihatnya, dia berseru kaget:

"Onii-sama."

"Yo. Jika bukan saudara perempuan saya dari ibu yang berbeda. Anda kelihatan sehat … oh, dan jika itu bukan pewaris Alvein dan Blue Rose yang terkenal. Betapa indahnya. Untuk berpikir kita akan bertemu dengan banyak petualang peringkat adamantite di sini. "

Pria yang masuk tanpa mengetuk, dan yang memanggil mereka semua dengan suara cerah dan ceria tidak lain adalah Pangeran Kedua Zanack Valrean Igana Ryle Vaiself.

Lakyus membungkuk padanya, dan Zanack menjawab dengan lambaian tangannya.

"Aku dengar kamu berbicara tentang sesuatu yang sangat menarik, jadi aku memutuskan untuk mampir."

"Aku datang untuk menanggapi panggilan Renner-denka."

"Iya. Terima kasih sudah datang jauh-jauh, Marquis Raeven. Tolong angkat kepalamu. "

Renner bangkit dari kursinya sendiri ketika dia melihat kakak laki-lakinya – yang statusnya lebih tinggi dari dirinya – masuk.

Marquis Raeven tersenyum dingin di wajahnya saat dia berdiri tegak.

Senyumnya sangat menyeramkan, dan itu membuat orang berpikir dia cukup menyeramkan. Namun untuk beberapa alasan, sepertinya sangat cocok untuknya. Itu tidak mengecewakan orang lain yang memandangnya.

"Lalu, akankah yang lain keberatan pensiun ke kamar yang berdekatan untuk sementara waktu?"

“Aku mengerti, onii-sama. Lakyus, Climb, aku minta maaf, tapi bisakah kamu pergi ke sebelah? "

"Mengerti."

Dengan jawaban terpotong itu, Lakyus mengindikasikan bahwa rekan-rekannya harus mendapatkan barang-barang mereka. Mereka mungkin akan bersiap-siap di kamar sebelah untuk menghindari buang-buang waktu.

Lima anggota Blue Rose dan Climb mengangguk serentak sebelum memasuki ruangan yang berdekatan. Setelah dia melihat mereka pergi, Renner menyuruh dua orang yang tersisa untuk duduk.

"Silakan duduk di sini."

"Ya, Renner-denka."

"Tentu, sis."

Salah satu dari mereka menjatuhkan diri ke kursi, sementara yang lain duduk dengan anggun. Renner menuangkan secangkir teh dan meletakkannya di depan Raeven.

"Saya merasa terhormat bahwa Yang Mulia secara pribadi akan menuangkan secangkir teh untuk saya."

"Mungkin sedikit kedinginan. Tolong maafkan saya."

"Oi oi oi, di mana milikku?"

Zanack memandangi kedua peminum teh itu dengan sedih.

"Ah, tapi apakah kamu tidak suka teh, onii-sama?"

"Benar, aku bukan penggemar air berwarna. Namun, rasanya ada sesuatu yang hilang jika saya tidak punya apa-apa untuk membasahi tenggorokan saya. "

"Kalau begitu aku akan meminta pelayan mengambil sesuatu. Apakah jus buah akan berfungsi? ”

“Teh akan baik-baik saja. Tidak perlu membiarkan berita bocor. "

"Aku ragu para pelayan akan punya waktu untuk melapor ke keluarga mereka jika kita bergerak hari ini."

“Tetap saja, kamu harus hati-hati. Perempuan punya mulut yang besar. Khususnya, para pelayan yang melayani di Istana Kerajaan sangat ketakutan saat berkelahi. ”

Renner tersenyum, lalu menuangkan secangkir teh dan meletakkannya di depan Zanack.

"… Hmph. Jadi, Anda sudah memanfaatkan jaringan intelijen pelayan, bukan? "

"Maksud kamu apa?"

"Ah, sudahlah."

Dengan itu, Zanack meneguk teh.

"Ack, ini pahit," katanya sambil menjulurkan lidah.

"Tetap saja, Yang Mulia. Masalah apa yang perlu didiskusikan sedini mungkin? Yang mengatakan, hambamu akan bergegas ke sisimu setiap saat. Anda harus memberikan kata ”

"Terima kasih. Kemudian, saya akan langsung ke pokok permasalahan karena waktu sangat sempit. Saya ingin meminjam kecerdasan Anda. "

♦ ♦ ♦

Setelah batuk sebentar, dia tidak membuang waktu untuk membahas topik pembicaraan.

Mata Marquis Raeven yang sedikit terbuka sedikit, penuh kejutan. Namun, ia pulih hampir seketika dan menyembunyikan kekhawatirannya.

"Kecerdasanku, hm. Karena Yang Mulia yang bertanya … hamba Anda takut dia tidak akan bisa memenuhi harapan Anda.

"Aku pikir kamu akan baik-baik saja. Lagipula, aku ragu ada orang yang sederajat denganmu di istana, Marquis Raeven. ”

Marquis Raeven dan Pangeran bertukar pandang.

Putri Renner hampir tidak pernah berpartisipasi dalam perebutan kekuasaan politik. Jadi apa yang dia maksud dengan "urusan pengadilan"?

Marquis Raeven tersenyum santai. He knew too little, and thinking too hard on the matter would only lead to a strange conclusion. That much was obvious. He decided to hold off on his decision until he learned more.

“And what would you have your servant tell you?”

“I wish to ask if someone like yourself, as a secret supporter of the Royal Faction — or rather, as the one who holds the entire Royal Faction together — could mobilize the faction’s forces.”

"…Apa?"

Given the look on Marquis Raeven’s face, one might be forgiven for thinking a spell had suddenly gone off in front of his face. Just about anyone who saw this would have been shocked, because Marquis Raeven was not normally an expressive man.

Still, his reaction was understandable. Any other noble might laugh it off, but this was a truth which had been hidden until now.

People thought of Marquis Raeven as a bat, flitting from one side to another, but the truth was that he had been guiding the Royal Faction and warding off any potential conflicts which might tear the country in two. His private crusade was the biggest part in keeping the country whole.

The Kingdom would have fallen apart long ago without someone like Raeven around.

Zanack sucked in a tiny breath.

He had already sensed that Renner, with her unimaginable intellect, was a fiend in human form. Yet, she was like a prisoner in the Royal Palace, without eyes or hands to see or work her will. How had she grasped the truth under these circumstances? Nobody else in the Kingdom knew the answer besides Zanack.

Both of them suspected that she was merely bluffing, but they rejected that notion almost immediately. Renner spoke as though explaining a fact of life. Both of them had seen people hiding daggers behind their smiles, but Renner’s attitude did not seem like an act. In that case, how exactly had she found out about that?

Renner seemed to think further explanation was in order. She ignored Marquis Raeven’s shocked expression and calmly continued:

“…No, perhaps I should have asked one of the two members of the Royal Faction, but Marquis Blumrush has been secretly passing on information to the Empire, no? That would mean…”

“What-what did you say…”

“A moment please, your Highness!”

Zanack murmured hoarsely, but Raeven’s eyes shot wide open and he shouted.

“Marquis Blumrush…”

“You knew, right? After all, is that not why you tried to keep the good Marquis from learning too much?”

The two of them stared speechlessly at Renner.

They looked at the beautiful girl, who calmly said, “Am I wrong?”

"Kamu…"

「您……」

Marquis Raeven was so overcome that he forgot to address her as ”Your Highness”

Renner had been right about everything.

Only Zanack and Marquis Raeven knew that Marquis Blumrush, a Great Noble of the Royal Faction, had betrayed the kingdom. They had kept quiet about his treason to keep the balance between the factions from breaking down.

Marquis Raeven had been desperately trying to keep this from the Noble Faction and had come up with all manner of schemes to keep the Empire from learning this. His efforts should have been flawless, until now.

Zanack only knew about this because Marquis Raeven had told him. Then how had this caged songbird discovered it? As Zanack imagined it, he felt himself break out in goosebumps.

“How did you find out…”

“Oh, I just listened to what everyone was saying. And I do talk with the maids from time to time.”

How reliable were the maid’s words?

An unbelievable idea filled Marquis Raeven’s mind.

And then, after sifting through his memories, he could conclude that what Renner said — what she had gleaned from the conversation and gossip traded by the maids — was on the mark. The girl before him had sifted through a mountain of dross and picked out the diamonds in the rough, which she had fashioned into a jewelled necklace.

Therefore—

“—A monster.”

He quietly intoned the word that most suited the woman known as Renner.

Renner should have heard that loud and clear, but all she did was smile, without rebuking Marquis Raeven for his rudeness. He abandoned the line of thought he had been following until just now.

She deserved his honesty. And his recollections of the past were correct.

“—Your servant understands. Then, I seek to bare my heart to you. Do you object, my Prince?”

After seeing Zanack nod, Marquis Raeven straightened up and looked Renner in the face. His attitude now looked quite similar to Gazef when he had his sword raised.

“However, before that, your servant wishes to address the real Renner-denka. Is that permissible?”

“What do you mean?” Renner asked innocently, as though she had no idea what was going on.

“A long time ago, your servant once saw a girl. With incredible insight, that girl spoke words of invaluable wisdom. However, your servant took a long time before he understood the meaning and value of those words.”

Marquis Raeven’s voice echoed through the silent room.

“…She was a girl whose words taxed the understanding of others. When your servant saw this girl, who was viewed as incomprehensible by others, for a fleeting moment, your servant saw a dangerous individual.”

“A dangerous individual?” Renner asked calmly.

"Iya. Your servant had merely glimpsed a fraction of it and had thus written it off as a baseless worry. However, what your servant thought at the time was: ‘those are a pair of hollow eyes which do not care about the world and hold everything in contempt.’”

The mood in the room was vastly different from before, and a chill seemed to spread through the air. Marquis Raeven hunched his shoulders as if to protect himself.

“However, when your servant saw that girl again, she had the aura of a child about her. At that time, your servant believed that he had been mistaken… therefore, your Highness. I was wondering if you could show me that cleverly concealed true nature of yours.”

Mata mereka bertemu. It looked as though a pair of serpents were writhing and struggling against each other.

And then, Renner’s eyes lost their shine.

Marquis Raeven smiled coldly, as though he had seen something nostalgic.

“Ah, as I thought, it was actually…”

Zanack broke out in a cold sweat as his little sister, who had a pure and lovely smile on her face, suddenly turned into a frightening monster. No, in truth, he had already sensed her disgusting true face beneath her beautiful looks. However, he had guessed that Renner wanted to seize power for herself, or to shatter the Kingdom that held her prisoner.

It would seem those guesses had been off the mark.

This was a being that was fundamentally different from himself, something alien to him.

“As I expected, Renner-denka. Your Highness’ eyes are just like the ones I recall from my memory. Were you merely pretending ever since then?”

“No, Marquis Raeven. I was not acting. I was satisfied.”

“…Does Your Highness perhaps refer to your soldier, the man Climb…?”

"Oh ya. All this is thanks to my Climb.”

Oh To think that that boy could actually change Your Highness… your servant thought of him as nothing but a — a child… what does he mean to Your Highness, if I might ask?”

“You mean Climb…?”

Renner’s gaze trailed off, staring into the air. She was thinking about what words she could use to describe his value to her.

♦ ♦ ♦

Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself.

If there was only one word to summarize her entire being, that would be “Golden”. That word derived from her blinding beauty. However, very few people knew that she possessed a talent that far outstripped even her good looks.

Her talents lay in thinking, insight, observation, innovation, understanding and the like. All her mental faculties were abnormally well-developed — in other words, she was a genius.

Her talent could only be described as a gift from the heavens. Her deductions might seem to have come from flashes of inspiration, but the truth was that they were pieced together from countless scattered fragments of information, gathered by her extraordinary powers of observation.

In all likelihood, nobody on the continent could match up against her mental abilities.

If one were pressed to find an equal for her, then one would have to look beyond the human race. However, very few entities were on her level, even among these superhuman beings.

In Nazarick, only Albedo — the Guardian Overseer who could manage the vassals of every single Floor — as well as Demiurge — who possessed a fiendish intellect and was hypercompetent in every aspect of national administration, be it military, domestic and foreign affairs — could be considered on par with her.

Human beings often considered matters from their own perspectives. From that point of view, one could say that “strange” or “wondrous” people were merely labels applied by plebeians.

♦ ♦ ♦

That said, she had a flaw. She could not understand why she could understand these things, but others could not. Perhaps someone on her level might have been able to appreciate how gifted she truly was. If that were the case, the outcome would probably have been different.

However, there was nobody like that around.

In the end, when a little girl spoke of things that baffled those who heard them, the reaction to her was fear. Renner was very cute as a child and so she was not hated. Instead, she was cherished, to a certain extent. However, the fact that nobody could understand what she said had an extreme effect on her mental development. The girl’s heart began to warp as time went by.

Perhaps it might be easier to describe this phenomenon as “the loneliness of genius”.

Trapped in an environment where there was nobody else like her, the stress she had to bear grew and grew. For a time, she could not keep anything down; she threw up whatever she ate.

Those who saw the princess become skinnier and skinnier by the day felt that she would not be long for this world.

If not for that puppy of hers, that prediction might well have come true. Even if she had somehow endured it, what returned might well have been a Demon Queen. She would have made decisions through cold, mathematical logic, making the few suffer for the sake of the many.

♦ ♦ ♦

At that time, it had only been a passing fancy. She had gone out with her guards on a rainy day to lift her spirits, and then the girl had encountered a dying puppy.

The dying puppy looked at her — its master — with a strange expression in its eyes.

What a weighty gaze, she had thought.

The expression in its eyes was one of innocent reverence.

She was used to others looking at her like an oddity, and she was used to people looking at her with adoration. However, she could not understand the look in the puppy’s eyes. In those sincere eyes, she saw revulsion, surprise, delight, emotion, and — a human being.

Indeed, in those eyes, she saw  a human being like herself.

The puppy which the girl had picked up became a boy, and then a man.

Whether he was a puppy, a boy or a man, those eyes peered through her with the same blinding purity.

However, it no longer bothered her.

Thanks to those eyes, she could speak to others like a normal person. She could coexist with the vulgar, inferior lifeforms around her.

And now, Renner’s world was complete so long as Climb was in it.

“Climb… hm. If I could join with him… hm — and if I could chain Climb up and take care of him like a pet, and make sure he couldn’t go anywhere, perhaps that might be better.”

The air in the room froze. Even Marquis Raeven was shocked, to say nothing of Zanack, Renner’s half-brother.

They had thought the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom would spout some childish fantasy. No, they should not have expected any such saccharine-sweet simpering from the true Princess Renner, but they had not expected her to go that far.

If only she had been bothered by her deviant passions. What she said flew in the face of all common sense.

“I, I see. So that is your true nature. How shall I say this… when you were young, I felt something was off, like I had mis-fastened a button. But now I fully understand your abnormality.”

“Really, onii-sama? I do not think I have done anything abnormal.”

“Take care of him if you will. Nobody will object to Your Highness’… no, it might still be difficult. Unless you had help.”

"Memang. It’ll be quite hard to fulfil that dream while maintaining the facade of a proper princess… and there’s no point in forcing him to look at me. I want to chain him down and take care of him like a dog, while he looks at me with those eyes of his…”

Few people enjoyed hearing about the sexual fetishes of others. Marquis Raeven could not help but want to stagger a few steps back after making contact with the soul of the woman called Renner.

“Like a dog… does that mean you do not love him, Your Highness?”

Renner turned an incredulous, scornful gaze on the Marquis.

“Of course I love him. I like the way he looks at me. And I love how he clings to me like a puppy.”

“Forgive me, but I do not understand it. That is not called love, my sister.”

“I think love can take many forms.”

“…A thousand apologies, but I find this topic very hard to follow.”

“I do not need you to understand me. All you need to know is that I like him, and that I love him.”

She’s weird.

They had sensed something twisted about her mind, but they had not expected her to be this warped.

The two of them glanced at each other, before the eyes of the Princess with the abnormal mind. Both of them were at a loss for what to do.

They had heard that the Princess had fallen in love with a common soldier, and had expected that it might blow up into a matter of national importance. Yet, what they had heard was far more ridiculous than they had expected.

“Well then, the problem of fetishes…”

“It is not a fetish. It is simply love.”

Renner sounded like she was reproachfully interrupting Raeven’s words, and he resisted the urge to shoot back.

“Very well, love it is, then… right. Although under the present circumstances, the union of Your Highness with Climb… -kakka is a little—”

"Tidak mungkin. Not just that, if word got out, you’d be married off immediately to some noble. If it was Aniki, who’s in deep with the Noble Faction, he’d probably pick one of the nobles from the Noble Faction.”

“Indeed, onii-sama. If our eldest brother took the throne, my marriage would be the first thing he would push through. I believe they’ve already discussed the matter beforehand. After all, there’s a noble who looks at me like his personal possession every time we meet.”

“Your servant is aware that a certain nobleman is willing to join the Noble Faction, but he requires an appropriate inducement.”

“Still, when you think about it, it’s not likely that I can be with Climb, no…? Even if he received a title, he’d be a Baron at best. And even if he somehow received a higher title, there’s no way they’d let a princess marry someone beneath her station like him.”

“I fully understand that. Given the current state of the Kingdom, that dream of yours cannot come true no matter what methods you use.”

Zanack smiled thinly. He was certain that this was the best move he could make.

“How about making a deal with me? If I gain the throne, I will match you to Climb.”

“I accept.”

“That was fast! Apakah kamu yakin? "

“There is no reason for me to refuse. After all, that bet has the highest probability of success. When you came to my room with Marquis Raeven, I had thought of asking you the same thing myself.”

“…That is to say, you had already worked this out ahead of time?”

Zanack smiled bitterly by way of reply, but his heart was in a different state from his face. While he had guessed that his little sister was smarter than him, he had not expected to have been so completely outclassed by her.

When he thought calmly about it, there was no need for Renner to be so honest with him. No, it was understandable if she had done so in order to evoke this exact response from him.

He cursed his sister in his heart: you monster.

“Also, onii-sama… or rather, this should be a matter for Marquis Raeven.”

“What does Your Highness command?”

“Marquis, I believe you have a son, do you not?”

“Indeed I do. My child is five this year. Is something the matter?”

The image of his darling son’s face appeared in Raeven’s mind, and he fought the urge to squish his cheeks. He thought of the look of disgust on Zanack — who was sitting next to him — and forcefully swallowed the urge to sing his child’s praises.

“Please wed your son to me.”

“Absolutely not! How could I turn my child over to a woman like you?!” Raeven exclaimed. Then, he met Zanack’s icy gaze, and looked at Renner’s still-smiling face, and he blushed crimson at his gross misconduct.

“Please, please forgive me, Your Highnesses! Your servant was momentarily confused, and…”

He coughed, and then turned to Renner.

“Your Highness, forgive my intrusion, but could you tell your servant the reason for that?”

“You should know well the reason for that, no?”

“Oi, oi, sis. You were the one who brought it up—”

“You would marry your servant’s son and bear Climb’s child. Your servant’s son would then bear a child with the woman he loved — and that child would carry on the family name. Your Highness would then be his mother in name only… am I correct? It is quite a good plan. Your Highness would be able to bear a child with the man you love, and although it would be a deception, your servant would be able to continue his bloodline.”

“I have no interest in domains or the succession. All I require is a stipend for my trueborn child. I will not make a claim upon your family estate.”

“In this respect, your servant has the utmost faith in Your Highness.”

“…Even Father will not be able to easily reject a proposal like this from a loyal vassal like Marquis Raeven. The Marquisate will gain the royal bloodline and you can be with the man you love. And I will have you as a collaborator. Nobody loses out, and any betrayal means we all go down together… ah, it’s quite a perfect plan. Still, you shouldn’t be talking about this sort of thing in front of me…”

“Ara, I merely wanted to be sure you were on my side, onii-sama. Besides, I doubt you’d want to know after the fact, am I wrong?”

Zanack did not answer. This was because Renner was correct. In addition, he could not possibly refuse a proposal like this which had so thoroughly ensnared each other’s weaknesses. She might have a screw loose, but someone as excellent as herself was an indispensable talent for the future of the Kingdom.

“Now then, that is enough about ourselves. I hear Your Highness has clashed with Eight Fingers? And captured the head of their slave-trading enterprise?”

"Memang. It is as Climb has told you. Thus, I wish to press the attack before Eight Fingers retreats back into the shadows. I have learned about the activities of Eight Fingers within the Royal Capital, and I wish to attack these locations by today. The only problem is a lack of manpower. I called upon you, Marquis Raeven, because I wished to borrow your strength.”

Zanack and Raeven looked at each other, and Zanack was the first to speak.

“And which locations will you be attacking?”

Renner handed them the transcribed parchment, and the two of them went over it.

“And this information has been verified?’

"Tentu saja. I had Lakyus investigate it for me. I’ve just received reports that these are Eight Fingers installations. The problem is that all these locations are in the domains of different nobles.”

It was not a problem of extraterritoriality yet, but charging into a noble’s domain was essentially challenging the noble in question.

“That should not be a problem. If we can find evidence connected to Eight Fingers, we can apply pressure on the nobles.”

“Even if we don’t find it, we just have to search harder. At least we’ll know where they’ll go to dispose of documents that are troublesome to themselves.”

Mereka bertiga tertawa. There was no warmth in that laughter.

“Then, sister. I have a question; or rather, an important suggestion.”

Zanack looked around. This was the first time he had checked to see that nobody else was present. In other words, this was a very important topic, of the utmost secrecy.

“Actually, our elder brother has been taking money from one of Eight Fingers’ divisions. We were hoping to use this to oust him from the succession, so we were checking to see if that division had headquarters in the Royal Capital. Now, we have received confirmation that this division does have a base here. I was thinking of adding it to the list of targets.”

“Certainly. We might as well take them all out in one fell swoop. After all, who knows when we’ll have another chance like this if we miss this one? And which division is this?”

“The drugs division.”

“That’s quite unfortunate. Several days ago, I had Lakyus attack three of their drug-plantation villages. Therefore, you’ll need to make your move soon, or the opposition will make their escape.”

“What… I see. Marquis Raeven, can you move right away?”

“That would be very difficult. Your servant is aware of which nobles are not involved with Eight Fingers, but not all of them are reliable. There are probably only two households left. I will need time to persuade them, but there is another problem.”

“What is it, Marquis?”

“Our forces might not be enough to overcome Eight Fingers.”

Some powerful adventurers could take on an entire army by themselves.

There were many theories as to why there were so many superhuman individuals among the ranks of adventurers.

The most reliable explanation was that under extreme circumstances, the body — some might say the brain — would become abnormally active and trigger a super-recovery phenomenon, causing one’s physical parameters to increase non-stop. Other explanations included some form of blessing, evolution through the absorption of mana, and so on. However, what they all had in common was that the physical, mental and magical attributes of the body would increase rapidly.

There were higher chances of this improvement phenomenon happening when facing powerful opposition. Given the fact that adventurers often faced powerful monsters with varied abilities, it was very easy for them to trigger such phenomena.

If the enemy had personnel like that, regular soldiers would be useless against them.

“Your personal guard ought to be able to handle it, am I wrong, Marquis?”

Raeven’s answer to Zanack’s question was a shake of the head.

“It is true that they are retired adventurers, and all of them are above mithril-rank. However, the enemy also counts incredibly powerful people among their number. The Six Arms are the direct action department of Eight Fingers, and each of them is said to be the equivalent of an adamantite-ranked adventurer. If they took the field, things would be  very bad for us. Of course, things might be different if we could gang up on them.”

“Adamantite-ranked…”

Zanack’s speechlessness was only to be expected. It was said that each of these highest-ranked adventurers could take on a thousand enemies and win. One could even say that no amount of normal people could begin to oppose them.

“Then I’ll ask Lakyus to have Blue Rose split up and take action, with each of them taking a single location. It should work if any one place does not have two or more members of Eight Fingers in it.

“…Your servant recalls that Blue Rose has five members, but the enemy has six people in Six Arms. That being the case, having them act separately might incur the cardinal sin of splitting one’s forces up… although, I doubt all six of them are in the Royal Capital. If the members of Blue Rose do not mind, then we can attack five locations at once.”

“I’d like to take them all out at once, but that would be difficult. What a shame; eliminating them all in one stroke would be the best outcome.”

The parchment Renner held listed seven locations. Including the one Zanack and Raeven knew, that would make eight targets. However, they did not have that much manpower.

“It angers me that we’ll have to let three targets go, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“How about having those who have finished their attacks proceed to the remaining three locations?”

“That ought to be the best solution. Your Highness, mobilizing troops in the Royal Capital will be problematic. How should we handle that?”

“I’ll talk to Father about it. Don’t worry about it for now. You’ll have to give it up in the end, no? I’m a little greedy…”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“He’s here.”

The maids should have gone to answer the door, but today they were not around. Therefore, it was Raeven who made to stand up, but Renner tugged on his hand to stop him before walking without hesitation to the door and opening it.

After checking to see who was outside, Renner was all smiles as she looked back to the other two.

“We have someone who might be able to help us with attacking the sixth location.”

The confused man that Renner ushered into the room was the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain, Gazef Stronoff.

Part 3

Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 4th Day 21:00

Climb held a black object in his hand. This wobbly black object would have been perfectly spherical, but it was so soft that it was deformed, as though it had been squashed.

He took this mysterious black sphere, which seemed to be filled with a black liquid, and splattered it on himself — his armor.

The sphere splashed open, staining Climb’s pure-white armor with black spots. After seeing this, people would assume that the sphere Climb had just been holding was filled with some sort of black dye. However, that was not all.

The droplets of black dye staining Climb’s armor quivered, and began flowing over the surface of the armor, as though to cover its entire surface. Within seconds, the brilliant white of Climb’s armor turned a gloomy black, without missing a single nook or cranny.

The sphere Climb had just splattered on himself was a magic item known as a Magic Dye. Apparently, higher-grade dyes could resist acid, fire, ice and other kinds of elemental damage, but the only thing this particular dye could do was change color.

The reason for why he used this went without saying — it was because his pure white full plate armor was far too conspicuous.

Lakyus had gathered the leaders of the various teams and Climb stood before her as well.

In the center of all the leaders was a female warrior dressed in a glittering array of battle gear.

First was the magic sword known to all — the Demonic Sword Kilineyram. It was the size of a bastard sword, but nobody could see its dark blade — which reminded onlookers of the night sky — since it was sheathed. However, the hilt alone spoke of its exquisite craftsmanship. Of particular note was the huge navy blue sapphire on the pommel, in whose depths flickered a flame-like brilliance.

The full plate armor she wore gleamed with the radiance which only platinum and gold could produce, and it was inscribed with countless depictions of Unicorns. This suit of immaculate armor — pure as the driven snow — could only be worn by a virgin.

In contrast to her shining armor, the cape on her back was made of some sort of cotton cloth which resembled the gray of a mouse’s pelt. This was the Cloak of Rat Speed, which improved its wearer’s movement speed, dexterity and evasive abilities. It was a deceptively powerful magic item.

However, her Floating Swords — another famous magic item — did not seem to have been activated.

Unlike Climb, Lakyus was conspicuously dressed because she probably intended to settle the matter with her own magic.

Beside her were other familiar faces.

There were the members of Blue Rose, and Gazef Stronoff.

Climb felt very awkward and out of place as he stood beside them

Lakyus explained the details of the operation, which was to attack and capture eight installations run by Eight Fingers.

However, there were only seven teams, so after those teams had taken their objectives, the team leaders and Marquis Raeven’s bodyguards — former adventurers, each ranked above mithril — would proceed to the last location, while the rest of the team members would continue to hold their objectives. They had to destroy as much of the enemy’s fighting strength as possible and do their best to take prisoners. Failing that, killing them would be the next best thing.

That was all.

Lakyus then warned the others again that they were going up against a crime syndicate that controlled the criminal underworld. They might encounter traps or very powerful individuals, so they could not allow themselves to be careless.

Climb’s body trembled.

This was not fear, but stress from being given responsibility in such an important operation.

Climb was much weaker than the other team leaders, but he had been chosen to lead a team anyway because he was stronger than an average soldier, and the sponsor for this operation had recommended him.

In addition, Marquis Raeven’s personal guard — a team of former adventurers who had previously held the orichalcum rank — had been detached to help him out.

How could he back out when everyone had bent over backward to accommodate him?

In addition, when he realised why he had been selected as a team leader, he could not hand that duty over to anyone else.

Blue Rose, Marquis Raeven, Gazef Stronodd, and Prince Zanack, who was in charge of firefighting during a civil disturbance. None of these people were connected to Renner. It was precisely because of that reason that Climb — Renner’s bodyguard — had been chosen as a team leader, to show that Renner was deeply involved in this operation.

It seems this was the brainchild of Marquis Raeven and Prince Zanack, but why would they do this?

Climb had no idea of their reasons. Even so, his heart gushed with courage as he resolved himself to complete this great task, in order to let more people know of Renner’s contributions to the nation.

They were dismissed after the briefing was complete. The man who had been waiting in the back called out to him in a casual tone.

“Everything set?”

That man, whose name was Brain Unglaus, was the helper Gazef had brought along, and he was also Climb’s assistant team leader.

“The team’s ready, we’re just waiting for the word. Also, this is the path we’ll be taking. That guy picked it.”

Brain handed Climb a map of the Royal Capital with a red line drawn on it, while Climb looked in the direction where Brain was pointing.

There stood one of the former orichalcum-ranked adventurers. He had been assigned to Climb’s team. The man seemed to have noticed Climb looking his way and waved to him. In turn Climb nodded to the somewhat aged man. Perhaps he should not have done so, being the team leader and all, but it was a natural gesture for Climb, given that his strength was nowhere near enough to qualify as a team leader.

To Climb, he was not so much leading everyone as he was counting on everyone else to help carry his weight.

As they were talking, a hulking person approached them and called out to Climb:

“Oi, cherry boy.”

Could you please not call me by that name, Climb thought as he sensed a change in his teammates’ eyes.

Fortunately, nobody was looking at him with scorn. Someone seemed to be smiling on him from the side, someone with a strong attachment to him, like a parent doting on their child.

“What’s the matter, Gagaran-sama?”

Unlike how she had been at the inn, she was decked out in first-rate magic items.

The breastplate of her reddish-black spiked full plate armor was inscribed with eye-like patterns. This was the famous suit of armor known as (Gaze Bane).

Her gauntlets were also somewhat unique, carved with patterns of two intertwining snakes. This relic could restore the health of those it touched. They were called the Kerykeion Gauntlets.

The long, massive spiked war pick at her waist was called Full Iron. The luxurious crimson cape she wore, — reminiscent of royal garb — was called the Crimson Guardian. Below her armor was a Vest of Resistance, a Dragontooth Amulet and a Belt of Greater Power. In addition, she wore WInged Boots and a Twister Circlet, while the rings she wore also possessed powerful magic.

This was the full battle attire of Gagaran, one of the Kingdom’s topmost warriors.

She possessed this many jaw-dropping pieces of equipment because she was an adamantite-ranked adventurer. Much like her, Evileye, Tia and her sister Tina were outfitted with similarly potent magic items.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just thought the cherry boy might be feeling nervous, so I came by to smack your ass.”

So she was worried about me…

Still, Climb hoped that she would not keep calling him “cherry boy” He could go to any old brothel and get rid of his virginity anytime he wanted. He simply had not chosen to do so.

Just as Climb began weeping inside, Gagaran turned a keen gaze upon Brain, who was standing by his side Climb’s side.

“Brain Unglaus. The man who fought the Warrior-Captain to a draw… I see, so those reports weren’t exaggerated or made up.”

“So you’re Blue Rose’s warrior, Gagaran. I see… incredible. You’re definitely worthy of being an adamantite-ranked adventurer team’s warrior. In that case, do I pass?”

Climb had no idea what they meant by passing and not passing. He looked at Brain, who shrugged and told him what Gagaran was thinking.

“She came to see if I was a warrior worthy of taking care of you, Climb-kun.”

"Benarkah?"

“As if… What happens to you doesn’t really matter to me. I just felt that it would be a shame for you to die a virgin, so I thought that if we had the time, maybe I could break you in. Still, now that I know that you didn’t beat ‘Illusion Devil’ by chance. You really are an incredible warrior. Even without crossing blades, I can tell that it’ll be easy with you around.”

"Terima kasih banyak. On my part, I now know the rumors were true as well. Still, it’s best not to get careless. There’s a lot of monsters out there who can kill us in moments.”

“Oh, aren’t we careful. I don’t mind men like that. While you’re not a cherry, how about a quick tumble?”

“I’ll pass. It’ll probably get squashed.”

Climb did not ask which part of him would get squashed.

"Benarkah? What a shame. Be careful, Climb.”

Gagaran waved farewell and then strode off. As Brain watched her leave, he quietly said, “I didn’t expect her to be so nice, given the way she looks.”

“It’s not just Gagaran-san, but everyone in Blue Rose is very kind. Evileye-sama’s the same way too. She might dress like that, but she’s a very nice person.”

“A masked magic caster, huh…That’s right, Gazef said he met a guy called Ainz Ooal Gown who was also like that. Could it be that wearing masks is a trend among magic casters… hm? Looks like they’re moving out.”

“Seems like it. The teams that have to travel a long way need to set out first, otherwise they won’t be able to coordinate their attack timing with us.”

Both of them looked forward, at the teams which were heading out before the others.

Climb looked around, searching his surroundings for a certain woman.

Naturally, she was not there. She ought to be moving with Prince Zanack now. He knew she was working hard, so was it selfishness on his part for feeling lonely without the chance to see her?

“We’d better go too, Climb-kun.”

“…Yes! Let’s go,” Climb told his team.

Climb. The assistant team leader Brain Unglaus. The four former orichalcum-ranked adventurers. 20 house troops from Marquis Raeven’s estate. They were then accompanied by a high-ranking priest, staff from the Magician’s Guild and various support personnel, all of whom had dealings with Marquis Raevens. In total, 32 people quietly set out.

Part 4

Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 4th Day 20:31

“To think we could put together such a team… I must give thanks to Ainz-sama.”

That was the first thing Sebas said when he saw the people assembled in the house.

Shalltear and Mare had been dispatched from the Floor Guardians, led by Demiurge. The forms of Entoma and Solution of the Pleiades battle maids were also visible. Then, there were many of Demiurge’s high-level vassals — the Evil Lords. This was a staggering amount of fighting power. One could consider it overkill.

“To think the first and second strongest of the Floor Guardians would be here…”

“Mm — and they are under my command, in accordance with Ainz-sama’s wishes. Sebas, do you object?

“Of course not.”

“Then I hope you will not misunderstand me. Ainz-sama commanded us to rescue the human (Tsuare) but the fact is that we have assembled these people for a higher purpose — namely, to slaughter the foolish members of Eight Fingers who dared spit upon the faces of the Supreme Beings. Is that clear?”

“Perfectly. Rescuing Tsuare is a secondary objective, am I correct?”

"Memang. However, I do not believe she will be able to endure a resurrection spell, so I approve of your suggestion to rescue her while she is still alive.”

He said so in sour tones.

“That said, dealing with her if she is dead is a legitimate question. In addition, if I were the enemy, I would surely toss the head of my hostage at anyone stupid enough to walk to their deaths.

“But if the hostage taker were you, Demiurge, surely you would abuse the hostage in front of the enemy in order to frighten them into submission, no?”

“I am forced to admit the rightness of your words. The thought of immobilizing would-be rescuers and then having them watch as I tortured their hostage… ah, what a moving sight it would be.”

“And what part of it would move you?

Sebas hid his irritation below his smile as he asked his question. Needless to say, Demiurge’s perceptive gaze had probably seen through Sebas’ false smile, so it was nothing more than going through the motions.

“All of it, Sebas. All of it.”

Demiurge smiled thinly, and there was a penetrating gleam within his faceted eyes.

“Of course, if it were me, I would even let the humans who came to mount a rescue escape with their hostage. First, I would let them rest at ease and believe they had escaped, and then I would turn the tables on them. After all, the greater one’s hope, the deeper one’s despair.”

“That does seem quite fun. Let us try that next time, if we have the chance.”

“B-but, if the enemy really got away, w-wouldn’t that be really bad?”

Demiurge and Shalltear both laughed at this.

“Mare, you say the most interesting things sometimes. The point is that the enemy does not escape. Well, if they did manage to escape, I would have to praise them for it.”

“As expected of you, Demiurge. You  can afford such arrogance because of your absolute certainty that the opposition will not escape.”

Demiurge was cheerfully talking about his hobby of tormenting others despite the limited time. Sebas decided to ask a question to cut that discussion short.

“Demiurge, you said you were going to slaughter the Eight Fingers. Does that mean you have information on them?”

“Mm, there will be no problems at all. I have secured that intelligence.”

“Ohh,” Sebas breathed in awe. On this point, Sebas’ respect for him was genuine.

Demiurge should only have spent a very short time in the Royal Capital. However, he had managed to obtain the relevant information. Sebas had no idea what methods Demiurge had used to do so. Given that Demiurge was acting in accordance with their master’s wishes, this was surely not idle talk, but he had concrete proof to show for it.

“Then there’s the matter of the location — there’s quite a few of them, so we’ll just have to attack them all. Of course, we need to capture people from several locations who might possess intelligence, and then we must let Eight Fingers understand the full extent of their idiocy—”

At this point, Demiurge paused to glance at Sebas before continuing.

“—In order to mete out the appropriate punishment to those who abused the person which Ainz-sama pledged his protection — and in his own glorious name, no less — we must have them tell us everything they know. Everyone, are there any objections?”

“N-not at all!”

“They will pay with their bodies for disrespecting Ainz-sama.”

“I have no objections, of course.”

Thus did the two Floor Guardians and the butler of Nazarick answer Demiurge.

The two Pleiades and the Evil Lords did not answer, but bowed deeply to Demiurge.

"Baik sekali. Then, Sebas. Could you tell me where the opposition has summoned you? I wish to see if that location is listed in the information I was given.”

Sebas told Demiurge the location given in the parchment left in the house, and Demiurge smiled.

“How fortunate. Or perhaps I should be sad that there is one fewer place to assault. The address of the location you have is a perfect match for a point I have scouted. Then I shall hand that area to you.”

“I have no problems with that. However, she might be hurt. I would be grateful if I could be assigned someone who can use healing magic.”

“Ainz-sama wishes for us to save that human… Solution. I had thought to keep you as a mobile asset thanks to your exceptional sensory abilities, but would you be willing to assist Sebas?”

“Understood, Demiurge-sama.”

“And then there are the other humans in that building, the ones who kidnapped Tsuare…”

“If you dare aid any of those humans who trod Ainz-sama’s name into the dirt, I really will kill you this time.”

“Don’t worry, Demiurge. I will slaughter them all.”

“I have been watching from the side since just now… but would it trouble the two of you to speak more cordially?”

Sebas noted that Demiurge had an expression on his face which was difficult to describe in words. At the same time, he mused that he probably had a similar look on his own face.

Still, why did he dislike Demiurge so much? It was quite surprising when he thought about it. He did not dislike Shalltear — who was a sadist much like Demiurge — yet he could feel anger burning in his belly every time he spoke to Demiurge.

That said, not going along with Demiurge for this matter would be like spitting upon his great master’s kindness. Sebas silently apologized to his master and then bowed to Demiurge.

“You came to help make up for my mistakes, yet I was so rude to you. I sincerely apologize for that.”

“…I did not take it to heart, Sebas. In any event… once you rescue Tsuare, you will swiftly evacuate her to the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Will that be acceptable?”

"Tentu saja. However, have preparations been made to receive her?”

"Tidak apa-apa. We’ve already made preparations in that area~”

Sebas nodded in acknowledgement as he heard Entoma’s honey-sweet voice.

“I trust that there are no other problems, then? Saya kira tidak. Then, I shall divide us into seven groups, and then decide which of the locations we will assault. Naturally, Sebas and Solution have already been allocated. And Shalltear, I need to remind you of one thing!”

The sudden firmness in Demiurge’s tone made Shalltear tremble.

“W-what is it, Demiurge.”

“I am placing you on mobile support duty, so you will be on standby for a while. You lose your senses when you’re splashed with too much fresh blood, and having you lose control when fighting a mass of mooks will be troublesome.”

“It, it’s fine! As long as the Spuit Lance drains them dry, it’s much less likely to trigger.”

“That is still unacceptable. We need to be very careful in this operation. Risks must be avoided at all costs. Also, let me get this out of the way first, Sebas. Rescuing Tsuare and punishing Eight Fingers is only the first stage of the plan. However, I cannot reveal the details of stage two to you, much less the details of the entire plan. This is because you will be returning to Nazarick after Stage One is complete, and at that point you will no longer be involved. It is better to reduce the number of people who know in order to reduce the chances of information leaking.”

"Dimengerti. Then I shall prepare to move out.”

♦ ♦ ♦

After Sebas left the room, Demiurge turned to the people who remained:

“Alright, first things first. I have something very important to tell you, so pay close attention. Entoma, you can create illusions, am I correct? Can you create an illusion as I direct?”

"Dimengerti."

Heeding Demiurge’s directions, Entoma created an image in the air. The free-floating illusion pleased Demiurge.

“You are absolutely forbidden from killing this person. Minor damage is fine, but it is fundamentally prohibited. I hope you all remember. This goes double fory you, Shalltear.”

“There is no need to keep harping on it. I know that…”

Shalltear pouted as Demiurge needled her, while Mare smiled bitterly.

“Ah, is, is it really alright to, er, not tell Sebas-san?”

"Jangan khawatir. Given his personality, he won’t harm people out of hand… although, just in case, could you help me stop him in case something unusual comes up?”

"Dimengerti."

Demiurge nodded in satisfaction.

This operation was closely linked to a plan that would reap great benefits for Nazarick. Any serious errors might set back Nazarick’s… no, the Supreme Being Ainz Ooal Gown’s stated goal of world conquest.

Since his master had said “I will turn the matter over to you”, failure was no longer an option.

Albedo had also sternly added that due to Shalltear’s, Cocytus’ and now Sebas’ mistakes, any further errors might lead to the abilities of the Floor Guardians themselves — the most powerful entities created by the Supreme Beings — coming into question.

Of course, their master had not displayed his displeasure at these mistakes, and the matter of Cocytus seemed to be proceeding as their master had planned, but relying on their master’s kindness was most definitely not the right attitude to have.

I wish to demonstrate the usefulness of the Guardians to Ainz-sama through the success of this operation.

What value did foolish subordinates who could not satisfy their master possess?

And then, if their master were thoroughly disappointed by his pathetic minions, would even the last remaining Supreme Being vanish as well?

Even someone like Demiurge felt his body run cold with fear as he contemplated that possibility.

We must not fail. In addition, we must succeed brilliantly enough to erase our past mistakes.

With an iron will in his heart, Demiurge surveyed everyone in the room.

“Also, I hope none of you will forget that the person who brainwashed Shalltear might still be watching hungrily, waiting for a chance to strike. Therefore, none of you are permitted to leave your operation areas without permission. I hope you will all keep that in mind. When any Guardian — including myself — questions you, you will immediately put up your hands or the equivalent appendages and refrain from suspicious movements. Any such movements will be met with death, for safety’s sake. Does anyone have any questions?”

“Er, ah, I asked a question just now, but can I ask again?”

Demiurge smiled warmly to Mare, and then made a gesture to indicate that he should continue speaking.

“Al-alright. I, I remember that Sebas-san does not have a World-Class Item like we do. Is that alright?”

“Ainz-sama has considered that point before. Sebas will serve as bait. Ideally, the enemy will take it. Albedo is standing by in the Throne Room for precisely that reason. In addition, those who cannot use the (Message) spell must be more careful and not act on their own. I will be overseeing the entire operation, so please contact me if you have any questions. In addition, I have already informed Mare about everything, including my plan, so if an emergency arises where you cannot contact me, Mare will direct the operation.”

“Then… what about myself?”

“Forgive me, Shalltear. However like I said earlier, I cannot trust you completely, so you will be standing by for now. Ah, what I mean is that I am worried about your Blood Frenzy.”

“I got it! I! Got! It!”

“Once Stage One is complete, we will begin Stage Two. I will now begin explaining this stage, which is the most critical stage. Thus, I hope you will pay close attention — what is it?”

A Shadow Demon appeared out of Demiurge’s shadow and whispered a report to him.

"Apakah begitu? Well, it is sudden, but it cannot be helped.”

This matter was quite troublesome for Demiurge, but he could not leave matters at that.

“Forgive me, Mare. According to the latest news, there is one more Eight Fingers base to attack. I apologize for this, but I hope you will change your target. I believe you will be sufficient by yourself, but for safety’s sake, take Entoma with you.”

“Al-alright. Er, ah, please leave it to me.”

“Well answered. Then, we shall discuss the details later. While everyone is here, I will begin explaining the plan for Stage Two — Gehenna. This is the most important part of our operations in the Royal Capital, so I hope you will pay close attention.”