CH 96

Celia's feelings

***---***

The morning after I saw the Resenburg Princes' misbehavior, I decided to ask Klaus-san in the guild.

I wanted to report that I was able to return to Japan through shadow movement, and that I had decided to make the Fourth Prince Diethelm a puppet, and to hear his opinion.

In particular, I would like to ask him to tell me if there is anything I should be careful about when destroying the Second Prince's faction.

I might be a little too self-conscious, but after the maximum outbreak, my face seems to be known a little, so I felt like it would be troublesome if I showed my face in the crowd of the guild, so I used shadow movement and went directly in front of his office.

After confirming that there were no visitors in the office, I knocked on the door.

"Who is it."

"It's Kent."

"Oh, it's open, come in."

"Good morning. I'm sorry for intruding so suddenly."

"What's wrong?"

"Yes, sorry for the delay in reporting. Actually, the night before yesterday, I found out that I can return to the original world by shadow movement of the dark attribute magic. Thank you for all your help until now."

When I changed my posture and lowered my head sharply, silence came over the office.

"Huh? You say you were able to return to your original world. Y, you're not going to go back, are you?"

Even when I hear Klaus-san's slightly flustered voice, I kept my head down and remained silent.

He gave amnesty to Takayama and the others, while appealing for his generosity as a Feudal Lord, and he made me pay the reparations, to repay such a cheating father-in-law, I have to make sure that my facial expressions cannot be read.

"Kent, you ... what are you going to do about Beatrice. Also, the state of the Devil's Forest is still in a state that can't be said to have calmed down. Are you going to abandon Volzard?"

"Actually, I went back to my parents' house the day before yesterday ..."

I reported that my parents' house was empty, what happened in Japan after we were summoned, and that there is still no way for anyone but me to return home.

"I've been indebted to you in many ways, but it seems that I have no place in my original world, so I decided to do my best to be recognized as a full-fledged adult in Volzard. Thank you very much for your continued support ... Father-in-law."

After lowering my head again and showing him a grin, Klaus-san folded his arms and glared back.

It looks like he has blue veins floating on his temples ... Did I overdo it a bit?

"Hou ... Isn't that interesting? I'll treat you to plenty, so prepare yourself."

"Y, yes, I will study."

"Even so, it's ironic that Kent, who doesn't want to go home, can go home, and the people who wanted to go home can't go home."

"Well, that's true, but knowing that I can return to Japan by moving in the shadows is a step forwards. If I can find a way to bring other people into the shadow world, we can solve the problem of returning."

"I see ... Shadow movement, dark attribute magic, huh ..."

Klaus-san uncrossed his arms and stroked his chin as he began to think.

"Is there someone who knows more?"

"In general terms, the most common attribute is earth, followed by wind, water, and fire. Light and dark attributes are rare attributes. I don't know how much I can trust them at the level of rumors."

"Is that so?"

"Hey you ... A guy who calmly uses dark magic without chanting is a fairy-tale level existence if you ask me."

"But ... when I tried to do it, I could do it ..."

In fact, the first time I used magic was when I was being eaten by goblins, and I didn't even realize that I had used magic.

"Well, if you did it, you could do it ... Is there anything you can do to bring the other guys along?"

"I tried it a little while rescuing my classmates, but it didn't go well."

"Is that so ... Dark attribute, huh ... Wait, Donovan should have sent a report of the maximum outbreak to the guild headquarters ..."

"Does the report have anything to do with this?"

"Oh, yes, it's a big deal."

Klaus-san loosened his mouth with a grin.

"Of course, the report will also include your story. In that case, there will be rumors about your promotion to S-rank. In that case, there is a high possibility that the guild master from the headquarters will come to Volzard ..."

"Is that person familiar with the dark attribute?"

"Yes, but Kent, be careful. It's a monster over 250 years old."

"Eeeeh ... 250 years old? You're joking, right."

"I'm not joking. Well, if they don't come to Volzard, I'll write you a letter of introduction, so you can meet and have them listen to what you have to say. Maybe you can find a clue to the solution."

"Yes, please, by all means."

250 years old is a bit of a stretch, but I can't help but meet them in order to solve my problems.

"Kent, is that the only story?"

"Yes, I think that by returning to my original world, I will be negotiating with Japan where I lived and Resenburg ..."

"Aah, that's going to be troublesome."

As expected of Klaus-san, who is doing his job as a Feudal Lord, he seems to understand the complexity of negotiations between countries with different languages, customs, and values without needing to explain.

"Yes, I don't know when it will be paid if I just make a claim, and I doubt that the royal family other than Camilla will respond to negotiations in the first place. So I'm thinking of having Camilla confirm it."

"To have to confirm it ... Is she going to admit it?"

"Yes, Camilla seems to think that I'm a Maou, so I made her swear allegiance by pretending to be a Maou."

"Kukuku, are you really going to be a Maou ... Well, that's fine, things will be cleared up faster that way."

"Assuming that the negotiations with Japan will be settled in that way, about the royal family of Resenburg ..."

I talked about the current situation of the four Princes I've seen so far, and how I'm thinking about having the Fourth Prince Diethelm inherit the throne in the future.

"What do you think?"

"Well, I can't say anything because I didn't see it directly, but it's true that I haven't heard any good rumors about the Second Prince. I don't think it's a favorable situation for Volzard to have them take full control."

According to Klaus-san, tax collection is becoming stricter in areas ruled by the nobles of the Second Prince faction.

If heavy taxes spread throughout Resenburg, there is a risk that the traffic of Barshanian merchant caravans crossing the desert will be affected.

"If a high tax is imposed on entry into the country, and a high tax is imposed on transactions within the country, merchants will stop coming here. Also, merchants don't just carry goods, they also carry information from other countries. If such a person ceases to exist, we will not know what the neighboring countries are doing or what they are thinking. To be frank, it's more painful to lose information than the products."

Unlike the Earth where we lived, information on the other side of the planet is not transmitted in an instant, and it seems that the information that is brought to us is of value.

"Considering that I will continue to live in Volzard from now on, I think it would be better to eliminate the Second Prince faction, or is it better not to get involved in the struggle for the throne?"

"Kent, that's something that only you can do, normally you can't do it even if you want to get involved."

"Ah, yes, that's right ..."

"Normally, it's impossible to investigate such internal affairs. That's why we can only wait and see what kind of person will become King. When a new King is born, we'll have to see what kind of attitude they will have and then respond."

As Klaus-san said, even if they send a spy, it will be difficult to get into the depths of the royal family.

Since I use shadow movement on a daily basis, I thought it was natural, but this is a big strength.

"It's something that can't normally be done, but if I can do it ..."

"Of course, I will lend you a hand, my son-in-law. For me, the interests of Volzard come first. First, gather more detailed information."

"Is there anything I should be careful about?"

"That's right ... The battle for the succession to the throne and the faction disputes that accompany it are a gamble that will use the rest of your life as chips."

"Gamble ... is it?"

"That's right, if the Prince you support becomes the next King, your territory will increase and you can move to fertile land, but if you are in the opposite position, you will be blamed and lose your land, and be moved to poorer land. Even a Prince will be imprisoned if he doesn't become a King, and if he's not good enough, he'll be killed. If you're going to jump into a fight that will cost you the rest of your life, and if you start with a half-hearted hand, you'll get severely burned."

Klaus-san's advice gave me chills down my spine.

Eliminate the Second Prince faction and set Diethelm as the next King ... Even though it's a battle for each person's life, I felt like it was a game.

"Right now, the Second Prince faction is making a profit in the eastern part of their territory, but if the First Prince becomes King, there is a concern that they will be driven to a remote area in the west. If that happens, their income will naturally decrease, and they won't be able to continue the good life they have now. In the first place, it would be the greatest shame for nobles to fall into ruin because they wear their honor like clothes. That's why, when it comes down to it, they should be desperate to put the Second Prince on the throne."

It can't be as easy as removing the Second Prince piece from the game board.

"A, as expected, should I stop ..."

"That's not right. You brought it up to my ears, I'll have you do it."

"Eeeeh ... but, everyone puts their lives on the line ..."

"You idiot, even we are risking our lives. Do you mind if the city you live in becomes a situation where you can no longer live in peace? What will you do then?"

"Th, that's a problem, but ..."

"In that case, it would be more convenient for you to make the Fourth Prince, who you can control behind the scenes, the King."

"Th, that's right ..."

Huh? I'll be the one to manage the battle for the throne of Resenburg ... It's like, I thought my will was going to be respected by Klaus-san, but somehow it seems like he's taking the initiative ...

"Listen, Kent, even if you are in conflict with someone, if you think they are a useful person in the future, think about convincing them and making them your allies. However, if you decide that it's useless and they will only harm you in the future, don't forgive them. If you take a half-baked response, it will surely come back as a disaster, so remove them to their roots."

"By all means ... is it?"

"By all means. Those guys don't necessarily come directly at you. If you want to protect your family, friends, acquaintances, or something important to you, show no mercy."

I swallowed my salive and nodded at Klaus-san's uncharacteristically harsh words.

I have a feeling that the Second and Third Princes will probably be the opponents I absolutely have to kill.

"I don't think things will change suddenly today or tomorrow, but if you're stuck and you can't make it in time, there's no point."

"Okay, I'll get to it right away."

"I'm counting on you, son-in-law."

"Guh ... Excuse me."

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot."

"What is it?"

"Those who were pardoned the day before yesterday, they showed up at the construction site of the ramparts again yesterday."

"Eh, is that true?"

"Yeah, the site supervisor said that they're becoming full-fledged people by doing a lot of work. How is it, we will make use of human resources."

I bowed to Klaus-san who grinned, and left the office.

Far from being rewarded, I feel like I've been shot like a hedgehog with arrows all over my body.

It's frustrating, but Klaus-san is better than many people.

[ Kent-sama, it will take too much time if we investigate the correlation between nobles by ourselves. ]

[ Hmm, what should I do ... ]

[ The quickest way to find out would be to hear from Camilla. ]

[ I see, it seems that Camilla understands not only the First Prince faction, but also the Second Prince faction. Okay, I'll ask about it tonight ... ]

Let's go to Camilla in Lastock for a moment.

Fred is sticking around and monitoring Camilla.

[ Fred, how's Camilla doing? ]

[ Now that they have the materials at hand ... it has calmed down quite a bit ... ]

The construction work seems to be progressing at the planned pace because the materials for countermeasures against the maximum outbreak, which was the biggest concern, have been prepared.

However, it seems that the absolute shortage of manpower is unavoidable, and it seems that it will take some time before the entire construction is completed.

Camilla seems to be checking the plan in her office with the door open as usual.

[ It's almost time to inspect the site ... ]

[ If that's the case, then I'd like to deliver this order as well. ]

I scribbled a command for Camilla and slid it into her hand from a small shield of darkness that she couldn't see.

"Huh ... from where."

If a piece of paper suddenly falls in front of you, it will surprise you.

[ There is not enough information to let Diethelm sit on the throne. Summarize the relationships of the Resenburg nobility by night. ]

Camilla, who opened her eyes wide after reading the scribble, folded the paper into a small size, put it in her pocket, and muttered in a low voice.

"Understood, Maou-sama."

Klaus-san said that if there was a useful person, I should recruit them as an ally, if that's the case, then Camilla is definitely someone to recruit as an ally, it's just, I don't feel like I can easily forgive someone who was responsible for the uproar that caused as many as forty-nine deaths.

After all, I was the first to be cut off, and I almost became the goblin's bait.

It depends on how the Japanese government responds, but most of all, I want the bereaved families of the deceased to receive some form of reparations.

Taking away the gold and silver treasures of the Resenburg royal family is also a penalty, but it doesn't feel like a burden for Camilla as an individual.

Since Camilla, who used the secret summoning technique of the royal family, and is most responsible for this uproar, it will be necessary to punish Camilla personally.

Since I've come to Lastock, I've collected the chairman's diary while I'm at it.

Also, I should clear up one more concern.

[ Fred, where's Celia-san right now? ]

[ A narrow room in the garrison ... Confined condition ... ]

[ Could you guide me? ]

[ Understood ... this way ... ]

Celia was in a corner of the first floor of the building that Camilla used as her residence.

In terms of facilities and size, it is about the size of a one-room apartment, but the door is locked from the outside, and it feels like a Western-style prison.

Celia sat on the bed and stared blankly out the window.

[ Fred, are there guards around? ]

[ There are no guards ... not enough people to deal with the maximum outbreak ... ]

[ For the time being, keep an eye out for people that come closer. ]

[ Roger ... ]

It seems that Takayama wants to take Celia to Volzard and live with her, but if Celia is not willing to do so, it will be out of the question.

So I decided to check her feelings.

If I suddenly appear, she'll be surprised, so I'll come out after calling out to her.

"Hello, Celia-san."

"Who? Where are you?"

"My name is Kent and I am Shuuichi Takayama's classmate. Right now I'm in the world of shadows using dark magic."

"Eh, Shuuichi's companion ... Yes, please come in ..."

"Excuse me for disturbing you."

I put out a shield of darkness a little ways from where Celia was sitting and stepped out from there.

It seems that it is the first time she has seen shadow movement, and she is surprised with wide eyes.

However, once her eyes opened wide, they turned into sharp eyes that pierced through me.

"Why ... why didn't you help Shuiichi if you had that kind of power?"

"Huh? Umm ..."

"You're the one that helped the other people escape. You have that much power right? Why didn't you help Shuuichi ... Uuuu ... Shuuichi ... Shuuichi ..."

Celia stood up and protested, then knelt down, covered her face with her hands, and broke down in tears.

I forgot. Takayama was supposedly dead.

"Umm ... Takayama, he's not dead ..."

"Eh ..."

"I rescued Takayama and the rest of the fifty people who participated in the actual battle together, and now he's doing well in Volzard."

"Lies ... Really?"

"Yes, he has a lot of energy and caused a brawl with people of the same age in Volzard ... I'm really annoyed."

"Aaahhh ... Shuuichi, Shuuichi ... good, that's good ..."

When I looked at Celia, who had her hands folded and was shedding tears, I can't help but feel annoyed with Takayama.

Yeah, come to think of it, in the end, I'm the one paying the compensation to Marcel-san.

I definitely won't be satisfied if he doesn't make up for it with something.

Eeeh, I'm a small person.

"Umm ... So, I can't say right away, but Takayama wants you to live with him in Volzard, what do you think?"

"Really? Shuuichi, is he really saying he wants to live with me?"

"Yes, that's right, but he's currently renting a room in the garrison's dormitory, and he doesn't have a decent source of income ..."

"I will work too. If I can get out of here and live with Shuuichi ..."

Having said that much, Celia cut off her words and hung her head.

"Are you worried about your mother?"

"Why do you know that ..."

"Excuse me, I did a little research. Is your mother imprisoned in the royal palace?"

"Yes, Camilla told me that my mother would lose her life if I didn't do what she said ..."

"Then, if your mother can go with you, would you like to go to Takayama's place?"

"Of course! But, can you do that?"

"I can't do it right now. But I'm the man who helped two hundred companions."

Yeah, it's not my power alone, but isn't it a little cool?

Celia's eyes opened wide again.

"I beg of you. Please, please help me and my mother. Neither I nor my mother are interested in the throne at all. If I can live a normal life with Shuuichi, that alone would make me happy."

"I understand, but I have to confirm your mother's intentions, and if I rescue her from the royal capital, I need to make some preparations. Can you wait a little longer?"

"Yes, I'll wait. Just knowing that Shuuichi is alive, the gray world is now shining ..."

Seeing Celia smiling like a flower blooming with both hands against her chest, I feel like I understand Yagi-tachi's feelings for the first time in a long time.

"Well then, I'll proceed with the preparations to take her out, but could you continue with your life as before so that people around you won't notice?"

"Understood. Um ... can you tell Shuuishi? I'm looking forward to the day we meet again ... That I love him forever."

"Yes, I understand. I have to move around a lot, so I may not be able to tell him right away, but I will definitely tell him."

Yeah, I forgot to do it because I was busy ... I won't do such a thing.

After parting with Celia and returning to the world of shadows, I summoned Basten.

[ Did you call for me? Kent-sama. ]

[ I'm sorry for calling you when you're busy. I have a favor to ask of you. ]

[ Please let me know what you need. ]

[ Make sure you know where Celia's mother is. I plan to contact her later. ]

[ Confirmed. However, even the request of someone who caused so much trouble ... Kent-sama is too good of a person. ]

[ Yeah, well, that's true, but it's my nature to do this all the time ... ]

After finishing my request to Basten, I thought it would be a good time, so I decided to show up at the Investigation HQ.