CH 126

Standpoint

***---***

On the way to the guild, I wanted to tell Klaus-san that I was able to send Kizawa-san back to Japan, when Basten called out to me.

[ Kent-sama, it seems that the Second Prince faction is starting to move. ]

"Does that mean that they will attack Lastock?"

[ Yes, it seems that he got bored of waiting in Bamata. ]

"Even if he's bored ... he's not a child."

[ That's right, children are many times better. ]

The report from Basten was far more terrible than I expected.

[ The Second Prince, Bernst, has heard about turning the camp into a fort and the plans to evacuate the residents, and seems to be thinking of abusing it. ]

"Abusing it ... what does he plan to do?"

[ Yes, it seems that they are planning to gather all the residents inside the fort under the pretense of training and kill them all there. ]

It would take time to find and kill all the residents scattered around the city, and in the process of hunting them, buildings would also be damaged.

However, if you gather them in the fortress under the pretense of training, you can save the trouble of looking for them, and the buildings can be reused without being damaged.

"What is that, what do they think the lives of the residents mean!"

[ That's not all. Kent-sama, Bernst intends to rape Camilla in front of the gathered residents, and then slaughter everyone in front of Camilla. ]

[ Nuooo, what a heretic, there is no need to pardon him anymore, Kent-sama. ]

"Basten, was that story something Bernst himself thought up?"

[ It's like that, but it seems that a man named Ryzas is injecting various things into it. ]

Ryzas looked like a bandit boss, and he was said to be a man sent by Margrave Calvine.

At first glance, he looked just like a ruffian, but contrary to his appearance, he had a good mouth and seemed to be well taken care of by the Second Prince Bernst.

[ Apparently, it is Ryzas who is recommending the drugs to Bernst and the others, and it seems that Ryzas' subordinates are bringing them in from somewhere. ]

"If you follow the origin, does that mean you'll end up in Barshania?"

[ Probably, I think so. ]

"I wonder what Barshania plans to do with the Second Prince faction?"

Reinhardt answered that question on behalf of Basten.

[ Barshania must be thinking about what to do with Bernst. ]

"Eh, what do you mean? Because it's Barshania that supplies the drugs, right?"

[ Barshania is probably the one that is spreading the drugs, but if they can reduce Resenburg's national power, that's fine. Rather, it is Margrave Calvine who is trying to target and manipulate the Second Prince. ]

The mere spread of drugs worsened public order and weakened the power of the country, so if it spread not only to the Second Prince's faction, but to Resenburg, then Barshania's goals could be achieved.

The use of those drugs on the Second and Third Princes is probably the intention of Margrave Calvine, who wants to use them as puppets.

"Is that Falzala? Is it addictive?"

Both Reinhardt and Basten nodded strongly.

[ Please think that once you use that kind of thing, it's over. ]

[ Already, Bernst's eyes are becoming like those of a dead fish even in the daytime. ]

"Uwaa ... Is Ryzas himself okay?"

[ The person himself seems to think that he is fine, but from this point of view, it's already useless. ]

"Eeehhh ... But, if Ryzas is addicted, wouldn't Margrave Calvine be in trouble?"

[ So-called disposable pieces, there are many substitutes ... I guess that's what it means. ]

Reinhardt said bitterly as a parting remark.

At this rate, blood would inevitably rain down on Lastock, it's a bit early, but it looks like we have to confront the Second Prince's faction.

After receiving the report from Basten about the Second Prince faction, I visited Klaus-san's office.

Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any visitors, so I went out of the shadow world into the corridor and knocked on the door.

"Who is it!"

"It's Kent."

"It's open, come in!"

"Excuse me ..."

Klaus-san, who was sitting at his office desk, had a face that looked like he chewed on a bitter bug.

He's probably still dragging along the fact that Beatrice learned how to heal a man from Reese-san.

"What do you want?"

"I came here with a report and consultation."

"I won't approve of having a baby with Rise."

"It's a completely different matter."

"Hmph, let's talk."

Other than being an extreme idiot parent, he's reliable, but frankly, it's a little troublesome.

"Actually, it's just one, but I was able to return a classmate to their original world."

"Hou ... How did you do it?"

"Yes, it's the method I learned from Reese-san ..."

I explained that by taking the other person's attributes and granting my own magical power, they could be brought into the shadow world.

"Ah, taking the attribute, huh ... what happens to the stolen attribute, can it be restored?"

"No, I can't seem to give it back ... It becomes mine."

"Then, Kent, are you saying that you can use the new third attribute magic?"

"Yes, like this ..."

I turned my right palm up and made a fireball on top of it.

"Kaa, are you even going to use the fire attribute without chanting ... You really are a crazy bastard."

"Sorry."

"Hmph, if you're on my side, there's no need to apologize. If it's useful to Volzard, I don't mind if you get stronger and stronger."

"But since the danger of the maximum outbreak is gone, isn't it an excessive force?"

"If Resenburg is in trouble, I want as much strength as possible."

If Resenburg or Barshania crossed the Devil's Forest and attacked, reinforcements might come from a city of the same Landshelt, but basically, we would have to fight with only Volzard's strength.

In that case, the absolute difference in strength will be difficult to deal with.

"It's obviously better if there were no wars. However, no matter how much we dislike it, there's no choice but to fight if the other party sets us up. You have to fight to protect the people you love, your home, and your city. Soldiers are needed to fight, and it costs money to feed them. Do you know how much I appreciate the existence of a human being who alone can do the work of dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of people?"

"I see ... you can make use of the work of hundreds of people who you would have to pay salaries to without paying salaries."

"On the contrary, it seems that you brought in magic stones, materials, and even ore last time."

It seemed that the information had been conveyed, and Klaus-san relaxed his mouth into a grin.

"That, it just happens to be a coincidence."

"A coincidence ... Well, that's fine, but what are you talking about?"

"Yes, about the Resenburg mess."

"Fumu, will the civil war finally begin?"

"Civil war, rather, there are people who are trying to commit a one-sided massacre ..."

"Massacre? Tell me the details."

"Yes, actually ..."

When I conveyed the movement of the Second Prince faction reported by Basten, Klaus-san's expression, which had loosened up before, tightened again.

"Kent, the Second and Third Princes ... Get rid of them."

Klaus-san's words had a shockingly cold sound that I had never heard before.

"B, but, killing them without a warning ..."

"Do you think that someone who is drowning in drugs and plotting the massacre of civilians will be useful in the future?"

"No ... But, suddenly killing them ..."

"I told you before. If you see someone who will only cause harm to you in the future, don't forgive them. Someone who has eyes like a dead fish even when they're not taking drugs, keeping them alive will only harm you. Kill them."

"I understand ... But, please let me warn them just once. If it still doesn't work, I'll get rid of them."

Klaus-san stared into my eyes with a stern expression on his face.

As expected of a battle-hardened Feudal Lord, cold sweat was pouring from the pressure of his silent power, but I didn't look away.

"Hmph ... That's fine, do whatever you want. That place, it's a place I can't get my hands on."

"So, if it comes to getting rid of the Second and Third Princes, is it better to get rid of them all at once?"

"Fufun, you're thinking properly, aren't you."

Klaus-san erased the wrinkles between his eyebrows and loosened his expression.

"Kent, if you want to get rid of the Second and Third Princes at once, give a warning to the nobility who hold the faction together. Otherwise, some idiots will become desperate and rampage."

"Should I warn Count Gleisner and Margrave Calvine?"

"That's right, if they cause a useless civil war and make the people suffer, say that they will be chasing after the idiot Princes. In fact, it would be easy for you and your genus to do that, right?"

"Well, that's right."

"It's not bad that you don't want to kill people, and I can't let Rise marry someone who enjoys killing people. However, don't make a mistake when it becomes time to make a decision."

"Time to make a decision ... is it?"

Klaus-san nodded once, moved his crossed arms on the desk to the armrests of his chair, and sat back down.

"Kent, what are you working for this time? Is it for yourself? Is it for Volzard? Is it for Resenburg? Or is it for the people? Which one?"

"U, umm ... for Volzard ..."

"Wrong. Right now, you're trying to act in order to be the good person you think you are. You want to be seen as a good person, so you will kill the stupid Princes of Resenburg."

Klaus-san's words pierced my heart like a sharp knife.

"I've said it before, but the same thing can look different depending on how you look at it. What seems to be evil from one point of view can be righteous from another point of view. That's why a guy who doesn't have a fixed position gets lost in the judgment of what's right and wrong and gets stuck. Conversely, a person who has a fixed standing position will not hesitate in making decisions, so there will be no hesitation in his actions."

The person in front of me is someone who makes decisions and acts for the benefit of Volzard.

In contrast, I am just a child who wants to be seen as a good person and not be criticized by others, just as Klaus-san said.

"Kent, what do you have to protect?"

"The ones I should protect are Yuika, Manon, Beatrice, the city of Volzard that accepted me, and my genus ..."

"Those who endanger what you want to protect are evil. Make a decision to protect what's important to you. Don't forget that if your decision is delayed, what's important to you will be in danger."

"I understand ... I can't make a mistake when I make the decision."

"If you take that to heart, do it the way you want to do it."

"Yes!"

After bowing deeply, I left Klaus-san's office.

After confirming that the corridor was empty and diving into the world of shadows, Reinhardt asked where I was going.

[ Kent-sama, where are you going? ]

"Hmm ... I'll go back to the boarding house first, and after dinner, I'll go to Lastock, and then Bamata."

[ You're very busy again. How are you feeling? ]

"I'll take a nap on the way, so it's okay."

[ If that's the case, then it's fine, but please don't force yourself ... ]

"Yeah, I know."

When I called out from the back door of the boarding house, Meisa-chan rushed at me.

"Amanda-san, I'm back ... Uwaa, that's dangerous, Meisa-chan."

"Kent, did you collapse?"

"Uuumm ... I didn't collapse, I just couldn't come back to the boarding house."

"Uuh ... Really? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm really okay."

When I stroked the head of Meisa-chan, who was clinging to me, she narrowed her eyes and rubbed her cheek like Mart and the others.

"Fufuun ... Really, Meisa-chan seems to really like me ..."

"Nya! S, s, such a thing is nyat true!"

Meisa-chan backed away as if she were repelled.

"Nyat true ... You're not Nero."

"Th, that's wrong, I just said it wrong!"

"Huh? Weren't you mesmerized by being stroked?"

"I, I didn't do that, there's no reason for that!'

"Look, you guys, the store will open soon, so if you want to make a fuss, go upstairs."

"Kent is in the way! Go upstairs!"

"Yes, yes, I'll stay quiet on the second floor, so please let me know when it's time for dinner."

Somehow, Meisa-chan these days is more like a cat than Nero.

I returned to my room on the second floor and started preparing for tonight.

"Hey, Reinhardt, do you know how to tie a rope?"

[ Leave it to me, how to use a rope is the basics of the knights. What kind of thing do you want to tie? ]

"Yeah, for the Second Prince's warning, I thought I'd use a rope instead of a ribbon this time."

[ Oh, are you going to tie up his crotch again? ]

"No, this time it's a more urgent warning ... I'm going to tie it to his neck."

[ I see ... Then, I'll teach you the official method of hanging that was used when we were alive. ]

"Thank you, if you please."

While learning from Reinhardt, I made rope nooses to put around the necks of the Second Prince and his entourage as a warning.

Since they're not actually going to be hung, the end of the rope was cut short, but the meaning of the warning should still be conveyed.

After the Second Prince and the others have fallen asleep, I plan to hang these rope nooses around their necks and leave a message.

To the fools who don't care about the people and are addicted to drugs. If you commit any more folly, I will cut off your lives!   From the Maou

[ Buhahaha, Kent-sama is finally calling himself Maou. Let's do our best work as the Maou's followers. ]

"Yeah, please. I'll become a Maou and give a hammer to those who harm my precious ones."

Even with this much warning, if they still try to invade Lastock, I will cut off the lives of the Second Prince and the others.

To be honest, I'm still unsure.

If I really commit murder, there is no turning back, and I will become a criminal who cannot return to Japan.

Above all, I'm afraid of what kind of effect it will have on me if I violate an absolute taboo within myself ... I feel like I'll become an completely different person, and I'm scared.

[ Kent-sama, after all we are ... ]

"Uuh, if I'm going to do it, I'll do it myself."

After making about 10 rope nooses for the idiot Prince and his entourage, and after writing the message, I left Mart at home and moved to the training grounds in the Devil's Forest.

[ Kent-sama, are you training in magic? ]

"Yeah, I'm considering thinking about what I can do with fire-attribute magic."

Magical flames are clearly different from ordinary flames, as they can be ignited from places where there are no sparks or combustibles.

To put it simply, it's like a flame with a will.

What I want to burn, will burn, and what i don't want to burn, won't burn.

As long as the magic power lasts, I can make it smaller.

If I fire it, I can change the trajectory after firing it.

[ Ooohhh ... I've never seen a fireball that changes direction partway through. ]

"Yeah, I think everyone in this world, magic is like this ... I wonder if they're trapped in a stereotype like that."

By stretching the ball of fire out of my hand into a sword shape, I was able to cut down a tree too thick to hold with both hands.

If I add the image of raising the temperature, it seems like it can even cut through an iron shield.

I was able to extend it from my fingertips and make it look like a flaming claw.

Yeah, fire magic is fuuuuuun!

While I was trying out various fire magics, Mart, who was staying at home, came to call me.

"Wafu, Goshujin-sama, Meisa-chan came to call you."

"Thank you, Mart, I'll go now."

I calmed down Meisa-chan, who was waiting for me in the boarding house, and we had dinner with Amanda-san and Meline-san.

"Meisa-chan, I'm going out for a while, I'll leave Mirt to house-sit, so you can sleep together."

"Mom, Kent is going to do bad things again."

"Hey, Meisa-chan, I think you shouldn't say bad things about people. I'm going to do the work of an ally of justice."

"What is the work of an ally of justice?"

"Eh, that's a secret."

"See, Mom, Kent is trying to do something bad!"

"Ahahaha, then, let's ask Kent to teach you arithmetic so that he can't do bad things ..."

"Gochisousama! I'm going to take a bath! Kent can't do bad things!"

"Yes, yes, I won't do anything bad."

Meisa-chan took her dishes to the sink and pitter-pattered up the stairs.

Amanda-san saw her off and after taking a sip of her tea, she asked me.

"So, what is Kent going to do?"

"Huh? Umm ... that ..."

"From those evasive words, it doesn't seem like a guild nomination request ..."

"Umm ... I thought I'd go to the other side of the Devil's Forest and give the idiot Prince a scolding ..."

"Haaa ... You're going to do something dangerous again."

"No, no, I'll just watch from the shadows until he falls asleep, and then just play a little trick."

"Really?"

"It's true. I won't do anything dangerous."

Amanda-san, who was glaring at me with reproachful eyes, loosened her expression with a feeling of disgust, and then Meline-san asked.

"Hey, why is Kent scolding the Prince of Resenburg?"

"Umm, that's because ..."

I hesitated a little, but I told her about the struggle for succession to the throne of Resenburg and part of the plan to massacre the residents by the Second Prince's faction.

"Terrible! Is the Prince really thinking about such things?"

"Yes, he may not be able to make normal decisions anymore because of the drugs."

"What an outrageous bastard. Kent, I don't mind, so give him a harsh scolding!"

"Yes, Klaus-san said that as well."

I left Amanda-san and Meline-san without telling them about the case if the warning didn't work.

Leaving Mirt at home, I headed to Camilla's office in Lastock.

The lights were out yesterday, but tonight they were on and I saw Camilla at her desk.

I stepped out of the shield of darkness and sat down on the sofa and called out to her.

"Camilla, I need to talk to you. Come and sit down."

"Yes, Maou-sama, right away ..."

For some reason, her cheeks are blushing and she's even smiling, but it's not that kind of frivolous situation.

"What do you need tonight? Maou-sama."

"The Second Prince faction is thinking of slaughtering the residents of Lastock."

"Huh? J, just now, what did you say?"

In an instant, Camilla's expression froze.

"Bernst is thinking of gathering the residents into this fortress under the pretense of training and slaughtering them all."

"Y, you're joking ... no matter how stupid he is ..."

"Do I look like I'm joking? Bernst intends to annihilate the inhabitants and give Lastock as a territory for his faction's nobles."

"I, in that case, Bernst-ani, are you trying to take down Lastock?"

"It's Camilla who asked for help, isn't it? Bernst intends to boldly enter Lastock with armed soldiers in tow."

"No way! I asked for help to protect the city from a catastrophic outbreak, and I didn't intend to invite those who would massacre the residents ..."

"Then what will you say to reject them? After asking for help yourself, are you going to tell them to go home because they are suspicious? To an opponent with a military force of about 20,000 people."

"Such ... such a stupid ..."

Camilla's face turned pale like paper, and cold sweat ran down her blushing cheeks and dripped down her chin.

"Tonight, I will give a warning to the Second Prince."

"A warning ... is it?"

"If you continue to commit folly, I will kill you, I warn you as the Maou."

After Camilla swallowed her saliva, she asked.

"Wh, what if Bernst-gikei, doesn't follow Maou-sama's warning?"(TN:Raws say gikei, which is older step-brother. He's her half-brother, this may be a typo and it should be 愚兄 gukei instead of 義兄 gikei, which would be the normal, Stupid Brother. It keeps alternating between the two, so IDK.)

I answered slowly while facing the gaze of Camilla, who was confused and shaken by the sudden story.

"It's inevitable."(TN: Zehi mo nashi. Dunno if there might be a better phrasing here.)

Camilla shook her head as if she had been struck by lightning, then shook her head.

Yeah, I wanted to try using that line once.

Camilla held her lowered head and adjusted her breathing, and seemed to be gathering her thoughts.

"Maou-sama, would you let me take on the role of defeating stupid Bernst-ani?"

"Yeah, no way!"

"Why is that? The royal family should deal with the stupidity of the royal family."

"How are you planning on approaching Bernst?"

"Th, that is, in the form of me welcoming him ..."

"If you fail, the residents will suffer damage. Can you annihilate the opponent without causing any damage, 20,000 to 100?"

"That is ..."

Of course, I knew that she couldn't do it, so I asked, Camilla was unable to reply and looked down again.

"In the first place, aren't the 20,000 soldiers also citizens of Resenburg? Aren't they weak citizens who have no choice but to obey orders? Will Camilla kill them?"

"But ... That doesn't mean that's a reason for Maou-sama to get his hands dirty, right?"

"There is a reason. If such people live as royalty and become King, they will definitely have a bad influence on Volzard, where the people I love live. I can't allow any more rampage."

"Bernst-gikei ... That, excluding him means, are you going to put Alphonse-gikei on the throne?"

"Hmm ... well, the current King is still alive, so for the time being it will probably go with that flow, but if he behaves inconveniently for us, I guess we have no choice but to warn him and eliminate him."

This is like saying that I can move Resenburg as I please, but what will Camilla say.

After Camilla looked down and thought for a moment, she looked straight at me.

"I have pledged allegiance to Maou-sama. I will follow the instructions of Maou-sama."

"Okay, then concentrate on preparing for the maximum outbreak. I will dispose of the Second Prince's faction. If the city is ruled by those who pledge allegiance to me, I will protect it."

"Yes, as you wish."

Leaving Camilla with her head bowed deeply, I dove into the shadow world.

Now, shall I go to warn that idiot Prince and the others.