CH 78

—The Imperial Capital, the Parliament building in the center of the city. A large clock tower is next to it.

Many people living in the Imperial City had gathered around the front of the clock tower. They did not gather there to watch the time. Their gaze was on the balcony that juts out from near the top of the clock tower. Standing there is Emperor Sieg.

Sieg has raised the volume of his voice with magic and is speaking enthusiastically to the assembled people.

“─ ─ These are the current conditions of the empire. We, the Empire, will stand firm against the evil kingdoms that unjustly confine a hero, and we will bring down the iron hammer of justice. People of the Empire, behold!”

Ahead of Sieg’s hand, three armed soldiers come out onto the balcony. They are completely wrapped in ornate plate armor, so that their faces are not recognisable… but each is armed with a distinctive sword, spear.

“These are the messengers of justice – the [Seven Warriors] who protect our empire and overthrow our kingdom. They are the strongest warriors in the world, with a level of over 50 and possessing skills that are unique in the world. Praise them, people!”

As soon as they heard Sieg’s words, they burst into cheers and shouted, “Wah! and welcomed the emperor’s words with thunderous applause. Someone shouted “Seven warriors, banzai!” And it gradually spread to the whole crowd.

“As long as the Seven Warriors are around, our Empire will never be defeated. These three other warriors are all on special missions to protect the Empire. You can all watch the war in peace!”

Seven warriors banzai! Banzai the Empire! Sieg Emperor Banzai! Sieg responds to the crowd’s cheers with a wave of his hand, and then disappears into the clock tower. The three Seven Warriors followed him back inside.

“……phew.”

The Seven Warriors took off their ostentatious plate-armor helms as soon as they entered the clock tower. One of them, Lent, received a hand towel from a maid and wiped the sweat from his forehead with great difficulty.

“That’s so hard…”

“Good work, you warriors of swords, spears and beasts.”

When Sieg exerted himself in this way, it was the spear warrior – Tetsu – who replied with a sigh.

“Was it necessary for us to appear, Your Majesty? We were made to wait in plate armour for nearly half an hour, and then you only show up for a few minutes.”

“Don’t say that, spear warrior. This is another necessary performance.”

Sieg drank some cold water that he had his maid bring him and let out a sigh.

“And you are the only ones in the Empire now who can protect me while wearing such decorative plate armour. Things have been very dangerous in the Imperial City recently, with the constant assassinations of big merchants and aristocrats.”

Sieg clicks his tongue.

“Perhaps word has leaked out from somewhere that Dantha has escaped from prison. It appears that the revolutionary-minded rebels who have been hiding out so far have become very active.”

“So we’ve been escorting the Emperor as well as making a spectacle of ourselves… It’s a job that requires a lot of patience, isn’t it, being one of the Seven Warriors?”

“Kukuku, is that sarcasm? When all is said and done, I’ll give you whatever you want, be it territory or wealth. Be satisfied with that.”

After saying this, Sieg turned his back and went to the elderly sorcerer who was waiting at the back of the room. A very stooped, middle-aged secretary followed.

“Well then, warriors. I will allow you to stroll around in this imperial capital. You may take this opportunity to enjoy our city of flowers to the full.”

Immediately afterwards, Sieg and the others disappear due to a teleportation triggered by the sorcerer. After seeing them off, Lent turned his reproachful gaze towards Tetsu.

“Why are you talking like you’re poking at His Majesty, Tetsu-san?”

“Nothing, I was just being honest about what I thought.”

“No, that’s not all, is it? There was something poisonous in the way you said it, wasn’t there?

Huh…

Tetsu sighs tiredly at Lent, who bites down, and says.

“I just don’t like it. I just don’t like this cheer.”

“…? I don’t understand more and more.”

Lent tilts his head.

“We’re being celebrated and relied upon, you know? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I don’t know…”

“What’s your problem with that?”

“All the spectators, all of them, just welcomed what the emperor said, as if they were all yes-men. Not a single question was raised. Why do you think that is?”

“Why…? Oh, the reason why everyone agrees with His Majesty’s words? I know I do. I’m pretty well informed.”

Lent snapped his fingers.

“I heard that life in the Empire has improved a lot since the current Majesty took over. As you can see from the imperial capital, everywhere seems to be full of vitality. It seems that his solid economic skills are being appreciated.”

“…Whose information is that?”

“Eh? Agranis.”

“A close associate…?”

Tetsu sighs again, and Lento looks miffed.

“What, you think Agranis-San is lying?”

“I don’t mean to say that, though. But Lent, I think you have a bad habit of judging people and information based on only one side of the story.”

“…Tetsu-san is suspicious, is that right?”

Lent sniffed.

“Okay, fine. Then from now on, the three of us should take a walk around the Imperial City. Then we can see if what Agranis-san said is true or not.”

“I don’t think we can tell just by looking at the situation in the Imperial City.”

“It’s the only place we can stroll right now, so it can’t be helped, can it? And while we’re at it, why don’t we go out in a group and get to know each other better?”

Lento turned towards [Jin], the beast warrior, as he said so.

“It’s been almost two months since we were summoned to this other world, but we haven’t talked much yet, have we? Jin-san?”

“…”

“Why don’t we take this opportunity to get to know each other better? Besides, there are some things I want to tell you, Jin-san.”

Jin, however, did not reply to anything and just looked down at Lent, who continued to talk from the end of his 190 cm tall body.

“Jin-san?”

“…”

Jin turned away from Lent as if he had lost interest, and tried to walk to the Clock Tower stairs by himself.

“Hey, hey, Jin-san?”

Lento interrupts his path and stops Jin in his tracks.

“Um, you heard what I said, didn’t you?”

“…”

“I said that we should get to know each other through group activities…”

“You’re in my way.”

“What?”

With a crack. Jin’s large hand was placed on Lent’s shoulder, and in the next instant, Lento was thrown to the side in a big heap.

“Ohhh?”

Lento crashes into the wall with a loud bang.

“I’m just going to do what I want to do.”

Jin said this in a low voice and walked away.

“Hey, hey, Lento. Are you alright?”

“Argh, Damn!”

Lent, who must have hit his back hard, coughed loudly, then calmed down a little.

“…Shit!”

He glared at the stairs where Jin had disappeared and swore.

“What the fuck…! What did I do?

“Well, I don’t know what that Jin or whatever the fuck he’s thinking…”

“There are too many people who are too selfish, like Hibiki-chan, who escaped with a political prisoner from prison, and the Beast Warrior, who can’t even communicate properly…!”

As he stood up with the help of Tetsu, Leno kicked the wall as if he had nowhere to direct his anger.

“Moreover, listen to me! That guy has been sneaking out of the court a lot lately…!”

“That guy?”

“It’s Jin!”

Lent replies, as if biting.

“I don’t know what he’s upto, but yesterday… he came back with something red… like blood on his clothes.”

“Blood?”

“Maybe… I saw it when I was going back to my room after night training. It was dark, so if I’m not mistaken. But I’m pretty sure he’s been doing things outside that would get his clothes dirty!”

“So… you haven’t reported it to anyone?”

“Yes. To no one yet. I was going to check with him first… but with an attitude like that, I don’t know anymore. I’ll report it to Agranis-san immediately.”

In the end, neither Lent nor Tetsu strolled around the Imperial City that day, but went straight back to the Court.

The worst incident in the Imperial City, later described as ‘the day it rained blood and rubble and debris’. Little did they know that on the evening of that day, the beast warrior Jin would cause it.

**

A few days before Sieg’s speech at the Imperial Clock Tower. At the Imperial Court.

“What the hell, you suddenly summoned me to a room like this…”

Opening the door to a room, the staff warrior – Sink asked the person standing in the center of the room nervously. The figure turned back to Sink and said

‘Wand Warrior, I’m going to need your help from now on.’

He muttered something to that effect.

“Cooperation?”

Sink tilted his head.

“I don’t see what you’re talking about at all. Cooperation for what?”

‘If things continue as they are, this world will [perish]. Cooperation to stop that.’

“…What??”

The person continues to speak to Sink, who is surprised, opening his mouth so wide that he thinks his jaw might have fallen off.

‘This world is not just any world. Look.’

The figure took out a black scales from a box beside it, and chanted the incantation ‘See item description’. Then.

─ ─ Ding!

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

× Reference does not exist. (NullPointer Exception)

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

“…huh?”

Louder than before, Sink stared at the pop-up display floating in the air.

“E, error dialog…? Why is there an error dialog here…?”

‘Because this world is a world in an incomplete game.’

“Huh?”

‘This world is [the world of a game that was never released]. It’s a world full of bugs.’

“Ugh, you’re lying…? A game…?”

‘I was able to display the status screen. It’s not strange, is it?’

“No, no! Even if it was, how do you know so much about this world? You must be a person who was suddenly summoned to this world, just like us?”

‘Because I was involved in the production of this game in the previous world.’

“Well, then you might know where the bugs might appear, but… Hey, then is it true that the world is going to be destroyed?”

‘Yes, it’s true,’

“When?”

‘I don’t know. It depends on the convenience of [the other side]. That’s why we urgently need to lead this game to its conclusion.’

Sink was troubled as he racked his brains.

“What about the empire? Don’t tell me you’re going to betray us, the Empire, and become a wanted person like Hibiki…?”

‘We won’t betray the Empire. Rather, it is a joint line along the way. Agranis and the Emperor have been talking about that, too.’

“I see…”

Sink exhales a little calmer.

“Alright, I’ll cooperate. I don’t want that other world to be destroyed after we’ve gone to the trouble of transferring to another world.”

‘I see, I’ll be counting on you.’

Sinl shook hands with the person who held out his hand.

‘Speaking of which, what’s your real name?’

“Eh?”

‘Sink is an alias, isn’t it?’

“Shhh, you knew?”

‘If one listened to the initial self-introductions, they would know. In the future, you may need your real name in this world. I want to ask them now.’

“Wow, I understand. My real name is [Yamada Kaoru no Haru Kaoru no Shun]. It’s a strange name, isn’t it? I was constantly teased at school in elementary, junior high and high school because of this name.”

‘I see. That must have been a terrible.’

“Indeed…”

‘Now let me reveal my real name too. It’s Hayashida Mamoru.’

“What, you’re using a false name too? I didn’t notice because it didn’t feel strange at all. Haha, what should I do? Which one should I call you from now on?”

‘Please do as you always do. I’ll keep calling you Sink here too.’

“Ryokai.”

The two then shook hands again, firmly, discussed their future, and then went back to their respective rooms.