Arc 9, Chapter 31 – “One-Hundred Percent Effort”

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――Its visibility accompanied by a thundering clangor of the skies tearing apart, an enormous clod of rock fell.

Surely, a great margin of doubt existed whether simply “clod of rock” was enough of a descriptor for it.

After all, this clod of rock was at least a hundred meters in size with ease. It was no longer befitting to be called a clod of rock, but more so a rocky mountain levitating in the sky.

Fissures permeated through the rocky mountain, and the hundred meter clod crumbled to pieces, followed by countless small―― yet still five to ten meter-sized boulders cascading upon the ground.

The boulders’ point of descent was the township of the Royal Capital, with estimated casualties of around five to ten thousand people.

To execute this massive of a massacre, the only ones of equitable kill rates in the present-day era would either be the Blue Lightning, Cecilus Segmunt, or the Sin Archbishops of Greed and Sloth.

Above all――,

???: [If we don’t limit it to just the present day, I suppose there were a good number of ’em in the past.]

Disgust dyed his fatigued voice, as Aldebaran viewed that atop a rampart.

Plan B―― the tactic of dropping the aforementioned rocky mountain, had been a dirty tactic utilized by Aldebaran upon being cornered, to create an opening so that he could escape his predicament.

Considering the circumstances of him recoursing to this tactic, Aldebaran should have had no leisure to halt still, and rather instead resume his escape as soon as possible, darting away from the Royal Capital whilst ignoring the wails of agony.

However, Aldebaran was incapable of that. ――Bearing the responsibility, he must see it through with his own eyes.

Aldebaran: [――As you’d expect.]

To the spectacle reflected in the squinted black irises inside his helmet, Aldebaran murmured a husky commendation.

From the onset of the play where the rocky mountain thundered the rupturing of skies, an overwriting howl of the world no inferior to that had occurred, and a beautiful tower of ice stretching from the ground’s surface intercepted the countless clods of rock from one side.

Inverse to its icy, congealed appearance, it was a warm hand of salvation bound in compassion and kind affection. On the other hand, the tower of ice glistening pale blue in light also seemed to reveal the deep sorrow of the user.

???: [To think of it in that way~ is a bit too poet-ey, don’t you think, uncle?]

Saying so, Roy ridiculed Aldebaran as he viewed the spectacle, whilst being carried on the latter’s shoulder.

Roy was immobilised due to his fractured limbs, but he skillfully used his dorsal muscles to upraise his torso, surveying the cataclysm that had assailed upon the Royal Capital atop of Aldebaran’s shoulder.

The former, having healthy enough of a mouth to be babbling about everything despite being incapable of anything, made Aldebaran wince.

Aldebaran: [You too, your tongue’s gone along with depicting my emotions so much that you’re starting to sound poetic. Not that I know much, but that sense would’ve been much more fitting for your dead counterpart who personified Gourmet rather than you of Bizarre Eating, no?]

Roy: [Haha-, taking a blow at a dead family member shows you had some pretty awful~ upbringing, no? Truth is, it wasn’t us, but Ley who went about evaluating what had been eaten one way or another. What a mystery~. In the end, for both we and us, that which was eaten would always end up in the same Stomach of Souls, and yet…]

Aldebaran: [This must be what they mean when they say that thieves; no, that food snitchers are shameless.]

Roy: [Don’t treat us like a thief~. We just want, to eat a teensy bit more than a full stomach… that’s just the kind of adorable gourmandiser we are, and yet…]

Always with a clapback. The unabating mouthed Bizarre Eating’s abundant lexicon and strength of debate stemmed from the efficacy of his Authority of Gluttony, and would be outstanding foremost among not only the Sin Archbishops, but the entire world.

It was easy to be deceived by his childish appearance and his manner of speech laying bare his rotten nature, but the being riding atop his shoulder was a monster of accumulated synthesis of wisdom, having indulgently devoured knowledge and experience beyond innumerable, and for that he must not forgo his vigilance.

That was precisely why he had abandoned persuasion through words, but opted to forcefully make him abide through violence and the Curse Mark.

Aldebaran: […Anyhow, the job’s done. Let’s go.]

Roy: [There’s no longer any need for you to toss out a lifeline to that onee-san in case she missed any of the rocks, right~. Uncle, are you not often called weird or just plain abnormal?]

Aldebaran: [Thank you for your critical reviews of me for these coming two-to-three days.]

Correctly guessing Aldebaran’s reason for stopping with zero explanations, with a few unnecessary words appended at the end by Roy, he replied, forgoing the will to compete with a kid.

Thus, with the Royal Capital having escaped harm’s way thanks to Emilia―― Aldebaran ascertained a corner of its Noble District, which had been entirely flattened, and once again hastened his feet.

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――With the culmination of his battle against Valga Cromwell, Aldebaran had revised his perception that his Authority, which he had assessed to be peerless, also had hazardous adversaries capable of sinking their teeth into it.

Even now, his conviction that none could defeat him wavered not.

However, in order to turn that conviction into firm assurance that he must not grow complacent concerning his Authority, that he must never stop thinking, he admonished his own self.

Therefore, in his plan for sneaking into the Royal Capital and breaking Gluttony out of jail, he had not opted for an easier redo, but challenged it with his utmost might, firmly and thoroughly using each and every one of Aldebaran’s lives with the assiduousness to squeeze out the tube of toothpaste till the very end, concluding with a count of six-thousand seven-hundred and twenty-four.

――To interpret that as too numerous or too few would depend on the person, but fundamentally, Aldebaran would think of each count as being “pertinent”.

No matter what the magnitude of a count might have been, he wasted not a single run, braving the necessary challenge to surmount the wall.

On extremely seldom occasions, he had also expended a single life of inaction in order to calm his heart, but those lives had been ones in which a breather for the heart had been indispensable.

Hence, no matter the count, if he attained the results he had sought, Aldebaran would insist that six-thousand seven-hundred and twenty-four had been the “optimal” number of attempts.

???: [――Yo, shitty helmet bastard.]

The rendezvous point had been agreed upon in advance―― this place, sufficiently far from the Royal Capital, was a long-abandoned quarry, perfect for scoundrels hiding from the public eye to meet up.

In this quarry, the one to greet Aldebaran with a sharp accost was Felt, her back leaned upon a crumbling stone wall, red irises ablaze with rage and animosity.

Her fang visible between her distorted lips, she postured herself with arms crossed and evinced her scorn for Aldebaran. Her way of calling him had also downstepped from simply “helmet bastard” to “shitty helmet bastard”.

Felt jerked her slim chin, indicating the Royal Capital visible from afar,

Felt: [That large rock, if Emilia-neechan hadn’t stopped it, just how many people do you think it would’ve killed? What happened to your policy of not causing anyone’s deaths? Do you intend to flout everything you decided on each time you lose heart? “Lame” can’t even begin to describe you.]

Aldebaran: […Guess so. I’m also relieved that you’re safe, Lil’ Miss Felt.]

Felt: [Huh?]

Aldebaran: [It’s a joke. Or rather, a quip. A gag that fell totally flat.]

As Felt’s prickliness compounded with his reply, Aldebaran powerlessly responded. Perhaps perceiving this attitude of Aldebaran’s as insincere, she pitched forward as if to snap at him when Roy enounced a “You know Felt-chan~” from atop his shoulder,

Roy: [Wanna tell you to keep it up, keep it up, but when it comes to naggingly pressing this uncle, we’ve completed the preliminary preparation of ingredients on our end. So, may as well try changing up the flavor with a different seasoning, how about it?]

Felt: [How about shit… So you’re the Gluttony who got caught. Are you the older brother? Or the younger one? Whichever way, you’ve got an irritating mug that resembles your sibling’s.]

Roy: [Ah~, you’re also acquainted with us? Well~, makes sense. We heard it from Louis too, you know~? That because of Felt-chan, Ley suffered food poisoning, you see~.]

Felt: [You mean back when they were blaming my name for something or the other? Served ’em right.]

The girl progressively sharpening her cussing, Felt had reputedly once encountered Gluttony―― Ley Batenkaitos, in Pristella. Her speech made light of his sibling from back then, who had since died on top of that, but just like with Aldebaran’s instance, Roy only showed a smile alongside a “Haha-” in good humor.

Roy: [By the way, amongst us, it’s unknown who of us was the eldest son~. As for us, there were times we felt like being the eldest son, yet also felt at times like being the second son, maybe because of that~, is what we’re saying.]

Felt: [Don’t go yapping on with such stupid reasoning. The order of brothers and sisters isn’t something you can just decide by feeling. You gotta decide if you’ll yield it or accept it before it’s gone.]

Roy: [Haha~! Both uncle and Felt-chan, you think you can say anything if it’s to the hated Sin Archbishops? Very nice very nice, it’s what you call everyone’s shared consensus, right~?]

Felt: [Hey, shitty helmet bastard, I’ve got no intention of having a fun little chat with him. Hurry up and shut his fanged mouth, then answer my questions.]

Aldebaran: [I agree with you that he needs to shut up, but the time for the question-answer session will have to wait a bit. Before that…]

Obstructing Felt’s demand, Aldebaran turned his head on the spot. Apprehending the intent behind his act of surveying the insides of the quarry, Felt clicked her tongue with a “You” and jerked her chin. Deep within the quarry, a humble cabin barely maintaining its shape, Aldebaran guided his line of sight towards that, and――,

???: [――Al-sama.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

The very moment that Yae appeared from out of the cabin, her eyes met Aldebaran’s.

Accompanied by a faintly warm aroma, Yae had likely been preparing a meal inside the cabin. He was grateful for that consideration. And even though he was grateful――,

Aldebaran: [From the looks of it, you had it pretty rough, yeah?]

With merely a glance, Aldebaran perceived a difference from her usual easygoing and elusive self.

Her characteristic waso maid outfit was torn all over, and her red hair, which she never failed to maintain even on the battlefield, was frayed. But above all else, was her expression.

An atmosphere of meekness, or rather, one bereft of naivete, was doing the greatest harm to her usual image.

And as proof of that――,

Yae: […Thank goodness.]

Softly placing a hand over her chest, Yae muttered at the convergence with Aldebaran.

Sensing the hue of emotion painting that voice, Aldebaran felt a bit daunted, though he would never admit to it, so he shrugged his shoulders with an “Oi oi”,

Aldebaran: [Isn’t that a degree of auspiciousness unbefitting Yae-san, the helpful all-purpose maid? To not even be able to back me up, what kinda surprise guest did you have an affair with?]

Yae: [――. To say that I had an affair would be bad for my reputation, Al-sama. You are well aware that you have complete control over Yae-chan’s heart, Al-sama.]

The hesitation that had accompanied her answer for a moment vanished, returning Yae’s demeanor to business as usual. Sliding her finger down her chest, she resumed “But, but”,

Yae: [I suppose it’s true that I spent some passionate time with a gentleman~. The one who graced the mansion with his presence was the Sword Demon, Wilhelm van Astrea… no, Wilhelm Trias-sama.]

Aldebaran: [The Sword Demon grandpa, huh? That’s…]

At the unforeseen assassin, Yae would have also likely been stupefied. But, it was difficult to label him the worst-possible enemy.

Of course, there was no doubt that he was one of the foremost powerful fighters in the Kingdom, but a swordsman would have been far more manageable than a magician for Yae. In addition, she had laid her traps all around the Barielle Villa, converting it into the perfected hunting ground of the Crimson Sakura, so to speak.

However, given that “Aldebaran” had ultimately hastened there to provide relief, the Sword Demon’s honed edge had exceeded that of Yae’s. And from her expression, it was clear that it had not even been a narrow defeat, but rather one of complete annihilation.

And likely, the reason behind that sharpness was――,

Aldebaran: [The old man, sulking over there as he is, ain’t unrelated, now is he?]

Where Aldebaran had directed his attention, on a neglected stump of a wood-chopping block next to the cabin, was a red-haired man hugging one knee as he cast his eyes down―― Heinkel.

With his head hanging limp, the blood soiling Heinkel’s entire body had yet to be cleaned off. From Aldebaran’s position, it was difficult to tell whether that blood was his own or someone else’s, however.

Aldebaran: [What happened?]

Yae: […My consciousness was all fuzzy at the time, so I didn’t catch it with my own eyes, but…]

Aldebaran: [But?]

Yae: [Supposedly, Heinkel-sama slew the Sword Demon-sama.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Yae’s response, lacking any conclusive evidence, caused Aldebaran’s breath to catch, and he turned his gaze to Heinkel once more.

Naturally, Aldebaran was aware of the relationship between Heinkel and Wilhelm. It had become a story of confrontation between parent and child, ending with the son slaying the father.

He was aware of Heinkel’s excessively fatal flaw as a swordsman, but――,

Aldebaran: [Between his father and his son, the old man sure was stuck indefinitely between a rock and a hard place.]

The discord within the Astrea Family, down to its core, Aldebaran knew not.

Only, he knew that the existence of the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint and the title of Sword Saint had given rise to friction across three generations of parent, child, and grandchild. And, that friction had amounted to something definite because of this occasion.

Aldebaran: [――――]

Reinhard and Wilhelm, over these few days Heinkel had taken a position in complete opposition to both of them; Aldebaran and the rest had no right to worry about his feelings.

He was someone caught up in this for the sake of being used. It would have been nothing but shameless to call out to him and ask if he was okay. Hence, Aldebaran returned his gaze to Yae, asking “So then”,

Aldebaran: [What about the grandpa? If the old man slayed him, then all of that would be his blood, so…]

???: [――For the time being, only the most minimal of treatment’s been applied. We couldn’t stay there long at all, so it’s really just the bare minimum.]

Aldebaran: [Uoah!?]

The sudden voice jolting his shoulders, Aldebaran goggled at his surroundings. But, “Aldebaran”, who should have been the owner of that voice, was nowhere to be found. It was the Divine Dragon’s dragonhusk. It was not of a size that could have been overlooked―― and, right when he thought that,

“Aldebaran”: [Sorry, sorry, for now, optical camouflage cancellation.]

No sooner than those words were uttered, in the space that ought to have been completely empty until then―― resting its jaw on the rocky wall that Felt had been leaning against, there appeared the massive body of a limply reclined Dragon. Watching the way it appeared, as if the blurred atmosphere was gradually gaining color, Aldebaran widened his eyes with an “Ohh”,

Aldebaran: [Optical camouflage, is that bending light to make yourself transparent? So you can do that sorta thing?]

“Aldebaran”: [As you’d expect, correcting it while moving in real time’d be impossible, you know? But, when limited to just the times when I’m completely still, most of the demerits that come with this body quite literally disappear, yeah?]

Aldebaran: [Sounds about right. I think a Dragon that turns invisible’s pretty damn cool.]

It was possible to realize magic that bent light by combining Yang Magic and Wind Magic, but it would consume far too much fuel to have it continuously active. It required a very precise control of magic to blend into the surrounding environment, and it was a challenge that would very likely not reach the sought-after standard.

In reality, it had been difficult for even “Aldebaran” to perform, so instead it had kept it on standby, concealed above the clouds of the Royal Capital.

Aldebaran: [If you’ve become capable of doing it, then… must’ve been quite the hard-fought battle.]

“Aldebaran”: [Was neck and neck with the other side. To be honest, without the old man’s backstab, a bit of fear flashed through my head that I might’ve lost.]

Aldebaran: [A backstab, huh…]

Shaking his head, Aldebaran processed the two surprises.

First, was the thought of how fearsome the Sword Demon must have been to inspire visions of defeat within “Aldebaran”. Even if the currently loaded software was different, the hardware specs were undoubtedly that of the Divine Dragon, so to reach that sphere immediately following a battle with Yae, one would have had to have been an unthinkable monster.

Thus, the second surprise was naturally the manner in which Heinkel had intervened with the battle――,

Aldebaran: [It likely wouldn’t have been easy to have settled things fair and square, but ending things with a backstab’s probably wrecking the old man’s mental.]

Yae: [Well, I think there’s no doubt about that~. Ultimately, ever since we fled the Royal Capital, he hasn’t spoken to us even once.]

Aldebaran: [Is that so…]

Receiving an affirmation from Yae that Heinkel’s affliction was just as he had imagined, Aldebaran took a deep breath, and looked over those present once more.

Yae was dejected by her defeat, and “Aldebaran” had been overwhelmed by the Sword Demon. Heinkel was cowering with the shock of stabbing his father, and Felt was not even trying to hide her enmity to the rest of them. Finally, atop his shoulders, Roy was in merry spirits, and Aldebaran himself was an atrocious villain going full speed down the path to being a coward.

On top of being a lineup of good-for-nothings, they were in quite a tattered state.

Aldebaran: [――Even so, everyone’s alive.]

Upon reuniting face to face with everyone at the quarry, ascertaining their survival, Aldebaran released the tension from his shoulders, silently rescinded his Territory, and reopened a new matrix.

With his restart point updated, the events that took place at the Royal Capital were set in stone for this world’s history.

In other words, he would no longer be able to take back the tears that had flowed from her amethyst eyes.

Aldebaran: [But, that’s fine. The moment I decided to betray everything, there’d be no such convenience as making an exception for any one person.]

He would not compromise. Wavering of his heart was forbidden. Were he to falter, all would come to naught.

In order to conclude that there had been meaning in all the pain he had suffered with his body, with his heart, Aldebaran’s party could not afford to fail, let alone halt their legs.

Aldebaran: [Yae, if you’ve prepared food, then give it here. I’m starving.]

Yae: [I couldn’t take any of the ingredients from the mansion with me, so I stole from stores along the way. I noted down what I took from which stores, so please pay for it all later.]

Aldebaran: [How shrewd of you… got it. Also, this guy here…]

Yae: [You want me to tie and hang him up? In that case, I’ve already done so.]

As she spoke, Yae made a fluid motion with her upraised finger, and Aldebaran’s shoulder suddenly felt lighter. Roy’s body was tied up by a steel thread, suspended on the stone wall of the quarry.

Roy: [What’s this what’s this, this treatment again? Well~, maybe it’s better than hanging upside down, but still~.]

Aldebaran: [Stay put like that for a bit. Once I decide on how to discipline you, I’ll heal your arms and legs. However…]

Roy: [Don’t forget the Curse Mark, right~? Isn’t it fine? There’s no way we’d ever say that we won’t plot anything, but for the time being we’ll hold off and evaluate for you~.]

Aldebaran: [Evaluate, eh.]

Roy: [Because Ley died, perhaps~? We have no intention whatsoever of succeeding Gourmet or anything like that, but let’s try taking a bit more of an interest in things before serving atop the platter, is what we’re saying!]

With both arms and legs bound, hung up rigidly like a shrimp, Roy swung his body. Shrugging his shoulders at that eeriness, Aldebaran crossed gazes with “Aldebaran”.

Possessing the same ego as himself, it drew back its large jaw, a firm promise that it would not avert its eyes.

Aldebaran: [That reminds me, Plan B was a huge help. Thanks to that, we got away.]

“Aldebaran”: [Ahh, so that’s what you went with, Origin. I’d thought of it as a “second plan”. Well, it’s a good thing that we landed on the same idea.]

Aldebaran: [Origin?]

“Aldebaran”: [It’s getting a bit tiresome to keep calling you “the other me”, yeah? And so, I was thinking, how about Origin, as in progenitor. How’s “descendent” for me?]

Aldebaran: [Progenitor and descendent, sorta like iekei ramen.] [1]

At “Aldebaran’s” proposal, Aldebaran lazily dodged it with an “I’ll think about it”. Then, he finally turned to face the angry expression on Felt’s face, which he had been putting off.

With her arms crossed, Felt’s eyes had been ablaze with an unaltered indignation, but――,

Aldebaran: [You figured out that it was Lil’ Miss Emilia who stopped that massive boulder, yeah?]

Felt: [Ah? Are you making fun of me? Nobody else but Emilia-neechan would perform such an idiotic feat.]

Aldebaran: [The way you said that makes me wonder which one of us is making fun of who… but yeah, you’re right. I dropped the boulder knowing full well that Lil’ Miss Emilia would stop it all.]

Felt: […You’re gonna be getting much more than just an ass-kicking.]

The despicable trick Aldebaran had pulled in order to get away, Felt had understood it true, and her lips contorted more and more as she threatened him. Her threat stunk of the undercity, and he sensed that it represented her utmost rage; however, Aldebaran harbored another emotion simultaneously.

Aldebaran’s method of doing things, and Emilia, who had been ensnared by it. Including the jailbreak of Gluttony, it was a lineup that would naturally incur Felt’s ire.

But, it seemed like there had also been other reasons behind the overflowing of Felt’s anger――.

Aldebaran: […The thing with the old man and the Sword Demon grandpa, it ain’t your fault, Felt-chan.]

Felt: [I never once thought it was my fault. Without a doubt, it’s you… you guys, Reinhard’s father, and his grandfather, who are at fault. But still, I’m angry, and just thinking about what sorta face that idiot’ll make when he finds out about this makes me even more angry.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Felt: [The moment I made him my Knight, it wouldn’t make sense for me to be uninvolved with the things involving him, no matter what they might be. Remember this, you shitty helmet bastard.]

Aldebaran: […What?]

Felt: [Even if you do stuff with the intention of taking responsibility for it yourself, there’s no way it’ll ever be talked about in isolation from that princess. All you’re doing is kicking her corpse.]

Felt’s sharp tongue and glint in her eyes gnawed at Aldebaran more so than any other poison until now.

The relationship between Knight and master was something that would not disappear even if one of them were to die. If Aldebaran gained notoriety, that would also become notoriety for Priscilla Barielle.

With that thrust before him anew, he experienced fresh pain and bitterness. But――,

Aldebaran: [The Princess, is no longer among us. Didn’t even leave a corpse behind.]

Felt: [――Hk, it’s not that sorta…!]

Aldebaran: [It is that sorta thing. To me, that’s what lives are.]

As Felt laid her anger bare, she was silenced by a dry answer.

Postmortem renown and notoriety held no meaning whatsoever to the deceased. Everything hinged on being alive. The feelings of joy and sorrow regarding the reputations of the dead were entirely formed from the sentimentality of those who lived.

Aldebaran: [You gotta do your best while both you and your partner are still alive. That’s all I have to say.]

Felt: [――. You shitty helmet bastard, what the hell even are you really?]

Aldebaran: […I’m a following star.]

Felt: [Following star…?]

Aldebaran: [A failure of the star that shines brightest in the night sky.]

On that note, Aldebaran turned his back on Felt, and resigned from the exchange. Then, Aldebaran strode up to the chopping block, over to Heinkel.

Heinkel: [――――]

Eyes downcast without raising his visage, Heinkel ignored Aldebaran. But, he ought to have noticed him. His breathing, and the flinch of his body had perceived his presence.

It was easy to imagine that he would feel on edge. It was a bit troubling to decide on what to say, but,

Aldebaran: [I’ll keep my promise. When this is all over, the Dragon’s Blood will be yours no matter what.]

Heinkel: [――Hk.]

Right now, what Heinkel necessitated was neither consolation nor apology, but a firm, definite promise.

At Aldebaran’s words, formed by his thinking, Heinkel’s breath caught, followed by his outstretched hand grabbing the hem of Aldebaran’s tunic, pulling him closer by sheer force. Suddenly down on one knee, Aldebaran felt the cold edge of a blade fastened to his nape, and his eyes met Heinkel’s.

With blood splattered on his face, Heinkel’s blue eyes were bloodshot,

Heinkel: [No matter what…!]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Heinkel: [No matter what, keep your promise. The Dragon’s Blood, whatever it takes… the Witch of Envy too…!]

Aldebaran: [I know. I’ve got no intention of letting the world end. That’s the purpose of Gluttony.]

Feeling the sharp pain on his nape, Aldebaran composed himself and responded so. He softly raised his arm as well, forcing Yae to back off as she was about to respond to Heinkel’s rash action.

Then, after Aldebaran and Heinkel stared at each other up close for a while,

Heinkel: [SHIT!]

Spitting that word out, Heinkel shoved Aldebaran back. Getting his body back up after falling on his backside, Aldebaran looked to his fore, and saw that Heinkel had returned to hanging his head, shutting himself away like before.

Witnessing that, Aldebaran fiddled with the metal fixture of his helmet, and sighed.

For the time being, he had grasped the state of each party member.

He would not deny that as a result of entering the Royal Capital, everyone had been exhausted for better or for worse, but the fact that nobody had been lost, and the fact that he had secured Roy made up for that; thus, he could proceed.

Frankly, he was well aware that he was not cut out for this, but he had no choice but to lead them.

Aldebaran: [For the time being, we should be able to settle down here. We’ll eat Yae’s food, and resume movement after a bit of a rest. The chaos from the Royal Capital’s only gonna continue――]

Snapping his fingers as a substitute for clapping his hands, Aldebaran gathered everyone’s attention.

Until this point, Yae and Heinkel, who had been accompanying him from the start, had been marching on nearly three days without rest or sleep. He had intended on taking some time to let them rest.

――That was, if a giant boulder had not been dropped from high in the sky, almost as if to interrupt Aldebaran’s words.

Aldebaran: [Wha.]

With that, right after mistaking it for a thin cloud’s shadow, Aldebaran was crushed by the extreme weight.

Merely, far in the distance, he felt as if he could hear the buzzing of insects.

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――Otto Suwen was enraged.

He resolved to do whatever he must to rid the land of that evil and ruthless king. ――To the point that that nonsensical, cliche stock phrase that Subaru had told him that people used when they got angry flashed through his mind, Otto was enraged.

There was no need to disclose who the direct cause, and target, of that rage was.

The great sinner, Al―― nay, Aldebaran had committed an unforgivable transgression. That was not only due to his betrayal of the hearts of those who were concerned for his mental and physical well-being, but also due to the fact that he had broken nearly a hundred of the most important laws prescribed by the Kingdom.

However, what enraged Otto the most was the fact that he had antagonized Otto’s very own family.

Otto considered himself a pacifist.

He fundamentally disliked conflict, and believed in avoiding any trouble that he could. In fact, even during the time he traveled together with Frufoo as a merchant, he seldomly stuck his nose into the disputes of others or chose the usage of violence unless he was given no other option.

However, his situation changed upon joining the Emilia Camp and taking on the position of its Internal Affairs Minister.

He did not appreciate Subaru’s teasing of him being a militant Internal Affairs Minister―― but, pacifism and mild-mannered diplomacy were not top priorities in his current position.

The caliber and intensity of the malice he had to face was far greater than anything he had experienced as a traveling merchant, and if he continued to respond in a half-hearted, passive manner, he would fail to protect those whom he wished to protect the most.

Likewise, he exercised both self-awareness of his status as someone entrusted by a Royal Selection Candidate, and self-control that he warned himself must never slip.

As the Camp’s Internal Affairs Minister and a key administrator of the Mathers Domain’s management, Otto held a status and power of his position that he could have never dreamed of before. So that he would never be swallowed up by that and lose sight of his place, Otto admonished himself daily.

Those efforts Otto made to admonish himself, however, were forgotten the moment someone laid their hands on his family.

Otto: [Everyone has their own circumstances. But, I will not tolerate someone who is unwilling to find a solution at the negotiating table.]

If they desired mercy, he would show them mercy. If they desired generosity, he would show them generosity.

That kind of consideration and goodwill was present within everyone in the Camp, led by Emilia. Therefore, Otto also did his utmost to respect the integrity of that spirit of theirs.

Even so, if the other party continued to trample over and take advantage of them, he would be left with no choice.

If they desired his blessings, he would give them his blessings. If they desired his support, he would offer them his support.

And, if they desired to be hostile, then he would show them his utmost hostility.

Otto: [Thanks to Emilia-sama, the city came out unscathed. The evacuation of the Noble District was also completed in advance. The Knights of the Royal Capital have proven quite capable.]

Tightly clenching his fist, Otto processed the damage caused by the events that had just taken place.

Since he needed to dedicate his mind to getting a grasp on the situation and understanding how things had progressed, he could not allow himself to give in to indignation. Truly, he felt mortified deep within his heart. ――Mortified, at his own pathetic disgrace.

When the initial weight of the situation that had begun to move struck him over the head, Otto shamefully lamented his powerlessness, and was consoled by Emilia of all people. It should have been the opposite. That should never have occurred. The purpose of Otto’s position was to ease Emilia’s concerns.

And yet, the reality was that Otto had been on the verge of tears as he was comforted by Emilia, and had his head raised back up by the words of one whom he ought to have been supporting, before being given a push to his back.

He had jokingly told Emilia that Subaru would kill him, but in his heart of hearts, Otto truly wanted to strangle himself to death.

However, the dead would never get a chance to redeem themselves. So instead of foolishly wrapping his hands around his own neck, Otto would use his head with all his resolve. Fortunately, half-crying like that helped him clear his head out a little. ――Though the thunder was still rumbling in his mind, the lightning allowed him to peer into the darkness.

He thought back to a time long ago, when it was just him and Frufoo; they were hurrying through a thunderstorm when a bolt of lightning struck the carriage bed, resulting in their entire load of cargo being reduced to ashes.

As Otto lamented his great misfortune, his beloved dragon said to him “Let’s be glad that neither of us was hurt, alright?”, and he could not deny the truth in her words.

If one traveled through a thunderstorm, they had to be prepared to get struck by lightning. ――In that moment, however, it was up to the individual’s luck whether they could avoid being burned to death by said lightning.

By shaving away as many elements that luck could sway as possible, he forged ahead through that thunderstorm.

That was the essence of the enraged Otto Suwen’s no-holds-barred fighting style―― for that singular purpose, he would even play cards in his hand that were branded as ruthless without hesitation.

The manifestation of that was――,

Otto: [While we are staying in the Royal Capital, we cannot prepare a military force surpassing Reinhard-san, nor combat strength that exceeds Felt-sama’s group. As it is, when the turn to act comes back around to us, sheer force and numbers can no longer serve as absolute measures to stop them.]

By some artifice, Aldebaran had slipped past the Sword Saint Reinhard. Then, with the Divine Dragon Volcanica in his wake, he had pushed through Felt and her forces before reaching the Royal Capital.

Otto and his group, having only just returned from the Vollachian Empire and having gone separate ways from their allies, had no means to oppose the baffling ability of Aldebaran.

Thus, neither Emilia, who was dispatched with orders to capture him alive, nor the summons to Wilhelm’s group, who coincidentally were staying at the royal residence, were conceived as decisive strokes.

Naturally, were Emilia and Wilhelm’s group to reign victorious, it would have been ideal, but Otto had anticipated that such an outcome was likely unattainable. As matters stood, Otto’s group had possessed no means of aggression beyond deploying the entirety of their available forces.

――Otto Suwen possessed neither Reinhard van Astrea’s combat ability nor Valga Cromwell’s strategic ingenuity. He did not presume himself blessed to rival such talent, for he harbored no such inflated assessment of himself.

Otto did not expect himself to transcend his mortal limits. ――At best, he could only muster one-hundred percent of his own ability.

With that one-hundred percent, what Otto Suwen could do was――,

Otto: [――An abandoned quarry, west of the Royal Capital.]

The tidings were borne with the sound of fluttering wings; Otto narrowed his eyes as he marked the map. With one hand pressing a bloodied handkerchief to his nose, he tapped his hazy head.

Divine Protection overheating―― when Subaru had thus dubbed the exhaustion born from overuse, Garfiel’s eyes had shined at the wondrous sound of it. Remembering that, Otto’s lips relaxed.

Otto: [Overheating, that sounds quite nice. Even if my head splits open, I will not stop, I…]

Blood still trickled from his nose as Otto grumbled thus under the gathering whir of wings―― Zodda bugs, at whom he snapped his fingers, instructing them to their next course of action in the continuation of their surveillance.

The Zodda bugs possessed an amiable disposition with a faint sense of individual awareness. They shared directives as one being, and to persuade but a single insect would demonstrate results equivalent to persuading the entire swarm. For their service, they demanded but a single reward: a peaceful life.

By virtue of his position as the Internal Affairs Minister, Otto had intended to secure their compensation. In return, the swarm must pledge obedience unto tasks of mortal peril whilst performing reckless endeavors that surpassed human capability.

――They had clung to the fleeing Divine Dragon to pinpoint its rendezvous point, mobilized swarms of a hundred thousand strong to drop boulders upon their foes, gathered every message left by the captured Felt; such deeds they wrought.

Otto: […The Grand Mogolade Geyser.]

It was a missive Felt had left in her captivity amidst Aldebaran’s gang, cast forth in hope of reaching allies which would later be salvaged within the ruins of the Barielle estate. The very manner of this delivery, evading surveillance to entrust her message to the Zodda bugs, spoke volumes of Felt’s unshakeable courage.

In truth, the missive contained naught but a toponym from the Kararagi City-States. It was likely Aldebaran and his group’s next target, or possibly their ultimate destination. If that was where they were headed, then by all means, let them go freely. ――Otto’s watchful gaze would never leave them.

Wherever they went, however they concealed themselves, Otto would endure ceaseless ringing in his ears and crimson streaks from his nose to track every last movement of Aldebaran’s faction.

Otto: [Please do not delude yourself into thinking you can sleep again. ――The entire world is your enemy now.]

He had nothing like the strength to claim victory. Naught remained but to continue to whittle away at his enemy’s might.

Thus did Otto Suwen fight, not as the Sword Saint or the Great Strategist, but as Emilia’s Internal Affairs Minister, one who exerted one-hundred percent of his strength.

Translation Note:

[1] Iekei Ramen (Family-style ramen) is a style of ramen developed by a restaurant called Yoshimuraya in the 1970’s. The Kanji 家系 can also be read as kakei, as in “Family Lineage”, so the restaurant Yoshimuraya refers to itself as the 元祖 (Progenitor) and other shops that they officially recognize (which also use the same style) as 直系 (Descendants).