Episode 14

About a week had passed since the clash with the knight order.

His body, which had been left in ruins from overuse, had fully recovered thanks to the cheat-like Life Absorber. He could have moved on to his next action immediately, but with the knight order’s movements still unclear, he had stayed hidden.

Returning once to the Lagias Domain had also been an option, but there were guests in that land.

He was grateful that they had lent him a hand, but he could not drag them any further into his own circumstances.

As long as Zeke was Lagias, the problem of the “Watchman (Death)” would always follow him.

In the original story, Fool, Noisy, and the entire Lagias family were all certain to exit the stage.

Good people should not be near people like them.

(I don’t want to see the Lagias couple either… not anymore.)

He had caused this much of a stir in the world already. Even if he returned after so long, there was no telling what they would say to him. There was nothing more pointless than a lecture from people with whom he had no trust.

Part of it was simply that it would be a hassle, but there were other reasons too. He had never thought of the Lagias couple as family, and he did not care what became of them… but they were still human. Though they were blood relatives of Zeke, they had nothing to do with Hiroto… yet they were undeniably alive. Seeing the faces of people he knew would die before long was hard in more ways than one.

(I’m scum too, knowing all this and doing nothing. Maybe that’s why I possessed Zeke…)

He sealed away the guilty feeling. And if asked whether he would switch places with them, he would not. Nor was it guaranteed things would definitely turn out that way. If Hiroto succeeded in breaking free from the scenario, there was a chance Lagias would be freed from its role. That was why he had moved on to his next action.

He climbed a mountain path with the sun beginning to set. It was a relatively easy road to walk, since carriages and people passed along it regularly. But step off it even once, and it turned into mountain forest thick with trees. The elevation was considerable, and transporting goods was by no means easy. In this world, there were monsters as well, and even simple travel always came with risk.

(That’s why they were pushing the whole tunnel opening… that was the flow, wasn’t it.)

For the people of Samaris, it was a major project. Once the tunnel opened, transportation and distribution problems would improve dramatically, and the economy would start turning. If they gained the option of using a tunnel free of monsters instead of dangerous mountain roads, travel would become far more active.

There had been tunnel opening ceremonies in Hiroto’s world too. But he was not heading to Samaris because he wanted to see such an event, with royalty in attendance, in person. Of course, he had a clear purpose.

The “Gate to the Otherworld,” the destination Elzen and the others were aiming for. To reach it, one had to go through many processes. Not only the “key,” but also the existence of the “Guide” was indispensable, and unless one avoided the “Watchman,” one could go no farther. Even after finally reaching it, severe conditions had to be met before a wish could be granted.

(If Elzen’s objective hasn’t changed… then they’ll definitely gather sacrifices here.)

The required cost differed depending on the wish one sought. From a game perspective, Elzen’s ambition was one thing, but in realistic terms, it was far too absurd.

Considering the results at Osten and Westen, and the fact that the “keys” had still not been gathered as in the original story, this was where the enemy would move.

If no matter what he did, things would still follow the original story, then Hiroto intended to obstruct them thoroughly. He had no intention of conveniently ending as a villain.

Those traveling along the mountain road leading to Samaris. Positioned to protect a single carriage were members of the Royal Guard Corps, whose main role was the protection of royalty. They were heading for Samaris to guard the royal attending the opening ceremony.

“What is this black thing…?”

“I don’t know. But like this, it’s almost like…”

A black shadow, as though born from darkness itself. The uncanny humanoid being swung around a massive sword.

“A strange creature indeed. It feels as though I am looking into a mirror.”

The greatswords crashed violently against one another. A heavily built man whose frame matched the sword he wielded battled a shadow in the exact same form. The battle had reached a stalemate.

“Veil! Are there any enemy reactions around us!?”

“None! There are no reactions showing hostility toward us!”

“Then keep going ahead! I’ll handle this!”

He switched the massive sword to one hand and gathered mana into the opposite fist. He targeted the enemy with a crude fighting style of sword and iron fist, but the shadow met him with the same style.

“Commander Baccus is staying behind alone!? Then we should—”

“That won’t do. This one is my mirror image. It’ll be a little too much for you lot.”

“I hate to admit it, but it seems so. …Cherlan! I’m taking command from here. We’re heading to Samaris!”

The royal guards put away their weapons and began moving with the carriage. Seeing that, the shadow charged to target the carriage, but Baccus blocked its path.

“Your opponent is me, brother!”

“…”

The shadow that looked just like Baccus never opened its mouth. Even while fighting, its gaze was directed toward the carriage. Did it have a clear target?

The carriage gradually moved farther away from Baccus and the shadow. The shadow’s resistance grew stronger in turn, but for now he was somehow holding it back. Just as Veil, the driver, was about to whip the horses and make their escape, a new figure appeared, blocking the road.

“All of you together really are nothing but incompetents.”

The young man looked at them with contempt, showering them with words of scorn. A black-haired youth in noble clothing, the great villain no one in this country could fail to recognize. The Demon of Lagias, wanted by the knight order and the one who had crushed a unit of that same knight order just days earlier, stood there quietly.

“No way… we’re caught in a pincer attack.”

“…This is the worst. It was already troublesome enough as it is.”

The sounds of battle were still coming from behind them. It did not seem likely that Baccus could come to their aid.

“What business does the young master of Lagias have out in the middle of these mountains? The sun’s about to set, you know?”

“Are you hungry or something? You should hurry home.”

“Hah, so not only are you incompetent, your heads are broken too. To think this is the Royal Guard—laughable.”

Zeke sneered mockingly. Rosetta and Cherlan’s faces stiffened under a verbal assault more than twice as fierce as the rumors suggested. Under normal circumstances, it would certainly have turned into an argument.

“If you want someone to play with, find someone else. Get out of my sight at once, pieces of trash.”

“W-What did you just say!? If you think you can just talk like that—”

Rosetta, finally reaching her limit, drew her sword. She instantly raised her mana and readied her magic sword. The Royal Guard, said to possess more than three times the power of ordinary knights, and the Demon of Lagias were about to clash—when a voice from the carriage called for them to stop.

“Please wait! You must not fight him!”

“Y-Your Highness!? It’s dangerous, you mustn’t come out!”

Two voices sounded from within the carriage. Veil and the protected royal seemed to be arguing about something. In the midst of that, Baccus was flung backward as if repelled. The blood running down from his forehead showed he had been injured.

“This one’s bad news. Does it not know fatigue…?”

Baccus was breathing heavily, but the black shadow showed no change. Endless stamina. Infinite mana. And now the Demon of Lagias had joined in as well.

“This is unbearable to watch. It ends here.”

“Don’t say whatever you like. If we defeat you, that solves every—what?”

Just as it seemed Zeke’s figure blurred and disappeared, he suddenly appeared between Baccus and the shadow. With his slender sword, he caught both greatswords they had swung down without moving an inch.

“Light. Is this the sword that protects the king?”

Mana gathered in his free hand, and a shockwave erupted. Its target was the enemy. The shadow, struck directly, was blown away, mowing down trees as it flew.

“You are…”

The shadow had been blasted far from the mountain road. Yet its presence had not vanished. Was not only its stamina and mana, but even its life infinite?

“If you have time to stand there stunned, use your head. Don’t think this is over.”

A freezing cold spread around them. The mountain road was dyed white by the chill radiating from the lump of mana Zeke had created.

“…What are you planning to do?”

“Etch this into your minds. The end of your commander. —Be blown away.”

Zeke kicked the compressed sphere of mana. It was not magic, not even a technique. There was no skill in it at all; he was simply kicking out a vast mass of mana with monstrous leg strength.

At the moment of impact, the world turned white. A raging storm swallowed the mountains and forests, freezing and scattering everything that existed there. Once the view cleared, the surroundings were wrapped in a snowy white coating.

“Ah-achoo! Y-Your Highness, you mustn’t leave the carriage.”

“…You’re the one who could remain in the carriage yourself, you know?”

A noble figure stepped down into the silver-white world. The ice-colored scenery and her silver hair created a mystical space. It was Arnica von Diabalet, the Third Princess.

“First, I’ll treat the wounds. …Baccus, for you to be injured like this.”

“Gahaha! I suppose it just means I’ve grown old.”

Silver light healed Baccus. The blood flowing from his forehead stopped, and the wound vanished instantly. It was sacred arts wielded by Arnica. Seeing Baccus looking well again, Arnica and the royal guards all showed relief on their faces.

“My thanks and greetings are late. —Thank you, Zeke. And it has been a while. Since the social gathering.”

Unlike the royal guards, who remained wary, Arnica showed clear trust. There was an obvious difference in attitude between them.

“Your Highness, you must not approach him carelessly.”

“He’s Lagias. There’s no telling what he’s plotting.”

Rosetta and Cherlan stepped forward protectively in front of Arnica. Veil stayed with Arnica, while Baccus looked at Zeke as though sizing him up. The situation had taken the shape of the Royal Guard Corps against Zeke.

“What Lagias has done until now cannot be erased.”

“He stands accused of killing the Sword Saint, and of opposing the knight order. There’s plenty more besides.”

Throughout the history of the Kingdom of Diabalet, the shadow of Lagias had always been there. The countless evils committed by generations of Lagias had tormented the people of the domain. As for Zeke, who stood before them now and appeared to be the next lord, there was even suspicion that he had been involved in the attack on the royal capital. From Rosetta and the others’ perspective, he was impossible to trust.

“…Why don’t you say something? Are you so deep in black deeds that you can’t even be bothered to defend yourself?”

“Hah, you’ve certainly got spirit. Have you grown bold because the princess and that commander you rely on are here?”

Even before royalty, his arrogant attitude did not change. Rosetta was strong-willed, but even she fell speechless for a moment.

“No telling what I’m plotting? Are you an idiot? There’s no need for schemes against trash like you in the first place.”

Zeke looked at them with a baffled expression, as if wondering why they would say something so obvious. The relentless insults cowed the royal guards.

“The Sword Saint’s killer? So what? What does that have to do with you? You can’t even properly guard royalty, and you think you have the ability to concern yourselves with others?”

A fierce verbal assault mixed with truth and malice. Rosetta burned with anger, Cherlan was stunned, and Veil had tears in his eyes.

“Zeke, that’s enough. I feel sorry for them.”

“You’re right. It’s pitiful that such pieces of trash are forced to babysit a little girl like you.”

“!?”

It did not matter. Even against royalty, Zeke bared his fangs without hesitation. …He was invincible.

“Enough nonsense. Do not speak. All you need to do is obey me.”

Telling royalty to obey him was nothing but insolence. Even the lord of Lagias was said to kneel before the king—had Zeke lost his mind?

“I’ll tell you directly. Listen well.”

What kind of outrageous insult would come next? As they all braced themselves in fear, the Demon of Lagias spoke words grave enough to shake the nation.

“Third Princess. The enemy’s target is you. They are moving in order to turn you into a ‘key.’ …And—”

A freezing wind brushed their cheeks.

“The slaughter of Samaris’s residents. That is the enemy’s objective.”