Chapter 102

CHAPTER 102 – BETRAYAL

Inside the fortress, I walked around without a particular place to go .

「Kakeru」

A woman with the looks of a slave soldier came to me .

It’s an unfamiliar face .

She stood in front of me and chanted magic .

Her face changed . It was a disguise magic .

After the disguise was taken off, there was Melissa’s face .

Immortal Saint Melissa . She who has a high status even in the Solon Church is wearing the same clothes with the slave soldiers .

「We’re you alright?」

「Un, I’m fine! Rather, I feel better than usual」

「Is that so?」

「I didn’t get injured at all after all, it’s all thanks to Kakeru」

「Rica got hit directly by magic though?」

「That was just like receiving a flick of a finger」

「As expected of you huh」

「And so, what am I going to do now? Am I going to silently return to the first platoon again?」

I asked Melissa to secretly go to the first platoon .

It’s that first platoon that might throw their lives away for me .

Until I retrain them, I’m secretly letting Melissa go with them .

「No, can you go with Helen and the others for a while」

「Would you like me to protect everyone?」

「If it’s like that, wouldn’t it be a huge burden on you?」

「It’s alright, it’s alright . Also, I want to do something for Kakeru」

I looked at Melissa, her face was very lively .

Originally, she had a very open personality, but recently, she had changed again .

I can receive an image of her, as if she’s a young girl of age, far away to that of a Saint .

「Is it really alright? That would be very different you know . Compared to Helen, the others, and the first platoon」

「I’ll protect the queen and princesses completely and only protect the slave soldiers on mortal wounds right」

「Yeah」

In some meaning, it’s the slave soldiers who are completely protected though .

「I trust your powers . Even if 20 became 213, there’s not much difference」

「Kakeru……」

Melissa got happy with a red face .

「But, if you’re going to do separate things, it would be different . It’s like doing something with all that you have and holding back at the same time . From how I see it, it’s as difficult as like making a square with the left hand and making a circle with the right hand」

「Ah! Kakeru, that example is good」

Melissa was impressed .

I mean, it really has that much difficulty huh .

「It’s mostly like that . But it’s alright, I won’t push myself so」

「Hmm . Alright, I’ll count on you then」

「Un!」

「I’ll take care of you a lot after all ends」

「……un!」

Melissa left after using the disguise magic .

『She had completely become a maiden』

「I agree . Her impression has changed a lot」

『I like the Saint-dono from before though』

「He〜? That’s unexpected」

『That one has larger gaps in heart to exploit』

“Kukuku”, Eleanor laughed . I flicked her using a finger .

「Were the guys up until now like that too?」

『Umu . Especially those kind of humans called Heroes . Their hearts are overflowing with light, but all of them has condensed darkness deep within . Those were delicious』

“Kukuku”, she laughed again .

「What a bad taste!」

『In that meaning, you are very boring . What’s the problem with you? Having that much powers but all you are interested in is to make a harem and embrace women . You should create more darkness . You’re not worth taking over』

「What selfish words」

I walked around inside the fortress .

Under Nana’s command, the enemy soldiers who surrendered were dealt with, and the seizure process advanced .

「Kakeru-sama」

I heard a gentle voice .

I turned around and Helen was there .

Helen who was wearing light clothes for easier fighting was a little different from her usual image and it was lovely as well .

「What happened」

「There is a messenger there right now . Saying that they are under Delfina」

「Delfina?」

“Why in this place?” I thought .

「I got it, I’ll meet them」

I followed Helen .

We returned around the entrance of the fortress, there was one man there and two slave soldiers being on guard .

The two of them are girls from the first platoon . “Good job”, I said, and asked them to leave after kissing them .

I turned to the man .

「Delfina’s subordinate huh」

「Yes . I am called Adonis」

「What did you came for?」

「I have a message from Delfina-samaーー”Theo has betrayed”」

He said that and passed me one envelope .

「……tell Delfina I got it」

☆

In the fortress inside the most solid building .

Inside the commander’s room, I called Nana .

The envelope I got from DelfinaーーI showed her the proofs that Theo has betrayed .

There are two papers, one is Delfina’s letter explaining the situation .

The other one is Theo’s written letter for the barbarian army .

The contents saysーーhe shall soon find the two princesses and take their heads .

「Theo Customas . To think that he’d betray us」

「Yeah, it is unexpected . He reorganized the Siracuza remnant army at that time so I thought that he was someone who would die fighting until the end」

「I also thought as well」

「There shouldn’t be any merit in the remnant army at that time . Meaning, he is innocent at that time」

「That means, it was after that when he betrayed . ……it probably means, the barbarian army who knew Aruji’s threat started to break the army down from the inside」

「I see」

Nana’s analysis is convincing .

The barbarian army used a roundabout hand against the Siracuza Army that has revived momentum with my participation .

「Thinking about it right now, there are some clues . The night attack before, we were attacked easily, and the guys that were with him got easily lost」

「……that is true」

Nana heavily nodded .

「There is『The status of the Duke is promised』in the end of the letter……this must be the deciding factor」

「Duke huh」

「He must have been promised wealth rank and arrogant splendor . However, I wonder if this letter is really true」

Nana said while staring at Theo’s letter .

「There is no way that Delfina would lie to me . It would be either it’s true, or Delfina is being deceived」

「There is no way that that woman would get deceived」

Nana said asserted .

「Her eyes that distinguish the truth and lies in information should be the best . If not, she would not be able to earn that much」

「I agree」

It means that this letter is the truth .

It’s an information Delfina got in some kind of way .

「……Aruji, command me」

「Command?」

「I cannot forgive that guy who tricked Aruji . I shall bring his head here within four and a half days」

Nana said with slight resentment .

Thinking about her being a calm, cool, and collected martial artist usually, it could be said that she is very enraged .

「No, it’s fine」

「You will forgive him」

「It’s not that . I want you to protect this fortress . You’re the only one that I can leave the soldiers to」

「……」

Nana made a complicated face .

「I’ll leave it to you, alright」

「Understood」

I kissed Nana who nodded .

Nana got dumbfounded .

「Thanks for getting angry . I’ll take those feelings well」

I took out the warp feather .

「I am going to punish him directly with my hands」

☆

In the town of Chigris, in the lord’s manor .

Coming here, I was immediately passed through where Theo is .

「Ohh, Baron-sama, I have searched for you」

「For me?」

「Correct . Actually, I have finished reorganizing the soldiers . We shall counterattack very soon, but before that, I wish to ask Her Highness the Princesses for encouragement」

「……」

「After all, we are a remnant army, and the reorganized soldiers do not know the faces of our future ruler . So there, I wish Her Highnesses to encourage them in person . If so, the morale shall raise, and our victory would be without doubt」

「……」

「Where is Her Highnesses」

「Before that, I want to ask something」

「What is it」

「About this」

I showed the letter to Theo . It’s the letter Delfina got .

The instant he saw that .

「W-Where did you getーー」

『It’s like confessing his crimes』

“Kukuku”, Eleanor laughed .

It’s annoying because she’s having more fun than usual .

「N-No, please wait, that is a misunderstanding」

「Misunderstanding?」

「Right, a misunderstanding . That’s right, I am just pretending to stick with them . They might give opportunities if I act as if I am their insider after all」

「How many soldiers did you sacrifice for that then?」

「Uu!」

Theo lost his words .

And, gradually changed his expression .

From panicking to anger .

He started to glare at me and finally began to laugh as if to ridicule .

「Fu, fufufufufu」

「What is funny」

「My plans have were upset due to unexpected things, but whatever . If you came here by yourself, then that is fine by itself」

「What did you say?」

「I am saying that as long as you bastard die, everything shall go well!」

The instant Theo said that, a magic circle spread under my feet .

A purity that would absorb all light, a black magic circle .

That spreads out and envelops my body .

「Goodbye . Shall you wander in the emptiness space through your whole life」

Seeing Theo’s victorious face at the end, I was enveloped by pure darkness .

A space where nothing exists .

There is no up or bottom, right or left, a space where cannot even tell if I am lying down or floating .

『We got beat』

「What the heck is this」

『It is a type of Cursed Spell . It was mainly used for executions』

「Executions?」

『This itself does not have harm . It only isolates what it caught . However, you cannot escape as long as you’re alive . And after those who got captured dies of hunger of insanity, the space would be released . It is a convenient spell that would catch the target when activated and spit out the target’s corpse afterwards」

「That’s nasty」

『He probably planned on using this to Fiona and Marie . As long as they get captured, he would be able to obtain their corpses for sure after all』

「I see now . And so? What should I do to get out of here」

『You can get out of it if you die』

「What about a way without dying」

『There’s none』

「Stop lying . If it’s really like that, there’s no way that you’d be calm being unable to meet Hikari anymore」

『That’s a fine spot you pin pointed』

「Whatever, say it to me」

『Haa〜…… Would you understand if I say that this whole area itself is a wall?』

「The whole area is a wall?」

What I can feel is a space of darkness where nothing exists .

All of that is a “wall” huh .

If soーーI gripped Eleanor .

「I only need to hit it with using full strength huh」

『Exactly』

Eleanor answered, she seemed somewhat happy .

「Let’s go . UOOOOO!!!」

With full strengthーーwith my full strength more than that when the time I defeated the Red Dragon, I swung Eleanor .

Powers multiplied 777 times, an attack with additional 100% .

The darknessーーit broke .

「What!!」

I saw Theo’s surprised face .

「R-Ridiculous! There’s no way that a human can survive that!!」

「……do you have some final words?」

While gripping Eleanor, I approached Theo .

「W-Wait, please . Listen to meーーy-you’d understand I promise」

「Talk」

I listened with a cool head .

「I know . Let’s ask the other side . I’ll make it that you’ll become a Marquis from a Baron . I can do it I promise, that’s why, you understand right」

「……」

「D-Do you want money . I-I got it, I’ll give you gold coins inーー」

「Fuu」

「I know, it’s territory right! I’ll negotiate, I-I’ll make sure it’s in the centerーー」

「Enough」

I swung Eleanor horizontally . Theo’s head flew .

Leaving a breath’s time, “Goron”, a voice sounded, blood splashed out of his severed neck, and fell down .

『How kind of you huh』

「He isn’t worth hurting」

『Kukuku, that’s also true』

Eleanor laughed joyfully .

This girl, she’s enjoying all day . I got a little annoyed .

But, with this .

This time for sure, Siracuza’s counterattack shall begin .