Volume 1 - CH 25

Act 1-25: Start of Training

It seems the battamans did a really good job as the diversion. We’ve arrived at our destination without any difficulty.

「Oh, well…」

I arrived right at the moment a woman was about to be raped.

If I’m not wrong, she should be the female knight called Anna, Rose’s trusted retainer. Moreover, the man about to rape her is the trash swordsman who said that he got corrupted when I accidentally touched him a really long time ago(in my perspective). Corrupted my ass! Properly speaking, these lowlifes, who are brazenly trying to rape a woman in the public, are the real corrupted ones.

Come to think of it, Anna did save me from that piece of trash. I guess it’s time to return this debt of gratitude.

Moreover, such a scene is bad for Faf’s education. Time for cleaning these pieces of trash.

「SOMEONE, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE!!」

As soon as I heard Rose’s scream, I kicked the ground and arrived right behind that trashy, old, and fat swordsman. I immediately grabbed his skull and raised him in the air. Now, it was time to test how much power this trash could handle. I mean, I could get a valid, living test-bench for free.

「GIH!! AAAARGH! GIGAGAGAGAGA!」

However, I just applied a little strength in my grip, and his skull got smashed to pieces way too easily. How annoying! Not only did he have a trashy personality, but even his body was so fragile.

「Oh my! So fragile! As I expected, his toughness can’t even be compared to the weakest monster in the weakest dungeon. Well, I guess there’s a great difference between the strong and the weak in this world.」

For him to end up like this, I guessed he didn’t have a special gift either. Well, the reason he used such unreasonable violence on the past me must have been that he felt indebted to do so to someone with a worse gift than him. Well, not that I’m gonna give my sympathy to this lowlife.

Anyhow, I should increase the effects of the 【Glove of Sealing God】 even more than usual. They’re too fragile even when I’m already in this extremely weakened state.

Seeing the corpse, which had lost its head, fall to the ground, the bald knight who had seized Anna’s hands let out a strange scream.

What an idiot! This man betrayed his own master and country and stained his pride as a knight by trying to rape a powerless woman. Yet, he was afraid of dying. He should’ve just stayed out of this scheme if he was so afraid of dying. Since you dare to participate, you should also accept this kind of end. In the end, he was just an egotistical and irresponsible person. A proud warrior didn’t need this kind of lowlife.

This matter had really pissed me off, so I kicked his head to shut his annoying mouth from screaming like a sissy.

Well then, next― When I smiled at the black-haired spear user who had pinned down Rose, he ended up whining like a sissy too.

I quickly circled him and grabbed his head from behind with my right hand.

I had already applied a stronger seal on my strength with the 【Glove of Sealing God】. Since he couldn’t react even to that, I guessed the weak of this world were really weak.

「I-I have yet to do anything! That’s the truth! I was just instigated by them!!」

The black-robed man frantically screamed while pointing at Fracton, the high-ranking noble who was also the culprit of this farce.

「HOW DARE YOU!!」

Even from my current position, I could see blue veins popping up on Fracton’s forehead as he cursed the black-haired spear user.

「Yet, you say. Weren’t you also a part of them from the very beginning?」

In the memory of the past Kai Heineman, I remember that this guy and the two I killed just now were always in cahoots. It means that this isn’t their first time doing an act such as rap*ing a woman in this bloody place. There was no need to examine his pretentious statement.

Most of all―

「Y-You’re mi―」

「Instigated, is it? Are you trying to betray those buddies of yours? The one who chose to do this is you. Naturally, you don’t expect someone else to take the responsibility for you, right? Well, this might be the retribution for all of the crimes you have committed until now.」

I threw the black-haired spear user into the air.

「Sto―」

I punched him with my right fist as he fell. The next moment, his body exploded into pieces of meat.

「…」

I thought the others would attack me at once. However, they just looked at me while the colour got drained from their faces.

Well, it’d be more convenient for me if they stopped moving. Let’s use this chance to heal the wounded ones.

I took out the 【Subjugation Picture Book】 from my item box and chanted 【Release】 in my mind. I had summoned the 【Healing Slimes】 and commanded them to heal Rose’s subordinates.

The slimes enveloped the knights, who were at their death door, and returned to my side immediately after finishing their job. I guess they wanted me to praise them.

「You guys did a really good job.」

There, there! They are such adorable fellas.

Their gel-like bodies happily trembled when I patted them.

「SO SLY!! Faf wants a pat too!!」

I let out a wry smile when I heard the pampered dragon suddenly jump out from behind.

「Things will get dangerous. You have to go back first.」

After I instructed the slimes, all of them got absorbed into the picture book at the next moment.

「I…」

Rose had witnessed the knights, who should be heavily injured on the ground, suddenly rise on their feet as if their injuries were a lie. She couldn’t hide her shock. She rushed toward Al-san, who had fainted just now, and tried to prop him up.

From the result of my cross-examination of that red-haired man, I knew that his real identity was the Lion King, Arnold. The royal guard of the king, he was undoubtedly one of the kingdom’s best knights. Since this personage had never swung his sword in a martial arts tournament, I have yet to see his sword art. But, my grandfather had told me that this man’s ability was the real deal and that I should aim to become someone like him in the future. I never expected that Al san’s true identity was Arnold.

Anyhow, since Arnold was rendered in that state, I could only guess that the Sword Emperor was more powerful than him. Or he used Rose and co as hostages?

「Princess?」

Arnold dumbfoundedly muttered. Maybe his consciousness had yet to fully return.

「Did you use summoning art just now?」

The burly, grey-haired man with a crew cut, who had worn a red robe, asked me while curiously looking at me. It was as if he were seeing a wild animal in a cage.

「Not quite right, but well, I do summon monsters. I guess you’re not wrong in calling it a summoning art.」

「FUHAHAHAHAHAHA!!」

The black-robed men, who were apparently the army of the empire, looked at the grey-haired man with a crew cut when the latter suddenly laughed loudly.

「Such wonderful physical abilities, and a rare monster’s summoner skill holder on top of that. He’s just the right person we need. Join us! In exchange, we will give you that woman. How’s that? A wonderful offer, right?」

「Enzu-sama, you’re going against the orders of His Majesty!」

The black-robed man, who seemed to be an aide, urged the grey-haired man called Enzu to immediately change his mind.

「HAH! This man is at least as powerful as us. Even His Majesty will be happier to welcome him rather than some suspicious hero we may or may not be able to summon.」

「But―」

The man called Enzu seized the collar of his aide.

「Oi! Are you trying to go against me?」

He threatened the aide.

「N-No! Forgive my rudeness!」

Oioi, who gave you the right to decide that without even hearing my reply.

「Y-You mustn’t! Kai!」

Rose raised her voice in a hurry, but…

「This isn’t what you promised, Enzu-dono! You promised to marry Princess Rosemary with the third prince of the empire as a form of alliance with our country. Are you trying to break our agreement?」

Fracton interrupted her and raised an objection with a flushed red face.

「Alliance with the kingdom? Marriage with the third prince? it was your one-sided claim. We never made such a promise to begin with. Nor do we have any intention to do that. From the very beginning, that woman was just meant to be a lab-rat to summon heroes.」

「Such a thing…」

Suddenly, Fracton’s expression changed to one of despair. Anyhow, since he had dared to sell Rose to the empire, there was no glory waiting for him even if this plan succeeded.

「Don’t decide such things for your convenience. I refuse to go with you guys.」

The current me is definitely not a “Good Guy.” It’s more like I’ve become someone whose moral code isn’t bound to this world anymore. Well, the word “Villain” might suit me the best.

Despite that, I wouldn’t go with such people who brazenly say that a powerless woman is nothing more than their lab-rat. I mean once upon a time, I used to be powerless too. That’s why whenever I hear such remarks, I want to vomit.

「Naturally, I don’t think a kingdom’s citizen like you will willingly follow us. Signiel, do it. I’ll focus on giving support.」

His air changed the moment I refused. Uhm, fighting against two of the Empire’s six generals might put me in trouble, but well, I already predicted this situation. Couldn’t be helped then.

「Shut up! I’ve had enough of your interference! If you do the same thing again, I’m really going to kill you this time!」

The man with a scar on his face, Signiel, unsheathed his sword, pointed it at me, and glared at Enzu as if he wanted to kill him.

「Are you an idiot? The other party is a summoner! Are you trying to defeat him with a sword alone!」

The men in black robes shrugged their heads when they heard Enzu’s enraged voice.

「Nope! I’m not a summoner in the first place. I’m a swordsman.」

I’m disappointed, utterly disappointed. Signiel’s stance isn’t the stance of someone fully devoted to swords. It’s just the stance of a somewhat-talented greenhorn who had never doubted his abilities. No matter how I looked at it, there was no way he could beat Arnold with such a lack of devotion toward swordsmanship. It seems Arnold lost because of underhanded means.

Still, so why did that old man, the former Sword Emperor Ashburn Gastrea, entrusted the title of Sword Emperor to such a greenhorn? I mean, the empire doesn’t need such a somewhat-talented yet arrogant greenhorn either. There are way too many mysteries about his situation.

「Are you the relative of Ashburn Gastrea?」

「Ashburn Gastrea is my grandfather.」

Does that mean this greenhorn inherited his grandfather’s title due to his blood? Has Ashburn Gastrea overestimated this greenhorn’s ability? No, I don’t think that’s the case. Even though Ashburn Gastrea was rather simple-minded, his devotion toward the sword and his abilities were the real deal. He wasn’t the kind of man who would besmirch our swordsmanship just for his grandson.

This means that he found something in this greenhorn that convinced him to entrust the Sword Emperor’s title to this greenhorn. Since this man is still a greenhorn, there is no real need to point a real blade toward him.

I picked up the spear of the dead black-haired spear user from before, severed its ends with 【Raikiri】 to create a makeshift wooden sword, and assumed a stance.

「Are you mocking me?」

As soon as he guessed my intention, Signiel’s expression turned into that of an angry demon’s. Yet, he maintained his reason and asked such questions.

「Uhm, there’s no value for me in pointing my blade at the current you. After all, you’re way too weak. Now come at me. I’m gonna give you some pointers.」

「FINE! Then, I’m gonna break that pride until there is nothing left of it!!」

Signiel slashed toward me with his sword. He seemed to be rather pissed off though.

I received his slash with my wooden sword and started to train him to know the intention of the Former Great Sword Emperor, Ashburn Gastrea. I wanted to know what made him entrust his title to his grandson.