Volume 1 - CH 28

Act 1-28.1: It Turned Into Something Ridiculous, Huh?

Arnold tied up Fracton and his surviving fallen knights. I had already done my part and they had to do theirs; I had no reason to help them anymore.

With this, I had repaid the kindness Rose and Anna had shown me in the past. Now, the only thing I had to do was retrieve the battamans.

Where should I go after this? Although it had been pretty much decided that the reason I had participated in this group was to visit mother-dono in the royal capital, since I had become free from the responsibility to inherit my family name, I wanted to go around the world.

I had enough money to go on this trip. Maybe I should take this chance to also get my hunter qualification. To do that, I have to go to the closest city, the city of Barse. That city should have a hunter guild since it’s close to a monster den, Sea Forest of Silke. Yup, let’s visit that city first.

I was about to leave this place―

「W-WAIT!」

Fracton shouted at me.

「I-I’m the shield and the sword of Prince Gilbert, the next king of the Amelia kingdom! Come join our side! Even though… though you have a trash job, your power is useful to prince Gilbert!」

「Bastard, you can still mutter that nonsense after all you did!!」

Arnold spoke with an enraged voice as he grabbed Fracton’s collar. It was natural for him to be so enraged since Fracton’s betrayal was the main reason so many of his knight comrades had gotten injured.

「SHUT UP, PLEBEIAN! I’m a count, a count!! My life’s value is far higher than that of a lowly plebeian like you!」

Good grief! How unsightly! This vulgar bastard is a lost cause, huh! I guess I should just destroy a country where this kind of worthless trash can throw their weight around as they please.

「Aren’t you the one who scorns me as an incompetent apostate? Since you hate me so much, why do you want to pull me to your side?」

Yeah, his hatred toward my trash gift alone had made it impossible for him to recruit me.

「S-Such trivial worries can easily be crushed by my lord! You can have all the money and women that you want!」

「Is that how you recruited those idiot knights?」

The idiot knights Arnold had tied up trembled like newborn lambs when I glanced toward them.

Idiot! These trash knights are truly trash beyond help.

「Soon, His Highness GIlbert will take the throne. At that time―」

I approached the trash and grabbed his face before he could finish.

「Can you hear me now? I can guess what kind of sh*t you’re up to. And I don’t care whoever takes the throne. Why? Because for me, the result will be the same since whoever it is will be the same trash like you guys.」

「DON’T GROUP ROSE-SAMA WITH THOSE TRASHES!」

Unable to hold back her anger, Anna shouted at me. It seemed after getting and wearing her clothes back, she had returned to being an easily irritable woman. Though, when I saw the expressions of the other knights on Rose’s side, they pretty much agreed with Anna. The only one who didn’t show a reaction was Arnold; he looked like a bystander overlooking an interesting spectacle.

""

「Yeah, of course, she’s included. Let me explain in a simpler way. All royalties and nobilities are parasites who sip the blood of their people.」

First, they grant grace for a reason that can’t be understood. They persecute anyone who doesn’t have their grace. I mean, they are the ones who raised this trash called Fracton after all. They are nothing more than harmful parasites for this kingdom.

「HOW DARE YOU!!」

Along with an enraged Anna, the other knights of Rose’s group touched the hilts of their swords, ready to charge at me any moment.

This was the essence of these people. They used force as soon as they saw someone who disagreed with their view. They believed that anyone with a different view than them should just shut up. This was the main reason I hated them to the bone.

「Hou, are you going to attack me? If you want to do this, come at me! I’m ready. Let’s duke it out and see who going to stand as the final victor.」

I let go of my hand from Fracton’s face and spread my arms as I faced them, Fafnir assumed a stance while letting out a growl. Astaroth heaved a deep sigh and cracked his knuckles. He glared at the knight with an expression akin to the one a predator had when glaring at their prey.

Our opponent was the Amelia kingdom, a powerhouse. They also had legendary heroes with them. However, these people were different from that greenhorn Sword Emperor and his haughty attendant. The old me would have hesitated to attack them, but that wasn’t the case for the current me. I absolutely wouldn’t back down from this.

No matter how much more powerful the opponent is, if they dare to bear their fangs toward me, I shall thoroughly destroy them!

「Please stop this foolishness at once!」

Hearing the owner of this bell-like voice, Anna and the knights straightened themself at once. Even Arnold bowed to her.

「Ho! So the boss has decided to make her appearance, huh! So? What are you going to do? Are you going to sentence me a death penalty for insulting you?」

That’s what they always did since time immemorial, after all. They murdered numerous lives for worthless, abstract reasons called lineage. They were pieces of trash who insulted the weight of a life.

Even the discrimination that happened due to the gifts was created on purpose. The aim was to make it easier to classify whether someone was worthless or not. Honestly speaking, the dissatisfied citizens should turn their dissatisfaction toward the royalty and nobles, instead of the statesman. This condition wouldn’t change as long as the royalty were still in their position.

「As if I’m gonna do that. I’m just really happy.」

「Hah? Are you sure that there’s nothing wrong with your head?」

I mean, what in the hell is this woman talking about?

「This impo―」

Anna glared at me, but just before she could finish her curse,

「I SAID STOP!!」

Anna flinched when she heard the usually soft-spoken Rose shout at her.

「This is the first time.」

「Hah?」

「This is the first time I met someone in this kingdom with the same view as me.」

「Didn’t you hear me!? I said that you people, the royalty and the nobility, are the poison that’s slowly killing this kingdom, you know?」

「That’s why I said that we have the same opinion. This kingdom has been corrupted from the inside. Even though problems such as crime, plague, or poverty have been running rampant in the many parts of this kingdom, the government is busy trying to gather more profit for itself instead of thinking about a solution. If thing stays as they are, it’s only matter of time before this kingdom collapses.」

「Indeed. But, so what? Do you think a good and healthy government alone is enough to solve the problem? It’s nothing more than a stop-gap measure, you know?」

「Yeah, of course, I know about that. This is still a concept and my own idea, but we can solve that by allowing commoners to take a post in the government office one at a time, right?」

How surprising! The governing of people for the people, aka democracy, should be an alien concept in this world.  I mean, even I would’ve never arrived at such a concept without the numerous books I read in that dungeon. Uhm, this little girl has piqued my interest.

「Where did that idea come from?」

「It’s written in the book containing tales from another world, which I got from my uncle who worked as a hunter back then.」

「Tales from another world?」

「Yeah, it’s a book that has a different concept from ours called Kagaku. The book is about a world dominated by rules. In that world, there’s no concept of pedigree. Everyone can make their own decisions and walk the path they choose.」

The “Kagaku” Rose mentioned most probably referred to 『Science』. There was no doubt about it! After all, that word often appeared in another otherworldly book that I found in the labyrinth. Since that was the case, it was definitely a book from another world. Naturally, since Rose said that this book’s title contained “Tales,” it was a completely different book that the one I read.

「Since they are tales, you should’ve realized that it’s only a pipe dream, not a realistic concept, right?」

Although, I had become fed up with the atrocious acts committed in that other world that I read about inside the book. A coin always has two sides. When I considered that the book Rose read only contained tales, I could assume that it only contained the pros, forgetting about the cons.

「I’ve been told that repeatedly. Nevertheless, I want to make that dream come true in this world.」

Rose closed her eyes and placed her hands on her chest.

This princess is not your run-of-the-mill princess. I mean, no matter how beautiful those tales are, no normal person would try to realize them in reality. Moreover, the thing she has to give up in return for realizing that dream is her own position as royalty. That kind of thought process is abnormal. No wonder the nobles are trying to kick her out of this kingdom.

「You are a real madman.」

「How dare you―」

Honestly, I was dumbfounded at how simple-minded Anna was.

「Anna.」

As soon as Rose scolded her, Anna shut up.

Then, Rose’s face became expressionless, and she turned toward Fracton,

「Fracton and the knights who helped him in this case, I’ll report your betrayal to His Majesty, the king, my father. Especially the worst part that you colluded with the empire. Don’t expect that you can escape from capital punishment.」

She was sentencing them to ruins.

「IT WON’T HAPPEN! I’m sure that His Highness Gilbe―」

「Do you think my little brother is the kind of person who will risk his position and life to save someone colluding with the empire?」

Fracton finally realized that he had already gone past the point of no return. He trembled non-stop as the color drained from his face.

Rose sent a sidelong glance at the trembling figure of that idiot, then…

「On this occasion, I, the first princess of the Amelia kingdom, Rosemary Loto Amelia, appoint Kai Heineman as my royal guard.」

Rose suddenly declared that in a bold voice.

Royal guard, huh! I knew that being chosen as a royal guard was the best honor for those who walked on the path of the sword in this Amelia kingdom. If I was not wrong, it was the title of the best knight, and only those who had the right to inherit the throne could bestow this title.

Royal guards were those who protected the candidates for the king’s position, the symbol of power and authority. Rose’s act of appointing me, an incompetent despised by everyone, as her royal guard was a crazy act. Yeah, this person is a madman after all.

「W-W-Wait a minute! He’s an incompetent apostate, you know! If you appoint him as your royal guard, you’ll―」

Just as I expected, the one to object first was Anna.

「Be quiet! Let me ask you, Anna, who do you think is more appropriate to become a royal guard then?」

Rose shut Anna again before the latter could finish her sentence with a question of her own.

「S-Shouldn’t you choose from the royal knights in the royal palace to adhere to tradition and formality? At least, that’s how it has always be done so far.」

「Fracton, the first on the list of that royal palace authority is the one who betrayed us in this journey! Allow me to add that the one who almost r*ped you a while ago was a knight in his employ. In short, they are no different than the extension of the royal guards of my little brother. That’s why there’s no way I can bring myself to entrust my life to them.」

「But still, it doesn’t mean that you have to appoint the apostate as your royal guard…」

Anna muttered while chewing her lips.

「Apostate? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Didn’t you see that Kai’s sword art is far superior to the Sword Emperor’s? It has reached a level that we—who pretend to be loved and gifted with talent—can never hope to reach in our entire life.」

「That’s―」

「This might sound harsh, but if I were a god, I would bless him with far more overwhelming talent than you. If there’s an almighty god, he is surely blessed by one.」

「!!?」

No one was more blessed than me by god. Maybe, because Rose has pointed this out, but Anna was finally at a loss for words. For the being called humans, there is no greater shock than when their sense of value gets flat-out rejected.

Act 1-28.2: It Turned Into Something Ridiculous, Huh?

But, that was that. I mean, I had finally managed to clear that dungeon after a long time. And just when I was going to depart for a world tour,  the first thing awaiting me was something akin to house arrest.

「Why do you think I’ll agree with you appointing me as your knight at your own convenience without even asking me? I don’t have any intention to accept that.」

The knights of Rose’s group heaved sighs of relief.

「No, you’ll definitely become my royal guard!」

I had never expected this woman to be so overbearing. Well, I had realized her stubborn nature after seeing her actions a while ago.

「A royal guard is the face of the throne, right?」

「Yes, to be exact, the vase of the flower arrangement.」

「Then, doesn’t that mean you need a more appropriate vase so that the flower can shine even brighter? Moreover, the vase you choose is a failed product like me. I’m far from being qualified to serve as your vase. Sorry, but choose another.」

「There’s no better person than you!」

「Ain’t suited for that. How about those heroes of the kingdom? They seem to be quite powerful, and in terms of popularity, choosing them is a far better choice than getting me. Isn’t that right?」

「The hero is our main force in the war against the demon king army. If I play it wrong and appoint him as my royal guard, a civil war will break out in the Amelia kingdom. And above all else, I don’t trust them either.」

「Then, how about appointing the kingdom’s knight leader-dono over there when the king retires from his position? His strength, personality, and competence have been proved right.」

「A royal guard only serves one king in their entire life. Even if His Majesty The King retires, Arnold will still be his royal guard.」

「Then choose from your subordinates. Don’t involve me in this mess.」

「Royal guard is the title bestowed to the strongest knight. Each candidate needs someone with absolute power to protect themself. Unfortunately, none of my subordinates have the qualification for that, at least for now.」

「…」

When Rose’s knights heard this bold statement, frustration appeared on their faces.

「That’s why I want you as my royal guard!」

Rose declared so after looking around at her subordinates.

「That’s your own reason. I’ve no reason to abide by that. Choose another person.」

「No, no one is more qualified to be my royal guard aside from you.」

「And I refuse.」

「Are you sure?」

Rose asked me with a smile. For some reason, that smile sent a chill running down my spine.

「What do you mean?」

I had no choice but to ask her.

「If you refuse, I have no choice but to appoint Rena Groat as my royal guard.」

「Hah? She’s just an amateur without combat experience!」

The matter today was as clear as the day. The opponent was a piece of trash, albeit a cunning one. This was different from exterminating a monster. Her attack was something that couldn’t be blocked with a sword. Rose had to have realized that this royal guard position had the worst compatibility with the air-headed Rena.

「But still, she’s a sword saint. In terms of sword arts alone, not even the hero can hope to beat her. And above all else, it would also mean that the sword saint’s gift holder, who had saved the kingdom from peril in the past, will become my royal guard. This matter will drive a wedge in the kingdom. The other candidates to the throne will have to do something to keep the sword saint in check.」

「What about Rena’s will in this matter?」

No matter how soft-hearted that girl was, she shouldn’t be so stupid as to get herself involved with this extremely troublesome and trashy system to decide the next king.

「She’ll happily agree if I’m the one who asks her. She already said that after all.」

THAT DUMB GIRL! Well, it’s one of her troublesome traits that she can’t refuse a request from those she regards as her friends.

「What will happen to her if she becomes the royal guard?」

「In this kingdom, the Hero and the Sword Saint hold extreme significance in the war against the Demon King Army. The Logistics department is more important, but―」

「Enough. I understand already. In short, the danger Rena will face will increase if she becomes the royal guard, right?」

「Yes.」

It was just as Rose had said. That idiot called Gilbert was a cunning man; he was someone who had sold his sister to the empire after all. It was clear that he would try every opportunity to get rid of his sister even if Rena became her royal guard. Besides, I had clearly remembered something after my old memories returned. I would never be able to see the girl called Rena to suffer.

Nevertheless, it would be a mistake if Rose expected the current me to succumb to such a threat.

「Is that… a threat?」

I released my anger as I asked Rose. That alone was enough to make the knights around us, who were not directly exposed to my anger, fall on their rear. Anna trembled non-stop as the colour drained from her face. The only ones who stayed calm were Arnold and Rose, who I directly expressed my anger at.

「My deepest apologies if the way I say it looks like I’m threatening you. But, what I’m asking you is to make a contract of equality with me.」

「Contract? Where’s the equality when you robbed me of my choice?」

She’s way too arrogant. Well, she’s royalty after all. Expecting her to not do that is a pipe dream. The Kai Heineman who met her long ago lacked life experience. I guess I can’t always rely on the impression of the old me.

「I robbed you of your choice. In exchange, I will entrust my will to you. How does that sound?」

「Hah? What did you say?」

「Use this.」

Rose searched her skirt pocket, took out a ring with a golden gem embedded on it, and gave it to me.

I immediately used appraisal on the ring.

―――――――――――――――――――――

★【Slavery Ring】: The wearer of the golden ring can enslave the wearer of the red ring. But, it won’t work if the 【Magical Power】 wearer of the golden ring is far lower than the 【Magic Resistance】 of the wearer of the red ring.

・Item Rank: Intermediate

―――――――――――――――――――――

A ring that robs the will of the other party, huh! The red ring is already on her left index finger. This means that Rose is completely at my mercy.

She doesn’t even hesitate to offer her life to realize her ideal, huh! She may have a self-sacrificing spirit, but this woman still doesn’t understand. She may be prepared to give her life to realize her ideal, she may be prepared to give her everything, but she will never realize her ideal as long as she relies on such a dubious item. Moreover, her way of making an equivalent exchange with me is way beyond reckless.

「This slavery ring has been handed down for generations in our royal family. It’s a means to prevent betrayal when there’s more than one royalty. The way to use it is―」

「No need to explain! I get the gist of the way to use this ring. That aside, what are you going to do if I use this ring to manipulate you from behind the scenes and wreck this kingdom?」

I stopped Rose, who was about to explain the way to use the ring in public. Then, I asked her another question with a half-dumbfounded voice.

""

「You’re not the kind of person who will do such a thing.」

She confidently replied with a baseless answer.

「You fool! Humans are an existence filled with greed. The thing you seek is nothing more than a mere childish fantasy.」

I had realized that things were getting more and more ridiculous. By now, I could see that this dumb woman was similar to the Sword Emperor, a greenhorn.

However, in her case, she would die if she followed her naivety. Her political opponent was extremely cunning and unforgiving. Normally, she had to concoct a plan to trap her political opponent and drive them into ruin. At least, she had to think of a countermeasure against traps, but the current her was far too naive to think that far ahead.

If she doesn’t have a proper countermeasure against an experienced opponent, she needs to at least think about a method to protect herself from that idiot called Gilbert. But, since Arnold isn’t Rose’s bodyguard, that is pretty much a pipe dream. The moment Arnold leaves her side, this woman will become as defenceless as a newborn lamb. This may be why she offered me an equivalent contract.

「My deepest apologies for using Rena to force you, but―」

「Enough.」

I heaved a deep, really deep sigh for the first time in thousands of years(from my perspective) and crushed the golden ring in my hand.

「W-What――」

Rose was about to ask me something with a ghastly face when I also crushed the red ring on her left index finger. Then, I turned around to face Arnold, who had seen our conversation while crossing his arms.

「Al, you’re still the temporary bodyguard of this tomboy, right?」

「Apparently.」

Arnold replied while shrugging.

「Then give some scolding to this dumb girl. The matter about the royal guard can wait after that.」

If things stayed as they were, this dumb girl would try to do something really dangerous. With that personality, I could see that she really was the friend of Keith and Rena. That was why I thought of planting some sense of crisis in this dumbass at the very least.

Anyhow, I have nothing to do for now. I might as well involve myself in this farce until Rose finds a royal guard who can protect her.

「Yeah, let’s do as you say.」

Arnold seized Rose’s small hand and pulled her toward the tent.

「A-Arnold, I’ve yet to finish my conversa―」

「It’s finished, Princess.」

「What do yo―」

「Forget that. Let’s slowly talk about the speech and conduct you used a while ago.」

Arnold pulled Rose into the tent as he cut off her speech with an easy-to-understand smile on his face.

「Master, you ended up getting involved in an extremely troublesome matter.」

Astaroth made a dumbfounded remark.

「Leave me alone.」

I shrugged as I walked into the forest to recall the battamans.