[WN] Emperor's Seventh Son : 4 - 4 Part 3

4-4 Part 3

The Spontaneously Glowing Firefly Man and the Little Alchemist

— The State Church —

Translator : PolterGlast

“Ah, it really is Firefly-san...! Huh, who is that person...?”

“This guy? This is the idiot who broke your shop's glass. Now, apologize to the owner.”

As I approached the counter, I noticed some packing twine, so I took it and completely restrained the underling. While doing so, I made eye contact with the fat one who had intimidated Dulin. He showed neither guilt nor remorse...

“You, doing something unnecessary...”

“Is that a confession? If he's an accomplice, I can hand you over to the Military Police together with him.”

Then his face changed to one that seemed to say, 'Trouble would be inconvenient.' Even though he was the one who brought the trouble. Why try to drive Dulin out in the first place?

“...Hmph, I don't know such a man.”

“No way! That's not what we agreed on, Keter-sama!”

“You bastard! I told you not to say my name, didn't I?!”

“It's because you tried to abandon me! I didn't do this because I liked it!”

How unsightly. Perhaps flustered that his name was revealed, Keter backed away toward the shop exit. It's frustrating, but I can't do anything about him. As far as I know, he only spewed the lowest kind of verbal abuse.

“Remember this... Do not think you will get away with opposing the Church!”

“That's a line I feel like I've heard in a play somewhere... Go home quickly, Keter; this isn't a shop for you. And to add one more thing, Dulin is absolutely not a Witch. She is a master Alchemist deeply trusted by the Imperial Princess.”

“Firefly-san...”

She is this adorable, so how can they treat her like a Witch? Keter abandoned his comrade just like that and fled from before us.

“He acted high and mighty, but he turned out to be surprisingly small-fry.”

“Thank youuu, thank youuu, uuhhh, it was scaaary, Firefly-saaan...!”

I don't know what was said to her while I was suppressing the guy outside, but Dulin was absolutely terrified. She pressed her petite frame against "Mr. Firefly," wiping her overflowing tears and snot on my clothes... I know. She didn't mean any harm by it.

While comforting Dulin by patting and stroking her back, I worried about what to do with the idiot I caught.

“Oi, if you're going to release me, do it now!”

“But you see, if there's no penalty, you'll just come back to this shop and do the same thing again, won't you? As a citizen of the Imperial Capital, I can't overlook that.”

Even if I hand him to the Military Police, strings might be pulled. I do not know the full extent of the collusion between the military and the State Church.

“It was scaaary... Why do they do thishh... Dulin's shop is in a terrible state...”

“I was just ordered to! There's no way I could go against those people!”

He says that, but I think this guy is a villain too. Even villains choose their opponents. They wouldn't use a good person for this kind of intimidation. He was likely seen as easy to manipulate.

“Shut up. More importantly, apologize for what you did. Didn't you think she was pitiable?”

“Kuh... I didn't hear that it was a shop run by such a small child! Ah, my bad! I couldn't disobey Keter so I threw the stone! Is that enough?!”

“Are you really a clergyman? That wasn't an apology.”

“Firefly-san, it's okay now... But, I will say just this! Dulin hasn't done anything bad! So, so, I absolutely, absolutely! Absolutely won't leave heeeere!!”

That is the part I don't understand. Why does the Church do this to Dulin? Crushing one small shop like this won't change anything.

It's different from the case with Uncle and the political merchant Hyamar, who tried to crush the Hez Trading Company to monopolize the trade route; this is meaningless.

“My bad... Please, release me.”

“Firefly-san, please do sho. Firefly-san saved me, so Dulin is fine. I will consult Onee-sama about this...”

That would be a mistake. Precisely because I do not know his motive, I should turn him in. The idea that a villain will turn over a new leaf thanks to kindness or mercy is nothing but a fantasy. If he possessed such an admirable conscience, he never would have turned to evil in the first place.

“No, I refuse to cry myself to sleep over this. Let's go, villain; accompany me to the Military Police station.”

“Why! She says she forgives me!?”

“Yeah, seems so. But I don't forgive you. Dulin, I'll pay for the glass repair.”

“Eh, eeeeh?! Why would Firefly-san... No, no, I can't allow thaaat!”

Argueing about paying or not paying is troublesome. I placed 10 silver coins on the counter without questions, dragged the clergyman who threw the stone, and left the shop.

“No no! I can't take it! Ah, wait, wait Firefly-san! I'm troubled if you leave money behind! I don't need this muuuch!”

“Don't hold back. The world is built rather conveniently, you see. This amount is nothing.”

In the first place, this money was stolen from this culprit when I restrained him, using the manual dexterity given by the Tome of the Evil Dragon. The fact that he had so much on him means he was likely bought with money after all.

Now that it's come to this, it can't be helped. I handed the culprit over to the Military Police station, bought a Pound Cake for Sister, and gave up for the day, returning to the palace.

---

— Purge —

• 【Steal 300,000 Crowns of Dirty Wealth】 (570 Crowns Achieved)
• Completion Reward: AGI +100
• “Next, will you raid the State Church's treasury?”

---

The State Church's treasury, you say...? Don't say ridiculous things, Zirant. If I did that, this Chivalrous Thief would turn every believer in the Empire into an enemy...

---

【Tome of the Evil Dragon】

---

— Adventure —

• 【Complete 3 Jobs at the Adventurer's Guild】
• Completion Reward: EXP 450 / ???

---

— Exploration —

• 【Lap the Imperial Capital another 10 times】
• Completion Reward: VIT +100

---

— Exploration —

• 【Lap the Maritime City Naglfar once】 (1/3 Completed)
• Completion Reward: EXP 100 / VIT +5

---

— Business —

• 【Grow the Hez Trading Company】
• Completion Reward: DEX +100

---

— Purge —

• 【Bury 5 Villains】 (Remaining: 2)
• Completion Reward: EXP 900 / Shovel LV +1

---

— Purge —

• 【Steal 300,000 Crowns of Dirty Wealth】 (570 Crowns Achieved)
• Completion Reward: AGI +100

---

— Investment —

• 【Spend a total of 10,000 Crowns】 (1362 / 10000)
• Completion Reward: EXP 1000 / Premonition of an Encounter

---

— Table of Contents —

• 【Name】 Ashley
• 【Lv】 12
• 【Exp】 1375
• 【STR】 26
• 【VIT】 100
• 【DEX】 90
• 【AGI】 77
• 【Skill】 Shovel LV 3

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

DavidA

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Matthew Fraser

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Alan Sharman

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Ctdela

Curious Panda

Didntpassit

nick nasca

openope

rads

SD Fox

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More

[WN] A Hero From a Remote Village : Chapter 136

Chapter 136

The Scheme

Translator : PolterGlast

The first report was about the recruitment call from the Demon King's Army. Surely there wouldn't be any reports bigger than that, but I decided to listen to what Bane had to say.

"Did anything else happen? For example... were there any repercussions from me defeating the monsters that were the lords of this vicinity?"

"None whatsoever! There has been absolutely no movement from the Red Ogre, the Berserk Bear, or the Silver Golem. However..."

"However?"

"Marx Mountain alone is a bit noisy. It is not the Silver Golem, but there are signs that something is scheming, taking advantage of the fact that the Silver Golem is gone."

Marx Mountain, huh. As I reported to Bane before, I had sensed a strange presence from the summit of Marx Mountain. There is a possibility that that thing is making a move.

"I think I reported this before, but I sensed the presence of a strong monster at the summit. Is it not that thing moving?"

"I believe the possibility is extremely high. It seems to possess flight capabilities, and there is information that it is transporting monsters from elsewhere."

"Flight capabilities... In that case, I am almost certain of its identity. Since this is a monster I allowed to escape due to a lapse in my own judgment, if it is scheming something, I want to be the one to take it down personally."

"No, no. I have no intention of troubling you, Graham-sama. I have already sent servants to Marx Mountain, and as soon as we locate the mastermind—I shall finish it with my own hands."

Bane bowed deeply while smiling fearlessly. I intended to go to Marx Mountain alone and take it down quickly, but since Bane seems full of motivation, I suppose I'll leave it to him.

"Understood. If that's the case, I'll leave it to you, Bane."

"Haha! I shall definitely finish it."

"...Somehow, looking at Bane-san makes Graham-san look like a King."

"True! It's probably because Bane...-san is being too humble!"

"I never told him to be humble, though."

"What are you saying! To me, Graham-sama is the Creator, the Savior, the God!!"

"He was even higher than a King!"

I'm neither a Savior nor a Creator... but since he continues to worship me no matter how much I rebuke him, it's useless to say anything now. More than that, I was curious about the fact that Aoi added "-san" to Bane's name.

For a moment, she looked like she was going to use his name without an honorific, but she glanced at him and stopped herself. She has an image of being frank with everyone, but seeing that she uses honorifics for Salis and Bane, she seems to have her own standards.

"...Why are you looking at me in this juncture!"

"No, it's nothing. So... is that it for the reports?"

"No, the rest are minor details, but there are still some! Adventurers have come from Biodasdal several times. Several types of monsters came from afar wishing to become subordinates. And, two of my servants have evolved. I reported them all at once, but that is everything I wished for Graham-sama to hear."

I thought there wouldn't be any major reports left, but they were all quite concerning. Especially... I want to hear in detail about Bane's servants evolving.

"I'm curious about adventurers coming and monsters coming from afar... but more than that, what do you mean your servants evolved?"

"I do not understand it either, but without any forewarning, they evolved in a form similar to myself."

"You don't know the reason? It wasn't because you named them or anything?"

"No. I have not named them."

"So they really evolved without a reason. ... I'm curious. Can you bring them here?"

"Of course. I will call them immediately, so please wait a moment."

Bane stood up and left the room, taking the Ghost Wizard with him. After waiting a few minutes, he returned with two monsters.

I had imagined monsters that had changed into a form like Bane's would come, but what appeared were a perfectly ordinary Skeleton Swordsman and a Wight Knight. I doubted if they were truly evolved individuals, but Bane wouldn't lie to me, so they must have evolved in ways not apparent in their appearance.

"Graham-sama, sorry to keep you waiting. These are the two who evolved."

"G-Graham-sama...! It-It is an honor to meet you!"

"To-To think you would want to meet a servant like me, thank you so much...!"

The two monsters were trembling like jelly while expressing their gratitude to me. Their appearance is nothing more than lower-class monsters, but it's strange how cute they look when they act like this.

"Sorry for having you come all this way. I'll ask immediately, but how exactly have these two evolved compared to others?"

"The Skeleton Swordsman's bones have taken on a slightly reddish hue. And as for the Wight Knight, his eyes have turned blue."

The changes were so subtle I was actually surprised. I doubted if it was really evolution, but if Bane, who knows them well, says they evolved, then they must have.

"I-I see. So there aren't that many big changes regarding appearance."

"Yes, that is correct. Their strength has increased compared to other individuals, but above all, the ability to converse is the greatest change."

It is difficult to communicate with lower-class monsters. The fact that they can speak fluently amidst that can be called the greatest proof of evolution.

I am extremely curious about what caused them to evolve. Are these two rare individuals, or did they do something worthy of evolution?

And hearing 'rare' makes me want to name these two as well... but naturally, I learned my lesson with Bane. I want to make them easier to call, but I should firmly hold back here.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

DavidA

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Matthew Fraser

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Alan Sharman

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Ctdela

Curious Panda

Didntpassit

nick nasca

openope

rads

SD Fox

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More

[WN] Jitsuwa 3-Domedatta : Chapter 234

Chapter 234

(Kyle Calendar Year 513: Age 20)

A Tearful Request

Translator : PolterGlast

The final regular meeting before the decisive battle had ended. As everyone stood up and left the conference room, only Duke Klein and I remained.

"My apologies for keeping you every time, Demon Territory Count. What did you sense regarding the Fearalt King's scheme this time?"

"Compassion for his younger brother and sister, and political strategy—it is likely these two points. I do not believe there is any falsehood in his care for his kin, but on the other hand, as a King trying to unite his country, he is thinking of advancing this war to his advantage."

"Meaning?"

"He expects—no, he assumes—that he will borrow our strength, effectively gaining reinforcements through a fait accompli. If it becomes known that the 'figureheads' are here, the forces of the disgruntled nobles will inevitably be divided and directed toward us as well. After all, we have people within the Kyle Kingdom inciting them to do just that."

"Water and fire... troublesome fellows indeed."

"Most likely, under normal circumstances, the rebel elements within the Principality would not attack us. However, once hostilities open with the Empire or the Imperial Kingdom, they will likely advance, aiming to fish in troubled waters."

"Hmm, it seems your opinion aligns with His Majesty's. Well then, that concludes the preamble. Shall we get to the main topic? I heard you are gathering Thunder Mages?"

That is true. But does he know about that already? I thought I was moving with a degree of secrecy...

"I received a request from Lord Gorman via the Academy as well. He asked to be accommodated with trustworthy Thunder Mages. That brings us to this discussion. Now, show him in!"

When the Old Raccoon raised his voice, the door to a conference room that was not usually used slowly opened.

"!!!"

I stood up involuntarily, surprised by the person who entered. I knew the man who entered and bowed. No, why is he here?

"Marquis Torhast, this is not your first time meeting the Demon Territory Count. Let him hear your thoughts."

"Yes. Until now, we have stood in opposing camps regarding who controls the heart of this nation. However, political strife only matters as long as there is a Kingdom to govern. To me, the recent movements of my compatriots seem nothing short of madness. To think they are dreaming such naive dreams—plotting a rebellion with the aid of a foreign power to seize control of this country... "

"That is how it is. The Marquis seems to have grown disgusted with the recent movements of the heads of the Water, Fire, and Ice clans. He came to me in the Royal Capital secretly to inform me of their movements. That is the situation."

"Um... Since we have the Marquis's testimony, couldn't we just arrest them before they make a move?"

"They may be fools, but in that regard, they have been careful not to leave behind any solid evidence. Therefore, we have arranged for the Marquis to coordinate with us secretly. I intend to have him lend you his strength as well. I realize you may still harbor some past grudges, Demon Territory Count... but the fate of the Kingdom is at stake."

"I myself have been confined to my territory since that time, and I have come to see things I could not see before. And I pride myself on still inheriting the blood and feelings of my ancestors who founded this country alongside the first King Kyle."

No... considering everything up until now. I can't just accept those words so easily. I was at a loss for an answer.

"Marquis, as a sign of trust, would you entrust about ten of your subordinate Thunder Mages to the Demon Territory Count?"

"Understood. I shall arrange it immediately."

"Today was a private introduction. Since our business is concluded, Marquis, could you withdraw and wait for a moment? There are still matters I must discuss."

At the Old Raccoon's words, Marquis Torhast bowed and exited the room. As if waiting for that moment, I turned on the Old Raccoon.

"I still cannot understand your thinking, Excellency. You tell me to trust him? I do not believe people can change that easily..."

"Fufufu, trusting someone and keeping them close at hand are two completely different things. But at least there are unchangeable facts.

First, compared to the other three Marquises, he is late to the party. Even if he were to join their camp now, he would only be following in their dust. Second, at this rate, even if we win, he will never be able to rise again in the future.

Regarding these two points, he likely made his decision after being driven into a corner. If we were to turn him away now, he would surely run back to the Three. That is an outcome I would very much like to avoid."

"However... is there not a possibility he is a 'sacrificial pawn'? Aiming for mutual destruction with us?"

"If he is a spy sent by the three Marquises, we simply use him for counter-intelligence. However, having held the position of Minister of Commerce for many years, he sees the world a little better than the other three. Well, that is not the only reason. Since the previous rebellion, there are still those who have not been caught in our net."

"If you have thought it through that far, I have nothing more to say."

"Besides, regarding the Thunder Mages, one or two might be manageable, but gathering a decent number is quite difficult. The decent children of noble families all belong to the Magic Knights. The rest are those with no resolve to step onto a battlefield; even if you gathered them, they would be of no use to you."

"Use those ten men while considering where to deploy them. That is what you mean, correct?"

Indeed, the Thunder Mages required for the newly devised Aegis defense are intended to work as parts within the tactic—essentially as generators. Even if something were to happen, the damage would not be enough to alter the tide of battle. It will be fine if I operate them under surveillance.

"Understood. I will gratefully accept them."

"With this, he will think we have trusted him somewhat. Once that happens, his movements will become visible."

Well, I am not in a position to view the entire war situation; strictly speaking, I am just one piece positioned in the South. I suppose I am seeing something different from His Majesty and the Old Raccoon, who are looking at all the pieces on the board.

And there is one anxiety that neither the Old Raccoon nor I have dared to voice: the movements of Lugner, the eldest brother of the Hiyorimi family, the mastermind behind the previous civil war who continues to evade capture.

Considering those factors, does this mean he intends to embrace a man who might become a parasite in the lion's body?

"You heard Margrave Hamish's report in the earlier meeting, did you not? It seems the Istoria Imperial Kingdom has already made its next move. Barely any time has passed since we refused their demand to return the prisoners, yet I hear they have already dispatched missives to the neighboring nations: the Griffonia Empire, the Piett Trade Confederation, and the Fearalt Principality."

"Do you know the reactions of each country?"

When I asked that, the Old Raccoon smiled bitterly and answered.

"The Empire has said nothing. They are likely already proceeding with their actions as planned. The Piett Trade Confederation seems to be split in its reaction. For now, there are no noticeable movements there either. As for the Principality... the King's faction apparently laughed it off. The opposition faction seems to be making quite a noise about it, however."

"I see, the foundation for the encirclement is being steadily laid. Is that it? It is quite a forced argument, but it means preparations for the 'justification'—or rather, the false accusation—for invasion are complete."

"Indeed. We, too, shall begin to mobilize openly in the South and East to counter these moves. However, regarding the forces in the West and North... we must make a show of moving them—ostensibly to serve as a rearguard for those other fronts."

"And that is why you are using that Marquis? Is that the reason?"

"Setting aside the Marquis's own thoughts for now, the Thunder Clan is likely not a united front either. It will naturally convey that our attention is directed toward the South and East. We will utilize that as well."

"Understood. Regarding the Magic Knights and the 2,000 archers, preparations to receive them in Gaia are complete. However, frankly speaking, the new 3,000 troops exceed our reception capacity."

"Regarding them, they will likely be entrusted to the former Count Goyoku territory, which is now land under direct Royal control. The Minister of Military Affairs' army will likely depart and set up camp facing East—towards the North—the moment hostilities open on the eastern front."

"That makes sense. The Imperial Kingdom will likely create a slight time lag to draw our army to the East."

"Precisely. Little do they know we have a wise man here who has seen through their intentions."

"Indeed. And they do not know there is a raccoon in the Royal Capital pretending to have fallen completely for their trap."

"Then, I leave the right wing of the South to you. If that collapses, everything ends. I will send reports sequentially regarding the West, East, and North, so please help us out in various ways."

"Excellency, ever since I was a student at the Academy, you have always assigned me homework that is too large. It is hard work for a poor student to always be clearing up homework."

"I am truly sorry. And, I am grateful to you beyond words."

"..."

I had never seen the Old Raccoon apologize so earnestly. He had apologized before, during the time of the special envoy and before that. But this time was completely different; he kept his head bowed low.

"Just for this time, His Majesty and I intended to go to the front lines and fight together. His Majesty and I have fought on the front lines against the Imperial Army in the past. It was the very battle where your father achieved military exploits and became a Baron. But this time, there are battlefronts in four directions. We need someone to maintain the chain of command in the center and oversee the deployment and command of the Royal Capital Knights. Because of that, we cannot go to the front lines. It is a source of great shame."

"Everyone understands that. Even pieces on a board cannot move forward if they are worried about what lies behind them. We are relying on your command."

"In that past battle, His Majesty, myself, and Margrave Hastburg lost young men who would have shouldered the future of this country, heads of excellent noble families, and men we could call friends. This time, we intend to support from the rear with all our might so that we do not experience such feelings again, and so that we do not lose this country. I know that, in the end, this becomes a weight upon you. But..."

Tears spilled endlessly from the Old Raccoon's eyes.

Honestly speaking, I don't know much about the history before I was born or the circumstances of how my father became Baron Solis. There were too many other things to do than investigate such things.

But I have heard that Baron Abert, the former Lord of Estol, the eldest brother of Count Gorman, and Count Farmus—whose line is now extinguished—were sworn allies of the Margrave Hastburg of that time, and were young heads of families supporting the southern frontier.

And I learned as history that with their loss, the defense of the Kingdom's southern frontier suffered immeasurable damage and took a considerable time to rebuild, and that my father, having achieved military exploits, was promoted in rank with the expectation that he would bear a part of that burden.

Perhaps the Old Raccoon had some relationship or karma with them as well. And I could understand that he regretted what happened then and was superimposing his feelings onto this situation.

That is why we will definitely survive and win the war! I thought so once again.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

DavidA

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Matthew Fraser

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Alan Sharman

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Ctdela

Curious Panda

Didntpassit

nick nasca

openope

rads

SD Fox

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More