[WN] Shut-In : Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Stay Put

Translator : PolterGlast

「It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My name is Kazuma Hijirikawa, and I serve as the representative of the Heroes of this country.」

Kazuma-kun wore a perfect, beaming smile. I wondered if he was perhaps trying to add even the two demons to his harem roster. Kazuma-kun's path to a harem might know no bounds.

「A Hero-sama, is it... Well, well.」

Priola-san returned his smile. And behind Kazuma-kun, Misha, and behind Priola-san, Lirica-san, both wore similar smiles. But I wonder why; to me, it didn't look like a single one of them was genuinely smiling.

「Before we get to the main topic, let us have a light tea break.」

When Izel II clapped his hands with a pan-pan, a steady stream of maids entered the room. The fact that they were all so pretty that you'd think they were chosen based entirely on their looks was probably due to Izel II's personal taste. They poured black tea, and tea snacks were distributed. ...Perhaps because I'm so used to seeing the offerings at Jin's Patisserie, these somehow felt a bit lacking.

「Lirica-sama, I shall test for poison.」

「No, it is fine. True friendship begins with mutual trust.」

Lirica-san stopped Priola-san from stepping forward and directly brought the cup to her lips. ...She's got some serious guts.

(...No, that's not it.)

From my position hiding in the shadow, which allowed me to peek at the situation from below, I could see her legs trembling slightly. Thinking about it, I suppose it's only natural. They had suddenly come to the stronghold of total strangers of a completely different race. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, there was no way they wouldn't feel fear. However, Lirica-san was suppressing that welling fear and still acting resolutely. Just looking at that one action, I could understand her level of seriousness. Personally, I found her to be far more trustworthy than someone like Izel II.

However, reality was cruel.

「Guh... Gah...」

「Lirica-sama!?」

Just as I thought Lirica-san's body began to tremble after bringing the tea to her lips, she spat out the tea she had taken into her mouth. Mixed within it was a faint trace of crimson. Priola-san, who had been cautiously about to sip her own tea, immediately spat it out and glared at Izel II. And having watched this sequence of events while sipping his tea, Izel II and Misha beside him... had smirks plastered on their faces.

T-These guys... they actually poisoned their meeting partners!? Are they insane!? No, I already knew they weren't in their right minds, but still!

In the shadow behind me, I could tell that Alicia sharply gasped. Well, anyone would be shocked seeing their father and the others acting like this.

「Guh... You bastards! What is the meaning of this!?」

「What meaning is there to ask...」

「That should be glaringly obvious just by looking at the situation.」

Misha stepped back and gave a meaningful glance. Then, as if switching places with her, Kazuma-kun and his Kazuma harem stepped forward.

「Misha, these girls are...」

「They are minions of the Demon Lord. If we do not kill them here, they will undoubtedly become our enemies later... Hero-sama.」

「A-Ah, I understand.」

The Hero Kazuma-kun, the Bow Saint Aina-san, the Sword Saint Kotegawa-san, and the Sage Mitsurugi-san stepped to the front. And following suit, the Black Knight clad in black armor lined up beside them. Kazuma-kun and the others have definitely grown stronger than before, and that Black Knight is by no means weak either. But even so, Lirica-san and Priola-san are unmistakably stronger.

However, that is only assuming they are in peak condition. Thanks to the utterly fiendish act of poisoning the tea prepared for the meeting, Lirica-san and the other are clearly weakened. If a fight breaks out in this state, it would be an even match... No, it would probably lean slightly in favor of Kazuma-kun's side.

(Masaru...) (Yeah, of course.)

Since Miku tugged on my sleeve from behind, I gave a firm nod. Of course, I have no intention of letting this meeting hall turn into a bloodbath. If Izel II and Misha have no intention of negotiating properly... then we'll just have to turn this place into a proper meeting hall ourselves.

「Haaai everyone, stop for a second, hold on, just stay put!」

「Wh—, you're... Kazuno!?」

「You've got some nerve casually showing your face here!」

With a shing, the tips of the swords held by Kazuma-kun and Kotegawa-san pointed toward me. Hey there, you two. It's been a while since I took everyone to the Empire.

「Don't tell me... have you come to interfere again?」

「Hmm... That's a bit of a tough question to answer.」

It's true that I came to interfere with the Grust Kingdom's ulterior motives, but I have absolutely no intention of ruining the meeting with the demons. Since things were heading straight towards a battle scenario, I just came to intervene a little.

「Kazuma-sama, this fellow is...」

「Yeah, Kazuno Masaru... the very culprit who took Akira and the others away.」

「Men, apprehend that traitor!」

「「「Sir!」」」

At Izel II's command, the Kingdom's knights, led by the Black Knight, charged toward me all at once. I don't plan on killing them, so here, Stun Shock.

「「「Gwaaaaahhh!?」」」

「Railgun.」

「Guh... Please flee, Your Majesty...」

When I used a coin to blast straight through the chest of the Black Knight who was trying to flank me from behind, the hall went dead silent. Everyone's gazes simultaneously darted between me and the Black Knight collapsed on the ground.

「N-No way, for Beendorf-san to go down so easily...」

The Kazuma harem seemed extremely shocked that he was instantly defeated. Come to think of it, aside from the two demons, I think he had the most magic power. Perhaps he was some famous knight in the Kingdom or something. His name does sound pretty cool, too.

「Now then, first things first... Lirica-san, would it be alright if I cast Light Magic on the two of you?」

「...Please... do...」

Having obtained consent from Lirica-san, who was clearly in bad shape from the poison, I firmly activated my magic. Considering this is a poison the Kingdom brought specifically for this meeting against demons, it's a bit doubtful whether a regular Cure would heal it. Their stamina also seems depleted, so I think I'll put a bit more spirit into it and use this one instead.

「Last Heal.」

Using an AoE casting skill to widen the effective range, I healed both of them at once with a single spell. With me, every mid-tier single-target healing spell turns into a high-tier healing spell that restores HP to the entire party. An area-of-effect healing ability that would even shock a King Cureslime.

「Wh-, this is...」

...Huh, they actually healed normally. Honestly, I thought they couldn't be healed with simple Light Magic. I was completely under the impression that beings who live in darkness would reject normal Light Magic and could only be healed with corrupted Light Magic using Holy-Demonic Reversal, so I'm honestly surprised. Perhaps demons are a race much closer to humans than we think. But if that's the case... who exactly is that dark-attribute recovery magic meant to heal?

「You bastard... no, who... exactly are you?」

「Just a passing shut-in.」

I tried striking a sharp pose with two fingers next to my face, but the hall fell dead silent. ...There is nothing more embarrassing than failing while trying to act cool. I decided to pretend I never said that and quickly move the conversation along.

「Umm, anyway, I'll state my objective. Personally, I would like the people of the Grust Kingdom to have a proper discussion with the two demons.」

When I twisted my body to look to the side, I saw Izel II, whose brain had completely short-circuited from the continuous stream of unexpected events, and Misha, whose face was bright red, presumably from anger.

「Wh... What is your goal, you bastard!?」

「Err, like I said, to have a proper discussion...」

「You mean to force us to listen to you with sheer power! You scum!」

「No, I'm saying I want you to talk...」

I tried to get Izel II and Misha to listen, but they completely refused to lend an ear. I mean, it might be my fault for suddenly resorting to force, but it couldn't be helped, right? If they had kept fighting like that, both sides would have suffered casualties, and a discussion would have been out of the question.

Figuring those two were a lost cause, I then turned toward Kazuma-kun and his group. They had recovered from the shock of that whatever-his-name-was Black Knight getting defeated. While they were still in a battle-ready stance, perhaps because they understood that I had no intention of fighting in the first place, the glares they directed at me didn't seem that harsh. ...Well, Kotegawa-san next to him was glaring daggers at me, and Mitsurugi-san in the back was terrified and half-crying, though.

「Kazuma-kun, there's one thing I want to ask you.」

「...What is it?」

「Do you truly believe it's okay to poison and defeat people who came here intending to have a discussion?」

「T-That's...」

「Since they properly showed their sincerity, shouldn't the human side compromise too?」

Since the ones actually holding the talks are ultimately Izel II and Lirica-san's group, I doubt Kazuma-kun has that much authority. However, he is still the representative of the Heroes, and the fiancé of the First Princess, Misha. If at least he doesn't adopt a sensible way of thinking, the Grust Kingdom really will end with this generation.

「Guh... But they are demons, the vanguard of the Demon Lord!」

「But they came all the way here to talk, didn't they? Furthermore, there is a noble elegance in their clothes and behavior. They have solid intelligence, and they mustered their courage to come here thinking that rational dialogue with us might be possible. Trampling on those feelings and killing them with poison is way too fiendish. Rather than a Hero, that's already the act of a Demon Lord.」

「Guh...」

Perhaps he felt guilty somewhere in his heart, because Kazuma-kun fell silent with a groan. Seeing that reminded me of a video of that "King of Refutation" I saw on the internet once. ...I messed up. In times like this, it's obviously better to properly communicate while gently reasoning with the other party... What am I doing just refuting them down! As expected, those kinds of delicate nuances are impossible for a shut-in!

(Umm, as always, it seems there's no room for dialogue with Izel II... and Misha is glaring at me like I killed her parents.)

Having his trump card instantly killed and his Hero debated down, Izel II remained silent, his face flushed bright red. The reason it hasn't turned pale is probably because he never expects me to actually lay a hand on him. Hmm, but with the king they rely on acting like that, I can't expect any proper negotiations... Just as I was wondering what to do, the shadow at my feet suddenly flashed. It was the signal from Miku that we had prepared beforehand.

When I dove into the shadow as if running away while bathed in everyone's gazes, it seemed that Alicia had something she wanted to say.

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[WN] Emperor's Seventh Son : 11 - 6 Part 2

11-6 Part 2

The Boundary Line Between Hypocrisy and Self-Righteousness

- The Pursuer Carrying a Shovel on His Back -

Translator : PolterGlast

The church was gloomy, and I felt like I was going to suffocate. I had things I wanted to do anyway, so I slipped out into the town and went around the taverns. And first, I did some checking. Paying my respects to the soft-hearted Priest Yungwi, that is.

「Why were you fired from the military?」

There were apparently only three taverns in town, so finding them was easy in itself. They had ordered ale, black bread, and bean soup, and were devouring it looking like it was delicious.

「Hii...」

「You're the guy from earlier...?!」

「W-Wait! Please, just listen to what we have to say...!」

When I intruded on such a blissful moment, they turned pale at the sight of me. They even looked like they had prepared themselves for death.

「Why are you so frightened. I shared my meat with you; you guys are cruel.」

I sat down at the four-person table as well and leaned my Shovel against the chair. I came here just to see how things were. If they were going to continue being bandits from here on out, I should dispose of them before their spearhead turned toward the local people. If I weigh the lives of guys who have lost their livelihood against the happiness of the people, I cannot choose lukewarm hypocrisy.

「W... We can tell...」

「Tell? What exactly?」

As if seeing through my decision, they shrank back as if they had aged. The leader, trembling with a rattle, squeezed out his words with a strained voice.

「Those eyes... We've seen people like you on the battlefield a few times...」

「Unfortunately, I am not a soldier. Just a carefree adventurer.」

「No, we knew when we faced you! That archer named Kachua was incredibly skilled too, but the one who's even scarier is you...! You came to kill us, didn't you...」

「Don't say such scandalous things. Besides, I asked you first, didn't I? Why were you fired from the military?」

Did their intuition as former soldiers see through my other face? I was careless. If I had just left them on the highway, just as Priest Yungwi said, other thieves or perhaps beasts would have disposed of them.

「How did you know we were former soldiers...?」

「Ah, that's because your method was a stupidly honest, head-on intimidation. And the fact that you didn't resort to a crime until you were so completely starved that your eyes were stolen by dried meat and you got shot with arrows was another criterion for my judgment.」

They neither argued against nor corrected my deduction. Perhaps because their stomachs were full. Back then they looked like a rough bunch, but now they seem much calmer and even good-natured.

No, on the contrary, they were even greatly agitated by the fact that their identity as soldiers was seen through. Even disgraced soldiers who had lost their livelihood might have had their last shred of pride. I revised my evaluation of them just a little.

「That's right, we were originally Imperial soldiers... But before we knew it, we got dragged into a power struggle... When our superior officer voiced his opinion to the General, our entire squad was disbanded...」

「That's unlucky. Don't tell me that General was General Georg?」

「Don't be stupid! The one we served under was a country General in the frontier in charge of the eastern side of the Empire! Don't lump him in with Georg-sama!」

They must have been really furious with that country general. Baring their anger, they ground their teeth, slammed their mugs on the table, and clenched their fists in frustration.

This is just speculation, but it seems the fact that the Emperor's illness is beyond help is spreading even among the upper echelons of the military. However, surprisingly, they admire Aniue? Let's revise my evaluation of them a little more.

「Then I'll change the question. What did that superior officer protest about?」

When I leaned slightly over the table, the leader pulled his chair closer and brought his scarred face near.

「It seems the General intends to collude with the Knight Order...」

「That again smells subtly suspicious.」

The Knight Order is a collective of the knight class, and the Imperial Army is the national army that follows the Emperor. There is no doubt that both are regular armies, but due to their different positions, there is a deep-rooted conflict from olden times.

「It's a matter completely beyond our understanding...」

「Before we knew it, we were fired... Kicked out of the barracks... Hungry... We're really sorry... We won't do it again...」

「Yeah... Once our stomachs were full, we suddenly felt pathetic. Being easily handled as mere bandits by you youngsters... But, we had no other choice, we're sorry...」

How frustrating. Now that I hear their circumstances, to think that Priest Yungwi was the one who was right. But either way, if someone doesn't reach out a hand to them, the ending will be the same. They will make many people miserable, and in the end, they will be struck down as bandits who lost their pride.

「Then how about becoming adventurers? It's not necessarily a bad trade. ...Or rather, you should stop being bandits already. You guys aren't suited for it at all. If you're former soldiers, you should be able to put that bravery to good use.」

Either way, it's a dangerous job where you wager your life, but it pays better than being a thief.

「But, those guys hate soldiers...」

「We didn't want to bow our heads to them either...」

「It's a lost cause if you end up becoming bandits as a result of being so picky.」

But this is troubling. This is really troubling. Even though I slipped out of the church to dispose of them, I can't do it like this. Now that I've talked to them properly, they aren't bad guys to the core.

「I have no words...」

「We're a lost cause, hahaha...」

Besides, they gave me valuable information. The collusion between a frontier General and the Knight Order. Is it just my imagination that it looks exactly like they are proceeding with preparations for rebellion or independence?

If I convey this to Georg-aniue or Jii, they will probably provide a more accurate analysis. If so, these guys are witnesses, albeit indirectly. As I turned my eyes to each of their faces to make my final confirmation, they must have thought they were finally going to be killed, and they turned stark pale.

This is bad. Have I dirtied my hands too much and my expression has changed? So I faked a smile that I wouldn't normally show and made a decision.

「When your wounds heal, go to Erin. It's a land situated to the west of the Imperial Capital, recently bestowed upon a Prince named Ashley by His Majesty the Emperor.」

「Eh...」

The former villains were surprised in unison.

「If you say you can only be soldiers, I will give you a soldier's job. If you say you were introduced by the book-crazy Shinza, a man named Puis will hire you.」

「A j-job...?」

「That's right, a job. I'm giving you a job, so wash your hands of being bandits.」

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[WN] A Hero From a Remote Village : Chapter 217

Chapter 217

Covered in Wounds

Translator : PolterGlast

Although we safely escaped the dungeon, Aoi was in a state of being battered and bruised. Since you can revive even if you die in the dungeon, I thought it might be better to just kill her so she could fully recover, but Aoi flatly refused on the grounds that she was "scared of dying." I can somewhat understand how she feels, but personally, I think dragging a leg through a dungeon capture would be more painful. Despite all that, well, we made it back safely, so all's well that ends well.

「We finally made it back above ground! My legs and arms hurt so much!」

「We're going to the Adventurer’s Guild to report now, but do you want to head back to the inn first, Aoi?」

「No way! We went through the trouble of defeating it, so I want to be praised!」

「I don't know if you'll be praised. But if you say you're tagging along, I don't intend to force you to stop, though.」

「I'll lend you my shoulder, so let's go together, Aoi-chan. Maybe they'll even be able to treat you.」

「Ginia, thank you!」

I did cast recovery magic on her just in case, but since it was damage sustained from pushing herself past her limits, it didn't have much effect. Treatment through a different approach might be effective, so consulting Lynette might indeed be a good idea. Thinking such things, we headed straight for the Adventurer’s Guild right after exiting the dungeon.

When we explained the situation at the reception desk, we were immediately guided to the Guild Master's office without being made to wait. Including the travel arrangements, I could tell Lynette was treating us like VIPs, for which I was truly grateful.

「Graham-san, Ginia-san, Aoi-san. Were you able to obtain information on the Kaonashi from Battenberg? I went ahead and gathered information again on my end just in case, so please look at these documents──」

「Ah, sorry. It seems you've been working on various things for us, but the subjugation of the Kaonashi is already done.」

「...Eh? A-Are you saying you've already defeated the Kaonashi?」

「Yeah. That's what it means.」

「Amazing, wonderful! Your exploits in the Royal Capital were tremendous, but your power truly is the real deal, Graham-san! Not only handling a troublesome request, but your speed of resolution is also top-tier! I'm truly glad I requested this of you, Graham-san!」

Lynette was uncharacteristically excited, grabbing my hand and shaking it vigorously. It's just that we happened to encounter it right away, so I can only say we were lucky... but thinking that the two of them are being praised, I don't feel bad about it.

「No, I didn't fight this time. Ginia and Aoi did the subjugation of the Kaonashi for me.」

「...Eh? I didn't think Ginia-san and Aoi-san were weak either, but are you saying they are highly capable individuals!? Please excuse my profound rudeness. Based solely on my own assumptions, I was absolutely certain that you had subjugated it, Graham-san...」

「You don't have to apologize! If I were in your position, I'd think Graham defeated it too!」

「In reality, it's as if Graham-san defeated half of it. He showed us the battle with the clone, and he was the one who found the main body, after all.」

Ginia and Aoi called out to the deeply bowing Lynette like that.

「Thank you for your forgiveness. ...There are various things I'd like to ask, but what kind of monster was the Kaonashi?」

「Nine out of ten, it was a monster that entered from outside the dungeon. I didn't figure out its true identity, but the reason it was invisible was because it used a clone to attack. However, its main body was also strong, and I think it's related to the Demon King... but that is ultimately just my speculation.」

「I thought it was an irregular entity, but an intruder from outside the dungeon? I had confidence in our security, but it seems we are still naive.」

「No, I think the opponent was just bad news this time. It was a monster that could freely change its appearance and form, so I don't think the security was naive.」

When it comes to preventing the Kaonashi from invading, there's no choice but to stop people from coming and going. Or there's the option of stationing personnel who can see magic power, but well, that's not realistic. I think it's better to accept that it couldn't be helped this time, considering the future.

「Thank you for your comforting words. I will limit it to a review of our security so as not to overdo it.」

「Yeah, I think that's good. Also, this is the equipment the Kaonashi left behind. Its corpse remained too, but as expected, we couldn't bring it back. Because it didn't turn to ash unlike the dungeon's monsters, you might be able to recover the corpse if you go to the thirty-sixth floor where we subjugated it.」

「I see...! I will send someone to recover it immediately! As for the equipment, please take it home with you, Graham-san. Given that the Kaonashi was wearing it, it must be something of value, right?」

「I'll hand it over, naturally. You might be able to figure something out from the equipment, and that'll be better for the future.」

It might sell for a high price, but having it investigated is more beneficial. We managed to subjugate it, but in the end, we didn't figure out what it was, after all.

「Thank you for everything. In that case, we will have the Adventurer’s Guild investigate it. I will report to you via letter as soon as we find out anything.」

「Yeah, that would be helpful. Well then, we'll be taking our leave now.」

「Graham-san, Ginia-san, Aoi-san. Thank you once again. I will deliver the reward to you at a later date, so please look forward to it.」

「Thank you! It was a great experience!」

「Indeed. Opportunities to fight a monster of that caliber without risking our lives don't come around often, so it was a truly great experience. Thank you.」

「No, no, no! 'Thank you' is my line!」

After watching them bow their heads to each other repeatedly for a while, I left the Adventurer’s Guild. Since they had booked the inn for a while longer, I intend to stay in the Dungeon City until Aoi recovers to some extent. While waiting for her to recover, I... am thinking of going to the Battenberg residence one more time. I still haven't been able to meet Duke, and I need to report the subjugation of the Kaonashi, after all.

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