As soon as I started the cross-examination, the red-haired man revealed
everything.
He told us that a noble of the Amelia kingdom, Fracton had contacted the
empire and made an arrangement for them to kidnap the first princess of the
Amelia kingdom, Rosemary Loto Amelia.
This woman was the saint who summoned the hero. When I thought about
it again, that was the only possibility left. I felt saddened because of the past
me, who had failed to notice such a poor disguise by her.
Anyhow, the ringleader of this incident, the one called Fracton, should be
that overly proud beardy noble. My only memories about him were nothing
more than him one-sidedly mocking and thoroughly harassing me as an
incompetent traitor.
The red-haired man also told me that the empire had dispatched two people
to accomplish this mission, a summoner called Enzu and the Sword
Emperor― Signiel Gastrea.
Summoning arts were used to summon various living beings from another
world to this world. According to the knowledge of the fifteen-year-old Kai,
summoning arts were supreme magic only powerful people with ancient
magic could perform. The summoner called Enzu was a supreme summoner
with the power to summon the spirit king.
The [Subjugation Picture Book] enables me to reconstruct the flesh with
the soul information of the target by using my mana. I can then store the
monsters in the personal world I created for them inside the book. What I
do resembles summoning magic.
However, the monsters of that super easy dungeon might have a hard time
against the monsters summoned by that summoner. As if that isn't bad
enough, their side also has the Sword Emperor, Signiel Gastrea. We are
completely at a disadvantage.
From a strategic point of view, I should evacuate as fast as possible but that
isn't an option for me. Keeping my desire to fight a strong opponent aside, I
realize that the old Kai Heineman would also refuse to do that. I think it's
mainly because the old me had a strong attachment toward the woman
called Rose. This factor coincides with a vague reason for our defeat and
my tendency to not run away from a strong opponent. Thus, we have no
choice but to go back to the camp.
Moreover, even though I could barely recall anything about the past in that
super easy dungeon, I clearly remembered the swordsmanship of the Sword
Emperor Ashburn Gastrea even before my memories returned. His
swordsmanship isn't just for show. Whenever I recall the image of his
swordsmanship in his heyday, I feel a chill run down my spine. And here
are we, at Signiel Gastrea, the person entrusted with the title of Sword
Emperor by such a great swordmaster. Oh crap! Even though I realize that
I'm about to go against such a dangerous opponent, I can't stop this
palpitation in my chest for some reason.
This world has no lack of strong people, and Signiel Gastrea is one of the
most powerful of them. It seems I really want to engage in a fight that holds
no merit for me. Good grief, this impulse is hard to suppress. But, no doubt
about it, this is the essence of me, Kai Heineman.
Well, since it has been decided, let's make our move at once. First, we have
to disturb the enemy's war potential.
I took out the [Subjugation Picture Book] from my item box and opened
its first page, [Battaman].
The number "9999" was displayed on [Battaman]'s page. The maximum
registered population in the [Subjugation Picture Book] depended upon
the strength of the monsters in there. Basically, the smaller the population,
the stronger the monsters living inside. In short, the [Battamans], whose
registered number had reached 9999, were the weakest monsters in the
book.
Even now, I still wonder just how in the hell I managed to gather that much.
Well, it might be my obsessive-compulsive disorder, which forced me to
gather till I reached the maximum number.
Now, let's scout the enemy's war potential with 100 battamans first.
「[Battaman]―[Release] 100.」
A hundred battaman appeared in front of me as soon as I uttered those
words.
『GIGI GAGA(Your orders, Master).』
The battamans bowed and cupped their hands in front of their chest.
「Aren't they the monsters of the upper floor of the dungeon? Maybe not.
But still, don't they look way too strong compared to how they're supposed
to, Master? 」
「Uhm, yeah! I got this book after clearing a special condition. It allows me
to capture the souls of the monsters inside the dungeon and bring them back
into this world by recreating their flesh.」
Astaroth raised his monocle as he brought his face closer to the
[Subjugation Picture Book]. The moment he did so, he sweated like a
waterfall. He then looked down while touching his head.
「Just how messed-up is this guy!!!!」
He muttered some ambiguous words with teary eyes. Well, let's set aside
this Chicken Majin, who's acting suspicious, for now. Now, to the main
point―
I stood in front of the battamans who had formed a line.
「It seems an evil monster called ogre, beasts called black panthers, and
some people dressed in black robes, like this one, are hiding in this area.
Your job is to disturb them. You have to open a path for us to our
destination. However, don't chase too far and make sure that you all come
back alive in one piece. That's my only order for you.」
I ordered them. Even though it looked like a joke, these Battamans were my
subordinates. I didn't wish for them to throw away their lives in vain and
die like idiots.
『GU GIGI GA GIGI GAGA? (Are we allowed to kill them?)』
""
「Yes, but don't force yourself if it's impossible. Safety should be your
priority. Otherwise, do as you wish.」
『GAGA GU GIGIIIIIIIIII!!(GODSPEED TO US)』
Astaroth's cheeks twitched when he saw those battamans letting out such
spirited warcries.
Seeing them, Faf nodded with a satisfied expression.
「WELL THEN, Let's commence the operation! Gogogogo!」
『GIGI(YES SIR!)』
At my order, the battmans spread into the forest in all directions.
「Shall we go then? We can't rest on our lapels while the battamans are
working hard, after all.」
「Let's go, nodesu!」
I sent a sidelong glance to Fafnir, who raised her right fist in the air.
「Let me confirm something master. Do you really think that those
guys(battamans) are going to lose?」
Astaroth facepalmed with his right hand as he asked me this question.
「Uhm? Well, they were originally monsters from the upper floors of that
super easy dungeon, after all. It's natural for them to struggle if they fight
from the front, right? But, they've already received training for that. They
should be strong enough to create a disturbance in the enemy's ranks.」
After training for tens of thousands of years, the monsters I registered in
this book had become much more powerful than before. I think the current
theme could accomplish this job with ease.
「I give up! I don't know what to say anymore.」
Astaroth's shoulder dropped as he heaved a really deep sigh. It seemed as if
he felt exhausted from the bottom of his heart.