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 simpleminded, 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.