Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175: Will of Steel (1)
The story that Johannes Irons, who could be called a hero of Halflings and humanity without any shame, was held captive by the Demon King's Army was absolutely not a story one could easily accept.
"Really... Father...?"
Moreover, to those three, he was also their father.
Someone who seemed like he would absolutely never be defeated easily no matter what happened.
So it was inevitably hard to accept.
"What do you mean? Tell us in detail!"
Eventually, Raphael, unable to hide his agitation and inadvertently pressing for answers, was restrained by Gabriel who maintained a relatively calm attitude befitting the eldest son.
"...Who sent that letter?"
However, even such Gabriel could not hide all signs of great agitation.
"F-From the 5th Corps Commander of the Demon King's Army... a person named Etian..."
"...!"
The devil who suddenly appeared at the Irons family mansion and disappeared into thin air along with Johannes.
That means.
"No way... Really Father..."
It meant that Johannes was defeated at that time.
"...Give it to me."
Gabriel, perhaps unable to believe it easily as expected, reached out his hand toward the letter held in the trembling hand of the knight.
Gabriel, who read the handed letter for a long while.
"W-What is written there, Brother...?"
At Miki's cautious question, he eventually touched his wrinkled forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"...Since they are holding Father captive, they say if we want to save him, we should respond to negotiation."
"N-Negotiation?"
"W-What are they demanding, Brother?"
"......They want us to make a 'contract'. A contract that the Irons will absolutely not intervene in all future fights with the Demon King's Army."
"Such...!"
Devils' contracts have binding force.
Not just words, but if one violates that contract, the other gains the right to take the opponent's life immediately.
Selling one's soul to a devil meant such a thing.
So effectively, it was no different from saying they would put a leash on the Irons, who were a threat to them.
"......."
Naturally, it could only be a humiliating proposal.
"...By any chance, who else knows about this story?"
At Gabriel's question, the knight who brought the letter answered carefully.
"Since I ran straight here as soon as I checked the letter... I think it's only me, but..."
"This content must absolutely not be disclosed to the outside. Understood?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Understood? Absolutely. ...I ask you all as well."
Following that, Gabriel looked back at us and made a request, and I nodded silently without a word.
If the story that Johannes is held captive becomes known, it was obvious like seeing fire that the morale of the army gathered here at the camp would drop.
As mentioned earlier, Johannes' symbolism was not simply about being a famous knight.
He is one of the heroes of humanity, and effectively an existence like an idol to all Halflings.
But the story is that such a person is caught in the enemy's grasp.
Isn't it like losing from the start before the fight even properly begins?
Morale cannot help but be affected.
However,
"...What are you going to do, Brother Gabe?"
The secret could not be maintained forever.
No matter how much we crack down so it doesn't leak from this side, eventually, it will become known someday.
Right away, if the negotiation falls through, Etian's side would try to use it for propaganda first.
From the Irons' perspective, it was already a situation of being besieged on all sides.
At the point Johannes became a prisoner, that is.
So, only difficult decisions remained for the remaining Irons.
Even if they ponder like now, it was a situation where the answer could come out easily.
"...Brother?"
Because no matter what they choose, they only have things to lose.
"We..."
So all Gabriel, who would know this well, could do to his heart's content was probably just trembling the hand holding the letter in anger.
"...We must respond to the negotiation."
"What?!"
At the answer Gabriel reached after agonizing, Raphael was immediately astonished and argued.
"A-Are you serious, Brother?! Making a contract with that guy!?"
He wouldn't be able to accept it.
Furthermore, even Gabriel who gave this answer is making an expression that he himself still finds hard to accept, so would he?
"If it were Father, surely he wouldn't want us to do such a thing because of personal feelings..."
"It is not because he is our father!"
Gabriel shouted abruptly as if yelling.
As Raphael and Miki flinched simultaneously at this, Gabriel seemed to calm himself by exhaling through his nose immediately as if reflecting on revealing his emotions, then returned to a calm tone and continued speaking.
"...It is because that person is Johannes Irons."
Even so, he still couldn't hide the anger he was barely suppressing.
"That person is a symbol."
The situation where he can do nothing but make this choice, and the anger toward himself.
"Our fellow kin gain hope by looking at him. The hope that we too can achieve anything."
Gabriel's words were true.
As mentioned before, the Irons family was no different from a symbol of hope to Halflings.
An existence that overcame the limits of the race and threw a punch straight at the words 'What kind of knight is a mere Halfling', making them face the disregard and discrimination of 'What kind of XX is a mere Halfling'.
Therefore, Johannes, who is responsible for such an Irons family, was not a simple individual.
He was a concept.
That 'we can do it too'.
"We cannot let it become known to the world... that such a person is in the grasp of the Demon King's Army."
And because he knows well the responsibility of becoming the Head of the family following such Johannes someday, and what he must shoulder.
"...Hope must not lose."
Gabriel had no choice but to say this.
"Even if we end up being called traitors... Even if we end up being treated as the disgrace of the family, of the Halflings."
That his symbolism must be protected.
"......."
To this, Raphael couldn't refute.
Because he also came to understand the reason why he made such a decision.
"B-But Brothers, there is no guarantee that the devil will keep the promise..."
"A contract with a devil won't be easy to break on their side either, Miki. Of course, we should also place conditions on this side."
It was a correct statement.
Once a contract is made, devils keep it thoroughly.
They have no choice but to keep it.
Because if they violate that contract, it automatically becomes invalid.
It becomes like undoing the leash they painstakingly put on.
So if they make a contract including the condition that their side also cannot disclose it easily from the start, Johannes' symbolism will be protected.
In a desperate situation where there is only loss no matter what is chosen, Gabriel was talking only about the 'correct answer' which might not be the best but at least the second best in its own way.
──Of course, excluding the fact that the initial premise itself was wrong.
"Miki."
It wasn't a situation right now where there was only loss no matter what.
There was no need to lose anything.
"Don't you already know the answer?"
"...!"
Because that is why I exist here.
A desperate crisis where hope is not visible is exactly the reason why a hero exists.
"...Yes! That's right, Teacher!"
Becoming a spark of hope.
And also, solving such desperate crises is my personal hobby, you see.
"──Brothers!"
So as I pushed his back slightly, Miki, who nodded vigorously as expected, immediately showed that firm will even to his brothers.
"I will go!"
"What──"
"──!?"
The youngest, who would have been cautious even to reveal his opinion, let alone speak firmly in front of them if it were like before.
"We will rescue Father from the hands of the Corps Commander!"
He was saying courageously with a voice full of confidence, asking them to trust me.
"Wait, Miki. What on earth are you..."
Well, of course, it wasn't a situation where the two could just be moved by Miki's noticeable growth.
"Rescuing Father... Don't tell me, you mean you will cross the wall...?!"
"Yes!"
Moreover, crossing the wall was a burdensome task that was hard to imagine easily even for the two.
Beyond the wall was literally a 'Demon's Den'.
The reason the two came to protect the wall was to make it so the dangerous existences living in that Demon's Den couldn't come over.
It was courage they could muster knowing there was a huge wall and many comrades to fight together.
But, walking into the middle of that Demon's Den where they are swarming on his own?
"What kind of..."
Even, that Miki?
When he only looks like a cute youngest to them still?
"Are you in your right mind right now, Miki!?"
Of course, they heard our praises as companions, but in the end, they didn't see it themselves, did they?
However, they were the ones who saw directly and remembered clearly Miki being ignored by many because he couldn't even wield a weapon properly.
"Please believe me, Brothers! I can do it!"
"No, believe or whatever, such a dangerous thing..."
They would be worried.
"Do not worry."
In short, it was time when the power of [Persuasion] was needed.
"The words we said about Miki earlier were all sincere. Miki is really an outstanding knight."
Not simply talking about the attitude as a knight, but he is actually very strong. I said firmly.
"The current Miki is probably stronger than you two."
"──!"
"T-Teacher!?"
At my words, Miki, who was startled, grabbed my arm in great fluster.
Just as those two brothers watched Miki of the past, Miki also watched his brothers for a long time and admired them who were strong.
Just as Miki is only the youngest who is still weak and needs protection to them, Miki also wouldn't be able to easily imagine in his head that he is stronger than such objects of admiration.
But it was true.
Miki right now was stronger than those two.
"We have already defeated one executive of the Demon King's Army."
"...!"
"W-What did you say?"
"Baron of Krom, Kain Midrashi, also couldn't become our opponent."
"It's true."
Ibi, who was listening to my words, chimed in right next to me.
Performing a trick once proudly to them with the two black and white daggers she obtained in Krom.
"I, the daughter of that bastard, can guarantee it."
"Yes?"
"Daughter of... Kain Midrashi...?"
I pushed further the two who couldn't come to their senses hearing astonishing words continuously.
"And recently, we also dealt with Governor Kurt of Shurina personally. Since it was an event just a while ago, I don't know if the news has been conveyed already, but please ask once. Where Kurt is right now."
Then they will know.
That he is in a coffin and buried in the ground.
"K-Kurt...?!"
"And all of it was impossible without Miki's help. Miki is already a much more outstanding knight than you think."
And we are also not weak in our own way.
I added with a giggle.
"So we will rescue Sir Johannes together with Miki. ──From beyond the wall, that is."
"......."
Well, no matter how shocking the content was, the fact that it was eventually just words didn't change.
To them, Miki is a precious younger brother.
This was a fact unchanged in the past and now.
So even if they believe all my words, there was no way the two could make the choice to drive such a precious younger brother into the middle of the Demon's Den── into a place of death.
No matter how much I [Persuade] with high Charm.
I couldn't draw out something that wasn't even in the options.
In other words.
"Of course, it must be hard to believe."
My [Persuasion] was not [Persuasion] for that choice from the beginning.
"Then how about showing Miki's growth to you two directly?"
It was [Persuasion] for this very opportunity.
"Please have a duel with Miki."
"......!"
"After doing that, you will know that our words were correct."