Chapter 114
My consciousness awakens. Good, it’s me. It’s me in Shilent’s form.
…But that conversation earlier wasn’t a dream, was it?
“Still… I think what you said is right.” (Shizuma)
I suspected from the start that the mastermind this time was not on the level of just “toying with a single nation.”
Knowledge about dungeons is, after all, knowledge of the deeper inner-workings of this world itself.
…That’s right, it’s better to avoid becoming a target carelessly.
“…It’s gotten pretty dark. If they’re going to make their move, it’ll be soon…” (Shizuma)
I run through the dark mountains.
The air is thick with the scent of greenery, yet it carries the tension of a battlefield.
I soon reached the rear of the royal capital. Naturally, I can spot soldiers patrolling along the outer wall.
“…Slipping in unnoticed won’t do. That’s right… Still’s plan requires them to be on guard.” (Shizuma)
If I were to go along with Still’s “strategy,” then whittling down their soldiers from the outside, while also putting them on alert and forcing them to prepare in full, becomes essential.
That’s why I don’t storm the castle directly. Instead, I keep the damage to the city low, using compact, precise strikes to kill and steadily thin their numbers.
Troublesome, but not impossible. First, I creep up behind one patrolling soldier and cut him down in a single stroke.
…The raw sensation, and the reality of ending his life before he could even sense anything was wrong.
It’s far more vivid than cutting down groups from a distance. That sense of killing a person grows stronger…and with it, joy.
“…I should be grateful for this feeling, at least for now.” (Shizuma)
I move slowly and silently around the capital, repeating the cycle of spotting prey and hunting it.
Soon enough…the soldiers vanish from the area around the capital.
The next target is the gate. From here on, I’ll be seen, and they’ll be on guard.
In other words, it becomes a straight fight.
I restrain myself from wide-area skills, focusing on killing them one by one, cleanly.
I unleash [Gale Break] to lower the closed drawbridge.
The chains holding the drawbridge snap, and the unbalanced bridge crashes down into the water-filled moat, forming a path to the capital.
Of course, this abnormal event makes soldiers flood the area.
“Hey there! Golda’s grunts!” (Shizuma)
“Who goes there, you bastard?!”
“What’s the point of telling you?” (Shizuma)
I close the gap with a single dash, beheading the lead soldier. I swing my greatsword wide before panic can spread.
Soldiers around me are cleaved in two, upper and lower halves split apart. One sweep ends multiple lives.
“It’s Shilent!!! Shilent has appeared!!! Hurry, inform the castle—”
The soldiers gathering on the main street of the capital fall one after another.
Arrows rain down from above.
There’s no need to defend. The arrowheads only scratch the surface of my armor. As expected, these soldiers can’t even come close to piercing Shilent’s stats. The most they leave are faint marks on my skin.
“Overlook some damage! Mage unit, fire!”
The capital apparently has a stationed force of some discipline, because arrows and spells are fired in unison.
A massive fireball came roaring at me while its aftershock was setting street stalls ablaze.
“…Pathetic!” (Shizuma)
I thrust out a kick, like a gangster’s flying strike, directly into the flames.
The force of the blow and the wind pressure overwhelm the fire.
The flames vanish without me feeling a hint of heat, and soldiers are blown away by the shockwave of the kick.
I rush to the fallen soldiers, driving my greatsword down into them to finish them off.
I go again and again like picking up coins spilled across the ground, swiftly, carefully, killing them one by one.
“Monster…! There’s no way we can win…!”
“Run! Run for your lives!!!”
“You’re not getting away.” (Shizuma)
I thrust my greatsword forward at a fleeing back, skewering the soldier and tossing his corpse aside.
…A grand slaughter. Word must have reached the castle by now. That Shilent has returned to this land once more.
—————-
“Something’s going down outside, and it’s bad. I thought the army had come to crack down on the guild in anger, but… it looks like someone launched a night raid. That guy you mentioned, the one with a plan to end the war…is it him?”
Inside the Adventurer Guild in Golda’s castle town, Melissa, holed up there, explains the situation outside to Lemia, who sits working through paperwork with an indifferent attitude.
“I see… He waited until night. I thought he would finish things in one swift blow, but…perhaps he’s trying to minimize damage to the city.” (Lemia)
Standing from her desk, she peers outside with Melissa.
There, they see Shilent, meticulously slaughtering soldier after soldier, mage after mage.
“That’s not normal. He’s about as dangerous as one of the Thirteen Knights… ‘That person,’ even.” (Melissa)
“Yes. His ruthlessness, relentlessness, judgment… I think he resembles that man greatly as well.” (Lemia)
“…Who is he? A candidate for the Thirteen Knights?” (Melissa)
“No, just an adventurer. He rose to Sapphire Rank in only two days, singlehandedly repelled the notorious criminal Frerika’s assault, and drove her to the brink of death. That’s the level of strength he holds.” (Lemia)
“Hah? There’s no way he’s just a regular adventurer. He’s definitely some hero-class figure who made a name for himself in another country. Investigate him properly. I don’t care how far away, you should dig into his origins.” (Melissa)
“…Normally, you would be right. But…I want to believe in him. No matter where he came from, I believe he’s a man who takes up the sword for this country…or rather, for the powerless people.” (Lemia)
Lemia’s gaze at Shilent carries something like admiration. What made her feel that way is known only to herself. But it was true that she had begun to devote herself to Shilent.
“…That’s rare, hearing you say something like that about anyone besides Bark-sama.” (Melissa)
“Fufu, true enough… Now then, what shall we do? This situation…it looks like a perfect chance to slip out of the country.” (Lemia)
“You’re right. If we meddle with him now, we might just get in his way… Instead, let’s take in the civilians who need refuge here in the guild.” (Melissa)
“Oh? That’s surprising. I thought you’d choose to leave the country right away.” (Lemia)
“I can’t do that. I may hate the current royal family, but the townsfolk have looked after me. And if your words are right, this war will be over within a day or two, right? Then it’ll end before we can even flee. Helping the townsfolk evacuate is a more meaningful use of our time.” (Melissa)
“…You’ve mellowed quite a bit.” (Lemia)
The two share a laugh before rushing out of the guild, gathering up civilians who’d lost places to hide in the chaos of battle.
—————-
Soldiers disappear from the streets.
Even more vanish than the number I killed myself.
They’re likely retreating to the castle to regroup.
“…So far, everything’s going according to plan. All that’s left is to meet the conditions.” (Shizuma)
I head toward the castle. Toward the Golda Castle, rising on a hill in the city’s depths.
Gates stand along the slope, each sealed shut, barred tight.
Do they really think that’ll stop me?
I bring my greatsword down, not just destroying the doors but the gates themselves, and advance.
But…I sense something in the smoke, within the rubble of the broken gate.
The next moment…an explosive blast and searing heat engulf my body.
Gunpowder. Likely planted in the gate and set off remotely.
They’ve turned the buildings themselves into bombs to crush me. I give them an inward round of applause for that.
Not bad. That one actually hurt. My skin took some burns.
“…A bit of a sting.” (Shizuma)
But I don’t heal. Because it’s convenient for what’s to come.
Apparently every gate is rigged with powder. I destroy them with ranged attacks as I advance, rather than take explosions up close again and again.
At last, I reached the castle grounds…
“They’ve gathered… No, more like scraped together every last soldier.” (Shizuma)
Every force they could muster is here. Dozens of archers line the heights, dozens of mages stand ready to unleash spells.
And of course, they all fire the instant they see me.
“…Tch! This one…will hurt quite a bit!” (Shizuma)
Flames and lightning sear my body, and arrows strike the scorched spots.
I can feel it…the damage is heavier than before.
I sweep my greatsword, dispersing the remnants of magic.
I stand still under the unending rain of arrows. Enough of this… Time to charge into the soldiers.
The arrows halt to avoid friendly fire, but now spears thrust from every direction.
I endure them all and trample through.
“He doesn’t stop! He won’t stop!!!”
“More spears! Stab him…stab him!!!”
The wave of spears crashes into me, but I swing my blade, inflicting more damage than I take.
A one-man massacre. I race about, my sword carving soldiers into pieces that scatter everywhere, striking fear into the archers above.
Their arrows cease.
Even though this is the moment to ignore friendly fire and keep shooting, the archers hesitate in terror.
“Too soft!!” (Shizuma)
I unleash [Gale Break] at the castle heights, blasting apart part of the structure.
The archers crumble down with the debris.
Crushed, cut down, slaughtered.
Even after all this, after mustering every soldier, all they managed was to leave spear tips lodged faintly in my flesh.
Not even slashes…just shallow punctures. Almost no blood.
I’m a walking cheat. How could anyone defeat me?
But I’m drenched in blood as I pile corpses high. To others, I must look half-dead already.
Like I’ve dumped a bucket of blood over myself.
Drenched, reeking, no patch of me left unstained.
It should be disgusting, revolting…yet I’m reveling in it.
Not just Shilent…me too. I’m enjoying this. The act of killing.
Shilent’s mindset is dragging mine along with it.
Most of all…
“Everything is proceeding…just as planned.” (Shizuma)
‘An inflated false image must be erased once.’ That’s what Still said… Honestly, it was an eye-opener.
And I understood…it had to be done. That’s why I agreed to this plan.
I look like I’m at death’s door. I head into the collapsing castle in that guise.
No soldiers remain. Nothing to stop my advance.
I move through familiar halls, toward the throne room.
That’s where they’ll be, won’t they? The king, with his strongest at his side.
My bloody footprints mark every step. Blood drips down my brow, painting me as though I myself were bleeding.
At last, I reach the doors to the throne room. Time for a heartfelt reunion.
I kick them open.
A thunderous boom. I see the people inside flinch.
“It’s been a while, Golda King. And…those brats. Looks like you got beaten by your companions and ran home.” (Shizuma)
The king sits on his throne. Isaka and Inami stand guard before him.
And…as expected, he’s here too.
An older man, in a black coat like a trench coat, exuding the air of an English gentleman.
…Is he the mastermind, or just a messenger?
“You…! How dare you show your face before me, Shilent!!”
“I thought your end would come eventually. But the chance came sooner than expected, so I came personally to deliver it.” (Shizuma)
“Ghh… Isaka! Inami! Kill this man!”
Inami steps forward timidly, while Isaka does so with full confidence at the king’s enraged command.
“What’s this? The ones who couldn’t even handle that half-baked brat think they can challenge me?” (Shizuma)
“…So you’ve been with Shizuma. Suits you…traitors together.” (Isaka)
“And you? You lost even to that so-called traitor. As for the girl…still clinging like a parasite? What’s the matter, a failure like that got your attention?” (Shizuma)
I provoke them while dropping fragments.
That Shizuma’s strength was half-baked. That compared to Shilent, he’s nothing but trash.
And then…
“You look confident, brat. Do you really think you can beat me?” (Shizuma)
“I do. …You’ve walked right into our plan. I’ll prove it to you right now!” (Isaka)
In that instant, my blade had already swept through.
The throne shattered, my strike grazing the fleeing king and smashing the castle itself.
Walls and ceiling collapse with a single blow.
“Lucky you, King…it didn’t hit. Now then, brat, I’ll give you some attention.” (Shizuma)
I level my greatsword. Let’s set up the battlefield. Let’s remove the distractions.
The night sky shines above, stars visible through the collapsing walls and ceiling.
“You’ve burned yourself out, Shilent. And…you killed too many here.” (Isaka)
A battle I didn’t want begins.
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