Volume 7 Chapter 138, Magic Sword ~ 46
「.........」
No one uttered a voice. A quiet, heavy moment passes as the man dies so heroic.
After finishing her treatment, Isolde stands up quickly and slowly walks over to the corpse of the previous head of the clan. She kneels without strength and lets out a wail of lamentation.
「You fool......」
She sheds tears and caresses the neck of the man who died proudly as a swordsman and former head of the clan.
It should have been me who would have done this. Sayasute even took Isolde's sin on his shoulders and cut himself. With an unvoiced voice, she paid her respects to her proud and honorable predecessor and mourned his death.
The wind flowed again. The soulless, withered grass and trees rustled and flowed in the wind.
Isolde, who had closed her eyes and had been mouthing the words of condolence in her mouth, turned to Satoru on her knees and knelt deeply.
「Milord. I thank you for you grant this man's petty stubbornness.」
「No.」
Satoru muttered shortly, but of course, his feelings were mixed. He felt guilty for having killed someone, and to be honest, he also felt nauseous, but there was no choice but not to intercede in that situation. Sayasute was proud of himself, and Satoru wanted to take care of it(?). He has no regrets.
However, Satoru has a bitter feeling that he has broken a "common sense" of this world that should not be broken. To be honest, he thinks he went too far by cruelly destroying something so proud that a grown man would not hesitate to die by sacrificing himself. It is too late for that, though.
「My Lord」
「What is it?」
「If My Lord regrets the destruction of the Holy Sword. That's unnecessary.」
Satoru groaned as she saw through his thoughts.
Isolde was surprised at Satoru's honest reaction. Leia Löwenstadt said that Satoru had been restrained ever since he was summoned to this world. He could have gone to any number of tyrannical lengths with his power, but even when he has not done so, it is clear that he has restrained himself. Of course, it is not zero, and as a human being, he may have had a few outbursts of emotion, but he has never done anything that would destroy the world.
However, he probably thinks that destroying the Holy Sword, which has been handed down for thousands of years, is like destroying the common sense of the world. That is why she sees hesitation in him.
「Later, my clan ...... or should I say, my former clan. I will tell you about them later. But let me assure you that it is probably not as bad as My Lord thinks it is.」
Isolde's words had the weight of sincerity, not comfort.
「...... Milord. May I ask your permission to make me in charge of this head?」(?)
「Yeah. Of course.」
With Satoru's permission, Isolde carefully held Sayasute's head in both hands. A trickle of fresh blood dripped from the cross-section, but it was by no means impure. It was the blood of a proud swordsman who had met his death. There was no such thing as dirt.
Many sorcerers think that all they need is to win, but the creatures called knights and swordsmen do not see the value in such a dirty victory. Those who die proudly deserve the respect they deserve.
Isolde walks up to Zelphys, who is still on one knee in awe, and gently holds out the head of Sayasute, who looks peaceful in death.
「Zelphys. Sayasute's last life, I'll be counting on you.」
「...... Ha」
Zelphys bit down hard on his back teeth and nodded his head with tears streaming down his face. Sayasute was the great man who had led this western land as the previous head of the clan, and since he gave up his generation, he had his own thoughts on his death. He was a proud swordsman who died as a sacrifice to bring the Holy Sword Clan to an end, and Zelphy has feelings of admiration for him.
Zelphys wants to follow in the footsteps of the man he revered so much, but Zelphys is determined to overcome these feelings. Now, he is the only Holy Sword Clan left in this western region. If he were to follow in his footsteps, there would be no one left to tell of his clan's demise. There would be no one left to tell the story of the life of the man who died so proudly. There will be no one to tell the story of the last head of the clan, who fought bravely and head-on and was defeated. That is unforgivable.
「And this head and the hilt of the Holy Sword will be placed in the tombs of the heads of the past heads of the clan.」
At Isolde's words, Zelphys looked up, as if he had been moved by a torrent of tears.
A head of the clan who is replaced while they are still alive is never placed in the tomb of the successive heads of the clan. Mostly, former heads of clans who were replaced while they were still alive, like this Sayasute, went to the provinces as a head of the region, died there, and were buried. Only the strong ones who died in battle or remained in the Land of Beginnings are promised to be buried in the tombs of their predecessors in the Land of Beginnings, but the last head of the clan said that Sayasute's head should be placed in the Land of Beginnings.
It was the greatest mourning for a man who passed away as a proud member of the Holy Sword Clan, even though he was a former head. Zelphys, who was brimming with tears, reverently accepted Sayasute's head and fell prostrate.
「Understood. I will surely」
「Well then. You, too. Be well.」
They never spoke of it, but both Isolde and Zelphys knew that they would never see each other again. The only time the head of the clan meets with those who have left the Land of Beginnings is when they are on a mission to defeat the Demon race. Now that the head of the clan is no longer in charge and the Holy Sword, the symbol of the clan, is gone, it is unlikely that they will ever meet again.
Against Isolde, Zelphys stood up slowly, rubbing his forehead against the ground while holding his head. No more tears there. He bowed to Satoru and the man scuttled off as a black bullet, just as he had done when he arrived here.
「Now then.」
With one matter settled, Satoru turned back to the other person who came here at the same time.
Sheryl, who was in the mood to be shown a terrible play, hurriedly regained her composure. Isolde stood between her and Sheryl as if to protect Satoru.
「If Sheryl-dono is going to attempt to kill him, I will do everything in my power to stop you, but...」
Sheryl looked down and shook her head from side to side.
「...... No. No need to worry about that. Isolde-sama is our only and absolute trump card, and now that you have been defeated, I have no intention of rebelling.」
Now that Isolde, or rather the Holy Sword Clan, has been defeated, there is no one who can resist Satoru, even if the power of the human race ― or rather, all four intelligent races ― were to be combined. Even if the great powers in the East joined together to form an army, it would be no obstacle to Satoru.
The plan to eliminate Satoru had failed.
Sheryl suddenly realized what she had come here to do. Satoru had said before. If they stood in his way, he would destroy the Chalk Tower for now. If they seriously try to interfere, he said, they will return not only the academy but also the whole city of Ares to ashes.
She came here to stop that with her own life.
「Never thought I'd see your face again.」
「.........」
Sheryl can't reply to the sound of Satoru's voice. Because he is clearly indignant.
That's probably true, too. It was the Academy of the Wise (this side) that ignored the warning to stay out of it and messed with him. As a result, not only Satoru but also his subordinates were put in a tight spot. If it had been only Satoru, he would not have been so angry.
「I warned you, didn't I? Don't mess with me. If you really want to interfere with me, I will not only destroy the academy, but also Ares.」
「Yes. ......」
"Guh", Sheryl finally replied, clutching her left arm tightly with her right hand. I can't look at this man straight in the eye.
「You ignored my warnings, so that's what you're going to get. Do you understand?」
「......I am well aware that I am not in a position to say this. But I still beg you. Please don't touch the citizens of Ares. Please.」
Sheryl kneeled down, throwing away all shame and reputation. She hit her forehead vigorously against the earth, blood flowing from her forehead, blood soaking into the earth that has lost its magic power. There was no calculation. She would be willing to give her life to protect Ares, one of the largest cities in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people.
It was the Academy of the Wise that arranged to finish you off. The ordinary citizen had nothing to do with it. I will not try to escape responsibility. I'm sure it won't come down to a single head on my shoulders, but I'll see what I can do to make it go away.」
「That won't do. At the very least, the head of the Academy of the Wise will be held responsible」
Sheryl gasped ― but that's quite natural.
「That's ...... it can't be helped. Perhaps the High Mentor will not mind.」
「Then bring the High Mentor or whatever he is here.」
「That won't be necessary.」
Sheryl was startled and shuddered at the sudden sound of a new third party's voice. A man who had joined Baron Dantes' army and was supposed to be dead...
「Ohh, you must be Satoru-sama?」
Edward Coogan.
Father of Sheryl, son of High Mentor Graham Coogan.
――Ridiculous, why, why is my father here!?
Sheryl was too startled to speak.
Edward, catching his breath, walked over to Satoru and held out a leather-covered package to him, and said,
「Here is the head of the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise who was after you.」
「......!!」
Sheryl's vision darkens.
The reason for the sudden disappearance of the reversal magic circle. The reason why her father is here is with her grandfather's head. The two are connected.
Her father, killed her grandfather, her father's own parents.
He was so eager to win the heart of Satoru, who possessed the power of another dimension, that he came here to buy Satoru's pleasure with the head of his father, the High Mentor.
I understood. I understood it.
After Edward killed Graham, he rode the academy's horse, which was tethered outside, to look for Satoru. On the way, the horse got stuck in a hollow and fell off. He could no longer use the horse, and he was walking at a sluggish pace, searching for Satoru in the dark.
To say that Edward's joy when he stepped in the direction of the sound of swords crossing and saw the large figure was something very difficult to express in words. For already he was full of madness.
When he finally recognized the woman kneeling at Satoru's feet and looking at him, Edward let out a cry of disappointment.
「`Oh? Ohh Sheryl, why are you here ...... Well, that's convenient. As for your unreasonable grandfather who forbade me to see you, well, here we are. From now on, father and daughter can get along again.」
Even Satoru couldn't help but open his mouth. The middle-aged man's words and actions were so crazy. He looks alternately at the middle-aged man with flaxen hair and the woman with the same hair color.
「 ....... What is it? That's your father and that High Mentor is your grandfather?」
「...... Yes.」
Sheryl replied, half stunned, half embarrassed. Satoru, astonished, took the leather package that Edward reverently offered and untied the knot. There was the head of an old man. The face of the old man, slender and bald, with an extravagantly luxurious beard, was frozen in a look of astonishment.
To be honest, from a modern-day Satoru's point of view, a fresh head is not something he wants to see over and over again. After a quick check, he placed the head at Sheryl's feet.
Sheryl's face paled as she looks at it. It is a bluish color that is close to that of an immortal. It seems that even a human being can make their face this pale.
「Is there no mistake it is the head of the High Mentor?」
「Yes.」
Satoru breathed heavily at Sheryl's reply, which lacked intonation and emotion. Whatever the course of events, if this is the head of the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise, then Satoru's counterattack against the Academy of the Wise is half over.
But, of course, it was not a clean slate.
Suddenly, Edward looked at Satoru and Sheryl with a pleased expression on his face.
「Oh. Did Satoru-sama like Sheryl? If you look at the two of you, you two are the same age, and, oh, you two look very well together. You look like a married couple who have been together for a long time. What do you think, Satoru-sama? If you like her, why don't you keep her as your mistress?」
Satoru's eyebrows twitched at this insanity and selfishness. Sheryl turns her face down and looks at her grandfather, who has become a silent head ― if you look closely, you can see that she is trembling. She is shaking, and Satoru wonders if it is because of humiliation, shame, or anger.
「In that case, I would be honored if you would take the opportunity to introduce the father of that daughter, Edward Coogan. (?)」
「......!!」
Sheryl's anger, which she had been holding back, exploded at Edward's reverent and curtseyed gesture. She stood up vigorously and pulled out her beloved sword from her waist.
The sword was aimed at her father, Edward.
「E-Eeekkk! Sheryl!? Why did you point the sword at your father!?」
Edward, who had never thought that his beloved daughter would point a sword at him, was so obviously dismayed that he backed away. The murderous intent in Sheryl's eyes was obvious.
Satoru interrupted the love-hate drama between father and daughter, three generations(?), unfolding in front of him, with a big exhale.
「That won't do, Sheryl. I won't allow it.」
「BUT!」
Satoru turns his cool-headed gaze on Sheryl, who is howling with a streak of blood running down her forehead, blood in her eyes, and blood in her throat.
Her father is a madman. Sheryl's demeanor suggests that her love was more for her grandfather than her father. Rico has researched Sheryl's background at Ares. She is a former noblewoman who is no longer a noblewoman because of her father's blunder―I see. With this father, that's understandable.
Satoru was ready to take on one more sin.
「I understand how you feel. You don't have to live with the stigma of being a parent-killer for two generations.」
With a zing, Satoru pulled out the Giant Killer he had stabbed into the ground and took a big swing.
「S-say ....... H-How about this, Satoru-sama! I will be useful to you! As a noble of Ares......」
Fright turns to despair. If only he could bring the head of his father, the High Mentor who is the adversary, he would be incorporated, and then the Senate would not be able to ignore him as a negotiator with the Senate of Ares―Abandoning Baron Dantes and his army, he fled alone, and in the canyon, broken by loneliness, despair, and fear, he had a flash of inspiration from the circle.
He believed this was the right thing to do, and he thought that even if I had to bear the stigma of his father's murder, both father and daughter would be satisfied if the family would prosper...
「Shut up」
Satoru said just that, as if to throw up, and swung the Giant Killer down.
With a dull thud, fresh blood splattered. Satoru made a reluctant face with all his might as a sickening sensation echoed in his arm, so different from when he slashed Baron Dantes to the ground or when he dropped Sayasute's head.
He twists his body into a position where he will not be exposed to the return blood. It is inevitable to be bathed in returned blood at the end of a straight fight, but Satoru does not want to be bathed in even a little bit of such dirty blood.
「Wh.......why........」
Edward fell down with a muffled cry as his body was cut in half and blood spurted out from the cross-section. He died instantly.
A sight is so different from that of Baron Dantes' and Sayasute's, only more gruesome.
Biting her lower lip, Sheryl walks over to her father's corpse. There are no tears. With slightly vacant eyes, she kneels down to the corpse and gently pats its shoulder.
「......Father. You have done nothing but wrong. ......」
His shoulders are too thin for a man of his age. His soul was mediocre, despite High Mentor's child. His wits were adequate, but not outstanding, and his sword was useless. This is what happens to a man who is simply drunk and obsessed with his position as an aristocrat in Ares, which he inherited from his father, and finally goes mad.
Sheryl patted her father's shoulder and glanced at her grandfather's head on the ground.
「Grandfather as well. ......After all, they were father and son. Then again, I guess I am, too.」
Sheryl gave a small self-mockery.
Sheryl, who had always been uncomfortable with her grandfather's thoughts, finally realized the emotion that was inside him.
Her grandfather, Graham Coogan, who had been born with a large soul by mutation, had been envious of Satoru's unusual ability, and he was jealous and hated him. He tried to defeat Satoru with all his skill and ingenuity but was unable to do so.
Although he is the High Mentor, the highest symbol of wisdom in this world, he did not want to discuss the matter with Satoru but rather decided that he was evil, only because he wished that he were so.
A great man who held the position of High Mentor for 30 years, the longest period of his life, was soiled in his final days by trivial emotions.
Her father and grandfather had failed to die a decent death for two generations ― and perhaps even for herself.
Sheryl turned to Satoru, knelt down, and offered the sword she had drawn to him. It is a sign that she wants him to cut off her head with this sword. Satoru's one eyebrow twitches.
「The rest, are my head, and I ask for your indulgence.」
「......Hold on. It seems there is still a visitor.」
Satoru, with a quick sniff, turned his gaze to a certain point in the void. There was something there. Satoru intuitively sensed that there were other eyes besides those of his own magical slaves here.
Tsk, Leia clicked her tongue. She realized what it was.
It was the consciousness of the art with 【Distant View】 and the like on it.
Perhaps it had been there since the disappearance of the reversal magic circle. She was so caught up in the battle between Satoru and Isolde that she didn't notice it. She even feels disgusted at her own carelessness.
「I know you're watching! Come out! If you don't come out, I'll kill you!」
Satoru shouted loudly into the void. Satoru is in a very high state of mind right now. It is not a lie to say that he will beat it to death. He had only a rough idea of how to find out the target he was looking at with sorcery and how to kill it, but it was not impossible.
Leia gave a small nod. Since the conscious body can perceive it, it is possible to trace it, and depending on how it is destroyed, it is certainly possible to kill it. Satoru has already done trace detection. he was going to pull it out if it didn't come out, but fortunately, he didn't have to go through that trouble.
A "pon" sound was heard as the air exploded. It was the result of a 【Transference】.
A middle-aged man dressed in elegant clothes appeared. Satoru glared at the man with a distinctive curly beard that looked somewhat like a cunning fox.
The man did not seem to mind and bowed reverently to Satoru in an aristocratic manner with a relaxed expression on his face. Though it is in the right ― it was so ridiculous.
「Man, you are absolutely brilliant. This Kraut is admire you.」
「What's with you?」
Satoru looked at the man coldly, holding the Giant Killer smeared in Sheryl's father's blood. The man cowered his shoulders and arrogantly turned his head away. The man's fluttering clothes, with a bunch of medals on his chest, are on full display.
「Pardon me, my name is Edel Kraut, Count of the Kingdom of Ares. I hope to make your acquaintance hereafter.」
「His Majesty the King's right-hand man ......!」
Sheryl screams in horror. Count Kraut turns his attention to Sheryl as if he has just noticed her, even though he has been watching here from a distance using 【Distance View】 for a long time and would have known.
「Ohh? The lady over there is Sheryl Coogan?......, or is it Maylander now?」
「Wha, you bastard ......」
Sheryl's brow furrowed. The change of family name must have provoked Sheryl's pride by deliberately mentioning the change.
Count Kraut takes a quick look around. The only men alive here now are himself and Satoru. The other seven are all women ― all of them beautiful. Minerva, the object of my purpose, is also present. Leia Löwenstadt, the Immortal King, is a bit frightening, but she seems to be Satoru's magical slave, so there is no need to antagonize her here. She is a bit young, but she is as beautiful as the fairy tales say she is. I think that His Majesty would be annoyed if he knew of her existence. But then again, there is no way that an ordinary human being could touch the immortal king.
「What do you want from us?」
Satoru called out to him with a coldness that was almost as cold as absolute zero.
Count Kraut had not seen all of Satoru's actions. After being blasted out of his consciousness by Solor during attacking Baron Dantes' forces, Count Kraut discovered and tracked down Graham Coogan and his band of men. He was not looking at Coogan himself, but at his subordinates who were participating in the rituals to form the formation of the circle, and he was watching the situation with his 【Distant View】 and 【Distant Hearing】 combined consciousness.
Once he was blown out of his body of consciousness by the activation of the circle, and shuddered at the power of the High Mentor's instruction, but he used it again, thinking that this was the greatest and best chance to contact Satoru's opponent. Eventually, the circle disappeared, so he gave up on the participants of the ritual, turned his conscious body upward to look for Satoru, and when he got close to his conscious body, he was able to see the farce of the Coogan family.
After that, his body of consciousness was perceived, and he thought this was his chance to 【Transference】 with the help of the magic crystal, and here he is now.
The young man with a fearless face does not even hide his annoyed expression. There is the headless corpse of a male swordsman, and he wonders if he is the head of the Holy Sword Clan. Even under the influence of the directional force led by the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise, the fierce man who defeated the head of the Holy Sword Clan handled the heavy-looking great sword with ease.
After all, it would not be a simple matter. Count Kraut thought for a moment and then offered the best candy.
「I will be straightforward. Satoru-sama, is it? Won't you be the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise?」
「What! Th-that kind of thing.....」
Sheryl raised a surprised voice.
It is true that High Mentor Graham Coogan is dead. A successor must be chosen, that's for sure. But that is to be decided by the Mentors of the Academy of the Wise. It is not a decision that can be made without the king's permission, even though he is the king's personal advisor.
But Count Kraut snorted as if that were not a problem.
「The appointment of the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise requires the approval of the King of Ares. If the Senate recommends him, there would be no problem. With the death of Graham Coogan, His Majesty would be happy to offer the position to Satoru-sama. Of course, that is not all. We have also prepared a seat for you as the proud Marquis of Ares!」
Count Kraut looks back at Satoru with an exaggerated performance, as if to say, "How do you like that?" Satoru does not raise his voice but simply looks at Count Kraut with an impassive stare. Most of you must be so impressed that you can't speak. ― he thinks ― because the Marquis of Ares, the highest of the 13 city-states, is a position that is beyond the reach of commoners and exiles.
「What do you think? If you can wield power in Ares, you will have an army of your own. If you become a High Mentor and Marquis, you will receive 3,000 gold coins a year. Of course, I will also provide you with an estate worthy of a Marquis, from which you can raise taxes as you wish.」
「And? Is that what your eloquence is about?」
Count Kraut was puzzled by Satoru's cold response. Satoru was so bored that he returned the hospitality that would have made a normal human being swoon with joy.
――Unbelievable
Count Kraut looked for his next words.
「Oh, let's see......... R-right. Actually, His Majesty has requested your tall lady, Satoru-sama's magical slave.」
He quickly points his hand toward Minerva.
「Minerva?」
Minerva made a surprised voice and then made a face of utter disgust. Of course, neither Satoru nor Minerva would simply move. But Count Kraut has a weapon. He had the most powerful weapon in the world: Cash.
「As preparation money, we will give 5,000 ...... No, even 10,000 gold coins to both Satoru-sama and Minerva-sama for immediate payment! How about it? Not many countries can afford this amount of money.」
「I refuse.」
「Huh?」
Count Kraut raised a dumb voice at Satoru's simple denial. Both of Satoru's eyebrows rose in anger.
Count Kraut flinched at Satoru's dismissal of 20,000 L (libram), an amount that would be equivalent to the annual budget of a small country, as trivial.
―This man has a different sense of common sense.
That reminds me. I remembered that the late Graham Coogan had said that he was thought to be a Foreigner from another world. Kraut took another half step back, realizing that if he was such a person, there was a high possibility that he would not be able to understand the common sense of this world.
The Giant Killer stabbed at his feet.
「Eeekkk!」
With a loud "Gobon" sound, the earth beneath his feet was gouged out, and Count Kraut fell to the ground. A big stain appeared at the crotch of his trousers.
「Also, it's too noisy. Whether it's you or the royal family, you've touched something you shouldn't have.」
Count Kraut finally realized that he had touched the wrong side of Satoru's wrath. He regrets now that he came here alone, but whether she, Leia Löwenstadt, or the beautiful woman with the light blue hair, they are sorcerers of a different dimension. A few soldiers and sorcerers would be nothing. Count Kraut, who is only capable of using 【Transference】 by himself with the help of a magic crystal, is of course helpless.
「S-say ......, I-If you kill me, not only the royal family of Ares but also the 13 city-states will not remain silent」
Satoru was not even interested in listening to any further elaboration. He removes the spare weapon, Levatein, from its sheath at his waist and gives it to the newly added magical slaves.
「Isolde」
「Understood」
Isolde's reply was straightforward. Even without being ordered to do so, she at least knew what Satoru wanted. She quickly received Satoru's spare weapon and pulled it out with blinding speed.
Count Kraut's face froze in astonishment. As it was, his upper and lower bodies slipped apart and parted forever.
「Man, it was so noisy」
Satoru, pricking his ear with his little finger, blurted out in a truly annoyed tone. He received Levatein from Isolde and put it on his waist again.
Minerva, who was nominated as being wanted by the king of Ares, ran toward Satoru and hugged him tightly without a glance at the man who had died with his organs scattered.
Minerva had never thought that Satoru would sell herself, but she was glad that he had simply gotten rid of him.
Like Edward and this count, it seems that the filthiness of people does not change even if the world is changed.
That's why Satoru was even more dazzled by Sayasute's limpid death.
While patting Minerva's head, Satoru looked back at the only woman remaining in here who was not a magical slave.
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