The lord’s mansion was located in the middle of the New Town. In addition, a section of the building served as the offices for the Solisthea Firm. It was a long way from the Old Town, though relatively close to the previous lord’s villa, which in turn was more or less a ten-minute walk from Zeros’ house. He pondered if it would’ve been faster to head toward Creston’s residence and take a carriage from there. Nevertheless, even if DelSasis’ mansion was far from the Old Town, the time it would take to go there by carriage, including the hike through the forest path to reach Creston’s villa in the first place, wouldn’t be much different from walking. There would just be a small difference in the amount of time he would lose. Walking would require him to make his way through the crowded New Town avoiding the passersby and the carriages stopping on the road. And, if he took a carriage, he would have to put up with driving at slow speeds by the many intersections along the way. Additionally, although going directly from the Old Town would be pretty much a straight line with scarce pedestrian traffic, in the end, both routes entailed the same amount of time. This occasion, taking into account that he was accompanied by Dandyce, they decided to head toward the mansion through the sufficiently-paved streets of the Old Town in consideration of the carriage that came to pick them up.
Zeros was looking at the cityscape through the carriage’s window, but honestly, he was feeling restless. The refined interior might have been pleasant to the eyes, but it was still a carriage used by nobles, nonetheless. It was hard for a middle-class uncle like him to be in that sort of place.
From the window, Zeros sighted an acquaintance. It was none other than Rena, one of the members of the all-female mercenary party, coming out of an inn. Though for some reason, her face was gleaming and the five young mercenaries that exited after – who seemed to be young boys – were looking pitifully haggard. Rena wore an ecstatic and erotic expression while the youths seemed to be both exhausted and happy at the same time.
‘Rena-san, what in the world did you do? No, I can imagine what, but still, why do you look so glossy!? And what happened to those boys!? They look half-dead! You’re human, right!? You’re not a vampire or a succubus, right!?’
The last time he saw Rena was during the Wild Cuckoo subjugation request but she vanished the moment he took his eyes off her and it had been several days since then. She also wasn’t in the church-slash-orphanage with her other party members.
Waving to the haggard boys, Rena parted ways with them in front of the inn. Her gait was unequivocally light.
She seemed to have “eaten” the boys. The young mercenaries collapsed after a few steps, however, as power left their waists. Something truly unbelievable must have happened to them.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t see anything.”[Zeros]
“Beg your pardon?”[Dandyce]
Dandyce replied to his casual murmur.
This would prove to be the morning when he found out that his common sense might be useless in this world where polygyny and polyandry were accepted as the norm. The fact that these young boys were mercenaries meant that they were recognized as adults and therefore were around 14-15 years old. In other words, they were old enough to be the target to carnivorous beasts, and also, once they became mercenaries, they were completely on their own. The moment young people became fully-fledged members of society, they had to take responsibility for themselves, and even if they got themselves in a relationship with a depraved woman with perverted inclinations, they had no right to complain. Tough world.
Laws concerning the protection of minors were infrequent and undeveloped in this world.
The middle-aged magician offered a prayer to the boys, and while feeling somewhat heavyhearted, the carriage soon arrived at the lord’s mansion.
It was a beautiful building that, although not lavishly ornamented, carried the glamour and the spirit of the state-of-the-art gothic techniques. It was the second time Zeros had come here but he still couldn’t help but release a sigh of admiration.
“As always, it’s such a wonderful mansion. Truly a work of art.”[Zeros]
“The building is to be the symbol of the city, so we’ve put a lot of care in both the exterior and the interior. Everyone who comes here praises the beauty of the mansion.”[Dandyce]
Zeros was knowledgeable of the fact that after a long time, structures that were impressive from an architectural point of view would be treated as important cultural assets. The feudal lord’s mansion was marvelous enough to deserve that treatment. However, when he thought of the fact that it was the dwarves from Hanba Constructions the ones responsible for remodeling the building, and that they danced all around while working on it, he couldn’t bring himself to honestly praise them.
For example, if one tried to imagine a group of workers restoring a historical and cultural heritage building, doing moonwalks, backflips, dancing twist along with other moves like in a musical. Normally one would be worried, ‘is it alright to leave it to these guys?’ But in actuality, it was terrifying how perfect their work was. He already experienced it first-hand, so he wasn’t in the position of being able to retort[tsukkomi] there.
He was led through the entranceway by Dandyce. Just like with the carriage, he was restless knowing he was entering a noble’s residence. Inside the mansion, servants and staff of the Solisthea Firm were busily moving to and fro.
The area where the personnel and the duchesses lived seemed to be separated. Although it was supposed to be an aristocrat’s estate, the scene reminded him of what he would normally see happening in a company office.
––Batan!
Suddenly, he heard a loud noise and when he turned his head in response, he saw a man abruptly opening a door to a nearby room and shaking his head vigorously, scanning the surroundings as if he were looking for someone. Zeros noticed the man acting suspiciously similar to a drug addict.
“Annie, Annie. Where’s Annie!?”
“What do you want!? I’m working right now, don’t bother me!”
“I love you. I’m truly in love with you. Please marry me!”
“Wha!? What, so suddenly… Wait, hold on!”
The woman was greatly bewildered by the man’s sudden confession. It wasn’t that she was disturbed by the confession itself, but she was flustered due to having so many eyes watching them, making her uncomfortable.
“I love everything about you! It’s true! From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, even to your assholeeee!!!”
“That’s your fucking love confessioonnn!!??”
She added a spin to her punch to amplify the power and then hit the man who professed his love square in the jaw. It was an almighty blow that could’ve aimed for the world.
The man spun around high in the air only to comically fall headfirst onto the ground with a ‘Gyaah!’
When the woman saw that, she chuckled, ‘fu,’ with a smirk. In many ways, it was a lousy marriage proposal.
“T-The Corkscrew Upper—”[Zeros]
“A splendid strike. Seems like her skill has improved once again. That was simply perfect.”[Dandyce]
“Is… Is it always like this?”[Zeros]
“No, no. It would appear that he suddenly developed symptoms of Love Syndrome. It was an incredible confession, wasn’t it?”[Dandyce]
“Love Syndrome!? What in the world is that!?”[Zeros]
Love Syndrome, also known as the rut [or estrus cycle]. A phenomenon in which people of the opposite gender suddenly start to yell love confessions and pledges at each other. It seemed like a made-up story not meant to be taken seriously, but it wasn’t fictitious in the least. These people were drawn to each other and feelings of carnal lust would well up within them and go out of control regardless of the time and place.
People with relatively high mana capacity would tend to be affected first – One day they would suddenly confess their love or propose to the other person in a very loud and grand manner. Still, that didn’t mean everything was set in stone by then.
There was always someone to whom these romantic feelings were directed, however, instinct wasn’t infallible. Even if they declared their feelings to that person time and time again, it didn’t mean they were a-hundred-percent compatible. No matter how much they longed for them due to their magically-heightened instincts, if their would-be partner showed no particular interest, it was practically the same as being rejected. Conversely, if they agreed, their compatibility was bound to be exceptionally good. When things went well, the spouses would be able to build a happy family, but if not, it could result in a very bad situation. Anyhow, it was a common sight in the city throughout the year, though especially prevalent during early Summer and early Autumn.
Naturally, all living beings instinctively sought stronger genes for the next generation. However, that instinct merged with mana and altered the mind, leading to this phenomenon in which people would go out of control. Of course, many stable relationships were formed as a result, including plenty of polygamous families.[1]
Well, there was already a very clear example of what would happen if it didn’t go well.
One would expect a lot of issues to arise from forming a large family in such a way, but for some reason, major problems don’t occur, and it were the monogamous families the ones more likely to have them. That is because, if the number of family members increases, it would be easier for the spouses to discuss the issues inherent to the household with each other. And on the contrary, when there are few, solving the problem would usually be the burden of a single person, causing them to eventually fail. It goes without saying that not all large families are completely harmonious but they are less likely to collapse in comparison.
Incidentally, many large families are farmers, so they don’t have to worry about labor shortages. In addition, they tend to be relatively poor in terms of income, so for them, taxes might end up being less than otherwise. In the end, although it might make child-rearing and other tasks more difficult, as in every society, there were advantages and disadvantages in everything.
Zweit went out of control due to the combination of the influence of this phenomenon and the brainwashing magic, oddly causing him to act like a douchebag.
Zeros, on the other hand, was shocked to find out about this phenomenon in a different way.
“What the hell? That sounds scary… Imagine going out of control like that not knowing what you might blurt out. You’d die socially.”[Zeros]
“It’s amusing to watch from a distance, but I admit it would be terrifying to shout that kind of confession myself.”[Dandyce]
Even while expressing his ‘fear,’ Dandyce wasn’t particularly agitated. Considering that this phenomenon was common knowledge and part of the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants of this world, Zeros was the odd one out for being astonished in this case.
“A-Ahem. Must suck being rejected like that…pfft!”
“Hahaha! What an idiot!”
“This guy’s the worst.”
“I didn’t know he was that kind of pervert. Even though he’s got a nice face and all…”
“He’s gonna get called ‘the dude that loves assholes’ his whole life… Hahaha!” [*T.N: I fail to see how that would be a shameful nickname but ok]
“Yeah, even after he dies! Haha!”
“Still, you just can’t propose to someone like that… I feel bad for the guy.”
Shouting a proposal in that manner and getting shut down immediately would earn that person being the butt of the joke for their entire life as well as being practically terminated from society. A tragic scene that left Zeros feeling nothing but pity even if the person in question had gone crazy [due to being in heat].
“He’s gonna be found dead on a street corner by morning, isn’t he?”[Zeros]
“We can’t help but laugh while we still can because we never know when our turn might come.”[Dandyce]
“Scary… It sounds actually terrifying. ‘Tomorrow might be your turn,’ right?”[2]
Love Syndrome was a sinister illness that could lead to a happy family if it went well, but it could also leave an indelible scar in people’s hearts for the rest of their lives. ‘Lovesickness’ would be a good way to describe it. And, when thinking that someday he could be the one yelling a proposal like that, Zeros just couldn’t stop himself from trembling. His dark history from ORG would look adorable in comparison.
This natural physiological phenomenon blew one’s reason away and made them bear their fangs, although in a different sense…
Though harrowed by the creeping anxiety burdening him, the middle-aged magician headed toward the duke’s office.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Master, I’ve brought Zeros-dono.”[Dandyce]
“Thank you. You may come in.”
Duke DelSasis was inside the office in the middle of his duties as a lord, busying himself with a stack of documents on his desk. He was scanning through the documents and stamping his seal on them, and not only was he doing it at an unusually fast pace, but he also seemed to understand the contents of the documents at the same time. Like that, he would quickly separate the problematic documents into separate piles.
Fortunately, his wives weren’t there.
“It’s been a while, Duke DelSasis. What can I do for you, today?”[Zeros]
“Yes, I have a request I’d like to make, Zeros-dono. It’s somewhat of a troublesome matter, so I judged that it would be for the best to have someone with as much experience as possible for this, but to my knowledge, there isn’t anyone as skilled as you.”[DelSasis]
“A request? …I don’t know, something about this seems a bit dubious.”[Zeros]
“And you’d be correct. Soon, the students of the Magic Academy will be heading to Rahmuff Forest for combat training, and to put it bluntly, I’d like you to be Zweit’s guard.”[DelSasis]
“I’d like to hear more details if it’s possible. When you say ‘guard,’ I get the feeling that some suspicious individuals would be scheming from the shadows.”[Zeros]
“Well, yes, it’s a bit of a long story, but…”[DelSasis]
It started when Zweit returned to the Academy. There was an internal conflict within his faction – the Weissler faction – which researched the incorporation of magic in military tactics to defend the nation. The two main figures of this dispute were Zweit, representing the sector that believed in the aforementioned ideals, and Samtroll, leading the pure-blooded aristocratic magicians obsessed with the pursuit of power and who were flaunting their money to intimidate the people around them.
Zweit contended Samtroll’s power-hungry and childish tactics, which lead to divisions within the faction. Furthermore, the situation seemed to have escalated to the point in which Samtroll used brainwashing magic on his opponents.
The problem was that Samtroll, the second son of the Marquis of Weissler, was a problem child. He had shown time and time again an attitude that seemed to disavow his family’s belief in military tactics involving magic. On top of using the yet-unreliable research of wide-range annihilation magic as a shield to twist the arm of every faction, he’d been possessed by his own delusions of grandeur and has started to form connections with underworld organizations. It seemed like he couldn’t bear the fact that his household had never had any expectations of him, resulting in his deranged behavior.
Some denounced him outright, but he used the authority of his family to silence them and began to harass them in other ways, making him a nuisance to the Academy.
The same happened within his faction, in which he was supposed to be the central figure because of his bloodline, but now, his position hanged in the balance.
“And the Weisslers haven’t said anything? That’s this Cold[Samu] something-kun’s House, right?”[Zeros][3]
“It’s Samtroll… They’ve given us permission to punish him as we see fit. They naturally didn’t take too kindly to having to deal with our grievances. I’d venture to say that they will be disowning him sooner rather than later.”[DelSasis]
“So, they are abandoning him? Or in other words, the parents finally ran out of love?”[Zeros][4]
The House of Weissler was one of the most prominent families when it came to the military defense of the country, and as such, it had strong ties to the Chivalric Order. The problem arose when one of its members became a bloodline supremacist and formed a clique with others of his kind and started to go out of control. On top of all of that, they became involved in criminal activities in connection with underworld organizations.
The Weisslers were a relatively upright family and not well-regarded by the nobles who believed in the superiority of their bloodlines. They had always been meritocratic; if someone was incompetent, they would discard them even if they were part of the family.
Nevertheless, in this particular case, they couldn’t simply cast Samtroll away because his mother came from a powerful family and they couldn’t carelessly ignore their influence.
However, the situation started to take a sudden turn. The reason being the sudden expansion in the power of the Solisthea faction whose head was the man currently in front of Zeros, DelSasis. He had been financially crushing those who stood in his way, both behind the scenes and publicly, and also providing talented people with a suitable treatment.
Moreover, the business he started as a hobby had been yielding quite the profit, enough to overshadow the other factions in terms of capital. As a result, the factions that were already troubled had even more difficulties raising funds, and presently, there was also a never-ending amount of magicians in the city who jumped ship and switched sides.
Magicians always needed to spend a lot of money on their research, but DelSasis had created an efficient and systematized organization in which the magicians who researched magic and the ones employed for whatever other reason[5] were separated into two different departments.
Those who normally wouldn’t be able to work on their own research without being affiliated with a faction were now relatively free to conduct them and practice their magic, and naturally, traitors from each of the factions had begun to appear.
The braggarts who used the name of the Weissler faction started to find themselves in deep trouble as they were running out of money to administer the faction and couldn’t manage to keep a hold of their magicians. DelSasis had the faction in the palm of his hand.
As long as they were alive, magicians needed money to live. However, staying in the current Weissler faction would make that very difficult. For example, the Saint Germain faction earned enough money from their research and production of magic potions. Moreover, all of their members were researchers in some capacity. The Weissler faction, on the other hand, had been forcefully deprived of funds and now it didn’t have any to sustain its activities or care for its magicians. Furthermore, Zweit had set out to reform the faction, and now his only opponents were the bloodline supremacists, but since they were all nobles who relied on their families’ power, they couldn’t make a living for themselves. It was a matter of time before they were financially ruined.
“I see… I think I understood the gist of it. From the point of view of the bloodline supremacist magicians, disposing of Zweit would allow them to make a comeback, right? And also, the criminal organizations pressing them for money would send their assassins…”[Zeros]
“It’s incredibly bothersome to deal with these fools. I wish they’d stay low and quiet, but obviously, once they get a taste of power, they won’t let go. Also, it seems the organization behind it is Hydra.”[DelSasis]
“Hydra?… Then, do they also have several heads? And when you cut one head it grows another? That sort of thing?”[Zeros]
“Umu, they’re a nasty bunch. I’ve been crossing swords with them since I was young. I’ve gotten rid of about ten of their heads but they still won’t disappear. Most of the rival organizations and their people have been taken in by us— Ahem! Forget you heard that.”[DelSasis]
“When you were young? Just what the hell did you do? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that’s not in the job description for a feudal lord!”[Zeros]
He didn’t know what this feudal lord was doing out of the public eye. His question was brushed aside with ‘we all need a little bit of stimulation in life.’ The lord likely enjoyed fighting against underworld organizations.
“Anyway, to make that request so suddenly… Did something happen?”[Zeros]
“The other day, a black market merchant opposing Hydra was eliminated. The room was locked from the inside, and from the small traces of mana remaining, they think the assailant used Shadow Dive.”[DelSasis]
Shadow dive was a skill that assassins and dark magic users could use and would allow them to move by diving into shadows. However, they couldn’t slip into places with magic barriers or mystical wards[6]. This was not an almighty ability that granted its users entry everywhere. Moreover, hiding in the shadows required a constant supply of mana, with the consumption being fairly high.
Naturally, there wasn’t any sort of barrier in ordinary people’s dwellings. The only other means to defend against this kind of intrusion was to use a magic tool, but in the Academy, however, it was possible to slip through practically everywhere.
“Well, I highly doubt they’ll trespass into the Academy. Nobles always carry magic tools that deploy barriers with them. Sneaking in and assassinating someone would be too risky for them.”[DelSasis]
“In other words, this event would be the perfect guise, right? After all, Zweit-kun already caught the eye of some troublesome people.”[Zeros]
“Both knights and mercenaries will participate in the drill as guards, and the Order aside, anyone could be the assassin. This is precisely the reason why I need a skilled guard.”[DelSasis]
“Let’s leave the matter of me participating as a mercenary for later. Anyhow, I don’t think it necessarily has to be me the one to guard Zweit-kun during the excursion.”[Zeros]
“I’m afraid I have to ask you to do just that. I can’t even say anything about the Academy’s instructions this time. I don’t mind if you get the help of some other reliable people for this. I’ll put up the money to make it an official request.”[DelSasis]
Zeros was very troubled by this. Since he had to join as a mercenary, it was very likely that he would separate from Zweit, in which case, he’d have to think of another way to protect him.
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to make a magic tool that’d let me know when there’s an emergency? Also, I better take those 3 chickens with me. The Stone Golem can be destroyed in one hit but it’s still stronger than most mercenaries.’
Thinking of every possible avenue, the middle-aged magician was already concocting a suitable plan to prevent an assassination.
“It seems you’ve made up your mind.”[DelSasis]
“Well, my student is being targeted. Naturally, I wouldn’t refuse.”[Zeros]
“I leave Zweit in your hands.”[DelSasis]
“I’ll work on preparing a few useful items. I’ll do what I can, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop them completely.”[Zeros]
“That’s fine. Anyway, did you come to wage a war, by any chance? That equipment is completely overkill.”[DelSasis]
“Everyone’s told me that. Unfortunately, I don’t have any formal attire. This was the most decent one I had.”[Zeros]
As one would expect, his armor looked out of place. He looked like a magician, but that vicious equipment was enough to deal with an entire country. Meeting the feudal lord in that get-up could only look like a declaration of war. Zeros was seriously pondering if he should make a new suit.
“I see… Alright, I’d like you to wear that equipment while you’re guarding Zweit. It could deter them from making a brazen attack if they notice there’s a skilled fighter with him. That will keep them in check.”[DelSasis]
“…Can I hide my face? I don’t want to stand out.”[Zeros]
“…Isn’t it late for that? Well, I’ll leave it at your discretion, Zeros-dono.”[DelSasis]
“When does the combat drill start?”[Zeros]
“Two weeks from now. If possible I’d like you to depart a couple days earlier. It’ll be faster by ship.”[DelSasis]
“Alright. Then, I’ll go back and start preparing. Luckily, I know a few mercenaries that happen to be free right now.”[Zeros]
Like that, Zeros started preparing for his escort request. Although it was troublesome, he didn’t want to leave Zweit on his own.
“By the way, how do you get information from within the Academy? Do you have a spy disguised as a normal person or something like that?”[Zeros]
“…The less you know, the better. Only those prepared to step into the underworld are allowed to know.”[DelSasis]
The lord seemed like he had no intention of answering, but his words revealed that he had his own secret agent working from the shadows.
It was at that moment Zeros realized that Duke DelSasis was a dangerous person who should never be made an enemy. Likewise, there could not be a more reliable ally.
There were many mysteries to this capable man.
In any case, the middle-aged magician would be reuniting with his student.
From that day on, he started making items to protect Zweit, but it goes without saying that he got carried away and made some extra things.
The Black Exterminator had a production job.
As an aside, he bought soy sauce, miso, and vinegar from the Solisthea Firm. It seemed to be tamari soy sauce[7], which tasted good with Cuckoo eggs. Now he only needed to make sake and mirin, though he had no clue how to make the latter.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Some time before.
A woman entered a back alley and stepped into a deserted tavern at the end of the street. It was filled with men that obviously seemed to have not the most honest occupation and who were busying themselves with their drinks.
They smiled vulgarly when they noticed the woman, but were stopped by the master of the tavern who was pouring drinks behind the counter. As soon as they heard his words, they paled and cowered in their seats.
The woman went to the back of the tavern and pulled a lever hidden next to the shelf with liquors being on display. With the sound of something being released outside, the shelf slowly started to move aside – The liquor rack was a hidden door.
She descended through the underground passage that appeared behind the rack, though shortly it became a straight tunnel.
The city that used to be above ground had been reclaimed over time, and a whole new city had been built by now, but it was precisely because of that fact that the underground tunnels turned into a stronghold for the underworld.
Following the path illuminated by the magic stone lamp, the woman came upon an abandoned building that was once the mansion of a wealthy merchant, but it had become the place where her employer resided.
She opened the door without hesitation and found several men there. No, they were too young to be adults. Seeing the traces of immaturity remaining on their faces, she judged them to be naive young masters from a well-off family.
Taking a look at the youths, the woman walked toward the man in a suit across the table and leaned on his back. He was definitely wearing a suit, but he fancied a not-quite-flattering shade of purple while wearing several rings on his fingers, each with unusually large jewels, and a golden necklace. Put in other words, his appearance was completely that of an underworld don instead of someone with a respectable occupation.
“Ara? Darling, we had customers? They look awfully young, though.”
“Hm, so you’re back. And? How did it go?”
“A piece of cake. It’s hard for me to see how your men could have so much trouble dealing with someone like that, Darling. I wonder what they were even doing.”
“How reliable. With that, we’ve gotten rid of one eyesore and we’ll be able to monopolize business for a while.”
“Ufufu… great. There’s going to be a lot of money coming in.”
The man stretched his hand towards the woman and lovingly ran his fingers on her bare skin.
The youths, exasperated by the couple’s unreserved flirting, slammed the table with a loud ‘bang!’ They actually weren’t excessively quick-tempered, but they couldn’t put up with being ignored.
“We were in the middle of a discussion. Answer me! Are you accepting the job or not!?”
“Boy, if you want us to do the job, you’ve gotta learn how to act like a grown-up. We’ll take care of anyone as long as you have coin. So, who’re we killing?”
“Him. Don’t want this guy to keep dividing us any further. I want him gone as soon as possible.”
There was a photograph on the table. Well, rather than a modern photograph, it was made with a magic tool that imprinted the outlines of an object onto a sheet of paper, though in a fairly intricate manner. Despite those limitations, it was more than enough for the individuals working in the underworld.
“Heh. Quite the good-looking [ikemen] guy. Someone stole your sweetheart from you or what?”
“Shut the hell up! Just kill this fucking guy!”
“Watch your mouth, boy. It’s not like we have to humor your request, right? I heard your faction has been on the decline lately and all your revenue streams have been completely destroyed.”
“Ugh…”
“You’re the ones with the problem. We couldn’t care less, really. Don’t forget we’re only talking to you right now because we owe a favor to our contact.[8]”
The man was one step ahead of the youths. He already knew from which families they hailed from and the internal conditions of their faction. Just by revealing a bit of the information in his hands, he could make them realize who was really in control of the situation. They had no choice but to swallow their annoyance and keep quiet if they wanted the man to accept their request. It was as if they’d already established the hierarchy between them.
“Still, your guy is the son of the Silent Lion[9], you know? You chose a very annoying person to target.”
“Oh, the boy is quite famous then?”
“It’s his old man. He’s the one responsible for crippling most of our organization and now he’s set on taking down the Weissler faction. That man is really something.”
“What!? You’re telling me the duke himself did all of—”
“Shut your fucking mouth. Don’t you dare interrupt me, you damn moron.”
The youth was promptly silenced by the venomous words of the man.
The underworld organization, Hydra, was just short of taking over the criminal world that spreads throughout the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea, but the organization was driven to the brink of destruction at the hands of a single man.
Not only were his numerous attempts to kill the duke unsuccessful, but they also backfired against him, as DelSasis snatched away most of the organization’s hands. The man knew for a fact that the target’s parent was an extremely dangerous man. The moniker “Silent Lion,” given by those in the underworld, comes from his ability to act undetected by his opponents. Eventually, however, that nickname spread to the public and he came to be known as the Silent Lion, the Silent Lord, or the Strongest Philanderer. Though, that last one was given to him by jealous men because women would come to him even when he was just drinking alone in silence.
“I was genuinely surprised when he became the head of the family. He may give off that calm-guy air, but he’s more of a villain than us.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m shuddering all over~♥”
“What a frightening man. If he’s moving, then that Weissler faction is already dead in the water. All I can do is tell you to give up.”
The youths were left completely speechless. If they killed the son, the father would come to destroy them with everything he had. Furthermore, they felt overwhelmed at the prospect of turning the monster who defeated a big part of the criminal underworld into their enemy. In the worst case scenario, not only their faction would be annihilated, but also their own families.
“Well, whatever. We’ll take your request. You’re gonna be the next to be targeted, anyway.”
“N-no, w-we’re…”
“You’re seriously thinking you can get away now? By the time you guys arrived here, he probably figured out everything you had planned. He’s not only good at using people, he’s the kinda guy that’ll move himself if he has to. Quite the dangerous situation, right?”
Despair takes over them. They were stepping into a place where they could no longer turn back. To survive now, they had to eliminate all their opponents, or else they won’t be able to sleep in peace ever again.
They put themselves in great peril without even realizing it and made an enemy out of an extremely dangerous individual.
It couldn’t be helped that the man called them “boys”, but their immaturity was far from childish.
“Still, we’ll get to take revenge on him by dealing with the target. These fellas will take all the responsibility and everything will be alright for us.”
“Hm? Then, we’re taking the job?”
“Uh-huh… Can I leave this to you, Sharanra[10]? I’m sure they’ll be well prepared to deal with these guys.”
“Well, if you put it like that… Got no choice but to accept, do I? In exchange, you have to buy me some things, alright?”
“Yeah, I’ll get you anything you want. You’re our lucky ticket, after all.”
The die was cast. He tried to have a mere eyesore disposed of, but the youth – Samtroll – couldn’t stop himself from shivering after realizing there was such an incredible person shielding his enemy.
It would’ve been incomparably easier if Samtroll’s target were Zweit alone, but his father – Duke DelSasis – was much more formidable than the son. No, he was someone even Zweit couldn’t even dream to match.
Although crazy as it may seem, he alone declared war on the criminal underworld and drove them to the brink of extinction. And, not only that, but he also came back alive. The word ‘monster’ doesn’t do him justice any longer.
It was only at this moment that they’ve realized how foolish they were. Now that there’s no escape.
This was the result of his own foolishness, and in any case, whether the assassination was successful or not was irrelevant because the outcome would be the same.
Samtroll and his followers would regret opening the door to Hell.
[1] You guys probably noticed by now that the author really likes to repeat the same idea over and over again. I tried to re-word it more concisely, but I’m still considering skipping some paragraphs altogether because it literally doesn’t add anything new, but I dunno, I feel like it’s more the author writing while looking at the word counter than it is something that’s just part of the Japanese language. So that’s why this part in specific read like I copied and pasted the same paragraph twice.
[2] 明日は我が身; means you ought to be careful because the suffering of others might befall on you someday. Not complicated but it sounds like an old expression, kind of like quoting Shakespeare I’d guess. Just couldn’t find a way of representing that in English without being too over the top
[3] Probably a pun with the guy’s name. 寒[samu] means cold and the first syllable of his name is spelled as samu in Japanese. idk I guess it works for a dad joke.
[4] Might be a huge a bit of a stretch. I’m not sure what exactly the author meant by 愛されない馬鹿な訳ですね. Scraping through Japanese blogs for an hour with Google-sensei, I got the impression that when you say 愛されない[to not be loved] referring to a person, it usually refers to someone who’s super pushy and has an unlikable personality and that’s why their relationships fail, or simply someone without much luck in love. Don’t quote me on that, though. So, it literally means ‘idiotic reasoning/conclusion of not receiving love, right?’ I’m kinda assuming that Zeros is talking about the situation abstractly, like ‘huh, so it has come to be an idiotic situation such as this one thing lonely people in their thirties experience.
[5] So, after some googling, I found that although the word used here 派遣[haken] literally means dispatchment, as in, ‘to dispatch troops,’ or ‘to send an envoy,’ the modern use of the word is related to temporary workers that are dispatched from an employment agency of some kind under a lax contract with dubious wages [派遣社員]. I still have my doubts, because it reads in a super ambiguous manner. I take it as in magicians that were hired as freelance or temporary workers to do some odd jobs here and there and not as in magicians who already work for you and are sent somewhere else. Could be wrong. 魔導士を派遣する
[6] 結界[kekkai] I think here it refers to the kind of ritual barrier of eastern tradition, like the sort of barrier that would appear in inuyasha or smt. I don’t know where the author is going with it, he then combined both words in a single term as if 結界 was just a synonym for barrier, so I’ll leave it like that until it’s clarified what the author is referring to exactly.
[7] a kind of soy sauce that apparently has a richer flavor and doesn’t use much or if any wheat in its manufacturing process.
[8] as in intermediary or liaison
[9] 沈黙の獅子; a lion whose one of its qualities is silence. In context, it’s actually more like stealthy rather than the quality of being unfriendly and uncommunicative.
[10] シャランラ
The lord’s mansion was located in the middle of the New Town. In addition, a section of the building served as the offices for the Solisthea Firm. It was a long way from the Old Town, though relatively close to the previous lord’s villa, which in turn was more or less a ten-minute walk from Zeros’ house. He pondered if it would’ve been faster to head toward Creston’s residence and take a carriage from there. Nevertheless, even if DelSasis’ mansion was far from the Old Town, the time it would take to go there by carriage, including the hike through the forest path to reach Creston’s villa in the first place, wouldn’t be much different from walking. There would just be a small difference in the amount of time he would lose. Walking would require him to make his way through the crowded New Town avoiding the passersby and the carriages stopping on the road. And, if he took a carriage, he would have to put up with driving at slow speeds by the many intersections along the way. Additionally, although going directly from the Old Town would be pretty much a straight line with scarce pedestrian traffic, in the end, both routes entailed the same amount of time. This occasion, taking into account that he was accompanied by Dandyce, they decided to head toward the mansion through the sufficiently-paved streets of the Old Town in consideration of the carriage that came to pick them up.
Zeros was looking at the cityscape through the carriage’s window, but honestly, he was feeling restless. The refined interior might have been pleasant to the eyes, but it was still a carriage used by nobles, nonetheless. It was hard for a middle-class uncle like him to be in that sort of place.
From the window, Zeros sighted an acquaintance. It was none other than Rena, one of the members of the all-female mercenary party, coming out of an inn. Though for some reason, her face was gleaming and the five young mercenaries that exited after – who seemed to be young boys – were looking pitifully haggard. Rena wore an ecstatic and erotic expression while the youths seemed to be both exhausted and happy at the same time.
‘Rena-san, what in the world did you do? No, I can imagine what, but still, why do you look so glossy!? And what happened to those boys!? They look half-dead! You’re human, right!? You’re not a vampire or a succubus, right!?’
The last time he saw Rena was during the Wild Cuckoo subjugation request but she vanished the moment he took his eyes off her and it had been several days since then. She also wasn’t in the church-slash-orphanage with her other party members.
Waving to the haggard boys, Rena parted ways with them in front of the inn. Her gait was unequivocally light.
She seemed to have “eaten” the boys. The young mercenaries collapsed after a few steps, however, as power left their waists. Something truly unbelievable must have happened to them.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t see anything.”[Zeros]
“Beg your pardon?”[Dandyce]
Dandyce replied to his casual murmur.
This would prove to be the morning when he found out that his common sense might be useless in this world where polygyny and polyandry were accepted as the norm. The fact that these young boys were mercenaries meant that they were recognized as adults and therefore were around 14-15 years old. In other words, they were old enough to be the target to carnivorous beasts, and also, once they became mercenaries, they were completely on their own. The moment young people became fully-fledged members of society, they had to take responsibility for themselves, and even if they got themselves in a relationship with a depraved woman with perverted inclinations, they had no right to complain. Tough world.
Laws concerning the protection of minors were infrequent and undeveloped in this world.
The middle-aged magician offered a prayer to the boys, and while feeling somewhat heavyhearted, the carriage soon arrived at the lord’s mansion.
It was a beautiful building that, although not lavishly ornamented, carried the glamour and the spirit of the state-of-the-art gothic techniques. It was the second time Zeros had come here but he still couldn’t help but release a sigh of admiration.
“As always, it’s such a wonderful mansion. Truly a work of art.”[Zeros]
“The building is to be the symbol of the city, so we’ve put a lot of care in both the exterior and the interior. Everyone who comes here praises the beauty of the mansion.”[Dandyce]
Zeros was knowledgeable of the fact that after a long time, structures that were impressive from an architectural point of view would be treated as important cultural assets. The feudal lord’s mansion was marvelous enough to deserve that treatment. However, when he thought of the fact that it was the dwarves from Hanba Constructions the ones responsible for remodeling the building, and that they danced all around while working on it, he couldn’t bring himself to honestly praise them.
For example, if one tried to imagine a group of workers restoring a historical and cultural heritage building, doing moonwalks, backflips, dancing twist along with other moves like in a musical. Normally one would be worried, ‘is it alright to leave it to these guys?’ But in actuality, it was terrifying how perfect their work was. He already experienced it first-hand, so he wasn’t in the position of being able to retort[tsukkomi] there.
He was led through the entranceway by Dandyce. Just like with the carriage, he was restless knowing he was entering a noble’s residence. Inside the mansion, servants and staff of the Solisthea Firm were busily moving to and fro.
The area where the personnel and the duchesses lived seemed to be separated. Although it was supposed to be an aristocrat’s estate, the scene reminded him of what he would normally see happening in a company office.
––Batan!
Suddenly, he heard a loud noise and when he turned his head in response, he saw a man abruptly opening a door to a nearby room and shaking his head vigorously, scanning the surroundings as if he were looking for someone. Zeros noticed the man acting suspiciously similar to a drug addict.
“Annie, Annie. Where’s Annie!?”
“What do you want!? I’m working right now, don’t bother me!”
“I love you. I’m truly in love with you. Please marry me!”
“Wha!? What, so suddenly… Wait, hold on!”
The woman was greatly bewildered by the man’s sudden confession. It wasn’t that she was disturbed by the confession itself, but she was flustered due to having so many eyes watching them, making her uncomfortable.
“I love everything about you! It’s true! From the top of your head to the tip of your toes, even to your assholeeee!!!”
“That’s your fucking love confessioonnn!!??”
She added a spin to her punch to amplify the power and then hit the man who professed his love square in the jaw. It was an almighty blow that could’ve aimed for the world.
The man spun around high in the air only to comically fall headfirst onto the ground with a ‘Gyaah!’
When the woman saw that, she chuckled, ‘fu,’ with a smirk. In many ways, it was a lousy marriage proposal.
“T-The Corkscrew Upper—”[Zeros]
“A splendid strike. Seems like her skill has improved once again. That was simply perfect.”[Dandyce]
“Is… Is it always like this?”[Zeros]
“No, no. It would appear that he suddenly developed symptoms of Love Syndrome. It was an incredible confession, wasn’t it?”[Dandyce]
“Love Syndrome!? What in the world is that!?”[Zeros]
Love Syndrome, also known as the rut [or estrus cycle]. A phenomenon in which people of the opposite gender suddenly start to yell love confessions and pledges at each other. It seemed like a made-up story not meant to be taken seriously, but it wasn’t fictitious in the least. These people were drawn to each other and feelings of carnal lust would well up within them and go out of control regardless of the time and place.
People with relatively high mana capacity would tend to be affected first – One day they would suddenly confess their love or propose to the other person in a very loud and grand manner. Still, that didn’t mean everything was set in stone by then.
There was always someone to whom these romantic feelings were directed, however, instinct wasn’t infallible. Even if they declared their feelings to that person time and time again, it didn’t mean they were a-hundred-percent compatible. No matter how much they longed for them due to their magically-heightened instincts, if their would-be partner showed no particular interest, it was practically the same as being rejected. Conversely, if they agreed, their compatibility was bound to be exceptionally good. When things went well, the spouses would be able to build a happy family, but if not, it could result in a very bad situation. Anyhow, it was a common sight in the city throughout the year, though especially prevalent during early Summer and early Autumn.
Naturally, all living beings instinctively sought stronger genes for the next generation. However, that instinct merged with mana and altered the mind, leading to this phenomenon in which people would go out of control. Of course, many stable relationships were formed as a result, including plenty of polygamous families.[1]
Well, there was already a very clear example of what would happen if it didn’t go well.
One would expect a lot of issues to arise from forming a large family in such a way, but for some reason, major problems don’t occur, and it were the monogamous families the ones more likely to have them. That is because, if the number of family members increases, it would be easier for the spouses to discuss the issues inherent to the household with each other. And on the contrary, when there are few, solving the problem would usually be the burden of a single person, causing them to eventually fail. It goes without saying that not all large families are completely harmonious but they are less likely to collapse in comparison.
Incidentally, many large families are farmers, so they don’t have to worry about labor shortages. In addition, they tend to be relatively poor in terms of income, so for them, taxes might end up being less than otherwise. In the end, although it might make child-rearing and other tasks more difficult, as in every society, there were advantages and disadvantages in everything.
Zweit went out of control due to the combination of the influence of this phenomenon and the brainwashing magic, oddly causing him to act like a douchebag.
Zeros, on the other hand, was shocked to find out about this phenomenon in a different way.
“What the hell? That sounds scary… Imagine going out of control like that not knowing what you might blurt out. You’d die socially.”[Zeros]
“It’s amusing to watch from a distance, but I admit it would be terrifying to shout that kind of confession myself.”[Dandyce]
Even while expressing his ‘fear,’ Dandyce wasn’t particularly agitated. Considering that this phenomenon was common knowledge and part of the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants of this world, Zeros was the odd one out for being astonished in this case.
“A-Ahem. Must suck being rejected like that…pfft!”
“Hahaha! What an idiot!”
“This guy’s the worst.”
“I didn’t know he was that kind of pervert. Even though he’s got a nice face and all…”
“He’s gonna get called ‘the dude that loves assholes’ his whole life… Hahaha!” [*T.N: I fail to see how that would be a shameful nickname but ok]
“Yeah, even after he dies! Haha!”
“Still, you just can’t propose to someone like that… I feel bad for the guy.”
Shouting a proposal in that manner and getting shut down immediately would earn that person being the butt of the joke for their entire life as well as being practically terminated from society. A tragic scene that left Zeros feeling nothing but pity even if the person in question had gone crazy [due to being in heat].
“He’s gonna be found dead on a street corner by morning, isn’t he?”[Zeros]
“We can’t help but laugh while we still can because we never know when our turn might come.”[Dandyce]
“Scary… It sounds actually terrifying. ‘Tomorrow might be your turn,’ right?”[2]
Love Syndrome was a sinister illness that could lead to a happy family if it went well, but it could also leave an indelible scar in people’s hearts for the rest of their lives. ‘Lovesickness’ would be a good way to describe it. And, when thinking that someday he could be the one yelling a proposal like that, Zeros just couldn’t stop himself from trembling. His dark history from ORG would look adorable in comparison.
This natural physiological phenomenon blew one’s reason away and made them bear their fangs, although in a different sense…
Though harrowed by the creeping anxiety burdening him, the middle-aged magician headed toward the duke’s office.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Master, I’ve brought Zeros-dono.”[Dandyce]
“Thank you. You may come in.”
Duke DelSasis was inside the office in the middle of his duties as a lord, busying himself with a stack of documents on his desk. He was scanning through the documents and stamping his seal on them, and not only was he doing it at an unusually fast pace, but he also seemed to understand the contents of the documents at the same time. Like that, he would quickly separate the problematic documents into separate piles.
Fortunately, his wives weren’t there.
“It’s been a while, Duke DelSasis. What can I do for you, today?”[Zeros]
“Yes, I have a request I’d like to make, Zeros-dono. It’s somewhat of a troublesome matter, so I judged that it would be for the best to have someone with as much experience as possible for this, but to my knowledge, there isn’t anyone as skilled as you.”[DelSasis]
“A request? …I don’t know, something about this seems a bit dubious.”[Zeros]
“And you’d be correct. Soon, the students of the Magic Academy will be heading to Rahmuff Forest for combat training, and to put it bluntly, I’d like you to be Zweit’s guard.”[DelSasis]
“I’d like to hear more details if it’s possible. When you say ‘guard,’ I get the feeling that some suspicious individuals would be scheming from the shadows.”[Zeros]
“Well, yes, it’s a bit of a long story, but…”[DelSasis]
It started when Zweit returned to the Academy. There was an internal conflict within his faction – the Weissler faction – which researched the incorporation of magic in military tactics to defend the nation. The two main figures of this dispute were Zweit, representing the sector that believed in the aforementioned ideals, and Samtroll, leading the pure-blooded aristocratic magicians obsessed with the pursuit of power and who were flaunting their money to intimidate the people around them.
Zweit contended Samtroll’s power-hungry and childish tactics, which lead to divisions within the faction. Furthermore, the situation seemed to have escalated to the point in which Samtroll used brainwashing magic on his opponents.
The problem was that Samtroll, the second son of the Marquis of Weissler, was a problem child. He had shown time and time again an attitude that seemed to disavow his family’s belief in military tactics involving magic. On top of using the yet-unreliable research of wide-range annihilation magic as a shield to twist the arm of every faction, he’d been possessed by his own delusions of grandeur and has started to form connections with underworld organizations. It seemed like he couldn’t bear the fact that his household had never had any expectations of him, resulting in his deranged behavior.
Some denounced him outright, but he used the authority of his family to silence them and began to harass them in other ways, making him a nuisance to the Academy.
The same happened within his faction, in which he was supposed to be the central figure because of his bloodline, but now, his position hanged in the balance.
“And the Weisslers haven’t said anything? That’s this Cold[Samu] something-kun’s House, right?”[Zeros][3]
“It’s Samtroll… They’ve given us permission to punish him as we see fit. They naturally didn’t take too kindly to having to deal with our grievances. I’d venture to say that they will be disowning him sooner rather than later.”[DelSasis]
“So, they are abandoning him? Or in other words, the parents finally ran out of love?”[Zeros][4]
The House of Weissler was one of the most prominent families when it came to the military defense of the country, and as such, it had strong ties to the Chivalric Order. The problem arose when one of its members became a bloodline supremacist and formed a clique with others of his kind and started to go out of control. On top of all of that, they became involved in criminal activities in connection with underworld organizations.
The Weisslers were a relatively upright family and not well-regarded by the nobles who believed in the superiority of their bloodlines. They had always been meritocratic; if someone was incompetent, they would discard them even if they were part of the family.
Nevertheless, in this particular case, they couldn’t simply cast Samtroll away because his mother came from a powerful family and they couldn’t carelessly ignore their influence.
However, the situation started to take a sudden turn. The reason being the sudden expansion in the power of the Solisthea faction whose head was the man currently in front of Zeros, DelSasis. He had been financially crushing those who stood in his way, both behind the scenes and publicly, and also providing talented people with a suitable treatment.
Moreover, the business he started as a hobby had been yielding quite the profit, enough to overshadow the other factions in terms of capital. As a result, the factions that were already troubled had even more difficulties raising funds, and presently, there was also a never-ending amount of magicians in the city who jumped ship and switched sides.
Magicians always needed to spend a lot of money on their research, but DelSasis had created an efficient and systematized organization in which the magicians who researched magic and the ones employed for whatever other reason[5] were separated into two different departments.
Those who normally wouldn’t be able to work on their own research without being affiliated with a faction were now relatively free to conduct them and practice their magic, and naturally, traitors from each of the factions had begun to appear.
The braggarts who used the name of the Weissler faction started to find themselves in deep trouble as they were running out of money to administer the faction and couldn’t manage to keep a hold of their magicians. DelSasis had the faction in the palm of his hand.
As long as they were alive, magicians needed money to live. However, staying in the current Weissler faction would make that very difficult. For example, the Saint Germain faction earned enough money from their research and production of magic potions. Moreover, all of their members were researchers in some capacity. The Weissler faction, on the other hand, had been forcefully deprived of funds and now it didn’t have any to sustain its activities or care for its magicians. Furthermore, Zweit had set out to reform the faction, and now his only opponents were the bloodline supremacists, but since they were all nobles who relied on their families’ power, they couldn’t make a living for themselves. It was a matter of time before they were financially ruined.
“I see… I think I understood the gist of it. From the point of view of the bloodline supremacist magicians, disposing of Zweit would allow them to make a comeback, right? And also, the criminal organizations pressing them for money would send their assassins…”[Zeros]
“It’s incredibly bothersome to deal with these fools. I wish they’d stay low and quiet, but obviously, once they get a taste of power, they won’t let go. Also, it seems the organization behind it is Hydra.”[DelSasis]
“Hydra?… Then, do they also have several heads? And when you cut one head it grows another? That sort of thing?”[Zeros]
“Umu, they’re a nasty bunch. I’ve been crossing swords with them since I was young. I’ve gotten rid of about ten of their heads but they still won’t disappear. Most of the rival organizations and their people have been taken in by us— Ahem! Forget you heard that.”[DelSasis]
“When you were young? Just what the hell did you do? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that’s not in the job description for a feudal lord!”[Zeros]
He didn’t know what this feudal lord was doing out of the public eye. His question was brushed aside with ‘we all need a little bit of stimulation in life.’ The lord likely enjoyed fighting against underworld organizations.
“Anyway, to make that request so suddenly… Did something happen?”[Zeros]
“The other day, a black market merchant opposing Hydra was eliminated. The room was locked from the inside, and from the small traces of mana remaining, they think the assailant used Shadow Dive.”[DelSasis]
Shadow dive was a skill that assassins and dark magic users could use and would allow them to move by diving into shadows. However, they couldn’t slip into places with magic barriers or mystical wards[6]. This was not an almighty ability that granted its users entry everywhere. Moreover, hiding in the shadows required a constant supply of mana, with the consumption being fairly high.
Naturally, there wasn’t any sort of barrier in ordinary people’s dwellings. The only other means to defend against this kind of intrusion was to use a magic tool, but in the Academy, however, it was possible to slip through practically everywhere.
“Well, I highly doubt they’ll trespass into the Academy. Nobles always carry magic tools that deploy barriers with them. Sneaking in and assassinating someone would be too risky for them.”[DelSasis]
“In other words, this event would be the perfect guise, right? After all, Zweit-kun already caught the eye of some troublesome people.”[Zeros]
“Both knights and mercenaries will participate in the drill as guards, and the Order aside, anyone could be the assassin. This is precisely the reason why I need a skilled guard.”[DelSasis]
“Let’s leave the matter of me participating as a mercenary for later. Anyhow, I don’t think it necessarily has to be me the one to guard Zweit-kun during the excursion.”[Zeros]
“I’m afraid I have to ask you to do just that. I can’t even say anything about the Academy’s instructions this time. I don’t mind if you get the help of some other reliable people for this. I’ll put up the money to make it an official request.”[DelSasis]
Zeros was very troubled by this. Since he had to join as a mercenary, it was very likely that he would separate from Zweit, in which case, he’d have to think of another way to protect him.
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to make a magic tool that’d let me know when there’s an emergency? Also, I better take those 3 chickens with me. The Stone Golem can be destroyed in one hit but it’s still stronger than most mercenaries.’
Thinking of every possible avenue, the middle-aged magician was already concocting a suitable plan to prevent an assassination.
“It seems you’ve made up your mind.”[DelSasis]
“Well, my student is being targeted. Naturally, I wouldn’t refuse.”[Zeros]
“I leave Zweit in your hands.”[DelSasis]
“I’ll work on preparing a few useful items. I’ll do what I can, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop them completely.”[Zeros]
“That’s fine. Anyway, did you come to wage a war, by any chance? That equipment is completely overkill.”[DelSasis]
“Everyone’s told me that. Unfortunately, I don’t have any formal attire. This was the most decent one I had.”[Zeros]
As one would expect, his armor looked out of place. He looked like a magician, but that vicious equipment was enough to deal with an entire country. Meeting the feudal lord in that get-up could only look like a declaration of war. Zeros was seriously pondering if he should make a new suit.
“I see… Alright, I’d like you to wear that equipment while you’re guarding Zweit. It could deter them from making a brazen attack if they notice there’s a skilled fighter with him. That will keep them in check.”[DelSasis]
“…Can I hide my face? I don’t want to stand out.”[Zeros]
“…Isn’t it late for that? Well, I’ll leave it at your discretion, Zeros-dono.”[DelSasis]
“When does the combat drill start?”[Zeros]
“Two weeks from now. If possible I’d like you to depart a couple days earlier. It’ll be faster by ship.”[DelSasis]
“Alright. Then, I’ll go back and start preparing. Luckily, I know a few mercenaries that happen to be free right now.”[Zeros]
Like that, Zeros started preparing for his escort request. Although it was troublesome, he didn’t want to leave Zweit on his own.
“By the way, how do you get information from within the Academy? Do you have a spy disguised as a normal person or something like that?”[Zeros]
“…The less you know, the better. Only those prepared to step into the underworld are allowed to know.”[DelSasis]
The lord seemed like he had no intention of answering, but his words revealed that he had his own secret agent working from the shadows.
It was at that moment Zeros realized that Duke DelSasis was a dangerous person who should never be made an enemy. Likewise, there could not be a more reliable ally.
There were many mysteries to this capable man.
In any case, the middle-aged magician would be reuniting with his student.
From that day on, he started making items to protect Zweit, but it goes without saying that he got carried away and made some extra things.
The Black Exterminator had a production job.
As an aside, he bought soy sauce, miso, and vinegar from the Solisthea Firm. It seemed to be tamari soy sauce[7], which tasted good with Cuckoo eggs. Now he only needed to make sake and mirin, though he had no clue how to make the latter.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Some time before.
A woman entered a back alley and stepped into a deserted tavern at the end of the street. It was filled with men that obviously seemed to have not the most honest occupation and who were busying themselves with their drinks.
They smiled vulgarly when they noticed the woman, but were stopped by the master of the tavern who was pouring drinks behind the counter. As soon as they heard his words, they paled and cowered in their seats.
The woman went to the back of the tavern and pulled a lever hidden next to the shelf with liquors being on display. With the sound of something being released outside, the shelf slowly started to move aside – The liquor rack was a hidden door.
She descended through the underground passage that appeared behind the rack, though shortly it became a straight tunnel.
The city that used to be above ground had been reclaimed over time, and a whole new city had been built by now, but it was precisely because of that fact that the underground tunnels turned into a stronghold for the underworld.
Following the path illuminated by the magic stone lamp, the woman came upon an abandoned building that was once the mansion of a wealthy merchant, but it had become the place where her employer resided.
She opened the door without hesitation and found several men there. No, they were too young to be adults. Seeing the traces of immaturity remaining on their faces, she judged them to be naive young masters from a well-off family.
Taking a look at the youths, the woman walked toward the man in a suit across the table and leaned on his back. He was definitely wearing a suit, but he fancied a not-quite-flattering shade of purple while wearing several rings on his fingers, each with unusually large jewels, and a golden necklace. Put in other words, his appearance was completely that of an underworld don instead of someone with a respectable occupation.
“Ara? Darling, we had customers? They look awfully young, though.”
“Hm, so you’re back. And? How did it go?”
“A piece of cake. It’s hard for me to see how your men could have so much trouble dealing with someone like that, Darling. I wonder what they were even doing.”
“How reliable. With that, we’ve gotten rid of one eyesore and we’ll be able to monopolize business for a while.”
“Ufufu… great. There’s going to be a lot of money coming in.”
The man stretched his hand towards the woman and lovingly ran his fingers on her bare skin.
The youths, exasperated by the couple’s unreserved flirting, slammed the table with a loud ‘bang!’ They actually weren’t excessively quick-tempered, but they couldn’t put up with being ignored.
“We were in the middle of a discussion. Answer me! Are you accepting the job or not!?”
“Boy, if you want us to do the job, you’ve gotta learn how to act like a grown-up. We’ll take care of anyone as long as you have coin. So, who’re we killing?”
“Him. Don’t want this guy to keep dividing us any further. I want him gone as soon as possible.”
There was a photograph on the table. Well, rather than a modern photograph, it was made with a magic tool that imprinted the outlines of an object onto a sheet of paper, though in a fairly intricate manner. Despite those limitations, it was more than enough for the individuals working in the underworld.
“Heh. Quite the good-looking [ikemen] guy. Someone stole your sweetheart from you or what?”
“Shut the hell up! Just kill this fucking guy!”
“Watch your mouth, boy. It’s not like we have to humor your request, right? I heard your faction has been on the decline lately and all your revenue streams have been completely destroyed.”
“Ugh…”
“You’re the ones with the problem. We couldn’t care less, really. Don’t forget we’re only talking to you right now because we owe a favor to our contact.[8]”
The man was one step ahead of the youths. He already knew from which families they hailed from and the internal conditions of their faction. Just by revealing a bit of the information in his hands, he could make them realize who was really in control of the situation. They had no choice but to swallow their annoyance and keep quiet if they wanted the man to accept their request. It was as if they’d already established the hierarchy between them.
“Still, your guy is the son of the Silent Lion[9], you know? You chose a very annoying person to target.”
“Oh, the boy is quite famous then?”
“It’s his old man. He’s the one responsible for crippling most of our organization and now he’s set on taking down the Weissler faction. That man is really something.”
“What!? You’re telling me the duke himself did all of—”
“Shut your fucking mouth. Don’t you dare interrupt me, you damn moron.”
The youth was promptly silenced by the venomous words of the man.
The underworld organization, Hydra, was just short of taking over the criminal world that spreads throughout the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea, but the organization was driven to the brink of destruction at the hands of a single man.
Not only were his numerous attempts to kill the duke unsuccessful, but they also backfired against him, as DelSasis snatched away most of the organization’s hands. The man knew for a fact that the target’s parent was an extremely dangerous man. The moniker “Silent Lion,” given by those in the underworld, comes from his ability to act undetected by his opponents. Eventually, however, that nickname spread to the public and he came to be known as the Silent Lion, the Silent Lord, or the Strongest Philanderer. Though, that last one was given to him by jealous men because women would come to him even when he was just drinking alone in silence.
“I was genuinely surprised when he became the head of the family. He may give off that calm-guy air, but he’s more of a villain than us.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m shuddering all over~♥”
“What a frightening man. If he’s moving, then that Weissler faction is already dead in the water. All I can do is tell you to give up.”
The youths were left completely speechless. If they killed the son, the father would come to destroy them with everything he had. Furthermore, they felt overwhelmed at the prospect of turning the monster who defeated a big part of the criminal underworld into their enemy. In the worst case scenario, not only their faction would be annihilated, but also their own families.
“Well, whatever. We’ll take your request. You’re gonna be the next to be targeted, anyway.”
“N-no, w-we’re…”
“You’re seriously thinking you can get away now? By the time you guys arrived here, he probably figured out everything you had planned. He’s not only good at using people, he’s the kinda guy that’ll move himself if he has to. Quite the dangerous situation, right?”
Despair takes over them. They were stepping into a place where they could no longer turn back. To survive now, they had to eliminate all their opponents, or else they won’t be able to sleep in peace ever again.
They put themselves in great peril without even realizing it and made an enemy out of an extremely dangerous individual.
It couldn’t be helped that the man called them “boys”, but their immaturity was far from childish.
“Still, we’ll get to take revenge on him by dealing with the target. These fellas will take all the responsibility and everything will be alright for us.”
“Hm? Then, we’re taking the job?”
“Uh-huh… Can I leave this to you, Sharanra[10]? I’m sure they’ll be well prepared to deal with these guys.”
“Well, if you put it like that… Got no choice but to accept, do I? In exchange, you have to buy me some things, alright?”
“Yeah, I’ll get you anything you want. You’re our lucky ticket, after all.”
The die was cast. He tried to have a mere eyesore disposed of, but the youth – Samtroll – couldn’t stop himself from shivering after realizing there was such an incredible person shielding his enemy.
It would’ve been incomparably easier if Samtroll’s target were Zweit alone, but his father – Duke DelSasis – was much more formidable than the son. No, he was someone even Zweit couldn’t even dream to match.
Although crazy as it may seem, he alone declared war on the criminal underworld and drove them to the brink of extinction. And, not only that, but he also came back alive. The word ‘monster’ doesn’t do him justice any longer.
It was only at this moment that they’ve realized how foolish they were. Now that there’s no escape.
This was the result of his own foolishness, and in any case, whether the assassination was successful or not was irrelevant because the outcome would be the same.
Samtroll and his followers would regret opening the door to Hell.
[1] You guys probably noticed by now that the author really likes to repeat the same idea over and over again. I tried to re-word it more concisely, but I’m still considering skipping some paragraphs altogether because it literally doesn’t add anything new, but I dunno, I feel like it’s more the author writing while looking at the word counter than it is something that’s just part of the Japanese language. So that’s why this part in specific read like I copied and pasted the same paragraph twice.
[2] 明日は我が身; means you ought to be careful because the suffering of others might befall on you someday. Not complicated but it sounds like an old expression, kind of like quoting Shakespeare I’d guess. Just couldn’t find a way of representing that in English without being too over the top
[3] Probably a pun with the guy’s name. 寒[samu] means cold and the first syllable of his name is spelled as samu in Japanese. idk I guess it works for a dad joke.
[4] Might be a huge a bit of a stretch. I’m not sure what exactly the author meant by 愛されない馬鹿な訳ですね. Scraping through Japanese blogs for an hour with Google-sensei, I got the impression that when you say 愛されない[to not be loved] referring to a person, it usually refers to someone who’s super pushy and has an unlikable personality and that’s why their relationships fail, or simply someone without much luck in love. Don’t quote me on that, though. So, it literally means ‘idiotic reasoning/conclusion of not receiving love, right?’ I’m kinda assuming that Zeros is talking about the situation abstractly, like ‘huh, so it has come to be an idiotic situation such as this one thing lonely people in their thirties experience.
[5] So, after some googling, I found that although the word used here 派遣[haken] literally means dispatchment, as in, ‘to dispatch troops,’ or ‘to send an envoy,’ the modern use of the word is related to temporary workers that are dispatched from an employment agency of some kind under a lax contract with dubious wages [派遣社員]. I still have my doubts, because it reads in a super ambiguous manner. I take it as in magicians that were hired as freelance or temporary workers to do some odd jobs here and there and not as in magicians who already work for you and are sent somewhere else. Could be wrong. 魔導士を派遣する
[6] 結界[kekkai] I think here it refers to the kind of ritual barrier of eastern tradition, like the sort of barrier that would appear in inuyasha or smt. I don’t know where the author is going with it, he then combined both words in a single term as if 結界 was just a synonym for barrier, so I’ll leave it like that until it’s clarified what the author is referring to exactly.
[7] a kind of soy sauce that apparently has a richer flavor and doesn’t use much or if any wheat in its manufacturing process.
[8] as in intermediary or liaison
[9] 沈黙の獅子; a lion whose one of its qualities is silence. In context, it’s actually more like stealthy rather than the quality of being unfriendly and uncommunicative.
[10] シャランラ
