BXBX NOVEL 304 - Intermission Chapter. Goddess in Motion
304 - Intermission Chapter. Goddess in Motion
In my hand was a report consisting of several pages.
However, her eyes weren’t following the words on the paper.
What she was thinking about as the future.
First———– Mira.
If only the Mad Emperor could be eliminated, Mira is as good as destroyed.
If their Emperor dies, Mira’s army heading towards Urza will retreat.
There would be no problem with the Exiled Emperor over there.
The existence of the False Sacraments must be unexpected for the Mad Emperor.
With her excellent plans, there’s a high probability that their blade will reach the Mad Emperor’s throat.
Considering Mira’s current strength, it’s feasible to eliminate the Mad Emperor.
After eliminating him, we will clarify the degree of their contact with the Faraway Country.
If we can find out the extent of their contacts, we will be able to find the Forbidden Race and achieve our long-held goal of eradicating them.
[……………………]
However, the problem isn’t on Mira’s side.
The problem is———- the Great Demon Emperor.
If only Hijiri Takao had moved as I wished to the end……
“Hmph”, I flicked my fingernail across the surface of the report.
I thought that if I left things to her, everything would go according to plan.
Whether it’s Ayaka Sogou or Takuto Kirihara……
If it’s Takao Hijiri, she would have been able to manipulate
I was convinced of this, and in fact, it was becoming so.
Hijiri’s ability to see through lies.
Originally, that power should have been possessed by me.
I had tried to gain the power of the Heroes in the past, but I still have no idea how to transfer the Heroes’ Skills to me.
I rested my chin on my hand.
She realized that she couldn’t return to her world because of that ability to detect lies.
You catch the fish by their mouth.
That’s one saying those humans say well.
[………………..]
I indifferently continued flipping through the report, which contained no important information.
It was an unexpected situation that two out of the three S-Rank Heroes had betrayed me.
By now, Hijiri is dying of poison.
As for Kirihara, it should be safe to assume that the Great Demon Emperor had dealt with him.
Putting those two aside, what should be the plan against the Great Demon Emperor?
The Exiled Emperor can’t be used against him because he would be affected by the Tyrant’s Miasma.
The Drunken Sword Party is also too insufficient of a war potential against the Great Demon Emperor.
Shougo Oyamada could possibly be a usable force.
However, he isn’t strong enough on his own.
I did have him dive into a ruin and feed on the precious captured Human-Faced to grow.
However, as for whether he had the strength comparable to an S-Rank……
[…………………….]
Speaking of which, I also need more time to brainwash him.
That incident when Kaijin Fafnir insulted me.
When Oyamada became outraged by that, I knew that the brainwashing wasn’t complete.
I did say how “his education may not be perfect yet” back then……
But at that time, I’m already sure of this.
While he was mentally weak, the brainwashing may seem complete.
However, as he recovered, the strength of Oyamada’s ego began to flicker.
After that incident, I did give him a thorough re-brainwashing.
But still, I feel like I really needed more time for that.
When he comes back, I suppose I’ll reinforce his brainwashing.
However, I think it would be difficult for him to accompany Ayaka Sogou and the others.
It would be undesirable to let Sogou see that guy in such a state at this point.
Speaking of things Sogou doesn’t know about, there’s also Tomohiro Yasu.
That guy should have been taken care of by the Sixth Cavalry.
Or perhaps, he may have been killed along with the Sixth Cavalry.
As for the rest……
Asagi Ikusaba and her group seem to be stranded near Mira.
They could be used to support Sogou.
However, even with the worst case scenario, we can manage without them.
Kashima Kobato and the others would still be useful as bargaining chips against Sogou.
Another force to consider would be the Vysis Order.
Though I say that, their specialties lean more towards espionage.
They wouldn’t be able to keep pace with battles.
At best, Nyantan Kikeepat would stand out among them in terms of combat ability.
Then, as expected, the one I really had to rely on in defeating the Great Demon Emperor is———–
Ayaka Sogou.
She single-handedly chased down the Great Demon Emperor.
Moreover, she fought an evenly matched battle against Kirihara and the Great Demon Emperor all by herself.
Not only that, she was even holding back because she was fighting against Kirihara.
She certainly is an annoying short-lived brat.
However, it’s also true that she’s my strongest card in the fight against the Great Demon Emperor.
If possible, I would have liked to brainwash and use her.
However, the need to break her mind to brainwash her is too risky.
There are countless Heroes whose minds I had broken and just ended up becoming useless.
The failure of brainwashing is equivalent to losing a Hero.
I could only use that against those who I don’t mind losing even in the worst case scenario……
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
I had already sensed their presence before their arrival here.
I knew who the visitor was by the agreed-upon knocking method.
It was one of my spies.
Moreover, this knock———- was one used when there’s an emergency.
[Come in.]
[P- Please excuse my intrusion.]
Entering the room, the spy closed the door behind him.
[I’m hoping for some good news?]
[Ummm, the Sacraments that had been confirmed in Mira’s territory…… all seemed to have disappeared————-]
—————- BAAAAAMM! —————-
I couldn’t help slamming my fist down on my desk.
The spy looked pale.
After some time……
[Hmmm…… They disappeared huh. Is that so?]
[……Yes.]
All the False Sacraments have disappeared.
This indicates one thing———– The death of the Exiled Emperor.
[……And there’s o- one other piece of information that I think you should hear immediately.]
I could already tell what’s coming from his demeanor and tone of voice.
This wouldn’t be good news either.
[It seems that on Mira’s side, ummm…… there’s the Fly King Squadron……]
[……Is this information confirmed?]
[No, we still haven’t been able to gather evidence for the certainty of this information…… We have yet to hear from the spy we released inside the Imperial city…… However, the information was highly credible……]
[…..Ahh, I see.]
The invasion to the Faraway Country.
The report didn’t include the name of the Fly King but———-
[It’s likely that from that point on, he’s already antagonistic towards my side……? If so, then……]
Tak, tak, tak……
Pondering upon this matter, my finger tapping on the desk, my gaze drops down to the papers in front of me.
[Perhaps, the Heroic Sword and the Sixth Cavalry———- John Doe too, the Fly King Squadron had killed them……]
For some reason, that seemed to perfectly fit with the situation.
The Mad Emperor.
That black Leopardkin who was apparently rampaging on the front lines.
He may be stronger than I had initially assumed.
However————
The fact that both groups were killed by the Fly King doesn’t make sense.
Even so……
What kind of a mindset did he have that the Fly King Squadron had joined Mira’s side?
I couldn’t think of any motive for their decision at all.
[Ummm…… Mira seems to be spreading the word that the Fly King Squadron is on their side without seeming to hide it…… That’s why, rumors about this are spreading outside the Imperial Capital……]
[Ahh…… I guess there’s also that huh. It’s possible that he’s charmed by the Mad Emperor. That certainly is possible…… That guy’s quite the charmer after all.]
That guy had this devilishness that makes people go crazy.
It’s not always just the opposite gender that is attracted to him.
[He’s smart and articulate…… He also has the beauty to back it up. I couldn’t think of any reason why the Fly King would resent me, so I guess he had been entangled by the Mad Emperor. Since the Fly King’s active role in the battle in the Anti-Demon White Castle is widely known, the Mad Emperor probably dares to bustle the story in order to boost morale. Well…… The reason isn’t important. If for whatever reason Fly King-san had turned to the enemy side, I guess we’ll just crush them for whatever reason, right? Let’s crush them. Yes, let’s do that?]
That being the case……
Seras Ashrain would also be an enemy huh.
Let’s see if she has completely turned to the enemy.
[Ahhhhh.]
I leaned my back against the backrest, looking somewhat slovenly.
Looking up at the ceiling……
[Even though I would have been happy to use her as a pawn. Ahhhhh, ahhhhhh…… ahhhhhhhh. Fly King-san and the others have picked the wrong camp. Ahh, she’s very pitiful.]
There, I noticed.
My subordinate was still there, silently watching me.
It seemed like he had stopped reporting because I started talking to myself.
[Ahh, is there still something else you need to report? Fufu, I’m sorry. You can continue.]
With a smile, I urged him to continue.
[Ah, yes…… Other than that…… Both the whereabouts of the Drunken Sword Party and Shougo Oyamada were unclear. The Drunken Sword Party’s letters have ceased after their arrival in Yogori, while we last heard of Shougo Oyamada when he seemed to have headed far north towards Riu.]
I believe Shougo Oyamada should have entered the Imperial Capital as instructed.
While the Exiled Emperor and the army of Sacraments clawed around Mira territory, he would be searching for the Forbidden Race.
However, in this situation———– Oyamada may have been killed as well.
The same goes for the Drunken Sword Party.
[Hmmm…… Even if, for argument’s sake, that Oyamada and the Drunken Sword Party were killed…… For even the Exiled Emperor to have been defeated…… Hmmm……]
Exiled Emperor’s defeat wasn’t something I expected.
His opponent isn’t the Great Demon Emperor who releases a powerful Tyrant’s Miasma, just a human.
Even though he may have a Sacred Sword, it’s hard to believe that the Mad Emperor can defeat him.
That being the case, the one who defeated the Exiled Emperor———– would also be Fly King huh.
Using that “sorcery” that even brought down the Great Demon Emperor’s First Oath.
[The true identity of this sorcery is probably the power of an unknown Ancient Magic Tool…… or perhaps, an unknown Spell Incantation……]
This being the case, it makes it difficult to know the safety of the Heroes other than Oyamada.
Surprisingly, Tomohiro Yasu may not have been killed by the Sixth, and was instead killed by the Fly King.
The same could possibly be true for the stranded Asagi Ikusaba and her group.
Letters and information about their girl group have ceased to exist.
It’s possible that they too have already been killed.
If that’s the case———– I can use them as a pretext for her.
Their deaths would be something Sogou would ever forgive.
If she knew that he had killed them, who was more “important” to her than anything else……
Ayaka Sogou will be my spear that pierces the Fly King.
As I listened to the rest of the spy’s report, my eyes narrowed a bit.
[…………………………]
Fly King Belzegia.
I’m getting awfully curious about that guy.
In the first place———–
Who is he?
At that moment, the spy who had finished his report at one point looked as if he remembered something.
[Ah…… Also, Vysis-sama, the other day, Urza’s———]
However, the door to the room was vigorously opened, interrupting the spy’s words.
[Vysis-sama, I- I’m here to report!]
A retainer rushed into the room.
[Ara ara, today is a rather boisterous day, isn’t it? What is it?]
[Urza’s Magister King Jin has sent out an urgent request……! He requests reinforcements, and a request for temporary evacuation to Alion with his vassals in case of emergency……]
[Huh?]
[About that…… After the fall of Fort Zord, his Magic Knights were pursued by the Brilliant Squadron and were half destroyed…… The Knight Commander and the Deputy Commander were killed in that incident…… and now, the Magister King seems to be feeling pretty vulnerable because of it……]
[Wright Mira, who is renowned for his skills in warcraft, shouldn’t be around Urza, right? Even so, they sure are useless. Aren’t those Magic Knights too weak……]
[T- That is…… because they don’t have much experience in actual battles, and recently, it seemed like most of their people were just relying on the Dragonslayer…… Because of that……]
[Haahhh…… In other words, the war over there is going terribly badly?]
[Ah, no…… In fact, even though Magister King is so fainthearted that he wants to temporarily vacate the Royal Capital, Monroy…… but our Alion’s army, led by Duke Polarie, fought greater than expected…… and although they are slowly being pushed back, they are putting up a very good fight……]
Ara…… I raised an eyebrow at that.
[The main force of that army…… should be the soldiers who fought at the Anti-Demon White Castle, right?]
[Yes…… The absence of Wright Mira may have slowed the enemy’s momentum, but Duke Polarie seems to have also successfully taken in the Magic Knight, who lost their commander, and some of the retreating Urza soldiers as well…… I- In other words———– Duke Polarie has held his ground better than expected……]
[Fufu, it seems like we finally received a good report. Well, he wasn’t that bad of a commander to begin with.]
It’s not just the Great Demon Emperor.
If the Mad Emperor got his hands on the Forbidden Curses, I would really want to deplete Mira’s strength as well.
Most of all, this is a situation where I don’t want to see Urza fall completely into Mira’s hands.
[Hmmm…… Since it’s come to this, it can’t be helped. Let’s ask Neia and Bakuos to depart to the frontlines. This isn’t a time where they can use the excuse that their forces are exhausted due to the Great Invasion. We need them to do their best. Haahhh…… Against Mira, the Exiled Emperor would have been enough, but things are going out of plan. If only he managed to get rid of the Mad Emperor……]
However, if he had failed in getting rid of the Mad Emperor……
He may appear in the battlefield to their east.
Perhaps, with the Fly King Squadron in tow.
If that happens, Duke Polarie won’t be able to hold his ground anymore.
In that case though———– How far can Neia’s Cattleya be useful as a shield against Fly King Squadron?
[…………………….]
Telling them “I’ll send your instructions later”, I sent the spy and the retainer away.
After they left, I turned my attention to the desk drawer and opened it.
Inside are——— four Dark Purple Gems.
I looked at them for a while, pondering.
Eventually, I picked them up one by one and placed them in my palm.
[This, that…… Everything’s going out of plan. Annoying…… Truly annoying. These aren’t something I want to use yet. I don’t want to use these yet…… Even though this shouldn’t be the time to use these yet…… Good grief, good grief——— Now then……]
Since the elimination of the Mad Emperor has failed, the flow of things from here on out has become obscure.
Therefore, the defeat of the Great Demon Emperor should be hastened.
In every sense of the word.
[At the moment, the key is how I should move “her”. I never dreamed it would come to this, but the key to the battles from here on out———— is Ayaka Sogou.]
Once again, I called for someone to come to this room.
[Tomorrow morning, I will leave for Magnar with Ayaka Sogou and the Heroes. After entering Magnar, we will join the White Wolf Knights and Magnar’s army…… To defeat the Great Demon Emperor, we will then head towards the Root of All Evil’s Land———— and end this once and for all.]
[W- What about the battle against Mira……?]
[We will send reinforcements from Alion as well as Neia and Bakuos. They don’t necessarily need to win, they just need to buy time. If they can make sure of that, it certainly won’t be a quick end to the war. But well, if that’s still too difficult for them———–]
My gaze turned down to my open drawer.
There, I could see the four Dark Purple Gems.
Turning my gaze back to my messenger, I closed the drawer.
[I myself will make my move.]
▽
Tomorrow morning.
Everyone was ready for their departure to the frontlines.
With the morning glow, the sky is dyed in blue and orange.
There’s also the white of the cirrocumulus clouds added to the shades of blue and orange, forming beautiful layers to it.
White birds could be seen chirping as they flew off to the north.
The cool and clear early morning air feels a little chilly on the skin.
A gently sloping prairie surrounded by such clear air.
Aligned feet stamped on the undergrowth moist with morning dew.
Warhorses and chariots were waiting for the signal to set out.
In addition to the Heroes, a small force from Alion would also be there with us, consisting of about 1000 Alion soldiers.
Even though they are hastily created, this new Alion cavalry unit will act as their Goddess’ limbs.
Upon such a moment, I met Ayaka Sogou, who had already finished her preparations to leave.
[Good morning, Sogou-san.]
[Good morning.]
[Fufu, well then, let’s go then? Let’s dedicate a requiem to the Great Demon Emperor.]
[Yes.]
[And also———— Let’s save Kirihara-san.]
Upon my words, I could see the light in her eyes was even stronger than when I spoke of defeating the Great Demon Emperor.
Gripping the spear in her hand, Ayaka Sogou vigorously nodded.
[Yes.]
Well…… The probability that he had already been dealt with is higher……
Of course, that is something I kept to myself.
[……Now then.]
Mounting my horse, I turned to the other Heroes and the soldiers.
[Due to the mental derangement of our supposed brethren, the Mad Emperor, things didn’t go as we had originally envisioned…… But as of this moment, our Holy Alliance will begin the battle to defeat the Great Demon Emperor and end the war to subjugate the Great Demon Emperor! Let it be known that we will not give in to evil and we will not be defeated! No matter how many times he appears…… Yes, we will not be defeated, no matter how many times he appears!]
Declaring in a very loud voice, I turned the horse’s head in the direction of our destination.
[Now, to the north!]
<Author’s Notes>
Thank you for your patience.
Volume 10 will begin with the next chapter.
The update interval for Volume 10 is still undecided, but we will keep an eye on the writing speed and see how it goes.
We look forward to your continued support for Volume 10.
Also, the manga has been updated on Comic Gardo. It’s the battle against the Ashinto. Chapter 30 has also been elaborately illustrated by Uyoshi-sensei. Personally, I particularly liked Berga’s design (Chapter 31 is also available already, though it’s for a fee).
The next chapter will be from Touka’s point of view.
The update for the start of Volume 10 is scheduled for July 20th (Wednesday).