Fracton and the surviving knight-slaggers are already bound by Arnolt. I don't even dare to touch them.
I'm not going to be able to get my hands on them. The only thing left to do now is to collect the grasshopper.
But what do we do now? I'm going to visit my mother, but now that we're free from the fence, I want to explore this world at will.
I need money to travel. This is the time to earn money for your trip by getting a hunter's license. Then the nearby Barse might be the best choice. I'm sure you'll be able to find a good deal more than you think. Yeah, I think so. Let's do it.
As I was walking out into the forest--
"Wait, wait!
I'm stopped by Fracton.
I am the sword and shield of Prince Gilbert, the next king! Get on our side! With a power as powerful as yours, even an incompetent gift-holder, the prince will surely come in handy!
You are the only one who has been able to get away with this kind of rhetoric!
It's not just a matter of time before you're ready. It's not just a matter of time before you're ready to go. And this is the reason why this is such a stupid word. I can understand why you want to be angry.
'Shut up, you commoner! I'm a count, yes, a count! I'm not worthy of being a human being compared to you commoners!
Utterly disgusting. This world is the most vicious and irredeemable. The country where this kind of scum that does not deserve to live should be destroyed.
I'm not going to be able to say, "You despise me as an incompetent traitor, and you harassed me so much, didn't you? Why should I side with you guys?
That would be the only choice that would never happen.
It's not a good idea, but it's a good idea. Money and women are at your mercy!
Is that how you coaxed those stupid knights into doing it?
When I only turn my eyes to the knights tied to Arnold, they start to shake with a small scream.
Nonsense. They are such a joke.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one. When that happens--
I walk up to the guy and grab his face.
"You know what? Enough with the hypotheticals. I'm not interested in whoever is on the throne. It's all the same to me anyway, regardless of which of you vermin conducts the government.
You're going to treat Rose-Sama like a pest too?
Anna screams noisily. It seems that she's reverted to her usual depressing woman with her clothes on. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. It's a good idea to have a good time with them.
Yes, of course. I'll give you a clearer and more concrete description. The royalty and the aristocracy are parasites that possess the people, and drink their blood.
In the first place, these guys have also selected for some obscure benefit, and have persecuted species that do not have it. In the end, they are not much different from these fractons. They are nothing more than the vermin that live in this country.
You!
Anna is furious. The other knights also responded to this by putting their hands on the hilt of their swords.
This is the essence of these people. This is the essence of these guys. If they don't get their way, they will immediately try to use their power. And they really believe that the other side should always be silent and let them be powerless. That's why I hate these guys to death.
"Ho, you'll have a fight with me. I don't care. I don't mind. I'll go all the way to the end of the line.
Fafnir lowers his center of gravity and snarls as I take my hand off the fracton and turn to face them. Astaroth let out a loud sigh and turned his face into a giggling beast and snapped his fingers.
The opponent is the Kingdom of Amelia, a great power. And they have a legendary hero. You will be able to have the gift of a legendary hero. I'm sure it's different from the inexperienced sword emperor and his attendant attendants. I think I would have hesitated in the past. But now it's different. I would never break my knees for such a trivial thing.
If any of them are strong enough to oppose me, I will utterly destroy them!
"Don't stop!
It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. You'll be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
'Ha! The appearance of the master? And? What to do? Are you going to put me to death for insulting you?
The kings and nobles of this country have been doing it since ancient times. They have taken many lives and raped souls for the sake of an intangible and worthless concept such as bloodline.
Discrimination in favor (gift) is also just a shameful way for politicians to deliberately create a discriminated class and vent the grievances of the people, which should be directed to the royalty and the aristocracy, towards them. As long as they are on top, it will happen again.
No way. I'm happier than that.
"Huh? Are you out of your mind?
What does this woman suddenly say?
"Bu, rude--
Sure enough, Anna takes a bite out of me, but
"I don't! I told you so!
Anna cowered as the words were slammed down on her in a fierce tone of voice that didn't seem like Lohse.
'It was my first time,'
"Ah?
"For the first time in this country, I met someone with the same sensibilities.
Didn't you hear me? Didn't you hear me? I said that you royalty and nobility are the cause of the rot in this country?
So I said I agree with that. This country is rotten. Poverty, pestilence, and crime are rampant, and the government of the kingdom is not taking any action, but pushing forward for its own interests. If we continue with our current system, this country will surely go bankrupt in the near future.
Of course. But so what? Are you going to suggest that you can do good government? That's not a drastic solution, is it?
Yes, I suppose so. My personal power and ideas are limited. But what if each one of my people can participate in politics (festivals)?
Amazing. The idea of the people taking politics into their own hands and for themselves is clearly foreign to this real world. I never would have arrived at this idea if I hadn't read the books that were left in the labyrinth in abundance. Hmm, I'm a little curious about this woman.
"Where did you get that idea?
I came from a book my uncle, who was a hunter, gave me as a child, which told me stories from different worlds.
"Stories of a different world?
Yes, it is a world governed by Kagak, a concept different from our own. It is a society in which each citizen, regardless of rank, can walk down the path he or she chooses to follow.
Nine times out of ten, it's probably a reference to "science". It's a word that appears frequently in labyrinthine books, and it's almost certainly true. If so, the book is an otherworldly book. Of course, it's a story, and it's not the same book I've read.
It's a fantasy, not a paradise. It's a fantasy story, not a paradise.
In the book, its otherworldly karma was depicted disgustingly. There are always two sides to things. If the book Rosé read is a story, there is a good chance that it is only the front.
I know very well what you want to say. But I still want to see that world. So, this is my dream.
Rose put her hands on her chest and closed her eyelids tightly.
This princess is not normal. In the first place, ordinary people don't want to realize the world of the story, no matter how wonderfully drawn it is. And I'm not just talking about the fact that you can't get away from it. It's not a normal thought process. It's not a normal way of thinking, but it's a way of thinking that makes you feel like you're going to be sacrificed to the nobility.
"You're crazy!
You, again, Master Rose--
My gut-wrenching naiveté makes Anna furious again, but
"Anna
Lohse's voice of restraint causes her to hold her tongue, as if in a panic.
Lohse turned to Fracton and his friends, wiping out all expression.
'Fracton, and the knights who helped him, this matter will be brought to the attention of His Majesty the King, especially the worst case of conspiring with the Empire. In particular, this is the worst case of conspiring with the Empire. You should know that you will not escape extreme punishment.
Declaring it tantamount to doom for them.
'It can't be! His Royal Highness Gilbert--
Is my brother caring enough to risk his life to save an alleged conspiracy with the Empire?
He finally realized that he had made an irreparable blunder. Fraktong begins to tremble with the bloodlust.
With such a fracton at his back.
I hereby appoint Kai Heinemann to the Royal Guard of I, Princess Rosemarie Lotto-Amelia, First Princess of Amelia!
Such an idiotic and self-righteous declaration.
You are the royal guard. I know it's the highest honor for any aspiring swordsman in this Amelia kingdom. As I recall, it is the highest knighthood that can be bestowed upon an heir to the throne.
The royal guard is the guardian of the heir to the throne, a symbol of force and authority. To put me, an incompetent object of contempt, in such a role is madness. This guy is crazy after all.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! It's an incompetent traitor! It would not be permissible to appoint them to the royal guard of any other--
Sure enough, Anna tries to argue with the blood, but
"Calm down! So let me ask you the other way around, Anna, who do you think you deserve?
The first thing you'll notice is that there are a lot of people who are not in the same boat as you.
It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. At least you should have been doing that all along!
The head of that royal power, Frakton, has now betrayed you? Incidentally, you were almost roughed up by the knights he hired. They are, in the broadest sense, my brother Gil's Kingsguard. I'm sorry, but I don't trust the palace itself anymore.
"That doesn't mean you have to appoint such a treacherous person to the royal guard: ......
Anna muttered, biting her lower lip.
'Treacherous? Ridiculous! You did not see Kai's swordsmanship that surpasses even the Sword Emperor? He's in a place where your beloved make-believe talent will never reach.
"It's--
I don't mean to be harsh, but if I were God, I would bless him with more abilities than you. The Almighty God would bless him even more.
Ooooh!
You're not more blessed by God than I am. I'm not sure if such a deeply unimportant point was really shocking or not, but Anna looked down and closed her mouth. It may be an example of how human beings are most hurtful when they are rejected on the basis of their own values.
But that's just it. I was about to embark on a world tour. I'm not going to let you get bogged down in this from the very beginning.
I'm not going to be the one to appoint you without my consent. I don't want to be the one to do it.
My rejection elicited sighs of relief from the knights around me.
'No, I would love for you to be my royal guard!
I thought this woman wasn't as pushy as this one. I even sense a vindictive quality from this guy now.
"A royal guard is the face of the one who holds the throne, right?
"Yes, it is often compared to a vase for flowers.
Then, for the flowers to shine, they need a suitable vase, right? Especially I am incompetent. Farthest from that vase role. Find another one.
There is no one better qualified to do it than you!
I'm not the right person for the job. How about the Kingdom's heroic lord? I hear you're pretty strong, and aren't you the most popular person in this kingdom?
The brave man is the main force of the Demon King's army. If I make a brave man into a royal guard, other forces will erupt, and if I'm not good at it, there will be a civil war. Above all, I don't trust that heroic person that much.
Then, the knight-in-chief of the kingdom, when the king retires, just ask him to be the knight-in-chief, right? Competence and humanity are exactly what it takes.
The Royal Guard is to serve only one King for life. If His Majesty the present King abdicates the throne, Arnolt is still your father's royal guard.
Then let your guy do it. Don't mess me up.
The Royal Guard is the title of the highest-ranking knight. It requires absolute strength to protect the heir to the throne. It's a shame that I don't yet have the skills to do so, but I don't have the men under my command to do so.
"......
The knights around them, not to mention Anna, silently twisted their faces in frustration at Lohse's kind and heartless point.
"Above all, I want you to be my royal guard!
You're not going to be able to get your hands on any of them," she declared emphatically, glancing sideways at the knights around her.
'That's your theory. It has nothing to do with me. Find another.
No, my royal guard can be none other than you.
I refuse to do that.
"Are you sure?
Smiling Lohse felt a chill in the air
What does that mean?
I asked him the basis for his words and actions.
If you can't accept it, I'm going to nominate Raina Groat for the royal guard.
"Huh? As far as I'm concerned, he's an amateur who has never fought in a fight.
In this case, it was clear. The enemy is scum but cunning. It is not the same as defeating a demon. It's very unlikely that you can protect them with just your sword skills. It's not too much for Raina. I'm sure Rose would know that better than anyone else.
I'm a swordsman. I'm a swordsman, and when it comes to swordsmanship alone, I've already surpassed even that brave Lord. I'm not going to be able to get rid of it. That fact is far heavier in this country. It will be the perfect check on the other heir to the throne.
"What's his intention?
Even the good-natured person would not want to get involved in an extremely nasty scum like the royal family.
"She is willing to accept it if that's what I want. She told me so.
That big dumb girl! Well, that guy had a troublesome personality that he couldn't say no to his friends when they asked him to.
'What is Raina's position if she doesn't take on the royal guard?
"For the kingdom, the brave men and saints of swordsmanship are highly significant to the banner of the Demon King's army. We can't afford to lose them. The main thing will be to support the rear. But--
That's enough. I understand. You're saying that if Raina takes on the royal guard, it's going to be a lot less dangerous?
"Yes.
I'm sure Lohse is right, Gilbert and other fools are not serious. After all, he's even trying to sell out his own sister to the empire. It is obvious that if Raina becomes Lohse's first knight, she will be relentlessly targeted for her life. And now I have a strong memory of my childhood. I guess that's why. It's not just that I can't stand the fact that the child named Raina is unhappy.
But that doesn't mean - if you think I'm going to succumb to this kind of hostage threat, you're wrong.
"In short, you're blackmailing me, aren't you?
He angrily confronts Lohse. Just like that, the surrounding knights, who are not directly hostile, let out a small scream and fell on their asses. Anna was also shaking with a very pale face. Only Arnold and Lohse, who is actually facing hostility, are unconcerned.
I am sincerely sorry for the way things have turned out. But what I want to do is make a contract with you as an equal.
"Contract? Do you really think you can take away my choices unilaterally and say that they are equal?
It's too arrogant an idea. Well, in typical royal fashion, I thought this princess couldn't do that by mistake. That's just my impression of Kai Heinemann, who has little life experience. There will be a fallacy.
I have taken your will. "I have taken your will, then my will is yours, and we are equal. Isn't it?
"Huh? You, what are you talking about?
Use this.
Lohse takes out a ring embedded with gold jewelry from her skirt pocket and hands it to me.
When I put an appraisal on it--.
--------------------- ...
It's a good thing that you're the one wearing the golden ring, because you can use the one wearing the red ring. However, it is not effective against beings whose magic power is significantly higher than its own.
Item Rank: Intermediate
---------------------
A ring that takes away the will of another. And on the index finger of Lohse's left hand is a red ring. I'm not sure if this is the right way to go.
You would sacrifice yourself to achieve your ideals. It's all about self-sacrifice, but this woman doesn't understand. It takes determination to sacrifice oneself. That resolve must be squeezed out of you. It's not something that can be achieved by relying on such a dubious item. And the way you do it is not reasonable at all. In fact, it's absurd.
This is a servitude ring that has been passed down through the royal family for generations. It's not a good idea to be a good friend," he said. Its specific use is--
I don't need an explanation because I understand most of the benefits of this ring. "I don't need an explanation because I understand most of the benefits of this ring, but more than that. If I try to use this ring to manipulate you and wreak havoc on your kingdom, what will you do?
He interrupted Lohse's words to explain triumphantly, and half-heartedly expressed his doubts.
"You are not the kind of person who can do that.
Lohse confidently spits out such baseless words.
You are a fool. It's just that people are lustful creatures by nature. All you see is a superficial illusion.
It's getting ridiculous. In short, this woman is nothing more than an immature brat, just like the Sword Emperor.
But if you have that level of naivete, the next time you're sure to die. If the enemy is cunning and foolish, we need to come up with a plan to destroy them without any hesitation, but considering the current attitude of this woman, it's impossible to do so.
It's a good idea to have a specific way to protect yourself from Gilbert and other foolishness if you can't come up with a countermeasure. However, as long as Arnolt is not Lohse's first knight, he can't protect her forever. This means that this woman will soon be completely defenseless. This folly may be due to that impatience.
I'm really sorry for citing Raina's case. But--
Enough.
I let out a deep, deep sigh and squeezed the gold ring that Lohse had given me.
"What, what--
Lohse's red ring also shatters with her left index finger and thumb as she tries to speak out her doubts in blood. Then, turning to Arnolt, who is watching our exchange with his arms crossed, he says
"Al, now you're the guardian of this tomboy, aren't you?
Will it?
Arnold pulls his chin.
'Then you can lecture this stupid girl. Then we'll talk.
I can't help but feel unsafe with this girl. It's true that you are friends with Raina and Keith, and it's also true that it's a little bit of a wake up call to abandon this child here.
In any case, there is no clear objective to be done now. I'm willing to go along with this travesty until I can find a royal guard that can protect Lohse.
Yes, I'll do that.
Arnolt grabs Lohse's small right hand and tries to pull her to the tent.
'A, Arnolt, but I'm still not done talking to Kai--'
"Your Highness, it's all over now.
What does that mean--
However, I must speak to you slowly about something you just said, Your Highness.
Arnolt replied with a recognizable fake smile and pulled Lohse into the tent with a giggle.
'Master, you're taking on too much trouble,'
In the words of Astaroth, dumbfounded
"Leave me alone.
Cowering my shoulders, I also go into the forest to retrieve the Grasshopper Man.