Maou No Utsuwa

Out north of downtown Westmid, king's capital of the kingdom of Dia. That place, once a slum town, was now turned into a rolling ruin with all the remnants of burning debris.

Not at all unpopular, of course. There are few who have dwelt in the buildings left to burn to outrun the rain dew.

But that's part of the sight of a former favela. Nowhere has he developed surprisingly as a pleasure district.

Some talk about relocating the pleasure streets around them after the slums burned down for a while, but it disappeared without the endorsement of those who run it.

We couldn't afford to build a new building in an abandoned ghetto. Then, consideration was also given to if the State had that cost, which was also unacceptable.

Relocation Not so much, but with the disappearance of the inhabitants of the Glades, those who run the shops of Wangdu Pleasure Street are looking out for the future.

We have worked together for the development of the entire Wangdu Pleasure Street through the hedges of legal and illegal, inside and outside the Glades. Even when it came to working together, the ghetto with its visible demons and elves was far more attractive. Its presence underpinned West Mid's pleasure streets.

Now that it's gone, West Mid's pleasure streets are no different from those of other cities.

It would still have been good during the Imperial Period. As the capital of the Empire, people gathered from all over the vast territory and were able to do business with them. But now the kingdom of Dia is the only territory around the West Mid, formerly known as the center of the Empire. Few travelers visit the capital than before.

With no more Imperial garrisons that had become even more special needs, it would be tough to continue to do business. Those who wanted to live the rest of their lives with the money they had earned so far, or move it back to another city that was busier, had gone up quite a few.

Now the future of the pleasure district is not an important story. What matters is that we see a lot of shadows in the slums that are supposed to be abandoned and populated by poor people who don't have a few houses.

There are also people who don't see it wrong for the inhabitants of the Glades.

"... I really got there"

Looking around, it was Prince Diethardt who was whining. You don't deserve to be in ruins, you can't say.

If you're told you're standing on the trail of battlefield, it looks that way, but it was a long time ago that the Glades became a battlefield.

"Your Highness. I don't see any enemy troops around me."

The knight who had been on the lookout ahead came back and started reporting.

"... what's going on outside the Glades?

"I didn't look that far ahead, but it didn't look suspicious"

"Wasn't it a trap"

Why is Prince Diethardt standing in the Glades? That will go back a week...

To ambush West Mid Castle, he led a handful of elite death squads, King Diethardt Prince, who was on the move.

It was a death squad that had chosen to march at night to keep it out of sight, but when it came to about seven days after we reached West Mid, we suddenly fell into a situation surrounded by unidentified groups.

Even though they are surrounded, there are not many. Even in the darkness of the night, I could see about the same number. But Prince Diethardt did not give his men instructions to engage.

The eyes of those who surrounded them, shining in the darkness, made them hesitate.

"The republicans?

Entering from the group, Prince Diethardt inquired of those who surrounded him. There is no response to that.

"... are you one of Kamui Kreutz's people?

Change the language and ask.

You can't deny that.

Now I had a voice to answer. One person from the other side, along with that voice, came forward. In the dark, all I know is that it's small. That the man's eyes are not glowing.

Even if he could just see his face, Prince Diethardt wouldn't know who he was dealing with. As Kamui's companion, Dark has never been on the stage before.

"What's a fellow Kamui Kreutz for?

"Whoa, is that coming? This is a pretty interesting guy."

"... what does that mean?

Prince Diethardt doesn't know what it means to be said to be interesting.

"I thought if I heard from Kamui's people, I'd take the attitude that they deserved to be on my side"

"Kamui Kreutz will never cooperate with our country. Even if I may use it. Didn't I?"

"... no body. You should've gotten along with your brother."

Dark thought that Prince Diethardt, who is able to properly identify his relationship with Kamui, is better than Diefleet, who is sweet on Kamui.

Dark without contact with Deefleet is not sweet in the eyes you see.

"Not now."

"Not really. If you abandon your identity, abandon your country, abandon your family, you might make it."

"... I can't do that."

"Right. If that's what you can do, you're not here."

If you can abandon your country and abandon your family, you don't need to be ready to die and head to the West Mid. This is what Dark knows.

"... a prospect"

Our own plans are leaking to Kamui. There is a self-derisive grin on the face of Prince Diethardt, who found out about it.

After all, an insider, that was pretty central, too. Prince Diethardt even thought that he might be one of the decision-makers on this occasion right now.

"That's no choice, is it? It's bad to invade the north without having any prospects ahead in the first place."

"I should have had it for once, but what did I do wrong?

Rebellion plans were made with a lot of consideration. Dark says it's unplanned. Prince Diethardt was intrigued by the reason. I wanted to hear what Kamui's people thought.

"If we were to drag Kamui into the rebellion, we shouldn't have gotten our hands on the North. The fact that the Kingdom of Oppenheim held up the north is like purposefully extinguishing the spark with the Empire because of it, right?

"... will it"

"Well, too hasty before that. I wish I had kept the Empire in better shape."

"What makes you feel better?

"You want the Empire to believe, for example, that you are wholeheartedly submissive? The Empire was afraid of Kamui, but just as if all nations believed they had subordinated, they would have set it up from the Empire"

What the Empire feared about Kamui was not the power of the Republic alone, but the power that added the nations that would have worked with it to move. Without it, the Empire would likely have been in a tougher attitude. Either way, I keep wanting to destroy you.

"Even if only our country does it"

The connection between the Kingdom of Oppenheim and Kamui is thin. Prince Diethardt believes that it is other countries such as the Union of Central Nations that the Ruthuan Empire cares about.

Exactly. But the Union of Central Nations is the crook.

"Don't think other countries have done the same. So the Empire sells the fight to Kamui and returns the palm where Kamui bought it. Kamui's people are just like that."

"... moving Kamui first. That's where the premise was for the success of the rebellion."

That's what Prince Diethardt knew. I know, and I was also propagating that, but my father, King Oppenheim, did not accept me.

Since then. It was King Oppenheim who began to employ Deefleet's say over that of Prince Diethardt.

"What else?

"Right. There was no other way to win."

"Due to the fact that you moved on your own, this one's out of his mind. It's going to be a tough fight."

"... Are you going to cut off not only our country, but also the Kingdom of Sidvest?

The Kingdom of Oppenheim believes that at least the West Mid recapture operation is embedded in Kamui, King Diethardt Prince. He said he was going to hit the Ruthua Empire with the Kingdom of Oppenheim and drain it.

But I didn't expect to cut it off as far as the Kingdom of Sidvest. Doing so would open up a tremendous difference in power from the Empire.

"Come on? That depends on how Kamui feels. But I don't think Kamui will forgive him for trying to frame his people."

"... isn't Deefleet one of us"

"I don't feel like it in person. He says he's one of us, but that's because Kamui wants us, and we all pledge our allegiance to Kamui. Not a single one of them thinks they're even."

"I see. That's what I'm talking about."

Kamui's thoughts that are just hard to understand. Even if we can identify it, we can't read Kamui's movements. The surrounding will, which is subtly different from his will, supports Kamui.

"Make Kamui king. It also makes this continent a reigning champion. My fellow citizens' thoughts lie in this. If I knew this, I wouldn't be able to imitate like Deefleet."

"Are you going to be a champion?

"Uh-huh. Looks like it's no longer a continental champion issue. Still, well, I think Kamui would do it."

"... right"

Dark's first half of the story doesn't make sense, but I only found that there was a chance of winning anyway. I don't know the truth, but my friends at Kamui believe that.

"Now it's time to get down to business. An ambush on the castle is also rife with empires. Still willing?

"... do"

At the time I found out that I was known to Kamui, I was thinking of the possibility that I was also known to the Empire. Still, Prince Diethardt is unwilling to pull it off. This is already mean.

"Yes. Then give me some more information. The Empire is waiting in front of the West Mid. No matter how hidden you travel, if you know where you're going, you can ambush as much as you want."

"Right."

Listening to this Dark story never wavered King Diethardt's determination.

"So I'll show you the way out. Perhaps we can break into the West Mid without the Empire or the Kingdom of Dia noticing."

"What?

"It depends on whether you believe it or not, but I think you should. At least we can ambush outside, and we won't have to worry about entering the West Mid. Well, there 'll be a lot of them waiting for you in the castle, so the results won't be the same."

"... Let's Believe"

- There was an event, and if I came through the taught path of entry, the basement, I could reach this place.

There is quite a distance from the ghetto to the castle. Still, apparently, it is huge that we were able to break into the king's city without being noticed.

"Let's back off once until dark. Behavior comes at night."

At night all the gates of the castle can be closed. Prince Diethardt naturally knows that. I know and I have a reason to choose that.

Ambition of the Western Uncle family. This has been handed down for more than a hundred years.

◇ ◇ ◇

- Late that night.

Westmid Castle was in havoc by more than a hundred raiders who suddenly appeared.

The death squad led by Prince Diethardt, who suddenly appeared in the back of the castle, which is also a private space of the royal family, pushed deeper, at once, before the knights of the guard realized its existence.

The destination is the bedroom of Claudia, the king.

Exactly before I got there, I was spotted by the Kingsguard Knights of the Guard, and the battle began. The anger of the knights who get in and fight, the alarm for the presence and support of the intruders, is echoing in the hallway.

"Open the breach! Hurry!"

The longer the battle, the more disadvantageous the side of the Kingdom of Oppenheim is. The knights on the side of the kingdom of Dia will gather when they hear the alarm.

"Whoa, whoa!

As we named ourselves the Death Squad, one knight broke into a group of knights in the Kingdom of Dia blocking the hallway. A knight who waves his sword at Gamshallah, thinking only of defeating his enemies, not thinking at all about defense.

"You messed up! Break it down!"

Several more knights thrust into the momentum of tearing their bodies apart in an attempt to break down at once a line of enemies disturbed by a life-threatening assault.

"Protect him! Never let him through!

The defensive side is desperate too. Not so many Kingsguard knights in the back. If we allow a breakthrough here, we're likely to be advanced to Claudia's bedroom at once.

We just have to manage to buy some time on this occasion and wait for our allies to come together.

"Push it open! Even a few of you! Let them break through!

"Protect him! Never let him move on! Reinforcements will be here any minute! Until then, hold on!

The attacking and defending sides, the desperate voices of both sides are echoing in the hallway. The voice had also reached Claudia's ears trembling in the bedroom ahead.

"... go quick, knock me down"

Claudia is not alone. He's with Gusta Hagito and Holst Astron, the two remaining Yagami generals in the West Mid. I told those two that Claudia would bring down the intruder.

"Yes, no, he said it should be his last protection here"

"Oh, yeah. We hear there are about a hundred enemies. If that's the number, we should be able to protect it. It is in the midst of confusion that we should be vigilant, those who have been lucky enough to get out. Then I think we'd better stay here to protect Your Majesty."

Tell me why you're not sure, and the two refused Claudia's orders.

"You can stay here alone. Either one of you go, bring them all down."

"No, I can't believe I beat a hundred people on my own"

"You two are brave, aren't you?

"We haven't finished our selection ritual yet."

If we do not perform the ritual of selection of the brave, we will not gain any special power. The two of you on this occasion have not yet completed the ritual.

Now he's a bit of a strong regular swordsman who still won the swordsmanship tournament.

"Oh no... So what do you do?

The hallway calls are getting louder and louder. Claudia thought the enemy was approaching.

"Don't worry. There can't be an enemy breaking through."

Holst has been trying to reassure Claudia with utterly unfounded words. But this is quickly wasted when you say it.

"Find it! It's got to be one of these!

Words that I heard clearly. At the same time, the sound of doors being roughly opened reaches your ears.

The Princes of Diethardt are nearby, looking for Claudia.

"Come on, I'm here! We have to run!

"Where should I escape!?

"There's got to be an escape route somewhere!

"Somewhere, where!?

Escape route in case. It certainly is. But that's what Claudia, the king, should know. Gusta and Holst can't possibly know.

"It's the voice of people! He's in the back!

Plus Claudia and her two voices attract the Princes of Diethardt. The sound of coming running down the hallway. And.

"Kick it!"

The entrance door blew up with the shock noise, and King Diethardt's princes broke in.

"... King Claudia"

"... Diethardt..."

The two of you are not friends you know nothing about. We had enough opportunities to face each other several times.

"I'm afraid you will have your life"

"... I don't like it"

Claudia, who told herself to kill him when she was in Kamui, now says she doesn't like him with fright and trembling.

"I'm sorry, but you need to die. Be prepared."

"No! Mr. Gusta! Mr. Holst!"

Claudia asks for help from both Gusta and Holst. But how did they react?

"Surrender! Surrender!" "Me too!

"What?"

He was raising his hands and pleading for surrender, without even turning his gaze to Claudia.

"Poor thing. Rest assured. I will kill you so you don't suffer."

…………

Trembling, slowly lagging back Claudia. Just because you did doesn't mean you have an escape route. I'm just running away from Prince Diethardt, who's also approaching me with his sword.

"... be ready"

That's when Prince Diethardt waved his sword toward Claudia.

He made a loud noise and the door leading to the next room blew up.

"Push it back! Take out only one!

"Oscar!?

It was the Oscars who were not supposed to be here and the Knights of the Kingdom led by that Oscar who showed up. Oscar's men cut to the knights of the Kingdom of Oppenheim at the same time.

Soon Claudia's bedroom, and the hallway in front of her, became a battlefield where many enemy allies cut together.

"Lord Diethardt. Why are you making such a cowardly imitation of assassination?"

The hustle and bustle around him, Oscar asked Prince Diethardt in a quiet voice.

"To protect the country. And this is also for King Claudia."

Prince Diethardt also answers Oscar's question in a calm manner.

"... how could it be for His Majesty to take his life? That can't happen."

"What do you think would happen to King Claudia if our country dropped the West Mid and captured King Claudia?

"I won't let that happen."

"It's not. I'm asking you what happens if you do."

"... Your Majesty's life will be taken"

"If that were the case, I wouldn't do this. I believe King Claudia will live to be my father or my brother's queen."

"What...?

The story of Prince Diethardt was completely outside Oscar's imagination.

"We need royal blood muscles to rebuild the Empire. And it is desirable that it be a woman, not a man. Lord Oscar. Do you want King Claudia to be treated like that?

"... I won't let that happen"

You can't want it. Even so, Oscar can't have Claudia killed.

"... so is that. In your position, I can only say yes."

Persuasion and other futile things. The two are no longer under the empire. Each country is divided into enemy allies.

"Exactly. Lord Diethardt and I are in a different position. We have different things to protect from each other. If so, only decide the female male according to her beliefs"

"Right. Then... come!

Prince Diethardt takes a step towards Oscar with his sword in place. Oscar also takes the stand in response.

The battle for risking their lives begins...... it was supposed to.

"Gu......"

"Become?"

One sword piercing the body of Prince Diethardt. Prince Diethardt, pierced through his heart, slowly collapsed on the spot.

"Your Highness!!

The knight of the Kingdom of Oppenheim tries to rush over when he sees Prince Diethardt fall. But the sword of Oscar's men struck his back, and the knight fell again on the floor.

The same applies to the knights of the other Oppenheim kingdoms. He tries to defeat his confronting opponent and manages to head under King Diethardt's Prince, but his haste calls a gap and he falls before one enemy sword after another.

Suppression is a matter of time. But Oscar didn't feel comfortable with it.

"... Harald Farrell. Isn't that cowardly!

It was one of the Yagami generals who attacked King Diethardt Prince from behind. He's one of the real ones who finished the ceremony of brave selection. Towards that harald, Oscar utters a voice of condemnation.

"The opponent is a coward who plots an assassination. It's weirder to think about fighting grandiose."

"What?

"Don't be angry. Above all, it is His Majesty's. To protect it. I haven't chosen the means. But... why are you here?

Oscar should be in the north leading the Royal Deer Army. Harald has asked why the Oscar is here.

"Because I heard there was imminent danger to His Majesty."

"Even though we're here?

"Didn't those you guys fail to protect Your Majesty!?

If Oscar hadn't shown up, Claudia would likely have been discussed.

"Don't say you guys. The two of us left were just pompous."

"You weren't on His Majesty's side either."

"I was waiting in front of the West Mid. I was admired for it. I guess I'll have to make sure of that secret. Well, do we have to take control of the rest of them before then? I'm here because of you. I'll leave that to you."

"... I'm already doing it"

"Then get it over with. Your Majesty would like that."

"… Your Majesty. I'm going."

"Oh, yeah."

Harald is instructed to do so, but it is certainly necessary to take control of the Raiders promptly. To direct his men, Oscar greeted Claudia and left the bedroom.

The battle was already over in the hallway in front of us. Even the surviving knights of the Oppenheim kingdom moved on to retreat, realizing that no further engagement was possible.

Hallway where the hustle and bustle of battle disappeared. I deliver a good conversation to Oscar's ear without that quiet arriving.

"Your Majesty. Are you hurt?

"Ugh, yeah. It's okay."

"I'm sorry that the two people I left behind are just impudent. I hope these two will finish the ritual promptly and help His Majesty."

"But... Lenatus..."

"We already have five companions who have become brave. With all this, you don't need to borrow a hand of miscellaneous fish or anything. We will prepare ourselves and gather our people to perform the ritual"

"... right. So we can all be strong."

Hearing Claudia's words, dark emotions spread across Oscar's chest.

Prepare for the ritual, which means preparing sacrifices. Claudia, who should know that, has lightly embraced the conduct of the ritual.

The Oscar rhetoric meant nothing.

"so that the body of His Royal Highness Prince Diethardt, no, the knight of the Kingdom of Oppenheim, may be buried politely"

Oscar gives instructions to his men who were nearby.

"It's..."

"Please."

"... Ha"

Was it right to do what stood in the way of Prince Diethardt? This kind of thought springs to Oscar's mind.