Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Desperate Overload
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Everything was proceeding smoothly.
Until that idiotic situation arose where Kenneth stood blankly in front of the egg.
"Lord Kenneth…."
"What in the world are you doing right now?"
"Get out of there quickly. You'll die!"
People shouted at Kenneth, but it seemed he couldn't hear them.
I furrowed my brow.
Had a bullet suddenly lodged in his head or something? Kenneth's state was no different from a moth flying into a flame.
Even as the hellfire painfully scorched his skin, he merely muttered with charred breaths.
"Brainwashing magic…?"
I shook my head.
Haniel's assessment was wrong.
『From now on, Nob AI will refer to something similar to magic as X.』
『X has been activated. It appears someone is controlling Kenneth's body.』
『The currently observed brainwaves of Kenneth show no significant difference from those of a person sleeping peacefully with eyes closed.』
『Beginning search for the culprit.』
『Failed.』
『Insufficient data.』
What was controlling Kenneth right now wasn't magic.
It was a complex technique similar to Insein's curse.
Kenneth was merely an aura user with greater strength than others; he wasn't superhuman.
There was no way a human could remain calm while their entire body burned in agony.
The egg swelled.
And it swallowed Kenneth whole right before our eyes.
It happened in an instant.
『Kenneth's vital signs have disappeared.』
『Dargishkal's egg has begun rapid regeneration.』
『Current egg destruction level: 85%, hatching level: 60%.』
『Current egg destruction level: 70%.』
『Current egg destruction level: 60%.』
『...』
『...』
『30 seconds until Hellfire Stage 3 discharge.』
I thought everything would wrap up smoothly in 30 seconds.
But the anomaly occurred nonetheless.
"Ester, report the current situation."
He was cold-blooded enough not to shed a single tear even as his own son died.
His consistent demeanor since childhood made him transparently predictable, but seeing Porto calmly contact me like this somehow diminished my respect for him, which hadn't been there to begin with.
『Current egg hatching level: 70%.』
It was the right judgment as Family Head.
Now wasn't the time to worry about Kenneth's death; it was time to prevent Dargishkal's hatching.
『Initiative process complete.』
『Executing main action.』
The hellfire main cannon spat flames.
There was a flash and an explosion, but we quickly realized it was futile.
『Current egg destruction level: 20%, hatching level: 80%.』
I communicated with Porto.
"It's the worst. The egg used Kenneth as nutrients. It's fully repaired the damage it took so far, and the hatching speed is accelerating. At this rate, it will hatch."
"Is there no way to stop it?"
『…….』
"Understood. I'll tell the soldiers right now to prepare to fight Dargishkal."
I cut off communication.
In a situation where even Nob AI couldn't provide a proper solution, what could I possibly do?
"Young master."
"Yeah."
"I'm ready to escape with you and the young lady anytime. Just give the order."
According to Nob AI's calculations, the odds of victory against Dargishkal with Tristy's current forces were a mere 3.5%.
I didn't hate the innocent people in this territory, but asking me to risk my life—and in a battle with such slim chances—to protect them was another matter.
I'd done my absolute best.
If Kenneth hadn't been devoured by the egg, the plan would have succeeded.
We wouldn't have reached this point.
Even being able to attempt destroying the egg in the first place was thanks to me.
I'd upheld my duty sufficiently.
"What the hell is going on…?"
"It was breaking apart just a moment ago, and now it's intact again…."
I felt sorry for them, but my own safety and that of those around me came first.
There was no reason for me to risk my life fighting Dargishkal.
That much was clear.
"What in the world is…."
"Sis."
I handed a coin to Haniel, whose expression was dark.
"This is…."
"You toss it, sis. Heads, we advance. Tails, we retreat."
Haniel looked at the coin with a puzzled gaze before flipping it.
Whenever I stood at a crossroads in life, I'd always toss a coin into the air.
No point in agonizing over it for ages; it was a simple, straightforward way to decide.
Clink—
Heads.
Fate had spoken: advance this time.
I had no intention of fighting Dargishkal.
If it hatched, I'd turn tail and run without looking back.
But since it was still an egg, let's play hero just this once.
Nob AI.
『What Can I Help With?』
Tell me how to overload the Hell Tank's hellfire main cannon.
***
Kenneth's death was shocking, but Tristy had no time for it now.
The soldiers moved busily.
They were withdrawing from the temporary base built in front of the spawn point.
To prepare for Dargishkal's hatching.
Not everything in the world goes according to plan.
The destruction operation had ultimately failed. Now was the time to plan for the future.
Led by Porto, the entire army retreated.
Dalpi watched them and Ester alternately from atop the hill.
He showed no sign of fleeing.
Inside the Hell Tank, fiddling with the panels, he apparently still had an ace up his sleeve.
"Miss. Do you happen to know what the young master is doing right now?"
"I have no idea…."
Jephyr had set down all the fuel tanks on the ground, and Ian connected them to the Hell Tank with the makeshift hoses Haniel had just made.
"Brother. Preparations are complete."
At the same time, Ester finished maintenance.
"Thank you all for your help. It might be dangerous, so everyone retreat."
Everyone on the hill insisted they'd stay, asking if she really planned to remain alone, but Ester's attitude was firm.
"Got it."
They reluctantly withdrew.
"Why aren't you leaving?"
"My place is by the young master's side."
Only Dalpi stood rigidly at attention.
"You might die."
"Death alongside the young master would be an honor."
"I'm not joking."
"Neither am I."
Ester sighed.
He never yielded in situations like this, so breaking her bull-headed stubbornness was still beyond Ester.
Was this part of a maid's basic training too?
Ester ultimately used Nob AI to press the launch button.
If they couldn't destroy Dargishkal's egg from this spot right now, a catastrophe in the Tristy Autonomous Territory was inevitable.
In his eyes wasn't the Hell Tank charging hellfire.
But the retreating figures.
『15 minutes until discharge.』
『Current egg destruction level: 15%, hatching level: 84%.』
Dalpi found Ester's gentle demeanor pleasing.
Unlike ordinary nobles, his unassuming, soft-spoken manner was always pleasant to hear.
His attitude of treating everyone equally regardless of status was worthy of respect.
『10 minutes until discharge.』
『Current egg destruction level: 10%, hatching level: 89%.』
Suddenly, Ester asked.
"Dalpi."
"Yes."
"Why are you sticking by my side?"
"It's a secret."
Dalpi clutched his star-shaped earring preciously.
『5 minutes until discharge.』
『Current egg destruction level: 5%, hatching level: 94%.』
"Don't you have any questions for me?"
"What's your ideal type?"
"A rich woman."
"Hmm."
She'd brought up the one thing Dalpi lacked—pretty clever.
『10 seconds until discharge.』
『Current egg destruction level: 0%, hatching level: 99%.』
"Young master."
"Yeah."
"You've worked hard today too."
Dalpi smiled brightly.
『Initiative process complete.』
『Proceeding with main action.』
Every machine has a load limit.
If operated beyond rated output, parts fail quickly and can explode, so limits are set to prevent exceeding a certain output.
Ester had just removed that limit.
『Discharging Hellfire Stage 5.』
Overload means running the machine beyond standard output.
From the main cannon formed a hellfire so massive and hot it could be called a miniature star.
Dozens of times larger than Stage 3.
As the black star arrived, the world momentarily darkened.
Dalpi, who had been staring blankly ahead, turned his head.
Because Ester had moved.
"………."
He touched Dalpi's cheek and murmured something.
But the ensuing roar drowned it out.
『Dargishkal's egg has been destroyed.』
The world grew quiet and returned to its original colors.
Rarely losing his composure, Dalpi said softly.
His ears were oddly red, but Ester didn't notice.
"Handsome is truly the greatest advantage…."
Ester, her ears still ringing, just grimaced.
"Huh? What did you just say?"
Restraining emotions is basic maid training.
"Thbbbt."
Dalpi instantly reverted to his usual expressionless face and stuck out his tongue.