Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Move the Carriage, You Bastard - 2
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Queen of Hearts Dnia's garden.
Golden hair cascading down to her waist, red eyes blazing like the sun.
The color of hearts burned fiercely, the color of her irises burned fiercely. And at the same time, the sun burned fiercely in the sky above.
The queen of Wonderland, endlessly aflame with passion. Dnia, as always, was focused on her game of cricket.
...Of course, the fact that it wasn't your average game of cricket was the problem.
Thwack!
She swung her mallet, and with a wet thunk, the prisoner's head exploded.
Not that these were ordinary prisoners—they were Wonderland operatives who'd crossed her or territory folk who'd failed to deliver tribute on time.
"Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!"
The next prisoner was laid out on the ground. Dnia pinned his neck with a sharp jab of her foot and peeled back her lips.
"How did it go?"
A knight in blue heavy armor, Diamond Knight Grinfinder, bowed his head and answered promptly.
"We believe Duchess Cherno is dead. The odd thing is that the device she used was completely shattered. It was incredibly sturdy— not something easy to destroy..."
"And my pets?"
"The rabbit and the cat both seem to have survived. But they betrayed us, which is the issue."
"Two betrayals. Cherno dead. The rest of her subordinates should have returned by now, but not one's come back."
"They've all betrayed us too."
"Betrayal requires someone to betray to..."
Thwack!
Another prisoner's head burst like a watermelon. Blood splattered across Dnia's face, and her subordinates scrambled to wipe it clean.
Her face was soon snow-white again, like fresh drawing paper. Only then did she finally turn to look at Grinfinder.
"...Which side did they join? Is there even an organization out there that could stand against Wonderland?"
Grinfinder hesitated a moment too long, and Dnia narrowed her eyes.
"From now on, anyone who doesn't answer my questions within three seconds gets executed. All of you. Executed."
"We haven't identified the organization's name. But we know who's leading it."
"Yes. Speak."
"A man named Florian."
"Details?"
"Last education: academy dropout. Last known job: servant to Lady of Revelry Ellis... That's all."
Dnia froze mid-swing, on the verge of smashing the next prisoner's skull. She tilted her head, as if unable to process what she'd just heard.
"A servant who couldn't even graduate the academy? You're telling me the man daring to defy this queen is some lowly nobody like that?"
"Forgive us."
Diamond Knight, Clover Knight, and Spade Knight all bowed as low as they could. No one dared meet Dnia's eyes right now.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
After pulverizing the fresh prisoner's head completely, Dnia caught her breath with heavy gasps and continued.
"Could it be my rabbit pulling the strings? Maybe her servants were hiding their power all along."
"Impossible. If every servant in Ellis Manor had that kind of strength, they'd have strung up their own lady long ago. She's notoriously awful to her staff."
"And the situation there now?"
"Balrog's handling it personally."
"I see."
The queen's gaze naturally shifted to the Spade Knight's face. He was clad head to toe in pitch-black armor.
"So that's the story, Balrog. Give me a progress report. Wait, no... I shouldn't have to ask..."
Dnia wrapped her cricket bat in mana and brought it down on Balrog's helmet. It clanged with a deafening kaaaang!
"...Do I really have to ask before you report? Huh?"
Clang! Clang! Kaaang! Kaaaang!
"Useless knight. Vermin knight. Weak knight. I don't need trash like you. I don't need feeble knights who need me dictating their every task."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Execution. Execution. You'll be executed, you trash. You worm. You microbe."
Kaaang!
Finally, blood trickled from the slits in Balrog's helmet.
It looked like a massive amount at a glance, but Balrog silently bowed deeper.
"F-for... forgive me. Cough. I sent my most trusted guard knight, so the matter will surely be resolved."
"You should have reported that from the start."
Dnia snorted derisively and clapped twice. Only then did her attendants rush in to carefully wipe the blood from her body.
"Balrog—no, all of you knights, burn my words into your ears."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"If this affair inconveniences me even a little more, I'll host a grand cricket match. Your heads will be the balls, naturally. Do you understand?"
"Yes. We will remember."
The three knights responded crisply.
'It must succeed. Kaliman...'
His face hidden by the helmet, Balrog ground his teeth.
'What the hell?'
In his field of view was a silver-haired man with a fairly solid build. His name: Florian.
Identifying him was easy enough from the description, but Kaliman inwardly bristled at the way those golden eyes glared at him.
"Florian. Do you understand what I do, and you're still giving me that look?"
Florian tensed a vein on his forehead and opened his mouth.
"You're the carriage owner, aren't you, you son of a bitch? Move the damn carriage now."
"Do you even know who I—"
"Move the carriage."
"I'm talking here—"
"Move the carriage."
Florian shoved Kaliman's shoulder with his own. Despite the armor making their size difference obvious, he showed no fear whatsoever.
"Move the carriage first. Then I'll hear whatever you have to say."
Kaliman let out an incredulous chuckle. In all his life, no one had ever treated him like this.
He sighed deeply to suppress his anger and nodded.
"Fine. I'll move it, then kill you right after."
Kaliman stomped toward the carriage to order the coachman to pull it away.
But then...
"What the hell are you lot?"
Ellis, Tyr, Cheshire Cat, and Dodo had been lurking behind the carriage. When their eyes met Kaliman's, they scampered behind Florian.
Did they smash a wheel or something? Bunch of childish punks.
That was his thought as he checked behind the carriage.
"......!"
Kaliman's eyes went wide.
-Retards ride this carriage, nya.
-Get lost, fuck off.
-B-bad guys.
-Rabbit Queen's carriage soon. Ellis was here.
The steel carriage's rear was covered in graffiti.
"Wh-what the hell is this?!"
It was astonishing that anyone could scratch up such sturdy steel, but the contents were even more absurd.
What kind of carriage was this?
Normally, Lord Balrog himself rode in it. But if it wasn't needed for a mission?
If he found out scratches had been turned into mocking graffiti...!
That's when Cheshire Cat stretched her mouth into a grin and let out a creepy hee~ laugh.
At the same time, she waggled the head of her black hammer. Meaning that's what made the graffiti.
"H-hey!"
Flames shot from Kaliman's eyes.
"Hey! Did you just scratch up Lord Balrog's carriage? Not content with that, you added graffiti? Do you punks have even a shred of survival instinct? Not even a little?!"
"Hey?"
Florian scratched his head.
Crack!
'Hm?'
His vision shook, followed by a dull thud in his ears. When he came to, he found himself on his knees.
'...What?'
His legs wouldn't support him.
Did someone strike his neck? No way. He hadn't even seen a hand move.
"Unbelievable."
"A-ack?!"
Florian yanked Kaliman's ear. Those golden eyes still burned.
"Quit yapping and move the carriage."
His other hand smacked the back of Kaliman's head a couple times. The other knights just gawked at the ridiculous scene.
"I'll m-move it. Just let me talk a sec—"
Slap!
This time, Florian backhanded Kaliman's cheek. Only then did Kaliman grasp his place.
This man was stronger than him.
Not just a little stronger—overwhelmingly so. No chance of winning if he fought.
'What is he...?'
The thought sent chills racing across his skin. He'd never even heard of a monster like this.
Meanwhile, Florian jabbed a finger at the spade emblem on Kaliman's shoulder.
"What, you proud of this? What the hell does it even mean?"
"Spades symbolize death..."
"Fits Dnia perfectly, then."
"H-how dare you speak such blasphemy of our benevolent Queen of Hearts—!"
Florian raised his hand again.
"Move the carriage. Wanna die?"
"Got it! I got it!"
Kaliman nodded frantically, and the coachman—who'd overheard—hastily backed the carriage away.
As it pulled out, the mangled flowerbed came into view. Utterly devastated—nothing else described it.
"Haa... you absolute bastard..."
Still, gotta talk it out now. Let's negotiate calmly.
Florian turned with that in mind.
Bang!
Thwip—!
"...?"
"......!"
"...?!"
A gunshot rang out, and Kaliman collapsed with a temple pierced clean through.
"Hey. Snap out of it."
Florian hastily checked his pulse, but it was no longer the beat of the living. Too late for a Restoration Stigma now.
All eyes turned to the culprit who'd fired Trivi—Ellis.
"...He's dead!"
She shouted, then triumphantly thumbs-upped Florian.
"Master said he was a dead man, so I took care of it!"
Her pure, sparkling expression, like she expected praise...
The moment Kaliman's death registered, every knight drew their swords. Negotiation was off the table.
"Ah..."
What am I gonna do with you...
Florian rubbed his forehead.