Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Building a Force: The Great Operation (2)
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"Hello, heirs of the meritorious families!"
After declaring the formation of the 5th Knight Order to Mother and slipping out of the office, I headed straight to where the heirs from the meritorious families had gathered.
"Wh-what is it?"
"What's this about?"
"Um, I'm not exactly an heir... I'm my master's disciple..."
They had all been packing their bags with sullen expressions, but now they stared at me with some surprise.
"Sorry, but could you sign here?"
Unsure when Mother might come to stop me, I wasted no time and handed them the documents I was holding, even as they eyed me warily.
"Huh?"
"This is..."
"A voluntary enlistment application for the 5th Knight Order?"
They examined the papers carefully for a moment, then glared at me coldly and shook their heads.
"You want us to join House Belverk?"
"Out of the question."
"'Voluntary enlistment' sounds suspicious right from the start..."
Yeah, I figured they'd react like this. Still, wouldn't the desperate plea of a romance novel child protagonist win them over?
"Kairen doesn't know about complicated stuff."
"......"
"Just sign it, please!"
Clinging to that hope, I tried my now-familiar ultimate child protagonist move, but their gazes remained icy.
'...Wait, of course they wouldn't fall for it.'
Only after seeing those cold stares did I snap out of it.
No matter that I had the personality of a ten-year-old kid, wasn't I getting too used to this act?
Lately, acting all cute and childish had been solving everything so easily that my intelligence was starting to regress to match.
But getting reliant on this trick is dangerous. When it fails—like now—I'm screwed.
'Alright, let's think this through.'
Excluding the System, my real asset wasn't being a ten-year-old brat; it was my knowledge from my past life.
Before my brain truly devolved to kid levels, it was time to wield some veteran transmigrator cunning again.
"I'm curious what your intention is in trying to recruit three heirs from meritorious families into a knight order."
"Yeah, what kind of political maneuver is this?"
"...I'm busy researching with my master at the Magic Tower."
With my mindset reset, I listened to them carefully, then smirked inwardly and cut in.
"Excuse me...!"
"...?"
"I won't recruit all of you!"
Their eyes widened at that, shifting from the papers to me.
"Kairen was only planning to pick the strongest one out of all of you!"
"......"
"So, who's the strongest here?"
I tossed out bait they couldn't possibly ignore.
"You think we'll fall for that obvious provo—"
"Heehee, no pressure. It's optional!"
I wouldn't try this on just anyone, but these were proud, honor-bound young ladies from meritorious families, brimming with spirit.
"If you're scared, you can sit it out!"
If my hunch was right, they wouldn't back down after hearing that.
- Kaduduk...
Sure enough, grinding teeth echoed from Lady Artel, granddaughter of Marquis Sharhen.
"Enough with the transparent provocations."
"Ah."
"No need to doubt the answer to that question."
But then, Sigrune—the late-born daughter of Border Count Hakfried—poured cold water on the rising tension.
"The North endures endless monster invasions and northern faction raids as the empire's shield."
"......"
"I've guarded the North alongside Mother since I was young. In terms of combat experience, no one my age can match—"
True to her northern roots, her icy retort only fueled the flames.
"...So how strong is your mother?"
Lady Artel interjected with a cold smile.
"My grandfather and master was the world's greatest swordsman."
"......"
"Need I say more?"
Before Sigrune could respond, Lady Artel answered herself, her eyes gleaming coldly.
"M-my master was in the hero's party!"
A trembling voice suddenly filled the room.
"...Gasp."
As all eyes—including mine—turned to her, Ranya, Marquis Magnaris's favorite disciple, paled and clamped her mouth shut in a daze.
"Ah, n-no... I mean."
"What did you just say...?"
"...I misspoke."
She hastily corrected her bombshell slip-up.
"M-my master is a disciple of a former hero's party member. Ahaha..."
What? Even if it was just a slip, why does it smell so suspicious?
"In short, I'm the disciple of the disciple of the great archmage once called the strongest!"
As I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, Lady Artel shot Ranya a cold glare.
"So, what are you trying to say?"
"W-well..."
Ranya glanced around nervously, then mumbled in a tiny voice.
"...Whether skill or master, comparing me to you all is a bit of a stretch."
That arrogant contrast exploded the already boiling tension.
"Hey."
Lady Artel broke the silence.
"Everyone, to the training grounds."
She drew her sword from her waist and strode out.
"We do need to sort out the pecking order sometime."
"Sh-should've just stayed quiet..."
Soon, the other two ladies followed.
"......"
Left alone, I smirked inwardly—plan half-complete—and trailed after them.
'...That's more like it, heh.'
Using your brain really pays off.
- Ku gu gu gu gwang...!!!
I was quietly smiling, pleased they'd taken the bait as planned.
But that lasted only a moment.
"Whoa..."
Arriving at the training grounds, I gaped at the duel of the three ladies, rethinking everything.
'Should've just stuck to being cute like usual...'
Anyone witnessing the lethal strikes would think the same.
- Kwadududuk...
Sigrune unleashed her suppressed freezing aura, flash-freezing half the grounds and conjuring massive ice spears in the air.
"Not bad?"
Lady Artel, eyes gleaming, cloaked her sword in sword aura—a feat taking normal knights thirty years of training.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Ranya hoisted her oversized, battered staff—taller than me—high, sobbing as she slammed it down.
- Ku gu gu gu gung...!
The shockwave from their colliding strikes rocked the grounds.
"Oh, you've improved quite a bit."
"Hehe, they're ready to replace the heads of their meritorious houses right now."
Hearing Big Sisters Lilien and Uriel spectating from afar, I realized I'd unleashed something massive.
"Hah, hah..."
"Ugh..."
Too late to stop it now.
"...Keep going, and you might lose use of your arms."
"You keep it up, and your heart'll freeze."
Each clash shook Belverk, their wounds mounting as exhaustion set in.
"Hiiik..."
Most pitiful was Ranya, sniffling on the ground.
"I-I've never dueled before..."
She had the least physical wounds but the worst mental damage.
"Then surrender."
"Talk big, pay the price."
Despite their limits, Sigrune and Lady Artel prepared another strike, unwilling to stop until one remained.
'Time to intervene...'
I'd stoked their rivalry for recruitment, not corpses.
"Ugh..."
As I timed my interruption—
"If that's how it is, I have no choice."
Ranya stopped crying, stood with resolve, and raised her staff.
"Master told me never to use this."
"Hey..."
"You started it."
Before I could speak, her purple eyes turned blue—like Marquis Magnaris's symbol.
"Hell, gate, ring of flames, crimson halo."
"......?"
"Descend, lord, domain and throne..."
"ᚦ ᚲ ᛋ ᛉ ᛇ ᛒ ᛝ ᛟ."
⟨ Hell's Sovereign Summon ⟩
I stared at her in confusion—
"Y-you...! Slept through academy, huh?"
"That's taboo, idiot!"
Sigrune and Lady Artel freaked out in unison.
"B-but..."
Ranya replied timidly, eyes still blue.
"Belverk has extraterritorial rights!"
No one could argue that valid point.
"Lord of hell and demons, by my command...!"
A massive hexagram glowed red before her as she chanted frantically.
- Puk...!
But she didn't finish.
"...Wah."
Lady Artel hurled her scabbard with all her might, nailing Ranya's forehead spot-on.
"D-did I stop it?"
Ranya collapsed unconscious with a whimper; Lady Artel muttered uncertainly.
- Gooo...
Then red light flooded the grounds.
"Sorry, but no."
A seductive voice echoed.
"Knocking out the summoner before she finished actually gave me freedom."
"...!"
"No pesky contract today. Time for a feast after so long."
The light faded, revealing a clearly top-tier demon.
"The Lord of Hell, called mother of demons..."
"From fairy tales..."
Sigrune and Lady Artel backed away sweating; this demon outclassed Belverk's maids by far.
"Alright, who to eat fir—"
A chilling silence fell as it licked its lips.
"Ah?"
The demon blinked, tilting its head.
"This is... Belverk?"
Its face darkened. I gathered courage and stepped forward cautiously.
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"Hello?"
It turned, expression blanking.
"...Crimson Eyes."
Its whisper sent chills down my spine.
"Then... you're..."
I trembled, wondering if I should yell for Mother—
- Thud...
The demon gazing down prostrated itself.
"Aigoo, little young master~!"
Its prior majesty gone, it groveled obsequiously.
"Shall I lick your feet?"
What? Why is this happening?
Meanwhile, the Lord of Hell and Demons groveled at Kairen's feet.
"N-not just feet—anywhere you want, just say!"
"......"
"Or... any wish? I'll grant one free this time."
She groveled desperately to the baffled Kairen—for good reason.
'I'm screwed.'
Long ago, during the empire's founding war between Demon King and Hero, demons swore eternal loyalty to the Demon King.
This held even in modern times.
House Belverk, inheriting the Demon King's power, was demons' dream job and ultimate sanctuary.
She, their leader summoned carelessly by Ranya's taboo spell, was Hell's Lord.
In short: CEO of a subcontractor supplying staff to Belverk.
'Gotta fix this.'
Subcontractors never beat prime contractors.
Especially Astridje, 49th head—strongest after the first Demon King.
If she heard this demon threatened her precious son, the contract could end today—a catastrophe.
'Fail to fix it... and my children starve.'
Unthinkable for the demons' "mother."
"Hey, Big Sis."
"Yes!"
"What's your exact species?"
Sweating, she answered eagerly with a smile.
"S-Succubus Queen!"
Kairen muttered, then grinned slyly.
"Dullahan, orc, skeleton, werewolf, and..."
"...?"
"Heh heh..."
Her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, need some nighttime company?"
"Nah, got a girlfriend."
"Th-then...?"
Kairen cut her off coldly, whispering.
"Ever thought of being a knight order captain?"
"Pardon?"
Unimaginable for a lord like her.