Chapter 343
Chapter 343
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 343
>Chapter Title: Then Don't Do It......
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The peaceful territory of Viscount Demusi's estate.
Gatekeeper John yawned so wide his mouth nearly split, basking in the warm afternoon sun.
......Sleepy as hell.
Winter was a boring season for gatekeepers.
No merchant caravans or mercenaries headed to the Arafur Mountains.
His daily routine was just lounging by the main gate, soaking up the sun until shift change.
The cold was an issue, but on warm days like this, even midday brought on a drowsy haze.
'Let's see, shift time...... Huh?'
As John checked his battered pocket watch, something caught his eye.
"What's that......?"
A lumpy silhouette approaching from the horizon.
It was far off, but with his sharp eyesight, John easily made out what it was.
First off, kicking up a dust cloud as it moved......
......Horses?
Yeah, horses.
Over a dozen heading straight for the estate.
Atop the lead horse rode a gray-haired man and a red-haired woman, while the saddles on the followers were empty.
And next to them......
A single carriage.
"Hmm, that's odd. Bit early in the season for horse traders."
Strange, sure, but that was the extent of John's thoughts.
Winter wasn't ideal for horse traders, but they did pass through occasionally.
Anyway, guests were coming, so John slapped his cheeks hard to shake off the sleep, straightened up, and woke the guard next to him to get ready.
How much time passed like that?
Clop clop, clop clop.
The group John took for horse traders pulled up to the gates, and as always, he asked the routine question.
"Where you from?"
"That's not important right now."
......?
A furrow creased John's brow.
The arrogance in the man's tone.
But before John could call him on it, the man spoke again, dropping a line that made John doubt his own ears.
"I've brought back Viscount Demusi's soldiers. Saved them."
"What......?"
Saved the soldiers?
Did that mean Viscount Demusi's soldiers had been ambushed or something?
"Better if you see for yourself. Rayleigh."
With that, the carriage driver opened the door.
And shockingly.
Inside the cramped carriage, bodies piled like luggage, tangled every which way.
A few familiar faces among them.
Including......
"S-Sir Horan......!"
......Even the knight sent out on reconnaissance by the viscount's orders.
"W-What's going on here?"
John couldn't make sense of it.
Why were soldiers who'd left that morning unconscious and sprawled out? And who the hell were these people dragging them in?
Too many unknowns.
So John had no choice but to demand answers from the parties involved, and the man—Aster—claimed the situation was this:
"Like I said, found 'em on the way. Picked up some soldiers who'd been attacked and knocked out."
......Ha!
John let out a disbelieving scoff at the absurdity.
Meanwhile.
Aster's voice echoed in John's ears.
"The world's...... a harsh place."
Such a lonely tone.
* * *
Unlike the detached Evelyn, Rayleigh watched the unfolding situation with mounting anxiety.
- Guess that means...... we're heading to Viscount Demusi's estate.
What kind of lunacy is this?
At first, he'd thought the guy planned to take on a whole territory solo.
But thankfully?
Even this madman had some brains.
He was gonna use his head, at least.
The plan went like this.
'......Pretend we saved Viscount Demusi's soldiers from an attack by some mysterious powerhouse. And then......'
......Meet Viscount Demusi.
Whatever came after meeting him was secondary.
What had Rayleigh on edge was everything leading up to that meeting.
'You expect them to buy that?'
A dozen soldiers and one knight.
Not top-tier for a border territory, but no pushovers either.
And some powerhouse just happened to attack Demusi's soldiers right then, and we conveniently saved them?
'What a load of bullshit.'
That was why Rayleigh was fretting.
No way the gatekeeper would fall for such a flimsy story.
So what happened next?
'......Massacre.'
Yeah, massacre.
If the gatekeeper didn't buy it, he'd point spears, and this lunatic would swing back.
And it wouldn't end with fists.
Boom, boom, boom—magic exploding everywhere.
Demusi's soldiers turned into cold corpses rolling on the ground, the territory engulfed in flames.
And after that?
'......We'll be hunted for life.'
Whether Aster could wipe out a whole territory was beside the point—it'd be a massive problem either way.
That was why Rayleigh watched the gatekeeper's reaction like a hawk.
"Wh-What......"
One word from that guy behind would decide everything.
If he believed, everyone happy. If not, everyone doomed.
Rayleigh prayed desperately for the gatekeeper to be an idiot.
And did his prayers work?
"I-Is that true? C-Come in, quick! Inside!"
The gatekeeper hurriedly ushered them in.
Rayleigh sighed in relief at the man's stupidity, then climbed back onto the carriage and took the reins.
"W-Wait here for now."
The gatekeeper led them to the training grounds in the inner keep.
He gave a quick rundown to the keep guards and left. Seizing the moment, Rayleigh sidled up to Aster and whispered.
"Wh-What are you planning?"
"What?"
What? What?!
Is this guy for real?
Rayleigh was speechless for a second.
Fine, getting in safely was good. But......
What happens when the soldiers wake up?!
That's when this ridiculous lie blows up.
He wanted to grab the guy by the collar and stop him right then, but realizing Aster wasn't in a talking mood, Rayleigh turned to Evelyn.
"E-Evelyn, ma'am. You just gonna watch?! Please, do something......"
Hoping the sensible one would rein him in, but Evelyn's response was brutally simple.
"Go with the flow."
"F-Fuck......"
No wonder she seemed so calm—she'd already given up!
This wouldn't do.
'Need to find a way out......'
As Rayleigh racked his brain for a solution, someone from Viscount Demusi's house approached.
"Greetings. I'm Knight Schulten of House Demusi. Mind if I take you inside to hear your story?"
"Of course."
Aster dismounted and followed Schulten's lead, with Evelyn trailing behind.
Rayleigh could only stare blankly before snapping to and hurrying after them.
Schulten brought them to a reception room in the inner keep.
"Please wait a moment. The viscount will be here shortly."
Rayleigh watched Schulten bow politely and leave. The door had barely shut when he lunged at Aster.
"A-Aster, sir? How about we turn back now?"
"Want me to die?"
"No, not turn back like that...... This is insane. I know you're strong, sir...... Hear me out? This isn't something muscle solves!"
A commoner messing with a noble was basically declaring war on the Empire.
Sure, if Aster flashed his credentials, the Empire would side with a young, promising mage over some backwater viscount, but this guy wasn't the type.
So it was a path to ruin, plain and simple.
Whether he knew Rayleigh's turmoil or not, Aster just stroked the sleeping wyvern with a wistful smile.
"The viscount's coming right away......"
Not bad.
Meeting the viscount immediately sped things up.
Rayleigh's yapping didn't faze him—his focus was solely on the viscount.
How long did they wait?
Creak.
The door opened.
In walked a middle-aged noble so rotund he could model "greedy noble"—or "pig-like noble."
"You lot? The ones who saved my soldiers?"
Viscount Demusi wheezed the question.
Rayleigh eyed the viscount curiously before glancing at Aster.
And thought.
'......Give up.'
The look in his eyes was already gone.
No reasoning with him.
That's when Rayleigh half-resigned himself.
Creak, click.
The door shut with a hinge squeak.
That's when Aster moved.
"First off, yeah."
His form blurred from the sofa, followed by sharp thwacks—thwack, thwack.
"Guhk......!"
Down first went the knights flanking Viscount Demusi.
"Wh-What the hell?!"
The viscount jolted back in shock. But only for a moment.
'Wh-What kind of eyes......'
Sad.
Like he carried the world's sorrows on his shoulders.
Anyone empathetic would feel a pang, but shockingly, the viscount felt terror.
Why?
His eyes were sad, but his mouth was smiling.
"H-Hey! Guards! A-Anyone outside?!"
Sensing mortal danger, the viscount called for his loyal knights—but futile.
The moment the door shut, all sound was sealed.
......And so.
"A-Anyone—! Why won't this open......!"
As Viscount Demusi pounded and yanked the unyielding door, Aster took one step, then another toward him.
"I didn't want to do this either."
Rayleigh thought.
'Then don't do it......'
Of course, he didn't say it aloud.
If he were the type to listen, they wouldn't be here.
And honestly, at this point, he was curious.
How would Aster unravel this mess?
'He said "first off, yeah," so he's gonna punch him?'
Rayleigh had slipped into spectator mode, watching events unfold. Then it hit him.
"P-Please, spare...... Ghk!"
A solid fist slamming into the viscount's fat-stuffed gut.
Thud!
A meaty impact.
Someone once said:
- Life is tragedy up close, comedy from afar.
With his mind clear and a step back, it rang true.
'......This is fun.'
How far would this escalate?
Another form of entertainment.
......A biting, razor-sharp gale swept into Viscount Demusi's territory that frigid winter.