Chapter 26
Chapter 26
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Came to Stop This War - 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Alcahad Northeast Branch Chief's office.
Offense, disguised as Deirt, was there.
He was handling simple tasks in place of Deirt, who had already become a guest who would never return.
Of course, he wasn't here to ensure a smooth handover for the Alcahad organization.
It was because if Deirt's absence became known during the week he was supposed to stay in this territory, it would cause problems.
After roughly finishing the assigned work, he stood up, thinking it was about time to go see Ariena.
That was when it happened.
Whiiing.
A bluish light emanated from his pocket.
'Is that Kaild?'
Sure enough, when he took out the communication orb, a familiar voice came through.
-Offense.
"Kaild. What's up?"
-The report I heard this morning was so intriguing I couldn't hold back. You said you were going to meet Maide, right? What kind of guy is he?
Offense scratched his head.
"He's a man who saw through my identity at a glance."
-......
"I met him disguised as the Alcahad branch chief here. But he proposed a bet. He said he'd find Ariena within a week, so I should delay the war."
-What do you mean he saw through you?
"He didn't say it outright. But he kept emphasizing 'Deirt' when calling me and staring right at me...... You know how much information I can read from people's expressions."
Kaild had not a shred of doubt about that.
Ironically, he hadn't noticed the most important secret, like how he was deceiving everyone on the continent.
-Dangerous guy.
"I think so too. What should we do?"
-I don't like war either, but I don't want to let someone who keeps getting in my way grow stronger without consequence.
"We can't let Maide find Ariena, at least."
-Hmm.
"I'll kill her right after this communication ends. That woman."
Kaild was satisfied.
Unlike his other two companions, Offense was the talent who understood these 'gloomy' conversations well.
That's why he had sent Offense for this job.
-I'm counting on you. Come back after confirming the war breaks out.
"Pardon? Since you've sent me all the way here, wouldn't it be better to kill Maide too?"
-Ugh. That's reasonable, but...... He's got the Witch of Atrocities and the knight order vice-captain with him. Especially Jenia, the proxy of the gods.
"Their reputations carry weight, for sure. But under the premise of assassination, I'm confident."
-I don't doubt that. What worries me is after the assassination.
Offense realized what he meant.
"You're saying there could be fallout."
-Yeah. Dame treasures his daughter like his own life. He'll pour all his forces into hunting down the culprit immediately.
Offense thought there was no way he'd be caught.
But as he had felt for a long time, Kaild was an extremely cautious man.
-Plus, I'm starting to need you back. It's time for us to move too. We've stayed in the capital too long.
"Understood."
-Thanks as always.
Click.
The communication ended.
Offense smirked and pocketed the orb.
'Then should I kill her right away?'
He felt pity for the fateful woman named Ariena, but there was no law saying someone fateful couldn't die.
That was when it happened.
Knock knock.
Along with the knocking came voices from outside.
"Why bother knocking? Just break it down and come in."
"Your violent tendencies pop up at the worst times."
Maide and Neril's voices.
Offense hardened his expression but soon opened the door, feigning composure.
"What is it? I don't remember scheduling anything."
"Good day."
"I was fine until I saw you two. Sorry, but I'm busy. Please leave."
Naturally, neither budged an inch.
Feeling impatience creeping in, Offense looked behind them.
"How did you even get in here in the first place? No one stopped you?"
"I put them to sleep."
-......
"And you?"
"We all seem to know each other already, so no need for introductions, right?"
For the first time in a while, Offense felt the hairs on his neck stand up.
'Breaking through these two head-on will be tough.'
Then the window.
It was the third floor, but he could leap to the rooftop of the adjacent building in one go.
He let out a light sigh and turned his body.
Step step.
The distance to the window felt like a thousand miles.
"I don't know what you mean, but come in first. At least have some tea."
As he said that, he reached for the window as if to ventilate.
However.
Zzzt!
"Urk."
Smoke rose from his hand.
For a brief moment, unreadable characters flickered into existence and vanished.
And then a new voice, one that hadn't been there before, spoke.
"I'm a bit late. Still not too late, right?"
"You know those two sentences completely contradict each other?"
"Neril, you're being extra prickly today."
"You called me grandma first."
"That's why I said I didn't......"
The newcomer was Jenia.
She had likely just burned his hand with a holy spell called 'Prison.'
It seemed she had turned not just the window but the entire building into one big prison.
At this point, Offense admitted he was completely exposed.
Maide said,
"You're a hard man to have a conversation with. Then again, it takes this much effort to make time with someone of your caliber."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Yeah. Offense Daik, the guy with the ridiculous epithet 'Bright Death'?"
"Better than Unyielding Sword Emperor."
-......
Maide changed the subject.
"Anyway, I know why you're wearing Deirt's face and what your scheme is, so let's get straight to the point."
"Hmph. Don't bluff. I'm impressed you saw through my identity, but there's no way you figured out my goal just from that......"
Offense, speaking confidently, twisted his face at Maide's next words.
"You're not acting on Kaild's orders?"
"You're not acting on Kaild's orders?"
At my words, Offense twisted his face.
The enemy's confusion is my joy.
I was starting to feel good when Trail ruined the mood.
[You have a bit of a childish side when I watch you.]
'I'm just keeping my pure side intact.'
[You actually understand it that way.]
I ignored him and thought for a moment.
Recalling memories from before my regression.
Specifically, a conversation with Offense when I was still a member of the hero's party.
That day, we had safely completed a major quest and were holding a party.
I was nicely drunk for the first time in a while, tilting my glass, when Offense sat down in the empty seat across from me.
"Maide, even on a day like today, you're striking poses alone."
"I was just sitting comfortably. Though I suppose I look good even doing that."
"Pretend you didn't hear that. I want to ask you something."
"No guarantee I'll answer, but go ahead."
"Our hero."
Where Offense nodded was Kaild, scratching his head with an innocent face amid the party members' praises.
"You seem to dislike Kaild."
"Yeah."
"You're not even hiding it."
"You don't seem to like him much either? Feels like we're just banded together out of necessity."
-......
"Like the relationship between a guild master assigning quests and a mercenary taking them. I've seen those faces a lot, so I know."
"You're as sharp as ever."
Gulp.
After downing his glass, Offense said,
"But don't misunderstand. It started that way for sure, but now I truly believe in and follow him."
"Is that so."
"Kaild promised that after defeating the Demon King and returning to the imperial castle, he'd use his hero's fame to grant my wish."
"A wish? Even you have one?"
"Why wouldn't I."
Offense's smile turned slightly bitter.
"Everyone wants to find their origins."
"Origins, huh."
"I want to know my parents' faces. What kind of people would abandon me in front of an assassin guild and disappear."
-......With your abilities, you could've investigated on your own plenty.
"Why wouldn't I have tried? But they weren't famous or anything; nothing came up in my info network."
I pondered for a moment before answering.
"You're planning to use the magic circle under the imperial castle."
"Yeah. The ultra-wide search magic circle that can even find out the color of underwear everyone on the continent wore last night. Byond Enerica's masterpiece."
"Will there be a mage to operate that circle?"
"Our witch said she'd help a bit."
At those words, I thought of Neril, who wasn't here.
She had openly said these gatherings made her uncomfortable and had already gone up to the second floor.
"How'd you convince that lady? She's not the type to easily grant others' requests."
"I was surprised too, but she accepted right away. The moment she heard it was a magic circle made by Byond."
-......
"But all that is only possible if the petty, nitpicky emperor opens the circle. A request from Kaild, who defeated the Demon King, might make it happen."
By then, I had already lost interest in the conversation.
Before my regression, my mind was filled only with thoughts of quickly dealing with the Demon King, disbanding this shady party, and enjoying my retirement.
"Yeah. Good luck."
"Kaild is a good guy. He sincerely accepts someone like me and is working hard to grant my wish."
"I get it."
"So try getting closer to him. Why don't you trust him anyway?"
What did I say back then?
Ah. Probably.
"He looks like he has a lot of sins."
I stopped the recollection.
Offense had a face like it said 'I'm tense' written on his forehead.
But he feigned composure and said,
"Let's go one by one. First, how did you know who I was? My skills aren't related to magic or holy power."
"Then I'll say it's thanks to my keen eyes."
"That answer won't......"
"Discriminating? Kaild let it slide like this too."
At those words, Offense's pupils dilated sharply.
"You, you've known Kaild from the start?"
"Judging by you asking that, my guess was right. He saw through your skills too but kept quiet about how. What a lousy hero who can't show all his cards to his comrades."
Neril and Jenia let out hollow laughs.
"He's worse himself."
"Come to think of it, why haven't we asked him? There's more than one or two things to question if we dig in."
"His face is so brazen it kills the urge to ask."
"That's true."
Lately, those two agree a lot.
But only when it's about dissing me, which feels weird.
"I came today with two requests."
"Receiving requests while facing off against the Witch of Atrocities and the proxy of the gods. I can't not listen."
"Thanks. First one. Don't report this conversation to Kaild."
-......
"I don't want to be seen as a threat to him yet."
"What if I refuse?"
As if waiting, Neril lightly cracked her knuckles.
"You said you can't not listen."
The magic blooming from her hand could burn Offense to death ten times over.
He probably had an ace up his sleeve, but whether he could use it in time in front of us was another matter.
-......"Second?"
"Don't kill Lady Ariena."
-......
"You're quick on the uptake, so you get it, right? Hiding her well so I can't find her is fine. But trying to overturn the bet itself because you're about to lose? I can't allow that."
"What if I refuse that too? Will Jenia crack her knuckles this time?"
At his snide reply, I shook my head.
"I'll give you compensation instead."
"Ha. Let's hear it first."
"I'll grant your wish."
-......?
"You have a face that looks like it has one."
"Hah. First time hearing that kind of face."
Offense smirked at first, thinking it was a joke.
But seeing my utterly serious face, his expression hardened.
He cautiously asked,
"What do you know?"
#