Chapter 46 ─ Iron Jerome

A few days have passed since I arrived in Margrave Lautreamont's territory.

We are in the middle of July so the third school semester started days ago.

Since I can't go back home until this problem is over, I decided to get a job here.

Despite my simplistic appearance of a boy with black hair and eyes as well as being ugly. I was wearing an elegant suit since I was working as a servant.

That's right, I'm a servant at the margrave's mansion.

You may wonder how I went from being a guardian in the shadows to a simple butler?

I have to eat and sleep in a bed.

They provide me with all that, so it's no problem.

Yukihime had never worked before since it seems she was a princess of a destroyed country. Now she was a cook.

She seems to have fun since there are other demi-human girls like her.

I was polishing the windows with a sprite cleaner and a handkerchief. I was polishing them.

Just then, I heard footsteps approaching.

I turned and bowed in greeting.

"Good morning, Gerald-sama."

A tall man, black hair combed back was coming along with some official servants.

His clothes were elegant for a man from the countryside, his black eyes exuded a sense of toughness and flexibility at the same time. His perfectly trimmed beard showed that he took pride in it.

"Good morning, working hard?"

"Yes! Nothing makes me happier than to serve such a magnificent person who allows me to stay here and use one of his rooms.

The man, Gerald, belonged to a very important family in the game. The house of Viscount Offrey.

In the game, Gerald's older brother became the new patriarch who officially declared Lily as the saint. He was also the one who married her off to one of the idiots.

Therefore, this man's family is important for Lily's future as a saint, since at this time. The temple is going through a crisis... thanks to me.

The previous patriarch, a guynamed Lamberk, was murdered by these hands that were now wrinkling the handkerchief to get all the dirty water out of it that had accumulated.

I killed him since the bastard was one of the carriers of the Deadly Sin, killing him was no problem.

The problem comes in who will succeed him?

There are currently several cardinals, among them the current head of Offrey Household.

His rank in the temple was a cardinal, from bishop he rose through the ranks to cardinal. There were lesser ranks, but none of them matter since without equal to that church of my former life.

Among all those cardinals, only one can become a patriarch.

Currently as far as I have found out, it seems that the favorite to win is the Offrey Household.

They were Lily's allies upon discovering that she could hear the voice of the goddess Alexia.

"Excuse me, bring us some drinks, tea would that be all right?"

"Yes sir. We'd like that."

Replied the staff members in unison.

I said goodbye and went to the kitchen to prepare tea.

◇

"So no response?"

"We are sorry, but they refuse to withdraw."

"They say we invaded their territory with secret assassins sent in. They are upset about that."

The talk between Margrave Gerald and the official servants was about the current situation in the territory.

They were at war.

I listened unintentionally as I am the only servant here.

I brought a wheelbarrow with tea, desserts and an ashtray as they like to smoke. The room starts to reek of tobacco.

Worst of all, after hearing what they say... there's no doubt... it's that event!

In the game they were normal timed and random events. They were via internet connection.

This event was one of the most famous. It was because its background was an almost exact representation of the story of Sunomata Castle. I remember that story.

General Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Oda Nobunaga's generals, was trying to invade Inabayama Castle. It was very difficult to do so because of its location. So they decided to go on a crazy night adventure and built one.

The next morning the war of that castle that appeared out of nowhere started.

It was very popular that story, so it's no surprise that they did events like that. But that's not what made this event popular.

It was the villainess. Gerald's wife. She betrays her husband in pure Akechi Mitsuhide to Oda Nobunaga style.

She sold her territory to the enemy kingdom. A country called "Estoria Kingdom".

That country is the one we are currently fighting with.

Gerald dies at the hands of his treacherous wife.But she does not survive as she is later, like Mitsuhide, killed in the back.

That's why this event was one of the most popular.

It was also one of the most terrifying.

If everything goes the same, in a few days the event should happen.

Therefore, to guarantee the future of Lily's saint, I will have to protect Gerald.

I can't become his right-hand man being a novice in the service of cleaning and caring for the nobles.

Also one of the most terrifying.

All things being equal, in a few days the event should happen.

Therefore, in order to guarantee Lily's future as a saint, I will have to protect Gerald.

I can't become his right-hand man being a novice in the service of cleaning and caring for the nobles.

I am one. But I myself don't know how a real nobleman behaves.

"According to the diplomats, one of the representatives will be coming soon to discuss ceasefire terms."

"How long will it take?"

"We don't know. We will be informed when he arrives."

"..."

Gerald's face showed discomfort at what the official said.

"Every day that goes by. More lost we have by the battlefield."

His face looked pained.

What a good man he is.

Someone knocked on the door.

Without even waiting for the order to enter. It was opened and I saw who it was.

Gerald's wife, the legitimate owner of this territory, Celestine von Lautreamont.

A woman with beautiful, long, curly violet-pink hair that reached her shoulders.

Her dress was black as night, in certain parts of her body a black cloth was visible. But the most interesting thing about her was her face.

She wore a copper mask which concealed her.

Not even her eyes were visible, it was very frightening.

Her husband showed an expression of displeasure.

"What do you want Celestine?"

"I was just coming to tell you to stop wasting your time here. There are more important things to worry about like shipping and buying supplies."

The expression on Gerald's face worsened further.

"We're talking about something important. Mind your own business!"

"Even if you say that, I just see you smoking and drinking tea. You call that important?"

His wife turned and walked out slamming the door very hard.

She was quite the villainess it showed.

Gerald sighed and then said.

"Carry on where we were."

They resumed the conversation.

"Yes. We got the report that they are still fighting monsters while their army just watches."

That just made me wonder one thing.

Why on earth were they sending monsters?

◇◇◇

North side of Lautreamont territory.

In a huge meadow which had no mountains around it, a bloody battle was going on.

On one side, there were the men sent from the empire and their own territory.

Brave and courageous adventurers of B and A rank were present. As well as knights of prestigious houses.

There were about 3000 warriors fighting on the side of the empire.

While, on the invading side, there were 30,000 enemy forces.

The number was brutal, but it was not because they were normal humans. That's right... they were not human, mostly.

The Estoria Kingdom used monsters thanks to an in-game item called the demonic flute. A cursed item created by who knows who, who knows when.

Just like a dog whistle. The monsters were controlled by a sweet frequency that only they could run away from and brainwashed them at the same time.

The soldiers of the empire were running in that meadow carrying their weapons. Swords, spears, axes, rifles, staffs. They even used heavy artillery from Duke Fitzclarence who created long range cannons.

In the rear the soldiers placed a steel bullet as big as a basketball. A magician would write a rune on it to activate a spell.

It was fired a while later and turned into a bird. His target was a flying monster known as a day side murcie.

It was a very large bat that attacked using its sonar.

The cannonball hit it and turned it to ashes.

She was not the only one.

On the ground. A soldier was running with his rifles.He aimed at his enemy which was a giant millipede that moved like a gazelle.

He fired his rifle, and the bullet turned into a golden snake which bit the millipedes electrocuting it to death and ashes.

About 20 meters to his left, a tiger-eared man was using his fists to fight a giant rat, the rat was bigger than he was.

But the beastman did not give up.

He used his mixed martial arts and punched the rat in the stomach. He leapt into the air and with a spinning kick smashed the rat's skull.

It wasn't the only one, more rats saw that and came closer to attack. But a wizard used a spell that cooked them all.

The black ash rose in the sky disappearing.

Near that place, in a field full of flowers. Three adventurers with spears were facing a giant eye.

A grotesque creature similar to a human eye with tentacles that had other eyes.

The large eye was half-open, the other eyes shot out laser beams that could melt skin at the slightest touch.

While the big eye, which was kept closed to avoid drying out, turned all living and non-living beings into stone.

Its danger level was A+++.

Monsters had danger level. It was based on the ranking of the adventurers themselves who faced them and learned from them.

There is from class E which is the weakest to class A which is the strongest.

There is an extra class, but that was not found here.

The adventurers screamed in ecstasy as they ran and avoided the laser beams of the giant eye.

Their shields were melted and they used anything to avoid the slightest contact.

One of them used his spear as a pole vault.

The giant eye's eyes could not see in all directions as they would get dizzy, that was its weakness.

After standing behind the monster. He pierced its body like a needle to a balloon. His companions approached and also pierced the monster that ended up turning into ashes.

Victory was assured for the adventurers who had great combat experience.

But as long as "they" were here, they would not have it so easy.

Nearby, a man fell to the ground in two, he had been cut in half.

His comrades could not believe their eyes.

Their leader was strong, but the monster that took him out was much stronger.

For he was part of the green race, the race that gives the most experience commensurate with its danger. The ogres.

Green monsters with fangs, some bald and some with hair. Their eyes were red as blood.

Their muscles were larger than those of a normal human being.

The ogre that was almost three meters tall laughed.

His laugh was just like a radio detecting static.

He pulled out his big gun... and his life was over.

He was cut in half, not only him. His allies were sliced like cheese.

There, a man was standing among those remains that turned to ash.

His stomach was bandaged, his muscular arms were uncovered as well as his strong chest.

His face was very serious, his eyes were blue, he wore a red bandana with three 6's making a circle for the yellow-green diamond lying there.

The adventurers shouted for joy at the sight of him.

"Guild master Jerome!"

The capital's guild master, a man named Jerome, was about the same height as an ogre.

Behind him, a group of other muscular, gruff men drew their weapons.

Jerome grinned as he puffed out his chest.

He shouted to his comrades.

"You bastards, today's the day you'll stop sitting around drinking and lounging around!"

"It's been a long time since I've been this relaxed on the battlefield."

"I want to kill a lot of monsters and get promoted to S rank."

"In your dreams, hahaha."

Jerome and his comrades ran to the places where they needed help or were stronger opponents.

Some went running towards a group of spider queens.

Others went straight to fight trolls. Very tall monsters that looked like tree branches and their skin was pale.

While the remaining ones went running to fight tank orcs. They were wearing heavy armor with large shields.

The battlefield was a place to gain honor and prestige.

And Jerome wasn't a nobody for not being almost a legend.

Despite being of commoner origin, despite not having touched a battlefield in 15 years. It seemed like only yesterday that his last war ended.

Among the outstanding adventurers, Jerome was the only one with a very unusual nickname.

He was approaching a group of giant bears. Their bodies were red and their front paws were similar to the thickness of an elephant's trunk.

Some even had horns and four front legs.

Jerome bit his thumb. His finger was in the air.

Suddenly, the air around him began to become a blur.

It wasn't because of anyone but Jerome himself. He was using his magic, a type categorized as "lost magic".

It was called that since replicating or studying it was very difficult.

In Jerome's hand materialized a metal scythe.

It stood twice his height and the blade was so long that the edge could be compared to the edge of a bed.

This man was known as one of the greatest and strongest A-ranked adventurers, Iron Jerome.

Swinging his scythe, Jerome cut through the bears as if they were butter.

A large red stain covered the place along with the guts of the monsters.

Jerome sliced all the bears one by one.

At the end of a few seconds, there were none left alive.

Then...

"Here it comes! Run!"

Jerome smiled as he heard a real prey coming.

From the ground he could see how the earth was being pushed by something.

Some monsters were falling and screams could be heard.

Jerome waved his scythe like an umbrella.

"Here it is! Here it is! Here it is at last!"

Opening a large hole in the ground, an earth-eating worm was visible to all.

Their size was unknown as they hid half of their body underground.

Normally an earth-eating worm is not a threat as it only feeds on solid rock... but this one was not like those.

It had accidentally tasted human blood and when that... it only meant one thing.

A man-eating worm.

On its sharp teeth was blood.

It snarled at everyone present.

But Jerome just smiled

"Let's see if you can amuse me!"

With those words, Jerome jumped straight at the monster.

The monster opened its hideous mouth and its fangs were visible.

It quickly approached towards Jerome... and it was all over.