Ch-92: Leslie (3)

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"Abstain? Why should I be the one abstaining?"

"Huh? Didn't you just see what just happened!? That Elf! He was agile as hell but was chopped into pieces in an instant!"

"What's so great about that… Shedia next to you can do that too, if not better."

"Why is Shedia suddenly… Huh? Really..?"

"That's right lady. Ain't it, Shedia?"

Katarina's gaze and mine were simultaneously fixed on Shedia. Shedia, mechanically chewing on her bread, nodded, leaving Katarina startled.

"Really? Can you beat that 'thing'?"

Shedia tilted her head, taking another chomp.

"Wasn't the question about chopping the Elf into slices?"

"Uh? Ah, yes… but the other way around…"

Katarina's expression quivered as if she felt a sense of alienation as she spat out those hideous words to Shedia's innocent face. Either way, Shedia looked at the six arms jacked guy for a moment, then nodded again.

"Yes. I can win."

"Look at that. Don't you think it's strange if the Hero's party members can't win against something like that in the first place?"

"…I can't win."

"That's okay."

Katarina's sword dance is excellent.

That is only natural as it is a sword dance left by her mother, who was one of the best if not the best dancer years ago. Adding to that, Katarina had made contracts with four ancient elementals not too long ago.

If she mixes the power of the sword dance and the elementals well, she can create a great synergy effect.

However, no matter how good her skills are, if her body doesn't cooperate, hers will be a douchebag performance.

Katarina has lived the life of a dancer, far from the world of killing, so naturally her level is low.

As her level is low, of course her body is also weak.

If Katarina has to fight that monster right now, she would be cut in half before she would be able to do anything or even think of anything.

However, this is a very simple problem with an easier solution.

"It's okay. I will make sure you will be the one to come out on top sooner or later."

Isn't her body falling behind because the level is low?

So, isn't it just a matter of leveling up?

Sooner or later, I will have to find a dungeon that Katarina can run through.

"What are you thinking? No, why are you making that face?"

Did she feel something ominous from my face? Katarina flinched.

It will be okay.

It wouldn't be a dangerous endeavor. Just a tiring one.

* * *

The quarterfinals went smoothly, except for the first game, which was somewhat shocking. Other parts of the tournament went smoothly as everyone had expected.

Iledric, the Knight, the Martial Artist, and I advanced to the semifinals.

Ah, Iledric is the name of six arms.

The referee announced it at the end of the match.

The semifinals started two days later.

The first match was Iledric against the Knight.

I've been waiting for this game with anticipation. Compared to the previous match, Iledric's skills would shore up better, but a skilled knight always has something hidden.

If Iledric isn't careful, even his six arms won't do him any better.

Because of that, I waited for the round to start in the waiting room right in front of the stadium.

After a while, the match started and the knight dropped his weapon to the floor and raised his hands above his head.

It meant quitting the match.

'What..?'

Giving up without a fight?

Damn…

I turned my gaze toward the audience.

Even I was quite disappointed with my expectations egged, what about these guys?

A loud booing…

'Eh?'

There was no booing.

I thought these savage bastards would mock the knight who ran away without even showing his tail. As I was puzzled by the unexpected reaction, the Knight returned to the waiting room.

I talked to him.

"I thought you were going to be stoned to death. How did you do that?"

"Well? Oh, is that what you mean?"

The knight put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"You will find out tonight. Regardless of whether I win or lose this tournament, it matters not."

He just said that and left.

What the fuck is going on…

'Is it related to Leslie's father becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings?'

After thinking about it for a moment, I shook my head.

He said I would find out tonight, so I needn't worry. I cleared my mind and went into the arena and easily beat the Martial Artist.

And that night, I learned why the Knight was not stoned.

"Hmm… so it's a rebellion?"

At my words, the Crown Prince, Alfred of the Principality of Polycia, frowned.

"Rebellion? I'm just trying to get my rightful authority back."

"Is that so…"

I crossed my arms and looked around.

Four men and women were sitting at the same table as me. They were all sons and daughters of the Grand Duke. In other words, Leslie's blood siblings.

The Knight, the Martial Artist, and Iledric stood beside the aristocrats as if escorting them.

Looking about the hall, you could see barbarians drinking and talking. At first glance, they look like ordinary inn guests, but everyone is paying attention to this side of the hall.

Private soldiers of these aristocrats.

I sighed deeply and spoke to the Knight.

"You had said to me that I'll find out tonight, but like this? Weaving a foreign hero into politics?"

More than three years ago, Archduke Osner's health, which was already bad, had been deteriorating rapidly.

He couldn't bear to take care of state affairs, so Alfred, originally the Crown Prince of the Duchy, was handed the reins of the Principality of Polycia.

However, taking advantage of the chaos, Leslie led her own forces and quickly took control of the palace, expelling all her brothers and sisters, including the Crown Prince.

Indulging in her lust for power, she imprisoned her father, the Grand Duke, and now rules the Duchy as if she were the Grand Duke herself.

The Crown Prince and his group tried to correct this wrong, but the result was not very good. All assassination attempts had failed, and the vassal lords weren't cooperating.

So while they were stomping their feet in anger, Leslie held a contest.

The Crown Prince and his entourage saw this tournament as an opportunity. Even Leslie, who rarely comes out of the palace, would show up at the tournament she had organised.

As for the winner, they will be awarded by her own hands.

They knew they could bring Leslie down if they used this opportunity properly.

Jumping on the opportunity, they had hired outside talent to participate in the tournament, disguising the enlisted soldiers as spectators and contestants.

The plan was to attack Leslie when she would descend to award the victor but unfortunately, for them, I was becoming a variable in their plan.

Now they hoped there wouldn't even be that slight variable.

That's why they had come to me in the middle of the night. To draw me into their plans. In order not to interfere at all.

I was not sure how much of their plan they had disclosed to me but their course of action wouldn't be far off.

"Surprising," I said to the Knight. "This was what you were saying about?"

The knight who heard me scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.

"Honestly, weren't you already expecting something?"

"Yeah. To some extent I did expect it. But I never thought that you would want me to intervene in the politics of a foreign country, knowing that I am a Hero."

"It's not about politics. As I said before, it is the cause of recovering my brother's legitimate rights."

A blonde woman sitting on the far right said in a frosting tone.

What was her name again…

Alright, I don't remember, but I think she was somewhere along the lines of Third Princess.

"Leslie… she is incompetent. As a ruler, her greed knows no bound. If such a person were to rule the principality, not only the principality but also the entire continent would fall into chaos."

Another princess opened her mouth.

"You speak as if it won't take anything for her to throw the whole Continent in chaos… and you mean she's going to rebel against the Empire?"

"…It may sound very foolish, but it is true. If it's her, the chances linger."

As if agreeing, the other Prince and Princess nodded their heads.

Eyeing their serious gazes, I leaned back on the backrest.

I don't know how it will affect them, but I know for a fact that what they are saying is utter bullcrap.

Leslie is not incompetent.

I know that much as I have played the game. The setting in the game explained that she was competent.

Also, even if you just listen to their story, not the game setting, you can tell that Leslie being incompetent is bullshit.

If, as they say, Leslie is incompetent, then what about them who were kicked out by her? They weren't even kicked out one by one, they were kicked out all together. No matter how incompetent they are, if Leslie is incompetent, then the Demon King is a stripper.

And if not incompetent?

She wouldn't dare to touch the Empire on the account of the principality.

If the Empire cuts off its food supply, not just one or two people would starve to death.

If that happens, they will go back to the past when they plundered for a living. Unlike before, when they were at the level of tribes and clans, the scale has grown to the level of lords and minor nobles. In the end, even if something outrageous were to happen, it will only be the Principality that will fall into chaos, not the Continent.

'If you guys had wanted to deceive me, you should have come up with a slightly more plausible story.'

While I was thinking about that, the Crown Prince spoke in a serious tone.

"So, respected hero, will you accept our offer?"

I let out a deep sigh.

"Alright. I can't agree, but I won't interfere."

Their faces brightened.

"Let's discuss the fees."

"Well?"

"I'll take it as an advance payment. One million gold, IOU not accepted."

The faces of the cheering nobles distorted.

They argued and yelled, but I persisted and they had no choice but to pay. A million gold, alright.

Ahhh, a good side business indeed.

* * *

Leslie blinked her eyes.

It was because Iledric withdrew without a fight in the Finals.

'Aren't they just too open handed?'

No matter how much they were itching for a chance to fish, wasn't this too much of a debacle?

Leslie clicked her tongue.

Hearing the crowd cheer for Cloud, Leslie stretched out her hand. Chilling mist flowed from her fingertips, creating an ice staircase leading from her balcony to the arena.

The cheers of the crowd vanished like ghosts in the sun the moment she walked onto the steps. Instead of cheering, Iledric's large ax sailed through the air.

'Annoying.'

Leslie sighed and reached for the ax.

The chilling air took the shape of a disc.

The flying ax crashed into the ice disk and got stuck. It was a powerful ax that could lightly smash through ice, but the ice that blocked the ax was no ordinary ice.

[Ice Shield]

The ice shield made of dense crystals was much harder than normal ice. Enough to block Iledric's mighty throw. Nothing bothered her anymore since the ax was stuck.

Walking down the steps, she stood facing the victor, Cloud.

Recognizing that he was the strange man who winked at her during the preliminaries, she spoke to him.

"What and how much did they give you?"

"Yes?"

"Don't be shy. I know my siblings have hired you lot."

"Ah. That? A million gold."

Leslie was a little taken aback by his words.

They paid a million gold for just one person?

Those misers?

"You must be quite talented."

"I won, of course."

"Won by abstention."

"Doesn't really matter. I would have won either way."

"You are shameless."

She chuckled.

Maybe because he had left out the pretense? She was liking the conversation.

""

"How about going back now? You won't get hurt. I swear by my family name."

"Ah, you confident? Even after seeing this?"

Cloud glanced toward the audience.

Soldiers disguised as spectators rose, carrying bows. The arena door opened and armed warriors rushed in.

Dozens upon dozens of elite soldiers filled in, surrounding her in an instant.

Dozens upon dozens of elite soldiers filled in, surrounding her in an instant.

Even so, Leslie's expression did not change one bit.

The slight tilt at the corners of her lips displayed arrogance.

"Yeah. I'm confident. So what are you going to do?"

Before Cloud could answer.

"Four years! Witch Leslie! Four years!"

Shuffling through the warriors surrounding Leslie, the clique of Princesses and Princes appeared. The Crown Prince exclaimed triumphantly, intoxicated with the feeling of victory.

"You confined the Grand Duke with your heinous schemes, harmed me, the fittest, and trampled on the Principality's laws. Iris looks down on us, so let the witch pay for her sins!"

Leslie let out a laugh.

"Now I'm the one violating the Principality's laws? Aren't you the ones who tried to split the Principality over our father's dead body because he was in critical condition?"

"Shut up, witch! I will not tolerate any more of your transgressions. If you surrender obediently, I will look over your sordid deeds and may grant you mercy."

"You sound funny, Alfred. You have no right to do that, by the same law you speak of. Because only the Grand Duke has the right to punish criminals in this Principality."

"Yesss, two years! How dare you, a mere girl, proclaim yourself to be the Grand Duchess? And when I am still alive?!"

"When did I proclaim myself as the Grand Duchess? I just said you have no right to punish me."

"Oh? What is—"

"Please correct me, father. If I'm wrong."

Leslie spat out with a smile.

Her words shook the arena.

Agitation spread among Princes and Princesses, as well as upon their warriors.

Alfred hastily spoke.

"Oh, that can't be. Our father, the Grand Duke was already on his death throes, inch away from death . Do you believe that you can fool us with this excuse for your ignoble rebellion?!"

"What rebellion… if you want to believe it, so be it. You can see it with your own ignorant eyes. Father!"

Leslie exclaimed, looking out onto the balcony.

All eyes in the arena turned to the balcony. A figure walked from the inside of the balcony under dozens of pairs of eyes.

A tall giant man donning a fur cloak and a breastplate carved into a wolf's face. Even at a cursory glance, he seemed to be an outstanding warrior, but his face was engraved with long, diagonal scars.

Among the warriors of the Principality of Polycia, there was no one who did not know the owner of that scarred face.

He was Osner, the Grand Duke of the Principality of Polycia.

He cast his gaze down the balcony with a cold expression.

"No, how can this…"

The Crown Prince's eyes quivered.

The Grand Duke of Polycia, Osner, was alive and healthy, which meant that a crisis had arrived for him, who was pressing charges on Leslie on the pretext of imprisoning the Grand Duke.

Now the cause was gone.

Leslie laughed.

"Alfred. Why don't you stop making a show of yourself and go greet our father, whom you haven't seen in a while?"

Alfred's eyebrows twitched. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

'It's over if I step back from here.'

He had already drawn his sword and his father saw it too. If he withdrew from here, he would lose everything he had, even if his life was to be spared.

He shouted loudly to the wavering warriors.

"Everyone, get your head straight! Do you intend to be bewitched by this treacherous witch's damned witchcraft?!"

Leslie frowned.

"…witchcraft?"

"Yes! You want us to accept that is our Grand Duke? I remember the last time I saw the Grand Duke he couldn't even eat a bowl of porridge by himself. But look at that; not only is he healthy but also jacked up too, tell me how? Because, now this sure sounds funny! It must be your witchcraft!"

The warriors who heard his words widened their eyes.

The bow-bearers took aim again, and the blade-bearers squeezed on their grip. Even to them, the Grand Duke's sudden turnaround was unbelievable.

And it was not only Alfred who had no going back, but they too. If not more. Unlike Alfred, who would get away with his life, they would all be executed.

Leslie's eyes darkened coldly at the unchanging attitude shown by Alfred and his soldiers.

"Even though I gave you all a chance to undo your wrongdoings, you all still wag your tails to the traitors. Good, very good. You are no longer citizens of the Principality."

A chill of rage began to emanate from her. Alfred raised his hand. With the fall of his hand, arrows will rain down and a fight will begin.

In such a spur-of-the-moment situation.

"Hey, old man. Yes, here. I want to receive my prize first, is that okay?"

Cloud raised his hand and spoke, addressing his words to the Grand Duke.

The cold, frozen atmosphere melted for a moment.

What did he say..? While everyone was half tensed and half dumbfounded, Grand Duke Osner, who had been silent all along, opened his mouth.

"Since you won, it's only natural to give you the prize. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything special…"

Cloud scratched his cheek then grinned.

"Come on, give me a shot, old man."

A loud laugh broke the silence that followed.

Osner laughed out loud and jumped off the balcony.

"Huh, Father?!"

Leslie, who lurched to catch him with her magic, her complexion dyed blue, heaved a sigh of relief as he landed lightly.

"…uh?"

Leslie narrowed her eyes.

What did she just see?

Osner didn't even care about the thoughts of his frozen daughter. He passed Leslie and faced Cloud.

No, he looked down.

Because he was one head taller than Cloud.

"You want to fight this old man who just broke out off of his death bed? Is that really what you want?"

Cloud shrugged his shoulders.

"Look at yourself, old man. Do you give the impression of a dyin—"

Puck! Bang!

When the sound came, Cloud's form had already vanished. The warriors in a straight line behind Cloud had their backs folded as if they had bumped into something, and dust rose from the cracked walls of the arena in the distance.

"What, only this much? True, young people these days are getting weaker."

Osner, who was shaking his fists, clicked his tongue in a pitiful countenance.

-…

Silence fell.

You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.

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