That day, after parting with Puffy and the others, I arrived at Duke Masquerade’s residence and felt alarmed that the presence within the mansion—the number of defense personnel originally planned—was significantly lower than expected.
As I stepped inside, I immediately encountered a girl trying to escape from the mansion. Looking back now, she had some resemblance to Norald, but since they’re siblings, that’s only natural.
When I saw the girl in question—Wiz—I felt something was off. The inside of that mansion was already a battlefield where lives were at stake. Despite this, she showed no signs of practical experience, tension, or the mindset needed in combat. Yet her staff was clearly an exceptionally rare item.
Finding her suspicious, just as I was about to speak to her, her staff glowed. It was a staff with an obvious rare quality that didn’t suit her at all. I quickly distanced myself, evaded her attack, immediately subdued her by force, took away her staff, and restrained her.
When I asked her, 「Do you know a hooded person?」 she showed a reaction so obvious it was almost laughable. When I threatened, soothed, and coaxed information out of her, she actually said she 「sent him to a separate space」… but I couldn’t just say 「Send me there too.」 I couldn’t trust Wiz. If I ended up being sent somewhere else too, I wouldn’t be able to reach Anon.
It was then that I felt a tap-tap on my back. Wondering who it was, I turned around to find Talisman Sena. Holding a crimson sword like she was cradling it, she offered it to me with a 「Hmm.」
○○○
「So that’s how it went, more or less.」
I gave Anon a brief explanation of what happened that day.
「Thanks, Sena.」
「You’re welcome, Ichiro.」
Sena next to me leaned against me with a flop. Yay! She’s so cute! Seeing this, Anon said,
「Then I should properly express my gratitude too. Ichiro, thank you for saving me.」
「Sure, you’re welcome.」
Then she stood up with an 「oof.」 What’s she going to do? As I watched, she sat down on the opposite side from Sena with me in the middle, and languidly leaned against me.
「H-hey, what are you doing suddenly?」
「What’s wrong with it, given our relationshiiiiaaaahh—」
In response to my stuttering, Anon smiled somewhat seductively, but it didn’t last long. Along with the words 「Don’t push your luck,」 Sena’s small hand clamped around Anon’s temple. Creak, creak. A dangerous sound came from Anon’s skull. Even the formidable Anon said, 「I’m zo zorry,」 apologizing, and the matter was (more or less) settled.
Back to the main topic.
「By the way, what happened to Norald and Wiz?」
At my question, Anon, still sitting next to me, furrowed her brow.
「Well, that area is quite complicated… it will take considerable time to resolve.」
After hearing her story, I covered my face with my hands. It was a headache-inducing tale.
The Unknown siblings—Norald and Wiz—were indeed royalty of the Lionel Empire. However, as Norald himself said, although he was royalty, he was the eleventh prince out of twelve princes, a position that would be counted faster from the bottom. As for Wiz, she’s a woman. Her right to succession was practically non-existent.
That’s probably why. In essence, they were pawns to be sacrificed. When the kingdom’s upper echelons contacted the Lionel Empire to inform them that the two had been detained, their exchange went something like this:
「We have nothing to do with them. It was not the country’s intention. The whole thing started when four rare items, national treasures, were stolen by someone. Upon hearing information that the stolen items were in a neighboring country, Wiz and Norald, driven by righteous indignation, set out on a journey to recover them on their own. So why were they there, you ask? It seems they wandered in while searching for the fourth national treasure. Besides, were there any casualties at Duke Masquerade’s residence? All those isolated by Wiz in the separate space at Duke Masquerade’s house were safe, right?」
This is absurd. Yet they continued:
「We demand the immediate release of the two in your custody and the return of the three items they possessed.」
Having finished the story, Anon sighed.
「Would that even work?」
「Of course not… but countries will try to push through even the most outrageous opinions if it’s for their own benefit…」
「Ah, then why not flatly deny having any national treasures and just send back the two Unknown members empty-handed?」
「That’s being considered, but it causes two complications. First, the two who are returned will likely be disposed of immediately. They were already insignificant to begin with, and they failed their mission. There’s probably no reason for them to remain alive.」
「So sending them back as is wouldn’t be humane, is that it?」
「Exactly. And second, there’s a possibility they’ll find fault even after we return them. We sometimes use Vow Magic or special skills to extract information from prisoners, but that’s considered inhumane.」
I waited for her explanation, not fully understanding.
「There’s a trend in today’s global situation that using supernatural powers forcibly is frowned upon. They were captured due to their own mistakes. I can’t understand complaining about that.」
「Then, if we extract information physically and return them—」
「There’s a magical instrument that can detect whether some mysterious power like curses, skills, or items have been used. It can tell if prisoners have been subjected to something. The lives of those two are as light as a feather. Even if we return them without doing anything, the Lionel Empire might loudly claim ‘these two were treated inhumanely in the Arcana Kingdom’ and eliminate the siblings to destroy evidence.」
The more I hear, the more it gives me a headache.
「But, well, where this will end up is outside my jurisdiction… the final decision will be left to Lord Madison and others, and we’ll just have to work toward that.」
This is truly an unpleasant matter.
「Also, there will likely be a purge of many at Duke Strengths’ household soon, as decided by the nation, since that’s where the problem originated.」
An unpleasant matter indeed… but it’s also something that won’t be resolved by me worrying about it. I’ve done what I could. The rest is their job.
「Oh right. By the way, Ichiro, I forgot to mention something. The members of the Darkness Hound, they were saying about you—」
At that point, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Sena.
「Ichiro, it’s snack time.」
Her usual line left me dumbfounded. Maybe it relieved some tension, because I suddenly felt hungry too.
「I desire something sweet.」
Sena, unchanged as always. Seeing her attitude, Anon narrowed her eyes somewhat regretfully. What kind of expression is that? Well, whatever.
「Wait a bit. I’ll make some fluffy French toast for you.」
I smiled at the two of them and started bustling around. This is everyday life. Viva daily life!
◇◇◇
☆Semi-Transparent Spirit Girl☆ This refers to Talisman Sena. With overwhelming combat prowess that made top-tier warriors look like children, her tremendous abilities and mystical appearance spread through the mouths of those who survived, making her something of a half-urban legend.
A rumor spreads in neighboring countries that 「The Arcana Kingdom has a semi-transparent spirit girl who protects the royal family. It’s crazy.」
Whether you believe it or not is up to you!!
Later, upon hearing the rumor, Sena, possibly out of shame and anger, went on a rampage and annihilated the monsters around the cabin.
☆Geminus Will-o’-Wisp☆ The young man who, in absolute darkness created by members of the assassin group Darkness Hound, freely controlled light and darkness and displayed overwhelming combat power, left them with severe trauma.
They all uniformly trembled in fear, saying, 「That’s not human. It’s a genuine monster—the Geminus Will-o’-Wisp,」 describing how two eyes flickered with light in the darkness.
After this, those who heard their story would feel fear, admiration, or curiosity about what this Geminus Will-o’-Wisp could be that even assassins feared so much. And many of them, treating it as a half-believed ghost story, would tell their friends at taverns, 「Just between us, have you heard of the Geminus Will-o’-Wisp?」
As a result, rumors spread not only in the Arcana Kingdom but also in neighboring countries that 「In the Arcana Kingdom, there’s a crazy monster called the Geminus Will-o’-Wisp.」
Later, when Ichiro heard this story, he would die of indignation.
If you enjoy it and wish to see more, please consider giving it a 5-star rating for the series on NU. Click Here.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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Chapter 297
○○○
The conversation shifts to the Unknown.
That day, after parting with Puffy and the others, I arrived at Duke Masquerade’s residence and felt alarmed that the presence within the mansion—the number of defense personnel originally planned—was significantly lower than expected.
As I stepped inside, I immediately encountered a girl trying to escape from the mansion.
Looking back now, she had some resemblance to Norald, but since they’re siblings, that’s only natural.
When I saw the girl in question—Wiz—I felt something was off. The inside of that mansion was already a battlefield where lives were at stake. Despite this, she showed no signs of practical experience, tension, or the mindset needed in combat. Yet her staff was clearly an exceptionally rare item.
Finding her suspicious, just as I was about to speak to her, her staff glowed.
It was a staff with an obvious rare quality that didn’t suit her at all.
I quickly distanced myself, evaded her attack, immediately subdued her by force, took away her staff, and restrained her.
When I asked her, 「Do you know a hooded person?」 she showed a reaction so obvious it was almost laughable. When I threatened, soothed, and coaxed information out of her, she actually said she 「sent him to a separate space」… but I couldn’t just say 「Send me there too.」 I couldn’t trust Wiz. If I ended up being sent somewhere else too, I wouldn’t be able to reach Anon.
It was then that I felt a tap-tap on my back.
Wondering who it was, I turned around to find Talisman Sena.
Holding a crimson sword like she was cradling it, she offered it to me with a 「Hmm.」
○○○
「So that’s how it went, more or less.」
I gave Anon a brief explanation of what happened that day.
「Thanks, Sena.」
「You’re welcome, Ichiro.」
Sena next to me leaned against me with a flop.
Yay! She’s so cute!
Seeing this, Anon said,
「Then I should properly express my gratitude too. Ichiro, thank you for saving me.」
「Sure, you’re welcome.」
Then she stood up with an 「oof.」 What’s she going to do? As I watched, she sat down on the opposite side from Sena with me in the middle, and languidly leaned against me.
「H-hey, what are you doing suddenly?」
「What’s wrong with it, given our relationshiiiiaaaahh—」
In response to my stuttering, Anon smiled somewhat seductively, but it didn’t last long. Along with the words 「Don’t push your luck,」 Sena’s small hand clamped around Anon’s temple. Creak, creak. A dangerous sound came from Anon’s skull. Even the formidable Anon said, 「I’m zo zorry,」 apologizing, and the matter was (more or less) settled.
Back to the main topic.
「By the way, what happened to Norald and Wiz?」
At my question, Anon, still sitting next to me, furrowed her brow.
「Well, that area is quite complicated… it will take considerable time to resolve.」
After hearing her story, I covered my face with my hands. It was a headache-inducing tale.
The Unknown siblings—Norald and Wiz—were indeed royalty of the Lionel Empire. However, as Norald himself said, although he was royalty, he was the eleventh prince out of twelve princes, a position that would be counted faster from the bottom. As for Wiz, she’s a woman. Her right to succession was practically non-existent.
That’s probably why. In essence, they were pawns to be sacrificed.
When the kingdom’s upper echelons contacted the Lionel Empire to inform them that the two had been detained, their exchange went something like this:
「We have nothing to do with them. It was not the country’s intention.
The whole thing started when four rare items, national treasures, were stolen by someone. Upon hearing information that the stolen items were in a neighboring country, Wiz and Norald, driven by righteous indignation, set out on a journey to recover them on their own. So why were they there, you ask?
It seems they wandered in while searching for the fourth national treasure. Besides, were there any casualties at Duke Masquerade’s residence? All those isolated by Wiz in the separate space at Duke Masquerade’s house were safe, right?」
This is absurd. Yet they continued:
「We demand the immediate release of the two in your custody and the return of the three items they possessed.」
Having finished the story, Anon sighed.
「Would that even work?」
「Of course not… but countries will try to push through even the most outrageous opinions if it’s for their own benefit…」
「Ah, then why not flatly deny having any national treasures and just send back the two Unknown members empty-handed?」
「That’s being considered, but it causes two complications. First, the two who are returned will likely be disposed of immediately. They were already insignificant to begin with, and they failed their mission. There’s probably no reason for them to remain alive.」
「So sending them back as is wouldn’t be humane, is that it?」
「Exactly. And second, there’s a possibility they’ll find fault even after we return them. We sometimes use Vow Magic or special skills to extract information from prisoners, but that’s considered inhumane.」
I waited for her explanation, not fully understanding.
「There’s a trend in today’s global situation that using supernatural powers forcibly is frowned upon. They were captured due to their own mistakes. I can’t understand complaining about that.」
「Then, if we extract information physically and return them—」
「There’s a magical instrument that can detect whether some mysterious power like curses, skills, or items have been used. It can tell if prisoners have been subjected to something. The lives of those two are as light as a feather. Even if we return them without doing anything, the Lionel Empire might loudly claim ‘these two were treated inhumanely in the Arcana Kingdom’ and eliminate the siblings to destroy evidence.」
The more I hear, the more it gives me a headache.
「But, well, where this will end up is outside my jurisdiction… the final decision will be left to Lord Madison and others, and we’ll just have to work toward that.」
This is truly an unpleasant matter.
「Also, there will likely be a purge of many at Duke Strengths’ household soon, as decided by the nation, since that’s where the problem originated.」
An unpleasant matter indeed… but it’s also something that won’t be resolved by me worrying about it.
I’ve done what I could. The rest is their job.
「Oh right. By the way, Ichiro, I forgot to mention something. The members of the Darkness Hound, they were saying about you—」
At that point, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
It was Sena.
「Ichiro, it’s snack time.」
Her usual line left me dumbfounded.
Maybe it relieved some tension, because I suddenly felt hungry too.
「I desire something sweet.」
Sena, unchanged as always.
Seeing her attitude, Anon narrowed her eyes somewhat regretfully. What kind of expression is that? Well, whatever.
「Wait a bit. I’ll make some fluffy French toast for you.」
I smiled at the two of them and started bustling around.
This is everyday life. Viva daily life!
◇◇◇
☆Semi-Transparent Spirit Girl☆
This refers to Talisman Sena. With overwhelming combat prowess that made top-tier warriors look like children, her tremendous abilities and mystical appearance spread through the mouths of those who survived, making her something of a half-urban legend.
A rumor spreads in neighboring countries that 「The Arcana Kingdom has a semi-transparent spirit girl who protects the royal family. It’s crazy.」
Whether you believe it or not is up to you!!
Later, upon hearing the rumor, Sena, possibly out of shame and anger, went on a rampage and annihilated the monsters around the cabin.
☆Geminus Will-o’-Wisp☆
The young man who, in absolute darkness created by members of the assassin group Darkness Hound, freely controlled light and darkness and displayed overwhelming combat power, left them with severe trauma.
They all uniformly trembled in fear, saying, 「That’s not human. It’s a genuine monster—the Geminus Will-o’-Wisp,」 describing how two eyes flickered with light in the darkness.
After this, those who heard their story would feel fear, admiration, or curiosity about what this Geminus Will-o’-Wisp could be that even assassins feared so much. And many of them, treating it as a half-believed ghost story, would tell their friends at taverns, 「Just between us, have you heard of the Geminus Will-o’-Wisp?」
As a result, rumors spread not only in the Arcana Kingdom but also in neighboring countries that 「In the Arcana Kingdom, there’s a crazy monster called the Geminus Will-o’-Wisp.」
Later, when Ichiro heard this story, he would die of indignation.
If you enjoy it and wish to see more, please consider giving it a 5-star rating for the series on NU. Click Here.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link
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