Chapter 52
...It seems Iâve been latched onto by something weird.
"Youâre here, you flat-chested coward."
"âŠâŠ"
Standing right in front of me while Iâm diligently carrying out my guard duties is a sharp-eyed young man with a black sword on his back.
This weirdo, Melo, snorting through his nose in front of me like he owns the place, clearly doesnât understand what it means to be a bodyguard. Ever since that day, heâs been charging into the western camp Iâm assigned to protect every single day.
"Today for sureâIâm gonna violate you."
"âŠâŠ"
By the way, according to some carpenters working in the eastern zoneâwho are unfortunate enough to have no guard captainâtheyâre apparently enjoying the peace. "Things are way more productive now that Meloâs gone, so we prefer it this way." Thatâs why no oneâs bothering to file a complaint with the national military.
What a nuisance.
"âŠâŠJust go home."
"Shut up or Iâll kill you."
"âŠâŠHaaah."
Thereâs no cure for stupidity. What am I supposed to do with this idiot who shows up at my post like clockwork every day?
Maybe the folks in the east donât mind, but over here in the west, whenever Melo shows up, the carpenters flee and productivity drops. Heâs your captain, right? You should take responsibility and supervise him properly.
"âŠâŠWeâre changing locations."
"Hah! Sure, I prefer open spaces anyway. Fine by me!"
"Haaah."
Well, I guess blaming the eastern team wonât get me anywhere.
At the very least, Iâll try to lure this idiot somewhere far away so he doesnât interfere with the work. Sorry, carpenters.
"ExplodeâCalmflame Aria!!"
Boomâone loud blast and the ground erupts amid a cloud of dust. Hidden in that dust, razor-sharp sword strikes slice through the air and surround me on all sides.
"Nnâââââ"
"Youâtake this!!"
Still. Even though heâs improved a lot, Melo hasnât grown beyond the level of a rookie swordsman. Iâm no expert in magic, but I doubt heâs a particularly refined mage either.
The thing isâhis magic is easy to read. When he casts offensive spells, you get this skin-crawling chill if youâre within range before the attack even fires off.
Itâs a lot like the sense you get when you dodge a sword blindfolded. Ever since I figured that out, avoiding his spells has become a breeze.
"âŠâŠHey, this is messed up!! Why are you totally fine after taking those explosions head-on!?"
"Even in area-of-effect spells, the intensity isnât uniform. If you aim for the weakest part of the attack zone, you can slip through unscathed."
"âââââTch! Freakinâ monster!!"
When I casually snatch his sword away, Melo clutches his head in frustration, fuming with anger.
If anyoneâs the monster here, itâs Melo. His growth rate is terrifyingâit actually makes me feel anxious and jealous. The way his abilities are skyrocketing feels a lot like Rex.
Until now, this idiot probably got by just swinging his sword around without much thought. But someone with that kind of monstrous natural potentialâif he starts refining his technique by clashing with me⊠Just thinking about it is scary.
âââââWell. At least when it comes to swordsmanship, Iâm confident Iâve got a ten-year lead on him.
"Whyâwhyâwhy! I definitely hit you just now! Why is the trajectory of my sword shifting!?"
"âŠâŠWho knows? Why donât you figure it out yourself?"
"Dammit, dammit, damn it all!!"
He snatches his sword back from me roughly and comes at me again. His movements, though still clumsy, are slowly improving.
Honestly, Meloâs pace of growth is jaw-dropping. Like a sponge, he absorbs everything and refines his movements at an incredible rate.
Even Rex, whoâs no pushover, once said his raw talent is in a league of its own. Maybe that ridiculous natural talent is the reason he turned out like this.
âŠIf Melo had trained as hard as Rex, he probably wouldâve been just as strong by now.
âââââThere. You done yet?
"âŠâŠTch!!"
But heâs still immature. No matter how much talent you have, a few days of half-decent training wonât stack up against the years Rex and I have spent in a deep âhoneymoonâ with the sword.
As usual, Melo runs out of stamina and collapses to the ground. I donât even have a drop of sweat on my forehead.
"Had enough? Then scram already."
If you really want to call yourself the strongest, you need to understand the sword better and build your own âhoneymoonâ with it. If you canât even handle me, youâll never land a hit on Rex.
"âââââTch!! Fine, Iâll let you off this time!! Consider yourself lucky!!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Ah, good. Looks like Meloâs actually going to head home today. Leaving my post always makes me anxious. Just go already.
âŠWell, I mean.
âŠDeep down, even if 99% of this is a huge pain, maybe 1% of me is kind of grateful for the training. Like, learning how to dodge magic has been a really good experience.
"Hey. Get back safe, yeah?"
"âŠâŠWhat the hell are you, seriously."
So I figure I should at least return the greeting. Courtesy mattersâeven if the other personâs totally uncourteous.
"You know, you used to be more⊠Never mind."
"Hah?"
Melo starts to say something, then falls silent.
âUsed to be moreâ⊠what? What was he about to say?
Oh, right. I used to really hate Melo. We werenât on speaking terms like this at all.
âââââYeah, thinking about it, Iâve got no reason to be getting along with him now, either.
This is probably all Minoâs fault. I used to hate Melo plenty, but my sheer hatred for Mino mightâve warped my brain into thinking, "Eh, Meloâs not that bad."
What Mino did to Natal. What she did to young Souta. What she did to the townspeople.
Just remembering all of it makes my stomach turn. That womanâs actions absolutely qualify her as the worst in the national army.
"Tomorrow, Iâm gonna pound you into the dirt!"
"Please donât come back."
"Nope. Iâm coming."
âŠYeah, Meloâs attacks do make for decent training. But I really donât think itâs good for me to be away from the carpenters.
If anything happened to them, I wouldnât be able to forgive myself. Until this construction job is done, canât you just hold back a little?
"âââââUfufu?"
Itâs been about a week since Melo started meddling in my assigned territory.
And now, at last, a demon has appeared on the western side of the royal capitalâthe area Iâm supposed to protect.
"Ufufu, ufufufufu?"
Notorious for being vicious, vulgar, and ruthlessly cold-hearted. Said to be worse than the Demon King himself. The militaryâs worst monsterâmy archenemy, Mino.
"What are you doing here, Melo?"
"You're wrong!! I-I was lured here by that woman!?"
Finally, she dragged her lazy self out here, supposedly to punish the idiot who caused trouble.
"I never liked this boring assignment in the first place!! All the people around me are just sweaty, grimy men!!"
"And?"
"And besides, I owe this woman! She humiliated me! That sin canât be overlooked!!"
"So?"
"âŠI didnât do anything wrong!!"
Mino, with a face like a wrathful demon, beams sweetly as she glares at Melo. Meanwhile, Melo screeches back at her like a devil himself.
Honestly, Melo is a truly pathetic guy. You don't see many as pitiful as him. Heâs not even that young, yet he talks and acts like a prepubescent child.
"Hey, Melo."
"W-What is it, Mino?"
"I donât want to threaten you too muchâŠââââbut do you want me to finish what I was saying?"
Melo, come onâread the room a little. The person standing in front of you is basically human evil incarnate.
The most ruthless person in the country is pissed off. You should really be hitting the brakes right about now.
"âŠMino?"
"Ufufu. Want to hear the one thing that'll make you have to obey me?"
"âŠUh, like what exactly?"
"What do you think?"
The demon woman was smiling. But behind that smile lurked a bottomless maliceâand maybe even a touch of pity.
"Ufufu?"
Just what does Mino know about Melo? Well, she does seem like the type who knows everything.
"S-So, like⊠what kind of thing would you say, exactly?"
"âŠAah, so you really do want to know? Then⊠you'd better be ready."
"âŠ"
"Things wonât be all smiles between us anymore. Sorry, but this is your fault, Melo."
"Iâm sorry, I donât want to hear it anymore!! I was wrong, Iâll go back to my post!! Iâm going back, okay!?"
"Good."
Meloâs face turned pale as he frantically apologized on the spot. Even the infamously self-centered General Melo couldnât stand up to Mino, it seemed.
Well, yeah. No way he could win against her.
"âŠIâll remember this, you flat-chested witch!!"
"And donât come back."
He shot me a glare before the young, childish swordsman turned tail and ran off toward his territory, spouting a parting shot.
âŠPhew. Finally, peace returns to the west.
"ââââNow then. Sorry about the trouble our idiot caused, Flatche."
"Like you have any right to say that. Give me Natal back."
If only you would go home, too.
âMaybe putting Flatche with Melo was a mistake... Hmm, in terms of balance, it was the best arrangement, though.â
âIf you insist on calling yourself a strategist, you ought to be able to rein in your subordinates, Mino.â
âHehe, can't argue with that.â
It had been a week since Iâd seen herâour militaryâs worst. She looked even more haggard than usual.
Her cheeks had slightly sunken, and dark circles were clearly visible under her eyes.
â...That idiot Melo, honestly. He always stirs up trouble and makes more work for me for no good reason.â
âYouâve really let yourself go, Mino. Serves you right. Got a backlog or something?â
âAs if Iâd let that happen. In a time like this, even the slightest delay in my work could be fatal to the country.â
âI see. So youâre this worn out because youâve been clearing a ridiculous workload without letting it pile up.â
âPretty much.â
Gone was the composure Mino used to have. Now, she carried a certain air of melancholy and resignation.
Apparently, even devils have their share of struggles. Not that it concerns me.
âI gave him a thorough warning, but Melo will probably come back anyway.â
â...Even after everything you said, heâll still show up?â
âYeah. That idiotâs just that kind of guy. ...Itâs a shame, but I guess Iâll have to reshuffle things a bit. Itâd be irritating to make the same mistake twice.â
Mino looked slightly contemplative, gave me a quick side glance, then clapped her hands lightly.
âHoly Blade Flatche. Iâm ordering you to transfer to the Northeastern Fortress.â
â...Huh?â
She had issued the order to me.
âThe Northeastern Fortress?â
If I remembered right, that was the fort Clarise had been in charge of. Iâd stormed in solo once, so it was burned into my memory.
It was a bit old and musty in places, but it had the feel of a sturdy, well-fortified base.
âI want you to act as Clariseâs escort. Even if the Demon King invades the capital, as long as no one gets careless, Rex should be able to handle it. And sending someone like you, Flatche, to guarantee the fortress holds isnât a bad move either.â
â...Wait. Isnât Clarise still recovering?â
âShe made a full recovery yesterday. Weâre planning to have her head to the fortress tomorrow.â
Saying that, Mino placed a light hand on my shoulder and continued.
âYou as the vanguard, Clarise in the rear. Thereâs no stronger defensive line our empire could possibly build. The Northeastern Fortress will likely become the safest place in all human territory.â
â...Hold on. Wouldnât Rex be a better choice for the vanguard?â
âNo. Rex is strong as a solo fighter. But as a frontline defender, youâve got the edge. Thatâs not just my opinionâa certain veteran general thinks so too.â
Mino chuckled softly beside me with a quiet smile.
âYou shine brightest when thereâs a powerful mage at your back. As a frontline tank absorbing enemy attacks, you far surpass Rex. Thatâs why, from the start, I had you in mind for this assignment.â
â...Whoever this general is, theyâve got a serious case of overestimating me.â
âNo, the manâs insight is uncanny. He saw one of your training sessions and declared it on the spotâyouâre far stronger when you leave the attacking to others and focus on defense.â
âSeriously?
He figured out something it took me years of experience to realize just from watching me train once? Who the hell is this old man?
âAnd thatâs exactly whyââ
While I was trying to puzzle out the identity of this mysterious general, Mino lowered her gaze and continued.
âThatâs exactly why, if weâre lucky, Iâm hoping the Demon King will attack the fortress.â
â...âIf weâre luckyâ?â
What is she talking about?
Donât hope for something like that. If the Demon King attacks, we need Rex to deal with it, not me.
âExactly. If we completely trounce them there once, the Demon Kingâs army will hesitate to launch a second assault. But depending on the Demon Kingâs personality, they might personally come to reclaim the fortress.â
âNo, I canât handle the Demon King. Just send Rex to the fortress.â
âIf the capital gets attacked and Rex isnât there, the damage would be catastrophic. So, no.â
Waitâstop, Mino. Donât try to throw me against monsters. Iâm not Rex.
Donât lump me in with that freak who invented his own martial art through sheer force of will and wild improvisation.
âYou deflect the Demon Kingâs offense. Clarise pierces their defense. Thatâs the ultimate solo interception strategy this country has.â
â...Spare me.â
âWell, it probably wonât go that smoothly anyway. This is all just in the event that weâre lucky enough for the Demon King to attack the fortress.â
âThis is misfortune...â
I really donât get how strategists think. Why would being attacked be considered lucky?
But Mino holds Natalâs life in her hands. If she wanted to, she could torture my sister just to force my compliance.
Just to make me obey her orders.
âYou only need to guard for tonight. Tomorrow, you and Clarise head to the fortress.â
â...Got it.â
âYou can look forward to the reward. Iâll make sure you live like a true heroâas long as you keep following my orders.â
âââââThatâs disgusting.â
Clicking my tongue, I broke eye contact with Mino and returned to my tent. It was a private space granted to me during my stay in the castle town.
As I left in frustration, Mino watched me go with a bright, cheerful smile.
ââLate at night. As the sky began to lighten before dawn, two figures moved in secret.
âââThatâs everything. Sword Saint, wonât you please understand?â
ââŠAre you seriously saying this, old man?â
âI am. Dead serious.â
In a small, rundown tent set up outside the castleâwithout even a single guard presentâthe nationâs hero, the giant man Penny, and his strategist, the young girl Emma, had come to visit the Sword Saint Rex in secret.
âIf you really go through with this, the countryâs going to fall into absolute chaos.â
âââNo, it wonât. The situation will be brought under control soon. In a crisis like this, she would never allow the chaos to spiral out of control.â
ââŠYeah. Mino wouldnât just sit back and let things fall apart.â
Rexâs expression was deadly serious. The towering man bowed his head deeply to the Sword Saint, who was likely far younger than him.
âProtect the countryâno, the peopleâin my place, Rex. I know the thought of fighting under Mino probably turns your stomach, but bear with it and follow her orders. Please.â
âSo youâre leaving that part to me?â
âYes. I leave it in your hands, Sword Saint.â
With those words, Emma gave a small nod and looked Rex straight in the eye as she declared firmly:
âAnyone suffering in the wake of Minoâs schemesâweâll save them all. âŠBesides, Penny has always been a man who fights for the people, not just as a general of the nation.â
ââŠYeah. Alright, old man. Iâll wag my tail for Mino for a while.â
âThank you. Her schemes are necessary, given the current situation. âŠJust watch, Rex.â
The Sword Saint, well-acquainted with the heroics of this giant man, gave a resigned smile and nodded back at the two.
âIf youâre going to do this, donât screw it up.â
âOf course. We will make it a successâââ
Pennyâs resolve was something Rex could trust. That alone was why he allowed the kind of proposal he would normally never tolerate from anyone.
That day, one of the three pillars of the nationâGeneral Pennyâand his strategist Emma, vanished from their positions and disappeared without a trace.
âWhat the hell!? Whatâs he thinking, pulling this stunt in the middle of a crisis!?â
For once, Mino was visibly flustered, and ordered her closest aides to scour the land for his whereabouts. But not a single one of Pennyâs subordinates or acquaintances knew where he had gone.
âNo wayâŠ! Iâve got tons of work I needed him to handleâŠâ
Though Mino scowled bitterly, she was buried in other urgent matters and couldnât spare time for the search. In fact, Emma had predicted exactly thatâMino wouldnât have the resources to spare on chasing themâand vanished accordingly.
ââŠRight now, the Demon Kingâs army takes priority. Cancel the Penny search and get back to scouting enemy movements.â
ââThree days had passed since Penny disappeared.
Just as Emma had anticipated, Mino halted the search for Penny and Emma. Any task that required someone like Penny could be handled by her or others just as well.
âUgh⊠Karin really went and did something unnecessary this time.â
Inside, Mino felt her resentment toward the dialect-speaking nun rise just a little.
âI canât leave the people in the hands of this government. Iâll take power myself.â
âWatch us, Sword Saint. This coup will mark the dawn of a new eraâone for the people.â
A coup dâĂ©tat. What Penny and Emma were plotting was, by all accounts, a reckless act that could plunge the nation into utter chaos.
âTo truly protect humanity, what we need is a âking with the peopleâs eyes and morality,â and a âstrategist who can stomach both the pure and the corrupt.â Got it. I believe in you, old man.â
âYeah.â
And so, Pennyâthe rebel with overwhelming public supportâhad his chains cut, and was released into the wild.
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