I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!
I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! - Volume 5 Chapter 11-12-13-14-15: Pebble

The Prime Minister, who was awakened from his sleep, sighed as he heard about the assassination attempt on Cleo.

“His Highness Linus was too impatient.”

Disposing the small fry known as Cleo before confronting Calvin, his nemesis.

That was most likely what he was planning to do.

However, the results were devastating.

Not only had the assassination attempt failed, Linus received a fierce backlash.

Linus was a capable man in his own right and had done well in controlling his faction.

Nevertheless, although he wasn’t a buffoon, Linus’s future was set in stone due to this episode.

With the milk spilt, he had lost his chance of becoming the Crown Prince.

Rather than that, the Prime Minister was worried for another reason.

“—Who moved the Sword Saint?”

There were four Sword Saints recognized by the current empire, and one of them had been dispatched to assassinate Cleo.

Of course, the Prime Minister had nothing to do with it.

Although the Sword Saint might have cooperated in the assassination of Cleo for honor and prestige, it was unlikely for a swordsman who sought strength above anything else to display interest in authority to that extent.

The report stated that the Sword Saint executed the assassination at his own discretion, but it was highly likely that there was a mastermind behind him.

After reading the report, the Prime Minister smiled.

“Even so, I didn’t think he was this strong.”

Liam had come out on top after clashing with one of the Sword Saints recognized by the empire.

Such a person was acting as Cleo’s greatest supporter, and he had wielded his sword to protect the prince.

The Prime Minister got changed.

When he lightly tapped on his wristwatch, his sleepwear was instantly swapped with his work clothes.

“Busy days are ahead.”

The palace was in a tumultuous situation, not because of the assassination attempt on Cleo, but rather because of the Second Prince Linus’s blunder.

鈼?/p>

-The Day after the Incident-

It’s already past noon, but I’m still stuck inside the palace.

Since last night, I’ve been undergoing an interrogation.

The location is inside a conference room.

As an upcoming Duke and a current Count, I am being received in a luxurious room.

The interrogation is being conducted while I’m sitting on a puffy chair and drinking tea made by a maid.

Not only am I surrounded by high-ranking officials, countless knights and soldiers that work for the palace are around me.

I can’t relax like this.

“—Hey, is lunch ready yet? I’m at the palace, so I’m expecting a full course.”

On a separate note, it’s pathetic how there’s only one maid here.

If you wish to keep me here, at least bring a dozen beautiful women over!

I’ll have you know that I’m a Count!

One of the high-ranking officials, a senior administrator per say, expresses frustration against my attitude.

“Count Banfield, are you aware of what happened yesterday night?”

A member of the Royal Family was the target of an assassination attempt inside the palace.

Out of context, it sounds like a critical matter, but in this world where blood is exchanged on a daily basis, such an event is nothing mindboggling.

In the first place, although it’s called a palace – it encompasses an entire continent.

That being the case, some accidents are bound to happen every day.

“What’s with all the fuss? There’s nothing special about it.”

“Do you have any inkling of an idea as to how big of an incident this is!?”

I sip tea gracefully in front of the senior administrator who tries to make me understand the gravity of the situation.

Hmm, aren’t the identities of these officials and military personnel gathered to investigate me a bit low? Where are the big shots?

I’m offended, so I don’t feel motivated enough to cooperate with their work.

“Haa… I have to attend a lecture later in the day. I’d appreciate it if we can finish this before then.”

The senior administrator grabs his head because of my uncaring attitude.

“His Highness the Second Prince’s future is at stake here. Please be more serious about this.”

“That is quite worrisome indeed.”

“— Or so you say.”

“My thoughts are genuine.”

No, really. I’m also worried for His Highness Linus.

He’s a pitiful person who made the mistake of picking the wrong fight.

I’m glad that he was someone who’s quick to anger.

Even though it was slightly troublesome, he came at us in a straightforward manner.

I was ready to invest a long time struggling over the succession rights, but thanks to Linus, we have one less rival to worry about.

This is the result of Linus’s own actions.

For the guys in front of me, this may be a pressing concern.

I, on the other hand, consider this a done deal.

The fate of His Highness Linus the Second Prince is already sealed.

He’s no longer my opponent.

Truth is, from the very beginning, there was no possibility of me losing.

What I did is no different from kicking a pebble on the road out of my way.

Regardless of what happens at this point, my victory is all but assured.

You can say that I’m going easy on them.

I’m just playing along with these palace officials.

“By the way.”

“Yes?”

I ask the senior administrator a question.

“How do I apply to be a Sword Saint?”

The title of Sword Saint is more important than the case with Linus.

“Count! Please stop joking around!”

“A joke, you say!? I can’t be more serious here. I have to spread the name of One-Flash to every corner of the world. By spreading the words of the world’s strongest school of swordsmanship, I’ll be paying back Master Yasushi for his kindness! That’s why I need the title of Sword Saint.”

“What on earth are you getting at?”

I’m a villain.

Still, I’m someone who knows how to pay back for other people’s kindness.

I’ve been under Master Yasushi’s care for a long time, yet the world sees One-Flash as a minor branch of swordsmanship.

Thus, I have no choice but to make the world know of its name.

I have to let them know that One-Flash is the strongest school of swordsmanship.

“Oh, how ‘bout this. Gather the remaining three Sword Saints. If I beat them all, the empire would have to recognize me as a Sword Saint, right?”

Once again, the senior administrator holds his head before me.

鈼?/p>

-That Afternoon-

Linus was hanging around in a large room after the aristocrats had left.

Until a moment ago, the aristocrats in his faction were gathered here for a meeting to think of countermeasures.

Linus chuckled powerlessly.

“Don’t give up? Bullshit – It’s over for me.”

He understood that the aristocrats were merely putting up a front.

Nonetheless, Linus couldn’t find the energy within him to berate them.

Linus wasn’t so naïve to believe that he could jump back up from this catastrophe.

“I misjudged Cleo. No, I underestimated that brat, Liam. He is definitely the source of my defeat.”

He had belittled the kid, thinking that he was just a bumpkin from the frontiers.

That was his biggest mistake.

He should have either crushed Liam with all his might from the beginning or sucked up to him without letting go.

If he had known that this would be the result, Linus would have invited Liam into his faction, even if that meant he had to bow to the latter.

Such assumptions were meaningless now.

Nevetheless, there was one thing that Linus could not help but wonder:

– When did things begin to go South?

Without a doubt, it was when he decided to get himself involved with Liam.

“—The Prime Minister’s warnings were spot on. As expected of the man who has controlled the empire behind the scenes for many years.”

As Linus muttered this, a man slowly emerged from the floor.

The man wasn’t kneeling. Instead, he had a bottle of alcohol in his hands.

The masked man –– Linus was well acquainted with him.

Linus smirked.

“Here to dispose me?”

The masked man was someone from the organization Linus had allied with.

“Your Highness Linus, you are no longer useful for us. Our new master is heartbroken by this incident, and –– I was tasked to resolve the issue immediately.”

Linus leaned back on the sofa and his gaze landed on the sake that the masked man had brought.

“My favorite liquor. How considerate of you.”

Watching how composed and calm Linus was behaving, the masked man felt that it was unfortunate.

“You aren’t throwing a tantrum?”

“I’ve made such a mess out of everything. In the future, I’m for sure to be remembered as one of the fools in the history of the empire. I want to at least look cool in my last hour. Wait a minute, I’ll bring the glasses.”

When he touched a certain portion of the room’s wall, a gimmick activated, revealing a hidden shelf from behind.

There were various tableware and beverages inside.

Snacks to eat alongside the drink were also present.

“This goes well together with that sake.”

The masked man opened the bottle for Linus who was calmly preparing to drink.

Linus expressed his regret.

“You’re the last person I’ll be drinking with, huh? I’ve imagined this several times in the past.”

Linus drank the sake offered to him in one shot and presented his glass again, demanding for more.

He questioned the masked man as he munched on the snacks.

“Tell me two things as souvenirs for my trip to hell. From your perspective, which person is fit to be emperor? Elder brother? Cleo?”

The masked man chortled.

“Your Highness right now may have been suitable to become the emperor.”

Hearing the compliment, Linus happily gulped down the sake.

“I’ll accept your praise with a pinch of salt. –– Moving on, who was the mastermind?”

The masked man replied to his second question.

“Keeping our client’s identity confidential is part of my job.”

“…You’re right.”

Linus smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and drew in his last breath. It was as if he went into a deep slumber.

The masked man lamented.

“If you had shown this side of yours earlier, things might not have turned out like this.”

With the death of a foolish prince who ended his life after confessing his sins, the curtains fell on the turmoil caused by a reckless assassination attempt.

鈼?/p>

A week has passed since the failed assassination attempt.

I’m having a meeting with His Highness Cleo inside the palace which has yet to regain its tranquility.

“Your Highness, you don’t seem well.”

“Is that so? No, maybe you’re right.”

Although his emotions don’t appear clogged up, he is clearly under the weather.

Will he be alright?

This is why kind people are no good.

They get depressed over the deaths of those that tried to kill them first.

Why can’t they just dismiss things?

His Highness Cleo opens his mouth to speak before I do.

“I’ve made few memories with my brother, Linus, but I’ve heard some things from a servant he sent as a spy.”

“What have you heard?”

“He held me in contempt, but he was sympathetic to me as well. If I had lain low, I think my brother would not have tried to remove me.”

How kind of him.

Unfortunately, there’s no meaning to kindness in this world.

I have experienced terrible betrayals in my previous life.

At the time, I convinced myself that I was partially in the wrong and bore with the unreasonable treatments.

As a result, I became the laughing stock of the villains.

“It was His Highness Linus who ignited this conflict. That’s why Your Highness need not feel guilty about his passing. Please remember that a similar fate will befall on Your Highness if you were to lose. To avoid that, Your Highness must fight back.”

His Highness Cleo looks at me.

“Count, you are a strong man… So strong, in fact, that you fail to understand the feelings of the weak.”

I can sense some toxicity mixed in with his words.

However, let me tell you one thing.

I do understand the feelings of the weak.

After all, I was a weak person in my past life.

A weak person whose only purpose was to be exploited by the villains.

I’m repulsed by my past self.

“I understand the feelings of the weak better than anyone else. Even if you’re weak, when you’re presented the opportunity to rob others, you should do so instead of having yourself robbed. Your Highness regards weakness as a virtue, but weakness is a sin by itself.”

His Highness Cleo stares at me with squinted eyes.

“Do you? You think a man who was born strong can understand the feelings of the weak?”

“At least I do more than you.”

Tia enters our conversation the moment I drop the honorifics.

She has a report for me.

“I’ll pour new cups of teas. Also, Brian-dono wishes to speak with you, Lord Liam.”

She hints at us to take a break.

I stand up from my seat.

“To request my presence so casually. If he wasn’t Brian, I’d have executed him.”

I leave the room in this manner.

鈼?/p>

Cleo, who had his conversation interrupted, turned to address Tia.

“I was rude to the Count. I’ll apologize when he returns.”

Cleo knew of Tia’s reverence towards Liam and believed that she would be angry at him.

Contrary to his expectations, Tia giggled.

“Did I say something strange?”

Tia gazed at the door that Liam used to leave the room.

“How much does Your Highness Cleo know about the Banfield Family?”

“I heard that ever since he was a child, Liam-dono has been improving the state of his territory which was managed poorly by the previous generation. Did he manage to secure a planet with an abundance of rare materials?”

That was the extent of the public’s evaluation of Liam.

They were only interested in Liam’s current prestige and military prowess.

Aside from that, they assumed that the territory was being rapidly developed thanks to the rare metals.

“What I’m about to say is something I read from the records. Lord Liam apparently became the Count at the age of five.”

“——I’ve heard rumors about aristocrats pushing their territories onto their children. To think that the rumors were true…”

Cleo, who remained oblivious to most occurrences outside the palace, was shocked by the validity of the rumors.

In his defense, he had only recently begun to interact with the other nobles.

Furthermore, despite their scary appearances, the aristocrats that made up his faction were lords that had serious personalities.

As such, they didn’t intend on burdening their children with their territories.

“The condition of the Banfield’s territory was at its all-time low. The previous lord had demanded so much tax and labor from his citizens that they were at their breaking points. He even borrowed money from other places to satisfy his vanity. I was stunned when I read the materials. I wondered whether people can actually stoop so low.”

“What a cruel story. I often hear similar tales about other territories. Are these stories true?”

“They are. It’s unthinkable considering the present state of Lord Liam’s territory. Despite so, there are countless people in the empire that are suffering on their planets.”

Tia’s heart ached when she imagined what Liam must have felt when he saw his territory in such shambles.

“Witnessing the state of his territory, what did the noble Lord Liam think? What did he do? Even though his life wasn’t easy, he endured for decades on end. The young Lord Liam must have been very dashing indeed! He must have been cuter and more precious than he is now – yet Lord Liam persevered through his difficult life and spared no effort in bettering his territory! He trained himself to the point where he obtained the strength to defeat a Sword Saint! – Ah crap, the drool won’t stop!”

She imagined Liam as a child and thought, “If I was by your side at that time!”

Cleo took his eyes off Tia out of courtesy and respect.

(The Count has some weird knights serving under him.)

Tia was competent alright, but she was a disappointing knight.

Cleo’s gaze returned to Tia when her delusion ended.

Tia apologized.

“Please excuse me. What I wanted to tell Your Highness is that there was a time when Lord Liam wasn’t as powerful. As a matter of fact, he was in a worse position than Cleo-sama.”

Cleo hung his head down.

“—I see. I’ve been impolite to the Count.”

(He had a tougher life than I thought. I guess that’s why he was incensed by my remarks.)

Cleo who had reflected apologized to Liam when he came back.

—————————————————————————————————————

Brian (* ´ω锝€): “Lord Liam was so cute back then.”

Brian (; ^ ω ^): “I still remember the times when Lord Liam hugged Amagi and felt her chest.”

“Linus? He was never my opponent. Didn’t I say so before?”

I’m drinking at the hotel bar with a flabbergasted Wallace next to me.

He has been sick in bed recently, but he jolted awake when he heard about the assassination attempt.

“Unbelievable. To think you won against Elder Brother Linus.”

The world now views Linus as a dunce who failed to assassinate Cleo.

After all, society is mercilessly cold towards the vanquished.

Wallace, on the other hand, seems to have had a good opinion of Linus.

“Elder Brother Linus was someone who built up his own faction and climbed to the second place in terms of succession rights. I never thought he’d meet his end in this manner.”

Looking sideways, I tilt my glass at Wallace who is overwhelmed.

“That’s why I told you that you didn’t have to worry about me.”

“You did say that, but nobody would’ve believed you under those circumstances!”

“I knew early on that my chances of winning were high. You think I’d gamble on something knowing that I would lose?”

“Still, he was second in line to the throne!”

I played this game knowing that I’ll emerge victorious.

It’s true that Linus had more subordinates and cards which he could’ve employed.

However, Linus was also busy fighting against Calvin, his main rival.

I simply took advantage of that; that’s why I was confident about this battle.

Linus didn’t have the chance to throw everything at us.

Fair-and-square battles are not suited for Evil Lords.

Experienced Evil Lords would move in a way such that their enemies cannot display their full powers.

Cleo’s reputation is shooting up with the defeat of Linus.

Plundering anything that is useful – that is also the way of an Evil Lord.

Unfortunately, this marks the end of the bonus stage.

I think about our next opponent.

“Next up is Calvin. This is rather troublesome.”

Wallace concurs.

“He’s the Crown Prince. Numerous aristocrats support him and the majority of those that are in the palace are on his side. Elder Brother Linus’s defeat was unexpected, but what’s your plan from now?”

“—Plan? What’s that?”

“You don’t have one!?”

Calvin is sitting on the title of Crown Prince and his position is as stable as a rock.

He’s not the type of person who would pick fights recklessly like Linus either.

Phrased another way, there isn’t any gap in his defense.

Not only is he surrounded by many aristocrats, the quality of his subordinates aren’t bad.

Wallace holds his head in frustration.

“What are you going to do!? Elder Brother Calvin is even harder to deal with!”

“Fret not. It’ll be a prolonged battle. The person smiling in the end will be me, since Lady Luck is always by my side.”

My victory is predetermined.

Besides, I have the Guide behind me – it’s impossible for me to lose.

I should try to enjoy this battle more.

After sitting Cleo on the throne, I’ll act however I want.

Oops, I almost forgot about an important matter.

“Wallace, how’s the plan for the mixer proceeding?”

Wallace stares at me and downs his drink at once without replying.

“Hey, do you know how important this is for me!?”

Damn it!

As a college student, I must spend more time partying.

I haven’t been able to do so because of all the time spent on fighting for the throne.

Since I’m a noble, I should be extravagant when I fool around!

◇

The planet of the Imperial Capital was in a big fuss.

“Have you heard? Apparently, His Highness Linus passed away from an illness. The second in line for the throne is now vacant.”

“Is the Third Prince going to move up?”

“Nah. The spot’s vacant alright, but the Third Prince?”

The death of Second Prince Linus.

Everybody expected hell to break loose in the palace over who would replace Linus as the second in line from the throne.

In fact, princes who were fourth in line and below were plotting with their respective aristocrats in an attempt to surpass Cleo and become second in line.

Everyone predicted that many princes and princesses would disappear over time.

It was because similar things had happened many times before.

Soon, another piece of news shook the Imperial Capital – as well as the entire Empire.

◇

-A planet far away from the planet of the Capital-

Yasushi was trembling while holding an electronic newspaper.

The figure of Liam holding a press conference could be seen on the screen, and a video was being played on the newspaper.

Yasushi trembled.

“THAT BASTARD! HE WENT AND DID IT! HE FINALLY WENT AND DID IT!”

Yasushi cried, not from happiness, but from fear and anger.

Inside the video, Liam was proudly proclaiming something to the reporters in front of him.

“Sword Saint? I defeated him. As a license holder of the school of One-Flash, I defeated him.”

The reporters were in disbelief.

“You defeated one of the four Heavenly Kings? Truly?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself over and over. Yes, I slew him. Even so, I wasn’t able to acquire the title of Sword Saint after defeating one. Because of this illogical system, I’ve gone and applied to the palace. Currently, I’m waiting for them to recognize me as a Sword Saint.”

“Y-you’re declaring yourself a Sword Saint? Don’t you normally have to be nominated and screened several times before His Majesty approves it?”

“Are you dumb? The Sword Saint that they chose lost against me. Clearly, their eyes are clouded. I am the strongest. I am a Sword Saint. If anyone disapproves, bring the other three over here! I’ll slash them all down.”

There was a buzz in the air.

Liam continued as if he remembered something crucial.

“Oh, I retract my previous claim. I’m not the strongest. My master is.”

“Your master as in the head of the One-Flash? Why have we never heard of his name? If he’s so powerful, his name should be widely–”

“Are you looking down on Master Yasushi!?”

Liam projected an image of Yasushi.

It was a nice and clear image of his face.

The picture had been taken when Yasushi was teaching Liam swordsmanship.

The scene was showcased to the reporters on a big screen.

“That idiot!!”

Yasushi desired nothing else but to suspend the conference.

Unlucky for him, it was too late by the time he was watching this video.

There was nothing he could do.

Liam’s eyes shined as he praised Yasushi.

“Master Yasushi is the strongest man in the universe. I have been desperately chasing after his shadows. Unfortunately, I still don’t have any confidence in overtaking my master. I’d rather fight the Sword Saints than to face him.”

The reporters were astonished.

“Is it to that extent!?”

“An existence that stands above a man who defeated a Sword Saint––”

“The world’s strongest swordsman – Yasushi! No, he’s a Sword God beyond the realm of Sword Saints!”

“Sword God Yasushi!”

“The strongest Sword God in the galaxy!”

“Who exactly is Yasushi!?”

The headline of the article he was reading was “The Strongest Man in the Universe! Sword God Yasushi!”.

Yasushi was nervous about how this news had reached such a distant planet.

He shook like a leaf.

(Not good, not good, not good, not good, not good. I-I’ll be killed if I stay here. I must flee – I must flee from this empire!)

Liam’s good intentions were coming back to bite him.

Inside a dimly lit house which had the appearance of a barbershop, Yasushi was thinking about what to do in the future.

Suddenly, the entrance to the house became noisy.

“Hand over Yasushi! Bring out the strongest man in the universe!”

The voice belonged to a man.

Yasushi was certain that the man had read the news about him and was intending to defeat him in order to lay claims to the title of the strongest.

The man’s confidence was apparent in his voice.

“Hiii! Hiiiiii!”

Yasushi was planning on escaping from the windows.

Just as he was trying to do so, he heard his disciples fighting off the man.

“Angh? A trash like ya wishes to confront our master?”

“You must be dreaming.”

His two disciples who were by the front door faced off against the man.

“—You young’uns dare make a fool of me, the founder of the school of Infinite Flow? Let me tell you this: I’ve killed five renowned knights in my life!”

That alone indicated how dangerous the man was.

Yasushi didn’t think that his disciples could fend off such a brute, so he stepped onto the edge of the window frame in preparation for his escape.

Then—

BOGOO!

It was the sound of a wooden sword hitting someone’s body.

However, it was abnormally loud.

A few moments later, the man began to scream.

“Gyaaaa! My arm! My arm!”

His disciples mocked him.

“Stop screaming. You’re being a nuisance to the neighborhood. The aunty next door is annoying, you know?”

“Next, we’ll crush your right leg.”

The sound of muscles being crushed preceded the man’s scream.

Shivering, the man’s henchmen cried out.

“S-stop!”

“Let us go! We’ll never disturb you again!”

“F-forgive us!”

Sadly, Yasushi’s disciples weren’t finished with them.

“Hey, did ya really kill five famous knights? Yer weak. Weak to the point where I’m yawning.”

The more aggressive of the two disciples expected the man to be a tougher opponent.

It was infuriating and disappointing.

“Huh? You believed his lies? Are you dumb?”

The other disciple giggled and teased the aggressive disciple.

As this disciple was giggling, the sound of bones being crushed was heard yet again.

Yasushi had cold sweat running down his body.

The aggressive disciple spoke to the sadistic disciple who was nonchalantly torturing the intruders.

“I’ll kill ya if ya don’t shut up.”

“—Don’t you remember that we need permission from Master if we want to kill someone in the same school? I guess I’ll tattle on Master.”

“Y-Ya dare!?”

Killing disciples of the same school is prohibited – this was a lie that Yasushi weaved as insurance when Liam requested for a practice match.

He made sure to tell his new disciples the same thing. After all, they were both already stronger than him.

Yasushi jumped down from the winder fame and walked towards the front door after confirming that the intruders had left.

The entrance of the house was in a terrible condition, but Yasushi did not bat an eye to maintain his dignity in front of his two disciples.

(They’re vicious children, but they should be able to win against Liam. They can also beat the hell out of any idiots that challenge me. Still, it’s better if I leave the empire.)

Yasushi sighed upon seeing the bloody figures of his disciples.

“You two have caused trouble again?”

His disciples hurriedly corrected their postures in front of their master.

“B-but Master!”

“I tried to hold him back.”

Yasushi shouted in his heart.

(Hold him back, my ass! That attitude of yours scares me more than anything!)

He had managed to appear dignified all these years while taking care of them.

Thanks to that, they willingly called Yasushi their master.

“Both of you, clean up and take a shower. Afterwards, come to the inner room.”

They did as he ordered and came to the inner room.

Yasushi presented them with the tools to kill Liam.

For the aggressive child, he had prepared two katanas.

For the sadistic child, he had prepared a katana that was longer than average.

Each of them was of the highest grade that Yasushi could buy.

Of course, the funds were from Liam’s pocket.

His two disciples received their katanas with sparkling eyes.

“Wow! Master, I can have these?”

“My very own sword!”

Yasushi also had custom clothes tailored for them.

In addition, he had bought tools for their travels.

Their only goal was to assassinate Liam.

(There are two of them, so hopefully one of them succeeds in this endeavor. Meanwhile, I’ll be running away from this empire.)

Yasushi put on his serious face.

“—You two are henceforth official successors.”

The two looked at each other.

“Eh? Master? Aren’t we still in training?”

“T-that’s right, Master!”

Yasushi smiled, but he was sweating inside his heart.

(I don’t have anything left to teach! These two are dangerous, just like Liam.)

In the first place, he had little to teach.

If they stayed with him any longer, there was a chance that they would figure out the truth eventually.

Yasushi wanted to get rid of them quickly.

“Hone your sword by traveling the outside world. Each of you must discover the One-Flash that suits you.”

The two were about to cry.

Nonetheless, they did not let go of their new swords.

Yasushi failed to understand their thought processes.

(Why are you hugging your swords that much? It’s kind of scary.)

He did not tell them the true purpose of their travels.

“Hone your skills during your travels. I’m sure that there will be many life-threatening encounters. You two might even split up someday. Just remember – your senior brother will help you complete your sword.”

The aggressive child wiped his tears.

“Senior Brother? You mean Liam? He’s also a license holder of One-Flash?”

“Yes. You aren’t his match now, so hone your swordsmanship outside before challenging your senior brother.”

The child with bad personality snorted.

“Is he that strong? We’re pretty strong ourselves.”

Yasushi nodded in his heart.

(Honestly, how would you expect me to know? From my standpoint, all of you are monsters. Go ahead and kill each other as monsters.)

Yasushi replied.

“He’s strong. You two must challenge him with the intention to kill – no, kill him. If you don’t have that degree of determination, you’ll die instead. Challenge him together. There’s that big of a gap between him and you two.”

(Well, you guys should be able to win if you challenge him as a pair.)

The two nodded as they cried.

Yasushi consoled them by saying that they were ready for the trip and presented their clothes.

They were good quality clothes.

Yasushi had prepared them as he felt a certain amount of responsibility.

On top of everything, he also bestowed them with electronic currency amounting to a couple million.

With that much money, he was sure that they would be fine for a while.

If they lacked funds, they could make a living as bounty hunters as well.

“I’ll also depart from here after you two leave.”

“Master!?”

“Why!?”

“To ensure that your determination does not waver. I will go on a journey and continue to polish my One-Flash technique. We may never meet again. Even so, I pray for your safeties.”

(After they kill Liam, I’ll call them back to serve as my bodyguards …. Never mind, I don’t want to stay with these monsters. I won’t be able to rest in peace. Also, if they kill Liam, they’ll become fugitives.)

Yasushi treated them gently to alleviate their sadness.

Thereafter, the duo changed into their new clothing and appeared in front of Yasushi with their swords on their waists.

“—Both of you have grown up.”

They blushed when he said so.

Then, they proceeded to thank Yasushi.

“Master, thank you for raising me. I’ll come back to see Master again when I defeat senior brother and become full-fledged!”

“I will prove to the world that I am master’s number one disciple. Until then – farewell Master.”

Yasushi grinned when they departed.

(Haaa~. They have left at last. It took me decades to raise them. I’m finally free.)

Yasushi gazed at the house where his disciples had departed from.

(– I-I feel a little sad.)

Having raised them for such a long period of time, Yasushi had slightly grown attached to them.

He knew that he would no longer return here.

(I didn’t think a guy like me would spend time raising children. They’re rather pitiful to be raised by me.)

Yasushi packed his belongings to escape from the empire’s territories.

The lady from next door walked in.

“Yasushi-san! Were your children causing a ruckus again?”

“N-neighbor! P-please forgive their offense.”

“I don’t know about your circumstances, but what’s the point of training your sword in this god forsaken place? You don’t even look strong.”

Yasushi laughed bitterly when he was told off by the aunty.

“Ahahaha – You’re right.”

(Damn it! She’s spouting whatever she wants without holding back! You don’t have to remind me. I’ll never train swordsmanship ever again! Today is the last day I’ll be scared of Liam. It’s nerve-wracking to leave the empire, but I should have done this from the very beginning.)

He would travel to a place where nobody would recognize him.

When Yasushi arrived at this thought, he felt refreshed…. No, truth be told, he felt lonely.

For some reason, Yasushi was concerned about the two children who had left their nest.

—————————————————————————————————————

Tsurian (´；ω；｀) : “It hurts. People call me an imposter when I don’t say that. Also, there’s a weird plant that wants to parasitize off me. Brian is treated so harshly – it hurts.”

Wakagi-chan (゜∀ ゜) “Excuse me!? I’m not a parasite! I simply take over my host! Rather than that, look at your name, Brian.”

Tsurian Σ (´；ω；｀): “What happened to Brian’s name~~~!!”

It was natural for me to win the battle.

Even so, many people including Brian expressed surprise at my victory.

Linus had been fighting Calvin with his back faced towards me, and I had simply stabbed him in the back while he was distracted.

Why would anyone think I’d lose?

—Anyway, I returned back to my territory to encourage my subordinates to continue working hard on whatever they were doing.

I’m at least considerate and capable enough to praise my subordinates for their efforts.

In the first place, giving out praises doesn’t cost me any money, so I’m more than willing to do so.

In the audience room of my mansion, I sit on the chair like a king would.

Imposingly and with crossed legs –– or so I wish.

Unfortunately, that would make many people unhappy, so I fix my posture.

All the civil and military officials line up… but aren’t there too many of them?

There are way more than a hundred of them.

Just how many subordinates do I have?

The number of subordinates has increased dramatically before I noticed anything.

It isn’t just the knights or the military officers.

There are more administrative government officials as well.

It was really difficult in the beginning, but it has nearly been a century since I was reborn in this world.

Back in the days, I was dirt-poor, but now, I’m filthy rich.

Not only that, I have many subordinates that are ––

Are they reliable?

I have ambivalent thoughts about Tia and Marie who are the head and the vice-head of my knight order.

Although they accomplish their jobs well, they have disappointing personalities.

It appears that the quality of my subordinates is still somewhat lacking.

Now, as for today’s ceremony, I’ve left it upon the hands of Klaus, the knight who has been serving as my escort.

He’s a useful subordinate who can handle anything smoothly.

I’ll make sure he continues to serve under me.

“Lord Liam.”

I get up from the chair upon being called.

“Everyone has been giving their all recently. The past few years have been a struggle, but we were able to successfully kick Linus down and push His Highness Cleo one step closer to the throne. For that, I’d like to thank you all.”

The sight of everyone kneeling is always pleasant to behold.

It allows me recognize how great I am.

Klaus makes a difficult face for some reason and proceeds with the ceremony.

“Next ––”

“Klaus, next are the rewards, am I right? Who made the biggest contribution this time? I’ll reward them personally.”

There are many people that deserve praise, so most of them will be bestowed medals at a later date.

However, I’ll personally award the person with the most outstanding achievement.

Klaus looks nervous.

“Chengshi Sera Tourei – Step forth!”

“Yes!”

A woman with mysterious sex appeals presents herself before me.

Everyone’s gaze lands on the woman.

Both Tia and Marie are glaring at the woman as if they’ve been fed earthworms.

If I am to describe her, she’s – a Chinese-esque beauty.

Come to think of it, isn’t she the knight I chose as an escort based on her appearance alone?

Klaus lists out Chengshi’s achievements.

“In addition to her performance during this time’s incident, she has made various other achievements, ranking her in the first place. She has shot down over 600 enemy battleships, which is second only to Lord Liam in the Banfield family.”

“Six hundred?”

When I cock my head, I hear the regretful voices of Tia and Marie.

“What’s the point in counting the number of enemies she defeated alone?”

“If I’m provided the same amount of battleships, I bet I can perform twice as better.”

The defeated dogs are barking.

Hm, now that I think about it – having a Chinese-style beauty by my side is not bad.

There’s a certain element of mysteriousness about it.

Klaus continues.

“She is the only person in the Banfield family to achieve so much in such a short period of time. That said ––”

Ignoring the troubled Klaus, Chengshi walks up to me.

“Lord Liam –– there’s one thing that I desire more than anything else.”

How fearless of her to ask for a reward so boldly.

I like it.

I love talented subordinates.

“And that is?”

Chengshi takes out a tubular hidden weapon from her loose cuffs which turns into a spear.

Disregarding the knights that are growing agitated, Chengshi takes a step forward.

“I want your head!”

She declares this with a ferocious smile.

–– Why are so many of my subordinates like this?

They’re competent, but they each have some type of problem.

After stepping forward, Chengshi directly pounces on me.

The distance between us shortens in an instant.

She’s rather fast.

“Show me what it took to kill a Sword Saint!”

Occasionally, there are times when a stupid knight who could only fight appears.

The saving grace is that Chengshi is more interesting to fight against compared to the Sword Saint.

“I’m disappointed with you ––Nonetheless, your speed is worthy of recognition.”

Chengshi opens her eyes wide and twists her body.

The next moment, her right arm which is holding the spear gets cut off.

She jumps back immediately by kicking the air and readies another hidden weapon in her left hand.

“You used the air as a foothold to kick yourself back? Hey, that’s really fascinating.”

She’s much more entertaining to battle than the Sword Saint.

A sword that she takes out transforms into a Chinese falchion.

“You brought along a lot of expendables? You should’ve brought a more proper weapon. Men, give her a weapon.”

I walk down the short stairs while grinning.

This Chengshi had avoided my slash.

She had dodged a serious blow from me.

She’s undoubtedly strong.

The way she’s raring to fight even after she lost an arm is commendable.

However, some knights including Klaus form a human shield in front of me while the others surround Chengshi.

Tia screams furiously.

“You better not hope for an easy death after dishonoring Lord Liam during a sacred ceremony!”

Marie, who is holding an oversized tomahawk, glares at Chengshi with bloodshot eyes.

“I’ll make minced meat out of you.”

You guys don’t seem to understand your master’s heart.

Irritated, I pass an order to them.

“Withdraw. Don’t ruin my fun.”

Klaus turns towards me in protest.

“B-but Lord Liam!”

“—— Don’t make me repeat myself. Tia, Marie, the same applies to the both of you. In fact, you two should fetch her weapon. We’ll be starting over.”

From my pocket, I take out an elixir that I carry around as insurance.

I toss it at Chengshi and command the knights near her.

“Hey, bring her amputated arm and have her attach it back.”

“W-will that be wise? This person wants your life, Lord Liam!”

“And what’s wrong with that? She wishes to fight, yes? Then I’ll award her with a fight. Granted, my head is off-limits. My head isn’t that cheap.”

Tia and Marie return despite their frustration.

Chengshi’s weapon is on their hands.

I take it from them.

“Mediocre quality. Whatever. Here, have it back.”

I throw the weapon at Chengshi while she’s reattaching her arm.

Her breaths are a little rough.

Nonetheless, she picks up her weapon and takes her stance.

She giggles in spite of the cold sweat running down her cheeks.

“I don’t dislike that boldness of yours.”

“Bold? You think I’m bold? I must say that your eyes are clouded. What a letdown.”

The fact that she called me bold is enough proof that she’s also another one of those disappointing girls.

Her appearance isn’t bad –– but she isn’t qualified to enter my harem.

In the midst of everyone’s vigilant stares, Chengshi rushes at me.

I parry her attacks with my katana, only to have her strike back with greater momentum.

“An intriguing swordsmanship. It’s honestly a better source of reference than the Sword Saint’s.”

Chengshi responds to my compliment with a kick.

A kick from a pin-heel could be devastating, so I leap back.

Chengshi follows up by kicking hard on the floor and charging at me with her elbow out.

It’s interesting how she has weaved in physical techniques into her swordsmanship.

It’s nothing mind blowing, though.

There are similar techniques in the school of One-Flash.

“Was it like this?”

For the first time in a long while, I demonstrate a technique that can be used when someone’s sword is shattered.

It’s a grappling skill that utilizes the opponent’s momentum.

I throw Chengshi into the air and have her spin as she crashes drown to the ground.

She spasms when her back hits the floor.

I stare down at her and very much enjoy the look of pain on her face.

“What’s wrong? I thought you wanted to claim my head? I gave you a chance, but your attacks aren’t reaching me at all.”

Chengshi slowly stands back up and breathes unevenly.

“Do you understand now that we’re on different levels?”

Chengshi slashes at me when I purposefully show a gap in my defense.

I try to deflect her attack with the katana.

Surprisingly, Chengshi’s blade twists like a piece of cloth and continues to approach me unhindered.

Tia shouts.

“Lord Liam!”

I eye Tia and Marie, warning them not to intervene.

The blade that nearly reaches me –– gets caught between the fingers of my left hand.

“That technique was pretty fascinating.”

Chengshi’s eyes widen a bit.

“––No way. I didn’t think you’d be able to see through it at first glance.”

“Is it unbelievable for you? For a license holder of the One-Flash, this is a piece of cake.”

Many years ago, Master Yasushi had once attacked me with a whip.

The whip was special, making its trajectory difficult to read.

I suffered quite a bit to figure out a way to defend against it.

Thanks to that training, I was able to react instantly this time.

I put some pressure into my fingertips, breaking the bladed section of Chengshi’s weapon.

Chengshi whips out yet another hidden weapon and performs her next technique.

It’s a technique that allows her to spin like a tornado as she attacks.

Normal slashes will be fended off, opening an opportunity for Chengshi to retaliate.

Regrettably, it’s quite a boring technique.

“Are you already out of materials to display?”

I swing down my katana, but Chengshi avoids it once more.

She managed to dodge twice –– it honestly disturbs me.

Have I been too lazy nowadays?

It seems necessary to train myself again.

Chengshi’s spin is interrupted, and her left hand and left leg fall to the floor.

Even in that state, Chengshi doesn’t give up and aims for my neck with a weapon in her mouth.

Using her remaining arm and leg, she springs forward by kicking the ground.

I plunge my katana deep into Chengshi’s belly and lift her up.

Chengshi drops the knife with a pained expression and vomits out blood.

“——To be fair, I was shocked to see that you avoided my blows twice in a row. There’s no doubt that you’re an excellent swordswoman.”

I tell her my honest impression.

The knights draw their swords behind Chengshi with bloodthirsty eyes, ready to kill Chengshi whenever I give the signal.

Tia appears excited.

“Lord Liam, the winner has been decided. Now, please order us to dispose of this fool!”

Marie isn’t any different.

“Let’s heal her a moment before she dies and torture her again, repeating the process until she begs for death!”

These girls…

“When did I say that I’m going to kill her? I’ve taken a liking to this one.”

“H-however!”

“Lord Liam, this woman is dangerous!”

As if you two aren’t! —— And in many regards at that.

Chengshi glares at me.

It’s admirable how she still has the guts to challenge me in spite of her condition.

Also, I like how she has just the right amount of skills to be deemed excellent without having the ability to actually kill me.

I pull the katana out from Chengshi’s stomach and slam her to ground before staring down at her.

“This is the end of your reward. Accumulate more merits and challenge me again. I won’t decline from a fight.”

Klaus confirms what I said.

“Are you certain? She’s someone who aimed for Lord Liam’s life. Not only that, it was during an important ceremony.”

“Is anything wrong with that? I like her, and that’s enough reason for her to live. Get her treated straight away. Also, we’ll be continuing the ceremony. Klaus-kun, as the MC, shouldn’t you proceed with the ceremony?”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The injured Chengshi is swiftly carried away and the ceremony resumes as it was.

On second thought, it would’ve been a better idea to adjourn the meeting for a while.

I should’ve at least ordered someone to clean up the mess on the floor.

◇

“Lord Liam! Why did you decide on keeping such a mad dog by your side!?”

Having heard about what transpired during the ceremony, Brian is bawling in front of me.

I would’ve rebuked him and chased him out if he was simply being rowdy –– but I’m not good with tears.

Also, the look that Amagi is giving me – I’m not good with it either.

“Master, a knight like her would not give up easily. She’s the type of knight that loves to battle, so she’ll target master’s life again.”

“I’ll just counterattack if things come to that point. Also, isn’t she the kind of person that wishes to fight against the strong? That means she won’t be making any underhanded moves.”

Brian shakes his head.

“Isn’t it quite underhanded to aim for someone’s life during a ceremony? Anyway, there’s something else that Lord Liam has to know.”

“Did a problem arise?”

“Yes, it can be classified as a problem. We don’t have enough military personnel. Our military is tasked to protect the newly acquired territories, patrol the borders, and exterminate the pirates.

On top of that, troops have been dispatched to His Highness Cleo.

Every single ship has been sortied, except for the ones under maintenance.

Amagi also conveys her concern about the deployment rate of the military.

“There’s a military school inside our territory and we have been securing some personnel from there. Nevertheless, it isn’t nearly enough. The military has proposed to have the students train faster and to have some citizens conscripted.”

“—What was that about conscripting the citizens?”

Brian wipes off his sweat with his handkerchief, probably realizing that the atmosphere around me has changed.

“Yes, a portion of them has been drafted. We’ve already gathered reserves to deal against unexpected situations. Lord Liam, from my understanding, we are at a critical juncture. That’s why the people should also bear some of the burden and—”

“You idiot!”

Brian and Amagi close their mouths when I smash my fist down on the desk.

“You drafted the citizens of the territory? You thought I’d be fine with that!?”

Brian sounds moved.

“Lord Liam is thinking for his people!”

On the other hand, Amagi sounds somewhat exasperated.

“Master, what are your true thoughts?”

What does she mean by my “true thoughts”?

My policy has never changed.

“I’m the only one who is allowed to oppress my people!”

I will not tolerate any form of exploitation unless I’m inside the territory.

Exploitation is the source of my pleasure!

I have no intention of sharing this joy with anyone else.

Brian’s head droops down.

“—Is that so? Well, this Brian won’t say anything since Lord Liam doesn’t wish for the citizens to be harmed.”

Amagi requests for a solution to the problem.

“We’re severely lacking military personnel. Lord Liam, this issue cannot be put on hold for long.”

It would be difficult to resolve if I try to prepare all the personnel on my end.

That’s why I’ll just bring them from somewhere else.

“It should be fine if we steal some soldiers from the Imperial Army again.”

“There is still a limit to that. Please be aware that we would have to weed out spies in the future.”

In the likely event that I get involved a full-scale confrontation with Calvin, there’s a good chance that spies will be sent my way.

“—This is rather troublesome.”

Marie enters the office just as I am contemplating.

“Lord Liam, Thomas-dono is requesting an audience for an urgent business.”

“Thomas? At a time like this?”

I reluctantly head out to deal with Thomas.

__________________________________________________________________________

Brian (* ´ω｀*): “Lord Liam is too kind.”

Klaus: (;゜’ω゜’): “Nooooo!! My subordinate tried to attack Lord Liam!! I don’t want a subordinate like herrrr!!!”

My luck scares me sometimes.

“I’ll have to thank him again.”

Thomas and Patrice become confused by my muttering.

“Thank who?”

“Never mind. Carry on,” I say so to the confused Thomas in front of me.

This always happens when I’m in trouble.

A solution appears out of thin air.

Miracles like these do not occur naturally in this world.

I’m sure that the Guide is manipulating things behind the scenes.

That’s the only way to explain this phenomenon.

Patrice resumes her explanation.

“It’s about the refugees from the United Kingdoms of Oxis and the Lustral Unified Government. Due to the abrupt fall of His Highness Linus who was backing them, the rebel forces have weakened considerably.”

I drink the tea prepared by Amagi.

Alcohol would’ve fit the image of a villain better, but I dropped the idea when Amagi stared at me with reproachful eyes that said, “Drinking from daytime?”

I snort.

“I’d normally refuse to accept traitors under me, but it’s true that I am in need of men right now.”

Thomas wipes his sweat with a handkerchief.

“No, the masterminds have already been punished in their respective countries. The issue is with the people that were dragged into the conflict. For example, knights and soldiers were forced to participate by their lords, so leaders of both countries are racking their brains over how to treat those that were only loosely related to the rebellion.”

In other words, the architects of the rebellions were punished, but they are having trouble dealing with the aftermaths because too many people were involved.

Simply put, these refugees are like regular employees in a bankrupt company.

They’re not directly responsible for anything, yet the higher-ups are questioning how they should be handled in the future.

Since they’re traitors, it wouldn’t be appropriate to welcome them with open arms.

Instead, it would be better if they disappeared.

At the same time, however, they’re reluctant to dispose subjects that were only dragged into the mess.

Did I understand that correctly?

“Accept them. We have a surplus of territories after all.”

Amagi warns me in response to my remarks.

“Master, wouldn’t it be unwise to accept citizens that grew up in different political environments?”

“—The Unified Government would be difficult.”

The Unified Government is run by a system of democracy.

The political structure there is completely different from that of the aristocratic Empire’s.

Patrice also voices out her worry.

“As people that were once involved in politics, they may try to bring democracy into Lord Liam’s territory.”

“Democracy – I wouldn’t want that.”

“That’s to be expected. So far, I’ve only met a few aristocrats who were in favor of democracy.”

“—Such nobles exist? Nobles that favor democracy?”

You’re telling me that in this Empire that is largely feudal, there are aristocrats who yearn for democracy!?

There are so many idiots in this world.

“Some support it on the basis that their workload would decrease. Others sincerely praise democracy as a wonderful political system.”

“Fools.”

I hate democracy.

More specifically, I hate having someone stand above me.

Although it’s partially because I hold absolute power in my territory, the gist of the problem does not lie in the political system itself.

Basically, the system is flawed owing to the fact that humans are in control.

No matter how wonderful a system is, humans will corrupt it.

Once again, the gist of the problem does not lie in the political system itself.

The problem lies in humans.

I don’t trust humans.

That’s why I can confidently assert that no political system is perfect.

In that case, I’d rather keep the status quo and reign as king in my territory.

I turn my gaze towards Amagi.

“Master?”

“No…nothing.”

Once upon a time, the humans of this world experienced a huge setback after they entrusted everything to artificial intelligence.

But if they truly sought and desired perfection from artificial intelligence despite knowing all the atrocities that humanity could offer – what else needs to be said?

Then again, artificial intelligence can be argued to be imperfect since they were made by humans.

They were made from the hands of the flawed humans.

“Amagi, you are cute today too.”

Such thoughts pass through my head, but when I lay my eyes on Amagi, the beauty who personifies my ideals, everything becomes irrelevant.

Amagi is the perfect one for me.

“Thank you. Nonetheless – please be more mindful of the TPO so as to not puzzle our guests.”

I clear my throat in front of the two people who have come to request me about accepting those that are seeking asylum.

“To prevent troubles that may arise from having them grouped together, split them up and distribute them in an even manner. How about that?”

Thomas nods.

“The refugees from the United Kingdoms should be okay with that. After all, their political system is similar to ours.”

Patrice makes a troubled look.

“Our company will profit from selling this favor to the Unified Government. However, will this be fine? Wouldn’t it be problematic if a democratization movement occurs within the territory?”

These guys don’t understand me at all.

If I was a kind and compassionate lord, I would have been more concerned and cautious about accepting the refugees.

The thing is, I’m an evil lord.

“I’ll allow them to have the freedom of expression. If they cause issues in my territory, I’ll simply crush them.”

Both Thomas and Patrice suck in air.

That said, I’m curious about something else.

“By the way, Thomas, what happened to the traitorous aristocrat who you were in contact with? It wouldn’t be a funny matter for us if his family was crushed as well.”

Thomas smiles ruefully.

“He managed to protect his position by pushing the blame and responsibility onto his lord.”

“Fabulous! We’ll continue to support him.”

The foreign villainous lord seems to be working hard.

I should also work hard.

◇

I haven’t returned in a long while, so I decided to hide my identity and have a walk around the territory.

I decided on this as I wished to execute anyone who dared to offend me.

My heart was racing when I came out.

As an evil lord, I thought I could finally play the part.

At least that’s what I thought—.

“—What’s going on? Nobody has come to pick a fight with me.”

I’m currently sitting on a bench while holding an ice cream on one hand.

This is supposed to be where it’s most turbulent.

Certainly, this place feels a bit messier than others, but everything is still peaceful around here.

I was imagining somewhere more slum-like — Not a place like this where families can walk about normally.

“I asked for directions to where the security is the worst. Why am I here? The cop must have lied to me.”

The policeman who I asked for directions must have scammed me.

I’ll make sure that person is demoted later on.

Even so, the smell of food coming from the lined-up stalls is irresistible.

Watching the families as they walk by, I am reminded of my past life.

A time when I was happy.

A time when I went out with my wife and child during the holidays without being aware of anything wrong.

“Recalling these memories is making me frustrated.”

I get annoyed seeing the families on the street.

Just as I’m about to finish the ice cream and leave, I hear a shout.

“Hey! Where yer eyes at when ya walk, huh?!”

It’s the smell of a dispute.

I join the crowd of spectators and stretch my neck to get a hold of the situation.

Men that are clearly bad news are standing in the middle.

Black leather jackets.

Piercings.

Spiky, blonde hairs.

The villain-like guys shout at the mother-child pair in front of them.

Perhaps the child bumped into them as there’s an ice cream stain on one of the men’s tight trousers.

The mother hugs and shields her child from harm.

“I-I deeply apologize. I’ll pay the laundry fee—”

“Laundry!? Do you have any idea who this noble figure is? He’s the eldest young master in the House of Baronet Clover, a family under the House of Baron Norden, an aristocratic household which is one of the Twelve Families that support the Banfields!”

The mother and child turn pale upon hearing those words, and the spectators also begin to murmur amongst themselves in surprise.

“The Twelve Families?”

“Oh no! What will happen to that mother and child?”

“The child’s luck must be rotten to bump into a noble.”

I’m at a loss for words.

What Twelve Families?

Baron Norden’s family supports me?

Many families have indeed approached me, and I remember that Baron Norden was one of them.

The thing is, the Norden family has never supported me whatsoever.

Instead, I’ve been the one to support their family.

And you guys! You guys that are gossiping about nobles-this-and-nobles-that!

Why the heck are you guys acting servile towards these bottom of the rung ruffians!?

You guys should be fawning over me instead!

With me here, why are you guys being frightened by the likes of them!?

Anger gradually builds up within me.

I’m pissed at my citizens for their behaviors.

That said ––

“You sure have the guts to dare act as a villain inside my territory despite your worthless noble status.”

In the first place, Baronets aren’t official aristocrats.

They’re similar to honorary knights that serve for only a single generation.

The Empire closes its eyes on the Baronets’ hereditary practices only because it’s too troublesome to appoint knights every time before they’re sent to territories.

Territories of knights come in varying sizes.

There are cases where over a hundred knights are crowded on a single planet.

Although there are exceptions where a single knight controls an entire planet, those planets are often territories that were devastated to the point where the total population is less than a million.

In other words –– most of them are useless.

I don’t understand why beings like them are roaming around in my territory.

Infuriated, I throw the half-eaten ice cream that I have towards the so-called eldest son.

The surrounding quiets down when the ice cream hits the man in the face and splatters around him.

Everyone’s staring at me, so I step forward with a grin.

“Hey, what will happen to me now that I’ve thrown an ice cream at you? Tell me about it too.”

Seeing that I have revealed myself before them, the trio glares at me with hateful eyes.

––Eh?

“Ya spite an aristocrat? Men, erase this person.”

His sidekicks ready their weapons in their hands.

What they take out are only handles to their swords, but the blades parts pop out soon after.

I’m in disbelief.

“W-wait. You guys don’t recognize me?”

Removing the ice cream on his face, the man splutters and screams at me.

“It’s too late to be scared now! Do it, men! The police won’t say anything to the death of one commoner.”

––This attitude… has he done this many times in the past?

My subordinates are wiping these people’s asses?

Unforgivable.

Upon my return, I’ll be carrying out punishments to those that turned a blind eye on these people’s crimes.

The only person who can be arrogant in my territory–– the only person who can bully the people in my territory –– is me.

–– I’m the only one allowed to do so in this entire world.

I avoid the two swords, grab their heads, and slam them to the ground.

Because they’re trained knights, they shouldn’t die from something of this level.

They’re convulsing from having the back of their heads buried to the ground, but whatever.

I wouldn’t mind even if they died.

The man stares at me in astonishment.

“You’re also a knight? Which house do you belong to!? I’ll have you know that the House of Baron Norden is close to the House of Banfields. One of my close relative is the Count’s right arm, you know?”

I can’t help but grow frustrated.

“You don’t even recognize the face of the one who’s feeding you? I don’t wish to see small fries of your caliber in my territory. You can die now.”

The man points the muzzle of his gun at my direction.

However, a knife is shot out which disarms him.

Apparently, Kukuri’s subordinates are guarding me.

A katana appears in front of me, so I wield it and glare at the man before me.

“The question is, are you really a noble?”

The man begins to tremble.

“O-of couse! If you kill me, Count Banfield won’t stay silent!”

The mother and the child who have been given a hard time by the man shake in fear.

Sensing that the situation has taken a turn for the worse, the surrounding bystanders start clamoring.

“Lord Liam?”

“Lord Liam is a strict person.”

“Wouldn’t it be bad for this entire region if we’re not careful?”

They sound rather nervous.

Excellent.

“Count Banfield? So what?”

The man points his finger at me.

“Aren’t you aware? Count Banfield is merciless against his enemies! Your whole family will be massacred. You want that? Killing me is equivalent to challenge the Banfield family––”

I cut him down because he’s being annoying.

As the man’s head falls to the ground, I perform a stretch.

“Too trash. As punishment for this unpleasant experience, I shall discontinue my support of the Norden family.”

The onlookers turn pale as a police car arrives at the scene.

From the flying vehicle, police officers who were trained as knights leap down and surround me.

Seeing that they have weapons on their hands, Marie, who appears to have been guarding me, swoops down and speaks up.

“Continue pointing your weapons at this person and everyone’s heads will fly.”

The police officers get agitated hearing the threat from Marie who’s wielding a two handed hatchet-like sword.

One of the police officers notices my identity.

“Lower your weapons! This person is Lord Liam!”

Hearing that, the crowd becomes noisy again.

“Lord Liam?”

“But he killed a noble!”

“So he’s Lord Liam…”

Personally, I want to be under the spotlight as a villain, but now that I’ve murdered a nobleman, I might be remembered by the populace as a brute.

Marie grows excited when she witnesses the two knights with their heads buried to the ground.

“Lord Liam, these are certainly the eldest son of the Clover family and his lackeys.”

They’ve stayed in my mansion for some time, but now they’ve settled down somewhere inside my territory.

I hear that they’ve been rowdy and playing around a lot on my lands.

This, I can forgive.

However, I’m the only one who is allowed to oppress my people.

Nobody enjoys having their belongings touched by others without their permission.

“That so? Call this guy’s place and contact Baron Norden as well. I’ll be questioning them. They think they can do whatever they want in my land? The Twelve Families? Watch me crush them.”

Marie smiles ferociously.

“In that case, please grant me the honor to take lead! This time, I’ll be of use to Lord Liam for—”

Marie doesn’t finish her sentence.

I notice that the sheath of my katana is being held by someone.

I turn back and see that it’s the girl who the terrified mother was hugging.

She’s grabbing onto the sheath of my katana with her outstretched arms.

Marie silently tries to swing down her sword on the mother and the child.

I grab her hands and hold her back.

“Don’t, Marie. I wish to speak to her.”

“—Understood.”

Normally, the girl would’ve been sliced to pieces, but I was caught unawares because she didn’t exude any killing intent.

I crouch down to look at the girl’s face, only for her to stare back at me.

The cute girl has red hairs.

She refuses to let go of my sheath after grabbing it.

Her mother is shaking.

“Mercy! Please forgive her! The child doesn’t know anything!”

Marie retorts angrily at the mother’s words.

“Doesn’t know? It’s blasphemous to not know of Lord Liam despite living in his territory! Depending on what you say next, your death may not be a peaceful one.”

The commoners are quaking in terror.

Yes! She’s being useful for once.

The spectators here will surely spread the words that I have a vicious knight serving by my side.

It fits the image of an evil lord perfectly! –At least that’s what I think.

Actually, in my previous life, I’ve only heard of villainous lords in historical dramas.

I think I’m doing the right things—but am I really?

I shut Mary up as I have something to continue discussing.

“Marie, don’t interrupt me.”

“M-my apologies.”

Marie steps back, and I turn my attention back to the girl’s face.

“What’s wrong? You want this katana?”

Being the rich person that I am, I have various katanas in store.

The one which I have with me today is a katana that even has decorations on its blade.

I purchased it purely because the katana went well with the image of a rich man.

It’s unexpectedly good, so I’ve taken a fancy to it.

Although it’s one of my favorites, the girl shakes her head.

“It was beautiful.”

“Beautiful?”

“The blade was beautiful.”

I’m stunned by what she says.

“—You caught that? What was the patter that you saw on the blade?”

“A golden… cat.”

Actually, it’s a tiger, not a cat, but she might not know the difference.

Even so—she correctly guessed what’s on the blade.

There’s a golden tiger engraved on the katana’s blade.

She saw me pulling the katana out of its sheath!?

“What’s your name?”

“Ellen—Ellen Tyler.”

Although she’s young, she replies clearly.

I follow up with my question.

“Are you interested in becoming a knight? To dedicate your life to the sword? If you are, I’ll give you this katana.”

The girl tilts her head to one side and eventually nods, somewhat confused.

_____________________________________________________

Brian (・ω・｀): “Lord Liam has brought back a cute disciple, but the knights around her are likely to negatively influence her education. I worry that her personality will become twisted. It’s painful.”

-At the Capital planet of the Empire-

A girl had come to the luxury hotel where Liam was staying at.

Her name was Ciel, Kurt’s little sister.

Ciel took a deep breath and stepped into the hotel grounds.

Both her father and her brother were in a jovial mood.

“Iya~ The Count is really generous to accept Ciel so quickly.”

“Father, you speak as if you want Ciel gone as soon as possible.”

“N-no, I simply wish to see her become a full-fledged lady early on. You see, it’s hard for her to find a fiancée when she’s in our territory, but if she’s by the Count’s side, I’m sure she’ll have lots of wonderful encounters.”

Seeing that her father was glancing at her every few seconds, Ciel agreed to what he said.

“That makes sense. It’s true that I wish to meet a wonderful gentleman. A wonderful gentleman other than Count, that is.”

Deep inside her heart, she knew that even that was a lie.

After all, the only man Ciel admired was—her brother Kurt.

Her father’s shoulders dropped.

“I-is that so. Just make sure you aren’t rude to the Count. Personally, I think the Count is a fine man.”

He actually thought of having Ciel become one of Liam’s concubines, but Ciel adamantly refused.

At the end of the day, Liam—was Ciel’s enemy.

Kurt also expressed his disappointment.

“Liam is a strict and upright man. I heard that he killed the eldest son of a subordinate aristocrat not long ago for acting as he pleased inside his territory.”

Their father, recalling the event, was impressed and said, “It’s in our nature to go easy on people that we’re acquainted with. Taking that into consideration, the Count is truly a noble amongst the aristocrats. Ciel, you must be careful as well.”

Ciel suspected the validity of their claims.

Liam had once visited the Exner Barony—but he didn’t appear to be such a noble character.

She believed that everyone was being deceived.

Kurt voiced out his sorrow.

“Liam isn’t back yet, so I won’t get to see him. I’ll be away for a while due to a mission. Oh, I wonder when we’ll be able to meet again.”

Watching her brother cry out in dismay because he missed a man, Ciel thought,

(How saddening it is, my brother, to see you being deceived by Liam like this. Please wait. I’ll make sure I pry open brother’s eyes!)

When they arrived at the hotel lobby, they were greeted by Rosetta who was waiting there.

“Baron Exner, I’ve been waiting for your arrival.”

“It’s our honor to be greeted by the Count’s wife. Quickly, your two should also give your greetings.”

Kurt was surprised upon seeing Rosetta.

“It has been a long time, Rosetta. Even so, you’ve changed so much. The thorny atmosphere which you carried around you is nowhere to be found.”

“It’s embarrassing, so let’s not talk about it. I see that Kurt hasn’t changed much. The military uniform fits you rather well.”

“Thank you.”

Rosetta turned to Ciel, who was watching the trio happily talking to one another.

“You must be Ciel-san. From now on, you will be training at the Banfield Family. That means you will be treated as a servant, not as the daughter of a Baron. Will that be fine with you?”

She sounded strict yet kind at the same time.

Ciel curtsied as she thought about Liam’s fiancée in front of her.

“I’ll be in your care.”

“You can take your time and relax for today. Training will officially commence tomorrow. I wanted to introduce you to Darling, but he’s back at his territory right now.”

I wanted to go together with him~.

As Rosetta was saying that, Ciel was having thoughts of her own.

(I’ll win this person’s trust and get closer to Liam. Be prepared, for I will be taking off that mask of yours!)

Ciel’s battle was about to begin.

◇

The day has come for me to leave the territory once again and head for the Capital.

I board the super-dreadnought class battleship with Ellen besides me.

My disciple follows me while holding onto my sword.

No, it’s more accurate to say that it’s the sword I’ve given Ellen.

She’s hugging the expensive katana as she carries it around.

“Ellen, I’ll be busy for a while.”

“Yes, Master!”

Being called Master makes me feel complicated.

Is it alright for a half-baked person like me to take in a disciple?

That’s what I honestly think, but Master, Master Yasushi, did tell me to raise at least three disciples.

I have no idea whether Ellen can become strong, but for the continuation of the school of One-Flash, I must take in some disciples.

Since it’s a promise I made with Master, I have to keep it even if I’m an evil lord.

After all, I’ve decided to dedicate myself to the school of One-Flash without fretting over the gains and losses.

“When we arrive at the Capital planet, I’ll be throwing you into an education capsule.”

“Yes!”

“When you’re out of the capsule, I’ll be teaching you the basics.”

“The basics of One-Flash—I’ll give it my best!”

She’s apparently fond of One-Flash.

I had imitated Master Yasushi and showed her the school’s secret technique before anything else.

Back then, I didn’t really understand just how powerful Master Yasushi was.

I can defeat a Sword Saint now, but it doesn’t feel like I’m catching up to him at all.

The way he silently bisected the log with movements that suggested that he hadn’t pulled out his katana…

How long will it take for my unpolished slashes to reach that height?

Ellen’s gaze lingers on the group of servants that is here to see us off.

Ellen’s mother is amongst them, and Ellen’s gaze is on her.

“Do you miss your mother?”

Ellen, who is still young, was raised in a single parent family.

With Ellen becoming my disciple, her mother was hired as a servant inside the mansion.

“I-I’ll be fine.”

She’s at an age where she should want to be pampered, but she’s conducting herself very well.

I don’t really like kids.

However, Ellen is my important disciple—and someone who would carry on the legacy of the school of One-Flash.

I should be more considerate of her.

“Once my training as an aristocrat is over, we’ll be coming back. From then on, I’ll start training you in earnest, so be prepared—by then, you’ll be living close to your mother again.”

“Yes!”

—Or, once her mother finishes receiving her education, I can have her come to the Capital.

I’ll keep this as a secret, though.

It’s so that I can surprise Ellen later on.

Aboard the battleship, knights have lined up on the sides.

Chengshi is mixed in with them.

I stop on my track to examine her face.

It’s as imposing and confident as ever.

“Your injuries seem to have healed.”

“Yes.”

“Will you continue targeting me?”

Chengshi’s determination hasn’t been shattered at all.

As a matter of fact, she smiles at me.

“—Of course.”

The surrounding knights tense up, but I blurt out, “Good! I’ll be your opponent again whenever you have accumulated enough achievements. Work for me to the best of your abilities.”

“Yes. One day, for sure.”

Ellen follows me closely when I leave Chengshi behind.

“U-um, Master?”

“What is it?”

“That person was kind of scary.”

I pause and tell Ellen, “For a good reason, too. That woman is someone who wants my life.”

“Eh?”

“—When you grow up, I’ll tell you more about it. Now come. Until we reach the Capital planet, I’ll be teaching you some of the basics on the ship. I can’t allow a disciple of mine to be weak.”

“Y-Yes!”

I managed to find myself a nice disciple.

Whether or not she’s suitable to inherit the legacy of One-Flash depends on the future, but she’s a serious girl, and I have a good feeling about her.

More so than her preliminary attainments, it’s wonderful how she’s sensible enough to demonstrate interest towards One-Flash.

This child will surely grow.

No, I’ll make sure she grows.

As with the matter of accepting a disciple, many things have progressed well recently—in fact, things have been going too swimmingly.

Others might call it a miracle, but I don’t believe in miracles.

Despite my bad daily behavior, fortune seems to be watching over me.

This is probably thanks to the Guide.

As I’m walking, I send my gratitude to the Guide whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

“I’ll pray so that my gratitude reaches him.”

“Master?”

“Hmm? Oh, I’m thanking someone for our encounter. You should pray along.”

“Eh? Ah, yes.”

Ellen, being the serious disciple that she is, also starts her prayer.

Guide—Is our gratitude reaching you?

Please deliver the gratitude from us master and disciple to the Guide who is somewhere about!

◇

The missile launchers on Liam’s battleship opened up.

From there, a golden missile appeared, watched over by something that resembled a dog.

When the dog howled, the golden missile was launched without anyone noticing it.

The interplanetary ballistic missile flew up into the sky, carrying with it the feelings of gratitude from both Liam and Ellen.

The missile alone wouldn’t have reached the Guide, so a warp gate was opened along the missile’s path.

On the bridge of the battleship, the crewmates were in a panic.

“Hey, the missile launcher is open!”

“There’s a faint warp reaction!”

“Find out what’s happening quickly! Lord Liam is on this ship!”

The soldiers immediately initiated an investigation, yet the missile launchers soon closed up by themselves and the warp reaction ceased.

It was as if nothing had happened.

The dog also disappeared along with everything else.

◇

The Guide who had left the Empire to manipulate the other countries behind the scenes was skipping around.

“Whew~ I feel much more comfortable now that Liam’s gratitude can’t reach me. It still stings here and there, but it’s not as bad as the torturous pain back then.”

He was harvesting negative emotions from foreign countries and sowing seeds of discord whenever he smelled a fire.

In short, the Guide was being a troublesome existence.

“I’ll keep saving up power this way and crush Liam along with the entire Empire—Oh? I see something.”

The Guide stopped skipping and stared at the light in the distance.

It was a warp gate.

A golden missile shot out from within.

“Gold? How tasteless! Looking at it is making me irritated.”

Perhaps influenced by his love for gold, Liam’s gratitude was often gold in color.

That was why the Guide hated gold with a passion.

Who on earth does this tasteless thing belong to?

The missile flew towards the Guide just as he was thinking of raining misfortune upon its owner.

“Some kind of accident? What a hassle.”

The Guide moved and arrived at a different planet.

I’ll be collecting more negative emotions from now on!

As the Guide was having such thoughts—another warp gate opened nearby.

“Huh?”

Realization finally dawned on the Guide.

“This—This tasteless golden missile—LIAAAAAAAM!”

Flabbergasted, the Guide attempted to flee.

Unfortunately, the missile had already arrived near him.

The Guide was caught up in the ensuing explosion as the missile landed close to him.

“NOOOO!! H-Hot! It’s burning me! This gratitude—It’s from two people!!!! I haven’t done anything this tiiiiiiiime!”

In addition to the usual gratitude from Liam, the gratitude of a pure and innocent child was mixed in.

The Guide loathed such gratitude.

It spread throughout the Guide’s body and burned him.

The Guide collapsed on the spot, tattered and burnt black.

He had managed to survive using the power that he had accumulated, but the negative emotions that he had gathered as he passed by various countries were reset to zero.

The Guide cried out, “I won’t forgive you for this! I won’t forgive you for this, Liam!—The amount of effort I put into this—SHIT!! Mark my words, I’ll have you killed!”

The Guide stood up and roared.

Carried over by the wind, an electronic newspaper fluttered down in front of him.

The Guide looked down.

The newspaper was about how the Lustral Unified Government had struck a deal with Liam’s Banfield family.

The Guide froze up for a moment, confused over what was going on—then, he picked up the electronic newspaper from the ground.

When he perused through the content, he learned that Liam had received sanctions.

The Guide also learned that Liam had overcome the predicament in part because of the rebellion that he had caused in the Unified Government.

“I thought I haven’t done anythiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!”

The Guide plopped back down, stunned.

He was shocked that he had unintentionally aided Liam.

A dog which had multiple copies of the electronic newspaper in its mouth was observing such a Guide from behind the grasses.

It had deliberately set the stage so that the Guide would read the newspaper.

Satisfied by the Guide’s reaction, the dog left.

Tears flowed down as the Guide pounded his fist on the ground.

“This is too muuuuuuuuuch!”

——————————————————————————–

Brian (* ´ω｀): “Good thing, good thing. Dinner tastes three times more delicious when the Guide is feeling miserable. On a separate note, there are still intermissions after this, so there are more to come.”

Avid (´・ω・): “I didn’t get to appear…… disappointed.”