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Degojaru~
Chapter 63
Shadow
We are travelling south along the border, searching for any gaps within the border patrol. \n
Motoyasu is extremely annoying. Heâs been chasing us ever since.\n
There hasnât been any situations where we were truly in danger, since that one back at the border thanks to Firoâs swift running.
the strange thing is that there has been no sign of either Ren or Itsuki.\n
Did they give up? Or are they laying an ambush somewhere?\n
In the first place trying to accuse me of brainwashing was irrational.\n
Did they lose interest in this event and go back to levelling?\n
I would understand if Ren gave up since he was already sceptical, but was it good luck for us that Itsuki is also nowhere to be found?\n
On the contrary, Motoyasu is way too persistent.
Either way, it is fortunate since his attacks arenât as strong as Renâs and he doesnât have any ranged attacks like Itsuki.\n
To be honest Motoyasu seems more interested in Firo than actually bringing the second princess back.\n
Still problems are piling up non stopâŠâŠ
âWhat should we do?âŠâŠâ
It is irresponsible to just pass everyday being disgruntled, I must consider what we should do.\n
Border patrol is too strict. Isnât there somewhere we can sneak over?\n
Living as a fugitive everyday wonât solve anything, and my life is over when the next wave arrives.
In this case, recklessly crossing the border may not actually be a bad idea.\n
As it stands our names will never be cleared. Those chasing me may also avoid Silt Welt.
That night we discussed our course of action over the camp fire.\n
Since Firo is stupid, she is not listening.\n
The second princess and Raphtalia had some reaction, but that was to be expected.
âIt might be a little tough, but if we want to break through, then here is our best bet.â
It would be hard to pull off. But, as long as the other heroes donât interfere my defence should be able to break though.
âYouâre right, we wonât last if we continue escaping like thisâŠâŠâ\n
âYeahâŠâŠâ\n
âMel-chan!â
Firo returns to her human form and starts playing with the second princess.\n
Kan!\n
Hm? I heard a strange sound coming from the scruff of my neck.\n
What? Itâs not painful butâŠâŠ\n
I immediately turn around, and see a needle fall down.
âMaster, enemies!â\n
âWhat?â
Was that a blow dart just now?\n
Or was it something Itsuki fired?\n
I cannot confirm anything due visibility since itâs night time.
âI didnât notice until he attacked.â\n
âWhat?â
Bofun!a bunch of darts fly out of nowhere and Firo expands her wings to cover the second princess.\n
Can Itsuki even fire so many at once?\n
No, Leaving that aside!\n
The main usage of blow darts are to apply poisons. Firo and I will be fine due to our poison resistance, but it will be dangerous if Raphtalia or the second princess gets hit.\n
I have no idea what kind of poison they are using either.\n
If I know what poison they are using I can make an antidote.\n
There were a bunch of antidotes in the wagon and carriage tooâŠâŠ\n
But I canât treat anyone in these conditions!
âAhâŠâŠâ
I turn my gaze to Raphtalia. At that moment a blowgun dart aimed at her appears.
âAir St-
I shout for Air Strike Shield in haste, but I donât know if I can make it.\n
Immediately, a high-pitched screech is heard and the dart was stopped.
âThat was dangerous degojaru.â
Suddenly, someone in jet-black clothes appears and defends Raphtalia.\n
His face is covered by cloth so I canât see it.\n
I canât tell if his voice is male or female. Who is that? A ninja?\n
Degojaru?
âHurry up and flee degojaru!
In the shadows of the trees and bushes fighting could be heard.
âHero of the Shield-dono, leave this to us and run away degojaru. Wait for me after you have escaped, I want to talk with you degojaru.â\n
âWhat is going on!â\n
âThere is no time to explain right now, Iâll do it later degojaru!â\n
âTch! Firo, Raphtalia, Second princess!â\n
âOkay~â\n
âYeahâ\n
âU-understood!â
While riding on Firo, blow darts were flying around us.
âDo you know who that person was?â\n
âI think so, that is probably my motherâs secret guard corpsâŠâŠâ
Explains the second princess while we were getting away.
âReally?â\n
âYeah. I know the person who helped Raphtalia-san. She is my motherâs body double.â\n
âNow that I think, about it her way of speaking is familiar.â
Is she that woman I passed in the hallway after parting with trash?\n
Her behaviour and appearance left a strong impression.
âSo what exactly is going on? We got ambushed, but we have no idea who did it.â
I would say it was Itsuki, but that guy should not be capable of such things.\n
Judging by his character, he would confront me head on.
âAssassination corps of the countryâŠâŠmaybeâ\n
âThereâs an assassination corps?â
Now thatâs dangerous. Well, places where the nobles and kings completely trust each other do not exist.\n
That leads to a great deal of problems being handled behind closed doors.\n
Itâs quite simple actually.
âThough in reality they are the same as the secret guard corpsâŠâŠâ\n
âYou guys have separate assassination corps?â\n
ââŠâŠI donât knowâ\n
âI seeâŠâŠâ
I guess thereâs no choice but to hear from someone who knows.\n
After running a certain distance on Firo, we prepared and waited in case of more enemies.
âHmm?â
Firo reacts immediately.
âHere it comes.â
Suddenly, the ninja-like person appears in front of me.
âSorry for the wait degojarunaâ\n
âAh donât worry about it. Thanks to you we got away safely.â\n
âFirst of all, I should introduce myself degojarugaâŠâŠ Have you already heard from princess Melty degojaruka?â\n
âI heard you are a body double. And you are either from the secret guard crops or some assassination unit.â\n
âThat is not entirely correct degojaru. We are the special duty corps of the country, and our aliases is [Shadow] degojaru.â\n
âI see.â\n
âBy the way, I do not have a name degojaru. I believe shadow shall suffice degojaru.â
Shadow huhâŠâŠ Trying to sound cool?\n
I wonder if itâs just the difference between my world and the inhabitants of this world.\n
Since there are ninjas Iâm reminded of the Showa era.
âSo, who did you fight?â\n
âShadows of the country and church degojaru.â\n
âArenât you from the same organization?â\n
âThe organization is not unified degojaruyo. There are factions within the organization that are fighting each other degojaru.â
There are so many things wrong with that but Iâll refrain from commenting for nowâŠ..
âWhy did you help us?â
Since thatâs what Iâm most curious about Iâll ask.\n
I have a few guesses, but none are concrete.
âI cannot answer that degojaru.â\n
âI see. Are you sworn to secrecy?â\n
âAll I will say is that this one works as princess Meltyâs guard degojaru.â\n
âI donât believe that.â
She didnât even show up when the second princess as being attacked.
âI did not appear because I knew the Hero of the shield-dono could protect her degojaru.â\n
âYou bastardâŠâŠâ
That means she knew but stayed silent.\n
Although,she seems fairly competent.
âOriginally I was somewhere else with her majesty the queen but I was ordered to watch over Hero of the Shield-dono degojaru.â
The self-named shadow shows a map and points.\n
What she was pointing at was the neighbouring country to our south west.\n
The opposite direction of Silt Welt.
âRight now her Majesty the Queen is there degojaru. Since this country is in the opposite direction of Silt Welt where Hero of the Shield-dono is escaping to, patrols are scarce degojaru.â\n
âOhâŠ..â
For some reason, I feel that if I run away to the country to Demi-humans I would receive some recognition.\n
It occurred to me that there may be something in the country of Demi-humans that believes in the shield, similar to how this country believes in the Three Heroes Church.\n
I can probably safely go into exile there in cases like this, and it would be very bad for trash.\n
Though since they are putting so many resources to guard the border that it makes it impossible to break through.\n
This distance can be covered by Firo in two and a half weeks, but it will be hard to advance since the other heroes are anticipating it.\n
Even though we have to take a detour I want to go.
âThis latest case has many things behind it degojaru. I will cooperate with Hero of the shield-dono as much as possible degojaru.â\n
âWhat do you mean?â\n
âRight now the higher ups of the Three Heroes Church are discussing about the activities of hero of the shield-dono degojaru. So I had no choice but to move and inform you degojaruyo.â\n
âHmmâŠ..So in other words, they had a reason to maintain that farce of claiming I have the power to brainwash.â
My activities recently consisted mostly of selling medicine and helping people who were in trouble.\n
However, as a result of those actions I solved problems that the other heroes have caused.\n
It seems that due to these events, people are starting to question the legend of the Hero of the shield spread by the church.\n
If they can prove that I am capable of large-scale brainwashing, then the peopleâs faith in the Church would be restored.\n
But wonât it also mean that if I can prove my innocence the Three Heroes Church will receive a devastating blow?
âWhat should we do degojaru? If you are planning on going to Silt Welt, would you require help degojaruka?\n
âThatâsâŠâŠâ
Giving someone else a difficult job and relaxing myself is not one of my hobbies.\n
Even if I do just escape, when the wave comes Iâll be summoned into the midst of enemies.\n
Thatâs very inconvenient.\n
The church, The bitch, and the trash king will all want to capture and torture me.\n
Rather than going into exile recklessly, and then getting summoned into a trap, this might be more effective.\n
If this goes well my remaining days here will be easy.\n
ButâŠâŠ
âWhat would the queen gain from helping me. The Three Heroes Church may get destroyed.â\n
âI cannot answer that degojaru.â
Shadow is only giving me answers about the queen, but not what I should do next.\n
Though she is certainly the queenâs subordinate.\n
The second princess is someone we both need to protect, and since she is a subordinate of the queen, I cannot do anything that might disadvantage her.\n
As far as I am concerned meeting the queen would be more beneficial for me.
Frankly, I cannot see what the queenâs goal is.\n
From what I can make out of the second princessâs speech and behaviour, her goal would be to prevent wars between this country and another.\n
Furthermore, she understands what is happening to me, due to the deep-rooted and crazy legends in this country about the devil of the shield.\n
The shadow also said âI want to cooperateâ.\n
It seems the queen does not share the same views as the Three Heroes Church.\n
That is just a safe line thoughâŠâŠ
HmmâŠâŠ Perhaps she isnât my enemy.\n
Though it is also doubtful whether or not she can be called a friend, it is still better than my current hand and the present conditions.
âYou saved Raphtalia, so Iâll hear you out. Do I only have to meet the queen?â
This is nothing but a farce, and I donât really have any choice but to willingly participate.
âI donât like the idea of acting based on someone elseâs ideas, but it seems to be for the best. But if you deceive meâŠâŠâ\n
âI know degojaru. Then Iâll leave at once degojaru. We donât know when the shadows on the churchâs side may show up degojarukaraâ
After saying so she disappeared instantly.\n
Though my last words were a joke, it seems to have been taken seriously.
âCan we trust her?â
Honestly, I am slightly suspicious.
âItâs alrightâŠâŠ because mother trusts her.â\n
âI canât understand your motherâŠâŠâ
Though at least her thinking seems to be different from both trash and bitch.\n
So far all I have is that she seems to be friendly, but that is only based on information from shadow and the second princess, her true purpose still remains unknown.\n
I also cannot deny that this could all be another a plot to assassinate the second princess by the Three Heroes Church.\n
I have no other choices so if this is a conspiracy by the queen to kill me, I am doomed.\n
In the end, we advance in the opposite direction of Silt Welt.\n
I do not want to believe it, but there is also a chance that the second princess was truly abandoned.
But, it is necessary to know the queenâs agenda.\n
I cannot just view this situation as black and white any more.
âAnyway, I have decided on our destination.â\n
âOkay. Letâs go.â\n
âAll right.Letâs go. Firo-chanâ\n
âFiro will do her best!â
We have taken a step from escaping abroad aimlessly.\n
Now we will set a course towards the south west.\n