/
Total Control
We quickly regained control of the land until the only thing left was the estate before us.
It was a three-story building made up of stone, unlike the other buildings around it.
Based on its architectural style, it had probably been built as a residence for the lord’s family when the David’s were still ruling.
“Ridiculous,” I said without realizing.
“So you think so too, Grey-sama?” asked Kurama as he icily scanned his surroundings.
“Yeah. A ruler who ignores his people is even worse than a parasite.”
And there’s so many politicians just like that in the empire, of course, but also within the Amrzs Kingdom which had unjustly attacked this land. This world is just filled with pieces of shit rulers that unabashedly throw away their dignity.
“You’re just like her.”
“Your previous master?” I asked.
She was Aria’s mother as well as the boss of the Revise Family, and I had heard many a great deeds about her.
“She often lamented the spreading injustices of the world you see.”
“Before you go any further—”
“Yes, I know. Your similarities were only in your ideal worlds. She surely wouldn’t have wished this kind of violence on anyone.”
“Unsatisfied? I won’t force you, okay?”
“Surely you jest. You don’t take orders from anyone and have enough power to see your ideals to the end. I am just grateful to be able to wield this power for someone like you,” said Kurama. He then bent his left arm behind him, placed his right arm over his chest, and lightly bowed.
“You know it, Kurama-chan! Master is amazing!” Hachi chimed in.
“Yes. Well done on realizing our master’s magnificence,” added Kama.
While they continued their cryptic excitement, Kurama grasped the doorhandle once again.
“No matter how much you deny it, you are fit to be a king. Do as you wish, as I will always follow behind you,” he said and opened the door.
◇◆◇◆◇◆
Entering the estate, we found ourselves face to face with a row of archers by the stairs aiming at us.
“Idiots! They’re like moths to a flame!” boasted a giant ape-like man who easily topped two meters in height as he tapped his greatsword on his shoulder.
I checked the rest of the estate, but the only ones inside were Amrzs Kingdom soldiers; I couldn’t find any people who liked like citizens. In that case, I had no need to hold back any longer.
“I am Grey Ines Navarro, the one who governs this land. You have invade our lands, thus, I will remove you.”
“Govern this land? A brat like you?”
“That’s right.”
After a brief period of silence, the soldiers erupted into laughter.
Again with this pattern, huh. Why does everyone judge books by their cover?
“Hey. How is that brat a monster!?” boomed the ape-like man in a fit of rage as he grabbed the nearby trembling soldier by the nape.
“Eeek!!”
I recognized a young man with blue hair parted to the side.
“You’re an embarrassment to our kingdom!” he yelled, tossing the man onto the floor.
He was the man who had given food to the Radols. After witnessing Kurama and Hachi’s massacre, he had hightailed it back to this estate, a dead end, so I had purposefully let him go.
“Let me correct your misunderstanding,” I said. “He’s brave, and if you had followed a plan as brave as he is, you might have been able to live a bit longer.”
“How long do you plan on irritating me! What are the heavy cavalry and mage squads doing, letting a scrawny kid like him in!?”
“Don’t be stupid. That’s obvious.  It’s ‘cause they’re on their way to hell.”
“Hachi, don’t interrupt your master’s conversation! It’s rude!”
“Ack, I know okay.”
Hachi pursed her lips in response to Kama’s indignation.
Witnessing our nonchalant attitudes and the blue-haired youth trembling, the kingdom’s soldiers exchanged several dubious glances.
“We can’t win against them! Let’s surrender!” said the youth, clinging to the ape-like man.
“You scum! How far do you plan on embarrassing us!”
I kicked off the ground and easily intercepted the greatsword en route to the youth’s head with my hand.
“What!?”
I gave his exasperation no heed and sighed, saying, “You guys are hopeless.”
At the same time, I pulled back my right elbow, formed a tight fist, and drilled into his chest.
I felt the bones crunching beneath my fist as the ape-like man shot into the stairs where he stopped moving altogether.
“This is my last act of mercy. I’ll send you to the next world, painlessly.”
I casted【Cetus】onto the frozen soldiers.
And truly, in the blink of an eye, all that remained in the estate were ice sculptures of the soldiers.
“Now.”
The youth let out a shriek and cowered on the floor.
“I just happened to let you live. Understand?” I said.
I could at least tell he wasn’t a bad person by the fact that he had given the Radols food.
But this was war. Not only was he a soldier, but I had no reason to hesitate to kill a good person. This case, especially, as they had invaded the empire without declaring war and violated our citizens. It would serve as a bad example if we didn’t stand our grand and punish them accordingly. In short, I considered his live even more valuable than all of that.
“……”
I gave the youth a sigh as he nodded his head over and over while shedding tears.
“You have two paths ahead of you. Will you stay in this land to become a Radol and devote the rest of your life on restoring this city, or will you die here. Choose.”
“I’ll stay!” he quickly decided between tears.
“Are you sure? You won’t be able to return to your homeland, nor will you be able to meet with your family.”
“I……am an orphan so I don’t have any family. My homeland was sent up into flames when I was a child because of an epidemic. I only became a soldier because I had to……”
His words lodged in his throat.
“So it was because you needed to put some food on the table……”
An epidemic, huh. Judging from the rumors I had heard, it was probably smallpox. It’s a horrible disease with a fatality rate of anywhere from 20% to 50%. Once infected by the virus, the affected person would stay infectious for a long time, and the virus would quickly spiral out of control as it could spread even through droplets. It wasn’t surprising that they’d choose to incinerate the entire village if it ever broke out as vaccines didn’t exist.
“Yesh.”
“Alright. I’ll take you under my wing for now. Just know that I won’t forgive any lies or attempts at betrayal. Understood?”
He furiously nodded.
Then, I ordered him to wait in this room and teleported back to Straheim.