Magica Technica ～Sword Demon Rakshasa’s VRMMO Battle Record～

Chapter 34

034: The Emergence of Truth

Translated by Dawn

034: The Emergence of Truth

We invited the Knights and handed over the captured private soldiers.

Furthermore, I also handed over the bodies of the assassins we repelled earlier.

Though the Knight Commander Christoph didn’t show his face, one of the knights I had seen during my previous visit came along.

Apparently, he was Christoph’s close aide and seemed to hold a favorable view of the Lamberg family.

Well, it seemed that many knights respect Schraid, who was originally an excellent knight, and the members who came this time appear to be of that kind.

Although some knights from noble backgrounds might look down on upstarts like him.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Kuon-dono.”

“No, thank you. It was a bit overwhelming situation.”

“It was a problem that was difficult for us to handle as well. If there’s progress, it won’t be that big of a deal.”

Well, as the authorities, it was difficult to intervene unless it was a crime that comes to light.

For now, it seemed that the Count family had been avoiding criminal acts, and Christoph must have been troubled by this issue.

However, if their private soldiers were taken away by the knights, the Count family would no longer be able to sit idle.

They went as far as resorting to assassinations, so it was unlikely they wouldn’t take any further action.

In that case, simply seeing them off would leave us with some anxiety.

The knights might have their abilities, but I preferred to avoid the situation unfolding behind the scenes.

In that case…

“…Lirina, I have a suggestion.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Would you like to go see the knights after this?”

“Huh?”

Lirina, who was gazing at Elsa cleaning up the bloodstains, opened her eyes wide in surprise at my words.

It must have been an unexpected proposal. Well, I couldn’t deny that it was rather sudden from my side as well.

I had various reasons, but for now, I’d talk about the public reason and shrug my shoulders as I speak.

“You probably want to see your father’s face, right?”

“Uh… that’s…”

“I apologize for cutting his head off when I defeated him, but you should at least meet him once. I know it might not be appropriate for me to say this, though.”

“…You’re right. If I keep running away, I’ll surely regret it.”

Lirina raised her head with a determined expression, and I smiled and nodded in response.

Well, in the end, they’d meet during the funeral anyway… but it was better to see him in advance to be mentally prepared.

Having received her determination, I spoke again to the escorting knight.

“So, they will also accompany us.”

“Haa… Well, I do think it’s a good idea to come once, but are you sure about this?”

Well, since we were currently involved in the problem, I felt a bit uneasy about letting them leave the grounds where I could assert my rights.

However, the situation had already become more complicated than that.

I sighed softly and approached the knight, whispering in a low voice.

“As they have already intruded into the mansion and launched an attack, it’s hard to call this place safe anymore. One reason is that I want them to be with the knights, a safe zone.”

“…Are there any other reasons?”

“I assume you are also on high alert, right? They even sent assassins to silence us, so it’s hard to believe the attack will end here. We will accompany them as their escorts.”

“But that puts them in danger…!”

“Among our members, four will stay close to them. We should be able to handle it just fine.”

Depending on the opponent, with Kirara Kurage and the others all together, we could likely buy enough time even against stronger foes.

As an attacker, it was easier to fight when I didn’t have to worry about the protected targets.

To be honest, unless multiple baron-class demons showed up, I was confident we could manage.

The knight seemed puzzled for a moment, lost in thought. Eventually, he seemed to make up his mind and nodded back at me.

“Understood, let’s do it… Please take care of them.”

“Yes, we will fulfill our escort duty.”

I returned the nod and then turned my attention to Lirina, who was talking to Elsa after finishing the cleaning.

It seemed she was explaining that she was going to meet the knights.

Well, it was good that she was willing. This way, she wouldn’t just send him off with a simple farewell.

However, there were still many uncertainties, and we must remain vigilant.

“Kirara Kurage, are you guys ready?”

“Yes! I’ll just have to make sure to surround Lirina and the others, right?”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll be keeping an eye on our surroundings, so I might not have much leeway.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it!”

With a cheerful smile, Kirara Kurage responded, and we moved outside the mansion.

After a short wait, the tied-up attackers, surrounded by knights, and followed by Lirina and Elsa, came into view.

While keeping an eye on Elsa locking up the door, I positioned myself in the middle of the group, and Kirara Kurage moved closer to Lirina.

“Alright, we will now proceed with escorting. Everyone, stay alert!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Kuuh…!”

The defeated private soldiers seemed frustrated but didn’t cause any further trouble in this situation.

I observed them from behind as we headed toward the knights.

Standing next to me was a familiar face, who seemed to be the captain of this unit.

“Captain, I want to tell you something, but keep it between us.”

“Kuon-dono? Is there a problem?”

“Well, I guess you can call it a problem, but…”

However, if what I suspect was true, it could become a major issue involving the whole country.

Yet, I didn’t have concrete evidence yet. It was just circumstantial, and it was too risky to reveal it in an elaborate manner, especially when dealing with nobles.

“There’s a suspicion that the Count Feib family is involved with demons.”

“W-What?! You can’t be serious…”

“It’s still at the stage of suspicion. When I probed the assassins earlier, they showed some reaction, so it’s just a possibility.”

“But if it were true, it would be a serious problem. However, it’s difficult to conduct a detailed investigation based on mere suspicions…”

“Yes, I understand.”

They were nobles, after all. Without solid evidence, we couldn’t initiate a forced investigation.

Well, at this point, there was not much we could do. It was troublesome, but we’d have to gather more concrete evidence.

To be honest, I still had some doubts.

Could those demons really be involved in dealings with humans? Although we could communicate with them, the enmity they harbor toward humans – or any living beings for that matter – was not something to be taken lightly.

It was hard to imagine they would cooperate with humans.

“Well, just keep it in mind as one of the possibilities. As of now, we don’t know how much of it is true.”

“…Understood. I’ll be cautious.”

The knight seemed skeptical, but he nodded at my words.

Even if he didn’t believe it completely, it was essential for him to be aware of this possibility.

Having some knowledge, even just a bit, could greatly reduce panic in crucial situations.

The difference between knowing nothing and having some information was like night and day.

Observing the troubled knight from the corner of my eye, I continued to walk while keeping my awareness open to the surroundings.

We were now retracing the route we had taken earlier. Since we had already passed through once, there was nothing particularly new or fresh along the way.

This was precisely why any anomalies would stand out, but so far, there were no signs of such abnormalities.

(Have the assassins not reported back yet after the attack? Maybe there won’t be any movement while this escort is ongoing.)

With that thought in mind, as we reached a major street, a group coming from the north side of the city caught my attention.

“Ah…”

Lirina made an unrefined sound, and as I followed her gaze, I noticed her frowning at the approaching group – the usual bunch.

I signaled the knight next to me and slightly moved toward them.

As I observed the group again, there was a young boy standing in the center. He was thin but not short, giving a somewhat lanky impression.

While he seemed to notice us, he didn’t appear to be specifically called over.

With a small sigh, I continued toward the knights, but then the group called out to us.

“Wait, members of the Knight Order!”

“…Sigh.”

The knight tried to hide his gestures, but his expression clearly showed his exasperation. 

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at his reaction while confirming the appearance of the group.

There were fifteen soldiers in total, and standing at the center was the slim young boy who had just called out.

Upon closer inspection, among the fifteen, I could see the familiar faces of the ones we had let go earlier.

It was a bit surprising that he had the audacity to bring back the ones who had escaped so shamefully. Perhaps they were short-staffed.

Whatever the case, in this world, I didn’t know if there was obstruction of official duties, but it took some courage to stop knights in the middle of their mission.

“…Is there something you need, Kreis Feib-sama?”

“Of course, there is. I want you to return my subordinates.”

In response to the knight’s words, the Count’s son, as expected, arrogantly puffed up his chest and raised his voice.

But I never thought that he would make such a brazen demand.

It should have been obvious with a little thought that such a statement wouldn’t be accepted.

“I refuse.”

“Yes, hand them over immediately—What did you say?”

“I refuse. They trespassed on private property and committed a crime without authorization. Without proper procedures, I cannot release them.”

“…Are you serious?”

While I watched the exchange with a weary expression, I kept an eye on the group’s movements.

The actions of the fifteen private soldiers were no different from those who had arrived earlier; in other words, they were just small fry.

I could easily handle them alone.

However, there was an issue—the feeble Count’s son, Kreis.

He seemed like a complete novice, with a weak-looking physique and no sign of training.

Yet, despite all that, my instincts warned me about this young boy.

What’s going on here? What is he hiding?

“They were deceived by outsiders and attacked! Why aren’t you capturing those outsiders? This is a negligence of the Knight Order!”

“The outsiders only intercepted these individuals who unlawfully invaded and attacked. There’s no reason not to trust them. They have been recognized by our knight commander, and they have defeated demons and been acknowledged by fairies.”

The back-and-forth argument echoed around us, and my words drew everyone’s attention, especially toward Lumina, perched on my shoulder.

Being acknowledged by fairies seemed to hold considerable credibility. Thanks to Lumina’s power, the support around me had significantly shifted after that single remark.

“Guh… You…!”

“Hmm?”

Seemingly agitated, the young master redirected his gaze back toward me.

Well, if that were the case, I’d deal with it, but I’d prefer to observe a little longer.

I still hadn’t identified the source of the aura he possessed. It was better to avoid bold interactions.

Though I already forgot his name, the Count’s son boldly approached me and reached out his hand as if to grab my collar.

It appeared he intended to confront me more closely. I considered being a little more compliant; after all, I wanted to observe him up close.

“You, an outsider like you, dare to challenge us—wha!?”

“What!?”

At the moment when the boy tried to grab my collar, a brilliant light flashed from my chest, strongly repelling his hand.

For a moment, nobody understood what had just happened, and the surroundings fell silent.

Even I was bewildered, trying to figure out what had occurred. I instinctively reached into my clothes, and there, I felt a hard object—my pendant in the shape of a holy seal.

“That’s the Admina religion’s holy seal…?”

“…It’s a holy seal that repels demonic power. With this, I was able to defeat the demon on the highway… But you, can’t you touch it?”

“…H-how dare you! Whom do you think you’re talking to!?”

“Of course, I know. I’m speaking to the son of the Count Feib family, whose ties with demons are suspected.”

With those words, I drew my sword.

Amidst the murmurs and tension in the surroundings, I locked my gaze on the boy in front of me and asked fiercely,

“Tell me. What are the demons planning in a human city?”

With conviction in my words,

In that instant—the boy’s mouth stretched wide as if it were torn apart.