Volume 9 Chapter 16 The Traitorous Yasushi

The discussion with Master ended without incident.

It’s the first time I’ve heard of the Issen-ryu having a mission, but being told that I’ll be the successor to the Issen-ryu honestly made me happy.

It seems that other than that giant octopus, this world is crawling with a troublesome bunch similar to it.

To those that are evil lords, the sparks of flames that fall upon them are to be brushed away.

I’ve decided in my heart to kill every single one who threatens my safety, but the problem is the enemies that even Master wasn’t a match for.

Master is stronger than me. Therefore, it should be certain that mightier things than that giant octopus I defeated exist.

Be that as it may, I didn’t know that the sword art I learnt coincidentally would have such a secret behind it.

I should tip my hat to the Guide’s support.

It does seem as if I’ve even been made to bear an unnecessary fate but, if I had known I’d probably have asked Master to let me learn it from him, so there’s no problem there.

“The Issen-ryu’s mission is fine. But, the problem is――”

Maybe because she thought I was making a displeased face, Marie standing next to me worries about my physical condition.

“Liam-sama, as I thought, wouldn’t it have been better to have received treatment first?”

“There’s no issue. More importantly―― Show her in.”

For the sake of responding to anyone requesting a meeting with me, I was in my reception room.

The door opens to reveal Rosetta, whose eyes are red and puffy.

She dashes to my side in tears, perhaps in relief from seeing me.

It seems like she’s suppressing her urge to hug me.

“Darling, I was worried! I’d heard that you were injured but, are you alright? Let’s quickly get you treated!”

Talking on without pause, it seems like Rosetta can’t help but worry about me.

Of all people, for the ones who helped me to be something such as Rosetta’s Guard―― Guide, for the help you sent, I’ll give my sincere thanks.

But―― But! If the one you send is her, I don’t know how I should feel.

“You helped me out this time. I’m grateful, Rosetta.”

“It’s great that I can be of help to Darling.”

I had put the matter of Rosetta’s Guard aside but, I didn’t think that it’d actually increase to twenty thousand.

Their proficiency and quality were so-so, but they were stronger than the paper tiger enemy fleet.

It’s probably unmistakable that Rosetta dashing to reinforce us set our victory in stone.

――But, I did not want to become indebted to Rosetta.

“I’ll definitely repay this debt.”

As I mutter letting my frustration show through, Rosetta wipes her tears with her fingers.

“If Darling is safe, that alone is enough for me. Moreover, I’ve been helped out tons by Darling to this day, so I’m happy that I can become your strength, even just a little.”

Seeing Rosetta’s delighted face, she seems to be speaking from the heart.

But, my heart can’t be satisfied.

To think that, of all people, I have become indebted to Rosetta.

I’m cradling my head inside my heart.

◇

Yasushi is walking around aimlessly inside the ship.

“It’s over. My life is over.”

Having slipped out of the medical bay, Yasushi had been running from the pursuing teacher’s pets Riho and Fuuka.

He becomes forlorn as he imagines his life from now on.

After all, he’ll be living under confinement at Liam’s home planet.

Liam and his two disciples are sure to come knocking on his doorstep uninvited at every turn.

He feels like his life is about to become one where he can’t relax his attention for one second.

“Even though I could run away if it was just me…”

His wife Nina would probably not let him escape.

Yasushi shivers as he remembers the terror of being slashed with a cleaver by Nina as he once made to run away.

Also, his son Yasuyuki is cute.

He’s a good child that adores Yasushi’s shameful self as his father.

Such a son is being taken hostage by Liam.

“Damn it all. Because of him, my life is in tatters.”

Even if he manages to escape from Liam’s home planet, what’s waiting for him is a life spent escaping those nuts prideful in their own strength seeking to make a name for themselves.

Also, the Supremacy and the Empire’s nobility―― And even more countries are going around searching for him to hire him, misguidedly seeing Yasushi as the Sword God.

His life will be difficult whether he remains by Liam or he escapes.

But, he doesn’t want it to end like this.

“I want to at least get back against that guy. If I don’t pester him somehow, I won’t have peace of mind! Without making him actually mad, anyway.”

Yasushi is a small-minded man, but also a faint-hearted one.

He swears a slight revenge against Liam, but something seems to have cut across his line of sight.

“Hm? There was something like a dog around here?”

The dog seemed to have entered a narrow passage.

Peering into said passage, he sees a girl further inside by herself.

Wearing a maid outfit, she’s cradling her head and writhing.

But―― The dog’s figure is nowhere to be found.

“Like this, everything will become as Liam pleases!?”

Yasushi gazes at that girl.

(On this battleship, I thought blindly that only people revering Liam seemed to be aboard but―― Even so, there’s someone.)

Discovering the girl that holds bitter feelings towards Liam―― Ciel, Yasushi walks closer and calls out.

Stroking his unshaven chin, by atmosphere alone he gives off the impression of a magnificent swordsman.

“It seems that you’re troubled for some reason.”

Hearing a voice call out and turning to look, Ciel begins to shiver as she notices Yasushi.

“Sword God! ――sama”

Seeing Yasushi before her, the man who that Liam himself said he wasn’t a match for, Ciel’s face pales remembering what she’d been muttering till now.

Yasushi’s internally convinced that he’s found a comrade.

(She’s thinking that I’ve heard her badmouthing Liam, it seems. With people like you, it looks like I’ll be able to get some payback against him in various ways.)

“Please don’t be afraid like that. Frankly―― I wish to ask about Liam. To be honest, even I have been troubled by Liam in a variety of ways.”

Ciel gives a suspicious expression at Yasushi’s words.

“Aren’t you Liam’s revered master in the sword?”

“I’m troubled after becoming famous because of that Liam. Accordingly, I’ve been considering paying him back a little.”

Even despite Ciel being half in doubt, she probably thinks that there’s no merit to Yasushi lying about such a thing.

Moreover, maybe thinking that it’d be reassuring if she could get Yasushi on her side, she begins talking at length about Liam.

“――That guy, he’s no benevolent lord like the world calls him. He’s a villain deep down inside! He ridicules his own citizens, and decides the tax increases based on his mood. If the people suffer, then I say, he should be the one that’s suffering!”

“I-I see.”

(Huh? That’s, isn’t it bad if we don’t be a little tactful about it? Even supposing it is payback, it won’t do to be careless with the finer details.)

To not stop his thoughts of retaliation there, Yasushi is such a man.

Ciel tells Yasushi about the truth.

“Everybody’s being deceived. His fiancee Rosetta-sama is the same too. Even though she’s a good person, she’s being deceived by Liam. That Liam guy, even though Rosetta-sama is around, he’s going around at his whim having fun without marrying her.”

The marriage will proceed immediately after training ends! Was the arrangement, but became indefinitely postponed due to Liam’s selfishness.

Rosetta had forgiven that.

From Ciel’s point of view, Rosetta is awfully admirable.

“I can’t forgive Liam! Onii-sama and otou-sama too have been deceived by this――”

Seeing the bitter-looking Ciel, a thought that incenses Yasushi springs to his mind.

Then, he arrives at his method of revenge.

“I accept. I’ll cooperate with you here.”

Ciel gives a grin like she’s just gotten a million comrades.

“R-really!”

Yasushi places a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me take care of it.”

◇

Yasushi brings Ciel along as he marches towards the reception room.

In there are Liam, Marie, and Rosetta. The female knights guarding Rosetta are also present as well.

In an instant, the guards direct killing intent at Yasushi who entered suddenly.

He breaks out into a cold sweat at said killing intent, yet his expression alone is that of calm.

“Don’t you dare show bloodlust at Master, I’ll kill you.”

“P-please excuse us.”

The female knights directing killing intent at Yasushi hold it down after being told off by Liam.

Also, they apologize in a panic after realizing that it was Yasushi they were looking at.

Seeing Yasushi, Rosetta curtsies, holding up her skirt. It’s a gesture where she leans over slightly with a bending of her left knee.

“I’ve heard about you from my fiance. My name is Rosetta. I’m Liam-sama’s fiancee.”

Rosetta, having stopped referring to Liam as Darling, is showing respect to Yasushi.

Seeing her figure, Yasushi thinks.

(A young lady with golden hair set in drills, huh. She’s not to my fancy.)

Yasushi who likes black-haired intellectual women has no interest in Rosetta, though he does see her as a beauty.

Liam seems to be in a lousy mood.

“Master, what is the matter? If it’s something urgent, I’ll listen to what you need.”

Liam, asking if there’s any business to take care of, seems to want to escape from this place.

Yasushi is certainly a small fry, but his ability to detect people’s weaknesses is beyond the average person.

(It’s just as I thought! This guy, he’s having a hard time with his fiancee!)

Hearing from Ciel that Liam had decided to marry Rosetta to get the court rank of Duke, Yasushi believed that there wasn’t something like love in that.

Also, from Ciel’s words, he surmised that Liam had been running around escaping from his marriage as well.

Ciel’s eyes sparkle at seeing Liam flustered.

Liam gets shocked for a moment seeing Ciel behind Yasushi, and immediately makes a bitter expression.

“Why is Master together with Ciel?”

Seeing Liam make a doubtful expression, Yasushi seizes the imagined opportunity to attack and carries out his revenge.

“Liam-dono, I’ve heard! That even though your fiancee’s left waiting, you’ve been running from place to place without getting married to her, haven’t you!”

“Wha!?”

It isn’t just Liam.

Everyone in the area becomes speechless at Yasushi’s blunt inquiry.

Marie, for instance, might cut down whoever said that on the spot if it hadn’t been Yasushi. At any rate, she makes an awfully complicated expression on her face.

Then, she comes to stop Yasushi.

“Yasushi-sama, this problem is an exceedingly delicate issue for the house. Yasushi-sama can’t be said to be an outsider, but if at all possible we would seek your restraint in broaching this topic.”

She behaves modestly, but the surrounding people make faces that say ‘Don’t you dare start on this!’.

For better or worse, Liam alone holds all the authority.

Because of that, he’s someone who will have his selfishness forgiven.

Therefore, even if he’s running around without holding his marriage ceremony, there’s few who can give their honest opinions to Liam.

If he’s still running around despite being scolded by Amagi and Brian, then no one else will get through to him.

With that setting, Yasushi came marching in rudely.

Liam can’t meet his eyes, and Rosetta is making a troubled face.

Apparently, Liam is at a loss being questioned by his respected master.

(I can do it!)

From Liam’s reaction, Yasushi concludes that Liam probably wouldn’t get angry even if he brings up this topic.

Hence, Yasushi takes his petty revenge.

It’s irrelevant even if it was a great problem that the Banfield house is facing.

“It’s not praiseworthy to be running around even though you have a splendid fiancee waiting for you. Your nobility training is over too, so there shouldn’t be any problems, is there? Is there something you dislike about it?”

Yasushi’s saying the appropriate words, but his inner mind is different.

(I’m in the graveyard of life after getting married, and yet you alone are living a free and wilful single life; there’s no way I can forgive that! You get married too! No, wait!? If this guy starts a family and has children, there’ll be less times he’ll visit me, won’t he? I’ve managed to both pester him and gain something―― Truly, isn’t this the perfect harassment killing two birds with one stone!)

Yasushi turns around, giving Ciel a thumbs up.

Seeing that, the surrounding people sense.

――That Ciel had told Yasushi about the state of affairs and instigated him.

Other than Rosetta―― Liam and the others all focus severe gazes on Ciel.

Ciel looks at Yasushi and shakes her head.

She seems to be saying ‘No! That’s not it!’, but Yasushi interprets it to his own convenience.

After all, they’re unrelated. They’re not even husband and wife, so they can’t do something like communicate their intentions.

(It’s still not enough!? Are you saying I should step in even further? Then!)

Staring intently at him, Yasushi makes Liam focus his attention on him, cutting off his means of escape.

“Liam-dono!”

“Y-yes!”

“How pathetic for a successor of the Issen-ryu! Go back to your territory right now and hold the marriage ceremony! As your master I’m ashamed, you know!”

“N-no, but, this is well――”

“Don’t bother arguing! In this place, right now, declare that you’ll return back and get married!”

Being overpowered by Yasushi, Liam hangs his head.

“I-I’ll accept.”

“Liam-sama!?”

Marie is shocked, but her problematic personality aside, she’s a dependable woman.

She’d started recording slightly before Liam’s statement, securing the evidence.

Then, she moves up to Rosetta.

“Rosetta-sama, we’ll return to the home planet immediately and start preparations for the ceremony!”

“Y, yes. ――Yes?”

Rosetta, too, seems bewildered like she can’t keep up with this development either.

As Yasushi turns back to Ciel, she’s now vigorously shaking her head.

(This still isn’t enough? No, any more of this and something will―― Hah!?)

Yasushi realized.

(Let’s have Liam lose even more face)

Yasushi thinks of the next prank.

Bryan (´；ω；｀) “This Bryan never got through to him no matter how many times I said it, but he decided to get married at the behest of someone like Yasushi―― It’s painful.”

Sapling-chan (；゜Д゜) “――Huh? They’re getting married just like that?”

Bryan (*´ω｀*) “Anyway, with ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! vol. 2’ selling to good reviews, this Bryan too has peace of mind at the moment.”

Bryan (´・ω・｀) “Since the print edition doesn’t have the afterword theater, it’s painful that this Bryan’s space for activities have decreased, but we’ve prepared an omake at the end of the print edition. ――There’s the daily life of the maid robots led by Amagi, but with it being surprisingly well-received―― This Bryan is not sure whether he should rejoice or despair.”

Sapling-chan ( ゜∀゜) “It’s painful to have your popularity taken away, isn’t it! Now he’ll say, ‘It’s painful that this afterword theater is occupied by this Sapling-chan’.”

Bryan (´・ω・｀) “……”

Bryan (´・ω・｀)ｒ鹵~＜≪巛;゜Д゜)ノ “Ugyahー”