Chapter 50: The Erased Hero
Translated by SoundOfDestinyEdited by Zil
“No, it’s not right. I’ve never heard of a rumour that the King and Queen have a fight.”
“But the fact is, even though they’ve spent such a huge amount of magic power and money to summon the Saints, yet haven’t issued any orders to overthrow the Demon Lord.”
“What is it then? You are saying that the plan to overthrow the Demon King itself is a false order? If that’s the case, then why are you doing this to the detriment of the country?”
“I don’t want to think about it, but…but maybe this plan is just a way to show that you care about the king, so that the people don’t know about the disagreement between the queen and the king.”
In the warm, sunny corridors of the royal palace.
The queen’s knights of the Kingsguard – who seemed to be of a much lower rank – are discussing a rumour that has been circulating among the lower-ranking knights.
The queen’s side of the family, but not all the servants and even the most junior knights of the guard have been informed.
Slaves -to put it nicely is called low-level servants and newly knighted knights and knights from the commonwealth are of low status and of little importance in the royal court.
The summoning of the saints – a plan to overthrow the demon king and resolve the king’s problems – is an important order that could shake the country.
It’s also important to note that only a few of the most senior ministers – those on the queen’s side, of course – and the trusted knights of the guard and senior servants who have been recruited to carry out the plan have been given important information.
The only thing that most junior knights know is that the queen has summoned about 20 saints with powerful native magic from other worlds on her orders.
As a result, most junior knights and servants heard unreliable rumours circulating in the palace. The current situation is that strange rumours have spread one by one.
It is said that the saints who are summoned are messengers from heaven, and that if a lowly person were to see them, he or she would be blinded at once.
It is said that they live in a strange culture where they prefer to eat meat rather than plants, but do not like to kill themselves.
There is a saint who has been erased by those in charge of the project because he was deemed too dangerous. (TL: F for Ran)
The list goes on and on.
There is a lot of information that is not known who added it, and it is not credible.
“If you’re right, what’s in it for the Queen? Besides, if it’s just to keep us from finding out about their disagreement, what else can we do? You don’t need to summon saints from another world to do it. It’s too elaborate.”
The knight of the Kingsguard dismissed his friend’s complaint as absurd.
If he was right–the queen and king did not get along, there would be no need to go to the trouble of doing something so elaborate.
It is certainly strange that all the armies that have been sent out so far have failed.
Therefore, this time; they summoned a large number of unique magic holders from other worlds and prepared their pawns.
The knight looked at his friend who was still nodding his head as if he wanted to say something while scratching the back of his head with a crunch.
There was a rumour a while ago that someone from the first chamberlain was trying to trick the queen.
There is no end to the rumours about the royal family, the knight in shining armour thought.
We are in the Royal Palace, after all.
If you’re caught insulting the royal family with a rumour that has no basis, you’ll be in trouble.
“Anyway, pretend that you don’t know if such rumours are spreading. It would be a shame if you were accused of insulting the royal family and committing treason.”
◇◇◇
Queen Rebecca, a regal woman with several maids, paced the corridors, her fair face clouded with rage.
Recently, a strange rumour has been spreading in the palace.
It is said that the Queen and the King are at disagreement and that the Queen despises the King’s life.
That the summoning of the saints this time was a false one, and that they were all spies brought in from other countries.
In the first place, the victory rate of the plan to overthrow the demon king by the saints is very low, and they are postponing the order to overthrow the demon king so that it won’t be exposed.
There is no end to the list.
If such a rumour were to be heard, it would be normal for the royal family to punish severely for insulting them.
In fact, the people who are spreading the rumours are the people who are supposed to be loyal to the royal family – knights, servants, and even vassals.
There should be an edict that anyone who spreads rumours insulting to the royal family should bear the burden of treason.
Despite the use of magic and magical devices to prolong his life, the king’s health is not good.
The prince, Rebecca’s son, is still too young to take his place in politics.
Therefore, the queen and her trusted advisors are currently ruling the country in his place.
Therefore, the queen’s most trusted servants in the palace are all too busy to carry out the plan to overthrow the demon king.
If you trust the ministers and knights who have sworn allegiance to the king and give orders – this is what you get.
A few days ago, they’ve ordered a warning about treason, but it seems that it has not yet been disseminated.
The queen, after all, is not treated well by anyone but her own servants.
I think that when the king was healthy, the palace was a little brighter and airier.
If the leader falls, the next to gain power is a powerful man with popularity, wisdom and luck.
If the king has fallen, it is not so easy for the queen to get all the rights.
“……Walkins.”
“Well, well, well, my queen. What have you done? You’ve wrinkled your face.”
The queen’s gaze fell on Walkins, the brother of the first chamberlain, who, with three senior servants, was playing with his fingers on his magnificent beard.
He is a kind of eccentric, with a sticky voice, a half-hearted respectful manner, and an unwillingness to mend his gestures or behaviour in front of anyone.
He used to be a low-ranking knight, but as soon as his first wife, Pearl, took the chamberlain place, he was promoted by virtue of being a member of the family, and is now one of the most respected officials.
Taking one look at the three servants he had brought with him, Queen Rebecca curved her shapely lips into a pout.
He has been using the servants, who should be the property of the palace, as if they were his own, just to move around the palace.
It’s a bit much, even for the brother of the first chamberlain. Anyway, due to the succession struggle, he is the one person the Queen does not trust the most, and she does not have much to do with him.
Walkins himself is not directly related to the royal family – he is a stranger, not even the one who is close to the king.
From the queen’s point of view, it is unacceptable that Walkins should be walking around the palace looking like he owns the place.
“Is it you, Walkins? You’re the one who’s been telling ministers and knights-at-arms, including servants, what to do.”
At Rebecca’s words, Walkins strokes his beard and smiles a sticky, snake-like smile.
The narrowing of his eyes is uncanny, as if he can see right through her.
It’s not like she’s a beautiful first lady, but she has a look – or rather a look – that makes you feel physiologically uncomfortable just looking at her.
The queen, the mother of the nation, can’t help but feel a chill run through her.
When confronted with this man, anyone will not be in their element.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Stop pretending, it was you who spread the falsehood that summoning the saints was a useless act, that it would not save the country.
“I have no memory of that.”
He meditates and lets out a heavy sigh through his nose.
It’s a nerve-wracking gesture, and Rebecca glares at him.
“But isn’t that a fact? How many warriors do you think we have sent to the country’s training facilities?”
“This time, ……. This time it is different. We summoned 20 saints from a world far more advanced in culture than ours. In addition, they used a great deal of magic power and applied a level of unique magic that is impossible for ordinary people to grant.”
“And besides,” Rebecca said in a strong tone, managing to keep her voice from trembling.
“This is the first time that so many people that have been summoned – who have known each other from the start and had a close relationship from the start – have been in good standing with each other. And above all, it is the first saints who have been able to transfer their magic without causing any problems.”
One of the servants jerked his shoulders at Queen Rebecca’s words. (TL: Ran bruh moment)
Before Rebecca knew it, Walkins had loosened his mouth in a dirty way.
“Oh, good relations from the start, huh?”
Rebecca looked dubious at the meaningful words that had been spoken.
She is not sure what Walkins was thinking when he said that.
By the way, it has been a while the queen has not met with the saints. The first time she met a representative of the Saints, did she not receive a disgusted look – and a disgusted reaction?
She was so busy that she didn’t think it was a trivial matter at all.
Wasn’t it the case that one of the saints tried to use his skills when we were talking about group relations?
For a moment, she was tempted to ask Walkins all about it.
But she is the queen of this country. Rebecca cannot take the words of such a scandalous person seriously.
Maybe it’s just her imagination, or maybe it’s Walkins’ intention to distract her.
Later, I’ll ask the servant who did the summoning.
It is unlikely, though.
But it is not impossible that something is going on without the queen’s knowledge.
“What are you trying to say??”
“……Nothing, nothing at all. We knew this would happen from the very beginning. We had a plan in place.”
Rebecca’s long elf ears twitch at the unpleasant comment.
One of the servants couldn’t help but glance at the seemingly adorable reaction.
Rebecca didn’t pay any attention to this, but pressed Walkins.
“What do you mean? Is that what you could only say? That’s it?”
“…..”
“Answer Me!”
Shaking her blonde hair, Rebecca stares at Walkins’ face.
She has a neat face – more like a pretty face with a hint of youth in it, but a lovely face.
She is the queen, after all.
Her gaze shot through Walkins’ eyes as if she were trying to intimidate him with an aura of power that filled her childlike frame.
There is not a trace of the protectiveness that once marked her face.
What dominates her face is the confidence of being the wife of a man of absolute power, and a fierce spirit of contempt for foreign enemies.
“Walkins, you’re ……. What the hell are you up to?”
“Plotting here and there”.
Walkins, who shrug his shoulders in a terrifying manner, meditates wickedly as if to say, “Good grief.
Eventually, he opened his creepy Sanpaku(TL: it’s more like the appearance of his eyes, japan term: google it) eyes thinly, and licked his mouth with his tongue with a snake-like expression that found his prey.
“There were holes in the plan, and we have fixed it- that’s all. Don’t worry.”
The dress the queen is wearing is blood-pure red coloured and is very revealing.
He made a gesture of patting the sexy shoulder that peeked out of it – and his eyes narrowed with a look of compassion for the little animal.
“…… Hmm, I was going to pull you up as a major sinner for messing with the queen if you just touched me.”
After a moment of glancing and glamorous glances, the Queen left Walkins with several of her maids.
It was as if she had nothing more to say.
He stroked his beard and let out a snort as he followed the queen’s back.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the three senior servants he has brought along for the occasion.
All three are blonde butlers, and all three wear glasses.
It was a risky gamble, but Walkins had a strange sense of confidence that it would work.
“I’m afraid I’ve offended the Queen. It seems that she is not happy with me at all.”
In the meantime, the queen was walking further away, getting out of sight.
When the queen was completely out of sight, Walkins put on a serious face and walked to his room.
◇◇◇
Returning to the room given to him by the Crown as the brother of Pearl, the first chamberlain, Walkins sent away all the lower-ranking servants who were cleaning the room, and then invited the three stewards who had just arrived into his room.
He sits deep in a comfortable chair and looks languidly at the butlers, who are standing in a line.
The steward at the far end is rather elderly, with excellent feet and legs and an aura of mystery about him.
The butler in the middle of the room is still a young man, too young to be given much credit by royalty and other people with strict manners.
And then there is the third – the senior servant, who is even younger than the middle butler, and who doesn’t even have his eyes fixed on anything, let alone manners.
Walkins looked at the third senior servant and clapped his hands lightly with a fake smile
“Well, you never know, do you? Ryan – no, Saint Kirishima Ran. That’s what I’m talking about.”
In the past, the saints had been students, or high school students, as the case may be.
It was a position that did not exist in Walkins’ world, and with a completely different cultural level and environment, he was not sure how well he would fit in.
It’s not as bad as it seems.
When Rebecca’s elf ears moved and her gaze swept over him for a moment, Walkins was a little alarmed.
She had been in such a state of emotional turmoil because of Walkins’ unique way of speaking that she didn’t seem to notice the slight change.
“But still, the queen is not informed on any of this.. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to say anything about the saints in a good relationship.”
The queen had been very busy since the king had been cursed.
When she summoned the saints, she was not at the scene of the summoning.
The Queen did not know that among the saints, there was a person who had been subjected to unintentional and harmful magic, and that he had been ostracized by the group because of it.
And that the body of the person has not yet been found.
The queen has yet to be informed.
It’s not hard to see why.
The queen is finding it difficult to maintain her composure after what happened to the king.
On top of that, perhaps because of the failure of the summoning magic, a friction has appeared amongst the seniors and saints.
It has caused cracks that were already bound to be broken.
It’s just that the Queen’s knights are not the ones who are in charge of the project.
Yet, they still want to hide it somehow.
And besides.
Even if they had any sense of justice as vassals.
They would not have thought to tell the queen.
They would have thought that there was no need to add to her distress by saying anything unnecessary.
In fact, if the queen were to fall ill, there would be a strong possibility that Walkins and others from the First Family would make strange moves.
Even if the queen had heard of this situation, Walkins had another option.
Did he care for the queen or did he love himself?
They refused to tell the Queen the truth.
This time it will backfire.
“This is the reality, Mr. Kirishima Ran. You have to stay alive. If the queen’s people erase your existence, our plan will not work.!”
Few weeks ago, Walkins made a promise of two things.
He would protect Kirishima Ran no matter what, within the palace and within his reach.
He would not let Kirishima Ran go, even if he had to mobilize all the people he could handle like his own fingers.
But…
You must take care of yourself if you’re going outside the palace.”
And if you do, make sure you don’t lose your life on the way to defeating the Demon King.
It was as if a mother were speaking to her beloved son, who had just passed his knighthood exam and was to serve in the royal court. In a caring tone of voice, Walkins made a promise to Ran.
After observing for a while, I thought it would be easier to manoeuvre a creature from another world– a high school student, into the crevices of his mind with kind words rather than instilling fear and threatening him with force.
Caught by Walkins’ three-eyed gaze, Ran’s eyes opened emotionlessly through his glasses.
“Why?”
“Hurm?”
“Why are you doing this? Because I’m only good enough to make a woman fall in love with me.”
At Ran’s words, Walkins lets out a thin smile.
That trivial ability is the one thing that Walkins desperately needs.
It is the last trump card to give shape to the future plan.
Without it, we would not have been able to put our plans into action.
“I – well, my sister – desperately needed your strength.”
It’s the kind of thing a father would say to his beloved son who has lost his potential and lost his motivation.
Walkins looked at Ran with a gentle gaze.
Walkins, who dexterously hides his darkest intentions and pretends to be a good minister, and Ran Kirishima, who plays the role of an ignorant child despite being aware of the threat of his own abilities.
The raccoon-like chief minister and the fox-like saint are playing each other’s tricks.