Volume 8 Chapter 36 An Unwanted Alliance
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”My pack’s gone! All my gold and spare clothes—everything’s been taken. All I’ve got left is the cutlass at my waist. Do something, captain!”
”Since yesterday some adventurer keeps pestering me. I told him I had a husband, and he said to forget about a dead man. So I slapped him in the face.”
”Looks like someone touched the dried rations last night. If we ignore it, they’ll do it again. Please take care of this.”
”Hey, captain. One of the old adventurers in my team wants to play a ‘nipple guessing game’ to get closer. It’s disgusting, make him stop.”
Two hundred people sharing one camp seemed to be starting off… smoothly, in its own way.
But with every breath came a fresh problem, an endless tide of pointless work. Before long, the center of camp had turned into a line for customer complaints.
”You’re actually working properly for once. That’s good.”
”I’m not doing this because I want to. They just keep piling in.”
The new recruits of Brigante had gathered, one after another throwing their troubles at him. It started with the first passerby who called out to Klock. Once one person came forward, the flood never stopped.
”Well, thanks for showing up, Suzette. I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m done. Off on a journey—don’t bother looking for me.”
”Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t give up over something this small. You’re the leader of two hundred people, so take responsibility and work.”
The maid’s scolding was as relentless as ever. That was their usual “husband-and-wife” act—he protested, she crushed him flat. And yet today was different. He didn’t have time to waste here.
Klock made a break for it.
”Look! Up there!” he shouted, pointing at the sky, then ducked.
Slipping through the crowd in the momentary distraction, he felt a hand brush his back—Suzette’s, no doubt—but the press of bodies blocked her. Using the chance, he slid away.
He burst out of the crowd and hurried off… only to get whacked on the head.
”Hey! You totally grabbed my butt just now!”
”Oops, sorry. Got pushed, hand slipped. My bad, my bad.”
”Liar! You groped me on purpose! Idiot!”
It was Fit, the bow-using adventurer. In his escape, his hand had “accidentally” latched onto her. Well—he saw a fine butt on the way, who could blame him.
He pressed his palms together in a hasty apology and bolted toward the tents. Fit grumbled behind him but didn’t give chase.
”Noted. So Fit reacts to harassment.” He mentally jotted that down.
”Where the hell are they… should’ve asked first.”
If he was going to hide, the leader’s wagon would be the safest bet. But before that, there was business to settle. That was what had led him here in the first place.
He wandered from tent to tent, peeking in.
Checking them one by one was far too tedious. He was already losing patience. He was about to just summon them later when—
”…so that’s why you did it.”
”Huh?”
A familiar voice. He opened the flap of the tent it came from.
”Yo.”
”Gah?! You! What the hell are you doing here!”
”…Ah.”
”I need you. Come to my wagon.”
He had found the sisters he was looking for. Waving them over, he caught the eyes of unfamiliar young women inside—likely girls from Polet Village, sharing space.
Their brows furrowed at the sight of a man intruding. He pulled back before the scolding started.
＊
”…Um.”
”Oh, you came. Get in.”
Two heads peeked over the wagon bed—Rachel, face tight with suspicion, and Kaitney, stiff with nerves.
Called a few minutes ago, the village sisters had arrived as told.
Kaitney avoided his gaze, climbing up with timid movements. Rachel followed, her eyes glued to Klock, more like she was confronting an enemy than meeting a leader.
”What do you want?”
She hated being here, that much was clear. Even saving Okan hadn’t cleared the resentment from that interrogation night.
Klock smirked. “Rachel, you look like a girl thinking, ‘This guy’s about to jump me, but I’ve got nowhere else to go, so I’ll just obey.’”
”Damn it—you admit it’s about that! Just spit it out! I already know what you did to Kaitney. What, you expect me to get on my knees too?!”
”Wahaha! Now that’s an idea! Sisters in one big bowl!”
So that explained her sour mood. Word of his “play” with Kaitney had already reached her. No wonder she was furious.
Still, Rachel always barked like a little guard dog whenever they met.
”Relax. Jokes aside, I’ve got work for you two.”
”Joke? You’re actually doing it, aren’t you?”
He tried to steer the topic, but she snapped back, brows furrowed, sharp as a threat.
Best to clear some of the misunderstanding.
”Don’t get mad. Kaitney didn’t want to fight on the front lines. She came asking for a safer job, in exchange for… well, you know.”
Eyes turned toward Kaitney. She flinched and looked away, face pale. She hadn’t explained her reasons, it seemed. And really, how could she?
”Don’t give me that. You just took advantage. You just wanted it.”
Even with the truth out, Rachel pressed him. Her anger was protective, like a sister furious at seeing her sibling tricked by a bad man. Which, to be fair, wasn’t wrong—Klock had been the one to make the first move.
”I could’ve just put her in the supply squad for nothing. Honestly, she couldn’t handle monsters anyway. But if I do that, every villager will start demanding to move back too. Once one gets it, the rest will follow. It won’t stop at Kaitney.”
”…Then just keep quiet.”
”And when she suddenly gets reassigned, what happens when her tent-mates or the scarier men start asking questions? What’s she supposed to say?”
”She can just say she doesn’t know.”
”Really? You two folded easy when we caught you as bandits. Spilled everything about your village without a fight.”
”Ugh…”
They had, in fact, confessed the location of their home right away. For them, “keeping silent” wasn’t exactly convincing.
”Secrets are always easier to expose than people think. Anyway, this was Kaitney’s decision. It’s not really your business, Rachel. Well… except that the deal included moving you both off the front line together. That part, you two can work out between yourselves.”
”Hah?! Kaitney, what the hell are you saying?!”
”Because… Rachel, you can’t fight monsters either. Just seeing them makes you freeze.”
”That’s not—”
Rachel’s denial cracked, her face betraying panic.
”So you really are scared of monsters,” Klock muttered.
Kaitney lowered her eyes. “During the Arbirgo Campaign, Rachel went through something terrifying. Since then, monsters… they’re kind of a trauma for her.”
”That’s not true! I can still fight!” Rachel cut in, snapping at her sister.
Each girl had her own circumstances. Perhaps as a man he ought to listen sympathetically—but Klock was Brigante’s leader. He raised his hand and stepped between them.
”Enough. Drop it. You’ve got another job now. Forget the monsters for the moment.”
”…Another job?”
”Yeah. You’re going to serve directly under me. Internal investigation.”
”Directly under you…?”
”An investigation?”
The sisters traded looks. Kaitney’s face twisted with worry, Rachel’s with a sharp frown.
”Listen carefully. No one can hear about this. Not even the Hero. If you take it on, you can’t back out until the campaign ends. If you don’t want it, fine—you can go to the supply squad instead. Choose now.”
He laid it out like a threat. It wasn’t a lie; there were things even Cianie couldn’t be told.
The sisters didn’t exchange glances. They just paused, weighing silently.
”…Fine. I’ll do it.”
”M-me too. I can handle it.”
He had expected hesitation, but both agreed at once. That was surprising.
”There are at least two spies in this troop.”
”…What?”
”I already know one. I want the other identified. Maybe more than one. Your job is to watch quietly and report anyone suspicious.”
Silence pressed on them for several seconds. Even Rachel, usually quick to bark, looked completely shaken.
”How do you even know there’s more than one?”
”The Demon Lord’s Army’s spy contacted me directly. Said another spy from a different faction is here among us.”
Their expressions twisted through shock after shock, until both simply froze with their mouths half open.
”Wait, wait. This isn’t something we can handle. Shouldn’t the Hero be the one to—”
”They’ve taken someone I know hostage. That’s their demand—I can’t tell the Hero.”
”A hostage…?!”
The “hostage” was Boston. Klock had seen the corpse with his own eyes. And yet, he’d been told the man lived. Absurd as it sounded, Klock couldn’t dismiss it.
”They say he’s alive. I doubt it… but I can’t ignore the chance. That’s why I need you two to help uncover the others.”
Rachel bit her lip. “But… we’re just farmers’ kids. How could we possibly—”
”You won’t fight. Just observe, point me toward suspects. I’ll teach you how. What matters is that you act normal.”
Both sisters wavered, Kaitney’s worry pulling Rachel’s earlier bravado down with it. The Demon Lord’s Army was no small thing, and for two village girls, it was terrifying.
”Why us?”
”Because you blend in. I stand out—everyone knows my face. If I ask too many questions, the spies will notice and vanish.”
”And if they disappear, isn’t that good enough?”
”No. If they disappear, I’ll still be forced to chase. And if they are Demon Lord’s Army agents, letting them slip away isn’t an option.”
”But wait… the one who told you was Demon Lord’s Army too, right?”
”They’re from another faction. The Demon Lord’s Army is a coalition of many races, and they’re constantly at each other’s throats. The one who contacted me wasn’t even demonkin.”
”…I didn’t know. So it’s like that…”
For the first time, Rachel’s curiosity outweighed her anger. Kaitney, silent all this time, listened intently as well.
”…You really do know a lot. Guess you are a Brave Knight after all.”
”Huh? Where’d that come from?”
”…Forget it. Nothing.”
”Speaking of which—Rachel, I heard from Kaitney. You saw Boston with a woman, didn’t you?”
”…What?”
”I lost her, but thanks to you I could pin down the culprit. If I’d listened sooner, maybe I’d have caught her before she escaped. You came to tell me, right? Sorry I didn’t hear you out.”
Rachel stiffened. “…What are you talking about? I didn’t—”
It had been another’s confession that gave him certainty, but Rachel’s words had confirmed the trail. If he’d been on better terms with her, he might have gotten that information sooner—maybe even stopped Athena from fleeing.
He sighed inwardly. Foolish harassment only bred pointless grudges. He’d just grabbed Fit’s rear earlier, too. Some habits died hard.
When the talk ended, he watched the sisters’ backs as they left. Their tension had changed; this time, it was the weight of a secret mission. They had agreed, but he’d burdened them heavily. Still, his choice had reason—he could only hope it worked.
There were other candidates, of course. Boit came first to mind, but with succubi involved, a man was too risky. Fit and other women adventurers might have done, but better to trust those he already knew well.
Spies could be anyone. He needed people with the least chance of being traitors. The sisters fit—if they’d been spies from the start, they would’ve escaped long ago. Their relationship with him hadn’t changed since.
Really, Suzette or Meina would have been ideal. Even Cianie, if secrecy weren’t demanded. But that option was closed.
”Still keeping our little secret, aren’t you~?”
The mocking sing-song voice cut through his thoughts.
That high-pitched tone needled at him, irritation creeping in.
”You were listening the whole time, weren’t you? Don’t play dumb.”
”Heehee♡ Just kidding! You’ve been playing along so nicely, so I’ll leave that man alone, promise.”
Alice said it with a bright, innocent smile—while hurling words soaked in venom.
Her rabbit ears twitched as she poked her face out of the wagon’s opening, grinning.
She was the spy Rachel had heard about. No doubt about it.
One of Kispe’s personal retainers, a true Succubus.
Klock narrowed his eyes. “If this is really a deal, shouldn’t you return the hostage first?”
”Can’t do that. You’ll have to take it up with Lady Kispe directly.”
”Why not? Why can’t you?”
”Well, because Crimson Spire isn’t a place you can just walk in and out of. It’s an otherworld (T/N:異界, a separate plane of existence), and access isn’t free, you know?”
Klock grimaced. Apparently, Kispe controlled the gate. Without her approval, nobody entered or left. And considering these beings appeared out of nowhere, the whole thing reeked of foul play.
Alice climbed up onto the wagon and sat herself down beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Far too close—close enough to mimic a lover’s seat. She gazed up with those big, childlike eyes, and Klock’s face stiffened. He leaned back slightly, trying to create space.
”Here’s the deal. You let me stay in this troop without telling anyone. In return, I don’t harm Boston. And on top of that, I already gave you info about the other spy. Pretty fair, don’t you think?”
Klock snorted. “You only told me that because those other spies are trouble for you. You never meant to approach me at all. You needed help with something you couldn’t handle on your own, so you came crawling here.”
Alice only chuckled, unashamed, her lips curling in a sly grin.
That morning, she had offered a “trade.”
The price? The revelation that there was another spy besides herself.
”Honestly, for all I know, that ‘spy’ might not even exist. Your word’s worthless.”
”Ehh, no no, it’s true. Athena saw it in her fortune-telling.”
”…Fortune-telling?”
”Yep! Her Unique Skill is divination. She sensed someone here who spreads misfortune. Definitely a spy.”
Klock bit back the urge to snap ‘that’s you.’ Surely it couldn’t be that absurd.
Still—Athena had a Unique Skill?
”She really does. Impressive, right? You can’t underestimate the Six Noble Ladies.”
”So the Six Noble Ladies are… what? Succubus executives?”
Alice smirked, leaning in, eyes glinting. If she had been an ally, it might’ve looked like teasing. As an enemy, it was nothing but gloating.
”Pretty much. Lady Kispe loves talented people. She chose six Incubi and Succubi with Unique Skills to serve as her closest aides. We’re her favorites.”
”Then every one of the Six Noble Ladies has a Unique Skill… including you.”
Her grin stretched wider, dripping with smugness.
Clearly, this was a badge of pride.
The arrogance of someone who looked down on the world itself.
All six with Unique Skills… That was dangerous.
Magic could be studied and countered, but Unique Skills were unknowns until they were used.
And if six of Kispe’s retainers wielded them, they were an enormous threat.
The Hero’s target was the Demon Lord.
But beneath the Demon Lord stood the Four Heavenly Kings, then eleven chieftains of many races, and beneath them countless commanders.
The deeper he looked, the larger and more tangled the roots of that tree became. The distance to the Demon Lord stretched impossibly far.
”Let’s work hard together and find that spy, okay?”
”You want me to cooperate with the enemy?”
”Aww, don’t say it like that. I really do want to get along. Until Lady Kispe and the Hero reconcile, people like me have to live with this tension, see?”
Her lips curved into a pout, feigning innocence.
Klock didn’t buy a word of it. But he only furrowed his brow, holding his tongue.
Still… reconciliation with Kispe wasn’t unthinkable. If peace with the Merfolk had been possible, then perhaps even Succubi could one day follow.
But not yet. They were too untrustworthy. Every word reeked of lies.
”For now, I’ll deal with the infiltrating spy. After that—”
”No worries! My job is to watch over Mr. Klock so nothing bad happens to you!”
”…Since when do I need the enemy protecting me?”
”Heehee♡ Tough luck, huh?”
”Kispe’s true aim is the Hero. She’s keeping eyes on me so she can use me as a hostage.”
”Well, yeah. She’s worried you’ll run into Bandanzine before she arrives.”
Alice tossed out the name of one of the Four Heavenly Kings as casually as a neighbor’s cat. She clearly had no love for demonkin allies.
”Kispe’s planning to meet me again?”
”Yup! Didn’t I say? She wants to talk with the Hero. She’ll first offer surrender, and if they refuse—straight into war!”
Surrender. War.
The words froze him.
If Alice spoke the truth, Kispe already believed she could bring down Cianie.
She herself lacked direct battle power, so whatever she had in store could only be some twisted scheme.
”…And about this spy. Any idea what race they’re from?”
He forced the question out, needing to steer the talk away before his thoughts ran wild.
Alice tilted her head, ears flopping lazily. “Hmm, no clue. Honestly, every race is desperate to know more about the Hero. I even heard they were brought up at a council meeting. If the Hero’s location is known, spies from everywhere will be flooding in.”
”…You’ve gotta be kidding.”
So the whole world was eyeing the Hero. What a curse it was to bear that name.
”Still, there is one possible method.”
”…Method?”
”Mm-hm. Athena’s Unique Skill works by locking eyes. She sees how people sway others, how fortune gathers around them. She can visualize that flow.”
”…So?”
”Well… she triggered her Skill even when nobody was there. Meaning the spy was present, but hidden from normal sight. At that moment, she was facing the forest. She said the figure in front of her was a shadow. Which means—”
Alice leaned forward suddenly, closing the gap, practically pressing herself onto him.
The rabbit girl’s weight fell against Klock as she whispered the rest.
Notes:
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Fit – Solo archer adventurer; first appears at Barreith volunteer gathering, introduces herself to Klock and group, joining Brave Knight against Demon Lord’s Army
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Boston – Adelina’s father, who holds a position of power within the church hierarchy. He has a dark secret regarding the death of his wife, Adelina’s mother.
• Athena – Harpies adventurer; appears alongside Alice at Barreith gathering, flirtatious, joins Klock and volunteers for upcoming battles
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Alice – Rabbitkin adventurer; appears at the same Barreith gathering, playful and mischievous, interacts with Klock, part of recruited volunteers
• Clea – younger dog beastkin sister who also serviced Klock previously.
• Bandanzine – They are one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a warrior with a dignified gaze, known for their frontline combat prowess.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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