Chapter 171 The Scent of Ruin ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Kushe, the Chief Court Mage of the Coalmine Kingdom¹, had finally learned the truth behind the merchandise of the magic shop known as “Harvest”². She pondered the matter, engaging her grey brain cells. She wondered if the scent of “ruin” she had detected was actually pointing toward this development.
To be sure, she felt as though her grasp of common sense had been thoroughly demolished; even now, she couldn’t suppress an insatiable curiosity regarding that shop’s inventory. While she couldn’t quite bring herself to lay hands on seized items that had likely been used by some unknown party, she felt a genuine desire to obtain them if the opportunity arose.
Naturally, this wasn’t for personal use, but for the sake of rigorous analysis. Though the magic tools themselves were patently absurd, the sheer level of craftsmanship invested in them possessed a quality that demanded respect… or so Kushe believed at that particular moment.
Nevertheless, it didn’t seem as if those products were linked directly to the impending “ruin.” They served as undeniable evidence of the commoners’ mounting frustrations, but was that enough to emit such a concentrated, overwhelming stench of disaster?
If that were the case, there had to be some crucial detail she was still overlooking. Experience told her that identifying it was of paramount importance. Consequently, she decided to begin scouting the base. It wasn’t long before she stumbled upon someone who stood very close to the source of that scent.
”Ugh…”
”…What’s with the face? You see me and that’s your first reaction?” Martin asked.
She had crossed paths with Count Martin Popol, who appeared to be in the middle of heading somewhere. He was the current patriarch of the Pink Clan³ and the younger brother-in-law to Lily—the former experimental slave of Harvest.
”No, it’s just… how do I put this? I guess I’m seeing firsthand what people mean when they say someone is wearing the face of a dead man walking…” Kushe replied.
”You’re as remarkably rude as ever… Don’t tell me you’re trying to say I’ll fall in the next engagement?” Martin asked.
”It’s not exactly that, but…”
Kushe looked at him with a face that screamed, “You poor soul…” but Martin didn’t let it bother him. Having spent the last few months working alongside her since the war’s outbreak, he had come to understand that getting worked up over this woman’s every word was an exercise in futility.
On the other hand, Kushe had a fairly good idea as to the origin of his death shadow. This wasn’t mere intuition; anyone who witnessed his habitual conduct could have easily predicted his downfall. If his spirit was going to be broken, it would undoubtedly involve… well, that specific matter.
”Hey, listen. By any chance, did something come up regarding your sister?” Kushe asked.
”Hmm…? How did you figure that out? To tell you the truth, a kinsman I dispatched to search for Sister has just returned to deliver a report. Apparently, he was wounded in a skirmish with their covert units and was recuperating at the main estate, but…”
”And he came all this way because he recovered and wanted to report to you in person…?” Kushe asked.
”Precisely. Heh… I’m certain he’s returned bearing a secret decree from Sister, intended for my ears alone. Ah, I wonder just how many years it’s been since I last received her holy words…! That being the case, there’s no way a death shadow is hovering over me. If anything, you could say the world itself is bestowing its blessings upon me!”
Watching Martin look like he might burst into a little dance at any second, Kushe felt like she was going to double over and clutch her head in despair. If Kento had been present, he would have pointed out the absolute, crystal-clear “death flag” currently fluttering in the wind.
Despite his behavior, Martin was a man of considerable military talent. Kushe had even had her life saved by him once before. It happened during the battle where the enemy first deployed their ultra-compact magic weaponry, where he had fiercely repelled the charging Witch of Fresh Verdure⁴ on her behalf.
Nor was he some simple-minded brute who relied solely on physical strength. Considering how he had unified a clan torn apart by a bloody succession feud following the death of his father—the previous patriarch—it was fair to say he was well-versed in both charismatic leadership and the darker arts of political maneuvering.
So why, then, did he become such a pathetic loser the moment the topic turned to his missing elder sister? Kushe cursed her lack of luck when it came to colleagues. Still, lamenting her fate wouldn’t change a thing.
”Hey, you know… if you don’t mind, could I sit in on that report too?” Kushe asked.
”Hm? My apologies, but this is an internal clan matter. It is not something I can simply permit an outsider to overhear,” Martin replied.
”Come on, now. You’re just going to tell General Van about it later anyway, aren’t you? You said it yourself before—that you’d need your sister’s power to conquer the Canaria Kingdom⁵. Since the General will eventually pass the word to the other officers, the only difference is whether I hear it now or later.”
”Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you have a point…”
Kushe forcibly overrode Martin’s hesitation. The reason she succeeded was almost certainly because his mind was currently adrift in a flowery field of delusion.
Kushe’s mood grew increasingly somber, yet she couldn’t bring herself to ignore her instincts. She understood all too well that if she chose to ignore them, the situation would only spiral further out of control.
* * *
A single woman with the same pink hair as Martin was waiting for them at their destination. That hair color served as proof of the clan’s potent bloodline; she likely possessed a significant amount of “power” as well.
”Oh, you’ve done well to return, Frearis!” Martin said.
”Y-Yes, Brother… Um, who is the person with you…?” Frearis asked.
”This is the Chief Court Mage, Lady Kushe. Don’t pay her any mind,” Martin said.
”I-I see. However…”
This woman, Frearis, was apparently Martin’s younger sister. While Kushe wasn’t aware of the fine details, she was technically his foster sister. Their father, who was obsessed with the purity of their lineage, had adopted her into the main branch from within the wider clan.
”Miss Frearis? Don’t let me bother you. To be honest, I think I already have a good idea of what’s in your report. I suspect it’ll be better for everyone if I’m here, rather than leaving the two of you alone…” Kushe said.
”What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t go making assumptions about Sister’s words on your own,” Martin replied, pouting.
In contrast to the sulking Martin, Frearis looked visibly relieved. The atmosphere between them felt less like siblings and more like a superior and a subordinate. Kushe felt a wave of sympathy for her; she understood the dread of delivering a report that contradicted a superior’s expectations.
”I-In that case, I shall begin the report…”
”Umu! Quickly now, let me hear Sister’s words! Deliver them to me exactly as she spoke them, without missing a single syllable!” Martin commanded.
Why is he digging his own grave so deep? Kushe and Frearis both looked like they wanted to clutch their heads, but the truth couldn’t be avoided forever. Frearis decided to relay the message Lily had given her during their encounter before the ambush.
”Sister, she…”
”Yes! And what did Sister say!?” Martin asked.
”She said, ‘You’re a creepy siscon. I’m happy now, so please never involve yourself with me again,’…” Frearis replied.
”Huh…? What did you just say…?” Martin asked.
”She said: ‘You’re a creepy siscon. I’m happy now, so please never involve yourself with me again.’”
”What…!? ? !? ? ?”
Why did she say it twice? Kushe began to suspect that this younger sister might actually have quite the personality on her as she watched with pity while Martin failed to process his sister’s words.
He staggered back with exaggerated movements before turning back to Frearis to interrogate her further. He really shouldn’t do that…
”T-That’s impossible! W-What did she really say…!?” Martin asked.
”‘You’re a creepy siscon. Please never involve yourself with me again.’”
”Guh…! F-Frearis, you…!”
”‘You’re a creepy siscon. Please never involve yourself with me again.’”
”Gah…!?”
”‘You’re a creepy siscon. Please never involve yourself with me again.’”
”Hidebu…!?”
Why did she repeat it three more times? And she even trimmed it down to the most emotionally devastating parts. To be fair, Martin’s sister-complex really was creepy. But still… yeah, it was creepy… I guess this is just karma… Kushe thought as she watched Martin writhe in agony.
”Sister was living in Canarias, the capital of the Canaria Kingdom, as the slave of a certain magic shop owner,” Frearis continued.
”S-Slave…!? Sister is a… slave…!?” Martin asked.
”Yes. However, from what I could observe, that is merely a formal title. In practice, she appears to be living as the shop owner’s wife.”
”W-Wife!? That sister of mine is the wife of some man I’ve never even heard of…!?”
”She is also apparently already pregnant with his child; she was happily stroking her belly when I saw her.”
”Pre…!? Pre-pre, pregnant!? Sister is going to be a mama!? !? !?”
”You’re a creepy siscon.”
”Tawaba…!?”
Why did she have to deliver the finishing blow after such a brutal beating? It felt as though that last line was definitely fueled by a personal grudge. While Kushe wore a winced “yikes…” expression, Martin, having heard the full extent of the report, stood there like a man who had been burnt to white ash, staring blankly up at the sky.
”Um… hey, little sister?” Kushe asked.
”I am Frearis. What is it, Chief Court Mage?”
”Ah, yeah. You can just call me Kushe. It’s just… well, if you leave this guy permanently broken, it’s going to cause some serious problems for the army…”
”I understand. However, I have done nothing more than faithfully execute my brother’s orders. I located Sister, inquired about the situation, attempted a forceful extraction once negotiations failed, engaged the enemy’s covert units, and returned home,” Frearis stated calmly.
”Y-Yeah. Good work, I guess…”
Apparently, the sister had been harboring a cold fury beneath that composed facade. What was with that flustered act earlier? On second thought, she might have just been on guard to ensure her “report” wasn’t interrupted before it could reach its target.
Kushe clutched her head for real this time. Could this man even be considered functional for the next battle…? As if sensing Kushe’s anxiety, Frearis spoke up.
”There is likely no need for concern, Lady Kushe. You are misjudging my brother.”
”Eh…?”
Frearis pointed toward Martin. When Kushe followed her gaze, she saw that Martin—who had looked like an empty shell just a moment ago—was now trembling violently. Then, he snapped back to consciousness.
”Hah…! S-So that’s what’s going on…!”
”Uh, yeah, what’s going on exactly…?” Kushe asked.
”In other words, Sister is calling out to me for help!” Martin shouted.
”Haaah?”
”There is no way my sister would ever tell me to ‘never involve yourself again’! Since she went out of her way to say it, I must perceive the hidden meaning behind her words!” Martin proclaimed.
”Ugh…”
He was truly, deeply creepy. Kushe felt a wave of genuine revulsion. Frearis looked equally repulsed as she caught Kushe’s eye and gave a subtle nod as if to say, “See? Told you.”
”Oh, Sister! To be forced into slavery and made to bear another man’s child, how tragic… This Martin will absolutely rescue you! Lady Kushe, what are you standing around for!? We must destroy that loathsome Pikeaxe Fort⁶ at once and launch our invasion of the Canaria Kingdom!!!”
Martin was now entirely consumed by his own delusions. It wasn’t clear how it had happened, but instead of losing his will to fight, he seemed more motivated than ever.
In any case, it appeared that his issues weren’t the primary source of the scent of “ruin” either. His spirit would undoubtedly break eventually, but it wouldn’t be today. If that was the case, then what…? Just as Kushe tilted her head in confusion, a soldier came rushing in, frantic.
”So you were here, Lord Count Martin Popol, Lady Kushe! Something terrible has happened! Please report to headquarters immediately!”
Ah, so this is the real deal… She couldn’t help but let out a sigh, and after giving the siscon a swift kick, she hurried toward the headquarters.
—
Summary:
Kushe investigates the ‘scent of ruin’ at the military base but finds only eccentric colleagues. Martin’s sister, Frearis, returns from a mission with a blunt message from Lily: she is happy, pregnant, and wants nothing to do with him. Martin’s delusional mind twists this into a cry for help, fueling his desire to invade the Canaria Kingdom. A sudden military emergency interrupts their exchange, signaling the arrival of the true crisis.
—
Character Insight:
Martin displays a terrifying level of cognitive dissonance; his obsession with his sister acts as both his greatest weakness and a bizarre source of resilience. Frearis shows a subtle, vengeful side, clearly enjoying the ‘report’ that psychologically dismantles her brother. Kushe acts as the ‘straight man’ in this comedic tragedy, highlighting the absurdity of the Coalmine Kingdom’s leadership.
—
Behind the Scene:
The author uses ‘Hidebu’ and ‘Tawaba’—classic death cries from ‘Fist of the North Star’—to emphasize Martin’s psychological ‘death’ at the hands of his sister’s words.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Kushe – The Chief Mage of the Coalmine Kingdom. She has dark green hair grown out haphazardly and wears a mage robe loosely over her shoulders. She has a blunt, informal, and somewhat insensitive personality, focused on her ‘thinking experiments.’
• Martin – Lily’s non-blood-related younger brother. Considered the strongest candidate to succeed the Popol family due to his lineage and manifested ‘power. He has pink hair.
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Witch of Fresh Verdure – A legendary elf from the Age of Heroes. She is a true ‘magic user’ from an era before formalized magic systems. She is an old friend of the Canaria Kingdom’s founding king.
• Frearis – Martin’s younger foster sister. Has pink hair. Member of the covert unit. Displays a cold, almost vengeful pragmatism when reporting her sister’s words to Martin.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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