Chapter 149: Come Out!

“What was that voice just now?!”
“W-What are you doing?!”
“Why are you causing a commotion?!”

Oh, perfect. Some people came to fetch me, so I spun everyone around with [Whirlwind!] and drained the magic of the first guy.

Maybe I spun him a little too hard—his legs got tangled, and he’s collapsed, vomiting, making interrogation impossible.

I drained the magic from the eight who came later, then kicked the guy who brought me over and demanded answers.

“Forcibly bringing someone here and leaving them unattended… do you take adventurers lightly?!”

“Whaaa… magic… ugh…”

Gross. I might have been splashed, so I cast [Clean!] on myself. Then I heard another soft poof and turned to see someone staggering toward me with a sword.

If that’s how they want it, no holding back. I pull a short spear from my magic bag and crush both of his collarbones.

The rest of the knights see my actions and reach for their swords, but I snap every one of their arms.

“Damn it, stop!”
“Curse you! Get him! A bandit’s running wild!”
“Be careful! He’s using strange magic!”

“What’s going on?”
“Who’s that guy?”

“Be careful! He’s using weird magic!”
“His arms are broken. Don’t let him escape!”

Escape? Not happening.

I push back the oncoming attackers with a slightly stronger [Whirlwind!], thinking about where I could meet this Viscount Valenzai person.

“Waaaah!”
“W-What… what’s happening?!”
“My head… spinning!”

The salon and guest rooms are probably on the first floor, and the office might be on the second.

Since I’m unfamiliar with a noble’s mansion, I decide to start searching from the first floor.

A group rushes from a distance, so I unleash a stronger [Whirlwind!] at full speed.

While hearing distant screams, I shout, “Viscount Valenzai! How dare you summon someone and leave them waiting!”—but no response.

If he doesn’t come out, I’ll destroy this mansion until he does.

I fend off five or six attackers with repeated [Whirlwind!], and after that, no one dares approach again.

I call out for the Viscount repeatedly, but still no answer.

“Viscount, an adventurer has gone berserk and can’t be restrained!”
“He seems to be using wind magic; we can’t handle him!”

“Captain of the knights! Why can’t you restrain a single adventurer?!”

“I was in training until recently. I hear it’s that man, but why is he here?”

“The knights reported it. I issued a subjugation request, but he ignored it!”

“Viscount, he’s a member of the Dragon Slayers. We often saw him flying in battle, and you must have heard of his exploits hunting beasts.”

“But even so, the rumors only say he spun dragons and armored buffalo in whirlwinds. He didn’t actually slay a dragon, right?”

“Yes, but reports say that the man rumored to do that’s using wind magic inside the mansion, and we can’t stop him. You should deploy the magic unit.”

“And you call yourself a knight captain?!”

“It’s because we’re a knight corps. Fighting a mage outdoors is manageable, but inside the mansion, we’re at a disadvantage. At this rate, the mansion will be destroyed.”

“Using the magic unit will only make things worse!”

“Then what will you do? He’s calling for you, Viscount—will you meet him?”

“That’s enough! Father, I’ll personally cut down this insolent fool. Your cowardly captain disgusts me!”

“Fritz, well said. Use as many soldiers as you like!”

“Thank you. That ridiculous ‘Breeze’ fellow will regret defying House Valenzai. Captain, stand there and watch me fight!”

“He only flew in battle. He was useful as a scout, but a fool for misunderstanding his value—train him properly.”

No, that’s too naive. Saying he “only flew in battle” is absurd.

The war had been easy to win because that man observed everything and reported it. While we waited at Blange, beasts overflowed around Roxanne and Korché, prompting large-scale subjugations, and a dragon was slain as well.

That man was rumored to have played a major role in those subjugations and in defeating the dragon. Had the Viscount truly heard none of it?

Thanks to him, the war ended in victory and we were praised for our valor by His Majesty. By the time we returned triumphantly from Emilia, the excitement over the beast outbreak and dragon subjugation had died down so completely that they were no longer tavern gossip.

The noble Viscount probably knows nothing of city rumors or adventurer gossip. Why that man is in Elvira and why the Viscount summoned him remains unclear.

“Form a shield line! Archers, fire continuously!”

“The wind’s too strong!”

“Lord Fritz, it’s impossible to hold a shield in this storm. Only the magic unit can counter it!”

“Silence! If we retreat over this, it’s a disgrace to the Valenzai knights who ran through Madras and Emilia!”

“This isn’t a battlefield; it’s a mansion hallway. Against a mage, only another mage can respond!”

“Damn it! Call the magic unit commander!”

“Danger! Duck!”

Before I knew it, the wind swept me away. My body spun, my head reeled, and I lost consciousness.

Among the fallen knights and soldiers, I spotted a high-ranking knight and a foolish-looking man dressed as a noble.

Turning toward groans, I see a man who looks like a servant holding his arm at the corner of the room.

“Their names?”

“D-Don’t kill me…”

“I won’t if you don’t attack. I want the names of those lying there.”

“It’s… Lord Fritz and Knight Captain Melbarton… Are they dead?”

“Not yet. Is Fritz related to Viscount Valenzai?”

“He’s his eldest son. If you do something like this…”

“So, where’s Viscount Valenzai? Can you tell me the office or the living room? Refuse, and I’ll toss you out the window.”

“The office is on the second floor. I don’t know where the Viscount is, so please spare me!”

“Thank you. Get out of the mansion unless you want to suffer worse than a few injuries.”

I watch the servant stagger out and kick the side of Lord Fritz, who’s lying there looking comfortable.

“Ugh!” he groans, but doesn’t wake, so I kick him three more times.

“Uwaa! It hurts… someone!”

“Fritz, wake up.”

“It hurts… call a healer.”

“Open your eyes. Do I look like one of your subordinates?”

“…Who are you?”

“I’m the adventurer your father summoned. What does he want with me? And you, old man lying beside him—stop pretending to be dead.”

“I feel sick from being blown around… what did you do?”

“I hear you’re his bodyguard. Where’s Viscount Valenzai?”

“What are you planning?”

“I was dragged here from the Adventurer’s Guild and left unattended. When I ask to meet the Viscount, you use violence. Is he really that important?”

“I see… so you were attacked?”

He seems to find it hilarious, clutching his stomach and laughing.

“Melbarton, what’s so funny?! Cut him down!”

“Lord Fritz, are you telling me to fight someone we can’t defeat?”

“Hm… you know me?”

“I saw you flying across the battlefield and directing the troops. I heard that Duke Barland trusts you deeply, and I also heard about your beast and dragon subjugations.”

“Melbarton… is that true?”

“Yes. Didn’t you know? In Blange, rumors spread that he spoke directly with Duke Barland, refused a title, and demanded a reward before leaving Emilia—even emptying a wine cellar. Why did you summon this man?”

Hey… I never emptied the wine cellar that much!

“That… was because Father, um—”

“Earlier you said the Viscount requested a subjugation—what was that about?”

“Wait… did you say subjugation request? You know what that means, right?”

I thrust the royal ID in front of Fritz’s nose. He went pale and shut up.

“That… is real?”

“Yes. I have one of these too.”

I displayed it beside Duke Barland’s identification card. “You’re even more formidable than the rumors suggested,” Melbarton muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead.

“Fritz, lead me to the Viscount. If you attack me any further, I’ll crush the Valenzai family.”

Led by two barely able to walk, I headed to Viscount Valenzai, with Fritz shouting, “Stand back! No one attacks!”

Even though the attacks had stopped, relying only on clothing enchanted with blade resistance, impact resistance, and magic nullification was still nerve-racking. A single shot through the head would kill me.

Maybe I should find a spirit associated with Barrier Magic and ask it to protect me.

Since we passed the staircase, he apparently wasn’t in his second-floor office. Perhaps he was in the salon.

Fritz stopped before a door guarded by knights on both sides and ordered, “Open it.”

He gave the order imperiously, seemingly unaware that the whirlwind had left his hair and clothes in complete disarray.

The knight knocks, and the door quietly opens.

“Father, I’ve brought Lord Leon.”

Whoa… that’s a huge change from earlier attitude.

“Lord Leon? What are you… Fritz, what’s that outfit?!”

The man seated on the sofa shouted, and Fritz finally noticed his own disheveled appearance.

“Melbarton, what’s going on?”

“So you’re Viscount Valenzai. What do you want with me?”

The guards behind the Viscount are wary, but seeing Fritz and Melbarton do nothing, they hesitate.

“Who are you?”

“Who am I? You summoned someone and then drank comfortably while leaving them waiting!”

“Fritz, who’s that man?”

“Viscount, Lord Leon carries identification marking him as Chancellor Brighton’s close aide, with treatment equivalent to a count.”

“Father, he also holds identification from Duke Barland and the kingdom, so…”

Fritz hesitates, so I stand before the Viscount and press the royal ID to his nose.