Kays Translations

Chapter 45: Absolute vs. Black Fairy

“Why are you here…?”

In this situation where they were about to give up with no way to counter the enemy using hostages, the one who appeared was the next head of the Ark Duke family, infamous worldwide—Absolute Ark.

He was Leone’s classmate and a person she found difficult to deal with due to her dislike of evil.

“You lot, blocking the road with such a large number of people, what are you thinking? Move, you’re in the way.”

“……………………”

With many eyes gathered on him, Absolute Ark spoke without flinching. It was an inappropriate statement given the life-and-death situation, but no one could point it out.

Because everyone was wary of Absolute Ark.

Both the Black Fairy and the Suiroku Kingdom’s side couldn’t identify which side this suddenly appearing, detestable man belonged to.

“Mr. Absolute…”

“Since the exercise, Princess Leone.”

“Your Highness, do you know him?”

“He is a classmate from the Kingdom of Rainana. Probably not an enemy? I think… right?”

Leone answered hesitantly.

It was understandable. Though the Ark family was nobility, their hidden face was that of an underground organization leader.

Even though he just said he wasn’t an enemy, she wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly said, ‘No, I am an enemy.’

“I’ll tell you, I’m not an enemy of Princess Leone.”

“…Really?”

“Ah, I swear on the pride of my family crest.”

“……………”

After their gazes met for a few moments, Princess Leone showed a relieved expression.

The tense atmosphere eased for a moment.

But it soon returned to its original state.

“Hmm. You’re quite a good-looking guy, although you give off a strong sense of unpleasantness. Just to be clear, are you our enemy?”

“I’m not on anyone’s side, but there’s no doubt that I’m your enemy.”

“Oh, I see. Just so you know, we have hostages here. If you try anything funny, I’ll kill this kid.”

Bruce, who had been wary of Absolute the whole time, declared while showing off the hostage.

At that moment, Leone was reminded of the reality of the situation.

(Even though Absolute has come, we can’t do anything with hostages taken.)

The situation hadn’t changed at all. Realizing this, Leone wore a pained expression.

“Absolute, please run away. This is Suiroku Kingdom’s problem… I can’t involve you—”

She didn’t want to drag Absolute, a noble from another country, into this.

When a young child is taken hostage, any decent person would find it difficult to make a proper judgment, playing right into the enemy’s hands.

However, Absolute alone did not change his expression in this situation.

“Hostages, huh… I see. It’s quite effective against Princess Leone, who has a duty to protect her people. Letting them die could have long-term consequences.”

Absolute calmly and clearly stated Leone’s current situation and why she couldn’t act.

He was completely unfazed by the hostages.

Rather, he gave off a vibe that suggested he was somewhat detached, as if he might not even be interested.

This somehow gave Leone an uneasy feeling.

“Yes, that’s why you should—”

“But that’s only effective because she finds value in the hostage.”

(Because she finds value… No way!)

With those words, Leone realized what Absolute intended to do.

Absolute, being from another country, did not find any value in the hostage. He was going to kill the child hostage.

“Dark Hole.”

“Stop—”

Squelch—

“Huh?”

A black arm emerged from the ground, piercing through both Bruce and the child hostage.

In an instant, the place fell silent.

No one could comprehend what had just happened.

The child hostage was instantly killed, their heart pierced.

Bruce was still breathing but had suffered a fatal wound.

“No… way. You killed the hostage too… Do you have no conscience?”

Bruce looked at Absolute with disbelief.

No matter how detached someone might be, would there really be a person who would unhesitatingly kill a child hostage along with their captor?

“So what?” 

“…?!”

“Conscience? I discarded such a thing the moment I decided to walk the path of evil. I’ve killed many people. Sometimes, I even had to deal with children younger than myself.

These hands are already stained, and I’ve chosen to live as a villain. Do you think I’d hesitate over a mere hostage? Don’t underestimate me, you nobody.”

Bruce could only let out a dry laugh at the statements of the man before him.

“Determination… fully committed, huh. Unbelievable…”

As the magical arm disappeared, Bruce collapsed to the ground.

Witnessing this scene, the bandits were thrown into disarray.

“N-no way… Bruce is…”

With their leader lost, the bandits had no will left to fight. A hero would likely stop engaging with opponents who had lost their will to fight. But present here was the villain, Absolute Ark.

There was no mercy.

The enemy would be annihilated.

“You’re next.”

The words were cold and impersonal, like a death sentence.

Absolute’s magical power was already spread around the area.

“Dark Hole.”

With this single word as the signal, Absolute began his ruthless massacre.

　♢

A multitude of arms created by Absolute assaulted the bandits.

Leone watched the scene, trembling with fear.

It was like a vision of hell.

The distinct iron scent of blood filled the air, so overwhelming it made her feel nauseous.

Like plucking fruit from a tree, the arms created by Absolute twisted off the bandits’ heads, and their limbs, gripped by countless hands, shattered with an unpleasant sound like a broken instrument.

“Aaaahhhh—!!”

Why…

“My arm, aaahhhh—!!”

How can someone be so ruthless?

“Please, help—aaaahhh—!!”

It was as if he were enjoying the slaughter.

The magic that produced those numerous hands was incredibly powerful. It dominated the area, showing no regard for the hundred-plus enemies. With such power, why did he kill the child? Couldn’t he have rescued the hostage instead?

The thought crossed her mind.

The massacre ended in less than a minute.

Confirming there were no more enemies, Absolute turned around.

“It’s over. The important thi—”

Smack!

As he turned to face Leone, she slapped Absolute across the cheek.

The sharp sound echoed in the silence.

“What are you doing, Princess Leone?”

“Do you even understand what you’ve done?”

Leone approached Absolute, tears streaming down her face.

“What I did? I killed the enemy. What’s the problem?”

Absolute spoke calmly.

His lack of understanding only further irritated Leone.

“Who in their right mind would kill the hostage as well?! Killing an innocent child… You’re a monster! Why did you…”

Leone held the lifeless body of the child hostage, tears streaming down her face. The corpse was lighter and smaller than she had imagined.

A life that could have been saved… Why…

“Why did you kill him?!”

Absolute had killed both the hostage and the enemy.

Leone’s anger was palpable at his merciless, unethical actions.

(A child shouldn’t have to die in a place like this. He could have fought while protecting the hostage… but instead…)

As tears flowed down her face, Leone demanded answers from Absolute. He responded calmly.

“Why did I kill him? To protect you. After all, you were the one taken hostage, and the situation was at a deadlock, wasn’t it?”

Leone couldn’t find her voice.

She could only glare at Absolute, unable to refute his words. She felt frustrated by her own powerlessness.

“You’re tired. Go back to the carriage and cool your head.”

“But the conversation isn’t—”

“Princess, I agree with him. You’re not used to this kind of battle, and there’s unseen exhaustion. Please leave the rest to us and get some rest.”

Interrupting Leone’s outburst, the knight sided with Absolute. After calming down a bit and looking around, Leone noticed the other knights were also looking at her with concern.

“…Fine.”

Not wanting to show too much emotion, Leone left the child’s body and returned to the carriage as instructed.

“Ugh…”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt overwhelmed by her own powerlessness.

Not wanting anyone outside to hear, Leone suppressed her voice and quietly let her tears flow.

　

　◆

I glimpsed at her back as she returned to the carriage.

Although I succeeded in saving Princess Leone, our relationship has deteriorated.

We weren’t particularly close to begin with, but I can’t help but hope that this won’t affect the event’s progress.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Allow me to express gratitude on behalf of the princess.”

One of the knights bowed respectfully to Absolute and expressed his thanks.

“It’s unnecessary. I am Absolute Ark, the heir to the dukedom of Ark in the Kingdom of Rainana. I received a request from His Royal Highness Cecilian, acting king of the Kingdom of Suiroku. This falls within the scope of my duties.”

Absolute presented a sealed letter containing the royal seal to the knight, proving that he wasn’t lying.

“…Indeed. We thank you once again for accepting the request. However—”

The knight continued, glaring at Absolute.

“The matter of you killing an innocent hostage child is problematic. While it may have been unavoidable given the circumstances, judging from your fighting prowess just now, couldn’t you have saved him?”

The knight said, “Did you intentionally kill them?” and—

“If it were proven that it was intentional, it would indeed be a problem. We will formally protest to the Kingdom of Rainana later.”

The knight protested to Absolute without flinching.

“Innocent…?”

As Absolute muttered, he sat beside the corpse of the child who had been a hostage. Then, he removed the jacket the child had been wearing.

“Look at this.”

“Eh? Th-this is…”

The child’s body, now devoid of the jacket, was not normal. Despite ribs protruding abnormally, the stomach was swollen like a balloon.

This was due to malnutrition. And it wasn’t something that happened overnight; it had become chronic.

This was a symptom commonly seen among slum dwellers, known as ascites. Seeing this, the knight understood they had been deceived.

“Despite being dressed in clothes, this kid is from the same slum as them. In other words, they’re one of them.”

“So even the hostage was in on it…”

The knight said angrily, his voice trembling.

“I killed them with that in mind. There’s only a downside to letting them go. Princess Leone might even let this one ride in the carriage, and if that happens, we wouldn’t stand a chance if they were to strike unexpectedly.”

In fact, in the original story, something similar had happened. Despite managing to rescue Princess Leone along with the hostages, the hero let his guard down, and that child attempted to kill Princess Leone with a hidden knife. Thankfully, Maria, who was always on high alert, intervened, averting disaster. This unexpected turn of events left a lasting impression on all readers.

Absolute knew from the beginning that the hostages were enemies.

That’s why he didn’t hesitate to kill them.

“To think even children are enemies…”

“They control the entire slum, after all. We have no choice but to comply.”

Absolute looked around and noticed something.

“Hey, where’s the body of the boss of this group?”

“You mean the one with the distinct way of speaking? Then around here… Wait?”

The body of Bruce, ranked fourth in the Black Fairy hierarchy, was nowhere to be found. He had been pierced through the heart (or coccyx) by Absolute’s magical arm.

It should have been a fatal blow. Absolute had indeed pierced his body. There was no way he could move.

Yet the absence of a corpse was strange.

(Could he be alive? His skill is [Mimicry]. Did he assimilate into the surroundings and escape… No, that’s odd. He was bleeding from his stomach; if he had escaped, there would have been bloodstains left behind to some extent. Yet, even those are absent. He disappeared from this scene without a trace. I don’t know how, but it’s my failure.)

Absolute cursed inwardly.

Was he being complacent somewhere?

He never thought he would let the opponent escape.

(Well, it doesn’t matter. I can erase a man like him anytime.)

As Absolute concluded in his mind, he noticed the negotiator suspiciously moving at the edge of his field of vision. It seemed like they were using something like a shovel to push a body to the side of the road.

“What are you doing, negotiator?”

“Oh, just clearing away the bodies that are in the way.”

“…I see.”

For a moment, Absolute thought the negotiator might be the culprit, but he quickly dismissed the idea. This guy was a man who, even in the original story, only cared about money and his own life. Letting Bruce escape wouldn’t benefit him.

“Mr. Ark, could you clean up as usual with your magic?”

“There’s no need to cover up evidence this time. No need to show our hand to those from other countries.”

(But the scene is still gruesome. I should refrain from leaving a hundred dismembered bodies scattered around…)

Since he didn’t want to delay departure by neatly arranging them, Absolute used a large number of hands created with Dark Hole magic to stack and clean up the bodies by the side of the road.

After finishing the disposal of the bodies and returning to the carriage, Ur was puffing out his cheeks, waiting in front of the carriage.

“Why are you puffing out your cheeks, Ur?”

(What? Did she not like being left behind?)

Unable to comprehend what Ur was angry about, Absolute directly asked her.

“That princess, she hit Master. Even though Master saved her…”

It seemed Ur was dissatisfied with Princess Leone’s attitude.

It was a bit comforting to see her angry on behalf of his master.

“Ur, I’m not bothered by it. She must have been confused after being attacked.”

Saying so, Absolute lightly placed his hand on Ur’s head.

“Mmm…”

After feeling soothed by Ur, who puffed out her cheeks cutely for his sake, Absolute and his party departed from the scene, heading towards the Kingdom of Suiroku.

　♢

The estate of the Lord of the Third City of the Kingdom of Suiroku.

The mansion where the master was killed had been occupied by the main culprit, the Black Fairy, and was being used as a second stronghold.

In the meeting room of that mansion, the four executives of the Black Fairy were gathered.

The executives sat around the round table.

The members of the Black Fairy numbered only seven. Including the lower-ranking members, the total increased significantly, but only these seven could be considered the core of the Black Fairy.

Ranked first and the boss of the organization: Evil, the spirit user.

Ranked second: Bout, the brawler.

Ranked sixth: Jack, the silent one.

Ranked seventh: Red Eye, the weapons dealer.

Although not present in this place, Bruce, ranked fourth in the hierarchy and known as “The Disappeared,” was also listed among the executives. The other empty seats were not criticized by anyone, as they belonged to members who rarely showed their faces or were unable to attend.

“What’s the gathering for today, Evil? Are we finally going to attack the second city?” 

A muscular, scar-ridden man who seemed more like a warrior than an ordinary person, and was twice the size of an average man, asked. He was Bout, ranked second in the hierarchy, known as the brawler.

Evil showed irritation in response to Bout’s question.

“It’s about what happened to Bruce. That idiot messed up the assassination of Princess Leone.”

It was common knowledge that Bruce, who had been tasked with assassinating Princess Leone, had failed.

According to information from subordinates, Bruce had suffered massive bleeding and suddenly fell from the sky.

Although it was touch and go, fortunately, it seemed he had survived and his wounds had healed after taking healing potions.

“There shouldn’t have been significant guards according to the information provider, right? What about Bruce?”

Red Eye, one of the executives, inquired.

“That bastard seems to have lost his memory due to shock. It pissed me off, so I sent him to the torture chamber. Well, maybe Princess Leone was stronger than expected. Even that pig seemed to be a disciple of the Sword Saint of Light.”

Princess Leone was recognized as one of the top talents in the Kingdom of Suiroku by everyone. However, they hadn’t expected her to be powerful enough to wipe out such a disparity in military strength.

Each of them began to reassess Princess Leone’s capabilities.

“They must have had a decent number, right? Yet, she survived despite the difference in strength. Princess Leone… I look forward to meeting her on the battlefield.”

Bout, the brawler, grinned.

Jack, the silent man in ninja attire who had been silent until now, raised his hand and spoke.

“As the boss instructed, I went to see the site of the battle. Indeed, everyone was killed. But that’s not all… they intentionally piled up the bodies as if it were a display and left them there.”

“Oh…”

Everyone present showed interest in this report.

If they intentionally left the bodies instead of disposing of them, there must have been some meaning behind it.

It was probably a message to us, as Jack mentioned, serving as a warning from the kingdom.

“Evil…”

“Yeah… it’s like a warning that this is what will happen if we mess with them. There are some gutsy bastards among them, despite thinking they were all lukewarm.”

Evil grinned mischievously and issued instructions to the members around the round table.

“Let’s go. The next target is the second city.”

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter