Kays Translations

Chapter 60: The Final Sentence

Sandelica is surrounded by a majestic atmosphere. The atmosphere is especially tense at the Triston Trading Company, the center of the recent disturbance.

People walking by are paying attention to what’s going on, and the crowd is gradually increasing.

“–You’re here.”

A rattling sound echoed. Several horse-drawn wagons with large carts connected to them had arrived. And many soldiers.

The bustle grew even louder when military personnel showed up. Everyone understood. The present situation was extremely tense.

“Your Excellency the Grand Duke. The preparations are complete.”

“I see. How’s the hunt going?”

“There is no problem. All the Triston trading company officials who were out there, all of them, are reported to have been taken into custody.”

“That was fast.”

“We had given strict instructions not to let anything happen, especially to those we had our eyes on.”

For those who seemed to be spies, They disguised themselves as citizens and stunned them with a surprise attack.

He also instructed other members of the trading company to be rendered unconscious at the first sign of suspicious activity.

As expected of a soldier of a superpower, a specialist in the intelligence field. They show us a variety of restraint capabilities that allow no resistance.

“Then let us finish quickly. Let’s rush in.”

“Ha! First and second squads, surround the trading company and set up a perimeter! The rest of you, move in! Recover everything inside! Do not miss a single piece of evidence!”

“””Yes sir!!”””

Lute’s order. The soldiers begin to act accordingly.

At last, Lute and his team entered the Triston Trading Company, a nest of Republic state agents.

“Let’s say we greet the head of this place first. Colonel, can you show us around?”

“We have the floor plan. This way.”

Led by Landvald, Lute moves through the trading company..

Inside, the scene was bizarre. People who had stopped moving in the middle of their daily activities were present here and there.

This was the result of Lute’s use of his power as a demi-god. All the people in the Trading Company were frozen in their time without warning, and this was the result of the scene.

A space that is supposed to be real, but lacks a sense of reality. It’s noisy now because the soldiers are moving around, but otherwise it would have been different.

A swarm of “dolls” that looked as if they would start moving at any moment and a silent space. It was like a kind of work of art, and must have created an eerie nightmare.

“──This is the office of the branch manager.”

“Ah”

Follow Landvald’s lead and open the door.

Beyond the door was a room lined with a number of high-quality, exotic furnishings typical of a trader.

And there was one who was frozen like the rest. There was a well-dressed man, frozen in front of his desk with a pen in his hand.

“That man is the head of the Sandelica branch of the Triston Trading Company. His name is Jake.”

“I see. Then let’s talk.”

At the same time as those words, the man’s time begins to move. The pen runs over the document as if nothing had happened.

Lute thawed the freeze. In order to discuss the future with the representative of the company, no, to make a declaration.

“…? Who are you guys!? How long have you been there?”

Sensing a presence, Jake lifted his head from the paperwork and jumped up with all his might.

From his perspective, before he knew it, two strangers were standing in front of him. No wonder he was surprised.

However, the situation is not calm enough for him to be able to understand such sentiments.

“Huh? Who am I? You don’t seem to know anything for a merchant.”

Lute laughs. Pompously, yet tremulously horrifying.

He intimidates the merchant in front of him with the pressure of his demi-god status.

Even if Jake’s question or reaction is legitimate. The words exchanged are harsh. The responses are unrelenting in the slightest.

The strong power that is about to be invoked is therefore required to behave accordingly.

Because a declaration that would shake a single nation should not be made with a feckless attitude.

“How many people do you think there are in the land who look like this? I’m proud to say that it’s a very distinctive feature.”

“W-No way…!?”

Faintly shining blue hair and blue eyes. Jake hurriedly dropped to his knees as he finally remembered who possessed the trait.

His face is sweating like a waterfall. His shoulders are shaking slightly.

Even if the situation could not be grasped yet, he probably understood that an extraordinary situation was occurring.

“Blue hair and blue eyes. I can see that mysterious figure as His Excellency the Grand Duke of Coigne, is there no difference…!?”

“You’re right, Jake. It was a bit of a guess, but as soon as you hit on the possibility, your decision to take a knee was excellent. It was brilliant.”

Lute claps his hands lightly with a crackle. But that attitude, that line. Both of them are too bland.

In addition to the current situation that makes no sense, the praise is empty of substance. Even the expression “disturbing” is lukewarm.

“… I-I’m sorry. But why is your Excellency, the Grand Duke, in a place like this? Well, if you had just said something to us, we would have come to you without you going to the trouble of coming yourself…. Or, at the very least, if you could have given us a heads-up of your visit, we would have given you our utmost hospitality. ….”

He cannot stop speaking. He must try to use the most polite language possible so as never to provoke the great nobleman standing in front of him.

If he made a bad move, he would lose his life. Jake was convinced of this. There was enough hostility to make him understand, even if he didn’t want to.

“Don’t worry, Jake. I, no, we didn’t come to this store as customers. We came here as a shield to protect this country. Colonel Landvald.”

“Ha”

A quick glance. With that alone, Landvald successfully captures Lute’s intention.

“Jake Tor. As a representative of this business association, you are obligated to cooperate with us to the best of your ability.”

“Cooperation ……?”

“That’s right. The Trading Company is now under our control. Every single person in the Trading Company will be detained and later interrogated. All goods, documents, and other items will be confiscated. Every inch of the building will be searched. You will cooperate fully with us.”

“Wait a minute!! Why on earth would you do that!?”

A startled cry echoed through the room. No, the cry was a scream.

“I can’t think of any reason why I should be treated like that! Isn’t that too arrogant!?”

“It’s not tyranny. This is justified treatment.”

“I say I don’t have any idea what you are talking about!! Our company is doing business honestly! We’re not doing anything illegal!”

“It’s not because of dishonesty. Two members of this trading company attacked His Excellency, the Grand Duke of Coigne, while he was out on a secret visit. That is the reason.”

“……What?”

Jake was simply crestfallen when he was told the shocking details.

Where is the momentum so far? The spirit of rebellion against tyranny was quickly extinguished.

What sprouts instead is fear. If the content is true, it’s a big problem that I can’t deal with very well on my own.

‘If you hit poorly, you’ll lose your life?’ This is not such an area. It is far more than just one person’s head.

The Triston Trading Company itself, including the head office, will be destroyed. If only that were the case, we would be happy.

“…… Oh, please wait ……”

“Even though he is incognito, His Excellency the Grand Duke was dressed in a manner that would identify him as a member of the ducal family. The attack was not a tragedy that took place as a result of a sneak attack. It was a clear act of hostility against the Duchesse de Gascoigne.”

“……Please wait……!”

“This incident cannot be overlooked. Since you are based in the Kingdom of Zeon, it can be interpreted as a declaration of war from your homeland to our country.Therefore, we will thoroughly investigate it.”

“Please wait…!! Please, please wait!!”

It was a plea. A man who reigned as the branch manager of a large scale merchant company that also opened stores in other countries. A man who should have been an undeniable success as a merchant was clinging to Landvald without shame or honor.

“Is that true…!? Is it really true that someone from our Trading company attacked your Excellency, the Grand Duke!?”

“Oh. It’s true.”

It was Lute who answered that desperate question.

With an expression that seems to pity the pitiful man clinging to him, he lays out the facts as if to crush even the slightest hope.

“The attacker is not dead. Due to the special magic I used, he was frozen in a stance of attack. If I break the spell, they will move in a blink of an eye. They may not understand what’s happening and try to continue the attack.”

“Oh, oh…”

“Naturally, the body is clean. There is not a single external injury. It was easy to identify him. We were aware of the presence of a disgruntled member of the trade association, and the staff had been investigated. So there was no way they could get away with it.”

“Ah…!?”

Jammed. It’s hopelessly clogged. There is no room for excuses, and it is impossible to even defuse the situation.

“Poor Jake. If you’re an excellent person, you should be able to understand that your homeland is about to be exposed to the ravages of war. And that you yourself are suspected of being a disturbing element. Many lives, including yourself, may be lost.”

Like a saint who proclaims salvation, Lute ends with a voice overflowing with compassion.

“This matter is as delicate as a dry leaf. If you don’t use the right amount of force, it will crumble into pieces. You don’t want that, right? — Now, Jake, don’t cry and answer quickly. I’m waiting for the word “yes”

“…I’ll be happy to help you, yes, sir. I, Jake, would like to cooperate fully with you. ……”

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