Volume 9 Chapter 13 Target The Demon King's High-Ranking Officer!
Our plan is to take advantage of the Demon King's high-ranking officer who's here.
We'll use them to fabricate evidence of this shop's treason against the Demon King, and we're good to go.
Luckily, we've also found the stolen statue from Barcow's shop, so we know this shop is guilty.
All we need to do now is come up with a strategy and put it into action.
The 3 of us――me, Ice, and Rollo――were discussing our plan in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot near the door where the shop owner and high-ranking officer would talk.
"I think there are 2 main directions we can take with our strategy."
I said, breaking the ice.
"One way is to make the Demon King's high-ranking officer disappear in this shop, and then get the Demon King's army to investigate. Or, we can turn the high-ranking officer's hatred towards this shop and get them to report back to the Demon King's army, which would then crush this shop."
"The 'disappearance' method might take some time, though... We'd have to make it look like they're suspicious and get the investigation to come to us, step by step... And making them disappear in the first place might be a bit tricky, too..."
"As for the 'hatred' method~, it all depends on how well the shop owner can talk their way out of it~... If we do it right, it'll be quick, but~..."
Ice was talking about the first method, and Rollo was discussing the second. Both of them made valid points, and I nodded in agreement.
"The 'disappearance' method is a bit tricky because we don't have the know-how. It's not that hard to kidnap someone without killing them, but thinking about what to do afterwards, like where to release them, is a pain."
You can't just kill someone and then deal with the aftermath like humans do. With demons, killing them equals releasing them. You can't just leave a dead body lying around, so it's a real hassle.
There's also the possibility that strong demons might not revive for a while after being killed, but it's not something we can count on. Being a high-ranking officer and being strong aren't always the same thing, after all.
"As for the shop owner's silver tongue, if we kill them, it'll be quick and certain. And if the high-ranking officer escapes during that time, then we're done for."
"So~, are you saying we should go with the 'hatred' strategy, Master?"
"That's right. Let's do it that way. Is that okay with you, Ice?"
"Uh... Wade-kun's wish is my wish, so...!"
"Thanks. Let's go then."
We start walking together. Rollo says with a wry smile, "Hey~, just to make it clear~, I'm not gonna fight, okay~? I don't wanna get caught up and die~!" as we approach the door.
In front of the door, 2 demons in maid outfits are waiting, giving off an air of anticipation.
Ice quietly releases an ice bird. It chirps and flies above the 2 maid demons' heads.
"Is that enough...?"
When Ice asks, the maids don't even flinch, frozen in place like statues. I avert my gaze, thinking they're like ice sculptures.
Then, I put my ear to the door.
'Hahahahaha! So that's it! You've finally got that sculpture! I was so troubled by that antique dealer. Well done!'
'Yes, yes... it's all for the sake of our esteemed Colonel-dono, after all.'
I think to myself, it seems that originally, this was something a high-ranking officer wanted. But the owner of this shop snatched it from under their nose.
'Hey! Bring more booze! That guy's a real piece of work! We'll make Colonel-sama feel even better!'
The shop owner gives orders from inside the room. The maids are still frozen in place. We exchange a look, deciding to take this opportunity.
I take a deep breath. That calms me down. We all cover our faces with a cloth, and I mutter, "Brahma=Atman," and touch the door.
A flashy entrance is always best. I use all my strength to burst the door open.
The door shatters with a loud crash, scattering debris inside the room. The shop owner panics, covering his head, while the high-ranking officer draws their sword, enraged.
"What's going on! Shop owner! What have you done?!"
"No, no, no..."
That's when Ice's ice bird freezes the shop owner's mouth shut. I declare loudly, overriding the shop owner's denial.
"Don't hold a grudge, Colonel-sama! For the sake of this shop's further prosperity, you'll have to disappear here!"
"―――I went to so much trouble to prepare that sculpture, and it was all to lure me here, wasn't it?! You're going down, shopkeeper! I'll have you thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon for treason!"
"Nnn! Nnn!"
The shopkeeper tearfully denied it, but I was already on the attack, targeting the high official. I transformed Durandal into a normal sword size and leaped into a slashing attack, posing as a common assassin.
The high official, it seemed, was quite skilled in combat, and they easily parried my first strike. "Heh... Not bad...!" they sneered at me, holding back their true strength.
I decided to fake an order to my comrades to rile up the high official's sense of danger.
"Don't kill the colonel! If we kill then and escape, our plan will fail! Disable them here and bring them back to the slums!"
"Got it, understood..."
"Huh? That's different from our previous plan!"
Ice nodded, knowing it was a lie, while Rollo was deceived and got hit by Ice.
The high official sneered at me, laughing fearlessly.
"Ah, so it's the slums, after all... A den of thieves and scum. You're the one who'll rust my sword skills."
"...I'll take your head...!"
I kept up the conversation, pretending to be serious, while holding back my attacks. The high official parried my sword and tried to counterattack, but I beat him to it and struck him down.
It looked like I was barely holding my own, but in reality, I had the upper hand. I couldn't kill him in an instant, but I could certainly wear him down. I was just playing out the scene.
All I had to do was pretend to slip up and kill them, and that would be the end of it. The high official would bring the army to destroy this shop, and in the meantime, we could sneak back in with the sculpture.
I twirled Durandal in my hand. The high official sneered, "It's about time for some sorcery, don't you think...?" and traced a rune on their arm. The light of the rune began to shine from beneath their military uniform.
Now's the time. I'll pretend to get flustered and kill them. It's the perfect flow――
But just as I was getting complacent...
A figure burst in, destroying the wall, and in an instant, turned the shopkeeper to ashes with a purple lightning bolt. The high official tried to use sorcery to counterattack, but was knocked back against the wall and couldn't move.
"Wh-what...?!"
I took a closer look at the person who had jumped in, and my tone gradually dropped. The other person also quickly took a combat stance, but when they saw me and Ice, they tilted their head slightly.
The one who had intruded was Sandra, dressed in a hood and assassin's attire.
"...Why?"
At Sandra's mutter, I curled up the corners of my mouth. This is my line, damn it. What's going on here?
The situation had suddenly become complicated. First, the shop owner died, and he was freed from this place. Moreover, the high official was still alive and present. Most importantly, I had no idea why Sandra had come to this place.
Sandra seemed to be thinking the same thing, her eyes scanning the area with a "hmm" expression.
What do we do? I asked, my sword at the ready, cold sweat dripping down. We hadn't met in a while, so I had no idea what circumstances were driving her. I felt a pang of regret for not keeping in touch.
Then, Sandra opened her mouth.
"Who are you? I'm the assassin sent to kill the shop owner. If you oppose me, I won't show mercy."
Thanks for the explanation, but the situation hasn't improved! The high official is still staring us down, unable to move!
I responded with a cautious tone.
"We're thinking of making the high official disappear, as per the shop owner's request."
Sandra's eyes widened in shock. The enemy relationship had become clear, and her expression turned difficult.
Moreover, the fact that our story was actually a lie wasn't good either. The shop owner's actions would determine everything. Time was running out.
So I proposed.
"It's a dirty story, but I think we don't have to be enemies."
"...? Why is that?"
"We weren't asked to protect the shop owner. Even if you target the shop owner, we have no reason to interfere."
"...Got it. That's fine. Thunder Speed."
Sandra, who had slightly raised the corners of her mouth, disappeared in the next instant, leaving behind a residual electric charge. I let out a sigh. That was close...
And then, I turned to face the high official, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Well, since they'd been neutralized, it would be difficult to take them down from here... what to do...
As I thought that, Rollo suddenly raised her hand and exclaimed, "Yes, yes!"
"Am I gonna be okay from here on out~? I want to gain experience as a Slum assassin~!"
"...? Yeah, that's fine, but..."
"Alright~, let's do this!"
"Ah!"
For some reason, Rollo pulled out a blade from who-knows-where and swiftly cut the high official's artery. Then, she gave us a wink and stuck out her tongue, saying "Big success♪".
――――Rollo, that was a major fine play!
"Hey! Didn't you hear what I said? I told you not to kill the high official!"
"Eh~!? Ah, I, I messed up~...?"
"Aah...! Dammit, this mission is a failure..."
I grit my teeth. Ice also furrows her brow and shakes her head. The dying high official says, "I'll crush this shop and all of you soon enough..." before kicking the bucket.
A few seconds of silence. I confirm the high official's death with my Ajna Chakra.
Rollo says,
"Rollo did a great job, Master♪!"
"This time, I owe it to your quick thinking. You did a great job."
That high official wasn't a strong demon, and they'll probably revive soon anyway. Things will work out somehow.
I force a smile and pat Rollo on the head. Rollo chuckles, saying "I want my kind Master to live a long life~, okay?"
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