Moto Sekai Ichi – 217 | Sousaku – 創作

217　 Denouncing child

Arc 11: The Empire

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"Listen, from now on, call me Seven."

"Okay."
"Got it, Seven. Understood, Seven."

A day and a half later, we arrived in Akaa, a city in the southern part of the Marubell Empire.

It gave the impression of being a rural area rich in nature, yet it seemed more prosperous than the countryside in the kingdom.

"You're really standing out, though."
"You look cool, you look dignified."

"I see! Yeah, I guess so. I think so too."

Gloria and Silva observed my appearance intently and once again praised me.

Currently, I am using a Wraith to transform myself into 'Seven'.

With silver hair down to my shoulders, a straight nose, slanted eyes, and a tall, well-built physique. It has the beautiful appearance unique to premium paid items. The attire is the typical aloha outfit: an aloha shirt, shorts, and sandals.

Without revealing that I am the Second Firstest, I am to visit Alpha Promenade's house accompanied by Gloria—these were Windfield's instructions.

Actually, there were no other instructions. Once I visit the Promenade residence, I can do whatever I want.

"Well then, Seco... Excuse me, Seven-sama, Gloria-sama. That is all from me. I wish you good luck."
"Thanks, Cubero. You were quite helpful. Thanks for everything on the way."
"……Well, that's strange. Although your appearance is completely different, I don't feel any sense of unease."
"Well, that's because it's me."
"? Oh. Yes, that's right. Second-sama is Second-sama no matter what he looks like."

Cubero said with a smile.

This is me, or rather, Seven and Second are both me.

Actually, I was Seven for longer, so it feels more natural to me.

Nevertheless, Cubero is sharp in seeing through this. You have a keen eye.

Well, let's just say that the disguise is so convincing that even Cubero would approve.

"Be careful on your way home."

Together with Gloria, we saw off Cubero's carriage as it returned home.

"So, what are you going to do now? "
"What are you going to do? What are your plans? "

"For now, let's walk to Alpha's house."

Cubero dropped us off at the entrance to the forest on the outskirts of Akaa.

Perhaps because the sun was directly overhead, or perhaps because it wasn't a very deep forest, it was fairly bright even in the woods.

The Promenade family mansion is said to be located beyond this forest. Alpha's being held there under house arrest.

I don't know why the empire will be in danger just because we go to meet Alpha, but I want to make sure that Alpha can compete in the next title match.

She had considerable sense. I think it will shine if polished.

……Thinking about such things, we walked for about half an hour, and then suddenly realized.

"Isn't it too far? "

That Cubero guy should have at least dropped us off in front of the house.

No, but riding a horse-drawn carriage on such a bumpy road would probably hurt my butt. There are pros and cons.

"――Hmm, a carriage is coming."
"Let's get out of here, let's avoid it."

And speaking of which, it sounds like a horse-drawn carriage is coming from behind.

As we waited, standing aside at the edge of the road, after a while, a horse-drawn carriage that looked completely out of place in such a remote area passed by.

"……What the heck is that? Is the king riding it? "

"Maybe someone from the imperial family?"
"There was a crest, and there are imperial guards."

"! ? "

Really?

Ahー……Yes, yes. So I'll meet them, Winwin.

"Who do you think it is? "

"Maybe Light-kun? "
"It's not Melson-chan, and it's not Clearla either."

"Light? Melson? Clearla? "

Forget it, I don't understand a thing. I'm pretty sure the emperor's name was Gordo Marubell, but I don't recall anything else.

"Light-kun is Melson-chan's younger brother."
"The younger brother is sixteen, the older sister is eighteen."

"Clearla is my little sister."
"She is the emperor's wife, Gordo's wife."

"Is that so? In other words, the first prince is here."

"The empire has only a first prince and a first princess."
"The emperor is a loving husband, Clearla is his everything."

"By the way, Melson-chan is higher in the line of succession."
"It's meritocracy, regardless of gender."

"For real?"

The emperor is amazing. It's legal to have as many mistresses as you want, and he's in a position where he should be leaving behind as many heirs as possible, but he's devoted to his wife.

Clearla must be very beautiful. Well, that's probably true. She's Gloria's sister.

"Oh, there it is."

Five minutes later, we arrived at the Promenade residence.

There is a gatekeeper, but there is no need to worry. After all, we have an elf princess here.

"Huh, who are you guys? I don't recognize you. What are you doing at the Promenade family's house?"

…………Huh?

"Oh, I see, he doesn’t know."
"The gatekeeper is human, not an elf."

Hey! What are you going to do now?

"Um, my name is Gloria."
"I would like a meeting, I would like to talk."

Gloria decided to give it a try.

The gatekeeper glanced at her and replied with his usual stern expression.

"I haven't heard anything about that."

It's only natural. We didn't make an appointment.

"……I'm sorry, Seven."
"What should we do, what should we do?"

Gloria looked back at me and began to panic.

What can we do? Well……

"Yeah, why don't you call someone from the house?" "

"That's it! "
"That's a great idea. Let's go with that."

Gloria turned back to the gatekeeper and opened her mouth.

"Hey. Tell someone at the house that someone named Gloria came looking for them."
"Report this, convey this."

The gatekeeper uttered a single word.

"No."

"Why? "
"Why? Why? "

"You look suspicious. Do you think I'd ever let you meet the lord? "

That is very true.

"All right, I guess I have no choice."

I quickly decided to use my last resort and took out a 16 lb fluorocarbon line from my inventory.

Then I immediately activated 《Knight Thread Manipulation》.

"! "

The gatekeeper was surprised and tried to draw his sword to resist, but his body suddenly froze.

"What did you do!? "

《Knight Thread Manipulation》 is a skill that manipulates objects connected by a thread.

Furthermore, it has an interesting feature.

"Gloria, cut this thread."

"Hmm, I got it."
"Cut it, sever it."

Gloria took a staff from her inventory and cut the string cleanly with 《Soldier Jojutsu・Sweep》.

Immediately after.

" "

With a thud, the gatekeeper fainted (stunned).

That's right, 《Knight Thread Manipulation》 causes the target to faint when someone other than the user cuts the thread. By using this, you can knock your opponent unconscious without hurting them.

"Seven, you're rough."

"The pot says to the kettle."

"I'm sorry, excuse me."

"Just kidding."

Since we were able to enter safely, I wasn't worried about anything.

Gloria will be very helpful going forward.

"Now, where shall we start?"

Looking out over the grounds from within the property.

Breaking through the front isn't a bad idea, but if we're going to do it, I'd rather go straight for Alpha.

So, we sneak in through the back entrance.

Perhaps there were few servants, or perhaps they were busy welcoming the imperial family, but we did not encounter anyone.

"Oh, is this the place? "

"Yeah, maybe."
"There is a lock. There is a bolt."

The room at the far end of the second floor looked just so. There is a bolt on the outside, and a padlock is attached to the bolt.

But a padlock? I guess the only thing to do is break it……

"……Ohhh? "

Looking closely, the padlock was unlocked.

I see, so the occupant of the room is currently outside. She's probably being forced to meet this Light-kun guy.

For now, we entered the room. If we stay in the hallway too long, we might bump into someone.

"Ohh."

The room, which appeared to belong to Alpha, was extremely barren. There is nothing in particular other than daily necessities.

"Oh, there's a book."
"It's a notebook, a slim book."

Gloria was attracted by the notebook on the desk and approached it unsteadily. As expected of a self-proclaimed bookworm, it seems that anything that looks like a book, whether it's a notebook or something else, is fine.

Well, what should I do now?

It seems impossible to retrieve Alpha alone, so since it's too much of a hassle, let's just show up where Alpha, her parents, and Light-kun are all gathered. Even trespassing is forgivable when done by Princess Gloria. Probably.

"Hey, Glori――"

I turned to Gloria to tell her what I had just been thinking, but then I noticed something strange.

Gloria was reading the notebook with a frown on her forehead, looking very uncomfortable.

What on earth was written there? I went behind her and peeked at the notebook as well.

"……………………"

It was a diary.

And also, it was an accusation.

On the latest page, therewas a despairing message saying that an unwanted marriage proposal from His Highness Light would take place today.

Looking back from this, I could clearly see the situation Alpha was in.

Alpha's father, Laska Promenade, is a first-class scumbag, as far as I can tell from reading this. A man who will stop at nothing to climb the social ladder. Even if she is his own daughter, he disregards her human rights and treats her like a tool.

The marriage proposal with the Weissroy family that became a hot topic during the winter title match. That was also her father's doing.

Laska Promenade seems to be a summoner. More than ten years ago, at Ernte's request, this man used the blinding skills of the monster Blind Lake to blind Alfredo.

As a result, through an introduction from the Mix family, for whom Ernte served as an archery instructor, he succeeded in arranging a marriage with the Weissroy family. And so, he had decided to arrange her marriage when she reached the age of 100, which was considered adulthood.

However, the Weissroy family could not accept this just like that. The Promenade family might be newly rich, and the Mix family might say nice things about them, but to the Weissroy family, the daughter of such a family was a complete nobody. Therefore, they set the condition that Alpha must prove herself as a first-class mage before she could be welcomed into the Weissroy family.

For that reason, Alpha decided to challenge the Eishou tournament. On the surface, it was a battle for their engagement. In reality, it was an evaluation as a wife.

However, something unexpected happened during the Eishou tournament. Surprisingly, Alpha won.

It was a bitter outcome for the Weissroy family. It turned out that their eldest son, Nil, had no talent for magic.

At the same time, the Promenade family was furious because a marriage that had been arranged for ten years had been broken off.

And so, he confined his daughter to her room and began searching for a marriage partner, trying every trick in the book, determined that this time it would work.

At that time, a man named Seram suddenly appeared and begged Laska to take him as his disciple. Apparently, he was impressed by Laska's summoning technique or something.

Alpha was very suspicious of Seram, but Laska was in a good mood and allowed him to become his disciple.

Then, before she knew it, her marriage to His Highness Light was arranged.

Alpha wrote in her notebook that this was definitely a trap.

Seram is a spy for someone, and is probably arranging a marriage between me and His Highness Light in order to bring him down―― It stated.

"Seram……"

I've heard that name before. That's right, wasn't he the empire's dog who was snooping around the kingdom? In addition, it was that man who taught Ernte about the Madness Agent.

"Maybe they'll reveal the Promenade family's corruption after they get married? "
"Light-kun won't become emperor, he definitely won't inherit the throne."

I see, so that's the goal.

In other words, the person who is unhappy with Light and would be happy if Second Firstest died is Seram's master.

"……Melson, huh? "

Thinking normally, this is the only thing that comes to mind.

Even though she is first in line to the throne, there is always a possibility that something unexpected could happen. The younger brother must be a nuisance. Besides, I once sent the body of Chancellor Val Morrow to the emperor by special delivery. The next emperor should be wary of me. They must want me to disappear.

"Melson-chan……"
"That's her personality; she's a shrewd girl."

Gloria said the same thing.

Well, yeah. That's certainly clever. I don't know if it's cunning or just a dirty trick, but it's kind of... To put it positively, it's a strategy of anticipating the future and eliminating risks for oneself.

To be honest, I don't dislike that strategy. I can sense a cleverness similar to Raspberry Bell's.

However, I strongly dislike that approach. While staying safe and cozy in your own little world, you put your subordinates at risk in order to get rid of anyone who might get in your way. Quite the cowardly individual.

"All right, it's decided."

Laska, who blinded Alfredo, Seram, who taught Ernte about the Madness Agent, and the cowardly Melson are our enemies.

We will crush the plans of these three and retake Alpha. This is the goal.

"Let's ruin the engagement."

=====
Thank you for reading.

Cheat sheet

Status Details

HP　Hit Points
MP　Magic Points
SP　Stamina Points
STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power.
DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate.
AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate.
INT　Attack Magic skill power.
LUK　Good luck, critical rate.
VIT　Simple defense.
MGR　Magic defense.

Skill Ranking

From lower (16th) to higher (1st) class, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade

16th class
15th class
14th class
13th class
12h class
11th class
10th class
9th class
8th class
7th class
6th class
5th class
4th class
3rd class
2nd class
1st class
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9 (Can challenge Title when all related skills are at this level)

Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
Lance(Kyousha)
Knight (Keima)
Silver General (Ginshou)
Gold General (Kinshou)
Bishop (Kakugyou)
Rook (Hisha)
Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou).

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List of Swordsmanship skills

【Swordsmanship】　Damage： STR Dependent.

《Dragon King Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack forward + stun.
《Dragon Horse Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack in all directions.
《Rook Swordsmanship》　Very strong single-target attack.
《Bishop Swordsmanship》　Quick and powerful penetrating attack.
《Gold Swordsmanship》　Ranged attack in all directions.
《Silver Swordsmanship》　Strong, single-target attack.
《Knight Swordsmanship》　Precision attack＋added damage against vital points.
《Lance Swordsmanship》　Penetrating attack.
《Soldier Swordsmanship》　Normal attack.

(Rook＋Knight, Silver＋Knight, Lance＋Knight, Soldier＋Knight are possible for Combine)

List of Jojutsu (cane) skills

【Jojutsu】Thrust・Strike・Sweep

《Dragon King Jojutsu》　Extremely powerful wide-area attack
《Dragon Horse Jojutsu》　Wide range defense + knockback
《Rook Jojutsu》　Very powerful ranged attack
《Bishop Jojutsu》　Rush piercing attack
《Gold Jojutsu》　Very strong defense
《Silver Jojutsu》　Powerful ranged attack
《Knight Jojutsu》　Rush attack
《Lance Jojutsu》　Piercing attack
《Soldier Jojutsu》　Conventional attack

List of Spearmanship skills

【Spearmanship】

《Dragon King Spearmanship》　Extremely powerful single-target attack
《Dragon Horse Spearmanship》　Powerful long-range attack (shockwave)
《Rook Spearmanship》　Rush attack (charge thrust)
《Bishop Spearmanship》　Powerful ranged attack (Cleave)
《Gold Spearmanship》　Counterattack (Counter)
《Silver Spearmanship》　Powerful single-target attack (charge thrust)
《Knight Spearmanship》　Forward leaping attack (leaping thrust)
《Lance Spearmanship》　Ranged attack (Cleave)
《Soldier Spearmanship》　Normal Attack (Thrust)

List of Archery skills

【Archery】

《Dragon King Archery》　Powerful on-impact ranged attack.
《Dragon Horse Archery》　Powerful piercing ranged attack.
《Rook Archery》　Very strong single-target range attack.
《Bishop Archery》　Strong piercing range attack.
《Gold Archery》　Range attack with added knockback.
《Silver Archery》　Strong single-target range attack.
《Knight Archery》　Precise sniping range attack.
《Lance Archery》　Piercing range attack.
《Soldier Archery》　Normal range attack.

List of Shield Arts skills

【Shield Arts】

《Dragon King Shield Arts》　Very powerful ranged attack to the front.
《Dragon Horse Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense + all-range attack.
《Rook Shield Arts》　Powerful forward Rush attack (VIT converted to STR and added to net STR)
《Bishop Shield Arts》　Great Reinforced Defense (16th class: 250% ~ Grade 9th: 600% Defense)
《Gold Shield Arts》　Range homing defense ＋ Knockback（While active, attacks within a certain range would redirect themselves towards the shield）
《Silver Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense (parry grace time reduced by 0.01 second, successful parry triggers counterattack effect)
《Knight Shield Arts》　Defense + Knockback.
《Lance Shield Arts》　Piercing Reflective Defense
《Soldier Shield Arts》　Normal defense.
Success condition for parry: Activate the skill 0.287 to 0.250 seconds before the attack reaches the target.

List of Magic skills

【Magic】 (Four attributes: fire, water, wind, and earth)
Advantages and disadvantages: Fire>Earth>Wind>Water>Fire
・First Form　Normal Attack （Preparation time： Super short. Cooldown： Super short）
・Second Form　Extended range attack （Slow. Long）
・Third Form　Strong single-target attack （Short. Short）
・Fourth Form　Powerful extended-range attack （Super slow. Super long）
・Fifth Form　Very powerful extended-range attack （Slowest. Longest）

【Magical Magic】
《Combine》　Combines two magic skills into a single attack.
《Synergy》　Overlays two magic spells on top of another magic spell.
《Charge》　Magic attack that increases in magnitude the more it is charged up.

List of Martial Arts skills

【Martial Arts】　Attack：(STR+DEX+AGI)/2.56

《Dragon King Martial Arts》　A very powerful wide-area attack in the front (shockwave)
《Dragon Horse Martial Arts》　Accelerated forward strike (Dash Punch)
《Rook Martial Arts》　Very powerful single-target attack + charge (Punch)
《Bishop Martial Arts》　Omni-directional attack (Roundhouse kick)
《Gold Martial Arts》　Short-range attack plus defense (Tackle)
《Silver Martial Arts》　Strong single-target attack （Punch）
《Knight Martial Arts》　Forward jumping attack （Jumping kick）
《Lance Martial Arts》　Short-range attack (Kick)
《Soldier Martial Arts》　Normal attack （Punch）

List of Sword-drawing skills

【Sword-drawing】 (STR+DEX+AGI+VIT)/5.12+remaining SP/10^4（fire power when using a sword at the belt 128％）

《Dragon King Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful area of effect attack.
《Dragon Horse》 Range attack in all directions.
《Rook Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Extremely powerful Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Bishop Sword-drawing》 Quick and powerful thrust.
《Gold Sword-drawing》 Counter (Single attack + defense)
《Silver Sword-drawing》 (The more you charge, the more power) Powerful Sword-drawing attack.
《Knight Sword-drawing》 Large movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Lance Sword-drawing》 Movement + Sword drawing attack (Single attack)
《Soldier Sword-drawing》 Sword drawing attack (Single attack)

List of Thread Manipulation skills

【Thread Manipulation】
《Dragon King Thread Manipulation》　The most powerful single attack, limited to the restrained target.
《Dragon Horse Thread Manipulation》　Simultaneously emits multiple threads, forcibly restraining the touched object.
《Rook Thread Manipulation》　Very powerful single attack using a bundle of threads
《Bishop Thread Manipulation》　Powerful penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Gold Thread Manipulation》　Thread restraints on objects within a 4-meter radius.
《Silver Thread Manipulation》　Powerful single-target attack with a bundle of threads
《Knight Thread Manipulation》　Manipulate monsters, humans, and puppets using strings for a certain period of time.
《Lance Thread Manipulation》　Penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Soldier Thread Manipulation》　Single target attack with a bundle of threads
(Gold + Lance or Bishop can be Combined)

ToC