Moto Sekai Ichi – 224 | Sousaku – 創作

224　If you reply immediately, you’re a shitty person.

Arc 11: The Empire

=====

Gordo Marubell: Emperor
Clearla Marubell: The Emperor's Wife
Melson Marubell: Princess, Eldest Sister
Light Marubell: Prince, Younger Brother

Seram: A spy for Melson?
Nat Shaman: General of the Marubell Empire, Leader of the Imperial Guard
Sigaronne Elbuni: Prime Minister of the Marubell Empire

"――In other words, once you can look down on your sister, the problem will be solved."

The following morning. Light and I were riding in a carriage on our way to the imperial capital of Marmella, discussing our strategy.

The inferiority complex toward his talented older sister and the isolation from being abandoned by his father. In order to overcome this, I felt that he first had to surpass his sister.

If you feel neglected because you are being compared to your sister, then just reverse your positions. That would kill two birds with one stone.

"Seven, you really are an idiot, aren't you? There's no way that will work."
"Oh, why's that? Is Melson Marubell that strong? "
"…………"

When I said that, Light put his hand on his forehead and frowned in exasperation.

"I'll explain it slowly for you, Seven, who has muscles even inside your head. Listen, my sister is set to take the seat of emperor. Do you understand? Even if I defeat my older sister with my strength, it means nothing."
"I see."

Then how can we win?

Intelligence? A way with words? Ability to act? Social skills?

None of them really appeal to me.

"Hey, you, come up with some ideas too."
"……I've already done. For many years, repeatedly, to the point of revulsion."

Light said irritably and let out a deep sigh.

The past tense “already done” sounds a little awkward. If that's the case, does it mean he has given up and stopped trying to come up with new ideas?

"Is that so? Then, find a difference between then and now."
"Huh? "

It's the same as a game plan. Situations change from moment to moment. Frequent revisioning is necessary.

"……Hmm."
"Hmm? "
"Hmm! "

Light pointed at me and glared.

Ahh! Me. It's me. The difference between then and now is my presence.

"Say. Can't you make good use of me? "

If that's the case, there's no reason not to take advantage of me.

Pointing at myself, I said, “Look, there's a good piece here!”

Light stared at me with a stunned look, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth.

"That's reckless. My older sister has Nat Shaman, A general, commander of her Imperial Guard, and also his close aide. You cannot compete with that."
"Then how about recruiting someone more powerful than Nat Shaman?"
"There's only one person who's better than him. Sigaronne Elbuni, the Prime Minister…… But that man……"
"That man......? "
"He's extremely stubborn. He is exceptionally talented, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that he is satisfied to solely serve as prime minister because of his personality."

What? Satisfied with being prime minister?

"So, what's the deal? If not for his personality, could he have become emperor even thought he's not related by blood? "
"That's what they say. I definitely think so too."

……That's incredible. So good that even this perverse prince recognizes it? He must be extremely talented, but also have a terrible personality.

I suddenly felt like meeting him.

"Well, even if you can't go as far as getting him to love you, you can at least go far enough to make him like you, right? "
"Idiot. You've never met him, have you? That's why you can say that."

Is he really that bad……?

"However, Light. I have one card up my sleeve."
"A card? "
"I received this item with a letter from the captain of the 5th squad. This is the “Mask of Dread” dropped by the Masked Sarekoube, a variant of the boss of the Greeze Dungeon. The captain said that the prime minister had wanted this for a long time."

Wait, wasn't the mission to “go investigate”? I can't quite remember, but never mind.

"Ah, that soldier. How clever of him to curry favor with you now, Seven. Is it foresight, or just plain brainlessness…… Or is it just the inherited national character?
"What? "
"It's nothing. Still, you did well considering having muscles for brain, Seven. That card will be big."

Alright, I was praised. With this, maybe Prime Minister Sigaronne will take notice.

And thus, since I'm serving the prince, he will come to see him in a new light and think he's not so bad after all, and maybe eventually……

"……But that sounds a bit roundabout."
"Huh? "

I'm still not satisfied.

Windfield said it would take a month. If that's the case, then instead of such a roundabout approach, there must be something more dramatic.

"To begin with, is this Nat Shaman general really that talented? "
"Well, I think he's inferior to the prime minister, but he's the most talented of the younger generation. Probably the strongest of all the knights. The prime minister is responsible for the empire's political strategy, while the general is responsible for military strategy. He devises strategies with the emperor, commands troops on the battlefield, trains knights and soldiers, and serves as commander of the imperial guard assigned to protect my sister. He's a skilled man."
"Ohh? He's really talented."
"That's what I said. You're no match for him."
"That I wonder."
"Ha……? "

Hearing that, I felt like I saw a way out.

Strategy, command, training, and guard duty. I see, he seems skilled at first glance, but actually……

"Make me the Commander of your Imperial Guard. Just temporarily"
"……Hmm? Well, I can give you the benefit of the doubt and can try to work something out."
“Leave the rest to me!” "
"Your cheerfulness worries me! What are you going to do! ? "

When I said that with confidence, Light held his head and shouted.

Well, just leave it to me.

The point is to make the majority believe that the “Commander of the Imperial Guard Shaman Nat” serving the princess is lower in rank than the “Commander of the Imperial Guard Seven” serving the prince.

I've done that a million times.

"Setting aside whether he is talented or not, in reality――"

What if he's the top newcomer?
I'm number one in the world.

"――There is no knight as strong as me."

As the carriage entered the imperial capital of Marmella and approached the gates of the Marubell Imperial Castle, it was stopped by guards.

It was the “needle test”. The empire seems to be well prepared against Wraiths, and even the prince must undergo this inspection when entering the imperial castle.

Well, they're being pretty careless. Probably no one has ever disguised themselves. The guard's unmotivated expression clearly shows that he is just going through the motions.

"Ohh? May I ask who you are?"
"I'm Seven, an imperial guard assigned to the prince."
"I apologize for my rudeness! "

I changed into Yukari's mithril armor in the carriage, so I looked a little different from the imperial guards around me. Therefore, when I said that I was an imperial guard, the guards straightened up in alarm. Imperial guards seem to be a pretty highly respected job in the empire.

It looks like the guy with the slightly uneven haircut is going to examine me.

"What's your name?"
"Yes. My name is Joe."
"I see, Joe. Nice to meet you. Best regards."
"…………Yeah."

I took Joe's hand and shook it.

And then, without further ado―― Activated 《Brainwashing Magic》.

Absolute obedience. From now on, Joe will obey my every command.

It's a little cruel, but I'll treat him as kindly as possible and then break his brainwashing. After that…… Well, maybe I'll take him out for something delicious to eat.

"I'll leave it to you."
"Yes."

I secretly handed him the fake blood I had prepared.

Joe did as I ordered, leaning toward me and poking his own arm to show the “1” damage display. Next, he dripped fake blood on my arm to make it look like he had poked me.

Based on the few times I practiced at home, I came to the conclusion that if someone observed me closely, they might notice, but if they were just watching from a distance, they probably wouldn't catch on.

"There is no problem, thank you very much."

As a result, the inspection was completed without incident.

I put on a wristband indicating that I had passed the inspection and passed through the gate.

"Good, good."

I managed to sneak into the Imperial Castle!

《Brainwashing Magic》 is still as unfair as ever. This is the fourth time I've used brainwashing, which is the maximum number of times in my estimation. I feel like I might be able to use it again, but I'll refrain for now. I wouldn't want it to be something like, “You'll die if you use it five times”.

Now, what should I do next?

First, I want to meet with the prime minister and give him the Mask of Dread, but it might be rude to show up without an appointment.

"Hey, Light. Get an appointment with the prime minister."
"Who do you think you are, honestly? I AM the prince, not you."

Light looked at me with sullen eyes and opened his mouth with a sigh.

"First, there's the audience. Come with me, Seven. I will report to my father about this marriage proposal. About Laska Promenade too. Then, I will recommend you for the position of Commander of the Royal Guard attached to the Crown Prince. The prime minister will probably attend the audience. After it ends, I will call out to him as he leaves the audience chamber. Then it'll be up to you to do the rest."
"Wait. Wouldn't it be better to tell the prime minister about the Greeze Dungeon first? "
"That makes sense, but I don't have time. Hmmー…… Say that as a report during the audience."
"Understood."

Looks like I won't have much time to relax. It seems that the audience will begin soon after we arrive.

The fact that he is not even given time to change his clothes clearly shows that the prince is being looked down upon by the emperor.

Compared to the royal castle of Castall, the castle interior was somewhat dim and solemn, but as I walked along with Light, a magnificent door appeared before my eyes.

When compared to the ridiculousness of Second Castle (work-in-progress name) currently under construction in the middle of Firstest's grounds, it is inferior, but still large enough to be admired.

"Ohhh."

When we stood in front of the door, it began to open slowly with a heavy rumbling sound.

Well, it's been a long time. This is my first time meeting Emperor Gordo Marubell since Mobius Online.

Since coming to this world, my impression of the Marubell Empire has changed considerably…… I wonder what the emperor is like.

Led by a knight, we walked forward and stopped after a short distance.

"――Raise your head."

The man sitting on the throne spoke. It was a powerful voice.

"Good, raise up."

At the second call, Light and I looked up.

A handsome man in his late thirties with long, muscular legs and dull-colored hair. His eyes brimming with confidence. Gordo Marubell, that's what he looked like.

There were only two people beside the emperor: a short old man and a young woman wearing a robe with distinctive tousled hair. Who is that? The woman…… I feel like I've seen her before…… No, that can't be.

"Light, how did the marriage proposal go?"

The emperor cut straight to the point without even saying hello. It's as if he doesn't expect anything from the prince's report.

"Yes. It was a trap set by those who support my sister."
"Hoo."

However, the emperor seemed to be slightly interested in Light's unhesitating words.

"Did you figure it out? "
"……No, my aunt did."
"What? "

Aunt, in other words, Gloria. The emperor raised one eyebrow and tilted his head at the unexpected name. Well, that's to be expected. Even I wonder why Gloria’s name came up.

"The head of the family, Laska Promenade, is a corrupt nobleman. We have already searched the house and found a lot of evidence. However, his daughter was completely innocent. My aunt came there to save the daughter of the Promenade family."

Light asserted this point. At some point, he had apparently obtained evidence. While I was diligently running around the Greeze Dungeon, Light was working hard too.

Upon hearing Light's words, the emperor appeared to think for a moment before opening his mouth.

"Hmph, I don't understand what that sister-in-law of mine does. Even I am unable to grasp it. However, it is also a plausible story."
"Then! "
"I accept it. Light, what would you like as a reward? "
"…………"

I suppose he thought he'd get praised. Light's face lit up with anticipation, then immediately sank.

The emperor is trying to end the matter by giving a half-hearted reward without even saying “well done”.

His own father never expected anything from him, and even when he did something commendable, it was just more of the same. Hey, hey, no wonder he's becoming so warped.

"……I picked something up."
"Hoo."

Light regained his composure and turned to me.

"This man is a knight whose abilities are recognized even by my aunt. I'd like to make him the Commander of my Imperial――"
"Do as you like."

The emperor replied immediately.

It's written all over his face that he's not interested. He doesn't even look this way.

Well, thanks to that, I should be able to pass the first hurdle easily……

"――Your Majesty, is it wise to appoint someone of unknown background as Commander of the Imperial Guard? That man's behavior does not suggest that he is well-educated. Could it be that he didn't attend a knight academy or take the exam? He seems to be skilled with a sword, but being Commander of the Imperial Guard is not a job that can be done with sword skills alone. At the very least, it should be verified. Please don't make me point out such ridiculous things one by one. Oh dear, just nodding to His Highness's whims, you're such a wonderful parent."

Suddenly, the man began to speak in a sharp tone. He's about 160 cm tall, slightly overweight, with receding hairline, in his late forties, and with an angry expression.

He spoke sarcastically even though he was talking to the emperor. However, what he said was so true that it was almost painful to hear.

……That's right. I was convinced. This is Sigaronne Elbuni, the most talented man in the empire――

"Sigaronne, watch your mouth. But is that really the case? Then, I'll leave it to you."
"Do you want me to take care of it? "
"Is it inconvenient? "
"That's......! "
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"You're a really capable person, Your Majesty, aren't you?"

Sigaronne seems to like sarcasm.

The emperor, understanding Sigaronne’s personality, laughed and assigned him the task. So that's the rule of the initiator, it’s truly as they say, whoever speaks first has the upper hand.

However, this might actually be a good turn of events. I'll probably have to come face to face with Sigaronne after this. If I bring up the matter of the Greeze Dungeon, there may be a chance that I will be acknowledged as Commander of the Imperial Guard.

"This concludes the audience."

Even though he had not yet heard any details about the Promenade family, the emperor slapped his hand down and ended the conversation as if to say, “That's all I have to say”. With those words, the audience ended in an instant. In the end, the woman with the tousled hair didn't say a word.

Yeah, this is pretty bad. The emperor won't listen to Light. Perhaps the reason for cutting the conversation short was not that “the conversation was over,” but rather that he clearly disliked Light to the point where he didn't even want to see his face.

Could it be that the jealousy Light spoke of is playing a role here? If that's the case, it's incredibly creepy.

"Come to my room when you're finished."

Light said only that, then left with another imperial guard.

What, you’re leaving me? Or rather, I don't know where the prince's room is. In the first place, if I were to not be recognized as Commander of the Imperial Guard, I wouldn't even be able to enter the prince's room……

As I stood there wondering what to do, Sigaronne, who had approached me without me noticing, spoke to me.

"Don't just stand there, get moving. Don't waste time. If you want to be unpaid, then you can stay that way forever, but in that case, you'll end up not only unpaid but also unemployed. Alright, I'll let you work for free. You should be grateful, right? Be grateful. Hey, what are you doing standing there like a dropped shit at a time like this? Can't you understand your shitty situation with that shit-filled head of yours? That's right, you're a piece of shit after all. Oh, never mind, don't think about it. It's pointless. Hurry up and follow me!"

……What a foul mouth!

As soon as he started talking, insults came out like a machine gun.

This Sigaronne, it seems like he was holding back his insults earlier because the emperor was there.

This is definitely a character flaw, and something that might get him removed from the list of candidates for emperor.

"Where to? "
"What do you care? You don't need to know. I don't need to tell you. Don't waste my time. Since you're just shit, you should just shut up and follow along like shit."

I asked just a single question, but received many times more insults in return.

While he was saying that, Sigaronne walked away quickly. I tilted my head, wondering, “Is this person really that talented?” and continued to follow him.

=====
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