Moto Sekai Ichi – 225 | Sousaku – 創作

225 Unexpected

Arc 11: The Empire

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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

"Enter. Sit down. Shut up. Don't say a word."

After walking for a while, Sigaronne entered a spacious room that looked like a study. I followed the instructions and entered the room, sitting down on the sofa.

"Now――What did you bring? "

Sigaronne sat down in a chair with a cup of coffee and began.

Sure, I brought something. But how did he know……?

"You've got the face of someone wondering how did I know. Quite easy. You act like you don't care if you work for free or become unemployed. Or alternatively, you have absolute confidence that it will not happen. Or maybe both. Therefore, you must have something that could be a trump card in negotiations with me. Good. I'll take a look, so hurry up and show me."

……Wow.

He's just like Windfield. However, I can still understand him better than her. The reason is that Windfield skips the process of arriving at the answer and jumps straight to the result, but Sigaronne is a “chatterbox” who explains everything in detail, including the result, the process, and his thoughts.

"…………"

I tried to speak, but remembered that I had been told not to, so I silently took the Mask of Dread from my inventory.

"You're smart. I was thinking of firing you without looking at anything if you said anything. Ah, you can go ahead and exhale that foul breath along with your words. It's unpleasant, but I'll put up with it."
"You'll be glad I didn't say anything."
"……I wondered what would be the first thing out of your mouth, but I guess you're really looking down on me."
"Is that just a nasty remark to provoke me? "
"I mean it sincerely."

When I handed him the Mask of Dread with a taunt, Sigaronne looked very displeased for a moment, but when he saw the item, he seemed to swallow the insults that had come to the tip of his tongue.

And then, with wide eyes, he observed the mask. Well, it is a rare item, and Sigaronne had wanted it for a long time…… or so I heard. Now, what kind of reaction will he have?

"What is this?"

"……What? "

Come again?

"You were trying to get my attention with something like this? I cannot believe this. What a shallow, shitty line of thinking. The Mask of Dread? I've never heard of it. Nobody anywhere wants this thing. It's probably just something that collectors would buy. Don't waste my precious time on this crap――"
"Oh, right, I forgot."
"――What? "

There was the letter.

I said, “Excuse me,” and handed the letter from the captain to Prime Minister Sigaronne.

Sigaronne was already on the verge of losing his temper at that point, but the moment he snatched the letter and read it, he exploded.

"You should've started with this, you shitty idiot! ! "

He slammed the letter down on the desk and shouted.

At that moment... I somehow felt that this guy wasn't a bad person.

I guess he was embarrassed. He said something harsh about an item without realizing that it was something he had asked someone else to bring.

"So, what do you think? Could I become a Commander of the Prince's Imperial Guard? "
"Hm…… What's with that fake polite language? On the contrary, I'm concerned. I don't really care about that way of speaking in the first place. However, if I see any unacceptable behavior, I will deduct it from your salary without saying anything."
"It's unpaid work anyway."
"Were you serious about that? What a hopeless piece of shit."
"So, how is it?"

When I persistently asked him, Sigaronne sighed and opened his mouth.

"――I greatly praise your skill in bringing together the fifth squad, a group of stubborn fools, in just one day. Furthermore, you have a wealth of knowledge and experience about the Greeze Dungeon, and your approach to conquering it is flawless. Your analysis was thorough, and you achieved solid results. Personally, I would like to have you work with the 5th Squad a little longer, but that can wait until after you become Commander of the Prince's Imperial Guard."

"! "

I was surprised. Contrary to my expectations, Prime Minister Sigaronne gave me a very favorable evaluation.

"Summarize the key points of how to beat the Greeze Dungeon. I'll explain it for you, since you're too stupid to understand, but what I mean is that you need to write a guidebook that is so easy to understand that even the morons who are worse than you and have shit for brains can knock it into their thick skulls and complete the Greeze Dungeon."

And then he said something completely unreasonable.

"Then I'll write it down like this: You must dive with 100 soldiers."
"Are you as stupid as shit? There's no way we're going to put so much effort into just exploring a dungeon."
"It's better than having twenty people dive in and escape multiple times."
"……I'm sick of being surrounded by useless people whose only skill is eating."

Hmm, I think I get it now. The prime minister really hates people who can't do their jobs. And, according to the prime minister, this Marubell Empire is full of incompetent people. That's probably why he's always in a bad mood.

The moment he realized that I was “useful,” he softened just a little bit, so I think it's safe to say that's the case.

"Well then, I will accept your appointment as Commander of the Prince's Imperial Guard. There will probably be a lot of complaints from various parties, but I don't care. You alone shall command the imperial guards assigned to the prince, assist and protect His Highness, and serve as a valuable fighting force for the empire. In the event of an emergency, you will also be responsible for providing leadership. When the time comes, you can't just say you can't do it and get away with it."

Prime Minister Sigaronne Elbuni. In the modern world, he would be considered a terrible boss, but to be honest, I actually prefer this kind of person.

"Leave it to me. I'll blow your mind in three days."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"! "

Oh, another unexpected remark has come up.

It's well thought out. I was impressed. The prime minister, who usually acts like a department store of insults, can say such things at times like this. Right, that's a nice way to do it.

It's a technique for winning people over by exploiting the gap between their expectations and reality, which I often used when signing autographs for fans. I also used it when I signed the autograph for Irie, the court mage.

I guess his usual insults are just a front. Thinking about it that way, it makes sense.

Even his harsh sarcasm toward the emperor showed that he had already recognized me as someone he could use at that time. Given the emperor's personality, he must have realized that the “rule of the initiator” would apply, and deliberately said that in order to draw me into his inner circle, maybe……?

"……Ohh."
"What the heck? You’re creepy. Either wipe that smirk off your face or get out of this room right now. You stink so bad, I can't stand it."

This is going to be interesting, Sigaronne-san.

I don't know what your aim is, but I know what you want from me. I assume you wanted a “usable piece.”

And surely, things will turn out better than you expect.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the power structure within the Imperial Palace will look three days from now――

"――And so, I became Commander of your Imperial Guard."

A maid walking down the hallway showed me to Light's room. Not wasting time, that's the first thing I said.

Also, perhaps because the badge engraved with the emblem of “Commander of the Imperial Guard Attached to the Prince of the Marubell Empire” that I received from Prime Minister Sigaronne was shining on my chest, the maid was very respectful.

"Uh――"

When Light saw me, he stood up from his chair with his eyes wide open, exhaling through his teeth, and came rushing toward me. What a spacious room!

"Awesome, Seven! What kind of magic did you use on that Sigaronne! ? Wow, I can't believe Seven is really going to become a Commander of my Imperial Guard! Isn’t it amazing!? Great, right?! "

……Today has been full of unexpected things.

Light smiled with a mixture of surprise and joy, grabbed my arm, and jumped up and down to celebrate my appointment as Commander of his Imperial Guard.

"Ah."

And then, he immediately snapped back to his senses.

"…………Well, I guess I expected as much from you. It's just as I expected."

He tried to look calm, but it was obvious. The word “happy” is written in large letters all over his face.

He seems to have a cute side too. That move felt a little bit like Maine.

I see, it makes sense. This guy probably never had an imperial guard he could talk to like this before.

No matter what kind of imperial guard accompanied him, he always remained a prince. Always alone.

It's lonely to not be able to rely on anyone.

"That's right, you can count on me. I'm the Commander of your Imperial Guard, after all."

"……! "

When I said this with a smile, Light looked up at me with wide eyes.

In the last few days, I feel like I've been able to talk more openly with Light. But I'm not quite there yet. It's all because he's stubborn and uncooperative.

But now that I'm officially Commander of his Imperial Guard, I thought to use my position to get him to rely on me.

And my hunch turned out to be right.

"W-Well…… Tonight, uhmm, let's have dinner……"

"Oh, the prime minister asked me to do something, so I'll have to pass."

"I absolutely hate you! You iーーーーdiot! ! "

Oh, boy.

After being kicked out of the room by Light, who was angry and red-faced, I had no choice but to write the “Greeze Dungeon Strategy Guide” and take it to Sigaronne-san, but he wasn’t there. I got carried away with my writing and before I knew it, it was already 10 o'clock at night.

I haven't even had dinner yet. My stomach is rumbling.

Or rather, where am I supposed to sleep? Come to think of it, I haven't been taught anything.

"Thank you for your hard work! "

However, I have the badge of Commander of the Imperial Guard on my chest. So the soldiers and maids I pass by don't seem to think it's weird that I'm wandering around the castle, and they stand up straight and salute me. This badge seems to be quite powerful. I feel that the fact that it was given by the prime minister adds value to it.

Well, should I continue exploring the castle, or should I go back to the Firstest estate and get something to eat? ――Just as I was thinking about this, the perfect person appeared from around the corner of the hallway.

"Oh."
"Ahh."

Joe, the guard with the sports haircut.

He has been subjected to 《Brainwashing Magic》 that makes him obey me unquestioningly.

Alright, this is perfect. Let's get some information out of him while we eat.

"Joe. I want to eat dinner. Where can I get some food? "
"Yes. I will guide you."

Joe said that, then walked down the hallway, out of the castle, and headed toward a pub with practiced steps.

When I asked if it was okay to leave the castle without permission, he replied that it would be unnatural for a Commander of the Imperial Guard to say such a thing. Apparently, when you reach the rank of Commander of the Imperial Guard, you are the one who grants permission.

When I asked if the needle test needed to be redone, I was told that it would be fine as long as I didn't remove the wristband indicating that the test had been completed.

When I inquired if he was not busy with work, he replied that he should prioritize guiding the Commander of the Imperial Guard and that he was fortunate to be able to skip work.

……This is convenient. It's so easy to ask questions without worrying about anything.

"Cheers!"

Arriving at Joe's favorite tavern, I quickly ordered a beer.

Perhaps because I told him I would treat him and told him to not be reserved, Joe completely forgot about the alcohol and kept ordering dishes one after another. I guess he was hungry? But before I knew it, he had also ordered some expensive-looking liquor.

I get it now. This “don't be reserved” has been turned into a command due to brainwashing.

Well, never mind, let's get down to business.

"Tell me about Nat Shaman."

"Yes. General Nat Shaman is a formidable figure who serves as both a general and Commander of the Imperial Guard attached to Her Imperial Highness.

"Formidable how? "

"First, his skill with sword and spear is said to be the strongest among the knights currently in service. Next is his high strategic command capability. He has been very active on the battlefield."

"Huh, the strongest knight? Strong in team battles too?"

"Yes. I think he is very skilled. He is praised by many as a young genius. However……"

"However? "

"All those who know his past recognize that he is inferior to Prime Minister Sigaronne Elbuni."

Hoo! Sigaronne-san.

"Is the prime minister really that strong? "

"It's not just that he's strong. Well, even now, the strongest is undoubtedly His Excellency the Prime Minister."

"! "

Really? That chubby old man……?

"Whether with a sword or a bow, he would display fierce fighting spirit in battle, and his strategic command abilities contributed greatly to the development of the Marubell Empire. Although somewhat harsh, he was a highly skilled leader."

……Was, huh?

"What happened? "

"It was about two years ago. At that time, the then General Sigaronne Elbuni was appointed Prime Minister by order of His Majesty the Emperor."

"The prime minister was originally a general?"

"Yes. Everyone thinks that being a general suited him better."

"But he was forced to become a prime minister he never wanted to be. And then, to fill his place......"

"General Nat Shaman was appointed."

I see how it is. That's how Sigaronne-san ended up like that.

"In the past, he used to be a little bit softer in his words."

Joe said with a wry smile.

He still seems to be angry all the time. I'm sure he's always believed that everyone around him is incompetent.

That's why he must have agonized over becoming prime minister.

He may even think that the emperor is incompetent.

Well, the emperor wasn't supposed to be that incompetent…… I wonder why he sometimes acts incompetent? I feel like his actions are inconsistent. Is this also a result of the game becoming reality?

"……Oh, that's what she meant."

I can see what Windfield was thinking.

After being Commander of the Imperial Guard to the prince, the next step is to become a General, right?

Sigaronne-san probably wants to return to being a general. However, the emperor, the princess, and Nat Shaman stand in his way.

If the emperor is disregarded as incompetent, and I, who was picked up by Sigaronne-san, becoming the general, it would be tantamount to the “Sigaronne faction” taking control of the empire.

However, considering the members of the Sigaronne faction, which included the prince, the prime minister, and myself, two-thirds of them are actually part of the prince's faction.

In other words, the prince will be the closest to becoming the next emperor.

Could this be the solution to Light's problem……?

"All right, it's decided."

In three days, starting today, I will destroy the reputation of General Nat Shaman.

Conversely, it will skyrocket my reputation.

The plan is already set.

How should I start―― probably by scattering some seeds.

=====
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