——

 

“Aren’t you the one looking down on me a bit too much?”

 

　Second-sama’s gentle attitude made a sudden and complete change.

 

 

　In just one instant――My whole body trembled, and my fighting spirit disappeared.

 

　This is something my body remembers. It understands it since it has dived into many lethal fights. This is real ‘murderous intent’. In other words, Second-sama is seriously trying to kill me……

 

 

“――gghuu! ! “

 

　Suddenly, my cheek was struck by Second-sama’s fist. I’m not even sure what skill that was, but I was blown away.

 

　After I hit the ground, I probably bounced a couple times and then rolled on the gravel for a few meters. My cheek, my jaw, my head, my whole body was hurting. What, what strength……

 

　……From a distance, the footsteps crunching on the gravel sounded as they approached. He’s coming to deliver the finishing blow, to this me pitiful enough as to not being able to stand. Ahh, I’ll be disposed of. He sure is disappointed in me for not being properly prepared. Still…… There’s no way I could win. No matter how much I plan, no matter what skills I use, there’s no way to win.

 

 

　Those were my sole thoughts, almost like returning to when I was a child.

 

　I’m scared――

 

 

 

“Are you stupid? Get up. Show me your determination. Come at me with the intention to kill.”

 

 

　…………

　What is……he saying……?

 

 

“Is this all you amount to?　Hey, Cubero. That’s wrong, right?　If you’re not going to stand firm right now, when will you? “

 

 

　……Wrong.

 

　Ahh, I was wrong!

 

　That’s right, it was different!

 

　It’s not about reason!　It’s not about strategy!　It’s not about skill!

 

　Damn, I’m really an idiot!　I had it totally wrong!

 

　Second-sama hasn’t abandoned me yet!

 

 

　If I don’t stand firm now, then when!?

　If I don’t stand firm now, then when!?

　If I don’t stand firm now, then when!?

 

“U゛AA゛AA゛AAA゛! ! “

 

　I could no longer hold back my tears. These tears crawled towards my wounds, reminding me I was alive.

 

　――Get up, he said. I have to get up no matter what. I need to show my resolve. It’s fine if I die here. Second-sama surely will manage the rest. He promised he would. That’s why I can have peace of mind, leaving it to him. Am I really going to give up? I’m determined. I’ve put everything on the line. So, I’ll stand up even if it kills me――!

 

 

“……uh……fuh……! “

 

　Gathering all my strength, I stood up. I stood up.

 

　Raising my head throbbing with pain, I looked at Second-sama.

 

　……Yeah, he’s scary. Tremendously frightening.

 

　However, what of it?

 

　Fighting to maintain my consciousness, I just tried to hit Second-sama without even preparing a skill.

 

　But the moment my fist was caught by Second-sama’s hand, my sight went dark at the time I heard these words.

 

 

“You really are great.”

 

 

 

　　＊　＊　＊

 

 

 

“……Where am I?”

“Oh, you’re awake.”

 

　Dawn.

　Cubero, who was lying asleep in my bed, finally regained consciousness.

 

“Want to drink a potion? “

“Ugh…… no, I’ll pass.”

 

　When I tried to pass him a potion, Cubero laughed bitterly while making a painful sound, like he had a cut in his mouth. “I’d like to keep this wound for a while,” he said.

 

　I didn’t know how to answer, so I just said “I see”, and placed the potion back in my inventory.

 

　For a while, there was nothing but silence.

 

　It was Cubero who was the first one to break it.

 

“Thank you very much.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

“Maybe for picking me up and making me a slave. Maybe for giving me an opportunity. Maybe for allowing me to face against you.”

“Maybe? “

“To be honest, I’m not sure either…… however, I simply wanted to somehow thank you.”

“What’s with that?”

 

　Thinking that he might still have his brain a bit shaken, I stared into Cubero’s eyes. But, after just one second, Cubero embarrassingly diverted his gaze. Eh? What’s with that kind of reaction?

 

“……Second-sama is a truly strong one. I’ve been made painfully aware of that.”

“I suppose.”

“Even if I look like this, I was very confident in my martial arts.”

“Hee. So, what is it that you want? “

“……Yeah……”

 

　When I asked him that question, he got up from the bed with an expression of pain while responding, he then corrected his posture and faced me straight on.

 

　An expression similar to that he had in the carriage. I thought he was going to talk about how pitiful his life had been until now, but I guessed wrong.

 

“I used to be the young leader of a team called R6 (Rimusuma Six).”

“R6? “

“Yes. A group of righteous bandits based around the capital.”

“……Righteous bandits, huh?”

 

　Righteous bandits were thieves who only stole from the bad guys. They stole from the strong to give to the weak. They are groups disliked by the knight orders but quite loved by the people. Pretty much like ‘robin hoods’.

 

　Ahh, come to think of it, I’ve heard a bit about some bandits that made a base near the capital. I think I received some reports about that while I was in Isoreus, from Yukari. In any case, the bandits who were praised to be the best in the Kingdom were crushed without leaving a trace by the Knight of the Castall Kingdom―― or so it seems.

 

“Even if we’re righteous, since we’re basically ‘stealing’ we surely gather a lot of resentment from various people. Particularly, the nobles who fatten their bellies at the expense of others and are the main targets, they try to crack down on us. And, the same is true even for royalty.”

“You mean to say the Castall Kingdom itself launched a thorough suppression of righteous bandits?”

“Just like you say. Due to the Second and Third Knight Orders’ repressive force, our R6 was pushed to the brink of annihilation in just a few months. However, as I learned later…… It can be said our destruction was solely due to the First Knight Order.”

“The First Knight Order? “

 

　That is very strange. The First Knight Order worked mainly as Royal Guards. If you wanted to suppress bandits, it’s weird not to do so with the Third Knight Order, which act like guards, or the Second Knight Order which are like an army.

　It makes no sense at all. However, I had a hunch. It must have something to do with that rotten first prince Klaus who’s leading the First Knight Order.

 

“……Our boss Rimusuma, he made a deal that in exchange for his head, they wouldn’t lay a hand on us. He gave his life, bowing his head so that we would be pardoned. It was the First Knight Order  who worked as intermediaries. All we did was wait. And so, the Second and Third Knight Orders accepted the conditions…… Or that’s what should have happened.”

“Were you deceived?”

“Yeah. In just a few days, the bandit suppression unit led by the First Knight Order was formed, and dozens were killed in a surprise attack. The First Knight Order was feigning neutrality, but they were orchestrating it all from behind the scenes.”

“How terrible.”

“Some of my subordinates sacrificed themselves for me, the young next leader, and so, I finally arrived…… at the Maurice Company.”

“……So, you escaped.”

“……Yeah.”

 

　Cubero nodded, with an almost quiet voice and on the verge of tears.

 

　He probably regretted it a lot. It must’ve been bitter. That regret…… he might be exhausted. It might’ve been eating on to him for the past four months. He might still want to help out his men who are now scattered and hiding. He might want to do something for his men who died while believing the will of their boss Rimusuma would be inherited by the young head, that 『Ｒ６』 would keep existing.

 

“Do you want revenge?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to help out your men?”

“Yes.”

 

　I’ll leave aside whether this is right or wrong. However, this is Cubero, a man who showed me his courage. He has the will to keep going even if he dies. He has the guts to face this head-on. And he has shown me that determination already. Then, now it’s my turn.

 

“Come with me. I’ll do something about it.”

“～ssn……Yes! “

 

　This was a promise between men.

 

 

=====

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Next chapter is an Idle Talk.

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Cheat sheet

Stats details

＜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.

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.

1. Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
2. Lance(Kyousha)
3. Knight (Keima)
4. Silver General (Ginshou)
5. Gold General (Kinshou)
6. Bishop (Kakugyou)
7. Rook (Hisha)
8. Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
9. Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou).

List of Swordsmanship skills

Swordsmanship

1. 《Soldier Swordsmanship》　                  Normal attack.
2. 《Lance Swordsmanship》　                    Piercing attack.
3. 《Knight Swordsmanship》　                   Precision attack.
4. 《Silver Swordsmanship》　                     Strong single-target attack.
5. 《Gold Swordsmanship》                           Small-range attack to all directions.
6. 《Bishop Swordsmanship》                       ???
7. 《Rook Swordsmanship》　                      ???
8. 《Dragon Horse Swordsmanship》　    ???
9. 《Dragon King Swordsmanship》　       ???

List of Shieldmanship skills

Shieldmanship

1. 《Soldier Shieldmanship》　                  Normal defense.
2. 《Lance Shieldmanship》　                    Piercing deflection.
3. 《Knight Shieldmanship》　                   Defense + knockback.
4. 《Silver Shieldmanship》　                     ???
5. 《Gold Shieldmanship》                           Ranged guided defense + knockback.
6. 《Bishop Shieldmanship》                       Reinforced defense (Temporarily boosts VIT and MGR)
7. 《Rook Shieldmanship》　                      ???
8. 《Dragon Horse Shieldmanship》　    ???
9. 《Dragon King Shieldmanship》　       ???

List of Archery skills

Archery

1. 《Soldier Archery》　                  Normal range attack.
2. 《Lance Archery》　                    Piercing range attack.
3. 《Knight Archery》　                   Precise sniping range attack.
4. 《Silver Archery》　                     Strong single-target range attack.
5. 《Gold Archery》                           Weaker range attack with added knockback.
6. 《Bishop Archery》                       Strong piercing range attack.
7. 《Rook Archery》　                      Very strong single-target range attack with scaling % damage.
8. 《Dragon Horse Archery》　    Powerful piercing range attack.
9. 《Dragon King Archery》　       Powerful on-impact range attack.

Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

1. First Form　      　      Regular attack
2. Second Form　      　 Extended range attack
3. Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack
4. Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack
5. Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack

• Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth.

Ranking of the skills

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.

1. 16th class
2. 15th class
3. 14th class
4. 13th class
5. 12h class
6. 11th class
7. 10th class
8. 9th class
9. 8th class
10. 7th class
11. 6th class
12. 5th class
13. 4th class
14. 3rd class
15. 2nd class
16. 1st class
17. Grade 1
18. Grade 2
19. Grade 3
20. Grade 4
21. Grade 5
22. Grade 6
23. Grade 7
24. Grade 8
25. Grade 9
26. Title

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 ToC    

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