Volume 2 Chapter 29: Even If the World Perishes, I’ll Survive【The Aristocratic Council Arc】

“Huh?”
“Hmph!”

The moment the window shattered, my body shot into action as if repelled by an unseen force. Honestly, I didn’t have the faintest idea what was happening.

But someone who breaks through a window with such a dramatic entrance can hardly be considered friendly. That’s why I bolted.

For starters, I secured Izun—my decoy and shield—because if I had just run, Nanashi would have clung to me.

Damn it! I’m not built to run while carrying two people!

But that’s the strength that only a crisis can summon. Even with both of them in my arms, I managed to burst out of the room and run.

“As expected of you, Master. From now on, feel free to carry me.”
“You don’t even want to walk—maybe you’d be better off dead!”

I spat venom at Nanashi, who was still clinging on. Damn it! If only I had left her behind in that room as bait, I might have bought more time to escape…
Well, if she hadn’t noticed the danger, my reaction might have been delayed anyway.

“Wow! I don’t really understand what’s happening, but it’s so fast and fun!”
“That’s great…!”

I couldn’t help but be irritated by Izun’s carefree remarks. I even wished I could have left her behind as bait, though there was no time for regret now. For now, I headed for the front desk.

There had to be staff there. In a high-class inn like this, someone should be manning the front desk 24 hours a day—maybe even a bodyguard.

I planned to offload all these attackers onto them and, in the meantime, make a run for Apophis territory. Whether the attackers acted on their own or were following orders from a mastermind… if it’s the latter, staying in this royal capital is far too dangerous. I refuse to stay here!

I’m heading back to my safe domain!

With that determination, I dashed out toward the front desk…

“…What the—!? There’s no one at the front desk!?”

The person who was supposed to serve as my decoy and human shield was nowhere to be found. Is this a dereliction of duty!?

Are they taking me for a fool, damn it!!
…No, thinking it over calmly, something’s definitely not right. In a high-class inn—not like a cheap motel—there should be staff at the front desk around the clock. There’s no way everyone would just vanish.

“Ah… Could it be that the front desk has been bought off?”
“No way…? If a noble gets murdered in their own hotel, the reputation would plummet!”

I was stunned by Nanashi’s words. Even a single suicide would plant a severely negative image, but murder? That’s even worse—and it’d prove their security is lax. There should be absolutely no benefit for this inn to have me killed…

“Maybe they’ve been given even greater guarantees. Perhaps they’re promised lifetime care or something…”
“…………”

Nanashi’s words left me frozen. …It’s possible.
Unforgivable! I wish I could swap places with them!
If someone can sell another person and secure a lifetime of safety, I’d absolutely do it!

『How coincidental.』
But selling me out for that reason is absolutely unforgivable. I’ll hunt them down to the ends of the earth and kill them all.
『How coincidental.』
Why must your way of thinking match mine exactly…? It’s the ultimate humiliation.

“You’ve come seeking help, but it’s useless. This place is already under my master’s control. You have no allies.”

Men in tall boots steadily approached, their footsteps echoing. Clad in cloaks that concealed their faces, I couldn’t discern who they were. Frankly, I didn’t care.

“Now then, I didn’t sign up for this… Care to explain why?”
“Not necessary. No fool would reveal anything about the one who sent us, and we have no obligation to tell someone who’s about to die.”

Are you stupid? There’s no way I’m going to die.
Even if the world perishes, I’ll survive. In fact, just spit out who the mastermind is already—I’ll kill that person for sure.

“How about a parting gift from the netherworld?”
“That’s a noble sentiment, but I have no intention of giving you any gift. Just die quickly.”

He drew his dagger and pointed it at me. You useless wretch!

◆

For Bros—who attacked Balor and his group—this was just another day at work.
He is the leader of the assassination squad under Kelphine’s command.

When it comes to the four great nobles, it’s only natural that they operate behind the scenes as well. However, Kelphine himself cannot take the front line in such covert operations.
Nobles never perform dirty work themselves; doing so would tarnish their reputation among the people.

That’s why nobles maintain their own specialized teams for underhanded tasks. Still, few are both willing and capable of handling such work.
Therefore, having even one operative is considered a stroke of luck. In fact, most nobles probably hire only a handful of underworld agents.

But Kelphine is one of the four great nobles. The covert work demanded of him far exceeds that of other nobles, and he commands a force that can truly be called a squad.
Moreover, they are all top-notch. They make no mistakes and never cause Kelphine any trouble.

“(Today’s job will be over in no time.)”

It was no surprise that Bros, full of confidence, thought so. The target was a provincial noble—he had no bodyguards and only two maids were with him. Nothing stood in the way.

The job would be finished in minutes. In addition, to eliminate any interference, Kelphine had arranged for the inn’s staff to be on his side, and they had already left the premises.
Of course, the only guests staying at the inn today were Balor and his group—just as Kelphine had planned.
When offered enough money to live in leisure for life, the staff cooperated gladly. After all, no one can resist the magic of money.

Thus, the situation was perfect. All that remained was to massacre Balor and his group and discreetly dispose of their bodies in a hidden location.
There are even monsters in this world that can easily devour humans. In this world, there were countless ways to dispose of bodies without leaving a trace.

“(Now, setting aside the two maids, what about Balor’s own strength?)”

Those two tiny maids could never put up much of a fight, so naturally the real obstacle was Balor himself. His swift withdrawal—carrying the two maids after failing to kill them in the earlier attack—was impressive.
Even though he was a target for elimination, I must admit his performance was praiseworthy. He might have some self-defense skills, but…

“(With that little strength, he can’t stop us.)”

Determining that Balor posed no threat, Bros swiftly revealed his abilities to finish the job without anyone noticing.

“Let’s end this in an instant.”

A black shadow spread out.