Volume 2 Chapter 30: Yeah, I’m not embarrassed at all【The Aristocratic Council Arc】

“Oh?”

Balor’s eyes didn’t register any significant change.

Originally, the front was deserted—and with it being night, the area was extremely dim.

Even when it was said that shadows had spread out, it was no wonder he couldn’t quite perceive them.

Bros was also standing right in front of him.

Nothing had changed.

“Master, behind you.”

At Nanashi’s words, Balor moved without thinking.

His body moved backward.

He kicked off the ground and leapt backward.

And then, immediately afterward, a flash of a silver sword glittered where he had been standing.

“Close call!?”

Balor was startled.

There was no one there.

Only shadows were present.

Just when it seemed that an arm brandishing a sword had reached out from the shadows, it vanished instantly.

“(A-… a ghost…!)”

“No, that’s not it, Master. You’re just too scared, aren’t you?”

Nanashi sighed at the trembling Balor.

Nonetheless, the two were mutually exploiting one another.

Nanashi could sense the attack, but she didn’t possess the physical ability to escape.

On the other hand, while Balor’s physical prowess was high, his ability to sense attacks lagged slightly behind Nanashi’s.

Each compensated for the other’s shortcomings, and that kept them going.

“(…You’re such a burden. Is it okay if I just ditch you?)”

“Of course not. I’ll knock you out!”

Although they complemented each other, there was a fair amount of tension between them—but that was just how they were, so it wasn’t a problem.

“You’ve managed to dodge this ambush on your first encounter. This might be a first for you.”

“It’s all my power.”

“Huh?”

Balor let a slight smile spread across his face.

At that age, he wanted all the praise to be his.

Of course, Nanashi was clearly irritated, her expression unchanging.

“Amazing. What’s the trick?”

“My magic manipulates shadows. I can’t drape them around myself, but I can let things around me sink into them and hide. In a place as dim as this, it’s the ultimate magic.”

In response to Izun’s question, Bros spoke proudly.

Talking about such superiority naturally tickles anyone’s pride.

Precisely because Bros had made his living in the underground as a devoted assassin, he could only afford to boast like this in front of someone he was certain to kill—and that made it all the more so.

No matter how much information he spread, since he was going to kill them anyway, it didn’t matter.

That was what he believed.

“You’re giving away the trick so easily, huh?”

“Master, this guy’s an idiot, isn’t he?”

Additionally, it appeared that Balor and Nanashi were secretly mocking each other in their hearts.

These two had no intention of dying, no matter what happened, and were determined to survive at all costs.

“What, a souvenir from the afterlife?”

“(You already said that and rejected it, didn’t you?)”

As Bros struck his signature pose, Balor seethed inwardly.
Despite boasting that he wouldn’t even deliver a parting gift from the afterlife, this sudden reversal earned only a wry smile.

“Well then, our discussion is over. We’ll wrap this up swiftly—after all, that is our mission and our very purpose.”

My pride had been satisfied, and there was no longer any reason to stay here.
By tomorrow, a local noble’s corpse would be ready to enliven the capital.

『Dark Shadow』

The shadows spread even further.
Already, not only Bros but the many members of the assassination squad had concealed their bodies within them.

The terror of unseen assassins—one never knew when or from where the deadly blades might strike.

For those who rely on vision for most of their information, losing that sense is a tremendous handicap.

“(Heh…)”
『Heh…』

That threat had undoubtedly registered with both Balor and Nanashi—anyone would feel terror and apprehension, that is, except for Izun, who was impressed.
With this power, Bros had primarily slaughtered all of his foes.

Balor, too, would become one among them.
From within his own shadow, his subordinates wielded their deadly blades.

“Right.”
“Ho—.”
“Left.”
“Nuh.”
“Front.”
“Oh-ho.”
“Idiot.”
“Hey… who did you just call an idiot?”

Yet the deadly blades that were certain to pierce, tear, and dismember Balor ended up being completely evaded.
He moved his body in the exact directions Nanashi had indicated.
The blades skimmed the very edge of his body, yet Balor stood completely unscathed.

Bros’s eyes widened.
He never expected that a pampered noble could evade so well.
So, he decided to shake him up a bit.

“Fuha! You’re pretty good at dodging, Balor Apophis. But having to rely on a maid is pathetic.”

Being mocked or looked down upon isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone—not even if you have a peculiar fetish.
And for Balor, who truly believes that nothing in this world is more valuable than he is, it’s even worse.
Yet, surprisingly, Balor remained calm.

“(Hmph.)”

Admittedly, he was secretly fuming at being mocked, but those words failed to wound him.
After all, he was the sort of man who had delegated his feudal lordship—the right to become a minor king—in order to be supported by others.

He didn’t mind borrowing someone else’s strength; rather, he arrogantly expected others to exert themselves desperately for his sake.
It wasn’t provoking him at all.

“(I’ll inflict every bit of pain I can before I kill you…!)”

Yet, with a pride a hundred times that of a court noble, he truly harbored anger.
It was the moment when the fate of Bros and his cohorts was sealed.

“No!”

As the assassins’ deadly blades closed in on Balor, standing in his path was Izun.
She puffed out her cheeks and stretched her arms wide to block the way.

“Don’t you dare bully Lord Balor!”

Her bright red eyes locked onto Bros, burning with youthful righteous indignation.

“Pfft…”

Seeing that, Bros was overcome not by anger or irritation, but by mockery.

“Hahahahahaha! You’re really being sheltered by a maid, aren’t you? How pathetic, Balor Apophis! Acting like a woman—hiding behind that bastard’s back—aren’t you ashamed!?”

“(Yeah, not embarrassed at all.)”

Bros burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, while Balor remained expressionless.

Anyone nearby was nothing more than a human shield in times of need.
To Balor, who was convinced of this, age and gender were irrelevant.

“Hmph… Anyone who bullies Lord Balor won’t be forgiven by Izun!”

However, what even Bros—and even Balor—had not anticipated was…

“――――――Everyone, die!”

Izun was not merely a human shield.