Volume 4 Chapter 74: “I’m Gonna Get Killed”【Final Volume: Balor and Nanashi Arc】

“Please take a look at this map.”

I don’t want to see it…

“This highway—this road that connects to the royal capital—leads to a town rich in produce. Countless merchants bring the harvest from here to the capital for sale. Moreover, since this town generates substantial tax revenue, the taxes paid to the capital also come through here.”

“However, a monster has taken up residence near this highway, making travel difficult. If the merchants stop moving, the economy will suffer; and more importantly, if the taxes don’t come in, maintaining the capital becomes problematic.”

“Therefore, I would very much like you to exterminate this creature.”

Are you kidding me?

“Why me? I’ve heard that Yoldak-sama has plenty of excellent soldiers…”

I haven’t heard that, but if you’re one of the Four Great Nobles, you’d surely have your own private soldiers.

Even Kelphine had an assassination squad.

“Indeed, as you say, I do have some excellent soldiers. However, having a high position is rather troublesome… If I take action, Resk and Silthia of the reformist faction won’t stay silent. And if it’s not just them, the rank-and-file might escalate the conflict even further.”

I don’t know anything about politics…

“Then, the national army. If that proves too difficult, perhaps we could commission the adventurers…”

“There isn’t any promising adventurer currently staying in the capital. To mobilize the national army, proper preparations are necessary. Since we wish to resolve this as swiftly as possible, we’d rather avoid that option as well.”

All these incessant, whining excuses…!

“However, we cannot just leave that monster as it is. To attempt a reform of the current situation… it must not be allowed!”

Heh.

“That is why I wish to borrow your strength. It is the power of Balor Apophis—one of the Four Great Nobles who managed to bring down Kelphine.”

“N-no, that wasn’t something I sought after—it’s just that stray sparks fell on me…”

“The truth is, erasing one of the Four Great Nobles is no simple feat. It wasn’t merely a case of Kelphine being crushed. In the aftermath, the other nobles had to suppress the runaway actions of Kelphine’s faction and restore order to the ensuing chaos.”

“I—I owe you for that…”

This guy is threatening me…!

“No, no. It seems Kelphine got a little too cocky. If you’re tripped up at your feet, you can hardly call yourself one of the Four Great Nobles. However…”

“It is true that many in the conservative faction are not in favor of this reform.”

Hoheh…

“You see, I hold you in high regard. That is why I intend to somehow rein in the conservatives’ excesses.”

“Well, all that aside, let’s get back to the matter of the monster. Will you heed my request?”

“P-please, leave it to me…!”

There’s no choice, damn it!

“Oh, as expected of Balor Apophis. I am very pleased.”

Well, if it isn’t causing an immediate crisis, it probably isn’t all that serious.

It’s a problem that could be solved by sending in some random maid on a charge…

“Then, please take care of slaying the legendary monster, Gorgon.”

Hoheh…?

◆

The worthless, productivity-free meeting with Yoldak that yielded absolutely no benefits has finally ended.

Of course, I wasn’t about to stick around in the royal capital filled with only bad memories, so I immediately returned to the mansion in Apophis’s territory…

“What the hell is with this ‘please do your best’ crap, you fucking tanukiiiiii!!”

I exploded with anger.

I pressed my face into the pillow and screamed.

By doing so, my voice got all muffled and hard to hear!

Wow, clever!

Fucking shitttttt!!

“Nuuwaaahhh!!”

“Don’t go bouncing around on the bed. I’m the one who has to clean it up, you know?”

As I was impulsively flailing about, Nanashi’s cold voice reached me.

Well, it wasn’t doing any good anyway.

“I’m giving work to someone like you who hardly does anything. Be grateful.”

“Unforgivable…”

It’s the boss’s duty to hand out work. What kind of boss am I, anyway?

Well, more than a boss, I’m the employer here.

“But what are you going to do? At this point, you can’t possibly refuse, can you?”

“You have no choice but to do it. Think about what would happen if you went back on your promise with the Four Great Nobles… I don’t even want to imagine it.”

I don’t want to think about it, but I have no choice.

The extermination of that monster called Gorgon, commissioned by Yoldak.

It’s a legendary demon that even I know about.

Frankly, there’s no way I can handle it.

How can I, who loses even to street thugs, possibly fight a legendary demon?

It’d be over in an instant.

In just one second, Gorgon would be covered in its own blood.

I’d love to make a run for it immediately, but then my mooch plan would take a serious hit.

Damn… God is dead…

“How about asking Silthia or Resk for help?”

“Silthia would never lend a hand. That girl would just watch me flounder and laugh from above. Resk might help, but if he does, I’d probably end up being completely attached to him. Under his command, I’d be worked to death for the rest of my life.”

“We’re doomed, aren’t we? Is it your master’s lack of friends that has come back to bite you?”

Don’t say I have few friends.

I have absolutely none. Zero, no doubt.

The one most likely to help me in a give-and-take is Resk.

He’s one of the Four Great Nobles in the reformist faction, always trying to recruit me.

Even if it’s Gorgon, if I ask him, he’ll probably help.

However, he’d definitely demand that I join his faction as compensation.

I absolutely hate factional disputes.

I absolutely do not want to join.

So I can’t count on Resk either.

Every single one of them…

“Well, since I’m not the one going to the front lines anyway…”

“Ugh… That’s the worst disgusting comment ever…”

Even without overthinking it, I’m not the one directly fighting Gorgon.

The ones heading to the front are the maids.

…Why is it that I only hire maids?

Well, it’s because they cost less of a waste of money…

Maybe I should hire some personal soldiers after all.

Anyway, since it’s the maids who are fighting this legendary monster, I’ll be safely sipping tea in my zone.

Even if the maids fail to exterminate it… or rather, they’ll definitely fail, but that’s fine.

If they tried and failed, it can be excused.

Not doing anything and breaking the promise is unacceptable, but if they at least give it a shot, one can always make excuses.

Which brings us to who to send into battle…

“Ashvin… has to manage the territory in my stead…”

“Isn’t it a bit odd to entrust a feudal lord’s duties to a maid?”

I can’t afford to have someone kill the person who works in my place.

I ignore Nanashi’s retort.

After all, it’s what I care about the most!

“Then, Izun, Artemis, Konoha, and Nanashi, charge at Gorgon!”

“Me…?”

Perhaps she never expected her name to be called, because she stared at me in astonishment.

I hereby appoint you to the suicide squad.

“What about the housekeeping in this mansion?”

“Ashvin will work 30 hours a day, so there won’t be any issues.”

“Has time been stretched recently or something?”

Among the maids, Nanashi is by far the best at housekeeping.

However, when compared, even Ashvin has more than enough skills.

She handles the duties of a feudal lord and the work of a maid.

That’s the tough part.

“I won’t die here. I will remain here at all costs.”

“No way.”

She clings on to me.

Hahaha! You think your flimsy body can stop me… Your strength is unbelievable?!

Huh?! Weren’t you always this strong?!

Damn it! Always getting in my way…!

While Nanashi and I were engaged in such a tussle, the door swung open without a knock.

“Balor-chan, can I have a word?”

“What’s wrong, Konoha?”

“Your ability to switch gears is truly remarkable.”

As soon as Konoha entered, Nanashi and I immediately pulled apart.

As if nothing had happened, we calmly welcomed her.

It wouldn’t do me any favors if anyone saw me fooling around with one of the maids.

I’m terrified, because I have no idea how Konoha will react.

She wiped away her usual creepy smile and stared at me.

“Balor-chan, you’re going to fight Gorgon, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right… but how did you know?”

Huh?

Did I already mention it?

Only Nanashi and I went to Yoldak’s mansion, and I don’t think I’ve explained it to any of the other maids yet…

“Yeah, it can’t be helped. It’s an inevitable fate.”

“Huh?”

Is she on some weird wavelength?

As Konoha nodded thoughtfully while she spoke, I managed a wry smile.

This is bad.

Have I been cooped up in my room for so long that my brain’s gone to rot?

Alright, I’ll use this as an excuse to fire someone.

“But brace yourself, Balor-chan. Because, Balor-chan…”

Once she steeled herself, Konoha looked at me.

She stared intently, her lips trembling.

“――――――Because you’re gonna get killed.”