Vol 2 Chapter 26 – Engagement【Exile to the Empire Arc】

 Regzeria Royal Palace

“…Where am I?”

“Yo, Ha-ru-to!”

When Haruto woke up, he sat up in bed and saw the Black Knight Kairo sitting in a chair. At the same time, he remembered what happened in the deepest part of the Tower of Agni.

(Yukino… she was alive. That photo on the smartphone—I still don’t want to believe it… Yukino isn’t the kind of girl who’d do something like that. But I also want to be with Sarina. What am I supposed to do!?)

As Haruto clutched his head, the Black Knight Kairo placed a hand on his shoulder. He’d removed his signature black helmet, revealing a well-featured face without any of the rumored burn scars.

“I may not look it, but I’m pretty good at mystery games, so I did some deducing based on your guys’ conversation. First, when you all came to this world, Yukino was clinging tightly to your left arm. But when we met at the Tower of Agni, it was Sarina snuggled up to you, right? Which means you hooked up with Sarina to forget about Yukino, who you thought was dead, but then it turns out Yukino’s actually alive and now you’re confused… Am I close?”

He was missing some details like the smartphone photo, but he was mostly right.

“So here’s the thing… I’ve got a little proposition for you. Of course, it’s mutually beneficial! You get both girls back, and I get my freedom! …So, what do you say?”

“That sounds way too advantageous for you. If you’re asking me for a favor, it probably means I’ll be taking some serious risks. In that case, I’d rather search for them and talk things out sincerely—”

“See, that’s not gonna work. Why, you ask? You’re a hero who saved the nation from crisis now, y’know? Which naturally means… well, I’ll save the rest for tomorrow’s fun. I’ll come back tomorrow for your answer, got it?”

With that, the Black Knight Kairo left. And the next day, Haruto would come to understand the meaning of Kairo’s words.

The Next Day – The Audience Chamber

Regulus Cordinis, a descendant of the great founding king Regulus Corleonis. He no longer possessed the greatness of the first king, and due to repeated blunders, he was whispered about behind his back as the nation’s tumor.

“To honor Haruto’s achievements, I wish to arrange a marriage between you and my daughter, Regulus Arcange.”

“Wish”—in reality, it was a choice with no other options. When Haruto indicated his acceptance, applause erupted. Among those in attendance was Kairo, and inside that black helmet, Haruto felt as though he was being mocked.

After a brief party, by the time he returned to his room, he was utterly exhausted.

Knock knock

“I’m coming in~ Hey now, worn out from just that? At this rate, you won’t survive the parade.”

Haruto, lying face-down on the bed, answered with his face buried in the pillow.

“Leave me alone. Ugh, this is just going to make things even more complicated…”

“Haruto, look at this.”

Sensing an elevated fighting spirit, Haruto looked toward the Black Knight Kairo. His upper body was already bare, and there was something unfamiliar attached to his left chest.

“What is that?”

“An Authentication-type Auto-Detonation Device—Agnate. We’re going to be working together from now on, so I figured I should at least reveal my objective.”

With that, Kairo put his armor back on. Haruto was overwhelmed by the weight of what this man carried.

“Surprised, right? This thing? If I don’t receive Cordinis’s authentication magic once a day, it explodes on its own. Though I’ve gotten used to it after more than ten years… Well, good thing you didn’t throw a tantrum back there. If you’d refused, you might’ve ended up worse off than me!”

Haruto shuddered and realized he had no choice but to team up with this man.

“By the way, that holy sword you’re carrying is actually a fake. Its real name is the Demon Sword Laevatein… one of the dark weapon series. I don’t know all the details, but to put it simply, it has the side effect of letting the owner become who they want to be, but in a twisted form.”

At that, Haruto thought of one thing. Manabu. Haruto himself hadn’t interacted much with Manabu, but at the very least, Manabu used to say “I” in a softer way, but recently it had changed to a more masculine “I.” Partway through, he’d also started insisting they should call each other by name, and sometimes he’d decide their destination on his own.

(Then what about me?) He thought back to himself in the original world. He’d always been forced into a leadership role by those around him, and he really just wanted to be part of “the group.” He’d easily believed the photo of Yukino cheating, been swept up by Sarina’s seduction, and just now, when the old him would’ve taken a resolute stance, he’d easily agreed.

“Haha, I’m… an idiot.”

“Now now, don’t be so hard on yourself. If you’re aware of it, it’ll at least slow down the ‘corruption’s’ advance. Anyway, I want you to become the ‘king.'”

“King?”

“Yeah. If you become king and abolish the authentication technique, I’ll be free. And you’ll be able to use your authority to get those two back… Not a bad deal, right?”

“Hmm, but can authority really win back their hearts? I don’t think that’s possible…”

“No no, those two are with the shadow brat right now, right? If we can kill just the shadow brat, you’ll be the only person from their homeland in this world. They’ll naturally come back!”

Honestly, it seemed sketchy, but at this rate, neither Sarina nor Yukino would ever come back. Haruto decided to accept Kairo’s proposal.

“All right, this is gonna feel gross between two guys, but touch my left chest.”

“Why?”

“That shadow brat next to Yukino—the sword he’s carrying is the real holy sword. It can absorb corruption and lower the erosion rate. Agnate has a similar function. If it absorbs your corruption, you should be able to maintain your ‘original will,’ right?”

(I see, so that’s why that guy was so insistent about touching Sarina’s chest.) Kairo stripped his upper body again, and Haruto transferred his corruption to Kairo. The pitch-black mass that had been accumulating inside his body disappeared, and his heart was purified like a clear blue sky.

After the purification, Kairo clutched his chest and nearly collapsed.

“Kairo-san!?”

“Guh… hah, hah… Imitating a holy sword is seriously rough. The burden on my heart is seriously insane.”

When Haruto tried to lend him a shoulder, Kairo brushed it off and walked toward the exit.

“Haruto, here’s some advice from your uncle. In life, it’s never too late. If a guy who was in despair like me can decide to take action, then a young guy like you should try even harder.”

He was an elusive man with a carefree air, but in his back, Haruto felt he could glimpse the weight of a life fully lived.