Chapter Chapter 21: RATH 21 TL: Eevee (2/2)

“Hey, I’m the emperor?”

Arten’s face suddenly contorted in fury that even took the emperor aback.

“Oi, does it make any sense at all that the Crown Prince left and I didn’t know about it? I’m the chief of security for the imperial family. My subordinates are guarding this place like a fortress and the damn Crown Prince of all things can slip by without even a word in my ear? And where the hell did he get those soldiers from?”

“Ah, if you mean that, that’s easily solved if he takes the soldiers that guard the imperial palace. They can leave without you none the wiser, highly experienced and usable without anyone knowing anything!”

“Oh, that’s it.”

Listening to those words Arten made an expression that said ‘Ah, I didn’t think of that!’

And he said to the emperor who looked very proud of himself.

“So, that your last will and testament?”

“Oi, hold on?”

Looking at Arten who was steadfastly ignoring the shocked emperor and continued to cast his incantation, the emperor hurriedly grabbed onto Arten’s legs and begged.

“Um, Lord Arten? Um, could you please listen to me?”

“You’re interrupting my cast. Go sit down in that corner over there and wait for a comfortable death.”

“Excuse me? This is treason?”

“Hm? So what. So today’s the day that I get to tick treason off my bucket list!”

“Kuaaak! To think there was a villain so close that aimed for the emperor’s throne!”

The moment the emperor stood up and shouted, the incantation was complete.

“Now, burn, Death’s Hellfire.”

“Eh, wait up, this is no joke!”

Kang!

The emperor shouted while instantly drawing his sword and slicing the white flame into two, but all Arten did was click his tongue and mutter “tch, it failed.” under his breath.

“Oi, even though we’re friends this is still treason?”

“From a very long time ago, they said the whip was the cure for stupidity.”

“Oi, even if I used your subordinates willfully, they’re still my subordinates in the end as well?”

“And if you take away all the palace guards before that, who’s going to stop a potential actual treasonous plot.”

“You and me?”

“You think that’s possible?!”

“It isn’t?”

For a moment Arten’s mouth closed. Now that he thought about it it actually did seem possible.

He was a archmagician who was one of the best in the continent, and aside from assorted lords of Magic Towers of a significantly large scale there were few that could match him.

And the emperor in front of him wasn’t just some moron that seemed like a crazy punk, he actually was a crazy little fuck, and back when he was still the Crown Prince he was known with one of the five greatest titles of swordsmanship in the continent, the Sword King.

In terms of pure skill, he was stronger than the most famous of them all, the Sword Star.

“We could?”

“See?”

Seeing Arten nod his head and lower his staff, the emperor relaxed and sheathed his sword.

The friend in front of him was a very excellent talent. Disregarding his title as the strongest magician in the imperial palace he also dealt with all sorts of the imperial family’s problems big and small, a splendid talent that could even do the emperor’s work for him!

So from now and in the future, he would need to work hard for him-no, the empire.

If only for the sake of his free time!

“Haa… since you’ve already gone and done it, it can’t be helped.”

“There we go, that’s my buddy.”

“Your friend’s specialties are giving up quickly and sorting out messes.”

“Alright then. Now. The demonstrations.”

“Do we need to just call it a riot and beat them down again?”

Looking at Arten who sighed as he lifted up his staff, and the emperor who brushed the sheath of his sword, there was only one other person that was beside the emperor who had been listening in on the entire conversation.

As the substitute for the imperial family’s personal knight order’s captain who was currently on duty protecting the Crown Prince, the vice-captain of the imperial knight order who was there for the first time thought.

‘Is the empire really going to be alright like this!’

As a loyal subject of the empire, he began to sincerely worry about the empire’s future.

***

“The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime!”

-Owner, owner. Even if no one’s around don’t make it obvious that owner’s crazy. I’m blushy blushy.

“Even I wouldn’t want to hear I’m crazy from you.”

I lightly retort back to the metal bat as I stuffed magic stones into a bag with dimensional storage magic.

If you wondered where we were, then answering would be human nature!

The cave where I chucked those trainees into!

Retrieve all the magic stones from here first, then move back to my office and destroy the important documents.

From there I can collect the important gear and items and either gap it from the empire, or operation dark under the lantern, I need to think which one I’ll be using.

Ah that reminds me. I haven’t done something important.

“Hello, juniors?”

“Wanna get hit?”

“No sir!”

When I lifted the metal bat in front of the homunculi that were still holding JoXX poses as always they immediately bowed down.

As expected of existences that had the memories of my former disciples.

“The promised contract is over. Ah, except you.”

With those words the figures turned wavy and vanished into the silver.

-Damn it, it’s finally over.

-I did this seeing the blasted payment and I thought I was gonna die of irritation.

-We can say goodbye to those monsters.

-Haha, goodbye, hell!

-Wait, we’re going back to hell though?

-That’s our home so that’s okay.

“Ah, wait! Take, take me too!”

I heard a grumbling from a doppelganger that was contracted at the same time but I ignored it and collected up the metal.

Even if they look like this they’re oddities that were created in the process of making the metal bat.

Although I can see quite significant damage and cracks on them, with a bit of repairs they should be reusable.

“Shut up and for now, turn back to your normal form. Your job’s nearly over anyway.”

“Really? Really?”

“Really.”

I packed away the other one that faded wavily back to its normal form, and once I opened the hidden passage that led to my office, hm? Hello?

“Was there still some bastards left?”

Kang!

A sword’s flying my way?