Chapter Chapter 28: RATH 28 TL: Eevee (1/2)

RATH 28

TL: Eevee

4. The others’ stories

#2 Their story: the empire soldier’s story.

“Now the person called Ast that ran away with Rein’s appearance is also going to get caught, so all we have to do is wait here and meet him.”

“Huh?”

Listening to the noble girl who had put a leash on him and was humming, Rein realised that something had gone wrong.

“Ah, you didn’t know? The reason why the number of people that chased after you was so few was partly because to fool you Rein, but also to fool the person named Ast. Everyone that’s worked long enough with the princess is wary of the person named Ast. Except for the personnel that’s here that I stationed in case of emergencies, everyone else’s gone to chase him. No matter how incredible that person is, he won’t be able to do anything by himself.”

Hearing this, Rein was certain. He fell for the trap, but equally so did this woman.

And if he didn’t tell her the truth now, then the responsibility of all that might fall square onto him.

“Uh, uh, milady…”

“Rein, although you said it was the club’s rules in the past that stopped you from calling my name, but that’s not the case now, isn’t it? Rather than ‘milady,’ ‘Iris.’ Ah, it might be even better if you called me Irie like my family.”

“No, milady, that’s not…”

“Iris!”

“Tha… I… Yes, Miss Iris,… that’s not the important thing right now…”

“It is! Hm, because you’re not used to it yet, you can call me ‘miss’ for now, but in the future, I want you to leave the ‘miss’ out as well.”

“Ah, I understand. But, I’m saying this again, there’s something important..”

“What’s the matter? Surely there’s no reason why you should be stammering like that between us?”

Rein wondered whether he could say this, but having made the judgement that the instructor had gotten a long way away by now, he said the truth.

“Miss Iris, actually… the thing that ran away with my appearance wasn’t the instructor but a contracted doppelganger.”

“Eh?”

In that instant, the noble girl’s smile that had been lovingly looking down on Rein froze instantly.

“The instructor has already fled through another route, and he said he’d live life in a village far away at the end of the world as a farmer…”

The noble lady didn’t reply to Rein. But her expression told him everything.

Her whiter and whiter face.

Her clattering teeth. And the shivering of her hands that he could even feel through his collar.

Shortly afterwards, after shaking for a while she quietly murmured.

“I’m screwed…”

#3 Their story: The empire soldier’s story .(2)

‘It’s finally over!’

Unless one was on the level of being able to be called an archdevil, it was pie in the sky to receive a soul as the price for your assistance.

Normal devils made provisional contracts with treasures or other commodities as compensation, and I too, did the same.

And I saw hell.

I had definitely contracted with what humans called an evil organization, filled with people that would make good partners for devils, but what I’d faced would put trainee heroes to shame.

Their skills improving was all perfectly natural, but as if they couldn’t feel any pain, these kids would charge in injuries and all as if they didn’t know what a limit was, both I and the other doppelgangers it was tasked with were all horrified.

At a later date, when I had gone to consult with another doppelganger that had met a hero recorded in history, or more accurately had been a stepping stone for said hero, he said this.

-What, that’s scary. Not even the hero went that far…

It was seriously like hell. Just once I’d gotten so pissed I’d breached the terms of the contract just a bit to pull out my true strength to give the kids pain.

Even disregarding my own skills as a doppelganger, I had turned the enemy into a pain-sensitive state where even the slightest brush would give them unspeakable pain.

But in that state they were burnt, sliced and tore their skin, yet they were smiling.

‘How, how are you lot enduring this pain!’

“Kuahahaha! If you compare this pain to the metal bat then it’s nothing more than child’s play!’

Just what is the bat?

And worse, the next generation’s brats called disciples were even worse.

-Lord Surtr why are you…

-I was scammed into a contract.

As the doppelgangers looked on at the slave life of the great giant that burned down a world the doppelgangers all realized that they needed to get out of this place as soon as they could.

And not long afterwards all of them got the freedom they wanted. Except for himself!

“We finally, finally caught you!”

“Give up, Sir Ast!”

“You’re going back to the princess!”

Out of fear I’d be recontracted because I half-assed this job I ran away like I’d set my soul on fire.

But even that was its limit, if I’m caught, the contract is finally over.

‘I’m never coming out into the human world again!’

I made a firm resolve to never come out again even if the compensation was a soul.

‘Humans, scary…;

That place called Howling was a place that opposed the empire. And the people in front of me are imperial soldiers.

To think the empire’s soldiers were this monstrous, then that organization Howling also raised at least this level of monsters!

Who called humans the weakest race! Are they not a race that are stronger than devils and even have more numbers than us!

“I can’t see the bat!”

“It really does seem like he handed it over to Rein to fool us.”

“We have reports that there’s a higher level of weapon than that so be cautious!”

I’m saying this again, but the humans in front of us were all difficult to defeat even if I’d used all my true strength.

And these humans feared the thing called a bat! Is this bat some kind of planet-destroying weapon or something?

But thanks to that, he could buy more time so the doppelganger was thankful for that.

And around forty minutes later.

“Ah, the contract’s over.”

“Wh, what?!”

“Thi, this is a doppelganger?”

“Does that mean vice-captain Iris’ side was the real one?!”

“C, contact with vice-captain Iris. The person she caught was the one named Rein, and Sir Ast has escaped! I repeat, Sir Ast has escaped! He said he’d go live in a village at the end of the world and live as a farmer there!”

As his spirit became fainter and fainter, at the appearances of the human falling into shock and despair seeing the living metal that was his body gradually lose its form, the doppelganger shouted.

-Hahaha, it’s the best! Freedom and despair, I get both of them as I go!

But, even as it did the doppelganger thought.

‘Just what is it exactly that this level of humans fear…’

#4 Their story: Atia nel Karuan’s story.

“So, you failed?”

“I, I’m sorry, noonim!”

The strongest nation in the continent, Karuan.

And the future emperor of that Karuan was currently begging me on his knees. Hm, well. That doesn’t matter.

“You’re going to die anyway…”

“Hiiik!”

“Your Highness? Even so that’s…”

“Shut up.”

“I’m sorry!”

As I told her with a bright smile Reia immediately collapsed into her corner. Now, where were we?