Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: 23

6-23 . Young Lady and Knight Thief

How many times have I told this to them . Yet, my words didn't reach anyone . And now, those vulgar ruffians are strutting this castle like it's their own .

<TLN: As you may have inferred, this chapter is told not in Satou's POV because there's no 'Satou's here' . She uses "Watakushi" to refers herself, by the way . >

Maybe that's why . I feel like something is calling me, and I've strayed to the old, old collapsed building inside the castle .

It's an old building that has been around in this marquis Muno castle since 20 years ago .

It has already been 15 years since my father received this territory . My mother, sister and me arrived in this castle 16 years ago, we've never left even once since then . The time when uncle Toruma came to play during my childhood was the most fun time .

Even though it's called castle, there are small forest and pond inside its ground, maybe it's to show the power as a marquis, so I don't really feel locked up .

I've searched through the inside of the castle, but this is the first time I'm here . Usually the maid will not let me inside saying, "It's dangerous . "

I wonder if this is because I've entered an unfamiliar place . I think that the floating dust lit by the sunlight is beautiful, I feel pleasant . It seems that I would cough violently if I don't enter while covering my mouth with a handkerchief .

There's a throne in this room, I wonder if it was an audience hall of the marquis . The light spilling from the crumbled roof creates illusion that makes this room looks like a sacred place .

And then, I meet my destiny here .

◇

"O girl, do you desire power . "

"Yes . "

I answered the words that suddenly came out from the direction of the throne .

Even though I'm reflecting on it, I assert that I don't have any regret on the rash decision that I've made this time .

"Very well! Then, I will give you!"

Silver light that appears from the throne wraps me . It feels like it coils around my hair and body . When I'm assailed with anxiety, elegant bracelets appear knitted with silver thread on both my wrists . I feel something odds on my ankles, and anklets with the same design as the bracelet are there when I look .

"O girl, the contract has been established . Wisdom and bravery are yours to take . "

"Where in the world are you? In addition, won't you kindly tell me what these accessories are?"

Even though I could hear him closely, I can't see his figure . I desperately try to keep myself calm and talk to the invisible gentleman .

"There is a large mirror behind that curtain . You should see there . "

I go to the mirror guided by that voice . A tiara has appeared on my head before I was aware of it .

"The accessories on your head, hands and feet are my forms . I had ran alongside my master to the battleground, and finally accomplished my long-cherished wish . My master had left me here and said, "Help a person who wish to crush unreasonable power . "

"Oh my, how wonderful . What a noble-minded person . "

I wonder who is this the master of this tiara . I have never seen a talking magic tool beside in the fairy tales .

"Tiara-san, is it fine to call you that?"

"My previous master called me Raka . It was a name associated with the most famous knowledgeable magic tool <<Intelegent Item>> that came out in tales of his hometown . If you don't have any name you want to particularly use, I'd like you to call me Raka . "

"I understand Raka-sama . As for myself, please call me Karina . "

"This is pleasant . Karina-dono, you don't need to politely use "Sama" for magic tools . It is fine to just call me by the name . "

"Then Raka . I want to borrow your power . "

"It is inevitable . I will assist you whether the opponent is a hero or a demon lord . "

"Oh my, how reliable desuwa, the opponent is a hero . "

When Raka-san talk, the tiara is glowing blue, but is he at loss of words?　The blue glow has stopped .

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No, it's just that, I'm just thinking that the master this time is firm, it's excellent . Particularly, master "It's Karina desuwa" Umu, Karina-dono . "

"Yes . "

"Since the opponent is a hero, does Karina-sama have any experience in magic and swordsmanship?"

"No, I'm good at embroidery and poem, but I leave the fighting to the knights . "

"Fumu, is that how it is . My previous master was a  hero . "

"What is his name!"

I've done a shameful thing . I involuntary bumped against the mirror . This is also something I got from father . He's been talking about heroes since I was small, so I've also gained interest on heroes desuwa .

"I'm sorry, I cannot remember trivial things like name or appearance . Wielding a holy sword, he cut down thousands of demons, he was the owner of tremendous swordsmanship . Even though he couldn't use magic, he could cut the demon lord's magic and subjugated the demon lord . He was an absurd existence . "

"That's right, hero-sama has to be like that!"

I involuntarily put power in my fists . A hero has to be strong beyond common sense above all, If not, he's not a hero .

That self-proclaimed hero who has gained favor of father-sama and onee-sama could only narrowly win against a weak knight, he's just a small fry desuwa .

As the proof, he was always eluding the fight against the strongest knight in the castle, sir Zotor .

"Karina-dono, it's painful to say, but I can only reinforce the power that my master has . I, myself, have power to read mind and use simple magic arts, but I need to use my master's magic power to do so . "

"Then, am I to remain unable to do anything?"

"Right, you'd be able to win against average knights, and I can give you physical ability enough to jump across roofs . If the opponents are the like of thieves, then you could obliterate them as long as you have magic power . "

"Oh my, that's wonderful . "

How wonderful it is . It's like the chivalrous phantom thief, Sharururuun .

"However, that is if the opponent is normal . "

Hearing Raka-san's words, my fluttering heart hardened as if wedged .

"Is it no good?"

"Even if I could increase my master's power by one hundredfold, if my master's power is 1, it could only become 100 . It's appropriate to call an existence called hero as unreasonable . "

"Didn't your past master fight against that unreasonable power?"

The blue light is flickering, and Raka-san says something as if he's found a breakthrough .

"It is so . To be admonished by a baby, this is a good day . "

"My, I'm an adult even like this . "

I feel a bit shocked at my own words . Before I knew it, I'm at the age where I can participate in society . Onee-sama might have unexpectedly knew about the fact that the hero is an impostor . That man only looks like hero on the outside .

◇

"That man is hero desuno . "

"Fumu, are you sure?"

"Yes . "

I somehow feel the blue light from Raka-san flashing .

His next words are shocking .

"That is an impostor . "

Even though, I was insisting about it, I might have believed it (that he was a hero) somewhere in my heart . Then, just what is the sword that he has which lets out blue light like a holy sword .

I went out of the hiding to convict him, but Raka-san's word stopped me .

"Wait, Karina-dono, who is the man beside that fake hero . "

"Are you talking about the consul?"

"That man is a demon . He's most likely many times stronger than the fake hero . We cannot win . "

N, no way!　I was shocked to learn that the self-proclaimed hero is an impostor, but it was even more terrible to hear that a demon had been acting as the consul .

Demons are existences that have to be attacked with army . The only exception where an individual could win against the demon is only a handful of existences like the real hero .

"Ra, Raka . W, what should we do . "

"Please calm down, Karina-dono . If my last memory is correct, this is the territory of marquis Muno right . "

"Today it's baron, but yes, you're right . "

"Then, there should be a community of wood giants in the depth of the nearby forest . If you're with me, we could get their assistance . However, I can't approve of a woman going deep into the forest alone . "

I hate to dirty my dress, but a real hero wouldn't hesitate .

"Could the giants win against the demon?"

"Umu, they're not as strong as the hero, but they shouldn't lag behind a common demon . "

"Then, let us go . "

"It's reassuring seeing your prompt decision . Karina-dono could very well be a great supporter for the hero . "

I try to remain calm as much as possible even though my heart is in festive from Raka-san's words, I head toward the forest .

◇

Guided by Raka-san, I leap over the caste's center and borrow a horse from the stable in front of it to go toward the forest .

When I tried to save a Unicorn who was caught by the thieves, I got caught instead, but I reunited with someone unexpected there .

"Milady, what are you doing in this kind of place . "

"Sir Zotor, you too . "

I didn't think that the strongest knight in this territory who had ran away several years ago would became a thief . Moreover, according to his story, the thieves are going to rebel against father .

With encouragement from Raka, I confide him about the fake hero and the demon consul .

"That, I've thought that he was suspicious, but to think that he's a demon . "

"It is the truth . I swear on the honor of my previous master before Karina-dono, I do not tell lies . "

I had thought that he probably got a lot of question while listening to my words . But he anticlimactically accepted the talk just like that .

"I feel bad for the chief of the wanderer that had accepted me, but I will leave here . Karina-sama, please allow me to accompany you to the giants . "

"I allow it, knight Zotor . "

This is wonderful desuwa . It's like in the tale .

I ride on the unicorn's back and go together with knight Zotor to the wood giants' village deep in the forest .

I do not know if I could obtain their cooperation .

No, that's not it .

I will obtain their cooperation no matter what .

By threatening, or defiling this body, I will accomplish my purpose . That is noblesse oblige .

I have the sword of sir Zotor, and also the wisdom of Raka-san who has spent long years .

Yes, right now, I have companions .

"Now, I am not afraid of anything . "

I cheer myself so, and, toward the gate of the village of wood giants in front of me, I take a step forward .