Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Sense of Values ~Iino Yuna’s POV~

The day after the mystery man told me about the army heading Majima’s way, I parted ways with Gordon, whom I’d been traveling with for nearly two months, and headed for the Margraviate of Maclaurin. It would be best to put a stop to this before the fighting started. Even if it had already begun, the sooner it could be stopped, the better. To that end, I forced my legs to keep running, even if it was reckless.

The margrave’s residence was located in the mining city Nourias. Normally, the journey would take a month and a half, but I completed it in a week. It was an enormous city built at the foot of a mountain. At its center was an ancient fortress called Fort Nourias. Much like Serrata, this fort had once been on the front lines in the war against the Woodlands. In the present day, it was the largest city in the Empire, thriving off the mining of runestones from the nearby mountains.

In this world, it was common for all towns to have sturdy defensive walls. The multiple layers of defense that’d been built each time the city expanded were more imposing than any I’d seen before. Just looking at them made me feel oppressed. I passed through the heavy gate, which had probably seen armies come and go in times of emergencies, and entered Nourias.

◆ ◆ ◆

I was granted an audience with the margrave right away. A big reason for this was the letter of introduction I’d gotten from Gordon, borrowing the name of the Holy Order. He’d handed it to me, figuring it was a necessity with the fake savior rumors running rampant.

Guided by a man who worked for the margrave, I headed for Fort Nourias. Unexpectedly, the exploration team had yet to arrive.

“I’ve heard the members of the exploration team are currently staying in a certain town close to Nourias,” my guide said, kindly telling me what he knew. “I’m told they have been going from town to town, suppressing monsters all the while.”

“Aah. That’s why it’s taken them longer to get here than planned.”

I’d heard news of the exploration team fighting monsters when I entered the margraviate. They seemed to be steadily accumulating accolades. I was sure they made all the proper preparations and put together strategies for each operation. Our leader’s assistant, Kuriyama, was impeccable at stuff like that, and our leader was also very levelheaded.

If only Kouzu and the others had given it a little more thought before taking action, things would never have ended up like that. The thought was unbearable.

“Is something the matter, madam?”

My thoughts must have shown in my expression, because my guide looked at me with curiosity.

“No, it’s nothing. Anyways, this is a really big city. I haven’t seen one this big since coming to this world.”

I couldn’t possibly tell him the hidden truth behind the fake savior incidents, so I brought up a random topic instead.

“Indeed, that only stands to reason,” my guide said proudly. “All of this is a boon of His Lordship’s power.”

“Could you tell me more about the margrave?”

He happily complied with my request. The current Margrave Maclaurin, Glantri Maclaurin, was apparently an outstanding feudal lord who soundly managed the prosperous margraviate. One of his most prominent endeavors was the flood control of the Aralia River to the west. He also worked to eradicate monsters, and sometimes he commanded the provincial army to assist more impoverished noble territories.

He was a grand noble who contributed greatly to the stability of the southern Empire. That was his reputation within his own territory, and as I’d had several opportunities to speak with citizens in the region on my way here, I found pretty much all of them had the same favorable opinion of him.

“He’s a good lord, huh?” I said.

“He certainly is. He is our pride and joy.”

Even people like that could make mistakes, but I didn’t voice that opinion. There was no point in mentioning it. Besides, I’d come here to correct that mistake. According to what I’d heard on my way, the margrave had, in fact, dispatched the army to subjugate the fake savior. Majima’s name never came up, but this still authenticated the story I’d heard from the mystery man.

I continued following my guide and steeled myself for what was to come.

◆ ◆ ◆

“Welcome. Come on in.”

I met with Glantri Maclaurin in a reception room. He was an old man with ambition. His perfectly straight hair was tied behind him, and he had a neatly trimmed beard. His back was as straight as could be, and vitality ran through his slender body down to his fingertips. The fancy shirt and trousers he wore upheld his name as a grand noble, but he wore no gaudy ornaments. His look was very refined.

“Please, have a seat,” he said in a deep voice.

I did as he offered and sat on the sofa. I started with an introduction, then apologized for the sudden visit. During that time, a servant brought us tea. Everything was in place for us to talk.

“Now then, to what do I owe the pleasure for today’s visit?” he said, turning his wrinkled face my way.

This was the do-or-die moment. I braced myself and cut straight to the point.

“Lord Maclaurin, I’ve come to speak with you about the army you dispatched to defeat the fake savior. I was told by a certain individual that you sent this army to subjugate Majima Takahiro.”

I wasn’t going to overlook the most trivial change in his expression. Was he a virtuous statesman like the rumors said? Or was he a villain who hid his motives? I had to be sure.

“Is this true?” I asked.

“The name Majima Takahiro shouldn’t be circulating in public. Well, I’ll refrain from delving into why you know this.” The margrave nodded solemnly. “Yes. It is just as you say. I’ve sent my army to Aker to subjugate the fake savior Majima Takahiro. It is an army of justice—the arrow to strike down evil.”

He had a calm demeanor, and I couldn’t sense any guilt in his expression or tone.

“You sent them all the way to Aker?” I asked, trying to provoke him.

“Miss Iino, as a member of a long line of nobles, I have a duty to protect this world’s peace,” he replied, unshaken. “The people’s livelihood is like a small ship constantly being shaken by waves. Aker is certainly far away, and it isn’t even part of the Empire, but so long as people live there, we cannot remain idle spectators to their plights.”

He was being sincere. I could sense an iron will behind his words, and they were backed by what had become the core of this man’s philosophy over the long years. I was relieved by this. At the same time, I also felt sorrow.

“All evil in this world must be destroyed. Isn’t that right?” he said.

“Yes... Such intentions are wonderful,” I replied, feeling like my chest was being crushed. “But Majima’s case is different.”

“How so?”

His puzzled look pained my heart. This person was right, but he was wrong. It was similar to the time I chased Majima, which was why I couldn’t allow the margrave to continue making this mistake.

“Majima Takahiro isn’t a fake savior. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He came here with us to this world. He’s a visitor.”

I spoke earnestly. Half of it was for Majima’s sake, but the other half was out of consideration for the man before me.

“What...? How can that be?”

“I’m sure it’s surprising, but it’s true.”

I bent forward and pleaded with him. The margrave wasn’t a villain. On the contrary, he had a strong sense of responsibility and a love for others. His heart despised evil. To put it simply, I sympathized with him.

“That’s why there’s no need for conflict,” I said. “There’s no need for unnecessary sacrifices.”

“I see... I understand what you’re saying.”

The margrave nodded. He was acting rationally. He wasn’t the type to get angry about his actions being criticized. Another one of my worries vanished. I was relieved. At this rate, convincing him would be simple.

“Could you withdraw your troops?” I asked.

The margrave gave me a tranquil smile and, with his usual composed manner, said...

“That, I cannot do.”

“Huh...?” I froze. I couldn’t understand. “Wh-What...did you say...?”

“I said that I cannot withdraw my troops.”

Even after asking again, his answer didn’t change.

“Why?!” I half rose to my feet without meaning to. I couldn’t understand why the battle couldn’t be stopped. “Majima hasn’t done anything wrong! So why?!”

“I’ve heard that Majima Takahiro is accompanied by monsters,” the margrave said as if quietly reprimanding me. “Isn’t that more than enough reason?”

“Huh?” I was dumbfounded. That wasn’t a reason at all. What was he saying? “I-I don’t understand.”

“So you don’t...”

He pinched his brow. It was as if he was irritated that he had to explain the obvious.

“Are you listening, Miss Iino? Monsters are an evil that threaten the people of the world. Being in the company of such beings is all it takes to be evil.”

“Just because of that...?”

“Yes. There is no room for argument.”

This was preposterous. An evil person was someone who did evil things. That was supposed to be the case, but the margrave thought differently. In a sense, he was saying, “It doesn’t matter whether any evil deeds were done.” It was unreasonable, and it all sounded like an excuse to me.

And yet the margrave was unashamed. He was unshakable. His attitude was filled with goodwill and chivalrous spirit. It was almost nauseating. It was because I sensed this that I finally came to understand a dreadful truth.

“Evil must be purged. The army of justice has been dispatched for that purpose. They will definitely destroy the evil of this world.”

The margrave wasn’t a wicked man. He moved in accordance with what he thought was good and common sense. He valued justice, and he despised evil. He was no different from me in that regard. Be that as it may, his values were off. His definition of evil was wrong, fatally so, but there was no way of convincing him.

“B-But Majima really did come to this world with me.”

I clung on to the last hope I had, to the fact that we were saviors here. That was one unwavering truth. I knew from personal experience how big a deal that was to the residents of this world, and in this case it was my final bastion.

“Will you still say that Majima is evil?”

“Of course,” he answered with ease.

“Wh-Wha...?”

“Majima Takahiro certainly may be a visitor. Nevertheless, that has nothing to do with his being a savior.”

The margrave’s declaration was so forceful that it was baffling.

“Wh-Why? I mean, Majima...”

“It isn’t all that complicated. There are many exceptions to the advent of the saviors this time around. Not only did over a hundred saviors visit Fort Ebenus, but they say over a thousand descended on our world at once. That in itself is a marvelous thing. Nonetheless, as this happened on a scale unheard of, there are obviously distortions.”

“Distortions?”

“I have my status as a margrave. Because of my responsibility, I need to obtain all sorts of information. I get it from the fortresses on the front, from the nobles in every region, and from the Holy Order. That is why I found it unusual from the very beginning.”

His eyes turned as sharp as blades.

“No shadow can exist in the saviors’ reputation,” he continued. “That is why it’s strange. The secret plotting of the visitor who masterminded the attack on Fort Tilia, and the rampage of the Lord of Darkness who participated in it... Neither event should have been possible for those who are supposed to bring us our salvation.”

“Ah...”

Terror ran down my spine. The truth behind the attack on Fort Tilia was being kept secret, probably for the same reason that the fake savior rumors were under wraps. They couldn’t afford to sully the saviors’ prestige.

It was a different matter when it came to hiding it from Margrave Maclaurin himself, though. This was the man who’d taken in the soldiers of Fort Tilia. There was no way of hiding it from him. Nevertheless, he’d declared, “No shadow can exist in the saviors’ reputation.” In short...

“There are villains among the visitors. However, no saviors would do such a thing. Therefore, there is only one conclusion. All of this was perpetrated by fakes who slipped in among the saviors. It cannot be explained otherwise. Majima Takahiro, the man who wields the fiendish art of commanding monsters, is simply one among those.”

“Ah... Uh...”

I understood now. Being a visitor wasn’t enough to convince the margrave. My last foothold crumbled pitifully beneath me. I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Evil must be purged. From that standpoint, the fake savior escaping to Aker is rather convenient.”

I spun my wheels, unable to do anything but listen to his words.

“At any rate, those lands are filled with unclean beings. We’ll be able to purge them along with a great evil.”

He spoke as if this was worth celebrating, and it gave me a horrible premonition.

“Unclean beings...? Purge them along with...?”

I felt the blood draining from my face. The old man I’d sympathized with up until now looked like an inexplicable being.

“Wh-What are you planning?” I asked.

The old man gave me a gentle and magnanimous smile...which only made him all the more dreadful.