Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 100

100: In the Midst of Applause and Cheers

“Exposure… tournament? Lord of Disease. May I request… a detailed explanation…?”

The dog-eared referee asked, her smile strained.

“What? I’m simply a well-prepared supreme commander, with a multitude of competent subordinates.”

“A little more detail.”

“I decided to win today. While it’s true that I provided my opponents with a way to win, I was also prepared to play my trump cards, if necessary.”

“Could you be more specific?”

“I conducted a thorough investigation of all participants. In the process, I came across a few… secrets… that they would probably prefer to keep private.”

“…What?”

This was why Liz had only been involved in the trap and grenade creation. She’d been working with the disinformation unit, gathering intelligence.

And with the infiltration and intelligence-gathering skills of an assassin of her caliber, laying bare the private lives of ordinary knights was child’s play.

“As a very kind supreme commander, I thought I would help you all get to know him better by exposing his secrets.”

“B-blackmail is prohibited!”

“I don’t recall agreeing to that as a formal rule. And it’s not blackmail. My victory is already assured, and I’m not demanding anything. If anything, it’s just… a way to blow off some steam.”

“That’s even worse!”

“According to the rules?”

“…No problem.”

“Please, don’t, I’m begging you!”

The all-back young Dark Knight, who had been listening to our conversation, his face growing paler by the second, cried out.

“You picked a fight with the wrong person.” I considered giving him a cold look, but decided to smile instead.

“I am the Lord of Disease, commander of the Sixth Army, and a supreme commander whose feelings have been slightly hurt by the doubts of you young Dark Knights.”

The venue fell silent.

“I surrender! I surrender!”

“Yes, I understand. I win.”

He looked visibly relieved.

“Now, shall we begin the exposure tournament?”

“No! I surrendered! I’m surrendering!”

“—Huh? I never said you had to surrender, nor did I say I wouldn’t expose you if you did. That would be blackmail!”

I glanced at the dog-eared referee, and she looked away.

“Besides, what are you afraid of?” His expression brightened for a moment, as if there was a glimmer of hope.

“You’re good at gossip, aren’t you?”

His expression turned to one of despair.

“Honestly. My intelligence-gathering team was so offended by your careless remarks that it was a real hassle to calm them down.”

Apparently, they’d been saying a lot of careless things, enough to make Liz, her eyes devoid of their usual light, say, “Can I just assassinate about ten of them?”

“Well, it’s inevitable that a supreme commander would be the subject of some rumors, gossip, and complaints, but there’s a limit.”

I’d had to carefully explain that the Dark Knights, despite their problematic ideology and behavior, were an elite force and a shield for the nation, and then, under the guise of comforting her, I’d hugged her—

Liz’s face had turned bright red, and she’d said, “Alright! I get it! I’m fine now!” and I’d been able to dote on her, so I wasn’t really angry.

In fact, I was even a little grateful, since I’d gotten to see a different side of Liz.

“I apologize… on my knightly honor, I apologize…”

“‘Knightly honor’ is a convenient phrase. Can you use it to apologize for actions that defile a knight’s honor?”

“Ugh…” Tears streamed down his face as he trembled, terrified of having his secrets exposed. I sighed, hidden behind my hood. Crying wouldn’t change anything.

Well, sometimes it did.

“…Fine, I’ll let it go. I don’t want you to resent me.”

There was no real benefit to exposing his secrets. I had no desire to tarnish the reputation of the Dark Knights.

Besides, everyone had their own… preferences.

“As long as you strive to be a knight loyal to the nation, I, and all those who know your secrets under my command, will remain silent.”

“…Thank… you…” He collapsed to his knees.

“…Winner, the Lord of Disease…!”

The dog-eared referee declared my victory, her gaze filled with sympathy.

I’d intended to win with my sword this time, but in the end, I’d defeated him with words. Well, I hadn’t wanted to physically hurt him, so that was fine.

I decided to wrap things up, to achieve today’s ‘main objective.’

After confirming that he’d been helped to his feet by his fellow Dark Knights and was staggering away, I spoke.

“—Now, you glorious Dark Knights, and you, the protectors of Listrea, the Litalside garrison.”

I addressed everyone gathered, my voice amplified.

“Where is the applause? The cheers? Where are the blessings for the victor? Is this the true nature of a warrior’s pride, of chivalry—to be unable to congratulate your opponent on their victory when you have lost?”

A scattered applause began.

“I fought according to the rules. In the name of the Lord of Disease, honorably.”

Cold stares. Lukewarm blessings. And in the midst of it all, I smiled.

“So, you understand now. —Even with rules, this is what happens.” The atmosphere shifted slightly.

“There will always be those who break the rules. But even when following them, this much is possible. —But let me say this!”

My voice cracked like a whip, and all eyes focused on me.

“Your enemy doesn’t play by any rules.”

A collective gasp went through the crowd. Their expressions hardened.

There were no rules between the Listrea Demon Kingdom and the Human Alliance Against Demons.

No international law, no wartime treaties, not even a customary agreement on the treatment of prisoners.

No… not even the concept of prisoners.

No rules of any kind.

That was the true nature of a war of extermination between races.

“The duty of Fort Litalside is to defend the border. But border defense is not just about repelling one or two invasions. We must cast aside all laziness, all complacency, all arrogance, and defend this place with everything we have. If they break through—you know what will happen, don’t you?”

There were no demons in human territory.

Most had fled to the current territory of the Listrea Demon Kingdom… but a few had remained in their own lands.

Small dark elf city-states, small beastman tribes, individual demons, dragons with their own territories… those who had not wished to be incorporated into the newly founded nation of Listrea.

The founding of Listrea, historically, was a response to the consolidation of human nations.

The rise of Rank Kingdom, which had conquered its neighbors with the power of the Dragon Knights.

The unification of the desert tribes, which would become the Empire.

And the rapid spread of the monotheistic religion that would lead to the Holy Kingdom.

But after the wars, they had chosen to join hands with their brethren. The wise ones, who knew that total continental domination was not feasible, had desired stability after securing a certain amount of territory, with humans as allies.

And in the process, the ‘demons’ had been made the enemy of humanity.

To solidify their unity, they had made an enemy of those who were different. A classic, primitive… and effective tactic, one that had been repeated ad nauseam on Earth.

And in human territory, they had been eradicated.

If Fort Litalside were to fall, that history would repeat itself.

The streets of Litalside we had walked.

The restaurant on Lake Kagone, the couple at the food stall, the people we had seen in the town.

All of it.

“No matter how much you beg, no matter how much you apologize, they will not stop. They will trample on everything you hold dear, and they will slaughter everyone you love.”

Just imagining it, their faces contorted in anguish, and at the same time, a new resolve appeared in their eyes.

“You should not be ashamed of your defeat today. —But you understand now, don’t you? The kind of resolve that is required on the battlefield?”

Deception, traps, poison, magic… everything was permitted.

There was no room for the intoxicating words of honor and pride.

Even ruthlessness was more valuable than defeat.

“Your commander, Bringit Finis, is the embodiment of chivalry. Learn from her. And be a proud Dark Knight. Be a proud warrior.”

The words ‘honorably’ and ‘pride’ seemed to suit the demons. They were a rational people, who would settle their disputes with duels, minimizing bloodshed.

But for humans, it was different.

“But at the same time, remember this. That someone like me will one day become your enemy. Think about it. How will you protect what you hold dear? What will you give up? What will you sacrifice?”

There were things you wanted to protect.

There were things you couldn’t protect.

But maybe…

…if you gave up something.

“I have abandoned my pride. I have stopped following rules that were not set. I have cast aside my petty ethics, my aversion to killing my own kind.”

My feelings, my gentle thoughts, the things I didn’t want to do.

If I gave up those things.

Maybe…

“—I am the Lord of Disease. Remember that.”

I thought back to the day of my investiture. The day I truly became the Lord of Disease.

The day I decided to fight for this nation, even as a convenient tool.

I reversed my grip on the wooden sword and slammed its tip into the training ground floor. The stone paving cracked under the force of the magically enhanced blow, and in the echoing silence, I held the shattered remains of the wooden sword and declared, with all my resolve,

“All who threaten the peace of the Listrea Demon Kingdom are my enemies!”

I slowly looked around the silent training ground. Good faces.

It seemed I had made my mark on them.

Their pride and resolve as soldiers of the Listrea Demon Kingdom, as protectors of the peace.

I softened my voice.

“—I am the Lord of Disease. Remember that.”

The hostility had vanished, replaced by a new warmth.

“No matter my origin, no matter my race, I am a supreme commander of the Sixth Army.”

I threw the remains of the wooden sword to the ground.

I declared,

“I am your ally.”

Applause and cheers filled the venue.