Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 447

447: A Rumor-Filled Test Site

To have Liz in my arms was a result of overcoming a near-miraculous probability.

Liz probably had too much of an aptitude for being an assassin. If she had had less, she would have surely died. The choices she had continued to make had continued to hone her.

…There were surely assassins who had been forced to make the same choices as her and had died.

I had no intention of seeing my subordinates as tools. Even if they were tools—to be disposable was impossible. It must not be.

That was a strong emotional feeling, but—even from a rational perspective, it was fortunate that it was right to treat the lives of my subordinates as precious.

Aithys had once said. …“It would be best if none of us died, and all the enemy died.”

I thought so, too. I really thought so.

No matter how many of the enemy there were, no matter who they were, the moment they were an enemy, the value of their life was lighter than the life of a single one of my subordinates.

Aithys had continued, that it might be best if no one died. That was probably a way of thinking that was only permitted in a world with no enemies.

And now, that world existed.

Now, it was ‘peace.’ A world with no reason to go to war, a world that many had wished for.

It would probably be peaceful a second from now. Then ten seconds from now. A day, a week, a month, a year—with every passing moment of a hypothetical time, I became a little more anxious.

I loved this country, but I had no excessive illusions.

Someday, absolutely, someone would be dissatisfied.

To make that a second in the future. To make more people happy. That was the job of a ruler.

And to—completely extinguish the spark that had been lit. That, too, was the job of a ruler.

I didn’t believe in a perfect peace. I didn’t think that everyone could share an ideal.

And yet, it was better than a war of extermination.

I believed that the vast majority of those who had survived in this world wished for peace, to the extent that they would not want to cause another bloody war of extermination between different races.

If a person could not forgive someone, then the end of the road was war. I didn’t think that a person could forgive everything. Even for those who were not ‘human.’

And yet, there was surely a better option than to kill each other, a compromise.

The dark elves, the beastmen, the undead, the demons, and the dragons were not races that got along well.

And yet, rather than be destroyed by the humans, we had joined hands.

Even if it was a compromise. Rather than a world where everyone you could see was killing each other. Rather than a world where you couldn’t believe in tomorrow—where you would suddenly think, as you were falling asleep, that you might not wake up to see tomorrow…

It was many times better to grumble about your dissatisfaction and to compromise with a moderate reality.

And for that, you needed power. Even a ‘moderate’ world required power to realize.

I wanted to silence the dissatisfaction with economic power, as much as possible. As I had once told Lital-sama, hunger, cold, discrimination, and poverty were all equally our enemies.

And to eliminate those who did not accept the compromise that had been set.

The power of an assassin was needed for that.

…Though I hoped that the option of assassination would be a last resort, to be used after a thorough intelligence gathering and a careful crushing of the dissatisfaction.

I released Liz from my embrace. …There was a part of me that wanted to confine her. A feeling of wanting to keep her away from all kinds of danger.

…If I wasn’t being conceited, then that was probably the feeling that everyone had for me.

And yet, as long as the return was worth the risk, as long as it was rational, we would risk our lives. As soldiers, who belonged to the Listrea Demon King’s army.

If that logic were to not change, then what was needed was a thorough selection and training.

I sat up properly and turned to Shino-san. And as a supreme commander, I declared.

“In the name of the Lord of Disease, the Sixth Army will provide a ‘test site,’ to see the aptitude of an assassin.”

“Yes. Please tell me the details.”

“I propose that the task be to infiltrate the headquarters of the Sixth Army—the mansion of the Lord of Disease. If necessary, we can have our death knights act as ‘sentries.’ —The lethality of the traps and other difficulties can be discussed.”

Shino-san blinked.

“…The ‘mansion of the Lord of Disease’?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

She continued, her expression unchanged, her voice flat.

“There are many rumors, such as, ‘no one who has tried to infiltrate has survived,’ ‘a nest of Black Hound Barghests,’ ‘there are corpses buried in the basement,’ ‘I saw a strange disc fly from the mansion,’ ‘time and space are distorted,’ ‘a girl who went in came out as an adult,’ ‘I hear a strange flapping sound,’ ‘it is connected to the afterlife and is like a paradise.’”

…What? Those rumors.

“…Liz? —Rebecca, Samarkand, Harken, did you know?”

“I’ve heard a few of them.”

“Me too.”

“That such rumors would spread is a testament to my master’s greatness.”

“Isn’t it surprisingly accurate?”

They weren’t denying it much. To think that the master of the mansion was the only one who didn’t know that her own home had become an interesting and strange spot. It had been used for a children’s test of courage, and I had been prepared to be feared.

“It’s a misunderstanding. It is, after all, a military base, and a place where those who are stationed there live.”

And as I said that, Shino-san asked.

“Then, what about ‘no one who has tried to infiltrate has survived’?”

“For the most part, it is correct. But since Samarkand is here, it is a mistake.”

“‘A nest of Black Hound Barghests.’”

“…I won’t deny it.”

“‘There are corpses buried in the basement.’”

“The basement is used as Rebecca’s laboratory and as a break room for the death knights of the Sixth Army. They are not buried… I think.”

“‘I saw a strange disc fly from the mansion.’”

“…Probably when I threw a frisbee.”

“‘Time and space are distorted.’”

“There are times when I lose track of time, when I’m playing with the Barghests or flirting with Liz.”

“‘A girl who went in came out as an adult.’”

“I have no memory of that. There was a time when a girl who had come for a test of courage had a minor injury, and I had invited her in for treatment. …And besides, there’s only Liz and Rebecca.”

“Please don’t include me in the ‘girl’ category.”

“Me too. As I have always said, I am older than you.”

The retorts of Liz and Rebecca, who had been listening in silence, came in.

“‘I hear a strange flapping sound.’”

“Leaf… a griffin from the Third Army. The magical beast stables have been renovated from an old stable.”

“‘It is connected to the afterlife and is like a paradise.’”

“The ratio of undead is high, and for me, it is like a paradise.”

Shino-san, who had finished listening to my explanation, nodded once.

“It is a thing that is sufficiently outside the bounds of common sense.”

“Even though I explained it rationally?”

“Just because the explanation is rational does not mean that the abnormality disappears.”

Shino-san, with her logic. I looked at Liz, who was beside me.

“…I’ve been called abnormal.”

“Because the strength of the Black Hound Barghests and the death knights, and the fact that you are crazy, Master.” Liz said, lightly.

“Well, if you say so… —no, wait, Liz. Did you not separate ‘crazy strength’ and ‘crazy’?”

“Is it just your imagination? Your perception is distorted because you have a guilty conscience.”

“You’re trying to confuse me with difficult words. I won’t be fooled.”

“Time and space are distorted.”

“Interesting.”

“See, Liz, senpai is laughing at you.”

“No, that’s not it. …It is an interesting proposal.”

Her expression, as she said that, did not change, and there was no smile on her lips. But if she said so, then it was probably an ‘interesting’ and ‘intriguing’ proposal.

And Shino-san continued.

“—I myself would like to try that ‘challenge’ once.”