The Impersonating Daimaou Wants to be Hated (WN): Chapter 18

 

Chapter 18: House of Shield's Policies

 No matter how much I rinsed my mouth, no matter how much I cleansed my body, I could not get rid of the festering dirt. I sighed at the unpleasant sensation.

"Rosina, are you all right?"

 The tea room had been repeatedly ventilated and cleaned by magic. The only thing left was the remains of the table, which I had shattered in frustration, and the cushions, which got burned by my daughter's flames.

"Aina?"

 Aina's white skin, pointed ears, and beautiful features are typical of the elven race. However, there was one characteristic that made Aina different from the rest of the elves. Her hair, which was slightly longer than her shoulders, and eyes were pure white.

 Spellcaster. A natural assassin who is said to have the highest killing power among the many occupational jobs of magic users, capable of generating a dangerous power called curses, which is different from normal magic.

 Aina was born with a constitution that generates a strong curse, and my father, the head of the Shield family at the time, found her talent, which was left unused in the elf village, and brought her to the Kingdom of Light, one of the few places in the world where spellcasters are trained, on the condition that she would use her power for the Shield family once she learned to control her power.

 Aina's hair and eyes were silver when she first came to our family, she graduated from the academy and entered the dark side of the family.

 Aina's explanation for this was that the Elves, who boast high magic among the various races, often have a phenomenon called "mana light," which causes their hair and eyes to glow, and that this feature was too conspicuous for her, who will be working in the darkness for a living.

 The dark side of the House of Shield. The extra-judicial execution unit finds those who harm the Kingdom of Light and sometimes eliminate them without being noticed. Aina, who had been born with a powerful curse and had mastered its use, had risen to the top of the force in less than 20 years since her graduation from the academy.

"Leave me alone. This is nothing compared to the humiliation she is suffering."

 My heart still aches when I recall the look on her face as she left the house. I bit my lip unintentionally and Aina said to me in frustration.

"I told her to appeal directly to Floria-sama. There is no way that Atom boy could have lost to that bastard, so he must have done something dirty."

"How could the head of the family, of all people, say such a thing to Floria-sama? The knight of light is not an athlete but a protector of the country, you know? Even if that brat did some tricks, it was his power that he was able to use, and Atom's inexperience that he couldn't beat him. Aina, you know what's really going on, don't you? How can you say that you lost because your opponent was a coward in a match that decides who will be the leader of the national defense?"

"So Rosina approves of that bastard?"

"......If it really was Aquim Bonvoul."

 Yes, if that vile, smelly, nauseating little shit had won by his own strength, be it money or power, I, as a member of the House of Shield, might have tolerated, if not admitted...... the new Knight of Light.

 But, however.

"What did you think? I think you know what I mean, but I don't need your emotional opinion. Give me your honest opinion as the leader of the dark side of the Shield family."

"......I think it's safe to assume he's different. I've been thoroughly researching that bastard who's been courting Elana Ojou since he was a student. His abilities, the people he's had relationships with, and even the size of his penis. And let me tell you, there is a very high probability that it is not him. The size of his penis has changed in such a way that I can't believe it's a joke."

"Is it possible that he is using some kind of magic tool to boost his power?"

"What about that thing?"

"I don't want to talk about that. There are idiots everywhere who want to make their penis bigger. Just because you have a bigger penis doesn't mean you're a different person."

 Or rather, I don't even want to remember that bastard's genitals. When I think of Elana being penetrated by that big, ugly lump of flesh,  I get angry with a burning heat like magma, and that rage almost takes over me.

"I think it's safe to say that there's almost no sign of him using powerful magic tools to boost his power."

"What is your basis for this?"

"You know what I'm talking about, right? You saw it too. That bastard stopped Elana Ojou's sword with his finger, didn't he? Fingers! I was looking for an opportunity to kill the kid from the ceiling, but when I saw that, I got a little scared. I realized after that that the enemy was much bigger than I thought, so after that, I was at his mercy without putting up any resistance, you know?"

 That's right. In my opinion, Elana is still a bit rough around the edges, but even so, she already has the power to be one of the best in the Kingdom of Light, and with another ten years of training, she may even overtake me.

 Even if you laugh at me as a parent, I can assure you. My daughter, Elana Shield, is a genius. The little brat easily stopped the unquestionably deadly sword that this genius unleashed, in front of my eyes, with his finger. To put it bluntly, I was overwhelmed by it, which was so far beyond human capabilities. Even if I was going to be raped there, I still didn't think I should fight him.

"There was no chanting or anything. How could he stop the power of the sword with such a simple movement?"

"Did he make another space and let the energy escape there? Or perhaps his power is simply too great. Whatever the case may be, it is far beyond the level of what can be done by a fluke. He reacted to Elana's surprise attack, and then he put his fingers together to catch the sword as it swung down, and from there he used some kind of magic to process the physical force of the sword and the heat from the flames that Elana emitted. It was as if it was held by chopsticks. That was definitely not the movement of someone who only relies on tools. Personally, I think it's safe to conclude that it was."

"Then, after all..."

 Aina and I looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"Someone is impersonating Aquim Bonvoul. You should report this to Floria-sama right away."

"It's not that simple."

"You know what, Rosina? This is not just a problem in this house. There is someone mysterious on Elana Ojou's side. The Shield family couldn't have prevented it in advance, and even I don't want to publicize the scandal of giving up their own daughter to such an unknown entity. But for now......"

"I know. I am not hesitating to do so out of self-interest."

 The Shield family, which is responsible for the defense of the Kingdom of Light, will lose prestige if this matter is made public, and it will take some time to regain the trust that has been lost. However, I am also a woman of the Shield family. There is no way that I will just sit back and let that thing touch my daughter.

"Then why on earth are you hesitating?"

"Today, If the little brat hadn't approached me, I would have tried to seduce him myself."

"Eh? Why... ah. Semen, huh?"

"Yes. Blood and semen are proof of life. Semen is the liquid that contains the most mana in the human body along with blood. With the same amount, semen contains more mana than blood, so there's no better way to identify a person than with semen, right?"

"That little bastard was busy doing something as soon as he got back. Really, such a jerk... so? Have you gotten the results yet?"

 I could see the optimism on Aina's face that this would turn things in our favor, and understandably so. When I got the little bastard's semen, I thought I could control the situation in the direction I wanted.

"It came out.... they are clear. No matter how many times they examine it, there is no doubt that it was Aquim Bonvoul himself who released the semen. This is the conclusion of the best researchers in the country that I have invited to the mansion. The nucleotide sequence, the mana wavelengths, the location of the organs and the magic scans. All of this proves that the little brat is the little brat himself. Even if we were to catch him and run him through a full scan, we would get the same results, the researchers say."

"That's absurd! Are you sure they're not mistaken? Or are we wrong?"

"No. I saw that little bastard up close. He's not some little shit. It was something far more sinister and terrifying."

 There is certainly no proof. But as a member of the Shield family, my experience with various people and cases tells me that he is different. However, the result of the investigation is clear. No matter how much magic you use to disguise yourself, there is a limit. Since the subject was originally a person of note, the data on the subject was quite detailed and accurate. All of them matched. It would be impossible for any race to impersonate someone at this level. Then how in the world did he do it?

 Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. Perhaps we were about to confront something more formidable than any enemy we had ever faced. I had such a feeling.

"In other words, even if we want to accuse that little bastard of being fake, it's not enough to just catch him, is it?"

"......That's not all. If someone was impersonating that little brat in the first place, was he really working alone?"

"No way... Is it the Maou's army?"

"That's one of the worst cases. But there's something more suspicious, you know?"

"Eh? Ah!?"

 Aina finally seems to have come to that possibility. I know it's not like her to be so insensitive, but I understand how she feels because at first, I thought that the little bastard had done something on his own like he always does. However, since the power of the enemy exceeded our expectations, it was hard to believe that the little brat had done it alone. In other words, who's behind this?

"Yeah. The Bonvoul family wanted to make that little brat the Knight of Light, so they brought in a very nasty [something] from somewhere. They made him play the match for them and gave the Knight of Light to their son. Sounds like the kind of thing a father with a soft spot for his own son would think of, doesn't it?"

"And the real one?"

"Maybe he's alive somewhere and only switches places when it is convenient."

 In other words, to have Elana, his attendant....... Just imagining that makes my gut churn with anger. It's true that I can forgive sabotage and even the most powerful equipment that is made out of money. However, the Knight of Light is a being who has been given immense power by Floria-sama and at the same time should devote all of his power to Floria-sama.

 If Floria-sama had asked him to die, he would have had to die, and it was unacceptable for him to stand before Floria-sama.

"......So, do you want to kill him as planned?"

 She must have the same anger as I did. Aina's voice was very low and sharp.

"As I said, this isn't personal, okay?"

"I know. I'm angry at Elana Ojou's situation, too. But apart from that, I should kill that little bastard. It's a mortal sin to plot against Floria-sama in this kingdom, let alone the knight of light. But I can't overlook the fact that the Knight of Light is really someone whose true identity is unknown."

 I nodded silently at Aina's words. The fact that he conspired against Floria-sama and impersonated the Knight of Light was more than enough reason to eliminate him, and there was also the kingdom's security reason that we could not keep something unknown as the figure of the country any longer.

"The problem is how to kill him. I thought I would be enough, but I wonder if I should ask...... Sharna to help me."

 What comes to mind is the dignified blonde-haired, blonde-eyed, somewhat dazzling female knight dressed in silver armor.

"The most powerful knight of light, favored by Floria-sama. Naturally, I have no complaints about her abilities. But in this case, there is another problem, isn't there?"

"Yes. We don't know what the enemy is after or who they are, we could lose our footing if we ask for help from the outside."

"In case the Swordaina family was also involved in this case, there's no reason why Sharna, the daughter of the current head of the family, wouldn't be involved as well."

 In my opinion, even if the Swordaina family betrayed Floria-sama, it is unlikely that Sharna would betray Floria-sama. But we cannot judge friend and foe on such speculation. At least not yet.

"......In the first place, what on earth does the enemy want by committing a mortal sin to obtain the position of the Knight of Light?"

"As I mentioned earlier, though hypothetically, assuming the little bastard is still alive, isn't it possible that he was only after Elana Ojou's body?"

"I can't say for sure that it was the case, but at any rate, the risk is too great to justify the benefit. It's like trying to resurrect a legendary Maou just because he wanted to win a fight. Sure, that little bastard is a fool of the highest order, but at least he's got some brains in him."

 Because of what had happened to my daughter, I had doubted his father's mind, but thinking about it calmly, even if he was an idiot, he was by no means incompetent. Would he have been willing to take part in such an outrageous crime, no matter how much he wanted to do it for the sake of his beloved child?

"If his purpose in becoming a Knight of Light was to get closer to Floria-sama, then was it Floria-sama that the enemy was after? Assuming that they are not working alone, are they trying to overthrow the country?"

"It's getting a bit big, but it's quite possible, a foreigner impersonated a person to get such immense power as the Knight of Light."

"Yeah. I can't discuss or report anything carelessly when I don't know who's my enemy and who's my ally. Have you done any research on that little brat's behavior before the match?"

"Of course, I'm following him. But it started with a request to a mage to kill Atom Boy, then mercenaries, assassins, and even hired thugs to attack Atom Boy. They also bought a lot of unexplainable things with their money, or tried to trap Atom Boy with a trap that they bought by mail order. Of course, I will continue my investigation, but I still need more time to find something."

"...I thought he was just an idiot, but I wonder if that was his intention all along."

"I can't say for sure...... but in the case of the Bonvoul Family, who are currently as close to an enemy as they can get, would completely become an enemy."

"Yes, that's true. That's a development I'm not happy about, to be honest."

 I don't know how many times I wished his father, who had been approaching me since we were students, would die. But even so, he is still one of the three families in the Kingdom of Light, even if he is a corrupt one. If he had really become my enemy, the repercussions would be immeasurable. Anyway, for now, I just prayed that guy wasn't that stupid.

"The problem is protecting Floria-sama. Even though we can't report the situation until we know who the enemy is, we can't just leave it as it is now, can we? What are we going to do? Should we report it to Floria-sama alone?"

"I will use the rumor that the four generals of the Maou's army have entered the country to double Floria-sama's security. Let's wait before we report it to Floria-sama. She is not very interested in the doings of her subordinates, and if we report to her, the enemy will probably find out that we are moving."

"I agree. And even if we were to report it, at this point we have no solid evidence to back it up."

 Evidence. If we're just dealing with ordinary people, we would not need such trifles considering the crimes committed. However, if the Bonvoul Family were to become our enemies, at worst they would expose our dark deeds, and we might be made traitors for killing the Knight of Light out of a personal grudge. In order to avoid that...

"......I would like to have some evidence of impersonation or at least a clear picture of who's behind this before we take care of that son-of-a-bitch."

"I'll take care of that. If we're dealing with dragons anyway, the Shield Family needs to send out a force to investigate, and I'll use my position as commander to get close to that little bastard."

"Wait, you mean?"

 I don't know who the person impersonating that brat is, but his behavior so far has been the usual and his personality remains amorous. Getting close to someone like that meansーー

"Well, I knew this day might come when I joined the dark side, but I never thought it would be now."

"...Can't you think of another way?"

 As the head of the Shield family, it was a shameful thing to say, but I still didn't want my best friend to do that.

"This is for the best, Besides, if I got close to him, I can put a special spell on him that I can only use once in my lifetime."

"I see.... you're willing to use [Tears of the Maiden]."

 A once-in-a-lifetime spell performed by a female spellcaster using the blood from the deflowering. It is said to be the most powerful spell a female spellcaster can perform in her life.

"No, I'm old enough to be called a maiden, and I'd prefer not to use that name if I could. Anyway, that's why leave that little bastard to me. Even if I can't get any information out of him, I'll make sure I kill him."

"If a spellcaster of your caliber used it, I certainly wouldn't worry about it."

 She is not only beautiful as an elf, but also has slender arms and legs, and a sharp look. She is usually dressed in black, but when I and Aina go out on holidays, I know that she attracts a lot of people. If Aina is nearby, someone pretending to be that little brat will attack her on his own. They wouldn't even know it's a trap.

"...The problem would be Elana Ojou. Even if we pretend that the reason that little bastard was killed was by the dragon, I wonder if that serious girl will really cooperate with our actions. And then there's Mina and the others. I can't read how these girls will behave after being given slave crests."

 A slave's crest, in other words, is a magic mark that is engraved directly into the body. The difference from a normal magic mark is that it is not the person who has the mark, but another person who has the ownership of the mark who can exert its power. The person who has this ownership can inflict pain and, in some cases, pleasure on the slave by channeling mana into the magic mark, and can also manipulate the slave's body for a short period of time. I know Mina and Laura's personalities, so I don't normally have to be vigilant in dealing with that little bastard, but it's a different story when he's in a state where he has a slave crest.

"I will put Elana Ojou to sleep with medicine. The spellcaster who will put the slave crest on Mina and Laura is a friend of mine, so I made arrangements to have her put in the release key. I can remove the slave crest at any time, so after I put Elana Ojou to sleep, I will release them from slavery, and then I will discuss it to them."

 As expected of Aina. It's a good plan. But I've heard that spellcasters don't get along well with each other because they could curse each other quite easily. It is an extra-judicial measure by the dark side, so legally there is no problem, but we don't want the enemy to find out our moves because of something trivial. No, it's Aina's choice, I'll believe her there.

"The scenario is that the little brat drugged the others, including Elana, and then the dragon appeared, killed the little brat, and left?"

"That's right. If there really is a dragon, it will have to be exterminated and the script will have to be changed to fit the situation, but that's the way it's going to be for now.."

 Aina says it like it's nothing, but the person in charge of the hardest part of this role will definitely be Aina, who has to get close to that little shit. Even though I know that Aina's plan is the best, I'm still so nervous about the thought of my friend's first time dealing with that thing.

"Aina. You're always making me worried."

"Wait there. You've got to stop. You know I don't like that kind of stuff. You'll make me cry."

 I naturally smiled at my friend who was showing me a troubled look.

"That's right.... Let's take a break. I'll make tea now."

"Why not drink alcohol, it's not a big deal, right? I've kept my schedule open in case there will be a fight today, but I'm going to be working hard tomorrow without a break. It's good once in a while, right?"

"It can't be helped. Just a little."

"Hehe. That's what I'm talking about."

 In the end, I didn't do any more work that day. It was not a very honorable thing to do as the head of the Shield family, but considering the hard work that was to come, I should have been allowed to do so at least for today.

"To the Kingdom of Light."

"To our great King."

 Clank*. And our glasses made a noise. It's a vow. Yes, we swear it many times. We will protect this country together. For that reason, we will forget this hatred that we have kept in our hearts for this one time.

 We talked endlessly until the end of the night, as though we were back in those days when we were just having fun as students.