Ch.130Chapter 130

“Vice Captain! Let’s go get something to eat!”

“Wouldn’t it be better to spend some time with your family for a while?”

“Of course my daughter’s coming too! Let’s hurry!”

“Fine, whatever.”

“Ah, wait outside first! I left something in here.”

“Hurry up and find it.”

Mushin pushed the Vice Captain out and began pacing around the Vice Captain’s office.

The Knight Commander was cowering as she watched Mushin.

Recently, Mushin had been spending more time pacing around the Vice Captain’s office after sending the Vice Captain outside.

I wasn’t sure what his gaze meant, but it was often fixed on the Knight Commander.

It seemed like what he said to the Vice Captain was just an excuse.

“Great! Here it is. Tanthyn, want to join us for a meal?”

“No, I have things to do.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Well, I’ll be back later!”

Having obtained whatever he was looking for, he finally left the Vice Captain’s office.

So why am I in the Vice Captain’s office?

After going to fight alongside Muyeon, I noticed something very strange about Mushin’s condition, so I stayed close to protect the Knight Commander, who seemed most likely to bear the brunt of his anger.

Of course, my combat abilities were far inferior to the Knight Commander’s, but she had absolutely no sense of caution since losing her memories.

I was trying to prevent a sudden attack.

But as long as the Vice Captain, the Princess, and Muyeon trusted Mushin so completely, there wasn’t much I could do.

No matter how much I said “Senior Mushin seems strange!” no one would believe me.

They might even think I was the strange one, claiming it was just my imagination.

So I needed to refrain from hasty actions until I had concrete evidence.

That’s why I needed an observation period.

But being this obvious could only work for so long.

“Tanthyn, you seem to be living in the Vice Captain’s office these days.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. You’ve been here almost the entire week.”

“Doesn’t that just mean I like the Vice Captain?”

“Get out if you’re going to say disgusting things.”

The Vice Captain, who valued his personal space, was starting to get uncomfortable with my presence.

Holding out with weird comments like this would only work a few times; he might seriously get upset later.

I probably could only hold out for another day or two at most.

Unless I was the Knight Commander, permanent residence in the Vice Captain’s office would be impossible.

Moreover, the bigger problem was that Mushin’s behavior was gradually changing.

While I was holding out in the Vice Captain’s office and quietly observing Mushin, there were times when he would suddenly look at me with unfocused eyes.

Just like in the space where I found Mushin, when he glared at me with those blood-red eyes, it probably meant he was upset that he couldn’t carry out his plan.

One day, under the pretext of an “accident,” he suddenly threw a hand axe at me, nearly sending me to the afterlife.

“Oops, my mistake.”

It was clearly Mushin’s characteristic innocent smile, but seeing that expression gave me a chill worse than looking at the smile of any villain.

So I thought I should stop being so obvious.

I considered changing my location to the knights’ lounge, but since so many knights came and went there, it wasn’t good behavior to stay there continuously.

The knights who came to rest wouldn’t be able to relax properly because of me.

For now, I lay down in the knights’ lounge.

My head hurt.

No matter how I looked at it, something was definitely wrong with Mushin.

If left as is, the Knight Commander would be in danger.

But there was no one who would believe this fact.

Even if I tried to do something behind everyone’s backs, it wouldn’t work.

Is this what they call being caught between a rock and a hard place?

What should I really do?

As I frowned due to my throbbing headache, I heard the voices of the Outer Gods.

「Husband, it seems you need our help.」

Well, I was desperate enough to accept help from anyone, but how could they help in this situation?

Direct intervention was difficult, and even if they tried to do something through me, it would only be possible when there was definite evidence.

「Hoho, husband has a tendency to underestimate this lady.」

The Dragonslayer spoke as if she had everything figured out.

What was with that confident voice?

It was unnecessarily reassuring, making me want to rely on her.

「How about it, would you like to ask this lady for help?」

Well, I’d like to hear what you’re planning to do first.

「If you agree first, this lady will tell you. However.」

The Dragonslayer’s words seemed to pause for a moment, and I got the feeling she was hesitating.

Why, what are you trying to say now?

「…If you promise to grant this lady one request, this lady will help you.」

「You! What trick are you trying to pull now!」

As expected, the Dragonslayer was making a proposal that gave me an uneasy feeling.

As soon as she said that, Fiore’s voice burst out as if having a fit.

Since that day, Fiore had been thinking of me with great affection.

「Without any way to help the husband, you’re trying to stop this lady’s actions? Then, the husband will have to give up his goal without receiving any help. Weed, do you really want to see that? If so, this lady won’t stop you.」

「…Are you sure about this?」

「Of course. Has this lady ever acted without reason?」

I don’t think she’s ever acted with reason either.

Fiore seemed like she wanted to object, but perhaps because of the threat using me as leverage, she couldn’t say anything more.

…I had never seen the Dragonslayer take such a confident attitude before.

Alright, let’s hear her proposal first.

「Hoho, you can look forward to it.」

And so, the Dragonslayer’s plan was put into action.

#

“I never thought such a dangerous Outer God would appear in Vandre Village.”

“I’m worried about you going, Vice Captain.”

“What can I do? They specifically asked for me. Besides, we have Mushin. Despite appearances, he’s a rather clever man. Don’t worry and follow his instructions.”

“Understood.”

Upon hearing that an Outer God had suddenly appeared in Vandre Village, the Vice Captain immediately boarded the White Mask’s train.

I watched with a stoic expression as I saw him off.

“Tanthyn, come to think of it, you look unusually pale today. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No. It’s probably just the cold.”

“You shouldn’t be cold in knight’s uniform… Well, I understand. I’m in a hurry, so I don’t have time to worry more.”

After saying that, the Vice Captain immediately fueled the train and departed.

It showed how much trust Mushin had earned as a knight.

To the point of making Mushin the temporary Vice Captain.

“Did the Vice Captain really need to go?”

“I wonder about that too.”

Wouldn’t it cause confusion if Mushin, who had been missing for a while, took charge?

Of course, it made more sense for the existing Vice Captain to go.

He had to go.

“Well, let’s head back to headquarters.”

“Understood.”

After returning to the knights’ headquarters with Mushin, I didn’t sit down but stood still, watching Mushin’s back.

For some reason, I just kept staring at that back.

The double-headed axe hanging on his back was suddenly drawn, and Mushin swung it somewhere.

After that series of movements ended, my gaze gradually began to fall downward.

Wait, what’s happening?

“Hehehe, hahahahaha!”

As my vision began to close, Mushin let out a maniacal laugh.

Even after Tanthyn collapsed, Mushin didn’t stop laughing.

Perhaps he thought he could finally carry out what he had been planning.

“This damn bastard kept getting in my way, making it impossible to move freely.”

Mushin stepped on Tanthyn’s severed head with one foot.

For some reason, looking at Tanthyn’s head, which was gradually turning purple, Mushin snorted as if unimpressed.

“Claiming to deal with Outer Gods, yet already rotting away like this. Was it all nonsense?”

Thinking he had completely finished off Tanthyn, Mushin immediately shifted his target.

And the Knight Commander’s face turned pale as she realized she was the target.

“Hey, Commander.”

Mushin approached the Knight Commander and grabbed her hair.

“Ugh, urk.”

“What’s wrong? Where’s that strong appearance of yours? After living like that for over a hundred years, what is there to be afraid of? Right? Huh?!”

Mushin shouted in a voice unlike his own and struck the Knight Commander’s cheek.

Even though she wasn’t injured at all, the Knight Commander fell helplessly.

She looked like she had no will to fight at all.

By that time, scales seemed to be sprouting on Mushin’s skin.

“Yes, even if memories disappear, instincts remain, I see. Well, I’ll make you suffer as much as you made me suffer, Commander.”

Grabbing the Knight Commander’s arm and yanking her toward himself, Mushin faced her as if he was going to pierce her eyes.

Just from that, the Knight Commander’s expression seemed to crumple in pain.

I can’t watch this anymore.

I rose, kicking apart the box I was hiding in.

“W-what?!”

The “thing that was Mushin” turned around in surprise.

Then, as if feeling betrayed, his face began to redden.

Heh, really.

Who should be feeling betrayed here?

I drew the sword that Simtol had made for me and pointed it at Mushin.

“Caught you red-handed, you bastard.”

Time to start exterminating an unidentified Outer God.