Ch.71Birds of a Feather: NPCs Flock Together (1)

Unreasonable.

That was the only thought that crossed the mind of the newest member of the assassination squad as he watched three of his comrades get flipped over by a single kick right before his eyes.

“Scatter!! Run away!!”

The assassination squad leader, who had been confident of victory against even the Imperial Knight Commander in anything but a direct confrontation, collapsed with a cry of “Go!” The two people beside him fell before they could even draw their daggers. While the other members stood in a daze, not fully comprehending the situation, a senior member who had regained his senses slightly earlier shouted at them, and everyone moved according to their training rather than trying to assess the situation.

If they scattered in all directions, even if they were pursued, as long as one person survived, they could report information about the enemy. Even if they were annihilated, there would be others. Passing on information about that monster to other members was the priority.

The order to flee meant to return with the information.

So without looking back or checking on their comrades’ fates, they immediately dispersed in all directions, but…

“Six!!!”

The man was kicking with incredible speed that couldn’t be avoided, counting his targets as if he were hunting monsters rather than assassination squad members.

Seeing this, the newest member felt a lightning-like sensation in his head as he processed what his eyes were witnessing.

‘…The princess?’

Their target was clinging to the man’s back like a child. No, this man was attacking them while carrying the princess on his back.

Having processed this much, the newest member immediately reached for his dagger…

“Eleven!!!”

The vibration that resonated from his face to his brain the moment he put his hand in his pocket cut off his thoughts.

*

“Sixteen, done.”

“…You really are merciless, aren’t you?”

“I noticed when I kicked the eleventh one in the face that he realized you were clinging to my back. Some of the last ones might have died from broken necks.”

I had been kicking just hard enough not to kill them, just to send their consciousness to the stars. But the moment I felt they realized Ragni was on my back, I sensed their killing intent shift direction.

So I unconsciously put more strength into my kicks. But it’s their own fault, so I don’t feel particularly sorry.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what?”

“If you were alone, you could have captured them all alive. You didn’t want to kill them, right?”

“Huh? Where’s this coming from?”

What’s this about? Have I ever shown her that I tremble after killing people? I don’t think so, but suddenly Ragni is caressing my cheek with a pitiful look in her eyes. Hmm.

*Pat pat*

“Say ‘meow’.”

Ragni opens her eyes wide at the nonsense I just spouted while patting her head.

“…Meow.”

And she actually does what I tell her to.

“Don’t be sorry. I brought you along by my own choice, as I told you before.”

“…Meow.”

Our quick-witted slave princess, who immediately understood why I asked her to meow, responds with a bitter smile.

That’s right, acting silly suits you better. Your crying face and your worried expression both look really ugly on you.

After patting her head until she was satisfied, I dragged all the guys I had knocked down and tied them to trees. Why do all these Imperial guys carry ropes? Are they that into SM play?

Six of them died.

Everyone from the eleventh one onward is dead. But what could I do? It’s legal, right? If they directed killing intent toward my slave, it’s legal for them to die, isn’t it, Your Honor?

“So, you wanted to see them. Should I wake them up?”

“Huh? How?”

I grin at Ragni who’s asking how to wake them up without cold water.

How to wake them up?

“Like this.”

*SLAP!!!*

“UWAAAAAH?!!”

After delivering a slap with the power of about 100x Fire Chicken sauce, the guy who had shouted for everyone to run away as soon as the front runners collapsed woke up as if struck by lightning.

“Ugh… Huh? What? …GAH!!”

I watched quietly as he couldn’t gather his wits, his pupils shaking, until his gaze stopped on Ragni and me, and he swallowed his breath. Then I lightly clenched my fist.

Better to prevent trouble early. I’m not a shonen manga protagonist.

“Useless talk, insulting or upsetting Ragni, saying things she didn’t ask about, spouting nonsense on your own—if you do any of that, our Attorney Fist will ignore your human rights and request a conversation with you. Understand?”

“W-what are you talking about…? A-attorney?”

*THUD!!!*

“Say hello. This is Attorney Fist.”

“EEEEK?!!”

When I punched the tree the guy was tied to, he looked at me as if he’d seen something unbelievable.

Hmm, that came out too clean. The tree bark split perfectly in the shape of my fist without breaking the grain, and the guy is looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.

“First thing. If the word ‘monster’ comes out of your mouth even once when referring to me or Ragni, next time Attorney Fist will come say hello to your face. Got it?”

*Nod nod!!!*

He nodded vigorously, and I removed his mask, bringing him face to face with Ragni.

“What did His Majesty and Chancellor Salber say when they ordered you to kill me?”

“T-that’s…”

*THUD!!*

“THEY SAID THE PRINCESS MIGHT TURN HER BLADE AGAINST THE EMPIRE!!!”

When I swung my fist next to the face of this poorly trained idiot who was trying to trail off, a clear answer came out as if a broken radio had been fixed.

And when I noticed him looking at me rather than Ragni to check her reaction to his answer, I made a throat-slitting gesture to indicate there wouldn’t be a second chance. He swallowed and nodded once.

“For what reason? What exactly did I do?”

“W-we received information that the princess handled and subjugated the demon that appeared in Aigram.”

“From where?”

“I-I don’t really know that!”

“It wasn’t actually ‘received information,’ but rather a conclusion reached while daydreaming on the throne, was it?”

“I-I really don’t know about that! That was the leader’s—hup!!”

The guy who had been answering well while watching my reactions suddenly directed his gaze behind me and swallowed his words.

Hmm?

“…Damn traitor. You’ll die in the Empire no matter what, even if you survive here.”

“…!!!”

“Who’s this guy? Is he the leader?”

That guy was probably the one who fainted from the first hit.

[-Occupation: Imperial Assassin- Level: 74]

It would have been nice if it said “Leader” if he was the leader, but I knocked him out first because his level was the highest among them.

“…To think the assassination squad leader would come here personally. What on earth did I do to deserve this?”

“Ha. Princess, do you truly not know what you’ve been doing all this time?”

“No, I don’t. I simply gave answers when His Majesty asked me to make choices for the Empire’s benefit. What’s wrong with that?”

“Your problem is that you don’t understand people’s hearts.”

What’s with the formal speech? This guy wasn’t like this yesterday.

“I don’t understand people’s hearts? What nonsense is that?”

“Do you truly not realize how many people have died because of the choices you’ve made?!!”

“…Sigh. I don’t know what you think you know, but I haven’t personally killed more than 1,000 people. It’s funny to even say it was by my hand—His Majesty made the judgments, and I merely advised him.”

“No!! You…!”

And the story that followed went like this: When she was six years old, a great famine broke out in the Empire’s borderlands. That year’s crop reports had come in normally, there was proper rainfall, and no drought.

But a sudden famine affected not only the border territory but also the surrounding areas, leading to a surge in bandits and thieves. Strangely, the famine began to spread like an epidemic to other territories, and she solved it.

A lord from the border territory had brought in some foreign flower for his own greed, which turned out to be a terrible parasite if not properly managed. She remembered a historical text from hundreds of years ago and, upon hearing about the situation, predicted where the parasite would be and who had brought it in. She advised that the lord should be punished and that everyone who knew about it but kept quiet should be executed.

As a result, not only the lord but also the territory’s people who helped with the incident and those who knew but kept quiet and changed their occupation to bandits and thieves(?) were all killed. But how is that Ragni’s fault?

And the stories that followed were all similar.

Someone would cause trouble, and she would advise that the source and everything connected to it must be killed. The roots must be pulled out.

Even when foreign affairs were involved, she made sure to capture the “Imperial citizens” involved, extract information from them, and punish everyone connected.

Wait. She handled the situations efficiently and delivered satisfying punishments—what’s the problem?

Now I understand why, in the game, no one realized that [Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman] was connected to “enemies” while she was leading the Empire. Her responses were perfect.

“As a result, over 30,000 people died at the hands of that monstrous creature, and you’re saying that was a good thing?!!”

“If those 30,000 hadn’t died, it’s obvious even to me that the Empire would probably have millions dead by now. Even an idiot like me can see that, moron.”

When I cut in because I couldn’t stand listening anymore, the guy’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he continued ranting as if Ragni had personally killed all 30,000 people.

But looking at this guy…

“You had family members among the criminals in the cases Ragni solved, didn’t you?”

“…!!”

“…Jack.”

Bingo, right? Or did Ragni already know this? She grabbed the hem of my clothes as soon as I said this.

“A criminal’s family member harboring a grudge and taking the lead in trying to kill the nation’s benefactor. That’s a story so disgusting it reeks of shit. That’s why they designated you guys as assassins, right?”

“Shut up!! How are you any different from that monster?!! We’ve already confirmed that what happened to Ponia was all your fault!!”

“Oh, now he’s talking nonsense.”

There’s no need to continue this conversation. Having made that judgment, I slowly approached him…

“Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman!! If you truly lived for the Empire’s sake!! Take your own life now!! For the sake of those who died because of your inhuman heart and mind!! Don’t continue the sin of not saving lives that could have been saved!!!”

*Grip*

“……”

She only made choices for the Empire’s benefit, punished those who caused trouble. Because the country is large, the scale is enormous, so many people died, and many crazy people emerged from that.

I don’t know the story of [Raid Boss Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman] from the game.

How could I know that when I wasn’t a hardcore player who looked up all of Eight’s information and settings?

I was a casual player who never even cleared the first week or month of raids, let alone the purple raids.

So hearing about Ragni like this now, I understand.

“Hey, you.”

“Y-yes?”

“Do you have any connection to the cases Ragni handled?”

“…N-no, sir.”

When I ask the guy I woke up first, he looks at Ragni and me as if he truly has nothing to do with it.

“I see. Then, recall what I said earlier.”

“Ah, that… Don’t insult Lady Ragni, don’t hurt her feelings. Answer properly… That’s about what it was, I think.”

He’s not that bright either, it seems. Well, close enough, but he missed the important part.

“Right, and what did I say would happen if you did those things?”

“The tree next to me…”

*CRASH!!!*

Before the guy could finish speaking, Attorney Fist extended. Our Attorney Fist had already heard everything and knew it was bullshit, so he said this guy needed to be punished.

He says to end this before I get even more pissed off.

“GUHK?!”

“Say hello. This is our Attorney Fist. He’s a good person who protects decent people like us from shitheads like you.”

Turning my back on the guy whose eyes and nose were streaming with blood and whose upper teeth had fallen out like rotten corn, I slapped all the other guys awake.

There was one who pretended to be unconscious but got caught, but I just hit them all because I was annoyed.

“From now on, watch carefully what happens to your leader when he meets Attorney Fist. I’ve prepared this opportunity so it can help with your future choices, so pay close attention.”

I thought I’d experienced all the unfair treatment in the world, but without any past life or even a decent little sister like mine.

Filled with the desire to avenge the blue-haired young girl who had truly suffered nothing but genuine unfairness all her life, I beat the so-called assassination squad leader to within an inch of his life.

*

“…Princess? Assassins? Killed 30,000 people? But she’s the one who defeated the demon? What on earth does all this mean?”

And the beastman. The forest keeper hadn’t noticed him because he was so focused on his attorney duties.