Chapter 189: A secret envoy from Reubens, part 9
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
Now that my business in Reubens had been settled, my life also returned to normal. My colleagues were naturally curious as to where I had been and why I had been working shorter hours than usual.
「I was in the Heavenly Kingdom of Reubens for a while.」
Nobody bought that, of course.
「Isn’t that physically impossible, Argan-kun…?」, they asked through squinted eyes.
「How was it, Roland-san?」, asked Milia, who had assumed that I had gone for a vacation.
「How was… what?」
「King Reubens was unfortunately taken away by an illness」, she replied. 「Weren’t you there? The adventurers were telling me that there was a grand funeral being held for him…」
「Oh… yeah, that.」
Elvi had written in her letter that the public had been told that version of the story on the day we left. The cause of his death had been described as an ‘illness’ as it was the least eyebrow-raising option available.
「The news had yet to reach the area I was in. Things seemed more or less normal in Uigar.」
「I see. I thought you’d have seen the merrymaking everywhere～」
Some kingdoms held funerals that were especially morose. Others, however, held them as special events. Merrymaking? Not really, but certainly more cheerful than the former.
As for the doppelganger, I had yet to receive much information about him. Though I received letters from Elvi on the regular, all she had written on that matter was that he would be executed in secret. I simply hoped for her to tread carefully — if the doppelganger caught the faintest hint of our uneasiness as time ticked away, he would obtain the mental high ground.
If all methods to extract information from him were to fail, then letting his head roll would be the only thing left to do. Personally, I wanted to know how my right arm had given birth to a clone of myself. I wondered if King Randolph would know anything about it.
「Roland-san…? An adventurer’s calling for you!」
「Oh. Right away.」
Getting up, I walked over to the counter and sat down.
I remembered Warwick insisting that I fill him in on the details if I were to use his bracelet. I’ll pay him a visit first, I thought. Then I’ll go meet the king.
When it was finally convenient for me to visit Warwick, he revealed that he knew where I lived by, well, appearing where I lived.
「So, so, so, so! How was it?」
Seated on the sofa opposite, the vampire turned his pasty countenance towards me. I pushed it away with my left hand.
「Calm down.」
Lyla and Dee were with me.
「But you know just how curious I am! There was little I could do to test the prototype!」
「Ready to hear the results?」, I asked.
Warwick cleared his throat in anticipation.
「It works.」
「Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!」
The inventor raised his hands, celebrating like a child.
「So that funny bracelet was another of this guy’s inventions」, said Lyla, nodding.
「Eh. Damn it…」, grumbled the other vampire in the room. 「He went to you first? I’m all he needed!」
「There’s also me」, said Lyla. 「Without a collar, may I add.」
「If you really believe that you won’t be excess baggage when I’m up against myself, then I’ll consider asking you for help.」
Both ladies looked away.
「Roland-sama versus Roland-sama? Man… the aura alone might get me all… excited…」, said Dee, rubbing her knees together.
「Pervert」, chided Lyla with an air of indifference. 「Is there a time of year where your brain isn’t wired that way?」
「And that idea you had… how was it?」, asked Warwick.
「Worked perfectly.」
「Wow!」
The vampire whistled in ecstasy.
「To think his crafty basement-dweller was of use to Roland-sama… I’m jealous!」
「What do you mean?」, I said. 「You’ve given plenty of help.」
「Oh, Roland-sama…♡」
I glanced at Lyla. Her expression gave nothing away, although veins could be seen bulging from her temple.
「Y-You know, I can smite this perverted bloodsucker into dust now!」, she yelled. 「But then… I’d be nothing more than a woman overtaken by jealousy…」
「You can’t, Lylael-sama. You’ll attract all sorts of troublesome fellows from the demon realm～」
「I know that!」
She looked ready to tear her subordinate to pieces with her teeth.
Warwick had been watching their bickering with a hint of bemusement on his face.
「You have something to say?」
「Ah, you’re quite something, Roland-kun」, he replied, flashing a bitter smile. 「To make the Demon King act like this. And to think that her former subordinate is competing with her over you, her chain of command must have gone to hell in a handbasket by now.」
「She seems to have relinquished her previous title for good. Now that she no longer has to act like the ruler of everything, you can see a vastly different side of her.」
「It was you who made all of his possible.」
「Well, she came to live here by chance. That’s all.」
Warwick shrugged.
「To be able to develop an optimal strategy with only basic knowledge of the bracelet… your ‘sense’ for battle is uncanny. I can see how you… conquered the Demon King. In more ways than one.」
Dee made no effort to hide her gleeful smile. Come at me, she signalled, provoking Lyla with much success. Before all this had happened, I had already told Warwick that I did not want a right arm.
I still feel the same way, and yet… there’s so much I can do with Warwick’s bracelet.
I could hit enemies that are just slightly out of reach. As proven by the battle against myself, not even ‘I’ could avoid an attack supported by my skill.
The more I get to know this right arm, the stronger I can become.
「Warwick」, I said. 「I’m wondering if you know anything about this technique.」
「What technique?」
Having given up on arguing with Dee, Lyla told him about the doppelganger.
「Nope, even I have no clue. My incantations — even the language in which they are written — were all developed by yours truly. I doubt it’s anything to do with us vampires.」
「So, even your knowledge has its limits」, sighed Lyla.
Finding it apt to excuse himself, Warwick left.
「I’m gonna keep improving on it, so give me a holler if you want anything!」, was the last thing he said before returning to his workshop.
For all my life, my goal had been to exalt myself.
To take my skill and ‘go deeper’ with it.
To reach the zenith of my abilities, confident that there was nowhere higher to go.
But thanks to Warwick, my eyes had been opened —
And a new peak, out of sight for now, had been discovered.
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