In the drizzling rain… he stood waiting for his delivery.
Under the eaves of the inn, shielding himself from the wet while gazing up at the sky, nothing but heavy gray rain clouds.
Funny. He was pretty sure the day he met “him” had been exactly like this too.
No reinforcements ever came. One by one his comrades fell.
Yet even then, he kept clawing desperately for survival.
He had no natural talent for combat. His mana pool was so pitiful he couldn’t even brag about it.
So he chose the path of study, became a civil official. It was the only road he thought was left.
He studied like his life depended on it. Worked like mad. Served with everything he had.
The reward?
A one-way ticket to a frontline city already half-written off as lost.
No matter how hard he tried, some things just couldn’t be overturned.
Bloodline.
His family was low, bottom-of-the-barrel nobility, barely scraping by with the title.
Climbing to any meaningful post? Laughable.
So on that day… he had given up on his life entirely.
He simply stood under an eave, staring at the clouds, waiting for the end.
『What are you doing?』
『Waiting to die.』
『Why rush toward death?』
『So that… in my next life, I can be born into a slightly better house.』
『I see. Then allow me to grant you “death”.』
A massive greatsword cleaved through the air above his head, splitting the wall he’d been leaning against in two.
『There. Now you are dead. From this moment onward, serve me as one of the dead.』
『…And you are?』
『My name is Kishara. Together with my brother, I will conquer this world.』
That bold, fearless grin…
He decided right then to follow it.
The man who had single-handedly toppled a city defended by a hundred soldiers.
-0-
The approaching clatter of a carriage, ‘gotogoto goto’, finally snapped him out of his thoughts.
He must have dozed off while staring at the sky again.
(Been pretty busy lately… or maybe I’m just getting old?)
He rubbed the back of his stiff neck with a quiet “ugh, no thanks” and turned his gaze toward the now-stopped carriage bed.
「You’re awfully late.」
「Hm? We’re here already?」
The cargo shifted with a heavy ‘mukku’.
What he’d thought was luggage sat up, and he instinctively tilted his head back at roughly the same angle he’d used to look at the clouds earlier.
A woman over three meters tall.
Every single part of her was massive and powerfully built.
Her near-naked outfit, more like strategically placed strips of cloth, only emphasized the thick cords of muscle covering her entire body.
「Please choose your clothes a little more carefully.」
「Hah! Who needs clothes? Name one person in this world who could even scratch this body of mine!」
「……At the very least, the Dragon Slayer in this country might have a decent shot.」
At his words, the giantess bared her teeth in a wide, toothy grin, those impressive fangs glinting like a predator’s smile.
She threw her head back and opened her mouth even wider, letting out a booming laugh that rattled the rain-soaked eaves.
「Hurry up and let me fight that little girl already! I’m sick to death of stabbing at nothing but snakes and lizards and other pathetic small fry!」
「As expected of the Empire’s number-one Dragon Slayer.」
「Hah! Those things… in ‘my’ world, we wouldn’t even call them dragons. Just fodder. Trash mobs.」
「……Your voice is way too loud, Tricia.」
「Tch! Whatever. Just get me some food already… I’ve been traveling non-stop and I’m starving over here.」
「Yes, yes. Here, this way for now.」
「Another cramped box? Seriously, I’m starting to hate this.」
Even though they’d specially enlarged the entrance for her sake, she still had to hunch her massive frame, squeeze her shoulders in, and duck low just to squeeze through the doorway.
『Everything’s so tiny! That’s why I hate human houses!』 she grumbled the whole time, but she still obediently followed him inside.
She was probably just too excited, finally, someone she could actually go all-out against.
Her personality was childish in a way… but at her core, she was a monster.
An ogre, a human-eating oni from another world. That was her true identity.
(That poor Univance lady who has to fight a monster like this… I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.)
Yaju, ‘he’, tilted his head back to the gray sky and thought quietly.
In every era, the weak get trampled and toyed with by the strong.
That’s just how it is.
(Being strong… is a sin all by itself. Truly.)
He let out a low, amused ‘kukuku’ and stepped inside after her.
Her meals were always a headache, endless picky demands.
That carnivorous appetite of hers was honestly excessive.
-0-
「That idiot Halfren…」
The king’s brow furrowed at the faint whispers drifting through the hall.
There was no need to punch him. When it was ‘his’ turn… he’d only kicked.
He’d have to get the full story later, but right now wasn’t the time.
「First things first,」 the king said, raising a single finger like a schoolteacher.
「It all starts with His Majesty’s bid.」
Of course, the price shot up.
It was a popular piece, couldn’t be helped, but still, ouch.
He kept one eye on the bidding war while listening to the whispered report from his retainer. His brow furrowed again.
「Missing infants incident?」
「Yes, Your Majesty.」
「Any leads on the culprit?」
「None at all, sire. The perpetrator is frighteningly clean, not a single tail left behind.」
「Hmm…」
The king stroked his beard thoughtfully for a long moment, then raised his right index finger with dramatic flair.
「And right here, His Majesty has placed one gold coin! Now then, ladies and gentlemen, what will you do? This 『Shayana’s Nude』 may never grace your eyes again! Oh! Crostpurge-sama has just gone for two! Two coins!!」
The king clicked his tongue in irritation and returned to the serious matter at hand.
「It might already be too late once Halfren returns… but the head of internal investigations is currently tied up with that other business. If I move personally now, it could twist the organization we’ve only just managed to build into shape.」
「……But, Your Majesty. The rumors are spreading like wildfire through the northwestern towns. Every resident, especially mothers with young children, is living in terror.」
「Enough. I’m well aware.」
「……Would it not be possible to deploy the rumored 『Hound』?」
The retainer leaned in close and whispered the name almost reverently.
「That one is not my subordinate. He is Halfren’s pawn. Even I do not know his true identity.」
「Nuooh! And now His Majesty counters with one more! What will you do, Crostpurge-sama? Today is a festival with no regard for rank or hierarchy! As expected of Crostpurge-sama, the man who never lets a woman he desires escape! One coin! He’s matched it!!」
「Nunununu! That Crostpurge bastard! Has he finally come to appreciate a fine backside too?!」
「……Your Majesty? Perhaps you’re getting a little too heated…」
「I cannot lose! As one who cherishes 『Shayana’s Nude』 above all else, I absolutely cannot afford to lose! Someone! Go drag that Arg who’s probably napping in the corner of the hall over here!」
「Your Majesty…?」
The king rolled up his sleeves with deadly seriousness. His longtime retainer instinctively took a half-step back.
「Behold the true power of your king! If it’s gold we need, the Draguknight family vault stands ready!」
「……Someone fetch water for His Majesty. And summon Schnitt-sama immediately.」
「Bwahaha ha ha ha! How about that, you fool Crostpurge! Can you match this?! Hm?! Well?!」
「Uwaaah! His Majesty just threw down five! Five coins!! Is that man sane?!」
「This is the might of your king!!」
A short while later…
Many nobles bore witness to the sight of their king being thoroughly scolded by his heir.
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