I approached the window and looked closely. A silhouette stood there.
Its slanted posture seemed somewhat impudent.
"Who is it? If a fight breaks out now, it’ll be tough."
I sighed and watched further. I definitely felt a presence. Was it doing this on purpose?
"I have the holy relics, so let’s bluff."
I opened the window. As soon as I opened it, someone emerged from the shadows.
It was a familiar face.
"Greetings, Lord Vane."
It was Kelsas.
I wondered who it was, and it was you? I got nervous for nothing. Haa, give me back my tension.
I rested my arm on the windowsill and asked Kelsas.
"Well, we meet often, don’t we?"
"I did come to see you."
"At this hour? To talk about life over some drinks and dried shrimp?"
"Hmm. Whether it’ll be about life, or about your life in prison, we’ll have to see what the future holds, won’t we?"
The atmosphere instantly sank. As expected, he came about that matter.
But I was innocent. All I did was deal with Grant, who had caused all sorts of problems.
"Of course, like in Earth, a good deed can lead to all sorts of misunderstandings and get you fucked."
From here on, should I leave it to luck? I sighed and replied.
"To the first floor. Let’s talk there."
"Good."
I heard Kelsas entering the mansion and headed downstairs.
I was truly exhausted to death. My body felt like a limp noodles, but I had to meet him.
I had to make things clear.
"Fiora, please rest."
"What? No, as the Acting Lord, I want to observe. If anything happens..."
"I understand. But nothing will happen."
Reluctantly, I went downstairs with Fiora.
Anyway, Kelsas must be having a tough time too. It’s usually the rule for civil servants to leave work on time. But given the current situation, he’s still working at this hour.
When I went down to the first floor, Kelsas was already seated.
He looked very comfortable. Is this your house?
"Even if he was the temporary Lord, he looks too comfortable, doesn’t he?"
I glared at him for a moment, then approached him with a tired face. I sat opposite him.
"As you can see, I’m a bit tired. Let’s get straight to the point."
"You got caught up in a complicated matter."
Kelsas summarized my situation in an instant. I’m grateful for that at times like this.
"Indeed. But as you know, it wasn’t me who did it, it was the Demon King. The assassination of the Emperor. I was with the Demon King Subjugation Squad at the time."
"The Demon King?"
I looked at Kelsas seriously. Believe my words, look into my eyes!
"Yes, the Demon King. Tris Narg."
Grant was Tris Narg after all. If he had rampaged any further, Asgard would have truly been destroyed.
Kelsas was astonished.
His complexion turned pale.
"...The Demon King is Tris Narg? Did the god of those cultists really exist?!"
"He did exist. And I defeated him with my own hands."
"What? You, with your own hands?!"
Kelsas was even more surprised. He’d have a lot to be surprised about today.
Fiora, who was standing behind me, spoke solemnly.
"As the Acting Lord, I guarantee it, Inspector. He worked together with Selena Canape, Saintess of the Bitter Cold, to defeat Tris Narg."
With Fiora’s guarantee, Kelsas was even more astonished. Then he tilted his head.
"Wait, Selena Canape? That legendary Sword Demon was alive?!"
This surprised me even more. Is my Mom such a legendary figure?
"My Mom is this amazing? She married the legendary Hero, so she must be amazing. Her class must have been incredible when she was active."
A sigh escaped me. It feels like it would be better if Mom was the Hero instead of me. I even feel a bit of self-loathing.
Kelsas, who had been pondering for a moment, nodded.
He was starting to understand the situation. Smart, like a civil servant.
"I understand your story well."
"You believe me?"
Kelsas looked at me as if I were pathetic.
"Someone who received praise from the Emperor and even a territory couldn’t possibly be the Emperor’s assassin. Moreover, the one who destroyed the capital is only known to resemble you; they say he doesn’t look exactly like you."
Just from this, it seems Grant’s appearance changed significantly when he underwent Transmigration. Is that a good thing, then?
Anyway, I felt disgusted. Of all the things to cause, he only caused fucked-up incidents.
At any rate, a sigh of relief escaped me now. I can rest assured, right?
"So, by good luck, I won’t get dragged into this? Then why did you come all the way here?"
"The Imperial Palace will summon you. You’ll have to explain everything that happened with the Demon King Subjugation Squad, how you defeated Tris Narg, and so on."
Well, I expected this much. After all, the Demon King Subjugation Squad had ambiguously failed, and I was at its center. It’ll be a bit annoying, though.
"Don’t worry. I’ve taken that into account."
"Then that’s settled."
Kelsas stood up.
As he was about to leave, he paused and looked back.
"And... take it easy."
"Hmm? What?"
Suddenly, he’s picking a fight.
"Though there are beauties aplenty nearby, it’s troublesome if you play around as if you’ve forgotten day and night. Even if you are human."
"...I’m still tired from the accumulated after-effects of the fight, you know? What do you take me for?!"
This bastard, he’s really trying to pick a fight. Is he serious, or what?
Kelsas bared his white teeth and sneered. He threw out a single remark.
"Useless Debauched Hero. Ah, but thanks to you, my younger sister returned safely. Or rather, was it thanks to Saintess?"
He left just like that. I considered following him and punching him, but decided against it.
Hmph, I’ll endure it. Because I’m the Hero!
"Anyway, I don’t like that guy. Ugh."
"What will you do now? If the Imperial Palace summons you, won’t it be a big deal?"
"It’s fine. I’m innocent. Grant used my body, and they said he looked slightly different from me. Besides, if push comes to shove, I can just bring Mom and Auntie to act as my lawyers."
Of course, Mom is almost due to give birth, so it might be difficult. Anyway, I’m vaguely anxious about when the baby will come.
Fiora finally smiled.
"Then there won’t be any major problems. Phew, things will get busy from now on."
"Indeed. Let’s overcome it together."
"Hehe, of course, smooch♥"
Fiora kissed my cheek. I lightly kissed her back and yawned.
"I’m going to sleep now."
"Alright, I’ll sleep with you. So no one can target our Lucian...♥"
"Heu-eung, Fiora!"
I went up to the room with Fiora and went to sleep.
Before sleeping, I thought as if praying.
"Please, let nothing happen from now on."
Yes, I really hope nothing happens. I’m tired.
And so, I closed my eyes.
＊＊＊
"Hmm..."
A subspace where only dark smoke billowed. Despite being a bottomless abyss, a lone being shone nobly within it.
It was Horuz, radiating light like the sun.
She gradually felt vitality returning to her entire body. It was a sign that the power of her prime was coming back.
"Hehe, is it finally returning? My lovely power!"
Horuz quickly licked her lips and focused on feeling her power. This subspace was now stifling.
"Even a child who needs protection will eventually find a way out!"
In an instant, she condensed power throughout her body and then released it as it was.
The subspace shattered in an instant, scattering into fragments. Horuz was now floating alone in the air, overlooking a snow-capped mountain.
This place, where only bone-chilling winds blew, was also famous as a stronghold for northern barbarians hiding from the Empire’s gaze.
Of course, Horuz didn’t care about such things.
"This is quite a cold place. It was crucial that I had a long, deep sleep."
Horuz slowly felt her body. She carefully moved her fingers. She also clenched her fist once.
If necessary, she would float in the sky and feel the surrounding atmosphere.
Feeling everything in nature that surrounded her, she nodded.
"Right now, power overflows from my body!"
With her eyes shining like stars, Horuz nodded. The moment to decide everything had finally arrived.
"Hehe, should I blow away a mountain while I’m at it? It wouldn’t be a big problem if one mountain disappeared."
With a twisted smile on her face, Horuz looked down.
She saw a snow-capped mountain, likely 2000 meters above sea level, standing majestically.
As a goddess, she could not tolerate anything higher than herself. Especially Horuz, who sought to annihilate humanity and everything related to it, even more so.
Moreover, she wanted to test her power after a long time.
"Then how should I get rid of it? Yes, let’s make it disappear with a gaze."
With a gradually widening smile, Horuz looked down at the snow-capped mountain.
Just then, something flew into her sight.
"What is it? A dragon?"
She kept staring, and saw it was an old man in a long-robed garment.
He was looking at Horuz, with no less than ten glowing orbs shining near his chest.
He asked.
"Who are you? Suddenly... where did you appear from?"
It was surprising. The northern barbarian subjugation force had to return.
Because the Emperor had been assassinated. And because various other complex incidents had erupted.
While guarding the rear, he had felt an immense energy source suddenly appear in the air and had come up to investigate.
Horuz smiled alluringly.
"Yes, you’ll make a fine first sacrifice. And you’re human, too."
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Worry not. I shall send you off peacefully!"
Horuz winked and clapped her hands towards the wizard.
An enormous wave of energy generated from her clap engulfed the wizard. He deployed a shield to block it but was pushed back.
"What in the world is this...?! It’s as if the Magic Commander is wielding power. Ugh."
He couldn’t just stand there and take it. He hastily cast a spell.
[Dimension Absorb]
He shattered the nearby space, including the wave, and sealed it completely.
He didn’t stop there and linked another spell.
[Dimension Assault]
The wizard hurled the broken space, condensed by Dimension Absorb, directly at Horuz.
He was confident. His specialty was spatial magic combos.
"No matter who you are, you won’t be able to stop this! As for this magic...!"
"How amusing."
[Sun Dial - Time Stop]
With Horuz at the center, everything in the world faded. But this time, it was slightly different.
What was fading suddenly shrank, fading only Horuz herself.
It had simply passed through the wizard’s magic.
"What?!"
Horuz, returned to normal, glared at the wizard. With just an intense gaze, she made his head explode.
"Indeed, a barbaric Mortal. How barbaric, how utterly barbaric. If I use Time Stop on myself, I become invincible. Hahahaha! Who can stop me?!"
Horuz, intoxicated with a rare sense of accomplishment, shouted. She then clapped her hands towards the snow-capped mountain again.
With a single clap, the massive snow-capped mountain began to collapse.
Along with it, an avalanche occurred, spreading and eroding not only the mountain but also its surroundings.
It was nothing short of a disaster.
"Hahahaha, then shall we go?"
Horuz took her next action to achieve her desires.
She was truly a goddess who brought forth chaos.