v10c2 – Thieves

AN (2021/04/21):
Please have a look at the print edition of ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! vol. 3’!
This time as well, the limited edition will be on sale at Melonbooks with a tapestry and limited edition sidestory included.
As it seems like it’s still in stock, anyone interested, please try checking Melonbooks’ e-commerce page.

“You wretch, how dare you snitch on me to Master! For someone like you, I’ll do this~”

“It hurts! It really hurts so stop!”

I, Count [Liam sera Banfield], have summoned this girl to my office.

With my two fists I pin this [Ciel sera Exner]’s head between them and grind them in as punishment.

Ciel’s crime――was to let my Master [Yasushi], the man called the Sword God, know that I’ve been putting off my wedding with Rosetta.

I had been running around and away from being wedded to my fiancee [Rosetta sere Claudia], but with Ciel telling Master everything, I lost all opportunities to escape.

Of all things, Ciel utilized Master in order to corner me.

“Haaah, haaah―― I’ve been doing nothing but breaking into cold sweat this time. Truly, I didn’t think that you would outwit me at all.”

Letting her go, Ciel glares at me through teary eyes while holding her head.

“Even I didn’t think it would end up with something like that!”

She didn’t think it would end up like that? Did she perhaps assume that I wouldn’t marry Rosetta if it were like that?

Unfortunate, but no way.

“Hmph! I’ve been planning to marry Rosetta from the start since I wanted her court rank. Even if Master didn’t come out and say it, I’d have married her within a decade―― No, a century.”

Originally speaking, I’d have been treated as fully-fledged once I was done with my nobility training.

Not fully-fledged of age, but as of a member of society.

‘Now quickly get married to Rosetta and make children’―― The people around me have been saying something like that.

People can live in space now, and yet society still places importance on blood relations. It even seems a little ridiculous.

But, this is the reality of this world.

With my accumulated successes in this world, I plan on using such status to the fullest to enjoy myself.

I’ve decided that I’ll live freely without bothering to placate anyone in my second life.

The marriage to Rosetta is also important for attaining such freedom.

When I acquire the court rank of Duke that Rosetta has, I’ll be a great noble prominent in the Empire, in name and in reality.

――Originally speaking I had planned on quickly getting married to her, but my plan was thrown off because of how rapidly Rosetta became docile.

I was expecting to force a Rosetta that hated me into marriage, and yet…

As Ciel presses her hands to her head, she looks at me with eyes of protest, as usual.

“I won’t let you do as you wish.”

Rosetta fell easily, but this girl is still opposing me to this day.

Out of respect for that attitude, I plan on overlooking this one time.

Using Master as a tool is absolutely unforgivable, but Ciel is the precious daughter of a feudal noble that I’m acquainted with.

I can’t punish her easily, and it’s more amusing to have an opposition of this level.

On top of that, I haven’t been affected so badly that I can’t recover from it.

Ciel can only perform mischief of this level.

“I wonder if you can actually stop me?”

“I’ll absolutely open everyone’s eyes and show them your villainy!”

“I look forward to that. It’ll be nice if your words actually reach them.”

“D-don’t make fun of me! I’ll definitely tear off that skin you wear as a front!”

This is it, this! The clashing of principles between a villain and those on the side of justice!

However―― Between Ciel’s words and mine, many would judge me to be in the right.

After all, the people around me trust in me more than Ciel, even though she knows the truth.

Ciel can’t outwit me.

――This one time was an accident because Master was dragged into it.

“No matter how much you oppose me, someone of your level―― hm?”

I look away from Ciel and past the window of my office.

Black smoke is rising in the distance.

I felt the ground shake slightly, too, so maybe something even exploded?

“An accident? No, that’s not it.”

“Huh? W, what?”

Ciel looks like she doesn’t understand what has happened.

That obtuseness is also proof that this girl is unable to become a proper threat to me.

Looking at the floor, I call out to my protective detail.

“What happened?”

Seeing me direct a question at the floor, Ciel looked at me as if I was still making fun of her at first. She seems to be asking me with her eyes who I’m talking to.

But, after a black shadow appears on the floor, a person rises from it gradually.

It’s one of Kukri’s masked subordinates―― [Kunai].

“Thieves have invaded. We have already set up a perimeter.”

“――Invaded, you say?”

I narrow my eyes at the kneeling Kunai with her bowed head.

Kukri and his subordinates are excellent operatives though few in number.

However, failure will not be forgiven.

“And what is Kukri doing?”

“The Head is currently in command at the scene itself.”

“Call him here once it’s over. Letting thieves into my mansion…”

As my killing intent leaks a little from my irritation, Ciel starts shaking.

I hurriedly rein in my slipup.

I was worried she’d cease her rebellion from fear of me, but Ciel puts on a courageous air.

That’s great, you’re the best!

“Kunai, the thieves have all been taken care of, haven’t they?”

Returning my line of sight to Kunai once again, she’s just a little slower in replying than usual.

Guessing that I’m about to receive bad news, I get even angrier.

“My sincere apologies. ――The thieves have all escaped with their objective. We are working together with the army to block off their predicted escape routes.”

“Did they send in experts?”

I get wary that experts capable of outwitting Kukri and his group had been sent in, but Kunai’s demeanor is strange.

“W, we are unable to verify even that.”

“You lot are unable to verify that? Oi, what did the thieves do? Amagi or Rosett―― Did they target anyone? Or were they aiming for treasures?”

I was concerned about Rosetta’s safety for a moment, but I suppress those words.

“As luck would have it, nobody sustained any injuries. However, what was stolen was Liam-sama’s genes.”

“――What did you say?”

I’m relieved hearing that nobody was hurt, but I get dumbfounded for a moment hearing that my genes had been stolen after that.

A group capable of outwitting Kukri and his group paid no notice to my head or my wealth and stole my genes?

Is this some form of indirect protest, I wonder?

◇

Near the Banfield house’s capital planet.

A ship of the Empire designated for clandestine duties idles in space.

In its hangar, personnel handpicked from the Empire’s black ops are gathered, the special ops unit included.

The man supervising them holds up a test tube-like container containing Liam’s genes.

“We’ve gotten this more easily than we expected, it seems.”

Most of them look relieved, but there’s some who make faces of disappointment at the considerably short conclusion of the mission.

“We didn’t see the tribe of shadow, huh.”
“I’d heard that their numbers were few, but it’s quite disappointing.”
“They’re out-of-date bloodthirsty beasts. Other than assassinations, they’re probably incompetent at other roles.”

They didn’t encounter Kukri’s group, the Banfield house’s black ops that they had been vigilant for.

Because of that, their evaluation of Kukri’s group had fallen.

That they couldn’t even protect their cherished lord’s mansion properly.

However, there’s a reason why this group of men could complete their mission without a scratch.

“Y-you lot, who do you think you owe your success to. If you all were better at your job, I would’ve gotten through without taking this much damage.”

The thing lying on the floor is the Guide in his hat form.

From its ragged and charred form, one can surmise that he had a hard time protecting these men.

The body he’d gone to great pains to recover has been lost in the operation to retrieve Liam’s genes.

Both their lack of encounter with Kukri’s group and their obtaining the genes without incident were due to the Guide’s direction.

The Guide cries in his hat form.

“If I hadn’t helped, you all would have perished multiple times over!”

For the sake of helping them, the Guide has been reduced to a mere hat.

But, he wipes his tears and looks up at Liam’s genes in its container.

“However, this was worth it in the end. Liam―― Your enemy will be yourself!”

◇

『This is shameful, Kukri.』

Within the specially-prepared dome-shaped room, Tia, who’d been placed at the Empire’s border, joins in via video.

The display of her is huge, yet she looks with cold eyes at Kukri who is pleading for my forgiveness.

The surrounding people are the same as well.

Marie for one has her arms crossed as if in anger, holding back her urge to cut him down.

“Not only did you let the thieves intrude, to think they managed to escape. How useless. Are you not ashamed as the head of the black ops?” 

Saying nothing to the two condemning him, he apologizes only to me.

“As amends, I offer my head and those of the subordinates of mine involved with this shameful incident. However, our clan pledges our loyalty to the Banfield house even after this. Please, do grant us one more chance.”

I snort at the fact that Kukri is saying to use his death as an apology.

However, at my side, Klaus stands up for Kukri.

“Liam-sama, there’s no suitable replacement for them as black ops within the house. If the punishment is too heavy, our actions from now on will be hindered.”

Since Kukri and his group had been competent until now, leaving everything up to them had turned out to bite us in the ass.

Klaus has a point as well, so I decide to overlook Kukri’s mistake.

“In consideration for your lot’s achievements until now, I’ll overlook this one time. ――Find the thieves and dispose of them.”

“Acknowledged!”

As Kukri replies, both Tia and Marie look like they want to say something to me.

――If I were the kind of guy to kill Kukri here, the likes of you two would have already been sent to the chopping block long ago.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Klaus moves on to the next report.

“Liam-sama, there is another thing.”

“――It’s the surprise attack on his Highness Cleo, isn’t it?”

“Yes. His Highness was ambushed by someone, and the protective detail we assigned to him have all been killed. The knights and troops are a given, but within that detail were three of Kukri-dono’s subordinates.” 

“Killed to a man, huh.”

I mutter as the surrounding eyes turn to Kukri.

Even as he feigns calm, he must be boiling with anger.

Tia speaks.

『How unsightly. Say something, won’t you?』

Kukri doesn’t say a single word.

Within this thorny atmosphere, I think to myself.

That the only one not showing off an unsightly appearance in this room is the indifferent and competent Klaus.

Upon which, Klaus stands up for Kukri.

“The knights and soldiers have been killed as well. Their enemy must have been quite the experts. It can’t be said that the responsibility lies entirely with Kukri-dono alone.”

It’s as Klaus says.

We can’t sit around discussing things forever.

Let’s settle the problem in front of us right away, shall we.

“Klaus, send his Highness a new protective detail.”

“About that; his Highness Cleo stated that he has no need for the Banfield house’s protection.”

“What did you say?”

“He cannot bring himself to request more after the casualties of this incident. However, it seems like his real intention is to say that we’re not deserving of trust. I have heard that he’s prepared his own bodyguards by himself.”

Despite leaving the protection to us, we failed and also let Cleo himself bear injury.

It certainly is a big failure.

Marie furrows her brows.

“We can’t be trusted, he said? How many people, resources, and money have we prepared up till this moment? Big words for a pompous brat that wouldn’t even be a figurehead if not for Liam-sama.”

Tia makes no move to conceal her displeasure either.

However, she’s calmer than Marie is.

『The knights and troops assigned to his Highness were the cream of the crop. An enemy that can break that is quite the powerful foe. Liam-sama, I believe it would be best to dispatch one of us here to the capital planet.』

Those here in this place have all been leaders once.

Tia and Marie, who can perform at their job despite their problematic personalities.

Kukri who failed this time but has a history of accomplishment.

And Klaus, who is the one I can count on most to do the job.

“It’d be the best if I could send Klaus, though. Tia can’t be moved, and I want to let Marie handle the defense of the home planet. If so, then the only one available is Kukri, huh.”

As I turn to Kukri, smiling, the man himself rises to his feet.

He’s probably caught on to what I’m saying.

“I welcome this opportunity to redeem our honor.”

“――Alright. There won’t be a second time.”

“Acknowledged!”

“Klaus, prepare forces for Kukri’s use. I’ll leave everything up to you.”

I’ve decided to dispatch Kukri, but I don’t intend to only send black ops to the capital planet.

I have to make up for the lost knights and soldiers, so I decide to leave that up to Klaus.

“Yes.”

‘This is it, this!’ I shout in my mind seeing Klaus give a composed reply.

Knights with problematic personalities are no good, no matter how beautiful they are.

I’m talking about you, Tia and Marie.

Kukri steps up next to Klaus.

“Klaus-dono, by all means, I have things I wish to have prepared. I want to discuss this promptly, so shall we?”

Glancing at me for permission, Klaus moves to leave the room together with Kukri at my nod.

◇

After Klaus and Kukri exit the room.

It is Klaus, but it can’t be helped that he’s fearful inside.

(Why am I walking side by side with the black ops? These people are scary.)

For some reason, Liam has placed a lot of trust in Klaus and left various jobs to him.

However, the man himself can’t understand at all why he’s being treated like top brass.

Moreover, he’s even been given the position of Head Knight of the Banfield house.

As he maintains an indifferent expression in order not to show his troubled heart, Kukri speaks up. Being taller than Klaus, he inclines his head downward at an angle to speak.

“Klaus-dono, how about treating this incident as my debt to you?”

“A favor, you mean?”

“Yes. My clan has been spared thanks to Klaus-dono’s covering for us. I don’t have anything on hand to offer as gratitude for that, but please let me know if there’s anyone you would like to be killed. Even if it’s Christiana or Marie, any nuisances will be made to disappear.”

Seeing Kukri give a wheedling laugh, Klaus contemplates.

(As I thought, this man’s angry at the two of them? No, more importantly, our own people killing each other absolutely cannot be allowed!)

“――I’ll pass on the assassination. Please come to my aid when I’m in trouble.”

“Those two are aiming for your position, you know. Because of that, they’ll most likely come for Klaus-dono’s head if a chance arises.”

(It does seem like those two would go as far as killing me to obtain that head knight position. I want a transfer as soon as possible, but whether Liam-sama recognizes it is another matter――)

He’d heard from Kukri that Tia and Marie are aiming for his life, but on the contrary, Klaus doesn’t think to do the same to them.

He understands well that losing anyone would be a major blow to the Banfield house at present.

Even Klaus thinks his life is precious, but he owes Liam a great deal.

He doesn’t want to sabotage Liam.

To be more specific, he doesn’t want to be pulled into a conflict between radical factions.

“That’s unnecessary. It won’t bode anything good for the Banfield house. With that in mind, how about we call it even if you protect me from the two of them?”

“――Then, I shall do as you say.”

By standing up for Kukri, Klaus has ended up making connections with the black ops.

Bryan (´；ω；｀) “It’s painful that Liam-sama’s genes have been stolen.”

Sapling-chan ( ゜∀゜) “More importantly, the promotion! ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! vol. 3’ is going on sale the 25th this month so do check it out! After that, ‘The World of Otome Games is Tough for’――”

Bryan (´；ω；｀)ｒ鹵~＜≪巛;゜Д゜)ノ Ugyahー

Bryan (´；ω；｀) “The vulgar plant has left. It’s a blessing.”