Chapter 10: Unleash My Rage on the Demon King’s Army Executive!

After Sardis informed me to come to the royal capital, I, Oliver, and Marie were holding a meeting in the study.

“To think that the day would come when Klaus-sama is personally summoned by His Majesty to receive rewards… This Oliver is so overwhelmed with emotion, I’m at a loss for words!”

Oliver, his face brimming with fervor, was the first to speak.

For nobles in this kingdom, receiving a reward from the king is evidently a great honor. Honestly, I’d love nothing more than to ignore this summons outright, but…

As I mulled over this, Marie tilted her head and spoke up.

“Come to think of it, what was that ‘matter’ Sardis-sama mentioned?”

“Oh, right, he did say something about that.”

The sheer volume of information had made me forget, but Sardis did mention coming to report on “that matter.”

And the orders came from the king and one other person—Marquis Wyndham.

…Marquis Wyndham, huh? He was a character in the game, but I feel like there’s some other connection…

“! That’s it, I remember now!”

It had slipped my mind since it was a month ago, but I finally recalled.

When Marquis Wyndham sent me a party invitation, I soaked it in tea and sent it back as is.

Most likely, he’s coming to punish me for that.

But when he arrived, he stumbled upon the bizarre situation of a Demon King’s army executive being captured. It makes sense that any punishment for me was put on hold, and the reward for capturing the executive took priority.

However, that also means Marquis Wyndham’s anger toward me likely remains—

“This could be my chance.”

“Klaus-sama?”

“Master?”

I’d initially thought I could skip going to the capital if it was just the king’s summons, but I reconsidered.

For the first time, I’d encountered someone who might see me as evil—Marquis Wyndham.

Meeting him could hold significant meaning for my goal of becoming a final boss.

I sprang to my feet and issued orders to the two.

“I’ll set out for the royal capital tomorrow. Oliver, I appoint you as acting lord in my absence.”

“Yes, sir! This Oliver will faithfully carry out your command. It’s a bit regrettable I won’t be there to witness Klaus-sama receive his reward, but…”

“And Marie, you’ll accompany me as my personal attendant.”

“Y-Yes! Understood…”

Marie nodded, but I noticed a lack of energy in her response.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… is it really alright for me to go? If someone with black hair like me goes to the capital, it might cause people to view Master with prejudice.”

“…Hmph.”

Her words prompted me to recall the worldbuilding of «Altena Fantasia».

In the royal capital, opinions on black-haired individuals are sharply divided.

Nobles allied with the royal family work to eliminate discrimination, while many opposing nobles harbor strong prejudices.

Taking Marie along would indeed be a risk.

—But that’s only if Marie were an ordinary maid.

“Don’t worry, Marie. You’ve become far stronger than most knights this past month. If any fool tries to mess with you, blast them away with magic.”

“Huh? N-No, that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m concerned that having a black-haired attendant might damage the Master's reputation…”

“!?”

—Taking Marie along could spread infamy just like that!?

I hadn’t considered that possibility.

Marie deserves a grand reward for this revelation.

Inwardly thrilled, I responded calmly.

“Hmph, that’s no problem at all. In fact, it’s exactly what I want.”

“M-Master…!”

Marie gazed at me with sparkling eyes.

I got the feeling she was misunderstanding something, but it wasn’t worth worrying about.

Determined not to miss this golden opportunity, I went to bed to prepare for tomorrow’s departure.

◇◆◇

Inside a magical sealing device shaped like a coffin, in a dark and cramped space, he—Flect—smirked wickedly.

“Fufufu… I never imagined I’d be defeated, but being taken alive was their mistake. At this rate, I’ll have regained all my power by morning.”

Normally, those sealed in this device lose the ability to use magic.

But Flect, with his exceptional skill, could still manipulate magical energy.

And that wasn’t all—

“I’ve also been refining my unique magic in parallel, and it’s going well. Heh, I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

Preparing for his revenge, he was growing at an astonishing rate.

His high learning ability and relentless determination were what made him a Demon King’s army executive.

Inside the coffin, Flect swore to himself.

“My target for revenge is one person alone—Klaus Renford, the lord said to have seen through my plans and given the knights a perfect strategy. Remember this, Klaus. Tomorrow morning will be the moment your life ends. I’ll unleash all my rage upon you!”

◇◆◇

The next morning, early.

As Oliver, Marie, and I stepped outside the mansion, Sardis was already waiting.

“Good morning, Viscount Renford. Are you ready to depart?”

“Yeah.”

Sardis had to return to the capital as well, so we’d be traveling together.

But he wasn’t the only one accompanying us—

“Lord-sama, we’ve been waiting! We’ve already made all preparations!”

Laura, the Renford Knight Order commander, and several knights saluted me in unison.

They were joining us as escorts.

My gaze shifted to a coffin-shaped magical device being dragged by one of the knights.

“That’s where he’s sealed, right?”

“Yes, sir! The Demon King’s army executive is confined within this device.”

The executive—Flect, if I recall.

We needed to transport this device, with him sealed inside, to the royal capital.

That’s why we required a few escorts in case something happened along the way.

Looking at the device again, it seemed awfully flimsy.

It’s supposed to prevent the use of magic inside, but… well, no need to worry about that.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

“I’ll take the lead,” Laura volunteered, stepping forward.

It made sense—she needed to stay alert for dangers as our escort.

I followed her, but I quickly sensed something off.

“Hey, why are we heading toward the town? We could exit directly through the gate behind the mansion.”

“There’s something I want Lord-sama to see. Please, look at this!”

At Laura’s words, I stepped into the town.

But I immediately regretted it.

Despite the early hour, a massive crowd of townsfolk lined both sides of the main road.

And, unbelievably, the moment they saw us, they erupted in unison.

“Lord-sama! Have a safe trip!”

“To think you’re receiving a reward from His Majesty—what an honor!”

“We’ll keep the town lively while you’re gone, Lord-sama!”

All this fuss just for a trip to the capital.

Sardis adjusted his glasses with a click.

“I thought the same yesterday, but I’ve never seen a lord so beloved by his people… Viscount Renford is truly a remarkable lord.”

His words made my temple twitch.

…What is this scene? Why do I have to witness this nightmare of endless praise first thing in the morning!?

Suppressing my irritation, I tried to think logically.

If there was a culprit behind this situation, it could only be—

“Kufu, kufufufu. Wonderful! I’ve been waiting for this moment!”

Just as my genius intellect was about to pinpoint the answer, a voice rang out clearly despite the townsfolk’s cheers.

Who was that?

As we braced ourselves, the coffin-shaped magical device suddenly rattled violently and burst open.

“What!? No way!”

Laura shouted in panic as a figure—not a human, but a demon—leapt out of the coffin.

The demon soared high into the sky, hovering in midair.

Seeing him, Laura’s face twisted with anger.

“Flect! How are you out!? That device was supposed to be sealed!”

“Isn’t it obvious? I analyzed and broke the seal from within.”

“What!? Those sealed in that device shouldn’t be able to use magic!”

“That might be true for ordinary people. But I’m a genius among geniuses in magical manipulation, even among the Demon King’s army executives. Don’t measure me by common standards!”

Sardis, looking flustered, turned to Laura.

“Laura-san, can’t you defeat him again like yesterday!?”

“That’s… Lord-sama’s strategy was a one-time thing. We only have a few knights here, and we no longer have the stored energy!”

“No way!”

Sardis and Laura’s faces filled with despair.

Flect smirked even wider at their reaction.

“Kufufu, don’t worry. This time, I have no intention of attacking unless you show resistance.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Right now, I’m a vengeful demon consumed by hatred. My target is one alone—Klaus Renford.”

With that, Flect gathered black and white magical energy in his hands, fixing me with a sharp glare.

“Of course, a strategist like you must have prepared countermeasures for me. That’s why, inside the coffin, I refined my magic. The pain revival period is extended from one month to one year, and the energy drain is now limitless until the body withers completely.”

“What!? Is that even possible!?”

“Of course, there’s a cost. The magic can only target one person, and it requires a thirty-day cooldown before reuse. But that’s fine—as long as I can kill you!”

“! Lord-sama, please escape—”

Flect and the others were getting worked up.

Seeing Flect about to unleash his magic, Laura tried to shield me by stepping forward.

—But none of that mattered to me right now.

Stepping past Laura, I glared up at Flect with seething rage.

“You’re the culprit, aren’t you?”

That was the only thing I’d been thinking about during those silent minutes.

If this so-called Demon King’s army executive hadn’t attacked, I could’ve made the knight order fail an impossible mission!

I wouldn’t have gained the king’s favor!

I wouldn’t have been showered with gratitude from the townsfolk like just now!

This is all his fault!!

“—!?!?!?”

Flect flinched in midair, then shook his head vigorously as if shaking off something.

“Your killing intent is startlingly strong, but no matter! Take this! «Extreme Resurgent Pain» & «Extreme Life Force Drain»!”

He unleashed the black and white magical energy toward me.

But—

“«Magic Reflection»”

“…Huh? Ggyaaaaaaaah!”

As I reflected both spells back at him, Flect crashed to the ground, writhing in pain and agony.

The sight slightly eased my frustration.

By the way, «Magic Reflection» is my unique magic, which absorbs an enemy’s spell, converts it to my own magical energy, and reflects it back.

Here’s the thing.

I sometimes forget unless I look in a mirror, but my hair is gray.

That means I, at least partially, possess [Black Magic] and have an aptitude for unique magic.

While training Marie this past month, I awakened my own unique magic before she did.

Using it, I reflected both of Flect’s spells back at him.

He’s now suffering the effects he so proudly described earlier.

Kuhaha, good, good. I’ll keep tormenting him until I’m completely satisfied—

Or so I thought, until the next moment.

“Lord-sama defeated a Demon King’s army executive single-handedly!”

“““Uooooh!”””

The townsfolk’s cheers erupted alongside a sudden shout.

Hearing it, I realized my mistake.

(What am I doing!? Defeating an executive in front of a crowd like this is bound to make them cheer. To lower their opinion of me, what I should do now is—)

Gritting my teeth, I made a decision.

It was a desperate measure, but I had no choice.

Confirming that Flect was sufficiently weakened, I dispelled the magic, freeing him from his suffering.

Shrunk from the energy drain, Flect gasped, “Zee, haa,” before speaking.

“K-Klaus Renford… What’s the meaning of this…?”

“Hmph, isn’t it obvious?”

With a serious gaze, I declared,

“Get out of here. Now.”

“…Huh?”

Flect let out a dumbfounded sound, as if he hadn’t expected this.

Well, it’s a natural reaction.

I’m not letting him go for his sake.

It’s to cement my image as the worst lord imaginable—one who sides with a Demon King’s army executive—in the eyes of everyone here.

Letting Flect escape doesn’t sit well with me, but I have no choice. Besides, seeing him suffer earlier was satisfying enough, so I’ll let him off this time.

To achieve grand goals, a villainous charisma must sometimes sacrifice short-term gains!

“Come on, hurry up. If you want to escape, I’m saying you can.”

That was my reasoning, and I genuinely meant to let Flect go if he wanted to.

But for some reason, Flect, battered and broken, pressed his forehead to the ground.

“I-I’m sorry for defying you! I swear I’ll never oppose you again! Please, please forgive me!”

With that cry, Flect crawled back into the coffin and resealed himself.

…Huh?

As I stood bewildered by this nonsense, Sardis’s glasses glinted with a flash.

“Neutralizing all the enemy’s weapons, then offering a tempting choice. The enemy, realizing further resistance brings harsher punishment, surrenders without hesitation… What a perfect response! I’d love to peek inside Viscount Renford’s mind!”

He confidently declared something completely at odds with my intentions.

The problem was, even if he was wrong, everyone around immediately bought into it—

“Magnificent, Klaus-sama!”

“Yes, as expected of my Master!”

“To be protected by our lord is a knight’s shame… I must train harder to catch up to Lord-sama!”

—Oliver, Marie, and Laura each voiced their reactions.

As if in response, the crowd’s excitement somehow surged even higher—

“““Lord-sama! Lord-sama! Lord-sama! Lord-sama!”””

The entire town united in a chant for their lord.

Hearing it, I gritted my teeth.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

All I wanted was to vent my rage on a Demon King’s army executive or let him escape!