Chapter 165 : Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Period Extension

“......Kkwek. ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍It must have been that important to him.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍moment he finished speaking, the leader snapped back to his senses.

What ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍did I just say?

Only ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍then did the expressionless face of the human bastard looking down at him enter his eyes.

When ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍he realized that he had gotten swept up by this human bastard again and rambled some strange answer, anger surged back up.

“Kkwek! ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍What I mean is!! I won’t just let things go your bastards’ way!! Kkwek. I can’t do something that benefits you bastards!!”

“How impressive. You know my heart even when I don’t.”

At the answer, which made it hard to tell whether it was sarcasm or not, the leader furrowed his brow.

“Kkwek. What nonsense is this bastard spouting now?”

“I’m saying I don’t really know what to do with you either.”

“Kkwek. If you don’t know what to do, I’ll teach you! Kkwek. Let me go right now, and you can fall down there and die!!”

Ratel’s gaze turned toward the cliff the leader was pointing at.

The leader had been rambling whatever came to mind to anger the human bastard, but when Ratel truly moved toward the cliff, he could not help but be horrified.

Because the human bastard’s hand was gripping his collar tightly as he closed the distance to the cliff.

“Kkwek!! Alone!! Fall alone!! Kkwek!! Let go of me!!”

“Let go?”

Ratel asked as he draped the leader’s body halfway over the cliff.

“Kkwek!! You crazy bastard, don’t let go!!”

Looking down at the leader’s struggle to live, Ratel rolled his eyes.

“You tell me to let go, then tell me not to let go. I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“Kkwek!! I said don’t let go?! Kkwek!! Can’t you hear me?!!”

“I’m listening well. I’ll listen this time too.”

“Kkwek!! Y-you......!”

At Ratel’s shamelessness as he spoke confidently, as if he were the listener of the century, curses were on the verge of bursting out of the leader’s mouth.

“So, in respect of your opinion, should I let go slowly?”

As if he had not cared about the leader’s state from the beginning, Ratel muttered softly.

There was not a single word in that short sentence that did not sound ominous.

The leader had no leisure to argue about it.

Because, just as the mad human said, he felt the strength slowly leaving his hand.

“Kkweeeek!!!!!”

The terrified leader tried to shake off his hand, but the fear that he might fall below made even that impossible.

The unlucky human bastard merely looked down at him with an expressionless face, as if his resistance was laughable.

At that gaze, calm to the point of serenity, the leader accepted that there was truly no future left for him but falling like this.

The leader’s body separated from the human’s hand, and the sensation of falling began, dragging his feet downward.

Am I really going to die this absurdly?

Damn it.

If I’d known I was going to die this absurdly, I shouldn’t have clung to the leader’s position until the end.

It was the moment the leader’s regret reached its peak in that instant.

“Kkwek!!!”

Along with a familiar cry, a green shape passed Ratel and grabbed the falling leader.

The leader raised his head and confirmed the face of the orc who had saved him.

It was the half-wit.

“K-kwek......!”

His arms were trembling as he struggled to hold onto him.

***

Ratel looked down at the affectionate reunion of the two orcs without feeling.

His gaze did not remain on the half-wit for long.

“Kkwek. When you weren’t even going to drop him, scaring him like that is nothing but venting your anger.”

He glared at the orc-turned prince, who was slowly appearing from the small passage the half-wit had popped out of.

“I was going to just kill him if the half-wit had been even a little late.”

“Kkwek. You weren’t going to kill him right now.”

“......”

“Kkwek. If needlessly scaring him wasn’t venting your anger, then what was it?”

There was no rebuke in his certain tone, as if shallow tricks like that would not work.

The prince, who had finished pointing out an irrefutable fact, turned his body toward the two wary orcs.

“Kkwek. You heard that, right? Kkwek. He says he wasn’t planning to kill you.”

“Kkwek!! Do you have something to say right now!! Kkwek!! Then what would have happened if he had been planning to kill me!!”

“Kkwek. You could’ve died without even knowing you were dead.”

“......”

At the prince’s clean answer, both orcs closed their mouths.

“Kkwek. So relax. Kkwek. When you open your eyes, everything will be over.”

“Kkwek? What nonsense are you......”

The leader’s words, as he asked back at the somewhat sudden statement, did not continue to the end.

THWACK!

Struck on the back of the neck by the prince’s hand, the leader lost consciousness helplessly and collapsed.

“Kkwek!!!”

The half-wit screamed at the event that had unfolded in an instant.

As always, the prince’s sudden actions came with no warning.

He was like a letter sealed tight.

Until one opened the envelope and checked for oneself, one could not know whether what lay inside was good news or bad news.

The cruel part was that, whichever it turned out to be, one had no choice but to accept it.

***

What is the standard that separates enemy from self?

The protagonist in the original work had been able to wipe out the orcs without hesitation because, ultimately, there had been enough justification to kill them.

They were monsters aggressive toward humans, they lacked the intelligence to converse, and they were an obstacle to destroying the holy object.

Everything said to classify them as enemies.

But the orcs in the original work and the orcs now had changed.

No, perhaps nothing had changed.

Perhaps, simply because the amount of time I had faced them differed, I had failed to notice, and the leader and the half-wit had been nothing but themselves from the very beginning.

It was like me tripping over a stone root and getting angry at the stone root.

Asking why it had suddenly appeared and gotten in my way.

Even though, if I looked around, I would realize that I simply had not been conscious of it, and the obstacle had actually always been there.

When unexpected factors interfere like this, the way not to lose one’s path is to not lose sight of the goal.

And here, I am not the one who decides the goal.

***

After confirming that the leader had completely lost consciousness, I approached Ratel, who had been silently watching what I was doing.

His unwavering golden eyes moved between me and the half-wit, who hid the leader behind him in anxiety while glaring at me.

Then, before long, the bastard walked past the two of them and moved to the opposite side of the cliff.

He opened a distance that was neither too far nor too close, one from which he could check every movement the two bastards made, then plopped down in place.

When I silently looked down at him, the one who eventually broke the silence first was Ratel.

“......What?”

“Kkwek. What do you want to do?”

Ratel, unable to understand my question, furrowed his brow.

“I want to hit you right now.”

That was an answer a little more honest than what I had wanted.

“Kkwek. Not that. Kkwek. I’m asking what you want to do with those bastards.”

When I asked again, the bastard’s mouth twisted faintly.

“What a useless question. Obviously, we have to kill them. Both of them.”

“Kkwek. I didn’t ask what we have to do. Kkwek. I asked what you wanted to do.”

When I pointed out that his answer was wrong, Ratel opened his eyes fiercely.

“What’s different about the two? There are no other options anyway. You know that too, don’t you? You’re the one who said I had to cut off their necks to gain power.”

I did.

And now, I am regretting it a little.

If I had known things would turn out like this, I would have put off telling him he could become stronger until later.

Or at least, I should not have given in to this young bastard’s stubbornness.

If I had not listened to him when he said he would stay here, things would not have gotten this tangled.

Damn it. What use was any of that?

Regretting what had already passed meant nothing.

If that continued endlessly, the only conclusion left would be that I should never have been born in the first place.

“Kkwek. You don’t want to kill them?”

I recited the truth that the bastard would never speak aloud even if he died.

“I’m going to kill them. Because I have to.”

The bastard’s face as he spoke fiercely, neither affirming nor denying it, looked calm at a glance.

But that probably did not mean he was fine.

“Kkwek. It’s fine even if you don’t kill them right now.”

As if to prove that, the bastard turned his head toward me so quickly it made a whooshing sound, like a fish biting bait.

“Kkwek. What matters is that the speed at which you grow your power only has to surpass the speed at which Dito absorbs the Imperial Family’s power.”

“Are you saying you can slow down the speed at which that prince bastard grows his power?”

“Kkwek. Yes.”

In exchange, it was no different from letting go of the final bastion I had for running away.

“Kkwek. It’s not difficult. Kkwek. We only have to draw him outside the capital for a while.”

“He won’t easily leave the Imperial Castle, where he can gather the power of the Imperial Family.”

“Kkwek. He will. Kkwek. If we reveal what he fears.”

What does he fear?

At Ratel’s face, which seemed to have the question written exactly as it was, I let out a small laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.

“Kkwek. The 7th Prince, Ran Abalan.”

To be exact, everything I knew.

“Kkwek. If he finds out I’m heading to where the Imperial Family members in the frontier are, he won’t be able to endure not rushing out at once.”

He was not broad-minded enough to stay still after learning that Ratel could grow stronger just like him.

The bastard would probably have no choice but to move personally to cut off Ratel’s breath before he absorbed power.

He was a bastard who had hidden himself and lived for many years in order to absorb Rasia’s power.

He had a personality that preferred certain victory over uncertain gambles.

Though he would not want to admit it himself.

He would surely come running to finish off Ratel, whose superiority in power he had already confirmed once.

At the same time, my life, which had painstakingly been treated as dead, would also be targeted.

“You think something like that will make the bastard move?”

Ratel asked with a face that still could not understand.

From the position of a bastard who always made reckless choices, perhaps it was a choice difficult to accept.

“Kkwek. In exchange, you’ll have to handle the fact that the journey will become harder and more dangerous because of it.”

When I spoke as if issuing a warning, the bastard nodded with a somewhat dazed face.

“Kkwek. And do your best to keep me alive.”

The bastard, who had been silently nodding, stopped moving his neck.

“Kkwek. You should keep nodding. Kkwek. Why did you stop there?”

“You said something similar before. That since you’d help me, I should keep you alive.”

Yes, I had.

“Kkwek. That was a temporary alliance.”

“Temporary?”

The bastard raised one eyebrow again.

“Kkwek. Yes. But this one has a slightly longer effective period. Kkwek. Until you defeat all the Imperial Family members, and I can live in this world without worries.”

So if you want to shorten the contract term, you’ll have to try with all your might.

I lowered my voice with that meaning.

It was a solemn vow in its own way, but Ratel answered with nothing more than the light reaction of a breathy laugh.

“I think this every time, but for someone who says he doesn’t want to die, you stake your life too easily every time.”

“Kkwek. And for someone I keep saying I’ll help, you always have a lot of complaints.”

And who is taking his life too easily?

“Kkwek. I always stake my life on the place with the highest survival rate. Kkwek. Until now, that has just happened to be the side of helping you.”

The bastard looked at me as if he could not understand.

“Kkwek. You’ll find out soon.”

No matter how much I deceived this protagonist bastard and screwed him over, in the end, most situations were bound to turn in a direction favorable to him.

Because no matter what anyone says, you are the bastard most loved by this world.