Morning arrived; a fleet from the capital approached. In it were the three dukes that Razel knew.
One of them, Duke Luinberg, approached Razel and Cid to interrogate them.
They said the same thing they had told the professors who had them in custody.
"We came to buy."
The duke looked at them with a face that implied he didn't believe them at all.
Cid presented some documents. In those documents was Casimiro's plan and other things Gerhardt had planned.
Of course, part of it was a forgery, as Amy invented things that coincidentally were real.
The dukes took Duke Granville prisoner and sent him to the chamber of ministers.
◇◇◇
The Chamber of Ministers.
A large room where those who are normally at the top of the country are judged.
On the left and right were those with the status of marquis and the dukes, including the prime minister and the emperor himself.
A tall, muscular man with a long golden mane.
He had his hand on his chin and looked at them disinterestedly.
By his side was a man similar in appearance to him. It was the prime minister.
The prime minister finished reading the report.
While the emperor said.
"Well, Duke Granville. What do you have to say?"
Casimiro was sweating.
"Your Majesty, all of that is a vile lie!"
"I would never do something like that as a duke!"
Then, the emperor laughed.
His disinterested gaze changed to one of anger.
"Do you think I care?"
Casimiro was sweating coldly.
"What is written there is what was going to happen. I don't need more proof. You and that guy were conspiring against the empire, which means you were conspiring against the emperor. Against me!"
"What's more! According to the report, there were several nobles linked to the Black Crows!"
Such a mention made the nobles who knew about their existence converse among themselves.
The emperor smiled.
"Arrest them!"
Knights ran straight to many ministers and officials present.
The prime minister said.
"They were investigated for a long time, but we didn't have enough proof. Now it's different; we will not allow any more rats than there already are. Take them away."
The ministers and officials were taken by the knights to the torture room.
They screamed in agony, begging for clemency.
"Now, Duke..."
The emperor looked at Casimiro.
"Your end is one not even worth seeing. Both you and your heir will be executed publicly, right now."
"But Your Majesty! If you do that, there will be one less duke in the empire! Our enemies will see that as weakness!"
"We have the sword saints; it doesn't matter if one or no dukes remain. The empire will be safe as long as they are here."
The emperor really didn't care about the Granville Duchy.
This was because originally the dukes and the imperial family were on bad terms.
But this was also an opportunity to get rid of not only them, but also those who were poisoning his country.
Some knights grabbed Casimiro and took him away.
He was crying and pleading.
"Next matter."
Once the traitors were taken to their execution,
Other people entered.
They were the ones who generated the most mystery.
The emperor's angry face changed to one of interest.
"We meet again, frog-face."
Razel and Cid arrived in fine suits.
They knelt.
The emperor said something strange to Razel that many didn't understand.
He remembered his face.
Normally, such an event was strange even for the prime minister, his twin younger brother.
Not even his own heir, whom he carried when he was a baby, did he remember his face or his name.
The emperor said.
"I received a report of what the witnesses said, and... tell me. What the hell were you doing there?"
Razel and Cid proceeded to tell them what they were doing.
The same thing they had told everyone.
The emperor just looked at Razel as he spoke, then...
"Good. Let's move on to the rewards."
He went straight to the rewards.
Many didn't understand this very strange act. There were mysteries related to their appearance there that needed to be resolved, but the emperor skipped over them.
"First you, my son."
"Many saw you climb that tower, so you are the star here of what happened."
"Your reward will be that the destroyed lands of the former Granville Duchy will now be yours. It is your responsibility to repair them."
Cid had a confused face.
"Now you... let's see..."
The emperor touched his temple as he thought. After doing so for a while, he said with joy.
"I've got it, a reward worthy of an emperor!"
"You will be promoted to the 6th upper rank. You are a baron, right?"
In the game, this was known as the ranks of the imperial court.
Lily was classified in the no-rank category, which included commoners and those outside the palace.
Until a few years ago, Razel's family was a knight household, so they were in the 7th rank. Now that he was a baron, he moved up by skipping the 6th lower rank.
The ranks served to know who was useful to the empire.
Razel didn't protest. The 6th upper rank is in the category of any ordinary official.
Once they thanked him, they withdrew.
When everyone had left, only three people remained inside.
The prime minister sighed and said.
"Your Majesty, what was that?"
"What are you talking about, younger brother?"
"Why did you give Cid-kun the duchy? If what you wanted was for the empire to take over those lands, you should have sent one of the princes without inheritance or officials."
"That territory is irrelevant to us. After all, all that mattered was that we were able to discover those rats."
The emperor was aware of the Black Crows planting members in the inner palace.
But they could do nothing. He could order all the ministers killed.
But that would be a nuisance. That's why he waited for something like this to happen.
The emperor smiled.
"That Cid fellow is insignificant to me. I only gave it to him so that no one would notice my true objective."
"True objective?"
Said the prime minister.
The emperor's mouth moved to say...
"The one who truly captured my interest was that boy. The frog-face."
The emperor personally read the report of everything the witnesses saw.
One of them was the one who truly captured his interest.
A blue glow fought against a red one.
Since no one had any idea about the vampire queen, they thought it was the Night King who was fighting.
The emperor said with a smile.
"That radiance must undoubtedly be remnants of the lightning attribute, which I also possess."
Raising his hand, some sparks manifested.
"But not only that. Remember that years ago I also tried to use electricity to propel myself. Being someone with a large amount of magical power, I couldn't achieve it, but this brat did."
"Is that bad?"
"Of course it is. He beat the emperor! Such an act is impossible for it to happen; that's why I know he's hiding something."
"Is he hiding something bad?"
"I don't think so; just think about everything he's been involved in. Being present at the case of a mysterious murder of the son of a corrupt house, then challenging a prince in the line of succession and other children from important houses."
"Then fighting a giant beast and winning. After that, he became "friends" with the dukes we talk to the least."
"He paid the debt of a ruined house and got engaged to the heir daughter. And now he was in a city that was ravaged by a mysterious fight and said it was just a coincidence."
"Maybe it was? Cid-kun was there."
The emperor's face was serious, but with a playful look like a child.
"That boy doesn't have the eyes of someone who would do things on his own; as for that frog-face, he averted his eyes to feign fear."
"Such a thing almost always happens when someone speaks to the emperor, but he did it to pretend fear. Gurarara, this is very exciting; how long has it been since someone last caught my interest?"
"I'd say it was more or less decades ago when you took the throne; on that same date, he came with you."
The prime minister's nose pointed to a man in red armor with horns who hadn't moved at all.
"I want to see what that boy is capable of... what was his name?"
"Razel Bartlet, Your Majesty."
"Razel..."
The emperor smiled sinisterly.
"I want you to entertain me much more, gurarara. By the way, what happened with that problem you've been receiving reports about?"
The prime minister sighed.
"Undoubtedly a big problem will occur since it hasn't been resolved peacefully; without a doubt, a war will break out."
The emperor's face showed a mocking smile.
"Younger brother, I want you to do this—"
◇◇◇
"The situation is truly disastrous."
A dark room, illuminated by some holograms, was the location where the Black Crows were holding an emergency meeting.
"As you may have heard, the lawless city has fallen."
"..."
The members present fell silent as no one knew what to say.
"Not only did we lose our main lair, we also lost our contacts, the Night King, and above all, the duke."
On a floating magical hologram, the execution of Duke Granville and his heir.
They hung their heads on spears for all to see.
Not only that. The conspirators within the palace are being tortured at this very moment to spill information.
"It is evident that the reason many of our members are not here is either fear of being caught or they have been silenced."
"Vassago."
A mysterious figure appeared near the central hologram.
"Yes, leader?"
"Take care of the gossips. Also, I will soon give you your next orders."
"Understood."
"That's all; leave."
The holograms disappeared one by one except—
"Except you."
Minister Olgren.
"Olgren, I heard that Clover is dead, and on top of that, he sold the special medicine that Linhard was manufacturing for us."
"Yes... I couldn't do anything because I found out too late."
The late Viscount Clover sold the medicine that the executives used to rejuvenate and gain strength.
"That medicine should have been traced. It's incredible that because of that idiot, we have to sacrifice several members and secret bases like this one."
"Yes..."
"It's too early for apologies; you were a friend of his. You also got him into the crown prince's faction to try to have him on our side."
"But leader, I—"
"No excuses, Olgren. We lost a lot in this tragedy; for that reason, we will not hold meetings until the prime minister leaves us in peace for a while, at least."
"Goodbye."
The leader left, and only Olgren remained.
He also closed the hologram.
In a room decorated with titles and other important papers,
There was a thin, short, bald man.
It was the real Minister Olgren, who showed a malevolent expression with his teeth.
"Damn those who razed that city!"
"Yes... it was undoubtedly those brats who were the most suspicious. That prince and the Rosenberg idiot."
"I'll make sure to destroy them before the year ends!"
◇
The place where the lawless city used to be.
They gave us a punishment.
We had to help with the repairs.
Thanks to the earth mages, we don't have to spend months or years filling in the foundations.
For some reason, the citizens were helping us.
I think they found out that the Granville family was destroyed and were no longer nobles.
Their allies are lost, so they fled and are now being hunted like rats.
Also, since Cid is the new lord, he has the responsibility to improve this place.
Just like in the game, or similar to the game.
One of the seven dukes was destroyed; now there are six left.
It scares me to think that such an event occurred since the Rosenberg Household was also destroyed. I hope that doesn't happen here too.
I was now picking up debris when I found something strange.
There was something similar to cross-shaped rubble which had two guys buried in them.
Their bodies were intact, despite being dead.
The dead were thrown into a mass grave and burned.
They were those who had no identity; those who were recognized were buried by their relatives and friends.
One of the guys I found was a tall, muscular man; the other was the guy I killed.
I was going to throw them into the pit, but I saw those smiles on their faces and felt a little sorry, so I dragged them on some wheelbarrows and buried them on some hills.
Yukihime was also there since she was technically a slave.
Her situation, like that of the other slaves, is also that.
She was praying at the ninja's grave, while Leila, for some reason, was throwing flowers on the muscular guy's grave.
She was here because Amy returned home angry, but Leila stayed to help me with the cleanup.
Now that they had finished praying, back to work.
◇◇◇
A hooded person was walking through the destroyed lawless city.
They were collecting samples from the battle.
In their hand, they had a strange circular device.
"No doubt, this is a large amount of magical power. Someone with great power was fighting here. But who?"
Then, they received a call.
In their pants, something was vibrating.
It was a small device that they placed in their ear.
"How was it?"
Said a voice speaking from somewhere.
"There are no clues or anything to indicate that there were reincarnated people. But without a doubt, there is someone strong around here."
"Reincarnated people don't interest me. It's just a quirk of mine to think about problems that occur when they are present."
"Let me guess. Trauma with them, perhaps?"
"Yes... and many, in fact."
"I'll continue my investigation."
"Please. Report to me if you find anything out of place."
"I will. Since we need strong people, and I don't know if the locals would be our allies."
"Goodbye."
The communication was cut off, and the hooded person continued on their way.
◇
The second school semester had ended.
Cid and I ended up in trouble because not only did we miss an important day for our academic grades,
We also had to take the exams on a weekend.
My brain wants to escape from my head.
There are many irritating things in my life these days.
Like discovering that I have a strange vampire virus in my veins.
Or that right now I'm sitting and being observed with threatening eyes by my girlfriends.
Eli and Lily were looking at me in a terrifying way.
Lily's eyes were black, while Eli's looked at me as if I were a small being.
They were told what happened, obviously.
And that's why I'm here.
"What you did is incredible, but beyond that. It's what you told me."
Slaves have no place in this country. That is, they are just property, not humans.
So their lives have no reason to exist anymore.
I felt a little sorry for them and told them that if they wanted, they could come to work in the Rosenberg territory.
They were happy to hear the word "work" and that they would also be paid.
Eli and Lily were surely really angry about that.
"I'm sure you're thinking we're angry about you bringing slaves."
My shoulders paled when she said that.
Then they hugged me; this was very strange.
"We were angry because you went to do something more dangerous than we expected."
"She's right. What do you think we would have done if something happened to you?"
This feeling was confusing.
I had a memory of my previous life.
Of the life of Shishigami Naoto.
He would arrive at a dark house and there was no one. But if someone was there, it was to criticize him.
But this is different.
"Sorry. I won't do it again."
I said so they would forgive me.
They stood up and then entered the mansion.
"There's a lot of paperwork to do, so you'll stay here as punishment for misbehaving."
I smiled foolishly.
Despite them saying that,
I couldn't stay here quietly.
Yukihime also came and was waiting for me outside.
She said she wanted to live with me as her savior.
I hated these clichés.
But I didn't care if it happened, because if a beautiful girl wants to love me even though it's the first time we've met, it didn't matter.
It's my life and no one else's.
Upon going outside the mansion, some men were talking with her.
This was bad; she had no papers, so they could arrest her.
I quickly headed towards her, but—
"Knight-sama!"
The men dressed as guards looked at me.
Just as I was about to ask what happened,
"Razel Bartlet, right?"
"Huh? Yes, is something wrong?"
"You're registered as an adventurer, right?"
"Yes..."
I took out my adventurer's credential and showed it to them.
Nothing bad should happen if they just want to verify that it's me.
"Good. It's him."
"Uhm... is something wrong?"
"Yes. A war has broken out on our borders, and adventurers are being called to duty."
At that moment, I didn't know what to say, because my brain froze.
War.
A terrifying word for me.
"There's no time to lose. We need to quickly send you to the guild so you can board the carriage that will take you to the designated place."
"Huh?! Wait a second! This is very hasty; I—"
"This was also an order from His Majesty, that you be sent immediately to the battlefield."
"Knight-sama!"
Yukihime was following me.
(What a good girl.)
(No!)
(This is bad.)
"I don't want to go to war!"
"Damn the emperor!"
"Save me, Eli! Lily! Cid! Mooom!"
And so, my peaceful days didn't last at all, as they sent me to fight in a war that didn't involve me.
But it did involve the villainess of a very irritating event.
As a background character, will I survive?
____________________________________
Reincarnated in an Otome Game as the Ugly Background Character Volume 4 End.
Lawless City Arc, End.