Volume 1 - CH 21

Act 1-21: The Result of the Cross-Examination

As soon as I started the cross-examination, the red-haired man revealed everything.

He told us that a noble of the Amelia kingdom, Fracton had contacted the empire and made an arrangement for them to kidnap the first princess of the Amelia kingdom, Rosemary Loto Amelia.

This woman was the saint who summoned the hero. When I thought about it again, that was the only possibility left. I felt saddened because of the past me, who had failed to notice such a poor disguise by her.

Anyhow, the ringleader of this incident, the one called Fracton, should be that overly proud beardy noble. My only memories about him were nothing more than him one-sidedly mocking and thoroughly harassing me as an incompetent traitor.

The red-haired man also told me that the empire had dispatched two people to accomplish this mission, a summoner called Enzu and the Sword Emperor― Signiel Gastrea.

Summoning arts were used to summon various living beings from another world to this world. According to the knowledge of the fifteen-year-old Kai, summoning arts were supreme magic only powerful people with ancient magic could perform. The summoner called Enzu was a supreme summoner with the power to summon the spirit king.

The 【Subjugation Picture Book】 enables me to reconstruct the flesh with the soul information of the target by using my mana. I can then store the monsters in the personal world I created for them inside the book. What I do resembles summoning magic.

However, the monsters of that super easy dungeon might have a hard time against the monsters summoned by that summoner. As if that isn’t bad enough, their side also has the Sword Emperor, Signiel Gastrea. We are completely at a disadvantage.

From a strategic point of view, I should evacuate as fast as possible but that isn’t an option for me. Keeping my desire to fight a strong opponent aside, I realize that the old Kai Heineman would also refuse to do that. I think it’s mainly because the old me had a strong attachment toward the woman called Rose. This factor coincides with a vague reason for our defeat and my tendency to not run away from a strong opponent. Thus, we have no choice but to go back to the camp.

Moreover, even though I could barely recall anything about the past in that super easy dungeon, I clearly remembered the swordsmanship of the Sword Emperor Ashburn Gastrea even before my memories returned. His swordsmanship isn’t just for show. Whenever I recall the image of his swordsmanship in his heyday, I feel a chill run down my spine. And here are we, at Signiel Gastrea, the person entrusted with the title of Sword Emperor by such a great swordmaster. Oh crap! Even though I realize that I’m about to go against such a dangerous opponent, I can’t stop this palpitation in my chest for some reason.

This world has no lack of strong people, and Signiel Gastrea is one of the most powerful of them. It seems I really want to engage in a fight that holds no merit for me. Good grief, this impulse is hard to suppress. But, no doubt about it, this is the essence of me, Kai Heineman.

Well, since it has been decided, let’s make our move at once. First, we have to disturb the enemy’s war potential.

I took out the 【Subjugation Picture Book】 from my item box and opened its first page, 【Battaman】.

The number “9999” was displayed on 【Battaman】’s page. The maximum registered population in the 【Subjugation Picture Book】 depended upon the strength of the monsters in there. Basically, the smaller the population, the stronger the monsters living inside. In short, the 【Battamans】, whose registered number had reached 9999, were the weakest monsters in the book.

Even now, I still wonder just how in the hell I managed to gather that much. Well, it might be my obsessive-compulsive disorder, which forced me to gather till I reached the maximum number.

Now, let’s scout the enemy’s war potential with 100 battamans first.

「【Battaman】―【Release】 100.」

A hundred battaman appeared in front of me as soon as I uttered those words.

『GIGI GAGA(Your orders, Master).』

The battamans bowed and cupped their hands in front of their chest.

「Aren’t they the monsters of the upper floor of the dungeon? Maybe not. But still, don’t they look way too strong compared to how they’re supposed to, Master? 」

「Uhm, yeah! I got this book after clearing a special condition. It allows me to capture the souls of the monsters inside the dungeon and bring them back into this world by recreating their flesh.」

Astaroth raised his monocle as he brought his face closer to the 【Subjugation Picture Book】. The moment he did so, he sweated like a waterfall. He then looked down while touching his head.

「Just how messed-up is this guy!!!!」

He muttered some ambiguous words with teary eyes. Well, let’s set aside this Chicken Majin, who’s acting suspicious, for now. Now, to the main point―

I stood in front of the battamans who had formed a line.

「It seems an evil monster called ogre, beasts called black panthers, and some people dressed in black robes, like this one, are hiding in this area. Your job is to disturb them. You have to open a path for us to our destination. However, don’t chase too far and make sure that you all come back alive in one piece. That’s my only order for you.」

I ordered them. Even though it looked like a joke, these Battamans were my subordinates. I didn’t wish for them to throw away their lives in vain and die like idiots.

『GU GIGI GA GIGI GAGA? (Are we allowed to kill them?)』

「Yes, but don’t force yourself if it’s impossible. Safety should be your priority. Otherwise, do as you wish.」

『GAGA GU GIGIIIIIIIIII!!(GODSPEED TO US)』

Astaroth’s cheeks twitched when he saw those battamans letting out such spirited warcries.

Seeing them, Faf nodded with a satisfied expression.

「WELL THEN, Let’s commence the operation! Gogogogo!」

『GIGI(YES SIR!)』

At my order, the battmans spread into the forest in all directions.

「Shall we go then? We can’t rest on our lapels while the battamans are working hard, after all.」

「Let’s go, nodesu!」

I sent a sidelong glance to Fafnir, who raised her right fist in the air.

「Let me confirm something master. Do you really think that those guys(battamans) are going to lose?」

Astaroth facepalmed with his right hand as he asked me this question.

「Uhm? Well, they were originally monsters from the upper floors of that super easy dungeon, after all. It’s natural for them to struggle if they fight from the front, right? But, they’ve already received training for that. They should be strong enough to create a disturbance in the enemy’s ranks.」

After training for tens of thousands of years, the monsters I registered in this book had become much more powerful than before. I think the current theme could accomplish this job with ease.

「I give up! I don’t know what to say anymore.」

Astaroth’s shoulder dropped as he heaved a really deep sigh. It seemed as if he felt exhausted from the bottom of his heart.