< Goddess Vysis POV >
This was before Yasu Tomohiro and the Sixth Cavalry departed from Alion————-
△
Vysis summoned the Sixth Cavalry’s Captain to her office.
However———– Time has passed, but he still hasn’t arrived yet.
With a smile on her face, Vysis just waited on her seat.
A few moments later, a discreet knock sounded on the door.
[I’ve been waiting for you, John Doe.]
The door slowly opens.
However, on the opposite side of the opened door———– not a single person entered.
[Thank you for your patience.]
[Oya?]
From where Vysis sat, a voice sounded on her right.
About five raeters away from Vysis, the voice suddenly called out.
[I wonder when you have been there?]
[I guess you would have perceived me if the 5-raeter distance between us had shortened.]
[My, oh my……♪ You’ve acquired another wonderfully strange ability.]
Vysis said in a welcoming tone.
[I’ve called you here because I have something to ask of you.]
[The Faraway Country’s locations have finally been found huh.]
[Yes, finally. It had been difficult because of the false information and manipulations that the Witch of Taboos spread to spite her defeat…… Sniff…… It has been very difficult.]
[You don’t need those crocodile tears when you’re in front of me.]
[How cruel.]
[Anyway, are we to meet up with the Heroic Sword and deal with the Forbidden Race?]
[What’s with that tone of yours……? Eh?]
[……Lately, my personality has been so thin that sometimes, people forget that I exist. My existence being thin isn’t something that couldn’t be helped, so I’m trying to at least, give my tone of voice some personality.]
[It doesn’t suit you.]
[I agree with you.]
[You don’t need to do that in front of me, okay?]
[————Well then, so be it.]
Maintaining her smile, Vysis’ eyes narrowed like a fox.
[However…… You’re saying that your personality has become so thin that you’ve finally acquired a mysterious ability that prevents people from even detecting your presence unless you get within a certain distance?]
[I would have to focus to activate that ability though.]
[In any case, it’s still a great ability♪ Even so…… What exactly are you? You aren’t part of the Lineage of Heroes, are you?]
[I believe Vysis-sama can tell if I have the blood of Heroes flowing through my veins……]
[Yes, I’m a God after all.]
The Sixth Cavalry’s Captain, John Doe.
No one knows when or where he’s born.
It is unclear if “John Doe” is even his real name.
He isn’t a noble’s descendant either.
He had originally been a mercenary.
Even Vysis herself had a lot of things that she doesn’t know about John Doe.
What she does know is that he is extremely strong.
[By the way, regarding the matter about Heroic Sword finding the Faraway Country…… Should we, the Sixth, match our paces with them?]
[Please do so for a moment. They’ll probably be killing a lot of Demi-Humans. Ahh, what a cruel story this is……]
[They’re a group made up of people with warped personality after all. They can’t even maintain a sense of unity without constantly having someone to prepare some “fpreign enemies” for them…… It must have been troublesome for Vysis-sama too, having to hold unto their reins.]
[The Heroic Sword is generally a bunch of crazy people, so the correct answer is to use their group independently as much as possible.]
[If they enter the Faraway Country, the slaughters will begin, but would that be alright?]
[Sorrowful it may be…… but it can’t be helped. It’s better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t after all.]
[I don’t think slaughtering the Demi-Humans would be something they’ll regret though.]
Her eyebrows fluttering low, Vysis giggled.
[That might be so.]
[Do you intend to cut down the Heroic Sword at some point?]
[Even though I haven’t said anything like that……]
[If it’s your general plans, I could more or less predict it.]
[So, fufu…… Do you think I will do such a thing?]
[……Can’t say it’s impossible.]
[Well then, after the Forbidden Race has been secretly taken care of, you Sixth should take the opportunity to dispose of the Heroic Sword.]
[It doesn’t sound like you’re commanding us to eradicate the Faraway Country’s citizen, doesn’t it?]
[Wha——- What kind of cruelty are you saying!? Just killing them would be a waste♪ First, you need to instill an appropriate amount of fear in their minds with the Heroic Sword and Alion’s Thirteen Cavalry…… If we manage them properly, they can be valuable manpower. Let’s manage them just like the other Demi-Humans as much as possible♪ Let’s get along with everyone.]
With a broad smile on her face, Vysis clasps her hands in front of her chest.
His expression not changing at all, John Doe confirmed with her again.
[Would it really be alright to dispose the Heroic Sword?]
[Hmmm…… I’ve always thought they were difficult to use. That’s why I’ve been having them operate separately from the others…… Hmmm, but I guess it’s about time to get rid of them. How pitiful, they are……]
[They may be difficult to operate against the Great Demon Emperor’s army, but if it’s disposing hindrances in other countries…… Couldn’t they still be used?]
[If we get a traitor from the Holy Alliance, we might still have a use for them but…… hmmm…… Anyway, in the first place, aren’t you the one most irritated with the Heroic Sword, John Doe?]
[……………….]
[That’s why, I thought that this is a good opportunity to get rid of them……?]
[Well….. the Heroic Sword and I are indeed incompatible with each other.]
[That’s what I thought.]
[Their goal has always been to eliminate————- to “kill” people. However, it is important to keep people alive…… Even the Demi-Humans were no exception to that after all.]
[Hwaaahhhh……]
Vysis yawned.
[Vysis-sama, for this mission as well…… I would like to request a personal reward.]
[Eh? What reward?]
[Four men and women…… Each should be blessed with good looks. And this is the most important part…… Please make sure they’re good people. People with a good reputation among their surroundings are preferable. Yes, someone who is well-liked by everyone…… For example, someone who is in an affectionate relationship with someone or who has a happy family.]
[I had a premonition that something cruel is about to happen again…… Uuuu…… My heart hurts……]
Ignoring Vysis, John Doe continued without hesitation.
[I don’t like killing innocent good people. What’s the use of killing such good people…… It’s exactly because they’re good people that everyone likes————]
His tone as constant as before, John Doe continued.
[————That makes their depraved appearance look so good.]
Vysis looked like she’s on the verge of crying.
[Uuuu…… Your tastes are so bad…… John Doe-san, you really are quite wretched…… I scorn those thoughts of yours. Ahh, how frightening…… Couldn’t you just ask for a bad person?]
[I don’t find anything amusing in seeing the depraved appearance of bad people.]
[N- No way……]
[With all due respect, the idea of “seeing someone not even becoming a shadow of their former self”…… is something I really like. The moment when lovers who are in an affectionate relationship with each other———— or perhaps, when a family filled with warmth…… sadly crumbles away is something I just can’t get enough of. Falling apart, becoming a shadow of their former self…… and sometimes, torturing the both of them and putting the blame on each other…… Even when they’re that affectionate with each other…… Even though they’re supposed to be good people…… I’m sorry, I got too excited.]
[Are you alright? You look really creepy, you know♪?]
[To tell you the truth…… I also want to see them kill themselves upon the realization of their actions.]
John Doe is a strange man.
One could find a hint of excitement in his voice.
But there wasn’t any change in his expression at all.
His tone remained as flat as before.
[Killing them is such a waste. It’s better to keep them alive and observe the process of their fall to depravity…… and the ending suicide is just the best. It’s so beautiful. It was the most beautiful moment in the world. That’s why————-]
John Doe’s emotionless pitch-black eyes turned to the floor.
[The Heroic Sword aren’t beautiful people.]
[Hwaahhh, how scary……]
[I’ve committed mistakes in the past.]
[Your monologue———- your story is too long…… Fuwaaahhhh……]
Thereupon, John Doe unusually showed some emotion on his face.
He is biting his lower lip.
[That Dark Elf village…… To the Shanathyris tribe…… Why…… Why did we immediately kill them? That was——– just a standard massacre.]
[It would have been wonderful if Anarveil had been there……]
[I was too young…… It was a mistake of my youth. I should have captured them…… and driven them to the point of suicide, or where they wanted to kill their own kind. That was a mistake I regretted and still regret.]
[However, you can just do better next time. People learn from their past experience after all…… Yes, let’s end this conversation now already, okay? I understand what you mean already. I sympathize with you.]
[Vysis-sama.]
[Yes.]
[A Hero.]
[Yes?]
[For my reward————- I would like you to add a Hero from Another World.]
[………………..]
[Of course, this would be after the Great Demon Emperor is defeated.]
[Who do you want?]
[Of course, I would really prefer to have Ayaka Sogou…… Followed by Kobato Kashima……]
[I can understand why you mentioned Sogou-san…… but errr, that Kashima-san…… Who was that again?]
[And if it’s possible, the Takao sisters too. It seems like one of them is your favorite though, so I have lowered their priority for now. As for their position in my preferences…… I still haven’t been able to determine if they’re good people or not, so this is still unclear.]
[As for the sisters, we’ll see about the situation♪ What about the others?]
[You can add Kayako Suou to that too.]
[……Ahh, that’s the one close to Sogou-san, right…… Ahh, yes, yes…… Haahhh…… Even so, you are observing them well, aren’t you? Were you observing them with that ability to eliminate your presence that you used earlier?]
[Indeed.]
[Ahh, yes, yes ♪ Speaking of Heroes, there’s this A-Rank Hero named Tomohiro Yasu……]
Vysis informed them that Tomohiro Yasu would be accompanying the Sixth Cavalry.
[I respectfully obey. You can count on us, the Sixth…… By the way, that Fly King Squadron, are you planning to bring them into the fold?]
[Yes. I’m actually thinking of having them become the replacement for the Heroic Sword. Since they killed the Demon Emperor’s First Oath, they shouldn’t be an enemy…… Or rather, they must be allies of the Holy Kingdom of Neia. As long as we don’t make a mistake in handling Cattleya Stramius, it should be possible to bring them into my side.]
[Cattleya Stramius…… She was that person who would have been Civit Gartland’s wife if he had lived, right?]
Hearing his question, Vysis leaned her weight on her chair’s backrest.
[His disappearance really was a great surprise…… I had high hopes for him as a force against the Great Demon Emperor……]
[Was it such a great loss for you to lose the “Humanity’s Strongest”?]
After a moment of silence, Vysis’s gaze slid towards John Doe.
[For argument’s sake…… If you were to fight against “Humanity’s Strongest”, would you be confident that you could win?]
[This conversation again huh. I’ve told you several times already, but I would only know that if I tried…… I also don’t intend to fight him……]
[Fufufu.]
Vysis separated from her backrest and slightly leaned forward.
[I don’t think you’ve said it, not even once.]
[ ? ]
[You’ve never once said it————- that “you couldn’t win”.]
[…………………..]
[The difference between Ruin Seal and you from the others is how I couldn’t see your bottom point at all.]
[……………….]
[Ruin Seal certainly is filled with talent. However, I’ve already started to see his bottom point. He is strong, but not enough to reach Civit. However————]
The chair Vysis was sitting on.
Now, no one is sitting on it.
As fast as the blink of an eye, Vysis appeared in front of John Doe.
John Doe, however, didn’t flinch.
[I couldn’t see your bottom point at all.]
[I think you’re overestimating me.]
[What is it that you’re hiding from me? I’m very curious. My curiosity won’t let me sleep in the morning, noon, or night. What do you think? Will you please let me sleep already?]
[……Do you know anything about the secret of Civit Gartland’s strength?]
[No one knows. Not even the Goddess that I am know about it.]
[Could the secret of his strength be that he has some blood of a deity?]
[No.]
[Could he be part of the Lineage of Heroes?]
[No.]
[You really don’t know anything?]
[Yes♪]
[Even in Bakuos Empire, the secret of Civit’s strength was a topic that’s often raised. Among them, there were some particular rumors raised. His parents that were shrouded in mystery…… They were the key to solving the mystery to Civit’s strength.]
[However, no one knows who Civit’s parents are. He is the adp[ted son of the Gartland family. In other words, he isn’t related by blood to any of the Gartlands. It is said that Civit lived on his own until Bakuos found him. And…… I’ve heard that Civit himself said that “he doesn’t remember anything” about his biological parents……]
[It was said that his…… Civit Gartland’s mother’s surname was Einherjar.]
(T/N: エインヘラル / Einheraru)
[ ? ]
[Civit was apparently thought to be dead.]
[…………………..?]
[That was what Mother herself told me, so I was pretty sure.]
[———–Don’t tell me……]
[He doesn’t know it himself, but his original name was Civit Einherjar. And……]
John Doe spoke his identity.
[My mother’s name is also Einherjar.]
[Are you brothers by blood?]
[Not on the same father though.]
This stopped Vysis from thinking for a moment.
Seeing that she started thinking, John Doe stepped away from Vysis.
He began walking towards the door.
[I have no interest in being the strongest. In fact, I was afraid that people would start rumors that I’m strong. So, I was really quiet when Civit died. Towards him———— I don’t want to fight him, nor do I want to kill him. I just want to bring the good people to a sweet depravity with my own hands, and in the end…… for them to suicide. I don’t want us to just kill each other. That was completely an evil deed. And evil deeds are to be done in secret…… And thus, I deem that my existence is useless…… becoming “nameless” along with it.]
Hearing his words, Vysis pondered.
If John Doe has a reputation for being strong, Civit will definitely seek him.
He would deem him as “a worthy rival”.
That’s why John Doe kept on thinning out his presence.
He made sure to thin it out as much as possible.
He didn’t want to be found by Civit.
And then———–
Some time after the death of “Humanity’s Strongest”, he realized that he had acquired a special ability that allowed his “presence” to be ignored by others.
He had———— suddenly mutated.
Just like Civit Gartland.
As John Doe opened the door out of Vysis’ office, Vysis asked a question.
[Do you think you could have won against him?]
[That’s something————- I would only know if I had tried.]
< John Doe POV >
[Is that alright, Captain?]
[? What are you talking about?]
[The First Cavalry advancing like idiots…… I mean, the rest of the cavalry aren’t following them too huh?]
[Just between you and me, Mikhail Eucalion, the Chief Commander of Alion’s Thirteen Cavalries, is a useless commander on the battlefield. His idiocy normally would have been fine, but if Mira is involved, it would be better without them. Alion’s Thirteen Cavalry will show their true potential if each unit moves independently.]
[Indeed, Mikhail is useless.]
[On the battlefield, having incompetent allies could even bring more harm than the enemies.]
[So this is the end for the fellows on the First huh.]
[I’ve agitated them before we left, so it would be obvious that the First would be impatient for success.]
[How scary…… Isn’t everything running on Captain’s palm?]
[However, it should have been time for them to ask to hand over the Divine Beast———— Ladis towards them to open the door, so they should have sent a messenger already……]
[I was supposed to join up with the First earlier, right?]
[There is no point in sending you, the Divine Beast, all the way to a place where there is a high possibility of death. If we lose the Divine Beast, it will be difficult to open the door…… Thus, the best thing to do is to leave it in the hands of the Sixth, which has the greatest war potential. Well, I’ve already given Mikhail a good answer in advance.]
[You broke your promise~~ What a terrible man, you are, Captain~~]
[It will be easier for us to determine our future actions depending on what happens to the First Cavalry, who graciously volunteered to be our vanguards. They’re convenient pawns to discard.]
[Even so, don’t you think you’re overestimating Mira’s Mad Emperor too much, Captain?]
[If Mira’s Mad Emperor had turned against the Goddess, that must mean that they expected that they had some chance of victory. Thus, they aren’t opponents that we should be careless about.]
[Which means?]
[If we can deal with their means against the Goddess here, it would be better if we deal with them here. It’s also for the sake of the reward.]
[Reward……?]
On the tip of John Doe’s index finger, he was balancing a dagger, directly in contact with its sharp point.
The upside-down dagger, with the tip of the blade as its fulcrum, wasn’t moving a bit on his finger.
[“The President”…… Among the people I have ever seen in my life, she is a good person of the highest grade.]
[ ? ]
<Author’s Notes>
And thus, from the , we will move to Touka’s point of view and start Volume 8.
I’ve received two new reviews since the last update. Thank you very much. Also, thank you very much for your reports on the purchase of volume 7.
Also, I’m a little late in reporting this, but the manga of the story was updated on Comic Gardo right after the end of Volume 7 was posted (the Civit battle is the climax of the story). Please check it out as well.
Now then…… With the introduction and reveal of the character called “John Doe” in this Intermission Chapter, I hope you will continue to enjoy Volume 8.
The will be the start of Volume 8, which will be updated on June 14 (Monday) around 9:00 pm.
T/N: Only managed to see this today, so I was only able to update now. Might post 244 tomorrow or the day after.
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