Chapter 5. Recognizing The Monster
It's been five minutes since we came out of the room.
We were still walking up.
We walked up spiral stairs that had no support, and walked through walls that seemed solid to the eyes.
"So?"
"So? What do you mean, 'so'?"
Necro answered casually without even looking back.
"The reason why you're killing the hero. Is it simply because the hero is useless now?"
"Ah~ that? Well, there's that too, but… if I were to put it in simple terms, rebellion? It's a bit complicated. This country did all sorts of dirty stuff in the past."
"It seems that the hero has quite a lot of followers."
After all, the number of followers the hero had was able to start a rebellion.
"There's a lot, yeah, but the real problem is that each and every one of them are at [brave class]. It's quite annoying."
It was easy to see how many would flock under the hero who saved the world.
"Just a hundred of them should be able to destroy this country? Let's see… they should be able to rival a tactical nuke by themselves?"
Was it possible for a person to get that strong in this world?
I suppose I should just be thankful that they weren't as strong as a strategic nuke.
A hero…
His level should be high, and his equipment should be high as well. Would someone like me be able to beat him?
Necro seemed to read my thoughts, and dismissed his previous statement.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry! A nuke is a little overkill. They should be like… an ICBM that isn't carrying a nuke?"
A minute difference.
"But the [hero] is entirely different as well. You can compare these three like this."
There's the bravechampion class, and there's also braves themselves…
"Three?"
"Four… is a bit iffy… three. Three braveschampions, and one hero. They have one mascot, but you don't need to worry about that. It isn't really a target either."
"So that means I'd have to fight four people at once…"
"Hm? Ah~ I didn't explain properly. The one who's leading the rebellion is the hero. The others just… after defeating the demon king, they just went to do their own thing. You should know why we're killing them, though? It would be good to get rid of potential threats before they become an actual threat."
So they aren't together right now… good.
"Well, I get it now. But still, I shouldn't be able to fight someone like the hero by myself?"
I was curious about this the most.
"Shouldn't I level up bit by bit if I'm to face the hero? Do we have time for that?"
Despite the fact that I have a title of "History's Worst Killer", in the end I am but a normal human.
No matter what I do, I cannot defeat a missile.
Well, I could kill the operator, though.
"If I were to be honest with you, we don't hav emuch time? But there is this one thing called 'power' in our hands."
So that was it.
The ability that gets bestowed unto an individual for the simple fact that they crossed over from a different world–
Smelter was able to change the form of whatever metal he touched, and Steal More could steal anything apart from a different person's power.
An ability that didn't require any effort or understanding to receive.
If an ability such as 'murder by sight' existed, there'd be no meaning in having differences in levels.
"You're putting your expectations into my power? You don't even know what it is."
"That is true. But I can feel it. [Heart of Gold]. From what I've seen in this world, the more chuuni the name, the stronger its power."
I couldn't understand his grading stantard.
"Chuuni power… well, fine. Can I learn how to use this power now?"
"O-of course not! Please!"
Necro shouted out of surprise.
"We don't even know what the ability does? Just wait till we get back to our shelter! It might be dangerous!"
Powers seemed to be as dangerous as it was beneficial.
Well, it wasn't like it didn't make sense, though.
If my power could control germs…
Or emit toxic amounts of radiation from my body… other people would be in danger.
I should try to find its power from somewhere safe.
"If you go there, some strange child will explain everything to you whether you want it or not, so don't worry about it. Right now, we need to meet the prime minister."
"Prime minister?"
This was a castle, though.
"Is this a constitutional monarchy?"
"Eh? How'd you know? I haven't even told you."
Was the the effect of otherworlders as well?
"This castle doesn't seem to have electricity. Does this place not even have a generator of any sort?"
"Well, that's what all fantasy worlds are, I guess. But hey, it's not a total dump? They even have steam locomotives? Pretty good, don't you think? Steampunk!"
The surroundings were quite dark.
I've tried looking around the castle with my Floating Eye, but there didn't seem to be any source of power.
I bowed down, and passed by the low ceiling.
Necro, who was in front of me, was passing through a door about half his size.
When I tried to catch up, he waved me back.
"Take your time. Slowly, now. Ah, speaking of technology, want to know something fun? They don't even have internet here."
"…That's a little troublesome."
I stood back up after passing through the small door.
We were at the edge of a cliff.
Outside the window was the sea.
When I looked up, I could see an array of rib vaults like those in a cathedral.
"We're almost there."
This was the eighth time I heard this already.
When I turned the corner, a group of maids who found me screamed.
They immediately looked down on the floor, and passed me by.
I could sense fear and discomfort from their faces.
Well… it is true that I don't look particularly human right now.
I wouldn't be surprised if I were to be mistaken as a monster.
"Don't worry about those girls. They were just screaming because you were so handsome. Just like they do in concerts, you know?"
His encouragement didn't help one bit.
"We're here."
Necro walked towards the giant door in front of him in big strides.
When I walked behind him slowly, the guards in front of the door looked over me carefully.
I could feel animosity from them.
The two guards in front of the door crossed their spears in front of the door.
"Sir Necro, would you tell us the purpose of your visit?"
"Summoned being examination."
The door opened in front of us.
The people who were inside turned around to take a look at the new addition to their group.
They all seemed to wear high-quality clothing.
I treated Necro as a shield of sorts as I walked in.
I could make out a large window, as well as a table filled with various documents.
The prime minister, whose hair was filled with bits of white, was looking over the documents here.
He didn't even look our way.
"You all seem to be quite busy?"
The prime minister looked up for a second, then looked back down on his table, as if he had no interest whatsoever.
On the other hand, the rest of the people in the room couldn't get their eyes off of me.
"What is that monster…"
"Disgusting."
"Where'd Sir Necro get such a thing…"
The people either frowned, or put their hands to their mouths as if I smelled.
It was a clear sign of disgust.
And-
"You dare bring a monster into the prime minister's office?! Sir Necro! Did you really think I wouldn't recognize black magic?!"
A middle-aged man in militaristic uniform shouted this with all his strength.
The name displayed on his status screen was Winton Marcilis.
His level was 2. Other than that, no special features.
"Oh boy, you're still going strong, aren't you, coronel. To think you'd have strength enough to shout sooo loudly. You should reserve that kind of stuff for the mountains, though."
Necro walked forward as he spoke tauntingly to the coronel.
"It's no monster. It's a hero that we summoned? Dear me, and he came from so far, too… please keep your voice down. Have at least a bit of respect. I mean, the prime minister's right next to you, for goodness' sake. You should just stop shouting like a bird, while you're at it. No one's deaf here, you know?"
The colonel spasmatiscally grabbed his sword.
His body began to shine.
In the short time when the people began to open their mouths,
The coronel crossed five meters in near supersonic speed.
It seemed that this was the result of body strengthening through the use of mana.
The coronel, who stopped in front of me, began to swing his sword at me like an angry lion.
It seemed that he was intending to strike my neck in one blow, but-
"…Nn?!"
He makes a funny sound, doesn't he.
I exerted a bit of strength into the blade that I held between my fingertips.
After all, I couldn't just keep it next to my neck forever.
K-kiii!
When I carefully moved the blade away from my neck, making sure that I didn't break it with too much strength, the colonel jumped sideways dramatically.
He could've just let go of the sword…
I was able to read some of the man's personality from that action alone.
A martial artist. Great amount of pride. Enough political power to be able to be with the prime minister.
"Kuuh!"
The colonel's face turned red.
He put in enough strength to make a vein pop, but the sword simply refused to move.
Of course, this was obvious.
Although the capabilities of my body lowered to something below ten percent, I was still a product of [Advanced Science].
Even now, I was able to neutralize everyone in this room in three seconds.
"You monster…!!"
How impolite.
"Colonel Winton! Just what do you think you're doing! You're pointing a blade at a guest!"
The baton got passed to Necro.
He probably wanted something like this to happen in the first place.
"Didn't you hear? This person was summoned. What would you have done if you actually killed him? Do you even know how much this entire operation costs? Are you kidding me?"
The colonel flinched after hearing the word "cost".
"Plus, if this person's neck got chopped off, this place would get dirtied with blood, wouldn't it? Were you trying to get the prime minister's office dirtied or something? Since when were you a terrorist?"
The colonel let go of his sword after Necro's criticism.
He took out a handgun instead, and pointed it at my head.
"Colonel Winton Marcilis."
A deep voice rang out.
The colonel turned to the prime minister with prideful eyes.
"This man is a monster! If we don't take care of him now, he might do something terri…!"
"Stop!"
The prime minister's voice seemed to carry the nuance that he was tired of hearing the colonel's voice.
"You seem to have gotten too much stress. Go rest. I'll look over the matter about you fighting in the front lines."
The colonel looked back at me with a red face.
His eyes were shining like that of a tiger's.
To think he'd be like this just because I look like a monster…
Necro probably did some unfavorable things in the past.
Or a monster really is that dangerous.
I threw the sword back at the colonel.
Clang.
It seemed that I put in too little strength. The sword dropped on the floor, and not the colonel's hand.
The colonel grit his teeth, ignored the sword on the floor, and walked towards me.
"I'll put a bullet through your disgusting bald head one of these days…!"
He probably wouldn't have been like this if I looked like a cute girl.
"Be grateful you were able to live today, damn monster…!"
The colonel spewed threats from his mouth, and exited the room vilently.
Necro turned to look at the colonel's back, and grinned.
"Seriously, that man. He thinks a gun can do anything? He's just a wizard who failed to become one."
Necro turned around once more to face the prime minister.
"Now it's quiet. Well, I'd like it if it was quieter, honestly."
The prime minister, who was fiddling with the pen in his hand, looked over to the people at the side and spoke.
"…I'll take care of all your requests in the next two hours. Please leave the room."
The people all let out complaints after hearing this, but exit the room anyway.
Now, there were just three people left in the room.