Chapter 49

The civil officer and the nun stood facing each other.

In the grand hall of the royal capital’s castle, watched by hundreds of soldiers, the two of them locked eyes, unmoving, with me—just freshly decorated with a medal—caught right in between them.

…What the hell is that dialect-speaking nun doing?

My anxiety-prone stomach was starting to twist and churn with an odd kind of noise.

“…Calm yourself. Do not cause a stir. Look around you, Sister. Your words have sown confusion among my finest. Will you not retract what you just said?”

“I will not.”

“Mino, do you acknowledge her accusation?”

“I do not.”

Their stubborn refusal to budge drew a weary sigh from the king, though his voice remained composed as he continued.

“Hmm. Under normal circumstances, such a dispute would fall under the jurisdiction of the judiciary… However, the head of the judiciary is none other than Grand General Mino. Any complaint would be futile. That is why you bring this accusation directly before me.”

“Exactly.”

“Very well. I accept the gravity of your resolve. Then, Sister Karin, present your conclusive evidence that Mino is behind this crime. Mino, my right hand, I shall give you the opportunity to defend yourself. Prove your innocence.”

“With ease.”

The two of them stood there brimming with confidence.

Even Karin, usually so composed, to make such a bold statement before the king—does she actually have real evidence, not just suspicion?

And Mino… not even the slightest hint of panic. If anything, she looks outright offended, as if the accusation itself is an insult.

The king glanced between them and quietly issued his command.

“Then first, Sister Karin, present your evidence.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall.”

Karin stood at the king’s order, eyes downcast, and began to speak. But in those lowered eyes, a flame of unmistakable hatred flickered.

“I had the church conduct an investigation. We reviewed the records of the dead from that day, and the tragic, mourned victims.”

A tense energy spread through the hall.

What’s likely about to unfold is the true battlefield of a civil officer: a war of words. A duel of wit and intellect—a stage for those who live by knowledge.

…Though to be honest, I don’t see how Karin could beat Mino in politics. Is she really going to be okay…?

Karin’s smart, sure. But Mino is on a whole different level.

“Go on.”

“Yes. From what we uncovered, there was not a single record of a corpse resembling a zombie. Even the ‘demon soldiers’ who were said to have been killed had fresh, uncorrupted bodies. I’ve fought real zombies before—their flesh and blood were unmistakably decayed.”

“…”

“If there really had been a zombie attack, that could not have been the case. Moreover, reports claim even the national army suffered casualties in the attack… but the majority of those soldiers were supposed to be off-duty at the time.”

Karin’s voice was cool and steady as she laid out her findings. But Mino’s expression didn’t change.

She looked more insulted than anything, as if thinking, What utter nonsense.

“Isn’t it strange? So many off-duty soldiers just happened to be there at the time and even ended up dead—but no word of it ever reached the castle? In other words, it wasn’t a coincidence that those soldiers were in the town that night. The ones listed as ‘off-duty’ were, in fact—the attack force itself. Isn’t that the most logical conclusion?”

With that, Karin added, “Everything I’ve said can be verified at the church at any time,” before continuing:

“Mino led those so-called off-duty soldiers in an attack on the lower town. Though there were casualties, they succeeded in stealing the wealth hoarded by the town’s merchants. Then she pinned it all on the demons to cover up her crime. I am convinced this is the truth behind the attack.”

…No zombie bodies? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Everything I’d heard up to now pointed to the attackers being zombies. It did take unusually long for word of the attack to reach us that day…

But still—Mino wouldn’t do something like that. Would she?

“Is that all you had to say? Then, Your Majesty, may I speak?”

“Y-yes. Proceed, Mino. You may present your defense.”

The king, a bit shaken, gave Mino permission to respond. The civil officer who had listened to Karin’s claims in silence now began to speak in a quiet voice.

“First of all, Miss Karin has made a fundamental error. And once I point it out, I’m certain her face will turn pale.”

“Oh? A fundamental error, you say? What is it, Mino?”

“Yes. Just now, she said this: ‘You threatened the townsfolk, stole their wealth, and lined your own pockets.’”

“Because it’s the truth!!”

“No, it is not. And I will prove her lie right here and now.”

Mino launched into her defense as fluidly as a stream flowing downhill. Unlike the king, she showed no sign of being rattled by Karin’s words.

One glared with eyes burning with hatred. The other smiled faintly, expressionless. Sparks flew between them, and then—

“Your Majesty, if you would. Look to the preamble of the city law we enacted.”

“Read it aloud.”

“‘Creatures classified as “human” living within the city shall not be required to pay taxes. Therefore, they are not entitled to protection as citizens.’”

“…And what does that mean?”

“There are no citizens living in the lower town, Your Majesty.”

—With Mino’s unbelievable statement, the entire hall froze solid.

---

"What… do you mean by that?"

"Well, the people who live in the castle town are exempt from paying taxes, but in exchange, they are not entitled to receive benefits from any public institutions. In other words, those who live in the castle town are not classified as citizens. They are treated the same as beasts or monsters."

Karin wasn't the only one shaken by the declaration made by the Grand General, Mino.

I stood there, mouth agape. Rex’s eyes narrowed sharply, and the king widened his eyes, his voice trembling.

"…Mino? My right hand, what on earth are you—"

"Your Majesty, you personally approved this, did you not? When this article of law was enacted, I distinctly recall obtaining your signature."

It took me a moment to fully comprehend what that bureaucrat girl was saying.

There are no citizens living in the castle town? That’s absurd. Even now, the surviving merchants are living there. Souta and the others are doing everything they can to rebuild the place as quickly as possible.

And yet… you're saying there are no citizens in the castle town? What the hell does that mean…?

"No way… don’t tell me, you—!"

"Those wealthy merchants operating businesses in the castle town—escaping the burden of taxes—they were simply regarded as a circulating reservoir of national funds."

"You… you really did it!! You’re the one who led the assault on the castle town, aren’t you!?"

"‘Assault’ sounds so malicious. We merely ‘procured’ supplies from a resource-rich hunting ground, in order to prepare for the approaching threat of the Demon King’s army."

"You’re the one!! You massacred the people who lived in that town—the merchants, the women and children—you slaughtered them and plundered their property! You planned all of it, from the very day you were put in charge of reforming the castle town!!"

My head was spinning. The unbearable truth spilling from Mino’s lips drove me to my knees.

What the hell is going on? Mino, weren’t you the one who nurtured the castle town with such care? That boy—he was so grateful to you.

And now you're telling me… that you were the one who attacked that same castle town? That it was you who killed Souta’s brother, the one who sold fake apples?

"Think about it calmly, Karin. Ten days ago, the vast majority of our ignorant citizens didn’t even believe the Demon King’s army existed. I, on the other hand, was convinced by the intelligence you all gathered and began implementing wartime measures—raising taxes, collecting resources from the nobility. But hardly anyone cooperated."

"…So what?"

"Karin, what would you have done? Without resolving the funding problem, we couldn’t equip or feed our soldiers. Defeat would be inevitable. Yet no one acknowledged the Demon King’s threat. Some even went so far as to plot a coup."

"Then… then just force the taxes somehow—"

"Far too little. The shortfall in funding was overwhelming. The nobles and citizens—foolish as they were—refused to accept fear, lacked even a shred of urgency. Now, if there were a way to solve all of that at once… what would you do?"

"…"

"The truth is, the castle town was raised for exactly this kind of situation. When a war broke out and we needed funds, when we needed to instill fear. That demon type the generals reported—called ‘zombies’—was perfect for impersonating humans. All you had to do was change your skin tone."

"Don’t give me that…"

"So I had the soldiers disguise themselves as demons and assault the castle town. We seized all the non-citizens' wealth, gave our troops real combat experience, and since they weren’t classified as citizens, the nation suffered no official losses."

Mino’s explanation flowed out, matter-of-fact. And it wasn’t the kind of excuse I’d hoped for—‘I didn’t do it’. No, what she said was:

——She admitted to everything, but insisted none of it was illegal.

"In short, Karin, from a policy-making perspective, there was no reason not to attack the castle town."

"…Don’t give me that crap!! Slaughtering innocent people—how does that make you a leader!?"

"The kind of bottom-tier people who cluster in the castle town… even if we let them live, they’re of no benefit to the nation. So what’s the problem with treating them like an unregulated treasury that keeps multiplying?"

I don’t want to believe this. That’s not who you are. You’re supposed to be kind, someone who truly cares about the people—someone with the integrity to endure slander without complaint.

Surely, like always, there’s a reason you’re pretending to be the villain, right? That night when we talked honestly—what you told me, it wasn’t a lie, right?

That you once tried to protect the people of the frontier. That you believed in the value of their lives.

——Or was it?

——Was it not a lie?

Did Mino—did that woman—not lie about anything at all?

Could it be… that to her, the people, their lives… meant only—

"Their deaths were not in vain. Thanks to them, we raised enough funds to mobilize our forces. The citizens and nobility were finally roused to action. And as a result, we successfully repelled the first wave. Don’t you think that’s a ‘worthy death’?"

"……!!"

Human life… was nothing more than a resource to be converted into profit.

That night, she kept the castle town assault a secret because it was a military operation. But she hadn’t lied about anything.

She had tried to protect the frontier villagers only because their deaths wouldn’t have been worth it.

Look at her. Mino’s face—completely unrepentant.

Calmly, like she was guiding a foolish subordinate. She stood there, defending her actions as just and proper before the king.

"The merchants’ stockpiled supplies are now in the national treasury. The soldiers protecting this country are well-equipped, and the dull-minded citizens have been alerted to danger. Isn’t that, overall, a tremendous benefit to the nation?"

What’s so wrong about it?

What exactly is mistaken?

I thought I could hear Mino’s twisted inner voice whispering.

“She’s insane.”

Rex muttered in a voice so cold it could freeze your bones. I was left speechless, unable to follow up.

Mino—the most dangerous Grand General of the National Army. Known for her calm demeanor, sharp intellect, and the reserved smile she always wore while standing a step behind the scenes.

In truth, she was a psychopathic lunatic who didn’t see people as people.

“─────A-Ah. Mino, your fate will be temporarily entrusted to me—”

“My fate, Your Majesty? I’ve acted in full accordance with the law, without a shred of impropriety, tirelessly securing funds for the nation in its time of crisis.”

“B-But... but this is...”

“You yourself approved it, didn’t you? My legislation, tailored for the capital district. Under the law, I cannot be charged with any crime.”

The strategist smiled fearlessly, her fingers gently brushing a flower pinned to her chest.

A gift from the boy whose brother she killed—a token of gratitude to Mino.

To him, a sincere thank-you for giving the Sota family a new place to run their business... to the very person who had slaughtered his family.

“I drafted the legislation to make it happen.”

Why are you shamelessly wearing that flower on your chest? Why are you standing there, grinning like nothing happened?

Why are you────

“We're leaving. Flatche, Mei, Karin.”

Suddenly, cutting through Mino’s rationalizations, the Sword Saint—our leader—stood up mid-ceremony.

“This is sickening. Absolutely revolting. If I have to keep looking at that woman’s face, I might just cut it clean off. We’re going back to the base.”

“Whaaat? Rex-kun, what’s gotten into you? If you leave now, all the time I spent healing you will have gone to waste.”

“I can’t stand the sight of your damn face anymore!! You lunatic!!”

My legs were unsteady. My stomach churned. I felt like I was going to throw up.

Can such a grotesque human being really exist? What does she think human emotions are?

Because she was happy. That woman was genuinely overjoyed when she received the flower from me—the token of appreciation from the boy whose brother she had murdered.

Fuaa, fuaaahh... Is it really, really okay?

She felt absolutely no guilt. None. She was just thrilled to obtain a rare and precious Lily Flower Decoration, completely oblivious to the boy’s feelings.

Fuaaaaah...

This woman—this woman!!

“Think it over, Rex-kun. You’re an irreplaceable asset in protecting the capital. …At the very least, leave Flatche behind.”

“Don’t speak to me with that filthy mouth of yours. It makes me want to kill you on impulse.”

“So scary, so scary. Geez, this is why people who think only with their emotions are so troublesome...”

Mino looked down on Rex with exasperation, entirely unaware that she herself was the one who was twisted, who was wrong.

────No. To someone like Mino, who doesn’t even have emotions, maybe nothing is wrong.

This woman has no understanding of human emotion. She can’t comprehend what it means to care for someone—be it family, a lover, or anyone dear.

She’s a machine, functioning purely on cost-benefit and national interest.

“That’s right!! I heard, Rex-kun. Isn’t it your dream to be pampered by a maid?”

With Rex glaring at her like a demon out of hell, Mino spoke in a light, casual tone, like she was making a joke—and snapped her fingers.

In response, one of her subordinates approached and handed her a small maid outfit.

“If you’d like, I’ll wear this and pamper you myself! So let’s protect the capital together, alright? Even for someone like you, who acts solely on emotion, wouldn’t the deaths of countless people leave a bitter aftertaste?”

“…”

Mino smiled sweetly and spread out the provocative maid costume right in the center of the grand hall. It was a skimpy, overly revealing outfit—exactly Rex’s type.

“…Ah.”

Cold sweat poured down my forehead. Why is that outfit here?

That’s right. That’s the maid outfit Rex himself designed—the one Natal should be wearing at the base right now─────

---

“Hey. If they’re really important to you, maybe you shouldn’t leave them all alone?”

Mino, the military’s most notorious menace, let out a mischievous giggle like a prank had just gone off perfectly, all while still wearing Natal’s spread-out maid outfit.

“They were your dear friend’s last keepsake, weren’t they?”

My vision went black.

She got them. Natal—my precious family—fell into that monster’s hands. I’d left her back at our hideout, just in case, when I heard the capital might come under attack.

“Now then, let’s get back to the ceremony. Congratulations, Ms. Flatche.”

Frozen, speechless, I couldn’t move. Standing before me, Mino gently pinned the ceremonial feather ornament to my chest.

Should I cut her down? Should I strike this demon, this madwoman, down right here and now with my own hands?

...No. I can’t. I can’t lay a hand on her until I know for sure that Natal—my little sister—is safe. I can’t take her head just yet.

“…Hmm? Ms. Flatche, why the grim face?”

Mino tilted her head, genuinely puzzled, as I clutched the ceremonial sword she had just bestowed to me—my hand trembling uncontrollably.

The military’s most dangerous woman looked at me as though none of this were out of the ordinary.

---

The next day, in a royal office.

“So all that happened while I was gone. …You’ve been through a lot, Emma.”

“Not at all. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

The great man, freshly returned from an extended campaign, was listening to his strategist Emma’s report. She explained the full extent of Mino’s rampage—and the damage it had wrought.

“Thank you for holding down the fort during such a difficult time. You’ve done well.”

The man, known both as the Grand General of the national military and the people’s protector, embraced his beloved—a young girl—and offered her his thanks. Yet his expression remained tense throughout.

“They sent me off to war at a time like this because I’d have been trouble if I were guarding the capital. That’s what this was, wasn’t it?”

“The likelihood is high. With someone as perceptive as you around, Mr. Penny, there’s a strong chance you would’ve sensed the attack before it happened.”

“…They think I’m a joke.”

The first thing the returning "Hero of the People," Penny, saw upon his return was a field of corpses—his people, slaughtered.

He passed through the ruins of the capital’s lower districts, where screams of grief and curses against the Demon King’s Army rang through the air. He saw the bodies of children—precious little lives discarded like trash—and his sorrow turned to deep, seething fury.

“…Emma. Come with me. I’m going to see him.”

“You mean the Sword Saint?”

“Yeah. We need his strength—if we want to stop any more senseless bloodshed.”

Even as blood dripped from the clenched fist at his side, Penny didn’t lose his composure. He quietly donned his cloak and left the room.

He was headed for the chambers of the Sword Saints.

“Hey, Emma. Will you follow me no matter where I go?”

“Of course. I’ve already given everything I am to you, haven’t I?”

“Thank you. Then I’ll leave the preparations to you.”

With a quiet voice by her ear, Penny spoke—eyes hiding a deep and solemn resolve.

“We’re going, Emma. To save as many lives as we can.”