Makai Hongi

The decoy War Council Tower.

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It was here that Demon King Tralzard and a number of guards had appeared.

Sand Armor Yorba was nervous.
As they all greeted the Demon King, Tralzard turned to me and chuckled.

“I’m glad to see that you’re still alive.”
I was annoyed.

“Of course, I am.
You’ll have to stop playing if you want to kill me.”
But then I would die.

“Splendid, splendid… The rest of you.
Guard from outside.”
She sent Yorba and the others to patrol the inside of the tower, and then told me to follow her to the highest floor.

The guards that came with Tralzard would be waiting outside… Or so I thought, but one of them entered.
Perhaps it was a close bodyguard.

“…So, I hope you’re going to give me an explanation as to why I’m here?”
And why I was nearly killed.

“Hmm… Well, you know.
But more importantly…”
“Huh?”

I followed Tralzard’s eyes to the person standing next to her.
The lone guard then removed their helmet, and the pale face of the aquatic races appeared.
The eyes were blue.

“This person… You would understand if I said they were a Nanakei?”
“The tactician?”

Tralzard nodded.

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Why was the tactician here? What was this? What was happening?

“It’s nice to meet you.
I am Seitry.”
It was a young voice, but it was often hard to tell how old someone was in the Demon World.
And so I had no idea if they really were young.

“I…am Golan.
The person that the Demon King over there tried to kill.”
Surely I should be allowed that much.
I didn’t care about insolence after what happened in the audience hall.

“Now let me explain the reason.
…You captured a Shadow Ape by the name of Legis.”
“He said that he came to kill this tactician.”

“Hmm.
It’s a good thing you caught him.
You have my gratitude.”
“You’re very welcome… So, why is the tactician here if they’re supposed to remain hidden?”

“The first person you caught…”
“Embrio the informant.”

“Yes, yes.
Him.
We questioned him and were able to learn what he knows.”
“Yorba told me that this was a decoy tower.”

What was this? I couldn’t see where this was going.
Had I become stupid?

“Hmm.
If information about Seitry was to spread, it should have been about this place.
However, he was not tricked by it.”

“So he was able to find information about the real hiding place.”

If that was true, that meant he had incredible investigative ability.

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Being able to change your face was a great strength.
You could appear and disappear and run away easily.

I learned something very interesting while listening to Tralzard speak.
I had captured those two and handed them in to the guards.

Tralzard’s men had not been aware of their presence at all.
But after questioning them, they became certain that the tactician was being targeted, and even worse, they were shocked to learn that the information that was circulating was true.

And through Embrio’s comrades, this information had reached Nehyor.
With enough time, it would reach the other countries as well.

Because of this, they could no longer keep Seitry in the same place as before and have it be a secret.

It was around that time that I had been carried in and placed in a different room.
The original plan was to keep me there until I woke up.

However, Seitry made a suggestion, and I was secretly moved to the tower I was in now.

“I don’t really understand.
Is this related to why I was attacked in the audience hall?”
“No, that’s completely different.
We can talk about that later.
Everyone in the castle knows that we fought.
They also know that you went rolling away.”

Rolling away.
How rude.
Well, it was true.

“So what you’re saying is, the tactician saw me unconscious and decided I could be used.
And so I was brought here?”
“Exactly.
It’s good that you are quick to understand.
You suddenly became a necessity in order to secure Seitry’s safety.”

And it had all been Seitry’s idea, huh?

I didn’t know how I felt about that.
Using someone’s body to secure your own safety.
It sounded quite wrong to me.

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“Yes, we did move you around without asking you.
But I hope you will not be angry.
After all, it was also for your own benefit, Sir Golan.”
“…?”

There was something about the way that Seitry said this that was patronizing.
Feeling rebellious, I gave the tactician a murderous glare.

“I’d be careful of my words.”
I threatened.

“It was I who allowed it.
In exchange, I will answer what questions I can about your race.
How is that? Also, as you are just what I imagined, I can teach you how to use your power.
Furthermore, don’t you want to ask me about Lesser High King Yamato? I can tell you about him.
And about the residents of the Celestial World as well.
I know about them as they are related to Yamato, but there are not many others who can talk about it now.”

Tralzard laid out the conditions in quick succession.
“Well, I did come here in order to learn that…”

“I cannot lose Seitry.
And your presence was just so convenient.
If you cooperate with us, you will be treated well.”

“…Hmm.
I don’t see why not.”
I already knew that I couldn’t win if I fought her.

I could just listen to her first… I mean, there was so much that I really wanted to know.
I had established a few theories about my race already, but Tralzard had lived for hundreds of years, and her stories would be valuable.

Besides, there was this situation I was in.
I didn’t understand it at all.

“I could start in chronological order, but it would be better to start with the current matter.”
The tactician explained in a smooth voice, why I was here.

To put it simply, it was like this.

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Surprisingly, Seitry had been working in the castle all of this time without anyone noticing.

No one noticed that the silent Nanakei was actually the tactician.
But now that the secret was out, Seitry could not live the same way as before.

After harshly questioning the two I had captured, they had learned that they were not being watched by any others.
In that case, there was still time.
Thinking this, Seitry had suggested a number of ways out of this predicament.

That was when Tralzard and I had started fighting.
Well, as far as I was concerned, it was a one-sided ambush.

Regardless, it was now known that an outsider had come to the castle and fought with Tralzard, and that her roar had destroyed much of the castle.

And so they decided to use it.
Yes, it was not Golan who had an audience with the Demon King, but a foreign Shadow Ape called Legis.
He escaped the audience hall during the confusion, and attacked Seitry.

Angered, Tralzard attacked Legis and killed him.
But Seitry had died first, and the person who had leaked the information to Legis was arrested immediately after.
That was the official story.

“…Uh, what about me?”

“As an outsider really was fighting Her Majesty at the same time, we made use of that.
We talked to your Adjutant, Stomel.
He will keep his mouth shut.”

“I see.
You wanted people to think the attacker was dead, and so I was hidden here.
And you told everyone that the tactician died as well, so the attacks would stop.”

“Exactly.
After all, I doubt Her Majesty will be fighting a high-ranking outsider anytime soon.
Something as convenient as this rarely occurs.”

That was a tactician for you.
Make use of everything.