Katahane no Riku

Chapter 69.The timing to defeat the?enemy

It was five days until the meeting.

The main street of the demon capital, Taitas, was very tumultuous.

Frowning her eyebrows, major general Keity Fostar quietly clicked her tongue.

“Really, even though an important meeting is going to be happening… Now that I think about it, it is too early to be the market day. …What is happening here?”

Leaning forward her head, Keity put her face out of the window.

It seemed that the demons at the demon capital were all gathering together. Moreover, all of them looked to be standing as if there was something they were waiting for at the end of the street. While whispering to one another, they were leaning forward, waiting for what was going to come. The directions they were looking at were of all the gates of the demon capital.

“What is it? Is somebody coming today?”

“…Well, don′t you now? As always, Keity′s ability in gathering information falls behind.”

It was possible to hear a high-pitched voice from behind Keity. Turning her head with a moody expression, she could see a girl of small build elegantly sitting there. The hand that held a fan which hid part of her face was slightly covered in leopard fur.

“Fiore Panther. No matter how much of close friends we are, there are things that can′t be said. …Well, I won′t deny that thought.”

“Major general Keity Fostar, this attitude of sincerely accepting your mistakes is admirable.”

Fiore hid her smile with her fan.

As a noble, she took part of the center of the politics. She was Keity′s best friend that she could trust the most, and was someone that protected Charlotte as well.

“Then, Keity. Who in the world has arrived?”

“That is…”

“Oh, they arrived!”

It was right at the moment Keity opened her mouth. Drowning out her voice, someone in the crowd raised his voice. As if induced by that voice, the crowd bellow her eyes started some kind of uproar. Hurriedly turning her eyes to the gates, she noticed that it should have been about the horse riding group that was going under the gate right at that time.

“That… Is the flag of the third division… Ah, it should be major general Riku.”

Keity crossed her arms as if she was satisfied.

Although Riku Barusak was a human, she actually was a new star, possessing great power. Guessing from her attitude at Derufoi and at the garden party, it seems she had dislike over Charlotte. She didn′t like this aspect of her, but because not only had she done a task together with her previously and how both of them were going to be promoted to major general at the same date, she was an existence to pay mind to some extent.

“Ah, such a prominent person. For her to advance at her career so much in only one year… Hey, Fiore, you should also come see her!”

While signing Fiore to come with her hand, Keity turned her eyes to Riku′s group.

With the armor of the horses shining, Riku and her soldiers were approaching in an resolute manner. With all of them being of the military, their figure riding on their horses was fitting.

With her red hair lightly fluttering, her gallant figure advancing through was dignified and didn′t lose to the nobles or the other higher-ups of the military. With her single arm, she handled her horse more skillfully than anyone and had at her back a halberd bigger than the stature of her body as if such was only natural.

By one glance, is was more or less possible to understand the reason why Riku Barusak had so young been promoted to major general.

Although the demons that had welcomed her weren′t few at the surface, it wouldn′t be exaggeration to say that at the demon society strength was what dictated all.

Most of the demons were giving her either a frustrated look, recognizing her capability, or a doubting look, wondering if she was really that strong. Without abuse, they were confirming whether she was a human that was worthy becoming a major general.

However, of course, amongst the crowd…

“The likes of you human! Don′t get too cocky!”

“You jumped-up human!” (TL note: Typical japanese swearing -.-” )

There were demons that directly showed their hostility.

However, Riku wouldn′t get carried over by something like verbal abuse. On the contrary, she only showed a faint smile.

Perhaps that was the real reason why Riku was able to get this position.

Going along her fifty subordinates, her figure was magnificent in all aspects.

“Ah, very praiseworthy. Don′t you think so, Fiore?”

Being asked that by Keity, Fiore also slitghtly sticked her face outside the window. Although her mouth was being hidden by her fan, by looking from the side of her face, it seemed that she was thinking about something.

“…That is bad.”

“By saying bad… Is there any problem?”

Puzzled, Keity inclined her neck to the side.

“No matter how I look at it, there are no faults to be ashamed of there.”

“Have you seen the race of her subordinates? …Those around her are the remains of Zerrik.”

Closing her fan, Fiore pointed to the direction right behind Riku.

Turning her eye to that direction, Keity was able to see that there really were soldiers with the ferocious face of a bear.

“Saamon Makkenji. He was the favored mascot of Zerrik. There were some other people in that crowd too.”

“Does that mean that major general Riku won over Zerrik subordinates?”

Keity′s eyes became slightly bulged out.

It hasn′t been many days since Zerrik′s second division had been absorbed. But even so, Riku had completely won over them and had a bond of trust that was to the point of her bringing them here along with her.

“In other words, it means the same as that girl having her grasp on all the divisions, except for the first one, which is leaded by Charlotte-sama.

By Fiore elegantly opening her fan, a small sound was produced.

“From what you have said before, Riku Barusak had ill feelings about Charlotte-sama, correct? If we let this go by and are attacked by them just like that, we won′t be able to oppose them.”

“Wait a second Fiore. Do you mean that Charlotte-sama would lose?”

“Yes. In a straight fight, she would lose.”

With Fiore′s blunt response, Keity′s face became pale.

“Although we are still in need of conclusive proofs to finish him off, it seems that Gortoberuk also had been secretly meeting with some members of the parliament. Moreover, they were all demons that didn′t have a good impression of Charlotte-sama. …It seems they plan on doing something in these five days before the meeting.”

“Su-such a thing!”

Keity was trembling.

Most of Charlotte′s personal guards had died at Derufoi, and the sole survivor… Keity, had climbed up in promotions in one go.

For the sake of Charlotte, and also for the sake of her comrades that had died, she needed to pluck up the sprouts of revolt before they germinated. While making a commotion, Keity rushed over to the door.

“Th-there is no way I can let this be. We need to immediately report this to Charlotte-sama!”

“Wait Keity. There is no reason to be blindly running around.”

Fiore held back Keity who was running at her full speed. Being stopped by Fiore′s call, Keity reluctantly stopped her feet.

“Ho-however, for such an important matter…”

“It is obvious that we are reporting this. The problem is not there.”

Raising a sound by closing her fan, Fiore turned her back to the window.

“It is the timing to defeat the enemy. Didn′t you learn of this important thing at the military academy?”

“That.. is right.”

“It is at the meeting that they are planning on making their moves… In other words, after five days. Looking at it in another perspective, it means that they can′t be acting too showy until then. And so, since this can easily be solved by denouncing them once they cause the trouble at the meeting, isn′t it better to have more cards to drive them into a corner?”

“…Indeed, an excellent view of the situation.”

Agreeing to Fiore, Keity sat down on a chair nearby.

“However, do we have chances on winning?”

“The demons Gortoberuk had secretly talked to were only ten. Other than that, there were only two times that Gortoberuk had left their residence with a smile. Besides, even if they have most of the army on their grasp, because of losses of generals in the recent wars, the only ones of the army that will be able to participate at the meeting are major general Barusak, you… and also Gortoberuk; only the three of you. In other words, it is ninety six versus four. Even if saying that Gortoberuk was able to gather those ten people as allies, it would still be eighty six versus fourteen. It would be an overwhelming victory for us.” (TL note: Bad bad math… It should have been twelve! Well, but maybe she is talking about adding more ten people rather than talking about the situation which Gortoberuk was able to win over those ten people he had talked to.)

But as if there was more to be added, Fiore continued her words in an composed tone.

“But I have one worry… In case they are really intending on dethroning Charlotte-sama, then who are they planning to having the throne assumed after that?”

“It would be someone of the dragon lineage…”

“There would be no meaning to dethroning Charlotte-sama in that case.”

While tapping the closed fan on her hand, Fiore answered.

“To begin with, the demon race is dictated by strength. That was the same for the selection of the Demon Lord. It is seen that just because the dragons had far-off much more power than the other demons, their heritage will be the one to govern. But even if it is anyone else, as long as it is someone that has been acknowledged of being strong, it would be fine even if that person′s body didn′t have the features of a dragon.”

At the present, except for Charlotte and Leivein, demons which had features of dragons were all in a decline of strength. It was hard to believe that everyone would follow if someone of that same race assumed the throne.

“Therefore, the only other person worthy of that… Ah!”

In the back of Keity′s mind, the face of one person surfaced.

Someone that had unparalleled strength in the Demon Lord army and had many followers; there was only one person like that.

“C-could it be…”

With Keity muttering that, Fiore′s wrinkles that were between her eyebrows deepened.

“…It seems you got it. Yes… I think Riku Barusak is planning on having herself become the next provisional demon lord.”

Riku Barusak was planning on becoming a provisional demon lord.

There was no way a human could become a provisional demon lord. However, thinking about the terrifying speed she advanced through the promotions, and then, after judging on how Zerrik′s subordinates were obediently following her, perhaps it would be possible.

“There is no way we can forgive such a thing! We must absolutely prevent this!”

“…It is fine as long as you understand it.”

Fiore showed a smile while fanning herself with her fan.

“In these next five days, we will be making our own moves over the meeting. First of all… we will prevent more nobles from changing their sides than they already did.”

“Yes! We will definitely stop them!”

Keity and Fiore held each other′s hands. Everything was for the sake of protecting Charlotte, the provisional demon lord.

There were five days until the meeting that was going to be hold early at the afternoon.