[You killed the Five Dragon Warriors?]
[I don’t have any intention of talking about this with every person I see. Well, those Ashinto fellows should be a good cover for me in the meantime.]
[That’s absurd…]

Eve immediate cuts of my words and casts it aside.

[That’s impossible.]

I stuck out my hand.

[I don’t know if this would be enough proof but—]

Suspicious about my actions, Eve prepares her stance.
At that moment, Seras steps forward.

—————Thunk—————-

[—!]

Seeing that Seras stepped forward, Eve reacts.
Looking at her, distracted with the distance between herself and Seras…

[—–<Paralyze>—–]

I used my Abnormal State Skill.

[—-Nghhh!? What the..? My body is….]
[It’s better if you don’t force yourself in moving. If you try doing the impossible, you’d start bleeding all over your body.]
[Don’t… tell me… This… is… Abnormal State… System… Technique…?]
[I guess you could call this something like a really powerful Abnormal State endowment to others— By the way, this skill has more probability to kill those celebrities than those final duels.]
[That’s absurd…]
[It’s exactly as you say. Thanks to this absurd power, even a weak person like me could kill Civil Gartland.]
[Gnnnggghhh…]
[I should have already told you. You shouldn’t unreasonably try to move. This isn’t just a threat.]

I started approaching Eve.

[I’m going to make it easier for you to speak now.]

I partially released the paralysis on her head.
Eve should now be able to speak normally.

[—-Mu? I could now speak easily?]
[I could also bestow other powerful Abnormal State abilities to others. With this power, I have killed the Five Dragon Warriors. Should I even tell you how the members of Five Dragon Warriors died?]

It appears like Eve’s will to fight has disappeared.
Did she presume that I don’t have any thoughts of harming her?

[Is it that truth… You killed the Five Dragon Warriors?]
[How about I show you another piece of evidence?]

Hmm?
Seras?

Seras places her hand over her chest.

[Seras Ashrain, the one being chased by the Five Dragon Warriors. That’s me.]

Twitch

Eve’s ears twitched.

[It’s you?]
[Milord saved me from the Five Dragon Warriors with his power.]
[…Stop it with all this acting. From the stories I’ve heard, that ex-Holy Knight is an elf…]

Eve’s eyes opens wide.

[—!]

I immediately understood based on her reaction.
At that moment, Seras removes the changes in her appearances.

[Do you understand now? Just now, I’ve borrowed the powers of the spirits and changed my appearance.]
[…Nngghh.]

Eve groaned.
Deep inside my heart, I am also groaning.
I haven’t expected Seras’ action just now.
I never thought that she would reveal her identity here.
Is she really sympathizing that much with Eve?
It’s possible that she wants to save her, one way or another.

[Milord indeed killed the Five Dragon Warriors. Though I said that, I’ve only seen the death of four of them.]

After saying that, Seras pulls one step back.
I spoke.

[If there are monsters more powerful than Civit Gartland in the Demon Zone, I may possibly give up going.]
[…Certainly, you have quite the power you’re holding.]
[It’s up to you if you want to believe that story about killing the Five Dragon Warriors or not. In fact, there are many people in the world who only believes what they saw. However, I wanted to show you my power. The evidence of my power.]

Eve snorts in response.

[However, they’re just useless evidence. At any rate, I will still fight in my duel tomorrow. I will also not be going into the Demon Zone. That will not change.]
[If you ever win this duel, do you think that Duke Zuan would really keep his promise?]
[What?]
[It’s the same Duke-sama who would kill a prostitute just because she’s different from the image he had been looking for, you know? According to the many things I’ve heard about him, he doesn’t seem to be a good man at all.]

The reputation of Duke Zuan.
When I gathered information about Eve, I lightly checked some information about him.
At least, he doesn’t smell like a good person.
Rather than that, he seems to be the same as “those guys”.

The same shitheads like those people I’ve met before.

[I thoroughly understand how trash thinks.]

Because I’m also one of them.

[Even if you win your duel tomorrow… I don’t think the duke would just obediently give you back your freedom.]
[………….]

I slightly changed the subject.

[Speaking of which, I heard of a certain Blood Champion. He was just like you, a Blood Champion who was acclaimed as the strongest.]

Eve is silently listening to my words.

[The man had won his final duel. However, he has been found dead the day after his victory. He was found floating in a river running through the capital city early in the morning.]

[That story about the Blood Champion who died shortly after he gained his freedom huh… I don’t really know the details, but I’ve certainly heard about it. I heard that man caused some trouble with some mercenaries in a tavern while he was celebrating his victory. That man was really drunk from alcohol and he also wasn’t holding any weapon with him. And then, that man was beaten to death by these mercenaries who doesn’t know what moderation is.]

[Well, that’s the information that was circulated towards the public.]

[Circulated towards the public? What do you mean?]

[Have you heard of what happened with the daughter of that dead man?]

[…I haven’t heard of it.]

[That daughter was a slave working in a dirty tavern. Just like a certain someone, he was trying to buy the freedom of his daughter. However, do you know what’s strange?]

[What happened?]

[The freedom of that daughter haven’t been bought back at all. Moreover, that man wasn’t even celebrating his victory in the same tavern that her daughter was working in. If you’re trying to fight for the freedom of someone else, wouldn’t you think that he should have normally went towards where she is?]

[I don’t really know about that guy… Couldn’t it just be that he plans to buy back her freedom after celebrating with others?]

[It’s possible. However, what I’m talking about what happened to his daughter after his death.]

[After his death? What happened to his daughter?]

[There are some documents that after the man died, his daughter was taken custody by Duke Zuan and had been working in the Duke’s residence for about two years.]

[—-!]

[After that, she was sold off as a prostitute. You should understand what I mean, right?]

[…………..fuuu]

[Furthermore, one of the mercenaries who beat that man to death has become a Blood Champion for his “feat” of killing the strongest Blood Champion. He was quite a strong recommendation from the Mercenary Guild. If I remember it correctly— It’s someone called Gilmud or something like that.]

[Gilmud? I know a man with that name. Though, it seems that he’s already dead long before I came in this place… However, where did you hear about that story?]

[I’ll just say I got it from the “dark place”. It’s up to you how you interpret that.]

[Muu…]

It seems that Eve knows the existence of the “dark place”.

[Well, I haven’t really heard about the truth directly from Duke Zuan himself. I don’t know if this is true or not. Of course, I don’t think I would even know something like this from Duke Zuan himself…]

[Are you saying that the death of this man was the work of either Duke Zuan or the Mercenary Guild?]

[That’s what I think so.]

[And you’re saying that I might get the same fate as him?]

[It’s possible… So, what are you going to do? Are you going to stay and take on your final duel, or take the young girl and go to the Demon Zone with us?]

I met eyes with Eve.

[The decision is right into your hands.]
[I—]

Eve answered without averting her eyes.

[I will get my freedom with my own hands.]

She would be facing tomorrow’s duel.
Eve has selected that.

[Is that so?]

Somehow, I already felt that she would choose that.

[I would surely win. I have acquired various things after each of my victories. The victories I get in every duels I’ve fought were always the one who paves through my path.]

Eve looks towards us.

[Moreover, I can’t trust you people at all. Therefore, I won’t give the information about the Witch of Taboos to you.]

Seras opens her mouth.

[Milord will be helping you—]

[Do you really think I’ll trust the words of someone who I’ve only met yesterday? On the contrary, I’ve had been in the world of duels for a really long time.]

Well, that’s what I thought.
I proceeded on asking her a question.

[Can Duke Zuan really be trusted?]

[Certainly, that guy is someone you can never praise as a human. However, it’s a fact that he has always been responding with the results I’ve given to him.]

That’s because Eve Speed still has a use for him.

[It’s possible that something would really happen that it would be disadvantageous for me, however it would just be something that would enliven my final duel. Having said that, the Duke is also a child of a human. I’ve been with him for a really long time. He isn’t someone as ruthless as you’re saying.]

How naive.

[Comparing you people with the years of connection I had with the world of duels that I’ve always been all this time, it’s really obvious who I should trust.]

Unexpectedly, that years of connection can easily crumble down to pieces.

[I will believe in the world of duels that had made the current me rather than you just suddenly appeared in front of me.]

Eve insisted.
The smile on my face distorted.

[Why do you say that, Eve Speed?]

[What are you saying?]

[Why are you insisting towards me that you believe in this world of duels so much?]

[What are you—]

[Isn’t it that you’re throwing those words to yourself?]

[………….]

[I have already finished proving my strength.]

I cancelled the effect of Paralyze.

[Excuse me for the rude things I’ve said… I pray that you could win tomorrow’s duel.]

Turning around, I started walking.

[Let’s go.]
[Y- Yes.]

Seras follows behind me.

[Wait.]

Eve called out towards me.

[Why did you release me? You already have an absolute advantage towards me. If I had spoke out the information about the Witch of Taboos, there could have only one option for you to do. I knew about your secrets. And yet, why have you unconditionally released me?]

I stop walking.

[I already told you. We will leave Monroy early in the morning tomorrow.]

I didn’t respond to any of her question.
I don’t see any reason I should do it.

[We would around the bridge in front of the large front gate until the sun rises. If you ever change your mind, you should come.]

Turning away from Eve, we went away from that place.

▽

On the way back to the inn, Seras opened her mouth.

[I am terribly sorry.]

Hmm?

[What are you talking about?]
[I just revealed my identity on my own…]
[Ah, that thing you did just now.]
[I just suddenly followed my own judgement without any approval from Milord… Of course, I will be receiving my punishment.]

Seras looked pretty depressed.
Rather than that, punishment…?

[I certainly don’t have any plans on revealing that, but it turned out to be a convincing material with my persuasion towards her. That’s why, don’t worry about it.]

I  remembered Eve’s reaction.
That’s the reaction of someone who should roughly believes in our words.
Perhaps, she knows Seras’ face based on the portrait she had on her bounty.
That’s why, she immediately believed that she’s Seras Ashrain.

[However, that was the result after I had spoken. If I had spoiled Milord’s plan—]
[I won’t judge whether that’s a bad move or not.]

I interrupted Seras’ words.

[I won’t say anything if the results were good. If I think that’s a bad move, then the blame should be mine. And, the result this time is something that happened after the decisions I made. Do you have any complaints with this policy?]
[…I understand. If Milord says so…]

Fumu…
This might have been the influence of being a Holy Knight back then…
It’s like they’re the type who would respect discipline.
Certainly, moderate discipline may be necessary.
Though I say that, this “Mercenary Corps” is under my rule.
It’s up to me whether to blame someone or not.
The nervousness disappeared from Seras’ face.

Peko.

She stops in place and bows.

[Thank you for leniency, Milord.]

Recently, I feel like I’m completely her master…
We started walking again.
I called out towards Seras.

[Anything else in your mind?]
[Ah, no…]
[Just say it. You’ve said that I’m lenient yourself, right?]
[That is—]

Looking at my face, Seras began enquiring.

[That story about that Blood Champion you said just now… It isn’t the truth, right?]

Seras would know if something is a lie.
As I thought, she would notice…

[Yeah. That just now was something I fabricated and thought it would be a good idea.]

There were only a few parts there that’s the truth.

A story about a man who had obtained his freedom was found dead the next day.
The name of a real Blood Champion named Gilmud.

Actually, I just added some drama into this story.
There is neither a front story nor a hidden truth behind it
Honestly, they were all just “stories circulated to the public” as I had said in the beginning.

[I know that’s something anyone can’t praise… However, I needed to fabricate a story so that I could plant a “seed of distrust” inside Eve Speed’s thoughts towards Duke Zuan and the Mercenary Guild.]

Eve believes in the world of duels.
I take out the pocket watch from my pocket.

[The rest is for us to wait for when that seed will sprout…]

Planting seeds of distrust.

I often saw it in manga and anime.

Agitating the distrust within then after they hear stories interwoven between truths and lies, they would then betray their own comrades.

Conversely, this might also show those who had sincere attitudes.

I shake away this thoughts gathering in my mind.

[Seed, is it?]
[Yeah.]

I had a strong image of someone who would use this method as he tries to tear apart the bonds of the protagonist.

In short…

[Now that I think about it, this should be one of the tricks a villain uses.]