Chapter 327: The Wolf's Scar Lurking in the Night's Shadow

"Now then... time to get to work."

Adjusting the slightly darkened gray bird mask on my face to make it fit comfortably, I began my stealthy pursuit of the knights entering the forest.

Having survived a bloodbath and engaging in a massive brawl with the scorpions along the way—which ultimately resulted in the scorpions playing baseball with Me (The Ball)—I was still doing just fine.
Although I had to desperately rely on the "Golden Scale" Trading Company to quickly gather my equipment after that, I somehow managed to scrape my preparations together. And now, I'm executing a stealth-tracking sequence that feels entirely out of place for a Hack & Slash game... Wait, what game am I playing again?

"Well, whatever... Alright."

The clear conditions are to rescue Former King Torvante and First Princess Aria, as well as to secure physical evidence of the Third Knight Order explicitly attempting to harm the royals.
I can handle stealth action just fine, but the real question is how effective it will be without system assistance... If they pull out that classic master-tier trope of "Did you really think that level of stealth would hide your presence from me?", there's nothing I can do about it.

Well, according to what I heard from Lutia-paisen, the Commander of the Third Knight Order isn't exactly a powerhouse... but considering how common it is for the canonically strongest monsters to be instantly killed by exploit loops, the complete opposite isn't exactly impossible either.

"........."

I considered jumping between the trees to track them, but it made more noise than I expected, so I scrapped the idea. In the end, I'm just walking on the ground behind them, but... they're so slow. So incredibly slow.

I've experienced firsthand time and time again the massive difference between how the game system handles darkness and how the player's visual corrections function. However, it seems NPCs are subjected to the former, meaning they're advancing cautiously while holding up torches to light the way.
Well, considering night time brings out stealth-specialized faux-owls and rumors of spawning dragons, I can understand their caution... but since this is a real-time progression game, I can't skip ahead. I really wish they'd just hurry up and get to the point. I'm going to suppress them anyway.

"...I can't see the royal father and daughter."

Since I'm tracking them from the absolute rear, it's a given, but they're probably stationed right in the middle of the formation.
In other words, unless they stop and change their formation or I close the distance even further, I won't be able to check on the royals. All I can do is barely catch snippets of conversation from the clearly bottom-tier mob knights.

"Hmm... Intercept."

It's too fragmented to hear? In that case, it's time for my personal Wiretap (Emul) to take the stage.
With a pyokon!, the normally folded ears poking out of the scarf wrapped around my neck twitched to life. They wiggled around for a bit with a pikopiko, and apparently successfully intercepted the mob knights' conversation, playing it back right next to my ear.

"Why do we need to go out of our way to kill the Former King and Princess deep in the continent... desu wa."

"The New King wants to establish the Fact that the demi-humans of the New Continent have become hostile... desu wa."

"Our Commander wants achievements that surpass even the King's Paladin-sama. That's why he took on a job like this... desu wa."

Is there no way to turn off the verbal tic in the settings menu? Well, either way, the background context is starting to become clear.
The New King doesn't just want to kill his father and sister; rather, he wants to strictly control "Who killed them." And he wants to pin the blame on the demi-humans living on the New Continent... Are there Elves or something here?

"In short, he wants a valid pretext."

He ascended the throne in a hasty, rushed manner to begin with. Depending on how you look at it, it practically screams usurpation. Well, thanks to the inherent question of "Why would the guaranteed successor, the First Prince, need to usurp the throne?", he's probably avoiding widespread suspicion.
Regardless, the current king hasn't earned enough loyalty to force through unreasonable orders, which means he needs a damn good reason to mobilize the army to the New Continent.
But that raises another question: Why exactly does he need to antagonize the races living on the New Continent in the first place...?

"Sunraku-san, what are we going to do, desu wa?"

"The plan hasn't changed. Once we record them smugly confessing their crimes, we just beat them half to death."

"...That doesn't feel like it has much Vorpal Soul, desu wa."

"I totally agree, but we're saving human lives here..."

Thinking about it, the Vorpal Soul parameter is quite troublesome since it constantly requires you to fight higher-leveled monsters. Well, I suspect the judgment is also based on the situation, so fighting a massive horde of trash mobs should still increase it...

"Emul, what's the likelihood of us getting caught if you use magic?"

"...Magic that affects anything other than me is a bit risky, desu wa."

"I see... Can you use Active Sonar? I want to know if there are any monsters in the vicinity."

"Yes sir!"

A few moments later, she provided the information: there wasn't a single monster in the area. So it really is an event progression mechanic?

"Also, we're going to reach an open clearing very soon, desu wa."

"Hmm......... I generally understand the flow of things, but..."

It's suspicious. It's way too simple. I guarantee something annoying is going to happen... Just helping out some random Child Pirate (Shitty Brat) ended up with me getting stranded for seven days while dealing with a deep-sea octopus. I shouldn't say this, but if it's just fighting the "Knight Order," Josette and her group alone would be more than enough to handle this problem.
I've had a few chances to chat with the Fanclub members, and apparently, Josette possesses the title Maximum Defense (Defense Holder), which is the exact counterpart to Rei-shi's Maximum Firepower (Attack Holder).
In other words, Josette is literally the single sturdiest tank in the entire game. When it comes to pure protection, she is vastly more qualified for this than I am.

However, this quest was specifically outsourced... entrusted to players entirely outside the Fanclub—no, the Shining Knights. I definitely don't have enough information. Since this isn't a Unique Scenario, I don't want to assume it involves some grand, world-shaking lore... Then again, while pulling a Unique Scenario is great, it's also incredibly exhausting.

"There's no monster response... No, there's a high probability one will spawn to progress the event. Does that mean the game expects me to handle that simultaneously with the Knight Order?"

If that's the case, it might Actually turn into an incredibly easy game... Hmmm, predicting this beforehand is difficult.
Whether out of intuition or coincidence, one of the knights seemingly sensed something and began approaching my location. To hide, I used Gravity Zero to "Stand" upside-down on a tree branch, observing the situation while letting my thoughts continue to spin.
You're lucky, mob knight. If this were a horror game, you would undoubtedly be victim number one. I could just launch a surprise attack from above right now, but if a knight suddenly went missing, their alert level would obviously spike.

Staring at the knight upside-down from the tree like a bat with a jii........, the mob knight perhaps realized how reckless it was to wander off alone in this demonic territory. He shivered, returning to the formation.

"...Sunraku-san... I'm... I'm going to fall... desu wa..."

"Show some guts, will you... Good grief."

I flipped mid-air and landed the exact moment Gravity Zero's effect wore off, moving ahead to the open clearing where the event would likely take place. Now then, let me show you the ultimate stealth techniques that allowed me to successfully assassinate even a Bright Red (Communist) tyrant.

............

.........

......

"Do you intend... to kill Us?"

"Yes, Former King Torvante. You and your daughter shall become the foundation for the glorious future of the New King, His Majesty Alex."

Though he wasn't exactly fat, the man speaking definitely didn't look like he belonged on a battlefield... To be blunt, he was a middle-aged man with a slightly protruding belly, speaking with a frail voice to a knight who stood out quite a bit among his peers. That must be the rumored... what was it again, Mr. Lethal? Or something like that. Judging by his nickname alone, his life sounds as rough as Die Hard, even though he's an NPC.

"Julian... do you have no intention of reconsidering? The beings living on this continent are lives all the same. There is no nobility or inferiority between us."

"What are you saying? They are vulgar, inferior savages... existences not even worth comparing to us."

Oh, magnificent. The textbook discriminatory character. If a story involves different races, you definitely need a character like this. It's like the relationship between summer and cicadas; if they aren't there, the setting feels fundamentally lacking... Heroic tales always require someone else's misfortune. Hmm, the paradox of justice, or perhaps the karma of good and evil.

"...That being said, I do not despise demi-humans as fiercely as His Majesty the New King does."

"Then...!"

"What I seek is a new battle. A stage to earn martial achievements that surpass even that man crucified to the royal castle... That is all. And it just so happens to align perfectly with the New King's desires..."

"They are not mere stepping stones for your martial glory...!"

Ohhh... You said something pretty good there, King. Nice. If the escort target is a genuinely good person, it gives the protector a lot more motivation. If Pencilgon had taken this quest and the King turned out to be an annoying prick, it wouldn't have been surprising to see her beat him half to death and upload the video to the internet.
What I'm curious about is the First Princess. Whether out of fear or exhaustion, she's keeping her head down, making it impossible to see her face from this angle. The fact that I can clearly see Mr. Die Hard, the King, and the other mobs' faces makes it strangely irritating... No, unsettling? What is this strange emotion... Am I actually feeling fear?

Well, the background context is completely confirmed: "The New King Alex wants to either annihilate or enslave the demi-humans," and "Mr. Die Hard wants to outshine the King's Paladin." Personally, I don't disagree with the idea of increasing battle encounters to level up... but isn't his efficiency terrible? If he wants to hone his anti-personnel combat skills, he'd be better off picking fights with Pioneers. If he just wants to level up, he should hunt monsters instead of demi-humans. I highly recommend the Crystal Nest Cliff; that place is a literal paradise... You can level up, mine for ores, and grind Vorpal Souls. It perfectly hits all three marks, and it's basically never saturated with players. It's a god-tier grinding spot.

Whether out of ignorance or sheer recklessness, I frequently see other players besides myself charging into the Crystal Nest Cliff. But those who just walk straight ahead are second-rate. The first-rate players know that the best strategy is to rock-climb along the edge of the cliff for a set distance. Also, wall tanks become completely useless garbage there, so I highly recommend they just turn back. Not that it matters, since the scorpions will forcefully send them packing anyway.

"Julian... I beg of you, at least... at least spare Arfiliya."

"Father!"

"I apologize, Former King Torvante. The quality of the 'Tragedy' will be far superior if the First Princess is buried alongside you. We are knights as well. We guarantee you shall be sent to the afterlife with a single stroke, free of any vulgar brutality."

"Gu........."

What the hell. My heart won't stop throbbing. I've already recorded everything, so all I need to do now is make a dashing entrance and save them... Yet, the single step I need to take feels exactly like stepping off a cliff where the road has abruptly ended... Why? Why do I feel like this...!?

"Emul... steel your heart. Prepare to step into the jaws of death..."

"............Eh? Y-Yes sir?"

Stowing away the recording item, I pulled out my "Weapon" and... took a deep breath.
Whether he had fully accepted it as just a job, Mr. Die Hard didn't even flash a vulgar smirk. He simply drew his sword with a chilling, business-like detachment, preparing to assassinate a king. And before he could swing his blade down... I declared:

"Hold it right there!!"

"!? .........Who goes there!!"

Eh, is this the kind of situation where I should say something cool? Give me two seconds to think of something... Alright, got it.

"Malice attempting to spread across an untrodden land! Though you may deceive the heavens under the cover of night, you cannot escape my eyes! That is why people call this 'Justice'!!"

"Show yourself!"

"Very well! Tou!!"

Judging by the flow of the conversation, the First Princess Arfiliya and Former King Torvante were standing in front of a massive tree with a trunk a full size thicker than the rest. Leaping from its branches, my shadow flickered in the light of their torches. Twisting my body, I threw the "Greatsword" I held in both hands down to the ground, landing perfectly on the pommel of the blade now standing vertically in the earth.

"A demi-human... No, a masked individual? Hmph, do those eyes of yours truly believe they are looking at justice?"

"These eyes see through wicked hearts, and expose the evil within villains..."

Reusing the flavor text from the Gazing Bird Mask verbatim as a dramatic line, I let a smile form beneath my mask at having executed the perfect entrance. Perfect... The success rate was roughly 50/50, but it seems I won the gamble this time. By the way, if you fail this entrance, it becomes a double-edged sword that brutally smashes you right in the crotch.
I failed three times during practice. Even with ShanFro's damage system dulling the physical pain, the psychological trauma is severe, making it a highly advanced technique.

"Shall I have your name?"

Uhh, give me five seconds to think of something... Alright, got it.

"I am the Wandering Sword! The blade swung to answer the Saint's prayer, and protect the King and Princess!"

The Flame General's Decapitation Sword and the Noblu Scythelent. Two weapons connected by their background lore.
By clearing the Unique Scenario "Sorrow Born of Love, and Thus Death," I received a reward item: "Never Again Parted"... Its true identity was an item designed to fuse two weapons dropped directly by monsters, using them as Materials to create something new.

By connecting those two "Swords" and combining them with the tears shed by a woman who had become the incarnation of death, the resulting weapon was this greatsword: "Memento Mori (Remember Death Without Parting)"───! The weapons tied to the True Quiet really do have an eerie charm that sends shivers down your spine. Hmm, what a black history.

"The Wandering Sword... Could you be..."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The Wandering Sword (Avenger) and the Tri-Divinity... Saint Iristella, are moving explicitly for the purpose of protecting you."

Even if I smiled while wearing the True Gaze Bird Mask, no one else would be able to notice it. Yet, still wearing that smile, I turned around……… and my smile Froze.

".........?"

"You've gotta be kidding me............"

W-Why? Impossible. This is ShanFro...

Tears welling in her eyes, yet having regained the light that had previously been clouded by despair, the First Princess Arfiliya looked at me. Perhaps due to differences in the graphics engine, her impression felt slightly different, but there was absolutely no way I could mistake her. Because............ I had once stared at that face so much

That I wanted to drop-kick her in the face.

Author's Afterword
Drifting Bug-Man: "There's all sorts of friends living on the New Continent!"
King: "Oh really? They seem rational, we might be able to establish diplomatic relations."
First Princess: "Wow, I'd love to meet them."
First Prince: "You're telling me there's more gross things like this out there? Disgusting."

A four-line summary of the royal family's internal conflict.