Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 350



350 – The Imperial Succession War: The Redburn Territory Explosion Arc – 2

Yuri Lanster hid in the shadows of the alleyway, glancing at the Redburn mansion of the duchy. Servants bustled about through the windows. Their traditional, modest maid uniforms stood out.

Even that alone revealed a fair amount of information.

Their hurried movements suggested sharp discipline. No matter how competent a head maid may be, they could not maintain such precise movements if the masters of the mansion were absent.

Even if they had a sense of professionalism as maids, they would inevitably let their guard down at least a little if the master was not at home. In other words… a high-ranking commander was inside.

Whether it was the duke’s proxy, or the duke himself.

“Hmm.”

The location of Duke Maximus of Redburn was still unknown. Whether he was in the capital, in his own territory, or somewhere else entirely. This was important.

Mima’s plan would change dramatically depending on the duke’s location.

If he was still staying at the Crownhall villa, they could simply capture and subdue him by smashing his head in with the combined force of Ilene, who had come up to the capital, and the Commander of the Capital Knights, Lulu. This case was the easiest way to capture the Duke.

But the duke himself would be well aware of this fact. There was no way that a seasoned duke would not have noticed the suspicious undercurrents of the Imperial Succession War.

He would have moved to a place where he could stand against Irrid even if he bared his sharp fangs. In that sense, the Redburn Duchy was a strong candidate.

Because the duke had his loyal knights, his army, and plenty of territory citizens who could be used as sacrifices.

A sublimation-level mage, Yuna, the allied forces’ greatest asset, was deployed to the duchy for a reason. It was because there was the highest probability of them facing the duke’s forces head-on.

There was a way to confirm the duke’s presence. Carefully, Yuri Lanster moved towards the back of the duke’s manor. A short walk towards the rear gate led to where the servants did their laundry.

From noble mtl dot com

She knew that Loderus, having gained the power of duplication, had created a disguise as a maid at the mansion. A role doing menial chores, making it easy to slip out of the estate.

This laundry area was their pre-arranged meeting point. He should be here… probably.

*Sshhhk*.

Hiding in the trees, after waiting for a while, three maids approached from the direction of the manor carrying laundry. They cleaned clothes and dishes in the flowing stream.

But Loderus was not among them. Even when the maids finished their work and returned to the mansion, there was no sign of Loderus arriving.

“………”

Had the schedule been messed up, or was there a reason he couldn’t come?

Perhaps he didn’t need to come at all. Yuri Lanster searched the area and soon found what she presumed to be a coded message left by Loderus.

Hidden cleverly beneath a tree trunk, shadowed and difficult to see, was a fragment of a plate with an encoded message carved onto it.

Yuri Lanster deciphered the first line of the code for verification. There was no issue with the decryption. This was indeed the pre-arranged code. After erasing the evidence of her presence, she burned the message and left.

Her brow was subtly furrowed. The first line contained unsettling information.

‘Duke Redburn is within the territory. Human sacrifice preparations are complete.’

It seemed she would have to move without any rest.

First, before returning, she would secure an infiltration route into the mansion. Yuri Lanster licked her lips and began to move. There had to be at least one maid going in and out of the manor for meal preparations…

The door to the inn room opened and Yuri Lanster walked in. Yuna, who was analyzing the territory’s magic circle based on records, greeted her with a delighted expression.

“Yuri, you’re early… What’s that in your hand?”

“Maid’s uniforms. Three of them, sized to fit. We’ll use these to infiltrate. I’ve bribed a servant to create an entry route. We should be able to get inside the mansion without a fight.”

“Uh, did I mention my size?”

“That kind of thing can be figured out by eyeballing it. Anyway, we made contact with Roderus and got inside intel, and here’s the gist.”

Yuri shared the information. Duke Redburn was holed up inside his territory. A number of paragon-level knights were stationed within the mansion. The duke was trying to achieve apotheosis through a human sacrifice ritual.

“Ah, we found something too. So, there’s this huge magic circle in the territory…”

Yuna and Selvier began to explain. There was a massive magic circle spread across the territory, and it was highly likely that it was being used to sacrifice the residents. Dismantling it from the outside was virtually impossible due to the time it would take.

“And, there’s a control room somewhere in the territory that regulates the speed of this magic circle. If our calculations are correct, it’ll be in the duke’s mansion.”

In short.

“We can’t give them time… It seems. If we dawdle, the duke will complete the ritual. We need to catch him and kill him before he gets stronger.”

“Yeah. We have to move. Since the core that manages the magic circle is also in the mansion, we’ll have to break through the mansion to deactivate it anyway.”

It boils down to violence. If they succeed in wrecking the mansion and killing the duke, there won’t be a single obstacle left in the way of the succession battle.

While Yuna and Yuri were getting ready for battle, Selvier chewed on her fingernails, racking her brain. Something kept nagging at her. Wasn’t there something they were missing?

Right.

“…What about the territory residents?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, judging by the atmosphere, the duke had a pretty good reputation among the residents. If we burn him to a crisp, there’s bound to be major chaos in this territory. And the reputation of the tower master will also suffer.”

“Hmm…”

Selvier’s words were hitting on the issue of the aftermath. If all they had to do was defeat an enemy, then that would be enough, but when someone of the duke’s stature is taken out, the void left behind is significant.

And the residents of the territory knew absolutely nothing about Duke Redburn’s misdeeds. It wouldn’t be easy to make them understand, either. If you just said, ‘There’s a huge magic circle spread across the territory that’s sucking up your souls!’ would they believe it easily?

From the perspective of the residents, it could appear that their lord had been brutally murdered by the tower master and her friends after being dragged into a political struggle.

Furthermore.

“⋯⋯Ugh, the Duke of Redburn’s seat will probably go to Roderus. Just looking at it, it paints a picture of him dragging in foreign forces to usurp the title by force, doesn’t it⋯⋯?”

“That was a blind spot. It was tradition in the Extermination Corps for someone to take responsibility and go to the gallows, so we hadn’t really considered it.”

“I heard that the Redburn territory already has a high proportion of criminals who fled from other provinces and went into hiding. If we burn away the Duke, the lord’s knights, and the guards, then after that⋯⋯.”

A massive chaos will break out on top of the disorder.

“In that case, it might be better to prioritize preventing a large-scale human sacrifice. In the end, if we can’t stop that, it’ll only result in the Duke getting stronger. Of course, the best case would be breaking his neck before he can even use it.”

“Yeah, and we have Roderus as a tracker and a dagger too… The local dark magic forces that could help the Duke flee, he’s already wiped them out since he’s been there. And, um, other things….”

A silence settled between the three of them. Wasn’t there some good way? Uncover the Duke’s evil deeds, suppress the unrest in the territory, make it easy for Roderus to take over, minimize casualties, a way where everyone’s happy but the Duke’s miserable… ?

Doppelganger meta, assassination meta if there are no witnesses, just letting Roderus handle it meta, many ideas came up, but none solidified.

Yuna, who had been struggling, lifted her head and said,

“⋯⋯Should we ask?”

“Can you even contact your crazy wizard professor?”

“Secret communication won’t work from this distance, and if we cast long-range communication magic, it’ll be like advertising our position to the Duke of Redburn.”

“Uhh-huh. We can’t ask him, but there is something similar to him……”

Tap. Tap.

Yuna carefully tapped the air, creating a rift. After the 『Tower of Illusions』 incident, her stability had greatly improved, and she could now use it on this small scale.

What popped out of the small rift was a raven.

“Caw caw caw. Did you seek me, my lady?”

It was the questionable theatrical module left in the silenced area of the 『Tower of Illusions』. Mima, instead of retrieving this crazy raven, left it with Yuna. Yuna spoke quietly to the raven circling around,

“Yeah. I’ll explain our situation to you, can you lend us your wisdom?”

“Caw, anytime!”

The explanation continued. The crazed raven tilted its head this way and that, and then, as if it had finished its calculations, snapped its beak together.

Then it spoke.

“Caw caw, I have an idea. The main body would likely think something similar if they had the same information. We’ll create the stage, so the lovely ladies can proceed with the plan!”

“…What kind of stage are you planning?”

“The beast’s sins will be exposed to the entire world, and the heir will reclaim their rightful authority!”

So what the hell is that supposed to mean?

The crazed raven, as if its explanation was complete, flapped out the window, presumably to prepare the production. The heroines silently looked at each other before simultaneously nodding their heads.

“If it’s okay to do it, let’s destroy it.”

“Yeah, let’s erase it. Like it never existed.”

“Yes. Let’s burn it to ash so there’s nothing left.”

If the okay sign had been given, there was no reason to hesitate.

–

Three maids entered the Redburn mansion through the back door. They each held a basket, to emphasize that they had purchased the necessary ingredients and returned.

Maid Yuna whispered.

“Where do we go?”

“The Duke’s office is on the 3rd floor, but I’ve heard there’s an underground facility in this mansion. The core that controls the human sacrifice magic circle is likely underground.”

“So… do we go to the basement first?”

“Hold on a moment. Let’s ask.”

The three, walking down the hallway in the quick, shuffling steps of ordinary maids, spotted another maid walking towards them. She cocked her head, looking at the unfamiliar faces. Had new maids joined the mansion?

Click clack.

Three people and one person brushed past. That instant.

“Ugh…!”

*Whirrr.* Like an octopus ensnaring its prey, Yuri subdued the maid and dragged her into a nearby room. Yuna and Selvier stood guard at the door.

About a minute passed.

Yuri emerged, not a hair out of place.

“I heard Duke Redburn headed for the basement. Perfect timing. Let’s go sever his head and paralyze the magic circle.”

“…Sister, you didn’t kill her, did you?”

“Just put her to sleep for about half a day.”

They had the location. Now, only the surprise attack remained. The Maid Heroines walked down the hallway, swiftly “sleeping” those who occasionally cast suspicious glances their way.

And then, they found the entrance to the basement. Two knights stood guard in front of it, and it seemed there was no way they’d let anyone through.

Yuri Lanster clenched her fist.

“From here, we break through. I’ll take the one on the right.”

“…I’ll take the left.”

“I’ll cover the rear…”

*Taat.*

“『Subtract』.”

*Beeeep*──!

A violet flash struck the left knight between the eyes, and he collapsed instantly. The right knight sensed the anomaly and drew his sword—but—

*Thunk.*

His sword, half-drawn, was stuck. Yuri Lanster, who had approached unnoticed, was pressing down on the hilt. The knight gave up trying to draw his sword and shifted into a fighting stance, but it was already too late.

* * *

“Kuh…!!”

A neck is snared. And then, fists brimming with magic pummeled the knight’s chest. One, two, three. Cracking.

The armor, enchanted for defense, was ruined by the relentless blows. When the armor no longer held, Yuri landed a final jab on the knight’s jaw.

Snap. The knight’s neck twisted, and he fell backward like a doll.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeee—!!

An alarm blared through the mansion. Yuri Ranster kicked open the basement door for a swift attack, rushing inside, followed by Yuna and Selvier.

The mansion’s basement was built like a dungeon. And of course, knights were stationed at the passageways. The trio blasted through them with ‘Subtraction’, fists, and ‘Flame Harpoons’.

Too easy.

“…….”

So easy, it’s unsettling. Suspicious.

The knights are weaker than expected. At least, none of them were confirmed to be legendary-grade. And there are so few of them. Not keeping elite soldiers by his side…is it complacency?

Also, the fact that Roderus is nowhere to be seen is bothering me.

Could it be the Duke isn’t here? No, that can’t be. It’s clear that the mansion has a magic circle control system. A crucial facility, even capable of draining the souls of the entire territory’s population.

There’s no way he’d abandon this place.

*BANG*!

Yuri Ranster kicked down the final door and entered the deepest part of the basement. There, a magic circle with a complex, glowing structure awaited, along with Duke Maximus Redburn…

“H-Hiiiiiik! Damn, how did you get here?! I thought I was safe!”

Yuri Ranster smacked her forehead, seeing the whimpering, trembling Duke. There’s no way a Duke of a nation would be so pathetic. She quickly assessed the situation.

“Damn it, it’s a fake.”

“⋯⋯F-fake?! But this magic circle is real⋯⋯?!”

“Yes. I thought you wouldn’t give up, of course, but the Duke moved by sacrificing the fief’s human sacrifice magic circle. And if he put out bait of this size…”

The more valuable the bait, the deadlier the trap.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Countless footsteps echo from above. The fief’s forces are swarming in. The entrance would already be blocked, and the fief’s elite soldiers, kept aside, would appear to take their lives.

Shhhiiiing.

Yuri Lanster tossed aside her suit jacket and pulled up her riding hood. Chains coiled around both arms.

“Yuna, work with Selbier to stop the magic circle. I’ll hold off the forces.”

“Ah, okay. After stopping this, we can use Ascendance to teleport out. So, let’s see… huh?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“Huh” was not a word that should be said in this situation. Yuri silently steeled herself. No matter how screwed things got, she wouldn’t complain or whine.

“⋯⋯He, he left after setting the magic circle to go berserk. Like, he made a train run at maximum speed and then broke the controls…”

“Shit.”

She couldn’t hold it in.

–

Far away from the Redburn Manor.

On the outskirts of the Redburn Duchy, in a hidden secret facility concealed within the secluded forest. Redburn Duke Maximus stared at the redly flashing crystal ball. It meant that his manor was being attacked.

Reports continued to come in. Three intruders. The purple mage tower master, an agent, and a flame mage, suspected to be an academy student.

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice something big for the sake of your goal. Roderus, bring me the knight.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Roderus Redburn retrieved the chess pieces from the black box and offered them forth with a polite gesture. The Duke picked up a piece, his gaze fixed on the chessboard laid out on the table.

He was not defeated yet.

Information on them had been thoroughly gathered since the Trumpet Hall incident in the Holy City. From the lamb, information on the Violet Tower Master; from the old eradication agent and the defense bureau’s lackey, information on Yuri Lanster.

Today, could he kill them and ascend to the seat of God?

He hadn’t looked at the odds. What burned within him was rage. He would ignite the many souls sealed within the chess piece, draw forth magic. And then, like divine punishment, he made his move.

*Click.*

And it activated.

Metamorphosis, 『Lantern of Foresight』.