Chapter 367: Crush the Mechanical and Grotesque Puppets! 7

Crush the Mechanical and Grotesque Puppets! 7

* * *

Duke Daychib’s mansion.

As mentioned earlier, it’s an exotic mansion, built incorporating architectural styles from other continents, a vestige of the noble culture before the previous king.

Its main building is five stories tall, towering over its surroundings.

A majestic structure.

And its garden consists of beautifully laid bricks, lush green grass regardless of the season, and carefully trimmed hedges.

After the previous king’s thorough cultural destruction, even the mansions of nobles were mostly built in a rather simple style, but this Duke’s mansion is a rare exception.

It’s truly beautifully maintained.

…Well, this beautiful Duke’s mansion.

If there’s one thing to complain about, it would be the magic lamp illumination.

The mansion is illuminated in various colors to make the building look beautiful.

That wouldn’t be a problem, but in this building’s case, Duke Daychib’s self-assertion is added to it.

The Duke’s name, ‘La Sbos’.

A portrait of the Duke.

Poems praising the Duke.

Such things are projected by magic lamps, flickering on and off throughout the Duke’s mansion.

To be honest, it’s quite tacky.

A traditional mansion, imbued with history and culture, ruined by vulgar self-assertion.

That is this Duke Daychib’s mansion.

“This is bad, this is bad! It’s terribleーーー!”

Now, a man was running through the garden of Duke Daychib’s mansion, illuminated in seven colors by magic lamps.

His face painted completely white.

Baggy clothes with excessive decorations.

This man, dressed in a way that makes everyone recognize him as ‘a jester’ at first glance, is Chubos.

The man who is manipulating this coup d’état, using Duke Daychib as a figurehead, with unknown methods.

“Duke-samaーーー! Something terrible happenedーーー!”

Shouting that, he rushed into a tent set up in the center of the garden.

This fancy and cheerful tent, with cute, deformed illustrations of shrimp, squid, and other legendary monsters, contained a single old man, surrounded by Mechanical Soldiers, trying to look young.

With his long, glossy golden hair flowing down his back, wearing luxurious attire studded with jewels, this man.

His name is La Sbos Daychib.

The… apparent leader of this coup d’état!

“What’s wrong? Chubos!”

Seeing the jester acting unusual, Duke Daychib stood up and shouted!

“Did a ghost appear!? A ghost appeared, didn’t it!!”

“…………”

“That’s why I told you, let’s start the uprising after lunch! Because, because… ghosts appear at night!”

Chubos, dumbfounded, froze for a moment at the Duke’s panicked rambling… but he immediately put his jester mask back on and gave his report, acting playfully.

“It’s not a ghostーーー! But, I think it’s probably a pawn of the council faction nobles! A really strong enemy appearedーーー!”

“Oh, it’s not a ghost, that’s good!”

“It’s not goodーーー!!”

Chubos, slightly revealing his true self, continued!

“It’s going to be bad if this continues! We’re going to loseーーー!! The enemy is a terrifyingly strong, black-haired, black-eyed girlーーー!!”

“Black-haired… black-eyed?”

Hearing those words, Duke Daychib’s demeanor changed.

“…Kill her.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Huh?”

“Kill all the black-haired, black-eyed people! They’re garbage who oppose the royal family! My brother Nidero was also killed by a black-haired, black-eyed personーーー!!”

Shouting that, Duke Daychib clutched his head, his face turning pale, his body trembling.

‘Nidero’ is… the Duke’s cousin.

In other words, the previous king of this country, infamous for his tyranny.

“C-Calm down! Calm down, Duke-sama!”

Chubos was surprised by the Duke’s unexpected fear, but there’s no problem with this old man being scared and panicking.

Rather, Chubos wants to… corner Duke Daychib mentally.

In that sense, things are going well.

Chubos inwardly smirked as he soothed the Duke.

“See! I gave you that trump card for a time like thisーーー, didn’t I!?”

“Ah…!”

The Duke, startled by those words, immediately fumbled in his right pants pocket!

What he took out was a golden, shining Myogomyogoshugo shell…!

“Wrong! That’s not it!”

“Ah…!”

The Duke was momentarily captivated by its brilliance, but Chubos’s words startled him, and he immediately fumbled in his left pants pocket!

What he took out this time was a green, shining Topopolock plushie…!

“That’s not it eitherrrrr!”

“Ah…!”

The Duke was momentarily captivated by its cuteness, but Chubos’s words startled him, and he immediately fumbled in his breast pocket!

What he took out this time was a mysterious jewel, glowing an eerie green…!

“That’s itーーー! That’s the oneeee! A treasure that grants the strong desires of the chosen one!”

Chubos, finally seeing the item he was looking for, clenched his fist!

But, it was at that moment!

“““Pipipipiiiiーーー!!!”””

Yes, with such electronic death throes, the mangled and torn remains of several Mechanical Soldiers… flew into the tent!

“Eh!?”

“Huh!? She’s already here!? Isn’t that too fast!?”

As the Duke and Chubos hurriedly turned to look, they saw a single figure standing beyond the fallen tent.

It was a petite girl.

Illuminated by the seven-colored lights of the Duke’s mansion.

But.

Wearing a jet-black armor.

With black hair and black eyes.

Like… the Grim Reaper himself… a beautiful girl, enveloped in intense killing intent!

“KYAAAAAAAAHーーー!?”

The Duke screamed in terror at the sight of her!

Terrifying!

He wants to be saved!!

He doesn’t want to die!!!

Those thoughts are dominating the old man’s mind right now.

The strong, strong desire to survive, that many creatures possess!

Chubos was convinced.

Now is the time… when the Duke’s soul is dominated by a strong desire!

So, he approached the Duke and whispered in his ear.

“See! Now’s the time to use your trump card! Duke-sama, press that treasure against your forehead and…”

“‘I want to be strong’, ‘I want to be strong’, ‘I want to be strong’ーーー!!!”

And the Duke, now completely at Chubos’s mercy.

Pressed the treasure that was glowing in his palm against his forehead, and with a desperate expression, chanted the ‘keyword’ he had been taught beforehand!

And then, the light emitted by the treasure suddenly intensified!

“……!!”

Even Emi, the black-haired, black-eyed girl, narrowed her eyes at the brightness.

However, she didn’t close her eyes completely.

She wouldn’t do something foolish like look away from the person she recognizes as an enemy.

That’s why she clearly saw what happened to the Duke.

The moment he shouted “I want to be strong” and the treasure glowed brightly.

The Duke’s body was quickly enveloped by a large amount of green, gooey something that suddenly gushed out from the small treasure.

And when the light subsided, what remained where the Duke had been standing…

Was.

A green, jiggly, egg-shaped object.

“Yesーーー! Okayーーー!! Mission accomplishedーーー! Good workーーー!!”

Seeing that, Chubos shouted joyfully.