OP Waifu: #29 Quest introduction to the count who wants to become a hero

Arc 02: Guild and Competition for the cursed sword
Chapter 29:
Quest introduction to the count who wants to become a hero

A gigantic sheathed cursed sword brushed away the warriors.

One, Two, Three, Four — Eight people.

The [Delay Arts] skill allowed to store the power of a weapon the user swung up until the moment the skill was invoked.

I spent all my time swinging the cursed sword while gathering the slimes who inhabited these marshes. As a result, I managed to store quite a bit of power. Those fellows were unable to withstand it as I exp—

“Mo-o-o-o-ove!”

Ah… the count still resists. I see, he’s wearing the same kind of magic armor that Tanaka had, isn’t he?

However, the count was only able to resist being blown away. Even he couldn’t withstand it completely and tumbled due to the attack.

And the raised wind made the slimes float in the air while they were trying to run away.

…. I am sorry. Let’s give them an additional reward later.

Once the blow of [Delay Arts] passed through the marshland — all the warriors were rolling on the ground. Their weapons were broken, shields were blown off, and the armor was full of holes.

They are completely unfit for battle now… they aren’t dead, are they?

“O-okay, take down your helmets please”

“I’ll do [Memory Wipe LV1]. Be still, okay?”

After the warriors had their helmets removed by Rita, their opened faces were brushed with the broom. Some showed resistances, but they too eventually fainted after being repeatedly brushed.

Cecyl and Leticia confirmed the status of the warriors. The injuries amounted to their limbs being almost broken. This much would probably be treated later by the count and his friends from the Iturna cult. Naturally, there was no damage to the escaped slimes.

…. Ha-a-a-a. We managed it somehow.

Once we took away their ability to move, we started with targeting their magicians, then we incapacitated the strong-looking warrior-type guys, surrounded and herdered them into a tight group formation to finish them with a single wide-range attack. There were some amazing complaints when I included this tactics into a routine of the enemies in the game I made.

I guess it’s thanks to the cursed sword Reginablus and the good fortune that this plan went smoothly, for sure.

“I really should express our gratitude to the slimes later”

<<You do not need to concern yourself with that, my lord>>

Magic sword Laydi muttered and vibrated.

<<They have already contacted me and said “Insane people like you, who negotiate with us slimes fair and squarely, are precious so we didn’t want you to die”>>

“I don’t feel like we’re being praised here”

Still, the slimes were jumping around us with delight.

Looks like what Laydi said was the truth.

<<It appears they will stick with us for a bit longer>>

“… I am not particularly against it, but…. No, wait”

The count was still here. He was writhing in the mud, and now he was trying to raise himself up, what a fellow.

<<That aside… Please excuse me, my lord>>

“What’s this about, Laydi?”

<<My body, it aches>>

*clink* — Both the sword and the scabbard broke.

“… I am sorry, I was excessive”

As I feared, even the cursed sword was unable to withstand [Delay Arts].

“I guess I did save about fifty times worth of attack power…”

[Delay Arts] was a one-shot technique — there was no way to undo it. We had the only option to herd the opponents within the skill’s range and bring them down with a single blow. However, the strain on Reginablus was probably way too big.

<<I am sorry, please wait until I regenerate. Don’t throw me away>>

“I won’t do it. Sorry for placing such a burden on you”

“…. My lord. You’re gentle”

Reginablus muttered in soft voice and stopped talking.

“Nagi-sama, we are done on our end~”

I turned around to the voice of Cecyl.

All the warriors were lying unconsciousness. Aine was in the middle of scrubbing the faces of the fallen magicians with her utmost effort.

It usually takes nine scrubs to make someone faint.

The number of fallen opponents was ten in total. The only one standing was Count Regild, who was protected by his magical armor.

“Are you ready to speak on equal terms now, count?”

“No fricking way! How can you command something like slimes?! ”

“Rather than calling it ‘command’, I just talked with them and asked for their help, you know?”

“Impossible. I’ve brought with me the most high level adventurers! So you bastard wasn’t just some low level adventurer, were you? This situation is impossible! It’s absurd!”

Aaah, so there are indeed people like him. In front of the unforeseen reality, they can only scream that it’s absurd and impossible.

“So you say that this situation causes you to stop thinking critically, Count Regild”

I hid the cursed sword in another bag, and thrusted my reserve shortsword at the count.

“We have one demand. Do not mess with us. If you do, we won’t do anything to you either”

“Fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu-fu, what a fool”

The count took a posture with his half-broken greatsword. His full-body armor was shining in pale white light. The defense preparations were complete once he lowered the front piece of this helmet.

“You thought that I didn’t prepare anything, you commoners! This [Consecrated Armor] dampens the power of magic by ninety percent, lowers physical damage and, on top of that, also has a self-recovery ability, so stop already with the sli-i-i-i-i-i-imes!”

*slash* *slash* *slash*

*slimy* *slimy* *slimy*

Aine sent slimes flying with [Monster Sweep] which then striked the count’s whole body like projectiles. At the same time, they crawled up the armor’s surface. Ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, and wrists were being affected. The slimes restrained any possible movements by coiling around the joints in armor.

What good fellows green slimes are. I wonder if we can end the hostilities with their entire race. Is it really that unreasonable~?

“I’ve told the count already, didn’t I? We have no interest in your matters”

“…. Uh, u-u-uh”

“We aren’t going to kill you. Though we would like you to do a [Contract]”

“A [Contract], you say?”

“Strictly speaking, the one you will be doing it with is just Aine alone”

Hearing her name being called, a girl in maid clothes stepped forward. She took out her medallion and showed it to the count.

“Esteemed Count Regild, do not chase after Aine and the rest anymore. Aine thinks nothing of losing the Common Guild. We won’t spread any rumors in other towns about what you did”

“Think nothing…?”

“Aine has discovered a new place where she belongs”

Aine looked in turns at me, Cecyl, Rita and Leticia in order and smiled.

“That’s why you should to the [Contract] with Aine.

[Aine won’t go and appeal in other towns about what was done to her. We will release you at this place without killing you, even if everyone else would oppose this. In exchange, the count will not concern himself any further with either Aine or her companions]”

“I-is that really all?”

“It is. So that there won’t be any regrets —  

[The count will also devote all his power to obtain the cursed sword inside the dungeon, up to the point where he will completely forget about Aine and the rest].

That much is the only wish Aine has”

Aine breathed out a sigh of relief.

She said it to word by word without mistakes, just like I taught her. That much should bring her some relief. Well then, what will the count do? It’s not like he has any other choice, right?

“If you don’t like it, we can take your live in exchange. Will that be good?”

“I-I got it. I will do the [Contract]!”

“Aine, please do the honors”

“[Contract]”

Aine’s and Count’s medallions knocked on each other with a clank.

The contract was complete.

I released the count from the slimes.

“By the way, that black sword you’re holding, is it a magic sword?” — The count leaned forward and asked.

Aah… As I suspected, this guy has no idea how “Cursed Sword Reginablus” looks like.

The last time the sword appeared was eighty years ago, after all. At best there should be pictures of it left behind. It’s probably not that easy to find out how exactly the sword would look like.

“What say you, won’t you sell it to me for 200k arusha?!”

“… Sorry, but it’s impossible. You will forget about this sword”

“—Eh?”

*hit*

Rita placed a slime on the count’s head, to which he took off his helmet on reflex.

Aine then followed with brushing his now bare face.

“You not being killed is a whim of Aine and the rest. The only reason for that is that  because Aine doesn’t want to remember how your blood was shed whenever she would receive a reward from Na-kun”

The broom did the first round, the count’s eyes rolled up.

“I think the same. If Nagi-sama tells so, I will reduce you to ashes”

The broom did the third round, the count’s body lost its strength.

“I don’t want to touch your body under no circumstances. I cannot allow myself to touch Nagi with the hand that your blood was spilled on”

The broom did the ninth round.

“You know, I really want to just kill you and be done with it? Be thankful to this strange party, Count Regild”

Having lost the consciousness, the count fell down still in his armor. As for Aine and her broom, they continued brushing his face.

“Farewell, Count Regild. You too should experience once in a while how it feels to work in a black company with no reward in sight”

He probably doesn’t hear me anymore.

Goodbye, the man of influence.

We live our lives slowly, so leave us alone already.

One hour and several dozen minutes later —

Count Regild shook his head and woke up. For a short while he didn’t understand where he was or for what reason he had collapsed in those marshes.

He didn’t know, the only thing he remembered was that something frightening had happened.

Aine Crunette. The party of her comrades. He was chasing after them… then what?

… No, what happened to them didn’t matter, the cursed sword was more important.  He had to obtain the cursed sword. He finally sent a messenger to His Majesty that he would present him the sword.

“Everyone, check your equipment! We are heading to the dungeon immediately!”

The count shouted at the adventurers around him. There was no response. Something was probably wrong with them. The people whom he had employed were looking at him with white eyes.

Still, that didn’t matter. This [Consecrated Armor] was invincible. He paid a fortune to obtain it so that he could procure the cursed sword by himself when the road towards the lowest level would be opened. Once he appeared from the dungeon with the sword in his hand, everyone would saw it, and he would most definitely become a hot topic. That day might even become a tradition.

He was going to become a hero. Every tool he brought up to this point — the gargoyles, the armor, even Tanaka Koga whom he bought from the king — it was for this moment.

“E-esteemed count, what are we going to do about the parade?” — The waken magician whispered into the count’s ears.

What was this guy talking about? I was the descendant of the twelve retainers who supported the king of the first generation, who created and made this country great.

Was there really enough time to do a parade?

“H-however, the Search Magic had no response thus far, and we still have no accurate location of the cursed sword?”

“That stuff doesn’t matter! It’s the cursed sword, I have to obtain the cursed sword. The cursed sword, the cursed sword, the cursed sword, the cursed swo-o-ord!”

He couldn’t afford to search for his horse. He had to move immediately. His honor as a noble as on the line!

“We are returning to Metekal immediately. The search will be done with all members of the [Noble Guild] and [Common Guild]! Get in touch with Tanaka and deputy bishop Argis at once!”

The count turned in the direction of Metekal and started to run.