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“Master Iori, I have heard that the plan has been carried out.”
“Thank you. You’re always a great help. I can’t thank you enough for providing us with a room like this and sheltering us.”
“P-Please don’t. If I can be of help to you, Master Iori, I will even offer up my life!”

Crate, my, Iori Megi’s maid and the first victim of my skill, Allure, responded to my thanks with flushed cheeks and excitement. I had relied on her ever since I came to this world, but it was a little unsettling to see such blind faith in her. However, in this world, she was the person I was most safe with keeping close to me. So, if she disappeared, I would be in trouble.

“I’ll be in a pinch if you go away, Crate.”
“How could you say that!”

I wished she would stop kneeling in front of me like that, but Monobe had told me that it was better not to make her do things against her will too much, so I let her do what she wanted. Allure was only meant to make people like me, not to brainwash them. Looking at Crate, it almost seemed like brainwashing, but if I treated her poorly, she might end up disliking me, even with the effects of my skill.

Although I didn’t think there was much to worry about when someone was as charmed as Crate. It was almost like a habit to her by this point. I wished she would stop, but I had to admit that I was also used to it.

“You’re as fanatical as ever.”
“I pity the heroes for not understanding just how wonderful you are, Master Iori.”
“I do know how amazing Iori is. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here. If it weren’t for Iori, I too would be out with our classmates attacking villages. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach.”
“I’m glad that you realize that,” I said.

Monobe, who was reading a book in one of the room’s corners, spoke up in the middle of my discussion with Crate, interrupting it. It was honestly always like this. Crate was never happy with Monobe, who I treated as an equal, so she picked at him every time she saw him.

At first, I wanted them to get along, but as time passed, I began to think that this was just the beauty of their dynamic, so I left them alone. Monobe didn’t seem particularly bothered by it either, which worked out fine for me since he was the one dealing with her. And if he ever got tired of it, he could just leave. At the very least, I had fulfilled my promise to Monobe.

◇◇◇

The first thing I did when I was brought into this world was disguise my status using Misrepresentation. The next step was to use Allure on my maid, Crate, and turn her into a puppet. Just like I believed it was the case for Toriyama, I too didn’t trust this kingdom. And I didn’t really trust my classmates either.

Back in Japan, I had been bullied by certain groups in my class. So, as long as those groups were still present, I had no intention of trusting my classmates. I made an exception only for Monobe because he spent most of his time reading books, didn’t have many friends within the class, and often talked to me in the library. That was why I decided to reach out to him. I also valued the knowledge Monobe had gained from his extensive reading.

In the meantime, Monobe and I agreed to cooperate until we could use our skills to secure a safe zone since neither of us trusted this country. Together, we charmed more people, established a foothold, and created a safe place for ourselves. Just when we thought we had ensured our safety, we found ourselves in a situation where Toriyama could have been killed at any moment.

So, I decided to take advantage of that and hide out with Monobe. I didn’t think to help him. From my own experience with bullying, I knew that if I tried to intervene, I would either end up being bullied alongside him or become the next target.

And then Toriyama was killed. I felt sorry for him, but I couldn’t do anything about it¹. To be honest, I was terrified of being bullied again. I apologized to him many times in my mind. But when I realized that Toriyama was protecting our classmates, and when I saw the way they were being treated worse and worse, I couldn’t help but respect his courage and greatness.

In his last moments, he’d been able to take revenge on all of those who’d tormented him. I was pretty sure he’d died with those feelings. If I had been in his position, I would have felt the same kind of gloomy resentment.

◇◇◇

“It looks like the war with the Nigel Kingdom is happening.”

After Crate left the room, Monobe resumed the conversation. His voice sounded both stunned and relieved. He was likely shocked that our classmates were being sent off to war after Toriyama had finally been gotten rid of but relieved that he wasn’t involved in it.

“I’ll probably proceed with that plan. What are you planning to do, Monobe? You’ve already fulfilled your promise. You don’t need to help me further.”
“I’ve already come this far. Might as well stick it out until the end. I’m also gathering information on the anti-royalist faction called the Anti-War Faction, and I have some thoughts about the royals who summoned us out of nowhere².”
“I see. So, what do you think we should do now?”

My plans for the future were far from safe, and I wanted to give him the chance to step away if he wished. Still, if he chose to stay, I wouldn’t hesitate to move forward together. Monobe chuckled softly and then began to think.

“For now, I guess we’ll keep in touch with the anti-royalist faction and see how the war unfolds. If possible, I think we should prepare to flee to another kingdom.”
“You mean Fraus might lose?”
“We don’t know how strong the Nigel Kingdom is. Fraus’ side seems determined not to lose, but you never know what might happen. It’s better to be prepared. Even after you execute that plan, you might still need to flee Fraus. If you aren’t prepared when the time comes, you could end up stuck.”

Monobe was focused on ensuring everything was done safely. As for me, I hadn’t given much thought to escape routes because my mind was preoccupied with getting back at Fraus. As for my classmates—well, they were the ones who bullied me and even caused the death of one of our own, so I didn’t feel too concerned. At times like these, it was reassuring to have someone else in the room.

When I consulted with people who were allured by me, they often tried to keep me happy rather than offering useful opinions, which made it difficult to plan effectively.

I jotted down ‘secure an escape route’ on my notepad and asked, “Will you keep an eye on the war?”

I thought we should take action since during this time of war, there would be fewer knights.

“The general consensus is that it will be hard. Exterminating the Nigel Kingdom, or rather, the Demon Tribe, has been a long-cherished wish of the people of Fraus. I don’t think anyone will act. Unless, of course, you’re talking about us acting directly. Do you want to act?”
“I really don’t. We aren’t strong, you know.”

1. Robinxen: Well technically you could… you know, by involving him in your plan in secret?
2. Robinxen: Heh, so they’re going to expand the scope of the political side of things. Interesting development.

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