Katahane no Riku

Chapter 73.Responsibility

“You are being disrespectful, Riku Barusak!!”

The one to launch an objection before anyone else was a demon of a large build.

The tiger shaped female demon that was toned with muscles, major general Keity Fostar, was glaring straight at Riku. Differently from Charlotte′s confused attitude, Keity was clearly showing her hostility to Riku.

“You are saying that Charlotte-sama′s reign will be over!? More than that, for you to address Charlotte-sama without honorifics… You.. This is defamation of your superior! It seems that you really want to be killed that much, Riku Barusak!”

Raising a sound, she stood up in a flashy manner and pointed her sharp claws at Riku. The anger that was emanating from Keity was just like hell fire. It was an intensity gave the feeling that just by approaching even if one step towards Keity, one would become ashes and vanish.

Facing that, Riku kept her smile.(TL note: Actually, it is written細く笑った, but I couldn′t find what a細く smile means. Either way, it is a smile^^)

“As you would guess, I still don′t want to die.”

Without raising any sound, Riku stood up. And then, her eyes met the eyes of the furious Keity.

“Besides, there is no reason for me to be killed. This is a proposal for the meeting. Wouldn′t it be unnatural if you were to decide that all this is an insult without even knowing the what it is about?”

Riku spoke calmly. As if Riku′s carefree figure was pouring oil onto Keity′s hellfire of anger, having her eyes becoming bloodshot, Keity bent her back as if she was about to jump at Riku.

“Riku Barusak, you…!”

“Keity, drop it.”

However, using her hand, Charlotte commanded Keity. She had only raised one of her hands, but even so, it seemed that just that was enough to stop Keity. While letting out a groan from the gaps of her clenched teeth, dejected, Keity pulled back.

“The major general Riku Barusak is a newcomer from the military. She isn′t used to a place like this, and so, it would be obvious that she wouldn′t know how she should behave. As long as you are careful from now on, there won′t be any problems.”

While saying that, Charlotte elegantly opened her fan.

It seemed that Charlotte was thinking of solving this by making Riku′s proposal [as if it didn′t happen].

“Now then, everything is fine now. Major general Riku Barusak is a talented person that will be indispensable for the Demon Lord army from now on; it is fine as long as you learn from your mistakes. Umu, is that understood?”

Charlotte persuaded.

Charlotte was showing a smile that seemed to be saying [with that, everything is fine now]. Maybe this was because she didn′t want to throw away Riku′s fighting prowess, or because she was intending to repay the debt she had to Riku, or perhaps both. Showing a smile as if saying she had accepted what Charlotte had said, Riku…

“Yes, indeed I am an inexperienced novice that still has much to learn. However, I intend on (TL note: I think this was supposed to beあおい若輩者 instead ofおおい若輩者.)

Riku bluntly declared.

If Riku was someone that would back down now just because Charlotte had said to, she wouldn′t set a stage at the risk of her head. Riku wasn′t holding her halberd, but she felt that this was just like the battlefield. It could be said that the conditions for victory was taking the head of the enemy general. The enemy general was Charlotte, and the ones stopping Riku from taking it was the Charlotte′s safeguarding faction that was started by Keity Fostar.

“I believe Charlotte-sama′s actions in the past few months has somewhat not been restrained enough.”

“Restrained?”

Charlotte′s forehead twitched.(TL note: It is actually the temple of the head ->こめかみが<-, but… It just feels to weird in english… Charlotte′s temple of the head twitched.)

“What do you mean by that?”

“For instance, because of the deployment of army to Sherr island without proper investigations, we fell into the trap of the enemy. At that time, if things were handled more carefully, at least general Zerrik wouldn′t have been killed.”

With Riku saying that, the surroundings became slightly noisy.

There were many demons that were unsatisfied with Zerrik′s incident. At best, there would always be insufficient soldiers. In order to fight the spiritualists, it is necessary to expand the army in a large scale. However, because of that, most of the young demons are part of the military. From the rumors, it is heard that there aren′t enough young demons even at the demon capital. Even children from the nobles, including their heirs, are enlisted into the army, and even Riku sees demons of noble families at the squad she leads from time to time. In other words, there were also nobles among the ones that were killed at the city of Fert.(TL note: ゼーリックの件に関しては、不満を持っている魔族が多い。ただでさえ、->魔族の数は少ない。<-(??))

Riku didn′t know about the pride of the demon nobles, but this didn′t change the fact that their previous children had died. And so, it was stranger for them to not be unsatisfied about Charlotte′s reign.

“It is an obvious principle that, even if it is by only one hour sooner, it is necessary to recover the Demon Lord crown fast if there is a chance to have it.”

In response to that, Charlotte declared with an indifferent expression.

“If it is for the sake of not letting the humans use it, it is not unnatural to favor quickly recovering it.”

“It should still be necessary to confirm the veracity of the information. Guessing from Mei Asuteroid′s behavior, that information was one she had just got her hands on at the time. Wouldn′t it be fine even if you didn′t give your immediate response to it?”

It was at the garden party that was being held by Charlotte that the information regarding the Demon Lord crown arrived. Without pondering about it at all, Charlotte had decidedly given her order in regard to the information that had suddenly appeared. That was not the decision of someone that governs a kingdom.

“…Indeed…”

A person in the crowd muttered.

Influential demons had been invited to that garden party. Demons that had the standing to be called for this meeting definitely had been invited to that garden party. That was why everyone here had seen Charlotte′s decision.

For how the decision that had led a division of demons to fall near annihilation had been carried out without even the slightest consideration… Every demon gathered here knew about it.

Wasn′t Charlotte′s decision wrong? Such thoughts started to color the members of the parliament.

“You are basing all this on how the outcome was!”

Declaring that, Keity let out a roaring voice.

“Indeed, it is important to have the most consideration in decisions. However, Riku Barusak… You should be able to understand that the situation in battle is always constantly changing. At that time, the [Demon Lord crown] was an important object that would influence the situation of the war. If we had found it at that time, it is inevitable that for it to have happened, it would have required a quick decision.”

Keity′s words echoed through the whole meeting room like the roar of a tiger.

As if they were oppressed by Keity′s voice, the doubting voices became quieter.

“Is it just because the war ended up in defeat that you are putting the responsibility onto Charlotte-sama!? Enough with jokes!”

Riku listened to Keity′s argument.

Certainly, Keity′s statements might not have been wrong. However, there was no way Riku could accept them.

“Then, who is supposed to take responsibility?”

As if she was parrying the attack of the enemy with her halberd, Riku bluntly spoke.

“It is the duty of the person in charge to take responsibility when the time comes, isn′t it?”

“If it is about it, then Zerrik and you, who were the commanders at that battle, are the ones that should actually take responsibility. You didn′t notice the a trap after all.”

Without hesitations, Keity imposingly answered back. And then, showering Riku with words, she continued.

“To be able to react to dire situations is what makes a first-rate commander. You, who wasn′t able to do that, was supposed to be demoted for that in the regulations! Just because Charlotte-sama′s compassion that…”

“I will answer back those words just the way you said. I can tell that this leader of the Demon Lord army won′t be able to respond to a dire situation in the future.”

“You are being too disrespectful, Riku Barusak! This is only because you still don′t know of Charlotte-sama′s strength!”

“Strength? Pf, aha, ahahahahaaha!”

At that moment, Riku could not hold herself back from laughing in the end. Without paying attention to the public, Riku broke in laughs.

“Are you being serious? Because she is strong? Because she is the Demon Lord′s sister that there is worth in having her command the Demon Lord army?”

“…What are you trying to say? For one to lead the Demon Lord army, it is necessary to have the equivalent strength for it. Riku Barusak, you are certainly… You are certainly looking to take Charlotte-sama′s position, aren′t you!?”

“As if. There is no way.”

Riku flatly denied. Keity narrowed her eyes. Her gaze was as if she was trying to see through Riku′s true intentions.

“I am a human, you know? It would be ridiculous for a human to command the Demon Lord army. There is no way I would gain approval, and to begin with, something like a provisional demon lord is stupid.”

The meeting room became in uproar. The demons probably were thinking that Riku was planning on kicking down Charlotte and taking the seat of provisional demon lord to herself. Half of the people became shocked that their expectations were wrong, and the remaining half bent their body forward, being full of interest in what Riku was going to say.

“It is stupid, you said?”

Charlotte′s fist was trembling all over. Riku was showing a broad grin.

“Because, isn′t the highest position in the Demon Lord army the Demon Lord? I understand that because the Demon Lord isn′t here now, it is necessary for the strong demons to work together and manage the Demon Lord army. But don′t you think that there is something a bit wrong with a provisional demon lord behaving like she has the authority of the Demon Lord just because he isn′t here?”

There wasn′t much of a [for the sake of the Demon Lord army] in Charlotte′s actions.

Even regarding the Demon Lord crown too. If she was really thinking of it as something for the sake of the Demon Lord army, she would act more carefully about it. Besides…

“More than anything, at the Derufoi city, because she got interested in Rook Barusak; because of a reason like that, all her subordinates were annihilated. Without bearing any responsibility to it, she had left Rook Barusak unchecked.”

Before, Leivein declared that he would take responsibility himself and dispose of the human, Riku, in the slightest chance she would go against them. Besides, in order to prevent Riku from betraying the Demon Lord army, he took hold of her true name.

Even if with all this was done… should Riku betray the Demon Lord army, at that moment, Leivein would execute Riku and take responsibility.

However, this hadn′t been the same for Charlotte.

“How do you intend on taking responsibility for falling in love with Rook Barusak?”(TL note: Actually, the word used is ->うつつを抜かし<-, and not fall in love. The literal meaning of it would be losing the sense of reality or something else. Literally translating this to english, it would become: Losing the sense of reality to Rook Barusak…)