Katahane no Riku Chapter 74

There was a rumor of the incident at Derufoi spreading.

The demon´s general understanding of the incident became that [Charlotte´s escort squad was annihilated when protecting her from the spiritualists. And then, risking their life, Leivein Adlar and Riku Barusak went to save her, and were also able to uncover a traitor hiding in the Demon Lord army]. By summarizing it like that, it would be more or less correct. However, this had the most important part of it excluded.

Yes, that was…

“Charlotte-sama has… taken a liking to Rook Barusak?”

Someone´s voice thoroughly reverberated.

Making the meeting dead silent, everybody became quiet. Without even needing to glance at her surroundings, Riku had the feeling she already knew the expressions of the demons gathered at the meeting.

The name of Rook Barusak was well know even at the Demon Lord army.

It was a distinguis.h.i.+ng young spiritualist that appeared at the recent years, and had got several accomplishments at the battlefield. It was possible to point out this recent war in which Zerrik´s second division was destroyed. After this happened, if thinking about the future of the demons, it was inevitable that it was necessary to pluck out the sprouts of Rook´s talent before it blossomed.

However, not only had the provisional demon lord that was supposed to have declared the need for Rook´s death and have him killed, not only had she fallen in love with the person himself and let her exceptional escort squad be annihilated, but she ended up getting captured by the spiritualists on top of all that. Such scandal had no comparison. Because of that, Keity and others had controlled the information regarding this event, but with Riku´s exposure of it, it became meaningless.

Among the demons, an agitation was spreading to a scale that didn´t happen until now.

“Is… That true, Charlotte-sama?”

One of the demons timidly asked Charlotte.

To such question, Charlotte didn´t answer anything. With a face slightly pale, she weakly shook her head. Seeing Charlotte acting like that, astonished, Riku thought [How stupid]. If she resolutely denied it, the situation would have become more or less better. However, in a stupidly honest way, Charlotte became shaken.

It was as if she didn´t expect that the truth would be exposed here.

“Is.. it the truth? Could it be that Charlotte-sama had taken a liking to Rook Barusak?”

“…I-it´s a lie. Don´t let her trick you. This is something Riku Barusak is making up!”

Charlotte had finally came back to herself. Signs of her agitation still remained, but somehow she was able to raise her voice, trying to deny the accusations. However, right now… Even if Charlotte denied the reality of her [having fallen in love with Rook], there was no way she could change the situation.

The eyes of more than half of the demons had already been dyed with suspicion of Charlotte. Noticing that the complexion in the eyes of the demons changed, Keity hurriedly spoke.

“You people, there is no way Charlotte-sama would have a crush on the likes of spiritua…”

“Be silent, !!”

What had interrupted Keity was a crude voice. Interrupting her objection, Rudogar Gortoberuk stood up. He had had a huge body that would s. His figure was as if a mountain had moved. (TL note: Here, it is written ->”議会に招致されたあり”とあらゆる魔族たちよりも勝る巨体の持ち主が<- but="" i="" am="" not="" sure="" if="" this="" is="" just="" saying="" that="" he="" had="" been="" invited="" to="" the="" meeting="" or="" if="" he="" had="" been="" invited="" to="" the="" meeting="" before,="" with="" the="" 事being="" omitted.="" if="" it="" is="" just="" saying="" that="" he="" had="" been="" invited="" to="" the="" meeting="" (sherlock?="" :3)="" i="" don´t="" think="" i="" can="" put="" it="" on="" the="" text="">

“Hiding the disadvantageous truth. Perhaps for times like this, as a governor, this would be a proper action for the sake of the Demon Lord army´s stability.”

With his voice being just like at the times he was at the battlefield, Gortoberuk´s voice reverberated through the meeting room, filling it from one corner to another. And then, at the moment Charlotte and Keity´s breathed out in relief by having Gortoberuk´s support…

“However! The losses for covering those truths are too big! This is nothing more than Charlotte-sama receiving the authority of command from the Demon Lord in the form of her being his [subst.i.tute]! It is not exaggeration to say that this last incident has tarnished the Demon Lord´s honor in dirt. And so, it is necessity that Charlotte-sama receives a suitable punishment!!”

Right at that instant, and at the instant after that, when they were about to breath out, Keity and Charlotte fell down to the brink of desperation.

In result of the defeat at Myuuz, the Gortoberuk house had considerably declined. But even so, it didn´t change the fact that it was a prestigious family. The words of its head, and moreover, with it seeming like a sound argument to the demons, it was possible to imagine how it would become after that.

“…That´s right. Charlotte-sama ought to receive punishment.”

Out of nowhere, a voice was raised.

This voice… was the voice of a demon that Riku had talked to before. Because they were demons that had seen some logic in Riku´s and Gortoberuk´s arguments that they were stirred up by Gortoberuk´s declaration right from the beginning.

At first, it was only less than ten people. At the current situation which Charlotte´s weakness was exposed, with those less than ten people supporting this, the voices desiring for Charlotte´s dismissal spread through the whole meeting.

“Eei, be silent! Won´t you be silent!!?”( ええい)

Keity became desperate and raised her voice.

Keity had grown up in the military, and she would brag about how her voice could fairly well get the message across in loud places, but if this was one person against roughly one hundred, it would be a different case. Keity´s voice was drown out by the voices that desired Charlotte´s retirement.(TL note: I couldn´t think of a way to translate ->そこそこに声は”通る方”だと自負していた<- to="" english="" in="" only="" a="" few="" words…="" so="" i="" had="" to="" use="" get="" the="" message="" across="" in="" loud="" places.="" well,="" i="" guess="" people="" wouldn´t="" mind="" either="" way,="" but="" i="" will="" put="" this="" here="" just="" in="" case="">

“Uu, Fiore! Do you have any plans!?”( うぅ)

Charlotte couldn´t move herself anymore. Charlotte ended up becoming only a little girl trembling with a pale face. A great number of demons that used to be Keity´s allies turned into enemies with the denouncing, and the remaining few demons ended up curling themselves up as if they were scared of openly objecting.

Keity´s hope was only one… It was her best friend that had been silent since the beginning of this meeting, Fiore.

“Fiore, you too were against the human coming to power, right? This is becoming just like Riku Barusak was planning, you know!?”

“…”

Keeping her serious face, Fiore silently glanced through the state of the meeting.

With her mouth tightly closed , she didn´t even look to Keity´s direction.

“Fiore! Hey, Fiore! How about you say something? Right now, if it is your voice, maybe it can still reach out to them. If it is you, who possesses a strong influence as a n.o.ble…”

“Fiore Panther.”

Interrupting Keity´s words, Riku spoke.

The eyes of the people at the meeting were looking only at Charlotte. There was n.o.body paying attention to people like Keity, who was struggling by herself, and Riku, who had already left the stage as if hiding behind Gortoberuk´s shadow.

Only Keity was glaring at Riku full of anger.

“I won´t say anything. Everything will be your decision.”

“…”

Fiore didn´t even turn her eyes to Riku.

The figure of she sitting down silently was just like one of a mountain monk.”

“But please, think well.  …Think which side has any future.”

Saying only that, Riku turned her back to Fiore. Even then, Fiore still kept silent.

“What do you want to say, Riku Barusak… Fiore, don´t pay mind to someone like her. Now, say it.  Say the words that can put an end to this situation.”

In a gentle and imploring manner, Keity muttered.

The only one that had the power to change this situation was the Fiore, who had an influence that stood above anyone even among the demon n.o.bles.

“Fiore!”

“…Keity, pull back.”

On Fiore´s eyes, faint tears appeared.

However, the tears didn´t fall down from those eyes. Looking straight to the public, and not at Keity, Fiore spoke of her decision.

“Eh… Fiore?”

It seemed that Keity didn´t understand what had happened. She looked at Fiore perplexed.

“What´s the matter? What do you mean by telling me to pull back?”

“Charlotte-sama needs to take responsibility for her acts. This is her duty as the provisional demon lord.”

“Fiore!! Have you betrayed us!?”

Staggeringly, Keity took distance from Fiore.

“You… Are you intending on doing just like Riku Barusak had told you!? Could it be she had got hold of your weakness or something? Don´t worry about something like that. I will brush her off!”

With her face becoming red, Keity approached Fiore.

“I-I am your best friend! Charlotte´s right hand! I am a major general just like that Riku Barusak, and also…!!”

“Originally, wouldn´t you also have responsibility for not stopping Charlotte-sama from following Rook Barusak?”

Right now, Fiore´s eyes met Keity´s for the first time. Fiore´s eyes were showing a solid determination.

“Even if you are also a major general, it is major general Riku Barusak, who actually had protected the Demon Lord army from danger, that has a better position in the army, and her words have more influence than yours. I… agree with Charlotte-sama´s dismissal.”

As if she was squeezing it out, Fiore declared her own thoughts.

Keity´s red face withered away, becoming pale, and finally, it became completely white. Then, crumbling down to the ground on her knees, she punched the floor with her fist. A small crack appeared at the polished floor.

Keity´s emotional arguments would not turn the tide anymore. Now that not only had she been betrayed by what could be the worst barrier, but even by the other demons as well, the situation could not be overturned.

And with that, there was n.o.body that could stop Charlotte´s deposition anymore.

Raising the corner of her mouth, Riku muttered in a low voice.

“Goodbye, Charlotte Demonz.”

The provisional demon lord, Charlotte.

The glory she used to be wrapped up with was slowly falling away.

This was the instant the curtains closed to her govern that lasted for more than a hundred years.