Chapter 149 – V9 Chapter 7. The Imprisoned Yasushi
—How have things come to this?
Yasujirou, or Yasushi, was deep in thought inside his cell, sitting in a seiza while looking as composed as ever.
Standing on the other side of the bars was Chester, the governor.
“How dare you deceive us, Yasujirou— or should I say— Sword God Yasushi!”
He had planned on remaining hidden by employing a pseudonym, but his opponent this time was the planet’s governor.
Chester could figure out Yasushi’s true identity by checking the documents he submitted when he entered the planet.
Since Yasushi was to become his Swords Instructor, he’d conducted a background check.
“I had my suspicions that you were the real deal after seeing your disciples’ skills, but to think I’d truly hit the jackpot. It was the right call to conduct an investigation. With you by my side, I’ll be able to be like the Banfield’s, bisecting a battleship and such.”
Back in the Capital, Liam had cut down a battleship.
This became a well-known fact, which lead to a rumor that those who studied the One-Flash could even smash down battleships.
Chester, as the planet’s governor, wanted that sort of power.
(Bisecting a battleship?! As if a human can do such a thing! Where’s your common sense?!)
Cutting down a battleship went beyond the realm of human capabilities.
To begin with, Yasushi didn’t consider Liam, Rinho, and Fuuka to be humans like himself.
However, Chester was too excited by all the possibilities to notice what was going on inside Yasushi’s mind.
“I’ll have you tell me everything. Let’s start with the secrets of One-Flash.”
Chester was demanding to be taught everything he knew, but Yasushi had already done so.
“I’m not someone deserving of the title of Sword God, and I’ve already taught you everything I know. The rest depends on the effort that Chester-dono puts in.”
He tried to talk his way through this, but his opponent was Chester and not Liam. Unlike the latter, Chester didn’t possess an ounce of kindness or diligence.
After all, he was a villain through and through.
“—Yasushi, I hate putting in effort. If there’s any secret to getting stronger, tell me now. Strength is nothing but a tool for me, a tool for me to replace the Banfield’s, and obtain the pinnacle of glory.”
Yasushi couldn’t help but sweat when he saw the glazed look in Chester’s eyes.
(T-that’s unreasonable! If strength is all it takes to prosper, no one would be having a hard time!)
By becoming a Sword Saint, would someone be able to defeat the emperor?
Everyone would shake their head at that.
Just because someone mastered martial arts, it didn’t equate to achieving success as an aristocrat.
From Yasushi’s point of view, Chester and Liam were fundamentally different.
He didn’t think they’d have the same level of success.
“No, um, Chester-dono? If you wish for fame and glory as an aristocrat, shouldn’t you put your eyes on something other than One-Flash? How about making an effort to develop the territory?”
(In fact, our lives are difficult precisely because you aren’t a capable governor! You should focus on your duties!)
He was trying to tell Chester that with mastery of One-Flash alone, he wouldn’t be able to get the fame and glory that he desired.
Chester responded while looking irritated.
“The planet we’re at right now is managed by my family, not by me. So wouldn’t it make more sense to squeeze out as much money as I can from the people, and increase my fortune while I can?”
“Eh? No, no, no, no. If you continue to oppress the people, the territory won’t be able to develop.”
“A territory would develop by itself even if I leave it unattended. I just have to suck the people dry, and leave them in a state where they’re neither dead nor alive. Even if they happen to die, so what?”
“That’s—! They’re living, breathing humans!”
“They only exist in number! A true human refers to aristocrats like me. Peasants like them are no different from bugs that crawl on the ground.”
Yasushi was about to give up on Chester, who thought of his citizens as nothing but bugs.
However, an idea flashed through his mind.
“What if Chester-dono masters the martial art, and becomes the next head of the Count’s family? If Chester-dono doesn’t change his ways, the territory would become worn out. This translates to a reduced source of future profit. As a lord, it’s important to be compassionate.”
Yasushi believed he had just said something really good, but Chester’s ambition went beyond that.
“Count? That’s nothing more than a stepping stone for me. I intend to climb higher. The peasants that get stepped on in the process should be honored that they can be the stepping stone for my path to glory.”
Yasushi stared at the aristocrat in front of him in a daze.
(He’s an aristocrat, and he behaves like one.)
Aristocrats like Liam were just rare exceptions.
Chester continued his speech.
“When it comes to those that aren’t aristocrats, their worth boils down to whether they’re useful to me or not. If they’re not, they’re the same as garbage. Yasushi, do you show compassion to garbage? No, right?”
Yasushi was fearful of this man who didn’t view humans as humans.
(It’s useless. No matter what I say to him, it won’t reach his ears.)
Even Liam would be preferrable over Chester.
However, Yasushi was currently imprisoned, and Chester was about to threaten him.
“Yasushi, you have a family, don’t you? If you don’t tell me the secrets of One-Flash, I might have an idea as to how I can obtain them.”
“Wha—?! No, not my family!”
Yasushi, who valued his family a lot, failed to maintain his composure before the threat.
Chester smiled when he saw this.
“Then make sure you can satisfy me with your answer during my next visit.”
With that, Chester left, leaving Yasushi with his head hung low inside the prison.
(There’s no secret to speak of! To begin with, One-Flash itself is a big fat lie of mine!)
◇
Rinho and Fuuka arrive at the small apartment building.
I called them here forcefully while they were exchanging swords with those of the same school, so Rinho appears visibly resentful.
“To show my back to my enemies as a member of One-Flash... Fuuka, you seemed rather willing. Aren’t you better off dead?”
“And what do ya mean by that, huh?!”
Seeing them argue inside this small apartment, Ellen looks toward me for help.
They won’t calm down unless I step in.
“Rinho, are you questioning my orders?”
“—! B-but Senior Brother should understand what I’m getting at! I had to show my back to my enemies during a fight! Me! Despite being Master’s disciple, I ran away from my enemies! I refuse to back down when it comes to this, even if it’s Senior Brother!”
Although she’s afraid, she pushes forward with her beliefs with tears in her eyes.
Rinho’s anger is, of course, justified.
If I’m told to run away from an enemy, I would absolutely refuse.
Fuuka seems to have reluctantly obeyed my orders, but she’s probably dissatisfied as well.
“Fret not, for we will kill all our enemies.”
“Huh?”
“—Those folks that claim to be from the Original One-Flash, they’ve kidnapped Master Yasushi.”
I tell them the truth, and the girls’ eyes flash open while their mouths close.
They must be so shocked that they’ve become speechless.
“The one governing this planet appears to be a disciple of the Original One-Flash. He made those from the same school his knights, and he’s apparently been going on quite the rampage with them.”
As Fuuka’s about to jump up, I grab her by the shoulder and stop her.
She glares at me with vicious eyes.
“Let me go! I’ll kill them all, and retrieve Master!”
“Calm down. There are several things that have caught my attention.”
I calm Fuuka down before turning to face Nina-san, our Master’s wife.
I adjust my posture, and ask her a question.
“Madam, why was Master taken away by those guys from the Original One-Flash? Since it’s Master we’re talking about, he should’ve been able to resist them.”
Troubled by my question, Madam’s eyes wander around the room.
“Um, I think Yasu-kun, our Yasushi, is someone else with the same name. After all, he’s not strong.”
“Are there any family photos, or videos?”
“Y-you can take a look at these.”
What we’re shown confirm that we’re talking about our Master.
Rinho and Fuuka cause a scene.
“It’s Master! But he seems a bit thin?”
“It’s Master Yasushi, no doubt about that. But you’re right, he does seem a bit thin.”
I haven’t met him face-to-face in a long time, but Master certainly looks a bit small.
Is it because I grew up?
Regardless, there’s no doubt that the one in the photos and the videos is Master.
While the three of us are tilting our head inquiringly, Ellen seems suspicious.
“Master, is this man really Yasushi-sama?”
“Naturally! There’s no way we’d make a mistake!”
As my disciple, it’s rude of her to not recognize Master Yasushi.
However, Ellen remains doubtful.
“It does seem like he knows his way around a sword, but his movements are strange. Is he really a skilled swordsman?”
We rebut her argument when she claims that his movements aren’t of someone that’s mastered martial arts.
“It’s just that you can’t tell how great he is! I-it’s true that he may look weak at first glance, but he’s my Master!”
Triggered as she is, Rinho explains things to Ellen.
“It’s true that he seems weak, but he’s my Master. He’s reached a realm where he can unleash a One-Flash that’s totally beyond us. There’s just no way he’s actually weak!”
Fuuka tries to do the same.
“Ellen, there are certain things that shouldn’t be said. I-it’s certainly true that he looks weak. B-but you see, he wasn’t like this before.”
The three of us look at one another, and wonder if something’s happened to him.
Madam claims that Master’s not strong, and those from the Original One-Flash took him away.
It’s also worth noting that Master’s been using the pseudonym Yasujirou.
“—Anyway, there’s a lot of things I don’t understand, but the fact that those from the Original One-Flash kidnapped our Master still stands. We’ll make sure that they disappear.”
Rinho and Fuuka decide to contain their anger for the time being after hearing my resolve.
They sit down and look at Yasuyuki, who’s next to the Madam, with curious eyes.
I introduce him to them.
“This is Yasuyuki, Master’s son.”
Fuuka fluffs up her hair and gives him a bright look.
“So, yer name’s Yasuyuki! Since yer Master’s son, that makes ya my little brother. From now on, ya can call me, Shishigami Fuuka, big sis!”
Rinho pushes Fuuka to the side, and also begins to introduce herself.
“I’m Satsuki Rinho! I’ll be your elder sister from today, so you can depend on me!”
They’re trying to compete over him, but the person in question seems confused.
Ellen looks at them as if she’s fed up with them.
“This child threw a rock at Master, you know?”
She’s stillangry about that?
Since he’s Master’s child, I’ll forgive him for such a small offense.
“Ellen, that never happened.”
“Eh? But—”
“I don’t remember such a thing ever happening, so I can’t question him about it, neither do I intend to. Okay, end of story. We should prioritize rescuing Master.”
Why was Master, who’s so powerful, taken away by the folks from the Original One-Flash?
Ellen looks at me worriedly.
“We’ll be clashing with people from the same school. Master, what should we do?”
“Easy. We’ll just barge into that governor’s mansion.”
◇
Meanwhile, at the governor’s mansion, Chester was receiving reports from his knights.
He was practicing the One-Flash, so he wiped his sweat as he listened to the reports.
“What did you say? You met other members of One-Flash aside from us?”
“Yes. They said we’re from the same school of swordsmanship. But they also mentioned how they couldn’t forgive us who’ve ‘fallen’.”
“Fallen, you say? —No, wait.”
Chester recalled a certain rumor that was going around.
It was a ridiculous rumor about Liam traveling around the country disciplining aristocrats.
At first, Chester dismissed it, thinking ‘Who in their right mind would go around disciplining aristocrats?’
Liam, now the head of a huge faction, would not do something of that nature.
However, it was true that evil lords and governors were being disciplined, or outright destroyed, in various parts of the country.
Although it was just a rumor, he had no choice but to acknowledge that something was happening.
“One-Flash... were they women?”
“Yes, and they mentioned something about a senior brother, so there should be one more.”
“If we’re talking about a man who’s mastered the One-Flash, it has to be Banfield. So, the rumors weren’t wrong after all.”
Chester laughed as he predicted that Liam, and the others would try to storm in.
“Call our home planet. Tell father that we have a chance to kill Liam.”
“Will that be alright?”
“We belong to His Highness Calvin’s faction. I’ll also reach out to the other lords around us. If we kill Banfield, His Highness will no doubt favor us. Luck seems to be on my side.”
Chester’s plan was to turn the tables on Liam.
Chester picked up his sword, and swung.
Although it was still crude, a log 10 meters ahead was cut down.
“I’ll defeat Banfield, and be showered with all the glory that an aristocrat can ask for. There’s nothing that I can’t do that Banfield can.”
Liam was coming for him, but Chester just laughed.
—————————————————————————————————
Wakagi-chan (# ゜Д゜): “Even if I must crawl on the ground, and taste mud, I’ll revive as many times as needed! I am the heroine of the postscript section!”
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