Let the Whales Fight, This Shrimp is Leaving! - Chapter 67

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 67
Chapter 6. The Fallen Angel
The forest path stretched on endlessly, monotonous and grinding.
No matter where Glay Holdin looked, the scenery was identical, making it impossible to determine direction. He squeezed his irritation down and simply closed his eyes.
‘Why take such a roundabout route when there’s a perfectly good road?’
He was complaining inwardly, but the truth was he already knew the reason.
She wanted to orchestrate a miracle—Glay Holdin escaping alone from danger, barely making it to the Empire.
Being discovered by border guards, having his identity revealed, delivering urgent pleas and solving national problems just in time to reach the Imperial Palace….
That theatrical melodrama was exactly what she desired.
“How conscientious. How very conscientious.”
What schemes was she concocting with the Commander in tow?
Glay Holdin recalled Idir Hubert’s cool smile and shuddered.
That alone wasn’t enough—he rubbed away the goosebumps that had erupted across his entire body with his palms.
No matter how many times he thought about it, the only conclusion he could reach was: ‘I’ve stepped in it.’
‘I was trying to break the Commander’s curse, and instead I’ve gone and contracted with a demon myself.’
He glanced sideways at the beautiful youth sitting opposite him.
A face more delicate than most women’s, a well-defined physique, lustrous pink hair of silky texture….
And this was supposed to be a demon.
And worse—I’ve actually made a contract with this demon!
Unable to believe it even now, he tore at his hair and thrashed about.
At that, Beval, who had been dozing against the backrest, opened his eyes and cracked Glay Holdin hard on the head.
[Will you sit still? Why are you making such a fuss, such a racket! I was sleeping so well.]
Tsk.
The demon, who clicked his tongue loudly, bared his pointed fangs in displeasure.
Glay Holdin clutched his struck head and cried out silently in anguish.
A large lump formed where Beval’s fist had struck.
“How dare you strike your contractor?”
[Dare? Did you just say ‘dare’ to me?]
The demon’s voice turned sinister.
Glay Holdin quickly knelt on the seat.
“I misspoke.”
It was better to make his knees weak than to have lumps hanging from the crown of his head.
His knees were unsightly anyway—this much was nothing.
Beval, who had been glaring at Glay Holdin as he flipped his attitude as easily as a palm, let out a long, heavy sigh.
[Shit. How the hell did I end up making a contract with such an idiot? If only that two-faced woman hadn’t—!]
“You mean the Ducal Princess Hubert? Yes. I too consider her a very duplicitous and dangerous person.”
[So beautiful! How infuriating. Why do humans have to be so intriguing?]
‘So demons do judge by appearance.’
Glay Holdin swallowed his sense of futility and watched the demon bobbing in front of him with dimming eyes.
With a face capable of enchanting anyone, regardless of gender, and marshaling an entire retinue behind her.
‘No, wait. In this case, I should be impressed by a Ducal Princess whose beauty can even seduce demons.’
Correcting his own thoughts, Glay Holdin tore at his hair again.
‘None of that helps right now!’
“Haaaaaah.”
[Why are you sighing, why all the drama? Annoying.]
“Ugh!”
Crack!
The demon struck Glay Holdin’s head with his fist again.
Glay Holdin clutched his head—which had begun to throb and practically vibrate—and glared at Beval.
“That’s a breach of contract!”
It was then.
The knight outside opened the carriage window and peered in.
He looked Glay Holdin up and down with suspicious eyes and asked.
“Is something the matter? We heard a commotion from outside.”
“Ah.”
Glay Holdin caught sight of the demon sitting before him sticking out his tongue and teasing him.
‘He only shows himself to me, doesn’t he?’
To anyone else, it would have looked as if he were muttering to himself and writhing while clutching his head.
In other words, like a madman.
“No, no. Ha ha.”
Glay Holdin laughed awkwardly and straightened his posture.
“If there were a problem, you would surely tell me.”
“Ah ha ha ha. I’m just feeling a bit of motion sickness. I’m fine—please, let’s proceed at speed!”
The knight, clicking his tongue just barely audibly, closed the window again.
The moment silence fell inside the carriage, Glay Holdin pouted his lips.
“Tch. They might as well have asked outright if I was mad.”
[They already think so? You humans and your roundabout ways—you call it courtesy.]
“Where was the courtesy in that attitude just now? He was treating me like a complete lunatic.”
[Of course he was.]
Beval nodded vigorously and imparted quite the revelation.
[Idir tipped them off that you’re mad, that you can talk to yourself, so they’d understand.]
“Pardon? What did the Ducal Princess say?”
[Before we left, she was explaining to those iron-headed fools that your frail body has been through so much warfare that you suffer from a mental illness—hallucinations and auditory delusions—so they should just bear with it.]
“Wow.”
How far ahead had that woman thought?
She anticipated that he’d argue with Beval in the carriage and laid groundwork beforehand.
“That woman is truly terrifying.”
[She’s really so beautiful.]
….
Watching the demon’s cheeks flush pink and writhe girlishly, Glay Holdin’s stomach suddenly turned.
He pressed down on his roiling stomach with his palm, struggling to calm it, until finally.
“One moment. Please stop. I think I’m going to be sick.”
The carriage stopped.
“Bleeegh.”
[Weak creature.]
“Hngh. Eeegh. Whose fault is this?”
[Your own weakness.]
The demon replied brazenly, adding that since he was beautiful, whatever he did was acceptable.
As a result, Glay Holdin had to expel every last drop of stomach acid remaining in him.
“Are you all right?”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The knight, assigned both as escort and keeper, handed Glay Holdin water and a handkerchief.
Glay Holdin rinsed his sour mouth and moistened his raw throat, then wiped his lips clean with the handkerchief.
Seeing him looking so pitiful, the knight suggested they rest for a while.
Glay Holdin readily agreed and sat perched on the footstep of the open carriage door.
‘The fact that they’re letting me rest for motion sickness suggests they’re not in such a hurry after all.’
Likely Idir Hubert had assigned a precise schedule.
Glay Holdin’s gaze turned toward the rear of the column.
Though covered with thick cloth, what appeared to be a cage was fastened to a saddle.
It likely contained messenger pigeons.
There would have been limits on how many could be brought—probably for interim reports.
‘The communication intervals must be set.’
Either they had to reach the Imperial Palace before the messenger pigeons ran out and have their news officially reach Idir’s ears, or Glay Holdin had to formally enter Plene with a messenger—one or the other.
It was one of the two.
And if neither happened, that beautiful, sneering double-faced witch might just swallow Deyan whole.
Literally, skin and all.
“Shudder.”
Remembering Idir Hubert’s cool smile, Glay Holdin reflexively trembled.
“Frightening. Truly frightening.”
Idir Hubert could genuinely devour Deyan.
A woman who admits her own madness.
‘But I’m not far behind in that regard.’
Glay Holdin stretched as if it were casual and looked up at the sky.
‘Still daylight.’
Then he approached the knight, asked the time, and caught a glimpse of the small compass hanging from his watch.
‘Roughly northwest.’
A map of the continent formed in Glay Holdin’s mind.
Though the forest was filled with identical trees and scenery, the paths were rapidly taking shape in his thoughts.
The time of departure from the Grand Ducal Castle and the speed of movement his body had sensed.
The moment the knights had removed the cloth from his head.
Based on the carriage’s vibrations and sounds, he deduced roughly when they entered the forest and what route they had taken.
‘Interesting.’
Finally, Glay Holdin was able to roughly determine where he currently was.
‘This is an opportunity.’
To travel from Plene Grand Duchy to the capital of the Adorif Empire, they necessarily had to pass through Count Nemanic.
‘Lucky.’
If Glay Holdin’s deduction was correct, this forest belonged to the Nemanic family and was used as a training ground for mock battles among their knights.
The family shared no external information about their private troops’ training, so no matter how clever Idir Hubert was, she wouldn’t know this forest served such a purpose….
Glay Holdin decided to trust his reasoning.
‘Escape.’
This was the one and only chance to slip free from Idir Hubert’s grasp.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————