Even though it’s calming down a little, these females aren’t enough to satisfy me at all.

  「This pain can only be appeased by Regena……」


  My laughter almost burst out from my throat.

  Just when I thought she was gone, I found her again.

  Regena was caught by that Silver Witch.

  I don’t know too much about the Silver Witch. As for the reason, I am simply not interested in Nargol.

  The first reason being that there are so many monsters several times more powerful than me in there.

  Since I’m not too keen at approaching Nargol, I don’t have too much information about it.

  Thus, I never knew about such a beautiful witch.

  According to Regena, she’s the daughter of the Demon King.

  Though I couldn’t believe that the ugly demon king has such a beautiful daughter, she definitely resembles the wife of the Demon King that I saw on the picture previously.

  Honestly speaking, I’m glad that she does not look like the Demon King.

  About her dear master, the Dark Knight who defeated the hero.

  For some reason, her dear master brought her along to attend the Velos’s Royal Ball.

  I couldn’t move my body during the ball.

  After I regained the capability to move my body, I was called to the office of the king for negotiations regarding the relationship with Algore.

  After that, I was reunited with Regena.

  I was told that she was arrested by the little sister of the hero and friends.

  Well, Nargol is the enemy of those females, after all. It’s just natural for Regena, who was brought along by that Dark Knight and Silver Witch, to be placed under their arrest. Fortunately, they didn’t want to kill her.

  I managed to reunite with Regena.

  As I thought, Regena and I seem to be tied by the string of fate. [TL: A flag?]

  It made me want to give my utmost praise to the goddess of fate, Casa.

  I definitely won’t miss this chance.

  I won’t hand her to the Silver Witch or the Hero.

  That’s why Kyouka and her group are a hindrance.

  I have to do something about them.

  ◆Dark Knight, Kuroki

  「They arrested Regena?」


  When the morning came, I received news about Regena’s arrest in my mansion in Nargol.

  That report came from Regena’s relative who accompanied Regena in the last night’s ball.

  It seems that she went to Algore along with Shirone and co. this morning.

  They took her away by wagon. I had returned to Nargol in a hurry, after all.

  Thus, several of Regena’s relatives pleaded to save her.

  「Please, please save our princess……」


  The woman who gave the report begged me to save Regena. I’m sure that she was Regena’s wet nurse. I do remember taking her along with Regena all the way to Velos.

  It seems that she remained in the town without participating in the ball like Regena.

  「My princess might be murdered if she returns to Algore …… Otherwise, she’ll meet an even crueler fate …… Please master, please save Regena.」


  Regena’s wet nurse was crying as she pleaded with me. Regena’s relatives were also making some ruckus.

  「It’s okay. Regena would neither be killed easily nor be subjected to anything inhuman.」


  Everyone seemed to be surprised hearing my words.

  「How do you know that ……?」


  I said that to pacify Regena’s wet nurse. I was not lying to her.

  「The one who captured her is the comrade of the hero …… That’s why she’ll be fine. At least, Shirone won’t let anyone hurt a frail girl like her. If someone tries to hurt her, Shirone will protect her for sure. That’s why she’ll be alright.」


  As for the reason, it’s because she’s an ally of justice. She’ll save the princess of the human side. Shirone definitely won’t let a frail girl like Regena suffer a cruel fate.

  「Thus, no one will be able to hurt Regena.」


  I declared.

  After saying so, I suddenly glanced at Kuna.

  Kuna was pouting.

  「Kuroki, you seem to be very familiar with that girl called Shirone……」


  For some reason, Kuna was in a bad mood.

  「What’s the matter, Kuna?」


  「It’s NOTHING AT ALL, Kuroki!」


  She said “It’s Nothing” with an angry tone.

  「Humph!」


  Pouting, Kuna turned her face away. Then, she left the room in a seemingly bad mood.

  Just what the hell is happening here?

  「Will she really be okay?」


  Regena’s wet nurse continued querying me.

  「She is. Moreover, I’ll go save Regena right away. That’s why you guys should wait here. Don’t do anything reckless.」


  「Y-Yes.」


  Saying so, Regena’s relatives bowed to me and left the room. With them leaving, there was only one person left in the room.

  I looked around. After confirming that no one was around, I grabbed my head as I was at my wit’s end.

  「Crap …… I’m really in deep sh*t now……」


  I never expected them to catch Regena. Things have become really troublesome now. This current appearance of mine couldn’t be shown to others.

  「Uuh …… This is bad. Really, really bad……」


  I rolled around a few times on the carpet spread on the floor churning my brains.

  There’s only one reason for Shirone to capture Regena – to lure me. Honestly speaking, I don’t want to meet Shirone.

  Nevertheless, why did they capture Regena?

  「No, that’s not it……」


  Muttering so, I shook my head and then raised my body.

  There were so many reasons for them to capture Regena.

  I knew about this fact just a while ago but, apparently, Regena’s mother was a noble of the Velos kingdom.

  Moreover, she was the fiancee of the king. However, Regena’s mother ended up eloping with the former king of Algore.

  Apparently, Regena resembles her mother. That’s why trouble was bound to happen since I had taken Regena to an event like the ball of Velos.

  Moreover, Regena’s childhood friend, the current prince of Algore had come to Velos, too. All of these situations coincided as if to say “Feel free to arrest her.”


  I knew the matter about Goz when we came to Velos, but this is the first time I heard about Omiros.

  When it comes to that, this is also the first time I heard that Regena has met Goz before.

  Just how the hell did it come to this situation?

  Knowing all this information only made me more anxious instead.

  But, it was too late to regret this now.

  I was really angry at my own carelessness.

  This happened because I didn’t pry too deeply into Regena’s past.

  Regena and her relatives were exiled by the people of their country to the goblin nest. That’s why almost all of Regena’s relatives died by the hands of goblins. Only a few of her relatives survived that desperate situation. Regena might be thinking about taking her revenge on the people who expelled her and her relatives.

  Even so, I didn’t want to support that idea.

  That’s why, in the end, I didn’t ask or investigate anything.

  That’s where I made a huge mistake.

  This matter happened due to my own indecisiveness.

  I might be able to do something if it’s limited to Goz or the people of the Velos kingdom, but the problem was the fact that Shirone and co. were among the people who captured Regena.

  My relationship with Regena might have long since become known by Shirone. Shirone won’t do cruel things to a frail girl, but the reason why Regena was captured was me.

  And maybe, they were waiting for me to come and save Regena.

  「What should I do……?」


  My mood was heavy.

  Maybe I have to go to save her.

  But, Shirone is definitely waiting for me. I might have to fight Shirone again. And, to be honest, I don’t want that to happen.

  That was why my movements became slower.

  Shirone might be hating me right now. I mean, I hurt Reiji, the one she loves, after all.

  I’m also aware of how the other girls treat the men who hate Reiji. And that’s just too scary.

  Those girls’ faces and Shirone’s are overlapping with each other.

  I imagine myself being looked down by Shirone with a cold and hate-filled gaze. It’s definitely not a comfortable situation.

  That’s why I wear my helmet to hide my face. I called myself Diehart instead of Kuroki to divert the hate towards a completely different person. [TL: Someone with the name Diehart is crying]

  But then, my true identity has been exposed. Shirone might hate me right now.

  That’s why I don’t want to meet her.

  If meeting her would result in me being looked at with her piercing cold gaze, I would rather not meet her at all.

  I’m stuck in a helpless situation right now. I’m completely at a loss.

  「I’m just …… miserable.」


  I hid my true identity while fighting Reiji in order to prevent myself from being at the receiving end of the fury of the girls.

  I might look like a miserable coward.

  This might be why Shirone chose Reiji over me.

  If it were Reiji, he would come to save Regena immediately.

  However, Regena doesn’t have such a fortune because the one who picked her up was this miserable man.

  In fact, if Goz didn’t exist, I think that it was better for Regena to go back to Algore.

  After hearing Kuna’s story, it seems that Goz isn’t good-natured either. That’s why I shouldn’t leave Regena in Goz’s care.

  If I had to leave her in someone’s care, it might be Omiros.

  This was something that I felt when I heard Kuna’s story – the man called Omiros is an extremely dedicated person.

  It seems Omiros dived into the dangerous goblin nest so many times to search for Regena.

  If you think about it, it might be better to leave Regena to Omiros who lives in the bright world rather than keeping her by my side living in a world filled with darkness. [TL: Yes, he’s saying it, literally. Nargol is the world of eternal night]

  If things went well between them, Regena wouldn’t need me anymore.

  She won’t be caught, and she doesn’t need to return to Nargol since there’s Omiros by her side.

  In that case, it’ll make me look like a fool. A clown.

  But, such foolishness isn’t in my character. The stupid villain role who became the hindrance of their love should be left to Diehart.

  And then …… Shirone, the ally of justice, will save them.

  「That’s the scenario……」


  Thus, I mutter the conclusion of my imagination that was running wild until now. That was the best happy ending. When it comes to that, I might as well become a villain.

  Of course, there was a possibility that my imaginary situation wouldn’t happen, either.

  That’s why I don’t want to meet Shirone, but I still have to confirm the location they’re going to send Regena. I have to do something about this situation.

  Where were they holding Regena right now? Regena should have the short sword that I gave to her a while ago.

  I injected my magic power into that sword.

  I focused my mind to scour for any sign of it.

  It seems that Regena and the others were heading in the direction of Algore.

  In that case, their destination must be Algore.

  And then, I started recalling about Algore.

  It’s a place that exiled her to that terrifying goblin nest, resulting in the death of the majority of her relatives.

  It’s at a degree of cruelty toward human life which I would never imagine as someone who lived in a peaceful place like Japan.

  And then, there’s me, who saved her life. More than saving her, I want her to be happy.　That’s my wish for her.