When Penne and I reached the scene, it had become a terrible mess.
Obsidian Kiko raced wildly in every direction, violent mana surrounding her as she swung her great scythe at the necks of the collapsed men.
Meanwhile, Resina had completely released Mana Concealment. She kept moving ahead of Kiko and deflected the scythe’s blows with her naginata, protecting the men.
In terms of pure mana, Resina was overwhelmingly stronger, but both possessed Special-grade mana. Kiko clung to her tenaciously.
As for the men trapped in the middle, various fluids poured from every opening in their bodies. They crawled along the ground to avoid the slashes by even the smallest amount, curling tightly around the flames of their lives to keep them from being extinguished.
Hang in there.
“Crow. What the hell are we supposed to do with this?”
“It’s all right. This is exactly what I expected.”
After answering Penne, I forcefully released the mana I’d refined inside my body.
I didn’t move it with any particular violence… In fact, if I made it too rough and caused them to faint, the rest of our plan would fall apart.
My mana quietly overwhelmed Resina, who’d been the strongest person present. It filled the area slowly and pressed down with tremendous weight.
The reaction was immediate.
The men jerked, then cautiously turned their eyes toward me. Resina and Kiko, who’d been fighting, maintained their stances against each other but turned their bodies toward me and dropped to one knee.
The storm of moments earlier vanished. Now, in the silence, only everyone’s ragged breathing could be heard.
After spending more than ten seconds thoroughly intimidating them with mana—
“—Resina. What is the meaning of this?”
At my question, she answered without rising from one knee.
“Husband. Obsidian Kiko—”
“I told you to exterminate every fool who raised a blade against you. Then why are those men still alive? Why are you fighting to protect them?”
Well, I hadn’t actually told her to exterminate them.
But I’d wanted to try this once.
You see, that improvised performance we’d used in Maypool to manipulate everyone’s impression had been rather fun. I thought I might occasionally initiate one with Resina myself.
“Answer me, Resina.”
We’d agreed beforehand not to kill them. As long as Resina answered in a way consistent with the current situation while remaining inside that boundary…
Yes. She would probably take things in the direction I expected.
Realizing my intent, Resina raised her voice while staring back at me through narrowed eyes.
“I believed allowing them to die would be a waste.”
“Hmm. I do not agree. Why?”
“Because they are loyal. They currently serve other candidates for the next underboss, but challenging me for the sake of their masters requires considerable courage.”
Admittedly, Resina had used Mana Concealment to deliberately provoke them into hostile action. But there was no need to quibble over minor details.
“Killing people so devoted to loyalty would be wasteful… When you inherit the Cineraria Family in the future, Husband, losing them would be a great loss to the organization. That is what I believed.”
Ha ha. She didn’t mean a word of it.
But upon hearing her speech, the men became emotional and began sobbing.
Naturally… When someone had been exposed to the most extreme danger to his life, then abruptly received such kindness, it couldn’t be helped if he fell completely for it.
Even so, I thought they might be crying a little too much.
“Would you please overlook their actions just this once? I beg you.”
“I see… Since you’re the one asking, very well. I’ll make a special exception this time and let them go. But there will be no next time. If these men ever try to harm you again, cut off their heads without mercy, Resina. I will allow no exceptions.”
“Yes, Husband.”
This had been bothering me for a while, but that “Husband” was very obviously trying to establish another fact about us, wasn’t it?
Could we perhaps not do that?
I didn’t think it was very good.
“I’ll punish you later.”
“Yes. Bind me however you please.”
“Hehehe… Remember that.”
Seriously, she needed to stop spreading utterly baseless lies so casually.
Today’s skill training would show no mercy.
Sighing, I approached and brushed dirt and insects from her clothes. Her hair had become a mess too. She must have fought so intensely that she had no room to worry about her appearance…
Hmm.
I see.
Now then.
I looked at Obsidian Kiko. She’d placed the great scythe on the ground and raised both hands near her face without changing expression.
It looked like an indication of surrender… though her attitude seemed a little too brazen for that.
“Kiko. Do you understand what you’ve done? The two men whose heads you severed were both confirmed traitors, so that can be overlooked. But… what exactly possessed you to raise your blade against my Resina?”
“…Yes, Underboss Candidate. I intended only to harvest the heads of those traitors. I had absolutely no intention of harming your wife.”
“Hmm. I see… That is certainly a skillful excuse.”
After all, we’d devised it together.
Kiko and I had discussed matters beforehand and decided this sequence would let us guide the situation neatly. Events had unfolded almost entirely according to the script.
But calling Resina “your wife” seemed slightly wrong.
“One question. You seem fond of preparing various excuses to harvest other people’s heads… but do you intend to oppose me in the future?”
As I spoke, I strengthened the mana I was releasing.
The men trembled violently, but it couldn’t be helped. Intimidating them until they shook was the whole reason I was doing this.
It was part of the performance.
“No. I will never defy you, Underboss Candidate. I, Obsidian Kiko… ask that you please keep me as your subordinate. I swear obedience.”
“Hmm.”
“I’ll harvest the heads of your enemies at any time. I’ll never touch the heads of your allies. Everything will be according to your will, Underboss Candidate. Please use me as your hands and feet.”
With those words, she knelt formally on the ground and looked straight at me.
Well, she’d already become my subordinate, so this was nothing more than a performance.
Hmm, hmm.
“Very well. From now on, work hard for me.”
“…Yes, sir. I, Obsidian Kiko Blackberry, hereby leave the security division and pledge my humble strength as a bodyguard serving directly beneath the Underboss Candidate. I humbly ask for your favor for many years to come.”
Kiko bowed deeply, and with that, it was officially decided that she would become my subordinate.
During all of this, Resina was glaring at me with a terrifying expression.
Yes. I would properly explain my intentions and how everything had happened, so please wait just a little longer.