Episode 11: Izakko
“K-k-kill…!? A-are you trying to intimidate me, Lord Siegfried…?”
Izakko looks at me, his expression a tangled mix of fear and the calculating hope that surely I wouldn’t actually kill him.
“I-I admit, I questioned Lord Siegfried’s decision. But to kill me just for that is far too…”
“You’re right. It’d be fitting to explain why you’re about to be killed. It’ll make your villainy stand out all the more, don’t you think?”
I begin my explanation with a smile directed at the knight before me… no, the villain.
“I’ve been inspecting the territory lately. During those rounds, I encountered bandits several times.”
Beatrice and the others look puzzled at the sudden change in topic. But Izakko… he’s different. My words clearly rattle him, his face betraying unmistakable panic.
“I dealt with those bandits as I came across them. But here’s the strange thing. My territory is regularly patrolled by knights. So why do bandits keep appearing?”
“W-well, th-that’s… the bandits must be cunning, slipping through our patrols…”
“Cunning, you say? They were awfully bold for that. Almost as if they were certain they wouldn’t get caught.”
“Ah… uh… guh…”
Izakko tries to muster a retort, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, but no coherent words come.
“The bandits confessed, Izakko. They said that in exchange for paying you and your cronies a tidy sum, you agreed to turn a blind eye to their activities in the areas you patrol.”
“Agh… uh… ah… ahh…”
Izakko staggers, and beside him, his lackey knights stand speechless.
“You colluded with bandits to ravage my lands. My domain. And so… it’s time for a purge.”
“W-wait, please! I was only roped into this by Lord Izakko…!”
“Y-yes, exactly! I was just following Lord Izakko’s orders! S-so please, spare my life…!”
The lackey knights beg me desperately. At this, Izakko bares his teeth, fury flashing across his face.
“What’s that!? You spineless cowards! Weren’t you all eager to reap the rewards!?”
From there, an ugly argument erupts between Izakko and his knights. It’s his fault! No, it’s yours! I watch the spectacle with a smile.
“Heh… infighting and pathetic squabbling. A perfect end for petty villains. Truly, this is a sight to behold.”
I approach Izakko, my hand resting on the sword at my hip. In that instant, he reflexively drops to his knees.
“L-Lord Siegfried! P-please, have mercy…!”
“You know, I might’ve considered sparing you. You colluded with bandits to plunder my lands, but that alone wouldn’t necessarily warrant death.”
I don’t always demand obedient subordinates. I’m fine with those who serve me while scheming for their own gain behind my back. That, too, is a form of villainy I can respect.
“But meeting you in person… you’re just too incompetent. And you lack even the ambition to prove me wrong on the battlefield. So, really, killing you is the only option.”
“B-but, my lord!”
“This is for your sake, too, Izakko. If I let you live after this half-hearted plea, you’d have no more moments to shine. But if you die here, you’ll go out as a petty villain with a proper spotlight. Isn’t that something to be grateful for?”
“I-I don’t understand what you’re saying, Lord Siegfried…!”
Izakko trembles.
Doesn’t he get it? After all his arrogance, his crimes exposed, and his allies turning on him—dying here would be the perfect stage for a villain like him.
“Guh… ugh…”
Izakko groans. Then, suddenly, the air around him shifts. From a cornered rat begging for its life… to one ready to bite the cat.
“Lord Siegfried, get back!”
Beatrice shouts. In the next moment, Izakko, still kneeling, yanks his sword from its sheath and lunges at me.
“Gugyaaaah!”
A scream echoes through the entrance hall. It’s none other than Izakko’s. His hand, still gripping the sword’s hilt, is crushed under my kick.
“Gaaah! My hand! My hand!”
“Baring your fangs when cornered… another classic villain moment. But your movements are far too slow, Izakko.”
“Hii… hiiii! Y-you lot… fight, damn you!”
Clutching his shattered hand, Izakko turns to his lackey knights.
“If we don’t act, we’re dead! K-kill Siegfried… and we might get out of this…!”
Even if they somehow managed to kill me, it’d be the crime of murdering their lord. There’s no way Izakko and his men would survive. Still, clinging to a sliver of hope, the lackeys draw their swords.
“Lord Siegfried, step back! I’ll—!”
Beatrice starts toward me, but I stop her with a raised hand.
“Beatrice, I’ll need you to shine in the battles ahead. Stand down for now.”
The moment I say this, the lackey knights charge. I reach for my sword again… and draw. A flash of pale blue light streaks through the air. A brief silence follows. Then, blood spurts from the chests and necks of the lackeys.
“Gah… ha…!”
Realizing too late that they’ve been cut, the lackeys collapse, blood gushing as they meet their end.
“So… strong…!”
Beatrice murmurs in awe. The other knights seem unable to even track my movements.
“Now then…”
I turn back to the stunned Izakko.
“In the end, you didn’t quite make it to 200 years.”
“Huh…?”
Izakko looks baffled by my words.
“You said it yourself, didn’t you? Your family has a 192-year history as knights. Unfortunately… that history ends today.”
“Hii…! P-please, spare me! All the wealth I amassed from the bandits’ payments—I’ll give it all to you, Lord Siegfried…!”
“Enough!”
I cut off Izakko’s plea.
“No. That kind of begging I’ve already heard from Gessler. Come up with something new.”
“Wha… what…?”
A world with varied villains is what makes things interesting. If the same type of villain keeps showing up, I wouldn’t call that a masterpiece. Well, it might still be entertaining, but…
“For example, how about begging for your life by leaning on your family’s prestige?”
“Huh…? Y-yes, of course…! Th-the Puccini family has a 192-year legacy as esteemed knights… To end such a lineage would be a loss even for you, Lord Siegfried…”
“Good. That’s an original plea, perfectly suited to you.”
“Th-then, you’ll spare me…?”
“No. You die.”
“Hiiii!”
The blade of judgment swings down from my hand. Blood sprays, and Izakko’s head traces an arc through the air.
