Chapter 279 - Floating Sky Fortress

“Wha…”

What was that!?

Why is Raphtalia glaring at me with such hostility!?

Naofumi: “What art thou saying, Raphtalia!?”

Raphtalia: “Even though the Naofumi-sama I knew was a bit twisted, he would never do something like this!”

Naofumi: “I’m always evolving. Mine values hath merely shifted!”

Raphtalia: “Even so, there’s a limit to that. Who are you?”

Ku… Why doth she be opposing me?

Atlas: “Ah, Naofumi-sama. Did something happen?”

Atlas appears with Fohl.

Raphtalia: “Atlas-chan, Naofumi-sama’s acting strange. Can you sense anything? No, he may even be a fake.”

Raphtalia holds back her anger as she asks Atlas.

What be there to doubt? What’s strange about me?

The strange one is Raphtalia be it not?

Thy Raphtalia would never deny me.

She should accept my new thoughts.

Atlas: “Let’s see…”

Atlas stareth fixedly at my face. Though she canst see.

Naofumi: “Dost thou continue to doubt me!?”

“No matter how I look at it, it’s strange, Atlas!! There’s something wrong with him!”

Atlas: “Ah, don’t worry. He’s no fake.”

Raphtalia: “Is that true? Then what happened to him!?”

Perhaps she activated some Hengen Musou Skill. Raphtalia stares at me.

Raphtalia: “He seems to be… wearing a strange aura. Is that shield the source of it?”

Atlas: “Raphtalia-san.”

Raphtalia: “What is it?”

Atlas: “There are no problems. There is nothing wrong with Naofumi-sama.”

Raphtalia: “Even with the way he’s speaking!?”

Atlas: “Yes. I will continue to yearn for Naofumi-sama no matter what he becomes.”

Raphtalia: “Doesn’t that mean you admit that something’s happened to him!?”

Raphtalia and Atlas are more heated than usual.

Hearing the commotion, Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, Rishia and the other slaves exit the dining hall and come here.

Ren: “What? What’s up?”

Itsuki: “Is it a fight? How rare.”

Motoyasu: “Father-in-Law, I’d like to speak with you about my Firo-tan’s health.”

Ren and the others do come over.

Naofumi: “Oh my, is it not the pieces of garbage who self-destructed with their own useless knowledge. Wilst thy not stay back!?”

“!?”

Ren’s eyes lose color, and he looks towards Raphtalia.

She’s not someone trash like you should be laying eyes on!

Rishia: “Fuee… Did something happen!?”

Itsuki: “Then should I stay back? I feel that something’s off.”

Rishia: “Don’t run away!”

I tire of these fools’ questions.

More importantly, Raphtalia.

Why doth Raphtalia deny me!?

Motoyasu: “Father-in-Law, what happened?”

Naofumi: “Motoyasu, you shut up.”

Raphtalia: “Atlas-chan, can you still say the same things after seeing that?”

Upon Raphtalia’s inquiry, Atlas nods twice and speaks.

Atlas: “Yeah, I’ll declare it as many times as I must. There’s nothing wrong with Naofumi-sama. Do you see anything strange about him?”

Raphtalia: “Of course! A lot! What was with his line back there!? He declared something about world domination, you know!”

Atlas: “Then let us set out to dominate the world. If Naofumi-sama wishes for it, it must be necessary.”

Atlas acknowledges me in my entirety.

Raphtalia never blindly accepted me like this, but at the very least, she understood me.

So why is the Raphtalia before my eyes failing to understand? What doesn’t she see?

… That’s it!

Naofumi: “You over there! Are you not an imposter!?”

Raphtalia: “What are you saying all of a sudden!?”

Naofumi: “It’s true, isn’t it? The Raphtalia I know would never display animosity towards me!”

Raphtalia: “Naofumi-sama, let’s have a long talk after you return to normal. Now stay still for a second.”

Pointing her blade at me, Raphtalia lowers her stance, and prepares her Chi to use a Hengen Musou skill.

As I thought.

Raphtalia would never point her sword at me.

This must be an assassin sent by Trash. This must be his plan.

Atlas: “I won’t let you.”

Raphtalia: “Atlas-chan, please step aside.”

Atlas throws Fohl to the floor, and steps forward.

The fake and Atlas began exchanging dialogue.

At that time, Firo appeared, and spoke with a curious look on her face.

Firo: “Onee-chan, what’s wrong?”

Raphtalia: “Firo, there’s nothing wrong with me. Naofumi-sama’s acting strange, so please help me capture him.”

Firo: “Eh… Master seems to be having more fun than usual.”

Raphtalia: “There’s nothing fun about it! Please help me! Quickly!”

Naofumi: “Firo.”

I call out to Firo, and she stuffs her face with some Bread Fruit, and turns to me.

The chance of this Firo being a fake is low.

I mean, the fact that she’s still eating the Bread Fruit I made points to her validity.

Firo: “What~?”

Naofumi: “Buy me some time by fighting that fake. I don’t want to be anywhere near a faker like that.”

I haven’t finished preparations for battle.

If I stay here, I don’t know what sort of thing will happen to me.

Luckily, I had just completed the modifications for the Kernal Seed at the lab.

By now, it should be answering to my beck and call.

Firo: “Got it.”

Raphtalia: “Firo, please move.”

Firo: “No.”

Atlas: “I will assist you, Firo-chan.”

Firo: “Yay.”

Firo and Atlas step onto the front lines to defend me.

Next to the Fake, Ren, Itsuki and Rishia prepare for battle.

ren: “I don’t know what’s happening, but Naofumi’s been devoured by some curse, right?”

Raphtalia: “… If Atlas-chan, who’s infinitely more perceptive than us, says that’s the real Naofumi-sama, then I’m certain that’s the case.”

Ren: “But for Naofumi to become like this at this point in time… What should we do?”

Raphtalia: “For now, let’s stop him. We need to have him overcome his curse.”

Ren: “That’s how it is. Naofumi, I’m greatly in debt to you. That’s why I’ll lend my power to Raphtalia to return you to your senses.”

Naofumi: “Ren… Not once, but twice!? You damn traitor!”

I saved him, and gave him an opportunity to rehabilitate himself, yet he sides with that imposter!?

Just how ungrateful are these bastards.

Rat: “Marquis! What’s happening!?”

It seems Rat heard the commotion and came over.

That means the research lab is currently empty.

How careless of her.

Naofumi: “Ah, if it isn’t Rat.”

Rat: “I didn’t ask you about me. I’m asking you what the hell is going on!”

Naofumi: “That imposter over there is pointing her blade at me.”

Rat: “Imposter… No matter how I look at it, the Marquis is the strange one here.”

Naofumi: “Hmm… So youll be siding with them? In the end you’re just an incompetent Alchemist, are you?”

Rat: “What is the meaning of this. Why are you directing those words at me?”

Naofumi: “This is the meaning of it.”

Rat: “Wha”

I hit an icon on the shield, and remotely control the modified Bioplants in the Lab.

A cracking sound rings out. Using the power of the land… The dragon pulse’s energy as food, the research laboratory begins moving. It lifts off the ground, and starts floating above me.

Since its size didn’t change, it’s about the size of a gymnasium.

A ladder descends from above.

I grasp it, and order it to lift.

Rat: “What the hell is that!?”

Naofumi: “It’s my newest Bioplant Modification. The Sky Fortress, the Castle Plant!”

Ren: “Oy, oy… Naofumi, are you really doing this!?”

Itsuki: “It’s a flying fortress?”

Rishia: “Fuee! What’s that!?”

Naofumi: “Slaves and monsters of the village! From here on out, I will be venturing forward to create a new world. Those who wish to follow my dream, come aboard! I’ll leave the choice to you. If you choose to become my ally, I’ll be benevolent. If you wish to be my enemy, I’ll have no mercy!”

The slaves each turn to one another, and start speaking. The air is filled with noise.

What is there to hesitate about?

We’ll be wiping out the fakes, and the traitors that follow them. We’ll be reconstructing the world.

Raphtalia: “Eveyone, due to some strange influence, Naofumi-sama’s gone strange. Don’t be coerced by his sweet words.”

The fake shamelessly puts on a Raphtalia-esque act to incite the slaves.

It’s useless.

Look at reality.

Kiel: “Niichan! I’ll follow you!”

Imya: “Uwah! Kiel, stop!”

Raphtalia: “Kiel-kun!”

Kiel changes to her puppy form, knocks down Ren, and grabs the ladder.

Getting an attack from Kiel, who he thought was an ally, seems to have greatly confused Ren.

Motoyasu: “Firo-tan’s enemy is our enemy as well.”

Motoyasu siding with our camp, it seems.

He may have some problems with his mind, but his skill is certain.

I’ll use whoever I can.

Fohl: “Atlas! Uwah! Sto! Uwaaaahhh!”

Fohl starts running. He reaches out his hand.

Well, as long as Atlas is on this side, he’ll listen to my orders.

I’ll bring him along.

Motoyasu holds off Itsuki and Rishia. The fake party can’t launch any large attacks.

While he held them off, the monsters were raising their voices in approval, so I ordered the Bioplant to retrieve them.

… Gaelion came flying over. Taniko’s on his back.

Gaelion: “KYUA!?”

Taniko: “What’s happening this time?”

Raphtalia: “Naofumi-sama’s become strange due to a curse.”

Taniko: “Again?”

Gaelion: “KYUAAAAAAA!”

Gaelion changes to his small form, and flies towards me.

Good. I’ll grant you the modifications you always wished for.

Is what I thought, but.

Taniko: “No.”

Taniko grasps his tail to stop him.

Taniko: “What do you plan on doing by following that Hero of the Shield?”

Naofumi: “He wants to become strong. Nature has its limits. He won’t become strong as he is right now. As he wishes, I’ll make him the strongest, so don’t get in his way!”

Taniko: “Not happening! No good will come out of sending him to you as you are now.”

Naofumi: “Hmph. I thought I would use you as a replacement for Rat. How foolish.”

Now then. The slaves have each decided who they will follow.

Naofumi: “Henceforth, we will be moving to a location suitable for world domination. Farewell, imposter. How dare you imitate my Raphtalia. Eventually the real one will appear, and you’ll have your comeuppance. You better be prepared for it.”

Raphtalia: “Like I’d let that happen!”

The fake brandishes her sword, and jumps towards me.

Well well well. At least this fake’s resistance is first class.

Atlas: “I won’t permit it!”

Firo: “Onee-chan, don’t get in the way!”

Atlas and Firo work together to block her sword. Firo kicks her away.

“Kya!”

It happened in midair. I immediately use vines from the Castle Plant to wrap around Atlas and Firo to recover them.

This much distance is enough.

I’ll need to prepare magic and skills to intercept them.

Naofumi: “Farewell!”

I order the Castle Plant, and it releases a smokescreen for escape, and a simple magic jamming to prevent counterattacks. I worry about the fuel consumption as I cast a barrier as well, just in case.

At the same time the smokescreen is released, the castle starts moving to escape.

Raphtalia: “Ah, wait! Ku… smoke!”

Itsuki: “If I shoot it down, the Floating Fortress will fall to the ground, and the people onboard will take heavy damage. Do you want me to shoot it down?”

Rishia: “You can’t, Itsuki-sama! If you do something like that…”

Itsuki: “Understood.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Fufufu The fake, and her useless Heroes watch us leave with dark expressions.

The faker extends her hand towards me.

Raphtalia: “Naofumi-sama!”

I have nothing to offer to a fake.

If I have time to look at that piece of garbage, I’d spend it looking for the real one.

Following my orders, the Castle Plant sets out over the ocean. No one can follow us anymore.