CubexCursedxCurious:Volume16 Chapter1

Chapter 1 - The Withdrawn Cube / "Cage x Collapse x Chivalrous"

Part 1

Her master was currently sitting in the wheelchair. Sleif—the demonic sword Dainsleif—followed his gaze, staring at «Dieu le veut» standing upright on the ground surface. In order to confirm its state.

As kindred, she could sense the cursed aura released from the spear. It was operational indeed. The prior preparations she had undertaken in this town were not in vain. Likewise for the bloodshed and pain suffered by that lowly allegedly immortal girl.

"Looks like it's definitely operating properly, isn't it~? Standing perfectly straight, it's truly wonderful~"

Taciturn was giggling while she spoke. Sleif was displeased to see her act so frivolously in front of the master, but that was how Taciturn always behaved. The master whispered:

"A foolish question—Anything else would be troublesome."

"Then the only thing left to do is wait. Everything is progressing so smoothly~"

Sleif could not ignore these words. Turning her helmeted face towards Taciturn, she said:

"Do not lower your guard, Taciturn Chatterbox. It is our turn to enter the stage. Until territorialization completes, twenty-four hours remain—We must guard the spear until then."

"Yes yes yes, I got it~ To perform territorialization in such a conspicuous place, it goes without saying that a certain group will interfere."

"Carelessness would be folly. Preparation is essential. Before this place becomes a castle, it must first be made into a stronghold. Dainsleif, instruct the knights to start establishing a stronghold."

"Acknowledged."

Hearing the master, Dainsleif turned around and issued directions to the knights in formation awaiting orders.

Having received their task, the knights returned to the "mobile territory" of the transport helicopter and started to move supplies. These were supplies for setting up camp, including tent equipment, rations, weapons and various sundries.

Needless to say, the place where the master was staring at, with «Dieu le veut» stabbed in the ground, would be the headquarters. With this as the center, the camp was gradually set up outwards.

Of course, this could not compare to the Knights Dominion's headquarters in the homeland, but the camp still followed the style and overall layout back home. Indeed—This was equivalent to a "throne room" despite serving as temporary headquarters. Upon the pride of knights, this place must be presentable.

The knights started to build a raised level above the ground, similar to a throne's platform, so as to house the master's wheelchair. Then from the entrance of the soon-to-be erected tent all the way to the throne, a red carpet was laid to enhance the atmosphere of an audience hall. Then several sets of silver armor were moved out of the mobile territory and carefully lined up on the left and right sides of the carpet. Though they may take up a lot of room, these were indispensable furnishings. As for decorations, there was a practical and high-class work desk, a vase on the desk, candlesticks for illumination, embroidery on the tent fabric—All sorts of things. Apart from this throne room that was to be temporary headquarters, they also planned to set up several tents for the knights to rest, but that could wait until later.

Looking at the knights setting up camp progressively, Taciturn suddenly cocked her head and asked:

"Miss Dainsleif, as important setting up headquarters may be, isn't there something else of higher priority? Doesn't establishing a stronghold mean more than that? If you were to forget, I would be forced to laugh and jeer at you, yes?"

"Please stop talking incomprehensibly. Your worries are redundant. I have already issued orders for «Auschwitz-Birkenau» to be prepared."

"Oh dear, really~? Very well. But on further thought, why do I get the feeling that using that might be making mountains out of molehills?"

The master answered this question.

"Caution above all else. Now that it is decided for this land to become the Second Knights Dominion, failure is absolutely not an option."

"That I do understand."

"If someone were to obstruct the founding of our territory—Fear-in-Cube's group is the most likely. My personality cannot allow their existence and threat to be ignored. Even if others might view this as cowardice, it would be folly not to prepare properly in advance."

"..."

Dainsleif subconsciously pressed her hand on her own chest. She could not understand why she did so. The beating of that fake object accompanying her human form, as well as the foreign body inside her. No change came to either of them at all.

"Indeed, the necessary tasks must be finished first. Dainsleif, order Barbarossa Lee to lead a squad to move out. I need not specify the destination, do I?"

"Of course not. Nothing would be better if this squad could accomplish the task of destruction on their own, but otherwise, they could still buy time.. Depriving the enemy of the chance to take action is also a very important mission. I will tell them to do everything in their power."

"Heeheehee, in addition, things will get troublesome if they don't take this opportunity to get out~ Well then, my lord, this can't be all there is to your plan, can it? That's why I am present."

"Foolish question."

The Dominion Lord turned his head lightly. The tent covering this place was still being set up with only half of the canopy erected. Hence, the view was still very open, allowing one to see—

The school building facing this sports ground, as well as the numerous students still looking at the knights' direction, most likely having no idea what was going on.

Seated in the wheelchair, the Dominion Lord looked up at them expressionlessly and whispered:

"We shall set up two barriers to guard this place. One being the physical barrier formed by «Auschwitz-Birkenau». The other being—"

"A psychological barrier. In other words, hostages whom those people absolutely cannot ignore, right?"

Taciturn rudely finished the Dominion Lord's sentence. Placing a hand on her forehead with a giggling face, she made a motion as though looking out afar. Naturally, what she looked at were also the students in the school building. Then she grinned—

"Wow~ With this, I've discovered extremely suitable things that happen to be over there. And many of them too."

Dainsleif knew in advance that things would come to this, but still, she could not help but proceed in caution. Briefly, she asked the Dominion Lord:

"Pardon my impudence, but may I inquire on the progress of negotiations?"

"Already complete. Even if this school's superintendent—Seikaibashi Gabriel—or anyone else tried recklessly to bring in the police or the media in an attempt to get in our way, there will be no effect whatsoever. Do not worry about interference from outsiders."

Seikaibashi Gabriel was apparently a man of substantial influence in this town. However—so-called connections were absolutely unable to oppose connections of greater power than one's own. The Knights Dominion had been active all over the world since a long time ago for the legitimate aim of eliminating cursed tools. Naturally, they were able to overwhelm one person's meager power as soon as they got serious.

"In other words, there is nothing to worry about? In that case, I will busy myself with a bit of work."

Legitimate aim. There was no doubt that the destruction of loathsome Wathes was a legitimate aim, but the actions taken as a means to achieving this end—namely, that of involving innocent commoners—surely most would frown at that thought, wouldn't they? At least, Dainsleif was self-aware in this regard. However, even so, establishing the Second Knights Dominion on this land, to utterly crush and destroy Fear-in-Cube and her fellow Wathes, to obliterate their refuge as well—

This mission held priority above all else.

It was duty towards guiding the world towards the right path.

Looking left and right, Taciturn grabbed a young knight nearby.

"You'll do. Come and help me. Here, hold this."

"S-Sure. But I've been assigned a task too. Please give me some time to get someone else to take over—"

"There's no time for that~ We need time to move. Okay, walk, hurry and get moving. You won't be scolded because you are following my orders. Also, I'll treat you to a drink at least, okay? Heeheehee, I don't mind either if you would like some other reward."

Taciturn took out a small device from her pocket and handed it to the young knight, then wrapped her arm around his neck intimately and started walking. But then, she looked back slightly and said:

"Oh no, but what if he asks for a sexy reward, what should I do~? What do you think, Dainsleif?"

"Think about it yourself. Before that, stop disrupting discipline at this critical hour."

"You're so cold~ There's a full twenty-four hours ahead of us, so I just want to tell you this: staying tense all the time won't help~"

"Do not be careless. Cut the idle chatter and get to work."

As soon as Dainsleif finished, a change occurred in Taciturn's expression and appearance. Her face still displayed a teasing smile but her eyes and lips were giving off malicious airs of a taunting nature.

"Careless? Do I look careless?"

Dainsleif exhaled. She really did not want to waste time on this kind of dialogue.

"Yes. However... What matters is the actual result. As long as you produce results, I have no complaints."

"You should know, right? Despite being a carefree woman normally, I always do what needs to be done. I always finish my work completely, perfectly, absolutely splendidly, you know?"

She knew. Taciturn was indeed a perfectionist in her work—More precisely, it was not limited to work alone. Rather, it was whenever she was taking direct action for the sake of "a certain person."

"I hope so. Never forget that you are allowed to be so carefree only because you produce results."

"Heeheehee, that body of yours, reeking of a curse, is also allowed to exist only because you produce results, demonic sword."

Needless to say, dialogue of this sort was also the same as usual in a certain sense. Dainsleif was beginning to regret taking her seriously. Exasperated, she said:

"End of conversation. Hurry and be on your way."

"Yes yes~"

Taciturn started walking again while waving to Dainsleif over her shoulder. From the image of her back, one could not feel any remorse or hesitation towards the imminent task of taking all the students hostage.

This was only natural. Rather, this must be the way.

The woman who called herself the "taciturn chatterbox" was frivolous, unrefined and rude. For a human, she was absolutely the type Dainsleif disliked.

For an organization like the Knights Dominion, Taciturn was undoubtedly useful. It could be asserted that she was someone absolutely unshaken by conscience or naivete.

Indeed, she was a true perfectionist. Doing necessary things when they needed to be done, doing them no matter what the situation. Doing everything in her power, working hard to complete assigned missions impeccably. To this date, she had accomplished them all.

Whether infiltrating places reeking of feces and animal stench, conducting investigations that grated on one's willpower, cajoling with joy and humiliation, engaging in frown-inducing torture and interrogation, kidnapping while listening to the screams of young children, inflicting mind-breaking abuse, or performing underhanded and dishonorable assassinations.

The decisive condition of "necessary" was very simple.

Given just the reason that the Dominion Lord truly wished for it, she would carry out all missions without hesitation. Abandoning her usual frivolity to become a truly loyal retainer, she would sacrifice her mind, her body and everything else.

In other words, Taciturn was a perfectionist only within the limited scope of working for the Dominion Lord.

Because she is—The Lead Auxiliary.

Standing at the top of all auxiliaries in the Knights Dominion...

She was the one and only existence who had received the honor of acting as Dominion Lord Trinac Agana's direct auxiliary.

Part 2

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Part 3

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Part 4

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Part 5

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Part 6

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