"Eleventh squadron, all clear.
Eleventh Company, advance west. Meet up with the second squad on Main Street and take command thereafter.
"Fourth squadron, capture three girls. We're taking them with us.
Understood.

　The office in the duke's castle, the main camp.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.
　Each Ghoul, the commander of a unit, carries a caller, including a spare, and reports the progress of the operation to Alastor, the commander.

　Ghouls are undead, also known as "corpse-eating demons.
　They are docile undead that only eat carrion and do not attack people, but they will hunt people and wait for them to rot if they are hungry.
　Their memories and intentions are faint, and their personalities are twisted and evil, but their intelligence is on par with that of the human race.

　Rene took notice of this "intelligent" characteristic. He assigned a ghoul as a platoon leader to lead the zombies who lacked brains and the skeletons who had the decision-making ability of a simple golem.
　I would have preferred to use liches, but they are hard to find in numbers because they require the souls of sorcerers as raw materials.
　If they only had intelligence, they could be spirits or undead, but it would be a little inconvenient that they could not carry things around.
　That is why the captain was a ghoul.

　The duke moves the pieces on the map and marks in red the areas that have been eradicated.
　If there was a communication, he would give instructions accordingly and add the changes in the situation to the map.

"Alastor. We've eliminated the threats you reported. Do you have any other information about the enemy that we can't handle?

　Rene's voice came from one of the callers, and Alastor responded with a reverent bow of his head, knowing that the other party could not see him.

"No, sir. I think that was probably the last time. There are troops engaged with the adventurers, but the knight's undead are more than capable of handling them.
"All right.
　I'm sure you'll be fine. ......　≪I'm not sure what to say.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

"How can I help you?
'Oh, don't worry about it. I just found a civilian who escaped and I killed him.
　I'm turning the materials I got into undead on the spot and sending them to the front of the castle at random. If you see any of the troops, have them collect it.
"Yes, sir.
I'm just going to wander around and kill any people I can find that are hiding from me.

　In some squares in the city, there are piles of materials killed by the undead. Rene is patrolling the area and increasing the number of soldiers by "creating undead".
　If he finds a citizen hiding with the power of emotional perception, he kills them randomly as he passes by and turns them into undead on the spot if they are fit to be soldiers.

...... Speaking of escaping, the citizens we failed to kill are beginning to flee outside the city. I'm not sure what to do.
I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

　It seems that he noticed something.

"Hold on a second!
I'll be back.

　I'm not sure what to do with it.

　"I found it!

I see you.
Aaaaahhhh ......

　The house was half destroyed by Rene's magic.
　Three women, who had apparently been hiding under their breath because they had failed to escape, were looking at Rene with frightened eyes.

　They were teenage girls with no distinguishing features. By Earth's standards, they might be called "girls," but here they are already considered adults, and some of them are married.
　They are not a family, but rather a group of people who happened to be hiding in the same place. They had barricaded themselves in the room with chairs and desks, but Rene put his head on his neck and easily lifted the table with his free left hand and threw it behind him.

"Hiiii!

　There was a throaty scream.

　Renée watches the trembling women.
　They were average to skinny in build. They're not the kind you want to turn into undead.
　Their age also makes them inappropriate as Rene's dependents.
　In other words, he's of no use to Rene. It's an object that should be killed.

"Oh, please help me. ......
Oh, ......, please, please, please, please.
Please help me. Please let me live. ...... Please let me live!

　A desperate plea for life.
　All I could think was, "Shut up.
　He looked at Rene as if he was clinging to her,...... hoping that she would be able to understand him because he was so beautiful, unlike the other undead. Unfortunately, that would be a big mistake. She's the one who caused all this.
　I can't think of any reason not to kill him. Wesara has decided to make an example out of him, to make a counterattack. It's not necessary to kill everyone, but the more dead the better.

　Just cut them up with the cursed red blade. The three of you together, cut in half.
　Just kill them without a care in the world and give them +3 kill score.

　That should be enough.

　--......?　I don't know why. It's not fun. ......



　The red blade in Rene's hand did not move.
　Killing is not fun.

　I wonder why.
　Guilt?　Conscience?　Those things don't exist anymore. They were taken from him along with his dignity in that living hell.

　Rene had slaughtered dozens of innocent people before he came here.
　He pierced and killed an infant and its mother, who was trying to protect it. He stabbed to death a father trying to protect his family and let the zombie kill his wife and daughter. Without hesitation, he slaughtered a girl who was too weak to escape and had to wait for the last moment in prayer on her sickbed.
　There's no reason to single out the women in front of you.

　--...... No, that's not it.

　Rene realized.

　--He was piling up.

　The more he killed, the more suffocating it became, as if he was holding his breath and diving into the sea.
　There was no need to breathe, but he felt as if his chest and lungs were being constricted.

　It was "fear".
　Fear of being abandoned.

　Rene does not really have an aversion to murder. He is a ruthless and selfish avenger who will kill a sick old man or an infant to get what he wants.
　But what would his mother, who had been so kind to him, think when she saw Rene's brutality?
　How would Diana, who cared for Rene until her dying breath, feel when she saw him stained with blood?
　I'm sure both of them would have tried to stop him if they were still alive.
　That's okay. Revenge against the world is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
　But what if... But what if he was abandoned as an irredeemable enemy?

　What if I lose ...... my mother's love?

I will always be ...... happy. I'll always ...... be looking out for you.

　...... Diana's words were a curse, not a help, to Rene the avenger.
　That battle reminded Rene that she was just a girl.

　--I feel like an idiot. What am I thinking?
　　　Your mother and Deanna are dead. I don't even know if they're watching me. I don't even know if they're still in this world because sometimes you get reincarnated the moment you die.

　Rene thought it was too ridiculous and childish sentimentality.
　For those who are no longer here, Rene is trying to be a tragic heroine instead of a monster who will destroy everything. She is trying to protect the last line that may or may not exist.
　She doesn't know what is safe and what is not.
　That's why I'm afraid!　The more I kill, the more I fear I've fallen.

　I didn't hesitate to kill Rene because I had feelings for him.
　If I had had time to calm down a little, ...... well, for example, if I had met the women in front of me again tomorrow, I would have cut them up without hesitation.

　I can see the three of them trembling in prayer as they brace themselves.

　If I cut them...
　If I slay them, will I be able to break free from childish sentimentality and become a vengeance device that doesn't care about right and wrong in the slightest?

　Rene gritted his teeth and lowered his sword.

...... I have a question for you. Answer quickly and accurately.
　When your brother Hilbert usurped the throne from King Elbert, did you rejoice and celebrate it?

　Apparently sensing something by these words and René's appearance, woman A (for convenience, let's call her ABC from left to right, facing René) immediately straightened up and knelt down trembling. This is the kind of courtesy a commoner should extend to royalty.
　Then she shouted.

"Princess!　I do not believe that such an act is possible!

　She seemed to have realized that Rene was the "Rose Princess of Hell", that is, the daughter of the previous king, Elbert. It seems that the commotion in the capital and the situation had been properly communicated to us.

　B, who had been dumbfounded by what A had done, seemed to have swallowed the situation immediately and followed suit. B, who had been stunned by what A had done, followed suit.

"I was thinking the same thing, Princess!

　Later, C kneels down as well. C looked up, trembling, and put her hand on her chest.

Princess, no!　These women were happy to talk about Hilbert's deeds!　They also said it was 'nice' to hear about the decapitated royals!
"What?
What? What are you talking about?

　C's accusation made AB's face turn pale.

"He's the one who was happy about the coup!
No, sir!　No, I was just talking to them!　It was never in my mind. ......
That's enough!
Aah!

　B joined C and hit him in the face with his fist. C desperately grabbed his face back.

Why are you trying to save yourself like that?
"You're selling us out!　You're a liar!


Which one of you is the liar?

　The three of them began to brawl, hitting each other and grabbing each other, leaving Rene behind.
　Rene suddenly felt a headache coming on and rubbed the temple of his head with his right hand.

"Well, ......, I forgot to tell you something important first. I know how to lie.
"What ......?

　A and B's heads were flying in the air, leaving behind mutterings of despair.
　C slipped out of B's arms, which had lost their strength, and slumped down.

"Oh, wow. ......
"Hmm. I'm fine with this. I guess direct revenge is out of the question.

　With a flick of the red blade, Rene checks his own mental state.
　No flaws. It's not painful. In fact, I'm enjoying it.

　She glares at C. I don't feel like slaying this woman. ...... At least not now, after committing so many atrocities.

I'll allow you to escape. But remember. I'll kill people like you if I have to.
　Understand that your survival here and now is only by unreasonable luck.
　Go to ...... quickly. Before I change my mind!
"Yes, yes ......!

　When René squared his jaw (or, more accurately, moved his hand holding his neck in that way), C stood up and rolled away.
　René watched him go, disappointed in his own ineptitude.
　He gave a reason and finally killed them both.
　Although he was anti-Hilbert, he let the other one go. This Wesara was going to crush him severely, but Rene himself made a record of letting citizens go.

　--What am I ......?　I'm a ...... vengeance in this situation. ......

　The ideal image of what a revenger should be is very hard to reach. I'm weak, I'm inconsistent.
　Just when you think you can't possibly get revenge.

　A flash of inspiration came to René's mind.

　That ABC fistfight was an unnecessary travesty. ......
　What if we could do that on a national scale?

　--Yes, ...... yes!
　　　Since the goal isn't to kill everyone, I'd rather use this technique!

　There's no negotiating or begging with a monster that just wants to destroy everything indiscriminately. If that happens, the people will unite and try to defeat Rene.
　But what if they don't?

　Rene took up the caller that had been put on hold and activated it.

Alastor. No follow-up. I mean, if you have no use for it, don't kill it. If they run, let them run. The news and the fact that we took down a city will be enough. Okay?
Yes, sir.
And we'll have a strategy meeting when we get back. I've come up with a new plan to attack King's Landing. Feasibility and specifics. We need to decide all of this while your head is still intact, okay?
"Yes, sir.

　Putting the caller back on hold, Rene forced a smile.

　Before she knew it, she had set a limit to her cruelty. It would be a stumbling block for an avenger.
　But that doesn't mean I can't kill. We just need to take a break.
　And ...... there are some strategies that are only possible when you have a "no kill" moment!

　--......I guess this is why my fight is called "revenge", isn't it?

　It's half a complication, but Rene forced himself to think positively.
　Because it is not a broken and heartless revenge device, but the act of a "person" who is afraid of being hated by her mother and her mother's replacement (Diana), Rene's battle can be "revenge" instead of a "monster rampage.

　Rene was a girl.
　She was neither a monster nor a revenge device, but a girl who missed and mourned her mother.

"...... mother".

　The words fall out of her mouth, and she shakes her head with both hands.

"Oh no!　I'm not sure what to say.　No!

　Fortunately, the caller was on hold, and there were no ghouls or civilians nearby who could hear the words.

　Rene breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky from inside his half-destroyed house.

　The people who took her mother, her life, everything from a weak little girl, are still living under this sky.
　That's why ......

　--............ Fight!

　The main street, smashed here and there by magic and littered with corpses and undead wreckage, was desolate and silent.

　I'm not sure what to say.



　Rene doesn't know it yet.
　This decision will develop beyond a mere operation and make Rene the one who will reign as an avenger against the human world.