Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Jaeger (3)
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The girl's identity was Asel. From a distance, and because he looked so pretty, I'd mistaken him for a woman. The moment his telekinesis released, a rain of beastmen began pouring down.
“Gaaahhh!”
“S-Save me!”
Screams and collision sounds echoed in a chain reaction. They slammed into wagons, the ramparts, and the tips of spears held by soldiers, becoming crippled or dying on the spot. People scattered in chaos under the bizarre downpour. Asel's face turned pale white as he belatedly sensed their fall.
“Eek! Slow Zone!”
Asel hurriedly chanted the spell. A hemispherical barrier of mana enveloped the surrounding area widely. The falling speed of the beastmen within its range slowed dramatically. Those who hadn't yet hit the ground let out cheers of relief.
“W-We survived!”
“You fucking bastards. As soon as we land... Gahk!”
Of course, the relief lasted only that far. Thunk! The spear thrown by the weretiger guard captain pierced the chest of the relieved werebear. The gushing blood also fell slowly. Grabbing a new spear, the guard captain bellowed in a voice that shook the city.
“This is our golden chance! Kill every last minion of Jaeger who's been eyeing our city!”
“Waaaaah!”
The soldiers cheered after him. Without a moment's hesitation, they hurled spears and shot arrows at Jaeger's minions falling slowly through the air. Helplessly flailing midair, they made perfect targets for the soldiers and mercenaries.
“Kyaaak! D-Don't shoot!”
“I surrender! I surrender!”
The beastmen begged for mercy, but the hands of the Rundalian guards didn't stop. A rain of blood poured slowly. Watching this novel slaughter scene, Ronan let out a hollow laugh.
“Never thought I'd live to see something like this.”
“Yeah... Tell me about it.”
They must have had a lot of pent-up resentment. Marya nodded in agreement. In any case, they couldn't just stand by, so Ronan's group joined in.
Roaring death cries incomparable to humans' echoed sporadically. Ronan and Marya each took down three, while Adeshan felled five.
It took about five minutes for all the beastmen to reach the ground. Most lost their lives on the way down. The few who barely survived were taken prisoner or executed on the spot.
As the Slow Zone magic lifted, the lingering blood droplets in the air poured down all at once. Whoosh— a red downpour signaled the end of the incident. Ronan wiped the blood seeping into his eyes and asked Marya.
“So, what exactly happened?”
“Hoo... I stopped by the Hancheol Mine to secure whatever stock we could right away, and suddenly these beastmen attacked. Do you know them by any chance?”
“More or less. 'Guys I want to know more about' would be more accurate.”
Marya tilted her head at the cryptic words. Ronan briefly explained Jaeger and the precarious northern situation. Marya's face crumpled upon hearing Secret's withdrawal recommendation.
“Withdrawal's a bit tricky... Turning the merchant group around now would be a massive loss. To the point it'd disrupt operations. What if we hire more mercenaries?”
“Maybe. But the rebels are bigger than expected.”
Ronan twisted his lips. If Secret's intel was accurate, running a merchant caravan in the current north was like a naked beauty strolling into a crime-ridden alley. They might hold out for a bit, but eventually sheer numbers would overwhelm them into a grim fate.
'Unless it wraps up real quick.'
Ronan stroked his chin, humming thoughtfully. He didn't want the Karabel Merchant Group taking a hit either. It was an organization that would soon be a pillar of the empire's economy, and Marya was his friend.
They were deep in discussion when Asel's body floated up from the warehouse roof. He'd apparently confirmed the slaughter was over. He flew through the air and soon landed before the two. Ronan greeted him casually.
“Hey. Asel.”
“H-Hey, Ronan. Marya and even the student council president... What brings you here?”
“That's what I want to ask you, man. Why are you here?”
“W-Well... Um...”
Asel hemmed and hawed, glancing around without answering. Ronan lightly raised one hand. Startled, Asel backpedaled and shouted.
“Hyaa! W-Well, I came for training. Yeah!”
“Training?”
“Th-The witch said training to master ice magic should be done in freezing cold where it snows. But it's summer now... And the only place it snows is the north...”
Asel continued his explanation. In short, he'd come to train his lacking ice magic compared to his telekinesis.
He'd been heading further north and arrived in Rundalian just an hour ago. Hearing the commotion, he went to check and saw beastmen who looked like bandits attacking a human caravan, so he helped. From the vajra tucked in his coat pocket, the witch's voice rang out.
Judging by the large backpack and his speech, it didn't seem like a lie. Live long enough, you see all sorts of coincidences, Ronan muttered under his breath as he lightly pinched Asel's cheek.
“Still, man, if you were coming north, you should've said something beforehand. We could've come together.”
“S-Sorryyy... It was decided long after break started...”
“No need to apologize. Thanks to you, everyone came out unscathed. Good job.”
Ronan released his cheek and ruffled Asel's hair gently. He thought about how disastrous it would've been if he hadn't brought this guy from Nimbutton.
A hardworking genius. With a kind heart to boot. His only flaw was his frustrating timidity, but that hardly counted as one anymore. Except in exactly one area. Giggling, Marya approached and pulled him into a tight hug.
“Right. We survived thanks to our cutie. How should I repay this favor?”
“Mmph...! N-No need, Marya. Really.”
The two looked like close siblings. Being friendly was fine, but for Asel—who aimed for more—it wasn't ideal.
'That idiot.'
He figured he could repay the debt now. Waiting for Marya's hug to end, Ronan called Asel.
“Asel. Come with me for a sec.”
“Uh, o-okay? Where to?”
“Quit yapping and come on.”
Ronan forcibly linked arms with him and walked off. Heading to a secluded spot, he stopped behind a wagon. Sensing instinctive dread, Asel stammered.
“R-Ronan. What's up?”
“Asel. Listen well. I think now's your chance.”
“Ch-Chance...?”
“Cuteness has its limits. If you really like her, you gotta man up and go for it. And I think now's the perfect time.”
Ronan massaged one of Asel's shoulders as he spoke. Not grasping the meaning, Asel shook his head side to side.
“I-I don't get what you're saying.”
“Idiot. I'm talking about Marya. You like her, right?”
“Gasp...!”
Asel froze, sucking in a sharp breath. His exposed ears turned beet red. Ronan glanced at the wagon's side and continued.
“If you wanna really get with Marya, you need to show some manly appeal from now on. Get complacent with the status quo, and you'll end up in hell. You get me?”
“H-Hell...?”
“Alright, lemme give you an example. A horrific one. You're done with class like usual and head to the clubroom, but the door that's supposed to be closed is ajar. Instinct tells you something's up, so you peek through the crack. And fuck, inside Marya's making out with Braum. A deep, sloppy kiss checking each other's teeth with tongues.”
“Th-That, what...!”
“Use your imagination, Asel. You can't tear your eyes from that hellish sight. The two, oblivious to you, keep going. Nibbling ears, kissing necks. Hands sliding lower... Ah, fuck, that pisses me off.”
Describing the despairing future, Ronan spat on the ground. Picturing ugly Braum made it worse. Pale-faced Asel sniffled.
“Wh-Why say something like that...?”
Even as mere hypothesis, Asel's heart was already in tatters. Unwittingly substituting himself for Braum amplified the damage. Based on Marya's behavior he'd seen, it felt all too plausible.
“Asel. You okay with Marya becoming some other bastard's woman?”
“Ah... Th-That's Marya's choice...”
“That's obvious, man. I'm asking what you want. Need another example to snap out of it?”
“N-No! Don't!”
Asel shook his head vigorously. The previous tale had hit hard. Muttering to himself, he murmured softly.
“...No. Absolutely not.”
“Good, Asel. That's it. Now I'll tell you what to do.”
Ronan linked arms again and whispered instructions. Asel's face flushed bright red. Soon, they emerged before the wagon. Far off, Marya and Adeshan were chatting.
“How far've you gone? Be honest, sis.”
“H-How far...? Nothing yet.”
“Hmm, those eyes say at least a kiss. Just trust me and go for it once?”
“S-Such...”
Marya giggled, shoulders shaking with amusement. Adeshan hung her head like she'd committed a crime. Unable to follow, Ronan shrugged.
'What're they so hyped about.'
Women had their own fun, it seemed. Shaking it off, Ronan patted Asel's back. Tense as a board, he shouted louder than necessary.
“M-M-M-M-Marya!”
“Huh?”
Marya and Adeshan turned simultaneously. Asel's face burned as red as his hair.
He desperately wanted to bolt, but Ronan loomed behind with hand on hilt. Striding forward, he stopped before Marya.
“What's up, cutie?”
“N-Not that, you said you're hiring more mercenaries, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“W-Well... Um...”
Marya tilted her head. Asel seemed different from usual. He just took deep breaths in place, unable to spit out the important words.
'No way. This is as far as I go.'
As he tried to make excuses and flee, Ronan's earlier story flashed in his mind. Clubroom. Ajar door. Marya with someone else. The despair shrank his lifespan just imagining it. Finally stopping his breaths, Asel squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
“...I'll protect you. Can I travel with your caravan?”
“That's it.”
Ronan clenched his fist watching. Ant-sized voice, but clear. And no stammering— a thrill rivaling beheading Dalman. Marya blinked, then smiled slyly.
“Ooh~ Our cutie's gonna protect me? What brought this on?”
“Tr-Training can be anywhere in the north... I want to! I-I'm not perfect, but...”
“No, that's plenty. This is reassuring.”
Marya cut in abruptly, grabbing his cheeks with both hands. His small face turned crimson. Watching beside Adeshan, Ronan spoke.
“Hope it works out this time. Right?”
“Yeah. They suit each other so well.”
“Seriously, those two should quit being oblivious and just date already. So frustrating.”
“Oblivious... Yeah.”
Adeshan glanced at his profile and sighed. She got why people drank when frustrated.
Having averted crisis, Ronan stretched. Now he pondered next moves. Before Heiran, they needed to take out Jaeger's leadership, but no ideas came.
Storming in would scatter them, and unknown movements ruled out assassination.
“Hm?”
Then he spotted beastmen prisoners chained and kneeling in the corner. Jaeger's captured minions groaned in pain, lamenting their fate.
“Damn it... Jaeger'll kill us. Failed again...”
“Think survival first. Hold on, comrades'll come.”
“Probably not just some. Almost all HQ staff dispatched.”
Ronan raised a brow. From the talk, their base wasn't far. A spark flashed in his mind. Snapping his fingers unconsciously, he spoke.
“Senior. Got a great idea.”
“Huh?”
“Way to infiltrate their base. But your role's crucial.”
“My role? What?”
Ronan outlined his plan simply. A method only she could pull off. Adeshan's eyes widened.
“C-Control their minds and head to base? Posing as prisoners?”
“Yeah. Surest infiltration method.”
“True, but as you know, my power's still not enough for full mind control...”
Adeshan muttered uncertainly. Last night was her first success, pure luck from coincidences.
But she couldn't voice it was impossible. Traveling with Ronan, she'd seen "impossibles" become real countless times. Like stammer-free Asel moments ago. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
“No. We'll do it.”
“Perfect. Let's start.”
Ronan first got permission from the weretiger guard captain. An inhumane request: could they experiment on a few prisoners? Having witnessed their prowess, he agreed readily.
“If it repays the favor, go ahead. Just no backlash.”
“Love the decisiveness.”
Ronan shook hands. This tiger seemed stronger than Jaeger. Now just pick a prisoner to guide them to base. Adeshan said.
“Who?”
“Hm. Someone with rank'd be convenient.”
Higher status eased infiltration. But would these furballs spill easily? As he pondered torture like pulling nails, the foremost werebear bellowed thunderously.
“Curse you, inferior filthy humans! The north belongs to beastmen! Even in death, Captain Umkano will rip your throats!”
The booming voice drew all eyes. Ronan and Adeshan exchanged glances. Looking back at Umkano, Ronan smirked.
“Decided.”