The Path of Learning (7)
I stood silently behind the young man holding the dagger, holding my breath. I let time flow normally, but he didn't notice my presence at all, focusing every nerve on the fake shape under my bedcovers.
Finally, the young man gripped the dagger with both hands and raised it to strike. I timed it perfectly and kicked him hard between the legs from behind.
“Ugh!! Ack! Gaaah….”
I immediately clamped my hand over his mouth and knocked him down. It was ridiculous, but striking a vital spot was an incredibly effective way to subdue someone. In movies, they knock people out by hitting the back of the head hard, but that's just movie magic. In reality, you'd kill them if you weren't careful.
I planned to use this young man while he was still conscious and coherent.
Ashu, who had been pretending to sleep, got up to help me. While I pinned him down, she covered his eyes and mouth as I'd instructed beforehand.
To convey my earnest intent that he should stay put, I kicked the writhing young man hard in the stomach a couple of times.
…My message got through loud and clear.
I drew my sword and spear, slinging them over my back and waist. I loaded the crossbow but handed it to Ashu. In exchange, I grabbed the pouch Jasgiria had given me.
I pulled out the hunting dagger I'd sharpened to a razor's edge in advance and finished my preparations.
"I'll be back."
I'd already explained the plan to Ashu.
From here on, I'd handle everything alone. So I told her to stay in the room.
In a cramped space like this, only one or two people could come in at a time, and she could deal with that much on her own.
More importantly, staying quiet here meant no one would pay attention to her.
It wasn't that Ashu was weak or unreliable—it's just that in a chaotic melee, anything could happen.
And staying here made it easier for her to support me using the Connection Ring.
I hauled the fallen young man to his feet and made him walk.
With his hands bound behind his back and eyes covered, he couldn't escape, and I warned him I'd stab him if he tried anything stupid.
The moment I stepped out of the room, another villager spotted me and bolted off somewhere in a hurry.
So it wasn't just this young man's solo act—the whole village was targeting travelers.
I headed for the open square in the center of the village. It was the best spot to face everyone.
Holding the young man hostage, I waited, and one by one, shadows armed with weapons began to appear.
They were gathering slowly.
Maybe the message was spreading slowly.
To warn everyone and spread the word, I removed the gag from my hostage.
“Pah… Hoo. You think you can escape, you bastard? If you—”
His voice was booming. Perfect megaphone material.
I pulled the divine beast's key from around my neck and pressed it to the young man's hand.
With his eyes covered, he had no idea what I was doing.
“Wha… Wha… Hot! What the hellll!! Gaaaaah!! Kyaaaaaaaah!!!! Kaaack!! Aaaah!!!”
The hostage twisted and writhed in agony, screaming so pathetically he couldn't even beg for mercy, but I kept the key pressed against him.
In reality, he was fine, but he was feeling the pain of being branded alive with a red-hot iron.
Panash probably hadn't given me the key for this purpose, but right now, nothing else worked as a torture tool.
I still didn't want to stab anyone if I could help it.
Eventually, the young man screamed until he foamed at the mouth and passed out.
Thanks to that, the villagers all came rushing out. Each one clutched whatever could serve as a weapon—a sword, kitchen knife, club, skewer, you name it.
No exceptions for kids or elders.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Finally, the catfish-whiskered village chief appeared before me, sword in hand. Gone was his initial friendliness; now he was all threats.
“I figured you'd take Hairil hostage to threaten us. Was the goal to draw us all out like this?”
“Spot on.”
“Hahaha, you don't seriously think you can take us all alone. Gonna show off some skill and beg to join us?”
“Wrong on both counts. If you don't surrender, I plan to kill every last one of you.”
“...What the hell is this guy? Is he insane?”
The expected reaction. Still, I wanted to confirm.
I saw this village as a closed world. No public authority to punish wrongdoing. No laws at all.
No nobles to protect or rule them, no one to condemn their actions or hold them accountable.
Even if they killed me and Ashu here, if the chief in front of me said it was fine, nothing would happen.
The world I was born in had universal human rights and ethics spread worldwide through all sorts of communications and broadcasts.
Not here.
Agnes Village was remote, but Ferio came and went regularly, enforcing at least basic hierarchies and etiquette.
Not even that here.
If a lawless brute like that catfish-whiskered man nodded, that was the law. If he praised it, that was justice.
Stealing was fine. Even if a ton of people dropped dead from poison, as long as the villagers were happy and gained from it, it was right.
No room for remorse or guilt there.
Yeah. It was just like a closed-off cult.
That's why.
“Hey, chief. You're first. Surrender, or I'll kill you first.”
“Hah, it's so ridiculous it isn't even funny. Hey, just kill him.”
I saw the chief raise his hand to give the order. Without hesitation, I closed in on him.
Stopping time for just one second was more than enough.
“...Huh?”
The chief seemed shocked that his view had dropped to below his knees in the blink of an eye.
Well, his head had been severed, after all.
“Warning you again. Surrender, or you'll die too.”
The villagers couldn't accept that their world's top leader had just been killed. They froze.
The ones with decent weapons—strong-looking men and women—resisted the reality.
“How dare you!!”
“You bastard!!!”
“Raaah!!!”
Three charged at me. All sturdy middle-aged types. One was a tough-looking woman.
Did killing me guarantee them the next chief spot?
The moment I saw them move, I pulled two crossbow bolts from Jasgiria's pouch.
I quickly checked the numbers etched on them and tossed them into the air.
"Three, advance. Four, advance."
⟨ Ancient Language Magic ⟩
Boom!! The bolts exploded in midair, embedding in the heads and guts of two men and the woman.
One got close enough to thrust his spear, but I dodged lightly and sliced his waist open.
With the chief and now three more dead in an instant, I could feel their fear and tension spike.
If only they'd drop their weapons now….
“Uwaaaah!! Save Dad!!”
“You… You're gonna… die too!!”
This was what scared me most.
A kid charging at me with a kitchen knife.
Looked like elementary school—no, maybe middle school at best.
This closed society had turned the child into something no better than a goblin ambushing adventurers.
I gritted my teeth.
"Three, return."
⟨ Ancient Language Magic ⟩
Boom—the bolt in the man's head detonated. The propelled fragment stabbed the kid in the back, sending them flying far away.
I couldn't bring myself to use my sword.
I grabbed another kid mid-clumsy swing, twisting their arm until it broke.
“Nooo!! My grandchild!! Let Seedma go!!”
Good. At least these villagers had some basic human decency—they valued family.
That's why I held my sword to the kid's throat and said it.
“Surrender, or this kid dies—and so do all of you.”
“Please!! Okay!! I surrender!! Please!!”
One person dropped their weapon. But it wasn't enough yet.
“Shut up, granny! He's just one guy!”
“Abandon Seedma! Otherwise—”
“But that guy…”
A small rift was forming. Time to fan the flames.
“Someone's surrendered, so I'll spare the kid.”
I wrenched the kid's arm way past the point of no return, immobilizing them in pain. Their high-pitched wail grated, but no choice.
I tossed them toward the surrendering grandma.
As the grandparents rushed to the thrown kid, I beheaded two young men who'd blocked the surrender—just like the chief.
“Hiiiik!!”
The last one screamed, dropped his weapon, and prostrated himself, slamming his head down. Too terrified to even say "surrender."
In the meantime, I spotted someone drawing a bow from afar.
I hurled my spear. Aim!
“Gaaaaah!!”
He became a skewer in his firing stance.
“My patience has limits. No more warnings. If you don't surrender, I'll take it as you're prepared to die.”
The villagers were clearly terrified and broken, but they hadn't dropped their weapons.
Sigh… How many more do I have to kill before they surrender?
I considered maiming a few—sever an arm, a leg—but no.
No need for me and Ashu to take needless risks for their lives.
“Adventurer!! We were wrong!! No more… please stop!!”
A loud shout suddenly came from the stables. The bandit tied up there.
“You idiots!! Please!! Surrender!! Please!!!”
I didn't know his name, but I'd noted him—his shirt was bloodstained.
Definitely the one Ashu had secretly healed.
“That guy's… He killed all our hunters!! That monster!! He's not someone you can fight!! You'll all really die!! Hurry!! Surrender!! Then you can live!! The wounded can be saved too!! Hurryyy!!! Before that bastard kills everyone!!”
He swung from praise to curses, mind all over the place. But his desperation came through, ignoring petty formalities.
Finally, the villagers ended their internal conflict and started dropping weapons.
“We're fucked!! We're totally fucked. Shit… Get down. Prostrate yourselves!!”
Even then, as I approached, an old man suddenly stood with a kitchen knife.
Hah… I really hate this.
I hoped there were no more like him. To make sure, I responded decisively.
The old man was decapitated and bisected the instant he rose.
“Uwaaaah!! You fucking crazy old geezer!! Listen for once, damn it!! Don't do it!! Don't act stupid!! Keep your head down!! You fucking old man!! Uwaaaah!!”
The screams from the stables had turned to sobs.
Unlike the frantic young man, I felt nothing. I just shut it down.
I didn't want to peek inside my emotions right now.
Everyone had dropped weapons and was prone on the ground.
To check for holdouts, I deliberately walked among them.
Some trembled violently or pissed themselves as I neared.
They knew: one wrong move, and they'd end up like that old man.
“We surrender. Please… no more. We won't do anything now. But… what happens to us!?”
A middle-aged man asked while kowtowing, body shaking.
Brave one. Responsible enough to ask despite the terror. So I ordered him.
“Get ropes and tie everyone up. If they run, you live—but they die. Too slow, and they die too.”
I knew he had family nearby. The man crawled on all fours toward the warehouse.
Never thought I'd sound like a terrorist.
I wanted this over fast. As fast as possible.
So I called one more.
“I know you're in the carriage. Help out?”
Ragi finally poked her head out from hiding.
“Hah, I knew you had skills, but this is beyond imagination. At least you didn't call my name on purpose—shows you're not totally mad. I like that consideration.”
“Sorry, but—”
“Got it. Got it. Help tie these people while you watch?”
“Check they tie 'em right too.”
“Fine, fine.”
No merchants, passengers, or adventurers in sight meant they were all drugged and down.
I asked an older-looking one about antidotes for the poisoners.
No antidotes, he said. The drug just kept them out till afternoon—nothing serious.
True? I twitched the hand holding my sword.
“Aaaah!! Mercy!! It's true!! Really!! When the sun rises, you'll see!! Kill me then if not!! I swear!!”
If he was that scared, it was probably true. If not, do as he said.
Finally, things were wrapping up.
I watched them get tied one by one.
My jaw ached. I'd been clenching my teeth all night without realizing.
The sobbing hadn't stopped since earlier.
No pity, no sympathy stirred in me.
Shutting down my heart and stopping my thoughts makes the night stretch on forever.