Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 034
Chapter Title: Campfire
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The time had come to interrogate the demon bloodkin Erdarli.
How should I go about the interrogation?
Pull her ears?
Stick needles in her soles?
Heh heh heh.
I was lost in all sorts of delightful imaginings when—
"I’ll tell you everything I know."
Nineveh, whom I’d expected to turtle up like a tortoise, promised to cooperate more easily than anticipated.
What’s this about?
Was it effective to stuff her in the Black Satchel and starve her for three days?
"Demon, do you know how many days it’s been since you got caught?"
I asked out of curiosity about what the inside of the Black Satchel felt like.
"Two days? Three?"
Nineveh answered calmly.
"What did you see inside my satchel?"
"Pure, cozy blackness."
An interesting tale.
So it felt like being locked in a pitch-black solitary cell when inside my satchel?
And yet time still flowed normally.
"What’s this necklace?"
Now, let’s ask about the necklace left by Maltma.
The keywords I knew were ‘greatest treasure’ and ‘key’.
"Your expression suggests you know what this item is."
Since I was the only one in our party who hadn’t received compensation for the spider jewel, I had to milk this necklace for all it was worth.
"It’s an item from ‘Arkham’."
"Arkham?"
What’s that?
I’ll have to ask Hermit later.
Click.
Now Felix placed his hand on his sword hilt and asked.
"Who are you?"
Erdarli let out a soft chuckle.
"I am Nineveh, the 46th Ascendant of Shando."
"46th?"
Felix jumped in surprise.
Like someone stung by a bee on the nape of his neck.
Felix tapped the floor twice with his foot.
A signal that he had something to say and we should step out.
In the corridor outside.
"I thought she was just some priest-class, but she’s a bigger deal than expected. I don’t think she’s something we can handle ourselves."
Felix’s expression was quite serious.
"That bad?"
"If we mess this up, it won’t just be you and me—Hammer and Hermit’s heads could roll too."
Blessed Ones like us were high-value assets.
Why else would Major General Ezekiel come scout me personally, even to that filthy prison?
This was a bomb that could blow the head off a Blessed One party!
"So what’s this Ascendant thing?"
"Simply put, it’s like we’ve captured someone of Major General Ezekiel’s rank. Not an exact analogy, but close enough."
"Oh!"
An enormous achievement.
But Felix warned again, as if he couldn’t care less about that.
"This isn’t something we can digest. Let’s just hand her over to the higher-ups."
The Felix I’d seen these past few days was strict but no coward or fool.
If even he was saying this much, there had to be a reason.
"Fine. We’ll hand her to Major General Ezekiel."
If we sent her to Colonel Jeremiah, we’d have to endure all sorts of interrogations and annoying searches starting with "Why did you lie?"
Sending her to Major General Ezekiel and asking her to cover for us would avoid the hassle.
Felix nodded at my opinion.
"You’re quick on the uptake with stuff like this."
Now, let’s ask a few more questions and stuff her back in the Black Satchel.
With that thought, we returned to the room, and Ascendant Nineveh asked.
"Your scent is unusual. Why is that?"
Every Erdarli I met said the same thing.
"Could it be you’re after my ratass too?"
"Rata...? Urk— just thinking about it makes me want to puke."
Nineveh retched.
This one’s weakness was ratass!
The next morning.
Thanks to the messenger bird we’d sent at night, Major General Ezekiel had arrived at the Great Wall from the military.
The Major General calmly addressed Nineveh, still bound in the lodging.
"Let her go."
Huh?
Let her go?
The restraints on that crazy demon bitch?
"......"
Even Felix, who obeyed superiors without question, hesitated.
"It’s fine. I’ll take responsibility."
Major General Ezekiel wasn’t one to joke, so Felix and I untied Nineveh’s ropes while wondering if this was right.
Nineveh then lightly clenched and released her shoulders and hands before smirking.
"Even among the ignorant Lendo soldiers, there are wise ones."
"Then please board the prepared carriage."
Treating her like an honored guest.
Was this a dream?
‘Don’t demons get killed on sight?’
What’s this about bedding the enemy?
There must be some purpose since it was Major General Ezekiel’s orders.
As the Erdarli boarded the carriage under heavy guard, Major General Ezekiel finally turned back to face me and Felix.
"Securing a high-ranking Ascendant alive—it’s an accomplishment not seen in about a century. I’ll make sure your merits are reported up the chain, so expect rewards soon."
Rewards!
The training pedestal Major General Ezekiel gave me last time had been quite profitable for weapon upgrades.
I hoped for rare materials like that again this time.
"Perhaps Felix, you might even get a position change. Didn’t you say you wanted to join a subjugation party?"
Felix to a subjugation party?
What was this about?
"Major General, could you hold off on that matter?"
"Changed your mind in the meantime? That’s fine too."
Now Major General Ezekiel’s eyes turned to me.
"Soldier Yor, your recent exploits have been impressive. It proves my eye for talent in bringing you here wasn’t wrong."
Pat pat.
She patted my shoulder encouragingly as she passed.
A good smell wafted, tickling my nose.
An elegant, mature woman with a different grace from Sister Germain.
‘She’d surely make a fine wife and wise mother.’
As I pondered how much Ether I’d need to marry someone like her, Major General Ezekiel stopped abruptly.
"Come to think of it, Soldier Yor, you’ve reached level 10, right?"
"Yes, ma’am!"
"Faster than expected. Pack your bags."
"My bags?"
"Blessed Ones who break level 10 must complete officer academy and be commissioned as Imperial officers. Didn’t Hammer or Felix tell you?"
No one mentioned that.
I looked at Felix, baffled, and he scratched the back of his head.
"There’s been too much going on lately. No time to mention it."
Officer academy.
I could already tell school wasn’t my thing, and worry bubbled up.
Just thinking about it choked me.
Missing out on earning Ether because of some boring, nutrient-free school.
It was so unfair tears pricked my eyes.
"It’s just abbreviated training for commissioning—about two weeks."
Perhaps reading the gloom on my face, the Major General reassured me.
"After that, you’ll return here to base, so don’t worry too much."
"Yes, ma’am."
"And don’t forget your weapons and gear."
"My weapons?"
"There’s an Ether table there too. You’ll sortie daily, so bring them."
Oh!
I could sortie to earn Ether even at officer academy?
School might be more bearable than I thought!
"But Major General, what about our party while Yor’s away?"
Felix asked just before the carriage departed.
Major General Ezekiel pondered with a hum.
"There’s a thief who survived his party’s wipeout. I’ll assign him to you. Level 13, three years experience—he’ll fill Yor’s spot seamlessly."
"Uh...."
Felix grimaced.
Hermit, who’d come out to watch, also recoiled.
"Another strange thief...."
"Yor! Bring back some meat pies when you graduate and return! The academy restaurant’s meat pies are famous!"
"Yes! Hammer, Hermit, Felix—see you later!"
And so, I left the Great Wall.
Things moved at lightning speed.
"I thought the military would be a bit stricter and stiffer."
I asked Major General Ezekiel as she was about to board the carriage.
She smiled faintly.
"Good is good."
Clop clop.
The carriage departed.
Headquarters was two days by carriage from the Great Wall.
No spare seats, and with extra horses unavailable, I sat atop the baggage cart.
My butt ached from the hardness, but enjoying the scenery was nice.
"You the thief Yor? I’m Knight Reynald."
A mounted knight approached me.
Short-cropped beard, bald head, greatsword on his back—he resembled Lieutenant General Raiden.
Though much younger.
"How was the Lieutenant General’s end?"
"Cool as hell. Made me want to be like him."
"Manly, right? I enlisted at the Wall wanting to be like the Lieutenant General too."
Reynald didn’t look down on me as a thief and seemed like a good-natured knight.
He even pulled out a portrait locket from his round necklace to show me.
"Pretty, huh? My wife. Baby’s coming soon."
His wife was a beauty.
I envied his solid family.
"Yor, if this mission goes well, I’ll take some leave. Gotta see the baby, take my wife to the sea like she wants. So this has to go perfectly."
Squeeze.
Knight Reynald gripped his reins tightly.
Soon it was night.
We stopped to camp.
Knight Reynald lit the campfire with a crackle.
But suddenly, I felt uneasy.
"Knight Reynald, shouldn’t we put out the fire? Lighting one this deep in the woods will draw beasts or bandits."
On remote paths like this, you didn’t light fires unless you were freezing to death.
The bandit gang I used to run with had followed such flames to make their money.
"If you want to get back to your wife safely, best douse it."
Knight Reynald thumped his chest at my concerned advice.
"It’s fine. I’m a level 15 knight."
Level 15—same as Felix?
If he was Felix-level, maybe a fire in the woods was okay....
Whiz!
Thud!
An arrow flew from the woods and struck the carriage.
"Bandits!"
Shing. Knight Reynald drew his sword immediately.
A true veteran knight!
As I thought he was reliable in this pinch, Knight Reynald pointed his blade at me and yelled.
"You fucker! Drop everything on the ground and get down! Move wrong and you’re dead!"
Huh? What the fuck.
Soon, masked thieves burst from the darkness, slitting the guards’ throats.
"Gah!"
"Argh!"
Stab stab, splat!
Blood sprayed in an instant.
Heh heh heh— sinister laughter echoed everywhere.
"Reynald, mission success?"
"The real carriage came this way!"
"Military Major General with a female Erdarli? That’ll fetch a price!"
Fuck, Reynald sold us out?
What kind of knights backstab like this.
Suddenly, I missed Felix.
He was the kind of knight you could trust at your back.
Affinity rising.
"Guards are all handled."
"Only the carriage and that thief left."
Sneak sneak.
The bandit group approached the carriage.
Their gear showed they weren’t mere highway robbers—all Wall explorers.
Seven guys around my level, some a bit higher, some lower.
Plus Knight Reynald.
‘Fuck, we can’t win this.’
Best to bolt.
But from inside the carriage, Major General Ezekiel spoke in a gentle voice.
"Soldier Yor, what now?"
No tension or fear on her face through the window.
Seeing her smile filled me with confidence and courage.
Courage to shout!
"What now? Die like a dog here? I’m running!"
Dash!
I sprinted toward the woods with all my might.
The thieves cackled at the sight.
"He bolted."
"Smart head on him."
I hid in the darkness and activated my skill.
"[Shadow Companion]."
Controlling my shadow and body at once would be tough still.
But one shadow alone? Easy.
‘Like playing a game on a monitor.’
‘First-person shooter.’
Whiz.
I spotted the enemies with my shadow and hurled shadow throwing knives.
Stab.
The blade grazed a masked thief’s throat.
Splurt.
He spurted blood in panic.
"Wh-what the fuck!"
Before they recovered, I retrieved the knife and threw again.
This time, it hit another squarely in the forehead.
Thud.
"Urk!"
"Fuck! It’s a shadow!"
"The shadow’s moving!?"
Sharp bunch. They noticed already?
Still, only five left now!