Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Removing the Slave Brands
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The bigger kids approached Nihil hesitantly. Nihil jerked his chin toward the ground and issued a curt command.
"Write your names."
The two shuffled forward as if taking an exam and scrawled their names on the dirt. Jane's stick snapped clean in two from the tension.
Crooked letters etched themselves into the ground. Nihil fixed the misspelled letters in Jane's name and asked,
"Jane, what about the money?"
"Uh, uh, th-the c-cat s-sis..."
"Meowie, bring the money."
"It's r-right here~"
Bella hurried over and pulled the money pouch from her bosom, handing it to Nihil. He took it and immediately passed it straight to Ebon.
"Take it."
"Wh-what? What's this money? Why are you giving it to me?"
Ebon's hands shook violently at the sight of the huge sum he'd never touched before. But Nihil—who treated gold coins like mere scavenger hunt prizes—replied indifferently, unconcerned with Ebon's feelings.
"Picked it up on the way."
"......"
Ebon gaped, speechless at Nihil's half-hearted answer. That's when the twins, who'd been watching from afar, came scampering over.
"What's that? Money?"
"Found money."
"Don't lie. What kind of money is it? Why's Ebon taking it?"
"Do what you want with it."
The twins started getting angry when Nihil wouldn't explain.
"Ebon bro, don't take it!"
"Yeah, bro! You can't accept that!"
The twins bristled warily and snatched the pouch away, hurling it into Nihil's chest. It hit with a heavy thud and dropped to the ground.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Lianus, who'd been watching from the side, yelled in outrage. But the twins blocked Ebon's path and shouted defiantly.
"We won't take shady money!"
"Right! You're suspicious from head to toe! And that big guy's shady too!"
Ella pointed at Evan. He conceded the shady part but twisted his face at being called an "old man."
Jane, who knew the money's origin, fidgeted anxiously before finally stepping in to intervene.
"D-don't f-fight. Th-this is... uh... r-ransom... n-no, w-wages for l-labor."
"What does that mean, Jane?"
Ebon asked in surprise at the word "ransom." The twins' faces paled.
Nihil sighed at the incomplete explanation and turned to the trembling twins.
"your ransom. We're not slave hunters.>"
"[Wh-what? H-how...]..."
The twins' expressions hardened further. Lianus's eyes widened at the sudden Imperial tongue, tilting his head.
"Nil, you speak Imperial too? But what's a [Slave Hunter]?"
Ellen stumbled back in fear, tripping over a rock and falling flat. As Lianus moved to check on him, Ella blocked his path and screamed.
"Stay back!"
"...Why are you guys like this?"
"I said stay back!"
"......"
"One more step and I'll kill you!"
Lianus withdrew his outstretched hand and stepped back, face stiffening at Ella's fierce reaction. The sudden tension made Evan and Bella flank him protectively.
Even amid the chaos, Nihil picked up the fallen pouch and tossed it back to Ebon.
"Buy food for the kids with this."
"Wh-what?"
"No crime until the money runs out."
"W-wait, can't you just tell me where it came from?"
"It's our ransom money. Jane and Dave helped with our job—that's their reward. Also a gag payment."
"Uh......"
Ebon accepted the pouch in a daze. Ella and Ellen immediately grabbed his pant leg and wailed.
"Bro! Throw it away! No!"
"Bro, don't take it!"
"K-kids, what's wrong...?"
Ebon panicked with the pouch in hand, but the twins shrieked that he couldn't accept it and to toss it quick—before collapsing to the ground in heaving sobs.
"D-don't cry. Why are you doing this?"
Ebon froze, glancing nervously at the kids. If just one person would explain properly—but the twins seemed to know something, and even Nil stayed silent.
Nihil watched the sobbing twins and sighed deeply. He'd tried ignoring it, but that wasn't easy.
"[Want me to erase your slave brands?]"
"[...What?]"
The bawling twins snapped their heads up. Then they narrowed their eyes suspiciously again.
"[...What do you mean?]"
"[Just what I said. If you want, I'll remove them.]"
"[Liar! How can we trust you!]"
"[You were bawling like the world's ending, so I asked. It's a hassle for me too.]"
"<.......>"
Nihil tugged lightly at Lianus, who was rolling his eyes and gripping his hand tight while trying to figure things out. Lianus glanced around before whispering,
"Can't you tell me what's going on?"
"Mind your own business!"
Ella snapped back sharply. Nihil lowered his voice at her shout.
"[...You'd better play nice with my little brother.]"
"<.......>"
The twins recoiled at the unprecedented coldness. Nihil asked Lianus,
"[What do you want to do?]"
"[Wh-what? About what?]"
"[The slave brands on them. Erase them? If you say no, we'll just go.]"
"[So... they have slave brands right now?]"
"[Yeah.]"
"[If you can remove them... shouldn't you? Harpen doesn't have slavery...]"
"[Slavery's legal in the Empire. They're runaways. Erasing brands without the owner's permission is like stealing property.]"
"[...This is Harpen, so it's fine.]"
Lianus squeezed Nihil's hand. The twins looked barely a year or two older than him. Even if legal in the Empire, how kids this young became slaves couldn't have been legit.
"[They yelled at you. Still want to help?]"
"[...That's not something swayed by my mood.]"
"[Right.]"
Nihil ruffled Lianus's hair, then turned to the twins.
"[Decide.]"
"[...Can you really do it?]"
"[Yes.]"
"[How can we... believe that?]"
"[Don't have to. Skip it then.]"
"<.......>"
The twins exchanged glances and silent signals. Ella stayed prickly; Ellen urged her to try. As they couldn't agree, Nihil spoke again.
"[Not doing it for free. You'll do what I say.]"
"[...Like what?]"
"[Hm... perform...?]"
The twins' faces stiffened. Nihil sensed he'd touched a nerve but pressed on casually.
"[Not that kind. Don't worry.]"
"[...How do you know what kind.]"
"[Guys who enslave twins all do the same crap. Matching outfits, clown acts...]"
A stone flew at Nihil right then.
He snatched it midair effortlessly, but startled Evan scooped up Nihil and Lianus.
Ella, who'd thrown it, started screaming furiously. Evan didn't know Imperial but was sure it was curses.
As Evan turned to demand answers from Nihil, his baby kitten let out a meooow of fury.
"@#$^@$#%!!"
"#^$&%#$%!!!"
'...Should I learn Imperial...?'
Evan was baffled. His cute, meek, sweet baby kitten was snarling like a baby beast. He didn't know why, but the lynx-like instigator seemed utterly serene.
After screaming herself out, the baby tiger cub sniffled and burrowed into Evan's arms. Then she turned and scolded the lynx.
"Nil, get mad. Why just sit there?"
"You're mad for me."
"Still!"
"Fine, fine. Wanna head back then?"
"......"
Lianus hesitated, glancing at the twins. Ella—who'd spat horrors like "creepy" and "monster" at his best friend—was still huffing but on the verge of tears. Ellen clutched her hem, gazing desperately up at Nihil.
Lianus resented Ella for insulting his friend. He'd just said it wasn't about his mood, but he wanted to tell her to rot as a slave forever.
Then he spotted Dave watching from a distance—the boy who'd lashed out at him and his friend from longing and jealousy for his sister.
There must be a reason the twins were this furious. Maybe a story as tough as Dave's.
Lianus forced his mouth open.
"...No."
Tears pricked at Lianus's eyes.
I wonder if I looked even a little mature, like Nil.
Nihil rummaged through Evan and Bella's bags for ample potion vials and led the twins into the warehouse. He soothed Lianus from following and asked Evan—who'd be confused without Imperial—to keep watch.
The tented warehouse interior was dim, but light seeped through cracks and holes in the splintered wooden walls.
Nihil spoke flatly.
"[Thank your lucky stars my brother's too nice.]"
"[...You can really erase them?]"
"[Yes.]"
"[I-I'll go first.]"
Ella stepped up. She didn't know how it'd work, but if something went wrong... And those vials suggested possible wounds.
But Nihil waved her off lazily.
"[Too much hassle. Both at once. Strip upper clothes and turn around.]"
"[Do we need to cut?]"
"[Not hurting you. Heart might ache a bit—endure it.]"
"[H-heart?]"
"[Your brands link to the heart. Hurry up. My kid's waiting.]"
Under Nihil's urging, the twins glanced at each other, turned, and bared their backs.
Then came the shing of a dagger drawn. The twins yelped and leaped forward.
"Wh-what!"
"Why."
Nihil cocked his head, dagger in hand. The hood in the gloom made him look menacing.
"Wh-what are you gonna do?"
"[Need blood. Sit back down.] Meowie, get down if you don't wanna get scolded."
"Meeeooow~"
Nihil sensed the cat and warned the roof. The kitty mewled pitifully. She'd transformed meticulously to sneak up silently, but her paws hit the roof and got caught instantly.
Sensing the cat leave, Nihil slashed his own palm without hesitation. A thin red line bloomed on the small, delicate hand, welling with blood.
He handed the dagger to the still-wary twins.
"Hold it if you're worried."
Ella hesitantly took it, staring at the dripping blood. Nihil addressed the pair frozen in place.
"[Sit facing away. How much more blood you gonna waste?]"
Ella sat first. Ellen hesitated until another drop stained the floor, then turned and sat.
"[D-does it normally need blood?]"
Nihil dug his nails into his palm for more blood, drawing complex patterns on the ground as he murmured quietly.
"[Blood's got nothing to do with you. My issue.]"
The blood rite was a makeshift blindfold for "those guys'" eyes. His mana use was a bit unique. Crude, but better than nothing.
Nihil placed hands on their turned backs. Both flinched.
"[I'll make it hurt as little as possible.]"