Think, then answer

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Translator: Ruby

Chapter: 52

Chapter Title: Think, Then Answer

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Diaz finished the temporary first aid with a red potion.

"Huff... huff..."

And then she plopped down on her bottom on the floor.

She moved her body as if dragging it and leaned against the wall to catch her breath.

The bleeding seemed to have roughly stopped, but the pain still remained.

Her head also seemed to be spinning a little.

Nevertheless, she kept her eyes wide open.

No, the expression "couldn't take her eyes off" would be more accurate.

Whoosh!

Mordon executed the same attack on Rohan that he had done to her.

A spinning kick.

'Coming from that angle... it was hard to dodge.'

Even from a third-party perspective, Mordon's attack was nearly perfect.

It was structured to make the defender have no choice but to take it head-on before launching the attack.

'What insane talent.'

It was absurd that such great talent went to such trash.

However, Rohan's safety was her priority now.

Just as she had, Rohan also found it awkward to dodge, so he decided to defend.

Kwuuung!

He raised his arm and blocked the first attack.

'If you block that...!'

With the heavy attack, even defending couldn't help but shake one's center axis.

The amount of shock Rohan was experiencing now must have been on a different level from what she had felt.

Mordon's current form was a much more agile and powerful half-human, half-beast.

'This is bad!'

Diaz herself had also endured up to that attack.

The problem was the follow-up combination.

The heavy blow that shook one's center, and the combination that followed was so swift that her abdomen had been left wide open.

Even if one could somehow get past the first attack without taking damage.

From here on, there was no way out.

'Give up the abdomen and counterattack...'

But Rohan was different.

'...Huh?'

After defending the first attack, he didn't waver at all.

From there, the variable led to a completely different result.

Since his body didn't waver, he could counterattack immediately after defending.

Rohan immediately threw a hook with his left hand and struck Mordon's knee.

Crack!

The eerie sound of bones dislocating rang out quite loudly.

And Mordon rolled on the floor and was sent flying.

"...That's, that's possible?..."

Something she hadn't even thought possible unfolded before her eyes.

'Is this... the gap between Lord Rohan and me? It's too big, way too big...'

At this moment in Diaz's eyes, Rohan looked like a giant.

A giant like an ancient tree in a forest that would never fall even if a typhoon struck.

'Can no one defeat Lord Rohan...'

She had only now properly realized the fact that she had been together with a true monster of the strongest caliber.

Even while this was happening, the battle continued.

Mordon used the characteristics of a nocturnal predator and hid in the darkness.

But that too was naturally useless.

The creature was quickly caught and.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the blink of an eye, several punches landed on its face.

"Kuhk! Kaek! Kek! Uwak!"

Mordon hastily raised his guard.

However, Rohan didn't stop.

He pounded right through the guard.

As if daring him to try blocking.

Of course, Mordon didn't easily give in either.

He struggled beneath Rohan and bounced his body, and eventually.

'He got out...!'

To get up from that barrage of punches.

Though he was an enemy, he was such a tenacious fellow that she couldn't help but be impressed.

****

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Mordon, who escaped from beneath me, appeared to have rapidly lost stamina.

He probably used up a lot of stamina struggling to escape.

The creature crawled on all fours, stealthily hiding its body in the darkness again.

At that, I smirked.

"Going to try again?"

The creature growled lowly, then kept moving swiftly, choosing places without light.

At first, I didn't even bother looking.

This time, I was accurately following the creature with my eyes.

Standing in the center, spinning my body leisurely.

Then I could see the creature's face turning pale white in real-time in the darkness.

"How, how can you see me...!"

"Because you're slow."

When I answered gently, his eyes became bloodshot and.

"There's no way I'm slow!"

He denied reality and rushed at me.

It seemed the instincts of a beast had already overtaken human reason.

He shot straight at me with his teeth leading the way.

I calmly drew my sword.

I swung the sword horizontally.

Scrape.

I made all his teeth perfectly flat.

Thud thud thud.

"Uhk?"

In a situation he had never experienced in his life, Mordon panicked and rolled on the floor again.

Clatter.

He did get up right away, but he was in a panic, fumbling with his teeth.

"My, my, my proud fangs...!"

Right in front of Mordon was one of the severed fangs.

He picked it up and looked at it with trembling eyes.

"No, no..."

Meanwhile, having already approached right up to the creature, I squatted down in front of him.

"I didn't plan to go this far, but since it's come to this anyway... let's finish it here."

"Wha, what...!"

"Have you heard of interrogation? Originally you ask witnesses... but isn't it fastest to ask the person himself? Now then. Question. Just how did you catch the Immortal Bird?"

According to Pico, catching the Immortal Bird was absolutely not an easy task.

But how on earth did Mordon catch that Immortal Bird by himself?

"Immortal Bird? I don't know what you're talking about."

At my question, Mordon's eyes wavered slightly.

However, his mouth put out an answer different from what I wanted.

"Ah. Really?"

Pow!

"Kek!"

When I swung a punch at Mordon, I saw one of the teeth that had barely remained even half intact completely fall out.

The creature's face, having suddenly been hit, filled with question marks.

"...?"

So I kindly explained why he got hit.

Tapping my temple with my finger.

"Think, then answer. Don't answer, then think."

I grabbed the creature's mane.

And began the investigation in earnest.

Investigating with fists, I felt somewhat like a bat dark hero myself.

"The Immortal Bird. You have it, don't you?"

"I don't know!"

Pow!

"Kek!"

"Where did you lock it up?"

"Stop your bullshit! I never did such...!"

Whack!

"Uhk! Yo, you crazy bastard...!"

"That's not the answer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I want."

Smack!

"Uwak!"

When I hit with good rhythm, it even seemed a bit fun.

At first, Mordon somehow held out.

When he blocked his face, I hit his liver; when he blocked his abdomen, I hit his nose.

"Urk! Urp...!"

He started to run away, regardless of whether his mane was torn off or not.

Of course, I wasn't one to let go of prey I'd already caught.

I threw away the torn-off mane and firmly grabbed and pulled his ankle.

Mordon being dragged along, scraping the floor with his claws.

Screech.

"Ahk! Aaahk!"

The night was still plenty long.

It would be a shame to end already.

Pow!

Adding the crime of daring to try to run away, I struck down on the creature's back with my left arm.

Crack!

An interesting sound came from somewhere in his spine.

"Uaaaak!"

"How fun. Keep trying to hold out."

He was so good at making holes in other people's stomachs.

But it seemed he didn't like his own back hurting.

He kept trying to run away.

So I thought I should smash up his ankles a bit.

Safety ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first in everything, right?

Should have insurance.

Crunch!

"Kwaaaak!"

Just when I was getting into it a bit.

"I, I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything! So, pleeeease stooop!"

"Wait a moment. Wait a bit before answering. Let me process the right ankle too."

"Why? Why? I, I said I'll talk! Why? No, no, nooooo!"

Snap!

"Urk! Urk! Urrrrk! Th, the Immortal Bird, I have it! That's right! I locked it up at Count Soleon's villa! I, I also learned how to catch the Immortal Bird from a witch! I, I've told you everything!"

"Tsk."

"...!"

It seemed I had quite a talent for interrogation.

It seemed kind of fun too.

Now that it was over, wasn't it this disappointing?

'Is it suited to me?'

It seemed like puppies are well handled by dog trainers, so I had the fleeting thought that perhaps I might handle half-beasts a bit better.

* * *

"Prime, Prime Minister. I think you need to come out urgently."

At the head butler's words, Count Gargent frowned and looked outside the window.

But outside it was still dark.

"Mmmmm... the sun hasn't even risen yet. What's going on?"

"Sir Rohan has come to visit."

"Sir Rohan? At this dawn?"

"Yes. But... he didn't come alone."

Count Gargent got up and rubbed his face with his palm.

"Phew. What do you mean? Speak so I can understand."

"Well... he came together with... Sir Mordon."

"Mordon? Together with that fellow? How unusual."

Hearing that, Count Gargent became fully awake.

He put on a robe and left the room.

The head butler followed behind Count Gargent, continuing the briefing.

"The word 'together' is a bit strange. Sir Rohan appeared dragging Sir Mordon."

"...? What does that mean again?"

"Well... it's literally as I said. He appeared dragging him."

Whether it was because he had just woken up, or the head butler had just woken up.

Count Gargent was confused.

That was because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this was the first time in over 50 years that the head butler who had served him showed such a reaction.

It seemed he would need to see it with his own eyes to understand the situation.

"Let's go for now."

"Yes, yes."

* * *

Count Gargent, who came out to the reception room, had a face that said he couldn't help but doubt his own eyes.

None other than.

'That' Mordon was clinging to and hanging onto his pant leg, so it wasn't unreasonable that he couldn't understand.

"It's all my fault! I'm sorry! Pl, please spare me! Please! Please get this crazy bastard off me!"

Count Gargent looked at me with very complicated eyes.

Why is he like this, what happened to the situation, and also what did he come here for?

It was a very complex and subtle look that conveyed all those questions at once.

So I gave him a little time to organize his thoughts.

After a moment.

"Ahem. Ahem. First, bind this fellow and imprison him."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Yes! Prime Minister!"

Count Gargent handed Mordon over to his subordinate knights.

Though Mordon had already completely lost his fighting spirit, the knights bound him with extreme tension and disappeared.

"I'm wide awake now."

Count Gargent invited me to sit.

I could already see that his attitude toward me was a little different from our first meeting.

There was the fact that we had become closer through the necklace story, but...

"As you can see, I was in bed and came out. Please understand."

I could see him putting away his characteristically sharp demeanor in front of me.

"I'm the one who should ask for understanding. I captured Mordon, but I had no particular place to keep him, so I had no choice but to come here."

"Captured... haha. To think there would be someone who uses that word for Mordon. But what exactly happened? Tell me in detail."

I turned my gaze toward the direction where the creature was dragged away and answered.

"He ambushed my adjutant. Taking advantage of when I wasn't there."

"...!"

Count Gargent's eyes turned deadly.

"That crazy bastard... he finally committed the act."

"He was determined and even prepared for murder. My adjutant also suffered stab wounds."

"Stabbed? Really? What about her life? Is there no problem?"

He seemed genuinely worried.

So I felt a bit more favorable toward him.

"For now, I've given her first aid with a potion. Recovery will take some time, but..."

"Let's go to the royal palace together tomorrow. I'll arrange support so that Sir Diaz can receive proper treatment."

"Is that... possible?"

If it was the royal medical facilities.

It would certainly be a great help for recovery.

"Of course. Anyway, if it's a case involving the Seven Knight Orders, it can't be handled here. At minimum, the royal family needs to get involved. We'll also need to hear Mordon's confession carefully. Let's go together."

"Let's do that."

"Um... if we're going together, you'll probably have to meet His Majesty the King. Would that be alright?"

"..."

That would be a bit bothersome, but...

As I hesitated to answer, Count Gargent threw out a somewhat tempting proposal.

"I'll set up the stage to become your unparalleled backing! The full support of one of the most powerful nations on the continent. That's not something you can easily obtain.”