Abel's Hidden Past Surfaces in the Back Alleys of Bonaparte City
Who the hell let that bastard in!?
“Hey, Maxbell! You were supposed to be on guard duty today. What are you doing?”
“Ah, it’s today, huh?”
In a back alley of Bonaparte City stood a modest tavern that looked like any ordinary roadside inn. But this place had long been claimed by one organization as its hideout.
Anyone with half a brain knew that a rundown tavern tucked away in such a forgotten corner of the city should have seen exactly zero customers. Yet the footsteps leading here never stopped.
One elderly man approached the guard, Maxbell, and spoke up.
“Hey, how’s the merchandise today?”
“The water is very fresh today, my lord. Only the healthiest specimens have been caught.”
“Oh? That’s good to hear.”
The fat-bellied nobleman adjusted his single lens and spoke with satisfaction.
“I look forward to it. I suppose we’ll just wait right here like always?”
“Yes, sir. Just a moment longer and everything will be ready.”
The nobleman nodded cheerfully and stepped inside. Once he was gone, Maxbell muttered to himself.
“That damned pig is here again. Even the lowlifes are this disgusting. Still, they keep us fed and clothed… sort of.”
Maxbell’s grumble was cut short when he heard approaching footsteps. He lifted his head with a startled expression.
“…What is this?”
A pair had emerged from the alley: a beautiful black-haired woman in a lavish dress and the knight who appeared to be protecting her. The odd detail was the mask the woman wore.
“…A noble lady who got lost?”
Maxbell judged her by her flashy outfit. As a commoner, he could not afford to offend a noble unnecessarily.
When Maxbell bowed in greeting, the noblewoman approached and asked softly.
“Is this… a place where goods are handled?”
“…Excuse me?”
Was she a paid customer? But Maxbell had no record of anyone of her refinement ever being invited.
“…Miss, if you received an invitation through us, could you show me the auction notice?”
“Ah, you need that?”
“Excuse me?”
Was she not a customer, then?
Yet she had clearly mentioned “goods.” Whoever had sent her must know something…
“Those who weren’t invited aren’t allowed inside?”
“…I’m afraid I don’t know how you learned of our location, but today is not possible. I apologize.”
“Is that so?”
At that, the noblewoman reached into the thick sleeve of her gown and produced something.
“Even like this?”
“…!”
Maxbell’s eyes widened as he stared at the token in her hand. He dropped into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
“Forgive me! I did not recognize you, my lady!”
“…It’s quite all right. My father told me to come here.”
“Ah, I see. Please, come inside, my lady.”
Seeing Maxbell’s sudden deference, the noblewoman—Elena Bathory according to the token—smiled faintly.
“Good. I’m glad I wasn’t turned away at the gate.”
“If I had known you were the lady, I would have treated you with the utmost respect from the very beginning. You should have shown your token earlier…”
“My father is very thorough, it seems.”
“I don’t know the full details, but I know the Duke has been helping us greatly.”
“…I see.”
Elena nodded and entered the tavern. The knight behind her followed, but Maxbell spoke up with obvious reluctance.
“Um, wait a moment… those carrying weapons cannot enter.”
“…But I’m his personal knight. My father assigned me personally… Still not allowed?”
“Ah…”
Maxbell hesitated. When he heard the word “personal knight of the Duke,” however, he finally nodded.
“No, please come in. The Duke must value the lady very highly.”
“…That makes sense.”
Elena answered briefly and stepped inside. The knight followed right behind her.
White hair and red eyes. And that sword… It was enormous. Definitely a skilled warrior.
“…I wouldn’t mind guarding noble children either. Decent pay, and maybe I could even end up with the lady I’m escorting…”
“You’re envious?”
“?!”
Where had the knight come from? Maxbell turned and smiled awkwardly.
“Ah, no. I didn’t mean to mumble like that…”
“…I came out for one reason. The lady asked if I had any questions.”
“Ah, feel free to ask anything.”
“Who is the person in charge here?”
“Excuse me?”
Why would he ask that? She was the Duke’s daughter, after all. Perhaps she carried some message from him.
“The man is named Yulba. He’s much larger than me, has short-cropped hair, and a scorpion tattoo on his right shoulder.”
Maxbell showed the black scorpion emblem drawn on the back of his own hand.
The knight studied it for a long moment, then murmured.
“…I see. Thank you for the information.”
He turned and entered the tavern as well. Maxbell stared straight ahead once more. No more muttering this time—he was too worried another customer might appear.
“What… what the—?!”
“AAAAH! Who the hell let that bastard in!?”
Why was he hearing a voice even though he hadn’t spoken?
“MAXBELL!! What the hell did you do to us?!”
“…Eh? Why are you shouting?!”
Maxbell rushed to the door. Crash! Bang!
Glass shattered. Metal scraped across stone.
“…A sword?”
Only one person was causing total chaos inside the tavern. His colleagues lay unconscious on the floor. In the center, the local boss—Yulba—had been grabbed by the wrist and was lying motionless.
Maxbell’s eyes bulged as he stared at the man. White hair, red eyes. The very knight he had just identified and let inside.
“…My lady, why…?”
#
Those idiots had sent out a clueless fool like that. He still hadn’t grasped the situation.
From the way he kept calling her “my lady,” he seemed completely oblivious.
I answered for him.
“Thanks to me, it was easy to catch them. We’ll tie every last one up and tie this place to the Mutation Stone case. Just stay quiet. Worst case, I’ll even give you some credit for reporting in.”
“Abel, knock him out.”
“…Understood.”
I struck Yulba across the back of his head with the flat of my blade to knock him unconscious. Then I moved on the clumsy fool who had tried to hide outside.
“…You tricked me?”
“You people cheat others out of their lives too. Doesn’t it feel bad to get cheated?”
“…I won’t let you get away with this.”
He drew two daggers from his waist. The sight sent a chill down my spine.
“Daggers… I’ve never liked going up against real swords with daggers. It’s pure foolishness.”
He charged immediately. I timed the strike perfectly and swung my sword down with the flat.
Whoosh!
“!”
“Abel!”
“Die, you bastard!!”
The man vanished from sight for a split second, then reappeared directly above my head. What the—?
It was dangerous. The moment I had swung the blade downward, I needed to raise it again.
Yet the man’s dagger was already descending toward my crown. How—?
Before I could even think, my body moved on instinct.
“How do I—!”
I twisted aside in a pure reflex and caught the man’s arm bare-handed. Then I slammed him into the floor with all my strength.
KwAANG!!
He hit the ground hard and passed out instantly. Behind me, Estelle watched with a surprised expression before breaking into a grin.
“…What was that, Abel~♡ I thought you’d get tricked. Your reflexes are lightning-fast♡”
“…I know. I was surprised too. My body moved faster than I thought.”
“You’re really something~♡ The scruffy Abel I know has finally grown up♡”
“Haha… So how did you suddenly appear above me?”
Estelle glanced at the fallen man’s daggers and nodded as though she understood everything.
“These are enchanted weapons made with alchemy and magic. They have a teleportation spell engraved on them and are permanently enchanted to activate.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. They’re expensive. Not the kind of gear a regular low-level operative should have… The Duke must have been backing them heavily.”
“…It’s almost certain the Duke is involved in this place. The fact that he sent Elena here on the spot proves it.”
I looked at the scattered men around us.
“What do we do with these guys?”
“We tie them up. And those who came as customers need to be secured separately.”
“Anything usable for rope…?”
Luckily, plenty of rope had been left behind. This was a place that bought and sold slaves, after all. I tied up every unconscious man, then spoke.
“Huff… The slaves aren’t here.”
“We’ll have to ask the man in charge about that.”
Estelle tapped Yulba on the head with her finger. I crouched in front of him and gave his cheek a light slap.
“Hey, wake up.”
“……”
“Wake up. You’re not dead, right? You want to die?”
“…Tch.”
His breathing had changed. He was faking unconsciousness.
“How did you even find out? The Duke betrayed us—?”
“Did you idiots not hear that all the Mutation Stone smugglers in Athens have been wiped out? You’re part of that organization, aren’t you?”
“…What?”
Yulba blinked slowly, then studied me closely. Suddenly he gasped in shock.
“Wait, Hero Abel!?”
“…He’s starting to recognize me. I must be getting famous.”
“Where are all the people you kidnapped?”
“…I don’t know.”
“If the boss doesn’t know, who does? Keep lying and you’ll die.”
“AAAAH! I don’t know! If you’re going to kill me, just do it!!”
This bastard… How does he know I can’t kill him?
“Is that right?”
Holy Blade
Thud.
“Eh… KYAHH!!”
A pure white sword cleanly pierced Yulba’s shoulder. Blood sprayed. I wiped the splatter from my face and glanced sideways.
“…Estelle?”
“What?”
“Is this really allowed?”
You’re still a saint, though. Estelle answered firmly.
“I’m not an idealist. I don’t believe we should save villains the same way we save good people.”
“…No problems?”
“None. Besides, the Goddess herself said we must punish evil.”
“…That must be why it feels so hot.”
“See? Answer honestly or I really will kill you. Which will it be—punishment or death here?”
“Ugh… It’s the same either way if I’m going to prison!”
“Ah, so executions are easy like that…”
Wait, this is a medieval world. They probably don’t hesitate to use the death penalty here?
“…If you did something wrong, you should be punished.”
“Ugh, if that’s how it is, I’d rather just die!”
“Then die.”
“Wait, Estelle—!”
I barely stopped her from using her Holy Blade again.
“We need information from this guy. What’s the point of killing him?”
“…I hate it when you keep dodging my questions like that.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Yulba. There are many ways to die.”
“What?”
“Execution. Clean decapitation, or being ripped apart limb by limb?”
“W-what kind of horrible—?”
“There are methods. Or you could be skinned alive slowly. Or locked in a box with nails inside.”
In truth, I didn’t know what execution methods existed in the Vesta Kingdom. I was simply listing every terrifying historical method I could remember. Hopefully it would instill enough fear.
Yulba’s whole body began to shake.
“They say a quick death is the best. Do you want to go cleanly without pain, or suffer through a long, agonizing end?”
“……”
“Tell me what I want to know and I’ll help you. How about it?”
#
We left through the back alley Yulba had shown us and searched the ground. When I pressed a certain stone, it clicked. A hidden staircase appeared.
“They really built this well.”
“…That scorpion mark on the blade, right?”
“Yes?”
“It was the tattoo every member of this organization has on their body.”
Of course.
“Why are you remembering that?”
“…No reason. Just for later.”
Seeing this in Bonaparte City too… It felt like these people operated across multiple countries. With the Monster King and monsters already causing chaos, adding another wild faction was sure to put an enormous strain on the rulers.
“Shall we go down?”
“Just a second.”
Estelle touched my hand lightly and cast a blessing.
Solaria’s Blessing
Why a blessing?
“Because we don’t know what lies ahead. Still, these aren’t monsters—humans. Abel probably won’t get hurt…”
Estelle smiled softly.
“Because the clumsy hero might make another mistake~♡”
“…Haha.”
I’m not clumsy.
Estelle lifted her mask and offered me her hand.
“Then please escort me again, Sir Knight♡”
I gently took the long-gloved hand of the noble lady.
“With pleasure, Lady Estelle.”