Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Ch. 42 .｡.:✧ Alicia (2) ✧:.｡.
—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Big Sister Yerina had become weird.
One day, she suddenly started rummaging through all of Palana.
At first, she searched the palace, then she ransacked the inns.
Even if I asked what she was looking for, she wouldn’t answer.
Just as I was about to go crazy from frustration,
“Alicia. I’m only telling you this…”
Big Sister opened her mouth first.
Only after emphasizing several times that it must be kept secret did she get to the point.
“I have a request.”
Big Sister’s request was simple yet complicated.
In a nutshell, it was to find one man.
“He’s tall, has a northern bloodline, and is handsome. Very.”
“…”
The description of that man was too vague.
As if there were only one or two handsome northern human men in the world.
“Anything more specific?”
“Hmm. He can use a sword, and he’s strong. Really strong.”
“How strong is that?”
“Strong enough to defeat me.”
“Pfft. Are you making fun of me now, Big Sister?”
After a vague condition came an absurd one…
It was ridiculous.
As if there was anyone stronger than Big Sister, who boasted the strongest individual power not just in the northern continent but in the world.
But seeing Big Sister’s serious expression, it didn’t seem like she was joking.
“What’s his name?”
“That’s… It’s not a definite name. He might use different names elsewhere…”
“Ah, just tell me what it is?”
“Yoo-jin.”
Big Sister’s expression as she said that somehow looked pitiful.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask what relationship she had with that man.
Because I felt like I would get an answer I didn’t want to hear…
It was a bit strange, but I couldn’t refuse Big Sister’s request.
Big Sister said that man often visited Basel to process mana stones.
The village of smelly dwarves…
I sighed as soon as I heard it, but I had no choice.
I had to rush over there, find that man named Yoo-jin, and drag him to Palana.
“If he’s a righteous person who can’t pass by someone in danger and comes to save them… I wonder if he’ll come if I scream in a dark alley?”
No matter how I looked at it, the conditions were too poor.
Still, since I came all the way to this uncivilized city of dwarves after receiving Big Sister’s request, I had to do my best to find the person named Yoo-jin.
“Kyaah! Help me!”
I tried putting my hands to my mouth and screaming desperately, waiting for that man to come, but…
“What the hell are you doing?”
I quickly wanted to give up.
There was no way a person would come like this.
Even if he did, there was no guarantee it would be Yoo-jin.
It would be much better to stake out and wait on the street lined with processing workshops.
Sighing, I was about to leave this gloomy back alley.
“Screaming here is no use, miss. The sound doesn’t reach the plaza. If you need help, we can help you instead.”
I encountered uninvited guests.
Dwarves in shabby clothes with piercings all over.
Low-quality thugs even among thugs.
“Your clothes look expensive too. Take them off. Ah, you can keep your underwear on.”
“Sigh…”
Soon, they drew their daggers and approached me.
They were so dirty I didn’t even want them to touch me.
“Phew… I didn’t want to use force.”
“What are you saying?”
One of them reached out his hand without fear.
I could take this as being attacked first.
Unable to hold back any longer, I swung open my fan.
Bang!
“Guak!”
A gust of wind shot out and the bastards were blown back at once.
The thugs tumbled over, crashed into the wall, and fell unconscious on the floor.
“Hmph. Fighting in such a brutish way, just like a short dwarf.”
It was nothing.
It was a waste to use mana on them.
I folded the fan with a snap and bit the tip with my teeth.
“He’s not coming out even like this. Where on earth is this man named Yoo-jin?”
I really hate this city.
Water suddenly rushes in and soaks my shoes.
I run into weird thugs…
I’m already exhausted today.
I want to give up on Yoo-jin or whatever now.
“Hm?”
Just then, my ears perked up and detected a faint sound.
Someone was beyond the corner.
“Who’s there?!”
“…”
Even when I called out, he remained motionless.
Could he be an accomplice of these thugs?
I pointed my fan beyond the corner and slowly approached.
It was no use running away.
A human or dwarf couldn’t be faster than me.
Tension flowed through me.
“Hmm…?”
The guy revealed himself first by turning the corner.
Unlike my expectation, he was a neat-looking human.
He had a northern-born appearance and was a bit handsome.
…No, actually very.
‘Huh? Could it be?’
Did he come to save me after hearing my scream?
That person named ‘Yoo-jin’ that Big Sister mentioned?
For a moment, I had that thought, but
“You! You’re in the same gang as these guys!”
“What?”
I quickly changed my mind.
There was no way such a person would show up at such a contrived timing.
If he was someone who could associate with Big Sister Yerina, he would be a fairly high-ranking nobleman.
This man was dressed like someone who would hang out in back alleys.
He couldn’t possibly be ‘Yoo-jin’.
Was he an accomplice of these thugs?
I thought it was strange that only the lacking dwarves were roaming around, but it was clear that human was their leader.
“Making such a stupid expression won’t fool me!”
“Me? Huh? Hmm…”
The human thug pretended to be flustered for a moment.
Seeing as he wasn’t drawing the sword at his waist, it seemed to be a toy for intimidation.
The dull-colored jewel embedded in the handle made it certain.
He rolled his eyes as if pondering for a moment, then widened his eyes as if he had thought of a good method.
“Yes! That’s right! I’m a robber! Hand over everything you have! Kekekek!”
“Revealing your true colors, you despicable bastard…”
As expected.
Why do I keep running into these kinds of guys today?
It makes me sigh.
“It would be best for you to disappear while I’m still asking nicely…”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll disappear now.”
“…?”
But suddenly, the human bowed 90 degrees and greeted me.
He politely greeted me, then immediately disappeared beyond the corner.
I was dumbfounded.
What kind of guy is he?
‘He was quite handsome though?’
Certainly, his appearance matched the man named ‘Yoo-jin’ that Big Sister mentioned, but…
She said that man was righteous.
He wouldn’t be a cowardly thug like that.
Let’s forget it.
“You fucking bitch…!”
“Sigh. You guys weren’t unconscious.”
Then, the thugs got up from behind and charged at me again.
They don’t know when to learn.
I tried to blow them away again by swinging my fan, but…
“Huh? What?”
Nothing happened.
No matter how much I swung the fan, only a light breeze blew.
The magic wasn’t activating at all.
Surprised, I examined the fan and found a small talisman attached to it.
My magic was blocked by sorcery?!
Just as I tried to tear off the talisman,
“Hoho. That won’t work.”
“Kuk!”
A dagger flew in an instant and tore my fan, flinging it to the corner.
I lost my weapon.
I stepped back, clutching my cut hand that was bleeding, but my back soon hit the wall.
“Kya. I must have learned sorcery for this day. To fuck a demihuman mage noble lady.”
“S-stay back. This is your last warning.”
“I like your tenacity too. It’s the best.”
My magic was blocked.
What do I do next?
What should I do?
Ah. I was wrong.
Without my fan, there’s nothing I can do.
If I had known this would happen, I should have learned some martial arts from Big Sister…
“Sob… P-please spare me…”
“Where’s your arrogance from before? Now you’re crying so pathetically?”
“Ah… Uuu…”
The daggers pressed into me.
They dug into my collar, snapping off buttons.
I couldn’t scream loudly, afraid the blade would pierce into my body.
‘Someone. Please, anyone, come…’
As I inwardly let out a silent scream like that,
the daggers stopped.
I slightly opened my eyes and saw their gazes all directed behind.
“Hey. Let her go.”
“Who are you?”
The human I saw earlier.
He was blocking the alley with an enraged expression.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
There was no need to even draw my sword.
I didn’t want to stain my blade with the blood of those lowly thugs.
Nor did I want to create corpses here.
“Where do you think you are, barging into our territory fearlessly…!”
“That blade is so dull. It’s even rusted. Are you trying to get tetanus?”
“Wh-what?!”
You’re the fearless ones.
Despite being a bunch of weaklings, you swung your daggers at me without even running away.
I immediately snatched the dagger and held it in my hand, and their expressions became worth watching.
“I think this hand is the problem. Right?”
“Aah! Aaaah! P-please spare me!”
“You won’t die from having your hand mangled a bit.”
“Uwaaaaah!!!”
“Now you sound like you’re learning your lesson.”
I grabbed each of them, meticulously cut up their hands, and let them run away.
With those hands, they probably wouldn’t be able to hold a knife again.
From now on, they would stop doing things like robbery and live virtuously.
It was a heartwarming ending.
I tossed the bloodstained dagger on the ground and shifted my gaze to the back.
There, I saw Alicia sitting in the corner, hugging her knees and sniffling.
Where did the noble lady who laughed behind her fan go, leaving only this dejected girl?
I felt a bit of sympathy.
“Are you alright?”
“Sob… Yes…”
I slightly extended my hand to Alicia.
Alicia carefully grabbed my hand and tried to stand up, but realizing her clothes were a mess, she sat back down and covered her body with her arms.
I took off my coat and draped it over her, and Alicia looked up at me with teary eyes.
‘It would be troublesome if Alicia died.’
She wasn’t just anyone, but one of Yerina’s close associates.
If Alicia suffered a terrible fate and was killed in Basel, Yerina would literally go berserk.
Rather than having Yerina personally come down to Basel and wreak havoc, it was much better to save Alicia and send her back.
“Thank you.”
A dry one-liner.
It seemed to be the maximum gratitude Alicia’s pride allowed.
Sighing, I knelt down on one knee to match her eye level.
“Show me your hand.”
“Wh-why?”
“You’re hurt. Let me see.”
“…”
Soon, Alicia let her guard down slightly and held out her hand to me.
It wasn’t a deep wound.
Just a small cut.
I poured a low-grade potion to wash away the blood and finished with a bandage.
“Um, thank you so much. May I ask your name?”
“There’s no need. We won’t see each other again.”
“Ah…”
It seemed she wanted to repay me now.
But it was unnecessary.
Because I won’t ever meet you again.
“My name is Alicia! Alicia Yevgenia! If you ever find yourself in trouble in the north, please look for this name! Then I’ll rush over to help you anytime…”
“Okay.”
I tried to leave, but Alicia clung to my collar.
Looking down, I saw Alicia crouched on the ground, touching my shoes.
“What are you doing?”
“S-sorry. Your shoes looked a bit unique.”
“There’s nothing unique about them.”
“The sole is made of special material, very thick… Is there an iron plate wrapped inside? These are completely similar to the shoes my big sister wears.”
Alicia would certainly recognize it.
The fact that these were shoes exclusively for the Frost-style swordsmanship.
And the Frost-style swordsmanship was a top secret only passed down to the Palana royal family.
‘I’m fucked.’
In a word, I was fucked.
These shoes shouldn’t have been touched by someone from Palana.
“Where did you get these shoes?”
“…”
It was a dead end.
There was no way to make excuses and escape.
If news got out that the secret of the Frost-style swordsmanship had leaked, Yerina would rush straight to Basel.
I had to prevent that at all costs.
“Can you forget about today?”
“That would be difficult. Tell me where you got these shoes. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to tie you up and drag you to Palana.”
“Haa…”
She’s threatening me in this situation?
It drove me into a corner.
“Then I have no choice.”
“Huh? Yes?”
There was no other way.
I had to silence Alicia.
I turned back and approached her, and Alicia stepped back in surprise.
But it was a dead end behind her.
“Ah! W-wait a minute! I was wrong! I…! Sob! Uuu!”
I loosened her collar and exposed Alicia’s bare skin.
She struggled fiercely, but when I twisted her rabbit ear with one hand, her resistance quickly weakened.
I immediately reached into Alicia’s bosom and rummaged around until I grasped something.
“Th-that’s…!”
A rosary.
I tore the string and took only the rosary.
Alicia desperately reached out her hand to chase after me, but her legs gave out and she couldn’t follow.
“If you want it back, come to the plaza tomorrow morning. Don’t tell anyone about today.”
“No! No, please!”
Leaving behind the desperately crying Alicia, I left the alley.
I had Alicia’s weakness in my hands.
As long as I had this, Alicia wouldn’t be able to disobey me.
So what is this rosary, you ask?
At first glance, it looked like an item with precious memories or a magic jewel, but it was not such a grandiose thing.
It was an essential item for rabbit demihuman nobles.
A libido suppressor.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇