Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Unconscious Flag-Planting
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Slashing at anything in my path as I advanced had paid off—I'd found the hostages.
El, her cheek swollen from matching blows with that Sor bitch who was now flustered. And two women trapped in ice... no, enclosed within it.
Can they even breathe in there?
They must be fine if they're inside.
Magic truly is mysterious and all-powerful.
Staying alert despite my excitement, I scanned for presences.
Where are you hiding, golem?
A quick look around and sense check turned up nothing resembling that damned golem.
Just this shitty high school girl and the three women I needed to rescue.
"Outsider!"
"Dre!"
"......"
I turned back to the three women as they called out to me.
Each one was the pinnacle of beauty, with a unique allure.
If I were the protagonist, I'd say something like, "I came to save my women!" But since they all had their own partners... it kinda killed the motivation to rescue them.
Fuck. What a shitty world.
Where the hell is my woman in this world?
"Ha, ha! Has the prince on the white horse finally arrived?"
Our Sor. Her forced laugh was so awkward.
She was obviously tense.
I swallowed a sneer and replied.
"I'd feel a pang of conscience calling myself a prince."
Sor ground her teeth at my mocking tone, glancing back at the girls behind her.
"You got here awfully fast?? How'd you even know about this place? Trying to score points with these bitches by rushing in so desperately? Gonna kiss them or something? I mean, they are pretty hot?? Gotta make a good impression!"
Sor was rambling nonsense, bluffing.
Stalling for time, maybe?
I replied incredulously.
"What are you talking about? I have zero interest in them that way."
I looked at Sor and the hostages like they were microbes, and protests erupted from the three women.
"Th-that look is rude! I was just getting emotional!"
"I have no interest in a guy like you either, so I wasn't going to say it. But why bring it up? Unless..."
"Thanks for coming, Dre! Wh-where's Flat?! Did he come with you?!"
Unlike the other two, El expressed gratitude first and asked about her lover.
El was actually a decent person.
The more I saw, the more I liked her.
She deserved a good guy like Flat.
"He's safe."
Her face lighting up with relief was stunningly beautiful.
High-handed with others, but an amazing woman to her own man.
But not my woman.
Fuck this world.
Alright, the touching reunion was over.
Time to work.
My bodyguard duty wasn't done yet.
Honestly, I wanted to clash with the golem before rescuing them.
It's tough fighting while protecting someone.
But it was hiding somewhere...
I pondered for a second and decided.
Let's neutralize Sor first at least.
The golem seemed contracted to her, so beating her ass should draw it out.
I approached Sor, and she backed away unsteadily.
"What're you doing? Stop right there! How dare you...!"
"......"
"Do you even know who I am? Killing a fresh outsider like you is nothing...!"
She stopped abruptly.
Sor's rigid expression bloomed into relief.
"Good, you're not a total brainless idiot. Can't help the scared, ugly look though."
Bluffing was fine, but wiping that cold sweat off her cheek would help.
I considered lopping off an ear but changed my mind.
I could crush her anytime; better extract info first.
Attacking her might give the golem an opening.
I'll pressure her gradually to lure it out.
"Before I beat you, anything crucial you're hiding that I should know right now?"
"What? B-beat me?"
Stroking my chin as I stared, fury spread across her face.
"You... who do you think I am?"
"I'd prefer not to hurt you if possible. So answer nicely."
I meant it about not wanting to hurt her.
Since I'd beat the shit out of her later—too damaged, and it wouldn't last.
"You dog...!!"
Clang!
I slashed right beside her in a showy strike, cratering the ground.
Aimed to nick her leg, but I wasn't fully used to Spatial Slash yet.
Sor gaped, trembling.
"You bastard...!"
"No other info? Then..."
As I feigned a real charge, her face drenched in sweat.
"I'll tell you... everything about this."
"......"
I pointed my sword tip at the ground, as if listening.
"You probably guessed, but Prynar Academy's upper echelons, even the Kiss Merchant Group—they're all under me."
"No way... unbelievable..." The sealed girl behind Sor muttered in disbelief.
Sor glared venomously but snapped back to me as I scraped my sword on the ground with a metallic screech.
"The bandits are recent hires. Most were original bandits, but I scouted skilled ones—even ex-knights—for dirty work."
They knew crime basics already.
Mixed with Kiss Merchant Group's influence, they raked in huge profits, Sor said.
"Human trafficking wasn't the bandits. That was me and my Prynar Academy underlings. Various collab groups kidnapped nationwide."
"......"
I narrowed my eyes, and Sor smirked back playfully.
Started reluctant, now itching to boast her achievements.
"Business boomed, all sorts flocked like flies. Some big shots too."
Big shots.
...Probably the real mastermind besides the golem.
"Milf Village had good security, hard to kidnap. Had to expand nationwide to meet demand."
Kidnapping was surprisingly easy.
"People guard against shady thugs, but not powerless young girls. Gullible broke girls everywhere willing to collab."
"You and your friends led nationwide student girls in luring victims for bandit kidnaps?"
"Not leading. They just lured; bandits grabbed."
Sor's face twisted into mad glee.
"Ah~ so fun. Captives all say the same shit. Noble/rich reactions hilarious."
"......"
"Haughty bitches begging mercy or bluffing silence... Those types? Handed to underlings as rewards."
Rewards meant this.
First, Sor's direct underlings. Turned into sandbags for delinquent girls.
Usually grudge-holders, so never unscathed.
Once broken, off to "taming unit" for merch prep.
Prepped for Kiss elites/high-ups. Handled by perverts galore.
"Best part? One noble bitch always sassy to me. Seeing her pride shatter, whimpering...! Delicate greenhouse flowers force-fed every filthy kink nonstop! Some virgins too! Can't imagine?"
"I get the gist."
Imagination unnecessary.
I'd seen it firsthand.
Clarit and El seethed, but I stayed nonchalant.
"Boring reaction~"
No emotion toward her grimace.
Just, "I see."
Sor kept bragging.
"I have a heart too. Taming unit disgusted even me. Disposed cocky ones as monster bait. Like... justice, right?"
"No way..." Yeah, unbelievable.
Didn't care about her twisted, screw-loose worldview.
Just the scale was insane.
Too big for a petty fallen noble bitch.
Didn't seem that smart now.
Good at leading? Or just lucky?
...Maybe just a moron. Probably.
Her "talents" might be backers' doing.
Maybe someone besides the golem behind it.
A group fearing no Ten Great Families.
I organized my thoughts.
"You're a fallen noble, right?"
"...Huh?"
Sor twitched a vein, but whatever.
Said to piss her off.
These types spill secrets when mad.
"Missing key info, Sor."
"What?"
"How'd a mere fallen noble wrap up a big group like Kiss Merchant back then?"
"......"
Sor shut up.
"Students? Violence/threats. Taming unit's your school's delinquent boys, right?"
"Where'd you hear that?"
"From Apiz. Said your setup too organized—must have helpers."
Sor blanked, then snorted, cackling madly.
"Ahahaha! That stinky old man!! Still hasn't wised up?"
"......"
"Fuck. If Apiz cooperated properly, we'd have smoothed it all."
Sor glared daggers at absent Apiz, bloodshot eyes murderous.
"Those fucking Ten Great Family pigs hunting monsters/bandits triggered real probes—messed us up! Had to ditch Kiss and bandits or hush it!! At a crossroads!!"
Spilling irrelevant crap.
"Didn't wanna lose assets?? So sought a cover-up..."
"Ten Great Families that easy for trash like you?"
Curious, but she took it as provocation—face uglier.
"Bloated incompetent pigs! In Milf Village, with two factions' collab, could've fooled them awhile!"
"Kiss Merchant and Adventurer's Guild? Apiz?"
Recalled Lamrat/Sor's confidence in Apiz.
Apiz downplayed, thinking he had leverage.
"Yeah! Almost set! Pressured Apiz via Kiss to play nice! He needed merits, promised fat rewards!"
Sealed girl's eyes widened.
"Thought he collabed on my dumb bait plan! Even shared post-op juicy intel...!"
Sor near-screamed now.
Bait plan executed.
Backfired, tightening noose on her.
What an idiot.
Overreached, tried bossing superiors—blames others?
"Fucking Apiz moron. Demoted but overflowing 'conscience'! Ignore and follow—I'd boomed Milf Village! Hey! Think that's justice?"
Sor spat, pointing accusingly.
"Kiss wrecked? Others flood in! Kiss was local, considerate of village merchants!"
Grinned mockingly at economic fallout from rival giants.
"Not all! Touched Ten Great ladies, collabs at Prynar—probes incoming! Unrelated students fingered too?? Milf Village full of Prynar kids—doomedㅎ..."
Kaang!
"Huh?!"
"Shut up."
Too much bullshit; toed her shoe-tip with sword.
Nicked edge—silenced by chill?
"Don't care about your thoughts."
"What?!"
"Said before: curious about power enabling this. You mentioned juicier stories."
Sor skipped the big one.
What gave fallen noble confidence to touch Ten Great lady and hush aftermath.
The golem, obviously.
"Who controls that golem?"
"......"
"What makes you so cocky? Backers enabling your org—approached via golem?"
Prodded pride; blank Sor dropped head, then lifted smirking.
"Kikikikikik! Clarit/Elisia contract goods, unavoidable... but Asita."
Sealed girl flinched at name.
"You were slated for taming gangbang, beat by school underlings, tortured by me..."
Bitching again.
I clicked tongue; Sor fixed on her.
Deep grudge, apparently.
"S-Sor. Wh-why?"
Sor's face idiotically distorted at whimper.
"Fucking hated it! Fox-face seducing every guy, snagging top catches—then 'men burdensome'? We all liked him, you stole—heh, never crossed mind??"
Sudden inferiority explosion.
El/Clarit eyed coldly: "Such a thing exists?"
Sealed girl whispered.
"B-but Sor... hates men..."
"You ruined guys I targeted!!"
"Eek...!"
"Not all! Talentless beauty into Prynar?? Makes sense? While I rot in shitheap Miap! That bitch friends with Ten Great, strutting! Wanted to kill you seeing that!"
Hates sealed girl purely from envy...?
More I hear, more hopeless.
El interjected.
"Pathetic."
"Pathetic?! Looks/family nothing else...!"
Voice deafening.
Ears ringing.
But looks/family enough...? Wonder what more needed.
El's character better anyway.
"Summary: inferiority 'cause you're way below Asita. Right, Sor?"
"......"
Whatever.
No more to hear.
Thought grand ambitions, contract beast.
Nah, just followed golem, occasional tantrums—current mess.
Utter letdown.
As Apiz said: personal grudge.
Incomprehensible vermin grudge.
Sor doll-faced blank.
Approached slowly; she spoke.
"Fine, as you said... backers approached first. Them—especially golem—world-shakers. Touch me, you're... "
Threatening now.
Admirable mentality.
"Dunno backers, but Ten Great-fearing? Not scared."
Bluff; Sor choked.
Then shrieked desperately.
"Hey... hey! Come out per contract! Or slit my throat!!"
Sor held tiny blade to neck.
Clowning.
She'd never suicide.
But golem thought otherwise.
Sudden presence.
Hiding nearby, waiting chance.
Right beside.
Sor sensed, regained composure.
"Hey! Out!"
Blade nicked neck, blood trickled.
Winced—pain wimp obvious.
Effective for golem.
Unsettling power swept area.
Presence revealed.
Sor relaxed.
"What'd you call it earlier...?"
"......"
Above.
"See for yourself."
Kuaaaang!
Golem burst from ceiling rock.
Bigger than before—fused with cave stone? Possible?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Don't die yet, contract human!!] Kuaaaak!
Golem slammed huge hand down; wary of my sword from prior beatings.
Severing Sword.
Familiar skill—lopped arm chunks.
Thud! Thud!
Severed arms turned rock, hit ground; limbs whipped like chains.
Kaang!
Deflected instantly; golem recoiled in panic.
Cracks in hands/legs.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Huh? You're way stronger than before?] "Yes."
Enemy compliment, but proud.
Feel it. My power.
Source: stats. All-in worth it.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 125 💨 Speed: 90 ✨ Willpower: 85 💪 Defense: 184 🍀 Skill Points: 18 🛡️ Resistance: 70 HP: 130/130 | MP: 0/0 | Stat Points: 0 [Details]
No stat points left.
Skill points mostly dumped into Touch of Agmat! haphazardly—bonus stats happy surprise, but empty.
Worth it though.
Specs way up—no chills like first meet.
Total leisure.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hmm] Upgraded too, but outclassed—groaned in dismay.
Good, shred now.
Suddenly bellowed.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hey outsider! What's your privilege? Can't sense any!] Privilege what?
Loveheart bitch. Everyone bitches about privileges—did she hook me up?
Suppressed rage.
"No reason to tell."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Grah! Unfair! Unfair!] Always notice: golem mentally young.
"Then who are you? Tell, I'll tell."
Closeness ploy; unexpected reaction.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Huh? Don't know this one?] What reaction?
Eyes bulging; golem raged.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [After millennia, forgotten?! Fine! I'll tell!] "W-wait! Hey!"
Sor's panic brief; golem boomed.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Humans/gods call us Eight Demon Kings—leader!! Strongest dragon!] Snap! Golem raised arms.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Rakarlror Mlren Psyte Maines Frostia!] Silence fell.
.....
What a fucking name.
...Ah.
Eight Demon Kings?