Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Tracking
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‘⋯⋯Awkward.’
Vespa thought that as she fidgeted with her hands and feet.
She was sitting side by side with Panhima at a café with a parasol unfurled.
At Carlyle’s request, they were keeping watch outside the auction house to alert him if anything suspicious happened.
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯.”
An awkward atmosphere hung between the two.
She stole sidelong glances at Panhima, but there was no particular reaction from her.
What should she say?
She had run into this woman a few times, but they had never really talked in depth.
All Vespa knew about Panhima was that her swordsmanship was on par with Gray’s and that her temperament was quite prickly.
There hadn’t been much opportunity to learn more. Besides, words had to get through first.
But lately, there had been some occasions to take notice of Panhima.
‘Lately, she’s been⋯⋯’
There was a subtle vibe between her and Carlyle.
Vespa couldn’t say exactly what had changed, but a woman’s intuition, perhaps. It felt like the way this woman looked at Carlyle had shifted somehow.
‘⋯⋯Really.’
A squirming emotion welled up inside her.
She couldn’t quite define what it was, but it was definitely not a bright, lively feeling.
Where did this guy keep picking up women? Every time she looked away for a moment, another one seemed to have latched on.
‘The Lady alone is more than enough.’
Vespa startled at the thought that popped into her head unbidden.
⋯⋯Huh?
Hadn’t she just treated the Lady like some kind of obstacle?
As her attendant, that was absolutely not allowed.
‘No, no. Vespa.’
She pinched her cheeks.
It was the Lady’s business if she liked Carlyle.
She just needed to mind her own.
“⋯⋯.”
But.
Why did her chest feel stuffy whenever she thought of the Lady?
It was frustrating.
In the past, just serving the Lady had been enough to satisfy her.
Lately, though, negative thoughts crowded in every time she saw her⋯⋯
“Eek!”
She must have been too deep in those thoughts. She hadn’t seen the table and bumped it with her knee.
The drink on top spilled over.
⋯⋯If Panhima next to her hadn’t quickly righted the teacup with her sword, she would have been doused in scalding liquid.
“Th-thank you⋯⋯”
As Vespa stammered her thanks, Panhima snorted and tapped the teacup.
It might look like mockery at a glance, but Vespa understood the intent without misunderstanding.
Having served a master with such a twisted personality for so long, she could instantly read intentions even from someone who seemed blunt and rough.
‘Ah, she’s telling me to be careful.’
Vespa quietly gripped the teacup and sipped it timidly.
⋯⋯This woman.
Seeing her casually look after others like this made her seem not entirely prickly.
Maybe someone worth getting closer to.
“Panhima, actually, you’re not as bad as you seem—”
That was probably why the sudden event startled her so badly.
“—?!”
Seeing Panhima clutch her stomach and double over, Vespa jumped up in alarm.
“Wh-what’s wrong—?!”
But the problem was clear.
Vespa froze as she spotted the ‘pattern’ forming inside Panhima’s abdomen.
She didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was obviously causing Panhima this agony.
And Panhima herself could diagnose the situation more precisely.
“Those damn beasts⋯⋯”
The Slave Seal engraved in her abdomen activating meant one of two things.
Either her condition had deteriorated sharply, or...
⋯⋯The ‘master’ who imprinted it was nearby.
“The Ten Glyph Society is here—!”
Vespa couldn’t make out exactly what she said.
But the chilling killing intent was unmistakable, even to her.
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“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle quietly scanned the surroundings.
Drexler had just unleashed attacks in every direction.
‘Dead people⋯⋯’
⋯⋯None?
Carlyle blinked for a moment.
The arrows had flown with lethal speed, too fast for civilians uninvolved in the fight to react, but even without reacting like Carlyle, no one would have been seriously hurt.
No, considering that guy’s personality from the future, she thought he’d just shoot regardless of civilians dying.
This was more like a warning shot.
“Let’s see⋯⋯”
As he thought that, Drexler, standing in the center of the stage, looked around.
“Those who reacted: one, two, three⋯⋯ Hmm?”
And as he muttered,
Drexler’s gaze locked onto Carlyle.
It was too precise to be a misaim; he was clearly staring right at him.
“⋯⋯.”
Then, she saw him whistle.
“Jackpot—”
Drexler kicked off the stage and charged straight at him.
The bloodthirsty approach made it clear he was eager for a fight with Carlyle, prickling the skin.
Meanwhile, two people on the opposite side of the circular theater from Carlyle stood up.
Probably the other two who had reacted to Drexler’s arrows, besides Carlyle.
“—Damn it, not me, the other side!”
She gritted her teeth at Drexler’s ferocity, drew her holy sword, but before she could act, an arrow already nocked flew toward Carlyle’s position.
Elena shoved aside, sword ready.
A massive arrow hurtling right at her face deflected off the flat of the blade, posture shifting to high guard.
“I’m not your enemy! We need to chase those guys now!”
Carlyle shouted urgently, but Drexler didn’t budge.
He stood firm, blue bow drawn from his arm, eyes fixed on Carlyle.
“Bro, to say you’re not with the demons—”
His ever-smiling jackal eyes, usually narrowed, widened.
“—you reek too much of Demonic Energy.”
A chill ran down her spine.
⋯⋯Exactly matching the ‘prey’ gaze from the future.
He leaped from his seat.
At the same time, the bow in Drexler’s arm changed form.
Shortbow. Far less power than his usual longbow, but excels in rapid fire and curving trajectories.
Then, dozens of small, precise arrows rained toward Carlyle in under two seconds.
Carlyle took a deep breath.
Then.
-!
A couple swings of the sword deflected the localized arrow storm entirely.
Two straight lines intersecting, covering all incoming paths and bouncing every projectile.
Elena, flung aside, gaped from afar at the feat of casually batting away hundreds of finger-width arrows.
She wasn’t the only one shocked, probably.
“⋯⋯Bro. How the hell did you do that?”
A whistle from Drexler after a brief silence.
“We’re meeting for the first time today, right? Feels like you already know my moves.”
Yeah, yeah. Appreciation’s nice.
“We don’t have time to waste on this! We need to chase those bastards—!”
Carlyle had come here to pursue the devil worshippers. No time to get held up!
“Hmm, sorry, but to me, you look like one of them—”
“⋯⋯.”
Stubborn bastard.
She knew her state was far from human, but given the situation, words wouldn’t cut it.
No choice. Have to take him down!
But the obstacle cleared faster than expected.
Just seeing Drexler flinch and roll on the ground showed the ‘resolver’s’ menace.
-!
An explosion like the earth shattering erupted where Drexler had stood.
“⋯⋯Ma, seriously.”
Drexler said in a slightly stiff voice.
“Scary sis. If that had hit proper, one-shot dead.”
His gaze fixed on the auction house entrance.
There she was.
“Man, came ‘cause it was noisy, and what a freak show.”
⋯⋯The one who’d chucked a ‘rock’ to cause that explosion.
“These days even beast cubs talk.”
Gray sneered.
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