Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Throwing Tempting Bait (5)
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I pinned the bastard completely against the wall and asked.
The closer the tip of Requiem got to him, the more his face drained of color.
"I don't know......"
His tone was polite enough, but the content was worthless.
"Is that so? Then—"
"W-Wait!"
As I pressed Requiem closer, he tilted his chin up as far as it would go.
"I don't know exactly! But it's the outskirts of the capital!"
"......"
"There are several empty warehouses around Lubare Territory. They often use them to lock up kidnapped people."
"Hmm."
I paused Requiem for a moment and smiled.
"Is this everyone? No more coming?"
"We're it....... Master Ethan said to move with minimal personnel."
"Ethan."
I rolled the name around in my mouth, then curled my lips deeply.
"Yeah, thanks."
"?!'
Before he could even react to the sudden gratitude,
Stab!
Requiem pierced through his chin and out the top of his skull.
"Gurk, guk."
His eyes rolled back white. His trembling body soon went limp, limbs splaying out straight.
"Hmm."
I sheathed Requiem and dusted off my hands.
"Lubare Territory, huh."
Now that I had a rough location, it was time to head out. And no more pursuers were coming.
Bang!
I kicked open the inner room door.
"Gasp!"
Jack, who had been crouched wrestling with something, looked up.
"Master! You're safe!"
"Of course."
Jack let out a sigh of relief and held out the carrier.
"Fortunately, there was a spare temperature controller."
Goldstar looked much recovered from before. It was curled up tight inside the carrier, resting.
"Grab it and follow me."
"Ah, yes......"
Jack looked puzzled but followed me outside.
Tweet!
I raised the whistle and blew hard, then stared at Jack.
"Let's go."
"Me too?"
"Yeah. You need to guide the way."
His eyes widened at the situation similar to when we first met.
"Where to?"
"Where those guys are."
"H-How would I know? I was hiding behind the bookshelf and didn't see anything......!"
I reached out and flicked his nose.
"You remember the smell, don't you?"
"Ah."
Jack finally got it and looked around. He sniffed, then brightened.
"I think I know!"
"Good. Let's go."
And so, Jack and I began our pursuit.
❖ ❖ ❖
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Two silhouettes rode atop Blackstar.
"Prriiing, prrung."
Blackstar had initially refused to carry anyone but me. But after my threats, it finally grudgingly accepted Jack with teary eyes.
"Uwoop."
It was Jack's first time riding a horse this fast. He clamped his mouth shut, looking dizzy and nauseous.
"You okay?"
I asked, though I had no intention of slowing down.
"......No."
Jack chose to endure. He kept gulping but clenched his teeth and bore it.
"Go faster, please!"
A smile crept across my face at his shout.
"Yeah, that's the spirit."
Picking this guy had been the right choice. How long had we been riding toward Lubare Territory?
"Ah!"
Jack, slumped over on Blackstar, suddenly jerked his head up.
"I smell it!"
Impressive nose, as expected.
"Which way?"
"That way!"
I urged Blackstar faster in the direction he pointed. It felt like having a compass for guidance.
Thud thud thud!
How long did we gallop, spurring Blackstar to full speed?
"It's getting closer!"
"Mm."
As I deployed my Absolute Territory, I sensed a considerable number of people gathered in the distance.
"Over there."
I gradually slowed Blackstar. We stopped at a distance where a rundown farmhouse was visible far off.
I tethered Blackstar behind a large tree and leaped down.
"Blackstar, stay here."
"Prrung."
I said the same to Jack, who was clambering down using all fours.
"You stay here too."
"Huh?"
"Were you planning to come along?"
"I want to......!"
I cut off Jack, whose eagerness was obvious.
"You'd just get in the way."
"But Master, you're super strong......! Can't you take them all?"
Jack made a fair point with an aggrieved look. But this situation had nothing to do with my strength.
"I could kill them all."
"Right, so—"
"But I can't guarantee Elice's safety."
"Ah."
Jack finally understood.
"They could take a hostage......"
"Yeah. You know why Elice hid you behind the bookshelf, right?"
She had gone through all that to protect Jack's safety.
"......Yes."
Jack wasn't dumb enough not to get it. He nodded with a gloomy face.
"Got it, Master. I'll stay hidden quietly."
"Good boy."
I grinned, then firmly instructed the human and monster separately.
"Don't make a peep. Stay quiet."
"Yes."
"Prrung."
Blackstar looked bored, uninterested in a mere child. I turned away, leaving Jack's anxious face behind.
Rustle, rustle.
I approached carefully, mindful of the grass crunching underfoot. Hiding in the bushes, I observed them.
Three humans stood watch around the house.
'Ten inside.'
Three of them would be Elice, Dexter, and William. That meant the attackers on Vendetta Guild totaled ten.
'They gathered quite a few.'
I crept slowly and silently toward the house. I could hear the sentries chatting.
"Still not talking?"
"Yeah, tough bastard."
"Well, it's only been a few hours."
One sentry yawned widely.
"Master Ethan was seriously pissed."
"Can't blame him. His managed bandit group got wiped out."
"What'd the guy look like?"
"Black hair, black eyes. Wears all dark clothes, they say."
The yawning sentry snickered.
"Nice concept. Black his favorite color or something?"
If they knew even his words were black, they'd flip.
I listened to the sentries' conversation while thinking that.
"Tch, if that guild leader cracks quick, we can go sooner."
"Still stiff, so probably past dawn."
A sentry scratched his back irritably.
"Then we'll grab that dark guy tomorrow."
"Probably. Or the ambush squad might've already."
They ended the talk and returned to their posts, resuming patrol around the house.
'Hmm.'
Having grasped the situation, I slipped back quietly. I hid behind a nearby tree and waited for the right moment.
Time dragged slowly in the pitch-black night, with only the occasional chirp of crickets.
Finally,
"Gotta take a piss."
One sentry hiked up his trouser leg.
"Hurry back."
"Yeah, you ate a ton earlier."
The other two sent him off casually.
The sentry trudged toward a large tree—near the one I was hiding behind.
'Lucky break.'
My eyes narrowed like a beast waiting for prey. Time to use a trick from a novel I'd read in my past life.
"Yaaawn."
The sentry yawned noisily as he rounded the tree. He dropped his pants, squatted, and began pushing out the load in his gut.
Squish, splat.
"......"
Whatever he ate, the stench was foul. My sensitive nose screamed in protest.
'Fucking hell.'
Having to watch a grown man take a shit up close. But sometimes you sacrifice the small for the greater good.
'Just endure a bit.'
I chanted patience inwardly, waiting for him to strain.
Pffft, plop.
My brow furrowed deeper. I might not hold back and kill him soon.
'What a production......'
An eternity of agony passed, and
"Ungh."
He reached into his pocket for tissue.
'Now.'
I sprang from behind the tree and tackled him.
"Mmph?!"
My left hand clamped his mouth, right hand gripped his shoulder and forced him down.
Splat.
"—!"
His ass hit the ground with a wet smack.
"—! —!"
He thrashed wildly. The warm, squelchy feel of shit under his butt was the cause.
"—!"
I whispered in the ear of the guy still making muffled noises.
"Quiet down, or I'll grind you into it sideways."
"......"
Miraculously, he went still.
My palm over his mouth grew damp with moisture. He was breathing so hard his chest heaved visibly.
Shing—
I released his shoulder with my right hand and drew Requiem, pressing it to his throat as I whispered.
"Now, call your buddies."
He eyed me, asking with his gaze.
*'H-How?'*
I removed the hand over his mouth and said.
"Just describe the situation as is."
"Th-The current situation......"
Humiliation flooded his face. I snickered at the sight.
"Ten seconds, or you die."
He glanced around frantically, then yelled desperately.
"H-Hey, heyy......!"
His voice was tiny, shock still lingering. I stared indifferently and muttered.
"Seven seconds left."
"Hey! Help!"
His shout drew a reaction from the others.
"Help with what? Constipated?"
"Told you to ease up on the meat!"
Touching friendship.
"Five seconds."
At my merciless countdown, he squeezed his eyes shut and bellowed.
"Ah, my legs gave out and I fell in the shit! Help me up!"
"Damn, idiot."
"You bastard, that's why I said do lower body workouts!"
The other sentries grumbled but one started shambling over.
"Where?"
I twisted the first sentry's shoulder hard.
"Here! Right here!"
He played his part dutifully.
"Damn, went far, huh."
The approaching sentry kept complaining as he neared the tree.
"Crazy, what's that smell from here?"
Darkness made it hard to spot his buddy; he peered around.
"Here? Behind the tree?"
He finally saw his comrade slumped against the tree.
"Aw, pathetic bastard. What a shit......"
Thud!
My fist slammed into the new sentry's gut. He clutched it and curled shrimp-like.
Mmph.
I clamped his mouth before he could cry out.
"Your buddy just died."
"......"
"For shitting in front of me."
I whispered low, and his face paled.
"—!"
He struggled upon spotting the dark corpse leaning on the tree.
"Mmph, mmph."
"Don't care what you say."
I pressed Requiem, which had already claimed one life, to his throat.
"Call the other one."
I eased my hand slightly, and his lips trembled.
"Wh-What the—"
"Ten seconds."
In the end, he had to grit his teeth and shout.
"Hey, this guy's legs are totally gone! Can't drag him alone!"
An exasperated voice came from the house.
"So he's covered in shit? Can't he crawl?"
"How do I drag this? Come help!"
The last sentry grumbled at length before stomping over roughly.
"Aw, seriously. Can't handle one guy?"
The complainer finally noticed his hugging comrades.
"What the......"
Crack!
My fist smashed straight into his face.