Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Throwing a Tempting Bait (7)
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Slash!
A chilling sound accompanied the intruder's arm movement.
"-!"
The man reflexively brought his hand to his throat.
Something bizarre happened. Instead of blood gushing from the cut, the wound began to blacken and wither, shriveling up.
"Gk, grk...."
The man struggled to make a sound several times, but his already torn vocal cords refused to function.
Thud.
The man dropped to his knees on the floor and soon breathed his last.
"......"
Right in front of Elice.
It had happened because Elice and Dexter were positioned right next to the door.
Rumble—
As thunder crashed again, the intruder's form briefly came into view.
"-!"
Elice's eyes widened.
She had confirmed the intruder's jet-black hair blending into the darkness, facing away from the two of them.
"That person...."
Dexter had seen it too, letting out a startled voice.
"Eek!"
Only then did the remaining man grasp the situation and gasp. While he hesitated, unsure what to do,
Crack!
The intruder charged at him without the slightest hesitation.
Boom—
Thanks to the continuous clamor pouring into the room, the man didn't even notice the intruder rushing toward him.
Rip!
The intruder's sword pierced between the man's ribs.
"Hahk!"
The man gasped as his lungs felt torn apart.
Thud.
The intruder kicked the man away with his foot and pulled out his sword. Then, without even checking if the man lived, he turned away.
"Gk...."
The man's body convulsed, trembling violently. Even that soon stopped, and silence descended.
Rumble—
Only the occasional thunder and lightning. The room was filled with a suffocating, icy stillness.
Gulp.
Elice swallowed dryly. Her throat, parched from tension, ached in protest.
She hadn't breathed properly since that moment. Since the intruder—black from head to toe—had entered the room.
The air rippled strangely with every swing of his weapon, his merciless strikes ending lives in one blow.
Above all, the eerie aura that didn't seem human at all.
Every cell in her body screamed.
That being was far too dangerous. One wrong move, and she'd lose her life instead.
"......"
Elice clenched her fists so tightly her palms hurt. It was the only way to stay calm.
Click.
The intruder fiddled with a candle and lit it. The faint light illuminated the previously pitch-black room.
"......"
The intruder stared intently toward the room where William was.
As if peering clearly through the wall at something beyond, his gaze deepened.
At last, he turned his eyes toward Elice and Dexter.
"You look a mess."
His voice was still bizarre. It carried a strange power that made one's spine tingle just hearing it.
Step.
The intruder's footsteps headed toward Elice and Dexter.
"Sis...."
Dexter pressed close to Elice. It was a gesture preparing for the worst.
"Stay still."
Elice restrained him.
If that intruder wanted, the two of them could end up like those men in the blink of an eye.
She kept her eyes locked on him, tracking his every move. And she was certain.
This man was definitely the one the Mare Guild had been searching for.
Step, step.
The intruder stopped in front of the two.
Black smoke-like wisps danced over his face, making it hard to discern his features clearly.
But she could tell he was exceptionally handsome. And that his cheeks had a remarkably youthful line.
"Who are you?"
Finally, Elice steeled herself and spoke.
❖ ❖ ❖
Elice's eyes churned like raging waves. A gaze rippling with anger.
"You're the one they're after?"
"Probably."
"Why on earth...."
"Who knows."
He cut her off and loomed before her. Elice bit her lip hard and glared at me.
"......?"
For a moment, suspicion flickered in her eyes. She scanned every corner of my face with trembling pupils.
"......Wait, you?"
Whenever I wielded Requiem, its power surged as if dominating my body. Because of that, my hair, eyes, even my voice would change.
Flick—I swung my arm and sheathed Requiem.
"Don't you recognize me yet?"
The echoing tone, like from a deep cave, gradually shifted.
"I thought you'd figure it out right away. Disappointing."
With a charming resonance, back to my natural voice. At the same time, the black waves receded from my hair and eyes as if sucked away.
"Elice."
I smiled, fully in the form of Abel Kindriel.
"-!"
A silent scream burst from Elice's mouth.
"Y-You...."
Dexter stared at my face, speechless. If his arms weren't bound, he looked like he'd point at me immediately.
"Why the long faces?"
I shrugged as I spoke.
"I figured you'd be happier. Aren't you glad I'm here?"
The two just moved their lips for a long while, unable to speak. Finally, Elice collected herself and opened her mouth.
"How is this possible?"
"What do you mean?"
Shing!
I drew Requiem again, reverting to my initial form. Seeing me with black hair and eyes once more, Elice murmured blankly.
"You never mentioned being a mage...."
"I'm not a mage."
Just someone who wields a special sword.
I grinned and swept back my jet-black hair. Even watching that, Elice said in disbelief.
"You're really the master, right?"
"What, you think there's another face this handsome in the world?"
"......No, that's not it. Then why the voice."
"I like it. What's wrong? Don't you?"
"That's not the point...."
Elice trailed off with a complicated expression.
"......So, those guys were after you all along?"
"Yeah. I've been robbing bandit groups in this form."
"That explains it."
Elice sighed softly.
"I couldn't make sense of what they were saying. Looks like they caught your trail that way."
"Probably."
I didn't mention that I'd deliberately shown my face while robbing them, leaving traces blatantly.
Because of Elice's pale, ashen face and chapped lips.
'Must have been tough watching William get tortured.'
In this situation, learning I'd intentionally put them in danger wouldn't be good. It could crack their loyalty.
'The ones I'd tell the truth to are all dead anyway.'
Only two remained in that room now.
Hiding those dark thoughts, I smiled brightly and pulled Elice to her feet, embracing her.
"Hk!"
Elice gasped and tried to pull away, but couldn't escape my grasp.
"......"
Pressed tightly against me, Elice held her breath. Color began returning to her pallid cheeks.
Dexter, who had been sitting dazed, snapped to attention in shock.
"What are you doing right now...."
"Yeah, yeah."
I replied half-heartedly and hoisted Dexter up too. The two, dangling from my arms, widened their eyes.
"Now, now, just in case, stay here."
I carried the bewildered pair as far from the inner door as possible and sat them down.
"Why are you doing this?"
Elice asked, her face flushed,
"Could you untie us first, at least?"
Dexter pleaded desperately.
"Wait there."
I turned and headed toward the inner door. I pressed my ear against it.
"Ughhhh!"
William's groans still emanated from inside.
Scrape, scrape.
The sound of the chair slamming roughly against the floor came too. He was thrashing while bound to it.
Clang!
The clash of small metal objects rang out.
"Now the fingertips."
A strange man's voice sneered.
"Of course, you still have your toes left."
"......"
"That's ten more to go."
He added with a mocking lilt.
"I wonder if you can hold out that long."
It seemed they'd been pulling out William's fingernails one by one.
"......I don't know."
Despite the agony, William only repeated the same words he'd murmured since earlier.
He was just my type.
"Frustrating bastard."
Naturally, the torturer wouldn't like him.
"Master, please be careful."
Elice's slender voice came from behind.
"The one in that room is Ethan Crawford, one of the top fighters in the Mare Guild. He takes direct orders from Rowell."
"Ah, I've heard of him."
The name the ambush team and sentries had mentioned earlier. Time to see what kind of guy he was.
"Honestly, you don't need to hold out like this."
Ethan changed his tone, as if coaxing William.
"That black guy isn't coming anyway."
"I don't know who...."
"More precisely, he can't come."
Ethan chuckled unpleasantly.
"We set up an ambush around that rundown tavern you used. By now, they might have caught that black guy."
He finished and amplified his laughter.
"Hahaha...."
Before it ended,
Bang!
I flung the door open and burst inside.
"Hey."
I raised one hand in greeting.
"You were looking for me?"
The other hand drew Requiem.
There sat William bound to the chair, and at his feet, a man crouched with tongs in hand.
"Th-That....!"
The man stared at me in shock—Ethan too.
'Oh, younger than I thought?'
I'd assumed someone commanding this would be older. Must be competent and promoted early.
"You bastard!"
Ethan shot to his feet and gripped the sword at his waist. Despite his hostility, I smiled casually.
"Got bored waiting, so I came myself."
"How did you get here...."
Ethan glanced toward the outer room, his mouth twisting. Seeing the sprawled corpses, then Elice and Dexter, he sighed.
"......I see. You took them all out."
"I got the gift you left at the guild too."
"No way, the ambush team as well?"
"Yeah, crumpled them up nice and tossed them."
I replied with a grin and twitched Requiem. As Ethan flinched and tensed,
Clang!
I kicked the bucket right in front of me.
"Urk!"
The flying bucket smashed squarely into the face of the man torturing William.
Dash!
I closed in swiftly and thrust Requiem into him.
Stab!
Requiem pierced his gut and protruded from his back.
"Uk...."
Caught off guard, he couldn't even resist properly. His body convulsed violently, then stilled.
"Huh...."
A sigh came from Ethan behind me. Turning, I saw he'd already drawn his sword and backed away a few steps.
"So that's how it happened...."
Ethan examined the corpse meticulously with a curious look. His gaze slowly shifted to the Requiem in my hand.
"That sword's doing?"
His tone suggested he knew all about me and Requiem.
'What?'
How long had it been since I started robbing the Mare Guild's bandits? And I hadn't used Requiem that often?
As I stared silently, Ethan said lowly.
"Indeed, your skills are no joke, just like the rumors."
"What rumors?"
"That sword of yours! You've been swinging it around since Cader Territory!"
"......Oh ho."
That was unexpected.