Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Don't Mistreat Your Subordinates. You'll Regret It Later. (6)
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???
Ah, no way... What the hell is that girl doing right now...?
S-She's... healing the goblin's wounds...?
Fwaaah─
While I stood there dumbfounded, her healing magic struck the goblin's body.
The wound that had been gushing blood began to knit itself back together bit by bit.
"Keeik..."
But it was only for a moment.
As expected from a first-timer, she still couldn't cast proper healing magic yet, so the goblin's half-healed wound stayed that way once the spell ended.
"Hee hee, good thing I prepared those herbs."
But her bizarre antics didn't stop there.
She flashed a bright smile and started smearing herbs on the goblin's wound!
Sure enough, the goblin's injury began to heal slowly but steadily.
"W-Wait, what the...?"
I had to ask because the whole sequence was just too absurd.
"This way, we save the hassle of dragging another goblin here. I get to practice my recovery magic, and Reina gets a punching bag she can keep hitting... er, I mean, a practice partner that lasts."
"......"
She almost said "punching bag" just now, didn't she?
She caught herself and switched to "practice partner," right?
I didn't mishear that, did I?!
I see... So that's why I sensed something chilling in her smile earlier.
H-How does she even come up with such terrifying ideas...?
"Hee hee hee, get better soon, Mr. Goblin. I'll heal you up again if you get hurt."
To think someone like her has aptitude for healing magic.
...I have a bad feeling I shouldn't get too close to her.
"Kiik... Keeik...!"
The goblin, whose wounds had healed enough for it to move again, was panicking too, unable to accept the situation.
T-This isn't the time to just sit there!
Run away, goblin!
"Let's start again, Reina."
"Okay."
Slash!
"Kieeeek!"
The iron rod swung once more, splattering the goblin's body with fresh blood.
...Come to think of it, Reina must have agreed to this training method too, right?
"Hahaha! Move properly, goblin! You're not even a decent practice dummy!"
"Kiek... Keeeek~!"
"......"
Demons... These people are demons.
"Kiek..."
Just as the goblin realized something was wrong and started trembling...
"You fucking bitches!!!"
"...?!"
Suddenly, a furious roar erupted from behind us as some guy came charging in.
"...Kogel?"
It was definitely Kogel, the one who'd ditched us earlier claiming he had urgent business.
"...!!"
But in his hand was his weapon, the silver longsword.
#
'...What the hell are those bastards doing without me?'
Kogel, now separated from the group.
Of course, his "urgent business" excuse had been a lie. He'd ditched them just to secretly tail and see what his two party members and Kane were up to without him.
'Fuck that employer bastard... I don't care if it's Hero Academy or whatever bullshit training ground. Ever since that prick showed up, my status has tanked...!'
He'd always been the king of the party.
Not insanely hot, but the two women were his type, and he'd been basking in it.
Plus, their mission success rate was sky-high afterward, so his ego had ballooned.
All thanks to his own superior skills, or so Kogel thought.
He figured he was carrying the two women, letting them bus along in his glory.
Whether that was true or just his timid delusions...
The women followed his lead anyway.
He even felt like a little sweet-talking could get them into bed.
'Heh heh, once I get sick of those two sluts, I'll ditch 'em and join some other chicks' party.'
He was that full of himself, lost in such sleazy thoughts.
But things got weird when they took this escort mission.
"Instructor Kane is amazing."
"So cool..."
Reina and Sonya.
Instead of praising him, the two women were fawning over their employer, Kane!
'That guy's just some no-name shut-in bookworm weakling nobody's heard of!'
If they fought, he'd win for sure.
No, he'd make the prick grovel and lick his boots.
He was just holding back because the guy was paying them.
Yet those two were giggling and clinging to that loser like he was hot shit.
Seeing women he'd claimed as his own flock to another man? Kogel was seeing red.
"......"
So why was he skulking around tailing them from the shadows?
Pathetic.
Of course, it had nothing to do with not having an excuse ready after ditching them with that "business" line and getting called out...
Absolutely not.
'Anyway, no way.'
While tailing them, he watched the three enter a weapon shop.
'What...? Did they go buy Reina a new bow?'
Curious about what was going down inside, but he knew going in would blow his cover 100%, so he waited outside.
'Fucking bitches... Ditching me just to shop for weapons? If they'd begged their master here, shaking their asses to come along, I might've graced them with my presence...!!'
Then the three emerged.
"...Huh? What's with the rod?"
Reina wasn't holding a bow.
She gripped an iron rod sharpened to a point.
It didn't look like a bow at all.
Definitely a spear or staff weapon.
'What the...? That girl's supposed to be an archer.'
She had been since he first recruited her.
He'd never seen her use anything but a bow.
'Aha~ Now I get it. That teacher prick must've recommended it.'
Any recent changes in her mindset? Only one culprit: that employer Kane's suggestion.
'Kukuku, idiot. That bitch only knows how to shoot a bow; she's never touched a spear in her life.'
Kogel imagined Reina flailing the spear in excitement at the teacher's bullshit, then crashing hard. He'd swoop in: "A bow suits you better," all cool and comforting.
'Kahaha~ Even I'd fall for that. Total heartthrob move.'
With those delusions, Kogel tailed them all the way to the grassland-forest border outside town.
'Testing the weapon, huh? Makes sense; can't just swing it wildly in town.'
Guards would nab them as threats.
Finally near the forest: Reina, Sonya, and Kane.
Sonya chatted with Kane about something.
Reina swung the sharp iron rod around up front, testing it.
'Look at that. Form's total garbage. She gonna take down even one goblin like that?'
Scoffing at the thought...
But then.
'...Huh?'
As a skilled swordsman himself, he could tell.
With each swing, her movements were improving.
'W-What...? Did that bitch learn spearwork before?'
Like she'd known it all along but hadn't practiced in ages.
Any outsider would see it that way.
After a few swings, Reina plunged into the thicket.
'No way, jumping straight into combat?'
Kogel snorted.
Way too reckless.
Even if she'd trained before, a few minutes of warm-up wasn't enough for real fighting.
Reina wasn't especially strong anyway.
No combat talent or melee experience.
She'd been a total newbie when she joined his party.
No real talent? She'd crumple against one or two goblins.
Sure, Sonya had buffs, but Kogel saw them as helpless girls riding his bus.
Couldn't beat a single goblin solo.
'Kekeke, when they're in a pinch, I'll swoop in like bam! and save the day. Then they'll know who's boss.'
As Kogel grinned at the fantasy...
Rustle─
Reina burst from the bushes with a goblin.
Combat erupted immediately.
'...Huh?'
But it unfolded nothing like his imagination.
Reina handled the spear with surprising skill.
She subdued the goblin easily.
Not that shocking, honestly.
If she'd trained before, sure.
But it pissed him off anyway.
'Daring... Daring to hide it from me and only use a bow...?'
To Kogel, it felt like Reina had been deceiving him all this time, sticking to her bow on purpose.
Her spear skills outshone her archery by far.
Choosing the weaker bow? Clearly to screw him over.
And practicing it secretly without him.
With that damn teacher too...!
But the real shock came next.
"Good mana, shine the light of healing upon the wounded. ⟨Low Cure⟩!" "...??"
Support mage Sonya.
She could barely cast low-level buffs.
That's why Kogel always bitched about her not knowing recovery magic.
If she could heal, he'd take way less damage.
But right there before his eyes.
Sonya, who claimed she couldn't heal, was casting recovery magic.
On a goblin, no less.
'T-That fucking bitch tricked me too...?'
Using healing she never gave him on some filthy bottom-tier monster?
His rage and sense of betrayal doubled, tripled.
'That's how it is, huh? You bitches screwing me over? After all I've done...!!'
Whatever "done" meant.
From his view, they'd ridden his bus, snagging achievements and loot for free.
And now deceiving him on top?
"You fucking bitches!!!"
Unable to hold back, Kogel flipped out completely and charged them, sword already drawn to cleave them down.
Employer, party members—nothing registered in his eyes anymore.
"Kyaa...!"
"Eek!"
Someone blocked his path.
It was Reina, who'd just been stabbing the goblin with that sharp iron rod.
"Get out of my way!!"
Swoosh!
Eyes rolled back in fury, Kogel swung at Reina blocking him.
Top-tier D-rank adventurer Kogel.
No way an E-rank archer like Reina could block that speed normally.
But.
Claaang!
No flesh tearing or blood spraying—just the ring of metal on metal.
"Ngh, haa...!"
"Y-You bitch..."
Reina had blocked Kogel's slash with her iron rod.