Chapter 73: The First Letter (73)
Chapter 73: The First Letter (73)
My battered body was pleading for rest.
My muscles, stiff as lead, felt heavy. My clothes had long since been soaked through with blood—either mine or my opponent's.
Among the bloodstains currently decorating my shirt was the blood of the woman who had just collapsed. Delphine Yurdina, the successor of the Yurdina family—one of the Empire's five great noble families and the Lord of the North.
She sat there, looking up at me blankly. Her expression was one of utter incomprehension. The others felt the same.
A chilling silence settled over the clearing. But I didn't care. Only one thought swirled in my head.
I had to take revenge. I would pay her back for what she did to Celine, Seria, and Senior Elsie.
To ensure Senior Delphine couldn't resist, I hurled my hand axe at her as she stumbled backward.
With a sharp thwack, blood sprayed once more. The hand axe embedded itself with satisfying ease. Crimson blood welled up from the axe blade, which had buried itself halfway through her shoulder.
"Agh?! Aaaaaaaagh!"
Unable to bear the sudden surge of pain, Senior Delphine let out a piercing scream. With this, both her shoulders were useless. It meant she could never pick up a sword again, even if she wanted to.
A long sigh escaped my lips.
"That was for Celine. And next..."
"I surrendered!"
A sharp shout burst from Senior Delphine's mouth like a seizure. In her eyes, as she gritted her teeth against the pain, humiliation and anger were intertwined. And fear.
Her eyes, fixed on a being she couldn't understand, were trembling slightly.
"A noble does not attack an opponent who has no intention of resisting! If you're a noble of the Empire, you should—ugh?!"
But her protest didn't last long. I picked up Senior Delphine's sword, which had been rolling on the ground, and drove it into her thigh.
The blade pierced the skin and dug deep, reaching what felt like the bone. I felt a solid resistance. There was no need to go any further.
Senior Delphine bit her lip to suppress a scream, but she couldn't hide the groans escaping her. I jerked the embedded sword sideways.
The flesh tore, and blood gushed out. Senior Delphine looked like she wanted to clutch her leg and moan, but she couldn't put any strength into her arms, likely due to the damage to her shoulder joints.
Pitiful sounds leaked from the noblewoman's mouth as she writhed. Senior Delphine's wide eyes fixed on me. Even so, my expression remained unchanged.
I simply glared at my prey, catching my ragged breath.
"That was for Senior Elsie."
After groaning and rolling on the ground for a while, Senior Delphine seemed to have had her pride wounded. She staggered, somehow forcing herself upright. And the moment she opened her mouth to speak—
"Hand Axe Young Master, the consequences... kahk?!"
I pulled the hand axe from her shoulder and slammed the blunt side into her temple.
With a satisfying thud, Senior Delphine's body collapsed sideways. Her limbs twitched slightly. It seemed I had landed a clean hit.
It was the reaction one showed when the frontal lobe was rattled. I watched her pathetic state for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
"That was for me. And finally..."
"Heh, heh... heh, ahahahaha!"
Even though her head must have been ringing enough to make her want to vomit, Senior Delphine burst into laughter.
I stopped talking and stared at her. Her blood-red eyes glared at me with intense hatred. Then, her voice spoke in admiration.
Even while unable to hide her hostility, she was marveling at my form. To judge someone is a privilege reserved only for those who stand above others.
Senior Delphine had not yet broken. On the contrary, while gasping for air, she even twisted her lips into a smirk.
"Wonderful, incredible... marvelous, Hand Axe Young Master. Is this the taste of defeat?"
"It's what you've been doing to others. How is it?"
"It's fishy, bitter... and damn spicy."
It must have been painful. She must have been terrified, too, as the fear she couldn't hide lingered in her eyes as she looked at the hand axe in my hand.
Her trembling shoulders testified to her state. It must be unbearably painful and terrifying. One-sided violence possessed that kind of power.
Nevertheless, Senior Delphine did not forget to at least feign dignity. Regardless of her true feelings, her shouting figure was as haughty and confident as ever.
It was just like her. She was a woman I had to acknowledge. Her obsession and tenacity for victory, and the conviction that justified it.
It was admirable, and I disliked it just as much.
My gaze drifted slightly to the side. My eyes were clouded with thought.
"...But, can you handle the fallout?"
Senior Delphine's trembling voice tickled my ear. Though she exhaled labored breaths, she did her best not to let her voice falter. It meant she wanted to protect her pride.
My pupils, which had briefly turned away, flicked back to her. She maintained her dignified attitude. Her voice held no threat or intimidation, only pure curiosity.
"A noble does not touch those who surrender. And I am the successor of the Yurdina family. What you're doing right now is..."
"Is surrendering all it takes?"
At my calm voice, Senior Delphine was forced to shut her mouth again. Her puzzled eyes turned toward me. My eyes, looking down at her, were as sunken as my voice.
"I almost lost the prey I hunted at the risk of my life. Celine had her shoulder struck by an axe. Seria was hit in a vital spot and had to roll on the ground despite doing nothing wrong. Senior Elsie had her ankles caught in ice—she'll be lucky if she doesn't have frostbite."
"That's something that can happen at any time to decide victory or defeat..."
"But you lost, didn't you, Senior Delphine?"
The voice that escaped me was chilling. I tapped my palm with the back of the hand axe.
"Then you must pay the price. Because you didn't win."
"Heh, heh," Senior Delphine let out a light laugh. My shadow filled her blood-red eyes. She wore an alluring smile.
"You must be resentful, I know. I understand. But in noble society, there are noble laws. I am the rightful successor of the Yurdina family..."
"And?"
My voice was incredibly flat. Because of that, Senior Delphine couldn't say anything for a moment. She simply froze with that smiling expression, and only after a long time did she stare up at me.
It was a look of total lack of understanding. The natives must have worn such expressions when they first saw adventurers stepping onto the New Continent.
"It seems you're mistaken... This isn't noble society; it's a forest. It's a place where demonic beasts roam, and it wouldn't be strange for anyone to lose their life. Especially if the opponent is a named-class demonic beast."
Blankly, her ruby-like eyes looked up at me. Without a word, I took another step toward her.
There was no change in my expression. My voice was utterly dry, and not a single ripple of emotion could be felt in my footsteps.
Like an executioner simply doing what needed to be done, I stepped forward. Senior Delphine's gaze began to waver.
"W-what are you talking about...?"
No answer came. Tapping the hand axe against my palm a few times, I stood within her immediate reach. Senior Delphine's voice became urgent.
"T-the Empire has capable investigators! There's no way they wouldn't analyze the death of the Yurdina successor..."
"There happen to be many demonic beasts around. I wonder how much they'll drool over a split piece of meat."
I silently raised the hand axe. Senior Delphine's body, her gaze lowered, trembled violently. It was an instinctive reaction. Anyone would react that way in the face of death.
Especially a death they had never even imagined.
Anguish clouded Senior Delphine's eyes. Should she accept death with dignity, or should she try to persuade me?
It didn't matter either way. My arm muscles, overworked to the limit, tightened as if this were the end.
I just wanted to finish this quickly and go back.
It was at that moment.
"W-wait!"
Senior Delphine cried out like a scream. Not just her eyes, but her entire body was trembling slightly. Her pupils were shaking violently.
I hesitated for a moment, then made an annoyed face. I wanted to press my temple with my remaining hand, but my left arm had long since become unmovable, a total mess.
So, I looked down at Senior Delphine with weary eyes. Fearing I might change my mind, she spoke quickly.
"S-stop... I was wrong."
Chewing on her humiliation, Senior Delphine muttered those words.
It was the sound of the majestic Golden Lion of the North crumbling down.