Chapter 21: Raider Troll (1)
Late evening. In a certain forest on the first floor of the Labyrinth, a party was in full swing.
"Kyahahahaha! Pour more booze!!"
"Kehehehe!"
"Gulp, gulp, kah—good stuff!"
Frivolous noises echoed through the woods, but the monsters and animals living there deliberately ignored them. They knew full well that the current rulers of this forest were the roughly sixty-strong group throwing the drunken bash over there.
And naturally, these sixty weren't your average folk. The guild despised gatherings like this and tried to suppress them. More precisely, the higher-ups in Labyrinth City hated it. For obvious reasons: groups like these raiders bred dangerous thinkers. Sure, they couldn't conquer the city, but those in power loathed the idea of blades lurking beneath them.
Whatever the bigwigs thought, the reason these raiders had gathered here was simple.
"Alright, we haven't found our targets yet, but let's drink up tonight anyway!"
"Yesss!!"
"Drink up, drink!!"
They hadn't quite completed their mission today... but it was close enough to celebrate with booze. The skinny, freckle-faced woman serving as vice-captain of the raiders raised her glass and started chugging, and countless others followed suit.
After a bit of boozing to liven things up, the vice-captain judged the mood ripe and addressed her underlings.
"Hey! Tell the slave boys we dragged in to serve drinks!"
"Got it!"
The raiders cheered as one. Of course they did. The slaves they'd captured were all fairly handsome men. Actually, if they were just ordinary guys, they might not have gotten this excited. But these were top-shelf goods—ones they'd never touch under normal circumstances. Using them as drink servers? Jackpot.
Smack!
"Eek!"
"Hoho! Don't cry like that—pour me another!"
"Hey, you, come suck this!"
"Kyahahahaha! You're such a loser?!"
It was paradise.
As the raiders reveled in their drunken feast, one approached the woman called vice-captain.
And out of nowhere, asked, "Hic, Vice-Captain, where's the captain atsh?"
"That guy's probably holed up in his tent playing with himself."
"Ugh. Oh, really? Gotchaaa~"
"Who the hell comes asking that after pounding booze like that?"
His behavior was a tad suspicious, but the vice-captain didn't pay it much mind. Idiots like him were a dime a dozen here. And today, with everyone sloshed, it was like the last reins on these morons had snapped.
"The cap'n'sh~ in hish tent, playin' with himselfsh..."
"Thanks, sis. Here, another round~"
"Hehe! Comin' right up~?"
She had no inkling he'd so casually spill internal intel to outsiders.
Anyway, as the mood hit its peak, one of the vice-captain's favorites sidled up.
"Vice-Captain, is it really okay to be boozing like this? That noble said to kill them no matter what."
"Gulp, gulp. No choice. We've been grinding non-stop for almost a month. Push any harder, and these idiots'll mutiny. No leads anyway, so a break's in order."
She soothed her worried subordinate. Of course, she wasn't acting carelessly. She'd handpicked a few skilled, loyal guys to stand watch near the entrance. In her mind, their targets wanted out of the Labyrinth, so they'd bolt straight for the exit. Post sentries there, give the crew some R&R. They'd slaved these past days hunting that mayor-or-lord-whatever's daughter, after all.
We've already seen what that little brat looks like. Should be easy to snag her.
The vice-captain thought, taking a swig while casually groping the ass of the man snuggled beside her. His twitching was kinda cute, so she kept at it.
That's when her eyes happened on a particular slave boy among the drink servers—ragged hair, but decent looks.
That face... where've I seen it before?
She pondered briefly, but no answer came, so she downed more booze. She and the mercenaries kept slamming drinks like there was no tomorrow.
Of course, they had no clue. That this boozing would seal their fate today.
'How dare they touch Master's body!'
My plan was simple. Lilia's mass sleep spell, boosted by my enhanced semen, knocks 'em out, then we sweep 'em clean.
But there was one hitch.
"Th-there's more enemies than I thought. At this rate, maybe only half..."
"Need more semen?"
"N-no, it's my proficiency. Thirty's fine, but sixty's too much..."
Their sheer numbers. No exaggeration—sixty in the Labyrinth, where parties usually topped at five, was insane.
"An organized raider band."
"Yeah, looks like."
My plan went south from the jump. But who am I? An alchemist.
"So half asleep is enough?"
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Leave it to me."
I didn't know sleep magic, but I knew sleep drugs inside out. To execute, I volunteered as a slave.
Why slave? Raiders underestimate slaves, making them easy marks. Not my idea—Aisoret warned me about them as the top threat when facing organizations.
Anyway, I roughed myself up, joined a weak group nearby, got "rescued," then looped back. Raiders couldn't resist grabbing slaves while hunting the girl, so I slipped in as one.
Reaching the slave pen, I couldn't help smirking.
Hmm? Looks like today's the big haul.
All the guys there were good-looking dudes.
"They said we'll serve drinks later?!"
"Sob! Mom!"
"If I lose my virginity here, the village'll exile me..."
Prime candidates for drink duty.
"Hey, you guys."
"Sniff, what...?"
"Wanna escape this hellhole?"
An offer they couldn't refuse.
"Poison their drinks?!"
"Shh, not poison—sleeping pills. When they pass out, you bolt."
The other slaves bought in, and here we are.
"Zzz! Zzz!"
"Snooore—"
"Hrmm~ Hrmm~"
I eyed the dozing raiders and told the guys who'd just endured harassment.
"Wait at the spot I mentioned. I'll fetch you when it's done. If I'm not back in three days, join another group. At least you'll live."
"Mmm, g-got it."
"See ya."
After freeing and sending off the male slaves, I told Lilia,
"Lilia, let's begin."
She summoned a massive pink magic circle, gifting the slumbering raiders an even deeper night.
How deep? Deep enough that even as,
"Don't hate me too much."
—Slice!
"Guh—"
one guy's life ended beside them—no, even their own deaths—
"Snooore—"
none noticed.
Lilia and I methodically slit throats, taking down about two-thirds.
"Whew, Lilia, just a few left. One more push..."
I was nearly relaxed now.
"Haaah! Slept great!!"
Until someone emerged from the largest tent.
More precisely,
"Hm? Who the hell are you? Why the bloody swords... W-wait?!"
The raiders' captain. In this fantasy world, ranked above orcs.
"You bastards dared touch my men!!!"
A troll appeared.