Chapter 132
Chapter 132
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 132
>Chapter Title: Are You Threatening Me?
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Moonlit night.
After finishing dinner, we turned in early for the night, only to slip out of the inn.
Why bother sleeping?
To get into peak condition, of course.
None of us were so fragile that skipping one night would wreck us, but we'd been pushing nonstop day and night to reach Lortel...
"Urgh, getting old, huh? My body's not what it used to be."
"If you had any conscience, you'd shut your trap."
"......"
I clamped my mouth shut at Shine's retort.
He was one of the few who knew my real age(?).
Anyway, that's how we snuck out of the inn and ended up here...
"Flick Mountain."
"Flick Mountain?"
Shine nodded, standing at the base of the mountain.
"It's been infamous for its treacherous terrain since ancient times. Monsters pop up regularly enough that even herb gatherers steer clear."
"Hmm."
I scanned the surroundings at his explanation.
"For a place like that, it's awfully quiet, isn't it? No guards in sight."
"They probably cleared it out thoroughly last winter, so that's no surprise. It'll stay quiet until autumn."
"Hmm, I see."
I'd been surprised to hear there was a monster habitat inside their territory, but it looked like they managed it properly.
'Still, the terrain's rugged, but not so much that Lortel couldn't handle it.'
They must be leaving some monsters alive to train their knights and soldiers.
That made sense.
It'd be insane for a minor territory, but Lortel had the spare capacity to control it even in worst-case scenarios.
Anyway.
"So why are we here?"
"Why do you think? I told you earlier—we're looking for the dog hole."
"So that dog hole..."
I trailed off, glancing down below.
Far below, Lortel's massive inner castle sprawled into view, lights still burning even in the dead of night.
Anyway.
"You're saying that dog hole connects all the way here?"
It sounded utterly implausible to me.
And for good reason.
Why call it a dog hole?
Sure, it could mean a hole for dogs to pass through, but when humans use it, it's a makeshift passage.
If it were a proper route, they'd call it a "secret passage," not a "dog hole."
"Tch, you idiot. You think it's easy to dig a hole without Lortel's surveillance picking up on it?"
"That's true, but..."
Why'd you dig it in the first place?
"Quit yapping and follow me. It's gotta still be there."
What confidence.
On the other hand, it got me thinking.
'Just what kind of grudge does Lortel hold against them?'
At this point, it was beyond a mere dog hole.
It'd be more believable if they'd dug a tunnel preparing for an invasion!
"Whatever, just shut up already. Isn't this a time-sensitive situation?"
"...Yeah, fine."
I shot a glance at Parun, who looked especially displeased—probably hated the brush.
Not that it was the brush.
"Tch."
Crackle!
Parun wasn't hiding his irritation, incinerating bugs one by one.
Anyway, after some time trudging up...
"How much farther?"
"Hold on. I'm almost there."
Shine drew deeply on his ether, taking in the terrain amid the darkness.
Nostalgic memories must've been surfacing, because he started rambling, and that's when I pieced it together.
"So originally, it was a secret passage. You know, the kind set up to evacuate bloodline members in emergencies."
"And?"
"I had no idea back then. That the secret passage was right beyond the wall of my basement cell."
"Ah, so... you're saying it's not a dog hole, but Lortel's secret passage?"
"Nah, it's a dog hole. I was the one who broke through from the basement to the secret passage."
Well, damn—vandalism too?
We kept chatting idly as we climbed the mountain path.
"Ah!"
Shine suddenly halted, letting out a triumphant cry.
"Found it! That rock down there—the secret passage is beneath it!"
Uncharacteristically excited, Shine plunged through the underbrush.
He'd made it sound close, but the rugged terrain slowed us down.
When we finally reached the target rock...
"......?"
"......?"
We ran into an unexpected intruder.
Deep in the mountains on a moonlit night, where even the bright moonlight faded into dimness.
Me, Shine, and Parun froze, eyes fixed on the young man who'd appeared out of nowhere.
Early to mid-twenties, maybe?
'He looks... pretty punchable.'
Not as much as me, but decent-looking. What stood out more than his face, though, were the toned muscles straining against his clothes.
The young man, reeking of nobility, stood awkwardly rigid by the rock.
But that only lasted a moment.
"Who are you lot?"
We answered his question in unison.
"Herb gatherers."
"Hunters."
"Bug catchers."
Damn these idiots.
Who hunts in the mountains at this hour? And bug catchers—what the hell?
'You're the worst one.'
Zero sincerity.
Wait, hold on.
'Do we really have anything to fear from him?'
Of course we did.
We were trying to infiltrate Lortel, the swordsmanship powerhouse of the eastern continent.
With seriously impure intentions, no less.
But.
'Not yet, right?'
So no need to cower.
"Hmm, herb gatherers and hunters... unusual combo. But bug catcher?"
I threw the question at the young man, who was nodding appraisingly at us.
"So, who the hell are you?"
"Ah, I am..."
Huh? What's this?
He puffed out his chest confidently to introduce himself, then abruptly shut his mouth.
In that moment, I knew.
...Ah, he's hiding something too.
"What about you? Not claiming herb gatherer, I hope? Your clothes scream money."
"Not hunter—that's mine already."
Shut up.
"Tch, too many bugs."
You too.
Anyway, I ignored the two idiots and glared at the young man.
"What? Cat got your tongue? Wait, you got something shady going on?"
I seized the initiative.
[That's right, good job. You sneaky bastard, flap that trash-talking tongue and chase him off!]
Shine's message rang in my ear. Ah, Rayleigh must've pickpocketed him. No artifact otherwise.
Anyway, Parun chimed in too.
[Too many bugs. Hurry up and end it.]
...Not helpful at all, but fueled by their "support," I pressed harder.
"Huh? Spill it already? Or else, bam—I'll drag your ass straight to Lortel. Got it?"
Black-White Slums thug experience: n years. Don't ask me how many.
Anyway, my honed street intimidation shone through.
The young man cracked right after.
"I-I am... a herb gatherer."
Well, look at this creative genius risking baldness.
"In that getup?"
"......I make good money. Best in the area."
And shameless to boot!
Only one play left.
"Yeah, got it. So off you go. We need to camp here."
I shoved past the awkwardly hovering young man to claim the spot.
But then he spoke up.
"That's a problem."
"Why?"
"......Because I claimed it first."
He knew he sounded thick-skinned—his voice trailed off smaller and smaller.
This guy...
'This shameless?'
Somehow... this was shaping up to be no easy win.
* * *
Young Patriarch Sion settled a short distance from the rock.
Crackle, crackle.
The campfire's sounds drifted faintly as he calmly reviewed what had happened.
'What the hell... is this mess?'
So, he'd gone to meet his master... Sir Zeke, and was heading back to the family when this.
"......Intruders."
"Huh? Intruders? Hey, you're the intruder. Scram already?"
"......"
Sion frowned slightly at the thuggish tone.
Good ears too.
'......Rude as hell.'
That's where it all went wrong.
Of all places, right in front of a secret passage even his father didn't know about, he runs into herb gatherers, hunters, and a bug catcher? Whatever—strangers.
And then?
- Huh? Spill it already? Or else, bam—I'll drag your ass straight to Lortel. Got it?
Hand him over to Lortel?
Normally, utter nonsense not worth a laugh.
As if anyone could hand over Lortel's Young Patriarch—him—to Lortel? Infuriating threat!
But the absurdity faded fast. Sion recalled his situation and swallowed his anger.
'......Have to endure.'
He'd defied his father's grounding order to sneak out.
Sure, he'd just roughed up a senile geezer who deserved it, but the patriarch's command was absolute.
If word got out he'd ignored it, even he wouldn't get off lightly.
'The elders would swarm like vultures again, tch.'
That's why he couldn't just declare, "I'm Lortel's Young Patriarch" right there.
But.
'Urgh...... Can't wait forever.'
Fed up, Sion stood awkwardly and approached Aster's group.
"Y-You're really camping till morning?"
"......What, you think we're faking it?"
"Um."
Aster looked somehow guilty, but Sion didn't pick up on it.
Still...
'Guess I need to talk to them a bit.'
Chat first, reveal his identity if they seem trustworthy.
He wouldn't spill details like the secret passage's existence, but once he showed his status, he could sweet-talk them down the mountain with some excuse.
One thing the Young Patriarch overlooked: his opponent was Aster.
"So, since we're fated to meet, mind sharing the fire?"
"Here."
"What's..."
Sion tilted his head at the burning log thrust toward him.
"You asked to share the fire? There you go."
"......"
Blatant snub. Sion was dumbfounded.
Who would dare snub Lortel's Young Patriarch like this!
First time ever.
'No one's ever treated me like this before.'
No rebellion.
Just pure rage boiling at the filthy, petty behavior he'd never felt before.
'But I have to head back by morning at latest......'
Judging by their vibe, these scoundrels really planned to camp here.
Screw it.
"H-Hey? Get a load of this guy?"
"Show some mercy. If it were Lortel, the true owners of this land, they'd surely show mercy."
Sion, thick-skinned as ever, squeezed into Aster's group.
Parun grimaced like a bug had touched him and shifted aside; Sion quickly claimed the spot.
Flashing a cheeky grin, he spoke.
"Herb gatherers, hunters, bug catchers... Flick Mountain's monsters are pretty vicious. But hey, I handle a sword pretty well myself?"
"So you'll protect us? Without a sword?"
"The sword's, well..."
Click.
He fiddled with his bracelet, and whoosh—a fine longsword popped into existence.
Not bearing Lortel's crest. Just his emergency carry.
"How's that? Got a sword and everything."
Any ordinary bumpkins would've gawked.
He'd half aimed for that.
But another fact Sion didn't know: Aster and his crew were far from ordinary.
"Are you threatening us?"
"N-No, what..."
Sion floundered, speechless.
Threatening? Lortel's Young Patriarch threatening?
'How twisted do you have to be...!'
He'd approached with pure goodwill(?), yet they saw him as some creep!
As Sion marveled at the unimaginable cynicism, Aster snarked.
But.
"Y'know, this is scary enough to kill me. Problem is, I can't use a sword, but I know a bit of magic."
One word in there rubbed Sion wrong.
"......Magic?"
Sion's eyes darted furiously as he glared at Aster.
"Did you just say magic?"
A subtle fury laced his voice.