Chapter 14: Strategic Retreat
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14: Strategic Retreat
Myra narrowed her eyes, watching Karami closely.
A sinister energy, one she hadn't felt from him before, was wafting off him. It was remarkably similar to the demonic energy emitted by demonic beasts.
Keeping her head still, Myra’s eyes darted around.
The scattered corpses of demonic beasts.
He must have acquired some loot.
She had no intention of arguing with him over it. Selling byproducts was an adventurer's main source of income, after all.
It was just…
“I’ll need to check it.”
If the demonic energy was that strong, she had to verify it.
But Karami was reluctant to hand over the grimoire.
“Why should I? Is this revenge for last time?”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. This is different from what happened at the tavern. It’s standard procedure for any Artifacts acquired in a dungeon to be inspected by the Church for demonic energy. Since I’m here, I’m just offering to do it for you.”
This was a rule Karami hadn't known.
Of course, since he had no intention of making a living as an adventurer, he couldn't be expected to be an expert on every regulation.
“Will I get it back?”
“If it can be handled with purification, yes. But if that doesn't work, then no. We can’t just let you run around brandishing something dangerous, can we? The Church will dispose of it at our discretion.”
“And the compensation?”
“What compensation? You should be grateful we’re protecting you from danger. If anything, you should be paying an inspection fee.”
These goddamn robbers.
Karami nearly spat out a curse but managed to swallow it down. An Artifact’s value was on a different level from ordinary byproducts.
While some were cheap, others were priceless.
To think they would not only confiscate it just because it had some demonic energy but also offer no compensation. It was like telling a landowner they had to pay for the excavation costs after a cultural artifact was discovered on their property.
It would be fine if there were no issues, but this was an item that had belonged to a Goblin Shaman. What’s more, it was a book containing magic that could manipulate souls.
It was hard to say for certain that it wasn't dangerous. If he made a mistake and the grimoire was taken away, Mirabelle’s complete liberation would be over before it even began.
“It’s difficult to give it to you right now. Could you grant me a grace period?”
The book would be useless once Mirabelle learned the magic. In the game, she’d learn it in a snap, but it wouldn't be like that here.
He didn't know how long it would take, but he trusted Mirabelle wouldn't need much time. A few days at most should be enough.
But Myra, who couldn't tolerate even the smallest exception, shook her head firmly.
“No. The fact that you’re asking for a grace period makes you even more suspicious. You know what you have, don't you?”
Myra strode forward with bold, confident steps.
Karami’s mind raced.
Do I have to fight?
He would need Mirabelle’s help for that, but she wasn't in good condition. Even if they fought, victory wasn't guaranteed.
In that case…
“Oh, is that a demonic beast you missed?”
Karami pointed behind the clergy, and the moment their heads turned in unison, he grabbed Mirabelle, placed his hand on the teleportation stone that had appeared after he killed the shaman, and activated it. For a moment, he felt the same floating sensation as when he’d first entered the dungeon, and then—pop!—they vanished.
“What? That bastard!”
It had happened in the blink of an eye, leaving them no time to react. Julius, who had been waiting behind them, asked.
“What are your orders?”
Myra scratched the back of her head in irritation, looking exhausted.
She had been willing to be lenient, partly as an apology for their last encounter, as long as it wasn't some ridiculously strange item. But him running away changed everything.
“Capture him. And check the item. Don’t be too rough.”
*
The teleportation stone took them to the dungeon entrance.
A lush, green meadow greeted them.
“Ah! It’s that old man who pushed me!”
And there, too, was the party of the hot-blooded youth they had met earlier. The boy pointed at Karami as he recognized him.
I’m not an old man, you little punk.
He wanted to say something back, but the situation was too urgent. Besides, seeing the boy’s bruised face made him feel a little guilty.
Karami broke into a full sprint, still carrying Mirabelle. It wasn't much faster than a neighborhood kid running, but it was the best he could do.
Where should I go?
Hiding somewhere else was pointless. He’d eventually have to take a carriage to reach his final destination anyway.
The nearby cities were likely within the Church’s sphere of influence as well. If he wasted time, they might issue a warrant for his arrest and tighten their security, which would be a problem.
With that in mind, Karami decided to return to Delphine before they could fortify their defenses.
As Karami approached the gates of Delphine, a voice called out.
“Halt! Who goes there!”
A guard blocked his path. It was the same soldier who had taken a gold coin from him before. Karami still remembered his face, which made the interruption all the more absurd.
“What are you talking about? You definitely took a gold coin from me last time.”
“Y-You scoundrel! How dare you make such a baseless accusation! Are you saying that I, a man who eats the lord’s bread, would take money from the likes of you?!”
Fucking hell.
The money-grubbing bastard was spouting nonsense without a second thought, even when time was of the essence.
Was one gold coin not enough?
This was why he’d been willing to take a loss and give him a bit more. He’d tried to save a little, and now it had come back to bite him.
Karami hastily pulled a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the guard. The guard took the money, but this time, he didn't move aside.
He just stared blankly at the bewildered Karami.
For a moment, Karami’s mind went blank, but he quickly understood the meaning behind the stare. He pulled out two more gold coins and pressed them into the guard’s hand.
Only then did the guard nod in satisfaction.
“Hmph, right. You’re that slave trader. I remember you now. You may enter.”
Karami shot him a look that was pure venom.
Just as he was about to say something…
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Far across the fields, the ground began to shake.
An earthquake.
Weeds scattered.
Dust kicked up into a storm.
A single figure, with all this at her back, closed the distance, paying no mind to her pristine white robes as they billowed around her.
She charged with the force of a buffalo.
The earth trembled.
Karami swallowed hard without realizing it.
This is insane.
As expected of a fantasy world, her physical abilities far surpassed those of a normal human.
It was obvious that getting caught would not end well.
To survive, he had to run.
“I’ll leave the rear to you. You’d better be worth the money.”
“Wh-What?”
Leaving the guard to deal with the aftermath, Karami rushed into the city. Just then, Mirabelle, who was in his arms, began to stir. Her condition had improved as the distance between them and the clergy grew.
“M-Master?”
“Haha, Miss Mirabelle. Did you sleep well?”
“What’s going on?”
“Those so-called servants of God are trying to steal our property. It was a gift I was planning to give you, Miss Mirabelle.”
Mirabelle blinked blankly.
They’re trying to steal a gift from Master?
How dare they?
“Please put me down. I’ll teach them a lesson.”
“Hahaha, I wish you could, but we’re not strong enough to fight the Church yet. For now, let’s just get out of this situation and plan for another day… but.”
There was no escape.
At this rate, he’d be caught in less than twenty seconds.
He had to make a choice.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then we’re splitting up.”
Karami set Mirabelle down and handed her the grimoire.
“This is…?”
“A gift. I’ll lure them away, so you find a safe place to hide, Miss Mirabelle.”
A diversion.
In the end, what they were after was the grimoire.
If they were both caught and Mirabelle was discovered to be a witch, it would be a disaster. His plan was to entrust the grimoire to Mirabelle and have her escape.
He would be captured, but that was fine as long as he could buy Mirabelle enough time to learn the magic. After that, he could hand over the grimoire.
“Now, hurry and go.”
“B-But…”
“Don’t worry. Just read this book and learn the magic. Once you’ve mastered it, bring this and come find me. Understand?”
Mirabelle hesitated, unable to take a step. All the while, Myra was getting closer.
Any more delay, and all his efforts up to this point would be for nothing. Deciding he had no choice, Karami took a firm stance.
“This is an order from your master. Surely… you don’t intend to disappoint me, do you?”
“N-No!”
Mirabelle immediately denied it, her expression turning grim with resolve.
I can’t disappoint him.
I can’t let my value drop.
If she did, she would only drift further away from liberation.
Clutching the staff and the grimoire tightly, Mirabelle ducked into an alley. She glanced back, but Karami had already disappeared in the opposite direction.
Gritting her teeth, Mirabelle quickened her pace.
*
“Gasp, haah…”
His breath catching in his throat, Karami could run no longer and collapsed like a boneless octopus. Even that was too much effort, and he finally slumped to the ground, desperately gulping for air.
His head spun from the lack of oxygen.
Ah, why didn't I buy an invisibility robe?
Now that he thought about it, that was an option.
He had plenty of points, and as long as he didn't vanish right in front of them, he wouldn't have to worry about being caught.
No, I would have been caught eventually.
But Karami immediately dismissed the thought.
The invisibility robe only lasted for thirty minutes, and with a twenty-four-hour cooldown, he couldn't reuse it right away.
And it wasn't like he could hail a carriage while invisible. He’d be lucky if they didn't try to exorcise him as a ghost.
Buying time for Mirabelle to learn the magic was indeed the best choice. Karami cemented the thought in his mind.
“Wow, you’re a really good runner. I take it this isn’t your first time?”
A shadow fell over the crouching Karami.
It was Myra, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. Despite having run fast enough to kick up a storm of dust, she didn't show a single sign of fatigue.
What a harsh world for a slave trader to survive in.
Karami let out a sigh.