The Wrong Sacrifice
“Eat slowly.”
“Th-thank you.”
Adel pushed his own bowl toward her as well, watching the girl devour her food like she hadn’t eaten in days.
“Slave traders grab kids no matter the reason and sell them off, so there’s no need to ask why you ended up here.”
The girl nodded, clutching the bread in both hands and stuffing her mouth full.
“What I’m curious about is how you escaped from the slave trader. Yura.”
According to Shiman, Mahal had bought the Razell tribe twins. Purchasing both instead of just one must have been his way of throwing off the Forgotten Ones who wanted to steal the spirit stone.
“……Because of my little sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Yes. She went to the arena as a sacrifice in my place. While they were transporting her in the cart, I said I wanted to see her one last time. That’s when they loosened my chains, and I ran.”
“The chains? You did it yourself? How?”
“That’s……”
Yura clasped her hands together at Adel’s question, her expression hardening. To his surprise, a small orb appeared in her palms.
A Wisp, huh.
The orb slowly orbited around Yura.
A low-grade spirit, but the Razell tribe inherited fairy blood, so with training, she could reach higher levels.
“Fairy blood……”
Those distinctive ears were proof of it.
Looking at that, she must have pretty pure blood even among her tribe. Lucky. Fairy blood resists demonic energy. There’s a chance she’s still alive.
The spirit stone gradually corrupted its bearer with demonic energy. Over time, the vessel would lose all its life force and die.
Still, there’s no time to waste. Even for a Razell, carrying a spirit stone for a month means she might not die but could end up crippled.
Adel knew he didn’t have much leeway himself.
“Listen carefully, Yura. Your sister is in danger right now. Becoming a vegetable is just a matter of time, and she could lose her life if things go wrong.”
Plop. At his words, the Razell girl named Yura dropped the bread she was holding.
“About a month ago, the guy who bought you handed you off to someone. That guy doesn’t matter—what matters is who he gave you to. From what I saw talking to the guide, was it Natan who had you?”
Yura nodded at his words.
“Let’s go there.”
“……Pardon?”
“I get it’s creepy going back to that den after escaping, but we have no choice if we want to find your sister. While you hesitate, she’s dying.”
Yura bit her trembling lips and gulped down the water on the table.
“L-let’s go.”
She strode forward as if she’d made up her mind.
Natan or whatever—he’s just street trash you could beat out of any bum, so you could’ve gone alone…… You did it on purpose, huh?
“What……”
Even without seeing her face, Adel could sense her trembling from her back.
“Just reminded me of the old days. You can’t stick around if you want to survive.”
Hmm……
Kalderet followed, his expression saying he understood but couldn’t fully empathize.
* * *
Natan’s mansion was one of the flashiest buildings in the city. Seeing the guards patrolling the garden everywhere, Adel figured he’d received a seal from Durka too.
“Halt!! Who are you?”
A guard at the front gate shouted at Adel.
“It’s Yulta’s seal.”
“Yulta……? Everyone, come out!! The bastard who killed Yulta is here!!”
“Hm, word’s already spread.”
Adel crumpled the seal he’d taken from Shiman’s corpse and clenched it in his fist.
Thwack—!!
He smashed the guard’s jaw with his seal-gripping fist. With a dull thud, the man flew several meters and crashed into the wall.
“If the rumors are out, you should know better.”
Adel grabbed the unconscious guard by the scruff and dragged him into the mansion.
“Approach and die.”
Dozens of people were in the garden, but Natan’s men, knowing the city guards had been wiped out, couldn’t move.
“I knew you’d come. Yura, you little rat—running off like that, then waltzing right back to me.”
The mansion door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped forward slowly.
“And you’re the one who killed Yulta.”
Two women with swords stood beside Natan, staring at them with unfocused, hazy eyes.
They’re drugged.
Adel could tell they were doped up. But the bulging veins suggested it wasn’t ordinary narcotics.
He’d seen those vacant eyes before.
Definitely the stuff used in the duchies.
It broke soldiers’ wills, leaving only combat instincts—turning them into killing machines.
“You dare treat Cratel like…… you little shits!!!”
Swish—!!!
Natan’s words cut off as an arrow pierced his right arm.
“Gah!!!”
He screamed in delayed agony—something neither he nor his guards had anticipated.
“What do we look like? You expecting respect?”
Adel nocked another arrow in the Lion Bow.
Swish—!!!
Another whistle through the air, and the sharp shaft buried into Natan’s thigh.
“Argh!! You mad……!!! What are you idiots doing?! Stop him! You fuckers!!”
Collapsing, Natan yelled at his guards. Strangely, they didn’t react even as their master writhed.
“That’s the hallucinogen from one of the four eastern duchies, the Daol family, right? Must’ve pumped you full if all that’s left is animal instinct.”
Step—step—step—
“Those two won’t even draw on me. With only instinct left, they know the gap between us.”
“This punk……”
“Should’ve taken some yourself. Then you wouldn’t be this delusional.”
Crack.
Adel slowly pressed down on the arrow in Natan’s thigh.
“Gr, graaaah!!!”
With his scream, the arrow fully pierced through to the fletching.
“Getting that drug ain’t easy. Thought it was only for duchy battle troops. Daol family backing you?”
“Gr, grr……”
“Doesn’t matter. They’ll vanish on their own anyway.”
Natan had no idea what Adel meant. He just crawled across the floor, agony twisting his pierced leg.
……Didn’t you say you’d handle it quietly?
“This is plenty quiet.”
Ah.
Kalderet nodded at Adel’s words.
“Where’s Yura’s sister?”
Adel lightly stepped on Natan’s back as he tried to flee.
“I-I don’t know!! She’s not my responsibility anymore!”
“Then?”
“The guy who bought those two asked me to hold them temporarily, so I did!! But when he didn’t come back, I had to dispose of them!”
Natan shouted from underfoot.
“What slave trader leaves slaves sitting around?! One was scrawny, so I sold it cheap!”
“Where to?”
Natan’s face hardened at Adel’s question.
“Hm.”
Crunch—!!!
“Aaaah!!!!”
As he clammed up, Adel shoved his sword into the hole in Natan’s thigh.
“……To, to, to the arena as a sacrifice! P-please spare me!!!”
“You types always react the same. Underestimate, resist, then end up polite.”
“I was blind!!”
Natan screamed, tears streaming down his face.
“What’s an arena sacrifice?”
“B-before the fights start, there’s a blood ritual. Fighters smear sacrifice blood on their faces. They say it stirs a warrior’s courage.”
Ha, that mad old dragon. Scraping lives together with every trick. Brain’s rotted through—wonder if it’s even useful.
Kalderet sounded incredulous.
“Natan. What number are you in this city?”
“……Pardon?”
“Heard Durka gives seals to his approved guys. You got one?”
“H-ha. Heard it from Yulta? My gold seal puts his bronze to shame. There’s only two gold seals in the city!”
Natan answered proudly, oblivious to how it dug his own grave.
“I see. So you’re even bigger trash than Yulta.”
“Th-that’s……”
“That gold seal gets you inside the arena, right?”
Seeing Adel’s eyes, Natan sensed denying it would cost his head.
“O-of course! I’ll make it happen!”
“I don’t like noise. Want to handle this quietly. You get me?”
“Yes!!!”
Adel patted Natan’s shoulder lightly.
“But you guys always do the same after getting polite.”
“Wh-what do you……”
“Betray.”
Crack. Natan’s collarbone shattered.
“Argh!!!”
“You seem smarter than Shiman. Hope you don’t make the same mistake.”
* * *
Murmur—murmur—
As evening approached for the arena’s opening, the tented stage area was packed and rowdy.
Even in a continent at war, this place felt like another world. Laughter from nobles and dignitaries of various nations and groups filled the tent like a grand banquet.
“Over here.”
Pale-faced Natan bypassed the main entrance, knocking on a small side door.
A small window opened, revealing a guard’s eyes.
“Mr. Natan? What brings you?”
“Shut up and open the door. Here to check the sacrifice.”
“Ah, yes……”
The guard hurriedly opened up, as if Natan’s rank wasn’t a lie.
“Where’s the sacrifice?”
“Locked in the cage. But you sure? Kid’s face was blue. Eh, it’ll die soon anyway.”
“Shut your trap before I rip out your tongue.”
“……Pardon?”
Stunned by Natan’s unexpected venom, the guard stared awkwardly and shrugged.
“A-alright. I’ll guide you.”
“No need. I know where. Just give me the key.”
“But……”
“Guard the damn tent!”
Natan shoved past and entered. As Adel and Yura followed, the guard started to protest but shut up under Natan’s glare.
“Fight!!! Kill!!”
“Slice that bastard’s throat!!!”
Roars from the audience echoed from inside the tent—likely a pre-main event to hype the crowd.
Adel peeked under the curtain shielding the arena back.
“……”
On the stage stood two boys who couldn’t be older than fifteen.
“What a shitshow.”
Watching the crowd cheer as children fought, Adel was glad he’d come to wipe out Cratel half a year early.
Air’s wasted on trash like this surviving another six months.
At least all the garbage was gathered in one place.
“H-here.”
Guided by Natan, Adel stood before a small iron cage in the deepest back corner.
“You Yura’s brother?”
A child huddled in the dark lifted his head at Adel’s words.
“Here to save you.”
Sizzle……!!
Garon’s heat flowed from Adel’s fingertips, melting the bars in seconds.
“Eek…… P-please, quietly……”
“You be quiet.”
Natan paled and backed away. Ignoring him, Adel ripped off the bars and entered.
“Let’s go. Your sister’s waiting.”
Adel grabbed the child’s wrist.
“……Huh?”
Something felt off. Adel quickly lifted the child’s chin.
“This……”
Demonic spirit stones could only use girls who hadn’t undergone their coming-of-age rite as vessels.
Yet the child in the cage was a boy.