Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Brass Knight 5
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“Hmm, do you know me?”
Sir Zect replied with a smile. In that instant, a chill emanated from him. His face was smiling, but he was feeling displeasure toward this thief right now.
The holy knights who had accompanied Zect, and even the Thief King Donear whom he was meeting for the first time, could sense Zect’s mood. Donear hurriedly spoke up.
“I am Donear, a secret agent for Count Lantaric. I’m no mere thief—this was all part of the count’s operation.”
“Oh….”
“Sir Zect, I saw the Herald Clan you’re looking for with my own eyes.”
“Is that so? Excellent. Please lead the way.”
Sir Zect was smiling.
‘Good. I’m alive. For now….’
Donear felt relief as Zect’s killing intent faded. Just moments ago, Zect had been ready to kill him simply for laying eyes on him.
But if he was Count Lantaric’s agent? Killing him would surely give the count leverage against them. Word of the bandits being purged would spread inevitably.
“Please, lead the way.”
“Ah, yes. But this….”
Donear staggered to his feet. Blood was flowing from his thigh.
“Ah, you’re wounded. Hmm. I suppose I should help in some way.”
Sir Zect flashed a smile.
“Ah, yes. Thank you… Huh?!”
Donear recoiled in shock. From Sir Zect’s hand, a dark red blood leech—no, now more like a small venomous snake in size—approached.
“Rest easy. It’s nothing serious. It’ll just heal your wound and sap a bit of your strength.”
“Ah, a-ah.”
The dark red blood snake burrowed into Donear’s thigh. Holy Knight Gibek frowned at the sight.
“Gaaahhh!”
Donear’s agonized scream tore through the air.
*********
Naga agent Shati was locked in the underground prison, a blade fastened around her neck by the bandits before they left.
‘I can’t move a muscle. Why is this thing so sturdy?’
Nagai possessed greater strength than ordinary humans, but exerting force with the blade around her neck would mean slicing her own throat. Footsteps echoed into the prison then.
“Hey, you think it’s okay? The boss cherishes his slaves here.”
“That’s why we’re doing it while he’s away—just a quick taste.”
“What if they tell the boss?”
“We’re shipping them all out this week anyway.”
The bandits had come to satisfy their lust while the boss was gone. Shipping them out this week?
Chaos erupted among the bandits then. Another set of footsteps descended into the prison.
Into the prison in Thief King Donear’s basement came Sir Brand, Donear’s clown.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“Isn’t that the old geezer? What’re you doing h—?”
The bandits laughed mid-sentence, then paled as they saw the old man gripping an iron crowbar.
“Hey, old man, put that down.”
“No, you lot are the ones who need to drop your weapons.”
“What?”
In the next moment, the bandits realized they’d fallen into a trap. The narrow basement corridor offered no escape, and the old man—clad in the mocking plate armor they’d dressed him in, now festooned with brass utensils—looked far from harmless.
“No!”
The bandits reached for their swords, but the old man’s crowbar whistled through the air first.
‘What’s going on out there?’
Shati listened to the sounds from outside. Her imagination, fueled by limited information, raced toward grim conclusions.
In her current predicament, any optimistic thoughts would likely be delusions. The mission had failed, her comrades were dead, and she was collared. The door creaked open then.
“Come out, miss.”
The clownish old man, wearing an upturned brass washbasin as a helmet, unlocked the prison door. Behind him stood other women—half bewildered like her, half clearly understanding the situation.
‘A prepared uprising. Some planned meticulously. The confused ones must be the new arrivals?’
Shati caught on and stepped out. A composed woman who seemed to be the leader approached from among them. Draped in rags scarcely qualifying as clothes, she produced a key and unlocked the restraint around Shati’s neck.
“Right, let’s escape. Grab food, supplies, clothes, shoes, and so on. Then we’ll torch this place.”
“Where to?”
“We’ll flee this den toward Lantaric territory. Follow the river west, and we’ll reach the count’s lands.”
“Straight shot. No better options, I suppose. Oh, any chance my belongings are here? Something very important is inside….”
“Looking for this, perhaps?”
The ragged woman held up Shati’s document satchel.
“Ah!”
“I’ll hold onto it for now.”
She said so and picked up a dagger from one of the slain bandits.
“…….”
She drew the blade slightly, tested it, then sheathed it at her waist—clearly experienced with weapons.
“I overheard the bandits call you a naga. True?”
The woman’s interrogating gaze was sharp. Her stance and eyes suggested she was no pushover.
“Yes. Servant of the great Cobra Queen Debislin. But those bandits stole something vital from me—please return it. If I don’t reseal it….”
“Reseal it? Or what?”
When captured by the bandits, Shati had broken the seal on the New King Array Book copy to let the tracking spell resume. Without resealing it, they’d be tracked.
‘But asking for it now means fighting these people.’
Shati eyed the woman glaring at her and chose her words carefully.
“Cooperate with us for now, and I’ll return it then. Until that point, I’ll keep it safe.”
The escaped slave woman had kept the satchel as leverage, sensing Shati’s interest.
“Right, let’s go.”
The old man with the crowbar took the lead. The women gathered necessities from the den and set it ablaze.
‘Is this necessary? Won’t it just draw the bandits back?’
Shati wondered, but soon understood the fire’s purpose.
The path from the bandits’ den to Count Lantaric’s territory wound through treacherous canyons, spanned by a suspension bridge of wood and rope.
No makeshift thing—this bridge featured ropes thicker than a man’s arm, wrapped in wire, sturdy enough to blunt and snap any blade swung at it.
The old man in the upturned brass basin poured oil on the bridge and ignited it, destroying their escape route. No point sneaking away silently if they planned to cut the bridge anyway—might as well make smoke.
Just then, as they burned the bridge, a group arrived at the bandits’ den. Azadin’s party, towing three Kerim goats.
“Greetings, everyone.”
“Ugh. That guy….”
Naga agent Shati frowned at Azadin, who had tracked her here.
“We’ve come for that woman, who has something important to us. Hand her over, and we’ll be deeply grateful.”
“Ha, the nerve! It wasn’t yours to begin with!”
“It’s ours originally! It belongs to Aragas!”
Midiam burst out, unable to hold back, leaving the others puzzled.
“Aragas? What’s that?”
“They mean the Herald Clan!”
Shati exposed Azadin’s group as Heralds.
“Then at least they’re not with the bandits.”
Brand felt relieved upon hearing they were Heralds.
“They’ll loose arrows now that the bridge is cut? Risky, but from this distance, and with civilians…. Huh?”
Azadin’s group mounted their goats and charged. Racing down the slope, they scaled the cliff with ease. Goats far outperformed horses on rough terrain, climbing sheer cliffs impassable by equine means.
“Eek!”
Shati panicked as Azadin’s group bore down. Their effortless ascent lent credence to the widespread tales of the Heralds.
But old Brand in his brass basin leveled his crowbar at Azadin.
“Halt!”
“Hahaha. What’s with this old man? Wearing a washbasin on his head?”
Midiam sneered from her goat, reaching for her sword, but Azadin spread his hand to stop her and halted himself.
“Huh?”
“We’re not here to harm you—we just want the item she stole back.”
“I see you’re no allies of thieves, but I won’t forgive taking a defenseless woman’s possession by force.”
“Why? She has no deep ties to you—why trust her so much?”
Azadin grew curious. The old man and escaped slaves were in no position to relax.
“Why drag a suspicious naga along?”
“We’re just old folk and weaklings. Pregnant women among us too. If we start abandoning for convenience, we’ll scatter to the winds.”
The old man kept his crowbar trained on Azadin.
“So rather than abandon anyone for safety, we’ll fight to the death. Even if you’re right and she’s a thief, won’t you stand down now?”
“Haha. Stubborn lot. You know you can’t win, yet you’ll protect her?”
“Because these knees of mine tremble like they might buckle even now. If we don’t stand firm out of spite or stubbornness, I fear we’ll cower before evil once more.”
“Defying humiliation through defiance, is it? Very well.”
Azadin leaped from his Kerim goat and landed.
Was a fight coming?
Everyone stepped back in fear, but Azadin merely bowed in salute from where he stood.
“As Herald of the Emperor, my duty is to heed the people’s voice—so I’ll aid you.”
“You mean it?”
The old man was stunned this time. Ismail grumbled from behind.
“No gold, and we still….”
“Wait just a moment!”
Naga woman Shati objected. From Azadin’s words, it seemed he meant to join the escaped slaves.
“Of course it’s a lie! These Heralds are just spouting nonsense to tag along and steal my item!”
She was the one blurting panicked nonsense. Azadin began subtly pressing Shati, who had slipped up.