Volume 12 - CH 6

Warning: Contains depictions of cruelty

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The trip from Premie city to the royal capital, the road over the mountain pass.

One carriage had stopped on the road cut between two slopes.

At the rear was Yuuji with his shield and short spear set up.

Yuuji’s line of sight was aimed towards the grass dolls who were lumped together at a place about ten meters separated from him.

As Yuuji looked, one began to squirm.

“Mr Salomon! One began to move!”

“Lord Yuuji! I ask you to deal with it! You can prioritize defense!”

“Mr Yuuji! Recall your training with Blaise! They’re weaker than that guy!”

Yuuji called out to Premie city adventurers guild master Salomon.

The reply that came from him was to request him to deal with it first.

Hearing the conversation of the two, Yuuji must have guessed that he will be joining the fight. The former third rank adventurer “Dark Green Wind” scout Enzo told Yuuji to recall his training. Currently “Dark Green Wind” leader Blaise is living in the pioneer land. Yuuji had continued to train with the former third rank adventurers Blaise, Enzo and the defender Dominique.

“Ah, okay!”

Hearing the two, Yuuji faced the running grass doll. The moving grass doll had a sword in its hand.

One of the two who tumbled down from the slope remained sprawled on the road.

It is a one vs one.

It must have loosened his nervousness, Yuuji took a puff of breath.

“They’re certainly not as strong as Mr Blaise”

Of course they were not.

Blaise may have retired, but he was a former third rank adventurer. He was a man who had cut off a wyvern’s head with a sword.

If the bustlingly appearing grass dolls were powerful beings exceeding Blaise, then they should be letting Alice and Riese participate too and turn it into a fierce fight mixed with magic.

“Alright! Now, come!”

Yuuji shouted to encourage himself.

Finally reached Yuuji, the grass doll swung its sword.

Yuuji adjusted the position of his shield held in his left hand and easily repelled it.

The shield Yuuji was holding was the one he purchased in Premie city.

Due to his physical abilities having improved after raising his rank, Yuuji was using what was called a great shield. With a width of fifty centimeters and height of one meter, it was a shield with a size that could conceal half of one’s body.

You can prioritize defense, perhaps having those words of Salomon in his head, he did not swing his short spear to the grass doll’s opening.

No, well, thrusting it and not swinging it is what you basically do though.

The sword once again was swung towards Yuuji, who was on the watch with composure.

Yuuji steadily defended against them.

The grass doll was full of openings.

“Huh? Isn’t it weak?” Yuuji said, even calm enough to tilt his head.

Who had usually been Yuuji’s training partner were the former third rank scout Enzo, defender Dominique as well as the leader and greatsword wielder Blaise. No matter how much the former third rank adventurers adjust their strength, they were all powerful people. Even if they were attacks adjusted so Yuuji could defend against it, they would not show any openings after their attack finished.

The grass doll swung its sword again.

Yuuji repelled it with his shield.

Did he have too much leeway or is it the result of training?

Yuuji slightly moved his right hand and pierced the grass doll with the short spear, and retracted it.

It was a feint-like thrust with no weight on it, putting emphasis on speed.

It was a thrust with little motion, just like the advice to stick to the role of a defender and not think about deciding it with a single blow which Dominique had told Yuuji many times over.

“Guh”

The small thrust easily injured the grass doll.

The grass doll slightly raised its voice, and blood spilled in drips from its side.

Even so, did it have no intention to draw back or did the fact that he was injured by an unreliable man irritated it?

The grass doll held the sword in his hand overhead and swung down.

Yuuji moved his shield diagonally and took a posture where he hid himself between it and the ground.

He easily defended the obvious downward swing.

In front of Yuuji’s eyes as he peeked from the other side of his shield was the undefended stomach of the grass doll.

With more strength than before, Yuuji thrust the short spear in his right hand.

As the short spear pierced with a thud, Yuuji pulled it out after twisting it with a jerk.

It was a movement in accordance with his training.

If Blaise and Dominique were here, then they would have nodded in satisfaction.

No, they were likely to criticize the grass doll though.

Receiving a strong attack in the abdomen, the grass doll collapsed in a slouch with a thud.

Yuuji took a step back and looked at the grass doll who was moaning and pressing down on its abdomen while remaining vigilant.

“Mr Salomon! This side seems alright!”

“Yeah, I was watching you”

Yuuji raised his voice and reported.

But the answer that he heard came from right behind him.

It appears that the grass doll became impatient after seeing Salomon and aimed for a large swinging attack, wanting to settle it quickly.

“Lord Yuuji, well done. The battle is already over”

“Eh, ah, is that so”

“Next time, do it while watching your surroundings more, okay?”

Salomon said and pat Yuuji’s shoulder. He was laughing with red blood spurts on his wry smiling face. He must have intended to praise him. He has bad luck. In the first place, the one who rushed on despite being an escort was Salomon.

“Ah, oops, the other one is there, but…”

Did he hear Yuuji’s words?

The collapsed grass doll slowly rose up.

Immediately Yuuji set up his shield and spear.

But once again Yuuji’s shoulder was patted.

“Lord Yuuji, wait. That one is…”

With knees on the ground, the grass doll rose up.

It raised its left hand in the air and put its right hand on its knees. Was it injured? Its right forearm was dangling down.

It had no hostility, or it looked like it was making its surrender apparent.

“Eh? …Eh?”

Yuuji felt shaken by those movements.

However, an even bigger shock struck Yuuji.

Perhaps understood that they would not attack, the grass doll, slowly moved its left hand and held its head.

With the sound of a thud, the grass fell off.

What appeared was a mud covered face of a wolf.

“Forgive me. I don’t care what happens to me, please save the children in our hideout”

What they heard, was the voice of a person.

“Eh…eh? A wolf? Words?”

“This is unusual, a wolfkin. They were supposed to be a proud race, but…”

Salomon muttered, hearing the words said by the wolf.

“Eh? Wolfkin? So it’s a therianthrope? Eh, that can’t be true right, then…”

“Lord Yuuji, so you really hadn’t noticed?”

Said Salomon and walked briskly, and headed to the grass doll Yuuji had defeated.

He squatted and with a thud tore off the grass.

What appeared was the face of a person besmirched in mud.

Was its viscera damaged or was it blood loss? They did not know which, but the grass doll that received Yuuji’s attack seemed to have already died.

It was the face of the person who lost their life in anguish.

“No- no way…”

Yuuji finally learned who the enemy was who he was taking on and realized that he had taken a life.

He dropped down with a thud, put his hands on the ground and threw up.

Kotarou ran over after finishing the battle, and snuggled up to Yuuji out of worry. Yuuji, it’s alright, was what she seemingly tried to say. Al the while dyeing his body red with the spurt of blood.

“Lord Yuuji, you were a virgin right? You’re the pioneer leader, village head and the defense captain. I thought it would be better for you to experience it quickly. After all, they were perfectly dressed in a way they don’t appear human, you see”

Salomon told Yuuji in a quiet voice.

It appears that Salomon leaving his post and leaving it to Yuuji was calculated.

Being immediately nearby when Yuuji took down the grass doll and called out must have been his intention so that he could follow up if something were to happen.

With a small voice, Kotarou barked once. That’s right Salomon, it’s sad, but I won’t deny it, is what she seemingly said.

Incidentally Yuuji was not a virgin. During his time as a college student, he gave up his virginity. He was a backup though.

No, Salomon did not say it in that meaning. Kotarou affirming did not have that meaning either.

Yuuji was still in a trance state.

But they could not possibly wait for him after repelling a bandit attack.

“Good, everyone is safe, isn’t it! Ooh, so your side captured one alive too!”

Kevin and his two exclusive escorts, who were in charge of the defense in front of the carriage, came up to Yuuji.

Kevin’s exclusive escorts were bringing along a man with hands tied behind his back.

“Denis! You sure have the guts to betray us!”

The man, of whom the grass on his face was torn off and was dragged away with his bare face, shouted.

He appeared to be shouting at the male wolfkin who raised both his hands in surrender.

“I ain’t your friend in the first place. Everyone, forgive me. I don’t care what happens to me, please save the children in the hideout. I ask of you, see this”

The male wolfkin said and tried to raise both his hands.

No, that is.

He went on his knees and raised both his hands, exposing his stomach.

For a beastkin, it was a pose signifying his submission.

Yuuji was still in a daze.

A bandit’s hideout is it, how I want to crush it, muttered Salomon.

Kevin showed a dangerous look.

Enzo must have been looking around to see if there were any survivors; he had yet to show himself.

Who broke the silence was a single girl.

“Yuuji-nii, everyone, you’re all safe! I’m glad~!”

Opening the rear curtains of the carriage, Alice showed her face. She looked around alertly and when she confirmed safety, she raised a voice of relief with a smiling face.

This girl, she was not concerned by the bandit who was exposing its dead face near Yuuji and company.

The safety of family and friends was important, and it seems the likes of attacking bandits don’t matter. This is the reality of this world.

The reason Alice was not worried about Enzo who was not there was because she surely must have been confident in the former third rank adventurer. Probably.

Yuuji slowly raised his head and made eye contact with Alice.

Before Yuuji said anything, an unexpected person raised his voice.

“Hey, you can’t be serious… Alice-chan, is it you, Alice-chan? You’re alive?”

The surviving male wolfkin spoke.

Alice tilted her head.

“Uhm? Alice is Alice, but… Aah! It’s Mister Denis! It’s the hunter Mister Denis!”

Perhaps she finally recalled, Alice told the name.

And then, she jumped off the wagon bed, dashed full speed and plunged into the grass covered chest of the male wolfkin.

Neither Kevin, Salomon, Yuuji nor even Kotarou had the time to stop her.

“Alice-chan, Alice-chan… Thank goodness, you’re alive…”

With shivering voice, the male wolfkin moved his left arm and gently hugged Alice closely.

It appears the two were acquaintances.

Kevin and Salomon tried to run off in a hurry, but stopped. Well, that was probably because Kotarou quickly found her way underneath the two though.

“Mister Denis… Your eyes! What happened!”

Alice asked as she was embraced and looked up to the male wolf called Denis.

The male wolfkin.

On his right eye there was a large scar.

Ignoring the worried Alice, the male wolfkin informed.

“Alice-chan, don’t worry about it. More importantly… Charles is in the hideout”

“Charles-nii!?”

The fifth day of their trip from the city of Premie to the royal capital.

The group proceeded on the road of the mountain pass and repelled a bandit attack.

The long long day did not seem to be over yet.