CH 63

Chapter 63 – Slum Raid

We jumped to the shade of a tree and checked the situation while hiding in the bushes on a hill overlooking the subhuman settlement.

I had thought that there might be a possibility of reconciliation with the tribal union, but I was probably just a peace-loving Japanese who had gotten used to modern Japan. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend in this world.

The place could only be described as a slum, and it was as miserable as a picture of a community of discriminated races. The domestic wastewater that flowed from the neat residential areas of Tarantallen bubbled up like a stagnant ditch, wetting, staining, and corroding the floors of the shacks made of scrap wood. Even though the building has a slightly elevated floor, it has already lost all meaning because either the amount of domestic wastewater has increased or the shack itself has tilted or sunk.

It would be strange not to get sick if you live in such an environment.

“…Even though they are refugees from a ruined country, is it really necessary to mistreat them like this? I’ve heard that the leaders of Casemaian have spent a lot of money to bring them in.”

“Since they don’t have any ongoing influence, there’s no one to blame for the violation. I guess that’s what they thought.”

Now there was no point in waiting for a response two days later.

I was about to go down to the settlement, but Myrril stopped me with one hand.

“Wait, someone is coming.”

She must have already guessed what kind of person it was. Myrril had a UZI in her hand.

“I’ll return the MAC10 to you, Yoshua. It’s already…”

“You’re right. There seems to be no point in exploring while running and hiding.”

The first to enter the subhuman settlement before we did was a group of about ten men armed with filthy gear. I’m not sure if there is such a thing in the tribal union territory, but it seems to be a group of mercenaries.

“Hey, Sionil! We’ve come for you!”

“Hey! Get your ass out here, or I’ll kill you and all of the half-beasts here!”

A woman who appeared to be an Elf emerged from the shack in the settlement after hearing the vile shouting.

“What is this about?”

“You don’t need to ask. It’s an invitation from the lord!”

“I don’t even know what happened to Misnel and the others. Do you really think I’d accept such a request?”

The men smirked and smiled down at the Elven woman, who was stuffing her face with anger. The Elven woman called Sionil was a beauty of about 20 years old, if not older. I don’t need to ask what the lord’s purpose in summoning her is.

“No, you should be drinking. Hey?”

“Oh, well, you still waiting for that Misnel.”

“…!!”

“That’s a hell of a story. She’s given up on you people. She doesn’t want to live like a rat in a garbage dump like this. Now she’s living a happy and interesting life, eating delicious food every day.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Well, people change. Especially if you’re a half-beast, but maybe she felt bad that she was the only one living in luxury, so she thought she’d invite you to join her.”

“…Don’t be ridiculous! She would never think such a thing!”

A man carrying a large sword pulls something out of his pocket. As he threw it at the feet of the Elven woman, she froze and was speechless. The large man with the spear laughs, clutching his stomach at the sight of her.

“You see what I mean? Yes, it’s that chibi’s hair. Even a stubborn woman with long ears like you should believe it when you see it. Good grief, that’s sweet.”

“If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. This is… Eh… What was it again?”

“Sanitary issues.”

“Yeah, that’s it. Too much dirt is a source of the plague. The lord told us to burn it down… every rat.”

Myrril stood up and walked slowly down the hill. There is not the slightest intention of hiding anymore.

“Yoshua, don’t stop.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m in no mood for that kind of thing anymore. Half of me is disappointed that my dream of becoming a friend with human nations is gone. But the other half is…”

I stowed the MAC10 and took out my AKM instead.

“Honestly, I can’t tell you how happy I am. I can kill those bastards without a care in the world!”

The AKM, which had a longer range than the UZI, signaled the beginning of the battle.

A well-aimed 7.62mm round accurately shattered the men’s knees, forcing the two with the big swords and spears to crawl into the ditch.

Drink water from a ditch, you bastards.

“Wait a minute, Yoshua! Leave me a target too!”

“That’s right. We only need one man alive to get the story out of him, and if he gets shot by an AKM, he might die of shock.”

“Don’t worry. They’re not going to die easy!”

Oh, I’m really pissed off.

A single shot from a .45 caliber pistol quickly knocks down the men, but it doesn’t kill any of them instantly, leaving them rolling around moaning in pain.

Hold your crotch.

“…Ah.”

As far as I can tell, all the bullets have hit the men in the groin.

It isn’t good. It’s really not good. Myrril-san has a gentle smile on her face, but just looking at her, she is so powerful that I almost chickened out.

Some of them have injured arteries in their inner thighs and are bleeding heavily, and there is no way to treat them here. Unless the Elven woman can cast a healing spell on them, which is unlikely, they don’t have long to live.

Though… the time until death is too long to continue suffering from intense pain on the ground.

The Elven woman, who was stiff with a puzzled expression, looked at Myrril and her eyes widened.

“Myrril-sama?”

“Stop with the sama, Sionil. I’m just Myrril now.”

The Elf Sionil-san, who was about to prostrate herself, was restrained with her hand, and Myrril approached the struggling men.

“It’s too bad you sold Misnel and the others to the kingdom’s army, but I saved them safely. You may have forcibly cut off her hair, but that won’t sway her in the slightest, will it?”

“N-no way! These people promise to treat us with respect…”

The Elf Sionil-san paled, but Myrril waved her hand lightly as she looked at the men.

“Sionil, I need you to gather all of our people. The reason I’m here is to invite you to Casemaian.”

“Y-yes!”

“Now, may I have a word with you?”

The man with the big sword and the big man with the spear, who was almost drowned with his knees torn off, tried to grab hold of her with a look of rage. Their faces plunged back into the ditch water as Myrril shot out their outstretched hands with no hesitation.

.

“Was it your lord who kidnapped Misnel?”

“W-who the hell are you…?”

Myrril easily shot the ear of the man with the big sword who was about to attack her.

The UZI, supported by her small hands, did not waver a bit, and her expression was as calm as if she had not felt anything at all.

“I guess you don’t need the deaf ear. Shall I get rid of the other one?”

“A-alright! That’s right! That’s what the Lord of Tarantallen ordered! Are you satisfied now, you half-beast…?”

“Umu, I’m satisfied.”

The .45 caliber bullet that struck him in the eyeball exited the back of his head and flew away, spraying blood and brain fluid. The man’s throat gurgled. He let out his last breath, a mixture of blood and ditchwater, and fell flat on his back.

“So, shall we ask the others? What is your purpose in coming here?”

“Don’t be stupid! Do you think I’ll believe you that you’ll save me if I talk?”

The big man with the spear held the spear in his arms and shouted angrily with the determination to kill us all.

“It’s not like that.”

The man with the spear is shot through the knee of the one that was unharmed, and he falls down and rolls around while screaming. But in the ditch, where the water is as deep as his shins, his scream only bubbles and makes a muffled sound.

Myrril crushes the man’s elbow with a bullet as he struggles to get up.

“Gobuob…!”

After a muffled sound that must have been an underwater scream, the man twitches slightly, as if he had drunk water or fainted, and then goes quiet.

Snickering at the man who was stuck with his head in the ditch, Myrril turned to the remaining eight.

“I’ll ask you one more time. What is your purpose?”

The remaining eight opened their mouths in unison at the gentle, admonishing tone of voice. I can’t hear anything over the screams, but Myrril nods in satisfaction and carries the UZI on her shoulders.

“I see, that’s a lot of work.”

The men looked relieved that the unidentified weapon had been deflected away from them. But they were pathetically mistaken.

Myrril had pulled out the magazine and replaced it with a new one. Of course, the men couldn’t possibly know what that meant.

“You can ask for forgiveness. To those you have killed. To those you have oppressed.”

“””W-wait…”””

The muzzle of the UZI was pointed at the men. The click of her thumb indicated that she had switched to continuous fire.

I’m the only one who knows that, though.

The pistol rounds are sprinkled horizontally over the eight men. The entry hole runs across their foreheads like a cut line, and they fall with a thud, mouths open and eyes wide.

“Did you hear that, Yoshua?”

“I can’t hear anything, not a thing. I heard them say they were going to kill the subhumans because we came to rescue them…”

“You heard it. They are the private army of Jusha, the lord of Tarantallen, and they have been ordered to dispose of the subhumans. They were afraid that our coming to negotiate with them would leak the fact that they had oppressed them.”

“Are there any territorial soldiers coming?”

“Only a private army can be moved by a single lord without a council. At most, these are the only ones who can move without a council, at least for the time being.”

“Myrril-sa… Myrril-san.”

The Elf, Sionil, came back and almost said “sama” again. I don’t know much about the status of the Casemaians, but I thought Myrril was just a commoner.

Perhaps she read my thoughts again. She quietly shook her head.

“The Beast King is a Beastman who is skilled with a sword, the Eagle-Eyed King is an Elf who was an expert with a bow, and the Blacksmith King is a Dwarf who is a master at making armor and protective gear.”

“Eh?”

“They were once known as the Three Kings of Casemaian. As I’ve said before, it’s just a term of honor; there is no royal power among the three. But they discussed and found a better way for the people to live. It is said that I was expected to succeed them. Now it’s an unfulfilled dream.”

“That’s not true. The future of Casemaian is…”

“Yes, that’s true. A peaceful subhuman nation will need to be governed. What I’m trying to say is that people are not suited for each other. I’m proud to say that I’m a good craftsman. However, I am not capable of standing on top of others. Even if I am a decentralized leader, I am not fit to be called a king.”

“That is not true. Myrril-san is still a worthy successor.”

Myrril quietly shook her head to the Elf Sionil and whispered something into her pointed ear. She held her mouth and looked at me with a suddenly serious face when she heard that. He looked at Myrril again, then nodded and looked at me again.

What’s the matter with you?

“Oh, no. I apologize. It’s true what you said, Myrrill-san. The most suitable successor to the Blacksmith King is your sister, Misnel-sama. Yes, absolutely.”

“Umu, it won’t be difficult.”

What are you talking about suddenly… Hey, Noja Loli? What did you say to her!?