Chapter 253: Port Town*

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Basilio’s group arrived at the port town in the dead of night.

The carriage stopped, and the sound of Benedict getting down from the driver’s seat was heard. The door opened, and the light of the torches entered the scene. Generally, light was undesirable because it attracted attention. However, it was necessary for driving a carriage at night. Even the light of a torch made a significant difference. Without it, an accident could easily occur.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s go.” (Benedict)

“Come.” (Basilio)

Basilio, using the one devilish phrase he had learned from Benedict, tugged at the rope tied to the woman’s wrists.

“Mmm!” (Lily)

The woman was gagged and unable to scream. Her muffled voice was barely audible. At this volume, unless someone came very close, it was unlikely that anyone would notice.

“You were to meet the last man at the central square, right?” (Basilio)

Although he remembered it, Basilio took out a thin piece of paper from his pocket and checked the map of the port town to reinforce his memory.

“Alright, extinguish the torches.” (Basilio)

“Got it.” (Benedict)

Benedict dropped the torches on the ground and stomped on the flames with his boots to put them out. The surroundings darkened. As planned, this was a bit off the main road to the port town and seemed to be in the outskirts.

In the distance, a lighthouse was flashing intermittently. Basilio confirmed that this was the intended location by observing the light. The lighthouse’s light seemed designed to shine out towards the sea, not causing discomfort even to eyes adjusted to the darkness. According to prior information, the flashing pattern of this lighthouse was different from others in the area. Indeed, the lights of several lighthouses seen from the ship had either been continuously on or had longer periods of darkness. It seemed to prevent sailors from confusing it with another lighthouse elsewhere.

For those infiltrating, it was a convenient way to ensure they did not lose sight of their intended port, even at night.

“—Damn it, what a mistake.” (Basilio)

Once the torchlight was extinguished, Basilio immediately realized his foolish mistake. He had put her in a white coat. It was thick, modest, and there were suitable garments nearby, so he had hastily chosen it at that moment. However, the pure white coat stood out too much in the darkness. Considering they would be walking in the dark later, he should have searched for a darker-colored outer garment, even if it took some time, and put that on her.

In the darkness, her white coat was far too conspicuous. It clearly stood out, well beyond the acceptable range. Since her hands were bound in front of her, to change her clothes, the ropes would need to be removed. Although it was an unwelcome task, there was no choice now.

“The white coat is too conspicuous, so we need to change her clothes. Benedict, explain and take it off. Olbert, take off your outer jacket and put it on her.” (Basilio)

“Eh—” (Orbert)

Olbert made a reluctant sound.

“Me?” (Orbert)

“Hurry up. We don’t have time.” (Basilio)

Olbert was slender and had a build that fit reasonably well with hers. Although various garments had been obtained locally, Olbert’s seemed the most suitable to put on her.

“Y-yes, understood.” (Orbert)

Olbert nodded immediately and undressed.

Initially, he seemed reluctant, likely because he was uncomfortable with the idea of draping his own clothing over a devil. As a noble’s illegitimate child, Orbert had been sent to a monastery at a young age and raised there until he became aware of the world. Those with such a background often have a strong sense of faith and develop a particular aversion to such actions. Basilio, who was originally an abandoned child, joined the Volunteering Knights more out of admiration for the military than out of faith.

“Benedict, hurry up and translate.” (Basilio)

“×××, ×××××. ××××××” (Benedict)

Upon hearing Benedict’s words, the woman nodded in the darkness. Seeing this, Basilio quickly untied the ropes.

“―――!!” (Basili)

The moment the rope was removed from her arms, the woman suddenly bolted in an unexpected direction. Basilio reflexively grabbed the back of the white coat. However, as the woman shifted her arms slightly backward, the white coat slipped off entirely. She must have secretly undone the buttons. Orbert immediately reacted, discarded his own clothing, and chased after her.

With remarkable agility, Orbert managed to catch her after a few steps.

“You!” (Orbert)

Olbert roared, and the woman attempted to punch him in the cheek with a feeble fist. As Orbert grabbed her arm, she delivered a kick to his groin with a slight delay. It might have been adequate self-defense for an ordinary woman, but such tactics were ineffective against the Volunteering Knights. Olbert, releasing the arm he had initially captured, calmly received the kick between his legs. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NovᴇlFɪre .ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

In the darkness, Olbert’s anger flared, and he could be seen grabbing the woman by her collar.

“You—!!” (Orbert)

“Olbert, stop!” (Basilio)

Despite Basilio’s order to stop, Olbert’s fist continued. A blow struck the woman’s stomach.

“Ugh――Nnnn――!!” (Lily)

“Ah……” (Orbert)

“You idiot.” (Basilio)

Basilio immediately approached the woman and removed the gag. When someone was hit in the stomach, they instinctively try to breathe through their mouth and might vomit. If their mouth is obstructed, they could choke.

“Gah――Guh, cough, hack! Cough――! Haah, haah” (Lily)

Fortunately, the woman managed to start breathing again. This should be fine now.

“Orbert!” (Basilio)

Calling out his name, Basilio punched Olbert hard on the cheek.

“Ugh――I’m sorry. Basilio-san.” (Orbert)

Orbert, seemingly realizing his own mistake, appeared dejected.

Orbert harbored a deep hatred for demons. While this was to be expected, given the nature of the mission, such emotions should be suppressed. He had been calm in previous tasks, which led to his current lapse. Basilio had underestimated the depth of his hatred.

“―Do you think your petty grudge takes priority over the thoughts of His Holiness the Pope or the Grand Marshal?” (Basilio)

Despite being a mistake due to his youth, it was still infuriating.

“No, that’s not it…… but it just happened.” (Orbert)

“This operation has already cost the lives of several personnel. This is a mission deemed necessary by His Holiness the Pope and the Grand Marshal. Do you think you can ruin it with your trivial emotions?” (Basilio)

“……I’m sorry.” (Orbert)

“Reflect on your actions!” (Basilio)

Basilio struck Olbert’s abdomen with as much force as he had used on the woman.

“Guh――Uuuugh.” (Orbert)

While this might have provided some relief to the woman, Olbert, being well-trained, did not writhe on the ground in pain. It did not seem to hurt too much. Nonetheless, repeating the action was something Basilio hesitated to do.

“Put it on.” (Basilio)

Basilio expected Olbert to understand this simple command from his gesture. He picked up Olbert’s discarded jacket from the ground, dusted it off, and handed it to the woman.

“Benedict. Translate.” (Basilio)

“……Again?” (Benedict)

“The woman will not suffer by being taken by us. Unlike other long-ears, she will be given adequate treatment.” (Basilio)

This was not a lie. As they did not want her to die, she was to be provided with good treatment. At least until she proved useless, she would be well treated.

“There is no need to resist or be sad. If you come with us, you will lead a sufficiently comfortable life.” (Basilio)

As Benedict followed up with the translation, the woman retorted.

“×××, ×××××! ××××!” (Lily)

“What is she saying?” (Basilio)

“She seems to be saying something like ‘Do you think I’m a fool? I’d rather die than be taken away.’ Honestly, I don’t understand it very well.” (Benedict)

“What do you mean you don’t understand?” (Basilio)

“It’s like a rural dialect or something? Her Shan language is a bit different from the norm, and some parts are hard to make out. I can grasp the general idea, though.” (Benedict)

“Translate――If you don’t understand, we’ll just take you along regardless. Rest assured. We won’t be rough.” (Basilio)

As Benedict translated, Basilio made the woman bite into a new piece of cloth and re-tied her arms with ropes.

“Don’t discard the white coat. Benedict, keep it in your pocket.” (Basilio)

Benedict’s jacket was a wide coat, which should be enough to fit it. Basilio didn’t have high expectations for his combat capabilities.

“Orbert. I’ll hold the ropes. There’s no guarantee we won’t attract unwanted attention. Move quickly and enter from a different location.” (Basilio)

“…Understood.” (Orbert)

Basilio then left the carriage and started walking.

—

The port town was not particularly large, and there was no one walking around in the late hours of the morning, so Basilio and his group were surprised to find that they were able to reach their destination with ease. They arrived at a corner of the square facing the sea in the port town. Here, they were supposed to meet the last of the four spies.

One of the most crucial roles had been to infiltrate as a maid, another had procured the carriage and clothing, and the third had been responsible for bringing Basilio and his group in from a landing point far to the north and escorting them to the capital city. All three of them were already dead.

The last one was tasked with securing a return ship. While it was permissible to steal a ship from the port, they had preferred to obtain it legally if possible. This reduced the risk of being pursued and also ensured that the ship’s hold would be stocked with sufficient food and water. If the ship could depart fully stocked, they would avoid the need to make landfall for supplies along the way. A stolen ship could not meet these conditions.

However, while it was necessary, it was not absolutely critical. If the last spy had fled, they planned to steal a ship and depart anyway. They had already met with this final spy once near Sibyaku, and sufficient money had been given to purchase the ship. Although it was a verbal agreement, they were supposed to pay ten times the amount of money upon delivery.

However, this last individual had been an exception. A considerable amount had been paid as an advance. If he had the intelligence to suspect that he might be killed without receiving the remaining payment, he would have disappeared with the money instead of showing up here. It would have been ideal if he showed up at the rendezvous, handed over the ship, and was killed, but there was no guarantee he would appear.

Nevertheless, there was already someone at the agreed-upon location.

“Benedict.” (Basilio)

“Got it.” (Benedict)

Benedict stepped forward to speak.

It was the final meeting. Basilio’s hand instinctively went to the blade hidden in his pocket.

“×××” (??)

It was likely a common greeting. As Benedict approached with a seemingly careless demeanor and spoke those words, a man revealed his face. It was unmistakably the same face seen during their previous meeting.

“…?” (Benedict)

Then, a woman also revealed her face. She wore a thin dress resembling that of a prostitute and had her chest pressed against the man’s arm. The woman held a small lamp in her hand, which was intricately designed with feminine details and looked well-used. It seemed she had planned to use the money to buy her services immediately.

“…Basilio-san” (Benedict)

Benedict spoke up.

“Tell them to extinguish the fire.” (Basilio)

“Is that woman really available to be taken home?” (Benedict)

Benedict asked, ignoring Basilio’s instruction and saying something that made one want to hold their head in frustration.

Looking at Benedict’s face, it was clear he was driven by lust. Indeed, the woman was quite attractive, but it was truly tiresome to deal with this man’s crude sexual desires.

“…Well, fine. Just make sure she doesn’t make any noise.” (Basilio)

Basilio decided that denying it here would cause more trouble, so he said this. In any case, once they left the port, Benedict would no longer be needed. The ship should be stocked with preserved food and water, and once they obtained that, there would be no need for further supplies until they reached the Tyrellme region. If they were intercepted by an enemy ship and subjected to an inspection, that would likely mean the mission had failed.

The woman would be killed, and with a resolve to face death, they would confront the dangers. In any case, this situation was beyond what Benedict’s persuasive skills could resolve.

Once they set sail, Benedict and the prostitute would be killed and thrown into the sea. By removing their ears, it would be impossible to tell whether the corpses were demons or humans. In any town, the sudden death of a prostitute would likely be just another routine incident. It would not be a problem.

“Get them to show you the ship quickly. That’s the main point here.” (Basilio)

“××××, ×××××” (Benedict)

“×××? ××××××” (??)

The response in the devil language came from the woman.

“×××××××××?” (Benedict)

“×××!” (??)

The prostitute seemed to regard Benedict as a potential client, and she began speaking with a seductive smile. Her somewhat eccentric behavior made her seem almost foolish. Regardless, it was not the time for conversation.

“Benedict… cut it out.” (Basilio)

“…I understand.” (Benedict)

“×××, come here.” (??)

Without waiting for Benedict’s translation, the man spoke and turned his back. Basilio did not miss the word “come” mixed in his speech. He was telling them to follow. Perhaps translation was no longer necessary. As they walked a little further, the woman suddenly turned around.

“Lily ××, ×××××. ××××××××××××, ××××××××××” (??)

She said, in a playful manner.

“×××××, ×××××××” (??)

“Benedict, what did the woman say? I heard something like ‘Lily’.” (Basilio)

Benedict seemed to be confirming something and was looking in a different direction. At the same time, the surroundings became suddenly bright. The rope he had been holding was being pulled. Dazzled by the light, Basilio saw Lily lying face down on the ground.

In the next moment, Basilio’s body was struck by a powerful impact.

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