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“Oh, thank you. So, about this girl named Ariamel…”
On the other side of the door were two men with well-worn half-plate mail and longswords.
It’s true that he’s dressed like an adventurer or a mercenary around here, but… his back is straight, and each movement is very theatrical.
This is what it would be like to have a stern knight play a rough and tumble mercenary.
“You said it was a request from a noble, but what is the name of that noble?”
I ask questions, cutting off the other person’s speech in mid-sentence.
“…I cannot reveal the name of the client. That’s the nature of the contract.”
“Then I have nothing to say to you guys. Go home.”
You can’t just go looking for someone without giving the client’s name. Did you think that if you said the word “nobleman”, I would just go along with it?
Unfortunately, I have no intention of answering, even if the client is royalty.
The men stared at me with sharp eyes, as if they didn’t like what I said.
“…”
“Why…you mean you’re not going to tell me?”
When I glared back at him with murderous intent, he flinched for a moment, but immediately returned with calm words.
“No. And are you really mercenaries? Even so, it seems that you are not quite familiar with this place.”
Mercenaries, who are used to cutting and thrusting, don’t get frightened just because someone sends a killer stare at them.
“… what are you trying to say?”
“Nothing? It’s time to really go home, my boys are about to go to bed. Even if you still have something to say, call it a day.”
I don’t want to stain this house where I live with my children with blood.
The men discuss something in whispers, and then turn their gazes behind me for a moment.
I’m sure there are more of these guys at the back door of the house… unfortunately, the house originally belonged to a party whose members were all women. The front and back doors are unnecessarily sturdy, and the windows have magical security.
I don’t know if there’s a hero, but he won’t be able to break through that easily.
in addition…….
“…Understood. I will leave for the time being, and I will visit again tomorrow.
With that said, the men left.
See you tomorrow….
They’re going to attack us when we’re asleep anyway, right? If their goal is Ariamel, they might kill all of us and just let her live and keep her quiet….
Well, I don’t have the taste to be attacked quietly. I’ll take the initiative.
“Gray!”
That’s when Emilia came running from the back of the house, calling my name. She was dragging something.
―――――
(Third-party perspective)
Two men in half-plate mail walk at a brisk pace through the darkened alleys of the city, relying on moonlight. The men were convinced that the girl, their objective, was protected by that man, as they had been informed.
He looked like a lowlife, they thought. He was a reasonably skilled adventurer, but he was more of a thug than an adventurer.
“He said it was time for the kids to go to bed… but they weren’t his anyway.”
“Slaves or orphans. The saint is an orphan, too. I wonder what purpose he had in gathering them.”
It’s probably not for a good purpose anyway, and it must be horrifying to even mention.
The men thought so, although they did not put it into words.
“…Anyway, I’ll go back once Soma joins us. We’ll report to the bishop and it will be done by the end of the day.”
The man mentioned the name of the fellow who had just checked the back door of the house.
“Oh… that’s this guy’s name?”
“What? Who’s there!”
Suddenly, a voice calls out from behind them, and they turn around, drawing their swords.
The sound of footsteps echoes from the other side of the dark alley. And at the same time, there is also a sound like something is being dragged.
Soon, that thug-like man clearly appeared.
Carrying a sword on his shoulder, he dragged their bloody companion along as if he were trash, looking more terrifying than the demons and devils of hell.
“You! What have you done to our comrade!”
One of the men shouts.
“It’s annoying. You don’t have to yell to be heard…this trash was sneaking around behind people’s houses doing something, so my friends caught him.”
They said, “He tried to resist at that time, so he was “neutralized”. Yeah, no matter how you look at it, this guy is bad.
With that said, Devil Gray throws the bloody man he was holding in his hand in a random manner.
“Don’t worry, he’s ‘still’ alive. I’ll give him back, so answer the question. Why are you looking for Ariamel? What are you going to do after finding her? And where is the bishop?”
Gray asked a question as if he were winding up.
The two men responded with their swords at the ready.
I’m sorry for my bloodied comrade, but now that they’ve heard the word “bishop,” I can’t let this devilish man live. Even if a friend is taken hostage.
Either way, if the bishop finds out about this, they are finished.
“What, you won’t answer me? Then die right here, right now.”
As soon as he says this, Gray kicks the ground and instantly closes the distance to the men.
(Ridiculous… too fast.)
One of the men had his sword bounced off with one blow, and he was decapitated with the next blow.
The other man’s last sight in life was of a laughing, sword-wielding demon named Gray.