Chapter 78
The sudden appearance of mysterious figures brought the situation to a temporary standstill.
Thanks to that, Max, whose life had been extended, slid down to the ground, leaning against a tree.
His legs seemed to have given out, and he struggled to get back up, but his movements were nothing more than futile flailing.
Even if he had the strength left to run, it was unlikely he could escape.
Tap, tap.
“Ashié, get up. Is that him?”
“Ugh… A-ashié… Da….”
“Yes, Ashié.”
So, is that guy really Max or not?
Kana lightly tapped Ashié’s back with her dainty hand and asked again.
But Ashié, face down on the ground, was too busy retching.
‘…Ashié?’
At the sound of the familiar name near his ear, Max barely managed to lift his head and, upon seeing the familiar faces, his eyes widened.
“How is he already here…?”
He thought they would come after him, but not this quickly.
And the guy throwing up against the tree right next to him—wasn’t he the magician working at the workshop next to his?
“Hey, hey! What the hell is going on here? Didn’t I tell you to keep watch? Are you not managing your men properly? You’ve really gotten lax… Life’s been treating you well, huh?”
“…Sorry, boss.”
Watching this ridiculous charade unfold, Molden scolded his subordinate.
But neither Molden, who gave the scolding, nor the subordinate, who received it, took the situation seriously, as they chuckled among themselves.
Molden wasn’t happy with the fact that his orders to keep watch had been ignored and that no one had reported this trespasser’s entry.
His men were probably slacking off somewhere, hiding.
With a lifted corner of his mouth, yet eyes void of any emotion, Molden scrutinized the uninvited guests.
One magician, one woman who looked like a swordsman, one annoying-looking guy.
And one child.
Molden smacked his lips as he took in the appearance of the girl wearing a cape.
Perhaps his subordinates, knowing his tastes, had let her pass just because they liked the look of the girl.
Molden soon shook his head at the thought.
Unless they were planning to sneak her away without reporting it to him, his men weren’t smart enough to do such a thing.
So, the fact that this girl, who looked like she was sculpted by Edel herself, appeared in front of him must be fate…
Or so Molden thought.
“Seems like I’m lucky today.”
Molden grinned, baring his yellow teeth.
“How about I give you some delicious snacks? Why don’t you come over here?”
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
“…?”
“What’s this? Why aren’t you responding?”
Clicking his tongue like he was calling a stray puppy, Molden waved at the girl, but he narrowed his eyes in confusion when she didn’t respond.
Normally, people would react with disgust when he acted like this, but the girl just stared blankly at his face, showing no other reaction.
One of his perceptive subordinates, who was always quick to notice such things, approached him and spoke quietly.
“Boss, I don’t think she understands us. It seemed like she was speaking a different language when she was talking with the others earlier.”
“Really? Did she come from some obscure kingdom in a far-off continent?”
Molden’s words were unexpectedly sharp.
Even as a hint of disappointment crossed his mind, when he looked at her face, he couldn’t help but think, ‘It’s fine even if we can’t speak to each other.’
Rather, the thought that he could dye her mind with his own colors made his lewd thoughts swell even more.
“Weak.”
“…And that’s coming from someone who treats people so harshly?”
“I’m not a guy; I’m a girl, so it’s fine.”
“Yeah, sure, girl.”
“But I told you to go faster.”
“How was I supposed to know you’d carry people around like they were luggage?”
Having regained some strength, Ashié staggered to his feet.
Though not as bad as the others who were still vomiting, Da-eun, who had been as pale as a corpse, seemed to have regained some of her original color.
“Blerrggh!”
Though there were still those who hadn’t recovered.
Kana looked down at the magician and muttered something like, ‘This is why mages are useless,’ in a voice dripping with swordsman superiority, as Ashié approached Molden.
“Molden, leader of the Red Claw Mercenaries.”
“Oh? Hey, guys, I guess I’ve gotten pretty famous. If even some fop like you knows who I am.”
“Congratulations, boss!”
“…”
Whether they were mercenaries or just a band of bandits was unclear.
Their actions were worse than that of a common bandit group, but in any case, Ashié looked at them with a complex expression before speaking.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I have business with the person behind you. So, won’t you step aside?”
“Oh my, you have business with our employer? May I ask what it’s about?”
“…He stole something from my master’s workshop.”
“Master? Workshop? What’s this? I thought you were someone important with that stiff demeanor of yours, but you’re just an apprentice?”
Molden, who had already found Ashié’s good looks and tall stature annoying, made no effort to hide his disappointment.
To think that a mere apprentice would speak to him so disrespectfully.
Although a lowly sense of inferiority-driven anger welled up within Molden, he forcibly suppressed it.
It wouldn’t do to get angry on such a joyous day.
Thus, Molden put on a facade of calmness.
“…You seem quite confident, trusting in that subpar mage and swordsman of yours, but I’m afraid we’ve been hired to protect someone, you see.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re protecting anyone right now.”
“Oh, come now. It’s just a ‘small’ misunderstanding. We’re very close, right?”
“Pl-please help! I’ll make sure to reward you generously if you save me…!”
“Oh dear, you don’t understand me at all.”
The world is truly cruel.
Molden shrugged and twirled his sword.
The sunlight striking the serrated blade scattered into a myriad of reflections.
“I’ll make a proposal. Leave the women and all your belongings behind, and I’ll spare your lives.”
“Those are words you don’t mean.”
“…Seems like you’ve been serving a rather ill-tempered master, huh? You’re quite perceptive.”
“He does have a bit of a fiery temper.”
“Must be tough serving under such a master. But don’t worry.”
Screech—
The moment Molden finished speaking, the mercenaries surrounded them and drew their weapons.
“There won’t be a need for that anymore. Guys, you know what to do?”
“Don’t touch the women, right?”
“Come on, boss. It’s not like this is our first job. Why are you saying that?”
“So, you choose the hard way.”
“Huh?”
Had he lost his mind from fear?
Scratching his head, Molden dismissed Ashié’s incomprehensible words as the ravings of a lunatic.
The unnaturally calm expression on Ashié’s face must be due to that as well.
“Heh, heh heh… It’s all over now….”
A mage, a swordsman, a mere apprentice with some muscle, and a little girl.
On the other hand, they were greatly outnumbered and each of them was a veteran killer.
Max, who had momentarily harbored a glimmer of hope at the appearance of these unexpected guests, finally gave up and let out a mad laugh.
“What are you going to do?”
“What else? We kill them all.”
“Ki-kill them?”
“They’re trash that won’t do anyone any good by staying alive. Garbage should be disposed of quickly.”
“I’m no janitor.”
Kana muttered discontentedly as she drew her sword.
It was only then that Molden and his men noticed that Kana was carrying a sword, but it didn’t make them feel threatened.
A small girl wielding a longsword as big as her body.
One would doubt whether she could even lift it properly, let alone swing it. If they were cowards who got scared at such a sight, they wouldn’t have made a living killing people for money.
Due to her short arms, the tip of the sword Kana was holding dragged along the ground, leaving marks behind.
‘How cute.’
I’ll just take that dangerous thing away and shower you with affection.
Molden smiled contentedly.
The Red Claw Mercenaries began to slowly close the distance.
“Hey little girl, be good. Put that down and come over here, will you?”
“You’ll hurt yourself if you get a cut trying to resist. That would hurt, right?”
“…What are they saying?”
“Don’t mind it. It’s all nonsense anyway.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Ka-Kana, do your best…!”
“Mm.”
Is it something that requires doing your best?
Kana tilted her head, but she still happily accepted Da-eun’s cheer.
The mercenaries felt a sense of discomfort at the sight.
‘…What is this?’
Why are they so calm?
The group’s reaction was far too calm, despite having sent a young girl to her death, or perhaps an even worse fate.
‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.’
If these nobodies had interfered, things would have gotten very troublesome.
And the girl might have gotten injured in the process.
Molden stood comfortably, waiting for his subordinates to bring the girl to him.
However, one second, two seconds, and then a full ten seconds passed, yet his subordinates remained frozen in place as they approached the girl.
“What are these idiots doing…?”
Up close, she must have looked even prettier, causing them to be captivated.
Even though he could understand their feelings, Molden’s fury was palpable as he shouted at his subordinates for daring to covet something that was his.
“You bastards! Why aren’t you moving?!”
Yet, his subordinates still didn’t move.
Eventually, as his rage boiled over and he took a step forward to intervene himself—
Almost as if waiting for this moment, diagonal lines appeared on the bodies of his subordinates who had approached the girl.
Swoosh—!
Thud!
Like puppets with their strings cut, his subordinates crumpled to the ground.
Their torsos and lower bodies, which had once been a single whole, lay scattered separately.
Roll…
“…!”
Molden’s eyes widened as he locked eyes with one of the lifeless bodies on the ground.
It was wearing a grim smile.
A face that couldn’t even fathom dying—one that didn’t even realize it was already dead.
Molden began to question reality.
Maybe… maybe they’re still alive.
Despite denying the situation unfolding before him, Molden’s body instinctively took a few steps back.
“Wh-what have you done?!”
The voice that burst from him no longer carried any of its previous composure or confidence.
“Magic…! Yes, it must be some trick that mage pulled…!”
“Wh-what are you saying… Ugh, ugh…!”
Molden couldn’t even entertain the idea that such a massacre could have been caused by a small girl.
It was only natural.
Even Da-eun, a player accustomed to countless fictional scenarios, would be astonished by Kana’s overwhelming strength.
While Molden’s actions were cruel, to someone like him—who operated on the common sense of this world—what he had witnessed wasn’t just outside the norm; it was utterly impossible.
Watching Molden flail about, Kana tilted her head.
‘He’s only at the Expert level.’
His capabilities were as unimpressive as the despicable deeds he had carried out.
For someone like Kana, casually dismissing the idea of “expert-level” strength made seasoned warriors clutch the back of their necks and collapse in shock.
He looked stronger than his subordinates, but just by that much.
If they all attacked together, he wasn’t someone they couldn’t defeat. Why would his subordinates follow someone like him?
‘Hmm, who knows.’
There must be a reason for them to follow him.
Thinking like this, Kana’s eyes scanned the remaining enemies.
Seven left, including the leader.
They were stronger than the ones she’d just dealt with, but not enough to pose any threat to Kana.
‘To Kana, that is.’
“Joanie.”
“Y-Yes?”
Da-eun, who had been leisurely observing from behind, flinched at the sudden call.
Why… why is she calling me all of a sudden?
Answering unconsciously, Da-eun’s voice trembled with unease as she asked nervously.
“…Kana, that’s not it, right? I believe that Kana is a gentle person.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Haha… haha…”
Kana’s lips curled up into a slight smile.
Seeing the harmless smile, Da-eun began to let her guard down—
“Hurry up. You need to train.”
“….”
Only to have her heart shattered by those words.
“We already did training today!”
“The more you train, the better it is.”
“Th-that’s true. It’s true, but…!! This is too dangerous! You said they’re the kind of people who wouldn’t hesitate to kill if they were paid!”
Momentarily speechless by Da-eun’s statement that was spot on, Kana quickly reassured her.
“Don’t worry. I’ll never let you die.”
“…That’s touching and all, but should I be thankful for this?”
“Up to you. Now, come on.”
Realizing she wouldn’t be able to change Kana’s mind, Da-eun trudged forward reluctantly.
Behind her, Ashié looked at her with pity.
She hesitated for a moment, but eventually drew her sword.
There was no sign of motivation or enthusiasm in her movements.
“I take back what I said about Kana being gentle…”
“…Why?”
“…You really don’t know?”
Kana tilted her head to the side.
Seeing Kana’s genuinely confused expression, Da-eun suddenly felt a strong urge to pinch the girl’s soft and adorable cheeks.
“In what world does this count as being gentle?!”
“Um….”
Isn’t it kind to help someone improve their skills without risking their life?
Hearing Kana’s indifferent response, Da-eun could no longer hold back and stretched out Kana’s chubby cheeks.
—
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