“You’re a knight, right? Stay here and protect this place.”
This place might not be safe either. Whispering so the evacuees wouldn’t hear, Ur furrowed his brow with a complicated expression.
“I’m technically a bronze-ranked adventurer. Don’t worry about me.”
Considering he’d only been an adventurer for a month, “technically” was a stretch, but he kept that to himself.
“Alright. But if it gets too dangerous, run. No one will blame you.”
With that, Kona patted Ur’s shoulder and whispered softly.
“There’s a good chance it’s not just monsters. Be careful.”
“I know. We’ll manage somehow. Let’s go, Shizuku.”
“Yes. Minne-sama, please stay hidden with Kona-sama. We’ll do our best to drive off the undead soldiers.”
With that, Shizuku and Ur prepared to leave the cargo hold and head for the hall.
“W-wait! Then—”
But before they could, Minne called out.
Rubus, an employee of the Lucky Bird Store, which primarily dealt in magical artifacts, had been working there for many years. Since before the current owner, Rose, took over—since before her parents passed away—he had shared both joys and hardships with the family. To him, Rose was like a daughter or granddaughter.
That’s why Rose’s despair when her parents died in an accident was also painful for Rubus.
Losing her family, her wealth, and being burdened with debt, she was utterly crushed. She couldn’t even eat properly and had become like a shell of her former self. It was so bad that Rubus feared she might follow her parents to the grave in no time.
But now, her soul wasn’t consumed by despair. Instead…
“…Miss Rose, how did the negotiation go?”
“It didn’t work! That woman…! Ugh! I can’t stand it!”
She was consumed by rage.
[Golden Phoenix ]
While dealing with unstable adventurers as customers, the moneylenders had skillfully formed a guild that now controlled multiple merchant clans. For the Lucky Bird Store, which was on the verge of collapse, they became saviors in two ways.
First, they provided conditional funding that no one else would offer. This allowed them to somehow cover the losses from the lost merchandise. And the second…
“[Blazing Flame Sword]…I’ll get it back…this time for sure…!”
For Rose, it gave her a purpose to live.
Having lost her beloved parents, Rose had been in the depths of despair. But now, she was driven by the goal of “reclaiming the heirlooms of her parents.” She saw the Golden Phoenix as the enemy who had stolen her parents’ [Sacred Relic], and her anger burned fiercely.
Of course, Rubus understood that her anger was somewhat misplaced.
The Golden Phoenix had been forceful in their methods. They had mercilessly taken the sacred relic, showing no mercy. But the transaction had been legitimate, and in the end, the Lucky Bird Store had managed to recover. In a way, they were saviors.
“Miss Rose, it’s alright. We’ll definitely get it back this time…!”
“……Yes, yes…that’s right. It’s fine, thank you, Rubus.”
But Rubus didn’t point out that truth. The flame that had lit up her heart in the depths of despair, even if it was the sin of wrath, was giving her strength. At least it was better than when she couldn’t even eat. That’s what he thought.
Perhaps, one day, she might smile again. Before losing her parents, she had been a kind girl who was always smiling. Hoping to see that face again, Rubus prayed every day.
──Oh, Sun God Zeuradia.
──And the guardian spirit of the Luckbird family, the flame spirit Farranan.
──Please grant her peace and healing.
He earnestly wished for this. And then…
“Don’t you dare move!!”
It seemed the gods and spirits had given her trials instead of healing. He was filled with despair.
Rubus had no idea what was happening.
On the Island Devouring Turtle, which was supposed to safely transport them to another city, skeletal monsters appeared amidst violent tremors. Slowly but surely, the monsters closed in, and the passengers fled in panic. Before they knew it, everyone had been herded into the turtle’s massive hall.
“Don’t you dare move!!”
The moment they saw the men waiting there with weapons in hand, it became clear that this wasn’t an accident or a monster attack—it was a deliberate robbery.
Without a doubt, this was the worst-case scenario.
Facing bandits with both cunning and malice, there was no telling what would happen. And with the audacity to attack a mobile fortress, it was beyond imagination.
“Look at all these rich folks. Dressed so nicely, huh? Must be nice.”
The bandits’ appearances were dreadful. Their clothes were torn and full of holes, their equipment was in tatters, and they were covered in dirt and grime as if they hadn’t bathed in ages. But their weapons gleamed menacingly, only adding to the fear.
“W-what do you want from us—gyah!?”
A young merchant man asked. But the next moment, a weapon slashed through his body. Blood sprayed, staining the surroundings, and even louder screams erupted.
“Answer our questions, and don’t speak out of turn. Got it?”
The threat worked all too well. Aside from stifled sobs, no one dared to speak. Pleased by the fear-induced silence, the leader of the bandits—a bearded man—grinned widely.
“Our boss wants a woman. A young, virgin woman. Hand her over, and we’ll spare the rest.”
At those words, the passengers grew even more panicked. A virgin, a young woman. Their eyes wandered to their fellow passengers, and those who fit the description shrunk further or were shielded by their loved ones.
A different kind of painful silence and tension filled the air, and the bandits chuckled wickedly.
Faced with their grotesque malice, Rubus was terrified. He couldn’t even muster the anger to fuel his heart.
“Then I’ll go.”
But to his horror, his mistress, Rose, wasn’t like that.
“Miss Rose!!”
Before he could grab her arm to stop her, Rose stepped forward. He tried to follow, but the undead soldiers blocked his path. Rubus was filled with despair.
He should have stopped her earlier. She had always been kind and had a strong sense of justice.
“Huh? You’re volunteering?”
“You said to come out, so I did. Got a problem?”
“Are you a virgin? A proper little lady?”
“Why don’t you find out? With those filthy hands of yours.”
Rose responded indifferently to the insensitive questions. There was a strong will in her, as if to say she wouldn’t be intimidated.
“…You piss me off.”
That was a mistake.
“Wha—?”
Before Rose could speak, the thief’s fist struck her cheek. She fell to the ground, and screams erupted from the passengers. The thief grabbed her hair as she lay there.
“Ugh…!!”
“What are you so proud of, you bitch! Cry! Beg for your life!!”
The thief struck her again and again. It was violence without hesitation or remorse, the act of a heartless beast.
Rubus couldn’t even bear to watch, crouching down with his hands clasped together. All he could do was pray to the gods and spirits and scream in anger.
──Gods, spirits! This is too much, this is too cruel!
But the sound of violence didn’t stop.
“This is bad…”
From a high vantage point in the hall, Ur frowned as he watched the scene unfold.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
They quickly found the large passenger hall Kona had mentioned. Originally designed as a mobile fortress for wealthy citizens, the facility was easily accessible.
Avoiding the crowded entrance on the first floor, they looked down from the upper levels and saw the brutal scene unfolding below. Ur frowned, but this wasn’t the time to grieve.
“So there really are people controlling the undead soldiers…bandits?”
“There are also a lot of undead soldiers.”
Ur and Shizuku surveyed the area.
As expected, the hall was large enough to hold all the passengers. In the center, dozens of passengers were gathered, surrounded by undead soldiers. Slightly apart, on a raised platform, were the bandits and a single girl being tormented.
Frankly, the situation wasn’t good. There were more hostages and enemies than they had anticipated.
“Fortunately, the passengers are all gathered in one place. If I create a barrier, I can protect them.”
“While I rescue that girl…got it.”
Shizuku’s expression twisted in pain as she heard the girl’s screams, and Ur groaned at her suggestion.
“That’s tough.”
“Yes.”
From here, the bandits I can see don’t appear to be trained warriors, judging by their poorly maintained equipment. But there are five of them. And there are even more undead soldiers. While Ur and Shizuku have grown stronger, they still can’t easily overcome such overwhelming numbers.
Moreover, there are many hostages to protect. Handling this situation with just the two of them would be tough. However,
“Sir Ur……”
“Is this the limit?”
The voice of the girl being tortured grows weaker. Ur steels himself.
Ur can’t imagine these bandits caring about hostages or worrying about the consequences of killing. They might easily kill her in the heat of the moment. Ur have no choice but to act.
“Shizuku, prepare the barrier. I’ll use the Dragon Fang Spear’s 【Howl】 to blow away the undead soldiers. I’ll reduce their numbers and draw their attention—”
Just as he was about to give the order and move, it happened.
“Heeey, there’s a beautiful maiden right here~”
A carefree voice rang out. Like the girl earlier, it came from among the passengers.
“If you want to torment her, why not start with me, dear bandits?”
With a cheerful smile, a golden-haired girl stepped forward from the hostages.
It was Diz.
“Wha……!?”
Ur was stunned. No, he genuinely doubted his eyes.
When he had looked down at the lower floor earlier, he had checked to see if Diz and Akane were among the hostages. At a glance, he hadn’t seen them, so he had assumed they were safe. But where had she come from, and why was she walking straight into danger—
“────”
“Huh?”
Just then, for the briefest moment, Diz glanced up at Ur and Shizuku hiding on the upper floor. It might have seemed like a coincidence, but Ur felt their eyes meet. In that instant, she mouthed something. Of course, Ur couldn’t make out what she was saying, but,
“She’s saying, [Wait].”
“Wait……?”
Shizuku deciphered it, only adding to the confusion.
The bandits who had caused this mess were completely devoid of morals and ethics. They were no different from beasts, as evidenced by the atrocities happening right before their eyes. Jumping into that situation was nothing short of suicidal.
As Ur was thinking this, Diz stood in front of the bandits. Cold sweat dripped down his back.
The bandits were momentarily stunned by the carefree voice and the girl who had stepped forward. But when they saw her appearance, they grinned lecherously.
“So, little lady, you’re volunteering to take the beating?”
“Yep, that’s right.”
“And, did you hear the conditions? Our boss won’t accept anything less than a virgin.”
“Of course.”
Diz smiled and, as if to show off, smoothly removed her outerwear. Her pale skin was exposed. Illuminated by the magical lights of the hall, her figure was beautiful, almost eerily so, and strangely alluring.
The bearded leader, seemingly excited, shifted his attention from the girl he had been tormenting to Diz.
“How noble of you, eh? Well then, let’s check—”
“Ah, right. Before that, there’s one thing I’d like to confirm.”
“Huh?”
Just before his hand reached out, Diz smiled gently and asked,
“Have you three or more of you ever killed someone?”
At the question, the bandits glanced at each other for a moment, then burst into raucous laughter.
“Ah, that takes me back! The law of the nameless! The first one was an accident!! The second was self-defense! The third? Well, you can’t complain if you get killed!!”
“Killed someone? Hmm, let’s see… Hey, you guys! What was it again?”
“Those old geezers lying around? The bones killed them, so it doesn’t count, right?”
“Those merchants we attacked last time—there were about five of them, but they fell off a cliff while running away from us!”
“If they died on their own, it’s not our fault, hahahaha!!!”
The bandits continued to laugh at the lives they had trampled, while the passengers grimaced or trembled in fear. Only Diz, who had asked the question, listened quietly and nodded.
“I see. How unfortunate.”
Then she swung her right hand.
Ur didn’t even see the motion. It was as if her arm had vanished.
And in the next moment, the bearded leader’s head slid cleanly off his shoulders and hit the ground.
“Huh?”
Ur let out a dumbfounded sound.
“Huh?”
The bandits also let out dumbfounded sounds.
“Huh?”
The bearded man let out a dumbfounded sound. And then he died.
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