Karahan (6)

"Unnie… then shouldn't we not go?"

Rubia's deeply furrowed expression softened, calming once more.

What was that look she gave me earlier?

And what did she mean by 'trying to mess with her stuff'?

Hmm… seriously, what's going on?

"No. That's why we must go."

Hephaestus tilted her head.

I tilted mine as well.

"Hephaestus. Who do you think would know about the existence of Eliximona? First of all, as a priestess, even I didn't know about it."

"Uh… my master and me… and…"

"It'd only be someone extremely close to your master, wouldn't it?"

Hephaestus nodded slowly.

"But for some lowly criminal organization to know about it—"

"Does that mean Master was betrayed…?"

Rubia remained silent.

Even so, Hephaestus seemed to take the lack of response as an answer. Her expression twisted in an instant.

"Who could've…? Ah, so that's why we need to go… But didn't you say the knights and adventurers all failed, Rubia unnie?"

Hephaestus had a point.

The knights and adventurers had all been hired to take down the organization and failed.

They must have been well-prepared, with proper plans in place.

And yet, here we were—just three people…

Though I was reasonably confident in our ability, it was still worrisome…

"That's because they were ordinary people."

Rubia slowly straightened her posture and placed a hand on her chest, speaking with an air of confidence.

"And who am I?"

"The priestess…"

Rubia's lips curled into a sharp grin.

"That's right. Just trust me, Hephaestus."

"Wow…"

Even I, who struggled to keep up with the flow of the conversation, couldn't help but be amazed by Rubia's radiant presence.

"For now, we'll just locate the place and count their numbers. The real operation starts tomorrow."

"Then, what about Mariel…?"

"For now, don't act suspicious. Just behave as usual. I'll take care of her."

"Ah, understood."

Accepting Hephaestus's reply, Rubia chuckled and reached out her hand to me.

"Let's go eat, Noah. You're hungry, right? Hephaestus must be too."

"Ah, yes…"

"…Yeah. But I don't have much of an appetite."

Nodding, I took Rubia's hand.

The grip I felt was firmer than usual.

"Noah, don't make it obvious either… though staying as you are now is probably perfect."

"Yeah, unnie, just stay how you are."

They both looked at me and laughed softly.

"What do you mean by 'how I am now'?"

They're teasing me, aren't they!

"You're adorable."

"You're just like your usual self."

Yep, definitely teasing me.

"Ughhh…"

"Pfft—haha… Anyway, Hephaestus, don't worry too much. It might take a little longer, but we'll find a sure way to handle this."

"That's true, but… I'm more worried about you two getting hurt…"

"They don't have any way to communicate quickly, so even if things don't go as planned, we won't die. And we're unlikely to suffer serious injuries either."

Rubia's voice was determined as she squeezed my hand so tightly it cut off the circulation.

"But if—by any chance—it does come to that…"

Her gaze.

Once again.

Turned to me.

"I'll make sure they know how agonizing it is to die at someone else's pace. Painfully. Deliberately."

Rubia and Hephaestus's acting skills… were incredible.

Especially Rubia.

Hephaestus was one thing, but Rubia…

How does she hide such a chillingly menacing aura so well?

* * * *

"Did everyone eat well?"

"Ah, yes. Thanks to you… I really did. Thank you."

Mariel's acting was also top-notch.

If Rubia's suspicions were correct, she was preparing to betray us…

But her expression was that of genuine gratitude.

"Yeah, I'm full."

"Me too…"

"Then… shall we head out?"

Rubia stood up with a cheerful smile.

The same practiced, professional smile she used when dealing with Jur.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Hephaestus also stood up as well.

"Understood… Hah…"

Mariel looked tense.

I followed Rubia and Hephaestus's instructions, maintaining my usual expression as I nodded.

"For now, we'll just identify the location and their numbers. The real cleanup will happen later."

Hephaestus's lips pressed tightly together.

"I'm sorry, Hephaestus. But… there's no other way—"

"It's okay. I know…"

Interrupting Rubia's words in a harsh tone, Hephaestus clenched her fists tightly.

…It was impossible to tell if she was acting or being genuine.

"Noah, you understand too, right? No matter how few of them there are, you can't charge in today. Don't do what you did last time, okay?"

When did I charge in…?

"L-like when…?"

"That time with the new criminal gang in Alrba. I told you to hold back, but you couldn't, and…"

Alrba…?

"Huh…?"

"The gang's boss ended up so torn apart he couldn't even move. Crawling on his elbows, his jaw ripped off… Even for a bad guy, it was too much."

Rubia rubbed her arms as if recalling something chilling.

Even Hephaestus gave me a weird look.

And Mariel, trailing behind us, stopped dead in her tracks, trembling head to toe. Her teeth chattered audibly.

"I-I… wha…?"

This is all acting… right?

I'm supposed to play along… right?

Hmm…

What would those adventurers I passed by earlier think?

I racked my brain for an appropriate response and finally came up with one.

Slowly, I steadied myself and said,

"They were trembling so much that I skinned one of their underlings alive and used it as a blanket for them. That was hilarious, wasn't it…?"

Did that work?

Was it okay?

Why isn't anyone reacting…?

Was it not enough…?

Alright… what would Rubia say in this situation…?

"And, uh… the person who lured us into that trap… thanks to Rubia, they couldn't even die properly and became a living punching bag, right? Every time we get angry, we can just wham, wham! It'd be nice to have another one like that… Hehe."

Rubia would say something like this!

She just mentioned ripping someone apart and making sure they couldn't die earlier!

"Noah…?"

"Yes?"

Rubia stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. Her face was frozen in shock.

The same went for Hephaestus.

And Mariel…

Thud.

"Hic… Sniff… Hic…"

She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh, uh… um… haha… Right? It was really… f-funny back then. It would be nice to have another one, wouldn't it?"

Rubia, awkwardly laughing, yanked me close and whispered quietly in my ear.

"Noah. That didn't actually happen, did it…?"

"Of course not… What do you take me for…?"

"Really…?"

"Obviously, yes. Really."

Only after hearing my firm response did Rubia's expression relax with relief.

What the heck.

Rubia's the one who says stuff like that, and now she's acting like this toward me?

"Mariel, don't worry too much. We'll handle this thoroughly, so there won't be any retaliation."

"Sniff… Th-thank you."

"Alright, let's go. Just point out the location and rest easy. I'll escort you to the temple afterward."

"Hic… yes… understood…"

Rubia helped Mariel to her feet, though her legs were still trembling violently.

"Careful now, walk slowly."

Mariel didn't even have the strength to speak, nodding weakly as she stumbled forward.

* * * *

We walked for some time.

The streets grew emptier, and the world became quieter.

Finally, Mariel stopped in her tracks. Her expression hardened.

I expanded my sensory field.

Mariel clenched her teeth and bit down on something embedded in her gums.

"Damn it! Get out here, now!"

Rubia's shocked voice followed immediately.

"When did you…?!"

The outline of a building formed in my senses.

Magic surged from Mariel's body.

The building's structure became clearer.

The writhing magic spilled outward.

The interior came into focus.

It reached toward Hephaestus and Rubia.

Behind the door, 32 figures appeared.

Hephaestus's face paled with fear.

I saw them open the door.

Mariel's attack was blocked by Rubia's divine power.

I reached out and struck Mariel—

No, the beast—on the head.

Crack!

The beast crumpled to the ground, lifelessly. Thankfully, it was still breathing.

The door opened.

I drew my greatsword.

"Kill the one with pink hair first!"

An axe flew toward Hephaestus.

I deflected it with the hilt of my sword.

The beasts' faces twisted in confusion.

I charged forward, swinging my blade.

The gut of the beast at the front exploded.

The legs of the one next to it were torn apart.

Rubia's divine power flared, shielding Hephaestus.

A wave of magic shot toward me from the side.

I ignored it and swung my sword.

Rubia's barrier absorbed the magic.

My blade shredded another beast's limbs.

Its innards splattered across the walls.

Another wave of magic targeted Rubia.

Her divine power stirred to block it.

Too late.

I picked up a mangled chunk of flesh from the ground and hurled it behind me.

The magic wave obliterated the flesh and dissipated.

I surged forward, punching the beast who cast it in the stomach.

Crunch!

The magic-infused wall behind it shattered. The sound of breaking ribs echoed clearly.

My hand bones also cracked.

The pain radiating from my hand shot to my brain.

My heart pounded violently.

My blood surged uncontrollably.

The rising emotions twisted my lips into a grin.

My hands moved on their own, carving wounds into my body.

Scratch-scratch, crack-crack…

I clawed my skin, drawing blood.

Slice, slice…

I cut my hand with my blade, spilling more.

Gnash, gnash…

I bit my tongue until blood dripped.

The frenzied blood sprayed in all directions.

My body burned.

My parched throat demanded blood.

The body, pushed to its limit, craved more.

From my broken hand,

my scraped skin,

my cut hand,

my bitten tongue—

The pain faded.

A deep thirst took its place.

My throat…

was dry.