You all have no idea how long I have waited to do this chapter. This one is easily going to be one of my favorites thus far.
I think you'll all see what I mean in a few minutes.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing important feedback and critic.
With that said, let's get it started.
Chapter 27: No Mercy
They didn't push out until noon came along, since they had to finish up some preparations for their journey deeper into Melromarc. Ake had procured a more proper carriage made out of dark wood from his parent's business as opposed to the simpler one that they had used during their little trip to Iris's house. So most of their morning was composed of filling up their new carriage with spare food and water for their trip.
And of course, Ake having to say goodbye to Carlyle and a few others who insisted on seeing the knight off. Their carriage was parked by the partially rebuilt entrance of the village and they were just about ready to leave had there not be so many people who wanted to say goodbye.
" Remember all the tricks and tips I gave you boy " Sir Rathos patted Ake on the shoulder.
" I will "
" And don't forget to visit us again...and bring a souvenir for the kids,why don't ya? " Gaston said with a smirk.
" I'll be sure to bring back a chimera's head so I can put it on my wall " Ake rolled his eyes but had a smile of his own.
Mein resisted the urge to roll her eyes, while she can't deny that Ake being well-connected has helped them out on occasion...
Why the hell does he seem to know everybody !?
The last person to see Ake off was none other than his personal maid.
" Stay safe out there Master Ake " Carlyle said professionally,giving a respectful bow to her master.
" Oh cut it out with that professionalism crap and give me a hug " Ake said as he suddenly enveloped the old maid in a hug, much to the surprise of the princess in disguise.
Carlyle chuckled as she hugged him back.
So he does have a heart...unexpected.
With those last words said, their group was finally able to start moving, Ake driving the carriage while Naofumi and Raphtalia sat in the back of the carriage. Mein herself was riding on Jun to act as protection for the main carriage.
The princess turned heretic takes one last look at Lute village as it fades into the distance, despite only spending a few short days she almost started to feel at home...
Oh well. They must focus on their journey deeper into Melromarc.
Motoyasu's POV
Let it never be said that Motoyasu didn't appreciate his companions. While Motoyasu didn't consider himself a disorganized person by any means, even he needed some help planning their trip to travel deeper into Melromarc in search of stronger monsters.
Gretel and Elena were the real lifesavers here. With the former doing most of the planning on what they need for their trip and how much they are going to need, while the latter mostly just made some suggestions here and there. They were fortunate enough that Elena's family was willing to lend them a carriage and some filorials for their journey free of charge.
At the moment, they were currently seated in the adventurer's guild with a map laid out on the table in front of them. With Gretel doing most of the talking and planning.
" Okay, so we're going to need to bring some rations, water, spare weapons, and other essential gear " Gretel explained " We can probably get most of this stuff for cheap, and then we can work on loading it onto the carriage and..."
Motoyasu partially drowned her out, occasionally nodding along to what Gretel was saying since she seemed to be in her own world and just going over the plan. Lesty also looked to be doing the same thing while Elena was on the verge falling asleep out of boredom.
Yeah, the prepping stage really wasn't his favorite part of any adventure. He understood the necessity of it though.
He let his eyes wander over to some of the adventurers in the guild, some of them were young rookies were happily chatting it up, while others looked like seasoned veterans in their 30's planning out their next score. He briefly wondered if he should start recruiting some adventurers, there were only four of them at the moment, two of which were backliners while only himself and Elena were frontline fighters. A good balance, but perhaps an extra person would help balance things out?
"Um excuse me...but are you the Spear Hero by any chance? "
A voice snapped him out of his stupor and he turned to a blonde woman around his age, looking at him with interest and optimism in her eyes. She was dressed in light metal armor and had a sword attached to her hip.
" Yes, I am milady, how can I help you? " Motoyasu responded with a smile.
" Well, my name is Rino, I'm an adventurer..." Rino smiled at them " I would like to join you on your quest to defend the world against the waves Spear Hero"
What a coincidence...
" Sure! We'd be glad to have you " Motoyasu said with a smile as he made space for Rino " Come and sit with us, we were just talking about our trip deeper into Melromarc "
" Sounds like I joined up at the right time " Rino chuckled a little.
" Sir Motoyasu, are you sure this is a good idea to recruit somebody you literally just met not even 5 minutes ago? " Elena said as she gave a suspicious look at Rino.
" Oh come on Elena, loosen up a bit " Motoyasu waved her off " Besides we could use the extra hand since we're journeying further into Melromarc "
" Doesn't mean we have to pick up every stray we come across " Elena muttered.
Lesty and Gretel were a bit more welcoming, the two of them giving polite smiles at the new girl.
" Nice to meet you Rino, I'm Gretel "
" Lesty, nice to meet ya "
" And you've already met Elena " Motoyasu said with a smirk.
The fencer for her part merely nodded slightly to confirm that she acknowledged the new girl's presence.
" I'm glad to meet so many friendly faces so far from home " Rino laughed as she sat next to Lesty " Just so we're clear, I'm a Fighter who specializes in sword combat. I can't really use much in the way of magic, but give me a blade and I'll cut down whatever monster you want "
" Sounds great! It'll be good to have another melee on the team " Motoyasu said enthusiastically.
" Glad that I joined in the nick of time then " Rino chuckled.
" I have to admit that it's kinda weird that not more adventurers haven't joined us Cardinal Heroes " Motoyasu thought out loud.
It had been something that had been on his mind for a while now, he had heard all about how revered the Cardinal Heroes of this world war and he would occasionally get some respectful looks or even full-on flirting from other adventurers of the guild. But what bothered him was how so few of them actually had any intention of joining him.
Actually, now that he thinks about it...with the exception of Naofumi, none of the heroes parties have really changed much in the past month. You'd think with a world-ending catastrophe on the rise, more people would be joining up to fight back against the wave.
" I'm afraid to say Sir Motoyasu...but it may be because of your status as a Cardinal Hero that more people don't join you " Rino pointed out to his surprise.
" Huh ? "
" You're familiar with the guild rankings correct ? " Rino asked and waited for him to nod before continuing " Well, as you know Platinum is the highest rank an adventurer can achieve with almost all of them being Heroes of past. Gold is the second and Silver is Third "
" Okay...what does that have to do with people not wanting to join us ? " Motoyasu raised an eyebrow at this.
" Most gold and platinum ranked adventurers work directly for the Kingdom...and that means getting embroiled in politics " Rino explained with her arms crossed " As you can imagine, a lot of adventurers don't like the idea of getting involved in politics and they especially don't like the idea of being tied down with a hero and tasked to go save the world from ending "
" Oh "
" She's right " Elena nodded " Which is why most of the chosen companions for the heroes are noble children or people with the right connections, hell some that are real adventurers had to be paid by the Kingdom just to be in a heroes party "
" Damn, that sounds bad " Motoyasu thought with a bit of dread. If most adventurers weren't happy with the idea of joining them , how were they going to recruit more adventurers ?
Oh well, he's sure they'll figure it out.
" Well, I'm glad that you joined up then Rino "
" The pleasure is all mine... Sir Motoyasu "
Motoyasu sure hopes the other guys are doing well at the moment.
Mein's POV
A few hours had passed since they had departed from Lute village and started making their way up north.
During that time, they had to stop a few times because Filo had gone too fast and upset Raphtalia's stomach, along with taking breaks so their steads could rest and recover. They were probably way off from the capital now...and Mein had grown exceptionally bored.
They hadn't encountered any monsters and they were still a little bit of a ways off from their destination, which was a village in which they could stop and rest for the night. She was certain that Raphtalia was taking a nap while Naofumi was either reading a book or trying to find ways to hold onto his sanity in the back of the carriage. So that just left Mein and Ake to watch out for any threats on the road.
Of course, it was Ake she gets put on watch with, might as well try and pass the time a little by talking.
" So Ake...how do you like your new powers ? " Mein asked slowly.
The knight looked at her as if she grew a second head.
" What ? "
" Nothing its just I never thought you were one for trying to make awkward conversation " Ake said with an eye roll.
" Well, excuse me for trying to pass the time " Mein responded with her own eye roll " So you going to tell me if you like them or not ? "
" I like em just fine...it just feels so weird though " Ake admitted " It's not like magic, channeling your mana to form a spell...its like something rises up from within you and you can feel the power flowing through you..."
" Yeah, I feel like that too sometimes " Mein confessed. She had to admit that it felt strangely good, powerful even whenever she used the abilities of the Mark.
Not like she would ever admit it to that Black Eyed Bastard.
" So how far do you reckon before we reach the next village ? "
" A few hours if we keep at our current pace and..." Ake stopped as he suddenly pointed ahead of them " You see that ? "
Mein looked ahead of them and saw a carriage that was situated on the side of the road, leaning particularly on its left side and Mein could see a lone man standing by it.
" Sir Naofumi, we got something up ahead " Ake called out to Naofumi and the Shield Hero poked his head out from the back.
" We got trouble ? "
" Not sure, looks like some guy's carriage with his wheel busted " Ake explained as they got close.
" Well, get close maybe we can help him out " Naofumi's good nature shined through and Mein resisted the urge to sigh as they got closer.
As they got closer, the man standing by his broken down carriage raised a hand to call them over " Might you fine adventurers spare a hand for an old man ? "
Mein got off Jun, and Ake, Naofumi and Raphtalia got off the ride to get a closer look at the broken down carriage's situation. It appeared the carriage's wheel had fallen off, leaving the man stranded. The man himself looks to be in his late 40's to early 50's or so, he didn't seem armed and looked glad at their presence.
" What happened ? " Naofumi asked.
" The damn wheel fell off while I was driving it and now I can't seem to get the damn thing back on... " The man explained-
And Mein could tell that he was lying.
The tenseness in his body language, the slight slowness in his explanation...something was off.
Mein shared a glance with Ake, who seemed to have picked up the same thing.
" What are you doing all the way out here anyway ? " Ake asked with his arms crossed.
" O-Oh well...I was just travelling to a faraway village to visit my sister ! That's it..." The man weakly explained.
" Well, okay I guess..." Naofumi sounded equally unconvinced but wasn't sure of what to make of the situation yet.
While he was busy talking to Naofumi and Ake, Mein took this chance to pull open the flap of the back of his carriage-
There was nothing in the back.
And that made Mein very alarmed.
Who the hell travels to a faraway village without packing any supplies ? Not even carrying a weapon for the occasional low-level monster ? And now that I take a moment to think about it...where the hell are his filorials to pull this bloody carriage ?
Her eyes widened as she finally figured out what was going on. She turned back to Naofumi who was still talking with the man-
Oh shit.
" So if you kind boys and girls could just help me fix my carriage, that would very much apprecia-URGK!"
The man was cut off when Mein suddenly grabbed him by the throat and started choking him with one hand.
Her eyes were merciless, allowing for only coldness as she spoke.
" How many of you are there ? "
" MEIN ! What the hell are you doing !?" Naofumi shouted in surprise, Raphtalia equally backing away in shock. Ake was the only one to have his hand on his sword hilt, prepared for a fight.
Mein didn't answer straight away, instead she looked at the trees and forest that surrounded the road they were on.
" You know, its easy to spot an ambush-" Mein's voice rose to reach the trees " WHEN THE BANDITS SEND OUT THEIR WORST ACTOR TO PLAY VICTIM !"
No sooner had she said that, they heard rustling in the bushes...followed by several men and women emerging from both sides of the forest, surrounding their party in the middle.
I fucking hate it when I'm right sometimes.
Mein's practically growls as she pulls her hood and veil up with one hand, still keeping the other choking the bandit in her grasp.
" I am impressed !" The bandit leader dressed in a long coat, wielding a katana of some kind " This woman marked our bait in less than a minute..."
Mein ignored him as she took stock of the situation.
They have us surrounded on both sides, they also have us outnumbered, fuck...
Granted most of the bandits weren't exactly wearing top-notch gear, in fact most of them appeared to just be wearing animal pelts and hides, with only a few wearing what appears to be cheap metal pieces they likely stole off of dead adventurers. And Mein was willing to bet that most of these idiots weren't high level since it wasn't like cowardly scoundrels like bandits bothered to routinely train and keep up their levels.
Mein herself was at level 37...she suppose she wouldn't mind reaching 40 about now.
" Ooooh , get a look at the masked one over there ! " One of the bandits pointed at Mein " Her face is covered , but damn does she have a nice body ! We're going to be having fun tonight boys ! " The men of the bandit group laughed and chuckled as if victory was already there's.
Yeah, she's going to enjoy roasting these insolent worms to a crisp.
" Hey asshole ! Remember us !?"
One of the bandits stood out...and Mein actually recognized his face !
" You're that group of adventurers that attacked us !" Naofumi shouted in shock.
The Shield Hero was correct as Mein could see that it was the same group of five Emerald Adventurers that attacked them in the slums the day they got Raphtalia and Keel. And every single one of the five had looks of murderous anger on their faces.
" Oh, you remembered us , how touching !" The ranger mocked.
" Thanks to your sorry ass, the guild expelled us and we were stripped of our ranks as adventurers !" The warrior shouted in anger.
" That was your own fault, you attacked us and as far as I'm concerned you got what you deserved !" Ake shouted back.
" Why you little-"
" Now, now, no need to get all worked up " The bandit leader stepped up " We're just here for a job is all. Hand over the little raccoon and maybe we'll let you get away with your lives..."
Raccoon ? They want Raphtalia ?
" And how about you tell your little lady friend there to let go of our associate ? " The bandit leader turned to her, who was still in the middle of choking the man from earlier.
Mein glared at each and every one of the bandits, before she turned to the man whose life was literally in her hands.
His eyes showed that he was pleading her not to do it. She didn't care.
She already made up her mind.
" Fuck that "
CRACK !
Mein had no hesitation as she snapped the man's neck using both of her hands, hearing his bones snap like a twig.
" Holy shit ! " One of the bandits exclaimed.
" KILL THEM !"
" Zweit Fireball !" Mein shouted as she held both of her hands to both sides flanking them " Zweit Fire Arrows !"
The princess released a large ball of fire through one hand and a volley of fire arrows through the other, managing to hit more than a couple of bandits and bust a line through their ranks.
Which gave their group an opportunity to fight back.
Ake didn't waste any time slashing at the bandits on the right flank, while simultaneously using his magic to take potshots at the bandits.
" GUAH !"
" GRAAH !"
Jun and Filo weren't sitting on the sidelines either. Jun for his part was mostly slashing at the bandits with his claws, while Filo focused more on quickly striking the the bandits with strong kicks that sent them flying and instantly knocking them out.
Mein would almost feel proud if she wasn't so pissed at the current situation.
She blocked the sword attacks from two bandits, their strikes were sloppy and easy to read, it was clear that they were not combat trained and were mostly just trying to overwhelm her.
Well, no need to hold back then.
A parrying strike to throw one off guard, followed by another kick to the groin. Mein had her opening.
She decapitated the second one first with a quick arc of her sword, blood flying and staining the grass, before she stabbed the other one straight through the chest, piercing his lungs and letting him fall to the ground to bleed out overtime.
" Aaaaahhhh !" Raphtalia screamed at the sight of blood and Mein was reminded that the girl was clearly still not used to this sorta thing.
Considering the fact that Mein just decapitated a man and stabbed another to death.
" Raphtalia ! Stay close to m- Holy shit !" Naofumi barely had time to call out to Raphtalia, before the former adventurer group turned bandits attacked him. The rogue, ranger and mages all on him. Holding his shield up to block knife attacks from the rogue while trying to deal with the ranger and mages long range attacks.
" Zweit Ice Spikes !"
" Fast Gust !"
The two mages sent out their respective spells, with the ranger simultaneously shooting her arrows at him.
" Airstrike Shield ! Shield Prison !"
Naofumi quickly summoned the ethereal shield to block their attacks and attempted to trap them with Shield Prison, but the mages and ranger quickly jumped out of the way before the prison took effect.
" Zweit Thunderbolt !" Ake shot a bolt of pure lightning at some bandits, tearing through a few of them.
Mein cut down another bandit, grabbing his handaxe and tossing it with as much strength as she could muster into the neck of another bandit. Before parrying another strike from two more bandits that wanted a piece of her.
She kicked the first one from the crotch right as she parried a strike from the second, before directing the first bandit's javelin into the throat of his companion, he barely had time to scream as she stabbed him right through the heart.
Mein took a split second to breath as she examined the situation while fighting. The battle wasn't exactly on their side, since they were still outnumbered.
But if we could take out a few more bandits than maybe the rest-
" NAOFUMI WATCH OUT !" She heard Ake scream before she saw the Rogue of the former adventurer party stab Naofumi in the side, penetrating his armor.
" AAAH ! FUCK !" Naofumi cursed as he changed to the Iron Shield " Shield Bash ! "
The attempted stun was unsuccessful as the Rogue quickly retreated and the Shield Hero didn't have time to go after him, as he was once again pelted by spells and arrows from the former adventurers.
Mein for her part couldn't go over to help since she was still pinned down fighting against a couple of bandits, pondering whether its worth starting a forest fire to take out a huge chunk of these bastards with one of her higher level fire spells.
" Somebody grab the brat and get out of here ! We'll take care of these fuckers !" The Warrior shouted, as he fought against Ake.
Brat ? What are they-
She barely finished her thought, as she saw the Rogue from before grab Raphtalia in his arms and started pulling her away.
" NO ! L-LET ME GO ! BIG SISTER !" Raphtalia cried out and suddenly the whole world went deaf.
As if all of Mein's instincts were calling-no, SCREAMING at her to let go. To unleash it all on these sorry excuse for human beings. To let go of all chains holding her back at this moment from saving Raphtalia.
Mein agreed.
Before she knew it, her mind had already selected Blink into her skill option-
And she was standing in front of the rogue that was about to take her girl away, the man's eyes widening in shock at the woman that was now staring right into his soul.
" Let her go "
The sentence was simple- but it held a quiet rage and murderous intent like none other.
" HOLY SH-URGK !" The rogue didn't have time to scream, as Mein plunged her sword straight through his throat and pulling Raphtalia away in the process.
" Raphtalia are you okay !? " Mein quickly asked, ignoring the dead rogue next to them.
" Big sister y-y-you you..."
Mein needed a second to realize that the fighting seemed to suddenly stop, as the bandits turned to her.
Some looked at her in shock, others in disbelief at what had just happened...but they all shared something in common in their eyes.
Fear.
Mein didn't know why...but she felt glad.
No need to pull punches anymore.
" Holy shit...their HERETICS !" One of the bandits shouted after a hot minute.
Well, guess the cats out of the bag.
Mein knew what she had to do now.
None of these bandits could escape. And to do that she would need some help.
" Don't bother holding back ! Use your skills !" Mein called out to Ake.
" With pleasure " Ake said as his left hand glowed and smoke came out of it-
And he suddenly appeared behind the Warrior he was fighting.
" All-Zweit Thunderstun !" Ake let them have it, firing off multiple thunderbolts that made the bandits and Warrior scream before crumpling to the ground unconscious" How do you like that motherfuckers !?"
" Raphtalia stay close to me !" Mein shouted.
" O-okay !"
" Kill these bastards ! " The bandits screamed as they tried to charge them. Thankfully Mein was a step ahead of them, literally.
She blinked behind a large chunk of the bandits, before switching skills.
" Windblast !" Mein send forth a powerful blast of wind that knocked the bandits to the ground, but didn't quite kill them. Thankfully she had a skill for that.
" Devouring Swarm !" Mein hand rose in an upward motion and carnivorous rats rose up from the Void itself to feast on her enemies.
" AAAHH! GET THEM OFF ! GET THEM OFF !"
The bandits all screamed as the rats feasted on their flesh, slowly but surely breaking them down.
Mein made sure to cover Raphtalia's eyes, she didn't need to see this.
" YOU BITCH !" The mages turned their attention to her.
" Fast Tornado !"
" Zweit Frostbite !"
Mein grunted as she blinked out of the way of the magic attacks and arrows, grabbing Raphtalia along with her. They need to take out those backliners now.
" Jun ! Filo ! Take care of those idiots !" Mein called out to the monsters who were still busy cleaning up what's left of the bandits.
" GUAH !"
" GRAAH !"
Filo obviously wasn't happy taking orders from her but she followed them nonetheless, following after Jun.
" What the-"
The trio of backliners barely had time to react as the two monsters ran up right to them-
POW !
And kicked the three of them so hard they hit a nearby tree, before falling to the ground unconscious.
Mein smirked as the tide of battle turned to their favor, half of the bandits were dead or unconscious, now they just need to mop up these remaining idiots and-
" May I have this dance milady ?"
A courteous but smug voice cut in and Mein barely had time to react as she parried a strike from the bandit lord, the one with the long coat and katana.
" Raphtalia get back !" Mein shouted as she stood off against this bandit.
From his posture and stance alone, Mein could tell that this man was trained in the ways of the blade. Considering his swing just now was more practiced and had more finesse in it than any of his lackeys.
" I got to admit...I always wanted to fight against a heretic "
" You're about to wish you didn't get what you wanted "
" Perhaps. En garde milady !" The bandit lord attacked again.
The two exchanged blows, the bandit lord actually being able to keep up with her swift strikes and slashes. Mein would almost be impressed if she wasn't trying to kill him.
Sensing that this exchange was going nowhere, she decided to switch tactics.
" Thorns !" Mein while still in close range, unleashed her long range skill which made the bandit lord jump back.
" Whoa !" The bandit lord jumped back and only a couple managed to cut his arm " Nice ! "
" Thank you ! Please die now !" Mein said with a grunt as she switched again " Thunder Arc !"
An arc of thunder was sent out when she swung her sword, but to her surprise the bandit lord actually managed to duck right under it ! Causing the attack to slam into some trees and he charged her with speed.
" My turn !" The bandit lord stuck close to ground and scooped something into his hand..which he promptly threw at Mein, that turned out was dirt.
" Motherfu-" Mein swung her sword in an attempt to fight back while shielding her eye from the dust attack. The bandit lord monopolized his opportunity and struck her weapon away, leaving her defenseless.
" Damnit !" She tried to kick, only to find herself down on the ground as the result of a leg sweep. Before she could get up, she felt a blade kiss her neck.
" Sorry, it has to end here my lady, but I got a job to do " The bandit lord apologized " I promise I'll make it quic-"
" DON'T HURT HER !"
A loud voice screamed out,as Mein saw a little figure appear just next to the bandit lord and stabbing him in the leg.
" Ah ! Fuck !" The bandit lord cried out as he pushed Raphtalia away with his arm.
Leaving him well open for attack.
Not having anytime to grab her fallen weapon, she pulled out her dagger and tackled him to the ground, before stabbing him right in the heart.
Their eyes made contact and Mein watched the life leave his eyes.
" Rest in peace..." Mein said in a mock of respect.
The bandit lord couldn't say anymore as he laid his head back and died.
Mein said nothing as she picked up her sword and surveyed the scene before her, most of the bandits were unconscious or dead, with only a few still remaining.
Time to put an end to this.
" ALL OF YOU STOP !" Her loud voice pierced through the air and it was enough to get the few remaining bandits to stop too.
" Your leader is dead ! Surrender now and maybe I won't beat you death with your own legs ! " Mein shouted, pointing to the dead body of their leader " Try to run and I will hunt you down and torture you to death ! Lay down your weapons !"
The remaining bandits looked fearful as if wondering if running for their lives was going to work...
But then they remembered that they were up against a Hero and a heretic...
And silently laid their weapons on the ground.
Mein let out a breath, it was over.
It took more than a little while for them to tie up the surviving bandits using rope from Naofumi's Rope Shield. Which was an easy task since most of the bandits had been knocked out by Filo and Jun. While others suffered mild damage, it was nothing they would die from.
Fortunately most of their own party didn't receive any grave wounds during this battle, Naofumi only receiving a light stab wound while Ake got some cuts and bruises, nothing that healing magic couldn't fix. Jun and Filo only received a few missing scales and ruffled feathers for their trouble. Mein and Raphtalia were the only ones who came out relatively unscathed for the most part.
Mein looked at the group of tied up bandits and did a quick headcount. About half of the bandit group was still alive, counting the former adventurers turned bandits. The rest were dead.
And she had to admit, while the dead bandits didn't carry anything of marginal value to them beside a few silvers - the bandit leader and the rogue she had killed were carrying some damn fine equipment. A well crafted katana for ease of movement and speed. The rogue carried a shortsword for quick strikes, along with lockpicking tools and throwing knives.
Mein kept the items in her inventory for later use as she surveyed the bandits they had captured.
" You guild rat bastards, you said that this was going to be an easy job !" One of the bandits yelled at the former adventurers.
" Well, we didn't think they were fucking heretics ! We could have taken them easy if you guys didn't suck so much !" The Warrior shouted back.
" Go fuck yourself ! When I get out of these I'm gonna-"
" Hold on a fricking minute ! " Naofumi interrupted their little argument " Job ? "
" I believe it was the bandit leader who referred to their primary objective being to capture Raphtalia " Mein remembered as the little raccoon hid behind her leg.
The bandits went quiet at that, clearly none of them wanting to spill the information about their objective just now.
" Why would any of these guys go after Raphtalia ? " Naofumi thought out loud as he turned to the former adventurers " I mean...these guys, I get since we got them kicked of the guild, but it doesn't make sense for these bandits to make a big deal out of capturing Raphtalia "
" Maybe they wanted to sell her...but honestly speaking, its not like she would have made them much money " Ake said bluntly " And there's no way this bandit group would work with these assholes if they couldn't promise a good payday "
" Then perhaps we should ask them..." Mein turned to the little raccoon " Raphtalia go wait by the carriage with Jun and Filo..."
" O-Okay..." Raphtalia didn't argue as she slowly walked away to stand by Jun and Filo.
Leaving Mein to do the dirty work.
" So ladies and gents...who here wants to give up what your objective was and why you attacked us ? " Mein said firmly.
" Go fuck yourself ! We ain't telling you shit ! You're the bitch that killed Lucas !" The Warrior screamed at them.
Mein didn't know who he was talking about...until she remembered the rogue that she had killed earlier.
" Oh him...nothing personal I suppose " Mein shrugged " He made the mistake of getting in my way..."
" You red headed whore ! I ought to-"
CRACK !
The Warrior was shut up when Mein kicked his face in with her metal boot, the force alone causing a few teeth to fall out.
" AAAAHH ! YOU BITCH ! You broke my fucking nose !" The Warrior cried out.
" Mein...maybe we shouldn't-"
" Stay out of this Naofumi..." Mein said coldly as she lit up a fireball in her hand " First one to talk, doesn't get their crotch set on fire...who's first ? "
The men and women all looked at each other, the adventurers looked uncertain but didn't look like they were going to spill...
" You're wasting your time, you red headed bitch. We're not going to tell you a damn-"
" These guys came to us a few days ago, they said they had a job they wanted our help with. Said that if we helped them, we would get a payday like no other !" One of the bandits instantly gave up the group " We had no idea you were the Shield Hero ! We swear !"
Mein smirked, she could always count on bandits to be the most cowardly scoundrels that would give up their own mother if it meant saving their own necks from the chopping block.
" You rat faced son of a bitch !" The ranged screamed out.
" Hey ! I'm looking out for myself here !"
" No honor among thieves it seems..." Mein says as she made the fireball dissipate " So these former waste of adventurers contacted your group with a job and you were all nothing more than unknowing fools who got roped into their little revenge plot, is that right ? "
The bandits hesitated for a moment before nodding.
" And I take it that means it was you..." Mein turned to the former adventurers " Who had the main job of kidnapping our dear raccoon...why ? Who gave you the job ? Who are you working for ? "
" Same answer as before: Fuck you " The male mage spat her, which just barely grazed her boot.
" Now that wasn't very nice...perhaps I should show you what happens when you mess with a heretic..." Mein took her knife out and oh so slowly, traced it to the crotch area of the male mage. Just barely pressing the blade up against the fabric " Tell me what I want to know. NOW "
The male mage didn't say anything but gulp...as Mein started a slow sawing motion to tear through his pants and-
" We were hired after the Second Wave was done alright ?" The ranged suddenly spoke up.
" Leah don't tell them-"
" We don't have a choice !" Leah shouted back " We were given a job by some random asshole. We never saw his face, only that he wanted the raccoon in the Shield Hero's party back. He was paying a large sum of money and we figured it would be our ticket out of Melromarc, plus some good payback against you assholes..."
" How did he contact you ? Anything distinct ? " Ake asked.
" He contacted us through a letter. No signature, nothing. Plus the damn thing turned to flames after we finished reading so I can't show it..." Leah explained " Though the wording was really weird..."
" How so ? " Naofumi asked.
" Said he wanted to have his 'plaything' back, I don't know what that means but-"
" Its him..." A quiet voice spoke up and their team turned to Raphtalia who's eyes were filled with horror.
" Who Raphtalia ? " Mein asked.
" M-M-My previous...owner..."
Mein's blood ran cold. As she asked her next question.
" Raphtalia...who was your previous owner...?"
" Raleigh Consevatie..."
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Mein's brain needs a second to catch up...Raphtalia's former owner was the child lover Consevatie.
The sick bastard who is well known to use child slaves for void knows what...and that nobody can stop him because he is the brother of Lord Consevatie.
" Um, I'm sorry to ask this but...who is that ? " Naofumi awkwardly spoke up, breaking her line of thought.
" Viscount Raleigh Consevatie is the brother of Lord Consevatie, the Lord Paramount of Jagged Reach " Ake explained with a grim expression "...And he's also well-known for using slaves "
" You mean, like for manual labor and stuff ? " Naofumi asked cautiously.
" No, to be used as his personal sex toys " Ake said calmly but his voice was laced with anger.
Naofumi's face lost all color as he barely muttered out the next words " H-He's a pedophile ? "
" That's another word for it from the Heroes of Old. Child lover is another. Sick bastard is a more common one..." Ake said angrily. Clearly disgusted by the man as much as Mein is.
" And Raphtalia was his...oh my god..." Naofumi knelled down in front of Raphtalia " I'm so sorry..."
Raphtalia hugged the Shield Hero as she cried at the reminder that her abuser was still out there...looking for her.
Mein glanced at the bandits who looked ready to say something derisive to ruin the moment.
" Say a goddamn word and I will skin you all alive " Mein said threateningly and her eyes showed that she was completely serious.
The bandits wisely shut the hell up during the whole affair.
This went on for a few more minutes before Raphtalia pulled away, wiping some tears from her eyes.
" Ho-how the hell has this bastard gotten away with everything !? This can't be legal right ?! " Naofumi shouted in anger.
" Sadly, its for the same reason regular slavers get away with their shit. They know which loopholes to exploit and pockets to fill " Ake said grimly " And nobody wants to go after the Vulture because his dear brother is the Lord Paramount of Jagged Reach "
"W-Well can't we like report him or something ? These guys basically admitted to receiving a job from him so can't we like bring him to court and testify against him ? " Naofumi tried to think of a desperate plan, but Mein could already see the massive holes in it.
" Never gonna work. All the evidence we have is pure conjecture and these assholes aren't exactly the most reliable witnesses on account of them being literal bandits even if we slap a slave seal on them to make them tell the truth " Ake said with a shake of the head " We'd be laughed out of court...if we ever get that far "
" Just fucking perfect..."
" And it's not like these guys can testify seeing as they are about to be dead in the next few minutes " Mein said coldly.
" Wait, what ? "
" I'm going to execute them Naofumi " Mein said as she took out her sword " Please take Raphtalia away so I can-"
" Hold on Mein !" Naofumi held his hands up in defense " I know they did wrong and they deserve to be punished...but isn't there a more ethical way to punish these guys without massacaring them like dogs !? Can't we just turn them into the authorities or something ?! "
Mein briefly appreciated the sentiment, but already knew it was a lost cause.
" It won't work Naofumi. Most organized bandit groups have connections to the right guards that can let them go for a small fee..." Mein explained coldly " And even if that wasn't an issue...they know I'm a heretic now Naofumi...I must silence them before they can talk "
The bandits faces blanche at that and terror kicked in as she took another step towards them.
" Wait ! Isn't there like a memory wipe spell or something ?! Or maybe maybe-"
" Naofumi " Mein said calmly and she let the slightest bit of emotion into her eye " Go wait by the carriage with Raphtalia and cover her ears...you both shouldn't have to see this "
Naofumi's mouth hung open as if he was trying to come up with some sort of argument to stop her...
No, save her from what she is about to do.
But what he doesn't know was that she had crossed this line a long time ago.
The Shield Hero looked down at the ground and quietly went back to the carriage with Raphtalia, looking saddened at her decision.
" You planning to help ? " Mein asked the knight who stayed.
" Let's just get this over with " Ake said as he pulled out his sword and approached the tied up bandits.
The bandits eyes went through shock, fear and desperation all within the span of a few seconds- and they all started shouting and begging.
" W-Wait ! Let's talk about this ! "
" We'll give you a cut of the money ! Whatever you want ! Just please don't kill us !"
" Let's not do anything hasty ! C-Can't we just sit down and-"
Their pleas fell on deaf ears...as Mein cut the first bandit down with a quick stab through the throat, killing him instantly.
That single death causing an uproar as the bandits continued to make wild pleas, with some crying.
Mein tried not to let it bother her as she cut each and every one of them down.
The former adventurers for their part, seemed to accept their fate or perhaps they didn't want to go out begging. Either way, they closed their eyes and accepted the swing of her blade.
The ranger and the male mage huddled together accepting death. Were they lovers perhaps ? Maybe she could-
No. Don't think of them like that.
They were not-could not be people to her. They were just witnesses. Loose ends. Targets for her to silence for eternity.
She gave the adventurers a quick death, stabbing in vital spots so they would die quickly. Trying not to let herself feel unnerved as her sword became caked in blood.
She couldn't allow herself to feel anything while she did this. Wasn't hard really.
She went for quick and fatal strikes for efficiency's sake and because she didn't want to waste time. Ake followed her example, though he was obviously moving at a much slower pace than her...and she noticed that eventually he stopped altogether to stare at her in silence.
She didn't pay him any mind as she killed one bandit after another.
Another swing of her sword, another spatter of blood,another plea for mercy, another kill for her...
" N-N-No p-please don't-" The female bandit couldn't finish her plea as Mein stabbed her through the heart.
The woman's eyes screamed of fear...as the life faded from her eyes and she was left staring into Mein's.
Stop looking at me.
Mein closed her eyes before moving on to the next one.
Her breath was ragged, the cloth of her veil covering her face had gotten some bloodstains on it...and there was more on her clothes. But she didn't care.
She just wanted to get this done.
This went on for more than a couple minutes...but the bandits were all dead. She killed them all.
She didn't know why but she felt very cold, like when she was in the Void. But she knew that these people were no test dummies...they were real and she killed them without a second thought, looking at the dozens of dead bodies before her of people that she had killed.
She tried not to let it bother her upon seeing the notification that she leveled up to level 42. Seems these bandits were a good source of EXP.
Mein didn't say anything as she walked all the way back to the carriage to a waiting Naofumi.
" Mein is it-" Naofumi was stopped when Mein walked right by him and grabbed something from the back of the carriage, which was revealed to be two shovels.
" We need to bury them. Get to work " Mein said coldly to Ake as she threw one shovel to him.
The knight was clearly off guard by the new attitude as she walked past him.
She ignored the concerned and worried looks she received and got to digging a few dozen graves.
Naofumi's POV
Mein was scarily quiet for the rest of the day. She barely spoke two words when talked to, not even her favorite raptor Jun was able to bring her out of whatever stupor she was in.
Not even when they stopped at a roadside inn to rest for the night, Mein barely ate anything. When it came time to ask for rooms to stay in, she requested her own room, not even trying to be flirtatious with him today.
Not like he would have been in the mood after what happened...
She didn't need to speak, it was clear that she wanted to be left alone...but was that really the right call here ?
Mein had killed dozens of people in the span of just a few minutes...sure they were bandits but...it was still unnerving how she did it.
There was no hesitation, no second thoughts,no mercy...as if killing was second hand nature for her.
And that made Naofumi wonder : What the hell happened that made Mein like this ?
It was when they were all heading to their rooms for the night that Naofumi made his move to ask that very question.
" Um...Mein ? " Naofumi spoke up before she could retreat into her room.
" Yes, Naofumi ? "
" Can we talk for a bit ? In private, I mean ? "
Mein's eyes narrow before she simply nodded "...Sure "
Naofumi quietly followed Mein into her room and his first companion sat down on the bed.
" So what did you want to talk about ? "
No point beating around the bush then.
" How did you know ? "Naofumi slowly asked after a moment.
" About what ? "
" About the ambush...how did you know there was an ambush? "
Mein was silent before answering " The signs were there but...I used to know a guy who had been on both sides..."
" Oh," Naofumi simply said, unsure of what to make of it all. Before he asked his next question " How did you do it? "
" Do what? "
" Kill so easily, it was a little unnerving if I'm being honest "
Mein was quiet for a few minutes as if contemplating what to say.
"I had a...teacher, mentor really a long time ago that taught me everything I know..." Mein told her story slowly " He taught me many things...he taught me how to steal...how to sneak...and most importantly how to kill without hesitation..."
" Who was he, Mein? "
His red-headed companion didn't answer but instead turned away.
" Mein? "
" Naofumi, I really don't like talking about this so can you just...drop it for tonight " Mein said softly " Please..."
The Shield Hero wanted to pursue but knew he had already pushed her to reveal much more than she was comfortable with.
" I understand " Naofumi said as he got up but before he left, he turned his head to her " But you should know that we all care about you...and if it's too much, you can always talk to one of us "
Mein didn't reply but turned her back to him.
He left the room after that, with a single thought on his mind.
Who was Mein Sophie...and what happened that made her like this?
That thought kept his mind busy the whole mind before he managed to go to sleep.
Yeah...so that just happened.
If it wasn't clear enough this chapter was meant to show just how fucked of a person Malty really is and you have to wonder what on earth could have happened that caused her to become like this. I'll leave that to your imagination for now.
This chapter was also meant to show what a cold-blooded killer Malty can be...whether she truly is one, is a question I myself have to answer.
Now let's answer some reviews, shall we?
To Guest:
Awww...thank you for saying that!
Trust me when I say that I feel your pain whenever I'm waiting for stories that I'm following to update.
To codywhite162:
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.
To Allyexis:
Yeah, just because the King is trying to play nice for now doesn't mean that he's not going to be petty AF to Naofumi when he can get away with it.
XD
Huh, you know I never actually noticed that Naofumi's crew is filled with people with severe parental issues. Though I would argue that Raphtalia doesn't count since her parents were actually good to her.
Once again, thank you for your kind words and continued interest in this story.
With that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.