43 Let's see it for the time being.




 The pain in my body brings me back to consciousness. I miss this feeling. It's been peaceful lately, no muscle pain, but now I have to check what's going on.
 I open my eyes. It seems I'm being rolled indoors. It's a dark, dusty, dirty room with very little light coming in. It doesn't look like anyone is living there. It is probably vacant. The dark side of Mejlis, Hade and his friends, also used the house after their master died.
 His body was bound tightly with ropes instead of ...... chains, and his arms and legs were useless. At this point, my memory becomes clearer. I thought the fight between Gilista and Parshero had begun, but before I knew it, a man appeared and chained me up all over.
 What did Gilista say, Exod--yes, Exoik. The handbook was dropped when he was captured, so I can't cross-reference it. But I can't do anything about it because I'm tied up, right? The only thing I can say is that he seemed to be the most dangerous of the three. When I think about it, it's a miracle that I'm alive now.
 If the third person had been Gilista or Parshero and had harmed us, we would have died by now. Furthermore, even though he was unconscious, I don't think that's why he released his restraints. There was some kind of exchange after that, and the three of them must have escaped from Ilias and the others. I don't want to think that the two of them lost .......  
 You want to try to escape, but your restraints won't budge. You can try to struggle, but you will only be able to knock your body over. Since my mouth isn't covered, I might be able to call out for help if I shout, but ...... I'm not going to do that right now. There's a good chance they're within earshot.
 While I was doing this, the three people I had just met opened the door and came in.

"Hello, are you awake? I was hoping to get an armful of good morning, but too bad.
"Are there no women in this world who can wake me up gently?
You've got some class, kid! You've got some nerve.
If you're allowed to ask questions while you're being held, I'd like to ask you something. Didn't Raheit tell you to kill me?
Yes, and I'm going to kill you for it.
The reason is simple, I'm going to use you.

 "The reason is simple: to use you. "I'm surprised, you're not normal.

"I'm surprised, you can speak normally?
"You almost killed me, scum! That's quite a feat.
"I'm only going to speak when I deem it necessary. I just don't get along with lunatics like you. Now, Chikyuu, as Gillista said, the request we received from Raheit was to eliminate you. But we've also been told we're free to choose our targets.
"...... hostages?

 As Earthlings are scarce, their value as hostages, though reluctant, can be considered reasonable. For that reason, I am grateful for the existence of Exdoik. Conversations with Gilista and Parshero are tiring.

"Yes. Gilista has agreed to take you hostage to settle the score with Ilias-Lazzell, and Pershero has agreed to take you hostage to lure out Pope Eupharo.
"So it was Ecdysius. What about you?
I'm going to kill Raqullah Sarf. I'm going to use you to do it.

 What did he do here, Lakra? In this situation, if it's a trivial reason, all I can say is to read the air.

I understand the purpose of Gilista and Parshero, but I want to know why they want to kill Lakra. If you can tell me, I'd like to hear it.
"It's for my father.

 Hmmm... now I don't understand. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would kill someone. Of course he's capable. But would that Lakra choose to kill people in his life? ...... No, there is one thing.

You've been raised by the devil, haven't you?
"You've been raised by the devil." "Well, that's why Raheit's wary. I was a baby sacrificed to my father in a village. My father, who was literally a demon, chose to raise babies rather than eat them. Only because he wanted to see his village destroyed by the baby they offered him.

 Well, that's devilish thinking, or was it? But you were raised by a man like that, and yet you're willing to avenge him. You seem to be talking very lightly, but can you probe a little further?
 I can sense that Ecdysius has a strong tendency to prioritize his own goals. The people here are the type of people whose interests are aligned with Raheit's rather than following him. If that's the case, this isn't a psychological battle with Raheit, it's just an exchange with the three people in front of me. The only angle we might need to get a word in edgewise from him is...

"You don't seem to have developed any affection for him. Is that why you want to redeem yourself?
Exactly. My father never loved me as a human being. Even so, he was far better than someone who would give up a baby for his own sake. The reason I'm alive today is because my father trained me. But my father, whom I respected, was killed by an inexperienced priest named Lakra Sarf. And with that, his honor was tarnished. In the eyes of men and even demons.
So that's why you kidnapped him, so you'd have a reason to fight to beat Lakra fair and square.
"That's when Rakhra Sarf appeared, destroying the wards. If I could have, I would have settled it then, but other incidentals got in the way. So here we are. Rejoice, Chikyuu, for I will let you live until you lure them back and kill them.


I'm so grateful for that one, I could cry.

 I understood most of what had happened while I was unconscious. As soon as I fainted, Lakra broke through the ward of exorcism and burst in, followed by many knights who had gathered there after hearing the commotion. After that, the three of them began to flee, and they managed to escape and hide in an empty house.

"Don't worry, I'll kill them for you. How would you like to die, slashed to death, bitten to death, or on your bed?
"Oh, the last one, please.

 Well, if I had to choose, I'd choose the last one. I'm a man.
 And by the way, if that's the way you're going to be killed, it'll keep you safe until the end of time.

"...... Pfft, hahahahahaha! You're a very honest girl, aren't you?
It's honest, kid, but if there's hope, so be it.
It's a good thing you're not killing him right now, by the way. I'm not sure what to make of that.

 A large sword is thrust in front of me. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

This is a fragile creature. We're fragile creatures. If you cut off our legs, we'll die.
"Don't worry, I'm pretty good at stopping bleeding and stuff.

 I don't find that surprising. You're an adventurer, so you can use it for your hobby. However, I can't bear to have my leg cut off like this. It could break my heart. The other two don't seem to be stopping. This is no good. We have no choice. As long as it hurts and you're physically fine.
 You forcefully lean your body and fall towards the great sword. The sword doesn't falter, but my body gets caught in its fangs and my shoulder is injured. It hurts a lot, and the fangs are much sharper than I thought. The fang was much sharper than I thought it would be. Blood spilled from my shoulder. Blood spills from my shoulder, soaking my clothes and dripping on the ground.

"Oh dear, what are they doing?
Oh, my God. ....... No, no, if you're so good at it, I'd like to see your stop-bleeding magic first. I'd hate for you to lie.
I'm sure you're not the only one.

 Gillista seems to have used some kind of magic on my shoulder, but there's no change in the wound. The bleeding hasn't stopped at all. I'm glad I tried it, really.

What a useless piece of shit. It's not like you.
I'm low on magic by nature. I don't have the benefit of healing spells to boost my healing. I had to prove it to you before I bled to death.
Gillista, he's not very strong. I've checked his clothes and his only weapon is that wooden sword there. The current restraints are enough.
"Too bad, I was hoping you'd have a nice voice to cry with.

 Haha, scary, scary. I'm so scared I'm breaking out in a cold sweat. Because when these guys say they're going to do something, they never hesitate.
 Even the Gokudo and the Mafia would do such a thing if necessary, but only the most extreme of them would do it for entertainment.
 It is impossible to escape, and there is little we can do now. But it's not zero. The Iliad will move on. In the meantime, we'll do what we can.
 Now that I understand the purpose and thoughts of the last one, Ecdysius, I feel a bit more secure. The way he talks, his anger at Lakra, his eloquence when even his own people don't talk to him.
 I was also able to see a certain amount of the non-combat side of Gilista and Parshero. Yeah, these guys are pretty crazy compared to normal people. The more I learn about them, the more their insanity stands out.
 But if you can know, then you can understand. Then what you do is the same. There is nothing to stop you from doing so, except that your position is a little more dangerous.

"...... Oh, you can see like that, can't you?
"If you feel uncomfortable, please think about yourself a little more. It's an occupational hazard. You look at them and they look at you.
No, I like your eyes.
Oh, you do.
You're a creepy kid, d*mn it. I can see why Raheit wants to kill you.

 I can see why Raheit wants to kill him. But now that we have an idea, let's go after you.

I'm just a weakling. I'm just a weakling. I'm just a weakling, a very, very weakling that any of you could kill with impunity.

 --------------------------------------

 He's been kidnapped. What a disappointment to be entrusted with guarding him. A third enemy suddenly appears and captures him, nearly killing him. But his hand was suddenly stopped as Lakra appeared, breaking the ward of exorcism.
 She said that she had run out of money and was looking for him, and was heading in the direction of a strange smell when a commotion broke out. As she hurried to the scene, she saw a group of knights who were trying to get to the location of the commotion, but could not get close. From this, they noticed the existence of the ward of exorcism and attempted to detect and destroy it.


 When Lakra appeared, the other man, Ecdyke, turned a great deal of his attention to Lakra. It seemed that a cat-and-mouse situation was inevitable, but many knights began to gather at the scene. As soon as they saw that the situation was not favorable, they started to flee with him.
 He seemed to be in possession of a magical seal stone, and detection magic was unable to track him, until now. As he was leaving, he said, "I've been disturbed, I'll contact you later. He's probably being kept alive as a hostage, but .......

"It's not your fault, Ilias. You can't blame him, there were too many of them. I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with this.
"Lakra, don't say bad things about the Shosho!

 Wolfe hasn't sat down since a while ago either. He's been pacing around, tense, angry and anxious.

Ugh, I'm sorry. I don't know why that chain man was so intent on killing me. I don't think there's any reason for him to resent me that much. ...... Hmm.

 I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea. It's hard to imagine any connection with Lakra, who is active on the surface.

"They're bad guys, maybe they've captured the people involved or something.
I've only trained against people. I've done my fair share of demon and devil slaying.
But whatever the case, it's a good thing Lakra showed up at that moment. That Exduk guy was definitely about to kill him. When Lakra showed up, he had a grudge against you, and when the knights arrived, they took him alive to clear the scene.
I'm glad I was able to save your life, but I can't honestly say I'm happy about it. ......

 You can find a lot of things that you can do. He probably wants to get rid of Lakra with his own hands. The same goes for Gilista. He was obsessed with the idea of fighting me. There's a good chance he'll challenge you to a rematch.

But I'm worried. They didn't seem like the kind of people you could talk to. ...... Even if there's a good chance Shosho-sama is still alive, will he be safe? ......

 We don't know that. They are outlaws who take advantage of innocent people in the city. I wonder if they will take him seriously when they treat him as a hostage. They would probably just cut off his limbs to prevent him from escaping. A bad image flashed through my mind, and my hands tightened. The sooner he wakes up, the sooner I might be able to get around him. .......

"Dear Iliad! A letter like this is under the guard at the gate!

 It was one of the guards who jumped in. There's always a guard at the gate. If he wanted to make contact, there was a good chance he would come to the perimeter. But from the looks of it, it was safe to assume that no further progress would be made. I received the letter and opened it.

"At the change of the date, wait for Lakra-Salv, Ilias-Ratzel, and Eupalo-Rosaleo in the square by the west wall. Only white subhumans are allowed to accompany them. If you sense any other presence around you, kill the hostages immediately.

 I think it was Ecdysius who nominated Lakra and Gillista who nominated me. As for Pope Eupharo, can we assume that he was instructed by Parshlo or Rahite? As for the text allowing Wolfe to accompany him, that would be ...... Parshuro. It seems to say, "If you want to settle this, come.

There is no problem with us. But Pope Eupharo's nomination is .......

 I've already told you he's been captured. He's ordered the three of us to stay in the same place. He did this because he thought there was a good chance they'd want a rematch. And he's been right. But Pope Euphro is not here. In fact, he's not even in Tarzan's homeland. He's gone out to accompany the harvest rituals in the villages. Even if I were to send a fast horse now and explain the situation to him and ask him to rush over, he would not be able to make the designated time.

I'll get the horse. But Lord Ratzel and the others will have to go alone.
"Your Majesty!

 His Majesty appears. His face is grim. Of course, he's a valuable asset and friend to you. Knowing this, I went to .......

"Regret and remorse can wait. I'm sure they're aware that we'll be checking on him. They're not the only ones who can't afford to be swayed by any means.

 And so you instruct us on what we must do.

"Lord Ratzel, it's your responsibility to fight your way out of this. I want Lakra of Yugra to assist her. They may be human in appearance, but they're much uglier than demons.
"Yes, I understand. I'll do my best to save Hisho-sama safely.

 Lakra is already willing to fight. I immediately decided to risk my life for him. I have no time for regrets. I must do everything in my power to save him.

Wolfe, you're staying. It was probably Parshero who allowed you to come along, but he's very strong. If we're talking technology alone, he's stronger than Gilista.


No, not even Wolfe!
But...
If the Iliad tells you not to go, you don't go?
...... is strong, and I'm not sure he can keep Wolfe safe.
You don't have to protect him. We're going to protect the Shishou. That's it!

 Eyes of determination. I've never been able to convince anyone with those eyes. It's no exaggeration to say that he's everything to the current Wolfe. He gave Ulphe her present, her future. She is determined to fight, not just for him, but for herself. There's nothing you can do to stop it. There's no way to make her regret not going.

This is not an opponent that can be beaten in a straight fight. You have to find a way to win at all costs.
Yes!
That goes for Lord Ratzel, too. Even if you can win the battle by straightforward means, you need to break through the disadvantageous situation to save him. If your knightly pride gets in the way, be prepared to throw it away.
...... Haha, this is the only time I will put his rescue first.

 I could not protect him as a knight. This is not the time to worry about your pride. I have to think about saving him above all else. ......, but I'm more concerned about that.
 He started to take on a similar vibe when he was talking to Docora. I wonder how far he'll go if he's in contact with those lunatics and tries to understand them. Hopefully, he would stay safe and get things done in peace. After checking our equipment, we headed to the designated location.