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After taking the information out of the kingdom soldier, I returned to the inn. I feel disgusting. What happened this time was because I was too naive. I should have expected the village to get attacked. I had thought that the kingdom wouldn't reach their hand out to the citizens of their own country just because a criminal had come from that village.
… Those thoughts are only excuses, and it was simple naivety. Even if I mourn, I would never be able to stop mourning. Therefore, I will only do what I can. Pain needs to be repaid with pain.
When I return to the inn, I lie on my side on the bed and start constructing strategies. I've made preparations to let Molrett meet their leader, the imperial guard captain. To put it simply, it's plea bargaining. I'm going to ask for him to overlook me deserting under enemy fire in exchange for important information. Of course, if Molrett himself asked him, they would take him as a traitor's partner, so I just sent a letter to him.
"Kearugsama, I've brought a meal." (Setsuna)
"Setsuna's always so thoughtful." (Kearuga)
Setsuna brought me dinner. Earlier, when I returned to the inn, Freya and Setsuna invited me to have dinner. However, I refused saying that it's unnecessary because I ate at a bar. Setsuna probably brought me dinner because she wanted an excuse to come here. It seems I had let out my emotions onto my face enough to make her worry for me.
"Kearugsama, you are angry." (Setsuna)
"… I collected information from outside. I found out that my village was already gone. Although it's from a different source to what Kureha is searching, the credibility is high." (Kearuga)
"I see. It's natural that Kearugsama would get angry." (Setsuna)
Setsuna enters the bed and then embraces my arm. It's already night, and normally, I would have been making love with her. However, I didn't get into the mod to do it.
"I'm sorry, but today I don't feel like embracing you. I won't increase your level limit." (Kearuga)
Even after hearing my words, Setsuna didn't separate from me. That embrace wasn't out of a child's selfishness, and the evidence is that Setsuna's hug was tender.
"You don't have to embrace me. But when you feel down, feeling someone’s body heat is comforting. That's why Setsuna is doing this. If it annoys you, tell me. I'll leave it you want." (Setsuna)
Hearing that, I realized how much I felt cornered. My field of vision is narrow. I haven't properly controlled my anger.
Letting my brain turn is good for accomplishing revenge. However, having a calm mind while being unprepared will definitely bring myself to ruin. Only after enduring violent emotions, hypothesizing every possible situation and taking the very best actions, revenge can be achieved. I had forgotten such an obvious thing.
"Thanks. Because of Setsuna, I've calmed down." (Kearuga)
I hug Setsuna's body tightly. Her small body snugly settles in my arm. Just as she said, when I feel someone's body temperature, my feelings calm down. I won't forget the anger that becomes my fuel for achieving revenge. However, I need room for composure as well. And thanks to Setsuna, I was able to regain that.
"Yeah. Kearugsama protected Setsuna's village. Kearugsama dispelled the grudge that the killed ice wolf race had. So this time, it's Setsuna's turn to help Kearugsama. If it's for Kearugsama's sake, Setsuna will do anything." (Setsuna)
This child is a good child. I wonder why I only just realized this now. Adorable. Inside of me, the feeling that this child is adorable and the fury from an important person being killed simultaneously swells up. I feel like I might go mad.
"Setsuna, I have changed my mind. I'm going to ravish you now." (Kearuga)
"Okay." (Setsuna)
"I'm not going to be gentle today." (Kearuga)
I'm in the mood to roughly violate her. I can't do something like be careful. Unless I do this, I might break. My emotions start spewing out. I want to throw the feelings inside my chest onto this small and beautiful girl. Changing my posture, I hold down Setsuna.
"It's okay, Kearugsama can do as he wants. Because Setsuna is Kearugsama's property." (Kearuga)
Setsuna smiles towards me, and to show that she accepts it, she spreads out both her hands. That was the limit of my endurance. Like that, I violated Setsuna all night long. Violent, like a beast. After everything had finished, my mind became serene. With my mind that regained its composure, I decided on everything. I decided on what I should be doing.
"Kearugsama, you're crying." (Setsuna)
"I'm crying?" (Kearuga)
Once she said that, I realized tears were trickling down my cheeks. Ah, so that's what it was. I wasn't just angry, but I was more heartbroken and lonely.
I buried my face into Setsuna's small chest and cried. I had believed that both my blood and tears had all been drained, but it seems tears had still remained inside me. Those tears are spitting out. I decide that this will be the last time I cry. Right now, I will drain all these tears and throw away my emotions as a human.
The next day, Kureha returned. She's out of breath. She probably had obtained the information and come without sparing time for sleep.
"Keare, I found out what you asked me for. About your village… it's too late." (Kureha)
"… I see, I understand." (Kearuga)
I gained proof of the words I heard yesterday at the bar. There's no room to doubt information from Kureha who is an executive, a soldier and a noble.
"Your prediction of the people in your village being sent to other towns as bait to call you out was also correct. Besides, the church had announced that your village believes in heresy. There was also an official notice circulating around the kingdom saying that the hero of healing himself was also a believer who reached his hand out to the holy woman to destroy the kingdom." (Kureha)
"They've done it now." (Kearuga)
A hero fallen to heresy reached his hand out to the holy woman huh. It's a success as a fairy tale, and it's applaudable that they were able to casually say that kind of lie. In this situation, I have only got one method that can give damage to the Dioral Kingdom. The place it works the best is there.
"Kureha, could you give the information to the imperial guard captain that Keare, the hero of healing is concealed in this town? No matter what, I want to make him do the execution he's planning in this town." (Kearuga)
I might as well let them make the stage. This is because all the necessary "actors" have gathered here. Yes, the stage is where they execute the survivors from my village. I'll set it there. I'll properly etch the doubts concerning the dignity of the kingdom.
Apart from that, I'll directly make the imperial guard captain see hell. Even though I had finished my revenge with that. If he wants to die, I'll let him die. But only after he's suffered enough.
◇
~Imperial guard captain's PoV~
"Still not, have you still not found the hero of healing?"
A sweet looking boy with androgynous features was shouting angrily with an unbefitting tone. On his face, bandages were rolled around it. Although he had that sort of appearance, his true identity was a veteran knight who is older than 30.
"Yes, Renard-sama. Although we have used an appraiser to all the healing magicians throughout the town, he still hasn't been found."
"You incompetents! He is definitely here in this town. It throbs. This wound throbbbbs." (Renard) (TL Note: Can't be bothered writing "imperial guard captain" every time, so I'll keep it as Renard)
Saying that, he tears off his bandages. Underneath, the remains of a terrible burn was there. He was a victim. The hero of healing needed a decoy to escape the castle, so his appearance was changed to the hero of healing himself.
Because of that, he lost everything and couldn't forgive having the same face as that hateful man. Therefore, he purposely burned himself to change his face. Everytime he feels pain from the burn, that resentment flares up. (TL Note: … is this another contradiction made by the author? There was another PoV of the guard captain from an earlier chapter saying that his face changed back to normal after drinking an elixir…)
"Where, where are you. How is he hiding. How can I lure him out. The hero of healing is a heartless man. No matter how much we put the people from his village on exhibition, he isn't coming out of his burrow. Shit, I should have kept that woman alive. If I made her call out to him, he would've left his burrow. Shit!" (Renard)
The imperial guard captain stands up and kicks the desk away. A desk made of heavy wood easily flew. Overwhelming physical ability. Although he has faults with his accuracy, he is an elite concerning ability.
One soldier rushed over next to him and opened his mouth.
"This is information from the sword saint. A person seeming to be Keare, the hero of healing was found, but he ran away."
"What!? Why did the sword saint know it was him?" (Renard)
"I heard she's an acquaintance and could see his appearance."
"Weird, he should be able to change his appearance. He is purposely going out in his earlier appearance in public… it's a trap. What is he planning." (Renard)
Yes, with Keare, the hero of healing's power, he changed the imperial guard captain's appearance and changed his own appearance to the imperial guard captain. There's no way he wouldn't change his appearance. The fact that he purposely exposed his appearance to the sword saint means he wanted to signify he was there.
"I see, so he's planning to save the villagers. For that sake… ok, gather all of the scattered villagers in one place." (Renard)
Just as he wished, I'll gather everyone here. As much as the number of people increase, it becomes harder to save the villagers. On top of having a large amount of kingdom soldiers, the sword saint is here too. As if he can save them. I should make sure to increase his burdens.
"And one more information provider has appeared. Although he is a soldier of our army who fled under enemy fire… apparently the disturbances against the attack on the ice wolf race wasn't just the swordsman, but there was also a magician. It says that no matter how hard he thought, that magician is definitely a noble. He's found the whereabouts of that noble in this town. He also says that he wants you to overlook him fleeing under enemy fire for this information."
He heard those words. The imperial guard captain laughed. It's information he was waiting impatiently for. Without using the kingdom soldiers, he was searching for the princess using his own funds assuming that she is still alive with a different appearance.
After the attack on the ice wolf race, he gained information about the magician that appeared. Although the others would know, the ground which had the remains of the impact has a peculiar trait, and he had found out it was princess Flare that fired that magic. For this reason, he was able to confirm that Keare, the hero of healing was definitely in this town. I will kill the hateful enemy and obtain the woman I am longing. To do that, the information I wanted to the point where it's unbearable. If that information really does come, then I will forgive deserting under enemy fire or whatever.
"That will be fine. Is he here?" (Renard)
"No, because he doesn't trust us, he has a location we can go but at most, we can bring five people. In case more people than that come, he mentioned he will erase his presence."
"So he would have that much caution. Tell me that so called designated location." (Renard)
Like that, he gave two instructions. The first one was to gather all the villagers that were scattered in various places in one place. The second one was to find the four most capable people. Everything started working well. Believing in that, he chugged a wine bottle without taking a breath and loudly laughed.