Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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「Sorry for the trouble this late, Sister-chan . 」
「No . Since everyone had been a huge help so far, please don’t mind it . 」
Solte was walking together with the leader of the escorts a little ways from the campsite .
「That really helps . After all, we would need to carry him out of the forest immediately normally . 」
Solte was woken up in the middle of the night by the mercenaries in request of her help . She heard that one of the mercenaries was hurt when fighting against a beast .
「We thought it would be good to fight the beasts further away to not involve Sister-chan but……, we’re really failures in escorts that it became like this . 」
The man seemed to be down, Solte shook her head and denied .
「No, please don’t think so . It’s thanks to everyone that we’ve made it so far safely . It’s just bad luck this time around . Fortunately, I’m confident in my healing magic . I will make sure that he can walk normally again . 」
「That would be great . Really great……」
The man who answered in such a way made Solte felt uneasy for a moment, but she decided to dismiss it the next moment . Solte was afraid and suspected the mercenaries because of their attitudes and actions before, that’s why she had requested Ardis to come along with her .
But so far, the mercenaries had been carrying out the escort request finely, there weren’t any big troubles . Their attitudes are still too casual as usual but, it might be that’s just their natural personality .
The gazes they had for Solte as well, they were those of young men directed to the opposite gender, she recalled a conversation she had about that with a senior sister in the church .
With that, Solte thought that she might just be too overly suspicious as the journey went on .
It would be Solte’s fault if she treated them wrongly just because she was suspicious of them . Even if she never spoke of it, it probably showed on her attitude, and that might’ve hurt the mercenaries’ feelings .
That would be a misconduct as someone who believes and executes under the name of the Goddess . Solte thought that was shameful, that’s why she decided to interact with the mercenaries the best she can during the journey .
Certainly, she still felt uneasy somewhere in her heart . But Solte still felt that it was her inexperience to let her feelings affect her judgement .
「But, wouldn’t it be better if Ardis-san and the others accompanied us? 」
The girl continued . Even if she never spoke it loudly, the fear residing in her heart seemed to be swelling .
「Don’t worry too much . Those two will watch over him surely . And leaving the baggage carrier-kun at the safe campsite would be better . 」
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Two mercenary escorts stayed behind in the campsite together with Ardis .
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The man explained that it would just endanger them more if they had to protect another noncombatant . It would be easier for them as escorts as well, he added on .
Solte doubted it would be better if they split their combative forces up but, she felt hesitation to dispute a mercenary who had fought more occasions than her .
「Is that so……」
「And it’s not like it’s that far . We’re soon there . 」
Just as the man said so, there were figures of human started to be seen .
Two men standing in the darkness . And the lantern in their hands lighted up the surrounding trees dimly .
But―― .
「Why? 」
Seeing that, Solte unconsciously asked .
「What’s the matter? Sister-chan? 」
「No, isn’t his legs injured……? 」
One of the mercenaries had their legs injured fighting with beasts . Because the injury was fatal, they couldn’t return to the tent, that’s why Solte was called out here to heal him . It was supposed to be that .
She doubted if she understood wrongly, as her legs stopped . The two mercenaries ahead were standing on their feet, with no signs of injury anywhere . And when the two had walked here, the uneasiness that Solte had suppressed so far started to spill forth again .
「U-Umm…… . What could this mean? 」
Although she couldn’t see properly in the darkness, it was evident that the two mercenaries walking her way didn’t show any signs of injury on their legs . At the question asked by the girl with trembling voice, the mercenary leader behind laughed .
「Kuku, ku-ku-ku . What a naïve little miss . Don’t you understand just by seeing? 」
Solte who turned around saw the man who laughed sarcastically with a hateful expression . He seemed more like a predator than a human as he looked over the girl from top to bottom .
「Man, I thought it was going to be super hard since you had your guard in the beginning, but you just trusted us after we just moved a little seriously . As expected of the future Saintess-sama, her naivety is topnotch . 」
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His voice increased in volume as he added on gestures with his body .
「What……, do you mean? 」
The same question came from the girl’s mouth . Needless to say, Solte who is already fifteen years old could understand that it wasn’t a good situation . But could it be that her mind refused to accept reality, or her wish that it was just some misunderstanding caused her to repeat her question .
「Nn? Still don’t get it? Well, it would be a pity if you died without knowing anything――」
Died, Solte’s shoulders jumped at that words .
「――In short, there’re some people, who really wants Sister-chan dead even if it costed them a fortune . 」
「……」
Seeing Solte who lost her words, the man added on with a look of satisfaction .
「Don’t be so upset over it, it’s not like you’re dying now . At the very least, you will be alive until we get tired of you」
「……From the start, ……it was like this? 」
The girl who managed to squeeze out a few words was replied with 「Of course」 from the mercenaries .
Solte who heard that felt her vision turned dark immediately . The uneasiness and fear she felt so far wasn’t wrong .
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It was the result brought forth by dismissing her own senses and instincts . Solte regretted over her judgement and her own foolishness . Weighing the teaching of the church that one should treat all fairly too much, it was none other than herself who brought this predicament upon her .
「Oi, quickly move . It’s only seven days we can play around with how much food we have . 」
One of the mercenaries prompted to hurry . With those words as the trigger, Solte immediately turned around and started to run―― .
「Woah, we can’t have the main heroine escape now . 」
The leader grasped her arm tightly .
「No! Please let go! 」
「Don’t be so loud . Let’s just have some fun together . 」
「No! Let go! 」
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Solte desperately swung her hand in attempt to shake the man off, but the difference in strength was evident . Even if Solte is talented, she was still a young girl that couldn’t escape from the grasp of a mercenary that had trained their body by fighting against beasts .
「Someone, help! ――Ardis-san! 」
「Haha―, that baggage carrier had probably gone ahead first in his sleep . 」
「Wha……! 」
「Just give up will ya . It’s not like anyone would come even if you screamed . 」
One of the mercenaries held down Solte’s hands . And the remaining two only smiled despicably .
「No! Stop it! 」
「Just stay put! You will feel good soon enough! 」
The moment when the man finally managed to grab on Solte’s clothes, a cold voice reverberated from somewhere .
「Seriously . I don’t really have any interest in some other species’ reproductive activities but, it’s being a bother to my ears . 」
It was a voice that seemed like it belonged to a boy with a tinge of feminity . The way the voice spoke had a sense of lisping in it, giving it an impression of someone young . The mercenaries who heard it took up a stance immediately .
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「Something spoke? 」
The leader who bound Solte asked the other two mercenaries . But it seems like the ones being asked had no idea as they tilted their head .
One of them surveyed the surrounding with fear . The light from the lantern under the trees where no starlight could reach only added on to the creepy silence .
That moment, wind blew . The wind that came between the trees came at the mercenary who was looking around .
「Guah! 」
The next moment, Solte saw a headless body soaked in blood . It was still a person a moment before but now it had collapsed onto the ground with blood spewing out of his neck .
「Enemy!? Demonic being!? 」
Releasing his hands that was holding Solte on the ground, the mercenary leader drew the sword from his waist and took a stance .
「Look out! It’s fast! 」
「Higi――! 」
Before the leader’s warning even arrived, the other mercenary had his stomach gouged open even before he drew his weapon .
「From where……! 」
The leader who was speechless was looking at the one who gouged his comrade’s stomach out .
Its body was about a meter long . The four legs that looked strong . The triangular ears on its head, however, the sharp fangs in its mouth that pierced through the mercenary’s armor showed that it’s a strong carnivorous beast .
Along with a thick and large tail that didn’t seem to fit its body size, its whole body shone in a golden color under the lantern light .
「H-Help……Gofu―」
The mercenary who had its stomach gouged out spilled out blood from his mouth .
「Shit! This bastard! 」
As if drawing away the demonic being, the mercenary leader swung his sword towards the golden mass . Rather than avoiding it, the demonic being tossed up the mercenary body into the trajectory of the sword swing .
With the leader’s sword sinking into his comrade’s body, a dull sound was heard before a leg was severed .
「To use him as a shield!? 」
The way it fought as if it had intelligence shocked the man .
The next moment, where he looked only had the two corpses of his past comrades . The demonic being which he had glared at a moment ago had disappeared somewhere along the way .
「W-Where!? 」
The man looked around in fear . The way he swung around the sword randomly in fear would’ve earned him the title of a comedian if one didn’t know the situation .
But there were no audience to this comedy show . The only ones there were the one mercenary performing the show, the fearful demonic being which took out two mercenaries in a few moments, and a girl who had forgotten herself in the sudden development .
The situation didn’t continue for long . The end came eventually .
Solte saw . The man who was swinging around wildly had his body split into two at his stomach . And the demonic being in golden which did that, it had looked at Solte with eyes that seemed to have sadness in them .