Chapter 498
"Could it be that Eplun is also an accomplice?"
At Kajan's blunt words—calling him an accomplice—the lord flinched in fright and waved his hands in denial.
"Th-that could never be! Your words go too far, Milord!"
"The mysterious organization that has Tarados in its grip, and Keyzen. Looks like the two are pulling on opposite ends of a rope."
Kajan slowly rose to his feet.
"Now that we're here, change has begun. Choose your rope wisely. The first step is the treatment of the prisoners and the kidnapped people. Judge wisely."
Leaving only those words behind, Kajan walked away. Simon followed after him.
"You were amazing back there, pressing the lord like that, Kajan!"
As they walked down the corridor outside, Simon spoke. Kajan, his face expressionless, scratched at his scar.
"For the sake of the safe transfer of the prisoners and the kidnapped people's lives, this much pressure was inevitable. They've already suppressed information once before—so they'll surely do their best to suppress the fact that we Keyzen students are here as well."
[Wait! Wait! Wait!]
Just then, a voice rang out from the necklace hanging around Simon's neck.
[You guys aren't forgetting your top priority, are you? You need to find my true body, don't you!]
"Don't rush us, Kal. We'll only gather intel and leave right away."
Kajan nodded as well.
"I'll personally interrogate the thieves in the dungeon to get information."
"Yes, please."
* * *
Between their destination Tarados and Eplun Fiefdom, a massive mountain range stood in the way.
Naturally, the mountains crawled with monsters, and manpower and supplies struggled to pass. Geography was a big reason Tarados was so closed-off.
And within a valley of that mountain range lay a cave.
Back in Tarados' days of prosperity, a secret tunnel was dug here to transport ore out of the fief. But now, few knew of this place, and it had become the hideout of thieves.
The thieves were called the Ganes Guild, the band that ruled Tarados. Late at night, two thieves arrived at the cave entrance.
"Password!"
"Pinecone!"
Successfully giving the password, the two thieves entered the cave.
It was huge inside. Some thieves sat drinking heavily, while others slept leaning against the walls.
The two men walked another ten minutes to reach the leader of the guards. He was chewing on a strip of dried jerky.
"What's this, why have only the two of you come?"
The thief leader asked.
"Where are the others? And the specimens and weapons from outside?"
"Uh, well, about that…!"
One thief broke into a nervous sweat, glancing at his partner. The bearded thief opened his mouth.
"Sorry. We got cleaned out."
Bang!
The leader slammed his fist on a wooden crate and stood up.
"Cleaned out?"
"Yeah."
"By who?"
"Another band of thieves. Since we were disguised as a merchant caravan, they jumped us."
The leader craned his neck forward, staring into the bearded man's eyes.
"We're the Ganes Guild. And you're telling me there are bastards who'd dare attack us, knowing we rule Tarados and this region?"
"They must've been new to the area. Even after we revealed our name, they went all in."
"..."
The thief leader turned his back, walked away, and picked up his mug of beer, downing it in one gulp.
"Kh-hh."
Wiping his mouth roughly, he spoke.
"Tie them up."
"!"
"The way you're talking, you're hiding something. Hang them upside down and give them a water treatment, they'll want to talk then."
"Yes, sir!"
The thieves closed in from all around.
"W-what are you going to do now!"
The nervous thief turned pale, shouting. The bearded thief just smiled, stretched his legs out, crossed them, folded his arms, and placed his finger over his lips.
"I prefer tying to being tied~"
The leader's face twisted in disgust.
"What the hell…."
Chwarrrrk!
Chwaak!
Suddenly, webs shot down from the ceiling, wrapping around the approaching thieves and hauling them up into the air.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Wh-what the hell?!"
In an instant, they were cocooned like dangling pupae, while venom dripped from the fangs of the giant spiders above.
"Wh-when did they…!"
The bearded thief's body shuddered, then peeled away like strands of silk, revealing a dried-up woman's figure inside.
She licked her lips with her tongue and said,
[No need to waste words, is there? This cave is ours now.]
Kuwooooom!
One wall of the cave collapsed. Out stepped a boy with faded hair, pallid gray skin, and aristocratic clothes. In one hand, he swung a crown.
[So annoying! Can't I just turn them all into zombies?]
One thief, braver than the rest, charged him. But the boy's casual punch sent the man flying dozens of meters with just the shockwave.
Everyone froze in horror.
[Khuhuhu! If you're going to make them, skeletons are better, don't you think!]
All heads turned. A tall skeleton in a cloak strode in.
[Sleep well!]
The white greatsword in the skeleton's hand swung.
* * *
Hours later.
The sound of wagon wheels rolled through the quiet dawn forest.
Up front, a terrified coachman kept darting his eyes around as he drove. In the back sat Simon and Kajan, looking relaxed.
"K-Keyzen students, are you sure we're really taking this route?"
"Yes."
Simon smiled.
"Please take care of us."
"Ugh-hhk!"
Tears welled up in the coachman's eyes.
He had never imagined it would come to this. Just yesterday, when the boys demanded to be taken to Tarados, he thought it was just childish mischief. But then, Simon and Kajan showed up at his house.
And when the coachman said his life was more precious than all the gold in the world, the two boys shoved their Keyzen second-year student IDs in his face.
—If you can't take us as a favor, then we'll have to make it an order.
And so, the coachman now carried two reckless Keyzen boys toward the thief-infested tunnel.
"I-it's not that I don't trust you! But there could be hundreds, even thousands of thieves in there! They could reduce an entire fief to ashes! If you insist on going to Tarados, at least go over the mountains instead…!"
But Simon and Kajan weren't listening. Simon was working on his overdue Summonology assignment, while Kajan was compiling data from the thief guild.
'Haa, doing homework with your life on the line! This is what nobles are like!'
The coachman was the only one dying of anxiety.
At last, they reached the tunnel guarded by thieves. Fortunately, no sentries were in sight.
"A-are you really going in?"
"Yes."
Simon, still scribbling with his quill, replied.
"I heard some information. Supposedly, today the thieves all left in a group and abandoned their post."
'That's impossible!!'
The coachman timidly protested in his heart.
"Please don't worry too much. No matter what happens, we'll protect you. Ah, Kajan! For problem number 11 here—does a Crypt Guard really have the instinct to guard its own grave?"
"According to guild records, Crypt Guards got their name because grave robbers often ran into them while working. They don't actually have the instinct to guard graves. The correct answer should be option four."
"You're supposed to find the right answer, not just eliminate the wrong ones."
The mood was absurdly peaceful.
With tears welling up, the coachman drove the carriage toward the gaping maw of hell guarded by thieves.
'So this is how my tragic life ends. Mother, I'll be joining you soon.'
And so they entered the cave.
'???'
Not a single enemy appeared. They emerged out the other side without incident.
"Wh-what the…"
The coachman let out a hollow laugh before he realized it.
On the other side lay Tarados Fiefdom. Dawn was breaking.
'Am I dreaming right now?'
"Thank you for your hard work."
Simon and Kajan stepped down from the carriage.
"Thanks for giving us a ride. Here's your promised fare."
Clink—
Receiving the coin pouch in dazed silence, the coachman gave a faint chuckle.
Did the thieves all go on a picnic or something?
No, impossible. Tarados, which devoted itself to cutting off outside movement, would never leave such a strategic point unguarded.
There was only one possible reason.
'Those two must've taken care of it beforehand.'
The coachman clenched the money tightly.
'…If it's Keyzen, then yes.'
Lost in thought for a moment, he raised his head.
"H-how far into Tarados are you planning to go?"
Kajan answered.
"East from here, to the slums. That's where we'll start."
"Tarados' roads are rough and confusing. For first-timers, it's easy to get lost. Fortunately, this is the place where I grew up."
The coachman turned with a smile.
"I might've overcharged you earlier. Don't want to be called a swindler. Out of conscience, I'll take you as far as that."
Simon's face lit up.
"Thank you! That would be a great help to us!"
The two boys climbed back onto the carriage.
Meanwhile, back in the tunnel.
Ummph! Ummmph!
Hundreds of thieves struggled, bound in spiderwebs. Before them stood Feer, Erzebet, and Prince.
Ki-ri-ri!
The Corpse Spiders raised their legs menacingly, silencing the thieves in an instant.
[Khuhuhu! The boy still intends to keep traveling by carriage!]
Erzebet's eyes sparkled.
[Let's follow them quickly!]
[Understood!]
Feer turned his back.
[Prince! Stay behind and guard this place!]
[No way! Why me!]
Prince swung his fists in protest.
[Because you're the only one in the Legion with the greatest mobility! If a battle starts, you'll need to relay word to the boy so he can prepare possession into one of the zombies!]
At that, Prince puffed up proudly.
[Hmmhmm! If the Legion's greatest mobility is required, then I suppose I've no choice! Go on already!]
* * *
Once a bustling land teeming with adventurers.
The great fiefdom of Tarados, once called the "Gem of Freedom".
Ironically, it had now become the kingdom's most oppressed land, both internal and external movement strictly controlled.
'Just what in the world is happening here?'
Sitting in the carriage, Simon stretched out his legs and pulled out the request letter.
Just one desperate message, unable to be properly conveyed, hidden in code.
"Please save us."
Even now, the words felt weighty.
[Wait! Wait! Why does that even matter?!]
The necklace around his neck shook violently. Kal's fragment squirmed furiously.
[Humans die anyway! What's the big deal if they die a little sooner? My body! Hurry up and find my true body already!]
With an annoyed face, Simon flicked the necklace with a ting. Kal quieted down.
"You idiot! How is that not important right now?"
This time, a sweet fragrance wafted by as a pink-haired girl clung to Simon's arm.
"You're on a carriage date with such a beautiful lady, after all."
Simon tried to stay serious, but these two kept ruining the mood. He pried Erzebet off his arm.
"You, later. Erzebet."
Sure, he understood her wanting to ride with them. But the way she joined was absurd.
Suddenly, a pink-haired girl in an expensive dress popped out in front of the carriage and struck a "hitchhiking" pose.
Never mind that there was a civilian coachman, her carelessness was outrageous.
"Wasn't it natural?"
"Natural my ass!"
Simon pressed his forehead.
"This is Tarados! The most dangerous place on the continent, crawling with monsters. Do you think it makes sense for a young lady to wander alone through the wilderness and just hitchhike a ride?"
She had nearly frightened the coachman to death with such an excuse.
But Erzebet simply nodded with a bright smile.
"Yes, it makes sense. Entirely possible, actually."
"Not at all!"
* * *
At that same time, in Tarados.
Thieves of the Ganes Guild rode on horseback, circling menacingly and kicking up clouds of dust.
"Well now, missy! Where might you be headed alone in such a dangerous place?"
"At this rate, the monsters will eat you alive."
"A noble! You must be a noble, right? I wonder how much ransom you'd fetch."
Amidst the swirling dust, a girl stood—a strange sight, in her short skirt and stockings, her silvery hair fluttering.
"Yaaawn—"
No robe, no turban, nothing to shield against the sand. She looked completely out of place in this land.
She stretched out her hand and yawned.
"Still, isn't it strange?"
One thief at least was sharp enough to notice.
"That such a refined and elegant noble girl would just appear in Tarados! Look! Not even a speck of dust on her clothes!"
"So what!"
The thief leader let out a harsh laugh.
"Just think of it as the heavens dropping a woman into my lap! From now on, she's mine!"
His declaration stirred unrest among the others.
"B-but boss, aren't we supposed to hand her over?"
"We'll sell her as a slave! Do you know how much she's worth?"
"B-brother! I can at least have a little fun first, right? Right?"
As differing opinions clashed over her fate—
"Hmm—"
The girl weighed their words just as carefully.
"If Simon gets caught, I'll wait until he comes to rescue me? No, too passive. Or maybe… I gift him their severed heads and demand a coupon? No, too brutal."
Hmm—hmm—
Even as dozens of mounted thieves surrounded her, the girl tilted her head, lost in thought.
"Hey."
The leader rode up through the dust, looming over her.
"Enough mumbling nonsense. From now on, you're my bride. Get on the back. Best to behave—if you get a scratch, your value drops."
"Oh my."
The girl clasped her hands with a smile.
"Sorry, but the spot of my spouse is rather expensive~"
Shiiing!
The leader drew his sword, leveling it at her.
"Expensive? No matter how expensive, your life is worth enough."
"Fufu."
The wind stirred.
White feathers glimmering with light swirled around the girl and the thieves.
One by one, the thieves' eyes began to glaze over.
"In this world, there really are all sorts of ways to commit suicide, aren't there?"