Chapter 15 (1/2)

I’d been thinking about who would come through that door, but I didn’t expect the man himself to make a special appearance.

No, this makes sense under the circ.u.mstances, doesn’t it?

Us being important merchandise and all.

Guibenague looked us over. Nodding in satisfaction, he put the lantern down and slowly approached.

I could sense Aira trembling right behind me.

“…What do you intend to do with us?”

Because now that we’ve come to this point, it’s stupid to keep up appearances, said my tone. I fixed my glare on him.

Don’t come any closer, it warned.

“…Hmm, in all my experience, you are the highest in quality, but that tone will not do.”

“Ha–, no one asked you.”

(Big Sister?!)

(Chris, you can’t!)

Their two voices tried to restrain me. But having come this far, I couldn’t back down.

Leaving the clean-up to someone else wasn’t my style in the first place.

In the meeting, no one gave any instructions on what we should do after getting inside. Didn’t even want to say something as vague as ‘play it by ear’. That was clear. 1

But that was exactly why I decided to do as I liked.

Earlier, I still held myself in check because of the soldiers. But now, it was just one guy. Easy.

“Hohhoh, it seems you are the only one in need of education.”

Guibenague came closer, wearing his habitual smirk. I slowly lowered my hips, waiting for him.

When he was within one step of me, I sprung into action.

“Eat s.h.i.+t!”

Whatever my strength, I knew how to move from experience. If so, by aiming it correctly, I could knock down this bald a.s.shole.

Even though I’ve ended up like this, I’m an adventurer, and I’ve walked paths just as deadly as this one. I’m doing it. I’ll think about the rest later.

Twisting my upper body with all my might, using my left leg as the pivot, I swept my right leg toward Guibenague.

Target: his head. If he recoils, the family jewels.

My body moved perfectly.

Like a whip, my right foot,

Bap–

failed to connect with Guibenague’s head.

“Wha–?!”

In the end, Guibenague casually protected himself from my leg with his hand.

Thanks to my surprise, my reaction came a moment too late.

Before I could change my posture, Guibenague grabbed my ankle and yanked me over with a strength I couldn’t believe. Then, he dangled me upside down like a chicken. With just one arm.

(Chris!)

Hanging in midair, I could see Palmira running toward me in the corner of my vision.

I didn’t even have time to tell her it wouldn’t work before Guibenague’s quick, casual kick sent her flying backward.

“Palmira–!”

“Ohoho. Good grief… I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from making extra work for me… It’s tiresome. Shall I have the two of you go first?”

With an infuriating ease, Guibenague held onto me with one hand and pointed the other at the mystery door.

“ジ.”

(What!?)

Then, he said that word. The incantation to activate magic.

Irene had recited it, and so had I.

To my surprise, one of the innumerable rings on his fingers emitted a red light.

“…Aira! Palmira! Get away from that do–guh–”

My instincts screaming that the door was dangerous, I tried to warn the two people behind me, but Guibenague driving his knee into my stomach interrupted me partway.

“Hold your tongue.”

(G.o.d — d.a.m.n it…)

Before my eyes, Guibenague’s fingertip started to s.h.i.+ne too. With it, he sketched a symbol in the air, in far less time than Irene.

Vomiting, I saw the door behind the other two swing inward with great force.

On the other side of the door wasn’t the opposite wall, but rather some wave-like thing with a yellow glow that filled the room.

“Kyaaaa–!?”

“Chris…!”

Without even the time to turn around, they were absorbed into the light, leaving behind only their voices.

A moment later, the door closed.

It all happened within the s.p.a.ce of a breath. I couldn’t even cry out. All I could do was reach out with my bound hands.

With no time to spare for shock, I immediately fired off a telepathic message.

(Irene! Aira and Palmira were sent away somewhere!)

From my memories as an adventurer, I recognized it right away.

That was a sorcerous vessel. It had to be. An ancient relic activated with magical power.

Kickstarted by Guibenague’s magic, it teleported the pair away from here.

Seeing it with my own eyes just now, it dawned on me. Of course no one could figure out Guibenague’s method of transport. It was this device at work.

(Wait! I’ll have their posi–)

(…?! Irene?!)

Irene’s response came back as quickly as I expected, but it cut off midway.

The cut clearly unnatural, I quickly called out to Irene again, but there was no reply.

Why? What’s going on?

“Now then, let’s train you thoroughly.”

While my mind was spinning, Guibenague, still holding me upside down, took a step in a different direction.

Light as I was, for Guibenague to carry me with one hand, this bald slob wasn’t just any ordinary guy.

Expecting to be underestimated as just a young girl, I had conversely underestimated my opponent as just a fat bald man. It was too bitter a pill to swallow.

However, from his behavior, I knew that Guibenague wasn’t necessarily the reason I lost communications with Irene. Just that much.

I didn’t know why our connection got cut, but had Guibenague been responsible, it would have been beyond the worst-case scenario.

(Irene! Irene–!)

I called out to Irene again as I was being carried along, but I got nothing back. I expected as much. Did the magic just wear off by itself? Wasn’t it supposed to last for a full day?

While I was wracking my brains, I found myself suspended from one of the chains attached to the ceiling in the middle of the room.

So by this point, the hem on my one article of clothing — the sack-dress — had rolled down, stopping just short of my waist. The only saving grace was that unlike before, I had underwear on, but that didn’t change how humiliating it was to be in this state.

“s.h.i.+t–! Let me go! You bald b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

Guibenague had moved away from me, so I cursed at his back.

The truth is, with the restraints still on, I couldn’t do anything other than wiggle my body around. This had no effect other than hurting my bound wrists, but even though I knew it wouldn’t do any good, I couldn’t help but put up a fight. I could imagine the future implied by the word [training] all too easily.

“Now, I don’t want to injure my merchandise too much, so I’ll go easy.”

Guibenague returned with something in his hand.

…A cat o’ nine tails.

At the end of the handle, it split into several individual tails of hide. It seemed vastly preferable to the other torture devices, but even so, the sight of that vicious black whip made me take a sharp breath.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he intended to give me a solid strike with that thing.

But I didn’t have the slightest idea of how much damage it would do. It went without saying, but I didn’t have any experience in this area.

“Well then.”

Without waiting for me to respond, Guibenague wielded it carelessly. It whistled through the air.

The next moment, he swung it down on my rear.

Wuh-pas.h.!.+

“Gyahaah–!”

I screamed in pain, without regard for shame or honor.

It hurts…! It hurts! It hurts!

The moment it hit, I felt as if my skin were being stripped away. A heavy pain that dug under my skin followed after. It shot through my head, making me arch my hanging body.

Gritting my teeth against the lingering pain, I shut my eyes. I knew that slowly but steadily, they were filling with tears.

I didn’t find myself pathetic. It just hurt that much.

“Oh my, it’s only been one so far, you know? For you to yield to me after only this much… I’m embarra.s.sed.”

“W–Wait! Wait!”

Seeing Guibenague mercilessly raise up the whip, I screamed for him to stop. I screamed with everything I had. And yet…!

Wuh-pas.h.!.+

“Gyaaa–!”

With the new pain over the old, my back arched again. The restraints on my legs clattered.

It hurtsithurtshurtshurts–!

As the pain seeped deeper, I bit my lip.

I can’t.

I’ve never experienced this kind of pain, even in my time as an adventurer.

I can’t take th

Wuh-pas.h.!.+

“Agahh–!”

With one blow, my consciousness seemed about ready to fly away.

And I thought, ‘It probably will, very soon.’

And I wished from the bottom of my heart that it would. As soon as possible.

–

Splas.h.!.+

“Uh…aahh…ggh–!”

My consciousness re-emerged from pitch-black darkness. The pain returned at the same time, and I moaned.

I’d been splashed with water. The droplets trailed down my body, my face, my arms, and dripped onto the floor. Plip plop. Plip plop.

“Have you woken up?”

“Ah…aaaah…”

At the sound of that voice, talons of fear seized my heart.

I’d blacked out, and yet it still wasn’t over. Nothing had changed.

“To have you faint that quickly, I’ll be troubled… this is still just the fifth.”

Those words had an authority that left no room for hope, as if they came from the Devil himself.