Vol 2 Chapter 18 (2/2)
As the man fell, having lost his balance, Roy cried at the top of his lungs.
「Minii, run away without me!」
「But…」
「Hurry!」
It was the first time she heard the boy, whom she had grown up with, yelling.
Minii took his words and ran away with crumpled face.
Although Minii was hard working, she was a girl who had yet to reach 10 years of age.
Although she was repeatedly wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, her vision was still blurry.
Although she wanted to ask for help, words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.
Only trembling cry came out.
To begin with, whom was she supposed to ask for help?
In such a small village as this, there was neither an Adventurer Guild nor a troop of guards.
Should she have the adults in the village go to a town and ask for help? Everyone at the orphanage will be killed in the meantime. Besides, Roy…
With despair of helplessness in her chest, Minii got her foot tangled and fell onto the ground.
‘I must get up and help…’ she thought. However, the crying fit that forced itself out of her body didn’t allow her to.
「U… eeeeeen… Roy… everyone… someone… someone save them.」
「――Hey, are you alright?」
Because her cry had been answered, she hurriedly lifted her face, that had been dirtied with soil and tears, up.
Although the face of the person in front of her was blurry due to her teary eyes, his voice was very gentle.
Although his body was covered in a long robe, he had an armor equipped inside, and was also carrying a sword on his waist.
‘Is he… an Adventurer?’
‘Did he visit this village on someone’s request…?’
Thinking so, Minii pushed her palm out to the person in front of her with a glimmer of hope.
Her palm—that had a few copper coins, which she had earned for a.s.sisting with the harvest, clasped.
「Please. I know this is not enough, but later… so please, save everyone…!」
――Roy raised his fist at the opponent, who had fallen.
However, he was kicked in the guts. He flew over and rolled onto the ground in an unsightly way.
While feeling bitter at the fact that his body was too light, he stared at the opponent.
「You want me to do it, don’t you? But killing you right away would be such a… waste!」
「U… gu!」
As the knife, which was stuck into Roy’s arm, was pulled out, a spray of blood flitted about.
「Ah, right… I will feed you to my pet. I’m sure it will be excited.」
「W-What did you say…」
*Hyuu* the deadly weapon, which seemed to rip the air apart as it was swung down, was barely dodged.
「Don’t move too much. If I don’t drain the blood properly, the meat will stink… So, I will chop all your body up. Hiyahahaa」
First hit, second hit… the deadly weapon, which had been drawn out, cut through Roy’s skin and ripped it.
He was most likely toying with him.
If he intended to kill him, he could do it right away. However, he must be enjoying watching Roy desperately trying to dodge.
Gradually… strength left Roy’s body.
His body became heavy, and his thoughts intermittent.
He was bleeding too much.
「Now then, should we end this? After all, I have to deal with that runaway brat, too.」
Amidst hazy consciousness, Roy gazed at the knife as the man in front of him swung it down.
‘Aah… so, I’m going to die in such a place, huh?’
‘In the end――I wasn’t able to save anyone.’
‘Minii… sorry…’
――On the cheeks of Roy, who had shut his eyes close, something warm *bishari* trickled down.
He wiped it with his finger, thinking it was tears.
‘What happened…?’ Right when Roy opened his eyes, the man in black strangely screamed.
「Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! M-My arm, my aaaaaaaaaaarm! 」
There were three people there.
The man in black, who had lost his right wrist, which he was holding the knife in.
Roy, who was looking amazed.
And-――between the two stood a man clad in a robe.
Grasped in his hand was a sword, which had an erratic red pattern crafted onto its slightly curved jet black blade.
Dyed in blood, it somehow looked even more beautiful.
「A gentleman doesn’t take pleasure in making a girl cry. The reward of the quest this time is priceless――that girl’s smile, you a.s.shole!」
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