Vol 2 Chapter 19 (1/2)
Translated by mranon
Edited by OnionRings
Volume 2, Chapter 19 【Choose Who?】
――So, what do I do now?
I had finally arrived in Lana Village, and was looking for a clue for a while now.
I heard stories in small inns and bars, but couldn’t find any particular lead.
However, 2 minutes off the entrance to the village- rather, after walking for 2 koku, I found a girl crying in the outskirts of the village. (Translator’s note: 1 koku is approximately 2 hours)
Because the mood seemed all but normal, I heard only the bare minimum of the circ.u.mstances and rushed to the scene. Even so, the timing was the same as aimed.
Although I got carried away and blurted embarra.s.sing words out, it was in accordance with the mood of the scene.
「How dare you… how dare you [cut] my aaaaarm」
A man who had his face concealed beneath thoroughly black attire… coming to this village didn’t seem to be for naught.
Based on his voice, he was not one of those who invaded the lord’s mansion. Another guy?
In any case, since I didn’t know the details of the situation, this guy had to first be shut up.
I began pursuit of the man, who was holding a knife in his only remaining left hand, with no mercy.
He flicked the knife. In that faltering moment, I struck the blunt side of the blade on the knee of his pivoted leg.
「Gu… a, f.u.c.k you――」
As the opponent, who was finding it difficult to stand, fell, I invoked 《Earth Bind Lock (Earth Bind)》.
Although this Earth Magic was designed for the purpose of capture, it literally bound the opponent in earthen chains.
Although it was difficult to catch a quick opponent, it would be difficult for them to slip out once caught.
What I imagined was a poor guy stuffed in a drum of concrete.
‘…It’s a bit scary, this magic…’
After silencing the man, who was still making a racket with his body, I decided to apply healing magic on the boy, who was wounded all over, and hear the circ.u.mstances.
By the way, I also stopped the bleeding in the right wrist of the captured man. Since intel had to be extracted out of him, I would be troubled if he died.
‘――Fumu… according to Roy’s account, this guy has one more companion.’
「Alright, let’s put things in order. Even if I helped… there’s no knowing what would happen to the kids if I weren’t tactful…」
‘The opponent is alone, huh?’
‘Then, even if I’m a bit careless, I’ll be able to manage, no?’
「Roy-kun, would you help me a little?」
「E, o… if it’s something I can help with.」
「Alright then, that guy lying over there… take his clothes off.」
「O-Okay, but… what would you do with it?」
「Oh well… a cla.s.sic, albeit terrible, card.」
「――Really, thank you so much. How can we ever pay you back?」
The one who expressed grat.i.tude to me with a bow was Eleanor. I heard she was the one looking after the kids at the orphanage.
As for the result of what I pulled off, it could be called a success.
Disguised in the plundered mask and black mantle, I caught him unprepared―― I thought my voice, actions and air would have me exposed right away. However, once I was within a certain distance, it was an easy victory.
After *bokkoboko* beating him black and blue, I coiled another a.s.shole with 《Earth Bind Lock (Earth Bind)》 and had him reunite with the other one.
「Onii-chan, thank you so much. Umm… If there’s anything I can do, I will.」
「Then, Minii just has to smile. Seiji-san’s words back there were so cool. Err… the reward of the quest is priceless…? Minii’s smile――」
Noooooooo, don’t say that in front of such a beautiful, and mature, lady as Eleanor-san! This kid.
「Roy-kun, I was just going with the mood of the scene…」
「How about this?」
Minii, who didn’t get it, gave me an extraordinarily bright smile.
A… un. A splendid reward, indeed.
Oh well. Although such an exchange was fun and all, it was necessary to get down to serious business.
When I turned to Eleanor-san with a serious face, she, too, lightly nodded and urged the kids to the bedroom.
「Is it something children shouldn’t hear?」
「It is.」
After telling her my story, I heard from Eleanor-san about the attack.
…I see. If I got it right, these people were taken hostage in order to threaten someone.
If the guy who seemed to be the captain can be a.s.sumed to be the guy whom I encountered at the lord’s mansion, then the one threatened was…
「Erm, does Eleanor-san know about a person by the name of Logins?」
「Logins… no, I’m not acquainted with anyone of that name, but…」
Huh, I got it wrong?
「Then, is there a person with that name amongst relatives of the kids?」
「No, there’s no such relative of any of the kids…」
There has to be something. No, wait.
「Did a peddler visit this orphanage? Did you receive a flower along with money…」
「Ee, they do. A peddler delivers donations together with a flower on a set schedule.」
「Do you know who the sender is?」
「That… I have no idea, at all.」
「If you have it, can you please show it to me?」
Upon my words, Eleanor-san brought a bag that had been put away on the shelf.
As I had expected, it was a phylia flower even though it had started wilting.
「I knew it. Is this phylia flower from Logins-san――?」
Upon my soliloquy, Eleanor reacted as if she recalled something.
「That’s it. This phylia flower… was meant to be in memory of ane-san.」
「Eleanor-san’s… sister?」
「She wasn’t my real sister. We grew up together at this orphanage, so I loved her like my sister.」
「…and her name?」
「――Phylia nee-san. She was married to the lord of Merville. She has been dead for more than a decade, though. This donation must be sent by someone related to my late sister.」
‘What?! Phylia-san came from this orphanage?’
According to the story I heard from the loquacious maid at the mansion, Phylia-san was originally a maid whom her master fell in love with.
‘…Eh, but why would Logins-san send the donation to this orphanage?’
a.s.suming it was really Logins-san who sent the donation to this orphanage, there had to be a relation between Phylia-san and Logins-san.
Why would they threaten by taking Phylia-san’s sister-like, Eleanor-san, hostage…? What would that achieve?
Eh… wai… no, that can’t be.
A surprising, albeit not uncommon, imagination formed inside my head.
――Were they having an affair?
If that were a.s.sumed, it would all fall into place. His then incomprehensible words, ‘I didn’t have the qualification to serve,’ seemed to be making sense now.
Two people who fell in forbidden love.
The man decided to look after the daughter of the woman he loved as a butler.
And sent donations to the orphanage where the woman he loved was raised.
If it meant ‘the qualification to serve Albert-san’… he did, indeed, not have that.
――So stupid of me!
It was still too farfetched to be true. Even if it were, it didn’t explain why would Serdio, who came invading, be acquainted with Logins-san. One heck of a soap opera.
Eleanor-san, who saw me banging my head on the table, leaked a voice in surprise.
「Sorry, I have this habit of getting lost in thought. Please don’t mind me.」
I boarded my train of thoughts once again. There was no way I would get it unless I asked the person in question. There was nothing important here.
What was important was that Logins-san was possibly being threatened, and that the hostages had now been freed… just these two points.
It was better to not think over it any further for the information was inadequate.
Well―― the reason I got to hear this story from Eleanor-san was because of being here.
The next most important point was… where did they take Marita to?
Because she wasn’t here, she must be confined somewhere else.
For interrogation, I proceeded to the two who were bound in earthen chains.
To begin with, there would be no problem if these guys talked readily. Even if I were in front of Logins-san, I now had conviction.