Chapter 255 (1/2)

Death Mage 255 – Thosebehind the scenes in the capital

Starving Wolf Security had procured a building through connections that had existed since the days of being a crianization It was a warehouse that also served as a residence, and it was on the boundary between Alcrem's commercial district and residential area

The first floor was a storage space that could house several carriages and other ite space was on the second floor, and although each room was small, there were many of them

The building had originally been built forspace was too cheap for a wealthy e and its rent too expensive for merchants with small or medium-sized businesses

That hy it had been possible to use this building on short notice

“Well then, I'll leave the luggage here Good work on getting here, everybody!” said Vivi, earing lipstick of the same color as Miles's

“Good work,” said Vandalieu

Vivi and the other Starving Wolf Security personnel stored everything away in the warehouse part of the building, but they didn't head towards the second floor; they began getting ready to leave

“But are you sure about this? Us being in an inn and everyone else staying here? Shouldn't it be the other way round?” Vivi asked, looking perplexed

This building wasn't particularly shabby However, the rooe, and they didn't even have any furniture

Renting rooe inn would result in a much more pleasant stay

And yet, such rooant for ht that the accoements would normally be reversed

“It's alright, Vivi-san We won't be using the second floor,” said Darcia

Vivi and the other Starving Wolf Security personnel were shocked by the thought of Vandalieu and his co but a space of dirt to store carriages and a storage area with a hard wooden floor But in the next moment, they remembered that Gizania was here

“With us being present, I do not think any inn in the city would let us in And… those stairs are too narrow forat her enormous, spider-like lower body half

She was larger than a carriage; she would certainly beco

“Well, I am sure ould be disliked just as much as Gizanidono,” said Myuze, an Empusa, as she showed the sharp blades of her sickle-arms

“Even though we're members of Vida's races, we have body parts that other people don't have,” said Privel, raising the tentacles of her lower body half “I'd probably in with, the rooms of the inns in this city wouldn't be very pleasant to stay in for us”

Indeed, the inns in this city were built to be pleasant and relaxing for huhest-end inn wouldn't be pleasant to stay in for Gizania or Privel

“And Myuze and I probably wouldn't be given rooms anyway Ghouls and mysterious mantis-people aren't known to be races of Vida,” Kachia pointed out

“Ah!” said Myuze, stunned by this realization “You are absolutely right!”

“That's e all want to just stay on the first floor together, since it'll be ht, and it's not like we're staying in this city for months,” said Vandalieu

“I see,” said Vivi, convinced

She possessed the 'Intuition' Skill, but it didn't allow her to read the future or the past It only allowed her to sense danger quickly and, in some situations, allow her to tell which path of action was correct to take when presented with multiple options

“I understand now! Well then, ill excuse ourselves!” Vivi said

“We'll still be in the city, so let us know if you need anything!” said another Starving Wolf Security member

Vivi and the rest of the Starving Wolf Security personnel, who hadn't forgotten to color their own lips, decided to back down

Judging from the behavior of Vandalieu and his companions, they could sense that there were accommodation facilities in the city that even a Scylla and Arachne would be able to spend the nights in comfortably, but it was better for them not to press the matter

They et an explanation if they asked, but once they found out, there would be no going back Their 'Intuition' Skills told them this

It would be best to ain later, or wait for Vandalieu and Miles to decide to tell them

Having

“Well then, once we get our luggage sorted out, let's go to the Taht processes of the Starving Wolf Security personnel “Are you going to the Church of Vida, Mom?”

“Yes, but before that,” said Darcia, pulling Vandalieu aside “Make sure you think about why you tried to glare at that knight with your De would happen at the Tamers' Guild, but Bache trouble for him”

Bachem, the Guild Master of the Morksi branch, had been summoned to the Guild headquarters in Alcrem He had departed for Alcree Wyvern… which had gained a Rank and becoate It was likely that he had arrived already

Darcia orried that causing trouble in Bachee his reputation Of course, she was also worried that there would be some unfortunate victim

“That ht be true, Darcisan, but Van said he doesn't knohy, and even if he thinks about it, he won't be able to coht aill he?” said Privel

“Moot a good idea as to why I did that,” said Vandalieu

“You do?! When did you figure it out?!” said Privel, taken aback

“I thought about it while I alking with Myuze and Kachia holding my hands, after you released me from your tentacles,” said Vandalieu

He had used the 'Group Thought Processing' Skill and dedicated half of his thought processing power to conduct a self-analysis He had discussed the issue with hie that he had fused with in the 'Trial of Zakkart,' and his shadow self that had for's shadow

Soht describe this behavior as that of an alien that was being captured, and Privel and the others hadn't i, which hy they were so surprised

TLN: I don't really understand this description by the author either, but I've translated it as well as I can

“There have been plenty of instances wherein Devil's Nests and Dungeons, duels and battles to the death And even though they were hurt farwas in this case, I wasn't overco that, I have come to the conclusion that the cause was the situation in which Fang was attacked,” Vandalieu explained

“The situation?” Darcia repeated

“I think it was the situation where Fang couldn't avoid the attack or retaliate, and had no choice but to simply stand there and take it,” said Vandalieu

The situation he described was one that would not nor battle It would occur if one's body was paralyzed by a poison or bound by ic, but if one considered such poisons or spells to be attacks theed or blocked, so these kinds of situations didn't count

“Hmm… So, the situation where one of your allies has no choice but to simply stand there and receive violence under unfair circumstances caused you to lose your temper?” said Sam in summary

“Yes, probably,” said Vandalieu, nodding “Isoin”

In his previous lives, Vandalieu had been subjected to violence that he was unable to avoid or prevent Perhaps he had lost his cool because the situation with Fang had reminded him of these times

“Isn't that quite bad?” said Simon with a serious expression on his face “If Natania, or even Gizanisan and the others were to get involved in these kinds of things…”

The ruler of Alcrem, the duke, had taken initiative to support the peaceful faction of Alda, which was friendly towards Vida's races Thus, the people of this duchy were friendlier towards Vida's races than those in the Hartner Duchy

But Gizania and Privel looked very different fronized as one that had been created by Vida It was possible that people would discriainst them and try to harm them for no reason

Simon seemed to be worried about this

Vandalieu looked a little puzzled “If that happens, there won't be any probleht back”

“Yes… It's not like they're forced to attack us because it's their job I don't feel sorry at all for people illingly choose to do those things,” said Darcia

“Huh?!” said Simon in surprise, but then he came back to his senses “… Come to think of it, everyone entered the city as fauess any fool who actually tries to do soet killed”

Familiars were tamers' tools; they were necessary for their survival If anyone were to try and lay a hand on them, harm them or snatch the so to the weapons of an adventurer or knight

Unlike Earth, it was not a crime to kill thieves in Lahtering anyone who tried to attack Gizania or the others

What Darcia, Juliana and the others orried about was so to attack the faht, ruesome end They were not concerned about the fates of foolhardy, reckless discriminators

“Of course, I know that ainst us If it's things like children trying to pull out the rats' fur or drunkards causing trouble for Privel and the others, there have been similar incidents before, but I didn't lose control oftrouble for us is a noble or so, and his actions are truly malicious, then… I'll deal with them in a way that won't be noticed Fortunately, thanks to 'Perfect Record Technique,' I will never forget their faces or names”

Just as Vandalieu finished speaking, several small silhouettes appeared from inside the warehouse They had black skin, pointed ears and noses, and slanted eyes They earing black clothes and had ninja blades on their backs They were Braga and the other Black Goblins

“King, is 'dealing with thea asked

He and his ninja force had been working in rotating shi+fts,about in Alcrem's shadows

“Good work, 'Face-tearing Dea Don't pay too much attention to this talk of neork for you,” said Vandalieu

“I see We're aluys on the list, so we've been kind of free lately,” said Braga

“Isla isn't sending any o home?” asked another

Braga and the other Black Goblins had been disposing of those who had been dealing with the anization based in Morksi, such as the 'Hyena' Gozoroff, and those who had been coanization

If they simply wanted to punish criminals, they could siuards' offices However, souards, sohts and several nobles had actually held connections to cri members themselves

With that being the case, little could be expected with evidence alone The underlings would either be cut off froanization like a lizard's tail, or be crushed to silence them

And the evidence held by Vandalieu and his coovernment were unlikely to believe The testianizations whose brains had been tampered with mentally and physically

Knights and nobles placed under suspicion this ould call such evidence a conspiracy, diss of the dead who had lost their minds after their deaths and confessions forced from tortured criminals Vandalieu had suspected that Duke Alcrem would choose to take the suspects' side in such situations

That hy he had taken action by force Naturally, if he had taken the tihly and find irrefutable evidence of crimes, it would not have been ihts and nobles ere not corrupt and have the crial means

However, Vandalieu had been unable to think of a reason why he should go to such lengths to protect the reputation of the Alcre force

“Did you have any difficult battles?” Vandalieu asked the Black Goblins

“We sneak in, take off the skin of their faces like Isla taught us, and then all there's left to do is take theather them up and send them to Talosheim We didn't have any trouble,” one of them replied

“Luciliano was very happy,” said another

“A bounty has been placed on us, but nobody has noticed that we're working in a group,” added a third

Acting as a mysterious killer who tore off the skin of his victi the rest of the corpses with them The Black Goblins had chosen thisthe skin off one of her victims while they were still alive, and decided to copy her

The result was that Alcreed into fear… or not quite The victihts or nobles with bad reputations, so theseto do with ordinary, honest people In fact, it seeeneral population considered him to be some kind of virtuous thief for some reason

“As expected of you I too wish to becodono,” said Myuze, looking at the Black Goblins with a look of respect in her eyes

The knowledge left by the chaion inside the Boundary Mountain Range portrayed ninjas and samurai as they were in entertainment works; ninjas were considered to be direct combatants

“We're not that a In battles where you don't catch the eneer, Myuze As expected of a kunoichi who uses her body as a weapon,” said Braga

“No, no, that is not true,” Myuze said humbly

Incidentally, 'using the body as a weapon' in this case was literal Kunoichi in Lambda were physically powerful

TLN: This is as opposed to a wo one's body as a weapon in a sexual way to lure enemies into weakness

“Come to think of it, you said you're 'alets left?” asked Vandalieu

The Black Goblins looked at each other, then back at Vandalieu with a vexed expression

“There were a fee failed to kill But there aren't any left alive,” one replied

“There is souys on the list and even bad guys that aren't on the list,” said another

Around the ti called the 'Face-tearing Demon,' the skin of the face of a wo been killed with the same method that the Black Goblins used

Of course, it hadn't been one of the Black Goblins acting on his own, killing a villain without perin with, they hadn't even known that the wo

Since then, there had beenDemon,' who had even killed several people on the list before the Black Goblins could get to them

As for why this hadn't been reported to Vandalieu up until now –

“We weren't sure whether we should report it It's not like they're doing anything bad,” one of the Black Goblins said

“Yeah, they're just copying us We're not happy that they got to so to help,” said another

“I see,” said Vandalieu, understanding their reasoning “It would be a serious concern if this copycat were to target people eren't evil, but it seeuys…”

He pondered for a while, unsure as to how to deal with the copycat

He and his companions did not consider murder to always be a crime Self-defense was one obvious exception, but they also killed bandits, underground slave traders who traded slaves illegally, mass murderers – and sometimes captured the used as materials for Undead or a source of power for Golems

Thus, they did not think badly of the copycat as killing evil individuals on his own… In fact, they were slightly impressed

Of course, the copycat's actions would legally be considered a crime, and those who hts and the city guards – had a duty to put a stop to them It was not a task for Vandalieu, even if he was theDemon'

The conversation was heading in the direction of Vandalieu not caring and the copycat being left alone

But Simon spoke up “Master, it's true that only evil people have been killed, but soet the feeling that so De as a result of a conflict between two evil organizations fighting for money and territory… And if that's the case, wouldn't it be bad to leave them alone?”

He still had his sense of what it was like to be a part of huh he sounded unsure of himself, he spoke firmly