LRAB Chapter 9
Chapter 9
[translator - night]
[proofreader - gun]
chapter 9
the downside was that it was still difficult to produce sword energy or sword aura.
though i could mimic sword energy, it was softer and far less efficient than genuine sword energy.
even so, it was a bizarre situation where there was no reason for me to lose, even when facing sword energy.
after retrieving the prison key from a corpse, i began unlocking the doors one by one.
however, those who had been imprisoned seemed to fear me and couldn’t easily step outside.
“are you the son of verus?”
when i spoke to a young dwarf sitting dazed in one of the cells, his eyes widened as he looked up at me.
“what are you all doing? come on out. you need to return to your families.”
i said calmly and then resumed walking.
it was only after i started moving that the prisoners hesitantly began stepping out of their cells.
“an intruder...! gaaah!!”
“ahhhhhh!! monster! it's a monster!!”
“please, spare me! urk!”
as i emerged from the underground, the interior of an old, decrepit building came into view.
most of the knights stationed in this worn-down building were at best aura users—mere lower-ranking knights.
this meant that significant military power wasn’t needed to guard this place.
after all, most of the prisoners here were ordinary people, and this location was hidden.
there seemed to be no reason to assign high-ranking experts or elite forces to this area.
and what if they were discovered?
who cares?
there wouldn’t have been any evidence left behind.
“y-young master...”
at that moment, a woman who had emerged cautiously from the prison approached me hesitantly.
she was the wife of a man who managed one of the count’s businesses, a pharmacy.
according to reports, the pharmacist had been acting as if bewitched, attempting to end contracts and dissolve his business.
what else could he do when his wife was held captive?
forced to remain silent due to his family’s lives being at stake, melissa probably didn’t have detailed knowledge of this situation either.
one thing, however, was certain.
tyvel’s scheme to shake the business would no longer have any effect.
“by the way, does anyone here know the way back to the territory?”
this forest wasn’t part of the count’s heavily monitored forest of monsters.
since i had been blindfolded on the way here, i had no idea how to navigate out of this forest.
perhaps one of the others might know the way...
“i’m sorry. since this forest is so remote, there aren’t many who know their way around it.”
it seemed no one knew, as this was such a secluded place.
should i have spared at least one of them?
the regret was fleeting.
it wasn’t worth dwelling on.
“it’s fine. we’ll just ask someone who knows the way.”
“someone who knows the way?”
i turned my head toward the forest.
and then, small, green-skinned goblins began emerging one by one.
“eek! g-goblins!”
the terrified response of the villagers made me wave a hand dismissively.
“don’t be scared. they’re our navigation system.”
goblins.
among the weakest of monsters, and one of the most numerous in existence.
with exceptional reproductive capabilities and decent cunning, they possessed enough intelligence to understand human speech to some extent.
while they lacked the skill to craft objects or build intricate traps, they were quick learners who could steal items and figure out how to use them.
in terms of danger, they weren’t particularly high on the list.
though clever, their physical capabilities were fundamentally lacking.
and even among them, only a small number were genuinely smart—most were outright stupid.
now, how should one interpret a goblin wearing ragged clothing to cover itself?
there was only one answer.
that thing must have attacked humans and stolen their belongings.
if a goblin in this forest was carrying human goods, there was only one explanation.
it had ventured into human settlements, stolen items, and escaped.
smaaack!!
“you don’t understand? don’t worry. the more you get hit, the clearer your head will be.”
smaaack!!
after the repeated beating, the goblin couldn’t even cry properly anymore, most of its teeth shattered.
it got to the point where...
“um... young master. that, uh... oh, never mind.”
the residents of the domain started casting pitying glances at the goblin.
how annoying.
“i came here to save you all, didn’t i?”
“well... you were captured at first...”
“what? so should i just leave?”
noticing my expression darken, the residents quickly backed off.
“no, absolutely not! how could we possibly interfere with your noble endeavors, young master? who’s the fool criticizing your actions?!”
“yeah, who is it?!”
the same people who had just spoken now pretended they hadn’t.
when i turned my attention back to the goblin, it desperately racked its brain.
then, its eyes widened as it reached out to stop me, weakly staggering to its feet.
“keeik... keei...”
it pointed toward the depths of the forest, as if indicating it would guide me.
its eyes were filled with fear, dreading another beating.
“see? i told you they understand.”
“young master... i’ve encountered goblins a few times myself, but i’ve never seen anything like this.”
“when you’re sincere, even they will respond. if you ever lose your way, look for goblins wearing scraps of cloth or holding weapons. those are the ones who’ve attacked humans before.”
“uh... yes, i suppose...”
* * *
the cascadia territory was surrounded by towering walls.
one side of the territory bordered a forest teeming with extremely dangerous magical beasts, which was why the position of the border count was recognized for guarding the kingdom’s land.
most of the other forests around the territory were ordinary, but this one was uniquely dangerous, making it essential for the border count to maintain a stronger military presence than typical nobles.
of course, the current forces of the count’s domain were a shadow of what they should be.
the gates of the count’s castle served different purposes, and the one guarded by veteran soldier hanson and his junior was particularly quiet.
“yaaawn... man, this is so boring.”
“senior, isn’t this better than guarding the south gate? at least this one’s peaceful.”
“you little punk, do you know how many merchants used to come through the south gate every day? even though the numbers have dropped lately, standing guard there was great for pocket money.”
the south gate of the count’s domain was primarily used by merchants for trade.
many merchants, eager to enter quickly, would slip money to the guards.
merchants gained speed, the guards gained coin, and everyone was happy.
for merchants, time is money.
“and look at this place. not even an ant shows up. while everyone else is raking in extra cash, we’re stuck here wasting time.”
“well, i guess it’s better than guarding the gate that leads to the magical forest.”
“even i can’t argue with that. haha.”
the atmosphere in the domain had been tense lately, making guard duty all the more exhausting.
it was then that the junior guard noticed something in the distance and tilted his head.
“senior, isn’t that a group of people over there?”
“what are you talking about? no one’s gone out through this gate today.”
the previous shift of guards had also reported no one leaving, so there shouldn’t have been anyone returning from the forest.
“no, really, look over there!”
hanson squinted toward the forest.
surprisingly, there were indeed people.
not just one or two, but over a dozen.
realizing something was off, the guards quickly tightened their grips on their weapons.
“hey, hey! go ring the bell! we’ve got unidentified individuals approaching!”
“yes, sir!”
“wait! hey, wait a second!”
just as his junior reached for the bell, hanson stopped him.
“what? why?”
“let’s wait and see.”
hanson fell silent, observing the figures closely.
soon, as the group drew nearer and their features became clearer, voices could also be heard.
[translator - night]
[proofreader - gun]
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