Chapter 17: The Long Road to the Imperial Capital – 33
As I stepped outside, I called out to Mariane and Lady Dorozitte, who were inside the tent.
“It seems the target is approaching. You two should prepare and remain on standby inside the tent.”
“Understood. It looks like things are going according to your plan, Soushi. Impressive as always.”
“Well, it’s not confirmed yet. But Freinir’s senses are sharp, so I have no doubt.”
I instructed Freinir to wait in the log cabin.
In her place, Geshura emerged from the log cabin and approached me.
We were currently situated about 500 meters off the main road leading to the Dwarf Village, in a desolate area.
The road was bustling with carriages and people, but I spotted a figure stepping off the road and heading our way.
From a distance, they appeared to be an adventurer, but there was a subtle awkwardness in their gait. It seemed we had hit the mark.
Neither Geshura nor I were armed. If the target turned out to be cautious, they might flee upon realizing we were lying in wait.
As Geshura and I pretended to engage in casual conversation, the figure drew closer, coming within ten meters of us. They looked like a frontline adventurer clad in armor and a helmet.
However, the sound emanating from beneath the helmet was a series of sharp clicks, reminiscent of hard objects grinding against each other.
“I never thought I’d find Geshura here. This will surely please Lord Rendurm.”
The strange intonation made it hard to believe this being was human. But then again, they were not human.
“Who are you?” I asked, even though I already had a good idea.
“Answering a dead man is pointless, you know?”
With that flippant remark, the figure closed the distance in an instant. It felt as if they had appeared right in front of me.
Their right gauntlet tore open, revealing black claws extending from within, dripping with a suspicious liquid. Poisonous claws aimed for my neck. Everything happened in a heartbeat.
But knowing the attack was coming allowed my Dynamic Vision to capture every detail.
I seized their arm from below. Realizing their arm was immobilized, they attempted to strike back with their other claw. Two additional arms emerged from their back.
As I crushed the arm I held, I swiftly grabbed the other claw in the same manner. Before those extra arms could reach my side, I hurled the creature to the ground with sheer force.
“Gah!? Who the hell are you?!”
“Isn’t it pointless to ask a dead man?”
I slammed my fist into their head, the helmet flying off to reveal a mantis-like visage.
“Wow, to take someone down so quickly and with bare hands… I really don’t know what to say.”
Lady Dorozitte stepped out of the tent, looking down at the corpse of the Kin of Twilight with a mix of disbelief and admiration.
“It seems this one was quite careless. By the way, Geshura, was this really Rove? I ended up defeating him before I could even ask his name.”
“Without a doubt. But he was supposed to be a cautious man.”
“Perhaps he didn’t expect a human to set a trap. Or maybe he was confident he could break through any traps laid. They seem to have a strong tendency to look down on humans.”
As Lady Dorozitte spoke, Geshura nodded in agreement. “That could be true. Rendurm shares that mindset as well.”
“Regardless, this adds another achievement to Soushi’s name. One dragon and two Kin of Twilight, all taken down single-handedly and unarmed. Hehe, I wonder who would believe such a tale.”
“That just happened to be the outcome. The Grand Master also helped by setting the trap.”
“That was your instruction, after all.”
Rove had appeared before us because he had heard certain information at the guild.
The rumor was that “Milan, a Kin of Twilight, was defeated. The boulder blocking the mine was blown away by a powerful spell cast by a female adventurer named Geshura.”
Of course, that was a partially fabricated story I had asked the Grand Master to spread among the various guilds in the Empire.
If Rove was disguised as an adventurer like Milan, he would surely have heard that information at the guild. And upon hearing it, he would inevitably come near the Dwarf Village.
If searching for him was difficult for us, we would simply have him come to us. That was the trap I had set.
As I stored the Magic Stone I had extracted from Rove into my Item Box, Mariane approached and wiped the blood from my hands with a cloth.
“Ah, I’m sorry. But fighting barehanded tends to get my clothes all bloody.”
“Why not fight completely shirtless then?”
“No, that would… wouldn’t I end up looking like that Ogre from before?”
“You’re stronger than an Ogre, so wouldn’t that be fine?”
“I don’t think that’s the issue here.”
“Wow, I’m really surprised to hear you joke like that, Mariane. Does your Divine Fortune Skill have the power to charm people? Or is it just your natural disposition around Soushi?”
Lady Dorozitte teased, and Mariane quickly distanced herself, retreating into the tent.
It was indeed the first time I had heard Mariane say something like that. It seemed she was starting to trust me more… but the timing felt a bit off. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t used to it.
“Soushi, what will you do until the weapons are ready?”
“I was thinking of helping Larni and the others. I’d like to take a look at the mine dungeon as well.”
As I replied to Freinir, I moved Rove’s corpse a little further away.
Lady Dorozitte incinerated it with fire magic, and thus our little escapade came to a close.
However, it was clear that the Kin of Twilight were no longer a match for me. Normally, they would be enemies faced by multiple A-Rank parties, which meant I now possessed the combat strength of about twenty A-Rank adventurers.
And considering I had taken them down barehanded, I couldn’t help but wonder how much power I would wield once the mace I was having crafted was completed. I felt like I might lose track of my own strength in a different sense.