Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Merchant (3)

#29

“···Bran? Why are you here?”

Ilark who met Bran narrowed her eyes.

It seemed she only now noticed the existence because she was only paying attention to Leodorn’s whereabouts.

Fortunately there seemed to be no injured places.

“Today was the day to receive the requested weapon. Uncle Leodorn was kidnapped right?”

“How do you···!”

“We also became targets. Since he should still be alive don’t worry. How did you come here?”

“···I came smelling.”

“Smell? Is there an item that would have Leodorn’s smell?”

“That. That box.”

In the place she pointed a small chest was placed.

It was the chest that had contained and moved the Numerite. Light goosebumps rose along Bran’s nape.

An item received fifteen days ago, she found here with the smell remaining there?

Ilark wiped her face.

“It’s my mistake fuck. Because I looked away for a moment···.”

“What amazing thing did you see that a person of your level looked away?”

“······Sorry. I have no face.”

Muttering like that Ilark clenched her fist.

There was something he could guess but Bran decided not to dig further.

Because there was a more urgent matter now.

The gaze of Ilark who had been catching her breath turned to the kidnapper trio.

“But Bran. What are those guys?”

“Kidnappers hired by White Silver Pine.”

“What fuck? White Silver Pine?”

Ilark’s brow crumpled.

The faces of the kidnappers who felt the fear of death turned pale like a glacier.

Approaching with strides Ilark grabbed the collar of the man on the far left and lifted him.

“Where did you take Leodorn?! Say right now!”

“W-we, we don’t know anything!”

“You’re also trash hired by White Silver Pine yet it makes sense you don’t know?! Okay. Since there are three I can break the necks of about two···!”

Crunch! Ilark grabbed the man’s crown.

Turning a human’s neck bone to her was as simple an act as opening a cola cap.

“Kyaaaak! Really! The guys who kidnapped the former managing director are a completely different organization from us! We’ve never worked together, never met!”

It was a sincere voice but the appeal was insufficient to be transmitted to the enraged Ilark.

Just as the surgery that allows seeing the back was about to be performed on the man.

“It must be real.”

“What?”

“Those friends were too shoddy. If they deceived your eyes and extracted Leodorn in the first place the level would have been much higher. It’s correct that they’re really not knowing and acting like that.”

Bran said.

Originally once the behind-the-scenes was revealed by their own mouths there was no need to keep additional loyalty.

Bang! Ilark threw the man back into the brazier.

“Kuek···!”

“Fuck! Then where the hell did they take him?! No more smell either!”

If left like this Ilark seemed like she would explode with a bang.

Fiddling his chin Bran turned to Bilmoris.

“By any chance is there remaining sap? You wouldn’t have poured all of that as catalyst.”

“Uum··· yes! There should be a very little remaining. Please wait a moment!”

Bilmoris who ran hurriedly brought the bottle that had contained Harmeno’s sap.

Shaking it next to his ear a sloshing sound was heard.

This much should be sufficient.

“Ilark. No chronic disease or something?”

“What are you saying suddenly? A dragon wouldn’t get a disease or anything.”

Ilark frowned.

Strictly speaking she was not a pureblood dragon so she was not completely immune to disease, but it was not an appropriate timing to point that out.

“Then I think we can find him. Instead you’ll have to suffer a bit is that okay?”

“Fuck, of course! Except dying I can do anything!”

Ilark shouted.

Just as Bran was thinking that with the fierce momentum alone he could set a fire.

Bang!

Her tail that was shaking in time with the intense emotion struck the lever next to the brazier.

Even before Bran who heard the familiar creaking could shout something.

Puwaaaaaak!

Flames that surged like a raging wave swallowed the three kidnappers.

“Uak, what?!”

“Ah. Damn it.”

Bran hurriedly returned the lever.

The brazier immediately extinguished, but in the place the Dragon Heart Furnace’s fire swept only ash powder remained.

How instantly it burned that almost no smell was left.

Looking at the completely emptied brazier Ilark asked in fluster.

“S-sorry. By any chance were they guys who shouldn’t be killed?”

“···No. Don’t mind.”

Bran shook his head.

Rather than leaving them alive and having future trouble this might be better.

Anyway you guys were villains too. Regrettable. Yes.

“Then let’s go out. To properly see the effect we have to go up as high as possible.”

“I-I’m also ready···!”

Bran swept up his bangs wet with blood.

Kale was also gripping the staff with a determined expression.

It seems good he didn’t wash. Soon he’ll stain new blood.

Ilark nodded.

“Good. Everyone come here.”

“Come?”

“With those short legs what time are you trying to go?”

She spread both arms.

Noticing the meaning of the words was not difficult.

Bran let out a hollow laugh. He didn’t know he would be in the position of hearing these words.

“Why are you taking so long?!”

Grab. Approaching with a stride Ilark lifted the two and tucked them under both sides.

“Oh.”

Unexpectedly the ride comfort was comfortable.

Except for the body temperature high enough to be burdensome there was almost nothing annoying.

“Uak, hard···!”

Kale whose face was pressed against the abs struggled.

Ilark’s thighs were swelling.

She who turned like a contracted spring turned to Bilmoris and said.

“Sorry. I’ll definitely compensate.”

“Hehe, I don’t know well what the matter is but I hope it resolves well.”

Bilmoris waved his hand.

Even without seeing the front one could tell she was an excellent warrior.

Like Bran she had sufficient qualification to receive his weapon.

Boooom-!

Ilark leaped.

Along with the sensation of the sky pressing the shoulders the below the feet became distant.

Kale’s scream rang out in the sky of Valkeros.

“Gyaaaak!”

“Ha!”

Bran let out a hollow laugh. Dumbfounding leg strength.

Lowering his gaze the Dragon Heart Furnace and Song of Iron forge that had already become small like a model were visible.

The three people’s hair was fluttering in the sweeping night wind.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ilark who exited the crater with a single leap consecutively kicked the ground and buildings and leaped.

“Is this much okay?”

Soon Ilark landed on some high chimney of the Steel District.

The floor is not visible. Except for the Steel Tower there is no higher structure.

Beyond the Steel District Valkeros was coming in at a glance.

Despite the late night half of the city was emitting bright lights.

“Good. If I drink here it should be fine.”

Saying that Bran held out the bottle containing the sap.

Ilark tilted her head.

“Drink, what is this?”

“It’s the sap of a spiritual tree. Only a few drops remain so just down it at once. It tastes dirty so prepare firmly.”

“Hmm. Tree sap···.”

Ilark expressed doubt but followed Bran’s words.

A few drops of the dark red viscous liquid fell onto Ilark’s tongue.

Smack smack. Swallowing the sap she twisted her body like a person struck by lightning.

“Kraak! What taste···!”

“I told you.”

The completely emptied bottle fell.

Bran was looking at Ilark with a pitiful gaze.

The scales of the tail and nape were standing on end.

“You must not vomit. Endure as much as possible.”

“Keu, kraaa!”

If she was not a dragonblood it was a crazy act he would not have even tried.

Unrefined Harmeno’s sap is basically extreme poison.

To be used as an elixir there absolutely had to be a precise post-processing process.

“Haa··· haaaa···!”

However even if not processed the unique efficacy clearly existed.

The most representative symptom is senses becoming extremely sensitive.

Right now she would be feeling sounds and smells dozens of times that of an ordinary person.

Catching her rough breath Ilark raised her head.

“Eh?”

It was like a hunting dog that sensed a rabbit’s presence.

Looking around Ilark looked in the direction the wind was blowing.

The scales of the tail were repeating lying down and rising.

Sniff sniff.

Soon, her pupils narrowed thinly in the vertical direction.

“······Found it.”

****

The night was deep.

In the northern outskirts of Valkeros adjacent to the Red Mountains several giant logistics warehouses were built.

Usually used to store ores or scrap metal containing components harmful to the human body, but occasionally used for other purposes.

Interrogating kidnapped competitors or something.

“It takes damn long. What’s so hard about opening the old man’s mouth.”

Rain Roberts muttered.

The plate armor wrapping the entire body was flashing while receiving the moonlight.

He was performing escort work as the leader of the Ironveil Mercenary Group.

“Anyway money is good. Kidnapping team separately, escort team separately, guys to run errands separately.”

Looking around Roberts let out a hollow laugh.

All members of Ironveil were taking a guard stance while wandering around the warehouse.

Even the daily personnel cost alone could buy a house in the Golden District.

He understands the client’s feeling of wanting to be thorough, but this seemed a bit excessive.

Suddenly the subordinate next to him opened his mouth.

“Captain. Are you really okay?”

“What.”

“I’m still worried that we touched Ilark’s escort target. Won’t there be retaliation?”

A tone with anxiety tinged.

He understands. Ilark’s majesty is a level transmitted beyond Valkeros to other cities.

Guys who clumsily picked a fight with her mostly met the end of becoming torn corpses.

But today was different.

“Worrying about all sorts of things. We cleaned up the aftermath so cleanly would they really follow.”

Roberts snorted.

Unlike the errand runners not even worth calling third-rate, the organization that kidnapped Leodorn was really usable guys.

The process of diverting Ilark’s attention was also amazing.

They said they touched the complex only that woman has.

For the past fifteen days only collecting information and planning, then kidnapping in one shot the moment all tension was released!

An attitude that can be said to be a model for all criminals.

“And even if they chase it doesn’t matter. Did you forget who is inside that warehouse right now?”

“······That’s true but.”

“The world is wide. Unless that woman’s father or older brother comes, a hybrid that can’t even properly breathe fire will absolutely not recover Leodorn.”

A tone full of conviction.

The subordinate who heard Roberts’s words turned to the logistics warehouse.

Inside the dark warehouse it was not only Chloe and Leodorn.

“······Iron Blood Twin Shadows.”

The money-rich coward Chloe had called in absurd monsters as his escorts.

The fear of Ilark gradually subsided.

The subordinate who sighed in relief nodded.

“Definitely I seem to have been too frozen. I’ll patrol up to the front and come.”

“Yes. Don’t forget you’re also a guy who does quite a bit. Too humble compared to skill is the problem.”

Roberts waved his hand with a whoosh meaning go quickly.

For a guy who is the vice-captain of Ironveil to have that many worries.

Too lacking in confidence for the only organization member who raised the realm of Body Strengthening Art to 3-star along with himself.

Walking about twenty steps the vice-captain stopped in place.

“Huh?”

An alien presence was felt from somewhere.

Hurriedly looking around but no particularly suspicious points were captured.

···Is it my imagination.

Just as the vice-captain who thought so was about to move his steps again.

Boooom-!!!

A giant shadow fell over his head.

The sound of being crushed was heard. Blood water burst from all the holes of the body folded with the spine.

Silence as if time stopped descended.

The moment the night wind blew away the dust the identity of the shadow was revealed.

“Found them. Mice.”

Ilark growled lowly.

“Ilark.”

Roberts froze.

Heat haze was blooming from Ilark’s entire body.

The pupils narrowed vertically were blazing.

The muscles of the limbs were swollen to the point of bursting.

It was the state of extreme anger that everyone facing her fears.

The members of Ironveil fell into astonishment.

“I-Ilark! Ilark appeared!”

“How here···!”

“Everyone draw weapons! At once···”

Even before the man could end the words.

Bang. Ilark lowered her posture and rushed out.

The vice-captain’s corpse used as a stepping stone tore while raising a blood spray. She who narrowed a distance of over a hundred meters with one leap drove a fist into some mercenary’s face.

The moment it touched a fist larger than his own helmet, the mercenary’s head exploded like a balloon filled with water.

Puwaaaak!

The shattered skull scattered along with the brain. Ilark immediately twisted her body and swung the heavy tail.

Crunch!

The mercenaries who flew as if hit by a carriage rolled on the ground.

Instant death for all. No last words remained.

Ilark killed four in the same way.

The time taken until ten lives disappeared was only 9 seconds.

“···A woman not even worth half a penny has come looking for her own grave!”

Roberts clenched his teeth.

At first he was flustered but soon recovered his composure.

They only suffered a surprise attack the mercenary group has not collapsed yet. If they reorganize now and charge tomorrow morning they will be able to wear a coat made of that woman’s leather.

Clang!

The greatsword drawn from the waist scattered blue light.

Just as he who took a short sword salute was about to leap toward Ilark.

“Mm···?!”

Killing intent was felt from not far away.

Turning his body Roberts frowned.

At a distance of only about three steps, some boy was taking a drawing stance while lowering his posture tightly.

“You are?”

Bran did not answer.

Having landed separately from Ilark he had been aiming at the leader from the beginning. The atmosphere was solemn like a gunman with a finger on the trigger.

He pulled the sword hilt.

“Heh, that woman was carrying companions too?”

Snorting Roberts immediately responded.

The mana manifested from the heart accelerated his body.

He is one who reached the realm of 3-star Skin Body.

He acknowledges being caught off guard, but with his reflexes there was sufficient leisure to block.

It’s a slash rising from lower left to upper right. After deflecting to the side and kicking the solar plexus it will end.

Roberts thought so and swung the greatsword.

As expected Roberts’s prediction hit.

A slash rising from lower left to upper right. Even the predicted trajectory matched.

However.

“What···.”

His greatsword could not deflect Bran’s attack.

The blade made of Numerite was gently digging into the body of the greatsword.

Roberts’s eyes widened.

“Uh.”

By the time he noticed that something was wrong it was already too late.

The halved greatsword collapsed. The longsword that surged like a swallow came out behind Roberts’s neck.

Slaaaash!

At the same time as the head that surged high in the sky rotated once, a fountain of blood poured from the cut surface.

『Refreshing achievement! You defeated an opponent stronger than yourself in one strike!』

『Strength, Agility increase!』

The messages rising one after another were belatedly explaining Roberts’s strength.

Although what meaning would there be once the head is cut.

Shaking off the blood on the sword, Bran briefly spat out his impression of the new weapon.

“Good.”