Chapter 35

Chapter 35

35. Plan (5)

Gerik took out the dagger and swept the blade with his finger. When shone in the moonlight black ash powder was smeared.

‘Blood-sucking rat.’

Because something emitting sticky magical energy flew in front of the child’s face he carelessly cut it and it was a magical entity.

It is different from a magical beast.

The things called magical beasts each have an origin. Whether tree, or beast, or flower, or insect.

It means there is a form before being eroded by magical energy.

But magical entities are not so. Their origin is solely magical energy.

Though they take a form similar to living things, literally they only imitate the form and do not follow any habits or instincts.

They did not even have biological organs.

Because if one cuts the inside it is full of ash powder or black smoke, or sticky crystallized magical energy like the blood-sucking rat he just caught.

It was the reason the research results of these in the society remain sluggish.

What the magical entities pursue was only one.

Blind predation.

Gerik’s gaze turned to the east where the blood-sucking rat flew in.

When quietly concentrating the mind, it was faintly felt.

The huge magical energy unique to the colony that swells the body moment by moment.

The blood-sucking rat is not a single individual. A huge colony moves like one body.

The guy Gerik caught a little while ago was a remnant that split feeling a threat and failed to gather in time.

The dry gaze stayed for a while on the city spreading reddish light at the end of the horizon far away, Bromwood.

“······Tsk.”

Gerik turned his back again and walked east.

***

The times Benrik brought in others’ memories along with the privilege is a total of four times.

The first memory is Gerik’s colleague, Demian.

The period spent together was one week the shortest, but the memories seen through him were one and all intense things.

─The reason you are stuck there is because you could not cut my neck. You should have moved faster. Dull guy.

The memory of seeing Gerik giving advice to the corpse was still impressively stuck in the mind.

The second was the memory of the legendary dementia elder Edgar.

The world seen with the only one eye was alien, but it was the most useful.

Because there were several things that one can grasp the principle or learn just by looking.

Methods to safely store luggage at the inn, methods to pick locked doors, methods to tail without the target noticing and points to be careful of in the Dark City such things.

Even if one cannot follow as is knowing and not knowing is a world of difference.

The part that there was not even one person trying to pick the pocket of the legendary pickpocket was a bit regrettable.

The third is the memory of the peddler Marcel. Compared to the previous two people this side was very ordinary.

He could indirectly feel things like the hardships experienced as a beginner peddler or the small joys of life.

And lastly,

The memory of the young noble Lucian Belmore.

“I won’t kill.” “Yes, because killing you has nothing beneficial to me.” “Instead remember. The moment you take even one step out of this village there will be nothing protecting you.”

It was a familiar scene.

‘I made such an expression. Quite shameless.’

The feeling of seeing oneself through others’ gaze was quite strange.

A series of scenes passed like a panorama and Lucian’s memories that Benrik does not know seeped in.

“Misunderstanding, it is a misunderstanding brother, me aiming for the head position!”

Fragmentary memories of childhood and the memories right after Benrik left for the lord’s castle.

“Oren! I have something to earnestly request.”

After Benrik left Lucian found the general store in the border area. It was a place operated by the coachman who worked at the mansion in the past and retired.

‘Fence guy.’

The key shape drawn small under the sign meaning the general store means handling stolen goods. Of course Lucian with little outside experience would not have known.

Benrik also would not have known if there were no memories of Edgar.

The immature boy believed the old servant making a good-person smile.

“Even just introducing a procession going to another city is enough···.”

“Our shop has a bad location so originally business does not go well. Directly taking you is also more comfortable for my heart.”

Oren showed an appearance of enthusiastically helping such as changing all the gold buttons to cash and giving to Lucian, and saying he will directly take him while locking the shop door.

“This Oren, though the status is low does not not know the grace bestowed. The fact that I can live this decently is all thanks to the master isn’t it. If I can repay that debt even a little by helping the young master there would be nothing more.” “Oren···.”

Whether remembering Benrik’s advice, or some intuition, Lucian tightly hid at least the fact that he was expelled from the family.

But the opponent was not good.

There was no person in Bromwood who does not know that Giles who was Lucian’s escort knight killed dozens of soldiers under the count and is wanted.

Oren was a person who knows well who the boy in beggar appearance in front is.

He was also a person thorough enough to be cautious of possible future trouble while being certain inside.

“···But this old man’s memory is hazy so, did the young master become of age this year?” “······I wanted to look around the world before holding the coming-of-age ceremony.” “Ah is that so. Indeed precious people think differently from ignorant people like me.”

While being certain inside he was wary of possible future trouble while spending a few days with the boy.

The time he revealed his true heart was around about ten days after leaving Bromwood.

What Lucian who closed his eyes avoiding the night dew under the carriage and opened them faced was Oren conversing with unfamiliar adult men.

“Oren···? Who on earth are those guys···?”

The boy’s voice trembled sensing that the situation is going unusually.

“Oh my, did the young master wake up, from today these people will serve the young master.”

At the chilly sensation Lucian rummaged through his bosom. The coin pouch carefully put in disappeared.

The fence who saw that appearance said while holding a fishy smile never shown until now.

“Greet. It is the slave merchant Grok.” “It is an honor to meet the young master of the Belmore family like this.”

The slave merchant and the fence mocked the boy while exchanging words. Lucian distorted his face fiercely.

“What greeting, do I look like an idiot? Mocking also to a degree─”

The body floated then was shoved into the carriage wheel.

“Oh my···. This lowly one has a symptom of not being able to endure without beating children who scream, please forgive young master.”

“How did a noble sir believe a lowly thing like me.”

The fence received two gold coins and handed Lucian over.

The slave merchant Grok pointed at the boy who was gagging.

“Because he is a guy who will receive at least thirty gold coins, handle as prettily as possible.”

Immediately after Lucian was thrown into an iron cage on the carriage that would only be used as a beast cage. Sticky blood was smeared on the bars full of black dirt and rust.

When turning his back, children with haggard complexions were seen.

“······.”

Lucian lost the will.

Some time passed.

“What, that bastard didn’t eat again?” “Isn’t he really going to die like that?” “Young master, if you keep coming out uncooperatively like that we will open the belly skin and pour in.”

Lucian quietly closed his eyes.

“But, that shameless bastard···.” “Stop beating this bastard, tomorrow the auction house arrives.”

The hand does not move one, the mind is hazy.

The stomach that was appealing extreme pain until just before is now only quiet.

It was in the midst of that.

─Pasusususut···!

A strange sound was heard. Like the sound of a grasshopper swarm’s wing beats, or like a rat gnawing grain···.

“What is that...?”

The man who was threatening while raising a fist muttered blankly.

─Pasusut!

As the noise approached the muttering changed to astonishment, and to a scream.

“Run, damn run!” “S-save me!” “Kuk, kuk!”

Even at the death that drew up to the nose Lucian did not open his eyes.

***

Up to there was Lucian’s memory Benrik saw.

“Help?” “There is a place I want you to go together with me.”

At the child’s words the old knight’s head tilted to the side.

“It would not be difficult, but is that all?” “Yes. For now.”

Looking quietly it was not that he was frozen because of tension? A strange guy. What change of heart would there have been in that short moment.

‘Surely was he robbed by a thief? So he got angry? Hmm···.’

The old knight stroked the chin area.

“Are you saying to find the lost item together?”

When Drenor asked the child who pondered for a while shook his head.

“Actually it is not related to that, because there is just something catching the mind a bit.”

It is not asking to find the lost item and just asking to go somewhere together? It seems there is something else but even if one asks it does not seem he will particularly tell.

‘Well, it might be a good opportunity to score points.’

Drenor who simply concluded stood up from the place.

“I understand. Is it okay to depart right away?”

The old knight was so absorbed in the child in front that he could not even feel doubt about his own thoughts.

Rather the one who harbored suspicion was Benrik.

‘Helping this readily, without even asking the reason?’

He thought for a while, then stopped. If he helps it is good.

Benrik left the office together with Drenor.

“So where is the destination? If far from here···”

While saying so he lifts one arm, it was a sign that anyone would see he wants to pick up and fly.

“No, it is close.” “Is that so?”

Benrik quickly denied.

Benrik headed to the border area between the 1st district and 2nd district together with Drenor.

After advancing a bit between the rotting wooden buildings and shacks, soon arrived at the destination.

‘Here.’

It was that general store seen through Lucian’s memories.

“Hmm, general store?”

Drenor muttering puzzledly while looking at the sign.

‘Not everyone knows just because a knight.’

Well if he knew he would not have just left it. To Benrik who is thinking Drenor asked innocently.

“Is there something to buy?” “The owner of this shop is a fence.” “What?” “And it seems he sold Lucian to a slave merchant.”

Drenor’s expression became bizarre.

Since he came this far there was nothing to hide.

Benrik recalled Oren in the memory. Looking only at the impression he was a person who looks good enough that no one would associate with the underworld.

The oiled door opened smoothly without even one common creak.

“Welcome.”

Oren who was opening his mouth with a listless expression saw Benrik and made a puzzled expression then saw the pot-bellied knight following behind and turned pale.

Introduction was not particularly needed.

Because Drenor was a man whose face is the business card at least here in Bromwood.

“······.”

The middle-aged man who was hesitating glanced at the door in one corner.

─Tadat!

It was right at that moment that Benrik jumped out like lightning.

In the hand he was holding a sword whose timing of drawing one does not know.

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