Chapter 36

Chapter 36

36. Plan (6)

Benrik jumped onto the counter like a nimble cat, and brought down the sword drawn still in the scabbard.

─Smack!

The fence Oren who was hit squarely on the skull collapsed like a puppet with the strings cut.

“······.”

Benrik did not let the silence continue long.

“Because he was trying to run.”

At the confident tone Drenor nodded with a dazed expression.

He had also heard the story that he is a fence earlier and it was the judgment that the child would not do such an action without any reason.

Benrik jumped lightly from the counter and approached the unconscious Oren.

Anew, it was not that he was trying to take revenge for Lucian.

The series of actions originates solely from practicality.

The last scene seen in Lucian’s memory kept catching the nerves. Precisely it is not that he saw but heard, but anyway.

The scale of the human trafficking group that bought Lucian was by no means small.

Children sold or kidnapped into someone’s hands like Lucian were twelve.

The organization members managing such children and the armed personnel escorting the procession, and the person in charge Grok.

Even excluding the children there were adult men of a number exceeding ten.

‘Such guys were hit without being able to do anything.’

Right after the muttering of the man who was saying he would cut Lucian’s belly or not, the scream followed.

The time taken until the scream stopped and Lucian lost consciousness was only around 10 seconds.

In just 10 seconds he massacred as many as twenty people.

Even if it is Drenor would he really be able to do so?

Without any noise?

The meaning was one.

What attacked them, what cut Lucian’s breath is not a human.

‘It is not a night spirit.’

What they were attacked was not deep night but around evening. Above all that strange wing-beat-like noise caught the mind.

The most certain method to confirm that is to go to the site directly and examine it.

So some violence for the smooth and comfortable achievement of the purpose is indispensable.

Benrik who squatted next to the collapsed man patted his cheek.

─Smack! ─Smack! ─Smaack!

Oren who could not endure the hand that gradually became fiercer opened his eyes along with a groan.

“Kuugh here···.”

Just now, the deceased father···? At the pain that literally rings the bone when bringing the hand to the back of the head warm blood was thoroughly smeared.

“Uh, he woke up.”

When raising the head at the nonchalant voice, one prettily formed child stuck his face in. The memory that flew for a while returned at that moment. Oren’s gaze turned to the sword firmly held in the child’s hand.

‘A kid?’

Not Drenor Vinter? The fence who skillfully continued business avoiding the law net soon grasped the situation. Drenor Vinter leaning against the door seemed to have no particular thought of stepping forward.

“Suddenly what is this···.”

He muttered while pressing down and swallowing the rising anger.

“Surely did you hit me, kid···?”

A face of not knowing what to do.

If a person who does not know saw he would have seen it as a person flustered because he experienced a truly perplexing matter.

Benrik already knew seeing what kind of damn smile that naive middle-aged man can make.

“What happened to Lucian?” “Lu···cian···? Suddenly who is that to do such a thing···.” “Don’t pretend not to know, I know that you are the coachman who worked at the Belmore family.” “Ah···?”

Benrik sighed looking at the man who blinks his eyes innocently. There is no way he does not know what meaning bringing Drenor has but he is still denying.

‘This, it can’t be helped.’

Benrik who is a dignified intellectual wanted to keep the order of elders and youth as much as possible, but situationally it is not feasible.

As expected is it not a situation where an unidentified threat is lurking somewhere in the territory. For a faster response one cannot be leisurely.

Benrik fixed the scabbard and sword hilt tightly again with the sleeve then looked at Oren who is making a dull sound saying “uh uh?”.

“Come to think of it─”

Oren who sensed the crisis tried to open his mouth hurriedly, but Benrik’s sword was faster.

“Luci, wait! Ugh!” “Did you remember?” “T-that···! So just think a bit···.” “You still haven’t remembered.” “Ak! Stop··· damn, stop a bit!”

At the beating that did not stop easily even at the appeal Oren forgot even face and requested help from the knight.

“S-Sir Vinter! P-please help···!”

Because the hand of the short child was fiercer than thought to endure.

Only then the sword that was falling mindlessly stopped.

“Did you remember now?” “Yes, yes I said I remembered!”

Benrik obtained the confession he so wanted like that.

Oren readily admitted that he himself handed Lucian over to the slave merchant and even specifically said where the destination of the slave merchant is.

‘Red Mist Hills···.’

It was the path going to Delmar east of Bromwood.

Because the attitude was more cooperative than thought Benrik inwardly clicked his tongue.

“But, I swear I did not know the fact that that child is young master Lucian!”

Aha, that is so. Oren appealed looking at Drenor at the door.

“Because the appearance is shabby and he has precious items that do not suit, I only thought he is a demented slave who stole the master’s items and came to sell! Please believe···!”

In the empire slaves are legal.

There are places that prohibit human trafficking within the territory in many cases, but ownership or transfer of slaves is not greatly restricted anywhere.

Here in Bromwood also strictly prohibits human trafficking of fairy-kin, but in the case of human slaves transactions are being made secretly in reality.

“Moreover the fact that I left the mansion is already a matter over five years ago. If I knew it was young master Lucian I would absolutely not have done so!”

Moreover the words he was picking up had quite a bit of persuasiveness.

Originally kids of that age grow quickly, and as said Lucian was also in a beggar appearance.

Benrik looked at the old knight who has not stepped forward even once until now.

“Are you all finished?” “Yes.”

Originally the needed information was only information about the destination of the slave merchant.

Where he was attacked on the way, if one knows finding the place itself where he was attacked was not a difficult matter.

The Red Mist Hills east of Bromwood.

Now one just has to go there and confirm directly.

***

The two people who handed the fence over to the guard team walked the street where darkness had thickly settled.

Drenor was an expression immersed in thought.

One does not know but he is probably matching the situation.

The Lucian who left, the decorations, the fence who worked as a coachman at the Belmore family, the slave merchant.

Benrik was already in a state of having prepared the answer as well so that he can answer right away if Drenor throws related questions.

The time Drenor opened his mouth was around when leaving the border area and entering the 2nd district.

“Why did you let Lucian go?”

─How did you know that a mishap occurred to Lucian. ─How did you know that the general store merchant is a fence.

Benrik who expected such questions answered half a beat late.

“Because there is not particularly a reason to keep him.”

It was not that he thought deeply particularly. He only did as he wanted after hearing Jenkinson’s advice to do as he wants.

This is more troublesome than thought.

He does not like seeing the appearance of just playing but also if one tells him to do something he does not do it properly so if one watches the insides burst.

Violence should only be used as a means of education, it should not become the purpose. Rather than that it is better to put away.

‘It is not that I wanted it to become this style but···.’

When thinking bitterly the old knight said.

“Because the time is late, I will go find the auction house once as soon as the day brightens tomorrow.”

Benrik who felt a sense of discomfort from his words asked.

“Are you going alone?” “Hmm? Were you thinking of going together?”

Of course.

Benrik must accompany the site.

Only then it will naturally lead to the flow of discovering the traces of the magical beast and finding the traces.

Because all the previous situations were shown because one cannot straightforwardly reveal “Actually it seems there is a very dangerous magical beast near the place called that auction house now. And Lucian is already dead.”

If Drenor asks how you knew that there would be nothing to say.

And the reason Benrik did all this trouble was one.

Reduction of Gerik’s debt.

If he could catch the magical beast of course it would be the best, but even if not while informing a bit about the traces of the magical beast or tracking or hunting method, now···.

He was planning to request the count to look into the circumstances a bit and repay the debt a bit, or exclude him from that debt play.

Because the count is a person with clear rewards and punishments.

‘······Incidentally one can also recover the corpse.’

Anyway because of that he absolutely had to accompany.

“There is not particularly a relation, but because there is distance one will have to fly for three or four days, is it okay?”

There was no choice.

When Benrik reluctantly affirmed the old knight patted the head with a rough hand.

It was an action Jenkinson does like a habit.

‘There is not no resembling part at all.’

When thinking he said.

“Then let’s see at the eastern checkpoint tomorrow morning. Since we have left the border area quite a bit there will be no particular matter, but go carefully.”

Drenor left, and Benrik who was heading to the office suddenly realized.

‘But just now did he say with his own mouth that one flies?’

Because it was too natural he could not even feel the discomfort. How familiar is flying.

Like that how much did he walk.

─Thud! ─Ugh···!

From between the buildings stretched long in a line on one side of the bustling street a heavy hitting sound rang out.

“No, this bastard what kind of strength···!”

It was a sound of hitting and receiving that anyone who hears would know.

“Uh, uh? Hey I understand, I understand so calm down a bit, ak!”

‘···Hmm, is it not, is it one-sided?’

Whichever side it was a scene one can usually see in the deep night downtown. It was when he was about to pass without caring.

“I told you not to touch!”

─Pause···.

The voice that rose medicine tightly caught the steps.

The ashen head tilted to the side. ···Strange is it an auditory hallucination?

“I am already dead, I said I am dead! Aah···! Damn!”

No. It is not an auditory hallucination, no.

When running to the alley with quick steps, the appearance of a familiar child entered the field of view.

Shamelessly long slit eyes, an ashen head that looks perfect for hitting···.

“···Yerik?” “···! Benrik!”

Really it is real. On earth why is this guy fighting here···. No wait, the fact that this guy is here means.

Benrik hurriedly looked around.

‘···Not there.’

Fortunately Gerik’s appearance was not seen. Instead···.

“······.”

Eyes met with the huge man standing awkwardly in the corner.

“What are you doing here, Jenkinson.”

The huge man whose both cheeks were swollen tightly coughed awkwardly.

“······The hair color, I thought it was you.”

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Author’s note I modified the episode subtitles. Always thank you!