Chapter 33: People and Monsters
TL: Scaramochi
***
Something white boils up in front of me. Glittering snowflakes blow and strike the men's faces.
A magical blizzard of snowflakes swirls in a certain space, robbing my vision.
I can't keep my eyes open, and the parts of my body not covered by clothing are severely gnawed on.
It is a magic that doesn't cause serious damage to the body, but can capture several people at once.
The magic Gina uses is as plain as ever, but it was the best option in this situation. It would prevent an attack on me and buy time for Comba to rush over.
I twisted around and looked at the stupid dog. It was an emergency situation, and I felt bad for the dog, but I intended to decapitate him if necessary. But then, unexpectedly, the leg restraints were removed.
Tiana was stroking the dog's neck with her hand while her face turned pale. The dumb face broke into a further smile. The hairs above her eyes drooped and she looked extremely happy.
Having made it out for the time being, I turned to the exiles.
The local blizzard had subsided and the men were just about to brush the snowflakes from their faces.
Comba comes in, out of breath.
He took off the round shield he carried on his back and readied himself with his battle axe.
They must have decided that Comba was a more formidable foe, because four of the men went to face him, leaving one to hold me back.
This guy was quite skilled. He was armed with a regular long sword, like a soldier's.
I had a knife stuck in me, and his weapon had a longer reach than mine. It might have been dangerous if it was completely one-on-one.
A long, thin needle made of ice pierced through the man's body as he was overpowering me.
If I had been wearing a gauntlet that covered my elbow, the damage wouldn't have been so great.
Fortunately, the man stopped moving, holding his bare dominant arm.
I held my sword horizontally and hit him with my entire body.
Smash.
I could feel the blade digging into his flesh, and it passed between his ribs, skewering the man's chest.
The man spat out blood, coloring my armor with blood.
Slowly, the man fell back. I stomp on his torso and draw my sword.
But the fight is not over yet.
I look toward Comba and see that the number of exiles is down to two. There were two bodies lying on the ground, one with its head smashed in and the other with its body separated from the body above and below.
The survivors were more intent on avoiding being cut than attacking Comba.
When I took up a position behind them, they dropped their weapon and raised their hands.
"I surrender. Help me."
I didn't care, I held up my sword.
Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place. In addition to my anger at these men, I was also angry at myself for not recognizing that I had put Tiana and Gina in danger.
The men changed color when they realized my intent to kill them.
"Wait, wait! Wait a minute!"
"Master."
I was about to swing my sword when I heard a voice stop me.
I looked at Tiana out of the corner of my eye and saw her shaking her head.
"Why are you stopping me?"
Tiana just shook her head, unable to speak any more, as if she couldn't get her teeth to meet.
"I'm not impressed with cutting off someone who's surrendered. Even if it's these people."
Gina speaks up instead.
"Besides, I feel sorry for Tiana. She's so frightened. I'm a little scared for you too."
"If we let these guys live, next time......"
"I'm not asking you to let anything go. Tie them up and take them back to town and hand them over to the guards. And then let the regulators handle the justice. I don't think you need to get your hands dirty about anything."
I exhale through my teeth.
"What a sleazy thing to do. What do you think they would have done to me if I hadn't gotten there in time? These people don't need mercy."
"That's not true. It's just murder to cut down a man who has thrown down his weapon. I just don't want to see a scene like that."
I take a deep breath and look at Tiana. She was shaking in her dog's arms.
"Okay. Give me the string."
I take the string that was connecting Tiana and Gina.
"Get on your stomach. If you move in any way, I'll stab you immediately."
One by one, I put my arms behind my back and tied them tightly with the string, making sure their feet were no wider than shoulder-width apart. A further loop was made and placed around their necks, linking them together.
"Comba. Thanks for the help."
"Brother. Please don't do this. I'm sorry I'm late."
I tap Comba's chainmail shoulder forcefully.
"Brother. I think the knife is still stuck in you."
"I threw my stuff out. I'll stop the bleeding when I get back."
"Well, let's go!"
Comba yells at the prisoner.
"Come on! Walk quickly!"
I go over to Gina and Tiana's side.
Gina had finished picking up the baskets and mushrooms she had thrown away.
"Gina. Thank you for the magic you did earlier. Let's go back then. Tiana."
I make my voice as gentle as I can.
There was still a hint of fear in Tiana's eyes. I guess she is still afraid of the man who easily killed a man in front of her.
Killing a person is different from killing a monster. To the average person, it is. I was numb to it. Both are enemies that must be eliminated.
But, I was not bloodthirsty enough to kill unnecessarily, but I had no hesitation in shedding the blood of my fellow.
Gina took my hand and Tiana began to walk.
My knees were still shaking.
I let them go ahead of me, and I picked up my long sword and went around putting the finishing touches on the fallen men.
I also retrieved a hatchet and knife and searched their pockets, but found only a few copper coins.
The other weapons were not for sale, but the long sword was different, so I kept it.
Returning to the cart, I took out a clean cloth.
I loosened the buckle of my leather armor, pulled out the knife, and covered the flowing blood with the cloth.
The wound was deep, but it didn't appear to have damaged the internal organs.
Relieved, I looks around and notices something strange.
That stupid dog was firmly attached to Tiana.
"Hey. You're not taking that dog home with you, are you?"
That's unexpected.
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