The wizened merchant took Kaito’s order with a hoarse voice. Just as Kaito had suspected, the merchant didn’t even glance at his customer, simply bundling up the goods with practiced—albeit indifferent—movements. Kaito frowned as he handed over the payment. It was pricey, as was to be expected. But the price of commodities would probably only continue to rise.
It’s a good thing that Godd Deos was able to save the king and the bigwig aristocrats. The blame for most of society’s woes will probably end up falling on me. The economic decline, the shortage of goods, and the disorder stemming from the apocalyptic despair will most likely continue for a long while, but they should all improve as the Capital recovers. I just hope that things won’t get too bad before then…
It wasn’t only everyday folk who were feeling the squeeze; feudal lords, the representatives of the mercantile guilds, and the Church’s high clergy were under a great deal of pressure as well. All sorts of people and organizations were going broke. But all Kaito could do was hope for them to hold on.
As Kaito became lost in thought, Hina stored the oranges in the magical leather bag they’d taken from the castle. The bag was already loaded up with bundles of rice and herbs, rock salt, a few days’ worth of vegetables, and dried cheese.
“We should stock up on other stuff that’ll keep well, like dried meat and fish.”
“Understood. In that case, we should go there.”
Hina nodded, leading the way to the shop two stalls over. It might have been the shopkeeper’s seniority that made this booth noticeably nicer than any of the other offerings on the street. Slabs of meat hung from hooks affixed to its simple yet robust roof, and wooden wicker baskets lined the roadside in front of it. Chickens and ducks raised a loud clamor from within the cages. It seemed they were butchered beside the nearby well once purchased.
As they approached the shop, Kaito stopped in his tracks. Almost simultaneously, Hina quietly whispered to him.
“Master Kaito…”
“Don’t worry. I noticed.”
Kaito’s response was concise. As they spoke, Hina stooped over and looked at the ducks, while Kaito stood stock-still behind her. Without once shifting their gazes, the two of them searched their surroundings.
At some point, a disquieting presence had become mixed in with the hustle and bustle.
Several gazes filled with tension, wariness, and unmistakable animosity were focused on the two of them.
Furthermore, they could hear a commotion starting up in the distance. Somebody was forcibly stopping the flow of pedestrians. Although Kaito and Hina couldn’t see them yet, whoever the interlopers were, they were ignoring the protests of the people around them and trying to block off the street.
There could be no doubt that their objective was to apprehend the two fugitives.
Kaito shook his head slightly.
“I’ll admit my disguise was pretty garbage, but still… They found us pretty damn fast, didn’t they? What a pain.”
“It was unavoidable. The bounty on your head is rather large, after all. We should be grateful that at least we aren’t being ambushed by someone after they found out about the reward.”
“Yeah… Things got pretty messy last time.”
The two of them let out heavy sighs. The ducks kept on quacking.
At the same time, the crowd began to stir.
A group of armored men were approaching, violently pushing through the crowd. One of them shoved aside a drunkard, who pitched forward and tumbled to the ground. Their determined advance toppled over a handcart full of bouquets, too. An emaciated dog barked as it fled.
A chain of furious protests rang out. The band of warriors didn’t even spare the angry crowd a glance as they encircled Kaito and Hina.
The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Everyone waited with bated breath to see what would happen.
Completely oblivious to the situation, a shopkeeper-like man emerged from the back of the stall, flourishing a meat cleaver.
“What’s all this ruckus, some kinda fight? I don’t care who’s in the right, but I’ll take the side of a pretty lady any day, my dear!”
“Ah, I happen to be married, so please don’t mind me. My deepest apologies for the trouble.”
With a quick bow, Hina drew away from the storefront. “And I’m her lucky husband,” said Kaito as he embraced her without missing a beat. With a sidelong glance, he confirmed who their pursuers were.
Leading the group were a few paladins from the Church’s local branch office. Everyone else in their party looked weak, both in posture and in build. It didn’t look like there were any mages or priests, even among the lookouts.
In spite of himself, Kaito felt let down. He shook his head a little.
As soon as they rushed at us all frantic-like, I had a feeling they weren’t any run-of-the-mill group.
“Man, they made the wrong choice.”
“Indeed, that they did.”
“Seriously.”
Kaito and Hina nodded at each other. Throughout their whole exchange, the paladins continued closing the distance.
Kaito squinted. The paladins’ silver suits of armor lacked their usual luster, and their gaits were sluggish. It looked like they’d been negligent in their daily training, not to mention failing to take good care of their armor. Despite the town’s size, being transferred here probably amounted to a demotion, and their days had likely been spent idly.
The man who appeared to be their leader raised an annoyed voice, one altogether lacking in zeal.
“You’re Kaito Sena, correct?”
“…Try to keep your foolishness in check, if you don’t mind.”
“Not planning on giving a straight answer, you bastard?!”
The man reached his arm out, his voice filled with pent-up rage. He grabbed Kaito’s shoulder and gave it a yank. Kaito turned around with little resistance. Upon seeing his face, the man gave a short gulp.
Kaito wore a wicked grin, one wholly befitting the Kaiser.
“To think someone would dare to go up against me with such shabby men and arms.”
Kaito’s voice was as cold as ice. The paladin went pale.
The situation would quickly deteriorate if the man was allowed to scream. Not wanting to provoke the crowd more than necessary, Kaito quickly set into motion. He reached into the pocket opposite the one where he kept Vlad’s stone and pulled out a fragment of a jewel.
A blue flash lit up the cobbled road. As it did, Kaito snapped his fingers.
“La (activate).”
The jewel fragment burst from within.
Azure light and black feathers surged up all around them. The two stark colors violently swallowed up Kaito, Hina, and all the nearby paladins. Against the backdrop of the terrified cries of bystanders and livestock, the azure and black wound together in a swirling eddy of magic.
Then, with a small popping noise, they vanished.
Clap, clap.
The soles of his leather shoes audibly struck the ground as Kaito landed.
Then he looked down at his surroundings from atop the ruined hill.
This was the location where the Torture Princess had fought the Duke and eventually burned him to death.
Kaito had traveled to that hill in the blink of an eye.
The jewel fragment was a magical teleportation device. By releasing the magic sealed within it, the user could instantly travel to a location where another fragment from the same jewel was buried.
Kaito had taken an old jewel from Elisabeth’s castle and, under Vlad’s tutelage, had used blood and pain as an intermediary to infuse it with mana for this purpose. Now that he thought about it, Vlad technically had been useful in getting out of their most recent jam.
Moments later, Hina touched down beside him. On the other hand, the paladins failed to stick their landings and ended up tumbling down the slope. One of them stepped on something dry, then screamed.
“Wh-what is this place?!”
Human bones lay scattered atop the hillside.
Due to their fierce battle against the Duke, the land here had been churned up, and many of the coffins resting in the earth had been destroyed.
“Looks like they’re all here.”
Kaito murmured quietly as the confusion and screams continued.
There was a reason he’d specifically chosen to come all the way to this distant place. Due to the Duke’s horrid deeds, the whole region had been deemed corrupted and subsequently sealed off without exception.
In other words, as long as they were here, there was no need to worry about unrelated people getting involved.
“Now then, I’d better do something to reward your foolhardy valor!”
Kaito gave a loud shout. He grabbed the black cloak he was wearing and forcefully hurled it away.
His black outfit, resembling a military uniform with its bloodred embroidery, came into view.
Then the wanted sinner made a grand declaration.
“As the Kaiser’s contractor, and as the enemy of all mankind, I shall be your opponent.”
Over the past few days, Kaito had quickly come to a number of realizations.
First, hitting people with the back of his sword was surprisingly difficult.
And second, trying to strike fear into people’s hearts while taking care not to leave any lasting effects was quite the task.
“Killing one of them by accident would be an absolute mess. Definitely wouldn’t be able to undo something like that.”
“Good work out there! The way you fought was most befitting the ultimate personification of evil, yet at the same time, completely gentlemanly! A splendid job once more! I’m going faint, and my heart is pounding, and I’m head over heels in love with you!”
“Your praise makes it all worth it.”
“Eek, Master Kaito, you’re so cool!” shrieked Hina as she hopped up and down.
Kaito acknowledged her reaction with a raised hand. Their pursuers had fallen into heaps on the ground in front of them, all of them fully unconscious. However, none of them had sustained any serious injuries. Once they woke up, they’d be able to descend the hill and call for help on their own. They might find themselves assailed by nightmares for a few days, though.
They’d better, or I’m in trouble.
Kaito looked down at his downed foes with a serious look on his face.
After all, he needed the people to continue believing that Kaito Sena was the enemy of mankind.
Given his position, he couldn’t content himself with a simple life on the run. His goal was to stave off Elisabeth’s execution. To that end, he needed the Church to keep believing he was a serious threat to humanity.
Each time he took down a would-be pursuer, he made sure to take every chance he got to etch unforgettable fear into them. Fortunately, none of their pursuers had been particularly strong, possibly because the Capital was preoccupied with its own defenses or for some other pressing reason. But Kaito was well aware of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to keep up the farce forever.
Pretty soon, I’m gonna hit my limit.
Before that happened, he needed to figure out a way to have Elisabeth’s execution called off.
And more than anything, he needed to change her mind.
I still can’t think of any way to do that.
The Torture Princess’s sins were far too severe. No matter what justifications she may have had, she could never take back the things she’d done. There was no way she could possibly atone enough to make up for it. Short of changing the past, there was no way to erase the sins she’d committed.
The people she’d killed were never coming back. Kaito knew that, and so did Elisabeth herself.
Kaito closed his eyes, puzzling over what in the world he could possibly do. Then a deep voice rang out.
“You truly are a hopeless, pitiable fool.”
“Kaiser.”
The voice was inaudible to any but Kaito, his contractor, and it replied to him with humanlike laughter.
With his magnificent canine body still hidden, the Kaiser went on.
“Indeed, O contractor of mine. It is I, a flawless hound wholly wasted on an unworthy master such as yourself. How many times must you repeat this foolery before you’re satisfied? The matter should be simple. All you need do is make good on your proclamation at the Capital and amass power by gathering the pain of others in a manner befitting my master. Then you could simply destroy the foundations of this world and reshape it as you desire.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? I have no plans to tyrannize anyone. I’m not gonna become like my father.”
“Ha, a brute that looks down on brutes. That in itself is laughable. What difference is there between one brand of evil and another?”
The Kaiser scoffed, and Kaito narrowed his eyes a little. It was true; considering his current position in a vacuum, he was far more deserving of the descriptor evil than his father ever had been.
He was the enemy of mankind, after all.
Amused in spite of himself by that fact, Kaito was ready to respond.
“Ha-ha, you have a point there… But you gotta understand, Kaiser, it’d be a waste of time for me to try to amass power by hurting people. There’s not a doubt in my mind that Elisabeth would come barreling in and murder me the moment I tried.”
“But at this rate, you’ll find your head removed from your shoulders regardless. How shameful, how utterly shameful. Dying, no matter how it happens, is a disgrace. It follows, then, that you should give in to your deepest desires and try fighting like you really mean it.”
The Kaiser’s words were to the point. Kaito nodded. It was exactly like the Kaiser had told him once before.
The power of demons was supreme, and could first be attained when one extended their hand past the limits of avarice and desire. And one who forgot their greatest wish was naught but a fool masquerading as a saint.
Even so, I’m not going to betray Neue.
Kaito thought back to the boy who’d sacrificed himself for Kaito and been eaten by the Earl’s spider. The boy’s existence was like a knot tied around Kaito’s heart, stopping him from crossing that final line.
He refused to do anything that would cause others to have to sacrifice themselves the same way he had been saved. And he couldn’t bear the thought of becoming a thug who just grinned as they tormented the weak, like his father had done.
But at the moment, he had something far more important to do than respond to the Kaiser.
“So what brings you guys here?”
Kaito called out, his voice ringing with confidence. However, he received no reply. Nevertheless, he leveled a cool gaze toward the shadows behind the gravestones and the shattered coffins. Perhaps shaken by the intensity of his confidence, the air shifted a little.
Immediately after they’d teleported, he had noticed a few presences who’d come along, following the traces of his mana.
Hina had noticed at the same time he had, or perhaps even earlier. But when he cast a sidelong glance at her, he saw that she wasn’t holding her halberd at the ready.
She was simply waiting to spot movement and taking care to avoid putting the other party on guard.
Yeah, that’s the right call.
After all, Kaito couldn’t sense a shred of hostility from their new pursuers.
What were they doing? What was their goal?
As he concealed his bewilderment, Kaito continued staring at the spot where the newcomers were lurking.
Having run out of patience, a few figures finally made their appearances. Just like the set of pursuers prior to them, they were clad in full-body armor. However, the material differed from that of the paladins and Royal Knights, making use not just of metal but of leather and scales as well. Their outfits had a vermilion motif and gave off a unique aesthetic and cultural impression.
But what surprised Kaito the most was their faces.
“…Beastfolk?”
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Their new pursuers were not, in fact, human.
They all had animal heads, their bodies were covered in dense-looking fur, and their feet were adorned with pointy claws.
Kaito recalled what Elisabeth had once told him.
“Demi-human-beastfolk crossbreeds. Not an uncommon sight, particularly with the influx of various races in low-class towns. They make up about thirty percent of slum dwellers, and in the north, it exceeds forty percent. Visibly pure-blooded demi-humans and beastfolk are generally in the nobility, though, so they’re rarely seen in human settlements.”
Kaito looked over the beastfolk before him a second time. Their bodies didn’t have all the same parts humans did. While they didn’t look especially noble, they were probably still purebloods. But based on Elisabeth’s explanation, that meant they shouldn’t be showing up on human land.
Why were the beastfolk there, then?
The questions just kept piling up. But Kaito didn’t exactly have time to ask the beastfolk directly.
Their hands already on the hilts of their swords, the beastfolk began moving.
They approached Kaito and Hina, their movement offering no openings.
Raising his hand, Kaito struck a pose that would let him snap his fingers at a moment’s notice. Hina pulled out her long halberd from their bottomless magical bag in a single fluid motion.
The beastfolk peered up at Kaito, as though appraising him.
He returned the examining looks with a composed, questioning gaze.
The next moment, the beastfolk nodded among themselves, then moved as one.
Bending the knee like loyal retainers, they all knelt in front of Kaito.
“………What?”
“Sir Kaito Sena, we presume.”
The voice that spoke up was deep. Dumbfounded as he was, Kaito reflexively thanked his golem body’s native translation functions. The odds were high that the beastfolk were speaking a different language from the one humans regularly used. If not for his built-in translation ability, Kaito probably wouldn’t have been able to understand the beastfolk at all.
The beastman, who had coppery hair, a brilliant tassel atop his sword, and a wolf head, picked up where he left off.
Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen, Vol. 4 Page 2