Alyssa only saw Hifumi fight once, by the border. But looking at Origa and Kasha’s facial expressions, she faintly whispered “more than that?”, and subsequently got an understanding on what considerable carnage may look like.
“But, I’m not strong like that…”
Alyssa said without self-confidence, to which Hifumi grinned broadly and let out a laugh.
“I’ll teach you some fighting techniques. Besides, just fighting isn’t what matters. What really matters is your resolve.”
It’s not something you need to answer to anytime soon, he also added.
More importantly, what actions should be taken now?
Having Alyssa tell them the location of the town representative’s mansion, Hifumi strapped his sword to his waist.
“Alyssa will wait here, while Origa and Kasha keep guard. If enemies appears, kill them.”
“Understood.”
Hearing Origa’s answer, Hifumi got off the carriage.
Stretching his back, he looked up at the moon.
It was still cloudy outside, scarce with moonlight.
The night flowing with blood had yet to conclude.
Hifumi didn’t specifically talk about it, but he had come to a conclusion about something he was very dissatisfied with.
It was the fact that no one in this world had any tension regarding the possibility of being killed at any time.
It was the same when he heard about the fight between Orsongrande and the Beastmen tribe. It seemed like the wars of this world was more on the level of skirmishes. Of course some people died, but real wars rarely happened.
Struggles between individuals were much fiercer.
In areas with strong demons that might not be the case, but the fights between humans that looked more like some kind of sports event, was all that Hifumi currently knew about. The degree of people doing a bit of scheming is more an art of deception, rather than the art of war.
Boring.
Coming to this world, being able to kill people, Hifumi felt satisfied for a while. However, he soon started building up resentment towards the people in this world, with their carefree disposition.
There are no strong people here. No people frantically scheming for their lives. No opportunity to use the dark magic painstakingly developed through the nights. Wars where people are desperately racking their brains, where the warriors were hoarding weapons, and where each country respectively were fighting frenetically to ensure their survival… none of these existed either.
Maybe that’s good if you’re striving for peace.
But there are threats.
Why are no one earnestly trying to kill their enemies?
Like this, it’s no different from Japan.
While expressing his displeasure, he arrived at the town representative’s mansion.
The town representative was a middle aged man named Ortis, a descendant of the merchant who was the key figure in the construction of this town.
A building three stories tall made out of stone, adorned with several windows made out of glass, in this world, was something showing that you have money.
He’s here.
According to what Alyssa saw during the day, a man seeming like a Colonel was also present in the building. Wonder if she come here to report before? Whichever the case, it was no longer of any interest. In the town’s current circumstances, gathering information became a difficult task. Therefore, the best way to do it was in a much simpler fashion.
By the entrance, two haggard soldiers were conspicuously standing guard, with swords handing from their waists.
Seeing that, Hifumi heaved a sigh. As expected. Once you’ve seen them, your eyes will unconditionally be drawn there.
He first thought he could talk to them, but quickly gave up on the idea. The guards would realize something was amiss right from the start as they’re most likely dealing with everything with the mindset of a being gate guardians. The other time with the Marquis’ residence was fine, but regarding these guards’ current mentality, Hifumi only felt irritation come gushing forth.
He wordlessly walked closer to the guards, which they quickly discovered. But seeing that he didn’t draw his weapon, they relaxed. That too, made Hifumi displeased.
“Okay, that’s minus points.”
The moment Hifumi put his hand on the hilt of his katana, the guards tensed up again. But he slashed their throats in succession, and they died without being able to raise their voices.
Slipping in through the unlocked gate, there was a huge door straight ahead. There were no guards in the garden, but inside the house were the presence of ten or so people.
Hifumi carefully observed for a while, but it didn’t look like it was a trap.
Gripping the katana in his right hand, he boldly opened the front door.
Opening the door, he met eyes with a young, slender male servant.
“Eh, who are…”
“I’m an intruder.”
Saying that, rather than waiting for an answer, Hifumi swiftly emerged behind the servant. After putting him in a choke hold and tripping him, Hifumi dragged him into the shadows of the staircase close by.
“Answer my questions in a low voice. If you do any strange movements, I’ll kill you and find someone else to ask.”
With an arm around his neck, the servant trembled while nodding.
“Where are Ortis and the Corporal?”
“R-right now, they are in the office on the s-second floor…”
After pressing him for information of where the office was located, Hifumi had the servant tell him if he knew about a man named Beirevra.
“T-that’s…”
Hifumi felt that the response was weird, so he threatened him by sliding the blade over his chest, lightly cutting it.
“Uu… p-please stop…”
“If you want me to stop, speak.”
“The man called Beirevra previously stayed here in this mansion.”
Finding a clue like this from an unexpected source, Hifumi’s irritation calmed down somewhat, urging the man to continue.
It seems that the servant was working with matters regarding the town’s budget management.
As for Beirevra, he had apparently been coming here several times. The most recent visit seems to have been this morning.
Perhaps the voice Alyssa heard back then was him.
Hifumi had previously thought that Beirevra would make a quick escape, but it seems like he’s taking his sweet time.
Not having stayed over during the night, Beirevra had apparently come early in the morning, and left right after talking to Ortis about something.
As it didn’t seem like he’d get any more information out of this, Hifumi strangled the guy, making him fall unconscious.
He first had thoughts of killing him, but it didn’t seem appropriate.
While feeling irritated, and regretting having accepted this task, Hifumi climbed up the stairs.
Without hesitating, Hifumi opened the door to the office and stepped inside.
There were two persons inside the room. The Corporal he met during the day, and a middle aged man. Presumably Ortis.
“It’s you.”
The Corporal uttered while brandishing his sword, stepping towards Hifumi with heavy steps.
“I have no need for you…”
When he came into striking distance, Hifumi trampled down on the top of his foot, and thrust him down on the ground before crushing his ankle.
While the Corporal was clumsily trying to stand up, Hifumi stepped down on his chest and pierced his neck with the katana, delivering the finishing blow.
“Well then. Ortis, I presume? I’ve got a couple of questions for you.”
Facing Hifumi who just killed a man without a changing of expression, Ortis face turned pale, and he shakily stood up from the table.
“I-if you think you can behave like this to me, don’t think you can get awa…”
“I don’t need you to te
ll me that.”
Swinging the blade, a red line appeared on both of Ortis’ arms.
“Hiiii!?”
“Too bad we don’t have time. I’m getting a bit tired, so I’d like to finish this. Just killing a few people, I can’t feel the tension anymore.”
Hifumi complained about the annoying job he got.
“W-what do you want to know?”
“There are a few things. Who is Beirevra, where did he go, and what is he doing? I also want to know why the town’s soldiers are acting weird. The ones I killed earlier where lacking emotional ups and downs, and had a dull sense of pain. What was done to them?
“Be-Beirevra is a spy sent from the capital of Vichy. Where he is and what he’s doing, I don’t know…”
“You met him this morning, didn’t you? What did you talk about? What has he been tasked with?”
Listening to what Ortis was saying while flicking with his katana, Hifumi was arranging the information in his head.
Apparently, Beirevra was an agent dispatched from the Capital of the so called city-state, and it seems like he mainly asked Ortis about the intelligence collected from Orsongrande. Though he was never told the contents concerning Orsongrande’s internal activities.
As for the soldiers, it seems it was an experiment of a newly developed magic tool sent from the Capital.
It was also something Beirevra brought with him, with effects that could strengthen the body, which he distributed amongst the soldiers.
“So, is the suppression of emotions a side effect from that?”
“I don’t know either. I asked the Capital for an explanation, but ‘watch over the process’ is all they told me. It didn’t hinder my work so…”
“Alyssa wasn’t equipped with one of those magic tools?”
According to the information Ortis got, apparently they can’t bear the body strengthening if they’re too young.
“For now, that’s all I wanted to ask.”
“For now? Are you planning to come back!?”
“No, you’re the one coming.”
Hitting him hard on the back of his neck with the back of the katana, Ortis consciousness was let go.
Exiting the originally sparsely guarded mansion, Hifumi returned with a horse carriage. He entrusted Origa and the rest with tying up Ortis, while he himself entered the inn.
Ahead of him was the inn owner’s room.
Opening the door, the old man was snoring in bed, not noticing Hifumi intruding.
Drawing his katana, he stabbed the sleeping old man in the heart, before flicking the blood off the blade and returning it to its sheath.
He then left the room without saying anything.
“Something you had forgotten?”
“Just tying up some loose ends.”
Answering Origa’s question, Hifumi jumped up on his horse, announcing they were leaving the town, going towards Fukaroru.
“Master, are we returning?”
“According to what Ortis said, Beirevra is a spy from the Capital of Vichy. The current situation could affect negotiations between countries, but it’s a bother, so I’ll leave the investigation to Pajou and them. That aside, Alyssa.”
“Y-yes!”
“Like I said earlier, we’re returning to Orsongrande for now. As for what we’re doing after that, we’ll decide when the time arrives. Are you really planning on coming with us?”
Not just the town, but you’d be discarding even your country, he told her. But Alyssa just responded with a resolute nod.
“I don’t mind. My resolution stretches beyond that.”
“I see. Just do as you like.”
“We’ll be counting on you, Alyssa.”
“Following this Master is difficult, you know? You have to work hard.”
While Alyssa was getting along with the slaves, Hifumi said he’d drive, and turned his back to Alyssa, before jumping up the coachman seat. The wagon started to advance on the road, and Hifumi let out a smile, unbeknownst to the others.
This is good. If Alyssa also can learn my way of fighting, it should be possible to spread the spirit of war throughout the country. Throughout the world.
Maybe because Origa and Kasha originally had some previous experience, Hifumi thought that teaching them was going fairly well. This was just a simple experiment, but if they just got a bit more familiar with his teachings, they’d be able to enter the ranks of the quite strong people in this world.
Alyssa on the other hand couldn’t use magic, and was by no means physically strong. But if he could prove that she could fight on an above average level due to martial arts and tactics, the way the world waged war was bound to experience change.
Whether it be individually, in group, town or country, without being able to choose the means themselves, their true struggle for life would begin.
For that purpose, having some kind of social status may be for the best, Hifumi thought. A status able to mobilize a lot of people. In other words, a status being able to start huge battles.
Since I somehow managed to get the rank of Patrician, let’s finally put it to use. Imeraria, you planned to summon a hero, didn’t you? Then I’ll become your hero. A hero whose name resounds throughout the world. I’m really looking forward to what degree of bloodshed that will result in.
The excitement of strife, of battle. The tension of the night raids. Desperately fending for oneself, killing the ones failing to… Just imagining it, Hifumi got a warm feeling in his chest.
Cutting a motionless scarecrow would be boring. I want to kill because they’re alive.
I want to mold the world, in order to kill, the summoned hero secretly decided for himself.
Chapter 23: Runaway
“Let’s go!” (Hifumi)
Approaching the town’s exit, Hifumi called out sharply while holding his katana and galloping on his horse.
“Just a moment!” (Kasha)
Kasha, who was the coachman, raised the speed of the carriage in a hurry but it wasn’t a speed that could catch up to Hifumi no matter how.
In an instant they were separated. Hifumi vanished into the darkness in front. One of the heads of the three soldiers in front of the gate was severed. In the act of passing each other, it was cut and sent flying.
While using the momentum of killing him, Hifumi turned around and once again hurried on his horse. Slashing his katana from atop of the horseback, he killed yet another person.
Just one single soldier was left now. As the carriage arrived, the soldier was at last being successful in drawing his sword, the carriage arrived.
“Alyssa, get off.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi dismounted from the horse and pointed his katana into the direction of the soldier to keep him in check. Without shifting his attention he addressed Alyssa.
At once Alyssa jumped down from the carriage.
Immediately following after the forceful healing with restorative medicines, she didn’t seem to have any problems with movement.
“I am lending this to you.” (Hifumi)
Coming close to Alyssa, Hifumi passed on his katana to her.
“Huh? …” (Alyssa)
Though the soldier came slashing at them, he was easily forced back with a front kick causing him to be thrown down.
“Kill this guy with this.” (Hifumi)
“Th-that is …” (Alyssa)
Although Alyssa received the katana, she was hesitating upon being told to kill the soldier.
Maybe she recognized his face.
Once more throwing himself upon them, the soldier approached. Having a short blade driven into the inner side of his sword arm’s wrist, the soldier dropped his sword. Hifumi grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down.
Immediately trying to get up again, Hifumi firmly stepped down on his elbow. Due to the build of a human being, the soldier wasn’t able to get up any more.
“From now on you will kill a lot of opponents. The person you just yesterday had a friendly chat with
, might have to be killed today. First off, kill this guy. Kill the opponent that tried to kill you, in order to completely separate from this place.” (Hifumi)
Without any hesitation, Hifumi spoke those words. Catching her breath, Alyssa set up the katana without losing any time.
“That’s fine. Up until this morning he was your colleague, but now that he betrayed and tried to kill you he is an enemy. If you won’t kill him, he will kill you.” (Hifumi)
Although those were clichéd words, they were effective on Alyssa who had experienced it by herself.
Upon lifting her head, there was no trace of indecision left within Alyssa’s eyes.
“I am borrowing this sword.” (Alyssa)
Alyssa thrust the katana at the soldier who was still continuing to struggle.
The sharpened point of the katana penetrated with a smooth, unhindered motion into the back of his head ending his life simply like that.
“… I have done it.” (Alyssa)
“You did well. Next we move to the national border.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi gently took the katana from Alyssa’s hands and replaced it with the sword of the dead soldier. Turning his back on her, he went towards the horse.
“Hifumi-san, I, did I do something good with this?” (Alyssa)
“… There is no good or bad. I told you what you should do and you decided yourself to do so. That’s all there is to it.” (Hifumi)
Wearing an expression that showed she didn’t quite understand, Alyssa went back to the carriage trudging with the sword in her hand.
The first step went smoothly, Hifumi thought.
Only after killing a person from Vichy for the first time, I was going to decide the future depending on Alyssa’s reaction.
If her spirit was broken by this, I would have chosen a suitable place to leave her behind afterwards.
However, beyond my expectations, Alyssa regarded the Vichy soldier with a powerful hostile spirit.
Although she might have been conflicted within her heart, when the attack came this way earlier, she resolved herself and put her heart into balance.
Not parting with the sword that was stolen from the killed opponent is a proof that she hasn’t abandoned her will to fight on yet.
Summoned Slaughterer - Book 2 Page 3