Chapter 130: Wanted, part 5
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
I arrived at the last spot that Bale had marked on the map. At first glance, the area looked like a deserted village. The remnants of old buildings were strewn across the landscape, accompanied by a faint smell of rot that pervaded the atmosphere.
「Over there.」
Standing among the rubble was a single house that looked slightly less worse for wear. Bale had mentioned that the kidnappers were likely to be staying in the same place as the hostage, so it would follow that they could be found in a hospitable building. Using the rubble for cover, I approached the house and soon enough detected a hemispherical force field around it.
There was a person looking out of a second-floor window through drawn curtains. These people didn’t seem like the rag-tag bunch that had kidnapped Meiri, although I have to admit that I had probably barged in before those guys had time to set up any defensive systems.
Making my presence blend in with the surroundings, I snuck up to the force field, taking care to remain in the blind spot of that person. I then applied a ‘Dispel’. With the satisfying sound of shattering glass, the force field vanished.
「Hey, where’d that force field go?」, came a voice from inside the house.
The man observing from the second floor had probably noticed the change.
「Technical difficulties, eh? I’ll go have it fixed.」
The option of entering through the front door was always open, but for the sake of stealth, I decided to infiltrate the building from the top. Scaling the fence, I headed for the wall and climbed it to approach the second-floor window. I knocked once and hid.
Knocking again for good measure, I felt a human presence on the other side of the wall soon after. The poorly-fitted window opened with a creak.
「Did something hit the window…?」
The lookout stuck his head out and noticed me hiding against the wall.
「!?」
「Hello, and goodbye.」
I clutched his head with both hands and forcefully turned it a full 180 degrees. Once I heard the dull sound of his neck breaking, I released my grip while making sure that no other noise was made. Since I saw nobody else when I looked through the window, I assumed that the other person had gone downstairs to restore the force field.
The door to the room had been left open, so I knew that there was a flight of stairs right next to it. I did a quick body search of the late lookout and found three throwing knives on him. They were nice and sharp.
I relieved him of the throwing knives and pressed an ear to the floor. Two voices could be heard downstairs, one of which belonged to a woman. I then heard footsteps coming up the stairs as the person making them muttered to himself.
「That bloody wench, always acting all high and mighty… I’ll fuck her good someday!」
「Sounds fun. Allow me to join you.」
「…!」
As soon as I made eye contact with the man, I flung a knife at him. It whizzed through the air making a soft, whistling sound before lodging itself firmly in his forehead.
「Who… are…」
I caught him before he fell and dragged him into the room. I’ll go have it fixed, I remember him saying — that woman must be a mage of some sort. I took the knife out and wiped the blood.
「Could you at least do your job? Don’t tell me neither of you can do something as simple as –」, rang a haughty female voice from downstairs.
I quickly headed downstairs and found a young, blue-haired girl. Frowning, she stood with her hands on her hips.
「It appears that they indeed could not.」
She turned around to look at me, and her expression shifted from surprise to vigilance in an instant.
「Your friends are dead.」
「…So it was you who disabled my force field!」
「None other.」
Putting some distance between us, the girl started to generate a blue magic circle at her feet. Her technique was smooth, and her execution quick. What she cast, however, was not an offensive spell, but rather a defensive one.
「‘Force field’!」
A translucent force field materialised all around her with the sound of clanging metal. It was the same type of force field that I had seen outside.
「Fufufufu…! With this, you won’t be able to lay so much as a finger on me!」
「Nope, I don’t intend to touch you. Do as you please.」
「Eh…? C’mon, at least fight me! Do as I please? Aren’t you here to take back our hostage?」
I suppose she expected me to be on the offensive as well. But I’ve already gotten rid of those in the way, so I only wanted to find out whose orders she was acting on.
「That’s not wrong.」
Hearing that, she puffed up her chest and placed her hands on her hips again.
「Fufufufu…! Without me, there’s no way to unlock the room in which that girl is held! How about it?」
How about it? Well…
「Your force field will have no effect against me.」
「That’s what everyone says. Everyone looks down on a little girl’s force field –」
「‘Dispel’.」
The force field dematerialised as soon as it had appeared.
「…」
She flinched for a moment, then shook her head.
「See?」
「‘Force field’!」
The magical barrier formed again.
「It pains me to have my force field looked down upon just because I’m a little girl…!」
「You put it up again…」
Does this girl intend to pretend that nothing had just happened? She’s still trying to act cool, striking that pose… so is this all she wants to do?
「How do you find my magic? It’s useless for you! Give up now and go home!」
「‘Dispel’.」
Barin.
「…‘Force field’!」
「‘Dispel’.」
「…」
I started closing the gap between us.
「F…‘Force field’!」
「‘Dispel’.」
She stumbled backwards as I approached and soon hit a wall. Tears began welling up in her eyes.
「For… for… ‘Force field’…」
「‘Dispel’.」
「Damn it…」
It was the only spell she had used since the start. Could this girl possibly be…
「‘Force fie –’」
「‘Dispel.’」
Barin.
「Okay, stop it! I can’t do anything else!」
Her shoulders drooping, the girl began to wail. I’ve done nothing wrong, and she’s one of the villains… but what’s this feeling of guilt?
She wiped her tears with her sleeve, then stood up suddenly.
「Let your guard down, huh? ‘Force field’!」
「That’s a line preceding an attack. ‘Dispel’.」
The force field materialised, then shattered for the umpteenth time.
「Uuu… okay, stop…」
Seeing her about to cry again, I handed her a handkerchief.
「Use this.」
「Mmm… you’re nice…」
I ruffled her hair, just as I had whenever Meiri threw a tantrum.
「I will not harm you. I just want you to answer a few questions.」
「No, no… don’t be nice to me…」
「Your good looks will be ruined if you’re always crying.」
I gently lifted her chin, and wiped a tear off her cheek with my finger.
「S-Stop being nice… I’ll end up liking you…」
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