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427 p4. Secret Meeting and Returning to Goza Village [4]

A few hours after Allen, Ria, and Rose left for Orest, Paula Garedzar was being approached by the minions of evil forces.

「Phew…」

As Paula gathered a load of laundry and started folding it as she usually does, there was a thunderous knock on her door.

The strong and rough sound signaled an obvious “abnormal situation”.

「…It’s really noisy.」

Sensing the unusual presence, she grabbed her favorite frying pan for self-defense and quietly headed for the entrance.

「I can hear you even if you don’t knock that loudly.」

There was an unbelievable sight before her as she opened the door.

「W-Who are you people…!?」

Surrounding the dormitory was a group of swordsmen wearing black overcoats, numbering more than 100.

As Paula was unable to hide her trembling, the stalwart leader of the group took a step forward.

「You’re Paula Garedzar, aren’t you?」

「…And who are you?」

「Forgive my disrespect. I’m one of the Thirteen Knights of the Oracle, Wotorius Trigate.」

Wotorius Trigate, 35 years old.

He is about two meters tall. Even among the Thirteen Knights, he is a trueborn warrior, and boasts a strong physique. He has ferocious lion-like red hair, sharp eyes reminiscent of a dragon, a high nose like an eagle, and a tough look.　

He is a skilled swordsman who is described as “the man closest to reaching the Emperor’s Four Knights”.

「The Thirteen Knights of the Oracle, I see… the troublesome group that’s been stirring up trouble lately…」

「Oh, so you know about us?」

「With all that radio and newspaper buzz, anyone will know, even if they don’t want to.」

「Fu, that’s true too.」

As their gazes intersected and the atmosphere was turning dangerous, the strong-willed Paula fired the first question.

「So… what business does this great oracle-sama have with me?」

「Currently, we have received an imperial order from Barrell-sama to proceed with a background check on Allen Rodore. But this was such a rough task… For some reason, there are a lot of things that are extremely unnatural about his background and personal history. I can’t report to His Majesty such a mixture of fiction and reality. In particular, the records before his middle school were particularly terrible, and it’s apparent that someone artificially manipulated the information.」

Wotorius briefly explained the current situation.

「Therefore, we changed our research direction significantly. I decided to find someone who knew Allen Rodore when he was in middle school and hear their story directly.」

「I see, and that person is me.」

「Yeah, that’s right. Allen Rodore lived in this dormitory for the three years he was attending Gran Swordsmanship Academy—isn’t this correct?」

「Yeap, so what?」

「Fuu… it looks like we’ve finally got a hit. Let’s get right down to business. Did you ever see an arrogant old man with a “strange button” around Allen Rodore?」

Wotorius kept a sharp eye on Paula as he threw the core question without warning.

In response, Paula answered simply with a blunt look.

「Well, I don’t know.」

「…Really? Hiding it won’t do you any good.」

「Man, you’re so dumb. Even if I knew, why would I tell dangerous guys like the Black Organization? Why don’t you use your head a little?」

「Hmm… I see. In that case, I will make you spit it out.」

Wotorius’ whole body swelled up, releasing a tremendous bloodlust.

「…」

「…」

Amidst the strained atmosphere, a well-meaning advice out of good faith was issued.

「Paula Garedzar, I don’t dislike strong-willed women like you. Therefore, I will let you know this in advance. Our organization is not so lenient that we will overlook you just because you’re a woman. After this, you will be taken to a place where you will be subjected to horrific torture. You will experience an excruciating pain worse than death that wouldn’t even allow you to sleep. Instead of experiencing such torture, it would be better for you to reveal everything you know right this moment.」

「Ha… and here I was thinking what you were going to say… Allen is an important dormitory student that I have taken care of for three years! I’d rather bite my own tongue and die than sell out my precious child. I’m not so cowardly as to give in to such cheap threats―Don’t underestimate a dorm mother!」

Paula’s powerful roar echoed throughout the area.

Her strong resolve and pride as the dorm mother echoed.

「I see… don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for your foolish judgment.」

In an instant, Wotorius’ body disappeared into a mist.

「-NUH!」

In the next instant, Paula’s solar plexus was hit with a strong right straight.

Amidst the terrifying explosive sound――.

「…Ho, w…」

A bewildered voice leaked out.

A terrible pain seeped in.

Wotorius lowered his gaze. He saw his own broken right arm.

He immediately leapt backwards while biting down the pain.

「Haa…haa… Paula, what the hell did you do!?」

「Nothing, really. Maybe you incurred divine punishment for laying your hands on a lady’s stomach?」

「Kuh, bullshit…! Everyone, attack!」

Upon receiving orders from their superiors, the members of the organization rushed towards Paula.

「Stalk and shred to pieces -〈Stalk Bite〉!」

「Be endlessly lost and bereaved of innocence -〈Rash Oblivion〉!」

「Let vermilion hang over the empty throne -〈Emperor Rule〉!」

All of them were the direct subordinates of Wotorius, and were excellent soul dress users who can take down an entire city on their own.

In the midst of a war-like power deployment,

「…Goodness, seems like I’ve been underestimated.」

Paula’s exasperated murmur disappeared, carried by the spring breeze.

The next moment, the iron frying pan broke the speed of sound and easily pulverized the enemies’ soul dresses.

「I-Impossible… Gebu!!」

「What the hell…!」

「No way…gafu…」

She swung down her fist three times.

Originally, it’s a light knock on the head that is used when scolding a child…

Only when fired by a muscular monster named Paula, it literally turns into a “deadly blow”.

「…Gulf, Grios, Darlton…?」

Wotorius couldn’t believe his eyes.

He thought he was having a bad dream. He couldn’t comprehend the fact that the three closest aides he trusted the most lost to just a fist. They sunk into the ground and fell unconscious.

「Who the hell are you!?」

「A dorm mother.」

Paula immediately responded to Wotorius’ question.

「Stop screwing around…」

He gritted his teeth and sent a hand sign with his left hand hidden behind his back.

One of his subordinates read the signal and activated a small radio attached to his ear and tried to contact headquarters.

「E-Emergency message from the team in Ringuard Empire! In the dormitory where Allen Rodore used to live, there’s an outrageous monster――」

「–Oops, I can’t let you do that.」

As Paula lowered her index finger, a gigantic bird cage-like cage dropped down from high in the sky.

Due to the falling of an overwhelmingly large mass, the ground shook violently. The radio waves were disturbed by the enormous spiritual power hidden within.

「Damn it! Why won’t it connect…!?」

Paula Garedzar, her nick-name is “IronBlood”.

In the past, she was a great swordsman of national strength level who supported the golden generation of Thousand Blade Academy together with Black Fist Leia Lasnode and others. She is a swordless-style swordswoman who boasts “super-strong muscles” that even made Hap Torne groan.

「My ability stands out too much. So I’ll finish this quickly.」

When Paula cracked her neck, her favorite frying pan changed shape and turned into a jet-black gauntlet.

「…(A gem-like muscular body that is beyond realistic. An overwhelming density of existence. And the most outstanding aspect is this ridiculous spiritual power… This woman is without a doubt in the same class as the Emperor’s Four Knights…)」

Wotorius raised his guard to the maximum and promptly issued an order to all units.

「Surround her! There is only one enemy, after all. So take advantage of numbers!」

「A large number of men trying to surround a lady in broad daylight… Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?」

「…No one would call you a lady…」

The battle that followed was too one-sided.

Wotorius’s subordinates launched a desperate charge one after another, but Paula pummeled, smashed, and subdued them with ease as if taking candy from a baby

(… Impossible… This is not an opponent that humanity can beat.)

What they felt was an absolute disparity as living beings.

Prey and predator―they were made to realize that they were the ones being hunted.

The group of over 100 swordsmen was completely destroyed in less than three minutes.

The last one standing, Wotorius Trigate, was about to unleash a slashing attack.

「Pierce through, Beast King Flash!」

That slash which contained all his spiritual power…

「Fuu……Do you still wanna keep going?」

Shattered in the face of Paula’s abdominal muscles.

「Why can’t I cut…」

「You’re such an idiot… Did you really think your blade could cut through my abdominal muscles?」

「You monster…!」

Upon receiving a counter body blow, Wotorius’ consciousness sank into darkness.

「Goodness… if you want to get rid of me, at the very least bring a “True soul dress-user”! Don’t underestimate a dorm mother!」

After that, Paula restrained the members of the organization with tough ropes and contacted an acquaintance in the Holy Knight Association. They promised to come and retrieve them a few days later.

After brushing off the falling sparks, Paula stared at the horizon with a complicated expression.

「Hurry up, Dahlia… You can’t keep hiding it anymore.」

Paula’s gaze was directed towards Goza Village, where Allen’s mother, Dahlia Rodore, was carrying out her “operation”.