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Volume 5 Chapter 2 Part 6

「My name is Salvador Rossini. I envy the fact that you are being accompanied by three beautiful women. 」

He introduced himself and stood up with a smile on his face. However, his eyes were calmly observing Siluca the entire time.

When Siluca also stood up, she bend hee knees lightly and returns the greeting.

「Are you a Mage from Elam? 」

Siluca nodded and pulled out her magic wand.

「My name is Siluca Meletes. 」

「I didn’t expect you to bring a priestess of the Order of the Crest or an Artist that looks like a Warrior Maiden with you. It’s like looking at a painting of a group of Free Knights who crossed over to the Dark Continent to try to participate in the War of Restoration. 」

「Is that so? Thank you for the compliment then. 」

Siluca nodded her head.

「However, we do not intend to be crossing over to the Dark Continent. This island of Sistina is the only place where Lord Theo Cornero intends to restore order. 」

「Cornero? Did you just say Cornero? 」

The moment he heard that name, Salvador’s expression completely changed. His face distorted in an ugly grimace, exposing his dangerous nature for all to see.

「Do you know who that family name belongs to? 」

「Of course I know. 」

Theo responded and vigorously stood up.

「It’s the family name of a hero who tried to pacify this island’s demons and bring peace back to it. And since I intend to carry out his will, I decided to use his family name for myself as well. 」

「I see, so it’s just like I heard from my father. HE told me that there was a commoner from Sistina among the subordinate lords of the Earl of Artuk. 」

「And did Pederico also told you that he sent a group od assassins to kill me? And that Alexis Ducet, the leader of the Fantasia Union got involved in that as well? 」

「So? What’s wrong about that? Fantasia Union is going to perish someday either way. And besides, there is no Lord who would be insane enough to go out of his way to cross the Demonic Sea to invade this island. 」
「But alas, that’s why I came here. I will destroy you Rossini family and liberate the people of this island from your tyrannical rule. 」

Theo said out loud, and the shopkeeper and the other customers watched him fearfully.

「There’s no way you’ll ever succeed. This island will forever belong to us, the Rossini family! 」

As he shouted, Salvador pulled the kris knife from his waist. However, Aishelaa, who was nearby, flipped it away from his hand with her sword.

Salvador jumped back in haste and held his hand high. A Crest bloomed on it, and the threads of light that emerged out of it started making a pattern. He was forming his Banner.

「Omerta… 」

Theo muttered quietly.

「Let’s get out of here. 」

「But why? Wouldn’t it be better to kill that man first? 」

Aishela let out a voice of immense dissatisfaction.

「It would, but I don’t want the townspeople to get involved in it. 」

Theo replied.

Certainly, the moment Salvador raised his battle Banner, the color of the eyes of the people who were in the store changed.

「They have sworn a blood oath to the Rossini family, and those who end up under the influence of the 「Omerta」Banner will heed its wielder’s orders and carry out even the most heinous of atrocities without feeling guilt or shame. 」

「Then I think that’s all the more reason to kill them all. 」

Aishela is usually cheerful, but when it comes to fighting, she becomes frighteningly violent.

「No, because I believe that he people of this city may wake up someday. 」

Theo made his own Crest shine brightly, and once he bestowed its protection upon his companions, he pushed aside the people who tried to block their way out and went out of the restaurant.

「Inhabitants of Laxia, in the name of the Rossini family, I command you to seize them at once! 」

Following after him, Salvador came out of the store and called out loudly.

「Fulfill your blood oath loyally! 」
The people of the city who saw the Banner of Omerta suddenly became expressionless and attacked Theo and the others one after another.

Aishela brushed them away with her pole weapon with its tip removed and pushes the oncoming ones away. Siluca also put up a wall of flame behind her with an instant chant to stop them from coming any closer.

However, once the city’s bell has began to ring out loudly, Siluca started running with all her might. The gate leading to the slum area was closed shut, but Aishela lightly knocked down the two gatekeepers and pulled the gate open.

Luckily for them, the iron bars hadn’t been dropped.

After everyone has passed through, Siluca thought that she should be able to buy time for them for a while by dropping the iron bars down by using the remote control magic.

「Do you think I managed to achieve my goal? 」

Theo asked while running through the streets of the slums.

「I’d say it was more than enough…. 」

Siluca didn’t mean to cause such a ruckus. However, she didn’t expect that they would run into a member of the Rossini family at a restaurant he probably happened to enter on a whim, but since Salvador Rossini was clearly suspicious of them, then they had no choice but to act.

「I think we’ll be pursued soon. If such a large number of people catches up with us, it’ll be all over. 」

「Near the city, there is a Demonic Realm called 「The Forest of Webs」. It is a dangerous place inhabited by giant spiders, but since we have nowhere else to go we should make our way there first.

「What about Mr. Irvin and the girls? 」

Priscilla looked back behind her worriedly.

「If it’s those three, then there’s no need to worry about them. They’ll catch up to us as soon as they’ll be done with their shopping. 」

For a Chamberlain like Irvin, tracking them down should be easy, especially since he has two Werewolf girls with sharp noses with him.

The slum dwellers were obviously suspicious of them as they continued running away from their pursuers, but so far no one dared to interfere with them.

Before long, they passed through the slums and left the city completely. The plains around the city were extensively populated with vast farmlands, and the hills covered with thick forests.

「The neighborhood of the city is under the direct control of the Rossini family. The people here have all sworn a blood oath to them and are protected from their plundering and extortion because of it.
Theo explained.

If the peasants find them, they will be handed down to the Rossini family immediately, so they decided to move through the forests as much as possible.

It was around the time we entered the second forest that Irvin and the Werewolf twins caught up to them.

Luna and Emma were disguised in their wolf forms and carried large bags on their backs.

「It was so terrible of you to leave us like that! 」

After returning to their human forms, one of the twins raises a voice of protest. The other growled in agreement.

「It looks like you went on quite a rampage. 」

Irvin’s expression was as calm and collected as usual.

「Sorry about that. 」

Siluca apologized to the three of them and explained the circumstances behind their disappearance.

「We have been hiding in the city for a while and investigating the situation. As expected, a search party to go after you has been organized. There’d be no problems with that if it were just regular soldiers, but it looks like they dispatched Artists as well.

「Come to think of it, there was an assassin that Irvin had trouble dealing with when we were attacked back in Halusia. 」

「Yes, it was a careless mistake on my part. 」

Irvin said while hanging his head in disappointment.

「Assassination is one methods of dealing with their enemies that the Rossini family specializes in. Those who plotted resistance against the Rossini family often fall victim to it. There are also those who have pledged their oaths of blood loyalty to them on the provinces, so as soon as they’ll notice us, they will inform them right away. 」

Theo spat out the resentful words.

「So we don’t even know who is our friend or foe here… 」

Siluca sighed.

「But all we can do is to continue to call on the people to overthrow the Rossini family. 」