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Chapter 72 Part 1 – The Beginning of a Tragic Night

「Teddy!! Quick, let’s run away from here!!」

When Ronny hurriedly rushed into the house while shouting, Teddy was lying on his side and trembling while holding his knees. The two are Rona’s younger twin brothers.

「…… What a relief!! Dad is out looking for alcohol. Quick, we have to go now.」

「……? ……!!」

Ronny hastily looked around the house and then breathed a sigh of relief. Teddy slowly blinked as he looked at Ronny. The light in Teddy’s eyes that had been extinguished returned. Teddy’s feet is crippled and so he cannot obtain food by himself. While his twin brother Ronny and sister Rona are gone, all he got was an infuriated kick from his drunk father. In addition to malnutrition, the abuse combined with the unrelenting cold of the dilapidated house had severely weakened Teddy’s vital functions and rendered him dazed.

「R-Ronny ……? What happened to you? Your face …… and what about sister Rona ……」

When Teddy finally recognized him, he couldn’t help but ask since Ronny was also in a terrible state. His face was purple and swollen. The nails of the five fingers on his left hand were torn off. Ronny grimaced as he frowned from the pain.

「…… I was caught and tortured by the Inquisition. We have to get out of here before they come after me. It’s because of that small guy who was obsessed with sister Rona ……!! He made up a story that sister Rona is a witch. That’s why they thought that I was one of the witches.」

His words were filled with a murderous intent that did not suit the always calm Ronny.

Hearing that, Teddy’s complexion instantly changed.
The Inquisitor’s notoriety is well known even in the slums.
If someone is tortured by them, at best he will be a cripple for the rest of his life, at worst he will not be able to return home alive.

「Then, what about sister Rona ……!?」

Ronny lent his shoulder to Teddy as he couldn’t walk. Then Ronny reassured him.

「Don’t worry. They haven’t captured sister Rona. I was tortured by an Inquisitor official named Matthew to tell them her whereabouts, but I didn’t answer. Or rather, I don’t know where she is. Then there’s a guy named John who likes children, he felt sorry for me and let me go. I’m definitely going to succeed in running away. We’ll find sister Rona and the three of us will become happy together ……」

「…… No, the game of tag ends here.」

Ronny froze at the voice that made his guts rumble uncomfortably.

「What a foolish creature a child is. Without even noticing that it was deliberately made to swim, they speak of a hopeful tomorrow as if they are delirious with fever …… Kukuku, how innocent and lovely they are. You see, docile sheeps exist for the sake of humans. Then, for whose sake obedient human beings exist for? Is it for God? Or someone else?」

Along with the riddle-like question, the shadow of a person creeps gloomily on the floor.

Wearing a familiar bowler hat and black cloak, the Inquisition official Matthew stood outside the door. His body blocking out the sunlight

「…… Matthew, how can you be here ……」

Ronny groaned in dismay.
Matthew closed one eye and stroked his mustache as he replied.

「Well, well, you already know the answer, don’t you. Or are you just trying to not accept the reality? You have to face the painful truth, or else you will never grow up. But I will give you credit for etching my name firmly in your mind. How’s that? I told you so. It’ll become a name that you can never forget.」

Then Matthew turned around.

「Hey Jo-o-hn. Good work. We now have two lambs. When I’m done, I’ll give you whichever one you like.」

When Matthew called out with a peculiar intonation, a man with a bad countenance appeared.
Ronny froze and groaned at the sight of his evil sneer, which was anything but friendly and flattering.

「…… John-san!? Did you deceive me ……!? I ……!!」

「Heh, there’s no way I would help a poor kid like you without getting anything in return. This will be a life lesson for you.」

John snickered at Ronny’s sorrowful voice.
Then he looked at Teddy and showed a despicable, sadistic smile.

「Male brats have nothing other than beautiful faces. I’ll pass on the one whose face has been distorted from the torture. I’ll take the newcomer over there.」

Ronny paled as he realized that not only had John betrayed him, but he had also dragged Teddy into it.

Matthew frowned.

「I don’t have the same hobby as you.」

Of course, it was not because he felt sorry for Ronny and Teddy.
Ronny knew firsthand from the torture he suffered that Matthew did not have such a humane heart.
His intellectual demeanor is far more frightening than the vulgar and brutish John.
Matthew should be around the same height as John, but he has a strange power that makes him seem twice as big.

「Ooh, poor boy. Isn’t he a crippled child? Jo-o-hn. This is no good. To truly understand people. You have to destroy the whole body. Because the human body is a miracle created by God down to the last strand of hair. And torture is the only way for man to expose his body and mind.」

After his fervent speech, Matthew stared at Ronny.
His eyes were like those of a nocturnal bird of prey.

「…… Oooh, Ronny. Yes, that expression is what I want to see. I can see your unspoken true feelings. My heart is shaken to the core. Ahh, I see!! Are you overflowing with despair and regret because you have dragged your brother to hell?」

Matthew laughed loudly, then fell silent.
With the heels of his pointed boots clacking like an execution music, he walked slowly into the room.

「…… Excuse me for the intrusion. Hmm.」

His tone was calm, as if his elation had been a lie.
He glanced sharply at the room and the empty bottles lying around. Then he chuckled.

「I can roughly understand your situation. Your family are former wealthy people that have fallen into ruin. Your father is a drunkard that neglected his children. Judging from the traces of your daily life, your mother died within a year. The older sister is taking care of the younger brothers. She is probably doing so by selling her body. Well, it should be something like that.」

「H-How did you know that ……」

Ronny was stunned when Matthew guessed their family situation.
Matthew smiled like an enigmatic ancient statue.

「Well, it’s easy to see that with a little observation. Hunters make use of the habits of animals when setting traps. The same goes for humans. Each one of us is different, but in fact we all have patterns of behavior. If I just apply that principle to the case, the answer will naturally come out. …… The young siblings have huddled together and desperately struggled to survive. How courageous.」

Matthew stepped forward while smiling and flipping the hem of his black cloak.

「It’s so courageous that it makes me want to vomit. A witch’s family pretending to be human.」

Ronny couldn’t understand what just happened.
His vision spun around as he collapsed on the floor. While Teddy lost the support of Ronny’s shoulder.

Matthew had raised his leg to kick Ronny’s jaw, which caused Ronny to have a concussion.
There was no one here with the dynamic vision and fighting skills to accurately see his movement.

「…… W-What ……!? Teddy ……!!」

「R-Ronny!!」

Matthew broke off Ronny’s fingers as they tried to get closer to protect each other.

「Oops, I forgot that you can’t stand on your own. Alright, I’ll give you a hand. No need to be shy.」

Matthew supported Teddy gently like a lover and helped him stand back up.
He broke into a smile when he saw Teddy trembling like a little bird.

「…… The two of you are traitors to mankind. Minions of the devil. You guys are poisonous insects that should be thoroughly exterminated. Otherwise, humans will be manipulated by the devil and destroyed. But if you speak truthfully and ask for forgiveness, there may be room for leniency.」

With a smile on his face and a threatening tone, Matthew spoke to Ronny as he crawled and writhed on the floor.

「…… No. We don’t know any devils. And sister Rona is not a witch ……!!」

Ronny desperately denied it, but Matthew said to him.

「Good grief, Ronny, you’re so stubborn. No matter how much I torture you, you still insist on that. Oh God. Please guide the lost sheep. …… I guess I should change things up a bit.」