5. Bread and Dagger (65)
The tribute to Nogisa did not last long.
He was the first man I killed.
No matter how long I prayed, it would not be enough, but now was not the right time. I had to assume that this place had already been discovered by Yurdina-kun.
Hadn’t Sir Alex sent a messenger right away?
I had no choice but to hurry up and leave.
Even so, I couldn’t take my eyes off the old knight’s corpse for a long time, and then I finally turned my steps.
It was to free the elves.
However, the remaining soldiers did not congratulate me on my victory.
One of them seized one of the elves convulsively. Then, putting a dagger on the uvula, he began to walk backwards.
“Kyaaa!”
“Oh, don’t come!”
I furrowed my brows, not knowing that I would do such a reckless thing.
Are you a suicidal person?
Threats were meaningless when defeat was confirmed. Of course, you can give me agitation, but that is the limit.
As soon as the hostage disappeared, the soldier would be in danger of life.
However, it was impossible to take hostages out of the coniferous forest. There was no stamina left to do it alone, and the elf who had left the coniferous forest in the first place was dead.
This meant that their value as pawns was significantly reduced.
In the end, I had to sigh and persuade.
“Put down the knife… It’s an over fight.”
“Alex was our idol!”
It was a cry and a cry.
A commotion arose from some of the soldiers who heard that earnest voice. Seeing them stealthily wielding weapons seemed like it would be a headache.
First of all I was alone.
When the majority started rampaging, there was a limit to me too. Some of the elves might have lost their lives if they went on like this.
Besides, I had just killed my own people.
I didn’t want to take more lives.
It would be best to subdue without killing them, but there was no time to worry about the name of those who ran rampant to kill the elves.
I decided to listen to the soldier’s complaint first.
“We all lost our families to the elves… That’s why you volunteered for this mission! We decided to remain loyal to Alex, but how can only we save our lives?!”
“It’s a pointless death, isn’t it?”
The soldier’s body trembled at my reasonable objection.
I continued to persuade in a calm voice.
“What’s the point of giving up your life like that? To take the lives of a few unfortunate elves?”
“That, that’s enough!”
“It’s not enough. I can’t even appease that burning vengeance.”
And then I took a step.
It was just a small signal.
With that alone, the soldier’s body began to tremble. Fear of death was an emotion shared by all creatures.
Before that, there was no difference between humans and elves.
The soldier pressed the dagger closer to the elf’s throat.
The elf swallowed a groan and shook his legs. The bodies of the two men and women seemed to be resonating.
It was funny.
To throw your life in vain when you are so afraid of death.
Even taking away someone else’s precious life.
I held out my hand and said.
“Now let go of that elf. I have no intention of hurting you either.”
“… … How can you believe that?”
“If I had intended to kill you, there’s no way you’d still be alive.”
It was an arrogant declaration, but it was also a cold reality.
I had already subdued the soldiers. My intentions were proven when I threw a hatchet and set off one of their weapons.
If I had intended to kill him in the first place, I would have killed him then.
Unable to find words to refute my reasoning, the trembling in the soldier’s hands subsided. He looked away with a look of anguish.
So did the other soldiers.
Loyalty to Sir Alex and my life.
The fact that he was weighing what was important testified to Sir Alex’s popularity.
I made one last attempt at persuasion.
“We can’t just leave Sir Alex’s remains there.”
That was the decisive blow.
One of the hesitant soldiers closed his eyes tightly and threw away the weapon. The same goes for the rest of the soldiers.
Swords and spears fell like a shower.
All that was left was a soldier threatening the elves.
I looked at the man, wondering what to do. The soldier showed a slight bewilderment at the choice of his comrades, but then gritted his teeth.
It was an ominous omen.
Red blood vessels were reflected in the protruding pupils. It meant that I was in a state of overexcitement.
I hurriedly tightened the hand that held the hatchet.
However, the body that had just finished the first murder did not listen. That moment of hesitation was the plate that would bring disaster.
A scream erupted from my mouth.
“No!”
A scream echoed, and the dagger was about to cut the elf’s throat.
With a whimper, a silver reflection lodged in the back of the soldier.
“Keuuk, kuk!”
The soldier couldn’t even groan properly. I just staggered and fell to the side with my eyes wide open.
Only the trembling elf was left in the spot where he had collapsed.
Of course, it wasn’t what I did.
Everyone’s eyes moved to find the culprit. Then, in the corner of the burning village, a shadow wriggled out.
It was a familiar face.
Brown hair, on pins that accentuate the bangs. She was a woman with a blemish but clean skin giving off a gentle impression.
However, only those dark green eyes were different.
It was a hue that had sunk to a far-flung depth, as if rejecting others. At first glance, they looked like the eyes of a snake, or like those of a fox hiding a conspiracy.
The woman walked out with her hands behind her back and politely grabbed my skirt.
Like the clothes she was wearing, it was the manners of a maid.
“It’s been a while, Ian.”
It was Neris senior.
I had to burst into a faint laugh, saying ha at that unexpected encounter.
Why is Neris-senpai here?
**
Soldier Hans opened his eyes with a groan.
The north wind pierced his flesh and pierced his armor. Even so, the reason why I don’t get cold is because the area around here is burning.
There was still residual fire in the elven village. Some of them must have been fires started by Hans.
It was funny.
Burning down the cabin and avoiding freezing with that warmth.
It was like a parasite that feeds on other people’s misfortunes. Like the elves that attacked his village before.
Hans’ village was destroyed by elves who were short of food.
He was the only survivor. From that day on, I lived my whole life obsessed with revenge.
As a result, I also met a wonderful boss.
Despite being a commander, a knight who always fought on the front line alongside his soldiers.
He is dead.
And even in the hands of those whom mankind revere as heroes.
Hans didn’t even shed tears at the end of his collapse. All I could do was get up in a daze and recall my memories.
I tried to stab the elf to death, but I can’t remember what happened after that.
It was his colleague who filled the gap in that memory.
A fellow soldier trudged over and looked down at Hans. Then, with a deep sigh, he held out a crude wooden shovel.
I could tell just by looking at it.
This crude technology belonged to the elves. Hans’ eyes went blank.
“I am making a grave. Help yourself.”
“What… What happened?”
In response to Hans’ question, a fellow soldier patted him on the shoulder a couple of times.
It’s like you don’t know the heart.
“What’s going on? We got robbed… It was also very loose. After that, you were spit on by a lady and passed out.”
“But why are we alive?”
“Because you saved me.”
If it was natural, it was natural.
But it was something I couldn’t easily understand.
They were the ones who tried to burn down the village and massacre the elves.
But you saved me?
Hans tried to retort, but soon kept his mouth shut.
No matter how much I denied it, it was useless. The fact that his lifeline was attached was the clearest proof.
A low-key explanation from a fellow soldier followed.
“The elves wanted to kill us, but Sir Ian stopped them… Witnesses are needed, but there is nothing left to kill and kill. It seems the elves have managed to understand.”
“So what do we do now?”
“What are you doing? Alex sent a messenger, so if you hold out, the soldiers will come. Until then, let’s make Alex’s grave.”
Hans’s head dropped at that unobtrusive explanation.
There was nothing wrong.
He was eventually saved. Despite Ian’s disapproval, the elves who thought they were the target of revenge were at the hands.
Can there be a more depressing number than this?
However, the thoughts of fellow soldiers seemed a little different.
His hand patted Hans’ shoulder again.
“Me too, what… I took this opportunity to think again, but I’m going to stop doing this.”
“… … Are you saying you’re going to retire?”
“Yes, Sir Alex passed away too.”
A bitter smile lingered on his fellow soldier’s lips.
He continued to speak with hazy eyes as if lost in reminiscence.
“I’ve had too much blood on my hands… At first, I thought it was because of revenge, but now that I have been saved by those enemies, it has become meaningless.”
“Anyway, all elves are potential killers.”
“And we are just killers.”
The fellow soldier said that and grabbed the shovel handle again. His final advice followed.
“Anyway, think again. How long can you live like this? I’ll still have some money saved up… aaagh!”
Yes, the very last.
A flaming arrow pierced a fellow soldier’s temple. While Hans was dazed by the sudden surprise, his head exploded.
With a small explosion, the skull shattered and scattered. Right before blood and flesh spurted out, Hans gave in to his instinct and fell face down on the ground.
The thumping and dripping sound of brain water was terrifying.
But this was just the beginning.
Oh god