Episode 18. What other races think of (3)
“…… Who sent it? Could it be that Frachchi was planted in our organization?”
“No.”
“Then who did you instruct to watch our movements?”
“No.”
“Then how did you know!!”
I screamed because I didn’t like my thick answer. You’re an impatient friend.
“I don’t do anything stupid like that. If I didn’t like it, I would have pushed it all away. And you’d better keep your voice down.”
I said putting my index finger to my lips.
“I am quite famous among the nobility. There must have been people trying to spy on me. Especially in a slum like this, it would be much easier to monitor.”
“It is said to be famous among the nobility…… ?”
A brief moment of silence flowed over the story of aristocrats, followed by a loud voice in the darkness.
“You bastard, what is your true identity? If you don’t tell me, I will kill you!”
“…… You must know that revealing personal information in the slums is not a good option.”
“Yes. You’re not going to answer me!!”
“Hey, wait—!”
With a bang, a bear paw pops out of the darkness. As expected, I didn’t respond. But.
Kang!
Iris’s sword catches the giant bear’s claws.
“Stop it! I don’t want to fight with my fellow beastmen!”
“No, that has to be removed! I know too much!”
“Master may be a bit harsh, but he is not the kind of person who makes suggestions that will damage you! Trust me!”
Iris exclaimed urgently. However, as if the bear beast no longer had the heart to listen, the bear’s soles grew even thicker. It was a ploy to crush Iris by force.
But I picked the wrong opponent.
There was no way that Iris, who could block Peremus’ attack, would flinch at Hana, a prisoner in the poor period.
Kang!
The claws of the bear beastman collide with Iris’s sword. But this time, it didn’t end with blocking, and he slashed the soles of her feet.
“Listen! Otherwise, I will have no choice but to blow off an arm from this side too!”
Iris points the tip of her sword at the bear beast, then aims it at the shade.
“So are you on the inside. It looks like she intends to fly her feathers this way. If you start fighting, I can’t do it in moderation.”
From noble mtl dot com
Fortunately, Iris seemed to see a figure in the dark. She felt a sense of ecstatic relief at the sure intimidation of her presence.
“…… Why do you side with humans when you’re a beast? Knowing what humans have done to us!”
The response was that they couldn’t understand how they defended humans who slaughtered their own people and took their home.
“That’s not Master.”
Iris said, lowering her sword.
“What?”
“Master is the one who accepted me the way I am since I was a slave who couldn’t do anything. If it wasn’t for Master, I would be dead by now.”
“So…… Are you saying that you believe and follow her unconditionally because you are the benefactor who saved her life?”
“I have never believed and followed him unconditionally just because he saved my life.”
Iris calmly responded to the bear beast’s words. There was firmness in her voice.
“Because Master has always been in the right direction, I believe in him and follow him.”
“!”
This time it was a surprise from my side.
I see. Is it because of that reason that Iris usually follows her without saying anything?
She might have lost her champion and her pretender if she had gotten her lines even a little wrong.
“Master’s tone of voice is harsh and there are parts of him that are indifferent, but he is kinder than anyone else. Even though he has the power to bring down the Empire, he is the one who works with Torius-sama to point out the Empire’s wrongs and try to change them in order to minimize the casualties. There’s no way someone like that would come to a place like this and make suggestions that harm other races—!”
“Stop.”
I cut off Iris’s words as she spoke longer.
Thank you for saying something that can earn the trust of the other party, but it is excessive information exposure. It was much easier to lead the pace by revealing the other person’s information while hiding this information.
Well, I already remember most of the opponent information. This is why you should keep meticulous notes.
“But Master! It’s frustrating! Master’s hard work is invisible to their eyes!”
“I am not doing this to be recognized by everyone.”
To survive.
“But…… !”
“Still, I’m grateful that Iris recognizes you.”
I forced the muscles in my face to move, raising the corners of my mouth. I wanted it to look like a smile at least a little bit. Even so, it was on a minor level.
Iris’s eyes widened as she looked up at me dissatisfiedly. She looks at me and blinks her eyes.
“Master… …. Do you even know how to laugh?”
“Why. Can’t I just laugh?”
Iris’s hair was tousled and said. She said, “Aww! I don’t mean that…… !” ‘ She said and took my hand, but without strength.
“…… Did you just say Toriaus?”
The bear beastman asked. Do you know Tori Auss?
“Yes, but.”
“Isn’t that the person who reformed slavery for other races within the empire?”
“…… That’s right.”
I reluctantly answered. The bear-soo-in ponders for a moment and then goes into darkness. He hears a voice talking from inside, then reappears.
“I will ask you one thing. If you answer this, I will let you meet him.”
“What is it?”
“What is your name?”
“Prause.”
I answered immediately. Because it was a question without any problem.
“I see. You defeated the black dragon…….”
Huh? Did the rumor spread this far?
Did you know because of an official letter from the empire?
No, considering that Tori knows Aus, he might have a contact in the Aus estate.
Now is the time to call on the forces of the Resistance with people you can trust.
“…… Follow me I will guide you.”
He nods his head towards the darkness behind his back. Seeing that, Iris was delighted.
“Enough, Master!”
“Yes.”
Once before following them, I saw a ghost floating next to me.
“Phasma, how many people are you monitoring right now?”
[About eight.]
“Yes.”
I put a lot of dirt on it.
I rummaged through my bag and took out the Stealth Scroll.
“What is that?”
“As I said, I am in the position of being watched by nobles. Shouldn’t your chieftain get the attention of the nobles because of me?”
“…… He’s more thorough than you think.”
What do you think? It was an undeserved compliment.
“Iris, give me your hand.”
“Yes?”
Looks puzzled and holds out his hand to me. Without hesitation, I grabbed her hand.
“Whoop! S-Master?!”
It seems embarrassing to hold hands while hugging.
No……. Did i do that?
I bit one side of the scroll with my teeth while watching Iris’ stupid face. Then he grabbed the other side of her hand.
Aww!
The moment I tore the scroll, Iris and I, who were holding her hands, disappeared.
“The appearance…… !”
“Don’t worry. It’s just that her figure is gone. I will follow you well, so guide me well.”
“Yes… …. I get it.”
* * *
Inside a shack with very little light coming in through the windows.
It seemed that they were going to send her directly to her, since they didn’t trust her enough to tell them where they were hiding.
“By the way, Master, do you know who you want to meet?”
Asked Iris, who had been looking at her own hands for a while. I answered as I looked around the inside of the shack, which looked like it was about to collapse.
“…… It is a lion.”
“Yes? Buy it?”
Kiki!
Iris placed her hand on her sword as the door opened.
A woman with her light-brown hair tied in a ponytail walks into her plate. Atop her head were lion’s ears, and at her hips was a lion’s tail with her brown tips.
“…… Is it you You said you wanted to see me.”
Maybe it’s because her eyes are very sharp.
I could feel the sharpness in his tone. It was a feeling of numbness. His voice was also neutral, and there was a sense of considerable intimidation.
“Yes, nice to meet you. Leones.”
Leones.
He was still the head of the insignificant Resistance. He came six years ahead of time, so it’s only natural in a way.
“Do you know my name?”
“…… Isn’t it quite famous?”
“I am famous? I don’t do any extraneous activities. Mostly let others do it.”
“I see.”
“So how did Mr. Prause know about me and come to visit me?”
He walks stride toward me. As I was still watching, Iris quickly intervened.
“It is not acceptable to harm Master.”
“…… Harm? To a monster like that?”
Leones smiled and quietly placed his hand on Iris’s shoulder.
“I am saving mana, but I can see it. That guy is a real monster. It seems that the fact that he defeated a high-ranking demon is not just a rumor.”
“You seem to know me well.”
“If you have information that I am the head of the resistance, you already know, right? Planting some of the other races in the Ausu territory.”
“…… There is a difference between speculation and certainty.”
“Mmm! I like your hair too.”
After answering satisfactorily, she sat down on a chair in front of the table. The wooden chair creaked.
“From the beginning, I had no intention of revealing to humans that I was the head of the group plotting the Resistance, but it was quite possible that I used it for intimidation to lure me in.”
Ha, did you even notice that?
I expected it, but this woman is also formidable.
“Still, treating me as a ‘b*tch’ is a bit like that.”
“…… Apologize for that I decided it was better to go out a little radically.”
“Okay. I will accept your apology.”
She crossed her legs and said happily.
“So I want to hear the real you who lured me into your heart. Prause?”
A low-pitched voice.
You can feel the charisma that controls the atmosphere at once with seriousness.
I went over to her and set her heavy pockets down on her table. The jingling pricked her lion ears.
“This is…… ?”
“A thousand gold.”
“What?”
She gapes her mouth at her huge amount of money that I put down.
“Tell me directly. Are you thinking of handing over the Resistance to me?”
The reason I tried to meet Leones.
It was to control the resistance that would grow in the future.