36 – Subjugation #1
There were many vagabonds. I was worried that things would go bad if we were caught.
But that didn’t happen.
“There’s no way we’ll get caught.”
Lauren used “Light Footsteps” and sprinted at full speed. With the skill effect added to her existing abilities, her speed was incredible.
With a little exaggeration, Lauren felt like a speeding arrow.
The surrounding scenery rushed past in a blur. The shouts of the pursuers quickly faded away.
It had been too easy to shake them off.
When we returned to the explorer’s village, only Su’s presence remained, following behind Lauren.
“Lauren!”
Su called out to Lauren, breathing heavily with anger.
“Why are you calling me?”
Lauren let me down and faced Su. A sly smile crept up at the corner of Lauren’s lips.
It was a smile filled with impure intentions.
“You almost put yourself in danger!”
“What?”
“Knowing that I’m faster than you, why did you carry Ray and run from the pursuers? What would you have done if they caught up?”
“You’re surprisingly good at lecturing in situations like this. It’s really ridiculous.”
It wasn’t because of exhaustion from the full-speed sprint. Su was excited about the fact that I was taken away from Lauren.
Just as Lauren said, it was absurd.
“So should I hand Ray over to you and run away?”
“Of course! Because I’m faster and stronger!”
“Tsk, you never stop giving advice.”
Su just vented their anger, while Lauren pressured with their arguments.
I had no intention of intervening in this familiar picture. If I left them alone, Lauren would naturally overpower Su.
“It’s best to block as many variables as possible. It’s a waste of time to hand Ray over to you. Instead, I made the judgment to leave the scene first.”
Lauren smiled and spoke.
“Surely, you don’t think that you really should have given up on Ray? You couldn’t have made such a ‘wrong’ judgment. It was a critical situation where you could have lost Ray by making the wrong choice.”
“……”
“I understand you, Su.”
Lauren raised her arm and patted Su’s shoulder. She spoke arrogantly, making it clear that she was superior to Su.
Even though Su’s body trembled, they couldn’t say anything. It was impossible to win an argument with Lauren.
“The reason you’re trembling like that is because I hugged Ray without saying a word.”
“……”
“Surely you’re not claiming that a decision that doesn’t seem right at first glance is ‘really’ wrong? Come on, seriously. It would be better if you were throwing a tantrum like a child because of personal emotions.”
“……”
“If that were the case….”
Lauren looked at me intently. With a pitiful gaze, she comforted me with her words.
“Ray won’t live much longer. Poor Ray.”
“……”
“So, which side are you on, Su?”
“……”
“Are you demanding an apology because you sincerely think my judgment was wrong? Or are you just annoyed with me for taking Ray and running away in a sudden situation? If it’s the former, I’ll apologize. It’s a lack of communication.”
Lauren seemed ready to lower her head at any moment. Su, who was pressed by that momentum, mumbled.
“…The latter… I… don’t think your judgment was wrong…”
“I understand your feelings. But I hope you’ll be more careful in the future.”
“……”
“Remember, it was because you were Ray that you were able to escape safely. If it had been any other guy, they would have been caught without a chance. Earlier.”
“I know, me too.”
Swoo’s lips pouted slightly. He acknowledged it, but still harbored dissatisfaction.
I reached out my hand to Swoo. Swoo firmly grasped my hand.
“After this mission is over and Lauren returns to the ‘Sword of Tyranny’ guild, the only person I can trust is Swoo.”
“Ray…”
“Learn hard and do well in the future. Got it?”
“Got it. I’ll learn hard. I’ll make everything I didn’t know mine and use it for Ray’s sake.”
Swoo’s yellow pupils sparkled. He succeeded in igniting the student’s academic enthusiasm.
Lauren clicked her tongue and walked ahead.
“Let’s tell ‘Heart of Steel’ since the atmosphere is not good. And then come back.”
“…I think the bandits said something. I don’t remember.”
Maybe because I was tense, I couldn’t remember the exact details.
My lack of intelligence was filled in by Lauren.
“Understood. It seems they plan to wait nearby for about a day before returning.”
Lauren said that this kind of situation happened often.
From Noble mtl dot com
“The bandits on the 3rd floor are consistently sending their parties up to the 1st floor. You know why, right?”
“…To kidnap the kids?”
Lauren nodded, as if confirming that it was the correct answer.
“And the sale of Magic Stones.”
“…Selling Magic Stones?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
In response to my question, Lauren let out a chuckle.
“Even adventurers hunt demons. It’s strange not to hunt during the time they spend on the third floor all day.”
“That’s true.”
If we consider efficiency, a group of bandits is better than an adventurer party. Without the presence of boys, the hunting speed increases significantly.
“Bandits also need money to survive. Food doesn’t fall from the sky. Even if they are self-sufficient, honestly, it’s not easy. I’ve heard that it’s difficult to grow potatoes in the unstable labyrinth environment.”
They mine Magic Stones and sell them. The payment is in the form of food.
“Are there adventurers who accept bandits’ Magic Stones?”
“There are even those who attempt human trafficking. Handing over food is not a simple task. They won’t feel any guilt, will they?”
There are no adventurers who enjoy exploring the labyrinth. Who would willingly engage in such a dangerous task?
I understand.
However, there is a line that should not be crossed. No matter how desperate for money, it’s unacceptable to help criminals who kidnap and devour people.
How light can one’s conscience be? What if it’s lighter than a handful of dust?
The former conscription officer, Yuri, and the members of the “Miracle Vanguard” were such individuals.
They abandoned their consciences as mere specks of dust and joined hands with bandits.
They chose to secure Magic Stones comfortably and become human garbage.
“How ridiculous it must have felt.”
Why go through the dangerous exploration of the labyrinth? They could have simply sold them secretly.
There must have been clear thoughts like that.
“What a sight.”
I inwardly laughed heartily at the deaths of those women. In place of the sincere adventurers who unknowingly insulted me.
We returned to the adventurer village. A member of the “Heart of Steel” was guarding the entrance.
“You just went out, didn’t you?”
The guard pretended to know. Worried that they might attempt to invite me to the guild again, Lauren stepped forward and cut off the conversation.
“I encountered some outlaws. I heard important information, so I wanted to let you guys know while you’re stationed here.”
“Oh. Really? Just wait a moment.”
The guard took out a crystal from his pocket and muttered something. It was a crystal that allowed long-distance communication.
A crystal for communication. An artifact.
Perhaps because they were performing missions as a guild unit. It was fascinating to see them bring something like that.
Not long after, someone walked towards the entrance. It was a sturdy woman, no less imposing than Swoo.
A middle-aged woman. She was clearly the guild master. The aura of a master emanated from her appearance.
“You encountered the outlaws?”
The guild “Heart of Steel” seemed to be composed of vanguards. Not knights, but warriors.
The master lady was a warrior who wielded two axes.
Lauren showed no fear in the face of the lady. She maintained a dignified attitude and spoke only what needed to be said.
“There was a party of outlaws that managed to break through the defense this time?”
“Yes, there was. I received news that twelve of them made it up there.”
“It seems like there are other outlaws waiting outside to make contact with them.”
There were several pieces of information missing in the middle. However, the Guildmaster of the “Heart of Steel” guild understood it perfectly.
He hadn’t climbed up to the position of Master by chance.
“Thanks for the information.”
“Do you plan to subjugate them?”
“If possible, I’d like to take care of them. But I can’t reduce the number of members. The number of adventurers staying in the village right now is small.”
He had to protect his position. Just in case.
Lauren respected the opinion of the Guildmaster Aunt.
“I should let the other adventurers know. Tell them not to go too far for a few days.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll take care of it ourselves.”
The Aunt drew a firm line. It didn’t feel cold.
It was a gesture that there was no need to waste time on their roles, a positive line.
“By the way, I heard from Jerry. You didn’t join any other guild separately, did you?”
“….”
The Guildmaster Aunt suddenly spoke to me. As the woman adult with a physique comparable to Swoo approached, I unconsciously shrunk my shoulders and cowered.
The Aunt pinched my cheek lightly and said.
“So cute, so adorable. It feels like I’m looking at my son in the city.”
“… My son?”
“He’s very kind. He wants to become an adventurer to help his adventurer mom.”
“….”
The expression of the Guildmaster Aunt seemed nostalgic, as if it wasn’t a lie. She seemed to be thinking about her son.
“Even if they tell us that we can’t go down to the labyrinth together, I won’t give up. They’re lying to try to prevent me from becoming a dangerous explorer.”
“…Can’t we have a party between mothers and sons?”
Suddenly curious, I asked.
“Strangely enough, we can’t receive the ‘soul protection’ between blood relatives. It’s impossible between mothers and sons, as well as between women.”
“….”
“He looks just like my son.”
The guild master muttered quietly.
“The ‘Heart of Steel’ guild isn’t bad. After completing this mission, they’re scheduled to be promoted to rank C…”
“I’m not interested.”