When it doesn’t go as planned.
When the bandits attacked, Albert tore of the shackles from his and Felice’s hands.
The bandits were surprised, but it was too late to stop their attack now.
“Yo!” (Albert)
“Gya!”
“Ho!” (Albert)
“Gyah!”
“There!” (Albert)
“Gye~!”
The bandits got hit and kicked and blown away by Albert.
On the other hand, Felice dodged the bandits’ attacks with the minimal movements, while utilizing their momentum to mercilessly fling them head down first.
“Ei!” (Felice)
“Whoa!?”
“Eat this!” (Felice)
“Uohh!?”
“Haa!” (Felice)
“Gyaa!”
As the number of bandits were quickly decreasing, Yahar and others stared with their mouths wide open.
The bandits started sweating from the unthinkable situation, and one of them shouted at Albert and Felice while pointing his sword at Gai.
“You brats better stop now! Or I’m going to kill your friend here!”
“Kill Gai? No way, no way~… hoi!” (Albert)
“Ugyah-!”
“It would be smarter if you didn’t~… ey!” (Felice)
“Ugho!”
“Leave it. A human like you can’t kill me.” (Gai)
“S, stop shitting me!”
The man swung his sword at Gai’s neck, so Yahar and others averted their gazes.
“Gyaa——!!”
“That’s why I told you to stop. Listen to people’s advice.” (Gai)
When the people turned around after hearing the bandit’s yell, they saw an unscathed Gai casually tearing off his shackles.
A man with a broken sword pierced in his eye was writhing at his feet.
While Yahar and others were staring with their mouths wide open once again, they turned towards the bandit chief who finally came to.
“You are the last one. How about giving up?” (Felice)
“Surrender.” (Albert)
“Give it up.” (Gai)
“What, how, where… what the hell are you guys! You are E-ranks, no!” (Chief)
“Are you seriously saying that?” (Albert)
“E-ranks would be at least capable of something like this, right?” (Felice)
“Right?” (Albert)
“As if!” (Chief)
“”””Definitely not!”””” (Gray’s party)
“”N?”” (Albert & Felice)
When the man and Gray’s party denied and Yahar and other prisoners nodded in agreement, Felice and Albert tilted their heads to the side.
Among that, Gai spoke up to progress the discussion.
“Forget what those two just said. Even if someone has the ability of an A-rank, they will be considered E-rank if they registered just yesterday.” (Gai)
“… Are you trying to say that those brats are like that?” (Chief)
“Who knows. I’m just stating a possibility.” (Gai)
“In the first place, you are supposed to be B-rank yourself! How could your head not fall off and break the sword instead!” (Chief)
“… There’s no way a B-rank’s body would be that weak, right? It’s common sense.” (Gai)
“Nononono!” (Chief)
“”””I’m not aware of such common sense!”””” (Gray’s party)
“… I thought so. And so, are you going to give up now that you are alone?” (Gai)
“Alone? I am not alone… go get them! Killer!” (Chief)
When the man shouted, loud footsteps approached.
When everyone except Felice, Albert and Gai looked with fear towards the man, a fiver meters tall monster appeared beside him.
Looking carefully, it had the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a snake.
“How about this! This is my Chimera, Killer! I originally had two, but the two got in a fight and the weaker one had been chased away. No matter whether you guys are as strong as A-ranks, you won’t be able to win against this fellow!” (Chief)
“T, that can’t be…”
“We are going to die.”
“No way!”
“I don’t want to die.”
Gray and others who saw the Chimera started despairing, some among them even fainted.
But, even now, Felice’s group was going at their own pace.
“Chimera, he said. Isn’t that the monster you have defeated just yesterday, Gai?” (Felice)
“Yeah, come to think of it, Sandro was saying that their habitat isn’t here.” (Gai)
“Then, the Chimera you defeated was originally this guy’s, no? How did you defeat the Chimera yesterday?” (Albert)
“Meison told me he wanted one before, so I suffocated it by removing air in the barrier I set up around it. I will bring it to Meison later.” (Gai)
“Do you want to give him this one too then? Meison-san will be happy.” (Felice)
“I will do it then~ Erect a barrier~ remove the air~… there, it’s done!” (Albert)
“Y, you guys… what have you done!” (Chief)
The monster that caused Gray and others such despair suddenly started suffering and fell to the ground, not moving anymore.
Felice cooly shifted her attention to the shouting man and spoke up.
“Rather than that, are you prepared?” (Felice)
“What are you saying, lass!” (Chief)
“I hate people like you the most. People like you, who find enjoyment in bullying those who can’t retaliate.” (Felice)
“What is wrong about that! The weak will always be dominated by the strong! That is the world we are living in! And I will continue to dominate! As if I’d care about the weak!” (Chief)
“Then, I will dispose of you without allowing you to resist. I will let you… savor the feelings of the weak.” (Felice)
Simultaneously with Felice’s words, the man’s body got wrapped in black flames.
“Hii!? W, what’s this! Get away!” (Chief)
“It’s useless. How is it? You are gradually growing weak, aren’t you?” (Felice)
“T, this is just a joke, right… something like this…” (Chief)
As Felice said, the man’s body kept losing strength and he fell to the ground.
Without minding the man, Felice continued talking.
“Look, your legs can’t move anymore.” (Felice)
“Why… u, ugho.” (Chief)
“You lost your ability to talk, didn’t you?” (Felice)
“……” (Chief)
“How is it? Even if you can breathe and move your eyes, the rest of your body won’t listen to your will.” (Felice)
When Felice said so, the black flames separated from the man and disappeared.
When Gai turned the unmoving man around, the three looked into his face.
The man’s bloodshot eyes rolled back.
“That’s some amusing magic you have created.” (Gai)
“It’s quite similar to Life Assimilation, though.” (Albert)
“The effect is different from that one. This magic does not absorb life force, it just puts the body to sleep while retaining consciousness.” (Felice)
“Do they still feel pain or?” (Gai)
“Yeah. They only can’t move.” (Felice)
“It’s a magic fit to instill fear, huh. Would I be able to learn it as well?” (???)
“It’s fine, Olivia. I will teach yo………… did I say Olivia just now? Al, Gai, was it my imagination? I think I heard Olivia’s voice.” (Felice)
“You are fine. I heard it as well.” (Albert)
“I heard it too.” (Gai)
“Yes, it’s Olivia. Felice-sama.” (Olivia)
Felice’s group who heard Olivia’s voice turned around robotically.
There, Olivia clad in black clothes stood while smiling.
“I am glad you are safe. Are the people on the ground those who did wrong to the Faust family?” (Olivia)
“Faust family, perhaps… you came alone, Olivia?” (Felice)
“No, I am a scout.” (Olivia)
“Then, Tousama and others aren’t here yet?” (Albert)
“Sire’s group had already besieged this cave.” (Olivia)
“Say, you planning on taking these fellows, right?” (Gai)
“Naturally. The preparations in the mansion are mostly completed.” (Olivia)
(((… Preparations, what preparations!?))) Albert, Felice, Gai
After interjecting to themselves, they first had something they ought to do.
“Y, you see, Olivia, there’s something we’d like to talk with Otousama before you take them.” (Felice)
“Understood. And so, what about these people?” (Olivia)
When they looked where Olivia was pointing, they saw Gray on others who were frozen in place even now.
Felice’s group had no self-awareness to consider them being the cause, so they restricted the unconscious bandit chief while tilting their heads.
They couldn’t leave them absentminded like that, having said that, they were not sure they would come if they did not tell them that it’s safe now, so they asked Olivia to call Claude over while they approached Gray and others.
“O~y. It’s over~” (Albert)
“The help has arrived.” (Felice)
“The monster had been defeated, so no need to worry.” (Gai)
“Wha! …… just what have we…” (Gray)
“If I am not mistaken, a Chimera… were we just dreaming, I wonder?” (Yahar)
When they explained what happened to Gray, Yahar and others whose sanity had returned, they embraced each other and bowed their heads to thank Felice’s group.
At that moment, Claude, Nathan, Miguel, Austin, Blake, and Meison entered the cave and called out to the three.
“Are there any injuries?” (Claude)
“Nope. We are fine, Otousama.” (Felice)
“And so, what did you want to talk about?” (Claude)
“You see~~” (Felice)
Felice, Albert, and Gai narrated the information they got to Claude and others.
“In short, these guys are bandits who kidnapped low-ranked adventurers with a fake request. Moreover, they were also supported by the soldiers.” (Claude)
“Even though Al and Feli received that request by a coincidence, those people were aware that they are from our Faust family. It’s highly likely that someone has leaked the information, Father.” (Miguel)
“The most suspicious ones would be the soldiers or staff of the Adventurer’s Guild. Either way, we have no choice but to hand over the bandits to the country. It’s just… Felice, can I ask you something?” (Nathan)
“What is it? Nathan Oniisama.” (Felice)
“I heard something worrying when Olivia came to call us.” (Nathan)
“Hmm?” (Felice)
“She said that a part of your hair become shorter.” (Nathan)
“My hair? It certainly was cut off with a knife. But, it will soon grow back, so it’s fine. I can recover it with magic too.” (Felice)
“”Hoh…”” (Claude, Miguel)
Claude and Miguel who heard Felice’s words started surrounding themselves with a turbulent aura.
Nathan was naturally the same, so Felice took a step back without thinking.
“That’s not the problem, is it?” (Nathan)
“… Yes.” (Felice)
(Huh? Haven’t we had a conversation like this before?) Felice
“By the way, who cut it?” (Nathan)
“Ehh~… who was it again?” (Felice)
“That woman did it.” (Albert)
“I have collected the hair already.” (Gai)
“… They won’t notice if there’s one person less.” (Claude)
“Stop it! If you want to do it, do it after she gets condemned.” (Austin)
“… Tch.” (Claude)
(((So it’s fine after she gets condemned…))) Albert, Felcie, Gai
When Austin who was silent up until now was stopping Claude after hearing his muttering, Olivia’s communication came through.
(Sire, a slave trader’s carriage came. There are approximately fifteen people. They are coming from the opposite direction, so they shouldn’t have noticed yet.) Olivia
(Got it. Continue observing them.) Claude
(Understood.) Olivia
Claude ended the communication and gave out instructions.
“A slave trader will soon arrive, so we will be taking him too. As planned, Al’s group shall take the victims to the carriage and stay on alert.” (Claude)
“”Okay~”” (Albert, Felice)
“Roger.” (Gai)
“Miguel, Nathan, take Riley and a few people to Branka and commence a ‘search’ for your kidnapped little brother and sister.” (Claude)
“”Yes.”” (Miguel, Nathan)
“Austin, are there any trustworthy people in Branka?” (Claude)
“Yeah… there’s a few people.” (Austin)
“Then, cooperate with them to catch the rat. You may use our own to interrogate the rat.” (Claude)
“Ou. Meison, stay here. Blake, come with me.” (Austin)
“Got it.” (Blake)
“Good grief.” (Meison)
“We will be fine here by ourselves, though.” (Claude)
“It’s to watch over you! I am uneasy leaving the Faust family here alone!” (Austin)
“Are you trying to say that our family lacks common sense? What a rude fellow. Aren’t you getting quite similar to Evan?” (Claude)
“You are way ruder!” (Austin)
“Leave it at that. We have no time, let’s depart, Austin.” (Blake)
Like this, the bandits and the slave trader’s group will be detained in the cave under the supervision of the Faust family until the collaborators from the town arrive. However, will those guys stay safe until then?
Their fate was entrusted to Meison.
“Meison, I have tasty alcohol here.” (Claude)
“I won’t fall for that.” (Meison)
“I have side dishes Feli made for your birthday too.” (Claude)
“… I, I won’t fall for that! You mustn’t fall for that, me!” (Meison)
“That reminds me, I heard that Al and Gai got an unscathed Chimera for you. They said that they quickly want to show it to you.” (Claude)
“… Ee~i! I will only go to take a look, alright!” (Meison)
“Yeah.” (Claude)
Seeing Meison leave towards the carriage with heavy steps, Claude shifted his attention to the bandits whose consciousness returned.
The bandits who saw his eyes were too frightened to speak.
“Now then, what should I try first? Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. A judgment is awaiting you guys, after all. It’s just… we don’t know when accidents may happen. It’s in your best interest to not think too much.” (Claude)
Correction, their fate was left in Claude’s hands.