Chapter 28: Man-Buyer Manifesto

 

Daryl’s magic only proved to be immensely effective on the dead and perhaps the undead in general.

The moment the white fireball touched Mary, the spirit of death, it not only obliterated the spirit of death. but somehow generated a physical shock wave that resulted in the surrounding area being blown away. In other words, it even finished dismantling the abandoned church, albeit imperfectly.

Daryl and his team had experience in defeating the undead before, although their numbers were small. But, of course, it was never like this. If they had known, they would not have used such magic indoors.

Fortunately, there were few houses around the church, so they were not affected by the church being reduced to rubble. Also, the people who were there were all experts in using magic, and they were able to guard and evacuate as quickly as they could, so it was only a little dusty. Wallace, however, who was in charge of the “Divine Child” was chilled to the bone.

This situation is no longer a story of a dead spirit, and it is so more important to investigate it properly as soon as possible. …… Daryl and Cecily also responded to Wallace’s wishes with a two-fold response.

After confirming that everyone was safe, they quickly withdrew to seek instructions from higher-ups in the church.

It was fortuitous for the kingdom and the church to have a reason to request their cooperation without having to come up with a whitewashed rationale.

On the other hand, Al, who had witnessed the whole thing from a distance, had mixed feelings.

****

(What the hell was that? It’s a weapon of mass destruction now! How can a power like that be a basic magic fireball! Even if that reaction was limited to the undead, the impact of a mass battle would still be a vicious weapon. If you throw the spirits of the dead that you have bound in this world into the enemy camp, and use that magic on them. No, no, no, let’s not think of anything too dangerous right now.)

Even the stone-faced Vera could not hide her surprise at what was happening before her eyes.

The appearance of the white fireball was indeed mysterious, but the amount of mana contained in it and its perceived properties were no different from those of ordinary basic magic. And yet, that result. I even doubted my own sensing ability.

“… Master Al. If possible, I would like to report this matter to Mr. Victor as soon as possible…”

“Hmm? Oh, oh yes. I’m going to do a little inspection of the church ruins just to be sure, so …… Vera, please go back first.”

Vera clicks her tongue inwardly.

As long as she is attached as a follower, if Al says he will stay, Vera has no choice but to stay, too.

“…… No. I will still be with you to inspect Master Al.”

“Huh? Oh, really? Well, Than let’s head to the church after the Knights of the Cathedral have withdrawn.”

If this were a falconer domain, Response would be like ‘Well, I’ll go back first. I’ll leave the rest to you,” and that’s it. It is difficult to for Al, who only knows such a master-slave relationship, to understand Vera’s irritation. On the contrary, he would ask, “Why are you in a bad mood?”with a straight face.

This incident was unexpected for the Knights of the Cathedral, and although it was originally necessary to protect the site, the decision was made to leave without leaving anyone behind so as not to draw attention to the “Divine Child” or themselves.

“Huh, …… that’s a pain in the ass.”

“Master Al, if you don’t mind, let’s kick them to the curb.”

Vera’s heart ripples a little as she once again gets up close and personal with the homeless childern.

Al also guessed that the backstreets and children especially are something that she does not want to be touched …….

But that doesn’t mean she should beat up a tramp just to clear her mind.

He is lenient in his judgment of his own violence, but harsh when others resort to violence. It is a very selfish thing to do, but is that also in Falconer’s blood?

“No, no, no. Why are you so motivated? It’s no good. Those kids don’t need to be kicked to the curb…”

As he says this, Al drops a coin carelessly on the cobblestoned area.

The children instantly react to the sound. It could be said that they noticed the presence of Al and the others there for the first time.

“Ah …… wait!”

“…Ugh!”

One boy, who appears to be a bit older than the others, changes color at the sight of Al and Vera’s appearance.

He quickly grabbed another child by the collar as he ran out to pick up a coin and forced him to stop.

“Is he the leader of this group?”

“………… (what are you going to do?)”

Al ignored the scattered coins and went in front of the older boy. He is already in front of the other boy, positioned to protect him from the others.

“…Oh, um, …… can I help you? ……?”

(He’ s a smart kid. He also has a slight sense of mana. From his appearance, I get the sense that he is aware that we are related to nobility. He seems to have experience and is “educating” the other children. …… Hmmm… could this be a great bargain?)

Al stares at the boy blankly and silently. At the same time, he was also closely observing the other children.

After the leader, an older boy, spoke up, the other children stopped moving. Silent. However, they are preparing to run in the opposite direction of Al and the others at any moment. Al and Vera know this.

In fact, I was thinking of giving them some coins to get rid of them, but Al reconsiders when he sees them.

“Oh, uh, ……?”

“…… Okay! I’ll buy you guys! How much do you want?”

Sudden declaration of people buying.

****

Vera. Her world changed abruptly at an early age. Mainly for the worse. The end of ever normal.

She lived in a relatively large town on the northern frontier, but she was greeted by a completely different face than the town she had seen before.

A backstreet, a slum, an underworld, a cesspool.

Whatever you want to call it, she was thrown out into a world that no “normal child” would ever touch, and she was not prepared for it. She is aware that the only reason she is still alive today is sheer luck.

The townspeople who used to greet her with smiles turned to look at her as if she were a stray dog. They shoo away her hands as if she were something dirty. They throw things at her. In the worst cases, they were even verbally abusive and violent.

The neighbor’s uncle, who had been so kind to me, instantly changed his attitude. No, that’s not all.

The man, who was supposed to be a friend of my father’s, took the young Vera into his house with kind words and even tried to force her into his arms and use her as an outlet for his vile desires.

Although she was too young to even know the meaning of this act, Vera was so moved by the horror that ran from the top of her head to the tips of her toes that she bit the man’s fingers off and ran away in desperation.

　I still have dreams about that time and sleep. All I can do is crouch in the corner of my room with a blanket over me. I can’t stop shaking.

I A figure that can never be shown to anyone. If this becomes known, the shadow of the royal family may cut me off. It is a tremendous fear.

The thought of eventually having to perform “that act” to the end as part of my duties …… is irresistibly painful. It is so agonizing. I want to escape. I feel the urge to run away.

She was once treated as “merchandise. Not because she wanted to, but because she was tricked into it. …..And she asked herself,Is that okay? There was a sense of resignation.

But she runa away from that, too. With her life on the line.

The eyes that see her not as a person but as a thing. Those who ransack products. She saw it from the standpoint of a commodity.

They all have a calm demeanor, but their eyes are the same as the eyes of the man who attacked her. Eyes full of desire.

She hates them.

She hates children who remind her of her past. Her former weak self. And she hates herself for not being strong enough even now. She hates even her parents who died, leaving her behind. She hates the town, the people, the church, and the kingdom that did not help her when she was left behind.

Naturally, She also hates the beasts who “buy” children.

Her mind was already disturbed from her casual conversation with Al. Mana is also unstable. She can no longer hide her inexpressible ill feelings toward him.

On top of that, Al’s words, “I’m buying you guys. Checkmate.

She snapped and broke down.

****

OW!

I was by no means relaxed. I wasn’t even careless.

But reaction to …… Vera’s “binding chain” was delayed. No, Al could not sense any of movement at all, and he was completely caught off guard.

When he realized it, he had just barely managed to avoid the fatal blow.

For the first time ever since leaving Falconer terrotary, Al felf sense of crisis, A sensation of the Great Forest returned. As a physiological reaction, he breaks out in cold sweat and his heartbeat increases, but in contrast, his heart and mana is calm. A moment later, The warrior awakens. It reminds me of the vortex of the Great Forest’s struggle for survival.

Vera is Vera, and she doesn’t even understand the meaning of her actions.

A mindless attcak.

No thoughts. No feeling. Just a single blow to kill Al.

There may have been various movements in her mind, but Vera herself was not aware of why she was doing this,……. She didn’t understand the meaning, but she was truly pissed off in the truest sense of the word.

“Master Al. Can you tell me again what you said to them earlier……?”

“…Damn it! Did i gouge out the trauma of Vera?”

The fatal blow was avoided, but on the other hand, the distance between the two was disadvantageous to Al.

Whether this was a fight or not, Vera is not sane right now. Al judges that “bullets” can’t be used as a weapon without knowing the reason of Vera’s action.

He is also self-aware. That he has pulled some kind of trigger.

Besides, he had enough sense to know that it was not a good idea to kill the shadow of the royal family because he had been beaten up.

“Vera! First of all, calm down! I will try to avoid your chains, but I will probably have my hands full trying to avoid them! There are still kids around! You’re going to kill them!”

“…Fufu. They are just “products” to you, aren’t they? If it breaks, why not just pay for it? Oh, or do you want to buy another product again?

The battle between the mages suddenly started right in front of thehe children were unable to move even if they wanted to. Vera has such great pressure on the people around her.

Her “binding chain” wriggles like a living …… snake, making a shuffling sound. The chain is long and has many ends, as if it is breaking up. In other words, it can attack from many directions at the same time.

The chain is like a snake that catches its prey, but at the same time, for some reason, it looks like a chain that binds Vera herself. At least, that is what it seemed to Al.

(Image is important in the composition of magic. Someone on …… said it. The original magic is something that reflects the person’s mental image. That is why it can be magic that only that person can manipulate. ……I don’t know if it’s true or not. But I do know that only the person can fully demonstrate the essence of the magic. ……I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I know that she is now. It’s a lesson I’m inclined to believe when I see it. I wonder what the hell Vera is bound to do….)

“”….Master Al. Can you tell me again what you just said ……?”

Multiple “bound chain” snakes attack, superimposed on the questionable lines. In the meantime, only Al seems to be the target.

Al is the only target. Dancing with the chains.

(Damn! What a hassle! This chain is not good to touch! Can’t I just knock it off!)

He has a feeling that once he touches them, he will be entangled and captured at once. Perhaps it will not be as gentle as it wase during the previous interrogation. If caught, he will be crushed as it is. Al sees the possibility of such a future.

Moreover, although she still has precise control over the chains, the more Al-ducks, the more likely he is to lose. The more Al loses, the more likely he is to die as collateral damage.

“Shit! Vera! …… Sorry, but don’t hate me if you die!”

“…！！？”

Launch of “Bullets” from a magical configuration with no preliminary movements. Continuous firing.

However, the speed and power of the projectiles are kept moderate, and the chain is made to react to the bullets.

The “bullets” and the “chain” bounce off each other.

The shadow of the royal family. A candidate for His Highness Adam’s Kingsguard.

The reaction of the “binding chain” was beyond Al’s expectation. While repelling “bullets,” the chain attacks the magician further.

Although he should have fired a barrage of bullets in order to have her concentrate on defense, Al himself was now in a position to defend himself against the “binding chain”.

(You’re good at everything! I hate melee combat, so I invented this magic! I never thought I would have to use it to bring them into melee combat!)

“….Kuu！！”

Al increases the output of “bullets” and deploys them to multiply around himself. He uses the chain as an improvised barrier to close the gap between the two.

However, Vera does not make the same move so many times. Whether her mind hates to fight or has lost more than half of her sanity, her body and thoughts move to win.

Understanding, That it would be disadvantage if Al steps in, Vera keeps the enoght distance, Where her chain could reach..not letting Al in.

On top of that, Vera’s trump card. An invisible blow that conceals mana while activating. The “Invisible Chain” is laid down at hand.

While repeatedly pretending not to want to be stepped into, she is actually waiting for Al to step in, just as if waiting for fish to take a bait!

But despite the situation, her mouth suddenly spins words. Without even being aware of it. Her mind and body are not in sync.

“Master Al. You asked me what I thought of the reality of the back streets of the Royal City. And then you spoke of your criticism of the city’s aristocracy. You said that they are a threat to the people’s peace and quiet. With the same mouth that …… uttered such words, …… ‘I will buy you’? You lowlife!”

Vera’s narrative is quiet. However, there is a hatred and despair in her words that cannot be hidden. Even in the midst of dancing chains, her words reached Al’s ears clearly.

(I was careless. Was she not a noblewoman of the capital, or did she come from “that kind of background”? Damn. I should have chosen my words a little better: ……)

Al thought he saw part of the reason for Vera’s outburst. He would never know the whole story.

(Huh? Why am I fighting him? …… No. He’s that guy. Buying a child? …… That means, wow, you’re buying me! I will not allow that! …… No, but now I am the shadow of the royal family? Did I become his squire as a duty? Huh? I don’t know what it is. Oh, what’s for dinner tonight? When are Father and Mother coming back? I wonder if it will be late today: ……?)

Al finally steps into a deadly dash while playing “Binding Chain”.

Vera is empty, her heart nearly shattered into a thousand pieces.

 

　Her “invisible chain trump card” intercepts him with its fangs bare.