Ch.138King Maker #8

“Urgh?!”

As Dirk pierced through the thighs of the three brutes, a low scream naturally escaped their lips, and they collapsed, scraping their bodies against the ground.

Having been forced to stop while running at full speed, they couldn’t help it.

Not only were their thighs stabbed with blades, but they were also dragged across the ground, making them look painfully miserable to anyone watching.

“Ugh… you damn rat!”

As I approached the groaning figures on the ground, they spat out curses as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Then, seeing me standing in the darkness, they clamped their mouths shut and spoke with trembling eyes.

Thanks to my eyes being accustomed to the darkness, I could see their faces quite clearly.

“You… you’re not a rat. Rats could never grow as big as you. Who the hell are you?”

“None of your business.”

With my distinctive ears hidden by my hair and a mask covering my face, they didn’t even realize I wasn’t a beastkin.

For someone who wanted to move in secret, this was quite fortunate.

Silently, I grabbed both arms of the one in the middle who had spoken first and twisted them with all my might.

The eerie sound of bones and muscles twisting—crack!—pierced my ears.

Even though I had prepared myself for this, it still sent a momentary chill down my spine.

“AAAARGH!!”

The one with twisted arms let out a powerful scream.

It was natural, as the pain would be incomparably greater than having a dirk stuck in the thigh.

While the pain of being stabbed might be momentarily intense, the agony of twisted limbs would be endless.

Looking at this, I realized I had made a big mistake.

I should have considered that their screams would be much louder than expected, but in my haste, I had twisted the arm first without thinking.

So, to avoid making the same mistake again, I stripped the clothes off the remaining two and used them as gags.

Stuffing their rolled-up clothes into their mouths prevented them from screaming or biting their tongues, which was quite convenient in many ways.

Moreover, with a calm mind, I could act more leisurely, allowing me to twist the arms of the remaining two without any anxiety.

If someone were to ask why I was breaking their arms, it wasn’t for torture but to prevent them from causing any trouble.

Muffled screams soaked into the gags, followed by the sound of many footsteps growing louder behind me.

It was the Seo tribe warriors who had rushed over after arming themselves.

I put my right index finger to my lips, signaling the approaching Seo tribe warriors with urgent expressions to keep quiet for a moment.

Although I had briefed them beforehand, they might still make verbal mistakes in such an urgent situation.

Fortunately, the Seo tribe members followed my request very well.

Whether it was because they were perceptive or simply following orders, I was grateful.

“First, let’s move these guys near our base. Please help me.”

Normally, they might have responded energetically, but the Seo tribe members simply nodded silently, grabbed the legs of the captives, and dragged them across the ground.

There was no need to carry them carefully.

Plus, it inflicted a bit more pain.

Meanwhile, the injured people received support and first aid, while the three brutes sat with their wrists tied in front of the bonfire, grimacing intensely.

Probably because their broken arms were forcibly bound, leaving them immobilized.

“Gr… hmm.”

Eve, who had been watching the hill for a while, quietly came down and started to speak but ended up groaning softly.

She seemed to be contemplating how to address me, knowing that this wasn’t the time to call me “Grand Duke.”

“Master. There doesn’t seem to be anyone following us.”

Then, she addressed me as “Master” and continued speaking.

While not incorrect in a broad sense, it gave me an oddly chilling feeling.

Moreover, she was using a formal and stiff tone instead of her usual gentle and soft manner, which left me somewhat confused.

Seeing how she instantly adjusted both her form of address and speech pattern to suit the situation, I realized Eve had become quite worldly.

“Good. Well done. How about the capital side?”

“Fortunately, we’re far enough from the city walls that they don’t seem to have heard the screams. There’s no sign of them sending out search parties or being busy, so I don’t think we need to relocate.”

The hill was quite distant from the city gates, making it difficult for human eyes to observe, but Eve could manage it.

While her eyesight wasn’t as good as an elf’s, her magic was sufficient.

“That’s a relief. In my haste, I twisted their arms without gagging them first… I’m really glad.”

After catching my breath and taking a moment to recover, I approached the captives huddled together.

This unexpected windfall had dropped into my lap, and I intended to squeeze every bit of information out of it.

“Anyway, it’s time to find out who these guys are working for…”

Swish. I moved behind them, out of their sight, and bowed my head to the Seo tribe members who were staring at me blankly.

It was the kind of posture one would show when apologizing for wrongdoing.

The Seo tribe members were quite bewildered, but soon they nodded as if understanding why I did it. They seemed to understand that I was asking for their understanding as I was about to change my demeanor.

“They’re Ho tribe. Only the Ho tribe have pointed ears with black and orange stripes.”

“I see. They are Ho tribe indeed. However, we can’t assume they’re necessarily working under the Ho tribe. For instance, they might have been exiled for their crimes and sought refuge with another tribe.”

Ho tribe, I see.

I thanked the Seo tribe man for naturally mentioning the captives’ tribe, and stood in front of the Ho tribe men.

Then I removed the gag from the mouth of the one whose arms I had broken first.

“Hmm. It seems you’ve realized your position. I’m quite pleased to see you keeping your mouth shut.”

I thought he would scream loudly as soon as I removed the gag, but he remained silent as a mouse.

While I appreciated not having my ears hurt, his hesitant demeanor was oddly concerning.

He looked as if he was frightened.

Whether it was my imagination or not, I decided to test him.

“Hmm. Why are you trembling so much? Is it still that cold even though winter has passed and spring is coming? You’re quite a weak one.”

“What?!”

As if he couldn’t bear being called weak, the man burst out.

Despite his broken arms, he still seemed quite spirited.

Or perhaps he hadn’t been pushed to his mental limits yet.

“What? Can’t stand being called weak? But isn’t this the reality?”

“Urgh…! Y-you, what are you doing… ARGH!”

The man started to rage at my further provocation but then contorted his facial muscles as much as possible.

It was understandable since I had tapped the dirk stuck in his thigh a few times to stimulate it before pulling it out without warning.

“It’s good to try to live strong, but you should know when to yield. Don’t forget that your life and the lives of those behind you are entirely in my hands right now.”

“Y-you son of a bitch…”

“My, ‘son of a bitch’? If any of the canine tribe were here, they would have kicked that disrespectful mouth of yours long ago. Or torn it apart.”

While taunting him to provoke him further, I called one of the Seo tribe members to treat the Ho tribe men’s legs.

Simple bandages and herbs might not guarantee complete healing, but they would certainly help.

After all, I couldn’t leave the dirks stuck in their thighs indefinitely.

I carefully wiped the blood off the bloodied dirk and then lightly heated it over the fire for sterilization.

I wasn’t sure if it would help, but it seemed better than letting the blood rust the blade.

But perhaps the Ho tribe men interpreted it differently.

Their pale faces appeared over the red and bright yellow bonfire.

“Hmm. Did you think I was going to torture you with this knife?”

“…Do it if you dare.”

“Oh? Well. I’m not fond of such barbaric acts, but… since you’ve invited me to try, it might not be a bad idea.”

I tapped the heated dirk on the ground a few times and then stuck it into the earth.

To save time and get efficient results, I thought I’d burn him once as he suggested.

So I gagged him again, pulled out the dirk from the ground, and heated it over the fire once more.

“Mmph! Mmmmph!”

Perhaps they had been bold when standing strong, but hadn’t expected me to actually do this.

All three Ho tribe men, including the one who had provoked me, let out muffled screams.

Seeing this, I briefly considered stopping, but they were only frightened momentarily.

If given a chance to breathe, they would undoubtedly regain their pride as if nothing had happened.

In that case, it seemed better to strike a big blow and instill fear.

However, I couldn’t let Eve witness such an unsightly scene.

So before applying the blade, I turned to Eve and said:

“You should look away for a moment. Or go up the hill for a while.”

“…Yes.”

Fortunately, Eve seemed to understand my intention and climbed up the hill without protest.

I thought she might also want to distance herself because she felt uncomfortable.

Anyway, with this, all preparations were complete.

“If you feel like complying with my words, nod your head back and forth. But I hope it’s not too late. I don’t know my own limits well.”

After that, truly miserable screams pierced the heart.

The sizzling sound and the pungent smell of burning flesh irritated my nose, making me involuntarily grimace.

While I didn’t enjoy torture and was doing this for the first time, my heart felt heavy, but my hands, contrary to my feelings, remained light.

“Mmph! MMMMPH!!”

Stabbing, burning. After repeating this several times, my heart felt cold.

Despite the winter passing and the days gradually becoming warmer, it felt as if a mid-winter wind was sweeping through my entire body.

After a few minutes, the surrender declaration finally came.

The man who had been shedding tears and mucus from receiving the heated blade on his thigh nodded his head vigorously as instructed.

“So you’ve finally decided to talk.”

Contrary to my chilling feelings, I twisted the corners of my mouth into a seemingly joyful smile.

Then I put down the dirk that had been against his thigh and removed the gag with both hands.

“Yes! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you anything, just please no more…!”

Seeing how even the fierce tiger protects itself in extreme situations, is it because they’re ultimately beasts?

Or is it because they have human qualities mixed in?

It’s hard for me to conclude, but after peeling back one layer of skin, I could see they weren’t much different from ordinary people.

“Good. First, how many of you came?”

“S-seventy…! This time, to make sure we kill the rat… the Seo tribe representative!”

He started to say “rat bastard” but corrected himself to “Seo tribe.” The fear of saying the wrong thing and facing consequences was evident.

However, 30 versus 70. Being outnumbered by more than double, I involuntarily parted my lips slightly.

Of course, compared to the entire army the Ho tribe could mobilize, it wasn’t many, but it seemed quite a lot for targeting someone supposedly beneath them.

“How many did you mobilize before?”

“Th-that time it was forty.”

“Forty followed by seventy. What pathetic behavior. Going to such lengths to catch those you despise as ‘rats’.”

I openly showed my contempt, sighed, and then asked the next question.

“I’ve heard that in the selection ceremony, some tribes naturally bow their heads… Who else has joined hands with you? Speak without hiding anything.”

“W-well…”

I expected an answer about allying with other tribes, but what’s this?

The man with the mangled thigh trailed off and closed his mouth.

It was suspicious enough for anyone to see that he had something else to hide.

Seeing this, I thought it was a good opportunity and urged him on.

“What? Don’t feel like talking? Then you’ll have to taste the heat again.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t “spicy” but “hot,” but he understood well enough and shouted urgently with a pale face.

He seemed to have become frightened in advance when I picked up the dirk.

“I-it’s an Imperial Count!”

Just as I was thinking it was fortunate I wouldn’t need to use the knife…

At the unexpected words flowing from his mouth, I felt my expression hardening involuntarily.